The Truth Shall Make You Free

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32-32; NKJV).

Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6). “The truth” will set me free. Freedom from…

The sway of the wicked one! The “whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19; NKJV). Jesus sets me free from Satan’s sway, from the Devil’s influence. I can choose to be free from the wicked one in Christ!

The lies the wicked one tells! The Devil is “a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Jesus sets me free from the Devil’s deceptions. I can choose to be free from the one who “does not stand in the truth” in Christ!

Hopelessness! Those without God are also without “hope” (Ephesians 2:12). Jesus sets me free from hopelessness. I can live confidently in Christ!

Doubt! Satan has sowed seeds of doubt in the hearts of men from the beginning (see Genesis 3:4). Jesus sets me free from the Devil’s seeds of doubt. I can know in Christ!

Uncertainty! Satan would have us believe that we just can’t be certain of anything (see John 18:38). Jesus sets me free from uncertainty. I can be sure of who I am, what I am doing here, and where I am going in Christ!

Despair! The enemy intends to tear us down (see 2 Corinthians 1:8). Jesus sets us free from despair. I can be lifted up in Christ!

The bondage of sin and death! Satan tempts us to sin which leads to bondage and death (see Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus sets me free from the bondage of sin and death. I can serve freely and live in Christ!

Know Him today! Allow Him to set you free! Rejoice in your freedom!

Jason Cicero

The Preaching of the Gospel

When GOD’S word is preached great things happen. Think about these thoughts from the mind of our Father: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return from there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:8-11). “As the rain and snow accomplish God’s purpose in the earth, so His word will fulfill His purpose in the hearts of those who draw near to hear, give heed, and change their ways and thoughts” (Homer Hailey, Isaiah, p. 456).

GOD’S word will not return to Him void, empty, or without producing fruit. Let us make sure to invite those who need salvation to “come” to our assemblies. The word of GOD is powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Great things happen when the gospel, the power of GOD unto salvation, is proclaimed (Romans 1:16). Let us have faith in GOD’S word to produce faith in the lives of those we know and love who are without Christ. It just may be that Christ has provided this time as an opportunity for us to bring someone we love to Him (2 Peter 3:9).

Jason Cicero

The Majesty of God

“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.” (Psalm 93:1; NASBU)

The GOD we worship and adore is majestic. There are many synonyms for majesty: Beauty, comeliness, excellency, glory, glorious, goodly, grandeur, honor, magnificence, ornament, splendor. Majesty has to do with having an imposing form and appearance and carries with it overtones of superior power and position. When used of GOD it evokes a sense of amazement in the mind of the one beholding Him. Simply stated, GOD’S majesty is his “greatness” (Vine). GOD would have us see His majesty, respond to His majesty, and magnify him in our lives.

See His Majesty. Moses requested to see GOD’S greatness: “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:17 – 34:7; NKJV). What Moses saw at Mount Sinai we are to see by faith! See GOD’S greatness through the eyes of faith! Gaze at His glory, majesty, and dominion. Grow in the grace of seeing Him: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…” (Ephesians 1:18; NASBU). Each of us needs our own Mount Sinai experience. Wisdom unsearchable. Purity unspotted. Years unending. Strength undaunted. Love immeasurable. Glimpses of the majesty of GOD!

Respond to His Majesty. “So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped” (Exodus 34:8; NKJV). The proper response to GOD’S greatness is worship! To worship is to prostrate oneself (literally or figuratively) in reverence to the great I AM. The externals (reading, prayer, singing, the Lord’s supper, giving, and preaching) are important, but our hearts must be engaged in order for GOD to be glorified! In worship, GOD longs for you to turn to Him “with all your heart. So rend your heart, and not your garments…” (Joel 2:12-13; NKJV).

Magnify Him in My Life. To magnify is to make great, to enlarge (Vine). GOD is great; but is He great in your life? Have you made these words your own: “…in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20; NKJV)? Magnifying GOD in every aspect of your life glorifies GOD!

The GOD we worship and adore is worthy of our praise because His is majestic! See His majesty. Respond to His majesty. Magnify Him in your life. He is worthy. “…to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 25; NASBU)

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

If the Lord wills, in the morning I will present my first lesson in a series on Zion: Zion: When Shall I Dwell in Thee?

We will consider the origin and evolution of the meaning of the term "Zion."

Come and see!

The God of All Comfort

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort…” (2 Corinthians 1:3; KJV).

Thayer’s defines the word “comfort” to mean to call near for the purpose of comfort, solace. The Creator of all things, the Sustainer of all living things, the Redeemer of all mankind is calling those created in His image to come to Him. To draw near to Him for the purpose of being comforted by Him.

Our God is the Father of Comfort. “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7; NKJV).

Jesus is the comfort of Israel. “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25; NKJV).

As the people of God we are to be people of comfort. “Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement)…” (Acts 4:36; NASBU).

We are to walk in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31; NKJV).

The Scriptures contain words of comfort which produce hope in our hearts. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4; ASV).

The God of All Comfort longs for us to have strong comfort deep within our hearts. “…so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18; ESV).

Our Prayer: May our God of all comfort, our Father grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Jesus Christ, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. See Romans 15:5.

Jason Cicero

The Two Surprises of Prayer

Scripture: Psalm 65

My study of prayer was met with two surprises.

1. God listens to me. “O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come” (Psalm 65:2; NKJV). The Creator hears my prayers. He listens. He cares. He responds.

2. I don’t pray more. I think about it. I worry about it. I talk about. Knowing He listens, cares, and responds when I pray, why don’t I pray more?

Note to self: “…pray without ceasing…” (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NKJV).

Jason Cicero