The following quotations are taken from our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the Holy Bible. I believe His message brings hope for people throughout the world. Many individuals are feeling insecure and anxious because of economic problems, natural catastrophes, and trouble in governments and markets in various parts of the world. For those in Christ, our hope in anchored in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. He paid the penalty for all our sins, and we know that we are truly forgiven, and very soon one day He will return for us. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are live and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (rapture, snatch away) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4-14-18)
Although we are experiencing wickedness in high places around this world, we are assured through the words of our Lord that God is in control and that He is good. Through His Word, “which He has magnified above His name” (Psalm 138:2), God has promised, sometimes conditionally, to supply all our needs, wants, and desires. He has also promised to deliver us from evil, protect us and heal us. All these promises are available to those who can receive them by faith—the faith that comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Memorize His Word and hide it in your heart. So let us begin with what the Lord says about Himself, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and many other areas of our lives during His ministry on earth.
About Himself
“Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37)
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38–40)
“Therefore, My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17, 18)
“I am the light of the world. He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46)
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” (John 20:17)
“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16–17)
About God the Father
“I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” (John 14:11)
“That they my all my be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21)
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Luke 10:22)
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded froth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”
(John 5:26–27)
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 22–23)
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)
About God the Holy Spirit
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
(John 16:7–8)
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11–12)
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirt has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8)
About Life
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (Luke 9:56)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24–25)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26)
Then He said to His disciples, “There I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things (bread, water, clothing and shelter) shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:22, 31)
About Love
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31–31)
Jesus answered and said to him, “For anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44–45)
About the Kingdom of God
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (bread, water, clothing and shelter) shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20–21)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)
All Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
By Constance A. Burns, NAAV Volunteer Contributor for Moments of Meditation and Scripture Readings; e-mail: cburns@naavets.org