Jesus was the best thing that ever happened

JESUS WAS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Rev. James Cleveland"Jesus is the best thing that everhappened to me"
LYRICS
I've had my share of life's ups and downs
God's been goodto me, and the downs have been few
I would guess you can say, God has blessedme
But there's never been a time in my life, he didn't bring me through
If anyone should everwrite, my life story
For whateverreasonthere might be
You'd be there, betweeneachline of pain and glory
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me
One day, I was lost but Jesus found me

I was on my wayto hell, but Jesus lifted me
Songwriters:WEATHERLY
© Universal Music Publishing Group
For non-commercialuse only.
Data From: LyricFind

You're the BestThing That Ever Happened to Me
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Not to be confused with You're the BestThing or You Are the BestThing.
This article is about the song written by Jim Weatherly. Forthe DeanMartin
album, see You're the BestThing That Ever Happened to Me (album).
"You're the BestThing That Ever Happened To Me"
Single by Ray Price
from the album You're the BestThing That Ever Happened To Me
B-side "What Kind of Love is This"
Released July 1973 (U.S.)
Recorded ca. May 1973
Genre Country
Length 3:50
LabelColumbia 45889
Songwriter(s) Jim Weatherly
Producer(s)Don Law
Ray Price singles chronology
"She's Gotto Be a Saint"
(1972) "You're the BestThing That Ever Happened To Me"

(1973) "Storms of Troubled Times"
(1974)
"BestThing That Ever Happened To Me"
BestThing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & the Pips.jpg
Single by Gladys Knight & the Pips
from the album Imagination
B-side "Once in a Lifetime Thing"
Released February 1974 (U.S.)
Recorded 1973
Genre
Poprhythm and blues
Length 3:44
LabelBuddah Records 403
Songwriter(s) Jim Weatherly
Producer(s)Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise;Gladys Knight and the Pips were
co-producers
Gladys Knight & the Pips singles chronology
"I've Got to Use My Imagination"
(1973) "BestThing That Ever Happened To Me"
(1974) "On and On"
(1974)
"You're the BestThing That Ever Happened To Me" — also known simply as
"BestThing That Ever Happened To Me" — is a song written by Jim
Weatherly, and produced by Don Law. It was first recordedin 1973 by Ray

Price from his album You're the BestThing That Ever Happened To Me. The
song enjoyed two runs of popularity, eachby an artist in a different genre.
Weatherly told Tom Rolandin The Billboard Book ofNumber One Country
Hits that he wrote the song in 1971 and let his father-in-law first record it as a
Christmas presentfor the latter's wife. "I thought it was really strange that
nobody'd written a song with that title — possibly somebody had, but I'd
never heard it — so I just sat down and let this streamof consciousness
happen. I basically wrote it in a very short period of time, probably 30
minutes or an hour."[1]
Contents
1 The versions
1.1 Ray Price country version
1.2 Gladys Knight & the Pips pop/R&B version
1.3 James Clevelandgospelversion
2 Chart history
2.1 Weeklycharts
2.2 Year-end charts
2.3 The Persuaders R&B version
2.4 DeanMartin pop version
2.5 Andy Williams version
2.6 Steve Lawrence version
3 Chart performance

3.1 Ray Price version
4 References
5 External links
The versions
Ray Price country version
The song's first run of popularity, as "You're the BestThing That Ever
Happened to Me," came in 1973, whencountry music singer RayPrice took
the song to number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on October
6, 1973.
For that version, it representeda last and a first. The "last" was Price's
seventh and most recentNo. 1 single, in a string dating back to his 1956 hit
"Crazy Arms." The "first": It was the No. 1 single on the debut program of
American Country Countdown, which used the Billboard chart in its
programming. Although it fell short of the top 40 in his native United States,
the song was an easylistening hit in Canada, his third such hit there.
Gladys Knight & the Pips pop/R&B version
In the early- to mid-1970s, Gladys Knight & the Pips recordedseveralof
Weatherly's songs, and in 1974, they dipped into his catalog once againwith
their rendition of the song. Their version, titled "BestThing That Ever
Happened to Me," reachednumber 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that spring
and topped the Hot Soul Singles for two weeks.[2]The single was certified
gold by the RIAA for sales ofone million copies. It also reachedthe top 10 in
the United Kingdom.
James Clevelandgospelversion

In 1975, legendarygospelsingerRev. James Cleveland& The Charles Fold
Singers recordeda live versionof the song, which was cited (in the song)as an
adaptation of the Gladys Knight & The Pips version of the song.
Chart history
Weeklycharts
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[3] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 10
UK (OCC) 7
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 3
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 10
US CashBoxTop 100[6] 3
Year-end charts
Chart (1974) Rank
Canada[7] 80
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 34
US CashBox[9] 28
The Persuaders R&B version
In 1974, The Persuaders also recordeda version, takenfrom their album of
the same name[10][11][12]Their versionwas quieter, less brassy, and more
introspective than The Pips' version[13]The song reachednumber 85 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.[14]

DeanMartin pop version
The song was also recordedby DeanMartin in 1973.
Andy Williams version
Andy Williams releaseda versionin 1974 onhis album, The Way We Were.
Steve Lawrence version
Steve Lawrence releaseda versionin 1973 under MGM Records label.
Chart performance
Ray Price version
Chart (1973) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[15] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 82
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 2
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 37
References
Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard
Books,Watson-GuptillPublications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2),
p. 99.
Whitburn, Joel(2004). TopR&B/Hip-Hop Singles:1942-2004.Record
Research. p. 330.

"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Library and Archives
Canada. RPM Weekly(archived). May 11, 1974. RetrievedOctober3, 2018.
"The Irish Charts – SearchResults – BestThing That Ever Happened to
Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
JoelWhitburn's TopPop Singles 1955-1990 -ISBN 0-89820-089-X
"CashBoxTop 100 Singles, April 27, 1974". Archived from the original on
February 21, 2017. RetrievedAugust 29, 2017.
Canada, Library and Archives (July 13, 2017). "Image : RPM Weekly".
Musicoutfitters.com
"CashBoxYear-End Charts:Top 100 Pop Singles, December28, 1974".
Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. RetrievedAugust 29, 2017.
"The Persuaders - BestThing That Ever Happened To Me (Vinyl, LP,
Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved2016-10-08.
Jim Weatherly. "The BestThing That Ever Happened to Me - The
Persuaders | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved2016-10-08.
[1][permanent dead link]
"BestThing That Ever Happened To Me The Persuaders".YouTube. 2013-
11-17. Retrieved2016-10-08.
"Hot 100 - Billboard". Billboard. March 30, 1974. RetrievedOctober4, 2018.
Whitburn, Joel(2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-
2006, Secondedition. RecordResearch. p. 275.
External links
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
vte
Gladys Knight & the Pips

vte
Ray Price
Categories:1973 singles1974singlesRayPrice (musician) songsSongswritten
by Jim WeatherlyGladys Knight & the Pips songsThe Persuaders (R&B
group) songsAndyWilliams songsBillboardHot Country Songs number-one
singlesBillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles1973
songsBuddahRecords singles
This page was lastedited on 19 September2019, at00:58 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
License;additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registeredtrademark of the
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
You're The BestThing, That Ever Happened To Me!
Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Sep 18, 2012
based on 8 ratings (rate this sermon) | 24,041views
Scripture: Psalms 91:7-11, Psalms 97:1-98:1
Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Summary: I don’t know how anyone could make it, or would want to go
through this life without Him, but yet people attempt to do so everyday.
1 2 3 4

Next
You’re the BestThing,
that ever happen to me
As I sat back and reflectedthis week andthought about what the Lord would
have me to share,
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What kept coming back to my mind continually, was how incredibly faithful
God has been and always is to me.
Sometimes the drama of life, has a tendency to cloud, and or blur our vision as
to everything God truly does for all of us.
And if we were to truly know everything that God does for us on a daily basis,
it would probably be to much to even comprehend.

Psalms 91:7-11 NKJ
7. A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8. Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9. Becauseyouhave made the Lord, who is my refuge,
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Even the MostHigh, your dwelling place,
10. No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11. For He shall give His angels charge overyou,

To keepyou in all your ways.
God is extravagantin everything He does and that includes protecting you,
Romans 11:33-36 MSG.
Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagantgenerosityof God,
this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is
there anyone around who canexplain God? Anyone smart enoughto tell him
what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask
his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
Its amazing isn’t it? that’s how much He Loves you, that’s how much He
cares!
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you,
That would baffle even the most intellectual mind, if they didn’t know Christ.

But for those of us who do know Him, we’ve come to understand it as, His
unmerited Favorand Grace that He extends towards us,
Even though we’ve done nothing to deserve it, He makes it continually
available to us!
Even before we ever loved Him, He loved us and has been gently guiding us,
Towards the extravagantlife, He has already prepared for us!
God spares no expense taking care of His Children, and “Angels Charge” over
you, in its plural form means,
Gods promises to His Children, are always biggerthan their needs.
And whether He needs to send 10 or 10,000angelsto watch out over you, He
has the resources to do it!
I don’t know how anyone could make it, or would want to go through this life
without Him, but yet people attempt to do so everyday.
Wondering aimlesslyaround looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places,
everywhere exceptwhere they should be looking,

The bible tells us of many examples that we could use, but the one I want to
share today, is found in;
Luke chapter 19:1-10 NKJ
1. Then Jesus enteredand passedthrough Jericho.
2. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax
collector, and he was rich.
3. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because ofthe crowd, for
he was of short stature.
4. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He
was going to pass that way.
5. And when Jesus came to the place, He lookedup and saw him, and said to
him, “Zacchaeus, make haste andcome down, for today I must stay at your
house.”
6. So he made haste and came down, and receivedHim joyfully.
7. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a
guestwith a man who is a sinner.”

8. Then Zacchaeus stoodand saidto the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my
goods to the poor; and if I have takenanything from anyone by false
accusation, Irestore fourfold.”
9. And Jesus saidto him, “Todaysalvation has come to this house, because he
also is a son of Abraham;
10. for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Ill. There’s a story about a localfitness center, which was offering $1,000to
anyone who could demonstrate that they were strongerthan the ownerof the
place.
Here’s how it worked, this muscle man would squeeze a lemon until all the
juice ran into a glass, andthen hand the lemon to the next challenger.
Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop of juice out would win the
money.
Many people tried over time - other weightlifters, constructionworkers,
even professionalwrestlers,but nobody could do it.
One day a short and skinny guy came in and signed up for the contest.

After the laughter died down, the owner grabbed a lemon and squeezedaway,
then he handed the wrinkled remains to the little man.
Strong sermons during fear & uncertainty
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The crowd’s laughter turned to silence as the man clenchedhis fist around the
lemon and six drops fell into the glass.
As the crowdcheered, the managerpaid out the winning prize and askedthe
short guy what he did for a living. “Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or
what?”
The man replied, “I work for the IRS.”
Zach was exactly that, a tax collector
He may have been small in stature, but he was big on ambition,

He wasn’t any old tax collectoreither, TBS. he was the chief tax collector, and
he was rich
He had done whatever it took, hook and crook, to get to the top of the ladder.
His name in Hebrew means, “pure and righteous,” but his name didn’t have
anything to do with the way he carriedon in life,
he workedfor Romangovernment and was considereda traitor by the Jewish
people.
He was the one who kept the books and sent the collectedtaxes to Rome, so it
was easyfor him to skim of the top and became rich by doing so.
notice that while Zack is very wealthy and probably has enough money to buy
anything he would ever want, knew something was missing in his life.
Happiness is not found in riches, if you study lottery winners, you will find
that they are some of the most miserable people in society.
How many movie stars and other famous people in our lifetimes have we
heard that their lives ended wayto soon,
And we always think, its so sadhow their life ended.

They had all the riches and fame, you would have thought they had it all, only
to find out how truly unhappy they were!
Mostpeople today, if they are honest, will eventually admit that there’s more
to life than just trying to make money and obtain possessions.
Notice that it doesn’t say that Zack just wantedto see Jesus,He wanted to see
who Jesus was.
He wanted to figure out what it was that made Jesus different from everyone
else.
He was drawn to the hope and compassionthat Jesus had extended to so
many others,
he may not have fully understood what was going on in his heart, but Zack
had a desperate needto get to Jesus.
And even though, he couldn’t even explain what drew him to see who Jesus
was,
he just knew he had to go see Him and that was that.

Though he was determined, he had two obstaclesto overcome, his height and
his reputation,
No one else wanted to associatewith him, because ofthe way he treated
people, would Jesus?
And how would Jesus eversee him over everyone else that was clambering,
for His attention at the same time.
But TBS. Zach was a resourcefulman and he ran ahead and climbed a tree, so
he could see Jesus.
I can just imagine Zach trying to climb that tree, what a site it must have
been,
It took determination on his part, for a short guy to climb a tree in the first
place,
and their was probably not one person in the crowd, that would have given
him a step up to help him.
Not one person, exceptfor Jesus
You see, Jesus new the exactspot that their encounterwas going to take place
that day.

And He is always busy behind the scenes working onour behalf,
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that’s why I believe, Jesus had all ready been there preparing the way for
Zach,
To have a tree that was climbable there for him, just when he neededit.
For just a few moments later, Jesus lookedup in that tree and said Zach come
down,
Today is your day, I must go to your house today. Not canI, but I must go to
your house today!
The crowdmay have wondered that day, how did He know his name?

What they didn’t know was He not only knew his name, but everything else
about him too,
right down to the number of hairs on his head! Praise God!
A lot of times, societytries to determine who is worthy of Jesus forgiveness,
Sometimes we forget, that whosoevermeans everyone, doesn’tit?
TBS. (the bible says)He would that none, should perish, even the tax man,
When you take a step of faith to meet Jesus, you will not be disappointed, He
will be there when you do.
Zach couldn’t believe his ears, he came down out of that tree and accepted
Jesus offerimmediately,
Much to the dismay of the crowdand the religious leaders of the day.
What it should have done for the crowd that day, was give them hope,
that if He could change Zach’s heart, nothing was impossible, there was hope
for all of them!

And a complete change of heart was exactly what Zach had.
He said, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I
have cheatedanybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the
amount.”
Jesus had changedhis heart and now he wanted the whole world to know,
By demonstrating that change through his actions.
His decisionwas voluntary and flowedout of a heart of gratitude for what
Christ had done for him.
Idn’t that how everyone should be?
Whenever Jesus meets someone there is change, becauseJesusalways,
changes and transforms lives when He has an encounter with them!
From that moment on Zach, had finally found what he had been looking his
whole life.
It wasn’t riches or fame, or material things, it was a relationship with Jesus!
You see, All those things in and that of themselves are not bad,

But without God in your life and a relationship with His Son Jesus,
There just meaningless words on a piece of paper, in another chapter in the
book of your life
Albert Schweitzeronce said, “If you own something that you cannot give
away, then you don’t own it, it owns you.”
The only thing that matters in this world, is not things, but is what we do for
Jesus while were here!
We should all strive to more like Zach and make Jesus the central focus in the
story of our lives,
instead of just another chapter in the middle of the book.
The words of a song Gladys Knight recordedmany years ago, says it oh so
well.
If anyone should everwrite my life story

Ooo, you'll be there betweeneachline of pain and glory
'Cause you're the best thing that everhappened to me
Ah, you're the best thing that ever happened to me
Is Jesus the central focus of your life’s story, is He there on eachpage of the
story,
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He’s been there behind the scenes allalong the way, waiting patiently to make
His grand entrance!
If you’ve never made Jesus the Lord of your life, you can today!
Just ask Him to come into your heart and He will,

And He will be the best thing that ever happened to you
Let's pray.
JESUS, THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME!
April 29, 2017
by Nicola McFadden
Beloved.... The songwritersays, "Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to
me!" How about you, is this your song today? Do you believe and testify this
even during the storms, and grab hold of this Truth, despite what the facts
and reports are saying... what about when the greatwinds, horrific waves,
torrents of the rains are crashing upon you... when you might be even
trembling with fears... Believe me, I understand that this life can be brutal...
The storms beat us up; the rains beat us down... BUT despite all these storms,
we are more than Conquerors, Overcomers, and Victorious Warriors,
through Christ who loves us. Jesus is the LORD of the storm, even the winds
and waves obeyHim... Jesus is our Shelter from the wind and our Refuge
from the storm! Thank you, Jesus You are the best thing that ever happens to
me!
"Sayye to the righteous, that it shall be wellwith him: for they shall eatthe
fruit of their doings." ~ Isaiah3:10

Today, I pray that we will reaffirm our faith in Jesus, as our personalLORD
and Savior. I pray that we will choose to place our faith, future, family,
finances, fears, failures, frustrations... in our Father's hands. He is our All
Sovereign, All-Powerful, All-Loving, All-Knowing, Almighty, Faithful,
Forgiving, Unfailing, Unchangeable, Immovable, Unshakeable God... Today,
I pray that we will choose to believe Him; receive His love, His goodness,and
His comfort. We will opt to take Him at His Word to bless, save, sustain,
deliver, restore, heal, help... He shall provide, free, transform and use us and
our stories to bring Him Glory. We will choose everyday to worship Him in
every area of our lives, in Jesus name. Today, I pray for a rekindling of our
faith; I beseechthe LORD, pour out His LOVE upon us, to lift our heads,
lighten our loads, and ignite our fires. LORD, we bask in Your LOVE, we
receive Your mercies that are new every day, we receive fresh anointing, the
oil of gladness, benefits of Your Grace, Glory, Divine Power, Honor, Favor;
and all the very greatpromises of the righteous, in Jesus name.
LORD, no matter the storm, I am committed to my testimony that "The best
thing that ever happened to me was when I put my faith in Jesus!"
In the name of Jesus, I declare that upon the confessionofmy Faith in Jesus
Christ, as I call upon the name of LORD Jesus, The POWER in His name...
The POWER ofHis Blood... His Amazing Grace... His Great Glory shall
divinely intervene in my life. I will experience the manifestation of a Mighty
Move of God with Miracles, Signs, and Wonders, turning around my situation
and transforming me, in Jesus name, AMEN!
LORD, YOU’RE THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME

LORD, YOU’RE THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME
vs-1,2 – written by Calvin Clark from TN, this song was given to JosephDove
by this
man from TN to sing for the Lord vs-3,4 – JosephDove, Jerusalem,
Israel
CHORUS:
And I owe it all to you Lord,
For all I have is you Lord,
Take my life make me what you’d have me be;
I’m your child and you’re my Father,
I’m the clay and you’re the potter,
Lord, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
You’ve been my life for so long,
You were right when I was wrong,
I can’t repay all the love you’ve given me;
You were my friend when no one cared,
When I was alone you were there,
Borrowedtreasures, borroweddreams,
All my joy you’ve given me,

When sorrow comes your always there to see me through;
So come what may thy will be done,
I love you Jesus, God’s only Son,
I strayed from you, I let you down,
You sent your mercy and brought me round,
You forgave all the things I had done;
You filled me with the Holy Ghost,
Now He’s my souls only Host,
And now my days are almost through,
All my life is now in you,
You have causedme to change all of my ways;
You gave me vision and a plan,
To be finished in Jerusalem,
Your The BestThing That Ever Happened To Me Lyrics & Chords
By The Henson Family

Cappo 3
Verse 1
(G)You've been my life for so long, you were (C)right when I was wrong.
I can't (G)explain all the love you've given (D)me,
you've been my (G)friend when no one cared, I was (C)alone, but you were
there,
Lord your the (G)best thing that ever(D)happened to (G)me.
Chorus
(G)I owe it all to you Lord, (C)All I have is (G)Yours Lord,
take my life and make me what you'd have me (D)be,
for I'm your (G)child and your my father,
I'm the (C)clay and your the (Em)potter,
Lord your the (G)best thing that ever(D)happened to (G)me.
Verse 2
Borrowedtreasures, borroweddreams, all lifes joy's you've given me,
when troble comes, your always there to make me smile,
let come what may, thy will be done, I love you Jesus, Gods precious son,
Lord your the best thing that everhappened to me.
Chorus

I owe it all to you Lord, All I have is yours Lord,
take my life and make me what you'd have me be,
for I'm your child and your my father,
I'm the clay and your the potter,
Lord your the best thing that everhappened to me
Jesus is the BestThing
By First15
October29, 2020
TagsDevotional
Introduction
As children of God, we have been given a new home and a new hope. This
week we’re going to take time every day to look at what it means to live for
heaven. May your heart be setaflame by the joy and purpose of living out
God’s command to live for heaven.
Scripture
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,letus
also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and
perfecterof our faith, who for the joy that was setbefore him endured the

cross, despising the shame, and is seatedatthe right hand of the throne of
God.” HEBREWS 12:1-2
Worship
You Keep On Getting Better | Maverick City Music feat. MajestyRose
Devotional
Of all the wonders our Creatorprovides us, boundless and unadulterated
relationship with Jesus vastly exceeds them all. Jesus is the bestthing we will
ever know. His love restores, satisfies, transforms, and heals. His grace
empowers and brings transcendentpeace. His nearness resolvesthe great
fears of our hearts. And his Kingship calls us to a right lifestyle of living for
heaven rather than a pursuit of that which is worldly and fleeting. Colossians
3:1-4 says,
If then you have been raisedwith Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seatedat the right hand of God. Setyour minds on things that are
above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you
also will appearwith him in glory.
You and I have limited space in our hearts. When we choose to fill our lives
with the things of the world, we crowd out that which will fill us with pure and
abounding relationship with Jesus. It’s for this reasonJesus saidin Matthew
6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money.”

As disciples of Jesus, we must learn to leaddifferent lives than others around
us. Instead of looking to others as our standard for what is goodor right, we
must look to Jesus. Insteadof setting the bar for our lives by looking at
successfulpeople, even successfulChristians, we must set our bar at living like
Jesus. Jesusvalued relationship with the Father above all else. He valued
obedience to the Father’s will above all other pursuits. Every breath he
breathed was done to the glory of God the Fatherand in fulfillment of his
plans, and you and I are to do the same.
To live for heavenis to throw off every weightthat would hinder us from
pursuing the fullness of relationship with Jesus. To live for heavenis to
declare with our thoughts, actions, and emotions that Jesus truly is Lord of
lords and King of kings and that he is worthy of our lives. To live for heaven is
to make as much room in our hearts for Jesus as possible. Live for heaven
today and discoverthe wealthof relationship and satisfactionavailable to you
only through the sole pursuit of Jesus.
Prayer
1. Meditate on the principle of serving two masters. Allow Scripture to stir up
your heart to pursue relationship with Jesus above all else. Renew your mind
to what truly has value in this life.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:33-34

God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
2. What things of the world have you been pursuing? In what ways has the
world crowdedout space that was meant solely for the things of God?
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewalof
your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
goodand acceptable andperfect.” Romans 12:2
3. Ask the Lord to lead you to a lifestyle of living for heaven.Ask him to give
you a vision of what it looks like to pursue relationship with him above all
else. Commit to following his leadership to paths of righteousness and
relationship and turn awayfrom worldly cares and pursuits.
“‘Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of
the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is notfrom the
Father but is from the world. And the world is passing awayalong with its
desires, but whoeverdoes the will of Godabides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Go
Living with a heavenly perspective takes time spent in God’s presence,
studying his word. It’s unnatural to live in the world but not of the world
(John 15:19). There are few to no people we encounterin our daily routine

who truly live out this command. If we are going to fully pursue the abundant
life to which we’ve been called, we must choose to live differently. If we are
going to truly live for heaven, we must allow the Lord to daily renew our
perspective on what matters. The life available to us through pursuing Jesus
alone may be countercultural, but it is filled with adventure, wonder,
satisfaction, andpurpose. May you be filled with the courage to throw off the
burdens of the world and live solelyfor Jesus today.
The BestThing That Could Happen
John 14:1-3
If you were askedthe question "What would be the best thing that could
happen to this world?" What would your answerbe? Some might answerthat
the bestthing that could happen is to find a cure for all disease.Another
might tell us that world peace would be the best thing that could happen. Put
an end to world hunger may be what some would say. All of these would be
great, but they wouldn't be the bestthing that could happen.
For the past severalweeks there has been a recurring advertisement on
television. It begins with a womancrying over her husbands grave telling him
that she beggedhim to acceptChrist while he was alive but that now he would
burn in hell forever. Then there is a painting of Christ returning for His own,
and the announcer says, "Jesus is Coming October28th, all who acceptthe
mark of the beastwill burn in the lake of fire forever." The screenis filled
with the words "The Rapture Jesus is Coming October 28, 1992". There is no
indication as to who is paying for the commercial.

This is not the first, nor will it be the last of those who wish to set dates and
times for the rapture and the secondcoming of Jesus Christ. But just because
these and many others before them were wrong, that doesn't mean that Jesus
isn't coming! He will come when the time is right for Him to come, and the
return of Christ would be the greatestthing that could happen to this earth!
He is the answerto world peace, world hunger, and disease!
I. The Proof of His Coming.
A. It is found in His infallible Word: The Bible.
1. The Bible is God's Word to man.
2. In His Word He tells us that He is coming again.
3. If we believe the Bible, then we must believe that Jesus is coming again.
B. The Old Testamentis full of the truth of His return.
1. There are two lines of prophecy found in the O.T. Scriptures.
2. The first line of prophecy deals with His first advent...coming as a suffering
Savior.

3. The secondline of prophecy deals with His secondadvent...coming as a
conquering King.
4. At His first coming He came to die for our sins, when He returns He will
return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to bring judgment on this wicked
world.
C. Readthe New Testament.
1. His secondcoming is mentioned 318 times in the N.T.
2. One out of every twenty-five verses refer to His return.
3. Now you will find those who would snickerand scoffat what I am saying,
but the Bible says that is what will happen.
II. The Plan of His Coming.
A. First, Jesus willcome in the air.
1. This is knownas the Rapture.
2. Note:1 Thess. 4:13-18

3. "...Insuch an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." cf Mt. 24:44
4. Jesus will come suddenly and unexpectedly like a thief in the night.
5. Only those who are "in Christ" will be raptured out of this world.
6. Everyone else will be left behind to face the wrath of God.
B. He will come to earth in Glory after the sevenyear period of tribulation.
1. When He returns to earth He will come to judge the ungodly. cf Jude v14-
15
2. He will destroy all those who rebel againstHim, put an end to the battle of
Armageddon and will bind Satanfor a 1000 years.
3. Anti-christ and the false prophet will be castinto the lake of fire.
4. He will then establishHis millennial kingdom on this earth.
III. The Preparationfor His Coming.
A. We prepare by coming to Him for salvation.

1. There is only one way to be saved.
2. And that is through "repentance towardGodand faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ." cf Acts 20:21
3. When Jesus comes in the air, when the trumpet sounds, there'll be no more
opportunities to be saved. cf 2Th. 2:11-12
4. We prepare for His coming by accepting His sacrifice forour sins and
trusting in Him.
B. We prepare for His coming by living conse-cratedlives as Christians.
1. Note:1John3:1-3
2. The hope of the secondcoming of Christ is a purifying hope.
3. Example: Teenageronchurch bus during storm.
4. Believers needto live their lives as if Christ were coming today! BecauseHe
could!
C. We prepare for His coming by giving Him our best service.

1. Jesus said, "BeholdI come quickly and my reward is with me to give to
every man according as his work shall be." Re. 22:12
2. Solomoncounseledus to do what we could the best we could because in the
grave there is no opportunity to work. cf Eccl. 9:10
3. Jesus gave us a similar exhortation in John 9:4 when He said, "...the night
cometh when no man can work."
4. We must serve the Lord now...whenHe comes will He find us busy doing
His work?
5. We prepare for His coming by serving the Lord with our lives now!
The best thing that could happen to this world would be for Jesus to come
back. He is coming! We have His Word on that! We know the plan of His
coming and it is up to us to be prepared for His return.
If you are not a Christian this morning, you must be saved! There is no other
way but through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He died that we might have
life. Will you trust Him today?
If you are a Christian, you can prepare for His coming by living your life
dedicatedto Him. By serving Him now! Are you looking for Him to return?
Are you loving His appearing? Jesus is coming soon. We must be prepared.

http://www.brandonweb.com/sermons/sermonpages/john25.htm
Sermon on Acts 3: 12 – 20 – Jesus Is the RealThing!
“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made
strong. It is Jesus’name and the faith that comes through him that has given
this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Now, brothers, I know that
you actedin ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled
what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would
suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Upon reading this text, I thought of an email that was sentto me some time
ago. It used familiar advertising slogans to describe God.
God is like GeneralElectric…He lights your path.
God is like Hallmark Cards…He caredenough to send the very best.
God is like the American Express Card…Don'tleave home without Him!
God is like Coca-Cola…He's the real thing.
In a world of cheapimitations, we can be thankful that Jesus is the Real
Thing! I. He’s the pause that refreshes. II. He’s the cause of our salvation.
Our text for today takes place after Pentecost. Jesushad already risen from
the dead. Jesus had already ascendedinto heaven. Jesus had already
commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. On the day

of Pentecost, those disciples were gatheredin Jerusalemwhen all of a sudden
they heard the sound of a violent wind and saw what appearedto be tongues
of fire resting on their heads. They began to speak in different languages and
were able to reachpeople from around the world who had gathered in
Jerusalem. On that day the Holy Spirit brought 3,000 people to faith in Jesus.
Excitement about Jesus was everywhere, much to the dismay of the religious
leaders of the day. One day Peterand John went up to the temple for prayer.
They saw a man crippled from birth begging at the temple gates. Putting his
hand out, he expecteda hand-out from them. But what Peterand John gave
him was much more precious than gold or silver. Luke tells us, “taking him
by the right hand, Peterhelped him up and instantly the man’s feet and
ankles became strong. He jumped to his feetand began to walk. Then he
went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising
God.” It was a miracle and it attractedquite a crowd! Luke tells us, “allthe
people were astonishedand came running to them.”
When Peter and John saw all the commotion, they were quick to give credit
where credit was due. Don’t let it surprise you! It wasn’tanything we did!
“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made
strong.” In spite of what your religious leaders might tell you, his disciples
didn’t come and stealhis body. He has risen just like he said. The one you
handed over. The one you disowned. The one you killed is the one God
raisedfrom the dead. You actedin ignorance. But little did you know that
this was part of God’s plan to save all people!

It’s funny how well people know familiar advertising slogans. There’s a
reasonwhy companies invest so much time and money in advertising.
Tell people why they need the product. Tell them how they can’t live without
it. Prove that it works. Presentit in a memorable way and you’ll have a
customerfor life. Not only will you have a satisfiedcustomer, those same
customers will become your best advertising agents to getthe word out to
others.
Tell people why they need the product. Why do people need Jesus? One has
to admit that he’s a pretty tough sell in today’s world where people think
they can getalong just fine without him. Goodpeople living goodlives will
surely be goodenough to getinto heaven. But God’s Word tells us that good
isn’t goodenough. God demands perfectionand if you can’t give it to him,
you fall short of the glory of God and deserve the wagesofsin which is
death, here on earth and for all eternity in hell. You may not have murdered
anyone, but if you’ve ever hated anyone, you’re guilty of murder in the eyes
of God. You may have never cheatedon your spouse, but if you’ve ever
lookedat someone lustfully, you’re guilty of adultery in the eyes of God.
You may have never stolenanything from anyone, but if you’ve ever failed
to put in an honestdays work for an honest days wages, you’re guilty of
stealing from your employer. God’s Word tells us that just one sin makes us
guilty of breaking all of God’s law. Why even the sinful flesh you were born
with condemns you right from the start.
“Wanna get away?” God’s Wordsays you won’t because as Paulwrites,

“whateverthe law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every
mouth may be silencedand the whole world held accountable to God.”
You weren’t part of the crowd clamoring for Jesus to be crucified, but you
played a part in killing the author of life. Your sins made it necessary.
God’s love made it happen! Petertells us, “this is how God fulfilled what he
had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.”
So what’s a person to do? The same thing people were encouragedto do on
the day of Pentecost. The same thing people were encouragedto do
throughout the Old Testament. The same thing people are encouragedto do
today. “Repentand turn to God.” Repentance involves a change of heart.
Repentance involves feeling sorry for our sins. Repentance involves turning
awayfrom our sins. Repentance involves confessing our sins to God.
Repentance involves looking to Jesus who was “appointed for you.”
Chosenfor you. Lived for you. Died for you. Rose againfor you, so that your
sins would be forgiven, so that eternal life in heaven would be yours.
Out of love for you, the author of life offeredup his life on the cross.
Out of love for you, the author of life came back to life as he rose from the
grave. Out of love for you, the author of life promises to raise you and take
you to be with him in heaven. That’s the kind of powerJesus has and uses for
the goodof his people. That’s the kind of powerJesus has and uses as he
rules in the hearts of his people through His Word. We preach Christ
crucified and risen from the dead just like Peterand John. Did their message
have an impact? Read a little further in the book of Acts and you’ll see that it

did. Luke tells us the number of believers grew from 3,000 to 5,000.Bythe
grace ofGod through faith in Jesus workedby the Holy Spirit, 2,000 more
people were added to God’s family that day.
But the fields were still ripe and the harvest was still waiting which is why
I’d like to share another familiar advertising sloganwith you. “God is like
Dial Soap…Aren't you glad you know Him? Don't you wish everyone did?”
People without Jesus don’t smell goodin the nostrils of God. Godtells us,
“your iniquities have separatedyou from your God; your sins have hidden
his face from you.” Sin separatespeople from God. Like the burning sulfur
rising from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, sin stinks, but it’s not to high
heaven, rather it’s to the lowestdepths of hell. Through Jesus, Godhas
washedour sins awayand clothed us in the garments of Christ’s
righteousness. Because ofJesus, we look andsmell fantastic to God!
Paul writes, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal
processionin Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the
knowledge ofhim. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who
are being savedand those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of
death; to the other, the fragrance oflife.”
Think about the time and effort people put into looking and smelling good.
Baths and showers and lotions and potions and perfumes and colognes,
breath sprays and mints. We dress to impress! We want people to notice and
maybe even saysomething. We’re sometimes disappointed if they don’t.
If only we had that same desire when it came to people seeing and smelling

Jesus in us! Jesus tells us, “you are the light of the world…let your light
shine before men that they may see your gooddeeds and praise your Father
in heaven.”
Yes, Jesus is like Dial Soap…Aren't you glad you know Him? Don't you
wish everyone did? Don’t just wish it, be about the work our Savior has
given us so that everyone does. That’s why we exist as a congregation.
To grow in God’s Word and go with God’s Word to the world around us.
Using our time, our talents, our treasures so that all may know and believe in
Jesus as their Savior. There are lots of opportunities to be involved with the
mission and ministry of GoodShepherd. The Ladies of Servae Christi seek to
serve God and his people within the walls of Good Shepherd. The Lutheran
Women’s MissionarySocietyseeks to serve Godand his people beyond the
walls of Good Shepherd by reaching out to the world around us. Ladies,
these are both wonderful organizations to support and be involved with!
Men, our Ministry Coordinating Council is always looking for men to serve.
If you’re not sure who to ask, talk to PastorRutschow ormyself and we’ll be
happy to point the way. Our preschool, school,and Sunday Schoolseeksto
feed Jesus’lambs and can always use more sheepto help lead and feed.
Youth groups and pioneer programs are other ways we help keep our young
people connectedto Jesus. Because that’s who it’s all about. The folks
gatheredthat day weren’t encouragedto look to Peterand John, they were
encouragedto look to Jesus. Jesus is the real thing. He’s the pause that
refreshes. He’s the cause of our salvation.

Tell people why they need the product. Sin is the reasonwhy people need
Jesus. Tellthem how they can’t live without it. God’s Word tells us that
people can’t live without Jesus if they hope to be in heaven one day.
Prove that it works. Christ’s death and resurrection is proof that Jesus works
and has given us the gift of salvation. Presentit in a memorable way.
Jesus says, “Iam the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father exceptthrough me.” Notonly will you have a satisfiedcustomer,
those same customers will become your best advertising agents to getthe
word out to others. Through faith createdand strengthenedby the Holy Spirit
working through Word and Sacrament, God has made us satisfiedcustomers
who go to “preachthe goodnews to all creation.” Satisfiedcustomers who
tell others to “come and see.” Satisfiedcustomers who go to serve.
BecauseofJesus, we’re more than just satisfiedcustomers, we’re God’s
children, here on earth and for all eternity in heaven. I suppose you could
say, God is like Allstate…with Him, you’re in goodhands!
Amen.
http://www.gsdg.org/home/140003019/140003019/140027059/Sermon%20on%
20Acts%203%20-%20Jesus%20Is%20The%20Real%20Thing.pdf
Why Jesus is the BestTreasure You Have

Heather Holleman
Author
Why Jesus is the BestTreasure You Have
[Editor's Note:The following excerptis taken from Seatedwith Christ: Living
Freelyin a Culture of Comparison, ©2015 by Heather Holleman. Used with
permission of Moody Publishers.]
QuestionOne: Is knowing Jesus betterthan anything?
Scripture contains severaldozen “betterthan” statements. What’s better than
fame? What’s better than wealth? What’s better than even life itself?
I think about what I believe is “better than” being with Jesus. WhenI’m
seatedin Christ, I begin to believe that knowing Jesus and being with Him is
better than any life I could designor even imagine for myself. Should I say
that again?
Knowing Jesus and being with Him is better than any life I could design or
imagine for myself.
What’s the very best life you could imagine for yourself? Marriage and
children? Houses? A prestigious or meaningful career? Beauty? Fame?
Wealth?
Is knowing Jesus better than any of these? And by “better,” I mean this: Is
knowing Jesus more pleasurable, more exciting, more satisfying, more

meaningful, more purposeful, and more full than anything I have or hope to
possess?CanI really say that?
I think this question savedmy life. It continues to save my life.
If the answeris no, then I’m going to continue to struggle. Jesus must have not
been telling the truth when He promised life “to the full” (John 10:10), or that
“rivers of living waterwill flow from within” (John 7:38). He must have been
confusedwhen He suggestedthat it would be foolish for me to “gainthe whole
world, yet forfeit [my] soul” (Mark 8:36). And Paul, proclaiming the truth of
God, must have been out of his mind when he said in Philippians 3:7–8:
But whateverwere gains to me I now considerloss for the sake ofChrist.
What is more, I considereverything a loss because ofthe surpassing worth of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake Ihave lost all things.
Did Paul honestly believe that knowing Christ Jesus was betterthan “all
things”?
To know Christ—that was what excited Paul. That was what he dreamed
about for himself. And for others? What did he dream for other Christians?
He modeled a beautiful prayer for us in Ephesians 1:17:“I keepasking that
the Godof our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
Knowing and enjoying Jesus is the point of the Christian life, and when I lose
this essentialtruth, I’m doomed to a life of forever chasing after the next

dream. I will continually compare my life to that of others, imagining their
happiness and their joy, while bemoaning my own situation.
If the answerto the question “Is knowing Jesus better than anything?” is no,
then why bother with worshiping that kind of God? If knowing Jesus isn’t
enough, then of course we might turn to whateverdoes promise satisfaction.
I’ve lived long enough to know that what we pursue apart from Jesus does not
satisfy. I’ve also lived long enough to know the kind of mental lists we make
about what we imagine will bring us happiness. We think, “If only this were
different.” God might be enough for us if this one thing changed. Some people
will think such specific “if onlys” as:
1. If only I owned_______________________(fillin the possession)
2. If only I had _________________________to love me (fill in the name of the
person)
3. If only I could ________________________(fillin the accomplishment)
4. If only I lived _________________________(fillin the location)
5. If only I lookedlike ___________________(fillin the dream body, face, or
wardrobe)

6. If only I had a purpose like_____________(fillin the area of influence you
desire)
7. If only I could raise____________________(fillin the type of family you
imagine)
8. If only I could master__________________(fillin the skill you want to
learn)
9. If only I could experience______________(fillin the adventure you long for)
10. If only people would see me as _______________(fillin what you expect
others to think of you)
The problem with “if onlys” is that they don’t deliver what they promise.
Truly, they don’t. My fight to want more didn’t end when I earned my PhD,
published, married, and had children. The if onlys continued, imprisoning me
in discontentment and longing. They did not ever provide the unfailing love,
acceptance, andjoy that comes in the presence ofJesus. Theydon’t ever
provide the well-being and the shalom peace of completenessand absolute
contentment (Psalm 29:11;Psalm 85:8) in the presence ofthe Prince of Peace.
The women I know who’ve changed jobs, husbands, noses, and cities still
suffer inside. The women I know who’ve earnedPhDs, published books,
traveled extensively, achieved fitness goals, oramassedwealthstill want more.
Eve was in paradise, and yet, she could be tempted by an “if only.” That
brings me some comfort because if even in paradise, Eve was enamoredwith

an “if only,” then I canbe sure that regardless ofmy circumstances, I’m not
alone in the powerof the “if only” temptation that slithers into my own heart.
The first question is my weaponagainstthe “if only”: Is knowing Jesus better
than anything?
Yes. Yes it is.
But how canI believe it? I askedGodto help me believe it. I askedfor the
faith to believe it. I askedGodto help me to know Him—not primarily as my
provider or the One who blesses me (although He does both), but as my Lord,
the almighty God. I askedGod to help me worship Him like this.
I think of worshiping Jesus from my seatin the heavenly realms, sometimes
every few minutes if I must. And sometimes, Godsends someone with a
childlike heart to remind me what it means to know Jesus like this. A few
weeks ago, my daughters and I explored the Hayden Planetarium’s Digital
Universe that combines data from all over the world to provide the most
comprehensive video of the observable universe. I play the video, and we sit
there, mouths agape, as we observe quasars (the farthest objects scientists can
detect) amid all the knowngalaxies in the universe. I turn to my daughters,
overwhelmed with the sublime experience of it, and I say, “I cannot waitto get
to heaven so I can ask Godall about this. I have so many questions about the
universe!”
My younger daughter looks atme as if I am absolutelycrazy, like I have
completely lostmy mind. She says, “Mom, none of this will matter because
you will be with Jesus.”

I will be with Jesus. I am with Jesus. In my seatin the heavenly realms, I
worship this God who setme free. Knowing this God is better than
anything—even all the knowledge ofthe mysteries of the universe.
In my seat, I have askedGod—andcontinue to ask Him—to help me
understand my seatin the heavenly realms. I want to receive all of Jesus. Not
receive His gifts, but receive Him. I need to empty my hands of the junk I
want and receive what Jesus has. As I think about my seatin the heavenly
realms, I can saythis to Jesus:
Lord, help me to empty my hands and receive all of You.
Knowing You is better than anything else. I turn awayfrom these idols, my “if
onlys,” and I pray that You help me to find fullness in You alone.
This article is part of a 3-questionseries, readQuestion 2: Will I live the life
God asks me to? here and QuestionThree: “Is there anything in my life that
doesn’t please God?” here!
Heather Holleman, PhD, is the author of SeatedWith Christ: Living Freely in
a Culture of Comparison. She is a speaker, writer, and college instructor and
serves on the staff of FacultyCommons with Cru. Heather lives in
Pennsylvania with her husband and their two daughters. To learn more about
Heather, visit her at http://livewithflair.blogspot.com/

7 Ways Jesus Is The BestFriend You Could Ever Have Series
Contributed by Brian Atwood on Apr 13, 2006
based on 218 ratings (rate this sermon) | 117,748views
Scripture: John 11:1-44, Job10:1-9
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: 7 Ways Jesus is the best friend you could ever have.
1 2 3 4 5
Next
I hope you have enjoyed our celebrationthus far but there’s one more part of
the celebrationwe want to observe – and that is – reading about the
resurrectionfrom the Word of God, the Bible.
Central to the messageofEasteris the story of the resurrectionof Christ from
the grave. But this Easterwe’re going to back track in the life of Christ and
tell the story of someone else Jesus resurrectedbefore His owndeath and
resurrection. We’re going to do this because we needto see that Easter, and
the resurrectionof Jesus, is about all of us. Jesus rose from the dead because
He wants every one of us to have eternallife.
The man whom Jesus resurrectedin the Scripture we’re going to read from
today was named Lazarus and the Bible says he was a friend of Jesus. I want
to talk to you today about Jesus being your friend.

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Jesus wants to be your friend - but of course, friendship is a two-waystreet so
you have to make a decisionon whether or not you want to be Jesus’friend.
Lazarus had made that decisionand from a chapter in his life I want you to
see
7 Ways Jesus is the BestFriend You Could Ever Have
The first wayJesus is the best friend you could ever have is
1 – He wants to perfect you – not pamper you.
Like any goodfriend, Jesus wants you to be the "best you" that you can
possibly be. A goodfriend doesn’tjust think of your short-term success;he or
she thinks of your long-term happiness. Let me show you what I’m talking
about by beginning our narrative.
John 11:1-2 (CEV) A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of
Bethany. He had two sisters, Maryand Martha. This was the same Mary who
later poured perfume on the Lord’s head and wiped his feet with her hair.

3The sisters senta message to the Lord and told him that his goodfriend
Lazarus was sick.
4When Jesus heardthis, he said, "His sicknesswon’tend in death. It will
bring glory to God and his Son."
If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did he let him getsick? And of course, he
died. Jesus didn’t say that Lazarus wouldn’t die – He simply saidthat death
wouldn’t be the end! That’s some greatnews we’ll get to in a few minutes. But
the question for now is, "Why did Jesus let His goodfriend Lazarus getsick
and die?"
Have you ever asked, "Whydoes God allow suffering and injustice, pain and
sorrow? If God is a God of love why do bad things happen to goodpeople?"
Have you questioned God and said, "God, If you love me, why have you
allowedbad things to happen to me?"
Downloadthis sermon with PRO
Yes, Jesus could have prevented "his goodfriend Lazarus" from getting sick.
He could even have healedhim from where He was. But He deliberately chose
not to. Jesus had something even better for his goodfriend!
Jesus usedthe resurrectionof Lazarus from death as concrete evidence that
there is life after death! He used this miracle to prove that death is not the end
of it all, that, if you, like Lazarus, will place your faith in Him, you will have
abundant life here on earth and eternal life foreverwith God in heaven!

Here’s an illustration from nature. You’ve probably always figured that a
possum was a dumb animal. You hardly ever see one exceptwhen its dead on
the road. There’s a joke that goes, "Whydid the chickencross the road? To
show the possum that it could be done."
But in spite of the bad press, possums actually are smart, at leastin one area.
Did you know that a possumwon’t go into a hole in the ground if there’s only
one setof tracks outside the hole? They know that something is still in there.
But if there’s a set of tracks leading in and another set of tracks leading back
out, the possum isn’t afraid to enter the hole.
The messageofEasteris that we can enter the grave - we don’t have to fear
death because not only are there a set of tracks heading into Jesus’tomb - but
there is also a set of tracks heading back out!
Sicknessand death were bad things to happen to Lazarus and his family - but
resurrectionwas a better thing!
The secondwaythis story illustrates that Jesus is the best friend you could
ever have is
2 – He laid His life on the line for you.
5Jesus lovedMartha and her sisterand brother. 6But he stayedwhere he was
for two more days. 7Then he said to his disciples, "Now we will go back to
Judea."

8"Teacher,"they said, "the people there want to stone you to death! Why do
you want to go back?"
9Jesus answered, "Aren’t there twelve hours in eachday? If you walk during
the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won’t stumble. 10Butif you
walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don’t have any light."
11Thenhe told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to
wake him up."
The disciples were afraid for Jesus’safety. Theyknew that Christ’s enemies
were looking for an opportunity to kill Him. Why would Jesus risk this by
going back to the vicinity of Jerusalem?
There’s only one reason. He was willing to lay His life on the line for His
friends!
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The GoodNews is that Jesus not only did this for Lazarus and Martha and
Mary – He did it for us also!He hung betweenheaven and earth, between
God and man, betweengoodand evil – on Skull Hill, the literal meaning of

Golgotha, the summit outside of Jerusalemon which they crucified Christ, so
named because it resembleda skull - certainly a fitting name for a place with
the atmosphere of death. On Skull Hill Jesus was making a public statement
for all the world to see and hear: "I am giving my life for my friends!" In fact,
the Bible says,
John 15:13 (NCV) The greatestlove a person can show is to die for his friends.
At the yard sale for missions here at the church yesterdayI saw some stuff I
didn’t realize my wife had donated. I didn’t buy anything back yesterday but
I remembered one church yard sale where I did. Sometimes my wife thinks
I’m not interested in something just because it has collecteddust in the closet
for ten years. Go figure.
My point is, I have been knownto buy something back that once belongedto
me.
That’s what Jesus was doing on the cross. Jesuscreatedyou. And then sin
separatedyou from Him. On the cross He was paying the price to buy you
back. He laid His life on the line for you.
The third way Jesus is the greatestfriend you could ever have is
3 – He initiates the opportunity for friendship.
When Jesus told his disciples why He was going back, even in spite of the
danger to His life,

12Theyreplied, "Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better." (The insinuation
probably was, "perhaps we don’t really have to go back and endangerour
lives.")13Jesusreallymeant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was
talking only about sleep.
14ThenJesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead!
15I am glad that I wasn’tthere, because now you will have a chance to put
your faith in me. Let’s go to him."
16Thomas, whosenickname was "Twin," saidto the other disciples, "Come
on. Let’s go, so we can die with him."
Jesus gives us the chance to put our faith in Him. He left heaven, became
human, died for your sins, and then conquered death for you – all in an
attempt to show you how interestedHe is in being your friend. He took the
initiative!
Don’t you like to have friends who take the initiative? You can tell they really
love you because you’re not the only one always picking up the phone or
starting the conversation. You’re not the only one trying to gettogether. Jesus
wants to be your friend so badly that He took the first step.
But there’s more!
The 4th way Jesus is the best friend you could ever have is

4 – His promises will getyou through difficult times.
17WhenJesus gotto Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the
tomb four days. 18Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem, 19and
many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because
their brother had died.
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20WhenMartha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but
Mary stayed in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been
here, my brother would not have died. 22Yeteven now I know that God will
do anything you ask."
23Jesustold her, "Your brother will live again!"
The greatestcomfortJesus couldgive his grieving sisters was the promise of
resurrection. "Your brother will live again!"

There isn’t a greaterpromise in the universe than knowing that you canlive
forever!
I read last week that babies born now, in the early part of the 21stCentury,
can expectto live to be 150 years old! Because ofthe advancements in health
care – the first grandchild Deb and I are expecting this fall might possibly live
to be a century and a half old! That’s amazing!
Want to know something even more amazing? You can live forever because of
the promise Jesus has made to you!
But there’s more!
The 5th way Jesus is the best friend you could ever have is
5 – He offers you eternallife for believing in Him.
How does Jesus offereternal life to you? What’s the catch?
When Jesus told Martha of the resurrectionof her brother, here’s how she
responded.
24Martha answered, "Iknow that he will be raised to life on the lastday,
when all the dead are raised." 25Jesus thensaid, "I am the one who raises the

dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. 26And
everyone who lives because offaith in me will never really die. Do you believe
this?"
27"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God.
You are the one we hoped would come into the world."
28After Martha said this, she went and privately said to her sister Mary, "The
Teacheris here, and he wants to see you." 29As soonas Mary heard this, she
got up and went out to Jesus.
Jesus didn’t merely say that there is life after death - He said He is the One
who provides that life!
A Philadelphia legal firm sent flowers to an associatein Baltimore upon the
opening of a new office building. Through some mix-up, the banner on the
flowers read, "DeepestSympathy." When the florist was informed of the
mistake, he let out a shriek, and exclaimed, "Then the flowers that went to the
funeral said, "Congratulations onyour new location!"
That’s what death is - it is simply , moving to a new location. If you have
placed your faith in Christ - after you experiece physicaldeath you will enjoy
eternal life!
You couldn’t possibly have a better friend than One who offers you eternal
life!

Why would He make this offer?
That leads us to the 6th way Jesus is the greatestfriend you could ever have.
6 – Jesus loves you.
I remember 25 years ago when my mother died from cancer. Her last words
to me before her death were, "I love you son."
Deb and I have been married 29 years next month and I still enjoy hearing
her say, "I love you Brian."
It’s goodto be loved. God createdyou to be loved. There’s nothing to compare
with loving and being loved. And God is the source of love.
Look at how much Jesus loves His friends.
30He was still outside the village where Martha had gone to meet him.
31Manypeople had come to comfort Mary, and when they saw her quickly
leave the house, they thought she was going out to the tomb to cry. So they
followedher.
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32Marywent to where Jesus was. Thenas soonas she saw him, she knelt at
his feetand said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died."
33WhenJesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was
terribly upset 34and asked, "Where have you put his body?" They replied,
"Lord, come and you will see."
35Jesusstartedcrying, 36andthe people said, "SEE HOW MUCH HE
LOVED Lazarus."
37Some ofthem said, "He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn’t he have kept
Lazarus from dying?"
The Greek wordfor love used in verse 35, talking about how much Jesus
loved Lazarus, is phileo, brotherly love, friendship love.
I reiterate what the Bible says on this subject,
John 15:13 (NCV) The greatestlove a person can show is to die for his friends.

Jesus proved how very much He wants to be your friend by dying in your
place on the cross on Skull Hill.
The Bible says we are all sinners.
Romans 3:23 (CEV) All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
And sin has a horrible price tag.
Romans 6:23 (NLT) For the wagesofsin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus loves you so much that He took the penalty of your sin for you!
And the final way this story of the resurrectionof Lazarus illustrates how
Jesus is the best friend you could ever have is
7 – Jesus is the only One who cantruly set you free.
After the conversationwith Lazarus’ sisters
38Jesuswas stillterribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with
a stone rolled againstthe entrance. 39Thenhe told the people to roll the stone

away. But Martha said, "Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four
days, and there will be a bad smell."
40Jesusreplied, "Didn’t I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the
glory of God?"
41After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus lookedup toward heavenand
prayed, "Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. 42I know that you
always answermy prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would
believe that you sent me."
43WhenJesus had finished praying, he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The
man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with
strips of burial cloth, and a cloth coveredhis face.
Like Lazarus, your only hope againstdeath, physical and eternal, is faith in
Jesus.
Man could roll the stone awaybut only Jesus could issue the command for the
dead to rise to new life.
You may have tried many things in your life to find true freedom. Some of the
things you have tried may have even been religious. But true freedom doesn’t
come from religion – it comes from a relationship – a personalrelationship
with the greatestfriend that you could ever have – Jesus.

You begin that relationship by making a faith commitment to Jesus. You need
to tell Jesus that you believe in Him and that you appreciate what He did for
you on the cross and what He did for you by rising from the grave.
We want to give you that opportunity today. Would you please bow your
heads in prayer with me?
If you want to begin that personalrelationship with Christ today, if you want
to be setfree, if you want to have abundant life here and eternal life hereafter,
I want to ask you to pray this prayer silently in your heart and mind right
now,
"DearGod, I realize that you love me and want to be my friend. TodayI want
to ask you to forgive all my sins and let me begin a personalfriendship with
Jesus today. Thank you for giving your life on the cross to prove your love for
me Jesus – and to prove how much you want to be my friend. I want to live for
you. Help me learn more about you."
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While our heads are still bowedin reverence to God, maybe there’s someone
here today that would like to renew their commitment to Jesus.
I want to ask you to pray this prayer silently in your heart and mind right
now,
"Father, forgive me for not placing as much importance on our relationship
togetheras I should have. I know that you have done so very much for me and
I want to ask you to help me to a consistentfriendship with you. Help me to
overcome the bad things that have happened and to realize that you have
better things for me if I will trust in you."
5 Things That Happen When You Encounter Jesus
Kristin Hines
March 4, 2016
This week I had the opportunity to teacha lessonon a woman in the Bible
who loved God. I pickedthe Woman at the Well in John 4 because I think it’s
maybe my favorite example of this. In studying this more over the lastcouple
weeks,I noticed some coolthings that I thought I’d share here also.
We start with the setting of the story:
1 Now when Jesus learnedthat the Phariseeshad heard that Jesus was
making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did
not baptize, but only His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed againfor

Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a town of
Samaria calledSychar, near the field that Jacobhad given to his son Joseph. 6
Jacob’s wellwas there; so Jesus, weariedas He was from His journey, was
sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
As always, there’s some hubbub from people who aren’t into what Jesus is
doing and don’t understand exactly what’s happening, and this leads Him to
move on for a bit. As He’s heading to Galilee, He passesthrough Samaria.
This is an area that Jews wouldn’t have been excitedto stopin. In fact, most
of them would’ve gone the long way around so they could avoid Samaria
completely. Samaritans were a racially mixed people who were part-Jewish
and part-Gentile. Jews andGentiles were united in not liking them, but Jews
would’ve seenthem as dirty and unclean. Samaritans also had their own
version of the Pentateuchand their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which will
become important later in this story. So it’s about noon and Jesus is tired so
He takes a restat Jacob’s well.
Now we’re going to see whathappens when a Samaritanwoman has an
encounter with Jesus.
An encounterwith Jesus:
Will often not be what we expected
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus saidto her, “Give me a
drink.” 8 (For His disciples had gone awayinto the city to buy food.)9 The
Samaritan womansaid to Him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink
from me, a woman of Samaria?” (ForJews have no dealings with
Samaritans.)

We see a few ways here in which this unnamed womanis surprised by
meeting Jesus. Forone thing, it’s noon and she’s probably not used to seeing
anyone at the well. Mostpeople would’ve come to the well in the morning or
in the evening when the temperatures would’ve been cooler. But as we’ll learn
when we see more about her characterin a few verses, she probably had
reasonto want to avoid being there at busy times. There are probably a lot of
people in town who look down on her. So seeing anyone there at all is
unexpected. She’s also surprised because she knows that He’s a Jew and He
should therefore hate her. MostJews wouldn’t have interactedat all with her
because they would’ve thought it would make them unclean. He’s not only
interacting with her, but He’s asking her for water. He’s not worried about
being made unclean by her. And againshe’s surprised because she’s a woman
and He’s a man. It probably wouldn’t have been normal for a strange man to
be talking with her so casually. So she’s coming up againsta lot of unexpected
things!
I know in my own life when I come to Jesus, I usually have a lot of my own
expectations. But He has His own plan and it’s often different from mine and
always better. I might expectHim to give me answers ona question I have,
and instead He just gives me more of Himself. I might expectHim to guide me
to a specific route He wants me to take in my life, but instead He reminds me
to just seek Him first and everything else will follow. I might expectHim to
take certain sorrows ortroubles out of my life, but He insteadjust tells me to
trust Him and wait patiently. I might expectHim to teachme one thing, but
He teaches me another instead. Whatever it is, Jesus likes to surprise us and
remind us that He’s gotit under control. So when we come to Him, we should
learn to expect the unexpected!
Addresses questions we didn’t know needed answers
10 Jesus answeredher, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is
saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have askedHim, and He would
have given you living water.” 11 The womansaid to Him, “Sir, you have

nothing to draw water with, and the wellis deep. Where do you getthat living
water? 12 Are you greaterthan our father Jacob? He gave us the well and
drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”13 Jesus saidto her,
“Everyone who drinks of this waterwill be thirsty again, 14 but whoever
drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water
that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal
life.” 15 The womansaid to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be
thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
We see her here very focusedat first on the literal waterat this well. She’s
never heard of living water. She doesn’t know to look for it or hope for it. She
doesn’t know to ask for it. But Jesus introduces her to this question. But I love
that as soonas He explains it to her, she’s all in…even though it seems she
doesn’t completely understand what He’s talking about. She’s now the one
asking for a drink.
Think about the time in your life before you knew Jesus, ormaybe after you
knew Jesus but you were wandering or struggling. During those times, did
Jesus everrevealsomething to you that you didn’t even know you needed? I
know that’s happened to me. It’s kinda like how we talkedabout Him being
unexpected. There have been plenty of times when I’ve come to Him wanting
Him to help me maybe deal with someone who’s being annoying or frustrating
to me. But the question I didn’t know I needed an answerto turned out to be,
“What is it in your heart, Kristin, that needs to change in the way you interact
with this person? In what ways are you not relying on Me? In what ways are
you not believing that the gospelapplies to this person? How do you need to
focus on being more like Me rather than trying to change this other person?”
It’s stuff like that. Kind of annoying, right? But really goodfor us. Jesus is
patient and reveals things to us when we need to hear them in ways that we
can respond to. That’s what He begins to do with the woman here. But then
He gets even deeper.

Reveals the gross parts of us
16 Jesus saidto her, “Go, callyour husband, and come here.” 17 The woman
answeredHim, “I have no husband.” Jesus saidto her, “You are right in
saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one
you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The
woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
Jesus knows exactlywhat this woman’s biggeststruggle is. He could just
immediately say to her, “Well, lady, you’re sexually immoral. Everyone in
town knows that you’ve been sleeping with quite a few different guys over the
last few years. You’re living in sin with someone right now. You need to make
some major changes.” Thatwould’ve been overwhelming and probably off-
putting. But He also doesn’tsay to Himself, “I know she’s got a lot of sin
issues, but I don’t want to offend her or go through the awkwardnessof
having a hard conversation, so I’ll just ignore it.” That would’ve been wrong
as well!
Instead, Jesus knows the importance of revealing sin to the sinner in a loving
way. He gently lets her realize what’s going on with herself. He tells her to
bring her husband to the well, and she sees anopportunity to admit what’s
been going on with her. He reveals the gross parts of her immorality, but also
shows that it’s not enough to make Him bail on her as He sticks around to
keeptalking with her.
When we truly have an encounter with Jesus, He’ll do this with us, too!
Sometimes we don’t want to have our sin pointed out to us, and that can even
occasionallymake us not want to come to Him. But we should remember that
He’s kind and patient and He doesn’t point out our sin without also being
there to help us overcome it and change.

Gets to the true heart of the issue
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalemis
the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus saidto her, “Woman,
believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalemwill you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not
know;we worship what we know, for salvationis from the Jews. 23 But the
hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for the Fatheris seeking suchpeople to worship
Him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiahis coming (He who is
calledChrist). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus saidto her,
“I who speak to you am He.”
Similar to the above point, we now see that Jesus will always get to the true
heart of the issue, whateverit is we’re dealing with. He’s revealedher sin to
her and she’s understoodthat He’s a prophet. He knows things He couldn’t
have known by any natural means. So since He’s a prophet, she now brings up
a question that’s been bothering her for a long time. Like we mentioned at the
beginning, the Samaritans had their own temple on Mount Gerizim, but the
Jews had the temple in Jerusalem. Since she knows He’s a Jew, she knows He
believes Jerusalemis the place to worship. So she asks Him to clearup the
discrepancybetweenher people’s tradition and His. What He reveals to her is
that the heart of this worship matter isn’t necessarilythe past and the
traditions of these two people groups. The heart of the issue is what’s
happening now – those who worship God must do so in spirit and truth and
the Messiahhas arrived.
It’s easyfor us to getdistracted by secondaryissues and skip the truly
important issues. Sometimes we wantto argue about whether we should have
traditional or contemporary music in a worship service at church, but all the
while we’re not focusing on actually worshipping Jesus in our hearts and

actions. When we truly encounter Jesus, we canbe certain that He will getto
the heart of the issue, no matter what we do to try to distract from it.
Sends us out to tell others about Him
27 Just then His disciples came back. They marveled that He was talking with
a woman, but no one said, “Whatdo you seek?”or, “Why are you talking
with her?” 28 So the womanleft her waterjar and went awayinto town and
said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can
this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to Him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He
said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the
disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?” 34
Jesus saidto them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to
accomplishHis work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then
comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields
are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and
gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sowerand reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’38 I sent you
to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have
entered into their labor.”
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because ofthe woman’s
testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came
to Him, they askedHim to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. 41
And many more believed because of His word.42 They said to the woman, “It
is no longerbecause ofwhat you said that we believe, for we have heard for
ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

This is my favorite part of this story. Jesus has been an unexpected person in
her life who revealedthe sin she struggles with and cares aboutthe heart of
her issues. She’s beenamazed by Him and believes Him when He says that
He’s the Messiah. Now His disciples come back, surprised to see Jesus talking
to a strange Samaritan woman, and she takes the opportunity to slip away.
While she’s gone, Jesus takes the opportunity to remind His disciples that
there are a lot of people out there ready to be harvestedfor salvation. Little do
they know, they’re about to see a real-life example that this is true!
When she gets back to town, the woman tells everyone she can find that she’s
met the Messiah!Picture this – the womanwho just a few hours ago was going
to the well in the middle of the day to avoid seeing people comes back into
town running around, gathering up as many people as she can find. What a
change!She tells them that He knew everything about her, He’s a prophet,
and her enthusiasm for Him makes them want to meet Him themselves. They
believed her basedon her testimony about Him, but then they encountered
Him and believed even more.
So this, I think, is the most important thing we need to remember about a true
encounter with Jesus. When we truly know Him and He’s done all this work
in our hearts, we can’t possibly keepit to ourselves. We should be compelled
by what He’s shown us and by the love He’s placedin our hearts to help other
people meet Him and be changedby Him. A true encounterwith Jesus sends
us out to tell others about Him.
So what’s your story? How have you encounteredJesus? How has He changed
you? Who do you want to tell about it? Be like the womanat the well and get
out there and tell people about it!
Kristin Hines

Jesus is the BestThing
WeeklyOverview:
As children of God, we have been given a new home and a new hope. May
your heart be setaflame by the joy and purpose of living out God’s command
to live for heaven this week:“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek
the things that are above, where Christ is, seatedat the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you
have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is
your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” - Colossians
3:1-4
Scripture:“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so greata cloud of
witnesses,letus also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seatedat the right hand of the
throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1-2
Devotional:
Of all the wonders our Creatorprovides us, boundless and unadulterated
relationship with Jesus vastly exceeds them all. Jesus is the bestthing we will
ever know. His love restores, satisfies, transforms, and heals. His grace
empowers and brings transcendentpeace. His nearness resolvesthe great

fears of our hearts. And his Kingship calls us to a right lifestyle of living for
heaven rather than a pursuit of that which is worldly and fleeting. Colossians
3:1-4 says,
If then you have been raisedwith Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seatedat the right hand of God. Setyour minds on things that are
above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you
also will appearwith him in glory.
You and I have limited space in our hearts. When we choose to fill our lives
with the things of the world, we crowd out that which will fill us with pure and
abounding relationship with Jesus. It’s for this reasonJesus saidin Matthew
6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money.”
As disciples of Jesus, we must learn to leaddifferent lives than others around
us. Instead of looking to others as our standard for what is goodor right, we
must look to Jesus. Insteadof setting the bar for our lives by looking at
successfulpeople, even successfulChristians, we must set our bar at living like
Jesus. Jesusvalued relationship with the Father above all else. He valued
obedience to the Father’s will above all other pursuits. Every breath he
breathed was done to the glory of God the Fatherand in fulfillment of his
plans, and you and I are to do the same.

To live for heavenis to throw off every weightthat would hinder us from
pursuing the fullness of relationship with Jesus. To live for heavenis to
declare with our thoughts, actions, and emotions that Jesus truly is Lord of
lords and King of kings and that he is worthy of our lives. To live for heaven is
to make as much room in our hearts for Jesus as possible. Live for heaven
today and discoverthe wealthof relationship and satisfactionavailable to you
only through the sole pursuit of Jesus.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the principle of serving two masters. Allow Scripture to stir up
your heart to pursue relationship with Jesus above all else. Renew your mind
to what truly has value in this life.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, andall these things
will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” -
Matthew 6:33-34
God.” - Hebrews 12:1-2
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

2. What things of the world have you been pursuing? In what ways has the
world crowdedout space that was meant solely for the things of God?
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewalof
your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
goodand acceptable andperfect.” - Romans 12:2
3. Ask the Lord to lead you to a lifestyle of living for heaven. Ask him to give
you a vision of what it looks like to pursue relationship with him above all
else. Commit to following his leadership to paths of righteousness and
relationship and turn awayfrom worldly cares and pursuits.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of
the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is notfrom the
Father but is from the world. And the world is passing awayalong with its
desires, but whoeverdoes the will of Godabides forever.” - 1 John 2:15-17
Living with a heavenly perspective takes time spent in God’s presence,
studying his word. It’s unnatural to live in the world but not of the world
(John 15:19). There are few to no people we encounterin our daily routine
who truly live out this command. If we are going to fully pursue the abundant
life to which we’ve been called, we must choose to live differently. If we are
going to truly live for heaven, we must allow the Lord to daily renew our
perspective on what matters. The life available to us through pursuing Jesus
alone may be countercultural, but it is filled with adventure, wonder,
satisfaction, andpurpose. May you be filled with the courage to throw off the
burdens of the world and live solelyfor Jesus today.

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/first15-devotional/jesus-is-the-best-
thing-first15-september-3-2017.html
20 Reasons Jesus is the True Superhero
What really makes a superhero?
By Jana Gordon
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Look in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it’s Superman! Have you heard
that popular phrase before? Superheroes are incredibly popular in today’s
society. With new comics, movies and TV shows coming out eachweek, the
world has become captured by these amazing tales. Theyhave incredible
powers that defeatevil in miraculous ways.
However, these are just fun fictional characters that can’t really save us.
Christians, thought, understand that they do have a real-life superhero. They
have someone that is always looking out for them and keeping them safe. They
know they have a superhero with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the most powerful being in this universe, and nothing can stopHim.
He is the world’s ultimate superhero, because there are no weaknesses or
limitations that make Him imperfect. Jesus has everything we need in a
superhero and more, and here are 20 reasons why.
No Mistakes
Jesus Waiting For The Word/Flickr.com
Mostsuperheroes have causedproblems at one point, due to a careless
mistake. However, Jesus has never made a mistake. He knows all things,
createdall things and has authority and power over all things. He has plans
for the future for eachand every single one of us, and there was no mistake in
how He createdus. Jesus has never needed to apologize for something that has
happened in the universe, because He knew it would happen before we did.
Everything plays out like it does because it’s a part of His bigger, grander
plan. What a greatpower to have.
Fearlessness
glowing jesusShutterstock.com
Even the strongestsuperheroeswe read about have been scaredat one point
or another, weatherthey were afraid they were going to lose a loved one or
nervous to fight someone biggerthan them. Jesus has never possesseda spirit
of fear. His faith in His Father, Our Lord, is so strong that it allowedJesus to
willfully submit to the greaterplan. No matter what obstacle Jesus hadto face
through His life, He was able to stay confident. He knew fear would only hold
Him back and wasn’ta necessaryburden to hold. He leanedon God and
remained fearless.

Even-tempered
Bible Facts Illuminated
Almost all villains in superhero movies have some type of angerissues, and
sometimes the superheroes themselves do too. Jesus, however, neverdisplayed
angerin a negative way. Though He displayed righteous anger for the misuse
of God’s house in John 2:17, He never possessedselfish-fleshlyanger. Here,
His angerwas pure and completelyjustified because atits root was concern
for God’s holiness and worship. Jesus never shouted out in spite,
maliciousness orthe like. His angeralways had appropriate motivation,
duration, focus and control, which is something that is very rare to find in a
superhero. He taught us that we should keepour anger in check.
No Kryptonite
jesus
Even Superman has a famous kryptonite, or something that is the ultimate
weakness fora superhero. Jesus, however, has no kryptonite. There is no
person or substance in this galaxy that could make His powers weakenor
sickenHim. When Satan tried his hardest to take Jesus down, he failed
miserably and fled (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus, despite having been hungry after
fasting for forty days and nights, was able to resistthe temptation of the devil.
He continued to power through as He always does. There is nothing that will
cause Jesus to waver. There is no place in Him that is open to vulnerability.
PowerfulWords
christianbiblefallleafCanva.com
Superheroes are known to give hope and inspiration to the people they come
in contactwith. Jesus is no different. When Jesus walkedthe earth, His words
brought people togetherand transformed their lives. Today, His very words

still cause people’s heartto change toward allegiance withthe Kingdom of
God. Jesus has an incredible ability to say the right thing that will lead people
to Christianity. He knows exactlywhat a personis going through, so He can
tailor His words to resonate with eachindividual. While you might not hear
the words of Jesus immediately, He works in mysterious ways and whispers to
you when you need it the most.
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ScaredDemons
Jesus and the americandream, God and materialism, Christians and
materialism, American Christianity
There is a wickedforce of evil spirits that roam the world calleddemons.
These were once God’s holy angels, howeverthey fell victim to the sins of
pride and rebellion. They were kickedout of heaven, and are have no chance
at redemption. They know that God will not acceptthem back, and fearJesus’
power. Demons know Jesus and know Him well, and shutter in fear when they
hear His name. As Christians, we cause demons to cowerin fear as well,
because they know we have Christ on our side. Jesus cancastout evil and
overcome it, keeping you protected.
No Pride Issues
Jesus and disciples, Jesus with Peter, Jesus calms the storm, Jesus miracles
With all the power that comes with being a superhero, it’s no surprise that
many heroes let that powergo to their head. Jesus neverhad issues with
pride. Unlike Satan, Jesus acceptedHis powerhumbly and respectfully. Jesus
is so secure with who He is as the Son of God, that He never felt He needed
more. Jesus understoodHis role and acceptedHis identity without question.

Jesus was the best thing that ever happened

Jesus was the best thing that ever happened

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