Monday, May 13, 2013
Long Time Gone
Well, looks like I got way laid, and it is almost three years ago I began this blog. So maybe with some grace, I can get started on this blog again.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Betrayal and arrest
Day 11
Matthew 26
This has to be next to the hardest time in Jesus' life, the crucifixion being the worst. Anyway Jesus is aware of what is ahead of him as we start the chapter. He is sharing with His disciples exactly what is going to happen to Him...He is going to be crucified. And as we can see in verse 3, the plan is in place by the chief priests and the elders of the people.
It is not plain if the woman with the very expensive perfume knew exactly what she was doing was a prophetic act, but Jesus knew. It is possible the woman did know however, because Jesus did say that she had poured this perfume on him as He said, "she did it to prepare me for burial." The disciples evidently didn't understand, even though Jesus had just finished telling them about his upcoming death on the cross. They all were angry over the matter, but it was Judas's words that was recorded here.
Jesus said that what the woman had done would be remembered throughout the world wherever the gospel was preached. Have to ask ourselves, what have we done for Jesus that people will remember us, not for who we are, but for what we did for Jesus. The woman's love and understanding of who Jesus was, compelled her to give her very best for Jesus. Do we give our very best for Jesus! Something to stop and think about.
It is tremendously sad when we see Judas, who has been a follower, disciple, and accountant of Jesus, to choose to betray Jesus. And I was thinking about that word betray. In the original Greek, from the Greek Lexicon, betray in this passage means "to deliver over treacherously". (Vine's Expository Dictorionary) (http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3860&t=KJV)
Treachery is a violation of faith and confidence, an act of treason.
Anyway, the concern of the disciples about the perfume was that the very expensive perfume could have been sold and the money gained could have been given to the poor. It wasn't that Jesus didn't have concern for the poor, He had more compassion than anyone, but this perfume had a far more important mission and that was to anoint the one who was going to die for the sins of the world. Also, in Jesus' death, He was not only a sacrifice for our sins, but He also became our High Priest. I won't go into that, but I did find a very good in depth explanation of that if you would like to understand that more.
http://www.gracevalley.org/sermon_trans/2007/Jesus_Our_Perfect_High_Priest.html
http://www.gracevalley.org/articles/Priesthood.html
When Jesus told the disciples to go and prepare for the Passover, He knew He was going to be the Passover Lamb for ALL MANKIND. He knew that His people were going to betray Him, but not only His people, but a disciple who walked closely with Him.
I really liked how the Quest Bible explained how Jesus would give new meaning to the Passover. "Rather than change Passover, Christ fulfilled it (1 Cor. 5:7), infusing a time-honored practice with profound new meaning. For centuries, the unleavened bread had reminded God's people of their hasty exit from Egypt(see Exodus 12;14-20,39). Now the bread would remind Jesus' followers of his body, given as a sacrifice for their sins. The lamb had recalled the blood, the blood that spared the Israelites from death (Exodus 12:3-13). Now the cup would would remind Jesus' followers of his blood and its saving effects.
Just think back to those scriptures in Exodus, and how God spared the firstborn of the Israelites from death by placing the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, how much more will He save those who trust in His own son's blood for their salvation and deliverance.
The scriptures go more into Judas's betrayal and Peter's denial, than any of the actions of the other believers.
The truth is that the other 10 disciples also said they would never deny Jesus as Peter did. When Jesus was in the Garden encouraging them to pray, He was asking them to pray not for His sake, but for their own. They were about to face one of the biggest temptations ever and that was to deny that they knew Jesus.
Jesus' heart was broken in the Garden. He knew what was about to happen in a little while and His heart was filled with sorrow. Have you ever had a friend betray you, sever their relationship with you? How did that make you feel? What if not only your brothers and sisters and mother and father denied you, turned their back on you, how would you feel? Well multiply that hundreds of thousands and more over, and you can see how the weight of the world's sin was on Jesus shoulders. But despite all that, He submitted His Will to the Father to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world. What a friend! What a Saviour! What a God! Mighty and Awesome is He!
After Judas' kiss and Jesus' arrest, we find Him being questioned, scorned, spit on, and going through horrific turmoil. He could not deny Himself before the high priest. Through all the mocking and taunting, Jesus' stood strong for our sake and the sake of the ALL MANKIND.
Peter was reminded by the rooster's crow after denying Jesus three times in the courtyard, that Jesus had prophesied his actions. Distraught in what he had done, he was crushed, and wept bitterly. Have you ever betrayed or denied something or someone? I looked up the definition of deny and betray to see what the difference was. This is what I found.
Deny means to declare untrue or refuse to admit or acknowledge.
Betray means to lead astray, to deliver to an enemy by treachery, to fail or desert especially in time of need, to reveal unintentionally.
So can you see what the difference was in Judas' and Peter's actions?
The Quest Bible's response to Peter's action was this:
"Why did Peter weep? Because he suddenly felt the weight of his own failure. though he had earlier wanted to fight for Jesus, now his courage had melted into confusion. He'd probably been bewildered and disheartened when Jesus had rejected his rescue attempt in the garden (John 18:10-11). But the crowing rooster brought things back into perspective again with a shocking realization: He had betrayed the one he loved just as Jesus had foretold.
So what is the difference? Is it one deliberately acted and the other didn't? But the possibility that both were offended could have been the foothold the enemy to cause them both to act contrary to their hearts.
It is wise to guard our hearts so the enemy does not have a foothold that will lead to doing what our heart really doesn't want to do. I believe Peter was in survival mode and he was out of fear protecting himself. How many times have we done that in our life?
I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning....that by His grace alone can I walk in His will and His ways.
Matthew 26
This has to be next to the hardest time in Jesus' life, the crucifixion being the worst. Anyway Jesus is aware of what is ahead of him as we start the chapter. He is sharing with His disciples exactly what is going to happen to Him...He is going to be crucified. And as we can see in verse 3, the plan is in place by the chief priests and the elders of the people.
It is not plain if the woman with the very expensive perfume knew exactly what she was doing was a prophetic act, but Jesus knew. It is possible the woman did know however, because Jesus did say that she had poured this perfume on him as He said, "she did it to prepare me for burial." The disciples evidently didn't understand, even though Jesus had just finished telling them about his upcoming death on the cross. They all were angry over the matter, but it was Judas's words that was recorded here.
Jesus said that what the woman had done would be remembered throughout the world wherever the gospel was preached. Have to ask ourselves, what have we done for Jesus that people will remember us, not for who we are, but for what we did for Jesus. The woman's love and understanding of who Jesus was, compelled her to give her very best for Jesus. Do we give our very best for Jesus! Something to stop and think about.
It is tremendously sad when we see Judas, who has been a follower, disciple, and accountant of Jesus, to choose to betray Jesus. And I was thinking about that word betray. In the original Greek, from the Greek Lexicon, betray in this passage means "to deliver over treacherously". (Vine's Expository Dictorionary) (http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3860&t=KJV)
Treachery is a violation of faith and confidence, an act of treason.
Anyway, the concern of the disciples about the perfume was that the very expensive perfume could have been sold and the money gained could have been given to the poor. It wasn't that Jesus didn't have concern for the poor, He had more compassion than anyone, but this perfume had a far more important mission and that was to anoint the one who was going to die for the sins of the world. Also, in Jesus' death, He was not only a sacrifice for our sins, but He also became our High Priest. I won't go into that, but I did find a very good in depth explanation of that if you would like to understand that more.
http://www.gracevalley.org/sermon_trans/2007/Jesus_Our_Perfect_High_Priest.html
http://www.gracevalley.org/articles/Priesthood.html
When Jesus told the disciples to go and prepare for the Passover, He knew He was going to be the Passover Lamb for ALL MANKIND. He knew that His people were going to betray Him, but not only His people, but a disciple who walked closely with Him.
I really liked how the Quest Bible explained how Jesus would give new meaning to the Passover. "Rather than change Passover, Christ fulfilled it (1 Cor. 5:7), infusing a time-honored practice with profound new meaning. For centuries, the unleavened bread had reminded God's people of their hasty exit from Egypt(see Exodus 12;14-20,39). Now the bread would remind Jesus' followers of his body, given as a sacrifice for their sins. The lamb had recalled the blood, the blood that spared the Israelites from death (Exodus 12:3-13). Now the cup would would remind Jesus' followers of his blood and its saving effects.
Just think back to those scriptures in Exodus, and how God spared the firstborn of the Israelites from death by placing the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, how much more will He save those who trust in His own son's blood for their salvation and deliverance.
The scriptures go more into Judas's betrayal and Peter's denial, than any of the actions of the other believers.
The truth is that the other 10 disciples also said they would never deny Jesus as Peter did. When Jesus was in the Garden encouraging them to pray, He was asking them to pray not for His sake, but for their own. They were about to face one of the biggest temptations ever and that was to deny that they knew Jesus.
Jesus' heart was broken in the Garden. He knew what was about to happen in a little while and His heart was filled with sorrow. Have you ever had a friend betray you, sever their relationship with you? How did that make you feel? What if not only your brothers and sisters and mother and father denied you, turned their back on you, how would you feel? Well multiply that hundreds of thousands and more over, and you can see how the weight of the world's sin was on Jesus shoulders. But despite all that, He submitted His Will to the Father to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world. What a friend! What a Saviour! What a God! Mighty and Awesome is He!
After Judas' kiss and Jesus' arrest, we find Him being questioned, scorned, spit on, and going through horrific turmoil. He could not deny Himself before the high priest. Through all the mocking and taunting, Jesus' stood strong for our sake and the sake of the ALL MANKIND.
Peter was reminded by the rooster's crow after denying Jesus three times in the courtyard, that Jesus had prophesied his actions. Distraught in what he had done, he was crushed, and wept bitterly. Have you ever betrayed or denied something or someone? I looked up the definition of deny and betray to see what the difference was. This is what I found.
Deny means to declare untrue or refuse to admit or acknowledge.
Betray means to lead astray, to deliver to an enemy by treachery, to fail or desert especially in time of need, to reveal unintentionally.
So can you see what the difference was in Judas' and Peter's actions?
The Quest Bible's response to Peter's action was this:
"Why did Peter weep? Because he suddenly felt the weight of his own failure. though he had earlier wanted to fight for Jesus, now his courage had melted into confusion. He'd probably been bewildered and disheartened when Jesus had rejected his rescue attempt in the garden (John 18:10-11). But the crowing rooster brought things back into perspective again with a shocking realization: He had betrayed the one he loved just as Jesus had foretold.
So what is the difference? Is it one deliberately acted and the other didn't? But the possibility that both were offended could have been the foothold the enemy to cause them both to act contrary to their hearts.
It is wise to guard our hearts so the enemy does not have a foothold that will lead to doing what our heart really doesn't want to do. I believe Peter was in survival mode and he was out of fear protecting himself. How many times have we done that in our life?
I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning....that by His grace alone can I walk in His will and His ways.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
Day 10
John 17
How many times have we had someone pray for us and it comforted our hearts and brought peace to our minds! I am guessing, many times! I know that is true in my life. How awesome it must have been to have Jesus, there in person, praying to the Heavenly Father, and His Word of love pouring over them, washing their souls. And yet today, Jesus is in heaven, seated on the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf. How blessed we are to not only know them as God, but as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person in the trinity working to bring all things together for good!
Chapter 17 begins right after Jesus has told the disciples He would be leaving them in chapter 16, He didn't want them to be disturbed by His leaving them. His prayer to the Father was to comfort their hearts, giving them hope, because He had overcome the world, they would be able to do so also.
As Jesus shares His heart in prayer to the Heavenly Father, He is asking the Father for their protection when He is gone because not only have they believed in Him, but they have also obeyed His Word. Jesus was asking the Father to glorify Him, because in glorifying the Son, He would bring glory to Himself. Jesus' glorifying the Father came at a great price. It came through Jesus completing the Father's will, and that was that He die for the sins of the world. There is never no glory in death. Jesus' death was cruel and horrible; the glory would come from His ressurection, and His ascension back to the Father's right hand. Glory came in that Jesus' obedience to His Father's will, resulted in salvation to the whole world through His death on Calvary's cross.
Jesus told His Father through prayer that what He was praying, was so the disciples would be able to have the FULL MEASURE of JOY within them.
As Jesus is finishing His prayer, He not only includes the disciples in His prayer, but ALL those who would believe in Him through their message. So for Jesus' to continue to be glorified, we must share what He has done for the whole world through His birth, His death, His ressurection, and His ascension to Heaven. Our hope of glory is Jesus Christ. Our hope is that we believe in His second coming! His is returning for His bride, the church, without spot or wrinkle!
Hmmm. I was watching HGTV the other day, SayYes to the Dress. There was a bride there trying on her altered bridal gown, and there was a wrinkle in the dress. Well, the mother-in-law was not satisfied until every wrinkle was gone out of that gown. Then I thought, how picky! But now that I am thinking on this thought of Jesus coming for His bride without spot or wrinkle, I think I get it. The only way the church is without spot or wrinkle is by the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary.
All the sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be without spot or wrinkle, and so that is why Jesus had to live a sinless life, or He wouldn't have been the perfect sacrifice for our sins!
Ephesians 5:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
1 Peter 1:
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again , not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
All who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, are His bride. We are all members of His body, clothed with the bridal gown, awaiting the arrival of our bridegroom. Although there are many denominations, many churches, which mean many differences and opionions, there is only one thing that matters. That the true bride of Christ, wearing white, is washed in the blood of the lamb...for whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved! Our sins exchanged for His righteousness, the GREAT EXCHANGE!
If there is any doubt in your heart of being clothed in His righteousness, being a part of the Bride of Christ,
now is the day of salvation. Now is the day you can exchange all your sins for His righteousness, and become clothed in His Bridal gown, and wait for His return. Then you too will be able to sit down with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb!.
John 17
How many times have we had someone pray for us and it comforted our hearts and brought peace to our minds! I am guessing, many times! I know that is true in my life. How awesome it must have been to have Jesus, there in person, praying to the Heavenly Father, and His Word of love pouring over them, washing their souls. And yet today, Jesus is in heaven, seated on the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf. How blessed we are to not only know them as God, but as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person in the trinity working to bring all things together for good!
Chapter 17 begins right after Jesus has told the disciples He would be leaving them in chapter 16, He didn't want them to be disturbed by His leaving them. His prayer to the Father was to comfort their hearts, giving them hope, because He had overcome the world, they would be able to do so also.
As Jesus shares His heart in prayer to the Heavenly Father, He is asking the Father for their protection when He is gone because not only have they believed in Him, but they have also obeyed His Word. Jesus was asking the Father to glorify Him, because in glorifying the Son, He would bring glory to Himself. Jesus' glorifying the Father came at a great price. It came through Jesus completing the Father's will, and that was that He die for the sins of the world. There is never no glory in death. Jesus' death was cruel and horrible; the glory would come from His ressurection, and His ascension back to the Father's right hand. Glory came in that Jesus' obedience to His Father's will, resulted in salvation to the whole world through His death on Calvary's cross.
Jesus told His Father through prayer that what He was praying, was so the disciples would be able to have the FULL MEASURE of JOY within them.
As Jesus is finishing His prayer, He not only includes the disciples in His prayer, but ALL those who would believe in Him through their message. So for Jesus' to continue to be glorified, we must share what He has done for the whole world through His birth, His death, His ressurection, and His ascension to Heaven. Our hope of glory is Jesus Christ. Our hope is that we believe in His second coming! His is returning for His bride, the church, without spot or wrinkle!
Hmmm. I was watching HGTV the other day, SayYes to the Dress. There was a bride there trying on her altered bridal gown, and there was a wrinkle in the dress. Well, the mother-in-law was not satisfied until every wrinkle was gone out of that gown. Then I thought, how picky! But now that I am thinking on this thought of Jesus coming for His bride without spot or wrinkle, I think I get it. The only way the church is without spot or wrinkle is by the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary.
All the sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be without spot or wrinkle, and so that is why Jesus had to live a sinless life, or He wouldn't have been the perfect sacrifice for our sins!
Ephesians 5:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
1 Peter 1:
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again , not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
All who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, are His bride. We are all members of His body, clothed with the bridal gown, awaiting the arrival of our bridegroom. Although there are many denominations, many churches, which mean many differences and opionions, there is only one thing that matters. That the true bride of Christ, wearing white, is washed in the blood of the lamb...for whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved! Our sins exchanged for His righteousness, the GREAT EXCHANGE!
If there is any doubt in your heart of being clothed in His righteousness, being a part of the Bride of Christ,
now is the day of salvation. Now is the day you can exchange all your sins for His righteousness, and become clothed in His Bridal gown, and wait for His return. Then you too will be able to sit down with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb!.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Jesus Final Instruction
Day 9
John 14
How would you address those close to you if you knew you were going to be leaving this earth today? That is exactly what Jesus was doing with His disciples here in John 14. It pays us to take heed to His farewell. This is the message the disciples were going to relay to those around them, and would be passed down to every generation from those who were careful to carry it. It is a message for us to carry, not to keep to oneself.
Jesus is telling his disciples to not let him leaving them trouble them because He was going to His Father's house to prepare a place for them. And He was reassuring them when He had prepared a place for them, He assuredly would be coming back for them as well.
He tells them that the place He is going has many rooms (in KJV it says mansions), how awesome is that!
He tells the disciples that they know the way to the place where He is going, but at least one of the disciples didn't quite agree. Thomas told Him that he didn't know where he was going, so how could he know the way. And I believe one of the most important statements is when Jesus declares the way to His Father's house. He tells them, "I (Jesus) am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
There is only ONE WAY to HEAVEN...and that is through believing in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
He also goes on to tell them that if they have seen Him, they have seen the Father. I like how the Quest explains that. It says, "He was saying that he spoke and acted for God because He was in God and God was in Him." I think John 1:1-5,14-18 clarifies this statement.
John 1:1 (KJV)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made . 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1 John 1:14-18 (KJV)
14 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. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried , saying , This was he of whom I spake , He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received , and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Jesus tells the disciples in verse 13, that whatever they ask in His name, He would do, so that He, the Son of God, could bring the Father glory. Jesus' always obeyed the Father and brought glory to His name while on earth, why would He do any less when He has returned to heaven, seated on the right hand of His Father. Our natural minds cannot conceive this, but it by the Spirit, that we can understand.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
How do we know if we love Jesus? What is the litmus test? Quite simply! If we obey Him! That is a good question to ask ourselves. Are we obeying all that we know that Jesus has asked us to do? It is good to gives ourselves a "Love Jesus Checkup" to make sure we have not drifted away from His Word and are walking in the light of His Word.
2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV)
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble
Phillipians 2:12 (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
In the Quest Bible, it asks what comes first, obedience or love? And this is their answer: "Love and obedience are accompanied by one another. Loving God and obeying Him are a single package---to love him is to obey him, and to obey him is to love him. Properly practiced, each demonstrates the other.
Jesus gives the disciples a promise. He told them when He leaves them, He wouldn't leave them as orphans, but He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit. He said if anyone loves Him (Jesus) and obeys Him, then the Father would love them too, and they would come and make their homes in their hearts.
While Jesus was on this earth, He was limited to the amount of people He could be with at one time. Jesus tells the disciples that it was good for Him to go away, because if He went away, the Father would send the Comforter, the Counselor, which NIV states.
John 14:26 (KJV)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:26 (NIV)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit could be everywhere, living in the hearts of those who believed and obeyed Jesus, but Jesus was limited to walking physically with the disciples, not living in them on His time here on earth.
Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and would remind them of everything He had said to them. He for the second time admonishes them to not let their hearts be troubled and not to be afraid. He was telling them before it happened in preparation in what they were going to be facing in the coming days.
One of the questions the Quest Bible asks is, "How can we be sure that a teaching is from the Holy Spirit?" Their answer is:
Spirit led teachings are recognizable because:
1. They reinforce all the things Jesus taught (John 14:26)
2. They are grounded in the written Word of God, which itself is a work inspired and directed by the Spirit (2 Tim 3:15-17)
3. They promote righteousness and convict us of sin. (John 16:8)
4. They bring glory to Jesus (John 16:14)
5. They recognize the deity of Jesus (1 John 4:2)
So it behooves us to be like the Bereans:
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so.
Joy and Blessings to you today. May your heart be challenged and your mind renewed by the Word of God.
John 14
How would you address those close to you if you knew you were going to be leaving this earth today? That is exactly what Jesus was doing with His disciples here in John 14. It pays us to take heed to His farewell. This is the message the disciples were going to relay to those around them, and would be passed down to every generation from those who were careful to carry it. It is a message for us to carry, not to keep to oneself.
Jesus is telling his disciples to not let him leaving them trouble them because He was going to His Father's house to prepare a place for them. And He was reassuring them when He had prepared a place for them, He assuredly would be coming back for them as well.
He tells them that the place He is going has many rooms (in KJV it says mansions), how awesome is that!
He tells the disciples that they know the way to the place where He is going, but at least one of the disciples didn't quite agree. Thomas told Him that he didn't know where he was going, so how could he know the way. And I believe one of the most important statements is when Jesus declares the way to His Father's house. He tells them, "I (Jesus) am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
There is only ONE WAY to HEAVEN...and that is through believing in Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
He also goes on to tell them that if they have seen Him, they have seen the Father. I like how the Quest explains that. It says, "He was saying that he spoke and acted for God because He was in God and God was in Him." I think John 1:1-5,14-18 clarifies this statement.
John 1:1 (KJV)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made . 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1 John 1:14-18 (KJV)
14 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. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried , saying , This was he of whom I spake , He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received , and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Jesus tells the disciples in verse 13, that whatever they ask in His name, He would do, so that He, the Son of God, could bring the Father glory. Jesus' always obeyed the Father and brought glory to His name while on earth, why would He do any less when He has returned to heaven, seated on the right hand of His Father. Our natural minds cannot conceive this, but it by the Spirit, that we can understand.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
How do we know if we love Jesus? What is the litmus test? Quite simply! If we obey Him! That is a good question to ask ourselves. Are we obeying all that we know that Jesus has asked us to do? It is good to gives ourselves a "Love Jesus Checkup" to make sure we have not drifted away from His Word and are walking in the light of His Word.
2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV)
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble
Phillipians 2:12 (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
In the Quest Bible, it asks what comes first, obedience or love? And this is their answer: "Love and obedience are accompanied by one another. Loving God and obeying Him are a single package---to love him is to obey him, and to obey him is to love him. Properly practiced, each demonstrates the other.
Jesus gives the disciples a promise. He told them when He leaves them, He wouldn't leave them as orphans, but He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit. He said if anyone loves Him (Jesus) and obeys Him, then the Father would love them too, and they would come and make their homes in their hearts.
While Jesus was on this earth, He was limited to the amount of people He could be with at one time. Jesus tells the disciples that it was good for Him to go away, because if He went away, the Father would send the Comforter, the Counselor, which NIV states.
John 14:26 (KJV)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:26 (NIV)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit could be everywhere, living in the hearts of those who believed and obeyed Jesus, but Jesus was limited to walking physically with the disciples, not living in them on His time here on earth.
Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and would remind them of everything He had said to them. He for the second time admonishes them to not let their hearts be troubled and not to be afraid. He was telling them before it happened in preparation in what they were going to be facing in the coming days.
One of the questions the Quest Bible asks is, "How can we be sure that a teaching is from the Holy Spirit?" Their answer is:
Spirit led teachings are recognizable because:
1. They reinforce all the things Jesus taught (John 14:26)
2. They are grounded in the written Word of God, which itself is a work inspired and directed by the Spirit (2 Tim 3:15-17)
3. They promote righteousness and convict us of sin. (John 16:8)
4. They bring glory to Jesus (John 16:14)
5. They recognize the deity of Jesus (1 John 4:2)
So it behooves us to be like the Bereans:
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so.
Joy and Blessings to you today. May your heart be challenged and your mind renewed by the Word of God.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Conversation with Jesus
Day 8
John 3
Reading through this passage, we see that this mainly speaks about being born again. The only way you can be born again is to repent of your sins, believe on the name of Jesus, and accept Him as your personal Savior AND LORD. No, like Jesus told Nicodemus, you can't go back into your mother's womb and be born again that way, but being born again of the Spirit of God, you become a new person in Him, old things are passed away (washed away by the blood of the Lamb) and behold all things are new. When we are born again, we become a NEW CREATION. Sometimes its hard to understand what that totally means, but the best illustration is that of the butterfly. Seeing a caterpillar crawling on the ground, and then weeks later, when we see that beautiful butterfly flying around, we don't even recognize the caterpillar for what it has become. Sometimes we just see the butterfly and forget it was once a butterfly. So it is with us when we are born again. When we become a new creation, lots of times those who have known us before will remark, "you are not who you use to be, I don't know who you've become."
http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle
God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for our sin, so that He could turn us into someone beautiful by His living presence in us. God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL would have everlasting life. Sometimes you hear the question, why would God send anyone to hell. We have to remember hell was not made for mankind, it was made for Satan and all the fallen angels. It was only when Adam and Eve gave into Satan's temptation that hell opened up to mankind, and then every person born under the sun was given a choice. A choice to either believe that All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God, that sin separates us from God, and the only way we can find our way back to God the Father, is through His Son, Jesus Christ or we have the choice not to believe.
When Jesus died on the cross, He bought us back from Satan's rule. We can choose not to believe and receive the full wrath of God for our sins, and be eternally separated from God. Scripture tells us that whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. It is so simple, but Satan's lies keep many from believing the truth of God's Word.
Simply said, John 3:34-36 NIV
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
So the only way to keep from receiving the penalty for our sins is to believe in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/acts/2.html
Acts 2:36:39 (NLT)
36 So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!" 37 Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles -- all who have been called by the Lord our God."
John 3
Reading through this passage, we see that this mainly speaks about being born again. The only way you can be born again is to repent of your sins, believe on the name of Jesus, and accept Him as your personal Savior AND LORD. No, like Jesus told Nicodemus, you can't go back into your mother's womb and be born again that way, but being born again of the Spirit of God, you become a new person in Him, old things are passed away (washed away by the blood of the Lamb) and behold all things are new. When we are born again, we become a NEW CREATION. Sometimes its hard to understand what that totally means, but the best illustration is that of the butterfly. Seeing a caterpillar crawling on the ground, and then weeks later, when we see that beautiful butterfly flying around, we don't even recognize the caterpillar for what it has become. Sometimes we just see the butterfly and forget it was once a butterfly. So it is with us when we are born again. When we become a new creation, lots of times those who have known us before will remark, "you are not who you use to be, I don't know who you've become."
http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle
God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for our sin, so that He could turn us into someone beautiful by His living presence in us. God is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL would have everlasting life. Sometimes you hear the question, why would God send anyone to hell. We have to remember hell was not made for mankind, it was made for Satan and all the fallen angels. It was only when Adam and Eve gave into Satan's temptation that hell opened up to mankind, and then every person born under the sun was given a choice. A choice to either believe that All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God, that sin separates us from God, and the only way we can find our way back to God the Father, is through His Son, Jesus Christ or we have the choice not to believe.
When Jesus died on the cross, He bought us back from Satan's rule. We can choose not to believe and receive the full wrath of God for our sins, and be eternally separated from God. Scripture tells us that whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. It is so simple, but Satan's lies keep many from believing the truth of God's Word.
Simply said, John 3:34-36 NIV
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
So the only way to keep from receiving the penalty for our sins is to believe in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/acts/2.html
Acts 2:36:39 (NLT)
36 So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!" 37 Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles -- all who have been called by the Lord our God."
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Parables of Jesus
Day 7
Reading through this chapter first, a question popped into my head that I never thought of before. Why did the shepherd go after the sheep and not the father after the son? I think the answer to that lies in verse 2 when the Pharisees and teachers of the law were arguing with Jesus about Him eating with sinners.
While meditating on this, I realized in the three parables (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son) they all had one thing in common...they had lost something of great value. In the "Quest Bible" notation, it gave an answer to my question.
The Quest noted that the younger son had to find his own way home, though diligence was made in the parables of the sheep and the coin. The difference it says was that the coin and the sheep wasn't able to return without help, but people can choose to return or not. The Quest notes that it was highly irregular for a son to claim his inheritance before his father's death and that a less loving father could have had his son stone to death for such a rebekllious attitude. It notes that the son's terrible offense to his father illustrates the depth of the offense sinners give God.
I think that is probably the best analogy of the difference. It wasn't that the Father didn't want and long for his son to be at home, but he had to wait patiently for the heart of the son to return home.
Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side, and especially when we were younger, in our teens and early twenties, we all can probably relate to wanting to get out on our own. We as parents need to instruct our children in righteousness, and train them up in the way they should go. But there is a time that comes we have to let our children go and let God work in their hearts just as He did in ours. When our children get to adulthood, we may not always like their choices, but we can still love them, just like Jesus did us, despite our choices He didn't like. Scripture tells us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." So we too need to find it in our hearts to be merciful to a wayward son or daughter or even those who have made choices we don't agree with, and let them know our love is constant for them.
One thing the prodigal learned during his absence from home, was how good he had it back home. And as his circumstances humbled him, he was able to get a true understanding of this.
Now when we get to the elder son in the parable, we find him being in a rage of jealousy when the Father gives the wayward son a giant welcoming home party on his return. He had had the Father's attention all that time the prodigal son was gone, reaping all the beneifits of being in the Father's house, yet was angry when the prodigal returned for more. He was angry that the brother had already gotten all the inheritance which was a double portion, and now he had come back for more. The Father wasn't even considering the loss of the monetary value his prodigal had imposed on him; He just rejoiced that his son's heart had changed toward him and he had returned home. Evidently the Father loved his son very much, because even though his son had left demanding his inheritance, which would have been 2/3 of his Father's estate, the Father loved his son more than he loved his estate.
The Quest notes, "The forgiving love of the Father in the parable symbolizes the divine mercy of God, and the older brother's resentment is like the attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus."
Let us always rejoice with the return of those who are lost and are found! Even the angels in heaven rejoice at one sinner who repents, shouldn't we?
Reading through this chapter first, a question popped into my head that I never thought of before. Why did the shepherd go after the sheep and not the father after the son? I think the answer to that lies in verse 2 when the Pharisees and teachers of the law were arguing with Jesus about Him eating with sinners.
While meditating on this, I realized in the three parables (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son) they all had one thing in common...they had lost something of great value. In the "Quest Bible" notation, it gave an answer to my question.
The Quest noted that the younger son had to find his own way home, though diligence was made in the parables of the sheep and the coin. The difference it says was that the coin and the sheep wasn't able to return without help, but people can choose to return or not. The Quest notes that it was highly irregular for a son to claim his inheritance before his father's death and that a less loving father could have had his son stone to death for such a rebekllious attitude. It notes that the son's terrible offense to his father illustrates the depth of the offense sinners give God.
I think that is probably the best analogy of the difference. It wasn't that the Father didn't want and long for his son to be at home, but he had to wait patiently for the heart of the son to return home.
Sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side, and especially when we were younger, in our teens and early twenties, we all can probably relate to wanting to get out on our own. We as parents need to instruct our children in righteousness, and train them up in the way they should go. But there is a time that comes we have to let our children go and let God work in their hearts just as He did in ours. When our children get to adulthood, we may not always like their choices, but we can still love them, just like Jesus did us, despite our choices He didn't like. Scripture tells us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." So we too need to find it in our hearts to be merciful to a wayward son or daughter or even those who have made choices we don't agree with, and let them know our love is constant for them.
One thing the prodigal learned during his absence from home, was how good he had it back home. And as his circumstances humbled him, he was able to get a true understanding of this.
Now when we get to the elder son in the parable, we find him being in a rage of jealousy when the Father gives the wayward son a giant welcoming home party on his return. He had had the Father's attention all that time the prodigal son was gone, reaping all the beneifits of being in the Father's house, yet was angry when the prodigal returned for more. He was angry that the brother had already gotten all the inheritance which was a double portion, and now he had come back for more. The Father wasn't even considering the loss of the monetary value his prodigal had imposed on him; He just rejoiced that his son's heart had changed toward him and he had returned home. Evidently the Father loved his son very much, because even though his son had left demanding his inheritance, which would have been 2/3 of his Father's estate, the Father loved his son more than he loved his estate.
The Quest notes, "The forgiving love of the Father in the parable symbolizes the divine mercy of God, and the older brother's resentment is like the attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus."
Let us always rejoice with the return of those who are lost and are found! Even the angels in heaven rejoice at one sinner who repents, shouldn't we?
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sermon on Mount Part 2
Day 6
Matthew 6
Jesus had lots to say to the people when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It is amazing how the apostles remembered so many details, so I think there must have been someone taking notes. Do you like to take notes. Whenever I am in a service of any kind, I like to have my pen and paper ready because I don't want to miss a gold nugget of truth that the Lord really stirs in my heart during a sermon, teaching, etc. So I hope when you sit down and read the Word, you too will have a pen and paper beside you so that when the Holy Spirit illuminates a word to you, you too can write it down, meditate, apply it to your life and pass it on to others.
One of the first things Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 is giving to the needy. Truly in being a born again Christian one of the greatest proofs of our changed hearts is a generous spirit. One of the things we learn in this scripture here is that when we give to others without announcing it to everyone, our heavenly Father will reward us. If we go around bragging about what we give to others, then the praise of others will be our reward. I know our Heavenly Father's reward is much greater than a pat on the back, or a word of acknowledgement from someone else, so I pray that I can walk in this truth in a greater capacity.
When Jesus talks about praying and fasting, He is expressing the importance again of not doing our acts of kindness proudly, but humbly. All we have comes from Him anyway, so anything we give comes from His hand, one way or another. If you notice in all three instances (giving, praying, and fasting), Jesus expresses the importance of doing it in secret. I have seen God do amazing things when I have prayed and fasted about certain situations without the person even knowing about it. And one of God's rewards He gave me was JOY. JOY in seeing a life-changing prayer answered. I could give many examples, but then I would be going against what the Word is telling me to do here.
If we become so focused on the temporary, taking care of things on earth, we can lose focus on the permanent, the things in heaven. This is a real challenge in our day and time. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, we can become inundated with the cares of this life. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew13:22 tells us even if we are hearing the Word and we are so pressed down with this life's troubles, we will not produce fruit from the Word we hear.
Matthew 13:2 (NIV)
The one who received the seed that fell among thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this lie and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
So we must guard our hearts. We must trust ALL our life to His provision, direction, and care. If we try to do it all on our own, the cares of this life will pull us down into a pool of hopelessness which once there, it is hard to bring ourselves out. I believe there is a place of no return without the power and presence of God in our lives, that is deadly. It is better to cry out to God for help before we find ourselves in that place.
One of the most astounding verses in this passage is Matthew 6:22-23.
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light withing you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
When I read this scripture, it makes me think of another scripture in 1 John 1:5-7.
1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If a person has been given or understood something the wrong way, receiving that as truth, then the light they think they have is one of the darkest. When a person gets to that place, they generally don't know they are there. Now that is scary! Deception is deadly. A person who is deceived doesn't know they are deceived and that is why those with the Truth, the Word of God, with correct understanding are responsible to pull others that have fallen into that pit of darkness out into the Truth. Jesus said that He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. HE IS THE TRUE LIGHT, and if we are true born again believers, that TRUE LIGHT is WITHIN us, and we need to let HIM SHINE BRIGHTLY to others.
So don't worry about what you are going to eat or wear or how you are going to deal with the problems of tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, so let us cast our cares on Jesus today so that our JOY might be FULL. He said if we have need of anything, we are to ask that our JOY might be FULL. So ASK<BELIEVE<RECEIVE!
John 16:23-24 (NIV)
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your JOY will be complete.
(King James Version says, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your JOY may be FULL.
Matthew 6
Jesus had lots to say to the people when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It is amazing how the apostles remembered so many details, so I think there must have been someone taking notes. Do you like to take notes. Whenever I am in a service of any kind, I like to have my pen and paper ready because I don't want to miss a gold nugget of truth that the Lord really stirs in my heart during a sermon, teaching, etc. So I hope when you sit down and read the Word, you too will have a pen and paper beside you so that when the Holy Spirit illuminates a word to you, you too can write it down, meditate, apply it to your life and pass it on to others.
One of the first things Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 is giving to the needy. Truly in being a born again Christian one of the greatest proofs of our changed hearts is a generous spirit. One of the things we learn in this scripture here is that when we give to others without announcing it to everyone, our heavenly Father will reward us. If we go around bragging about what we give to others, then the praise of others will be our reward. I know our Heavenly Father's reward is much greater than a pat on the back, or a word of acknowledgement from someone else, so I pray that I can walk in this truth in a greater capacity.
When Jesus talks about praying and fasting, He is expressing the importance again of not doing our acts of kindness proudly, but humbly. All we have comes from Him anyway, so anything we give comes from His hand, one way or another. If you notice in all three instances (giving, praying, and fasting), Jesus expresses the importance of doing it in secret. I have seen God do amazing things when I have prayed and fasted about certain situations without the person even knowing about it. And one of God's rewards He gave me was JOY. JOY in seeing a life-changing prayer answered. I could give many examples, but then I would be going against what the Word is telling me to do here.
If we become so focused on the temporary, taking care of things on earth, we can lose focus on the permanent, the things in heaven. This is a real challenge in our day and time. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, we can become inundated with the cares of this life. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew13:22 tells us even if we are hearing the Word and we are so pressed down with this life's troubles, we will not produce fruit from the Word we hear.
Matthew 13:2 (NIV)
The one who received the seed that fell among thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this lie and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
So we must guard our hearts. We must trust ALL our life to His provision, direction, and care. If we try to do it all on our own, the cares of this life will pull us down into a pool of hopelessness which once there, it is hard to bring ourselves out. I believe there is a place of no return without the power and presence of God in our lives, that is deadly. It is better to cry out to God for help before we find ourselves in that place.
One of the most astounding verses in this passage is Matthew 6:22-23.
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light withing you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
When I read this scripture, it makes me think of another scripture in 1 John 1:5-7.
1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If a person has been given or understood something the wrong way, receiving that as truth, then the light they think they have is one of the darkest. When a person gets to that place, they generally don't know they are there. Now that is scary! Deception is deadly. A person who is deceived doesn't know they are deceived and that is why those with the Truth, the Word of God, with correct understanding are responsible to pull others that have fallen into that pit of darkness out into the Truth. Jesus said that He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. HE IS THE TRUE LIGHT, and if we are true born again believers, that TRUE LIGHT is WITHIN us, and we need to let HIM SHINE BRIGHTLY to others.
So don't worry about what you are going to eat or wear or how you are going to deal with the problems of tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes, so let us cast our cares on Jesus today so that our JOY might be FULL. He said if we have need of anything, we are to ask that our JOY might be FULL. So ASK<BELIEVE<RECEIVE!
John 16:23-24 (NIV)
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your JOY will be complete.
(King James Version says, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your JOY may be FULL.
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