It is good to be with you again today for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that this day finds you well.
This week has been very busy. I am doing a lot of work around the house with the hope of trying to put the house up for sale again. I didn't have much luck last time, but I will try to get things fixed up a little and see about selling it this spring. It is still my intention to try to get up enough money to start a larger ministry. My job and writing have gone well so far this week.
There is so much going on in the world right now, and there is a lot to pray for. Please pray for those affected by the hurricane in Mexico and those affected by the earthquake in Afghanistan. Let us also continue to pray for peace. I heard a report on the war in South Sudan on NPR this morning that made me sick. Please pray for peace in this very troubled country.
Let us continue to pray for those areas of the world where there are few Christians. Let us pray for the message of Jesus to reach more people in Madagascar, Somalia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
For the last several messages, we have been in a series on the way that the divinity of Jesus is presented in the book of John. We first examined the "I Am" statements of Jesus, and now we are examining the sign miracles presented in John. Today we focus on Jesus' healing of the man born blind.
One day as Jesus and His disciples were walking along, they came upon a man born blind. The disciples wanted to know if the man sinning or his parent's sins caused him to be born blind. Jesus said that that didn't have anything to do with the situation.
Jesus spit on the ground and made some mud. He put the mud on the man's eyes and told to him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man followed the word of the Lord, and his sight was restored.
When the Pharisees saw that this man was healed, they were angry because he was healed on the Sabbath. They asked the man who had healed him. The man did not know. The Pharisees then accused Jesus of healing by demonic powers. The healed man disagreed, and he was thrown out.
Later, Jesus found the man and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man said he did not know who that was. Jesus then revealed to the man who He was, and the blind man worshiped the Lord Jesus.
There is a lot to learn from this healing miracle. First, let's look at what this miracle has to teach us, and then let us look at how it is a sign of the divinity of Jesus.
The first thing that I want to point out is the idea of sin being responsible for sickness. The prevailing idea in Jesus' day was that if you were sick or disabled it was because either you were a sinner or your parents had sinned. That is the basis of the disciples' question.
Jesus makes it quite clear in this passage that that type of thinking is wrong. He said that it wasn't the man's sin or his parent's sin that had caused his condition.
We live in a fallen world. Sickness and other bad things happen to people. Sickness is not the punishment placed on a child because of parent's sin. And, if you are sick with some disease it is not because you have some kind of unconfessed sin in your life.
There is a teaching going around that says that if you have enough faith and you don't sin you will have perfect health and prosperity. This is not the teaching of the Scripture. This is not the teaching of Jesus.
One of the reasons that so many of the sick and the outcasts responded to Jesus is because He did not condemn and reject them as the religious leaders of the day did. He cared about people and He helped them.
When I was a boy, I was very sick because of a congenital immune disorder. I grew up in a church that thought that if you were sick it was because of some sin in your life. I knew that this wasn't true, but this kind of attitude expressed to me all the time caused a lot of depression. I am so glad that when I was older, I discovered who Jesus really is.
The second thing that I want to focus on is the attitude of the blind man's parents. When the blind man was brought before the religious leaders, they also brought the man's parents as well to testify if the man was really born blind. The parents said that their son was of age, he could speak for himself.
This is a nasty and horrible way to act. These parents left there son to beg and then they wouldn't help him out in a difficult situation because they were afraid.
What this teaches me is that even when those who are supposed to love us and care about us reject us, Jesus does not. He loves us and stands by us no matter what. He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. When the man had been cast out and was alone, Jesus came and found him, and Jesus showed love, mercy and compassion to him.
One other thing that I want to focus on from this miracle account is the fact that the blind man obeyed the Lord and gave Jesus the glory. When Jesus told the man to wash in the pool, the blind man did it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord. After he was healed and he found out who Jesus was, he worshiped Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
This is an example for us today. We should obey what the Lord commands us to do. Whatever good thing comes into our lives, we should thank the Lord and give Him all the honor, glory and praise.
Now, how does this miracle demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus created something out of nothing which is something only God can do. The account emphasizes the fact that this man was born blind. It also says that Jesus spit on the dust, and then He placed the mud in the man's eyes.
I think the clear implication is that this man was born without eyes. Jesus took the dust of the earth as in the original creation of man and made the man knew eyes with which to see. This is the reason the people and the religious leaders were so astonished. Jesus had healed other blind people. But this healing was different, It was more than those others. It was much more miraculous.
As great as this miracle was, the greatest miracle is when we come to Jesus and He gives sight to our eyes that were once blinded by sin. Jesus forgives us and allows us to see with the eyes of faith. Just like the blind man, we see Jesus for who He really is, and we worship Him as Savior and Lord.
Next week, we will continue in our series on the signs of John. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Book Review -- Black Cat Crossing
Today I am reviewing a book entitled "Black Cat Crossing" written by Kay Finch. This is the first book in a new mystery series.
This book started off with a very interesting premise. The main character whose name is Sabrina is an aspiring mystery writer who has moved in to help her aunt run a guest cottage business. The locals are upset because a black cat that is supposed to bring bad luck has been spotted.
About this time, Sabrina's cousin arrives trying to get his hands on the family fortune. The next night, the cousin is found dead by the river. Sabrina is the one who finds the body as she is led to it by the mysterious black cat.
Over the course of the book, Sabrina takes in this black cat keeping him safe from the local residents who are trying to trap him. She names the cat Hitchcock. Hitchcock has a way of showing up at unexpected times to lead Sabrina to clues in solving the mystery of her cousin's death.
I really enjoyed this book, and I thought the characters were great. However, the ending of the book ruined the book as far as I am concerned. I won't give away the ending, but to me, it just seems to come out of nowhere.
Because of the ending, I am not recommending this book. The series may improve. When the next book is released, I'll try to check it out and see if I like that book any better than this first one.
This book started off with a very interesting premise. The main character whose name is Sabrina is an aspiring mystery writer who has moved in to help her aunt run a guest cottage business. The locals are upset because a black cat that is supposed to bring bad luck has been spotted.
About this time, Sabrina's cousin arrives trying to get his hands on the family fortune. The next night, the cousin is found dead by the river. Sabrina is the one who finds the body as she is led to it by the mysterious black cat.
Over the course of the book, Sabrina takes in this black cat keeping him safe from the local residents who are trying to trap him. She names the cat Hitchcock. Hitchcock has a way of showing up at unexpected times to lead Sabrina to clues in solving the mystery of her cousin's death.
I really enjoyed this book, and I thought the characters were great. However, the ending of the book ruined the book as far as I am concerned. I won't give away the ending, but to me, it just seems to come out of nowhere.
Because of the ending, I am not recommending this book. The series may improve. When the next book is released, I'll try to check it out and see if I like that book any better than this first one.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From I John
I John 2:3-6 -- "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
I John 3:7 -- "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous., just as he is righteous."
I John 5:12 -- "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
I John 3:7 -- "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous., just as he is righteous."
I John 5:12 -- "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Friday, October 23, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 6:16-24
Welcome to this new edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am so glad to be able to post the sermon today, and I hope that this day finds all of you doing well.
I just want to begin by thanking the Lord for all that He has done for me this week. I am feeling pretty well, and things are going pretty good at work. I am thankful for the fact that I was able to get some additional writing work this week, and the book that I am working on is progressing nicely.
In prayer this week, let us pray for those who are in the path of the terrible hurricane that is near Mexico. I heard that this is one of the strongest hurricanes meteorologists have ever recorded. Let us pray for the safety of all who are threatened by this storm. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world and pray for those who have been displaced by the conflicts around the world.
We have been praying over the weeks for those nations where there are not that many Christians. Let us pray this week that the message of Jesus will reach Cambodia, Laos, Sudan and Mauritania.
Today in the sermon, we are continuing with our series of messages on the signs in the Gospel of John that point to the divinity of Jesus Christ. In our message last week, we examined the account of the feeding of the 5,000. This is such an important miracle that it is recorded in all four Gospels. It was a turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. As we saw last week, many stopped following Jesus after the teaching Jesus gave after performing this great and awesome miracle.
Right after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, The disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee and set sail for the city of Capernaum. Jesus did not go with the disciples. Jesus had withdrawn by Himself up into the mountains to pray and have some solitary time.
When the disciples were about half way across the sea, darkness had overtaken them, and a strong wind began to blow making the waves treacherous. About this time, the disciples saw a figure walking on the water in the distance. They were greatly afraid and thought that they were seeing a ghost. At this point Jesus said, "It is I, don't be afraid."
This account does not record this, but another Gospel says that when Peter saw that it was Jesus, Peter asked to come out to Jesus on the water. Peter stepped out and started walking on the water too. However, at some point, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and Peter sank. Of course, Jesus rescued His friend.
When Jesus entered the boat, the wind and waves settled, What is most stunning about this miracle in my view is that when Jesus got in the boat, the boat immediately transported to the shore. It went three miles instantly.
This miraculous account has a lot to teach us about life and the divine nature of Jesus. First, let us look at the lessons we can apply to our lives today. One thing that really strikes me is the metaphor of the storm and how Jesus brings peace. This same idea occurs in another account when Jesus stilled the storm. This time, Jesus was in the boat with the disciples. A great storm churned the sea, and the disciples thought all was lost. All the while Jesus was sleeping. The disciples came and woke Him saying don't you care that we are about to drown. Well, of course Jesus cared about their predicament. He rebuked the storm saying, "Peace, be still." All was well.
The life we live on planet earth is filled with rough times. All of us have or will face very difficult times. These are the storms that disturb our existence. Unfortunately, some people have more than their fair share of storms.
In these rough patches of life, we must turn to Jesus as the one who calms the raging storm. He is the only one who has the power to make a difference in our lives.
When we are facing financial difficulties, poor health or broken relationships, Jesus says to us, "Be not Afraid". Jesus is right there with us in all of the hard times of life. I know this from first hand experience. As I've said here on the blog many times, If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I would not be able to exist. Knowing that He is with me has kept me going through sorrow and times of deep depression. When I have been in great fear over circumstances in the present and when I have been worried about the future, I can hear the voice of Jesus say, "Be not Afraid."
The reason that we do not have to fear is that Jesus is the one who is in our hearts and He is the one who holds our future. One minister whose sermons I like to listen to puts it this way, he says that with Jesus the worst thing is never the last thing. What he means is that when our life is in Christ, no matter what problem we face, we have the assurance that we will one day be with Jesus for all of eternity in His land where there will be no more sorrow or mourning and all will be at at peace.
One other lesson that we can learn from this account is that in all of all storms in life, when need to keep our eyes on Jesus. As it says in Hebrews chapter 12, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Peter was actually walking on the water and defying the storm as long as his eyes stayed on Jesus and not the storm. As soon as Peter's focus left Jesus, Peter was in trouble. This tells me that in order to make it through life, Jesus needs to be at the center of my life. He needs to be the focus of all that I do. To me this means that I pray and commune with Jesus throughout the day. I read about Him and His teachings in the Bible, and I meditate on His goodness and love.
Part of keeping Jesus at the center of my life also means putting into practice His teachings and commandments. It means asking what would Jesus do in each circumstance of my life.
If we look to Jesus for the answers, He will see us through. The answers to life's problems do not rest in worldly ideas and philosophies. The answer to all of life is Jesus.
Let me also point out one other thing. When Peter did take His eyes off of Jesus, Jesus didn't just let him drown. Peter cried out to the Lord, and the Lord lifted him out of the waves. Jesus does not give up on us when we make a mistake or commit a sin. He is always there to help us and forgive us when we call upon His name. He is our friend, and He always wants to help us and come to our aid.
Now, how does this sign demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. It does so in two ways. First of all, Jesus demonstrates His complete control over the natural world. Jesus was able to stop a storm by willing it to be so. Also, Jesus defied all the laws of nature by walking on the water. Only God come in the flesh can have that kind of awesome power.
Also, Jesus by His miraculous power transported a ship with twelve men in it half way across the Sea of Galilee in an instant. This is not the work of a mere man.
When we look at Jesus, we see His compassion, goodness. love and power. Jesus is amazing and wonderful. I am so glad that He is my Savior, Lord, guide and friend. I hope that you will consider turning to Jesus if you have not made Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue our series in the signs from John. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all, Amen.
PS -- Lord, please keep those in the path of the hurricane safe. Amen.
I just want to begin by thanking the Lord for all that He has done for me this week. I am feeling pretty well, and things are going pretty good at work. I am thankful for the fact that I was able to get some additional writing work this week, and the book that I am working on is progressing nicely.
In prayer this week, let us pray for those who are in the path of the terrible hurricane that is near Mexico. I heard that this is one of the strongest hurricanes meteorologists have ever recorded. Let us pray for the safety of all who are threatened by this storm. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world and pray for those who have been displaced by the conflicts around the world.
We have been praying over the weeks for those nations where there are not that many Christians. Let us pray this week that the message of Jesus will reach Cambodia, Laos, Sudan and Mauritania.
Today in the sermon, we are continuing with our series of messages on the signs in the Gospel of John that point to the divinity of Jesus Christ. In our message last week, we examined the account of the feeding of the 5,000. This is such an important miracle that it is recorded in all four Gospels. It was a turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. As we saw last week, many stopped following Jesus after the teaching Jesus gave after performing this great and awesome miracle.
Right after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, The disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee and set sail for the city of Capernaum. Jesus did not go with the disciples. Jesus had withdrawn by Himself up into the mountains to pray and have some solitary time.
When the disciples were about half way across the sea, darkness had overtaken them, and a strong wind began to blow making the waves treacherous. About this time, the disciples saw a figure walking on the water in the distance. They were greatly afraid and thought that they were seeing a ghost. At this point Jesus said, "It is I, don't be afraid."
This account does not record this, but another Gospel says that when Peter saw that it was Jesus, Peter asked to come out to Jesus on the water. Peter stepped out and started walking on the water too. However, at some point, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and Peter sank. Of course, Jesus rescued His friend.
When Jesus entered the boat, the wind and waves settled, What is most stunning about this miracle in my view is that when Jesus got in the boat, the boat immediately transported to the shore. It went three miles instantly.
This miraculous account has a lot to teach us about life and the divine nature of Jesus. First, let us look at the lessons we can apply to our lives today. One thing that really strikes me is the metaphor of the storm and how Jesus brings peace. This same idea occurs in another account when Jesus stilled the storm. This time, Jesus was in the boat with the disciples. A great storm churned the sea, and the disciples thought all was lost. All the while Jesus was sleeping. The disciples came and woke Him saying don't you care that we are about to drown. Well, of course Jesus cared about their predicament. He rebuked the storm saying, "Peace, be still." All was well.
The life we live on planet earth is filled with rough times. All of us have or will face very difficult times. These are the storms that disturb our existence. Unfortunately, some people have more than their fair share of storms.
In these rough patches of life, we must turn to Jesus as the one who calms the raging storm. He is the only one who has the power to make a difference in our lives.
When we are facing financial difficulties, poor health or broken relationships, Jesus says to us, "Be not Afraid". Jesus is right there with us in all of the hard times of life. I know this from first hand experience. As I've said here on the blog many times, If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I would not be able to exist. Knowing that He is with me has kept me going through sorrow and times of deep depression. When I have been in great fear over circumstances in the present and when I have been worried about the future, I can hear the voice of Jesus say, "Be not Afraid."
The reason that we do not have to fear is that Jesus is the one who is in our hearts and He is the one who holds our future. One minister whose sermons I like to listen to puts it this way, he says that with Jesus the worst thing is never the last thing. What he means is that when our life is in Christ, no matter what problem we face, we have the assurance that we will one day be with Jesus for all of eternity in His land where there will be no more sorrow or mourning and all will be at at peace.
One other lesson that we can learn from this account is that in all of all storms in life, when need to keep our eyes on Jesus. As it says in Hebrews chapter 12, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Peter was actually walking on the water and defying the storm as long as his eyes stayed on Jesus and not the storm. As soon as Peter's focus left Jesus, Peter was in trouble. This tells me that in order to make it through life, Jesus needs to be at the center of my life. He needs to be the focus of all that I do. To me this means that I pray and commune with Jesus throughout the day. I read about Him and His teachings in the Bible, and I meditate on His goodness and love.
Part of keeping Jesus at the center of my life also means putting into practice His teachings and commandments. It means asking what would Jesus do in each circumstance of my life.
If we look to Jesus for the answers, He will see us through. The answers to life's problems do not rest in worldly ideas and philosophies. The answer to all of life is Jesus.
Let me also point out one other thing. When Peter did take His eyes off of Jesus, Jesus didn't just let him drown. Peter cried out to the Lord, and the Lord lifted him out of the waves. Jesus does not give up on us when we make a mistake or commit a sin. He is always there to help us and forgive us when we call upon His name. He is our friend, and He always wants to help us and come to our aid.
Now, how does this sign demonstrate the divine nature of Jesus. It does so in two ways. First of all, Jesus demonstrates His complete control over the natural world. Jesus was able to stop a storm by willing it to be so. Also, Jesus defied all the laws of nature by walking on the water. Only God come in the flesh can have that kind of awesome power.
Also, Jesus by His miraculous power transported a ship with twelve men in it half way across the Sea of Galilee in an instant. This is not the work of a mere man.
When we look at Jesus, we see His compassion, goodness. love and power. Jesus is amazing and wonderful. I am so glad that He is my Savior, Lord, guide and friend. I hope that you will consider turning to Jesus if you have not made Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue our series in the signs from John. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all, Amen.
PS -- Lord, please keep those in the path of the hurricane safe. Amen.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Book Review -- Bible Study Books
Today for the weekly review, I would like to review two bible study book series. I really enjoy doing Bible studies on different books and topics. If a person is really going to know the Bible, it is essential that he do more than just listen to the sermon on Sunday morning. Truly knowing and understanding God's Word requires diligent study on a personal level.
Bible study books are a good way to help learn what the Bible teaches. A new Bible study series that I have recently come across is entitled "Wesley Bible Studies." This is a series where one or more books of the Bible is dealt with in 13 different lessons. The particular volume that I worked on was on Matthew's Gospel.
Each lesson has a commentary section, and then there are questions for the student to answer at the end of each lesson.
I thought the volume on Matthew was pretty good, but I did not think that this particular volume was very in depth. I was disappointed that only portions of Matthew were dealt with and not the book as a whole. I would recommend this series, but not for in depth Bible study.
A Bible study series that I would recommend wholeheartedly is the LifeGuide series published by IVP. This particular series contains volumes on individual books of the Bible as well as studies arranged on particular themes. The study I did on the Sermon on the Mount was very good.
I hope that you will find a good Bible study to help you as you attempt to learn more about God and His Word.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Luke
Luke 15:31-32 -- "My son the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
Luke 18: 7-8 -- "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
Luke 21: 27-28 -- "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Luke 18: 7-8 -- "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
Luke 21: 27-28 -- "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Friday, October 16, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 6:1-14
Once again it is time to post the Weekend Sermon. I hope and pray that all of you who read this blog are doing very well. I always enjoy the opportunity to post these messages.
This last week went very well. I seem to be on more of a steady pace at work, and my health has been much improved. Thank you all for your prayers regarding this matter.
In prayer this week, please pray about the problem of poverty and homelessness around the world. I just heard a report on the number of truly poor people in this world, and the numbers shocked me. Let us all do what we can to help alleviate so much of the suffering that is in the world. Let us also continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace is Israel, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Over the past few weeks, we have been praying for the message of Jesus to reach the nations of the world where there are few Christians. In this regard, let us pray this week for Thailand, Mongolia and Senegal.
Last week, we continued with our series dealing with the signs of Jesus' divinity found in the book of John. We discussed the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Today, we will discuss what is probably Jesus' most well-known miracle, the feeding of the five thousand. This is an important miracle and a pivotal event in the life and ministry of Jesus. This particular miracle is recorded in all four of the Gospels.
As Jesus began to perform many miracles, crowds of people began to follow Him. These people were looking for a miracle, and they also came to listen to Jesus' teachings. One day, thousands of people had been listening to Jesus. Jesus asked Philip where they would get the bread to feed all of the people. Philip said that it would take at least half of a year's wages to feed all the people just one bite of food. Andrew then stepped up and said that he had found a boy who had five loaves and two fish.
At this point, Jesus had the people sit down in groups. Jesus then gave thanks for the bread and the fish and had them distributed to all the people. Miraculously, all of the people were fed, and there were enough left overs to fill up 12 baskets.
When the people saw this sign, they wanted to make Jesus king by force. Jesus did not want this to happen, so He quickly withdrew to the mountains.
This is an interesting miracle. Let's explore some of the messages from this miracle and then look at how this miracle confirms the deity of Jesus.
One of the main lessons from this miracle is that Jesus is the one who supplies all of our needs. In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray for our daily bread. Jesus cares about us and wants us to have our needs met. The Lord will supply our needs. One of the main ways that the Lord uses to supply needs is when Christians see a need in the world and then work to meet that need. If Christians would work together and have compassion on those around them, so many of the needs in this world could be met, and much of the hardship in this world could be eliminated.
I know in my life that the Lord has met my physical needs. Those of you who have read the blog for a few years know that I went through some horrendous economic struggles a couple of years ago that I am still dealing with. During that time, the Lord met my needs in several ways. One way He used to met my needs was through the food bank ministry of church about five miles from my home. This ministry really helped me out in some of my times of real desperation.
There were many times when I didn't know where the money was going to come from to get the bills paid, but the Lord provided. Once, I had one week to get enough money to pay the personal property tax for my car. Thankfully, the Lord provided enough writing work that I was able to get just enough that week to pay that looming bill. Thanks be to God.
This miracle also teaches us the lesson that God uses the little bit we offer to Him to do great things. When that boy offered his loaves and fish, it didn't seem like much. But Jesus used that little bit to perform a mighty miracle. When we offer unto Jesus what we have, He will do great things with it. All of us have some talent, gift or resource that we can offer to the Lord's service. If we are willing to use these things for the Lord's service, He will do great things.
One of the last lessons that I want to draw out from this miracle is the importance of giving thanks. Jesus gave thanks for the loaves and fish. We need to say thank you to the Lord when we receive things from Him. Try to be thankful to the Lord everyday for the gifts that He has provided. Tell Him thank you for the food you have to eat, your financial resources and the people that He has brought into your life. In all things give thanks.
Now, let us explore the deeper spiritual and doctrinal themes in this miracle. This miracle was the turning point in Jesus' ministry.
First of all, Jesus demonstrated His deity by feeding people miraculously. Just as the people were fed in Moses' day by the manna from Heaven, Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven to bring spiritual life to the world.
However, Jesus is greater than this manna that came down from Heaven. The manna was only sufficient for each day. What was not used spoiled. It was temporal. Also, this manna only aided the people physically. This manna only fed the people of Israel.
On the other hand, Jesus the bread of life who has come down from Heaven provides eternal, spiritual nourishment. Jesus provides eternal life for all who believe in Him. Jesus' supply of love and life will never run out. Jesus has come to provide life to whosoever will call upon Him and turn to Him in repentance and faith.
God provided the manna. God Himself in the form of Jesus Christ is the bread that has come down from Heaven to give life to the world.
When the people saw Jesus' miracle, they wanted to make Him a physical ruler. However, at that time, Jesus' kingdom was not of this world. He came to make His kingdom in the hearts of those who would believe in Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus eternal kingdom will only be established when He comes again in power and great glory.
In order to be part of Jesus' kingdom now and in the future, Jesus said that we had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He did not mean this in a literal since. Jesus was saying that in order to truly be a part of His kingdom, we must take Him into ourselves. He must be the spiritual nourishment of our souls. He must be our all in all providing His love and light as the source of our very being.
When the great crowds heard these words from Jesus, the vast majority of them did not want to follow Jesus anymore. They didn't like what His kingdom had to offer.
So many people deserted Jesus at this point that He turned to His disciples and asked them if they wanted to leave as well. At this point, Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Jesus is the only one who has the words of eternal life. He calls on each and every person in this world to hear His message of love, life, forgiveness and reconciliation and respond to it by accepting Him as Savior and Lord. I hope that you will consider this day making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue in our series in the signs of John's Gospel. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This last week went very well. I seem to be on more of a steady pace at work, and my health has been much improved. Thank you all for your prayers regarding this matter.
In prayer this week, please pray about the problem of poverty and homelessness around the world. I just heard a report on the number of truly poor people in this world, and the numbers shocked me. Let us all do what we can to help alleviate so much of the suffering that is in the world. Let us also continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace is Israel, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Over the past few weeks, we have been praying for the message of Jesus to reach the nations of the world where there are few Christians. In this regard, let us pray this week for Thailand, Mongolia and Senegal.
Last week, we continued with our series dealing with the signs of Jesus' divinity found in the book of John. We discussed the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Today, we will discuss what is probably Jesus' most well-known miracle, the feeding of the five thousand. This is an important miracle and a pivotal event in the life and ministry of Jesus. This particular miracle is recorded in all four of the Gospels.
As Jesus began to perform many miracles, crowds of people began to follow Him. These people were looking for a miracle, and they also came to listen to Jesus' teachings. One day, thousands of people had been listening to Jesus. Jesus asked Philip where they would get the bread to feed all of the people. Philip said that it would take at least half of a year's wages to feed all the people just one bite of food. Andrew then stepped up and said that he had found a boy who had five loaves and two fish.
At this point, Jesus had the people sit down in groups. Jesus then gave thanks for the bread and the fish and had them distributed to all the people. Miraculously, all of the people were fed, and there were enough left overs to fill up 12 baskets.
When the people saw this sign, they wanted to make Jesus king by force. Jesus did not want this to happen, so He quickly withdrew to the mountains.
This is an interesting miracle. Let's explore some of the messages from this miracle and then look at how this miracle confirms the deity of Jesus.
One of the main lessons from this miracle is that Jesus is the one who supplies all of our needs. In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray for our daily bread. Jesus cares about us and wants us to have our needs met. The Lord will supply our needs. One of the main ways that the Lord uses to supply needs is when Christians see a need in the world and then work to meet that need. If Christians would work together and have compassion on those around them, so many of the needs in this world could be met, and much of the hardship in this world could be eliminated.
I know in my life that the Lord has met my physical needs. Those of you who have read the blog for a few years know that I went through some horrendous economic struggles a couple of years ago that I am still dealing with. During that time, the Lord met my needs in several ways. One way He used to met my needs was through the food bank ministry of church about five miles from my home. This ministry really helped me out in some of my times of real desperation.
There were many times when I didn't know where the money was going to come from to get the bills paid, but the Lord provided. Once, I had one week to get enough money to pay the personal property tax for my car. Thankfully, the Lord provided enough writing work that I was able to get just enough that week to pay that looming bill. Thanks be to God.
This miracle also teaches us the lesson that God uses the little bit we offer to Him to do great things. When that boy offered his loaves and fish, it didn't seem like much. But Jesus used that little bit to perform a mighty miracle. When we offer unto Jesus what we have, He will do great things with it. All of us have some talent, gift or resource that we can offer to the Lord's service. If we are willing to use these things for the Lord's service, He will do great things.
One of the last lessons that I want to draw out from this miracle is the importance of giving thanks. Jesus gave thanks for the loaves and fish. We need to say thank you to the Lord when we receive things from Him. Try to be thankful to the Lord everyday for the gifts that He has provided. Tell Him thank you for the food you have to eat, your financial resources and the people that He has brought into your life. In all things give thanks.
Now, let us explore the deeper spiritual and doctrinal themes in this miracle. This miracle was the turning point in Jesus' ministry.
First of all, Jesus demonstrated His deity by feeding people miraculously. Just as the people were fed in Moses' day by the manna from Heaven, Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven to bring spiritual life to the world.
However, Jesus is greater than this manna that came down from Heaven. The manna was only sufficient for each day. What was not used spoiled. It was temporal. Also, this manna only aided the people physically. This manna only fed the people of Israel.
On the other hand, Jesus the bread of life who has come down from Heaven provides eternal, spiritual nourishment. Jesus provides eternal life for all who believe in Him. Jesus' supply of love and life will never run out. Jesus has come to provide life to whosoever will call upon Him and turn to Him in repentance and faith.
God provided the manna. God Himself in the form of Jesus Christ is the bread that has come down from Heaven to give life to the world.
When the people saw Jesus' miracle, they wanted to make Him a physical ruler. However, at that time, Jesus' kingdom was not of this world. He came to make His kingdom in the hearts of those who would believe in Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus eternal kingdom will only be established when He comes again in power and great glory.
In order to be part of Jesus' kingdom now and in the future, Jesus said that we had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He did not mean this in a literal since. Jesus was saying that in order to truly be a part of His kingdom, we must take Him into ourselves. He must be the spiritual nourishment of our souls. He must be our all in all providing His love and light as the source of our very being.
When the great crowds heard these words from Jesus, the vast majority of them did not want to follow Jesus anymore. They didn't like what His kingdom had to offer.
So many people deserted Jesus at this point that He turned to His disciples and asked them if they wanted to leave as well. At this point, Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Jesus is the only one who has the words of eternal life. He calls on each and every person in this world to hear His message of love, life, forgiveness and reconciliation and respond to it by accepting Him as Savior and Lord. I hope that you will consider this day making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.
Next week, we will continue in our series in the signs of John's Gospel. I will post the verses on Monday and the review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Book Review -- A Gift From Bob
I have read and recommended two previous books written by James Bowen about his life with his cat named Bob. These two books are entitled, "A Street Cat Named Bob" and "The World According to Bob." For those of you who don't know the story, James Bowen was a recovering drug addict who was trying to make a living and avoid being homeless again by being a street musician. One day, James came back to his apartment and found an injured cat. James took the cat to the veterinarian and nursed the cat back to health. James named the cat Bob, and the two formed a deep friendship.
Bob began coming out on the street with James, and Bob often rode on James' shoulder as the pair walked around London. Eventually, James became a "Big Issue" magazine seller, and with Bob's help, James' life improved greatly.
One day, a literary agent spotted the pair, and the rest is book publishing history.
This week, the new book by James Bowen entitled "A Gift From Bob" was released here in the United States. This book is about a special Christmas that James and Bob spent together before fame and fortune came their way.
James was prepared to spend Christmas as just another day, but this Christmas brought many surprises. During the course of the book, James will realize that it is truly better to give than to receive and that the simple things in life make Christmas truly meaningful.
This is another great book that details the continuing story of James and Bob. I highly recommend this book. It will make great Christmas reading.
Bob began coming out on the street with James, and Bob often rode on James' shoulder as the pair walked around London. Eventually, James became a "Big Issue" magazine seller, and with Bob's help, James' life improved greatly.
One day, a literary agent spotted the pair, and the rest is book publishing history.
This week, the new book by James Bowen entitled "A Gift From Bob" was released here in the United States. This book is about a special Christmas that James and Bob spent together before fame and fortune came their way.
James was prepared to spend Christmas as just another day, but this Christmas brought many surprises. During the course of the book, James will realize that it is truly better to give than to receive and that the simple things in life make Christmas truly meaningful.
This is another great book that details the continuing story of James and Bob. I highly recommend this book. It will make great Christmas reading.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From II and III John
II John 6 -- "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
II John 9 -- "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
III John 11 -- "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."
II John 9 -- "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
III John 11 -- "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."
Friday, October 9, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 5:1-18
Today is a good day because I get to post another addition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you to all of you who read this blog.
This last week was very eventful. As I have mentioned before, I haven't been feeling well for awhile. I had an incident at work the week, and I was very sick. I went to the doctor, and they discovered that I have a kidney problem. I am now on medication to help with that, and I am on a special diet. I am feeling quite a bit better. Please pray that I will continue to recover and do better now that we know what has been going on.
In prayer this week, please pray for those affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding in North and South Carolina. Also, let us pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. In prayer, let us also remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution. Please continue to pray that the message of Jesus' love might reach those in Malaysia, Singapore, Maldives and other nations where Christians are in the minority.
For the past few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages studying how John presents the divinity of Christ is his Gospel. John presents seven signs to Jesus' divinity. We have looked at Jesus' miracle of changing the water into wine and Jesus' healing of the nobleman's son so far. Today, we will turn our attention to another sign and miracle of the Lord Jesus.
One day, Jesus was in the city of Jerusalem and passed by the pool of Bethesda. This pool was surrounded by five covered porches where sick people used to come in order to be healed. The reason they came to be healed was because at certain times, the water in the pool was stirred and the first person in the pool would be healed.
Some versions of the Bible state that an angel came and stirred the waters. Most of the older manuscripts don't contain these verses, so many newer Bible versions leave them out. I think it is possible that an angel came and stirred the waters, I don't really know.
Whatever was happening, Jesus came by one day and saw a man who was there trying to get healed. This man had been paralyzed for 38 years.
When Jesus was informed about this man's situation, He asked the man if he wanted to get well. Now let me focus on this for just a moment. Some ministers make a lot out of this statement by Jesus. They make it out as if the man did not want to get well, so Jesus had to ask him. They speak as if the man was sick so long because somehow he wanted to be that way.
The text does not really support that. It seems to me that Jesus just asked the man that question as a way to start a conversation with the man. Jesus was full of compassion and mercy. He felt bad for this man who had tried to get well but was in such a bad way for so long. Jesus in His mercy and love told the man to pick up his mat and walk, and the man immediately arose completely cured.
Now the day that Jesus healed the man was on a Sabbath, and the religious leaders were so bound by their rules that they couldn't rejoice and give God glory that a man who was in misery was made well. They saw the man carrying his mat and inquired who had healed him.
The man did not know that it was Jesus who had healed him. However, Jesus later saw this man in the the Temple. Jesus said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."
Once again, I think the wrong application is made from this verse. I don't think that Jesus is saying here that the man was sick all those years because he was a sinner or had committed a sin. Some ministers like to say that people are sick because they have sin in their lives. Jesus actually says the opposite in another miracle that we will examine in a few weeks.
What Jesus is saying to the man is that as bad as it was that he had been paralyzed for 38 years, that is not the worst thing that could befall him. If a person, this man included, continued in sin without coming to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, that individual would be eternally separated from the Lord. That is worse than any disease or affliction that might beset us in this world.
Someone may have the best health possible, and they might have all of the success and wealth the world can provide. However, without the life, forgiveness and love of Jesus, all that is worthless. As Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul." Eternity is a long time. Each person needs to make sure that their heart is right with God.
Later, when the religious leaders found out that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, they began to persecute Jesus intensely. Jesus told them that His Father was always working and He was working as well. The religious leaders then wanted to kill Jesus because they recognized that Jesus was stating clearly in word and deed that He was God come in the flesh.
This sign that John records demonstrates the divinity of Jesus in three ways. First of all, Jesus was able to heal a man with a long standing physical problem. Having been paralyzed for so long, this man's muscles would have atrophied. However, when Jesus told him to get up, the man was perfectly restored. It was as if all of his muscles were recreated. Only God can do something like this.
The second way that this sign demonstrates Jesus' divinity is by the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. God was the one who had instituted the Sabbath. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus was showing that He was Lord over the Sabbath. Since He is the one who made the Sabbath, He was the one who had the authority to say what could and could not be done on that day. Jesus showed us that it is always right to do good on the Sabbath day.
The third way that this sign demonstrates Jesus' divinity is by His words to the religious leaders. Jesus clearly said that God was His Father. This was saying that He was equal with God. The religious leaders clearly comprehended Jesus statement. In the remainder of chapter 5, Jesus and the leaders will debate the fact of who Jesus is. In chapter 5, Jesus makes it very clear that He is God. One day He will return to judge the living and the dead. Only those who look to Jesus for redemption will have eternal life with Him forever and forever.
It is my hope and prayer that if you have not come to Jesus and made Him your Savior and Lord that you will do so today. Jesus loves you, and He wants to welcome you into His kingdom which has no end.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. On Wednesday, I plan to post a review. The sermon will appear next Friday as usual. May God bless you all. Amen.
This last week was very eventful. As I have mentioned before, I haven't been feeling well for awhile. I had an incident at work the week, and I was very sick. I went to the doctor, and they discovered that I have a kidney problem. I am now on medication to help with that, and I am on a special diet. I am feeling quite a bit better. Please pray that I will continue to recover and do better now that we know what has been going on.
In prayer this week, please pray for those affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding in North and South Carolina. Also, let us pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. In prayer, let us also remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution. Please continue to pray that the message of Jesus' love might reach those in Malaysia, Singapore, Maldives and other nations where Christians are in the minority.
For the past few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages studying how John presents the divinity of Christ is his Gospel. John presents seven signs to Jesus' divinity. We have looked at Jesus' miracle of changing the water into wine and Jesus' healing of the nobleman's son so far. Today, we will turn our attention to another sign and miracle of the Lord Jesus.
One day, Jesus was in the city of Jerusalem and passed by the pool of Bethesda. This pool was surrounded by five covered porches where sick people used to come in order to be healed. The reason they came to be healed was because at certain times, the water in the pool was stirred and the first person in the pool would be healed.
Some versions of the Bible state that an angel came and stirred the waters. Most of the older manuscripts don't contain these verses, so many newer Bible versions leave them out. I think it is possible that an angel came and stirred the waters, I don't really know.
Whatever was happening, Jesus came by one day and saw a man who was there trying to get healed. This man had been paralyzed for 38 years.
When Jesus was informed about this man's situation, He asked the man if he wanted to get well. Now let me focus on this for just a moment. Some ministers make a lot out of this statement by Jesus. They make it out as if the man did not want to get well, so Jesus had to ask him. They speak as if the man was sick so long because somehow he wanted to be that way.
The text does not really support that. It seems to me that Jesus just asked the man that question as a way to start a conversation with the man. Jesus was full of compassion and mercy. He felt bad for this man who had tried to get well but was in such a bad way for so long. Jesus in His mercy and love told the man to pick up his mat and walk, and the man immediately arose completely cured.
Now the day that Jesus healed the man was on a Sabbath, and the religious leaders were so bound by their rules that they couldn't rejoice and give God glory that a man who was in misery was made well. They saw the man carrying his mat and inquired who had healed him.
The man did not know that it was Jesus who had healed him. However, Jesus later saw this man in the the Temple. Jesus said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."
Once again, I think the wrong application is made from this verse. I don't think that Jesus is saying here that the man was sick all those years because he was a sinner or had committed a sin. Some ministers like to say that people are sick because they have sin in their lives. Jesus actually says the opposite in another miracle that we will examine in a few weeks.
What Jesus is saying to the man is that as bad as it was that he had been paralyzed for 38 years, that is not the worst thing that could befall him. If a person, this man included, continued in sin without coming to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, that individual would be eternally separated from the Lord. That is worse than any disease or affliction that might beset us in this world.
Someone may have the best health possible, and they might have all of the success and wealth the world can provide. However, without the life, forgiveness and love of Jesus, all that is worthless. As Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul." Eternity is a long time. Each person needs to make sure that their heart is right with God.
Later, when the religious leaders found out that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, they began to persecute Jesus intensely. Jesus told them that His Father was always working and He was working as well. The religious leaders then wanted to kill Jesus because they recognized that Jesus was stating clearly in word and deed that He was God come in the flesh.
This sign that John records demonstrates the divinity of Jesus in three ways. First of all, Jesus was able to heal a man with a long standing physical problem. Having been paralyzed for so long, this man's muscles would have atrophied. However, when Jesus told him to get up, the man was perfectly restored. It was as if all of his muscles were recreated. Only God can do something like this.
The second way that this sign demonstrates Jesus' divinity is by the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. God was the one who had instituted the Sabbath. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus was showing that He was Lord over the Sabbath. Since He is the one who made the Sabbath, He was the one who had the authority to say what could and could not be done on that day. Jesus showed us that it is always right to do good on the Sabbath day.
The third way that this sign demonstrates Jesus' divinity is by His words to the religious leaders. Jesus clearly said that God was His Father. This was saying that He was equal with God. The religious leaders clearly comprehended Jesus statement. In the remainder of chapter 5, Jesus and the leaders will debate the fact of who Jesus is. In chapter 5, Jesus makes it very clear that He is God. One day He will return to judge the living and the dead. Only those who look to Jesus for redemption will have eternal life with Him forever and forever.
It is my hope and prayer that if you have not come to Jesus and made Him your Savior and Lord that you will do so today. Jesus loves you, and He wants to welcome you into His kingdom which has no end.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. On Wednesday, I plan to post a review. The sermon will appear next Friday as usual. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Book Review -- Notes From the Dog
As I mentioned in last week's book review post, one of the author's I like is Gary Paulsen. Mentioning that got me thinking that I hadn't read any of his newer books lately, so I checked a couple out at the library.
"Notes From the Dog" is an excellent book for young and old alike. In this book, a 14-year old boy named Finn is living with his Dad and their dog Dylan. Finn's friend is staying with them for the Summer. Finn plans on an uneventful Summer, but that all changes when Johanna the new neighbor moves in next door.
Johanna has cancer, but she is not letting it get her down. During the course of the book, Johanna helps Finn connect with others around him, she helps him plant a garden, and Finn and Matthew help Johanna by collecting donations for Johanna's triathlon competition to fund cancer research. The two boys also help Johanna when she is very sick from her chemotherapy treatments.
Throughout the book, people keep making connections with one another, and every character in the book experiences significant life changes. Also, Dylan the dog plays a significant role in the book per the title, but I won't give that part of the story away.
"Notes From the Dog" is a well-written book by a great writer. I highly recommend it.
"Notes From the Dog" is an excellent book for young and old alike. In this book, a 14-year old boy named Finn is living with his Dad and their dog Dylan. Finn's friend is staying with them for the Summer. Finn plans on an uneventful Summer, but that all changes when Johanna the new neighbor moves in next door.
Johanna has cancer, but she is not letting it get her down. During the course of the book, Johanna helps Finn connect with others around him, she helps him plant a garden, and Finn and Matthew help Johanna by collecting donations for Johanna's triathlon competition to fund cancer research. The two boys also help Johanna when she is very sick from her chemotherapy treatments.
Throughout the book, people keep making connections with one another, and every character in the book experiences significant life changes. Also, Dylan the dog plays a significant role in the book per the title, but I won't give that part of the story away.
"Notes From the Dog" is a well-written book by a great writer. I highly recommend it.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Zechariah
Zechariah 7:9-10 -- "This is what the Lord Almighty said: Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other."
Zechariah 9:9 -- "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Zechariah 14:20 -- "On that day Holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowl in front of the altar."
Zechariah 9:9 -- "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Zechariah 14:20 -- "On that day Holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowl in front of the altar."
Friday, October 2, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 4:43-54
Hello, I hope that everyone is having a good day. It is good to be with you today to post another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I thank God for this opportunity.
I want to begin today by asking everyone to pray for the families in Oregon who lost loved ones in the horrible incident that happened at the college out there yesterday. Please pray that the Lord will give to them His comfort and strength in this hard time. Also, let us pray for those affected by hurricane Joaquin.
This week I have not been feeling well. My blood pressure is way up, and I have been having terrible headaches. Please pray that I will feel better. Thank you.
In other areas, let us continue to pray for peace in the world. I would like to ask you all to focus in on praying for peace in Syria this week. The situation in this nation just seems to go from bad to worse. Also, let us continue to pray that the message of the love of Jesus will reach around the world. This week, let us pray that the Gospel will reach Japan, Mongolia and North Korea.
For the past several weeks we have been in a series of messages focusing on the divinity of Jesus as presented in John. We have already discussed the "I Am" statements of Jesus, and last week, we began focusing on the seven sign miracles recorded by John. This week we will look at Jesus encounter with the nobleman and the nobleman's son.
After His miracle of turning the water into wine, Jesus went to Jerusalem. While there, He had a religious discussion with Nicodemus. Upon leaving Jerusalem, Jesus went up through Samaria and spoke to a woman there whom He met by the town's well. Upon returning to Galilee, Jesus went back to the city of Cana where He performed His first sign miracle.
When word got out that Jesus was back in Cana, people from the surrounding area came to Jesus to seek healing and deliverance. One of those who sought out Jesus was a nobleman from the city of Capernaum. This man would probably have been an official in Herod's court. This would have been one of Herod's sons who ruled for the Romans.
This nobleman found Jesus and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. Jesus at first says something surprising. He criticizes the people for refusing to believe in Him unless they see a sign. Upon hearing this, the nobleman once again implored Jesus to come and heal his son.
Actually, Jesus did not go to Capernaum to heal the man's son. Jesus simply said to the official to go. Jesus said, "Your son will live."
The man started back to his home. On the way, one of his servants met him and told him that his son was well. The healing had happened at the exact hour that Jesus had spoken the words of healing to the nobleman.
This great miracle caused the nobleman to believe in Jesus. Also, all of the members of the nobleman's house became followers of Jesus.
So, how is this miracle a sign, and what does it have to teach us today?
The first thing that I would like to mention concerns Jesus' statement about people not believing unless they see a sign. This is often the case, and I believe that Jesus is upset about it now just as much as He was when He walked upon this earth.
Jesus does not want people to follow Him just so that they can get something from Him. Often, the people in the Jesus' day seemed to follow Jesus to be healed or to receive bread. They wanted Jesus for what they could get out of Him.
I find this is often the case today. We will follow Jesus with the hope that we will have good health and prosperity. Much of current teaching focuses on this health and wealth teaching.
Jesus does not want us to follow Him to get something or to treat Him as a means to an end. He wants us to follow Him because we want to have a relationship with Him, and He wants to be Lord of our lives in the good times and the bad.
We should come to Jesus in order to receive forgiveness that we might have a relationship with the God of the universe. So often, salvation is preached to emphasize that we need to get Jesus in order to go to Heaven. This takes the focus off Jesus and puts the focus on what Jesus provides. Knowing Jesus should be the focus of faith.
The clearest way that this miracle demonstrated the divinity of Jesus is in that the boy was healed over a great distance simply by Jesus speaking a word of healing. Jesus simply spoke the word and the boy was healed. Only the God of all creation has the power to speak and call something into existence.
One other thing that strikes me in this account is the nobleman's faith. When Jesus spoke the word of healing, the nobleman did not question Jesus. He did not implore Jesus to come with him to Capernaum any longer. He simply took Jesus at His word believing that Jesus could bring healing to his son.
Also, when the nobleman realized what a great thing that the Lord Jesus had done, the nobleman put his faith and trust in Jesus. His faith led others in his family to trust in the Lord as well.
This is the type of faith that believers in Jesus are called upon to possess. We are to believe the promises from Jesus in the word and act upon them.
Next week, we will look at the third sign that Jesus performed to proclaim His divinity. On Monday I will post the verses, and there will be a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I want to begin today by asking everyone to pray for the families in Oregon who lost loved ones in the horrible incident that happened at the college out there yesterday. Please pray that the Lord will give to them His comfort and strength in this hard time. Also, let us pray for those affected by hurricane Joaquin.
This week I have not been feeling well. My blood pressure is way up, and I have been having terrible headaches. Please pray that I will feel better. Thank you.
In other areas, let us continue to pray for peace in the world. I would like to ask you all to focus in on praying for peace in Syria this week. The situation in this nation just seems to go from bad to worse. Also, let us continue to pray that the message of the love of Jesus will reach around the world. This week, let us pray that the Gospel will reach Japan, Mongolia and North Korea.
For the past several weeks we have been in a series of messages focusing on the divinity of Jesus as presented in John. We have already discussed the "I Am" statements of Jesus, and last week, we began focusing on the seven sign miracles recorded by John. This week we will look at Jesus encounter with the nobleman and the nobleman's son.
After His miracle of turning the water into wine, Jesus went to Jerusalem. While there, He had a religious discussion with Nicodemus. Upon leaving Jerusalem, Jesus went up through Samaria and spoke to a woman there whom He met by the town's well. Upon returning to Galilee, Jesus went back to the city of Cana where He performed His first sign miracle.
When word got out that Jesus was back in Cana, people from the surrounding area came to Jesus to seek healing and deliverance. One of those who sought out Jesus was a nobleman from the city of Capernaum. This man would probably have been an official in Herod's court. This would have been one of Herod's sons who ruled for the Romans.
This nobleman found Jesus and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. Jesus at first says something surprising. He criticizes the people for refusing to believe in Him unless they see a sign. Upon hearing this, the nobleman once again implored Jesus to come and heal his son.
Actually, Jesus did not go to Capernaum to heal the man's son. Jesus simply said to the official to go. Jesus said, "Your son will live."
The man started back to his home. On the way, one of his servants met him and told him that his son was well. The healing had happened at the exact hour that Jesus had spoken the words of healing to the nobleman.
This great miracle caused the nobleman to believe in Jesus. Also, all of the members of the nobleman's house became followers of Jesus.
So, how is this miracle a sign, and what does it have to teach us today?
The first thing that I would like to mention concerns Jesus' statement about people not believing unless they see a sign. This is often the case, and I believe that Jesus is upset about it now just as much as He was when He walked upon this earth.
Jesus does not want people to follow Him just so that they can get something from Him. Often, the people in the Jesus' day seemed to follow Jesus to be healed or to receive bread. They wanted Jesus for what they could get out of Him.
I find this is often the case today. We will follow Jesus with the hope that we will have good health and prosperity. Much of current teaching focuses on this health and wealth teaching.
Jesus does not want us to follow Him to get something or to treat Him as a means to an end. He wants us to follow Him because we want to have a relationship with Him, and He wants to be Lord of our lives in the good times and the bad.
We should come to Jesus in order to receive forgiveness that we might have a relationship with the God of the universe. So often, salvation is preached to emphasize that we need to get Jesus in order to go to Heaven. This takes the focus off Jesus and puts the focus on what Jesus provides. Knowing Jesus should be the focus of faith.
The clearest way that this miracle demonstrated the divinity of Jesus is in that the boy was healed over a great distance simply by Jesus speaking a word of healing. Jesus simply spoke the word and the boy was healed. Only the God of all creation has the power to speak and call something into existence.
One other thing that strikes me in this account is the nobleman's faith. When Jesus spoke the word of healing, the nobleman did not question Jesus. He did not implore Jesus to come with him to Capernaum any longer. He simply took Jesus at His word believing that Jesus could bring healing to his son.
Also, when the nobleman realized what a great thing that the Lord Jesus had done, the nobleman put his faith and trust in Jesus. His faith led others in his family to trust in the Lord as well.
This is the type of faith that believers in Jesus are called upon to possess. We are to believe the promises from Jesus in the word and act upon them.
Next week, we will look at the third sign that Jesus performed to proclaim His divinity. On Monday I will post the verses, and there will be a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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