(Jesus said) “I will build my church.” Matthew 16:18
A Church Built by Jesus
Many people have mixed feelings about the Christian Church. Some have wonderful memories. Others have painful ones. Some think churches are full of hypocrites. Others wonder whether organized religion is even necessary.
Jesus knew his followers would not be perfect. Peter himself would later deny knowing Jesus three times. Yet Jesus still said, “I will build my church.” Notice that he did not say, “People will build my church.” The Church belongs to Jesus. Christians are not gathered because they are better than everyone else. They are gathered because they know they need forgiveness.
A hospital is filled with sick people, not because sickness is good, but because healing is needed. The Church is much the same. It is a place where people hear God’s promises, receive his forgiveness, and grow in faith together.
Sometimes Christians and Christian churches become discouraged. We may wonder whether our efforts matter. Jesus reminds us that the Church’s foundation is not human wisdom, popularity, or impressive programs. The Church stands on the confession that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Wherever Jesus Christ is faithfully preached, there his church is found.
Buildings may crumble. Congregations may struggle. Cultures change. Yet Jesus Christ continues to build his church through his gospel.
The foundation of your own faith is equally secure. Your confidence is not in your consistency or strength, but in Jesus Christ’s unchanging promise. He remains faithful even when his people struggle.
So, if you have stayed away because Christians have disappointed you, remember this: Christianity is not built upon perfect people. It is built upon a perfect Savior. Jesus gave his life for imperfect people. He welcomes doubters, failures, and sinners.
When you visit a faithful Christian congregation, you should not expect to find flawless people. Instead, you should expect to hear about a flawless Savior who loves broken people enough to die for them. That is the Church Jesus Christ continues building today.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me look beyond the imperfections of people and see you. Lead me to a church where your Word is faithfully taught and where I may grow in knowing you. Amen.
Jesus replied . . . “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:17
Faith Is a Gift
Many people think becoming a Christian is simply a matter of deciding to believe.
Jesus tells a different story. After Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus said this understanding did not come from Peter’s own intelligence or effort. God had revealed it to him.
That is encouraging news. Jesus does not tell you to manufacture faith by trying harder. Instead, Christianity teaches that God comes to us. He speaks to us through his Word. He reveals his Son. He creates faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, where there was none before. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Think about every important relationship in your life. You only know another person because they chose to reveal themselves to you. The same is true of God. We cannot climb our way up to him. He must come down to us. And in Jesus, he has done just that.
That is why Christians gather around the Bible. We believe it is God’s own message, revealing his love through Jesus Christ.
The wonderful news is that God is not hiding from you. He wants you to know him. He wants you to know that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. He wants you to know that death is not the end. He wants you to know that you are invited into his family—not because you have earned it, but because he loves you.
As you face today’s challenges, remember that your hope rests not in the strength of your faith, but in the object of your faith—Jesus Christ himself. He is the Rock of your salvation, the One who never changes, and the Savior who keeps all his promises (see Psalm 18:1-2).
So, keep reading the Bible, asking your questions honestly, and being filled with the Word of God at a faithful Christian church. God has a history of meeting people through his Word.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, reveal your Son to me. Help me understand the message of the Bible and lead me to trust in Jesus as my Savior. Amen.
“But what about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15
The Most Important Question
If someone asked you, “Who is Jesus?” how would you answer?
Many people would say he was a great teacher. Others would call him a prophet, a revolutionary, or an inspiring example of love. Even those who do not consider themselves Christians often admire him.
When Jesus walked the earth, people had many different opinions about him, just as they do today. But his question to his disciples was personal. He asked, “Who do you say I am?”
The apostle Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
This confession is at the heart of Christianity. Christians believe Jesus is much more than a remarkable man. We believe he is God who became human to rescue us. Why? Because every one of us has something we cannot fix on our own. We all carry guilt. We all have regrets. We all fail to love others—even ourselves—the way we know we should. The Bible calls this sin.
Rather than leaving us separated from God, Jesus entered our world. He lived the perfect life we have not lived. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. Three days later, he rose from the dead, proving that sin and death no longer have the final word.
Jesus did not come merely to teach people how to live. He came to save them.
Perhaps you’ve never considered Jesus in that way before. Or perhaps you’ve dismissed Christianity because of disappointing experiences with Christians or Christian churches. If so, don’t begin with Christians but with Christ himself. Read one of the Gospels. Ask honest questions. Consider his claims.
The Christian faith ultimately rests on one person: Jesus Christ. And the question he asked Peter is still the question he lovingly asks every one of us today.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to know you. Open my heart to understand who you are and what you have done for me. Lead me into your truth. Amen.
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1 Indeed, brothers, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a waste of time. 2 Even though we had suffered previously and were treated shamefully in Philippi (as you know), we were bold in our God to speak the gospel of God to you in the face of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not come from error or impure motives, or by way of deceit. 4 Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts. 5 Indeed, as you know, we never at any time used flattering speech, nor did we act with greed as a motive. God is our witness. 6 Also, we did not seek the praise of people (neither yours nor anyone else’s), 7 even though we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles. On the contrary, we were gentle [1] among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 We yearned for you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
9 Surely, brothers, you remember our labor and hardship! We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you, while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devout, righteous, and blameless we were toward you who believe. 11 In the same way, you know that we treated each of you as a father deals with his own children: 12 encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who is calling you into his kingdom and glory.
13 There is also another reason we give thanks to God unceasingly, namely, when you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you did not receive it as the word of men but as the word of God (as it really is), which is now at work in you who believe. 14 Yes, brothers, you became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus, because you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who severely persecuted us. They are not pleasing to God and are hostile to all people. 16 By hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved, they are always filling up the full measure of their sins. And the wrath has come upon them completely. [2]
Paul’s Desire to See the Thessalonians
17 As for us, brothers, after we were separated from you like orphans for just a short time (in person, not in our heart), it was with great desire that we made every effort to see you again in person. 18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, wanted this, not just once, but twice), but Satan hindered us. 19 Indeed, who is our hope or joy or crown about which we boast before our Lord Jesus when he returns? Is it not you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and our joy.
Footnotes
1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some witnesses to the text read infants. This would change the translation to: we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, but we were infants among you. Like a nursing mother taking care of her own children, 8 we yearned. . .
1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or has come upon them at last
To the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [2]
Thanksgiving for the Faith of the Thessalonians
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you as we make mention of you in our prayers, 3 because we constantly remember before God our Father your work produced by faith, your labor produced by love, and your patient endurance produced by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Dear brothers, [3] loved by God, we know that God has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you with mere words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. You yourselves know very well what kind of people we proved to be for your sake, while we were with you. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you welcomed the word during a time of great affliction with the joy from the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. [4]8 Indeed, the word of the Lord has resounded from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith in God has become known. As a result, we do not need to say anything, 9 because they themselves inform us about what kind of reception we received from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 They also report how you patiently wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, the one who is going to rescue us from the coming wrath.
Footnotes
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Silvanus in Greek
1 Thessalonians 1:1 A few witnesses to the text omit from God. . . Jesus Christ. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.)
1 Thessalonians 1:4 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
1 Thessalonians 1:7 Macedonia and Achaia were the two provinces comprising Greece.
1 O Lord, I keep calling to you. My Rock, do not be deaf to me. If you remain silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the sound of my plea for mercy when I cry out to you, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those evildoers. They speak peace to their neighbors but hide evil in their hearts.
Punish the Wicked
4 Give to them what they have done to others. According to their evil actions, according to the deeds of their hands, punish them. Repay to them what they deserve. 5 Because they do not recognize the works of the Lord or the deeds of his hands, he will tear them down and not build them up.
Then I Will Praise You
6 Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the sound of my plea for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield. In him my heart trusts, and I am helped. My heart also celebrates. With my song I will give thanks to him. 8 The Lord is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed king. 9 Save your people, and bless the people that belong to you. Shepherd them, and carry them forever.
Psalm 29
The God of Glory Thunders
Heading
A psalm by David.
The God of Glory Thunders
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you sons of God, [1] Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name. Bow down to the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders above the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord thunders in power. The voice of the Lord thunders in majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf. Sirion [2] skips like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord slashes with flashes of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord destroys the oaks [3] and strips the forests bare. So in his temple they all say, “Glory!” 10 The Lord is seated over the flood. The Lord is seated as King forever. 11 The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace.
Footnotes
Psalm 29:1 In this verse the Hebrew word translated God is elim rather than the usual elohim. Elim could also be translated mighty ones or heavenly beings. It seems to refer to the angels.
Psalm 29:6 Sirion and Mount Lebanon are names for Mount Hermon.
Psalm 29:9 Or makes the deer give birth. The Hebrew text provides vowels for the word as if it were the word for deer, rather than the word for oaks. Shattering oaks seems to fit the context and the parallelism better than makes the deer give birth.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers advance against me to eat my flesh, when my foes and my enemies come against me, it is they who will stumble and fall. 3 If an army lines up against me, my heart will not fear. If war rises against me, even then I will keep trusting.
Happy in God’s Temple
4 One thing I ask from the Lord. This is what I seek: that I live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple. [1] 5 Yes, he will hide me in his shelter on the day of trouble. He will hide me in his tent. He will set me high on a rock. 6 Then my head will be lifted up above the enemies who surround me. I will offer sacrifices at his tent with a joyful shout. I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Confident in Prayer
7 Hear me, O Lord. With my voice I call. Be merciful to me and answer me. 8 When you say, “Seek my face,” my heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God who saves me. 10 If my father and my mother abandoned me, the Lord would take me in.
Walking in God’s Path
11 Lord, teach me your way, and lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not give me up to the desire of my foes, because false witnesses rise up against me, and so do those who breathe out violence.
At Home in God’s Land
13 Unless I was confident to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living— [2] 14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord!
Footnotes
Psalm 27:4 The Hebrew word hekal, usually translated temple, means big house. It can refer to a palace or a temple. It can apply to the tent sanctuaries built by Moses and David and to the temple building constructed by Solomon.
Psalm 27:13 As it stands, the Hebrew text is an incomplete sentence which calls for a conclusion such as “I would have lost hope.” As the text stands, the construction breaks off and jumps to a positive affirmation. Some Hebrew manuscripts omit the initial word unless and have a positive statement: I am confident that I will . . .
1 Judge me favorably, O Lord, because I have walked in my integrity. In the Lord I have trusted. I have not wavered. 2 Test me, O Lord, and examine me. Refine my thoughts and my emotions, 3 for your mercy is in front of my eyes, and I keep walking in your truth.
Separation From Evil
4 I do not sit with deceivers. I do not associate with hypocrites. 5 I hate the company of evildoers. I do not sit with the wicked.
Affirmation of Innocence and Love for God
6 I wash my hands from sin, so I can march around your altar, O Lord, 7 to shout thanks to you and to proclaim all your wonderful deeds. 8 Lord, I love the house where you reside, the place where your glory dwells.
Separation From Evil
9 Do not snatch my soul away along with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10 who grasp wicked schemes in their hands, whose right hands are full of bribes.
Affirmation of Innocence and Prayer for Redemption
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me and be merciful to me. 12 My feet stand on level ground. In the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
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