A Devotional Verse From The Gospel Of John
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
John 17:25
How can Christians be so certain of their faith? Because we know by faith that God has sent His only Son into the world to be our Savior, our Lord, and our friend. We know! Because Jesus said so. Compare what John writes later in his life in the letter we call 1 John, verse 5:13:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Devotional Verses From The Gospel Of John
Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
John 12:9-11
They wanted to kill Lazarus. Had Lazarus done anything wrong? No! All he did was be alive, after Jesus called him from the grave, but because of that there were people who saw the resurrected Lazarus, and because of this great miracle Jesus had done they believed on Jesus. Lazarus was one of the causes of people who once did not believe on Jesus believing on Jesus, and so he was a target for those who rejected Christ. The simple connection that I want to make here is, that if you and I as Christians are used by God to lead people to believe on Jesus, we may become targets too. So far, though this does happen in other nations around the world, that particular form of persecution has not yet reached the United States, but it could. Still, we want to lead others to receive Jesus as Savior.
Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
John 12:9-11
They wanted to kill Lazarus. Had Lazarus done anything wrong? No! All he did was be alive, after Jesus called him from the grave, but because of that there were people who saw the resurrected Lazarus, and because of this great miracle Jesus had done they believed on Jesus. Lazarus was one of the causes of people who once did not believe on Jesus believing on Jesus, and so he was a target for those who rejected Christ. The simple connection that I want to make here is, that if you and I as Christians are used by God to lead people to believe on Jesus, we may become targets too. So far, though this does happen in other nations around the world, that particular form of persecution has not yet reached the United States, but it could. Still, we want to lead others to receive Jesus as Savior.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Corroborating Devotional Verses From The Gospel Of John Re: March 21 Blog Post
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
John 8:19
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
John 12:44
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:23
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
John 8:19
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
John 12:44
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:23
Friday, March 21, 2014
A Devotional Verse From The Gospel Of John
Aren't there people who think, can't I just believe in God and not worry about Jesus? I want to be religious and I want to believe in "God," but why do you preachers have to focus on Jesus, and tell us we have to be in relationship with Him to be saved? Let me have God and I'll be happy. Well, let Jesus' own words explain it to you:
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 5:22, 23
Aren't there people who think, can't I just believe in God and not worry about Jesus? I want to be religious and I want to believe in "God," but why do you preachers have to focus on Jesus, and tell us we have to be in relationship with Him to be saved? Let me have God and I'll be happy. Well, let Jesus' own words explain it to you:
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 5:22, 23
Thursday, March 20, 2014
A Devotional Verse From The Gospel of Luke
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Luke 23:2
The accusation is that Christ was perverting the nation. Here are some of the things He taught: the One true God cares for all creation, and loves humanity so much that He sent His own Son into the world to be Savior to any who will believe, any, without regard to race, class, clan, height, width, or any other such label. Jesus taught that righteousness is a matter of the heart that leads to righteous behavior; that earthly death is not final, that life is eternal, and that God speaks to our world through His word about all these matters. He taught that serving other people is true greatness. Jesus taught that children matter, that the poor matter, that God expects sincere faith, and that those with sincere faith in the Son that God sent into the world are made into a new family: men, women, boys and girls, of all sorts and conditions. And Jesus taught that one day there will be a day of reckoning.
Is that what they called perverting the nation? No, I think it's clear that what they were talking about was His claim to be Christ, Messiah; thus, the Savior, the Son of God and, as such, the One with authority regarding faith and living. For all the good that He did and taught there should not have been any condemnation of Him because the religious leaders of that day would have agreed to most of Jesus' teaching if it were lifted out of the context of having been done by Jesus. It was He, Himself, that they could not abide. His call to people to believe in Him is what they considered the perversion.Of course they tried to use the excuse that He was unpatriotic towards Rome telling people not to pay taxes calling himself a king, and as it were, setting himself up in opposition against Caesar.
It's an interesting comparison to modern day people, isn't it? Because today's people latch on to the things that Jesus did and said that they like, and feel fits into their determination of life and lifestyle, but because He claims to be Christ, the Son of God, and speaks with authority calling them to live by the standards of His word, they too, reject Him as well: even to the point of saying some of the Bible's teaching regarding sin has perverted the thinking of those who follow it.
In 2000 years specific circumstances have changed, but the rejectors of Christ are much the same.
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Luke 23:2
The accusation is that Christ was perverting the nation. Here are some of the things He taught: the One true God cares for all creation, and loves humanity so much that He sent His own Son into the world to be Savior to any who will believe, any, without regard to race, class, clan, height, width, or any other such label. Jesus taught that righteousness is a matter of the heart that leads to righteous behavior; that earthly death is not final, that life is eternal, and that God speaks to our world through His word about all these matters. He taught that serving other people is true greatness. Jesus taught that children matter, that the poor matter, that God expects sincere faith, and that those with sincere faith in the Son that God sent into the world are made into a new family: men, women, boys and girls, of all sorts and conditions. And Jesus taught that one day there will be a day of reckoning.
Is that what they called perverting the nation? No, I think it's clear that what they were talking about was His claim to be Christ, Messiah; thus, the Savior, the Son of God and, as such, the One with authority regarding faith and living. For all the good that He did and taught there should not have been any condemnation of Him because the religious leaders of that day would have agreed to most of Jesus' teaching if it were lifted out of the context of having been done by Jesus. It was He, Himself, that they could not abide. His call to people to believe in Him is what they considered the perversion.Of course they tried to use the excuse that He was unpatriotic towards Rome telling people not to pay taxes calling himself a king, and as it were, setting himself up in opposition against Caesar.
It's an interesting comparison to modern day people, isn't it? Because today's people latch on to the things that Jesus did and said that they like, and feel fits into their determination of life and lifestyle, but because He claims to be Christ, the Son of God, and speaks with authority calling them to live by the standards of His word, they too, reject Him as well: even to the point of saying some of the Bible's teaching regarding sin has perverted the thinking of those who follow it.
In 2000 years specific circumstances have changed, but the rejectors of Christ are much the same.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
How can Iran consider itself a civilized nation?
News reports this very day confirm that American pastor Saeed Abedini, a Christian imprisoned in one of Iran's harshest prisons for nearly a year and a half because of his Christian faith, has been beaten, shackled, and denied medical treatment. If such a thing were to have occurred to a prisoner in this country there would be an outcry among the populace as well as the news media for an immediate correction of the situation, and the problem would be rectified. How can Iran call itself civilized when it's people do not speak up on Abedini's behalf? Why aren't the people of Iran saying to their government "We are better than that?" Why doesn't Iran recognize that jailing and mistreating a prisoner because of his faith is a violation of the universal right of freedom of religion? How can Iran rationalize its failure to consider the request of the president of the United States that Saeed Abedini, and two other Americans, Robert Levinson and Amir Hekmati, be released? How can we believe that Levinson and Hekmati fare any better than Abedini under their captors?
Iran show us your goodwill, set these people free; release Saeed Abedini, Robert Levinson, and Amir Hekmati.
Christians, the world over, consider Hebrews 13:3: "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."
Pray for them, speak of them in your blogs, call for their release, contact our government on their behalf.
"O God, we ask for Saeed Abedini, that You will save his life and freedom to your glory. We pray that Robert Levinson, andAmir Hekmati also will be released, and that soon! In Jesus'name we pray. Amen."
News reports this very day confirm that American pastor Saeed Abedini, a Christian imprisoned in one of Iran's harshest prisons for nearly a year and a half because of his Christian faith, has been beaten, shackled, and denied medical treatment. If such a thing were to have occurred to a prisoner in this country there would be an outcry among the populace as well as the news media for an immediate correction of the situation, and the problem would be rectified. How can Iran call itself civilized when it's people do not speak up on Abedini's behalf? Why aren't the people of Iran saying to their government "We are better than that?" Why doesn't Iran recognize that jailing and mistreating a prisoner because of his faith is a violation of the universal right of freedom of religion? How can Iran rationalize its failure to consider the request of the president of the United States that Saeed Abedini, and two other Americans, Robert Levinson and Amir Hekmati, be released? How can we believe that Levinson and Hekmati fare any better than Abedini under their captors?
Iran show us your goodwill, set these people free; release Saeed Abedini, Robert Levinson, and Amir Hekmati.
Christians, the world over, consider Hebrews 13:3: "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."
Pray for them, speak of them in your blogs, call for their release, contact our government on their behalf.
"O God, we ask for Saeed Abedini, that You will save his life and freedom to your glory. We pray that Robert Levinson, andAmir Hekmati also will be released, and that soon! In Jesus'name we pray. Amen."
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Devotional Verses From The Gospel Of Luke
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bear thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luke 11:24-28
Jesus here speaks the words about what the Scofield study Bible calls the "Worthlessness of self-reformation," and in response to hearing this powerful message a female listener calls out that the body parts of His earthly mother are blessed because of the fact that Jesus used them in coming into the world. To which Jesus replies that those who are really blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it. This last statement jumped out at me because of my considering the difference of worship styles in the various Christian churches vis a vis Baptist services. As it were, the woman's reply in this text could be considered a form of sacramentalism giving emphasis to the fleshly experience over the spiritual reality of hearing and responding in the faith to the word of God. How others may worship is their choice, and these comments are not meant to be critical.
We Baptists do sing hymns, the great traditional ones of the church and modern praise and worship, giving glory to God, we pray together publicly and read Scripture in our worship. Part of our worship includes the fellowship of shaking hands, or greeting and getting to know fellow Christians. Of course, we share together in the two ordinances given to us by Jesus himself, Christian baptism and the Lord's supper. Sometimes other things are included as well, even, perhaps, the reading of the Apostles' Creed, but the central aspect of our worship is coming together to hear and keep the word of God. The preaching of God's holy word is central to all of our worship. The preaching of God's holy word.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bear thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luke 11:24-28
Jesus here speaks the words about what the Scofield study Bible calls the "Worthlessness of self-reformation," and in response to hearing this powerful message a female listener calls out that the body parts of His earthly mother are blessed because of the fact that Jesus used them in coming into the world. To which Jesus replies that those who are really blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it. This last statement jumped out at me because of my considering the difference of worship styles in the various Christian churches vis a vis Baptist services. As it were, the woman's reply in this text could be considered a form of sacramentalism giving emphasis to the fleshly experience over the spiritual reality of hearing and responding in the faith to the word of God. How others may worship is their choice, and these comments are not meant to be critical.
We Baptists do sing hymns, the great traditional ones of the church and modern praise and worship, giving glory to God, we pray together publicly and read Scripture in our worship. Part of our worship includes the fellowship of shaking hands, or greeting and getting to know fellow Christians. Of course, we share together in the two ordinances given to us by Jesus himself, Christian baptism and the Lord's supper. Sometimes other things are included as well, even, perhaps, the reading of the Apostles' Creed, but the central aspect of our worship is coming together to hear and keep the word of God. The preaching of God's holy word is central to all of our worship. The preaching of God's holy word.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Devotional Verses From The Gospel of Mark
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
Mark 9:9,10
I know we're looking at it with hindsight, having learned the truth that Jesus died for our sins and then rose again from the grave, but how is it that the disciples did not get it at all? The operative word here is dead, they knew what dead meant and they knew what rising meant so how come they didn't take the obvious meaning that Jesus was giving and have a preview of the gospel? Well, one thing they did that modern theologians like to do is question with one another what it means.
Proper hermeneutics, in my opinion, is to believe what the Bible says: to interpret it in its natural sense; what did the author of that portion of Scripture actually intend to say? Theologians call this the literal, grammatical, historical, approach to hermeneutics. High falootin' stuff!
It simply means that if God says He created the world we should believe it: if God says you must be born again we should believe it; if God says the way to be born again is to trust in Jesus who carried your sins on the cross and died for them and then rose again so that you could be justified by believing in Him by your faith we should believe it; if God says that Jesus is going to come and call the church to meet Him in the air we should believe it; if God says Jesus will reign on earth someday we should believe it.
This is not to dispute theological discussion, for there will always be differences of opinion, but it is to lay a foundation for that discussion: take the Bible for what it says and discuss the theological ramifications, don't try to make it say something other than what it says. But Rev. you don't understand, those out in the world think some of the stuff we believe is unscientific and maybe even a little wacky, we'll be looked down upon as anti-intellectual if believe the Bible. I do understand, but we ought believe God rather than the high sounding nonsense of unbelief.
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
Mark 9:9,10
I know we're looking at it with hindsight, having learned the truth that Jesus died for our sins and then rose again from the grave, but how is it that the disciples did not get it at all? The operative word here is dead, they knew what dead meant and they knew what rising meant so how come they didn't take the obvious meaning that Jesus was giving and have a preview of the gospel? Well, one thing they did that modern theologians like to do is question with one another what it means.
Proper hermeneutics, in my opinion, is to believe what the Bible says: to interpret it in its natural sense; what did the author of that portion of Scripture actually intend to say? Theologians call this the literal, grammatical, historical, approach to hermeneutics. High falootin' stuff!
It simply means that if God says He created the world we should believe it: if God says you must be born again we should believe it; if God says the way to be born again is to trust in Jesus who carried your sins on the cross and died for them and then rose again so that you could be justified by believing in Him by your faith we should believe it; if God says that Jesus is going to come and call the church to meet Him in the air we should believe it; if God says Jesus will reign on earth someday we should believe it.
This is not to dispute theological discussion, for there will always be differences of opinion, but it is to lay a foundation for that discussion: take the Bible for what it says and discuss the theological ramifications, don't try to make it say something other than what it says. But Rev. you don't understand, those out in the world think some of the stuff we believe is unscientific and maybe even a little wacky, we'll be looked down upon as anti-intellectual if believe the Bible. I do understand, but we ought believe God rather than the high sounding nonsense of unbelief.
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