|
Archive - April 2008 Rock SolidPosted Apr-30-08 05:49:28 PDT Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
John 1:40-42
Jesus saw not only who Simon was, but who he was to become. That is why he gave him a new name - Cephas in Aramaic, Peter in Greek (the name means "a rock"). Peter is not presented as rocksolid throughout the Gospels, but he became a solid rock in the days of the early Church, as we learn about in the book of Acts. By giving Simon a new name, Jesus introduced in him a change of character. He does the same for every one of us as we come to Christ one way, and as we stay with Him and learn from Him, we become completely transformed. That is the grace of God.
God Bless you,
Pray for me,
Jonathan Whose Glory Are You Seeking?Posted Apr-29-08 06:00:00 PDT The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Turning around Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
John 1:35-39
When the two disciples began to follow Jesus, he asked them, "What do you want?" Following Christ is not enough; we must follow him for the right reasons. To follow Christ for our own purposes would be asking Christ to follow us - to align with us to support and advance our cause, not his. We must examine our motives for following him. Exactly whose glory is it that we are seeking?
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH What Do You Want?Posted Apr-28-08 05:56:34 PDT The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Turning around Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
John 1:35-39
These new disciples used several names for Jesus: Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God, and King of Israel. As they got to know Jesus, their appreciation for him grew. The more time we spend getting to know Christ, the more we will understand and appreciate who He is and what He has done for us. We may be drawn to Him for his teaching, but we will come to know Him as the Son of God. Although these disciples made this verbal shift in a few days, they would not fully understand Jesus until three years later. What they so easily professed had to be worked out in experience. We may find that words of faith come easily, but deep appreciation for Christ comes only with living by faith.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Baptism of the Holy SpiritPosted Apr-25-08 05:45:56 PDT Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
John 1:32-34
John the Baptist's baptism with water was preparatory, because it was for repentance and symbolized the washing away of sins. Jesus, by contrast, would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He would send the Holy Spirit upon all believers, empowering them to live and to teach the message of salvation. This outpouring of the Spirit came after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. John the Baptist's job was to point people to Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. Today people are looking for someone to give them security in an insecure world. Our job is to point them to Christ and to show them that He is the one whom they seek.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Helping or Hindering?Posted Apr-24-08 05:51:18 PDT The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"
John 1:29-30
Although John the Baptist was a well-known preacher who attracted large crowds, he was content for Jesus to take the higher place. This is an example of true humility, the basis for greatness in preaching, teaching, or any other work we do for Christ. When you are content to do what God wants you to do and let Jesus Christ be honored for it, God will do great things through you. That is His promise. If we can only learn but to humble ourselves, then we have arrived at a place where we can truly be useful in God's kingdom. Those of us who are filled with pride and continue to see ourselves as vitally important to God's plan continue to trip over our large egos and continue to be a hindrance to ourselves and everyone around us. Let go and let God.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Humility and PurposePosted Apr-23-08 05:47:08 PDT "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
John 1:26-27
John the Baptist said he was not even worthy to be Christ's slave, to perform the most menial and humble of tasks such as unfastening his shoes. But according to Luke 7:28, Jesus said that John was the greatest of all prophets. If such a great person felt inadequate even to be Christ's slave, how much more should we lay aside our pride to serve Christ and others around us. There are people in need around us everyday, but we do not recognize their need as we are so busy worrying about our own situations. Humility comes as a result of realizing that it's not all about you. When we truly understand who Christ is, our pride and self importance simply melt away. It is then, and only then, that Christ can truly use us for his purpose.
God Bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Preparing the WayPosted Apr-22-08 05:55:37 PDT They asked him, they asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
Finally they said, "Eho are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'make straight the way for the Lord.'"
John 1:21-23
In the Pharisees' minds, there were four options regarding John the Baptist's identity: he was: the prophet foretold by Moses, Elijah, the Messiah, or a false prophet. John denied being the first three. Instead he called himself, in the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, "a voice of one calling: 'in the desert prepare the way for the Lord'" (Isaiah 40:3). The leaders kept pressing John to say who he was because people were expecting the Messiah to come. But John emphasized only why he had come - to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Pharisees missed the point. They want to know who John was, but John wanted them to know who Jesus was. We often miss the point as well. We, in the same way, need to redirect our attention back to Jesus. And we need to stop putting our hope in other people or other things. We need to maintain our focus on the only One can truly help us in times of trouble; the One who remains faithful in good times as well as bad.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Have you seen Him?Posted Apr-21-08 05:44:16 PDT No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John 1:18
God communicated to various people in the Old Testament, usually prophets who were told to give specific messages to God's people. But no one ever saw God. "God the One and Only" is a title showing that Jesus is both God and the Father's unique son. In Christ, God revealed his nature and essence in a way that could be seen and touched. In Christ, God became a man who lived on earth. Christ is a man whom we can identify with, and who can, in turn, identify with us. He can identify with our joy and with our sufferings; he can identify with times both good and bad. When we are going through tough times in our lives, we have only but to look to him, for he knows what we are going through.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH No More ExcusesPosted Apr-18-08 05:58:36 PDT The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
"The One and Only, who came from the Father" means that Jesus is God's only and unique son. The emphasis is on unique. Jesus is one-of-a-kind and enjoys a relationship with God unlike all believers who are called "children" and said to be "born of God." "The Word became flesh" means becoming human. By doing so, Christ became the perfect teacher for us - in Jesus's life we see how God thinks and therefore how we should think. Christ also became the perfect example - as a model of what we are to become, he shows us how to live and gives us the power to do so. Finally, Christ became the perfect sacrifice - he came as a sacrifice for all sin, and his death satisfied God's requirement for the removal of sin. As a result, we can live free of guilt, shame, condemnation; free to do what we have been called to do. We have no more excuses. Because of Christ, we are free, and we are free indeed.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH In God's FamilyPosted Apr-17-08 05:52:38 PDT 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 received 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.
John 1:10-13
Although Christ created the world, the people he created did not recognize him. Even the people chosen by God to prepare the rest of the world for the Messiah rejected him, although the entire Old Testament pointed to his coming. All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ, this new birth changes us from the inside out - rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents' family. Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God's family. This fresh start in life is available to all who believe in Christ. This fresh start becomes a vital part of every believer's testimony and witness to Jesus Christ.
God Bless you,
Pray for me,
JH God of the UniversePosted Apr-11-08 05:51:08 PDT In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:1-5
Do you ever feel that your life is too complex for God to understand? Remember, God created the entire universe, and nothing is too difficult for Him. God created you; he is alive today, and His love is bigger than any problem you may face.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH The WordPosted Apr-10-08 05:46:41 PDT In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:1-5
What Jesus taught and what he did are tied inseparably to who he is. John shows Jesus as fully human and fully God. Although Jesus took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. This is the truth about Jesus, and the foundation of all truth. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to him. That is why John wrote this gospel - to build faith and confidence in Jesus Christ so that we may believe that he truly was and is the Son of God.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH The Power of PrayerPosted Apr-08-08 06:49:55 PDT Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:16-18
The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God's power is infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it - especially because God encourages us to do so.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Prayers of FaithPosted Apr-07-08 06:51:02 PDT Updated Apr-07-08 20:52:30 PDT Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
James 5:13-15
"The prayer offered in faith" does not refer to the faith of the sick person, but in the faith of the people praying. God heals, faith does not, and all prayers are subject to God's will. But our prayers are part of God's healing process. That is why God often waits for prayers of faith before intervening to heal a person or a situation.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Integrity and HonestyPosted Apr-04-08 06:43:51 PDT Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
James 5:12
A person with a reputation for exaggeration or lying often can’t get anyone to believe him on his word alone. Christians should never become like that. Always be honest so that others will believe your simple yes or no. By avoiding lies, half-truths, and omissions of the truth, you will become known as a trustworthy person. Never believe a person who tells you how honest they are. They must prove their integrity over time by their actions. Do not be foolish enough to trust someone after they have already proven themselves to be untrustworthy. Develop a reputation for being honest and as a person who always tells the truth.
God bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Waiting on the KingPosted Apr-03-08 06:43:25 PDT Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
James 5:7-8
The farmer must wait patiently for his crops to grow; he cannot hurry the process. But he does not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields. There is much work to do to ensure a good harvest. In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ's return. We cannot make Him come back any sooner. But while we wait, there is much work that we can do to advance God's kingdom. Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking toward the future reward for their labors. Don't live as if Christ will never come. Work faithfully to build His kingdom - the King will come when the time is right.
God Bless you,
Pray for me,
JH Rely on GodPosted Apr-02-08 06:49:09 PDT Updated Apr-02-08 06:49:20 PDT Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10
Humbling ourselves means recognizing that are worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves working with His power according to His guidance, not our own independent effort. Although we do not deserve God's favor, He reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. Sometimes, it takes great loss and tragedy for us to appreciate how truly little we can do for ourselves, and therefore increase our reliance upon our Heavenly Father.
God bless you,
JH Genuine FaithPosted Apr-01-08 06:18:50 PDT Was not Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:21-24
James says that Abraham was "considered righteous by what he did. Paul says he was justified because he believed God (Romans 4:1-5). James and Paul are not contradicting each other, they are complementing each other. Let's not conclude that the truth is a blending of these two statements. We are not justified by what we do in any way. True faith always results in deeds, but the deeds do not justify us. Faith brings us salvation; active obedience demonstrates that our faith is genuine.
God bless you,
JH |
) 
 About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
| |