THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 17

John 2:5-11

“Jesus’ mother said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.”

 “Now there were six stone water pots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So, they filled them up to the brim.

 “And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the groom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

“This beginning of His signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” 

There is nothing surprising about Jesus’ mother holding authority at this wedding.

These verses seem to be a concise report on Jesus’ first miracle. Some details are offered for context, but is little in the way of narrative.

The fact that there were six water pots available was apparently just coincidental. We can discern that these were the type of water pots used in ceremonial cleansing or purification according to existing Jewish custom, and that they most likely would hold about 20 gallons each. (This would have been a lot of wine for any wedding, so one could make assumptions such as the liberality and generosity of Jesus’ miracles, etc. But that is an unsubstantiated assumption.)

The process of Jesus’ miracle, although amazing in-an-of-itself, seems to be orderly.

The headwaiter’s comments reveal little more than his surprise at the quantity and quality of the wine being served later in the wedding.

But what is important is that the simplicity of this miracle “revealed Jesus’ glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

The text says, “They believed in Him”. This ‘pisteúō – belief’ gave birth to faith, and this faith caused His disciples to believe Him.

This faith-based belief caused His disciples to leave their homes, their families, their possessions and their livelihoods to follow Jesus.

This faith-based belief caused His disciples to give their lives in the cause of Christ.

This faith heals the sick, raises the dead, and makes the lame to walk.

This faith-based belief transformed the world and continues to bring many to sons and daughters to glory.

Whatever He tells you, do it. His disciples saw, and believed Him.

Be a disciple. Believe. It changes everything!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Previous:  Chapter 16

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 16

John 2:1, “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Verse 2. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. Verse 3. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Verse 4. And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

These verses and this incident is regarded as Jesus first miracle. A closer inspection reveals something more. This is a contrast in perspectives, a contrast in paradigms. It is not too much to say that, since His birth, this is a first glimpse of Messiah. The Christ is arrived, the transformation is beginning. Nothing will ever be the same again.

The mother of Jesus, like most of us, is busy with earthly matters. Her concerns are focused on a wedding and the need of wine for the guest’s pleasure and comfort. So, she informs Jesus that the wine has been depleted. One can only assume from this that she either wants Jesus to fetch more wine, or she is aware of His ability to miraculously deal with the issue.

However, considering

1. What Mary had heard from Gabriel at the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38),
2. What the angel told Joseph in his dream, presumably (Matthew 1:18–25);
3. What Elizabeth told Mary by the Holy Spirit at the Visitation (Luke 1:39–56);
4. What Gabriel told Zechariah about his own son John, presumably (Luke 1:5–23);
5. What the shepherds told Mary at the Nativity they heard from the heavenly host (Luke 2:8–20); and
6. What Simeon and Anna told Mary at the Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22–38).

It is with a high degree of certainty that Mary knew Jesus could deal with this matter miraculously.

Jesus’ blunt sounding response to His mother is revealing: John 2:4. “And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

The words He uses and the way in which Jesus addresses His mother, at first sounds irreverent and disrespectful. A closer inspection of the language shows us that is being both instructive and corrective, considering that His mother would ask such a thing.

Jesus is aware that His mother knows of His abilities and nature.  He is plainly stating that His abilities are for the purpose of the calling and mission of His Father. Jesus had not come to serve man’s pleasures, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38)

Jesus is clearly, at this time, not ready to reveal His nature as God as His time has not yet come, and this was not the only time.

• Matthew 8:4, “And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
• Matthew 16:20, “Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.”
• Mark 8:30, “And He warned them to tell no one about Him.”
• Luke 8:56, “Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.”

As His time neared, Jesus says these life changing words, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word, (logos), which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My words, (rhema),remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

You can read Jesus’ words at their face value and get what you need. But in case your understanding is incomplete or, your faith is weak on this matter, read a few words from Jesus’ prayer to His Father on our behalf, found in John chapter 17, “But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”

“I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

We are one with Jesus and with God our Father. We remain in Him and His Words remain in us. We now have the mind and attitude of Christ. Now, we may ask whatever we wish, and it shall be done unto us!

PLEASE read the following carefully:

As most of you should know, we have entered the Last Days as spoken of in the Bible. We have witnessed the breaking of the first four Tribulation Seals, and are now witnessing the breaking of the 5^th Tribulation Seal, the great apostasy and falling away from the faith, and an increasing persecution of saints; a time when good is called evil and evil is called good. We see the unleashing of the spirit of antichrist all over the world.

We are nearing the breaking of the 6^th Tribulation Seal, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, and the intensity is rising. We are seeing nations rising against nations, and kingdom against kingdom, and there are famines and earthquakes in various places. And because lawlessness has increased, we see that most people’s compassion is  growing cold. Jesus has warned us that all these things are merely the beginning of the birth pains, and it is the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.

Jesus’ hour has come. You and I can live without fear. Doubts are calmed. Our needs are met. Our past is forgiven, and our future is secure. There is no weapon formed which can prosper.

I pray this will be a word of instruction and encouragement. I also ask that you read each page link for a complete teaching and greater understanding as the Day of the Lord draws near, so you will be ready to successfully endure to the end, being found doing what our Lord has commanded.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Previous chapter: The Gospel of John, Episode 15

(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links for important details on these teachings; then resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links for important details and in lieu of footnotes and references.)

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 15

John 1:43-51, “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”

I want to be reminded that John’s book tells the story of the Eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt with humanity. It is true that people often turn to the Gospel of John because it spells out so clearly the basics of the Christian faith, and it does. But this Book is far more than the ‘basics of the Christian faith’. Jesus proves who he is, diagnoses humanity’s problems, and bluntly describes what is necessary to live a full and meaningful life now for a salvation that leads to everlasting life.

Let’s read verse 43 again. Jesus decides to go to Galilee, and He finds Philip. The Greek translation tells us that Jesus not only ‘decides’ to go to Galilee, it pleased Him to go. He was happy about it. This word, ‘decides’ is in the aorist tense which has no regard for the past, present or future – it is continuous – which tells us that this is always what Jesus does. This is our model.

He was looking forward to going to Galilee, and we find out why when He finds Philip. That was no accident or happenstance. This language tells us Jesus was hunting for, searching for Philip, and He found him! This, again, is our model.

That is just ‘so like Jesus’, isn’t it? Matthew 18:11 tells us that Jesus says, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost”.  He always purposes to seek people out. And when Jesus found him, He called Philip to follow Him. Now, granted, Jesus ‘knew Phillip’ ahead of time – He knows all of us by name. (Let that sink in.) But the first words out of Jesus’ mouth to Philip is, “Follow Me”.

The phrase, “follow me” is not a simple request, and it is a complex phrase in the Greek language. It is an imperative, a command. Jesus is saying, ‘Follow me, now!” It means “to join one who precedes you; to join him as his attendant; to accompany him as a disciple or to become his disciple”. Philip understood this and does it! No excuses, no arguments, he just goes with Jesus.

Jesus is always seeking for His own. Jesus always finds His own – this is what Jesus does continuously. He has said, “I have come to seek and to save”.

Just as Jesus knew Philip, Jesus knows you, intimately. Jesus continues to seek you, even after you have been saved.

There is another example in Luke 9:59-62, “And Jesus said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.”  But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

What is your response? Are you like Philip who made no excuses, offered no arguments, no delays, he just went wherever and whenever Jesus called? Anything less than immediate obedience, brings our sincerity and commitment to Jesus into question.

Verse 44. “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

 Bethsaida was a small fishing village on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee. Its inhabitants were largely uneducated working people, but the one thing most Jewish boys knew was the Torah. (There is a passage in the Mishnah, see Aboth v.21, which quaintly maps out and, as it were, labels the different periods of life according to their characteristics. It is worth reproducing, if only to serve as an introduction to what we shall have to say on the upbringing of children. Rabbi Jehudah, the son of Tema, says: “At five years of age, reading of the Bible; at ten years, learning the Mishnah; at thirteen years, bound to the commandments; at fifteen years, the study of the Talmud; at eighteen years, marriage; at twenty, the pursuit of trade or business (active life)).

So, it should be no surprise that Philip and Nathanael had knowledge of “Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote”. Philip goes on to ascribe this person as ‘Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth’.

I have read several commentaries, and although Philip may have known about the prophesied Messiah, it seems that no Bible scholar is able to say how or why Philip may have known that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, “Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote”, except by way of the Spirit of God.

Nathanael replies with skepticism, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” And rather than argue to try to convince Nathanael, Philip simply tells him to come and see for yourself!

The application of these verses to our own lives should be plain. Rather than arguing and trying to convince someone about Jesus, perhaps we should consider Philip’s advice and tell the skeptics to “come, and see for yourself”. What happens next confirms Philip’s advice as correct.

Verse 47. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

I am left without many words after reading verse 47 except to repeat, Jesus knows His own. Nathanael also seems amazed and confused by what Jesus tells him. How could Jesus know these things from a casual encounter?

Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!”

Once again, although Nathanael may have known about the prophesied Messiah, it seems that no Bible scholar is able to say how or why he may have known that Jesus was actually this long-awaited Messiah, “Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote”, except by way of the Spirit of God.

Verse 50. “Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus seems pleased with if not amazed at Nathanael’s simple faith, and then encourages him by telling of the amazing things yet to come.

• It is our obedience to His words that pleases Jesus.
• It is ‘knowing about Him’ that can help us move past the impersonal to the personal.
• It is our simple faith that will help us see greater things!

I pray that God will give us the strength and courage to obey.  I pray, that we not just know about Jesus, but we actually come to know Him in a real and personal way.  I pray that our faith will give us ‘sight to see greater things’, and that it will be profound by its simplicity.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

SUCH GREAT FAITH

“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Matthew 8:5-10

Please bookmark this page and continue with me on this exciting journey in God’s Word.

Next Chapter coming soon.

Previous chapter: The Gospel of John, Episode 14

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 14

John 1:35-42, says,  “Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day; it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).”

Everything recorded in scriptures is there for a purpose. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, tells us that, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” Nothing in scripture is solely for information or for casual reading. This is true in this passage from the Book of John.

It would seem that John 1:35-42 is simply a narrative of an event. Granted, it is a grand event, and although it is a narrative, it is much more.

These verses, (1), teach and describe who is able to recognize the Living God; (2), describe what our response and reaction to encountering Jesus reveals, and defines our inescapable responsibility and response once we have encountered Jesus. This is our model.

First, notice that although John was preoccupied with his disciples, the moment he saw Jesus, his attention was immediately turned to Him, and he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” And when John’s two disciples heard John speak of Jesus, they left him, ‘and they followed Jesus’.

It is never enough to just recognize Jesus and then to mentally or emotionally acknowledge Him.  Everything routine, stops. Jesus is the focus. This is more than our model to follow, it is the supernatural response for every believer and follower of Jesus: Confess and Follow.

“And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day;

Please take careful note of this process:

When you begin to follow Jesus, He always engages you. Jesus asks these two disciples of John, “What are you seeking?”.

Imagine with me, for a minute, that Jesus would ask you, “What are you seeking?”. Notice, Jesus does not say, “WHO are you seeking”. How would you answer Him? (Please answer this before you go any further).

These two disciples answer, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”  Why would they ask this?

The answer becomes clear in the next words, ”He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day.”

They already know WHO He is, they wanted to spend time with Him – and they did.

Acts 4:13 tells us that when the rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest, as well as Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, who were of high-priestly descent had gathered to ask John and Peter by what power, or in what name, have they done certain miracles.  As they observed Peter and John and saw their confidence, they understood that Peter and John were uneducated and untrained men, and they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Spending time with Jesus is the only way you can come to truly know Him. So, if you are to call yourself a Christian, a disciple and a follower of Jesus, you must spend time with Him.

Let me ask you, how do you spend time with Jesus? And, how much time do you spend together? What do you talk about?

We next see that “one of the two who heard John speak, and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.

Again, we see that the response to truly having found Jesus is to bring others to Him, beginning with your friends and relatives. This is not a burden to be carried, but a joyful response to having found the Living Christ!  Has this been your experience, too?

Finally, we see Jesus’ response, “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).” Jesus knows His own, and He calls you by name.

What does it mean that Jesus will call you by your name? How can you actually ‘hear Jesus’?

Pastor and author Henry Blackaby points out, in his study “The 7 Realities For Experiencing God”, what we should know about God’s ways, His plans and His purposes. It illustrates how we can follow Him:

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

JESUS’ MINISTRY BECOMES OUR MINISTRY

Our relationship with Jesus is more than ‘Just Knowing About Him’;  it requires Knowing, Believing and Doing.   Jesus has

(a) The plan for us to follow,

(b) The purpose which becomes our purpose, and

(c) The ministry for us as His disciples.

You see, having become a believer in Jesus and having accepted His magnificent gift of salvation (sozo), you and I have entered into a Salvation Covenant with Him. We will have agreed to certain terms.

If you have met Jesus, then He is calling you by name. Spend time with Him, starting now, and from Him gain knowledge for wisdom and wisdom for action. Let’s experience God and desire to do His Will.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and continue with me on this exciting journey in God’s Word.

Previous chapter: The Gospel of John – part-13

(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then resume the audio when you are ready. Please Note: I use page links in lieu of footnotes or references. The page links contain important details for this teaching – especially for this episode.)

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 13

John 1:29-34, says, ”The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’ And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 

At first glance, this seems to be a narrative, by John, of his experience encountering Jesus for the first time. But this is much more. It is a profound prophetic event and John is telling us of what was, what is and what is to come. Reader beware.

This is prophecy fulfilled. It is important to remember that prophecy is an ongoing process. For example, once the Christ-child was born, prophecy was fulfilled, but that was only the beginning of what was to come. So it is when John says, ” The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ”

John, through these verses, is identifying the identity of Christ, the purpose of Christ and the immediate future of Christ.

Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, which is referring to Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. In order to understand who Christ was and what He did, we must begin with the Old Testament, which contains prophecies concerning the coming of Christ as a “guilt offering” (Isaiah 53:10). In fact, the whole sacrificial system established by God in the Old Testament set the stage for the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect sacrifice God would provide as atonement for the sins of His people (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 10). (taken from GotQuestions.org)

It is not enough to just know about this prophetic event, you must know that it is true and that it impacts and forever changes the trajectory of your life as a follower of Jesus. You are no longer your own and fate no longer has any charge over you. You are now of a royal priesthood, an ambassador for Christ, on mission with Him. This is your calling and your future.

You are to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that He has commanded.

You are now a soldier in God’s called army. You are to be engaged in the spiritual war leading to the End of Days. You are to now stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Your struggle is no longer against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, you are to take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day.

Next, John is revealing the eternal nature of Jesus as God when he says, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’

You are to experience the most astounding of all miracles. Not only are you called, you are to be sanctified in the truth, which is the reason Jesus came into the world.

And, you are to be made one, just as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in The Father, you also are in Them, so that the world may believe that The Father sent Jesus.

Please get the significance of being made one with Jesus and the Father. You have been folded into the Holy Trinity by the prayers of Jesus. You are being made into the righteousness of God, a humble servant yet a warrior of the cross!

As Romans 3:22 says, – But it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction,

As Romans 5:17 says, – For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

As Romans 8:10 says, – If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

As Philippians 1:11 says, – having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

And, as Philippians 3:9 says, – and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

John is a first-hand witness to this prophetic event. He is telling of what he personally saw, experienced and touched with his own hands. “And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.” 

Finally, John tells us that this is the Son of God Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. It is important to know, again, the significance of what this will mean to you. Matthew reports on this event in Matthew 3:12 when he says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

THERE ARE FIVE POINTS GIVEN IN VERSE 12 WHICH ENCAPSULATES THE ENTIRE TRIBULATION PERIOD, BEGINNING WITH THE BREAKING OF THE TRIBULATION SEALS, CONTINUING THROUGH THE TRUMPET AND BOWL JUDGMENTS, INCLUDING THE  WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT AND CULMINATING WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 1ST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH WITH INTENSE HEAT.

(a)  “His winnowing fork is in His hand:  Cleansing, refining, purifying His Church.

(b)  He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor:  Preparation through tribulation.

(c)  He will gather His wheat into the barn:  Jesus gathering His Church through the rapture and taking us to our eternal Home.

(d)  He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the destruction of the first heavens and earth.

Listen and read carefully. The Ultimate Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan is Perfection. He is maturing His people, of all the ages, by His Plan, to live in perfect harmony with Him and with one another. In the end, God is going to destroy this earth and heavens with an intense heat, and will create a New and Perfect heaven and earth.

Having become a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, you are no longer of this world. You are to take up your rightful place as a child of God, and as the righteousness of God, you must stop thinking as this world thinks. God is preparing you to be an active participant in the events of these Last Days.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and continue with me on this exciting journey in God’s Word.

Next Chapter: THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 14

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 12

John 1:24-28, says,” And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.”

Apart from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is probably the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was meticulously recorded ( Luke 1:5-25 ). His entrance into the world was marked by angelic proclamation and divine intervention ( Luke 1:57-80 ). John’s birth not only parallels that of Jesus, but echoes the momentous occasion of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah ( Genesis 17:15-22 ; 21:1-7 ). John is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God.

Although his formative years were lived in obscurity in the desert ( Luke 1:80 ), his public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. John was that voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the coming Messiah.

The central theme of his ministry was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” ( Matthew 3:2 ), which was also the message and teaching of Jesus.

John was an end-times prophet. He conducted his ministry with an eschatological authority that demanded immediate action. He taught that judgment is at hand. The axe is laid to the roots and God will thoroughly purge his threshing floor ( Matthew 3:10-12 ; Luke 3:9 Luke 3:17 ). And the authenticity of repentance was evidenced in very practical terms: share with those in need, eliminate graft, and prohibit extortion ( Luke 3:11-14 ).

John was no “crowd pleaser.” He willingly confronted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment ( Matthew 3:7 ; Luke 3:7 ). He did not hesitate to expose the immorality of Herod and chose to die a martyr’s death rather than compromise his convictions ( Matthew 14:3-12 ; Mark 6:17-29 ).

All of these characteristics portray John as a fiery prophet proclaiming the apocalyptic message of God. Indeed, Luke says that John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” ( Luke1:17 ). He goes on to allude to Malachi 4:5, which states that Elijah will return “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord.” In fact, some contemporaries of John inquired if he were Elijah ( John 1:21 ).

And finally, the psychological and sociological analysis of John is of interest here. In accordance with the criteria of the sociology of deviance, John’s behavior and message could be classified as “deviant.” In this light, Matthew’s use of Isaiah 40:2-3 in 3:7-10 may seek to justify John and endorse the legitimacy of his ministry.

John continues in these verses to demonstrate his calling of God and his role. One main reason this is recorded in the Bible is that this is our example.:

1. “And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees asked John, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water…”

Our Takeaway:  The contemporary, postmodern Christian has been taught that baptism is an ‘ordinance’ or a ‘sacrament’ administered only by ‘ordained, professional clergy’. This is not Biblical and it is not correct. I suspect the organizational church has done it this way to keep records and to keep order, which are worthy goals, but they are not Biblical.

The Bible speaks of all Christian, believers and followers of Jesus, that we are a Royal Priesthood, as it says in 1 Peter 2:4-10, “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

“BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE,

AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers,

“A STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,” and,

“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed.

But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

Additionally, in Matthew 28, scriptures tell us that we as believers, disciples of Jesus, are to, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that Jesus commanded .”

YOU go, YOU tell, YOU make disciples and YOU BAPTIZE THEM!

 2.  Next, John tells those who come to him, “Among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.”

Our Takeaway:  John is talking to the unbeliever, stating the obvious, “they do not know Him”. At the same time, John is acknowledging his role as telling about Jesus and his stature in comparison to the Christ. This is our role and example.

3. Finally, we are told that “These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.”

Our Takeaway:  The narrative tells us where this occurred “in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people”. The significance of the phrase, “in Bethany beyond the Jordan”, is interesting, and I am going to go ‘out of traditional bounds’ here and explain the symbolism of the words used in this verse and these words:

Bethany translates, literally as, “house of affliction”, “house of depression or misery” or “house of dates”.

Beyond (the Jordan) can mean to “to pierce through” or “to cross over”.

The Jordan translates as “the descender” which comes from two ancient roots words meaning “a physical distance of place” or “a temporal distance of time” and “hateful, hated, detestable”.

The correct context of the word Jordan, is the name of a river;  But, God always gave the things, places and people which He made a name of their intended purpose, function or usefulness. Taken together in the symbolism of the intended purpose, function or usefulness of the Jordan, we might read:

“These things took place in Bethany, which symbolizes a world of affliction, depression and misery. But it had been ‘dated’ or foretold, that at this specific time, God has gone beyond the physical, and pierced through, time and space, reaching beyond the sinful, hateful and detestable, where John was baptizing people; a physical symbolism of being changed; a metamorphosis occurs, and they will never be the same again. People are made new with a future and a Hope.”

This is our testimony and our confession, and this is our pattern. Let’s go, tell this Good News, just as John and Jesus have taught!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and continue with me on this exciting journey in God’s Word.

(You can listen to this study by audio, and you can pause the audio to follow page links, then resume when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of references or footnotes for important details of this teaching.)

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 11

John 1:19-23, says, “This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “I am not the Christ.” And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE THE WAY OF THE LORD STRAIGHT,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 

We learn two things about John and learn two major lessons as he continues to testify about the Messiah, Jesus. One is that John is establishing a pattern of witnessing about Jesus. John establishes that there is nothing about himself that is worthy of mention ahead of the name of God. He establishes that this is not about him; he is not the Christ, nor is he Elijah or the Prophet. He is simply “the voice of one calling out in the wilderness”.

Why is this important? Because the focus should be on Jesus Christ, alone. Too many of our postmodern Church leaders are quick to point out their own achievements, accomplishments, titles, credentials and status. They may not always be overt about it, but, it is made clear through their inferences and attitudes. John is plainly and simply focused on “Making straight the way of the Lord”. This is our pattern.

Philippians 2:5-7, tells us to, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant…”. This is our pattern.

Additionally, when you effectively witness about Christ, in one fashion or another, people will want to know, “What do you say about yourself?”, just as the priests and the Levites said to John. In other words, people may want to know where you get the authority to say such things? John points out that he has no authority of his own and that he is repeating what the Bible and the prophet before him has said. Just as Jesus told Satan as recorded in Matthew 4:4, ““It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” This is our pattern.

John confesses that he is, ”THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE THE WAY OF THE LORD STRAIGHT,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 

The words and prophecy of Isaiah are in the mind of John. In order to fully understand what John is saying, let’s read the words of Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Verse 4.. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low;

And let the uneven ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

Verse 5. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Verse 6. A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”

All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

Verse 7. The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; The people are indeed grass!

Verse 8. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Verse 9. Go up on a high mountain, Zion, messenger of good news, Raise your voice forcefully, Jerusalem, messenger of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”

Verse 10. Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His compensation is with Him, And His reward before Him.

Verse 11. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in the fold of His robe; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”

This is our testimony and our confession, and this is our pattern. Let’s go, tell this Good News!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and continue with me on this exciting journey in God’s Word.

(You can listen to this study by audio, and you can pause the audio to follow page links, then resume when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of references or footnotes for important details of this teaching.)

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 10

John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.”

 As if staring into the heavens in search of a celestial body, suspecting it is there, but unable to find any trace of the thing you are straining to see. Then, someone says, “look here’, pointing to the lens of a powerful telescope. And, now you stand amazed, gazing in awe through tear filled eyes, at the glory and majesty.

Mine is a poor and weak illustration, at best.  However, John is telling us, powerfully and in unequivocal terms, “No one has seen God at any time.”

There are at least eleven other references in the Bible about ‘the Invisibility of God”. So, why is John repeating what we know? Is it because John is drawing our attention to the powerful Son of God, Who is “the exact representation of God” and “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”?

John is saying, if you want to know God, look upon Jesus!  Hebrews 1:3, tells us that, “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

John, by saying, “God, the only Son”, that Jesus is God!

Furthermore, John tells us that Jesus, the Son and God, the Father are One! (Also, see John 15)

And, finally, John is reminding us about

• The surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
• These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 
• far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
• And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (See Ephesians 1:19-23)

What does this mean to you and to me?

1. 1. 1. Jesus is the exact representation of God. If you want to know God, look to Jesus!
      2. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. You can look upon the face of God through Christ and know Him. (Things even angels long to see).
      3. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation.
      4. Jesus is God!
      5. Jesus is One with the Father.
      6. The surpassing greatness of His power is toward us who believe!
      7. Jesus has been raised from the dead and is seated in the heavenlies at the Right Hand of God the Father, interceding for you, this very moment.
      8. Jesus is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come, and He loves you!
      9. God the Father has put all things in subjection under Jesus’ feet, and has given Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. You are His Church!

This one verse, John 1:18, is too much to take in at one time. I am overwhelmed by God’s majesty and authority and by His love for me. I pray the same for you.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, downcast or beaten, remember this, turn to Him and His Word, and He will strengthen you and save you through all circumstances.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be [e]condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Psalms 34:17-22

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  Let’s not just know about Him. Let’s know Him.

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 9

John 1:15-17, “John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

According to Malachi 4:5, this messenger is “the prophet Elijah,” whom Jesus identifies as John the Baptist. In other words, John did for Jesus what Elijah was to have done for the coming of the Lord. Jesus identified John the Baptist as Elijah based upon people’s response to his role. To those who were willing to believe in Jesus, John the Baptist functioned as Elijah, for they believed in Jesus as Lord.

It is fitting that the word for ‘testified’, as used in verse 15, is the Greek word ‘martureó’, which means ‘to witness or to bear witness to’, and comes from the root word, ‘martus’, from which we get our English word, ‘martyr’. John was to be martyred through beheading, by King Herod.

THE OVERWHELMING GOOD NEWS

First, John announces that we have now received ‘grace upon grace’, in Jesus. In other words, God’s favor toward you is now being compounded upon itself, imparting divine influence upon your heart, and is to be reflected in your life; including an overflowing gratitude, resulting joy, pleasure and thanksgiving. He goes on to say that this “grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”  

Who would not want to receive and experience such an abundance? This, however, is just the tip of a much larger and profound Truth. A Truth that comes with an equally large responsibility.

Emmanuel, (meaning, ‘God with us’), has come in human form, to earth. And, it is not just for a visit. It is an invasion. God is here to gather His people, to build His Church as His invading army, and then to take them to His Eternal Home.

He is here to rescue, redeem and to take His people back from the evil one and from the curse of eternal death. He is here to save you and to take you safely to your eternal home.

But, this exceedingly Good News does not come without a price. Jesus has traded His life for your safe passage to heaven. There is a caveat or a deal you must enter into. It is a Covenant which has been written in His Blood. You must believe on the One whom God has sent; you must repent – that is, agree to turn away from your current life – and follow Him, to live His life. That’s the deal.

Romans 10:9-10, tells you that you must, “confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Finally, you will see that John is not only announcing the arrival of the King, but, we will see that he sets an example. An example for all who would believe in and follow Jesus. An example of witnessing to others, that the King of Kings has arrived, and is calling them to join Him in these last days.

This is where things get real. If you do not know Him as your Savior, Lord and King, now is the time to trade in the mundane and to go on an adventure that leads to eternal life.

If you do confess Jesus as your Lord, it’s time to stop ‘going to church’ and join the King, as His Church, His invading army. You can no longer sit in a pew, give some portion of your income and call it good. It is time to take up your cross, sword and shield, and follow Him into the battle!

Our next lessons will tell you how, through the words of John and the words of Jesus.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and go with me on this amazing journey through God’s Word, as we find our place in God’s Battle Plan for these last days.

Next:  Part 10

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN– Part 8

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

NOTES:

I will use the Greek translation for a few words in verse fourteen, so we can get some idea of the depth and breadth of this ‘miracle of all miracles and mystery of all mysteries’. It is important to read these translations and ponder their meanings.

“And the Word”, the ‘lógos’, is a word, being the expression of a thought; preeminently used of Christ, expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit, “speaking to a conclusion”.

“Became”, ‘gínomai’, came into being. A manifestation implying motion, movement, or growth. It is used for God’s actions as emerging from eternity and becoming, and showing themselves in time and in physical space.

“Flesh”, ‘sarx’, a body, containing human nature and attributes. with its frailties, both physically or morally and with its passions.

“Dwelt”, ‘skēnóō’, to pitch or live in a tent, denoting much more than the mere general notion of dwelling, it is to occupy and to reside, as God did in the Tabernacle of old. A symbol of protection and communion.

(For the Christian, skēnóō is dwelling in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ, even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh.)

“Among us”, ‘en’, inside or within; “in the realm or sphere of and in the condition or state in which something operates from the inside; within.

COMMENTS:

It is a sad, and sometimes tragic fact, that with repeated exposure, we can take even the most amazing, profound and breathtaking realities, for granted. In this case, hearing the words, “And the Word became flesh”, which is the unrivaled and premier event in the history of existence.

We know that no one has seen God at any time, yet, in a miracle which even science stumbles over, God came from the ‘unseen’ realm the and appeared in the ‘seen’ world.

It is more than a mystery and a miracle, it is the ultimate act of sacrifice, mercy and grace. In this ultimate self-revelation, God put His divinity aside, took on the appearance of a man and humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross so that we, His creation, could be redeemed from captivity and from the curse of sin and death.

The mind of man can try to explain these things that John 1:14 tells us, but, we can never fully grasp what God has done and continues to do for those who believe and follow Him.

 

We can, however, experience God and what He has done and continues to do. How? Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything and tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done; then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Concluding this fourteenth verse, John proclaims, “and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

 NOTES:

“And we saw”, ‘theaomai’, is to gaze at a spectacular event to contemplate and observe it intently; especially in order to interpret and to grasp the significance and to be thoroughly impacted and influenced.

“His glory”, ‘doxa’, is His renown glory and divine quality from the manifestation of God’s splendor.

“Grace”, ‘charis’, is a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ; showing us extreme selfless favor and kindness.

“Truth”, ‘alétheia’, is not merely truth as spoken; but, the truth of idea, reality, sincerity; truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man.  Straightforwardness.

COMMENTS:

John reveals to us that “the Word becoming flesh” is not just something to read or see or even to know, but, it is to be experienced. This is God revealing Himself through Jesus Christ, transcending the unseen realm of the heavens and being manifest and living among us, on earth.

Secondly, the phrase “The Word became flesh” is in the Greek aorist tense, which means there is no regard for past, present or future as it is an ongoing occurrence.

Although Jesus has ascended into the heavens, He still resides within those who believe. He continues to reside in us, transforming  us and filling us with His attitude and His Spirit. John 17:23, Jesus tells us ‘I am in them and You, (The Father), in Me, that they may be perfected in unity.” And again in John 15:7, Jesus tells us that we must ‘remain in Him’.

So, when Jesus then says things like, ”And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14),

Or, when He says, “And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now, you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. (John 16:23-24), we must know that this is THE TRUTH, and He is still actively at work through you, if you believe.

Look with me, through John’s eyes for a moment, and see the things he saw and is writing to us about. The Living Word of God, standing before him, calling.

From that moment, the world was changed, forever. And for the believer, you have been changed forever. But, you still must take up your faith, submit to Him and boldly go about the Father’s Business.

The enemy of Christ knows the End of Days are near, and he is intensifying his efforts to defeat you and every other person on this earth. It is our calling to rise up in Christ and carry this fight to the enemy.

He is still alive, at work and calling to you and to me, saying, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.” (Matthew 10:7-15)

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“And, nothing shall be impossible for you”

(Matthew 17:20)

Please bookmark this page and watch for the next Episode 9

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 7

John 1:9-13.  “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

The Bible is the Prophetic, Creative, Causative, Inerrant, Infallible, Living Word and Breath of God.  Once this Word lives in you, it will tell the Truth to you and through you, and nothing will ever be the same!

 In keeping with our theme that the Bible, when correctly understood, is found to be an immensely powerful prophetic book and that it contains all the Oracles of God, which teaches and transforms us at all points.

We will endeavor to read and understand on three main levels:  The physical, natural and external, which is to take the Word at face-value, or the DIANOIA; the psychological, which deals with the mind, the will and the emotions, or the PSUCHE; the spiritual, which deals with our core, our heart, from which springs all matters of life, or the PNEUMA.

First, please notice that John begins this teaching and prophetic word by saying, “The TRUE LIGHT that gives LIGHT TO EVERYONE, WAS coming into the world”; “He was IN the world”.

 First, from the PNEUMA:  From these words are from God, and we know that God is That Light, or ‘Phos’, which is the origin and giver of life to f all living things, from which springs the DIANOIA and the PSUCHE of all humankind.

This is one of the deepest and most profound of oracles, for, without the “Phos” of God, there would be no life – no you or me; neither would life continue without Him, He is the One Who sustains life, (Psalms 54:4).

The Bible also tells us that in the first century A.D., “though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him”.  This is still true for many people, today.

Scientists have spent and continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year in search of life outside of earth. Most of them reject the fact that God is The Light and that through Him all things were made; and, without Him, there would be nothing. They ignore the fact that In him is life, and that life is the light of all mankind. This Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness, external and the darkness innate to man, cannot comprehend it. This search for life begins and ends with God. Hebrews 11:6, tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  There is no ‘reward’ for those who seek elsewhere.

It is by faith in Christ alone, that the Godly conquer kingdoms, perform acts of righteousness, obtain promises, shut the mouths of lions, quench the power of fire, escape the edge of the sword, from weakness are made strong, become mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. It is by faith alone that we will see God in the resurrection, all of which is the outcome of our faith.

Let this prophetic word and teaching of the PNEUMA of God dwell in you. Meditate on it. Allow it to seep upward into your mind, will and emotions, your PSUCHE and allow it to manifest in your cognitive mind, your DIANOIA, and nothing will be impossible for you, (Matthew 17:20).

Secondly, John is telling us that this is “He who was, is, and is to come”. This is, God, the Pre-existent and Eternal God, Who is now among us. It is worthy to note that Jesus and John repeat and confirm these words in Revelation 1:8,

Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

And in Revelation 4:8.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

It would be impossible for John to know this about God, and he could not have known to utter these words unless it is God speaking through him.

This tells us that God is speaking and revealing profound insights about His Person, His Nature, His Character, His Purposes and His Plans. You and I would be wise to listen and adhere to these Words.

Finally, and most importantly, John writes, “though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Please read this, again, carefully.  “Yet to all who did receive Him” , 

The Greek word and translation of the word “receive” in this verse, is “lambano“, which means to lay hold, to obtain and to get.  So ‘receiving Him’ is much more than a casual agreement or a greeting, as we hear in so many sermons and church services now-a-days.  It is aggressively laying hold by actively accepting what is available and offered; to accept with initiative, and it  emphasizes the volition  and assertiveness of the receiver.

Everyone is invited; and, everyone has free will and the power of choice; but, only those who receive Him, will be given the right to become a child of God.  (Perhaps, another way of saying this is “Many are called, but few are chosen”, Matthew 22:14.)

Also, “to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

The Greek word and translation of the words ‘gave the right’, comes from the word, ‘eksousía‘  which is a “right or privilege and an authority, or better, a conferred power; a delegated empowerment and authorization given by God. It is the authority God gives to His saints, authorizing them to act to the extent they are guided by faith by His revealed word.”

This is not poetic hyperbole or a vain philosophy. This is the Truth of the Word of God.  You can become a child of God; joint heirs with His only-begotten Son, Jesus; with full rights, authority and responsibilities as an heir.

Believe it.  Feel it.  Think it.  Do it.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“And, nothing will be impossible for those who believe” Matthew 17:20

Please bookmark this page and follow along as we study the Book of John, like never before! Next Episode THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 8

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 6

John 1:6-8, says,”A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”

There are several ways to approach this astounding commentary by John the Baptist. One, is to make a narrative or a story about John, his life and mission as having been sent by God; another, is to make it a religious historic narrative. Yet, another way, is to make it a theological commentary. But, any of these methods would only recount what happened and fall woefully short of releasing the power of the Gospel of John into the life of the reader.

The Bible is the inspired, breathed Word of God. It is prophetic, creative and causative. It is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We need to apply the Word of God to our lives in this fashion.

The Bible, when read and taken into the heart of a man or woman, releases the power of God and changes both the person and everything that they come in contact with. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is ever the same again.  So, let’s approach these verses for what they are:  an oracle of God, spoken by John, as he is inspired by the Holy Spirit. We are going to look through the eyes and the mind of John the Apostle.

John’s personal experience informs us of two major events. The first is that “a man came, one sent by God, and his name was John”. This seems simple enough, on the surface. But, imagine with me, that if you were John the disciple, (son of Zebedee), and, you see, (DIANOIA), the following, as reported in Matthew 3:1-6,

“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.”

Based on what you see, how would you be affected? (PSUCHE). Assuming that you are looking through John the Apostle’s eyes, you would immediately know that John the Baptist’s remarks are coming from a prophetic Word found in Isaiah 40:3. Your mind and emotions would probably be reeling with the thought that you could be witnessing prophecy being fulfilled!

Since we know that John the Apostle wrote these words after witnessing this astounding event, he correctly concluded that “a man came, one sent by God and his name was John”.

It is clear, from these verses, that one reason John the Apostle wrote this was  in order to convince others of Jesus’ authenticity and for posterity. But, considering the profound and prophetic nature of this event, it must be for a much broader reason. It is an example or a pattern for future generations of disciples to follow!

When Jesus’ mission on earth was complete, He commanded and commissioned His disciples, (both then, and for all future generations), to,

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God is speaking through the inspired writing of John the Apostle, (PNEUMA), and calling and commissioning you and, me as His disciples, to “Go and make disciples”.  He is telling you and me that He is with us always, even to the end of the age!

You cannot, or should not, read these few verses and simply think, “What a wonderful story about John the Apostle and John the Baptist”.  These words are the Breath of God, the Word and Spirit of God, (the PNEUMA), prophesying through John, spoken to you and me, saying as Isaiah said, (Isaiah 40:10-11)

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it produce and sprout,
And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”

We are now faced to face with the Word of God, calling us to be His disciples on mission! What will you say? What will you, now, do?

Secondly, we are being informed that “He, (John the Baptist), came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.” 

What comes next, gives us a clear picture of Jesus as the Messiah, and a clear pattern for our calling and ministry as disciples of Jesus.

In the meantime, meditate on Isaiah 40:10-11 and realize that the Prophetic Word of God is speaking to you and through you, and if you receive this word into your heart YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Let’s GO and DO!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 7

 

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

John 1:4,5, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

NOTES

“In Him was life”; (from the Greek word, ‘zoe’, which means both of physical  and of spiritual, particularly future existence. The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life. Compared to ‘psuche’ the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual. This is a life worth living; active, purposeful and effervescent.)

“And the life was the Light of men”; (from the Greek word, ‘phós’, which means a source of light, radiance; to emit and be seen.

“In the darkness”; (from the Greek word, ‘skotia’, which means spiritual darkness; a brand of moral, spiritual obscurity, (i.e. which blocks the light of God when faith is lacking).

“Did not comprehend it”; (from the Greek word, ‘katalambanó’, which means to overtake or to eagerly seize or possess; also, to comprehend.

COMMENTS

God’s creation of ‘mankind’ is recorded in Genesis 1:26, where God’s Word says we are created ‘in His image’. The Hebrew language, tells us that God created us ‘in His image’, which comes from the Hebrew word ‘tselem‘, a mere empty image, a semblance, a shadow or an outline; a vain form of the original. This comes from a root word meaning ‘of dubious character’, i.e., with a flaw.

It is difficult to know why God created Adam this way, and that all humankind, throughout all the ages, which includes you and me, with ‘a flaw’, which would lead us to become afflicted by the curse of sin which carries the penalty of physical and spiritual death and separation from God.

What we must trust is that God’s plan is His perfect divine purpose and that God revealed that the curse of sin can be negated and reversed through His grace and by our faith in Christ. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and payment for our sin.

Now, when we consider verses 4 and 5 of the book of John, we see both its complexities and its simplicity. The Truth is that the life given by God, is rich in its complexity, life giving and powerfully effervescent and purposeful. It is a life worth living.

This Life is not passive, but it is active and radiant, dispelling the darkness of fear, doubt, lack, want and all sorts of evil.

This “Life” is comparable to the ‘PSUCHE’, the soul, which is the vital breath of life; it is the human soul, as the seat of affections and will, the ‘self’ of the human person.

‘The darkness’ cannot overtake the ‘Light of men’ which the light of God created within you, instead, the Light overcomes and defeats the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend God’s Light, and is dispelled from the soul of the child of God.

This Life of God, takes birth in your spirit (your PNEUMA), and wells up into your soul, (your PSUCHE) will radiate the image of God in and through your life, (the DIANOIA).

The simplicity is that if you confess, with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart, (PNEUMA), a person believes, which results in righteousness, and with his  mouth, a person confesses, (DIANOIA), resulting in salvation.

Come to Him and find Life!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(There may be times or circumstances with which you struggle that seem impossible to overcome.  Please read “Separated From God?” for a word of encouragement and hope.)

Click here for the next episode in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 6

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

John 1:2,3, says, “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

NOTES

HE: from the Greek word, ‘houtos’, and, ‘hauté’, and, ‘touto’: this part of speech is a Demonstrative Pronoun.

Definition: ‘this’.

Usage: this; ‘he, she, it’.

WAS: from the Greek word, “eimi”, meaning “I exist; I am”; eternally self-existent.

BEGINNING: ‘arche’. From archomai; a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank) — beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. to commence (in order of time) — (rehearse from the) begin(-ning).

CAME INTO BEING: from the Greek word, ‘gínomai’, properly, to emerge, become, transitioning from one point (realm, condition) to another. Unlike ‘eimi’ or self-existent.

COMMENTS

Notice that the descriptive personal pronoun for Jesus, the Word: ‘He’. It is clear to say that God is not defined by any human term. He, ‘houtos’, is unbounded, undefinable, indescribable and is all inclusive.

Secondly, not only is God eternal and self-existent, He was before there was anything and moves about, from realm to realm, at His will (see the Greek word ‘ginomai’).

What is being emphasized is the completeness and the thoroughness by which all things have come into being. The origins of things created and formed, animate and inanimate, plant, animal and human, all the elements, known and unknown, seen and unseen; all things came into being through the Word, (Jesus), by the Word and because of the Word. There is nothing left to be created which forms all things and there is no need to look elsewhere for their origins.

There are those, both inside the Church and outside the Church who would propose that there is a better explanation found in science or an admixture of science and The Word. This is patently absurd and false. Anyone who denies the the inerrancy and the infallibility of any of the written Word, is denying all of the Word of God.

C.S. Lewis, a lay theologian and a prolific writer and Christian apologist, suggests that when you come upon matters of God and the Bible, you are best served if you act on the things of God’s Word you can understand and to temporarily put aside the things which you cannot understand, until God reveals the truth of those things to you, remembering that the creation of God can never stand in judgment on God or His Word without suffering potentially severe and catastrophic results. (See Hebrews 6:4-8)

The entire Word of God is breathed by God. You cannot depend on the parts of the Word which your human and fallible mind chooses as true if you then reject other parts of God’s Word. You must believe all of God’s Word, or, you in effect, believe none of It. Thus, you cannot expect God to respond faithfully to an unbelieving and faithless person.

John 3:18, tells us that, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Finally, what do these verses mean to the believer?

Hebrews 11:6, tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” 

The rewards of a believer can be found throughout the Bible. For this example, I will only cite select verses from Hebrews. We will look at the our Levels of Learning as we study, pray and meditate on the Word of God.

To the DIANOIA (the cognitive mind) – WHAT YOU WILL THINK AND DO.

Hebrews 11:1-2, says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

(‘Substance’ is the manifestation of Faith. This ‘hope’ is a certainty. This evidence is the proof of those things not yet seen. You will obtain these things and God will grant you ‘a good testimony’ based on your manifest faith in Him.)

DIANOIA.

Verse 3. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

(This understanding flows upward from our hearts into our minds, given by our teacher, Jesus Christ and by our tutor, God the Holy Spirit. We will be able to understand that the things which are visible come from things which are not yet made. So, we ask anything in His Name and He will do it, so the Father will be glorified.)

PSUCHE, (The Soul – Mind, Will & Emotions) – HOW YOU WILL BE AFFECTED AND MOVED TO ACTION.

Verse 6. ”But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

(God pays wages of righteousness, which is life, to those who diligently, (ardently crave, seek and demand to find), Him. This must not and cannot be under emphasized.

PSUCHE.

Verse 7. ”By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

PNEUMA. (The Spirit) – THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTS YOU HIS WISDOM INTO THE CAUSE OF ALL THINGS.

Verse 11. ”By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Verse 12. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

(You, too, will receive strength that defies the natural order, if you only believe and act as God prompts you. The blessings and fruit of your faith and obedience will multiply beyond your ability to count them.)

PSUCHE

Verse 23. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

(God tells us, at least 60 times in the Bible, “do not fear” or “fear not”.  Read Joshua 1:5-9“, slowly and carefully,  “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. verse 6. “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. verse 7. “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. verse 8. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. verse 9. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

This can be done only when you practice your faith. Meditate on these things and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind.)

PSUCHE

Verse 27. “By faith Moses Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 

(For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW, DEEP IN OUR SPIRIT AND ACT UPON IT IN OUR SOUL AND LIFE, IN THESE LAST DAYS.)

PNEUMA

Verse 28. “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

(It is urgent that we understand and practice the covering of protection and grace for our children.  Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb and His Blood is our covering.)

DIANOIA & PNEUMA

Verse 29. “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

(Your obstacle may not literally be the Red Sea, but, by faith, when you encounter seemingly impassable obstacles, you will pass over them on steady and dry ground, and your pursuers, your enemies will be destroyed. You must both know and do this.)

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

Verse 30. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. Verse 31. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

(Obstacles in your way, will fall at God’s command, and you will live in peace. As God says in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”)

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

Verse 32. “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, verse 33. Who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, verse 34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Verse 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; verse 36. and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. Verse 37. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, verse 38, (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Verse 39. “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, verse 40. because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”

I have used Hebrews for the background study of John 1:1-3, since the Bible is the entire Truth of God and is its own commentary.

Let’s Do the Word of God and LIVE!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please click here for the next episode in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

(John 17 – Part 3).

  Our study is in John 1, but, we are continuing to read background scriptures about and study the Trinitarian relationship and how Jesus has made us part of this mystical and powerful relationship.

Is it possible that we can ‘fall from grace’ or slip out of the Hands of God?  Or, worse, is it possible that once we have been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, that we might turn away?

There has been an ongoing ‘debate’ in religious circles, particularly in protestant churches, concerning the idea or doctrine of “Eternal Security”. The Calvinist view, called ‘the Preservation of the Saints’, says, Christ holds and protects the confessing Christian, so they can never be ‘lost’ again. The Armenian view is that a Christian can ‘Fall from Grace’ and be lost, again. I don’t care to enter this endless argument. It only sows seeds of doubt and discord. But, I do want to hear the words of Jesus as He prays to The Father:

John 17, verse 12.  

“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”

NOTES

The phrase, “I was keeping them”, translates from the Greek language and word, “tereo”, which means, ‘to watch over, to guard; to keep in custody; preserved’.

The phrase, “and I guarded them”, translates from the Greek language and word, “phulasso”, which refers to, ‘a military guard, exercising unbroken vigilance as a military guard; preserve by ‘having an eye on’; referring to the uninterrupted vigilance shepherds show in keeping their flocks.

COMMENTS

I have already stated that The Christian’s belief system must be built on both faith and reason. So, reason with me.

The Son of God, The Word, Who as from the beginning, through Whom all things were made, has said, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished…”

Do you think it is reasonable that the Creative Word of God can, and has, kept His word?

Read, also, John 10:27-30, ” My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”

Jesus repeats that no one can pluck the confessing Christian from neither His nor His Father’s Hand. (I believe that includes a ‘back-slidden’ Christian.)

One last question on this matter, for now:  Is it possible for a believing Christian stop believing and reject God’s gift of salvation? Hebrews 6:4-6, has stern words on this matter when it says,

“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

 The language used in Hebrews 6:4-6, the picture of ‘not eating, but only tasting’ of the heavenly gift and the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. The phrase, “and then have fallen away” is not a theological term, but, it is a picture of two Greek wrestlers, locked in combat, and one of them is ‘thrown to the mat’ and loses his match. This metaphor is a picture of a person who comes to Christ and explores the things of God, but, wrestles with them in his or her soul, eventually, falls away or fall away, fall back into the unbelieving and godless ways of the old time.

The Bible tells us that it could be both, the Calvinist view and the Armenian view, regarding our security in Christ.

It is clear in scriptures that Jesus will not lose anyone the Father has given Him.  We are secure in His Hands and in His Grip!

It also seems clear, that a person who does not fully embrace and continues to question, or wrestle with, the things of God, and fails to submit themselves to His Lordship of their lives, can find they have “fallen onto the mat” and can walk away from God, lost forever.

Doubt can be a normal thing, but unbelief can be fatal.  John 3:18 warns that, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

God has made provision that we can confess the sin of unbelief and cry out to God, “I believe, but, help my unbelief.”

Read Romans 8:24-39 and be encouraged and take comfort in our eternal relationship with our powerful and eternal Father.

RECAP

1.  Jesus will never lose anyone given to Him by the Father.

2.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and endure to the end.

3.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Nothing can remove us from our relationship with Him.  Hold tight to those things which you have learned, He is coming soon!

We are returning to John chapter 1 to continue our study in verse 13.  Please bookmark this page and let’s continue together.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young