Sun, Nov 22nd - 6:28PM

 ³⁵ The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

 ³⁸ Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

   They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

 ³⁹ “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

 ⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. ⁴¹ Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”^[m]).

 ⁴² Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”^[n]).

 ⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” ⁴⁴ Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

 ⁴⁵ Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses^[o] and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

 ⁴⁶ “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

   “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

 ⁴⁷ As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

 ⁴⁸ “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.

   Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

 ⁴⁹ Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

 ⁵⁰ Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” ⁵¹ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.^[p]” (New Living Translation)

I used the NLT today because I like how the NLT uses stairway to heaven to describe Jesus.  Jesus is our stairway to heaven.  He is the only way to heaven as describe in John 14:6.  Why is he the only way to heaven?  The answer is in verse 36, because he is the Lamb of God.  He and he alone became our sin sacrifice to take away sins forever.

Sun, Nov 15th - 6:14PM

 29: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
   30: This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
   31: And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
   32: And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
   33: And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
   34: And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Jesus the Lamb of God.  What does that mean?  Under the old law a lamb had to be offered every morning and evening as a sin sacrifice for the people.  This lamb had to meet certain requirements, one of which is that it had to be without blemish.  When Jesus died on the cross he became our eternal, blemish free sin sacrifice.  That is why the temple veil was torn at his death and why the temple was destroyed a few years later and has never been rebuilt.  It is not needed.  Never again will lambs need to be sacrificed for our sins.  Never again will a human high priest have to make intercession for us before God.  Jesus is our sin sacrifice and high priest and we ourselves are the temple of God.

Sat, Nov 14th - 2:35PM

  19: And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
   20: And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
   21: And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
   22: Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
   23: He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
   24: And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
   25: And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
   26: John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
   27: He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
   28: These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.  He prepared the hearts of the people for Christ.  Well we have a similar mission today.  Christ is coming again, we don’t know when, but he is coming again.  This time when he comes he is going to gather up his church and render judgment on everyone not part of that church.  And when I say church I don’t mean a denominational church I mean the body of believers that believe in Christ and follow his teachings.  Those not part of that church face judgment and eternal damnation.  Our mission is to get the good news of the Gospel out to this lost world and gather them into the fold of the believers before it is to late.  Everyday thousands of people die without Christ and many more will be without him when he comes again, this people all face the judgment of God for living in rebellion to him.  Our mission is to get to as many of these people as we can before it is to late.

Fri, Nov 13th - 6:55PM

1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   2: The same was in the beginning with God.
   3: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
   4: In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
   5: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
   6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
   7: The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
   8: He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
   9: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
   10: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
   11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
   12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
   13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
   14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
   15: John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
   16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
   17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
   18: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Just like John we are called to be a witness of the light and to reflect the light of Christ.  Just as John was called to prepare the way for Christ we are called to pave the way for his return.  And he is returning, don’t be fooled by those that say otherwise.  He will return this time to receive his church and bring judgment on the lost.  Just as he was rejected in his own time, Christ has mostly be rejected by the people of this generation but don’t be fooled Christ is the only way to heaven and without him you will never see salvation or heaven. 

Sun, Nov 8th - 6:53PM

50: And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
   51: And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
   52: And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
   53: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

We know they didn’t stay in the temple.  These few disciples that a few days ago were scared for their lives went out and spread the word of God throughout the world.  Thomas, who was called the doubter, is believed to have traveled to India, others went to Russia, Europe, and throughout the knowed world of their time.  Today the Gospel is spread through most of the world but there is work still be to done.  It is getting dark, the day is drawer to a closer and much of the harvest has not been harvested we need workers in the field.  Are you ready to answer the call.  There are no bench warmers in the Army of God.  Everyone has a purpose to fulfill.  Are you fulfilling yours?  Are you doing your part to spread the Gospel to as many as you can before it is to late?  How many die everyday still lost in their sins?  How many die everyday without hearing the good news of the Gospel?  Someone loved you enough to tell you the good news of salvation.  Do you love your fellow man to do the same?