Category Archives: Our Studies

12/23/15

Scriptural Data for Christ’s Claim to Divinity

Some things are worth repeating. 

 

 

Great help to express and confirm your beliefs. Thank you to Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli. Please share this with someone else.

                                                                                     Charlene

 

 

Scriptural Data for Christ’s Claim to Divinity

1. Early Creedal Formula: “Jesus is LORD” (kyrios) Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things; and for thy pleasure they are and were created”(insert mine) ; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Phillipians 2:11            

2. The title “Son of GOD” (Son of implies “of the same nature as.”) Matthew 11:27; Mark 12:6; 13:32; 14:61-62; Luke 10:22; 22:70; John 10:30; 14:9

3. The New Testament calls Him “GOD”: Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20; Romans 9:5; John 1:1

4. Absolutely, universally supreme: Colossians 1:15-20

5. Eternally preexistent: John 1:1; Phillipians 2:6; Hebrews 13:8; Revelations 22:13

6. Omnipresent: Matthew 18:20; 28:20

7. Omnipotent: Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 1:3; Revelations 1:8

8. Immutable: Hebrews 1:11-12; 13:8

9. Creates (only GOD can create): Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrew 1:10

10. Sinless: perfect: Hebrews 7:26; John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21

11. Has authority to forgive sins: Mark 2:5-12; Luke 24:45-47; Acts 10:43; 1 John 1:5-9

12. Rightly worshipped: Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:5-9

13. Speaks the unique, forbidden divine name: John 8:58

14. Called “King of Kings and LORD of Lords” : 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelations 17:14

15. One with the Father: John 10:30; 12:45; 14: 8-10

16. Performs miracles: John 10:37-38, and throughout all Four Gospels

17. Sends the Holy Spirit: John 14: 25-26; 16: 7-15

18. The Father testifies to Him(Jesus)(insert mine) Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 8:18; 1 John 5:9

19. Gives eternal life: John 3:16; 5: 39-40; 20: 30-31

20. Foreknows the Future: Mark 8:31; Luke 9: 21-22; 12: 49-53; 22:35-37; 24:17; John 3: 11-14; 6: 63-64; 13: 1-11; 14: 27-29; 18: 1-4; 19: 26-30

21: Is LORD over the Law: Luke 6: 1-5

Work Cited: Kreeft, Peter and Ronald Tacelli: Handbook of Christian Apologetics 1994: Intervarsity Press, Madison WI.

06/3/15

Community and Fellowship

I was thinking about the term fellowship. It’s purest reference is to men gathered together to pursue similar goals. In today’s climate fellowship has no specific gender reference. It is a group of individuals gathered together to pursue similar goals.

 However, if you truly wanted a term to describe a group of women in Godly relationship with one another,  possessing  common goals and aspirations in Christ,  I believe the purest representative term would be community. In community there is support and caring. There is awareness of each others needs and wants and a desire to meet those needs through Christ Jesus. Encouragement and a sense of humor is needed to keep everyone buoyant and feeling alive.

Here are some scriptures to encourage your heart today and forever:

“Only the Lord Jesus can give them this hunger for spiritual things and more of Him.”  Matthew 5:6 

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” Isaiah 65:24

“Nothing is impossible with GOD”  Luke 18:27

“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved”  Psalm 55:22

“He staggered not at the promise of GOD through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to GOD; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform” Romans 4:20-21

                           Peace passing all understanding, for He cares for you

                                                                                             Charlene

 

King James Version  Public Domain

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Charlene Kirst
02/27/15

Constructive vs Destructive Criticism

Revised February 27th, 2015

 

What is criticism? The base meaning of the word is critic or critique–the process of reviewing and expressing a negative, positive, or mixed opinion. Criticism has its purpose– it is designed to help people to grow, and to expose areas that need to be purged or at least improved in their lives. Positive criticism encourages the recipient to do more; to improve on what they already possess. It can be a mixed critique pointing out good and bad elements, and is the most revealing of all. When people are faced with negative criticism designed to tear down and discourage, the end result can be devastation and pain.

There is another form of criticism that may appear to be negative, yet upon close perusal will reveal itself as positive. This is a critique designed to point out things that can be changed to produce a positive result. This type of criticism is embodied in the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord.

After many efforts to teach the disciples how to use the power given them to heal the sick, Jesus had to address their lack of faith. All through The Gospels we can see examples of times when Jesus had to admonish His disciples and to point out their lack of belief.

Was Jesus critical of His disciples? Yes, he was. Example: Matthew 17:15, 16  KJV revised.

There is a man whose son is plagued with seizures. The disciples, despite all of Jesus’ teachings, cannot heal him.

“LORD, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic (luna-moon) and sore vexed; for oftentimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples and they could not cure him.” 

Verses 17, 18, 19, and 20: Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me”. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, “Why could we not cast him out”? And Jesus said unto them, “Because of your  unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

This was an example of criticism. What was Jesus’ intention in telling them of their unbelief? To strengthen their belief. To inspire the disciples to embrace all that He was teaching them, and to recognize the power they possessed through Him. This was positive or constructive criticism. It was designed to promote growth.

Destructive criticism is designed to hurt and tear down. Pray that you can distinguish between the positive and the negative, for you do not want to discourage GOD’s people through tearing their spirits apart and leaving them in despair.

Have a criticism? Intend for it to help someone to grow, and make sure that the Voice of The LORD has uttered the words.

Likewise, try the Spirit if you have a tendency to interpret all criticism as negative. There are those lead by GOD to deliver you and me from error.

                                                             In His Name,

                                                                      Rev. Charlene

10/27/14

2 Timothy 3 NIV

2 Timothy 3

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

 

 

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

 

 

A Final Charge to Timothy

 

 

10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

  1. 2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

06/25/14

Matthew 24: 3-51 End Times

Matthew 24

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

 

 

 

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

 

 

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

 

 

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

 

 

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 

 

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

 

 

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

 

 

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

 

 

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days  “‘the sun will be darkened,   and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky,    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b]

 

 

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

 

 

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

 

The Day and Hour Unknown

 

 

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

 

 

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 

 

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

  1. Matthew 24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

  2. Matthew 24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

  3. Matthew 24:30 Or the tribes of the land

  4. Matthew 24:30 See Daniel 7:13-14.

  5. Matthew 24:33 Or he

  6. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.

 

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

05/20/14

Israel’s Right to the Land Written by John Paul Jackson

 

Article adapted from his teaching at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
For Release: January 2014

 

I am intensely interested in what God is doing in Israel. I have visited the Holy Land more than 20 times. Recently, the Lord led me to study the life of Abraham. The Jews say Abraham was born 1,948 years after Adam was created. 1948 is an interesting number. Israel became a nation in 1948 – 1,948 years after the birth of Jesus, the second Adam.

 

 Another interesting parallel is that the Tower of Babel was built in 1996 – 1,996 years from the beginning of creation. In 1996 A.D., The European Union made the Tower of Babel its insignia. I don’t think that’s an accident.

 

The Tower of Babel was in Ur which is where Abraham is from.  God called him to the land of Canaan. Lot went with him and God blessed them. Their flocks multiplied. Soon, there wasn’t enough grassland to feed both of their families. So, they separated. Lot went to the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham stayed in the northern part of Canaan.

 

During that time, God brought in four kings from the east to Israel. One was the king of Babel, which is modern day Iraq. Another was the king over Persia, which is modern day Iran. There were two other kings with them as well.

 

There were five other kings. These were vassal kings. They were the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. There were three other kings with them as well. But, these five vassal kings stopped paying their taxes to the other four kings.

 

The four kings didn’t want to lose all that tax money. So, they came to Israel to fight the five kings who didn’t want to pay their taxes.

 

The four kings conquered the five vassal kings and seized everything in Sodom and Gomorrah including Lot and his family who were taken back to Ur the land they originally came from.

 

Abraham heard about it and took 318 men with him and conquered the four kings who overpowered the five kings that didn’t pay their taxes.  That was a staggering victory, not only by the numbers but by the right of conquest. Abraham now had the rights to all of the land of Israel.

 

After that, a strange individual visited Abraham. It was Melchizedek. If you really believe Melchizedek had no beginning and no end; then, you would have to admit, He wasn’t human. He’s without father, without mother, without beginning, without end.

 

And He was the King of Salem, the King of Righteousness. He’s described in many ways as Yeshua Himself. Whoever He was, He was very powerful. And, He blessed Abraham.

 

Right after that, Abraham had an encounter with God. God gave Abraham a vision of a burning oven. A torch passed between pieces of animals that were cut in half. And God made a covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham, “I will give you every place your foot has trod.” That, literally, goes back to where Abraham came from — the land of Ur.

 

Abraham has a right to the land because God gave it to him and because Abraham conquered it. Parallels also show how God has watched over Israel from the beginning. He is watching over them now.

 

credit: John Paul Jackson

Charlene’s Source: streamsministries.com

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I thought that it would help to include the scriptural reference. Charlene

 

Genesis 14 NIV

Abram Rescues Lot

 

 

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

 

5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

 

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

 

13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

 

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

 

 

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

 

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

 

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

 

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

 

 

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 14:1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9

  2. Genesis 14:13 Or a relative; or an ally

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

05/20/14

Dreams & Mysteries – The Mystery of the Blood

Published on Apr 11, 2014

Join author and speaker John Paul Jackson as he reveals some of the spiritual mysteries of the Bible… including how God speaks today through dreams!

Learn more about the show, and even download some study notes at http://dreamsandmysteries.com

credit:Dreams & Mysteries with John Paul Jackson

Charlene’s Source: Dreams & Visions Official Youtube Channel

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03/18/14

Why Study The WORD? Hebrews 4:12, John 1: 1-4, Galatians 5: 22-26, II Timothy 2:15

Revised for March 2014

 

 

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

 


 

“For the Word of GOD is living and powerful,  sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”


 Every since the beginning of time as we conceive it , The Holy Trinity has existed, impacted, and interacted in our lives.  The Bible, dictated to the people of GOD as a means of revealing  GOD’s covenant with man, His precepts, commandments, and truths, is a timeless teaching tool to all the world benefiting whoever chooses to embrace it.  The Word of GOD, embodied in His Son, Jesus the Christ, is a lifegiver as well as a lawgiver. Why do we need the law? Not as a reason to beat and restrict ourselves but as a guide to right living. Right living produces good fruit and that good fruit will bear seed for the harvest. Lifegiving is the character of Christ. We should strive to embrace Him.

 

 

The Fruit of The Spirit

 

 

 Galatians 5: 22-26 NKJV

 

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

 

The Fruit of the Spirit is what every Christian should strive to maintain in their heart and their actions.

 

 

The Word Sent The Comforter


It is through studying The Word, manifested as “The Son of GOD” in John Chapter One, Verses One through Four that we engage in the most truthful, most revealing relationship with the Holy Trinity.


“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. “

 

 

Jesus sent us The Comforter, The Holy Spirit to guide and to teach us in the way we should live. We must follow his lead and unction to bring others into the Kingdom of GOD.

 

 

Why Study The WORD?

 

 

How will they know unless there’s a preacher? The preacher depends on The Word to deliver the message. Without study there is no correct interpretation through the Holy Spirit–for He is the Teacher who dwells inside GOD’s people. Without study the people will not be able to discern false doctrine or false teachers when they cross their path. Without study there is no way to confirm the Truth.

 

 

Why study The Word? To know Christ is to know all there is to know. To have power from on High and to possess peace that passes all understanding. Why study The Word? This is the Highest Calling of all.

 

 

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to GOD, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth”   2 Timothy 2:15  NKJV

 

 

                                                                                                               

God Bless You,   

                                                                                                                                   Charlene

 

 

All Scripture quotations taken from The Women of Destiny Bible, New King James Version Thomas Nelson, Publishers

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012-2014 Charlene Kirst
03/3/14

Rev. John Kirst–Revival Revelation 3: 14-20

Updated for March 2014

 

Revival

 

 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

 

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

 

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

  

Rev 3:14-20

 

 

Looking back we sometimes do not see where we have been.

 

Like the frog in the pot…

 

Put the frog in hot water he jumps out.

 

Put the frog into a pot and slowly heat it up… the frog will not jump out but he will end up cooked.

 

We become Laodiceans when we fall away from God’s Word. We become lukewarm pew sitters.

 

Not seeing the joy that we first had when we first came to Christ.

 

Looking back in the rear view mirror we can see where we have been in Christ and where we are now.

 

It is time to return back to Jesus, Our First Love.

 

Revival starts with each of us. 

 


 Rev. John Kirst

 

02/1/14

John 1: The WORD Revealed

John 1

New International Version (NIV)

The Word Became Flesh

 

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 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.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

 

 

 

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

 

 

 

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[d]

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

 

 

John Testifies About Jesus

 

 

 

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[f]

 

 

 

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

 

 

 

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

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

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[g]).

 

 

 

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

 

 

 

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

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

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

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

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.”

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

 

  1. John 1:5 Or understood

  2. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who

  3. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.

  4. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3

  5. John 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)

  6. John 1:34 See Isaiah 42:1; many manuscripts is the Son of God.

  7. John 1:42 Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.

  8. John 1:50 Or Do you believe … ?

  9. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.

  10. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.

  11. John 1:51 Gen. 28:12

 

 


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