Daily Devotional for Monday, February 9, 2009 Have you missed any of our devotionals? Remember they can be found in the Archive section of our Website
http://www.gospelines.com "By What Authority?" If you missed Lucy's nature report (Classic Peanuts) in the Sunday Comics, here it is again. Standing in front of the class with her best academic expression, she reads proudly: "For my nature report today, I am bringing you an exclusive! ROCK SNAKES!! What, you may ask, is a rock snake? That is a good question! A rock snake is a snake that sneaks up behind you, and throws a rock at you." "Now, here is my exclusive... it used to be thought that rock snakes were dangerous, but my authority says this is not so..." "A rock snake cannot throw very high, you see, so therefore, all he can do is hit you on the back of the leg... so says my authority!" Responding to a question from her teacher (who obviously is curious about "the authority,"), Lucy says... "Ma'am?" "Linus Van Pelt... yes ma'am." The final frame shows Lucy eating lunch with Linus on the playground. "She said she remembers you from when you were in her class!" +++++++++++++++++++ One day while Jesus was preaching and teaching the gospel, the local religious leaders came up to Him. "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things...who gave you this authority?" (Luke 20:2 NIV) For almost three years, Jesus had been healing the sick of disease, opening the eyes of the blind, and bringing peace to the hearts of men and women who had been cast down, stepped on and all but destroyed by religion. During that time, our Messiah literally rocked the world of the Jewish leaders. By now, they were ready to kill Him! They saw Jesus as arrogant. No teacher was allowed to present a lesson in the synagogue without quoting from one of the Rabbi's as their authority. That's the way it had been done for centuries until Jesus came along. But those Hebrew teachings did little to relieve the masses of their burdens... the Jews were living examples of hopelessness and despair, overburdened with rules they could not keep. And they were tired of being put down by the Sanhedrin and intimidated by thousands of laws which no one could remember. The joy had been snuffed right out of their souls and they were ready for a fresh authority upon which to build a new life. Where do you stand today? Is life about to get you down with deadlines to meet and people to please? Are you working for a boss who manages by intimidation? Do you feel like a football on the bottom of a pile of 22 huge NFL players? Unless you build your foundation on the authority of Jesus Christ, you will never reclaim your happiness. Jesus was teaching His disciples and He said to them, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matt 7:24-25) Beloved, Jesus is the only sure way to find real joy. Why not give Him the opportunity to be your authority in life. There is no other philosophy, religion, teaching or sect which can give you the stability in life that He can. Life begins with Jesus! O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
