Category / New Testament Blog

by In Light Of The Cross

John 13; John, The Knowing Disciple

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

At the last super, when Jesus tells His disciples that one of them is going to betray Him, they all asked, “Lord is it I? Matthew 26 However, John, instead asks, “Lord who is it?” John 13 John knew it was not Him. He knew that He loved Jesus and had not betrayed Him. John was a confident disciple because he was confident in the love Jesus had for Him and that He had for Jesus. Look at John’s frequent use of the word “know.”

He grasps Jesus’ words,   John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

John himself writes, 1 John  2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

So John tells us that knowing Jesus equals eternal life, and knowing Jesus equals commandment keeping. If A=C and A=B than C must =B.

1John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 

1John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

1John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

 4:17       Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

John knew the power of a relationship with Jesus, giving him confidence in the judgment, knowing in this world we can experience Jesus’ power over sin.

1John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 

John wants us to have the same confidence that he had. He does not want us wondering, or hoping and wishing that we have eternal life. He wants us to know we have eternal life. If we know Jesus, we know we have eternal life. No Jesus, no life.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 11-12; It Aint Gonna Happen!

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 11:1 Now a certain [man] was sick, [named] Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 

 11:2      (It was [that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 

 11:3      Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 

 11:4      When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 

As we continue reading the story of John 11 we find that Lazarus does die. So what did Jesus mean when He said it was not unto death? I think what Jesus meant was, that even though Lazarus will die, he will rise again. It would not end in death. In Isaiah 54:17 the Lord says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” That does not mean that weapons will not put us to death, but that we will still, even in death accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. It also means, that even if we die, we, like Lazarus will rise again. The chief priests were fighting a losing battle against Jesus. Since He raised Lazarus from the dead, in chapter 12 they plotted how they might kill Lazarus too. What good would that do? Jesus would just raise him to life again.

The so-called religious rulers of the day could not destroy Jesus or His followers. They may have put Jesus to death. They may have used the cross of Christ as a weapon against Him, but it did not prosper against Him. Instead it made the Kingdom of God prosper! Of course Jesus was raised to life as well. So was Lazarus. Even Satan can do nothing but cause the kingdom of God to prosper! If you belong to the kingdom of God, then no weapon formed against you can prosper either. Even death cannot prosper against you. If you belong to God, then all of Satan’s threats are for naught. Remember Satan is a liar. Whenever he threatens you, be sure of one thing, it aint gonna happen!

by In Light Of The Cross

John 10; The Good Shepherd

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

I love the commentary on John 10 in the Desire of Ages in the chapter, The Divine Shepherd. I especially like this part:

   As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are scattered throughout the world. “Ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.” Jesus says, “I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” “I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.” Ezekiel 34:31; Isaiah 43:1; 49:16

     Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep.    

     Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, “Follow Me,” and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.  {DA 479-80}

by In Light Of The Cross

John 9:Skeptics Come and go

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

In John 9 I read about a blind man that Jesus heals so that he can see. The Pharisees, then want to accuse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. At the same time though, they are insinuating that the man was never blind and therefore Jesus did not really heal him. A lot of people think  if Jesus were here today we would have all the evidence we need, but skepticism reigns in every age, even while Jesus walked the earth. So it is today. Years ago, in the church I was attending at the time, an older lady was diagnosed with breast cancer. The church prayed, and later the doctors said the cancer had disappeared! While many praised the Lord for healing the lady, a few others openly said she must have never had cancer in the first place, and must have been misdiagnosed. The same thing happened when Jesus healed the blind man. The Pharisees took it upon themselves to see if he was really the blind man or someone else, or if he was ever really blind in the first place.

Don’t let skeptics discourage you from believing the Word of God. There have been skeptics in every age. Skeptics come and go, but God’s Word endures from age to age.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 8; God’s Cry To Be Loved.

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 8:42  If God were your Father, ye would love me…

I encourage you to read John chapter 8 and see what you see. There is a very intense argument going on. There head to head conflict. The Jews are being very two-faced with Jesus, saying in chapter 7 that no one seeks to kill Him and then turning around in chapter 8 and trying to stone Him to death! I deal with conflict but would rather not. I am firm in my beliefs and can defend my faith in conflict, but instead of getting into a heavy debate, I would rather talk about what your favorite restaurant is, or how funny it would be if the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl this year.

But as deep and intense as the discussion is in John 8, I see the crux of it all in verse  42.  In this whole chapter, I can see beyond all the theological debates, past all the so called doctrine and law, and I see a God crying out for love. He is standing in the midst of His church, talking with His leaders, and what is breaking His heart, is not their misunderstanding of what we call theology, or the law or Bible doctrine. He stands there, as a Son, as Brother, as a friend, and declares, “You don’t love me.” In verse 42 He is not saying, you don’t understand the law, doctrine, or theology. He is saying, You don’t love me. I see in this chapter a God crying out for love.

Isn’t all creation crying out for love? I have seen children of divorced parents, who are left with the grandparents because neither parent wanted them. The children take up all the hobbies their parents took up, not because they like the hobbies really, but because they want to have something to link the parent back to them and love them. I have seen the elderly holding and adoring a puppy, enjoying having a faithful creature, that they can pour their love on without being hurt in return, like they have with people for so many years.

I could go on, but all I am saying is, all around us there are people who just want to be loved. Sometimes their mannerisms that annoy us, are nothing more than their cry for love. And I believe in John 8 there is a God who more than wanting to praised as Mighty, Powerful and Awesome, has maybe let down His guard a bit in verse 42, and standing there alone, as it seems the whole world is against Him in His own church, and cries out to be loved.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 7; It’s a Conspiracy!

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and [yet] none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 

 7:20       The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 

Either the group talking to Jesus here, were ignorant of the conspiracy to kill Him or they were two-faced. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5 that we are not to be paranoid about conspiracies, but to cast all of our care upon Jesus. At the same time, Peter acknowledges that the devil is out to get us.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

 5:8         Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

 5:9         Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

In John 7 the multitude had mixed opinions about Jesus. However His conduct is what validated His words and works.

While people are telling Jesus that He is crazy for thinking someone wants to kill Him, the Pharisees send out a group of conspirators to get Him.

7:45        Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 

 7:46       The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 

The officers who were sent to take Jesus reported that never man spake like this man. But the reason of this was that never man lived like this man; for if he had not so lived, he could not so have spoken. His words bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy, beneficence and truth. There is eloquence beyond that of words, in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. We shall have temptations as long as we are in this world, but instead of injuring us, they will only turn to our advantage, if resisted. The bounds are placed where Satan cannot pass. He may prepare the furnace, but instead of working injury, it will only consume the dross, and bring forth the gold of the character, purer than before the trial.  {Gospel Workers 1892 P, 244}

No reason to be paranoid about Satan’s conspiracies. Just keep living for Jesus!

by In Light Of The Cross

John 6; Jesus Has a Solution Before We Have a Problem

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 

 6:6         And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 

Jesus already had a solution before Philip even knew there was a problem. Jesus was testing Philip to see if He would trust him. Jesus does the same with us. He already has the solutions before we even  see the problem.

“Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.”  {Desire of Ages, p. 330} 

 6:7         Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 

 6:8         One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, 

 6:9         There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 

Good thing there was a young boy there with a small lunch. Good thing Andrew did not tell him he was too young to help and to come back later when he grew up. Jesus could not wait for him to grow up. He needed the boy now. Jesus needs all of our young people today, not later.

 6:10       And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 

 6:11       And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 

 6:12       When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 

 6:13       Therefore they gathered [them] together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 

The young boy who gave all he had did not go hungry that day either. I am sure Jesus could have worked the same miracle with just one loaf of bread, but after hearing about Jesus and His love it wasn’t enough for the boy to give a little. He had to give all! Just like the widow had to give all when she gave her two mites, and the woman who washed Jesus feet with the perfume that cost all she had, when the boy heard of Jesus’ love He had to give all. It’s just a natural response from anyone who understands the gospel and the cross of Christ.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 5; Don’t Sleep Through The First Ressurection

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 

 5:26       For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 

 5:27       And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 

 5:28       Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

 5:29       And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

In verses 28 and 29 Jesus refers to the two resurrections. The resurrection of the righteous at the beginning of the thousand years, and the resurrection of the lost who meet their doom at the end of the thousand years.

In verse 25 Jesus is obviously referring to the first resurrection. The resurrection of the righteous. When I study with people about what happens when you die, I like to conclude with this verse and an appeal. I share that we can get so use to listening and responding to the voice of God, that we will even hear His voice in the grave. Some though will be so used to ignoring His voice, that they will sleep right through the first resurrection. I appeal to them to spend their life listening and responding to the Word of God. Then they will be so tuned into His Word that one day, if they die, His voice will wake them from the grave.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 4; In The Spirit

I wrote this about seven years ago while living in the beautiful Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As I am making my current journey through the New Testament, when I came to John 4, I remembered something I had written about seven years ago, right before I moved to Florida. One of the things I love about writing, is taking a look back every now and then at how I thought years ago. In the article below I am writing about my attitude about moving to Florida. After being here now for seven years, I find it interesting that I seemed to have a self-fulfilling prophecy about making friends here. Glad everything happened even better than I ever dreamed. Below is my article, exactly how I wrote it seven years ago.

God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

With the possibility now, of me moving to Florida where I will be hundreds of miles from any of my friends, it has me thinking a lot lately about my friends and what their friendships mean to me. In light of this, I found something in the above verse that is very comforting to me. I am sure that you have friends that no matter how long you are apart form them, once you get together, your friendship resumes right where it left off as though you had never been apart. This may sound weird, but maybe in one dimension you never were apart! We have physical dimensions such as time and space, but have you ever thought that there is another dimension we can be in that is not bound by time or space? To me, that dimension is the Holy Spirit. I believe why many of our Christian friendships take up right where they left off even after long periods of no physical contact is because we have actually been together the whole time “in the Spirit!” Why do those friendships take up right where they left off as though no time has passed by? Because we are in the great “ I AM”. With God thee is no time. He is in one eternal now. He is not the “I WAS” or “ I WILL BE”, He is the I AM. Same with space, The Holy Spirit is everywhere. The Holy Spirit is with our Christian friends, so if we are in the Spirit and our friends are in the Spirit then we are together.

As a matter of fact, all the love we receive from our friends actually comes from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if I leave my friends in Texas and go to Florida and make new friends there, I am still receiving the exact same love I had in Texas. Love does not come form human beings. We can not generate love; all we can do is let the Holy Spirit’s love flow through us. Therefore, the love I receive from people half way across the world is the same exact love I receive from the people I live with right here. It all comes form God. So as long as you have God’s love you can’t miss a friends love, because the only love they gave you came from God and He is still with you!

I am so thankful for all my friends whom I can share God’s love with! Thank you for being a part of my life. I hope God has been able to love you through me as we worship Him in Spirit.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 3; God’s Cure for Unbelief

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John  3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

 3:15    That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

 3:16    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

 3:17    For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

 Eve sinned when she stopped believing in God’s love, and started believing Satan’s lie, that the forbidden fruit would give her a better life than what God had offered her. The root of sin is doubting God’s love. When we sin, we are saying, “I do not believe God loves me.” When we sin, we reject God who is life and we choose death. See Proverbs 8:36

In the desert the children of Israel, complained about God, strongly hinting that He must not care for them. God left as He does not stay where He is not wanted. In leaving, God opened the way for snakes to come into the camp. He did not send them in so much as He was just no longer there to keep them out. This opened their eyes to God’s love and they said they were sorry. Sorry for doubting God’s love. Moses made a brass serpent so that anyone who had been bitten could look and live.

So today, when we have been bitten by the lie of that old serpent the devil, saying God does not really love us, we can look to the cross. There we see a God who loved us so much that He died for us. Satan’s lie is exposed. We no longer believe in Satan. We believe that God really does love us. We reject Satan’s lie and we reject death. Eternal life is restored the moment we believe God loves us.

When we choose to believe Satan’s lies about God’s character, we reject God and choose death as an escape from the presence of God. When Satan’s lies are all exposed at the cross, we believe in God’s love and eternal life is restored. As we continue to believe that God really loves us, we continue to obey Him.

Eve rejected eternal life the moment she stopped believing God really loved her. Eternal life is restored the moment we believe in His love. At the cross we see that love.