James James, Jesus’s half-brother, grew up under the same roof as the Messiah, but did not initially believe in Him. As Jesus started to gain celebrity status, his family attempted to get him out of the public eye, saying, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). After Jesus rose again, He appeared to James, and that encounter changed James forever (1 Corinthians 15:7). From then on, James devoted his life to Jesus. James was no longer a naysayer. Instead, he became a leader of the church at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9). Like James, we will never do what Jesus wants until we recognize who Jesus is. Even if our encounter with Jesus goes against all we’ve ever known, when we see Him for who He really is (the Son of God and Savior of the world), our lives will be changed. 1) When was the last time you changed your mind on an issue?What prompted the change? 2) What has most influenced your view of who Jesus is? 3) Why is it dangerous to allow our view of God to be shaped by what we’ve always heard? John 7:1-5 NKJV After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him. I Corinthians 15:1-7 NKJV Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 23:54:11 +0000
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