Here's what John, the apostle, has to say in the opening verses of his gospel.
It's a pretty succinct statement about who Jesus is.
Read it slowly, absorb it...
John 1
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.
8 John himself was not the light;
he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created,
but the world didn't recognize him.
11 He came to his own people,
and even they rejected him.
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn...
not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan,
but a birth that comes from God.
14 So
the Word became human and made his home among us.
He was full of
unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen his glory,
the glory
of the Father's one and only Son.
15 John
testified about him when he shouted to the crowds,
"This is the one I
was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far
greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'"
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
17 For the law was given through Moses,
but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God.
But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart.
He has revealed God to us.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
our guide
Psalm 48:14 For this is what God is like.
He is our God forever & ever.
And He will be our guide until we die.
If this is REALLY true, if everything in those 3 sentences is absolutely true...
if every bit of the overarching implications of those thoughts are the pillars of our relationship with God...
...how then should we live?
He is our God forever & ever.
And He will be our guide until we die.
If this is REALLY true, if everything in those 3 sentences is absolutely true...
if every bit of the overarching implications of those thoughts are the pillars of our relationship with God...
...how then should we live?
Sunday, October 6, 2013
straightforward words
James is a tough book / letter to read. On one hand it can be very
affirming, while on the other, it can really kick your butt. Here's a
few things that stood out from chapter 1 this morning...
James 1
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3 For you know that when your faith is tested,
your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow,
for when your endurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete,
needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God,
and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world,
and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.
10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them.
They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away.
In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me."
God is never tempted to do wrong,
and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions.
And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word.
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak,
and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,
and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts,
for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don't just listen to God's word.
You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself,
and your religion is worthless.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means
caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3 For you know that when your faith is tested,
your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow,
for when your endurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete,
needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God,
and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world,
and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.
10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them.
They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away.
In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me."
God is never tempted to do wrong,
and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions.
And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word.
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak,
and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,
and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts,
for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don't just listen to God's word.
You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself,
and your religion is worthless.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means
caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Friday, October 4, 2013
focus
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge
crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.
"...keeping our eyes on Jesus..."
what does that mean?
One of my sons, Kevin Eakins, who is the youth pastor at Christ Chapel Warner Robins, once said this in a combined staff meeting...
"I was looking at pictures of me & my son, Trey. (he was a preschooler at the time.)
"In every one of them, he was looking at me. He was looking ahead, he wasn't looking around. He didn't care where we were going, when we'd get there, or what we were gonna do when we got there.
"All he cared about was that he was with me.
"I used to be like that w/ Jesus.
"I didn't care where we were, where we were going, when we'd get there, or what we'd do when we did.
"I just cared I was with Him, & all I wanted to do was look at Him.
"I'm not like that now. I feel like I need to know, & deserve to know what's going on.
"I wanna get back to what I used to be - a person who just cared he was w/Jesus."
I wanna be more like that, too.
let us strip off every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.
"...keeping our eyes on Jesus..."
what does that mean?
One of my sons, Kevin Eakins, who is the youth pastor at Christ Chapel Warner Robins, once said this in a combined staff meeting...
"I was looking at pictures of me & my son, Trey. (he was a preschooler at the time.)
"In every one of them, he was looking at me. He was looking ahead, he wasn't looking around. He didn't care where we were going, when we'd get there, or what we were gonna do when we got there.
"All he cared about was that he was with me.
"I used to be like that w/ Jesus.
"I didn't care where we were, where we were going, when we'd get there, or what we'd do when we did.
"I just cared I was with Him, & all I wanted to do was look at Him.
"I'm not like that now. I feel like I need to know, & deserve to know what's going on.
"I wanna get back to what I used to be - a person who just cared he was w/Jesus."
I wanna be more like that, too.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
a life of faith
Hebrews 11
35 But others were tortured,
refusing to turn from God in order to be set free.
They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.
36 Some were jeered at,
and their backs were cut open with whips.
Others were chained in prisons.
37 Some died by stoning,
some were sawed in half,
and others were killed with the sword.
Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats,
destitute
and oppressed
and mistreated.
38 They were too good for this world,
wandering over deserts and mountains,
hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
In first 34 verses of this chapter of Hebrews, the author lists people who were renowned for things they did as persons of great faith - and who had somewhat glittering lives as a result
But those listed in verses 35 - 38 seem to me to be more of what occurred in most of the lives of people over the years.
Iow, those mentioned in verses 1 - 34 who had glittering lives of faith were the exceptions in life, & those who are mentioned in verses 35 - 38 were the rule.
So?
We tend to think that a life of faith is an easy one. It is not.
A dear friend of mine, Beth White, is given to saying, "Salvation is free. Everything else costs you everything."
A life of walking in faith does cost us everything. We have to let go of our lives & follow Him, wherever that may lead.
Why then should we?
Because we will be in sync with, & walking with, the God of the universes, in sync with His plans & dreams for us & the whole of humankind.
35 But others were tortured,
refusing to turn from God in order to be set free.
They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.
36 Some were jeered at,
and their backs were cut open with whips.
Others were chained in prisons.
37 Some died by stoning,
some were sawed in half,
and others were killed with the sword.
Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats,
destitute
and oppressed
and mistreated.
38 They were too good for this world,
wandering over deserts and mountains,
hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
In first 34 verses of this chapter of Hebrews, the author lists people who were renowned for things they did as persons of great faith - and who had somewhat glittering lives as a result
But those listed in verses 35 - 38 seem to me to be more of what occurred in most of the lives of people over the years.
Iow, those mentioned in verses 1 - 34 who had glittering lives of faith were the exceptions in life, & those who are mentioned in verses 35 - 38 were the rule.
So?
We tend to think that a life of faith is an easy one. It is not.
A dear friend of mine, Beth White, is given to saying, "Salvation is free. Everything else costs you everything."
A life of walking in faith does cost us everything. We have to let go of our lives & follow Him, wherever that may lead.
Why then should we?
Because we will be in sync with, & walking with, the God of the universes, in sync with His plans & dreams for us & the whole of humankind.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
keeping on
Philippians 3
13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. (Easy-to Read Version)
********
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (The Message)
********
13 Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. 14 I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed. (The Voice)
13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. (Easy-to Read Version)
********
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (The Message)
********
13 Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. 14 I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed. (The Voice)
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
hmm...
Psalm 41:1 Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble.
2 The LORD protects them
and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land
and rescues them from their enemies.
3 The LORD nurses them when they are sick
and restores them to health.
hmmmmmm....
The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble.
2 The LORD protects them
and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land
and rescues them from their enemies.
3 The LORD nurses them when they are sick
and restores them to health.
hmmmmmm....
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