NT Challenge Companion--Day 8!

Monday, Feb. 1, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matt. 15-16 and Acts 22-24 Focus: Matt. 16:13-20

One of the most pivotal moments in the lives of Jesus' disciples, leading up to Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was the moment when He asked them, "Who do people say that I am?"  That was not Jesus' final question.  It opened the subject.  The real question Jesus wanted His disciples to answer was this: "Who do YOU say that I am?  At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what other people think about Jesus what matters is what you and I think of Him, what we do with Him in our lives.  Peter came up with the right answer:  "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  Jesus made it clear that knowing that He is the Messiah is not NATURAL.  Peter knew it, because God revealed it to Him.  It's the same with us.  When we study God's word, and read of Jesus' amazing authority, power and grace, we may conclude that He was an amazing man.  To go to the next level, and accept Him as our Savior and Lord takes the Holy Spirit.  In fact Jesus told us that we must be born of the Spirit or we will never enter the Kingdom of God.  When our friends who aren't yet believers doubt Jesus' divinity and His place as the Messiah, our best response is to pray for them, to encourage them to seek the truth in their lives, and to live in the power of the Holy Spirit ourselves.  As we do that, we help provide the environment where the Holy Spirit can work most effectively.  As we live another week in the world, let's live it in the power of the Holy Spirit and help the world move to the most important confession of all:  Jesus IS the Messiah, the Son of the living God!

Heavenly Father, You reveal ALL truth, so please reveal more of Your truth in my life today, and empower me by Your Holy spirit to live it out to Your glory.  Let me be a testimony through my words and actions that Jesus is the Messiah, Your Son.  This I ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.