Thoughts From Bible Verses

John 11 opens with an introduction. We meet Lazarus and we learn that he’s sick. Many of us in life are in a similar circumstance to him. We are sick and waiting for Jesus to come, and heal us.

However, our timing and God’s timing are two different things. We tend to believe that he’s on the way as soon as we ask. In reality, Jesus might still be strapping on his sandals. We don’t know his time, he might be late to us, but he’ll always be on time for his plan.

The book of John teaches us about Jesus, how he lived, loved, and cared for the people around him. It also shows that he is the Son of God, and yet he’s a man.

John 11: Jesus Learns That Lazarus Is Sick.

11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. ² This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. ³ So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

⁴ But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” ⁵ So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, ⁶ he stayed where he was for the next two days. ⁷ Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

⁸ But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

⁹ Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. ¹⁰ But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” ¹¹ Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

¹² The disciples said, “Lord if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” ¹³ They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

¹⁴ So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now, you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

¹⁶ Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

John 11: Sometimes God Makes You Wait, So You Can See His Power

In the first few verses, we see Jesus get word that his friend Lazarus was sick, and Jesus even states something that later on seems contradictory.

He says his sickness will not end in death, but Lazarus died.

I think it goes to show that Jesus sees death a whole lot different than the rest of us, and that makes sense. Death isn’t final, it’s just moving into the kingdom of God.

Also, I think it’s very encouraging that Jesus views death as falling asleep, and he can wake people up at any time.

So Why Doesn’t He Wake Us All Up?

God has a plan that he put forward, and there’s a reason Jesus came and had to die. In his plan, he was reconnecting us to God. He was the sacrifice that was put forward, and he was the one who gave his life.

However, there’s one crux to the plan. We have to choose him. He can a million times and it won’t matter if we don’t choose him.

That’s the major problem with free will, and with love. But it’s the only way to have both. We have to choose Jesus, and we need to love him. Jesus is the way, and he came because he loves us.

John 11: Jesus Arrives In Bethany:

¹⁷ When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was only a few miles^[d] down the road from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. ²⁰ When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

²³ Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

²⁵ Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. ²⁶ Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” ²⁸ Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” ²⁹ So Mary immediately went to him.

³⁰ Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. ³¹ When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. ³² When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus Always Shows Up When He’s Needed, But Sometimes You’ll Have To Look Around

Whether you’re in the pits of despair, or you’re happy as a clam. Jesus is there right next to you. I even believe that we can put distance between ourselves and God, but he’s still always standing next to us. (it hurts my head to dig deeper than that).

So Jesus shows up and is immediately chastised about not being there. This is exactly how we all react to pain. I’ve done this myself so many times in my life, and I’m sure you’re remembering times you’ve done this as well.

Truth be told, wrestling with God, and what you believe is a good thing. The bad times are also the times of your greatest growth. They didn’t even think Jesus could raise someone from the dead, and a few minutes later they were talking with their brother once more.

That’s the healing power of God, he loves us, and restores us all to him, together.

John 11: Jesus Wept

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,^[f] and he was deeply troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Then Jesus wept. ³⁶ The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” ³⁷ But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

³⁸ Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. ³⁹ “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

⁴⁰ Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” ⁴¹ So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. ⁴² You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” ⁴³ Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

The Dead Can Be Raised Through Jesus:

In John 11, we see what Jesus will do when his heart is moved. I love the verse where it says he was troubled. Other translations say angry.

I don’t think we realize that Jesus knows that death is not normal, it isn’t something we should be dealing with. We were made for a better life, but we chose to sin.

This ruined our world, the connection with God, and let death roam free.

The power of God is amazing, but the love of God is what we need. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a horrible situation and I’ve been praying for release. However the answer I was praying for never came, but his love did.

When you realize the love of God is what you’re craving, every situation of your life will change. Flat tires and lost jobs will no longer affect you.

Because you’ll realize the creator of the universe is providing for you, he’s got your back.

John 11: The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. ⁴⁶ But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. ⁴⁸ If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! ⁵⁰ You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. ⁵² And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.

Religious Leaders Plot Jesus Death

⁵³ So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. ⁵⁴ As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

⁵⁵ It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?” ⁵⁷ Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

John 11: There’s Always A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing:

The end of this chapter used to puzzle me, why would someone go and tell the High Priests what Jesus did? They witnessed his power, how can they not believe.

People are weird, living through the covid pandemic should’ve taught us all that. However, I’ve realized a few things about people.

Some of them might have actually been reporting to the priests thinking they’d believe, and others might’ve wanted power.

Also, some people never grow up and stop being a tattle tale too.

This story in John 11 teaches us that God can be moved by his emotions, and it shows that he reacts to how his people are feeling. This means that he truly loves and cares for us. Regardless of how some would teach you.

What are you waiting on God for? is there something in your life that he’s promised and hasn’t shown up yet? Give it to him, and understand that your timing might not be right.

In John 10 Jesus begins with a parable. A parable is a story with a moral lesson, and Jesus used parables a lot during his teachings here on earth. Jesus used parables to explain the world as it was, our place in it, and his.

In Matthew 13:10-17, His disciples asked him why he spoke this way, and his response is intriguing.

He basically said it was to confuse people who weren’t listening and to bless the people who were. Keep in mind that I don’t think this was done to be cruel. By seeing the error of your ways you’ll turn your life to him, and I think his hope was that it would open the Pharisee’s eyes.

I don’t know if it ever happened, but I hope and pray that for someone it worked.

John 10: The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

⁶ Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ⁷ so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved^. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:1-10

Jesus Wants To Give Us A Rich And Satisfying Life

Let’s Break down these last 10 verses. Jesus is painting a picture for us here. Sheep don’t know a lot about what’s going on. They move around, they eat, but they know who takes care of them. Believe it or not the same can be said about people here on earth.

In simple terms we are sheep, and the physical world is nothing compared to the spiritual world that God lives in. if we understood who Jesus really is, and what the world around us was like. I think we’d see ourselves as sheep.

We know nothing, except the voice of the shepherd, and the scary part about that is when you realize some people don’t have that. Hearing the voice of God is how I get through the day, and it’s scary to think people live without it.

What Jesus is telling us here is very similar to when Jesus says he’s the way. He’s saying there is only one shepherd, his voice, and his flock. People will try to jump in and trick his sheep, but if they know his voice, then they’ll realize that they’re being lied to.

How Do We Know If We’re Being Lied to?

I think knowing God’s voice is helped by reading the bible. You might be reading this post and asking yourself. Does God Really Listen To Us

Yes, Yes he does.

I think he’s always listening, the hard part is for us to shut down and hear his voice. In order to hear God’s voice, and know that it’s him. We need to be reading the bible. This gives you the first line of defense from things that pop up in your head.

I’d even say it’s a way to teach yourself how God speaks. You can take what you’re hearing and compare it to the word of God. If it’s going against it, well you know God isn’t speaking to you.

• Would God ever say to cheat on your husband/wife?
• Does Jesus tell people to steal?
• Will Coveting ever help you get farther in life?

We tend to justify these things, but in reality, God hasn’t told us to pursue any of this. He’s asked us to pursue him, and he will give us life more abundant than we can imagine.

It’s all up to us.

John 10: The Good Shepherd Will Give Their Life To Protect The Sheep

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. ¹² A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, ¹⁵ just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

John 10:11-14

Jesus Foreshadows His Death On The Cross:

I don’t know how many times Jesus foreshadowed his own death. But his death on the cross was gruesome, terrible, and painful. but he did it for you and me. We tend to forget what an awful experience it was for him.

I’m not just talking about his physical death, he was perfect, and the son of God. But while he was on that cross, God’s back turned on him. Think about that moment. He was without sin, but the sins of the entire world were placed upon him, and his father turned his back.

I’m only realizing the gravity right now as I type, and I still can’t grasp the entire thing. Probably will never be able to.

Just thinking about that wants me to become a better person, and I feel guilty about everything I’ve ever done because I’m not worthy of his love…None of us are, yet for some reason he still loves us.

The Crucifixion of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection, are love letters to us. They’re telling us that someone is coming to free us, it’s saying that there is a way.

Haven’t you ever sat and wondered why life is the way it is? Doesn’t it seem messed up, and confusing? It’s not that randomized particles have fallen into place and you are you because of it.

It’s because you were created for a higher calling. This world was created for a higher calling, but we’ve fallen short. Now we live in a shadow world, where we can only catch a glimpse of God’s Glory.

John 10: The Father Loves Jesus

¹⁷ “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. ¹⁸ No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

¹⁹ When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. ²⁰ Some said, “He’s demon-possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” ²¹ Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

John 10:17-21

Jesus goes into a deep explanation here. He states that the father loves him because he is giving up his life to take it back up again. Only Jesus has the authority to lay it down, and the father commanded him to do it, but he also chooses to give it up.

It’s a bit confusing, but I’d like to remind you of John 15:13-14. There’s no greater love than he who lays down his life for his friends.

If this was the ultimate form of love. Jesus is trying to make us all understand it.

John 10: Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God

²² It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. ²³ He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. ²⁶ But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

John 10:22-30

Jesus Starts Talking About Sheep Again:

This would happen with each and every one of us, but I’d hope our eyes would open sooner rather than later. I’d like to think if I was there seeing Jesus perform miracles and teach in the temple. That I’d be one of his first followers and I’d proclaim the Gospel all over the world.

However if I’m not doing it now, what makes me think I’d do it then…

I know that’s a harsh thought, but all these people were questioning Jesus when they should have been seeking the voice of God. They should have been praying and asking God if he was the one. The more you pray, the better you hear, the better you hear, the more familiar you become.

This is how you hear the voice of God. It’s familiar, welcoming, and you hear it daily.

John 10: The People Try To Kill Jesus For Blasphemy

³¹ Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. ³² Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

³³ They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ ³⁵ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ ³⁶ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. ³⁷ Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. ³⁸ But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

³⁹ Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. ⁴⁰ He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. ⁴¹ And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” ⁴² And many who were there believed in Jesus.

John 10:31-42

Believing In Jesus Can Cause Problems

Rest assured that believing in Jesus can be divisive. Following him won’t bring you down an easy path in life. In fact, you’re probably guaranteed pain, heartache, and betrayal.

However, Jesus is the way To true reconciliation with God. A lot of people think that Heaven is a boring place full of harps and clouds, (which is kind of cool to me in some ways).

Heaven is much more than that. Heaven is the paradise that we lost when we sinned. It’s the place where we can use our talents and abilities to their highest potential.

John 10: My Conclusion

I can never believe that heaven is an eternal church service. in fact, that sounds like hell. What kind of just and loving God would create us in a world so beautiful and magnificent. That he’d doom us to sit in a boring auditorium for eternity without exploring his epic creation.

I think he’s creating more as we speak, and our minds are going to be blown. I believe that worship is giving our best talents abilities and creations to God, and passing the glory of them onto him.

John 10 is a glimpse of the world we live in, and the world we don’t see. When Jesus gave his life on the cross, it opened a connection for all of us. Once we give our lives to Christ, we are reconnected with God and we’re free to explore that.

Life is hard, don’t live it without Christ. He is the way.

If John 9 had a theme it would be blindness, and how to heal from it. It starts out with Jesus walking along the road, and Jesus sees a man who’s been born blind.

He obviously heals the man, and then the religious leaders complain about him doing that?

It just goes to show that some people can’t handle a good deed, and that’s messed up.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ² “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.^[a] The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. ⁷ He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

John 9:1-7

John 9: A Weird But Simple Action Brought Healing

In this chapter, we see Jesus do something really weird. Think about it, this is the guy who says he’s the way, and for some reason, he spits and makes a mud pie.

Think of how much spit he had to let loose in order to cover this man’s eyes? It’s not like the man saw what he was doing, but people today would freak out about that.

However in the end, all the blind man had to do was go wash himself.

I think that’s a great metaphor for our own lives. Jesus started the work planning the way, and we’ve gotta do something as well. In most things in life, God’s already done the heavy lifting. When you’re praying and asking if God Is listening? Don’t forget to remember, he’s listening, and he’s got it all planned out.

That man was made whole and left with his sight, but that wasn’t the end of his problems.

John 9: The Neighbors See The Healing

⁸ His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”

But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

¹⁰ They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”

¹¹ He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”

¹² “Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

John 9:8-12

The People Around You Will See The Change:

When you finally receive that healing from Jesus, your neighbors will be some of the first people to see the difference in you. After your family, they see you more often than anyone, and I think it’d be safe to say coworkers are probably on this list as well. Back then you worked a lot with your neighbors too.

However there is sometimes doubt when healing comes, some of the neighbors didn’t recognize him. and I think that comes from the belief that he’d never have his sight. I’m not bashing them, it happens all the time in this world. Somebody will lose their sight and they never get it back.

There was a time that I’d probably fall into that camp myself. However, now that I know who Jesus is. and I understand the price he paid for me, I’m singing a different tune.

I’d hope that I would recognize the man, and we’d both rejoice. Wouldn’t you want to be there when he discovers what things actually look like? What if you’ve never seen the color purple before? And all of a sudden you were able to see it?

This kinda reminds me of those videos that went around a few years ago about people who were colorblind, and they were able to finally see colors. Usually, it was through special glasses. Not once did somebody put those glasses on and not start crying.

I often wonder if that’s what heaven will be like?

John 9 And Then Church Leaders Get Involved.

¹³ Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, ¹⁴ because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. ¹⁵ The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

¹⁷ Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

John 9:13-17

I don’t think it matters if you’re talking about Pharisees, Priests, or Pastors. These roles are all filled by imperfect people who make mistakes.

And one of the major mistakes you’ll see these roles make is in the quest for more power. I’m not saying all or even most of them are that way. In fact, a lot of these people are great, they love Jesus, but unfortunately, they’re human, and humans make mistakes.

Sometimes they’re downright evil.

God Isn’t Evil Because His Leaders Do Bad:

I wanted to make sure I stated this. Many people in this world hate God because of something a church leader did to them or someone close to them.

Just because someone says they’re following God, it doesn’t mean that their actions are blessed by God. Some people are evil, and as Christians, we need to learn how to fight that.

I honestly worry that we’ve forgotten how to.

John 9: The Jewish Leadership Was Blind To Gods Plan

¹⁸ The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. ¹⁹ They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

²⁰ His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, ²¹ but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. ²³ That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

²⁴ So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this,^[b] because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

²⁵ “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

John 9:18-25

Encounters With Jesus:

When you have a real encounter with Jesus, it will transform your life. You can’t walk away from the presence of God, without a fundamental change to your life.

Whether it’s your thoughts, your actions, or even your physical being. Something has to change, and that is how powerful God is.

And I think he’s holding back.

The Jewish leaders only want power, and they’re blind to the healer that was in their midst.

I often wonder, “How blind am I, God?” Am I missing what Jesus has for me in my life? That’s a scary thought, and I hope to God that I’m not blind.

John 9: The Leaders Rationalize Their Blindness By Claiming They Can See

²⁶ “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

²⁷ “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

²⁸ Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

³⁰ “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. ³² Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

³⁴ “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

John 9:26-34

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?^[c]”

³⁶ The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

³⁷ “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

³⁸ “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

³⁹ Then Jesus told him,^[d] “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see^[e] that they are blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

⁴¹ “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

John 9:35-41

John 9: In Conclusion:

I often worry that I’m blind, and I wonder if Jesus is right next to me, and I don’t recognize him. Usually, I will snap out of this. And I do that by telling myself that if I’m worried about it, that can’t be true.

However, in life we get so self-focused, we lose track of our source, and we lose track of him. This is why it’s vital to pray and read your bible daily.

Jesus is the way, and if you follow him, you’ll need to consult with him while you’re traveling. If he’s the way, and you’ve lost your sight. It might be better to stop and refocus.

Let Me Know What You Think? Did I Get Anything Wrong? Is There Anything I Can Pray With You About?

John 7 shows a division in the people. It shows that some believed that Jesus was the messiah, and others doubted him. The former viewed him as a Godsend, he was the person who’d lead them to victory against Rome. The latter considered him a nuisance and someone that should be arrested or worse.

The facts were in front of these people, yet many chose not to believe, and the ones who did believe, were stunned when Jesus died.

A lot of times we view God’s will and combine it with our wishes and desires. Naturally, this distorts what God is doing, and we think God has failed us.

But if we take the time, and go back to what God said, and study his word, we can find the right path. Let’s look into John 7 now.

John 7; Jesus And His Family:

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. ² But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, ³ and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! ⁴ You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” ⁵ For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

⁶ Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. ⁷ The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. ⁸ You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” ⁹ After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.

John 7:1-9

Family Can Be A Stumbling Block:

If you have a family you’ll understand what Jesus was going through at this point in his life. He’d performed miracles, healed many people, and yet his brothers didn’t believe him.

I’ve been there myself, and probably you have too. You’re trying your best, and you feel like you’re making headway, and then the people who should be the most supportive, push you down into the mud.

I’m sure Jesus felt a sting of pain as his brothers said this, and the bible already states that he knew men’s hearts. (John 2). However Jesus didn’t fight fire with fire, instead, he spoke the truth, and stated why the world hated him.

I think we can learn a lot from this simple sentence. The first thing is to not make knee-jerk responses, (I’ve made a few this week). The second is to know what God has called you to do and have a plan to do it.

The feast Jesus was going to was a big deal. It was called the Fears Of Tabernacles (or booths). God commanded the people of Israel to celebrate it. It started in the time of Joshua and came back strong when The Second Temple was rebuilt. (The first was destroyed 70 years prior)

John 7: Jesus Teaching At The Temple:

¹⁰ But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. ¹¹ The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. ¹² There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” ¹³ But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

¹⁴ Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. ¹⁵ The people^[b] were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

¹⁶ So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. ¹⁷ Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. ¹⁸ Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks the truth, not lies. ¹⁹ Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

John 7:10-19

John 7 Continued;

20 The crowd replied, “You’re demon-possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. 22 But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23 For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? 24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

John 10: 20-24

Jesus Tries To Stay Out Of View, Then Proclaims Who He Is:

I especially like the first sentence of the 10th verse. Jesus went secretly, staying out of public view. Later on, he gives up the secrecy and he’s yelling for anybody to hear, stating who he is.

This of course is proceeded by Jesus’ teaching, and everyone is wondering how he received the knowledge he had. If we study the bible, pray, and listen to God, the same thing should happen to us.

I honestly believe that Christians should be at the forefront of everything, and this is coming from somebody who refuses to watch Christian movies. I can’t stand bad acting, horrible scripts, and effect. It drives me nuts.

I’ve said it before, but when we as Christians use our God given talents for his glory, that’s the ultimate form of worship. It’s not singing on Sunday morning (although that is a form of it and it does help). True worship, is knowing who God made you to be, walking everyday with him, and doing what he’s called you to do.

This will make you use every skill, ability, and talent he gave you. The entire time he’ll be right next to you cheering you on.

Is Jesus The Messiah?

²⁵ Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

²⁸ While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. ²⁹ But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” ³⁰ Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

John 7:25-30

John 7 Continued:

²¹ Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

³² When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. ³³ But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”

³⁵ The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! ³⁶ What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going?”

John 7: 21-36

Jesus Puzzles The Jewish Leaders:

Like a lot of people today, what Jesus says to them is puzzling. However, if you’re really hungry…or thirsty even. His words make sense. If you come to him you’ll find peace, hope, and healing.

Jesus was trying to confound the leaders of the day because they were pompous. They all studied at the greatest schools under the greatest leaders, and there was a carpenter’s son. Telling them the mysteries of the bible.

I wonder sometimes if I’d fall in that camp? Would I notice Jesus if he was teaching in front of me? Or would I walk right by thinking he was a heretic? It’s a scary thought.

That’s why we need to know God, and understand his voice. We can save ourselves a lot of grief in this life, if we just open up our heart to him, and listen to what he has to say.

In the final part of this section in John 7, Jesus alludes to his death on the cross. he says that soon he will be going away, and you cannot follow.

It’s really cryptic, but hindsight is 20/20, and now we know what he’s given us. Eternal Life.

Jesus Promises Living Water:

³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”³⁹ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

John 7:37-39

What Is The Living Water Of John 7?

Jesus refers to living water numerous times in the bible and says that he’s the one to bring it. Many times people mistake this for physical water, and ask where it is? Much like the samaritan women in John 4, most people will have a similar reaction.

Many times we fail to realize, that the physical world is but a shadow of the real one. The spiritual world gave birth to the physical realm, and it’s where God and Jesus reside. Technically speaking that is the kingdom of God, that is trying to gain a foothold in the physical realm.

We cut our ties with the spiritual world when we sinned against God, but God didn’t cut his ties. Instead, he sent his son Jesus to die for us, so he could reestablish that link with us.

It’s true love, and it’s what all of us search for, our entire lives.

Division And Unbelief

⁴⁰ When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still, others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” ⁴³ So the crowd was divided about him. ⁴⁴ Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

⁴⁵ When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

⁴⁶ “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

John 7: 40-46

John 7 Continued:

⁴⁷ “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. ⁴⁸ “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? ⁴⁹ This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

⁵⁰ Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. ⁵¹ “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!”

John 7:47-52

The truth will always cause division. I hate using the world always there, but for people to realize the truth, they have to realize the lie. Many people are too comfortable believing in the lie, whatever it may be.

This causes the friction between people who see the truth, and people who choose not to see it.

What’s scary here is they will invalidate their own laws and procedures to remove the man who caused the disturbance, but they won’t examine their own heart.

It’s a problem of humanity, we don’t like to think the issue lies with us. Instead, it’s always nice to look over at your neighbor and find the fault there. Or better yet, find the instigator and throw all blame on them.

Jesus was sharing the truth. he was telling them where he was from, and the people were divided on it.

My Conclusion On John 7:

I want to be like Jesus, and I know there is coming a time where I’ll need to proclaim what God has called me to do, and it won’t sit well with others. (Christians and others alike).

People have their own perceptions and their own thoughts on how the world works. Focus on Jesus, he is the way. and if you pray, read the bible, and have some epic friends by your side. God will lead you into some stuff. It might not be fun, but he’ll be there with you.

I’d rather be in a battle with Jesus at my side, than at the greatest beach on the planet without him by my side. That’s how much I need him, and I hope you think that way as well.

John 6 Is About Provision. At The Start Of The Chapter Jesus Feeds 5000 People And At The End He Declares Himself The Bread Of Life.

Why did Jesus yell out that he was the bread of life? How did he expect people to react when he said they needed to eat his flesh and drink his blood?

John 6 contains pivotal stories in the New Testament. It shows that not all followers of Christ are actually following Christ, and not everybody sees what he’s teaching.

It also shows us that regular people can see God for who he is, and choose to follow him.

This is what I see whenever I read John 6.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

6 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. ² A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.³ Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. ⁴ (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) ⁵ Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” ⁶ He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

⁸ Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. ⁹ “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

¹⁰ “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) ¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.¹² After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

¹⁴ When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” ¹⁵ When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

John 6; Jesus Provision For Our Physical Needs

At the moment I’m writing this and it’s January of 2021. Currently we have a lot of the population out of work, and there’s no foreseeable change to the epidemic.

The United States Government has been gridlocked, and not offered a lot of help. Instead I’ve seen a lot of hindrance.

But if you’re a follower of Jesus, you need to remember. There will be days of darkness, and days of light. We currently are walking through the darkness and we need to trust in Jesus.

I’m not saying things will turn out all right, in fact they might get worse. However what I am saying is if you place your trust in him, you just might get what you need, when you need it.

Keep in mind that I said what you need. Not what you want. God made the entire world, and he created you. He knows what you need, and understands your plight better than you do.

In reality, you probably don’t know what you need.

How many times have you tried to go your own way? But God has directed you onto another path.

Trust him, and your earthly needs will be met.

When You Trust Him; The Abundance Will Feed Others

Trusting in God will not only fill your own needs. It can fill the needs of others. Think of the stories ending. There were 12 baskets left over. I wonder what they did with these baskets?

The ended with more than they began with, and were probably able to give more away as they trekked through the countryside. Or it gave them sustenance for the next few days.

Either way, the providence of Jesus kept them going, and blessed a multitude of people.

John; 6 Jesus Walks on Water

¹⁶ That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him.¹⁷ But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. ¹⁸ Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. ¹⁹ They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, ²⁰ but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” ²¹ Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

Storms Will Come, But He Will Be Rescue You

I like this short paragraph, because it shows that followers of Christ won’t always have things easy. In todays culture that’s been a belief that has grown over time.

Just because you’re a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean your life will go easy. In fact, most times it’ll be the opposite.

So why follow him?

The last part of that paragraph is the reason why. He came to rescue them, and he brought them to safety just because he was let into the board.

Troubles are going to come, that’s life. But if you try to walk on without Jesus, you’re facing those troubles alone. It’s not that he won’t help you, it’s that you won’t let him.

He’s waiting, hoping you’ll let him in, and he’s always near.

John 6: Jesus, the Bread of Life

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. ²³ Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. ²⁵ They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

John 6; We Have A Distorted Image Of God:

Something happened to us in the Garden of Eden, and it goes deeper than us sinning. We neglect to think deeply about our disconnection from God and the reason why man sinned.

He wanted to be like God.

The irony…is that we were like God.

Satan deceived us into thinking we could be like God, and made us forget we were made in his image.

When we took our eyes off him and place them on ourselves we tarnished ourselves.

Essentially we are dirty mirrors, and we can’t clean ourselves. Only the blood of Jesus can wash us clean. And once we are clean we can show the brilliance of the creator, revealing the image of God.

I hope that I’m explaining all of this properly, because these things are deeper than we realize, and I know I’m only scratching the surface.

There are 3 major things I believe, and everything else is pointless banter:

1. God loves each and every person who’s ever lived, and will live.
2. Jesus came because he loved us. He is the way, and our only option to be saved.
3. The Holy Spirit was sent to guide us into all truth.

All of these things happened because God loved us. It what burns within me everyday.

Jesus Talks About Spiritual Food

²⁸ They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

²⁹ Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

³⁰ They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? ³¹ After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

³² Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

People Hungry For This “Bread From Heaven”

It’s funny how people will hear something that sounds amazing, and yet they don’t count the cost.

The spiritual food Jesus spoke about had a cost, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

However the hunger these people had for something from heaven, is matched today by people. No matter who or where you are. There’s definitely a longing for something more.

I’m a follower of Christ and I feel this longing every day, it doesn’t get better, in fact it gets worse.

My hunger is for a world like/unlike our own. It’s a world where children aren’t sold into slavery. Women aren’t trafficked, and men aren’t abusive.

We all can sense there’s something wrong, but we can’t put our fingers on it.

This desire, even when we can’t place it, is a desire for heaven or paradise (depending on how you want to call it).

We were once part of Paradise until we screwed it all up.

Jesus is the way back. If we choose to follow him.

John 6 The From Jesus Response Is Not What They Expected:

³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. ³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. ³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

⁴¹ Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

They Failed To See The Spiritual World

As humans it’s hard to see the spiritual world, we live in the physical realms and all of our senses are rooted here.

Because of this we tend to focus only on the things we need here and now.

Think of the last few times you’ve prayed. What have you asked God?

Maybe it was:

• A Prayer For healing
• Or Asking For That Promotion
• Deliverance From A Habit
• Just Asking Why Something Happened

While the physical world is great, we were created from the spiritual world. This world is just a fading image of the real one. God rules both worlds, but this one is fading because of our sin.

Our focus should always be on the kingdom of heaven. During the summer of 2020 I had an issue. I started focusing on politics and like many Christians during this time. We began to see certain members of our government as heroes.

Truth be told, I forgot they were fallible men and women.

Men can let you down, but God will never let you down.

Giving your devotion to something other than God is idolatry, and I had to repent of it.

I still do.

John 6; Jesus Response To Complaining

⁴³ But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. ⁴⁴ For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. ⁴⁵ As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

⁴⁷ “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ Yes, I am the bread of life! ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. ⁵⁰ Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Jesus Is The Bread Of Heaven:

When we focus on the kingdom of heaven and forget about ourselves. We are eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood.

Not literally mind you, I can’t express that enough.

But figuratively when we are giving to the poor, helping a widow, or giving orphans food, we are showing the world who Jesus is.

Jesus was here on earth to change lives, and whether it was one life laying in the gutter, or many lives listening to a sermon of his.

He came for each and every person.

That goes through the centuries to today and beyond. He came and died for you, and there might be things he said that offend you.

However I’m inclined to believe it’s our focus, naivety, and ignorance that keep us from going deeper with him.

And just like the people in John 6 who leave him. They miss out on a great adventure.

John 6; The People Argue, Get Offended, And Leave Jesus.

⁵² Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

⁵³ So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.⁵⁴ But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

⁵⁹ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

John 6; Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

⁶¹ Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? ⁶³ The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.)⁶⁵ Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

⁶⁶ At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.^[j]”

⁷⁰ Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” ⁷¹ He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.

John 6; My Final Thoughts

I don’t write these for clicks, money, or recognition. My goal in writing these is to point out the glory of God, and show people who he really is, and how he feels about you.

Jesus loves you, whether you read another blog post of mine or not. He seriously loves you.

This world is broken, we can all agree on that. For years we’ve been trying to fix it ourselves, but maybe it’s time we surrender and let the creator fix it.

I hope you enjoyed my latest post. I know it’s very text heavy, but I like to put my thoughts/feeling next to what God is telling me in scripture.

If I’m wrong theologically I don’t really care. What I do care about is you knowing who Jesus is, and I hope this pointed you in his direction.

In John 5 we see Jesus fighting the religious leaders of the Jewish faith. In fact he is disobedient to THEIR LAWS and Customs. Jesus came to fulfill the law, but the Pharisees had added to it.

Anytime you see Jesus “breaking” jewish law in the Bible dig into it. You’ll see it’s never Jewish law. Instead their the laws that were added after Moses.

Some of them probably made sense, especially early on, but then they developed their own following and people forgot the main reason for the original law.

The law God setup.

This at its core is religion, and Jesus did come to stamp it out. John 5 should make you observer your heart and ask yourself. Have I been focused on the son? Or focused on a mission?

I’ll get into this more later. We should dig into the verses.

John 5:1-14 Jesus Heals A Lame Man

 Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. ² Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 

³ Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. ⁵ One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

⁷ “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

⁸ Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

⁹ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, ¹⁰ so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

¹¹ But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

¹² “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

¹³ The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. ¹⁴ But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Thoughts On This Section Of John 5

First off, you know that you’re stuck in your ways when a miraculous sign appears in front of you, and you complain about someone not following your rules.

This man had been lame for years, waiting by the pool for someone to come help him, and nobody did. That is until Jesus came walking by.

In society today the conversation is very big about change and making a difference. People post things on websites and feeds. This makes them feel like they’ve done something.

But does it really do anything?

You might say it raises awareness, but the algorithms will bring that to people who agree with you.

How To Really Make An Impact?

Be like Jesus, when you’re out, keep your eyes open. Most of the miracles in John 5 state that someone was sitting somewhere and Jesus came walking by.

Be active in your community sharing the love of Christ, and when you see a person in need, help them.

It all seems simple doesn’t it?

Notice I didn’t put any rules on that statement. Our goal as followers of Christ should be to help everyone that God brings into our lives.

I fail that a lot, and you probably do too. Keep going, that’s where grace and mercy come in.

The 2nd Thing I Noticed

In John 5 vs. 14 Jesus sees the guy again and calls him out. This may seem kinda harsh, but it’s got truth in it.

God may heal you on this planet. In fact I pray that he does. However, if you don’t stop sinning, something a lot worse will happen to you.

You’ll wind up in hell.

And that’s a whole lot worse. Jesus was blunt, and spoke the truth, he wasn’t religious. In fact he told the man to pick up his mat and walk. this happened on the sabbath and was contrary to Jewish tradition.

John 5:16-30; Jesus Claims To Be The Son Of God

¹⁶ So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. ¹⁷ But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” ¹⁸ So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

¹⁹ So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 

²¹ For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. ²² In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, ²³ so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

Honoring The Son Will Honor The Father

²⁴ “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

²⁵ “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. ²⁶ The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. 

²⁸ Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, ²⁹ and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. ³⁰ I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

My Thoughts On This

…there’s a lot to unwrap here.

In the beginning of these verses the seeds of murder started to grow in the pharisees hearts. This is after Jesus declares himself the Son of God.

He offended their tradition, and was overthrowing their power and beliefs.

This is the problems that stems from Religion. Instead of focusing on relationship with Jesus and reconnecting with God. People begin focusing on the rules, regulations, and rituals.

This doesn’t have to be religious either. Many people in America today are suffering from religious fervor in science, or social justice.

Many of these things are dangerous, because the rituals and feelings of superiority can blind you to the truth in front of you.

Rituals Will Blind You From The Truth

Take heart though, many of these people are misguided, and their passions just need to be refocused on something true.

Paul (Or Saul at the time) had a religious passion to save the Jewish faith. In the book of Acts he’s on his way to Damascus, and he’s going to imprison and kill Christians.

However on the way Jesus meets him, and transforms his life forever. This man wrote more books of the Bible than anyone else, and travelled the known world spreading the name and story of Jesus.

Don’t count the passion and fervor out. Passion is what drives people to do great things. However, it’s hard for regular people to change passionate people. Our job may be to pray, and let God guide us.

John 5:31-46 The Significance Of Witnesses

³¹ “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. ³² But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. ³³ In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. ³⁴ Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. 

³⁵ John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. ³⁶ But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, ³⁸ and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

Searching The Scriptures

³⁹ “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! ⁴⁰ Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

⁴¹ “Your approval means nothing to me, ⁴² because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. ⁴³ For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. ⁴⁴ No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.

⁴⁵ “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. ⁴⁶ If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

John 5; Rejecting Jesus, Is Rejecting God.

In the Jewish faith, there were laws about witnesses. One witness wasn’t enough. You needed two. Keep in mind I’m not a scholar, but I think Jesus is referring to this rule in the Jewish court system.

My favorite verse here is when Jesus says you search the scriptures for eternal life, but they’re pointing to me.

He’s stating that he’s right in front of them, and they don’t see it. I wrote another blog post on the topic of Jesus being the way, but it blows my mind that they were so caught up in themselves that they didn’t see him in front of them.

It reminds me of today. We live in a word that is falling too lawlessness. Evil people run free, and the truth varies depending on the person.

I’ll make this statement, there is not truth outside of Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. It’s why we need to study the Bible, and pray daily.

Also, remember, the Bible is NOT God, and should never be elevated towards the 4th member of the trinity. It’s a tool that you can use to help you on the path towards God.

My Thoughts On John 5

These are my thoughts on John 5. You may or may not agree with them, and that’s fine. What I do believe is that Jesus died for the world, and he rose again defeating sin and death.

In order to be with him for eternity, we need to:

1. Ask For Forgiveness
2. Believe God Raised Jesus From The Dead.
3. Understand That Jesus is The Son Of God
4. Change From Our Sinful Ways.

#4 is the forgotten one, but remember what Jesus said. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. The blood Jesus shed doesn’t give you free reign to sin. Instead it gives you grace and mercy to live your best life with him.

The life God has for you, is far better than the life you’ll experience without him. He created you, and placed every desire in your heart. This means he knows you better than you do.

Give him a chance, you’ll be suprised.

Let Me Know Your Thoughts Below. Don’t Forget To Subscribe To My Website To Receive Notifications Whenever I Post New Content

The Great Meaning Behind John 4, is that Jesus can connect with people no matter where he is. We start out the chapter in Samaria and Jesus meets a women that was despised by her own people. Then we move on and Jesus heals an officials son. Every time Jesus connects with people, that connection transforms the community around them.

When studying John 4, many people focus on topics like baptism, or racial tension between Jewish people and the Samaritans. While they’re great topics, I believe a more universal topic covers it.

Jesus wants to see you where you’re at, and it shows. At the well he speaks a woman that’s an outcast. He goes on to speak with an important official. It’s like he’s saying no matter who you are. I’ll listen to you.

Both people are transformed, and through their transformation whole towns are changed.

John 4: The Woman At The Well

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus States The Truth:

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

John 4:1-26 Breakdown:

As I sit here reading this story, the major thing I keep seeing is Jesus redirecting the samaritan women.

For example, after they talk about living water, she asks Jesus where they should be worshipping. Instead of answering her question, Jesus looks deeper into the meaning of her question.

In fact her question is an age old one. In following Jesus we get frustrated because our ministry isn’t as far along as another believers. Anger fills our heart because we are still struggling.

We’re constantly hit by a barrage of people saying this is what God has called us to do.

Verses 21-24 explain the answer to this. As christians we shouldn’t be focused on the latest piece of hype. Instead we should be focused on the spirit of God.

By focusing on the spirit of God, and worshiping him. We can develop a deeper connection to God. This gives us the ability to hear God, and live our lives with him.

Stop looking at the superficial things that people (including Christians) argue about.

Instead, focus on the 1 thing that matters. Worshiping God.

The Disciples Come Back:

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

John 4:27-38 Breakdown

You’re going to reap what you haven’t sown, and you will sow but you won’t reap. These are very profound words, and it speaks volumes to Christians today.

We don’t know when the seeds we’ve planted will sprout, however we can decide what seeds we plant.

When we walk in the love of Christ, we’re planting good seed. This seed will return a harvest many times greater than the 1 seed that was planted.

However, when we walk in our flesh. We’re planting seeds that cause destruction in the lives of others.

Make the right choice, and share the love of Jesus.

Many Samaritans Believe

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.

⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

When Jesus reached out to the Samaritan woman, it had ramifications on the entire town. The same goes for you and everyone in your life.

You don’t know what your actions will do for a person. What you do, can transform a life and make them into a better person, and that person can change the world.

This is what happened when Jesus stepped into the Samaritan woman life, it transformed her, and she told the entire town. Because Jesus reached out to her an entire village was transformed.

And she was the outcast.

Don’t sell yourself short, God has a plan and a mission for you. All you need to do is figure it out, and go for it. Don’t worry about failing, worry about not trying.

There are worse fates than failure.

John 4:43-54

After the two days he left for Galilee. ⁴⁴ (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ⁴⁵ When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

⁴⁶ Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

⁴⁸ “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

⁴⁹ The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

⁵⁰ “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. ⁵¹ While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. ⁵² When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

⁵³ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

⁵⁴ This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

John 4: Jesus And The Officials Son

In the final part of John 4, we hear about an officials sick son. We don’t know from the verse what ailment he had, but if you read into it. You can tell the father was worried about his boy.

In fact the worry was so great that he reached out to Jesus begging him to come before his child dies.

I love the way Jesus does things, instead of what he usually does (going to the sick person) Jesus makes a quick and simple statement in Verse 50.

Because of this simple act of compassion the officials son lived, and the entire house believed.

What acts of compassion are you going to do today? Are you prepared to be compassionate? Is your heart ready to be compassionate?

As Christians, we need to get better at hearing the voice of God. If we can’t hear the voice of God, what good are we?

I for one don’t like it when I can’t hear him, I have no direction, no drive, and don’t wanna get out of bed in the morning.

However, when I do hear him, there’s a power that I’m connected with, and that power will change lives. Make sure you’re connected, because you’ll show others how Jesus can transform their lives.

John 3 Is A Synopsis Of The Christian Faith. God Sent His Son Jesus To Save Us. So We Can See The Kingdom Of God And Live With Him. In Addition To That, By Stating That God Loved The World So Much, That Jesus Was Sent To Save It. He Gave Us A Small Glimpse Into The Mindset And Character of God.

The second part of John 3, is about John the Baptist. Here we see his heart for God, and what his focus is.

In fact if you read verse 30, you’ll see a famous sentence.

“He must increase, and I must decrease.”

John 3:30 – John the Baptist – Bible

John 3: 1-21 Meeting Nicodemus

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. ² After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

³ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

⁴ “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

⁵ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. ⁷ So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

Nicodemus Was A Teacher Of Jewish Law

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹¹ I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. ¹² But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

¹⁸ “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰ All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. ²¹ But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

My Thoughts On John 3:

Nicodemus was a teacher of Jewish law, part of a sect of Pharisees, and came to see Jesus at night.

To me this means he saw something in Jesus, and Vs 2 shows evidence of that. As a teacher of the law, Nicodemus would have been versed in old testament prophecy, and recognized Jesus for who he was.

the Son Of God.

However knowing who Jesus is, and proclaiming it to everyone else are two different things. Hence the reason he came by night to learn.

Eventually Nicodemus overcame his fear, and when (Spoiler Alert) Jesus dies on the cross, he and Joseph of Arimathea will collect his body, and prepare it for burial.

What Personally Stands Out To Me In These Verses?

1. As long as I’m focused on Jesus, and try to learn. He’ll take the time to speak with me.
2. He loves everyone, and came for everyone. Even if the world doesn’t love him. He still died for them. So I should love the word in the same way.
3. Even leaders can be led astray. While having teachers and mentors is a good thing. I shouldn’t only rely on them for spiritual growth.
4. Vs. 18. There is no judgment against me. As long as I believe in Jesus.

I love this verse, because it states what I want to believe. That the blood of Jesus covers all things. And the grace of God is rampant and plentiful. The two things we lack in the church today. Is a heavy dose of repentance and grace.

Although I’m pretty sure that’s describing the church throughout history.

John 3: Jesus And John the Baptist

In the second halve of this chapter John the Baptist makes a reappearance. My title of this part says, “John the Baptist exalts Jesus.” It’s not to far off of a title either.

We see how humble John is during these few pages, and he is telling everyone to expect great things from Jesus. Essentially, he’s stating that Jesus is the messiah. The one they’ve been waiting for has come.

John 3: 22-36

²² Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.

²³ At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. ²⁴ (This was before John was thrown into prison.) ²⁵ A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. ²⁶ So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”

John the Baptist Replies:

²⁷ John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ ²⁹ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. ³⁰ He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

³¹ “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. ³² He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! ³³ Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. ³⁴ For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. ³⁶ And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

John 3: 22-36 Breakdown

A couple of things stand out to me while reading these verses.

1. John the Baptist continued to do what God had called him to do. Even when he saw the person he was preparing the way for.
2. He acknowledges that every good thing comes from God. When the time comes, he’ll be standing to the side grinning like a best man.
3. John is extremely humble, and knows that people need Jesus not him. Vs. 30 speaks that the best.

John Was Focused

Persistence is important in life. Seldom does anything happen when it’s planned. However when John saw the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus. I’m pretty sure he felt joy, relief, and completion.

The one he was preparing the way for did exist, and had finally arrived. Think of all the dreams you’ve had in your life. When they came to fruition, how did you feel?

John 3:27 Every Good Thing Comes From God

This verse is something I have trouble with. I like to believe that I made somethings happen. It all came from my strength, wisdom, and general knowledge.

However that isn’t true, because I have breath because of Christ. All my strength and knowledge comes from him.

Every good thing comes from him, and are blessings that he has poured onto us. He does this because he loves us, and wants us to know him.

Be Humble:

In John 3, we see how humble John the Baptist is. Much of it comes from his focus, but he won’t take credit for anything. Instead he continues to say he isn’t worthy, and he’ll be standing off to the side grinning. Just like a best man at a wedding.

He sees a big part of the picture here. In his heart he understands that he’s got a part to play. The part is tough but he was made for it, and he knows Jesus is who he hands everything off too.

Makes you look at yourself and wonder doesn’t it? But remember we are all works in progress. God has a plan, and we need to walk through life with him.

The Meaning Of John 3

the meaning of John chapter 3 is pretty simple. Jesus has come to earth because he loves us. Every human is born of water, but not every human is born of the spirit.

Every person can be, but they have to accept Jesus into their life.

What Does It Mean To Be Born Again?

Being born again means that you’ve given your life to Jesus. It means you’ve chosen to weave your life with him. When you surrender your heart to Jesus it doesn’t mean life will be easy.

In many ways it’ll be more difficult. However when you let everything go, and decide to be a follower of him. You’ll never have to face things in life alone. he will always be with you, and never abandon you.

He does this because he loves you, and if you doubt that. Understand that he came and died so you could get to know him. without his death and resurrection, none of that is possible.

How To Become Born Again?

You just need to ask him. Find a place to pray, and Say.

“Jesus, I’m sorry that I’ve sinned against you and God. I want to know you, and I want you in my live. Please forgive me for my sins and help me to walk with you. Thank you for dying for me, and rising again. Your are the son of God.”

The best way to learn about Jesus, is praying everyday, and reading the Bible. The more you pray, the Bible will come alive to you. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Jesus was 30 years old when he performed his first miracle while attending a wedding in Cana. John 2 describes the wine running out, and Mary the mother of Jesus turned to him. Shortly afterwards, he turned water into wine.

I love this story, because it shows Jesus love for his mother, and the people around him. He saved a wedding from falling apart, how cool is that?

The story contains obedience and respect for his mother. Transforming water to wine, and eventually Jesus goes into the temple with a whip, tearing the place apart.

John 2; The Wedding At Cana

2 The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

⁵ But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, ⁸ he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

⁹ When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. ¹⁰ “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

¹¹ This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

John 2; Wedding Breakdown

Whenever someone reads this chapter, similar questions start to pop up.

• Who Is The Bridegroom In The Wedding?
• What’s The Brides Name?
• Why Was Jesus Rude To His Mother?
• How Did Jesus Perform This Miracle?

The Bride And Bridegroom:

the Bible isn’t clear on who the bride and bridegroom are in the wedding. However one can assume they were people that Jesus new well. Most likely they were relatives or grew up in the same village.

Why else would Jesus, his mom, and his disciples attend their wedding?

Was Jesus Rude To His Mother?

⁴ “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

Jesus John 2:4

Some people will look at this and see Jesus as a rebellious son who doesn’t want to act, and I personally don’t see that.

Keep in mind Jesus should be around 30 during this time.

Jewish tradition says his father was dead. (probably would’ve been in his 70s.

I view the phrase dear woman as being a term of honor from another culture. For example, my mom is Estonian and in Estonian culture we have a term called Vanaema.

While many people will tell you it translates to Grandma, the literal translation is ‘Old Mom.’ But that’s a term of endearment in that culture. Or at the very least in my family.

A phrase can be offensive, and endearing in two different cultures.

It Wasn’t His Time Quite Yet:

I’m still puzzled by this comment, in John 2 verse 4 he tells his mom that it isn’t his time yet.

Isn’t it just like a mom to push their child into their destiny early?

John 2: Jesus Clears The Temple

¹³ It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. ¹⁶ Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

¹⁷ Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”^[c]

¹⁸ But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

¹⁹ “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

²⁰ “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” ²¹ But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

He Made A Whip, And Used It

I’m not gonna lie, what I’m about to say will be slightly controversial. Take it with a grain of salt, ponder it yourself, and see what God tells you.

My whole life I’ve been taught in church and Sunday school that God wants me to be quite and turn the other cheek. Fighting back was something that was looked down upon, and we always had to leave everything up to God.

But what if we’re meant to turn the other cheek sometimes, and others we are meant to fight? I believe this group of verses in John 2 are showing us a side of Jesus that we rarely get to see.

He was angry, and ye he did not sin. Anger isn’t a sin, it’s an emotion. What you do with that anger makes it a sin.

Somehow, and for some reason Jesus made a whip, ran into the temple and tore the place apart.

Why Did This Happen?

My thought process on this stems from what was happening. The priests and sales people were breaking Gods laws. In the words of Jesus they’d made his fathers house into a den of thieves.

This tells me, that sitting still is not an option. There are times we need to stand and fight. This doesn’t mean joining any cause, we should know what were are signing onto, and who we are following.

My Thoughts On This Chapter:

We don’t get to read a lot about the interactions between Jesus and his mother. John 2 gives us a short glimpse into their relationship. Jesus was the oldest son, and therefore required by Jewish law to care for his mother.

When she asked him to do something, he went and did it. It’s obvious he loved and respected his mother.

1st Miracle:

As far as 1st miracles go, that would be a smash hit whatever time period he was in. The wedding was probably huge, and news of what he did spread far and wide after that.

If he could do that with water, could he heal people too? I’m pretty sure that question was asked.

The Temple:

Jesus was angry and he did what he had to do. the Bible doesn’t record any deaths or thefts. Instead it shows that he drove the thieves from the temple, reminding them of their duty.

In Conclusion:

Jesus came to die for us, and set the world straight. Whatever you’re striving for and whatever you’ve achieved. It’s nothing without him in your life.

Rust And moths destroy all, and eventually we all die. Surrender to Jesus today, let him into your heart and ask him to live life with you.

1. Confess With Your Mouth That He Is Lord
2. Believe That God Raised Him From The Dead.

Then, live your life. It won’t be easy, but now you’ll have someone to lean on.

The Opening Versses Of John 1 Is Creating A Description Of Jesus. The Word In VS. 1 Uses The Word Logos To Describe Him. Logos Means Word, Thought, Principle Or Speech In Greek.

There’s also an active element to the word logos. It means he was active in creation, and the word logos ties into many different aspects of the Old Testament as well.

Matthew, Mark, And Luke are all great books, and they give great insight into Jesus. However in John 1, we see a different path, and that path goes towards proving Jesus Divinity.

What Is The Meaning Of John Chapter 1?

This is what we’re going to focus on. I can’t say I’ll be right, but I have been praying and reading this chapter of the Bible for awhile, and I’m prepared to write my thoughts about it.

I’m not a greek scholar, I’m just a person who’s saved by Jesus, and wants to show the world how much he loves them.

Keep in mind I’ll be putting the words of the Bible in italics, this is so people don’t misconstrue my thoughts with the Bible.

These are my thoughts, and things I wonder as I read the John 1. While they could be wrong, let me state that Jesus Christ is my lord and savior and I believe he died and rose again 3 days later, everything else is semantics.

He now stands at the right hand of God, interceding for you and me.

My hope and prayer is that this will point you to God, and helps you get closer to him.

John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh

1, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

John 1:1-5

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John 1:6-8

John the Baptist Was Sent To Testify

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:9-13

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:15-18

After reading through this, a few questions come to my mind.

• Why Is Jesus Called The Word?
• What Does the Bible Mean By Saying, “In the beginning was the word?”
• Why Is Jesus Called The Word?

What Is The Word In John 1?

The word John is referring to is Jesus. As you read through to verse 15, you’ll see what he’s referring too. In addition to that, he’s making a direct correlation between God and Jesus.

Keep in mind this was a dangerous thing to do at the time in the Jewish faith. Christians were persecuted and killed. Yet for some reason in John 1, he places this at the introduction of his book. Where everyone can read it.

John 1:1-15 Correlations:

The Word=Life=Light

These 3 words are prevalent in the first 15 verses of John 1. Also, these words tend to pop up in other books of the Bible.

Depending on the translation you’re using, the word light can appear between 90 and 180 times in the Bible. While some other words pop up more often. I still think the word light is extremely relevant.

The Word:

These are written as a progression, and it starts in the first 15 verses. This is when it proclaims that He is the word. In my viewpoint, it’s stating that he’s the voice of God. Remember the time period, prior to this we only had the Torah and other books of the prophets to speak to us.

Now God came down and literally used his voice to tell us about himself. Furthermore, when he spoke, he was starting his plan, putting it all into motion? This is the word that Jesus was, he was the Son Of God, and the mouthpiece of God.

If you’re doubting reach John 5: 19-41.

Life:

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Have you ever thought about our world? It doesn’t seem right, and it seems pointless at times. It’s almost like we’re missing life. If you’re hones and look around with unclouded eyes. You’ll see people striving everyday, for things they can’t keep.

In fact it seems like hell to me, and I think many people are waking up to that fact.

Where does this lack come from? A good portion of it comes from the fall of man. In Genesis 3:17-19, God speaks to Adam about it.

When we sinned we lost a chunk of our life. Prior to the fall, our planet provided for us, and now we have to sweat and toil for our lives. I’m not saying our lives would be laying around naked eating fruit if we hadn’t sinned. However, I am stating that if we hadn’t things would’ve been drastically different.

While we may not know it or speak it out loud. Inside my heart, I’m confident that we can sense it. In John 10:10 Jesus states that he came to give us life and that we might have it to the full.

The Light:

I wondered for a while if I should connect the life and the light paragraphs, they do give off a cause/effect feel. However, I think they are both distinct characteristics of Christ.

When Jesus came down he brought new life to man, and when this life was brought. It became our light against the darkness.

Many times in the Bible there is a description of light and darkness. In Psalm 119:105 it’s stated that the word of God is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

I also believe the sun is a symbol of the son, don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating sun worship. I’m saying the sun gives us light, and gives us heat and energy.

Even more so does that come from God, and his son Jesus. It’s a physical type of the spiritual realm.

John 1:19-28 The Messengers Testimony

The Testimony

John the Baptist was the precursor to Jesus, he was sent as a messenger and was the one who came and prepared the way for Jesus coming to earth. Also as a fun fact, he was Jesus’ cousin, and not that much older than him.

The religious leaders and scholars at the time were looking for the wrong man. In their mind, the messiah was supposed to come and rid them of Roman occupation. Furthermore, they wanted power and wanted to hold onto whatever power they had.

While not all of them were bad (Think Nicodemus) much of the system was corrupt. This made a lot of the religious leaders short-sighted, arrogant, and fearful of change.

Jesus didn’t come to earth so people could live comfortable lives. Instead, he came to transform our thought processes, and build a bridge.

His goal was to restore man’s place in the presence of God, and he did so because he loves us, and wanted us back in communion with him. All this happened while the religious leaders worried about the physical world, material possessions, and power.

This is the word that Jesus was born into, and when the people asked John if he was the one they were looking for. His response was correct. He wasn’t the one they were looking for. Instead, he was the one who was sent to prepare the way.

They were looking for a battle chief, a general, and what they got was a baby in a manger, who later became a sacrificial lamb.

John 1:29-32 Jesus The Lamb Of God

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ ³¹ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

³² Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. ³³ I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

John 1:29-34

The Lamb Of God

Here is where John states Who Jesus is, and how God shared with him how he’d know. In the book of Mark what happened to John and Jesus during the baptism is described a bit more. Check out the link to read the whole story.

God built up the ministry of John to transform the people of Israel. He wanted to change their hearts and get them ready for the coming Messiah. While people were waiting for the messiah, they had the wrong idea of what he was coming to do.

This happens to a lot of us in life. We believe God is going to act in a certain way. So we strive after our thoughts and beliefs. While this happens, a longing in our hearts grows and intensifies. Then a huge let down happens. And when everything is said and done disappointment sets in, totally destroying who we believe in.

In my own life this has happened often, but I wonder how much pain this caused them.

This is why we should focus on Christ, and not things on this earth. Yes work your job, pay your bills, raise your family. but we need to stop clinging to things and beliefs that aren’t part of what God Is leading us to do.

That cause might be good, but is it where God wants you to be? Think about that for a second.

John 1:35-50 Disciples Assemble.

³⁵ The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

John 1:35-39

Knowing The Real Jesus Will Force You To Share Him

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. ⁴¹ Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

⁴² Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” ⁴⁴ Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

⁴⁵ Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

⁴⁷ As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

⁵⁰ Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” ⁵¹ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

John 1:40-51

The Disciples Assemble:

I’m pretty sure a biblical scholar would be able to tear these verses apart in Greek. I’m not that type of person, and I really don’t have a desire to be.

Instead I always views these verse like it’s the start of a movie. Here we have Jesus getting ready to start his earthly ministry. However he needs some people with him. In the end Jesus knows that he’s going to leave this earth. However to keep the message going he has to teach/train others.

This is the message Jesus gives us in the beginning of Acts when he goes up to heaven.

he’s forming his team meticulously and planning what he needs to do. I don’t think he ran into people and decided what to do. In fact, later in the book of John, it states that he knew their hearts and would not let them have power over them.

What does All This Mean For You, And Me?

I think there’s quite a bit to unpack from John 1. Most of it is pretty straightforward.

• Jesus Is The Son Of God
• He’s The Way To Heaven.
• John the Baptist Gave His Testimony About It
• Jesus Gathered A Team To Teach And Train His Earthly Ministry
• He Was The Word
• The Life
• And The Light Of Men

This 1st chapter of John sets the stage for the rest of the book. In the book he proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God and shows why that statement is true. Furthermore he shows us how much Jesus loves each and every one of us, and how we must transform our lives to be more like him.

In Conclusion:

I’ve spent a week reading this chapter and meditating on it. The reason I did this was to give you my thoughts and write about what God was telling me through these verses. My prayer is that is changes your life, and touches your soul. In addition I hope that you find a place for Jesus in your heart. He truly loves you.

Keep in mind that his love isn’t dependent on anything you’ve done or can do. He loves you because you’re his creation, and everything he went through in the Bible, was because of his love for you, and for me.

Jesus is the truth, and he is the way. Allow him into your life. To Read More Check Out All Of My Posts Here.

The Bible says a lot about faithfulness and endurance. Luke 16:10 is a prime example of being faithful with little, to be trusted with much.

Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much.

Luke 16:10 – Bible

Back in January of 2019, I felt God speak to me, and he made it pretty obvious. Everything I was working on, blog posts, websites, books. It was all part of a long game that I was playing. He said that I was planting seed and it would be awhile before I would see any of it come to fruition.

That was 9 months ago, and I still got nothing.

I’ve always been an impatient person, and the last 9 months have been an awful experience. I keep falling, but every time I get up, wipe the dust off my knees and continue on.

I’ve gotten into a bad habit when I have a dream. I grab onto it and I WILL NOT let it go. Sometimes you have to relax the grip and realize it’s not going to happen under your own power.

That’s not to say it won’t happen. You have a duty to work on the little things, and God will make the big ones happen.

You aren’t responsible for making the dream happen. You’re only responsible for the little steps on the way. The steps make the dream happen.

What Is The Definition Of Faithfulness?

Faithfulness is defined as lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships. Especially in marriage and friendship. (Dictionary.Com)

When you’re faithful you’ll be true to your commitments and word, another good way to say faithful is reliable, and always there to serve.

But being faithful is a difficult choice, it isn’t easy to stick to your guns and keep going. To be faithful, make sure you know what you’re being faithful too, and if it’s worthy of the time God has given you. Go after it. If not, cut it loose.

Luke 16:10 How To Stay Faithful?

• Have Passion For Your Commitments.
• Tell Those Around You What You’re Committing Too
• Let Them Know When You’re Tempted To Walk Away From It All.
• Know your vices and triggers. Make A Plan To Avoid Them.
• Pray and Read Your Bible

Have Passion For Your Commitments.

I’ve tried 7-8 different types of businesses in the last few years. The only ones to survive are the ones I’m interested in and have a passion for. I love writing about healing with ESterling. In addition to that I love writing about Snowboarding. This is one of the reasons I started SnoFallGear. I’m passionate about snowboarding and talk about it more than I probably should.

When you’re passionate about something, it isn’t work. It’s a labor of love. I know that sounds cliched, but it’s very true.

This goes to show in all factors of life. If you’re not passionate about that girl, don’t ask her out, and don’t marry her. If you don’t have a love for your job, find a new one.

In The United States Of America where we can make free choices, why are we all enslaved?

Tell Those Around You What You’re Committing Too.

We all need personal accountability, and while it may suck to tell others what you’re doing. The benefits far outweigh the awkwardness of it. When you tell others whether it’s a friend or spouse. It brings them into your dreams. Then when something great happens, you’ll wanna share it, and likewise if things fall apart, they’ll be the shoulder to cry on.

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:10

We were made to be in community with each other. Not this fake social media lifestyle we have fallen into. Your Facebook friends aren’t real friends.

Currently I have over 900 friends on Facebook, but how many of them do I interact with daily? A small fraction of them.

It’s more like 900 connections, but almost none of them really know who I am.

We want to be known, and when others know you, it’ll propel you into being faithful. Because you’ll have the support to do great things.

Luke 16:10 Being Faithful?

Being faithful means sticking by someones side, it means following your word. You can’t be faithful without having integrity, and that is an awesome trait to have, but an easy trait to lose.

Being Faithful can be simple, here’s some easy ways to start:

• You Keep Your Word
• Pay Your Debts
• Honor Your Parents
• Help Those In Need
• Volunteer and show up on time.

Luke 16:10 Being Faithful With Little?

In our society we can buy anything we want with a few clicks. This happens quickly while we’re on the couch wearing no pants. Most Americans don’t understand the concept of waiting and I believe it directly relates to this.

Being Faithful takes time, it’s a continual decision that isn’t based on feeling. It’s based on your word. If you committed then you need to accomplish it.

The more I think about this, the more I blame the industrial revolution. Don’t get me wrong, I love machines and modern technology, but we’ve lost something important when we automated things.

Once upon a time, there was a lot of farms, and this was how people survived. If the season was bad, people could die of starvation. With stakes that high, I sorta wonder if people could get impatient.

When a farmer plants seed it takes quite awhile before he/she sees anything come from it. It might be weeks before they see a leaf or stem pop out of the ground. After that it’s still months until harvest. (The Basics Of Farming)

A lot of times we’re trying to be faithful and we are fighting hard. Then we see a little sliver of grass, and hope explodes inside our heart. So we start to slack off, and this is detrimental to our cause.

The farmer doesn’t slack off. He knows that he has to have patience. The farmer will continue to water, fertilize, and pray for sunlight. While most people take their ease, the farmer gears up for round two.

We need to prepare for the next round.

Luke 16:10 Faithfulness In Construction

It’s the same scenario when you’re building a house. There’s a lot of little things that need to be taken care of before moving in. A house needs a foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical and drywall.

There’s a lot of pieces I left of the quick list above. (Flooring etc.)

The same goes for your dreams, there’s a lot of moving parts and your job isn’t to worry about the dream as much as the little things. The little things are the steps that guide you on the path to the big things, and without them, you’re lost.

Be Faithful In The Little Things

I know someone is going to read this and quote the Bible verse; “God will provide for me according to his riches in glory.” (Philippians 4:19) That is true, but you also reap what you sow (Luke 19:22), and if you aren’t being a good steward of what God has bestowed upon you. You’ll be up a creek, and there will probably be bears on each side of it.

God doesn’t want to hand you everything, he wants you to grow up and build your life, while he works along side you. He’s given you skills, talents, and abilities. When you surrender to him, and use the abilities that he’s given you. It’s the truest form of worship because you are the person he created you to be. His creation is doing what he made it to do.

It’s beautiful and poetic.

What Does It Mean To Be Faithful In the Bible?

• the Bible says a lot about being faithful. I read there was over 100 verse on faithfulness inside those pages.
• Abraham was faithful when God called him to leave UR and didn’t tell him where they were going.
• David was faithful when God anointed him as Israels next King. Then King Saul Pursued him. Trying to have hime killed.
• The disciples were faithful until Jesus was arrested. They fled that night, but eventually they learned what faithfulness was all about. Because11 out of the 12 were killed for their faith. (John was the only one to die of natural causes, but his life was one of faithfulness)

These are just a handful of people who stayed faithful in their circumstances. Stay focused in yours.

Being Faithful Helps Your Focus.

Last but not least, being faithful helps me focus. It’s a routine, and keeps my eyes on the prize.

I hope you like this post, don’t forget to subscribe below to get my latest posts immediately when they’re published.

1 Corinthians 13 is a chapter in the Bible, and its nickname is the ‘love chapter.’ I think most people would agree with me when I say it’s the most quoted chapter in the Bible at weddings. This is due to its great definition of love, but I feel like we’re missing something deeper when we quote it nonchalantly and don’t dig into the meaning.

I’ve read through 1 Corinthians 13 countless times, and every time I’m struck by how selfless love is supposed to be. As a people and culture, we need to take 1 Corinthians 13 to heart, and love one another.

The selflessness of love can be defined by Jesus’ life. He is the Son of God, and he didn’t have to come to earth. Why did Jesus come? He loved us all and wanted to get us away from the danger. Love is what drove him, and love is what should drive us as Christians.

1 Corinthians 13; The Love Chapter

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13 1-13

Faith, Hope, And Love, Are Powerful Traits.

If you’ve watched the news recently you’ve noticed we live in a world of chaos. People talk about our political system being in an uproar, but I see it as the tip of the iceberg. The truth is that society is lacking faith hope and love.

When selfishness ambition is on the rise, and personal gratification is an obsession, where can people really turn?

For me, I listen to Jesus and read the Bible. God has always directed and guided me on this path. I know for some people that’s a painful direction to take. Mostly because there are a lot of people claiming to be followers of Chris and they have hurt many people, both physically and mentally. I won’t deny that.

However, you may have noticed that I said they claim to be a follower of Christ. Being a follower of Christ comes with certain rules and obligations. The term ‘Christian’ actually means Christ-like.

What Is Jesus Like?

If you read the Bible, especially the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You’ll see Jesus as a compassionate and loving person. He’s the one who confronts the rulers and breaks the status quo. He fights against the issues of society, giving faith and hopes to the masses.

Jesus was a rebel, and for that reason the high priests had him executed. However it was all part of God’s plan, Jesus was raised back to life and seen by over 3000 people afterward. This is proven historically through many witnesses.

Jesus came and died for all mankind. I’ve written a blog about why Jesus came to earth. Feel free to check it out.

1 Corinthians 13 – What Is Faith?

Faith in Jesus is a foundation that Christians need to build their lives on. Without Christ being raised from the dead, our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:14). Faith is the belief that in something intangible. Faith can’t be proven, except through something miraculous. 1 Corinthians 13 shows us the foundation of everything in our faith.

A Biblical Definition Of Faith:

Now Faith Is Confidence In What We Hope For And Assurance About What We Do Not See.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith is believing in what God said he’d do. Even when there’s no evidence that anything is happening. Think of all the bible stories where God promised something, but the person he made a promise with, goes into some sort of trial or tribulation.

For example:

• The People of Israel wandered the desert for 40 years.
• The Israelites spent around 400 years in Egypt as slaves

For both of these incidents, God had already promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. Let us look at some individuals.

• David was promised that he’d be king, then was chased and almost murdered for years.
• Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal and almost lost his life.
• The disciples watched as Jesus was arrested, thinking he was bringing the kingdom of heaven about in their way.

Another issue we have with faith comes from our misplacement of it. Sometimes God will make a promise, but we add/takeaway or misinterpret what God says.

When you have faith in God, you need to remember that faith in him always covers his character. Remember what he said, and stick to that. If you’re having issues with your faith. Check out my post on losing your faith.

It’s hard not to add things, I do it too.

1 Corinthians 13 – What Is Hope?

What do you hope for? Are you sick of this life and wonder why God created you? There is a difference between faith and hope. They are not the same, but they are definitely connected.

Here’s a good biblical definition of hope:

Biblical Hope Is A Strong And Confident Expectation.

This means that hope isn’t wishing as we talk about today. Instead, hope is knowing and believing that something is going to happen or exist.

I know where my hope lies, and I pray every day that it would be strengthened in all of us.

1 Corinthians 13 – Love

Love is the glue that holds everything together, and it’s what connects us to God as well. the Bible even states;

For God So Loved The World That He Gave His Only Son, That Whosoever Believes In Him Will Not Perish, But Have Eternal Life.

John 3:16

That Verse right there is telling us that God loved us, and it was a love so great that he sent Jesus to die. Have you ever loved someone that much? I doubt it. Sometimes I wonder if we could even have that much of a loving capacity. The best part about that, it doesn’t matter. When Jesus is living inside of us we have the source.

If God is love, then he’s the source of all love. Without God, we can have no love, but it also makes sense why he loves all of us. He’s the source.

The Greatest Of These Is Love

Love is the greatest thing because you won’t have hope or faith without it. The whole chapter goes on to say without love, life is meaningless. I don’t wanna live a pointless life. I want to thrive and I want to love everyone around me. When I die, the people around me should say that I was full of love.

Though I do all these great things, it means nothing if I don’t have love. Were truer words ever spoken? If you think about it, all the things Jesus did make sense in the light of love. For example:

• Jarius’s daughter: He was moved by compassion.
• The woman at the well. he traveled somewhere forbidden to show someone they were accepted.
• He healed countless people of countless ailments, because of his great love.

If we are Christians, they should know us because of our love for one another, and not only that. They should know us by our love for others as well.

Right now in the world, we have politicians throwing bible verses around. Claiming that Jesus would do this, or he’d do that. Jesus wasn’t someone who followed the status quo, he was a rebel and had his own way of doing things. Whatever people are saying, I’m pretty sure Jesus would do something completely different, but it would have a greater impact than anything else.

What impact are you making? Do you know Jesus? Give your life to him today and transform your soul.,

Psalm 121 is a chapter in the Bible that’s dear to my heart. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve been in tears quoting the verse to myself. In my life, I’ve lived through a heavy depression, fear, and loneliness. But through it all, I’ve learned that God is my hope. There’s been a few times that he seemed far away. However, whenever I’ve read this verse, it’s helped me remember that he’s on the way.

Psalm 121:1 When You’re Weak And Weary

I want you to think back to a time you were worn out, and exhaustion had finally hit you. You might be lonely, scared, and you probably don’t know where to go. In every fiber of your being, you know God will come through for you, and so you wait.

But God doesn’t show up, and a realization hits you. He isn’t coming through.

You look to the hills hoping and praying to see him coming to the rescue, but all you see is skeletons, dead trees, and dust blowing.

So What Happened?

I don’t know your situation, but I do know God is coming. He will bring help. It might not be what you expected or even what you wanted, but he is coming.

• Go back to that situation in you mind, did you lose hope?
• Were you angry?
• Is your anger directed at God?
• Do you feel let down?

When you look your eyes to the hills ask yourself the same question the Psalmist asked.

Where Does My Help Come From?

Psalm 121:1 (B)

I’ll tell you the truth when I say God hasn’t let you down, and he’s on the way right now to help. Keep looking, keep praying, and keep fighting. You don’t know when your deliverer will come, but you don’t want him to show up when you’ve surrendered.

That’s just rude.

Psalm 121 Verse 4 Will God Keep His Word?

This is a struggle we all have when we’re thinking about God. Will he actually keep his word? How can we even trust God? For me, I’ve been in the situation where he’s all I’ve had, and nothing else was going to save me.

Time and time again, he’s come through for me, and it’s never unfolded the way I’ve thought it would. A few years ago I needed money for a missions trip, and I had no way of raising it. So I prayed and out of the blue, a man gave me a check. It covered the whole thing.

If My God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Why do you doubt, and believe he won’t provide for his children?

Why Do We Doubt God?

I don’t think we doubt God as much as we doubt ourselves. We don’t find ourselves worthy of his love and think God is angry with our sin. In reality, God is calling us near to him, and saying he loves us. Why would he send Jesus to die and then shun us? That makes no sense at all.

If you’re in a hopeless fight, why not trust God, if he fails you (which he won’t) you’ll be in the same spot. However, if he succeeds and delivers you. Well, that’s a story you can share, and it’ll be pretty epic.

Trust God, He’s got your back and loves you.

Psalm 121 Vs.3 Stop Worrying. God Will Watch Over You

Do you constantly try to make sure everything is perfect? Are you always trying to get your ducks in a row? Most of the time that is admirable, but there’s a line between being orderly, and being obsessive.

Sometimes, you need to let go, and let God be God.

Years ago I was searching for a new job. I had 6 weeks’ salary left and no prospects. I’d been interviewing for 6 months straight and had a lot of letdowns. However, I kept going. I looked for God in every opportunity (the hills) and continued asking him for guidance.

Finally, right before I ran out of money, I was blessed with a job. It was the exact job I wanted, with the salary I needed. I had a few other offers come in, but I knew that I’d be miserable, and the jobs wouldn’t have worked well for me.

The timing was long, and it took forever to get the job (about 6 weeks), and on the first interview, I knew I’d get the position. It just felt right.

Worrying Doesn’t Help You Move Forward

And Which of You by being anxious can add a day to your life?

Matthew 6:27

It’s been said that worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it won’t get you anywhere. It took me years to realize how true that statement was.

If God is in control, and he’s watching over you. What are you afraid of? Stuff can still happen, and you might not like it, but if he’s in control. Won’t he make all things work together for good?

Let go of your worry, and trust in God.

Psalm 121 Vs.4 He Will Keep Watch

This is a partnership, you trust in God, and God keeps watch. Trusting in him can be difficult. Keeping watch isn’t. He’s God right? Who can sneak up on God?

If you’re in a major trial or a situation you can’t get out of, ask God to keep watch for you. In those times when you’re weak and weary. You need to rest. Ask God to take the watch, trust in him, and take a break. Believe in him to honor his word and keep you safe.

He does love you after all.

Psalm 121 Vs. 5-7 The Lord Will Protect You

I’m scared the title of this paragraph could be misconstrued. The Lord will protect you, but bad stuff might still happen. Giving your life to Jesus never means your life will be Rosy. If anything it gets worse. The difference is that God is with you, fighting alongside and walking with you.

You don’t have to be alone anymore.

Someday, You’ll See How He Protected You

A lot of times you won’t understand what is happening during a situation. Most times you won’t understand afterward either. However, there are a few times where God will open up the heavens, and show you what he did. Those times are epic, and they’re amazing.

In my life, God has done that a few times. Each and every time it’s blown my mind, and it was during a time I doubted him. Most of the time I just finished yelling at God about something and then everything is revealed.

After that, I usually feel like a spoiled brat whose parents have just given them a spanking.

Psalm 121 Vs. 8 The Lord Will Be With You Always, Directing Your Steps

Just like I wrote above, when you accept Jesus into your heart, he walks alongside you in life. You don’t have to worry anymore. He is with you through every trial and tribulation.

Jesus loves you, and he gave his life for you. Why would he throw you to the wolves or let you down? That isn’t in his nature or his character.

The lord will direct your steps.

My Favorite Themes In Psalm 121:

I love the analogy portrayed in this chapter. In my mind I picture a soldier who’s weary from battle, he’s surrounded by enemies and he’s extremely tired, and weary. As the battle is slowly lost, he looks his eyes past his enemy and sees the hills beyond them.

He catches a glint of sunlight off a shield, and the lord and his army come riding into the valley.

Victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.

What Is The Meaning Behind Psalm 121?

The main theme or meaning behind the verse is that God has your back. Keep looking and placing your trust in him, because he will keep his word and protect you.

Now, this doesn’t mean you’ll never have an issue, it just means you’ve got someone who helps you through the junk of life.

Thank You So Much For Reading My Latest Blog Posts Don’t Forget To Subscribe Below As I Post New Content Weekly.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “I am the Way, The Truth, And The Life.” It comes from a portion of scripture with an address of John 14:6. Sometimes Jesus said some confusing things, but when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the truth.

^{6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.}

John 14:6

The reason I said Jesus was confusing sometimes, is because of our perspective. Jesus came down to earth from Heaven. Because of that his mindset (and that he was/is the Son of God) he had a different perspective. He saw things as they were, but also as they should be. He didn’t only see the physical world, instead, he saw the physical and the spiritual world together.

When I was younger I thought Jesus was being harsh when he said those words, or he sounded full of himself. Think about it, who is he to say that he’s the only way and nobody will see God unless they come through him?

I mean really?

The World Through The Eyes Of God John 3:15-17

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16-17

In the Bible, these are Jesus’ words. Both quotes are from the book of John. It’s a few chapters earlier. The meaning is the same, it’s stating that God loved the world so much that he sent us Jesus. What was wrong in the world? Well, it’s broken and full of pain. This is probably the same situation we find ourselves in today.

What Is The World Like?

But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

2nd Timothy 3

Doesn’t that sound familiar?

I don’t think human nature has changed much in the last few thousand years. We lie, cheat, steal, hate, and murder, and there haven’t been a lot of people with the power to change it. Some old religious leaders and philosophers have tried, but it’s undeniable that Jesus has made the greatest impact of anyone.

The World Is Full Of Pain

The world today is full of pain, and heartache, it’s like a shadow of the world is supposed to be. Those of us who live in western civilization don’t understand what the rest of the world goes through. There are a lot of people that don’t know about the next iPhone or if their favorite coffee shop is closing. These people are worried about their next meal, and their family’s survival.

In John 14:6 when Jesus said I’m the way. He was speaking to everyone. If we really open our eyes, we’ll all see how messed up our world is, and how much we really need a savior.

If you don’t believe me, watch the news for the next few hours. I’m pretty sure you’ll walk away with a sick feeling in your gut. The human race needs a savior that can save us from ourselves. The amount of sheer pain we inflict on others is cause for alarm.

What Should The World Be Like?

One only has to turn to the book of Genesis or the end of Revelations to see what the world is supposed to be like. It’s a peaceful place where mankind is living in harmony with creation and the creator. It’s a place where God and man live together, talk together, and live life together.

Whenever I read those stories something inside my heart awakens. It’s like a light shines on my broken state, and I know I’m not where I need to be. It reminds me that I was made for a greater purpose, and that purpose is to know God.

Then reality hits me, I remember that I’ve sinned, and that has separated me from God, but that’s where Jesus comes in. Without him, all is lost. This is why Jesus died.

The Significance Of Jesus Saying, “I Am.” In John 14:6

For people who don’t know a lot about the Old Testament. God spoke to Moses and referred to himself as “I am.” In John 14:6, Jesus referrers to himself as “I am,” more than 7 times.

It’s one of the reasons the Pharisees hated him so much. They knew he was equating himself with God, and that instilled them with a wave of great anger, and they ultimately killed him for it. They didn’t understand God’s plan, all they wanted was power, and they’d anything to achieve it.

Jesus Is The Way

John 14:6 is puzzling to some people, and I think when he says he’s the only way, it can get confusing. However, I like to think of it like this.

This world, the physical one, is but a shadow of its former self. Our sin has caused destruction on a massive scale to the environment, and even ourselves.

God, Jesus, And The Holy Spirit looked down from heaven and were beside themselves with grief. Because of their love for you, and the rest of humanity, they made a plan.

The plan was the most impressive love story we’ve ever read, told, or spoken about. In fact, it’s so impressive, most of our myths and lore are written about it. The story is written in our hearts.

With that, they decided to send Jesus and he died on a cross, in our place.

We have sinned, and sin brings death. The only way to reconcile with God is to pay the debt, and the only way to pay it is with death. We are all dying because we have sinned and this has cut us off from the source of life. Which is God.

So when Jesus said, I am the way, he wasn’t saying anything pridefully. He was actually saying:

“I’ve come to rescue you, follow me to get out. There’s No One Else Coming.

Nobody else is coming to rescue us from this world. In the book of John, Jesus makes this claim a couple of times. he wants people to understand that nobody else can rescue you, only Jesus can, and he’s already come. You have to make a choice. You can either get on the rescue boat or go down with the ship.

Jesus Says He’s The Truth – The Book Of John

If God is love, and he’s the creator of all things then the absence of God would be the removal of love. That is essentially what we’ve done in our lives. We’ve removed God, and we live in some sort of shadow life where we know something is wrong, but we refuse to admit to the truth.

What Is Truth?

John 18:38 Pilate

Truth isn’t a popular subject nowadays. I’ve heard many people say that you’ll find your own truth. I know I’ll catch flack for it, but that goes against the definition of truth. If you’re doing that, you’re only looking for an opinion you like. Sometimes the truth hurts. I know people won’t be happy with the phrase, but I don’t know what to tell you, because the truth is the same from person to person. That’s what makes it “Truth.”

Our society has changed the meaning of truth, and that has been detrimental to our children, our families, and every other part of society. Is it any wonder why it feels like the country is tearing itself apart?

I’m not advocating for any lifestyle, choices, or political party. I promote loving God, your neighbors, and yourself. Pretty much in that order.

John 14:6 Is The Truth Distilled To One Sentence.

In John 14:6, Jesus says he’s the way, the truth, the life. Essentially he’s saying that he’s the source. If a river is cut off from its source, eventually it’ll dry up, and that’s what many of us are like.

How can we live, if we are cut off from the source of life? This is the point where many people in the world are today. I know it’s where I used to be. My life used to be one of pain and heartache. If you don’t believe me download my ebook today. It has my story, and I cried for many nights when I was writing it.

Have you ever sat down and examined your life? Didn’t it feel fake to you? Whether you have nothing, or everything, ultimately what’s the point?

You can’t take any of it with you? So why do we try?

I’m convinced that the longing in our hearts is the connection we should have with God. It’s an empty feeling that we can’t fill with anything except the Holy Spirit in our lives, and without it. We’ll never have true fulfillment.

The Rest Of John Reinforces John 14:6

In the book of John, Jesus is trying to explain that he is God, and he’s trying to explain how God sent him. I know that’s confusing but it’s one of the messages in the Book.

As I’ve been meditating on this, and reading, and studying. I’ve realized how little I actually know. I want God in my life, I want Jesus to forgive me, and I want the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, I don’t understand that I already have it, and I keep asking for it. But Jesus will give that freely to anybody who asks and believes.

If you’re reading this, and you’ve felt something inside your heart-stirring. That’s the Holy Spirit moving inside your heart. He’s saying it’s time, he’s saying it’s time for you to let him in.

Jesus wasn’t sent here to condemn you. Instead, Jesus came so you could be rescued, and live the life you were meant to live. Keep in mind, this is a life with him and I’ll be honest, surrendering your life to him doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. If anything things get harder when you accept Jesus into your life.

The difference now is that you aren’t going to be alone. You’ll have Jesus walking next to you, dealing with every issue and problem you’re facing. Listen to the Holy Spirit, and open your heart to his voice.

When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He said I’m here, and nobody else is coming, but he didn’t say it pridefully, instead he said it with a plea.

The ship is sinking, I’m the lifeboat, come with me if you want to live. (But Not Like A Terminator, Even if some of us mike think that’s cool)

How You Can Meet Jesus?

Some religions say you can’t know, and some sects of Christianity agree with them. However the Bible says you can know, and it’s written in 1 John chapter 2.

By this we can be sure that we have come to know him: if we keep his commandments.

1 John 2:3

The whole chapter describes how you can know Jesus, and understand who’s with him and who’s not. This can be all summed up with the phrase, “You shall know them by their fruit.”

John 14:6 Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, And Life.

If you’re interested in inviting Jesus into your life, you can start out with a simple prayer. Prayer is talking to God, keep it plain and simple, and don’t worry so much about what you’re saying. Just talk with God. This is a conversation you could have with anybody in front of you. Only at this moment, you’re talking with the creator of the universe. Which is pretty epic.

Here’s a good start:

Jesus, I’m sorry for sinning against you and creating this rift between us. I ask that you forgive me of my sins, and make me clean. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and rising again 2000 years ago. Please help me to live my life for you. Amen.

Anonymous Prayer

If you prayed that prayer, I’m really excited for you. It’s the best decision you’ll ever make. A couple of things will help you immensely from here on out. If you have a bible, start reading it every day. I’d suggest starting in the book of John. It’ll teach you more about Jesus and who he is.

Secondly, find a church in your area with an awesome community where you can flourish. Don’t try to be the lone ranger-style Christian. It’s really difficult and you won’t last long. Life is hard, make sure you have God and friends.

Third, and this isn’t super important, but send me a message or write a comment below. I’d love to hear from you and I’ll try to respond back to everyone’s comment in time.

You can do this. I’m praying for you all and I love you all. If you’d like to read more about these topics, here’s a link for more posts That I’ve Written.

In my life, I’ve walked a fine line. It’s a thin line between cockiness and confidence. This is a huge driving force in my life. However, I’ve always been prideful because of it, and pride comes before the fall.

Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (the Bible)

I’ve got countless stories, examples, and tales to tell. However I’m going to break down why Pride comes before the fall, and how you can guard yourself against it.

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop, thinking about a number of things that are holding me back in life. I’d like to sulk and get angry. But the mistakes and choices have all been mine. This is a story of how pride can affect your life, for the good and the bad.

Pride Comes Before The Fall

In Christian circles the word pride is looked down upon, we think of Satan and his fallen angels or the smug businessman that we’ve seen in every hallmark movie. However, being proud of who you are, what made you, and what you’re doing is okay. As long as it’s legal, moral, and Righteous.

Think of this phrase, “He takes pride in teaching children to Snowboard.” How is that phrase evil? So doesn’t that mean sometimes pride is not evil? In all truth, it really isn’t, and we should take pride in the things we do well. However when you have too much pride, and you become prideful. That’s where the issues will begin in your life, and that’s when pride comes before the fall.

No onto some of my more colorful, or epic failures…

What Is A Haughty Spirit?

When I graduated from High School, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I knew I wanted money so I got a full-time job. Within the first six months of working, I’d more than doubled my pay through raises, and promotion to being a department head.

I had so much power and trust from the store manager that it felt unreal. I’d been in charge of things before, but never on such a large scale. Things started to go to my head, and I felt that I could do no wrong. I began to see myself as the epic one and told myself regularly that I was the best of the best.

Looking back now, I realize that I was a 19-year-old kid with a forklift license, doing all the crap jobs in the store. Nobody else wanted to do the things I did, and I was excited to be making money.

During this time, I lost my focus on what I wanted in life. My relationship with Jesus had become strained. and didn’t know what I wanted to become. All the pride in my heart, and the freedom I was experiencing mixed together, causing me to go down a slippery slope. I became overconfident, prideful, and full of myself.

Who Said Pride Comes Before Fall?

In the Bible, it states in Proverbs 16:18 that pride comes before the fall. Different translations will say different words, but the meaning is the same. The verse was written by King Solomon a King of Israel and the Son of David.

He had a lot to say about pride. His kingdom was the richest in the world, and he got prideful. Eventually, he turned from God and focused on his wealth and pleasure. While there is evidence that he turned back in his old age, the damage to his kingdom was complete.

Warnings Will Come, But Being Cocky Will Blind You.

Some of my friends tried to warn me that I was getting a big head, but those warnings fell on deaf ears. I told myself they were jealous and said regularly that I was the greatest forklift pilot who ever lived. It all seems so stupid now. They never saw me at work, so they couldn’t know the things I pulled off with it. Truth be told I was very skilled at driving one, however being skilled, and being the best are two different things.

At the same time, I purchased an 82 Camaro. It had dual exhaust, extra big tires, and a working police siren. I was constantly making modifications to it, and slowly it became my pride and joy.

I know there’s a fine line between confidence and cockiness because I’ve treaded the line for a long time. There were times I got so prideful that I struggled with finding the line.

Pride Comes Before The Fall

Pridefulness, Or Cockiness

There is a place I go to in my mind sometimes. It’s a place where I have complete trust in my abilities, however, I have no trust in the people around me. I become arrogant, and the people around me can’t do anything right. Even if they did what I asked perfectly, I’d find something wrong in what they did. I’d either redo it or make them do it again to fix the issue. Whether it was real or imaginary.

This is a horrible place to be in, and I do my best to make proper choices now to avoid it. However, now that I know this darkness exists, it’s become easier to see it coming and head it off. That’s why I always tell people to know their weaknesses and stay vigilant against them.

On a side note, this is a horrible way to lead, check out my blog posts on the characteristics of a leader if this rings a bell for you.

Confidence:

This is me trusting in my abilities, in those around me, and knowing that God is in control. This gives me confidence in whatever project I’m working on, and what my team is doing. This also releases me from a lot of pressure and gives me extra bandwidth to lead. I know where we’re headed, and know we’re working towards it. However, I also understand that God is the driving force behind it all.

Some of these lessons come from leadership skills that I’ve learned over the years. As a manager, I’ve failed horribly (epic lesson below), and I’ve triumphed over horrible bosses. One thing always remains, and it’s something I fight regularly. How much pride is in my heart, and is this pride going to make me lose focus?

Pride Came And I Fell, Hitting The Ground Hard.

While I lived in Jackson, Mississippi I attended a small ministry and discipleship school. This school changed my life and gave me a lot of the skills and abilities I use today. One of the major lessons I had to learn was about keeping my pride in check.

I was a higher-ranking student, so I was put in charge of some of the first-year guys. It was kinda like how Juniors and Seniors in college will help freshmen out. For the first few months everything was fine, and then one day I noticed a shift in attitude. This wasn’t just a shift in one person, literally, all of them had a wave of intense anger towards me.

Everything came to a head one day when we were out doing some sort of ministry, (I can’t really remember what it was). All of a sudden these guys who I considered to be my closest friends exploded on me in a mass of fury and angry words.

When we got back to the dorms, I told them I needed an assignment done by the next day. I said that I understood they were angry and wanted to know what happened? So I asked them to write a paper explaining what is going on.

As I went to my room, I started to wonder what had happened, we had gotten along so well, and I didn’t know what I did.

Pride Blinds You While You’re Driving Towards A Cliff

The next day I received the papers and my boss and I sat down to read them. After reading halfway through the first page, I wondered who they were writing about. It didn’t seem like me, but I remembered these circumstances. “This can’t be about me,” I thought. Then I read an example one of the students had written, it was a conversation I remembered from their point of view. They used the phrase power trip multiple times. In fact, it was the most used phrase in all of their writings. It was like a punch to the gut, all I saw was an arrogant, blinded fool, oblivious to the needs of those around him.

I stood up and walked down the hallway towards our dorm. Apologies were made to each and every one of them. I can’t say it patched things up right away, but eventually, we were able to continue on.

My Pride Made Me Fall

I didn’t wanna get into specifics with our conversation, that’s between them and me. However, I will say the word power trip was an apt description. I’d become so prideful in my little position that I forgot about the people.

This is why servant leadership is so important, when you’re a leader who serves, you don’t have time to get arrogant. You only have time to serve.

When your eyes are opened, prepare for the pain. It’s going to be bright.

Pride In Your Work Will Spread To Your Team

When I moved back home, I started running a produce department in a giant warehouse store. I needed a job and this was in my skill set before I started college. My first day on the job was a huge shocker, the department had extremely low morale, and some of them hated me. I know because they said so.

It took me a few weeks to work through the problems and issues they’d been facing. Then it took a few more weeks for my team to trust me. The previous managers told them what to do, I asked questions and split up the work among the team.

At the end of my first six months we were a cohesive unit, and worked as a team. The pride I took in my work, and leading my team was passed onto the other team members.

Pride isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when used correctly it can awaken a group of people to do something epic.

Pride Can Cause A Downfall

In my first story, the pride in my heart caused a huge and spectacular downfall. I didn’t know if I could save my friendships, but thankfully they forgave me. During the second story, I wasn’t a prideful leader, instead I let my pride go, and I became a servant. I served my team. If there was a job they didn’t like doing, I was the first doing it. Eventually they stopped me from doing those jobs, and they jumped in first.

Pride can be a great tool, or a harmful poison. The choice is ultimately yours.

In Conclusion:

• Thank You For Reading My Blog, Check Out My Other Blog Posts By Clicking Here

Over 2000 years ago a monumental event happened. A little baby was born in a manger outside of Bethlehem. Angels sang in the fields to some shepherds, and wise men in the east observed a bright star. This birth was an invasion and a powerful one at that. Jesus came to save each and every one of us.

Over the next few years as he grew and matured. He’d perform many signs and wonders. These miracles are recorded in many different texts and ancient manuscripts, not just the Bible.

Jesus was definitely a historical figure, I’m pretty sure we can meet on even ground about that. The word Christ, is technically not his last name. I think of it more as a title. Christ: Means Anointed One Of God

Why Did Jesus Come To Earth? Jesus Came To Earth, So We Could Be Free From Sin And Death. He Came To Die, So We Could Live With God In Heaven.

Jesus; He Came To Save Us

I know a lot of people hate the name of Jesus. Many of those same people are okay with the title of ‘God’ but for some reason Jesus is divisive. Another controversy stems from the belief that humanity doesn’t really need saving. It’s believed that humanity is okay on its own, and science, the human spirit, and ingenuity will save us all.

While I do believe in the human spirit, and our ability to grow and create. I also believe that Jesus came to save us, and humanity is in dire need of saving.

If you look anywhere in the world, you’ll notice that humanity is in chaos. At the time of this writing, the United States recognizes 10 official wars and 8 active military conflicts. Slavery still envelopes the world, and some believe it’s worse than ever before.

Inside the United States, we have fighting, political strife, and social constructs that divide us. Evil people get away with murder, and the good are trampled by them. Humanity has tried for years to fix its issues, but every time we’ve made it worse.

Sci-Fi And Humanity Believe They Don’t Need Jesus

I love watching sci-fi and one theme that keeps popping up in them, involves humanity finally growing up. They have this higher level they’re trying to achieve, and if we can only give it up, everything will be perfect.

Humanity will never usher in a golden age of perfection. We need Jesus to transform us.

I’d like to be clear here. The problem is inside all of us. We have sinned against God. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, we switched masters. We were created as children of God linked to him and allowed to live in the paradise he created. However once we ate the fruit, we were in rebellion, and we gave Satan dominion over our birthright.

Until Jesus came to rescue us.

Jesus: He’s The Savior Of Mankind

Below are verses that contain summaries of why Jesus came to die for us.

For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our lord.

Romans 6:23

…And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus to all who believe. There is no distinction. For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus

Romans 3:22-24

Everything in our world is affected by our sin, the Bible even says nature groans for the return of Jesus. If the world is finite, it almost sounds like we’re on a sinking ship? If Jesus isn’t real, that poses a scary problem. It would mean we’re stranded, and there’s no hope of rescue.

I can’t believe that, and I hold onto the truth, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He came to save us.

Jesus Is The Only One Coming To Our Rescue

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

A lot of people take what Jesus said here, and think he’s being arrogant or close minded. I’ve even heard preachers say there are multiple ways to God. That is not correct, or even biblical. These pastors aren’t reading the Bible, and shouldn’t be trusted. The words of Jesus are pretty straightforward, and that doesn’t happen a lot in the New Testament. Most of the time Jesus spoke in parables, and they were hard to understand.

To breakdown this verse, we have Jesus telling us the world is sinking, and he’s arrived here on planet earth. His goal is to bring as many of us as he can away to safety.

So why do we view it differently? Part of it could be cultural and translation errors. There’s many things in the Bible that we don’t understand completely. I read the Bible daily and still get confused at some verses today. s

Another part is spiritual blindness which is prevalent in our society. Our culture trusts in science and facts. Everything to us has to be tangible and proven. That’s can be a huge hurdle to overcome. Because faith, is intangible, you can’t nail it down. There are times that I don’t understand why I believe. My faith in Jesus tends to be a gut feeling I have inside me. This feeling keeps me going, and helps me press on.

Jesus Frees Us From Ourselves.

If humanity continues on the path we’ve chosen. We will eventually destroy ourselves. This of course will be finishing the job we started in the Garden Of Eden. You only have to read the first couple of paragraphs to see that. Vengeance and war is part of our culture, mix in a little selfishness and you’ve got yourself a recipe for death.

Part of me thinks that’s why Jesus came and spoke so much about love. This was a complete shift in the cultural mentality of the day. The Romans ruled Israel, and the Jews were looking for a mighty warrior to come and deliver them. They hated the Romans and wanted to throw off their oppressors.

They didn’t realize they were looking for the 2nd coming of Jesus, not his first. Part of me thinks Christians suffer the same fate today. We focus on what they want God to do, and not enough on what he is doing. How can God move when we put him in a box?

Jesus Came To Fight For Us all

When Jesus came to save us, he started out as a baby (talk about subverting expectations). At the time the people of Israel expected Jesus to come down and annihilate their enemies. Probably with lightning bolts or something equally as cool. In reality, this is more of a revelation, or second coming Jesus.

Jesus had to come and face human suffering head-on. He had to experience life as a person, live sinlessly, and then become the sacrifice. This was done to fulfill many old testament prophecies. In the book of Isaiah, it says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. He took our punishment. “

Then he died, taking our sin to the grave. The Bible says that he took on our iniquities, and when he rose again defeated death. This is why Easter is so important. It’s the day Jesus won against Satan and the forces of evil. God was always more powerful.

Satan didn’t have the foresight to realize God could pull something amazing off.

Even His Betrayal Needed To Happen

Sometimes I’ll think about the betrayal of Jesus and wonder if Judas was trying to force Jesus to move. What if he thought he was forcing Jesus’s hand and deliver Israel? How could he spend three years with Jesus, and still not understand? The rest of the disciples were the same way, they were shocked when he died, and had a hard time believeing when he rose again.

What’s scary about the story of Judas, is that it could be the story of Christians today. In America, we know what we want and it drives us. However we try to force those desires on God, and that leads us into problems. The same goes for all of us, humanity has amnesia, we constantly learn and forget the same lessons over and over.

Jesus Came To Free Us From Our Sins

This is the most well-known reason Jesus came to save us. To save us, his people from their sins, and all that. He came to die on the cross so all men might have eternal life and live with God for eternity.

Contrary to popular belief, sinning isn’t necessarily doing something bad, sin is an archery term that means, ‘to miss the mark.’ In other words, when God has his best for you, and you choose not to go for it, you’re missing the mark.

When you sin, it means God had better/greater plans, but you settled for less. Let that sink in for a second.

I should add that I don’t believe heaven is an eternal church service, in reality, that sounds like hell to me. Heaven is going to be living the life we were created for, with the skills and abilities he created to give all glory unto him.

Why would the God of the universe create this amazing universe, only to make us sit inside a room and sing for eternity? That doesn’t make sense, and I don’t see why he would do that.

We All Have Sinned And Fallen Short

It’s a sign of the times when we see things considered a sin 20 years ago become the cultural norm. Sin is sin, and it Never changes. I’m not going to post what is or isn’t sin on here, that’s between you and God. However, we’ve become very lax with it in the Church.

Believe it or not, I don’t think we need a greater focus on sin. Instead, we should be focusing on Christ’s love, and hearing his voice. For too long, we have pushed a doctrine that alienates people and caused them to be polarized again the one person who could help them.

Jesus came to save us, that’s all of us, not some of us. If we as Christians could humble ourselves, love the people around us, and let the Holy Spirit do its work. I think we’d see the world transformed before our very eyes.

Jesus Has Freed Everyone, However, They Need To Leave The Cell.

When Jesus said No man comes to the father, except through me. I don’t believe he was being haughty or prideful. Instead, I see him saying:

“The world is dying, and so are you. I’m the only way to freedom, and nobody else is coming. Follow me to Freedom.”

When you look at it like that, it makes a lot of sense. It also shows how much he really does love us. We need to stop projecting our insecurities onto Jesus and realize for once how much we really need him. Humble yourself before God, and he will lift you up.

Jesus Came To Bring Life

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

Many Christians forget about this verse when they’re quoting scripture. They make rules and regulations on things we need to follow, but never realize that we’re supposed to live life to the fullest. I believe it’s one of the ways God reveals himself to others.

It should be noted, that Jesus came to bring life here on earth, and not just in the afterlife. Heaven is going to be great, but we should be living our lives to the fullest everyday on this plane of existence.

I get frustrated every time I run into a person who’s polarized one way or the other about this. One side will say we must suffer while we live here, and the other God only gives pleasure.

The truth is that both sides are wrong, Jesus came to save us from our sinful nature. There needs to be balance.

In Conclusion:

• Purchase E. Sterlings Autobiography Click Here
• Sterling’s Other Blog Site Is About Learning To Snowboard Click Here To Check It Out.

In Luke Chapter 8, we see Jesus giving a great foundation for Christianity. With parables like the parable of the sower and a discussion about the kingdom of heaven, you’ll see a lot about what Jesus is preaching.

In addition to that, we have Jesus calming a storm, casting out demons, and even raising the dead.

There’s a lot to discuss in this chapter. So let’s get into it.

Luke Chapter 8: The Parable Of The Sower

8 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Luke Chapter 8; Disciples Response

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others, I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke Chapter 8; A Lamp on a Stand

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷ For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. ¹⁸ Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Luke Chapter 8; Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

¹⁹ Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Luke Chapter 8; Jesus Calms the Storm

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Luke Chapter 8; Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time, this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Highest God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke Chapter 8; Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

Luke 8; The Response Jesus Gives:

⁵⁰ Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

⁵¹ When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

⁵³ They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Luke Chapter 8; Breakdown

This chapter of the Bible has always intrigued me. In Luke Chapter 8, Why did the women receive her healing? She somehow snuck up on Jesus like a ninja, touched his robe, and somehow the healing flowed out of him. the Bible can be vague sometimes when it speaks of faith.

Then Jesus asked, Who was it who touched me? When they all denied it, Peter said, Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!

-Luke 8:45 Bible

Here we have Jesus, on the way to heal a little girl, and people are crowded all around him. All of a sudden, Jesus stops and says. “Who Touched Me?”

Does that make sense to anybody? Even the disciples say the crowds are all around you. Another translation might say, everyone is touching you, are you joking? Jesus healed her, but I want to know how and why?

Jesus Felt Power Leave Him

If everybody wanted something from God, and they were pressing up against him. How did this woman receive and the others didn’t? That’s the million-dollar question, and it can be answered by the word faith. However, there’s a lot more to it than that.

How many times in your life have you prayed, for something and it didn’t happen? So instead of praying harder, or fasting. You just became angry or depressed about everything.

In this verse and in Mark 5:26 (same story different book). Jesus was traveling to a house. He was asked to heal a 12-year-old girl. Then out of the blue, this woman appeared through the crowd. She said to herself, that all she needed was to touch his robe. She knew if she reached out, she’d be healed. I’d almost say it was a fervent belief, deep in her heart, and it caused the power of Jesus to look her way.

She Was Healed Because Of Her Faith.

I’m not a scholar. I had a pastoral degree once, but that doesn’t mean anything. Furthermore, I think she found healing because of her desperation and faith. When you are desperate for God to do something. It accelerates and grabs the heart of God. It’s like finally breaking through a wall.

The story of this woman is of despair. the Bible said she tried everything and nothing worked. She was using her last option, and Jesus was her only hope. On that day, he came through for her. Whatever circumstance or situation you’re facing, Jesus will come through for you too.

How many times in our lives has Jesus been the last option? Have you cried out to him? Did he answer? I’ve had times that I never received an answer, I’m either still waiting on it, or I didn’t see it.

Things Could Be Worse

Or even worse, you’re praying for something to happen, and you pray for years. Then another person in the church has the same issue. They pray, and all of a sudden God comes through for them. You’re left sitting there, wondering what’s wrong with you?

Let me state right now that nothing is wrong with you. God’s timing is something we can’t understand. I don’t think we could handle that knowledge, but he does love you. When something like this happens, do your best to rejoice with the other person, but still find your time with God. Your answer is always coming closer. Keep your eyes open, it might be something you wouldn’t expect.

Most of the time we freak out it’s because we did something stupid. Only at that point do we turn and cry out to God. We should’ve cried out to him before we made a bad decision. In the Bible the woman was sick, so she went to the source of healing.

We can learn a lot from her in this.

What About The Others. Did They Not Have Faith?

I’ve wondered about this for a while, finally, I came to some realizations/conclusions, that sound plausible. Regardless if I’m right or wrong, I always love a good theological discussion.

The verse below is from a different story, and I’m unsure if it was before or after the story in Luke, but it has some interesting connotations.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.

John 6:26 The Bible

These were people who followed him for a while, and the day before were fed. Jesus multiplied a small amount of food and fed all of them. Sometimes we follow God for selfish reasons, and we don’t even realize it.

The women Jesus healed reached out to him. In her heart, she knew that If she could touch him, she’d find healing. There was desperation in her belief, and that desperation and faith brought her healing.

I think the crowd from above and the people pressing against Jesus, followed him for similar reasons. There was no desperation, and they didn’t have a lot of belief. I’m sure they had needs but for some reason, they didn’t think Jesus would help them. They wanted something to eat, and follow someone popularly.

They wanted to be fed, she knew he could heal. It’s a different mindset.

She Found Healing, Because Of Her Faith In Jesus

Maybe the crowds didn’t think about their needs. They probably thought Jesus was too busy to answer them, or they were too small for him to deal with. To me, what’s sad, is people touching him, and not receiving.

Many people sit in Churches with the same mindset. When a Pastor gives an altar call, instead of going up, they sit down. You have not, because you ask not. Stop worrying about what others think. They have needs too, and maybe they’ll go forward when they see you do it. I’ve been guilty of this in the past.

No need is too small for God. If Jesus cares about the lilies of the field or sparrows in the sky, how much more does he care for you?

They weren’t desperate, and they didn’t know what they had access to. In the Bible, it says Jesus stopped and asked who touched me? He said that he felt power go out of me.

Jesus knew who touched him because he was Jesus, however, I think it startled him. A question you should ask yourself is how can I startle God?

Luke Chapter 8; Healing Persistence

Healing comes in different forms, rarely is it ever how we think it should be. It’s cryptic, but ultimately dying is the final form. God will sometimes do an instant heal, and other times it is a progression.

I believe that wasn’t the first time the woman prayed. However, it was the first time she broke through and touched God. Her persistence in prayer and desperation finally paid off. For years she struggled with her disease, and she spent that time trying to become whole.

The Bible says she tried everything, and I get the impression this was her last resort.

Healing Came From Persistence And A Strong Belief

The women’s last resort was to touch Jesus’ robe. She knew Jesus healed people, and if she touched it she could finally be made whole. To do this, she had to get on the ground, fight the pressing crowd, and reach out.

Her faith made her whole, but she had faith for many years. She fought for her healing, agonized over it, and she didn’t lose hope. What would have happened if she hadn’t gone to see Jesus that day?

What if she had given up, and her breakthrough was right around the corner? How many times have you given up when your deliverance was a day away? It’s a sobering thought because you really don’t know. Hold the line, stay focused on Jesus, because he is the way to healing.

Jesus Can Still Heal Today

If you’re hurting, in pain, or sick. Don’t stop praying, but keep fighting. the Bible says to pray without ceasing. Find true friends that’ll pray for you, and hold you up in prayer. Likewise when they are hurting pray for them.

In this way, you can strengthen the church, and Jesus can be seen by the world. Focus on him, let your light shine, and let his presence transform you daily.

Your healing could be right around the corner, tear down the walls and let Jesus come in. Let him transform your heart and your life. You might be praying for physical healing, but he wants to heal so much more. Ultimately, he wants to heal your soul.

Don’t give up, keep fighting the good fight. Jesus healed in the past, and he heals in the present. Everyone has their own issues, and I’m constantly fighting mine. Just like you, I await my healing in Christ.

In Conclusion

Hey Everyone, thank you so much for reading my blog post about healing. Feel free to comment below if you have anything to add or correct. If you need to pray feel free to shoot a message over as well.

• To read more about ESterling’s Life Click Here To Purchase His Autobiography
• Read More Blog Posts Click Here
• If You’d Like To Read More About The Life Of Jesus Click Here.