Date: Saturday, November 01, 2014
Today's Chapters: John 1-3
Message Title: Seeing Is Believing
Hello My Friend,
The Book of John is the forty-third book of the Bible, the forth book of the Gospel of Christ and of the New Testament, and contains twenty-one chapters. The author of the book is John, a disciple of Jesus (not John the Baptist), and it was written to All believers, to whom John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 30 and 34AD. The purpose of the book was to show All that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the only way to eternal life. What we are to learn from the book is Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour, and Son of the only living God, who is God in the flesh, and the only sourceto everlasting life. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6.
Through the eyes of man, John the Baptist would have been six months older than Jesus, as his mother, Elisabeth had conceived him six months before her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus had been conceived of the Holy Spirit. Through the eyes of the sons of God, Jesus was, is, and always will be, not only the begotten Son of God, but God Himself in the flesh. John was inspired by God to reveal to us that Jesus has always been, and it's not by natural conception that one becomes a child of God, but by believing in the Son of God. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” - John 1:10-14,17.
Grace, anytime we are kind to others even when they are not kind to us, we are showing them grace. If God is as mean and cruel as the world claims Him to be than why are they not dead and in hell already? God's grace. God does have all the power to be the mean and cruel God that want Him to be, but that really is not what He is about. Do not confuse chastisement with judgment from rebellion. When God gave the Law, it was a foreshadow of Christ, it was the shedding of pure blood that was needed to redeem a soul that had broken the Law. Jesus' sacrificial death, the shedding of His own pure blood on the cross, replaced the need for constant redemption from the Law with God's grace. Now, all who believe in Christ, not only are redeemed, they become the sons (and daughters) of God as well. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:14-17.
John the Baptist spent all of his ministry teaching about Christ, whom he called the Lamb of God, he baptized all who repented, turned away from their need to follow the Law in order to be saved, and turned to their belief in Christ. Jesus came to John to be baptized, and soon after His ministry began, He was not only making miracles happen, He was teaching, and correcting them through Scripture. This did not go well with he people that made their money by deceiving those who pretended to know Scripture. “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them,Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” - John 2:18-25.
Man, those who harden their hearts to the truths of God, they have no problem using Him as a vice to make themselves rich. But never underestimate a person's reasoning for hating God or trying to prove that He does not exist, it's usually anger, pride, or sin that takes a person from knowing of God, to trying to destroy everything about Him, including His Son. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” - Romans 1:20-23.
All the time that John had preached about Jesus and repentance, he too had skeptics, now, that Jesus was known, it didn't take long for them to question John about his ministry. “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” - John 3:27,28,31-36.
Man cannot see beyond their eyes, they have the attitude that if they cannot see it it does not exist. As much as I love to find out how things work, there are some things that are left simply to faith. For instance, everyone learns that once a woman conceives it takes nine months for the child to fully develop, amazingly, through science, we can see how a baby develops inside the womb. What we cannot see is the miracle of how it grows, the organs, the bones, no amount of science can explain this phenomenon. If we can't believe that a life begins at conception, how can we believe in a life that can be raised from the dead? While God would love for all to be saved, He knows some will never believe, He will not waste His time trying to convince them. “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” - Ecclesiastes 11:3-5.
Today's Prayer: God, It is often said that seeing is believing, well, I for one know that to be true, but not as the world would see, but as You would see. I may not have seen Your Son in person the day I believed in Him, but I have seen what Your Son has done in my life since making Him a part of it. Just like the miracle of birth, You created another miracle in my spiritual birth, and while I may not always understand Your ways, I do understand that You love us so much, that Your only option to save us was to give Your own through Your Son. Today, I do not want to ask You for anything, I just to thank You and praise You for being my God, my Father, and my Saviour. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Today's Chapters: John 1-3
Message Title: Seeing Is Believing
Hello My Friend,
The Book of John is the forty-third book of the Bible, the forth book of the Gospel of Christ and of the New Testament, and contains twenty-one chapters. The author of the book is John, a disciple of Jesus (not John the Baptist), and it was written to All believers, to whom John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 30 and 34AD. The purpose of the book was to show All that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the only way to eternal life. What we are to learn from the book is Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour, and Son of the only living God, who is God in the flesh, and the only sourceto everlasting life. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6.
Through the eyes of man, John the Baptist would have been six months older than Jesus, as his mother, Elisabeth had conceived him six months before her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus had been conceived of the Holy Spirit. Through the eyes of the sons of God, Jesus was, is, and always will be, not only the begotten Son of God, but God Himself in the flesh. John was inspired by God to reveal to us that Jesus has always been, and it's not by natural conception that one becomes a child of God, but by believing in the Son of God. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” - John 1:10-14,17.
Grace, anytime we are kind to others even when they are not kind to us, we are showing them grace. If God is as mean and cruel as the world claims Him to be than why are they not dead and in hell already? God's grace. God does have all the power to be the mean and cruel God that want Him to be, but that really is not what He is about. Do not confuse chastisement with judgment from rebellion. When God gave the Law, it was a foreshadow of Christ, it was the shedding of pure blood that was needed to redeem a soul that had broken the Law. Jesus' sacrificial death, the shedding of His own pure blood on the cross, replaced the need for constant redemption from the Law with God's grace. Now, all who believe in Christ, not only are redeemed, they become the sons (and daughters) of God as well. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:14-17.
John the Baptist spent all of his ministry teaching about Christ, whom he called the Lamb of God, he baptized all who repented, turned away from their need to follow the Law in order to be saved, and turned to their belief in Christ. Jesus came to John to be baptized, and soon after His ministry began, He was not only making miracles happen, He was teaching, and correcting them through Scripture. This did not go well with he people that made their money by deceiving those who pretended to know Scripture. “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them,Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” - John 2:18-25.
Man, those who harden their hearts to the truths of God, they have no problem using Him as a vice to make themselves rich. But never underestimate a person's reasoning for hating God or trying to prove that He does not exist, it's usually anger, pride, or sin that takes a person from knowing of God, to trying to destroy everything about Him, including His Son. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” - Romans 1:20-23.
All the time that John had preached about Jesus and repentance, he too had skeptics, now, that Jesus was known, it didn't take long for them to question John about his ministry. “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” - John 3:27,28,31-36.
Man cannot see beyond their eyes, they have the attitude that if they cannot see it it does not exist. As much as I love to find out how things work, there are some things that are left simply to faith. For instance, everyone learns that once a woman conceives it takes nine months for the child to fully develop, amazingly, through science, we can see how a baby develops inside the womb. What we cannot see is the miracle of how it grows, the organs, the bones, no amount of science can explain this phenomenon. If we can't believe that a life begins at conception, how can we believe in a life that can be raised from the dead? While God would love for all to be saved, He knows some will never believe, He will not waste His time trying to convince them. “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” - Ecclesiastes 11:3-5.
Today's Prayer: God, It is often said that seeing is believing, well, I for one know that to be true, but not as the world would see, but as You would see. I may not have seen Your Son in person the day I believed in Him, but I have seen what Your Son has done in my life since making Him a part of it. Just like the miracle of birth, You created another miracle in my spiritual birth, and while I may not always understand Your ways, I do understand that You love us so much, that Your only option to save us was to give Your own through Your Son. Today, I do not want to ask You for anything, I just to thank You and praise You for being my God, my Father, and my Saviour. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's Price
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2014 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
