Notice what John the Baptist, the herald and forerunner of Jesus said about Jesus!
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Here's what John the Baptist said about Jesus:
Jesus is above all.
Jesus came from heaven
Jesus testifies about what He has seen and heard
No one accepts His testimony
The man who accepts Jesus testimony certifies (acknowledges) that God is truthful
Jesus speaks the words of God for God gives the spirit without limit
Jesus is loved by the Father and the Father has put everything in Jesus hands
Believing in Jesus gives that person eternal life.
Rejection of Jesus brings death because the wrath of God remains on him
What John says about man.
The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth,
And he speaks as one from the earth
Men choose to accept or reject Jesus
Those who accept Him certifies(acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured) that God is truthful and that man has eternal life
Those who reject Jesus will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.
Fred's Commentary:
John's purpose for coming to earth was to prepare the way for the Messiah. It was important for Him to know that Jesus was the Messiah because he knew his days on earth were short. In this passage, we see that John clearly understood that Jesus was God (not just a man), that Jesus words were from God and those who believed in Him would have eternal life. John also clearly saw that the person who rejected Jesus life saving message were doomed to remain in the state of condemnation that they were born in.
Let's pray:
Father I thank you for sending, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, God himself to preach the Gospel of the Good News of the Kingdom of God that I could be saved. Help me to declare this good news to others so that they too might have eternal life. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Now Click to the left and enjoy the video!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
John the Baptist was Comfortable in His Own Skin: Are You?
It is remarkable to me how comfortable John the Baptist was in his own skin. He was not at all intimidated by the success of Jesus, even though Jesus success meant the demise of his own ministry.
Read John 4:22-30 below
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Fred's Reflections:
By this time in John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus had already come on the scene and John the Baptist was near the end of his mission. One of the signs of this for John was the fact that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. Already, Jesus was beginning to Baptize people, something that John had been famous for. In fact one of John's disciples reported to him, "He(Jesus) is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." John's amazing response is instructive for us: He was not at all intimidated that Jesus was "stealing his thunder" and getting more attention. He could respond like this because John was very comfortable in his own role, gifts and calling. He said "a man can receive only what is given Him from heaven." He knew what he was called to do. He knew that Jesus would increase and that He would eventually decrease and leave the scene. He was comfortable in his own skin. He was confident of his own role and in his own calling. Jesus success in no way diminished John's purpose and calling. In fact, Jesus success actually confirmed his message and calling.
For us, the question becomes, do we know who we are in Christ. Do we know our gifts ans what we are called to do? Do we know our role in the body of Christ? If not, it is essential that we put down deep roots in Christ by spending time in the presence of the Lord: in prayer, in scripture, in meditation and by communing with His people in church and walking in obedience to what the Lord says. This will set us up to begin to know our role, calling and purpose in the body of Christ.
For those of us who have a clear sense of our calling, gifting and purpose, it is essential that we walk humbly before the Lord, being sensitive and obedient to Him,and honoring the gifts and callings of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The success of our brother or sister in no way diminishes our calling and purpose in the Lord. If it does, we might be struggling with insecurity, uncertainty of our calling or jealousy. It is important to know that the Lord needs all the gifts in the body to get his work done.
Application Questions:
Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord?
Do you have a sense of your role, gifts, calling and strengths within the body of Christ?
Do you feel intimidated by the gifts or success of others?
Do you love the body of Christ and appreciate the fact that the Lord needs all the gifts, including yours?
Closing Prayer: Lord help each of us to grow deep roots in you, your word and your church and help us to move out into the gifts and calling you have for us. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Read John 4:22-30 below
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
Fred's Reflections:
By this time in John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus had already come on the scene and John the Baptist was near the end of his mission. One of the signs of this for John was the fact that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. Already, Jesus was beginning to Baptize people, something that John had been famous for. In fact one of John's disciples reported to him, "He(Jesus) is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." John's amazing response is instructive for us: He was not at all intimidated that Jesus was "stealing his thunder" and getting more attention. He could respond like this because John was very comfortable in his own role, gifts and calling. He said "a man can receive only what is given Him from heaven." He knew what he was called to do. He knew that Jesus would increase and that He would eventually decrease and leave the scene. He was comfortable in his own skin. He was confident of his own role and in his own calling. Jesus success in no way diminished John's purpose and calling. In fact, Jesus success actually confirmed his message and calling.
For us, the question becomes, do we know who we are in Christ. Do we know our gifts ans what we are called to do? Do we know our role in the body of Christ? If not, it is essential that we put down deep roots in Christ by spending time in the presence of the Lord: in prayer, in scripture, in meditation and by communing with His people in church and walking in obedience to what the Lord says. This will set us up to begin to know our role, calling and purpose in the body of Christ.
For those of us who have a clear sense of our calling, gifting and purpose, it is essential that we walk humbly before the Lord, being sensitive and obedient to Him,and honoring the gifts and callings of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The success of our brother or sister in no way diminishes our calling and purpose in the Lord. If it does, we might be struggling with insecurity, uncertainty of our calling or jealousy. It is important to know that the Lord needs all the gifts in the body to get his work done.
Application Questions:
Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord?
Do you have a sense of your role, gifts, calling and strengths within the body of Christ?
Do you feel intimidated by the gifts or success of others?
Do you love the body of Christ and appreciate the fact that the Lord needs all the gifts, including yours?
Closing Prayer: Lord help each of us to grow deep roots in you, your word and your church and help us to move out into the gifts and calling you have for us. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
You Must Me Born Again! John 3:1-21 (NIV)
Today's devotional is a bit lengthy but I believe the Lord has a word for you if you will persevere. Blessings! Fred
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.".
Commentary:
Nicodemus was a Jewish leader and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. He came to Jesus privately and gave him a compliment: "I know you must be from God". Jesus did not respond to the compliment but cut to the chase> He said: "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. This threw Nicodemus for a loop. He thought Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus explained that
He was talking about the "life giving and purifying activity of the Holy Spirit" that takes place when a person is born again. (McCabe) He was talking about spiritual regeneration that can only come from God, not physical birth.
Question: Have you been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If not, there is no better time than now to ask the savior of the world to forgive you of your sins and save you from the wrath of God that you deserve. Invite Him in to your life as your King, Lord, ruler and Savior and make a commitment to walk as His disciple for the rest of your life. Look to the left and click on the "What Is the Gospel" video or the other that explains the Gospel with a diagram.
Jesus also said: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." The real truth of why many people reject the truth of God's word is the truth exposes their sin and men love their sins more than they love God's truth!
Question: What do you love more than the truth of God's word?
Then Jesus said: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." This raises the question for me: Am I lifting up Jesus for all the world to see with my life and with my lips. The words of the old hymn expresses my heart!
How to reach the masses, men of every birth,
For an answer, Jesus gave the key:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread,
Lift the Savior up for them to see;
Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,
Preach the Gospel simple, full and free;
Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,
Let the world in you the Savior see;
Then men will gladly follow Him Who once taught,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Let's pray: Lord I pray that I will lift up your name today through my words, my life and my obedience to you and to your will and to your word. In Jesus Name! Amen!
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.".
Commentary:
Nicodemus was a Jewish leader and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. He came to Jesus privately and gave him a compliment: "I know you must be from God". Jesus did not respond to the compliment but cut to the chase> He said: "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. This threw Nicodemus for a loop. He thought Jesus was talking about physical birth. Jesus explained that
He was talking about the "life giving and purifying activity of the Holy Spirit" that takes place when a person is born again. (McCabe) He was talking about spiritual regeneration that can only come from God, not physical birth.
Question: Have you been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If not, there is no better time than now to ask the savior of the world to forgive you of your sins and save you from the wrath of God that you deserve. Invite Him in to your life as your King, Lord, ruler and Savior and make a commitment to walk as His disciple for the rest of your life. Look to the left and click on the "What Is the Gospel" video or the other that explains the Gospel with a diagram.
Jesus also said: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." The real truth of why many people reject the truth of God's word is the truth exposes their sin and men love their sins more than they love God's truth!
Question: What do you love more than the truth of God's word?
Then Jesus said: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." This raises the question for me: Am I lifting up Jesus for all the world to see with my life and with my lips. The words of the old hymn expresses my heart!
How to reach the masses, men of every birth,
For an answer, Jesus gave the key:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread,
Lift the Savior up for them to see;
Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,
Preach the Gospel simple, full and free;
Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,
Let the world in you the Savior see;
Then men will gladly follow Him Who once taught,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
Refrain
Lift Him up, Lift Him up,
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”
Let's pray: Lord I pray that I will lift up your name today through my words, my life and my obedience to you and to your will and to your word. In Jesus Name! Amen!
Monday, July 12, 2010
58: 10 WE HAVE FOUND THE ONE!
John 1:43-51
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found
the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
When Jesus appeared on earth, the Jewish people had already been looking for Him. He was expected! When Philip met Jesus, he found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Yes, they were looking for Him! When Nathaniel met Jesus, he wondered out loud, "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" He expected very little good to come from Nazareth. By contrast, when Jesus met Nathaniel, he paid him a high compliment. He said, "behold a man in who there is nothing false." He instantly knew Jesus character. This alerted Nathaniel to the fact that Jesus was no ordinary man. This was sufficient for Nathaniel to declare: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus responded that Nathaniel would see even greater things. He would see the heavens opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (Jesus).
As Christians today, we know who the Messiah is. We know that he is the Son of God, the King of Israel and in fact the King of Kings and Lord of Lord!
We don't have to doubt him like Phillip because we know Him as our saviour.
He already knows us from afar off. He knows are thoughts, intentions and motives. Let's draw close to Him and He will show us things that we never thought possible.
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found
the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
When Jesus appeared on earth, the Jewish people had already been looking for Him. He was expected! When Philip met Jesus, he found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Yes, they were looking for Him! When Nathaniel met Jesus, he wondered out loud, "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" He expected very little good to come from Nazareth. By contrast, when Jesus met Nathaniel, he paid him a high compliment. He said, "behold a man in who there is nothing false." He instantly knew Jesus character. This alerted Nathaniel to the fact that Jesus was no ordinary man. This was sufficient for Nathaniel to declare: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus responded that Nathaniel would see even greater things. He would see the heavens opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (Jesus).
As Christians today, we know who the Messiah is. We know that he is the Son of God, the King of Israel and in fact the King of Kings and Lord of Lord!
We don't have to doubt him like Phillip because we know Him as our saviour.
He already knows us from afar off. He knows are thoughts, intentions and motives. Let's draw close to Him and He will show us things that we never thought possible.
Friday, July 2, 2010
57:10 "Do Whatever Jesus Tells You"
John 2:1-11
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days."
At the very beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus attended a wedding with his mother and apparently his family and disciples. They ran out of wine and somehow Jesus Mother knows about it and informs Jesus "they have no more wine". Jesus responds: "Why do you involve me, my time has not yet come!" It is interesting that somehow his mother knew or felt that Jesus was supposed to be involved here. Whether she was responding from a spiritual sense of knowing or whether it was just the Jewish Mother kicking in, God used Mary's words to launch Jesus first miracle. We can learn from Mary's command. Do whatever he tells you.
Do Whatever Jesus tells you. That is the command for us today. That is also where many of fall short! Some times, what he tells us is counter intuitive or goes cuts across the grain or just doesn't make sense. Sometimes it will be costly or inconvenient. Sometimes it will require some extra effort on our part like pouring water into jars. The end results of obedience though is always sweeter and better.
The scripture notes that this is Jesus first miracles and that his disciples "put their faith in Him" after this.
It is also interesting that Jesus goes to spend a few day with his family and disciples after this miracle in Capernaum. They must have talked there about the miracle as well as Jesus mission and ministry. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall as Jesus interacted with his nuclear family as he began to bond with his new family of disciples. They had just seen his first miracle and his disciples were starting to put faith in him. His family, who had known for many years that he was "special" now saw the first signs of his Messiahship, of his diety.
For us, we know there is no doubt that he is the Messiah! For us, the question is, will we "Do whatever he tells you"
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days."
At the very beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus attended a wedding with his mother and apparently his family and disciples. They ran out of wine and somehow Jesus Mother knows about it and informs Jesus "they have no more wine". Jesus responds: "Why do you involve me, my time has not yet come!" It is interesting that somehow his mother knew or felt that Jesus was supposed to be involved here. Whether she was responding from a spiritual sense of knowing or whether it was just the Jewish Mother kicking in, God used Mary's words to launch Jesus first miracle. We can learn from Mary's command. Do whatever he tells you.
Do Whatever Jesus tells you. That is the command for us today. That is also where many of fall short! Some times, what he tells us is counter intuitive or goes cuts across the grain or just doesn't make sense. Sometimes it will be costly or inconvenient. Sometimes it will require some extra effort on our part like pouring water into jars. The end results of obedience though is always sweeter and better.
The scripture notes that this is Jesus first miracles and that his disciples "put their faith in Him" after this.
It is also interesting that Jesus goes to spend a few day with his family and disciples after this miracle in Capernaum. They must have talked there about the miracle as well as Jesus mission and ministry. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall as Jesus interacted with his nuclear family as he began to bond with his new family of disciples. They had just seen his first miracle and his disciples were starting to put faith in him. His family, who had known for many years that he was "special" now saw the first signs of his Messiahship, of his diety.
For us, we know there is no doubt that he is the Messiah! For us, the question is, will we "Do whatever he tells you"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
56:10 Put On the Whole Armor of God
Sorry, I have not been as regular in sending out these devotional this summer:
Today I want to share a devotional which I received today from Bill Bauerle.
Good morning friends,
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God ,that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
There have been many helpful expositions on the armor of God so I am sure I will not add much to what has been said. As we enter into this section, however, I want to emphatically point out that this is the armor of God and nothing we have in-of-ourselves. The “schemes” of the devil, or wiles as in other translations, are for the most part subtle. We think most often of the work of the devil as blatant darkness, however, his most destructive work is done through the ways of the world. Schaeffer notes: If we are to resist being dirtied by the spirit of the world, we must not only reject its essential characteristic, but search out and resist the special form it is taking in our own generation…We are naïve if we do not realize that we too are surrounded by a uniform culture (I sometimes call it a monolithic culture), which claws at us from our birth to our death. Not only in obvious ways we can easily comprehend but also in subtle ways, a thousand voices expressing its mentality. Yet when we translate what we hear, we discover that there is really one voice, the spirit of the world, and the particular from that world takes in our day.” The only way we will ever be able to stand against these subtle schemes is as we appropriate the armor of God. Yes the battle is real and the stakes are high. And while the battle is real it has also been won by Christ when he arose from the dead and we continue to stand when we continue to put our faith in that finished work.
Bill
Today I want to share a devotional which I received today from Bill Bauerle.
Good morning friends,
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God ,that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
There have been many helpful expositions on the armor of God so I am sure I will not add much to what has been said. As we enter into this section, however, I want to emphatically point out that this is the armor of God and nothing we have in-of-ourselves. The “schemes” of the devil, or wiles as in other translations, are for the most part subtle. We think most often of the work of the devil as blatant darkness, however, his most destructive work is done through the ways of the world. Schaeffer notes: If we are to resist being dirtied by the spirit of the world, we must not only reject its essential characteristic, but search out and resist the special form it is taking in our own generation…We are naïve if we do not realize that we too are surrounded by a uniform culture (I sometimes call it a monolithic culture), which claws at us from our birth to our death. Not only in obvious ways we can easily comprehend but also in subtle ways, a thousand voices expressing its mentality. Yet when we translate what we hear, we discover that there is really one voice, the spirit of the world, and the particular from that world takes in our day.” The only way we will ever be able to stand against these subtle schemes is as we appropriate the armor of God. Yes the battle is real and the stakes are high. And while the battle is real it has also been won by Christ when he arose from the dead and we continue to stand when we continue to put our faith in that finished work.
Bill
Saturday, May 15, 2010
55:10 "We Have Found the Messiah!
We have found the Messiah!
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter.
Prior to this passage, on the previous day, John the Baptist had his first encounter with the Messiah, the one he had been preaching about and preparing people to receive as the Messaih! On this day, he saw the Messiah again and said "Behold the Lamb of God" Of course "Lamb of God" refers to the fact that Jesus would become a sacrifice for our sins! Under the old Testament law, lambs were sacrificed in order for us to be forgiven for our sins. Jesus would now become the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. We first see the concept of the sacrificial lamb when the Children of Israel were delivered from the oppression of Egypt: Here's a great description:
"God told Moses to ask Pharaoh to release the slaves, which Pharaoh was reluctant to do. So God sent seven plagues upon Egypt, each one more devastating than the previous. The last of the plagues was the death of the firstborn of all of the children and animals in Egypt. But God spared the Israelites from the plagues. In order for them to be spared the final plague, the children of Israel were commanded by God to take a one year old male lamb without any defect and sacrifice it. The blood of the lamb was to be spread over the doorframes of the house where they then ate the lamb. That night the Lord passed over Egypt and killed the firstborn of every household except those homes that had blood over their doorframes. An innocent lamb was sacrificed and its blood was shed to spare them from death" ( from http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/behold-the-lamb-of-god-faq.htm)
Fast forward to Revelation 5 and see the scene that John sees as the 24 elders worship Jesus as the The Lamb of God: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open it's seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
Let's pray:
Lord , I thank you that you sent Jesus, The Lamb of God to be slain as a sacrifice for our sins! Thank you Lord for dying for me that I might be saved from the wrath of God. Thank you that I do not have to face the penalty of my sins because you have already taken my punishment!
Help me Lord to let others know that I have found the Messiah so that they too can follow you!
In Jesus Name! Amen.
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter.
Prior to this passage, on the previous day, John the Baptist had his first encounter with the Messiah, the one he had been preaching about and preparing people to receive as the Messaih! On this day, he saw the Messiah again and said "Behold the Lamb of God" Of course "Lamb of God" refers to the fact that Jesus would become a sacrifice for our sins! Under the old Testament law, lambs were sacrificed in order for us to be forgiven for our sins. Jesus would now become the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. We first see the concept of the sacrificial lamb when the Children of Israel were delivered from the oppression of Egypt: Here's a great description:
"God told Moses to ask Pharaoh to release the slaves, which Pharaoh was reluctant to do. So God sent seven plagues upon Egypt, each one more devastating than the previous. The last of the plagues was the death of the firstborn of all of the children and animals in Egypt. But God spared the Israelites from the plagues. In order for them to be spared the final plague, the children of Israel were commanded by God to take a one year old male lamb without any defect and sacrifice it. The blood of the lamb was to be spread over the doorframes of the house where they then ate the lamb. That night the Lord passed over Egypt and killed the firstborn of every household except those homes that had blood over their doorframes. An innocent lamb was sacrificed and its blood was shed to spare them from death" ( from http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/behold-the-lamb-of-god-faq.htm)
Fast forward to Revelation 5 and see the scene that John sees as the 24 elders worship Jesus as the The Lamb of God: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open it's seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
Let's pray:
Lord , I thank you that you sent Jesus, The Lamb of God to be slain as a sacrifice for our sins! Thank you Lord for dying for me that I might be saved from the wrath of God. Thank you that I do not have to face the penalty of my sins because you have already taken my punishment!
Help me Lord to let others know that I have found the Messiah so that they too can follow you!
In Jesus Name! Amen.
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