2 Timothy 1; 2 Timothy 2; 2 Timothy 3; 2 Timothy 4
The Joy of Helping Others Grow In Christ
Scripture
2 Timothy 2
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Observation
Matt Cochran asked me to write a forward for his new 30-day Devotional book, “Who is Jesus”. In his new book Matt takes you on a journey exploring the question, “Who Is Jesus” The titles and roles of Jesus that he describes in this devotional are not all-inclusive, but the 30 that he chose to write about definitely have the potential to bring you to a closer relationship to the 2nd person of the Trinity, “Jesus”.
So I thought I would share with you the rough draft of the forward that I wrote for Matt’s new book. I hope you purchase a copy when they become available and I hope that these daily devotionals give you a better understanding about, “Who Is Jesus.”
Matt, I hope that this is OK with you….
It is a tremendous privilege for me to share with you why Matt Cochran’s 30-day devotional, has special meaning for me. Matt has grown to be a great friend since he came to serve at our church and I have watched him grow so much in his relationship with Christ.
Matt’s heart bleeds discipleship and his focus is helping people come to know Jesus and then helping them grow in Christ. He is a rare young man.
Let me share with you about something that just happened in my life that has brought me very close to the Jesus that Matt writes so well about in this devotional. It was on October 24, 2011 at around 10 pm that I experienced a massive heart attack. I was rushed to the emergency room and they immediately began to do everything possible to save my life. After 14 hours of surgery the surgeon came out and reported to my wife Kathy that I had less than a 5% chance of making it from the operating room up to Intensive Care floor. It was during that 14 hours that our church had become aware of my situation and they began to flood into the waiting room with my wife Kathy and my grown children and they began to pray. What happened over the next 5 –7 days can only be described as miraculous!
Our church family and other Christian friends began praying. They didn’t stop praying. Every day for the first 4 or 5 days the reports from the doctors can be described best as very bad. My surgeon did not think I would survive. Every bad report was met with an army of prayer warriors at the hospital and all over the world crying out and asking Jesus to save my life. Church members were lined up and down the hallway close to my room and prayed to Jesus the Healer to save me. When my liver started to shut down they prayed for my liver. When my kidneys failed they cried to Jesus asking Him to intervene and heal my kidneys.
St. Joseph hospital has been around a long time. (I was born in St Joseph hospital 60 years ago). They had never ever experienced so many people coming to pray for one person in the history of the hospital. Doctors and nurses in the Intensive care floor and other employees that worked in different areas of the hospital were deeply moved by how God’s people would not give up on seeing me brought back to life.
Matt Cochran as well as some other godly men from our church decided to come into my room and pray for me and anoint me with oil. This was after several days of bad reports. It was after I had died several times and I had to be brought back to life. Against all medical hope Matt anointed me with oil and they prayed for me to recover. The next day the doctors began to see improvements in my condition.
After you go through an experience like what I just went through and what our church went through it profoundly changes lives and it dramatically changes your perspective to the question “Who is Jesus?” I am overwhelmed when I think about how Jesus has changed my life and how He has changed the life of our church.
Application
When Matt’s book becomes available I will buy it and use it as part of devotional time!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you bless Matt and other guys like Matt who have a passion to write and who have a passion to teach. I pray that You help them produce material that gives us a better understanding about “Who is Jesus”. I am so thankful for guys like Matt. They are rare. I pray that you use him in a mighty way in the life or our church. I pray that as more and more people give their lives to Christ at Christ Fellowship that they will grounded in their faith by men and women like Matt. Thank You for our staff. Thank You for every person that serves at Christ Fellowship. Help them to grow in You. May Your Holy Spirit continue to work in our church, as He is doing right no. I pray that Your powerful hand would remain on our fellowship and I pray that You would continue to draw people to our church that need to be saved.
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