The Focal Point by Billy Graham

The Focal Point

Taken from “Hope for Each Day” devotionals by Billy Graham

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” - Revelation 22:13

The central message of the Bible is Jesus Christ.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the Woman. In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus, He is the atoning Sacrifice. In Numbers, the Smitten Rock. In Deuteronomy, the Prophet. In Joshua, the Captain of the Lord’s hosts. In Judges, the Deliverer. In Ruth, the Heavenly Kinsman. In the six books of Kings, the Promised King. In Nehemiah, the Restorer of the nation. In Esther, the Advocate. In Job, my Redeemer. In Psalms, my Strength. In Proverbs, my Pattern. In Ecclesiastes, my Goal. In the Song of Solomon, my Satisfier. In the prophets, the coming Prince of Peace. In the gospels, He is the Christ who came to seek and to save. In Acts, He is the Christ risen. In the epistles, He is Christ exalted. In Revelation, He is Christ returning and reigning.

The message of the Bible is the story of salvation through Jesus – and the whole world needs to know this story. Whom have you told today?

**I thought this was a great explanation of how the story of Jesus has been weaved throughout the whole Bible and I wanted to share.**

Galatians 1:11-12

Galatians 1:11-12 - I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

In Paul we see a man who committed his whole life to furthering the gospel in the known world, but it was not always that way. When we first see him in the book of Acts we see him as a well trained Pharisee. He had learned everything there was to know about serving God, or so he thought. At that time he was preaching and enforcing a gospel that had man’s fingerprints all over it. It wasn’t until he was on his way to Damascus that he realized he was wrong.
Paul knew the difference between a religion made up by man and a religion that came from God. He had lived in both worlds. As a child he learned all of the rules and regulations of being a Pharisee. When he became a man he was committed to following the religion that he had been taught. Then Christ came in and he received a revelation of God that changed his life forever.
That’s the amazing thing about the gospel we preach. You could spend your whole life studying and know the bible inside and out and it will do nothing for you. It doesn’t matter how many sermons you have heard, or for that matter, preached. Without revelation of God through Jesus it will all be for nothing.
Like the old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It is important to know God’s Word, but without knowing Him it is just another book. If you commit your life to knowing all about God, you will grow weary. But if you commit your life to knowing God and following His plan for your life you ‘will soar on wings like eagles; run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.’ Surrender yourself to God and trust Him to give you revelation of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 2:12

1 Corinthians 2:12 - We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given.

Did you know that when you were saved you received God’s Spirit inside of you? As impossible as it sounds it is true. Before salvation we had the spirit of the world in us. It controlled our thinking and our actions. We would conform our lives to what the world wanted. If it said ‘do this’ we would do it, if it said ‘do that’ we would not hesitate. That is a sad life to live.
Now we have been set free from that and our lives belong to God. His Spirit is alive inside of us to guide and lead us in life and truth. Through God’s Spirit we are able to understand the things of God and all that God has given us through Jesus. Yet there is a problem. If all this is true why do most of us still act like the world?
We have freedom in Christ, but we are still allowing the world’s spirit dictate how we live. It doesn't have to be this way! God has set us free and we need to start acting like it! Who are you trying to please anyway? Are you trying to please God, or man?
It is time for us to refocus our attention God. His opinion is the only one that truly matters. When we put our trust in Him we will stop looking for man’s approval. Looking for the approval of men will trip you up every time. Let God’s Spirit reign in your life and renew your mind so that you will be able to understand all that God has done for you.

Acts 28:31

Acts 28:31 - Boldly and without hindrance Paul preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

What do you want said in your epitaph? How do you want people to view your life after it is over? Paul lived his life on earth in a way that glorified God. After he came to know the truth on the road to Damascus he never looked back. Everything he did was to further the kingdom of God.
Now, to fast forward to the end of Acts we see what was probably the last thing written about him by those who knew him. “Boldly and without hindrance Paul preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” That is what they said; that is how he was known. What a legacy to leave behind.
I’m not saying that you should live concerned with what people think about you, but your actions should direct people to God. You should be living to glorify Him and people should be able to see it.
We are told to ‘be an example of God’ and to ‘live a life of Love, just as Christ Jesus.’ As you are living your life for God you are also creating a reputation. For some it is good, for others it will not be, but your life is a witness to what you truly believe. You will either live different and it will show, or you will live the same and it also will show.

There are opinions being formed about you, whether you like it or not. People are listening to what you say and watching to see if it matches what you do. Our lives need to reflect God. It is only through Him that we can truly live.

I challenge you to think about what you want to be known for when you die. Will it be that you were a successful business man, a nice guy, or maybe on the other side of the spectrum, maybe you are lazy and don’t do anything.

Now that you know where you are currently at, think about what you would like people to know you for. Are you ok with being known as an average Joe, or do want to be known as someone who was committed to living for God.

You may not be where you want to be now, but I have good news for you. It’s not too late. As long as you are still breathing you can change your legacy. At one point in Paul’s life he was known as a murder and persecutor of Christians, but he changed that. You can change too. Make a decision to live your life to leave the legacy that you want. With God it is possible.

Acts 13:.38-39

Acts 13:38-39 - Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

So in life we live by the law. We do our best to be obedient to it and to do what is right. If we break the law we know there will be consequences. We might be able to continue on like this for awhile, but inevitably we will mess up. Now what happens? According to the law of Moses when you sin you deserve death.
God is a just God and cannot tolerate sin. Therefore a price had to be be paid for our sin. Before Christ the Jews used animals as a temporary covering for their sin, but that would not last. A permanent sacrifice had to be made.

Jesus was that sacrifice. He was perfect, without spot or blemish; He had no sin. When He died He took all sin upon Himself and paid the permanent price for it. No more animals were needed.

Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you and me. We are now justified through Christ and can stand before God purified.

If compare the two we see that the law of Moses only provided a temporary covering for sin, while through Christ our sin is not only covered, it is completely washed away. You have complete and permanent justification through Him as long as you accept it.

Acts 6:7

Acts 6:7 – So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

This verse says that a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. What does it mean to be ‘obedient to the faith?’ Obedience means that you are following instructions and are doing what is required of you. So then it is not enough to just believe, we must act on that belief.

James tells us that faith without works is dead. I think that is what this verse is talking about when it says that the ‘priests became obedient to the faith.’ When we come to believe in Christ and put our faith in Him our actions need to reflect it.

That is also how God’s word will spread; that is how the number of disciples will increase. We have to understand that faith in Christ is caught more than it is taught. You can teach all you want, but if your lifestyle does not live up to your teaching no one will follow you.

I think that is often the problem in today’s church. There are a lot of people that profess Christianity, but few are obedient to it. If you look at their lives you will not be able to tell them apart from the unbeliever. That is not how it should be.

If we are obedient to our faith our life will be different. You will be able to see Christ in us. When we reach this point of obedience in our life we will see disciples increase. People will not just get ‘saved’, but they will actually become followers of Jesus.

Acts 2:38

Acts 2:38 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Imagine this, an ordinary fisherman. He had no schooling or training other than living with Jesus for a few years. Peter witnessed Jesus life, His death, and then saw Him resurrected. Now he was living in fear of the Jews. He saw what they did to Jesus and was afraid he would be next.Then the Holy Spirit came upon him.

Peter now had the power of God inside of him. This was the same man who had been with Jesus. He had denied him, ran away when they took him and had been afraid for his own life, but now he had confidence; he had Christ in him.

Peter was with the other disciples and they all received the Holy Spirit. With all the confusion and excitement of what was happening, a crowd started forming around them. Peter stood up and began to speak. His words cut straight to the heart of the people and they were convicted of their sin. “What must we do?” they asked.

This was Peter’s answer, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you.” It is amazing how God used Peter and the other disciples. They had no background of speaking, no training in how to deliver a message, but God used them anyway.

See, a lot of people have talent and ability, which is good, but without passion it will amount to nothing. What God really wants is a heart after Him. If you seek God, He will use you. With His Spirit inside of you, He will give you the words to say. Seek Him and let Him take care of the rest.

Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

You are a witness. In your life you have seen and experienced something that God has done. If you have received Christ in your life you have undergone a change. That’s what God wants you to talk about. Tell people about your experiences with God. Make it personal because that is what will touch people.
I know that it sounds scary sometimes, but that is why God has given us the Holy Spirit. He is our helper and our strength in weakness. Let Him flow through you and guide you in all you do and say. And make sure you are a witness everywhere you go.
Notice as Jesus gave these instructions to His disciples He began with Jerusalem and then worked His way out to ‘the ends of the earth.’ Jerusalem was where they were currently at. Jesus was telling them to start where they were, at home, and then broaden their circle of influence.
If you are not being a witness to those in your home and community you have no business going to other places and ministering. You must start with those closest to you. Let your life reflect what God has done in your heart.
The bible says that people are saved by the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony. Your testimony will lead others to Jesus. Make sure you are using it.

John 20:30-31

John 20:30-31 - Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

Jesus is our example. He did it all; He endured all things to show us how we are to live this life. As we read the gospel we see many stories of what Christ did. We see His teaching, His miracles, His relationships and many other details of His life on earth.

        It is amazing to think that we are only seeing a small portion of all that Jesus actually did. Even with what we do see it blows my mind, but there was so much more. Everyday, everywhere He went there were people getting healed and hearts that were getting touched. Lives were changing.

        So here comes the tough part: we are supposed to live like Jesus did. When was the last time you let God do a miracle through you? Who was the last person you touched? Are the lives of those around you changing for the better?

        Of course that can be hard to answer because we can’t see peoples hearts, only God can. We can, however, look at our own hearts and lives and know whether we are living a lifestyle that reflects God. I know I often fail at this task, but I am a work in progress.

        Jesus spent time with God everyday and that should be our first step as well. If you are not allowing God to change you, He will never be able to use you to change others.

John 14:9

John 14:9 - Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Here it is, laid out plainly. This scriptures either proves Jesus as the Son of God or shows that He was a lunatic and a liar.

I've heard people say that there are many paths to God and you have to choose which ever one is right for you. Along with that there are those who have said that Jesus was a great teacher, but not the Son of God. That statement cannot be true and here’s why: Jesus said He is the Son of God. Therefore, if He is not in fact the Son of God then He is a liar and cannot be a good teacher.

Jesus is, however, the Son of God and everything that He says is true. He is not only the best teacher, but He is also our example to follow. Now, in this verse in John we see another truth. There are not many ways to God, there is only one. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The only way for anyone to get to God is through Him.

This may sound hard but Jesus makes it easy. He does all the work for us. All you have to do is turn to Him and accept what He has done. God Loves you and Jesus died for you. Believe in Him and you will be saved. Jesus is the only way, so don’t miss it.

John 12:24

John 12:24 - I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Jesus gives us a picture of what is going to happen to Him by telling us about a kernel of wheat. He often did that. He would take something so simple and use it to help the people understand what He was saying. Really, He was just putting it in words that they would understand. They all knew about wheat.

If you have a seed and just hold onto it, that is all you will have, a single seed. If you want to have more seeds you must let go of the seed you already have. That is the only way. If you hold onto your seed too tight you will never see more than that one seed.You must let it go.

Let the seed fall to the ground and die. Only then will you see the seed multiply. And, as the process continues you will see an exponential increase.

This is how it was with Jesus. He was the only one that was right with God; He was the only child. Then He died and was crucified. Just like the seed, He was buried in the ground and just like the seed He rose again. Now we see the multiplication.

At first Jesus appeared to His disciples. They became the first to be like Jesus. After that they continued to spread the message of Christ and what He has done. Even today the increase is still happening. From the death of one man, all men can enter life with God.

Do You Believe This? John 11:25-26

John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

Do You Believe This?

Do you believe in life? Life everlasting, never passing away

We’re talkin’ about a new life,

A Christ life, that’s here to stay, everyday.

This life will never end,

for those who call Christ friend.

He says, “Believe in me and you will see,

I’ll set you free for eternity.”

How does this happen, you ask?

How does Jesus complete this impossible task?

Well, it started many years ago,

in what we call the beginning of time.

Christ was with God, you know,

before the earth had reason or rhyme.

God created man to be like Him,

pure and holy in all his ways.

But man chose to sin,

which cut short his number of days.

For years man sacrificed animals,

as a temporary cover for the sin in his heart.

He needed a miracle,

and a brand new start.

Christ became our miracle,

His sacrifice gave us a way;

A new day; A new way to pray.

Jesus said,”I am the resurrection and the life,

my sacrifice paid the price,

and whoever believes in me will live,

even when he dies.”

If you live in Him, you’ll enter in,

To life everlasting, never passing away, never sway

from your faith in Him and all He’s done.

Believe in Christ, God’s own Son.

He’s the One

who didn't want you to miss,

Life with God.

Do you believe this?

Mark 7:36

Mark 7:36 - Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone, but the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it.

News of Jesus was spreading like a wild-fire. He was moving from place to place teaching and as He was doing so there were many around Him that were sick or hurt. Of course, being Jesus, when He saw these people He had compassion on them. “They were like sheep without a shepherd.” So He healed them.

       In this particular chapter Jesus heals someone who is deaf and mute. After healing him Jesus told him and those around Him not to tell anyone, but they didn’t listen. In fact, the more Jesus told them not to say anything the more they did. How could they not say something? Jesus had just opened this man’s ears and gave him the ability to talk.

       Now let’s fast forward a little bit to your life and mine. We have a different command. Jesus told us to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. We are supposed to tell everyone about what Christ has done for us. It is clear through the whole New Testament that we are to speak, but we do not.           

       These men were told not to speak and they didn’t stop; we are told to speak and we do not. Why is this? If we take a look at our lives we can honestly say that God has done so much for us, but we keep it to ourselves.

       I think one reason we do this is that we try to explain away the miracles and favor of God as coincidence or luck. We want to have a reason for everything, so we try to rationalize it and make ‘sense’ of it. In doing so we take the miraculous out of the miracles and we view it as an ordinary event. This should not be.

We must give God the credit and glory for all He has done in our lives. Speak about it. Don’t keep it silent. Tell the world what God has for you through Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:16

1 Timothy 3:16 – Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

          A great mystery has been revealed to you and me. For many years this mystery had been hidden and only revealed to certain people as God prophesied through them, but now it is revealed to all. Jesus is the mystery revealed. He is the way to godliness. It was Him who showed us the way to live.

           As Paul describes the mystery here we see him describe Jesus, “He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” So how do we become godly? I think the key lies in taking part in this message. Of course it begins with us believing and receiving Christ into your life as Savior, but there are a lot of “saved” people who do not practice godliness.

          Godliness begins with salvation, but it goes beyond that. We know that Christ appeared and was vindicated and was taken up in glory, but not everyone does. This passage talks of Jesus being believed on in the world, but people can’t believe without hearing. In order for them to believe someone has to preach. Who’s going to preach? That responsibility falls to you and me.

You want to walk in godliness? Believe the message and preach it. And as you are preaching make sure that you walk according to your words. As you do this you will draw nearer to God and be more like Him in true righteousness and godliness.

Acts 3:6

Acts 3:6 - Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

After the Holy Spirit came upon him Peter had boldness like never before. This man was crying out for money. Everybody knew who he was because he would sit by the gate called Beautiful everyday, begging. Peter saw this as an opportunity to bring glory to God and also show the Love of God to this man. He called him out and told him to look at him. Then he said this, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

This man was begging for money because he was used to just scraping by. He had been a cripple from birth and could not work for a living. His expectation was maybe some change to add to his collection, so he could eat a little something that day. He asked for one thing, but got so much more.

Peter opened up the kingdom of God to this man and healed him in Jesus name. After this everyone wanted to know what had happened. They knew who this man was and were amazed that he was now walking. When asked Peter gave all glory to God. That is the most important thing we can learn from this story.

God wants to work through you, but you need to know that it is not you, but Him. We are to give Him the glory for all we do. Without Him we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. And again I say that we need to give HIm the Glory. If we try and take credit for it He will pull His hand back and we will fail, because we are nothing without Him. It is God who is glorified when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.