Confessing Jesus as Lord

Chuckle: A child was asked to complete this statement: Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and . . . . . . . "someone yells , "Shut up!"

Quote: "Finding God is not our greatest need; rather it is recognizing Him in each of life's ever-present situations, and then submitting to His will." --William Ward

". . . in human form he (Jesus) obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name. So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:8-11 NLT).

As I contemplated this passage, I was reminded of a TV commercial where an automobile repairman says, "pay me now or pay me later." He says we can pay him to fix a minor problem at little cost; or we can wait until the problem becomes more serious and costs much more to repair.

We can confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior now while we still have time and only costs us our faith and trust in Him, or we can wait until the last judgment when it will be too late to save us and the cost will be spending eternity separated from God in a place the Bible calls "hell." Not a pleasant thought.

This is one of the most profound passages in Scripture. At the last judgment, if not before, every human being will bow down and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. It describes the exalted position of Jesus and the power of His name which is far greater than any other. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 NIV).

For those of us who know Christ as Savior and Lord, this passage affirms our faith and the joy we experience from having confessed who He is, repented of our sins, received His forgiveness, and asked Him into our lives. Our confession of Jesus includes thanksgiving, praise, and life-long commitment to Him. My prayer is that you have made such a commitment to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

"A man was shown a red glass bottle and asked what he thought was in the bottle. He replied, 'wine? brandy? whiskey?' When told it was full of milk, he could not believe it until he saw the milk poured out. He hadn't known that the bottle was made of red glass which hid the color of the milk. So it was with our Lord's humanity. Men saw him tired, hungry, suffering, weeping, and thought he was only a man. He was made in the likeness of men, yet he ever is God over all, blessed forever." --Illustrations for Biblical Preaching; Edited by Michael P. Green

Love, Jerry & Dotse