Friday, December 19, 2014
Father, stir my heart to continue to seek after you. I want to know more about you and I also want to be more aware of your presence in my life. I want my character to be more completely conformed to your will. So please know that my doubts and questions are my seeking you and not some random tidbit of knowledge. Give me the Spirit of revelation to know you more completely so that I might be transformed by your will rather than being conformed to the culture around me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
The day was Sunday. That same evening the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus said, "Peace be with you!" After Jesus said this, he showed the followers his hands and his side. The followers were very happy when they saw the Lord. Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you! The Father sent me. In the same way, I now send you." After Jesus said that, he breathed {on the followers}. Jesus said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, then their sins are forgiven. If you don't forgive people's sins, then their sins are not forgiven." Thomas (called Didymus) was not with the followers when Jesus came. Thomas was one of the twelve. The other followers told Thomas, "We saw the Lord." Thomas said, "I will not believe it until I see the nail holes in his hands. And I will not believe until I put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side." A week later the followers were in the house again. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus said, "Peace be with you!" Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and start believing." Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you see me. Those people that believe without seeing me will be truly blessed." Jesus did many other miracles that his followers saw. Those miracles are not written in this book. But these things are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.
"Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, if a person continues asking, that person will receive. If a person continues looking, that person will find. And if a person continues knocking, the door will open for that person.
That is why I always remember you in my prayers and always thank God for you. I have always done this since the time I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people. I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ—to the glorious Father. I pray that he will give you the Spirit that will show you things about God and help you understand them. Then you will really know God.
So brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God. Don't change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.
What Jesus Did is a one-year devotional guide through the gospels, using one short passage each day and following the Gospel in consecutive order. Each devotional consists of a passage, reflection and a prayer which opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges you to live for Jesus.
What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware.
Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
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