THRIVE Devotional Week 9 Lesson 1 Jesus Left Heaven for His Bride

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1 Week 9 Lesson 1 Jesus Left Heaven for His Bride Scripture reading Isaiah 6:1-4 John 6:51a, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: That is quite an amazing statement. Jesus was willing to leave Heaven. You can t find a better place than Heaven. However, He was not just an inhabitant of Heaven, He was the King of Heaven. Isaiah describes what it was like for Christ in Heaven. I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Jesus had everything you can possibly have. Everything was going right for Him. The angels adored Him. He had the riches of the universe. He had all power and authority, yet He was willing to leave all of that to come to this Earth to redeem you and me. Jesus left Heaven for His bride. Let s look at what Jesus left: 1. Position 2. Reputation 3. Possession 4. Relationship 5. Comfort When Jesus left Heaven, He left all of that behind for you and me to be His bride. In Genesis 1:24, God told Adam, Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. No human relationship should take priority over the relationship between the husband and the wife. Many marriages end up being devoured by Satan because this priority is neglected. If you want your marriage to THRIVE, you must leave some things behind.

2 Week 9 Lesson 2 Jesus Suffered Long Scripture reading Matthew 27:26-50 Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. In 1 Corinthians 13, we are told that charity [love] suffereth long. Our Scripture reading proves that Christ loved us. He was willing to suffer the agony of the crucifixion so that you and I could get to Heaven. The fact is those that love the most often are hurt the most. It is hard to break a hard heart, but a soft heart is easily hurt. In our Scripture reading today, we find a list of things that our Savior suffered so that He could make us His bride. 1. They scourged Jesus (verse 26). 2. They handed Jesus over to the soldiers to be humiliated (verse 27). 3. They stripped Jesus. This is public humiliation (verse 28). 4. They put a scarlet robe on His body, a crown of thorns on His head, and a reed in His hand to mock His royalty (verses 28-29). 5. They spit upon Him (verse 30). 6. They beat His head with the reed (verse 30). 7. They mocked Him (verse 31). 8. They crucified Him (verse 31-50). Why did Jesus allow all those things to take place? He is after all the God of the universe, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. He allowed it so that we could become His bride. Isaiah 53:7 tells us that when He was falsely accused, he opened not his mouth. Jesus suffered long so we could become His bride. This is genuine love. What have you suffered to protect your marriage? What are you willing to suffer so your marriage will honor God? When you are willing to suffer long, your marriage will THRIVE.

3 Week 9 Lesson 3 Jesus Is Kind He Comforts Us Scripture reading John 5:1-16 Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Our Scripture reading in John is one of my favorite Bible stories. It is in the busy city of Jerusalem. There are people all around Him running to and fro. Jesus makes His way to the Pool of Bethesda, knowing what He would find there. He finds many people who are sick. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. In the midst of these people, was a lame man who had been sick longer than Jesus had been physically alive. In His compassion, Jesus reaches out and touches him and lifts him up. The lame man is made whole after thirty-eight years of illness. Jesus was kind. Thinking the Master would not want to be bothered with their insignificant requests, the disciples tried rushing the children away from Jesus. However, Jesus said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Jesus was kind to little children. Jesus was kind to Zacchaeus. Jesus was kind to the blind. Jesus was kind to the woman at the well. Jesus was kind to Nicodemus. Jesus is kind to you and me. Predicting Peter would deny Him and knowing the faithlessness of His disciples, Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled John 15:1. When we learn to be kind, our marriages will THRIVE.

4 Week 9 Lesson 4 Jesus Forgives Us When We Fail and Lifts Us Up Scripture reading Matthew 14:22-33 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? I love this story of Jesus coming to the disciples on the water. I am amazed because our God has the power over the sea. It is natural for Jesus to do the supernatural. I love the fact that Jesus could speak to the sea and the sea would stop. I love that fact that our God could say to the wind to stop blowing and it would stop blowing. In truth, wind is nothing, but the breath of our God. In this story, I am impressed that when Peter saw Jesus, Jesus was able to make Peter walk on water. There are so many wonderful attributes of God that we can see in this amazing story. Yet the overriding characteristic of God in this story is His willingness to forgive us when we fail and to lift us up when we are falling down. Peter attempted to do something amazing in the presence of Jesus and what he did, no other mortal man has ever accomplished. Peter walked on water! He was able to do that as long as he kept focused on the Lord Jesus. However, he failed when he got his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the storm that was around him. This according to Jesus Himself was a lack of faith and we learned from the Scriptures that whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) I love the fact that Jesus did not condemn Peter. Jesus did not say since you have sinned, go ahead and drown. Our Scripture tells us what Peter did and what Jesus did. Peter cried, Lord, save me! In Matthew 14:31, And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him. Jesus will not condemn you when you fall. Jesus will be there to catch you. He is there to lift you up and not put you down. He loves you. He will point out your sin, as He did to Peter. He will also let you know, He forgives you and He is there to help you out of the consequences of your sin. When we forgive and lift up others, we reflect the love of Christ. When we do this in our marriage, our marriage will THRIVE.

5 Week 9 Lesson 5 Jesus Gives Us Direction Scripture reading Luke 9:1-6 Then he called his twelve disciples together And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Jesus called all twelve of His disciples. In most cases, that was one or two individuals at a time. He said to James and John, Follow me. He told Peter to Follow me. He spent His life giving directions specifically to His disciples. When He no longer, would be with them, they would know how to live and how to fulfill His wishes. In our Scripture reading today, Jesus sent out His twelve apostles. He wanted them to accomplish certain tasks. The following steps are the directions He gave them. 1. He united them. (verse 1) 2. He gave them authority to complete the task. (verse 1) 3. He told them exactly what He wanted them to do. (verse 2) 4. He told them what not to do. (verse 4) 5. He told them what to do. (verse 4) 6. He told them what to expect. (verse 5) 7. He let them go and trusted them with His work. Later He would follow up with them and see how their work went. (verse 6) Jesus gave them direction. Jesus gives us direction in life, that is why He has given us His Word. The Bible tells us the husband is to be the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church. As a husband, you are to give direction to your family. This will create stability in your family and your family will THRIVE.

6 Week 9 Lesson 6 Jesus Serves Us and Takes Our Blame Scripture reading 1 John 2:1-11 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We serve a marvelous Savior. We marvel at His righteousness and holiness. We marvel at His awesome power. We marvel at His infinite wisdom. We marvel at His love for us. In our Scripture reading, we see God s love on display. 1 John 2:1 tells us that Jesus is our advocate. Jesus will not allow us to take the blame for our own sin. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus came to this Earth to suffer, die, and pay the penalty for our sin in our place. When Satan goes before the throne of almighty God, and declares you and I unrighteous sinners, deserving of Hell. Jesus, in effect, stands before God the Father and says, That wasn t them, that was me. Jesus takes the blame for our conscious and unconscious sin. He paid the penalty for every sin you would ever commit. You are headed to Heaven, because Jesus paid your penalty and took your blame. Beyond that, Jesus lives to serve you and me. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) Jesus not only took our blame, He came to this Earth to serve us, and He continues to serve us. When we get to Heaven, the first thing we will experience is the judgment seat of Christ where we will receive rewards from God. Then, at the marriage Supper of the Lamb, Jesus will serve us as He did the disciples in the upper room. When Paul says, the husband is head of the wife. He very simply means, he is the head servant in the home. Jesus took our blame so we could have a home in Heaven. When we get to Heaven, He, as the head of Heaven, will serve us. Jesus would never allow his bride to be blamed for anything. He never accuses His bride. Jesus lives to serve His bride. When you follow the example of Jesus your marriage will THRIVE.