March 14, 2014

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

"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

When John begins his Gospel he hearkens to the opening verses of Genesis. But with one big difference - Genesis starts "In the beginning" but John looks back before the beginning!

His Gospel builds one of the clearest and best presentations of the Salvation Story. How can you can build a compelling case for Jesus being the Savior for sinners if you don't establish that He is truly the Son of God? 

John establishes Jesus divine credentials by presenting Him and co-existence and co-equal with God!

Wow! That's bold!

To borrow from Josh McDowell; for John to make such a daring claim as Jesus being God he would have to be a lunatic, or a liar, OR he must have been absolutely convinced about Jesus.

John 1:1 and John 1:14 very concisely declared the story of salvation. Watch what happens where the two verses are superimposed:

"In the beginning was the Word" (V. 1a) - "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us"  (V. 14a)

Praise God!

"and the Word was with God" (V. 1b) - "we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son"  (V. 14b)

Thank you, Jesus!

"and the Word was God" (V. 1c) - "who came from God, full of grace and truth" (V. 14c)

Hallelujah!

How good is that?

March 13, 2014

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The 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 1:1-14

The Word of God is a living, loving eternal Being! Before He put on flesh and blood to become the Son of Man, He was the Son of God!

When you pick up your Bible to read the Word, you are not just doing a reading you are entering into a relationship because Jesus IS the Word!

One of the reason the Bible is so powerful is because it is alive, and active! When you tap into its words you are tapping into THE WORD!

Jesus is central to the message of the Bible!

In Genesis - He is the Seed of the Woman!

In Exodus - He is the Passover Lamb!

In Leviticus - He is our High Priest!

In Numbers - He is the Star of Jacob!

In Deuteronomy - He is the Rock!

In Joshua - He is the Captain of the Lord's Host!

In Judges - He is the Sword of Gideon!

In Ruth - He is the Kinsman Redeemer!

In Samuel - He is the Seed of David!

In Kings - He is the Lord God of Israel!

In Chronicles - He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

In Ezra - He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth!

In Nehemiah - He is the Restorer!

In Esther - He In the God of Providence!

In Job - He is the Arbiter of Justice!

In Psalms - He is the King of Glory!

In Proverbs - He is the Wisdom of God!

In Ecclesiastes - He is the Creator!

In Song of Solomon - He is Altogether Lovely!

In Isaiah - He is the Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!

In Jeremiah - He is the Lord Our Righteousness!

In Lamentations - He is the Weeping Prophet!

In Ezekiel - He is the Wheel in the Wheel!

In Daniel - He is the Fourth Man in the Fire!

In Hosea - He is the Lord God of Hosts!

In Joel - He is the Hope of His People!

In Amos - He is the God of Hosts!

In Obadiah - He is the Destroyer of the Proud!

In Jonah - He is the God of the Second Chance!

In Micah - He is the God of Jacob!

In Nahum - He is the Avenging God!

In Habakkuk - He is the Everlasting Glorious God!

In Zephaniah - He is the King of Israel!

In Haggai - He is the Desire of All Nations!

In Zechariah - He is the One Pierced In the House of His Friends!

In Malachi - He is the Lord of Remembrance!

Does it seems like a theme is developing here?

Jesus IS the Word - from the first word to the last!

March 12, 2014

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

"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

I believe the Bible is the Word of God because I am convinced that it answers the three big universal questions better than anything else I have found. Those three questions are:

What is real?

What is right?

What is rewarding?

Here in his Gospel, the Apostle John makes some bold assertions about Jesus. He declares that Jesus existed "in the beginning". And when John refers to the beginning he is not talking about His beginning he is talking about the beginning of time as we know it. It wasn't the beginning for Jesus! He had no beginning and He has no end!

Wow!

In this verse, John shares some thrilling truths about Jesus, the "Word Who became flesh"!

John reveals the ETERNITY of Jesus!

If what John has written is true, and I believe it is, there has never been a time when Jesus did not exist! And furthermore, there will never be a time when Jesus will not exist! So, those who believe in Him can be sure they will live forever, too!

John reveals the DIVINITY of Jesus!

When John writes that the "Word was with God and the Word was God" that's exactly what he meant! He is affirming the doctrine of the Trinity. God is one God in three manifestations - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a mystery that we struggle to understand but we believe by faith.

Some accuse Christians of being polytheistic, but our God is One God and Jesus is God!

John reveals the HUMANITY of Jesus!

You can almost sense John's excitement as he exclaims, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"! The Greek word he used literally means "He 'tabernacled' among us". God's Son, by the miracle of the virgin birth, encamped in human flesh so He could identify with out struggles and then bear our sins on the cross.

That is a lot of truth for just a couple of verses! 

Know this truth!

Believe the truth!

Receive the truth!

By faith, let Him "tabernacle" in you!

March 11, 2014

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light." John 1: 1-8

It was very important to Jesus to make it clear to His disciples (and to anyone else who would listen) that He was the Son of God. That message is central to John's Gospel as you can see in the verses below:

John 6: 35, 48 -  "I am the bread of life"
John 8: 12, 9:5 -  "I am the light of the world"
John 8: 58  - "Before Abraham was, I am"
John 10:9 -  "I am the door"
John 10:11 -  "I am the good shepherd"
John 11:25 -  "I am the resurrection and the life" 
John 14:6 -  "I am the way, the truth, and the life"
John 15:1 -  "I am the true vine"

With the eight-fold use of the phrase "I AM" Jesus is identifying Himself with God, the "I AM" of the Old Testament.

That is a very bold statement!

As Josh McDowell has stated in his lectures and writings, "When Jesus claimed to be God there are three possibilities: (1) He is a lunatic; (2) He is a liar; or (3) He is who He claims to be."

You ultimately must choose which of those you believe and whichever one you choose will shape your life and your eternity.

I have no problem declaring Him as the Son of God!

If you want to call Jesus a lunatic, go ahead.

If you want to call Him a liar, it's up to you.

One day you will get a chance to stand before Him and explain your choice. You may want to consider that before you make your final decision.

March 10, 2014

What a Savior we have!

In John Chapter 6 we see Him as the Bread of Life! He bids us to feed on Him.

In John 8 He identifies Himself as great than Abraham.

In Chapter 9 he presents Himself as the Light of the World and illustrates it by healing a blind man!

Wow! What a Savior!

Moving on to Chapter 10 he refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. His description sounds a lot like Psalm 23!

As a pastor friend of mine once declared, "When the Lord is your Shepherd - the future is your friend!" Here's why:

He Leads Us!

A hireling or a sheep rustler drives the sheep, but the Good Shepherd leads us. He leads us into the safety of His presence! He leads us into the security of His pasture! He leads us into the abundance of His truth. He speaks gently to us and calls us by name as He leads us. Think of that, the Good Shepherd knows your name!

He Loves Us!

A hireling or a rustler has no regard for the sheep. They mean nothing to them. To them the sheep are a necessary inconvenience. They lead the flock only for their own personal benefit. So when the sheep are threatened, they will flee to protect themselves. But the Good Shepherd loves His sheep. He provides for them. He protects them. He prays for them. He will give His life to save them. Think about that! You are loved by the Good Shepherd!

He leads us. He loves us. And, He laid down His life for us. Verse 10 sums up the desire of the Good Shepherd and the destiny of His sheep:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full!"

To quote my friend - "When the Lord is your Shepherd, the future is your friend!"

March 9, 2014

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."  Matthew 7:24-29

If you are convinced of the truth of God's Word, what is the appropriate response? 

Jesus has a very direct answer to that question, "Obey it!"

What difference does it make?

Again, Jesus answers with a very convincing and convicting word picture. 

He who hears God's Word and obeys it  will build a firm foundation for his life. The one who disregards and disobeys the Word of God will not survive the storms of life. He is building his life on an unstable foundation.

The truth of God's Word forms a bedrock foundation for those who hear it and heed it. 

So, what is the ultimate proof of the truth of God's Word? It is surviving the violent storms of life.

I ask you, "What are you building your life upon?"

How are you treating the Word of God?

Will your life be able to withstand the storms that are coming?

March 8, 2014

"How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart  that I might not sin against you."  Psalm 119:9-11

There is ample evidence that offers convincing argument for the truth of God's Word!

I have shared the Foundational evidence that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit and not dreamed up by men. That same Holy Spirit was inspired and instructed those who have translated it from old documents onto newer ones. You can be confident of the integrity with which the Bible was written and preserved!

There is also the the Factual evidence that supports the claims of the Bible. Substantial evidence is unearthed through archaeology, demonstrated in science and proven through 100% accurate prophecies!

Don't forget the Formation evidence! The Bible is 66 books written over two millennium by 40 authors on three continents and in three different languages BUT with one clear and common theme - Salvation through Christ!

Finally, I present perhaps the most convincing evidence of all, the Force of the Bible, changed lives! The Bible is "the power of God unto salvation", Romans 1:6 and everyone who reads and believes it and obeys it is changed forever! 

Consider these verses:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" II Corinthians 5:17

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24 

"he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit," Titus 3:5

These verses are a few of dozens that declare the transforming power of God through His Word.

Men may try to reform themselves from the outside in, but only the power of God through His Word can fundamentally change the soul, mind and spirit of a man!

The Word is so powerful that it will change you whenever you encounter it. If you obey it you can become holy, if you ignore it you will become hardened but you will never be the same.