Fri, Jun 20th - 12:53PM
Book of John
5:31-39
"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that bears witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. But I do not receive testimony from man: but these things I say, that you might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, which has sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And you have not His word abiding in you: for whom He has sent, Him you do not believe. Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are that which testify of Me."
There are five witnesses to Jesus authority. Witness within: the Holy Spirit. Witness of John the Baptist. Witness of miraculous works. Witness of God Himself. Witness of the Scriptures. Within a judicial system a man's testimony needs to be supported by other witnesses and at least two are required. It is pretty much a fundamental law of society worldwide. In American judicial system, witnesses are required to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is a reflection of how untrustworthy people are. We must be forced to tell the truth. Note that Christ needed no person to force Him to tell the truth. He did so willingly. He is seeking after people and uses every method to convince them so that they might be saved from their sin.
John the Baptist had been asked by the religious rulers about his witness. John told them the truth. He was preparing the way for the Christ, the Lamb of God. John's words were the truth but they also bore witness to the Truth, Christ Jesus. The works of Christ Jesus were a greater witness than those done by John the Baptist. Jesus was the One appointed by God to carry out the miracles, the One empowered by God to do these works. What Jesus did no other mortal person had ever done nor would any other mortal person ever do in the future.
Everything that God had done down through the centuries and had revealed in the Scriptures bore witness of Himself. Everything that God did was to prepare the way for Jesus, and every act bore witness that He was sending His Son. Galatians 4:4-6 reveals to us that God has a plan and when the planned time arrived, Jesus was sent into our world. The way was being prepared every time God spoke, appeared, and acted.
In order for you and I to know God in a personal way we must accept that the Word of God comes from God; it must be accepted as truth, as fact, as gospel. The Word of God must then be abiding within a person, not just around them. It means that the Word of God is living, moving, ruling, and reigning in our lives and hearts. It means that it is stirring, convicting, and challenging us. It means that it is leading to confession, repentance, growth, and maturity in us. It means that it is teaching us love, compassion, forgiveness, goodness, and just behavior. It means that it is causing us to believe and trust God's Son, Christ Jesus, as our Savior and Lord.
How then do we approach using the Scriptures? Do we search them trying to find eternal life? Or do we search them trying to discover Jesus and to learn more about Him? Yes, the scriptures do proclaim the message of eternal life, and show us how to secure said eternal life. But the scriptures do not give us eternal life. Only Jesus can give us eternal life. Memorizing all of the Bible does not give me eternal life. Doing good works does not give me eternal life. Being religious does not give me eternal life. By studying the Bible I do not get eternal life. Only by believing and giving my heart and life to Christ Jesus do I receive eternal life. Consider Luke 24:27 and I Peter 1:10-11. Jesus was prophesied to come hundreds of years before His birth. The Old Testament prophets searched the scriptures to try and figure out when He was going to come into our world.
Jesus is real. He came and died to pay for all of our sins, He who was without sin. He was put within a tomb and on the third day He rose in newness of life. Born again, having a glorified body. Demonstrating to us that we would receive from Him that which He has promised. Do we believe? Do we accept God's Word as the truth? Do we trust God?
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Mon, Jun 16th - 8:48AM
Book of John
Chapter 5:17-30
"But Jesus answered them, MY Father works and I work. Therefore the Jews sought even more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for whatever things He does, these also the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that the Father does: and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens whom He will. For the Father judges no person, but has committed all judgment to the Son: that all people should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father which has sent Him. Verily, verily, I say to you, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. Verily, verily, I say to 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. For as the Father has life in Himself; so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come out; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I do not seek my ow will, but the will of the Father who sent me."
To all those people who still claim that Jesus never, ever said that he was equal to God; please read this passage very, very, carefully. Jesus very carefully showcased what true obedience to God must look like. Only do what God tells you to do, only do it the way God tells you to do it, and only do it when God tells you to do it. I can no longer do whatever I feel like doing. I have been purchased by the shed blood of Christ. He owns me. I am His bond servant. I must now learn obedience. Jesus was not just a man. He was God made manifest in human flesh. He showed us the way to live, to treat others, to lovingly correct those whose thinking about serving God was wrong. He never ever was permissive when it came to confronting sin in people. He never said that we ought to be confrontational or aggressive or verbally abusive to others. Jesus was not a political radical. He came to bring spiritual freedom and rebirth to everyone.
Jesus came to do His Father's work. This does not mean that Jesus was subservient to the Father. That type of assumption only reveals how limited our creature thoughts are. The Godhead (Trinity) consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All work as God. All are in total agreement concerning anything that God does. Jesus never was late for anything since He knew everything from before the world was created. He was on time for meeting each person we see in the New Testament accounts. He new when Lazerus would die, and He waited before going to resurrect him from being dead.
We see here that Jesus was in complete unbroken communion with God. He was of the very same nature and person as God. He acted as God because He was God. All that Jesus did were the very things which the Father did. When Jesus said that the Father was going to show Him greater things to do: controlling the forces of nature, multiplying food, raising the dead, creating people anew, healing people.
Only God can give life. Jesus gave life back to Lazarus. Jesus is not constrained nor restrained. "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth"(Matthew 28:18). "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you"(Romans 8:11). The key here is: does Christ dwell in you?
Another point that many people are confused about is who is going to judge mankind? The Father or the Son? This passage makes it very clear that the Son is the one who has been given all authority over the judgment of mankind. Jesus is our Judge. Each of us will appear in the Supreme Court of the Universe before the bench of Christ Jesus. Why has God the Father done this? He has willed that all people honor the Son just as they honor Him. Therefore anyone who does not honor Christ Jesus does not honor God. People need to be careful of how they talk about Jesus. Is He the only way to heaven? If people do not worship Christ Jesus they do not worship God. This thought carries through in i John 2:23, Mark 8:38, i John 2:22.
How one lives matters a great deal. The person who professes and lives for God takes part in the coming resurrection of life. They who have done evil, who have denied Jesus is real or that he is God, take part in the resurrection of damnation. All of the dead shall be called from out of the grave. If you have lived a godly life you will experience the resurrection of life.
To some who read this post it will be reassuring but to others perhaps it will be troubling. Settle your differences with Jesus now, do not wait. You do not know when you will die. Peace of God be with all of you!
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Fri, May 30th - 5:56PM
Book of John
Chapter 5 The Revelation of Jesus
1:1-16 "After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem my the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first went down into the water was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw himlie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said to him, Will you be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled to put me into the pool but while I am coming another steps down before me. Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said to me, Take up your bed, and walk. Then they asked him, What man is that which said to you, Take up your bed, and walk? And he that was healed knew not who it was: for Jesus had taken Himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, behold, you are made whole: sin no more, otherwise a worse thing come to you. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day."
Chapter five reveals Jesus to be the Authority over all life. As God possesses life within Himself, so Jesus also possesses life within Himself. As God has Authority over all life so too does Jesus. Jesus not only healed this man but He did so on the sabbath day. This healing showed His authority over the physical world and the breaking of the Jewish Sabbath law showed His authority to determine the rules of worship. He demonstrated the truth of His equality with God and then proceeded to teach the truth. He was in Jerusalem to attend a Jewish feast. Probably one these Feasts of Obligation, the Passover, or Feast of Tabernacles, or Pentecost. Every Jewish male living within 20 miles of Jerusalem was required by law to attend them.
Jesus was faithful to worship God and He taught others to be the same. All people should be faithful in their worship of God. The scene at the pool near the sheep gate highlights Jesus ministry. All of the people waiting near this pool were poor and impotent due to their physical condition. There are multitudes of people in our world today who live in exactly the same conditions as all of these folk. Nothing has changed. Jesus witnesses in person their desperate hope and faith that an angel will come from heaven and disturb the water of the pool. I am sure that it was similar to a stampede when those people all tried to be the first to step into the pool.
Now Jesus could have simply continued on to that feast and left those people to their faith in the angel. But He chose not to. He knew the angel would come for He had sent him. Jesus sees and knows the condition of every person. He reaches out to everyone in compassion, offering help. This crippled man was expecting someone to eventually help him down into the water but Jesus simply told him to pick up his bed and walk. Jesus healed him without any fanfare. Nobody has to spend the rest of their life as they have always been, enslaved to the sin and corruption and desperate needs of this world. Any person can experience the healing power of Jesus Christ. All one must do is believe the Word of Jesus Christ enough to obey, doing exactly what Jesus says.
Now the Jewish religious leaders had no problem with Jesus healing this man. Notice that point. They got bent out of shape over the fact that this happened on the Sabbath day. Jewish ceremonial law had been broken. A violation of a ritual and rule of religion had happened. We see "dead" religion trying to meet the needs of a desperate world. It is all about legalism, rules and regulations, ceremony and ritual. To them the man who was carrying his bed on the sabbath was more important than caring for the people who were suffering in pitiful conditions within their own city. They were not overjoyed that Divine power had been displayed, only that the status quo was threatened. They thought only of their position and security. dead religion is blind to love and good. These religionists did not see the good that had been done, only the violation of their rules.
In the Gospels the Jews are always spoken of as the opposition to Jesus. It included Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, priests, and secular leaders. They refused to believe Jesus, they rejected both His claim to be the Son of God and His offer of salvation and eternal life. I am not going to go into the strict demands that governed the Sabbath. Let me just point out that the religionists misinterpreted and corrupted God's Word. They rejected God's way of righteousness, God's Messiah. Tradition, ritual, ceremony, and rules became more important than meeting the basic needs of people. Does any of this sound remotely familiar today?
Peace and blessings upon you!
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Tue, May 6th - 2:17PM
Book of John
4:4-54
"Now after two days He departed there, and went into Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went to the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. Then he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went to Him, and begged Him that He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The nobleman said to Him, Sir, come down before my child dies. Jesus said to him, Go your way, your son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he went his way home. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, Your son lives. Then he asked them what hour when he began to recover. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives: and he believed, and entire household. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee."
Jesus left Samaria couple of days after speaking to them and walked to Galilee. The people there were excited because they too had been at the feast and witnessed all that which He had done there. They weren't necessarily believing He was the Messiah based on what He said, but they sure were excited by what He did. Note that Jesus did not go to Nazareth. His neighbors had rejected Him and tried to kill Him (Luke 4:29). This is consistent in the scriptures: Joseph was not honored by his brothers, David was not honored by his brothers, Jeremiah was not honored by his hometown, and Paul was not honored by his countrymen either. Prophets do not receive honor from family, friends, and their hometowns. It is sad since people who do not honor Jesus do not believe in Him either. But we see here that the Galileans warmly received Jesus, wanted to hear what He had to say to them, and genuinely wanted to worship God.
Now Jesus came to Cana once again and is approached by a nobleman with a deathly ill son. Faith often begins when there is a desperate need in a person's life. This man heard about Jesus, came to Jesus, and begged Jesus for help. This man understood that if Jesus went to where his sick son was that Jesus could heal him. Jesus chose instead to teach all of those within hearing that God does not need to physically be near in order to work a miracle. The nobleman is simply told to go home, his son lives. Notice that the man did not stand there and argue with Jesus, he believed and went back home. He did not doubt, he did not try to rationalize it. Belief. And he got confirmation that his son lived before he ever made it home. This entire episode concludes with the nobleman and his entire household believing in Jesus. When God is in the middle of a situation people end up believing, their entire family believes!
What we learn from all of this is that there are stages to finding faith in Christ. First stage is a beginning faith, just a seed. There was a desperate need. These needs can be of various types. Someone is in an accident, or an illness, or a disease. There could be immense suffering or even death striking down a loved one. The day comes when each person needs help because they face something beyond their control. Next stage is hearing about Christ Jesus and actually listening and paying attention. The person can't think they are too important to not listen. They no longer can consider the message to be utterly foolish. They can't mock the person who is sharing Jesus with them. Third stage is coming to Jesus. This requires actual movement internally to find Him. To find Jesus will require some kind of sacrifice. This nobleman had to leave the side of his dying son. He had to travel almost a day to reach Jesus. He did not let his high position keep him from going to Jesus. Finally, there needs to be begging. A person must reach the point where they get down on their knees and beg Jesus. This nobleman was persistent, trusting, obedient. Jesus told him to go, your son lives. The man was obedient and did not doubt Jesus' words. The nobleman had his faith confirmed as he was returning home. Finally, again, his faith turned naturally into witnessing. He loved Jesus for what He had done for him. He told others how Jesus had changed his life and the life of his sick son.
This account pictures for us how we should be making ourselves available to others who are seeking God but do not really know the way. Sure, we can't heal dying people, but in many other crisis's we can help others cope to get them through them by directing them to what Jesus has said and done before. We can be by their side and really listen to their concerns and fears.
Next time I will begin chapter five of John. We will look at the power of Jesus and His authority over life.
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Tue, Apr 22nd - 12:42PM
Book of John
4:31-42 The Subject of Labor for God
"In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat. But He said to them, I have meat to eat that you know nothing about. Therefore the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him anything to eat? Jesus said to them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, there are yet four months, and then the harvest comes? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white unto harvest already. And he that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal: that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One sows, and another reaps. I sent you to reap that which you did no labor: other men labored, and you are entered into their labors.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans were come to Him, they beseeched Him to stay with them: and He remained there two days. And many more people believed because of His own word; And they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
We continue with the woman at the well account. Jesus has a conversation with His disciples as they gathered around Him. The disciples are all about physical nourishment while Jesus tells them that even more importantly is the need for spiritual nourishment. This tension between physical vs spiritual nourishment continues throughout the centuries and is still with us today. I fear that much too often spiritual nourishment falls by the wayside in many congregations. We tend to become physically busy with programs/ministries meeting the physical needs of those in our communities. Not saying that that is a bad thing, but what about meeting people's spiritual needs? Hopefully we do not act like these disciples, more concerned about food and drink rather than the Samaritan woman. They did not have any spiritual depth yet. They were not focused on Christ's mission of salvation, or upon a world lost in sin and shame, or even looking for every opportunity to reach and help people for God. They were still ignorant of the great warfare being waged between the physical and spiritual concerns of life. Jesus was concerned about spiritual food and nourishment, to do the will and work of God. This involves leading people to the Living Water, helping people quench their inner thirst, bringing people to God, and seeking and saving the lost including those considered to be a lower caste, undesirable, unholy, heretical, and even despicable. God's will and work are supreme, it is His will and work that must be done.
God sent Christ Jesus. Jesus was not sent to do his own will or the will of other men. What is important to recognize here is that Believers are sent by God. They are to be single-minded. They are not to allow themselves to get entangled in the business, politics, or affairs of the world. Christ came to finish the will and work of God which only Christ could do. Obedience was of utmost importance in order for this work to be finished. That was a graphic picture of how each believer must approach their Christian life: be obedient to Christ just as He was obedient to God the Father. God expects this of us therefore there must be a day of accountability, a day when wages are paid out. Each believer is expected to labor for God since the "harvest" is ripe. Whereas we tend to focus our hearts upon the physical things of this world, Jesus' heart was continually upon the harvest of souls. Jesus continues to desire the planting of the gospel seed and the reaping of souls for God. Jesus challenged His disciples to stop looking at the world and lift up their eyes and SEE all of the people in dire need of hearing about the Gospel. There are plenty of people today looking for spiritual answers to explain why the world is seemingly getting flushed down the toilet. People are nervous, scared, despondent, angry, etc. What is the purpose of all of this that is happening? The church must remain active out in the fields spreading God's good news.
Christ mentions six rewards/benefits. Laborers will receive wages. Of course, this does not imply monetary wages nor does it negate the possibility of receiving same. Laborers gather fruit to receive life eternal. What they do is of supreme value. The work is lasting, it will remain forever. Laborers experience the joy of serving God with fellow laborers. All do their work without conflict or envy of what another is doing. Laborers are given the privilege of having a specific part in God's great plans. You may be sowing or you may be watering, or you may be reaping. It does not matter in God's eyes. Laborers have the privilege of being chosen and sent by Christ. God does the choosing, not other men. Laborers are given the privilege of serving alongside of other great servants. I /Corinthians 3:9 teaches us that we all labor together under the guidance of Christ Jesus.
Finally, we see the results of working in the "fields." Many more Samaritans came to believe because they heard the word of Jesus. You see the word "Saviour" (soter) means a Deliverer, a Preserver. It embodies the idea of a Deliverer who snatches a person from some terrible disaster that would lead to perishing.
I hope that you will choose to walk on the Christian journey today. If you are already walking I encourage you to do so with the utmost determination. We just celebrated Easter and now is a great time to become a "pilgrim" and begin your walk through this world of ours on your way home to New Jerusalem. We are just a passing through this world, sojourners on our way home.
have a blessed day!
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Name: Eric Rajaniemi
