Category: Bible Studies

John knew it, as should we all. We have a calling. We are to be filled and allow our blessings to bless others…

John 3:22-36
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[h]

31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[i] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John is so faithful and receiving of the gift that God so graciously bestowed on all of us. He knew what was to come. He expected it to come as it was written long before he set foot on this earth. Without a shadow of a doubt John knew who Jesus was, even if it meant the end of his ministry. John knew that it was his time to step aside allow others to receive as well.

God has this calling on all of our lives as well. We are to prepare the way for others. Our testimonies are to be used for the benefit of others. We become living, breathing examples of His graciousness and love. We are not to use this gift to further our own interests for they do not belong to us. Because we are His, all gifts bestowed upon is are His. They are gifts given to all believers to once again be given away.

Once we understand this and we begin to give away the gifts that are so gratefully and graciously given to us, our lives will be filled to the point of overflow. At this point, we will receive so much blessing that many times they will go unnoticed. All of the wishes and dreams that we thought meant so much to us, will fill our lives and flow from us to others around us. It is how He works.

It is summed up in this great story:

There Are Two Seas in Palestine…
The Sea of Galilee is beautiful. It has blue water and is full of fauna and flora. Life exists. Trees line its banks where children splash and play. The Jordan River makes this sea, flowing from the sunny hills. And life is happy and vibrant around this sea.

Through the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River continues to flow south. Into another sea the cool rolling waters flow. Into the Dead Sea. Here there are no fish swimming, no birds flying above, no families sunning near the shoreline. No man or animal will drink the water here. Life does not exist and no one wants to be here.

One might ask: What makes this enormous difference between these neighboring seas? Could it be the Jordan River? No. The same flowing waters empty into both bodies. It is also not the soil, not the people, not the geography.

So what is the difference?

The Sea of Galilee receives, but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into, another drop flows out. The Sea of Galilee gives equally as it receives.

But the Dead Sea keeps the Jordan. It has no outlet. Every drop it gets, it keeps. It is not tempted to share and stockpiles its incoming waters aggressively.

There are two seas in Palestine. The Sea of Galilee gives, lives and flourishes. And the Dead Sea keeps everything, shares nothing and is dead.

We are to be the Sea of Life through Jesus Christ.

Amen
DK

So much TRUTH. The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE…

John 3:5-
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

These verses speak directly to the Santification process. It is lifelong and necessary for all Christians. We live in a world full of darkness and evil. We are sinners and because of that we are shrouded in darkness unless we believe in Him who saved us…Jesus Christ.

The evil in our lives becomes obvious and gkaring, hence the narrow road. Without loght, the road is unseen. It is God that brought light into the world, and it is with that light that we are able to see. As believers in him we are able to see what it is that we need to confess and repent about. It is painful, hence the idea that once you believe in Him life does not become easier. As a matter of fact in many ways it is more difficult, but at the same time more fruitful.

With free will you have the opportunity to choose. You can choose to continue to walk in darkness and not even know you are falling. That is the goal of the devil. The devil wants you to belive that it is all ok. That you are fine and that you do not need God. We have been duped. Duped into thinking all is ok.

As you belive and become born again in the Spirit, you are able to see the areas of your life that are being cleansed. The cleansing is meant to allow you to be more fruitful for Him. It is through the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ that you are now RIGHTEOUS. FREE. Not longer able to walk in darkness, but rather you seek the light that was freely given. Now we must receive. Receive the gift every morning.

Today…get on your knees and ask God what He wants from you today. When the still small voice is heard, ACT. Act in His name and walk in His authority. This is what Jesus is teaching us. No longer do you need to chase victory, as victory will begin to chase you. As the sin in your life is revealed, ask God what you can do for Him and belive that FAITH will take care of all problems and evil in your life. Jesus carried it all away. Now, it’s time for you to let Him truly take it from you. Release it. Let go. Surrender to Him. Believe that you are the Righteousness of God through our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Here it is. The message…

John 3:1-3
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Only as far as the eye can see. Jesus loves all, and in these verses, it becomes really clear just how much He loves our hearts more than our minds. Nicodemus had a good a question. A question that any growing young man might have when told he would need to be born again. This was unheard of. You see, Nicodemus is a Pharisee, trained in all teachings of the law. He knew law.

To hear Jesus say these things was incredible to him. Nicodemus thought that just following rules was enough. That to get to Heaven, one just need follow the 10 Commandments and the thousands of additions, deletions, and subtraction they had made to suit themselves. Sounds like many of us today.

Here is what Jesus said. He said love your God, love yourself, and love your neighbor. Jesus clarified it all. Wash it away. Clean slate. Just love. Nicodemus must have been floored. After all, he knew law. He knew the teachings. He knew the “right” way to do things I order to get to Heaven right. Think again.

Jesus was about to lay it all in the line for us, and Nicodemus could not even fathom how clear Jesus’ message was. Love? Be born again in Him?

Yes! Yes! Thank you Jesus! #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

The temple will be torn down and rebuilt in 3 days…

John 2:19-25
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

The Temple had been desecrated enough. It had become a mall, a place where popularity contest and showing off happened daily. A place where people were more concerned about how they looked and who they knew rather than worshipping and serving God. It became a place to check off some boxes rather than to love God together. Jesus needed to fix this.

The wonderful memory of Jesus’ is great. They had remembered that Jesus has said that the this Temple would be torn down and rebuilt in three days. It was His Disciples that recalled this fact.

It’s good to be shaken around a bit sometimes. It is easy to grow complacent and weary. It is in that time that change and repentance must occur. Jesus was prompting us to change, and he continues to do it every day. Your tables will be turned over, coins thrown all over, and cattle ran off with a whip. You will lose everything if you refuse to glorify God in your blessings. I’m not saying He will take it, but you will lose it. It will be turned over. Your life will turn upside down.

It is a good thing. Being shaken up can produce wonders in so many lives. You just need to surrender to Him. Once that happens and we give our lives to God, you now walk in the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Jesus public ministry begins…

John 2:1-12
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Revealing His glory. Amen. This is an amazing occurrence, as it kick started a life that would not only change lives, but save lives. And who was the one that sparked the situation? His mother.

Jesus answered to the Father and followed His instructions precisely. This situation was God planned, and Jesus came through. Action had met preparation. His whole life, Jesus had studied the Holy Scriptures. He knew who He was, and what He was here for. Without a doubt Jesus was the most purpose driven and Heavenly guided man to ever walk this earth.

He will come again. At the will of the Father, He will come again. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK