The Devotional - Grace and Truth

The Devotional

Comment: The home is said to be a place where you hang your hat. For me to think about this is comforting, a place of rest, a place of peace and a place of happiness and joy. Homes on this earth are not eternal and yet we can be and ought to be at home in the houses where we live. Too many people are not at peace in their homes today. The state of the Union, International unrest and the Forces of world evil are on the rise. May I say to you that what we see today and tomorrow (the horizon) is because there is world-wide; an increasing hatred for the Living God. The Holy Bible clearly provides the only path to peace. It is the choice of every individual to heed the Holy Bible or to follow the cunning lies of a collapsing system evil – Proverbs 1:20-33.

Devotional: John 1:14-18 – One of the truths of God’s Word is that it is verifiable and eternal. The Living Word of God can be traced from eternity to eternity, that is from the beginning to the end of time on earth. It is vital for our faith in God for us to KNOW that Jesus Christ is the WORD of GOD that became FLESH. Some may be saying “how can that be?” God is glad that you ask, because HE alone has the right answer.

In the epistle of Titus the apostle Paul gives a clear understanding of this. When we decide in our heart/soul to believe God, faith becomes the substance of things learned (Hebrews 11:1-2). Titus 1:1-4 is a greeting to Titus by the apostle, but these verses identify a truth that we all need to understand. Looking at verse 2; if we are to be godly people in hope of eternal life with God, we must understand that God cannot lie and that the promise of Jesus Christ comes to us before time began – Genesis 1:1-31 through Genesis 3:1-15.

John 1:15 – takes creation into account that Christ was there as the WORD of God, when God Spoke, Creation became REAL, Christ Jesus is LIVING proof of God’s grace and truth. No one has seen God at any time, but through Jesus Christ who is the Living God, He has declared Him. Faith in God through Jesus Christ reveals this truth. Faith reveals this truth clearly, if you fail to have faith in God you will fail to understand grace and truth. Ephesians 2:1-10.

The Devotional - John the baptizer

The Devotional

Comment: As we will see, there are many persons in the gospel of John who were as real as you and me today. Fishermen, Carpenters, lawyers, religious people and even some dead people returned to life. There were prophets, priests, kings and the general public, in all; these people met and interacted with Jesus in various ways and for various reasons. One person however, who knew of His coming as a Light to the world before anyone else did was a man by the name of John. He is not the writer; but he was a prophet of God who prepared the way for the Light of God to penetrate our world of darkness. We will look at this man today and maybe tomorrow as well.

Devotional: John 1:6-13 – John the apostle introduces his readers to John the Baptizer. “There was a man sent from God” I believe this statement assumes the fact that John the Baptizer is already dead, beheaded because he condemned Herod for stealing his brothers Philip’s wife, Herodias. John the Baptizer told this man and woman that their marriage was unlawful and sin. See Matthew 14:1-12 and Luke 3:1-22.

Sin in the life of a person is DARKNESS, all of us have sinned thus we are like Herod in darkness. This man (John the baptizer) came, to bear (reveal) the LIGHT, that all through him (John’s message) might believe. John the apostle continues to explain John’s purpose for coming and proclaiming the LIGHT. “He was not the Light, but was sent (by God) to proclaim or bear witness to every man, woman and child that the “true Light” is coming and now is in the world.

Can you imagine… The only True God whose Name is Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah is being presented to the world in His humanity as LIGHT to a dark world. The subject of LIGHT is yet to be revealed. Even though Jesus was about thirty years old at this time and in the world all this time, yet the world did not know Him, even to this day in which we live many do not know Him.

Verse 10-12 – He was in the world, and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. Jesus came into the world, to His own chosen people, to His own domain (creation) but He was not received. Even as His ministry as the LIGHT began, He was rejected. But do not despair… But as many as would receive Him to them He gave the right (authority) to become children of God, to those who believe on His Name.

These who believe are those who are alive, yet reborn. Not of the blood of physical birth, nor of the will of a physical desire, nor of the will of a man with his wife. This rebirth is of God. It is the Power of God, His gift offering of love to all of us providing opportunity to step out of the darkness of the world and into the LIGHT, His only Son JESUS. So is this LIGHT? Tune in tomorrow!

The Devotional - Sons of Commotion

The Devotional

Comment: John the apostle is the author of five books in the New Testament and before we embark on his first book… The Gospel (Good News) According to John we should have a little background of the man. He is the brother of James, who is also an apostle; and in the Gospel according to Mark, Mark says that Jesus named the two brothers, sons of thunder (Boanerges). Literally, sons of commotion. If these men were alive today, Jesus might find them as members of a motorcycle gang. John’s love for God is one of the major themes in all of his writings. As we move through the good news of God dwelling with man on earth, we may even learn to love God as the apostle John did. The choice is up to you and me, you see; all of the Word of God is and offering to us to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul, if you receive His offering you will have it and it will not be taken away. Matthew 22:29-33 and Hebrews 13:1-6.

Devotional: Recently we have looked at the gospel of John, I would say, within the year of 2015 and we looked at the miracles of Jesus. There are seven recorded but as we learned last week; Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciple during His earthly ministry. One of these signs or miracles was to show the world that God loves His Creation (you and me). So in this look at John’s gospel will seek to reveal God’s love for us. We need a more personal interaction with God, this will only happen when His love for us is in our daily life. John 15:9-17.

John 1:1-5 – Right from the start of John’s gospel we learn some very crucial TRUTH. “In the beginning” (The beginning of what John?). This is a direct reference to Genesis 1:1-3 – In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth and verse 3, and God SAID, “Let there be light and there was light”. Jesus is the Word and Creator, He is the Light of the World. This may be hard to comprehend in our finite mind but when believed by FAITH we will KNOW the Truth.

He (Jesus) was there at the beginning of Creation as He and God are ONE. When questioned about His earthly age by the Jews who were seeking to find fault in Him, He answered them with this statement. “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM, John 8:48-59, do not be like these unbelieving Jews and throw stones at His Words… JESUS is God, He created all things, through Him all things exist and without Him nothing exists. This small statement of John 1:3 reveals His love for His creation and as we move forward the apostle John explains this love completely in the remaining 20 plus chapters.

Jesus is LIFE (eternal life), this is the LIGHT offered to all people. His life and light to you and me penetrates the life (darkness) of all of mankind. John 1:4-5. This too can be hard to understand if you lack faith in God and as we develop John’s gospel we will see that the world lies in darkness, temporarily controlled by Satan. God calls this control “darkness” we also will see that mankind loves darkness, they love the darkness because like Satan, man’s deeds are evil. We do not comprehend the Light of God (who is Jesus) because His offering of Love is LIGHT.