John | He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye

Posts Tagged ‘John’

Close to You

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, evangelism, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, love, sanctification, tagged abiding in the vine, bears much fruit, Christ, fruit, God, God the Father, I don't feel connected to Jesus, Jesus, John on November 11, 2011| 3 Comments »

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

A while ago I stumbled upon a phrase that read, “Our effectiveness in ministry is relative to our closeness to Jesus, ” and I thought at the time, what a wonderful and true sentiment it was. After all, any effective ministry is borne out of our deepening relationship with Christ Jesus.

Then I came upon John 15:5.

I envisioned myself sawing a limb off an apple tree. In its detached state I thought, should I have any expectation of fruit ever growing from that limb again?

Of course not.

Might I expect a harvest if I take that same branch and hold it close to the tree, or better yet, prop it up against the trunk?

No.

Once there is a disconnect, fruitful expectations are lost. In order for fruit to develop, the branch must be attached or grafted back in — closeness does not count. John 15:5 drives home the truth that my catchy little phrase misses the mark. Closeness is not the same as being attached.

Semanticism

Is this just a case of semantics, since those in Christ likely consider themselves to be relationally close to Him as well?

Yes, in that case it is a matter of semantics, however the danger exists for those who are not so attached. They have come to falsely believe that an appearance of closeness is sufficient. Perhaps they attend church regularly and participate in religious activities, but there is no connection to the Vine. The fact remains: proximity is a worthless posture to the pruned limb.

Show Me the Fruit

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

We all know folks (or we might be folks) who claim closeness to Jesus. Despite declarations of faith and love, at the end of the day, barrenness is the evidence bearing witness against those claims. But praise be to God, all is not lost!

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:1-2

Are you frightened by the notion that God takes away the fruitless branches?

Don’t be.

That’s not what’s being said in this passage.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word ‘away’ (as in taken away) is ‘airo’ in the Greek language and is properly defined, ‘to raise up, to elevate, or to raise from the ground.’

The reality is that in our fallen, fruitless condition, God the Father desires to lift us up, graft us in, and nurture us so that we might bear fruit. The warning is for those who are not submitted to this work of the Vinedresser. They are the ones who risk being cast away.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:6-8

In light of the truth we can say that effectiveness in ministry is relative to our closeness and connection to Jesus.

Your Thoughts:

Are you connected?
Are you submitted?
Is there fruit in your walk with Jesus?
If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

What Vine are you Abiding In? (Part 1) (defendingcontending.com)
Our Life Is In Him (pastorht.wordpress.com)

If you enjoyed ‘He Dwells: the Blog’ please subscribe (above) and/or share with your friends.

Read Full Post »

Faith or Fortuity

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, evangelism, faith, prayer, religion, tagged Acts of the Apostles, and the life, Bible, Christian, God, In the beginning was the Word, Jesus, John, Matthew, the truth, the way, Word on October 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ ” Acts 17:26-28

Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He came into the world to testify to the truth. I believe that; particularly the truth part. If as Christian’s we all believed this, we would without equivocation stand by every single word of the Bible. In view of this passage from the Gospel of John, we’ve no other option:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became 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.” John 1:1 & 14

I say that to say ‘in Christ’ there aren’t any coincidences. How can a Christian believe otherwise? The declaration in Acts 17 is clear: God made us and He has determined our preappointed times. That’s a far-reaching pronouncement and from it we may deduce that our encounters are orchestrated by God.

The question is, “Do you believe it?”

Either God’s hand is in each situation or it is not. Either God has a plan for each encounter or He does not. Either in Him we live and move and have our being or we do not. It truly is this plain.

I’ve opted for the former over the latter–that every appointment is divine and that God has a specific and unique outcome in mind for each one. The embracement of the tenet is changing my life.

Praying More

Initially, I was overwhelmed. I prayed and God gave me peace.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light…Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 11:28-30 & Matthew 7:7

So now I’m learning to anticipate get-togethers. I tell God where I am going (as if He didn’t know) and specifically ask for encouragement, discernment, and empowerment. To my relief I discovered that not every encounter was designed to be directly evangelical.

Here’s a sampling of some recent engagements:

At the gas station, the Spirit moved me to ask the attendant if he had read the Bible tract I had given him the week before; specifically the smaller-print on the back. He said he hadn’t. I handed him another tract and listened as he read it aloud. When he finished I said, “So, what do you think?

He smiled broadly and enthusiastically said, “This truly is good news!”

At the hardware store the cashier welcomed me and said, “How are you today?”

I’ve gotten into the habit of answering these queries with, “I am blessed more than I deserve! How are you?” Her response gave me an indication that she too was a Christian.

Our brief exchange was uplifting and encouraging.

A while back a rough-and-tough looking twosome appeared at my door and asked if I wanted my driveway coated and sealed. I was leery, but we agreed on a price and I gave them the go ahead. As they finished up, the Lord prompted me to ask if I could pray for them.

Not only did they agree, the one said, “We’re born again too! Mind if I lead?”

Amazing

Admittedly, not every meeting bears fruit I can readily see. Sometimes a shared word is rejected. Other times the Spirit plainly says to my heart, “Just say ‘God bless you!’ to this soul and leave him be.” Nevertheless, it’s evident to me that with every encounter, God does a work, with the purpose and glory always His.

No Accident

If we can agree that physical encounters are not accidents, then we can likely agree that impersonal, internet exchanges such as these aren’t coincidental either. I’m not sure why you’re here, but I have a sense why I was, and I further believe God determined and prearranged the time of this meeting.

Therefore I’d like to encourage you to treat every encounter as a divine appointment, even if you don’t entirely believe it to be so. There is truth in His word and as we step out obediently God will make His glory known.

“ He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21

Testify

Can you bear witness to these truths? Please leave a comment as an encouragement and as a testament to His rightness.

Read Full Post »

The Lion and the Scroll

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Jesus, tagged God, israel, Jesus, Jew, John, judah, Lamb, Lion, Lion of Judah, Messiah, scroll, Shiloh, Tribe of Judah on December 12, 2008| Leave a Comment »

The Lion and the ScrollAnd I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Revelation 5:1-5A Bit of Jewish History

In today’s passage we see Jesus sitting on His throne, scroll in hand. John goes on to tell us two very distinctive things about the scroll: it is written on both sides and it is sealed with seven seals. That is unique because ‘back in the day’ folks wrote on only one side of a scroll (mainly because the other side was too rough to write upon) and then only sealed it once. We see an example of such a scroll in Jeremiah 32:13-14.

“Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed (*one seal) and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.”

The Exception to the Rule

If however the holder of that title deed somehow did not satisfy the requirements of the certificate, it was opened and the details of the new requirements were written on the back side of the scroll. Then it was rolled up and sealed with seven seals…The holder of the deed than had seven years to make good on the new covenant. By now, we should begin to see the significance of the ‘deed’ which Jesus holds in His hand.

The Deed to Earth

The title deed to earth once belonged to Adam (and we know what he did). In his failure, he essentially forfeited his ownership to earth thus paving the way for the new deed-holder, satan, to take possession. The seven-sealed scroll that Jesus now holds is the original deed, rewritten on the reverse side, and by which He will ultimately reveal how ownership will be regained. Hallelujah!

The Lion of Judah

Most of us are familiar with Jesus being referred to as the Lion of Judah, but do you know where we first that title being used? In Genesis 49, Jacob is handing out some prophetic blessings upon his children and in verse nine and ten he says of Judah…

Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

There is a lot more prophesy here than meets the eye. ‘Shiloh’ is another name for Messiah and the scepter refers to legal reign. Essentially the passage is saying that the rule of Israel will not be removed until Messiah comes.

That is why, in AD 12 (as the historian Josephus records), the Jews ‘freaked out’ (paraphrase mine). They were wailing and tearing their garments because the Romans had come into power and had taken away their scepter; or more accurately, their right to impose capitol punishment. They were upset for two reasons: they lost their authority ~and~ the Messiah had not yet come, therefore, the prophesy of their father Jacob was suddenly a sham…Or at least they thought it was.

What they failed to realize is that it was about this time a young Jesus had strayed from His parents and was found in the Temple preaching and astonishing His listeners. Shiloh had come and prophesy had been fulfilled. And interesting as it is, the Jews had to lose the reign at this time, because Jesus would be prophetically crucified on a cross, and crucifixion was not a manner by which the Jews imposed capitol punishment. Quite the prophesy!

Jesus is the Only Way and only He is worthy!

Read Full Post »

This is Fascinating

Posted in religion, tagged Divine grace, grace, heaven, jasper, Jesus, John, mother letter, noah, sardius, throne on December 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Revelation 4:2-3

When We All Get to Heaven

In this Revelation from Jesus, John makes mention of the ‘One’ who sits on the throne, but how can we be certain the One he is speaking of is in fact the One and only Jesus Christ? In an amazing way, the Old Testament confirms who the Seated One is and we see it in the jasper and sardius stones. Consider this passage from Exodus 28 which speaks of Aaron, the high priest’s breastplate…

“You shall make the breastplate of judgment…And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Exodus 28: 15, 17-20

Check This Out

The first stone on Aaron’s breastplate is the sardius and as we read the entire Exodus account we see that it represents the first son of the first tribe; it is the ‘alpha’ stone if you will. The first son of the first tribe is Ruben and his name literally means, ‘Behold a son.’

The last stone to be placed on Aaron’s plate is the jasper and it represents the last son of the last tribe, essentially making it the ‘omega’ stone. The last son and tribe is of course Benjamin and his name means, ‘Son of my right hand.’

When we assemble the whole picture, we are left with the One on the throne being the ‘Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, God’s only Son, the Son that sits at His right hand.’

Finally, we notice that Jesus is sitting on the throne; He is not standing, He is not walking back and forth. Jesus is sitting because His work is done, or as He put it, “It is finished.” Jesus, our Great Councilor, sits in much the same manner an attorney sits after he has wrapped up his summation and concluded his case before the judge.

The Promise of God’s Grace

Jesus will be surrounded by a rainbow—the same rainbow we first saw after the flood in the time of Noah. That rainbow of course speaks of His grace covenant that He maintains for us. His throne is a throne of grace, not works, and therefore we will not hesitate to approach our Lord and our Savior on that magnificent day!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4 :16

Read Full Post »

What Do You See?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Jesus, religion, tagged 150000 reasons, Abraham, Jesus, John, lampstand, Revelation, Son of man, thanksgiving on November 27, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. Revelation 1:12-13Let’s Start at the Bottom…

At the bottom of this Bible verse, that is. Why the ‘Son of Man’ allusion, because Jesus used the term regularly and it speaks to His relate-ability. Inspired by the Son of Man, John makes the reference here because of this prophecy in Daniel.

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Why is that important? Because many folks do not realize that this Book of Revelation is not new. Everything written in this volume has been previously recorded in other areas of both the Old and the New Testaments. Revelation is in a very real sense a divine funnel that brings all these earlier prophesies and allusions into focus, or at the very least into one place.

Godly Girdles

Will Jesus actually be adorned in this manner? Perhaps, but I sense Jesus has revealed to John something about His character, rather than His clothing. The described ‘outfit’ is a priestly garment, however, in Old Testament times the waist was girded, not the chest. Here we envision Jesus wearing a golden sash around His heart and His whole body being covered head to toe. If we are the body of Christ (and we are), than that image confirms for us that we are ‘bound’ (as a girdle binds) in Christ’s heart and that we are completely covered. It reminds me of our Lord’s lamentation (recorded in Matthew 23:37) for those who would reject His provision…

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Lampstands?

Will there be lampstands in Heaven? Possibly, but again I am reminded that the Lord’s earthly Tabernacle with all its paraphernalia were merely symbolic of all things God and His Glory. When I visualize the lampstand spoken of in Exodus 25:31-33…

“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work…one piece…Six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side…(The) bowls shall be made like almond blossoms…with an ornamental knob and a flower…”

I first see Jesus: pure gold, hammered (beaten), and stretched out for our sake. I then see us; His body the church and note that while we are in fact fruit-bearing branches connected to the vine, we are one solid piece. And as my eyes take it all in, I hear my Lords voice telling me clearly, lovingly, and truthfully…

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world…You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden…(and) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 9:5, Matthew 5:14, John 15:5)

Jubilee!

Let’s do the math. The passage I chosen today speaks not of a single lampstand, but seven of them, with Jesus standing in the midst of them all. Jesus will go on to reveal to John that these seven lampstands are symbolic of the seven churches of Asia (Turkey). But of what else does this speak?

7 x 7 = 49 + 1 = 50

Seven lampstands, multiplied by seven is forty-nine. Add ‘One’ and we have fifty. My friends, that number speaks of jubilation the likes of which we have never known. Remember, all the ‘stuff’ and all the ordinances are merely pictures of God’s great things to come.

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you… in it you shall neither sow nor reap …For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you…Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. Leviticus 25:10-12, + 19

God only knows if these things (lampstands, girdles, etc) will appear as Revelation describes, but we may know with certainty the love, truth, and faithfulness of our Lord will have eternal prominence.

Happy Thanksgiving

When I read these things, the flame that burns beneath my desire to serve Him is torqued-up full. My hope and prayer is that the same is true for you. As we gather around a common table this Thanksgiving Day, we are mindful of what He has done (in our lives) and what He will continue to do. We are reminded that John (like Abraham) was given revelation because of their faithfulness to disseminate that which He had previously provided. When we chose to share the spiritual wealth, so to speak, we receive more of the same. To the degree we give, is the degree we receive.

Read Full Post »

Full Disclosure

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Jesus, religion, tagged freely giving, Jesus Christ, John, kingdom coming, Revelation on November 25, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Full DisclosureThe Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Revelation 1:1-2

Ciphered For Your Protection

Have you ever wondered why the Revelation of Jesus Christ is supposedly encrypted? Well there are (at least) three reasons as to why this divine message had been coded; the very first of which is that by so doing, it afforded security to the saints.

In the days the Revelation was first shared, the persecution of the church was at an all-time high. Caesar Nero in fact was responsible for the deaths of over three million Christians! Writing and sharing in code offered a degree of protection. It would be improbable that a protagonist, who having gotten hands upon an early manuscript, would understand the four-hundred (plus) allusions and illustrations relating to the Old Testament. Much of the writing would appear [to them] as nonsensical and capricious.

Secondly, the use of signs, pictures, and symbols has the competency of transcending time, culture, and generation. As language, custom, and expression continue to change, symbolism and signage endure. An example might be your own home town…The place has likely changed several times through the years, while the sign outside the city limits has not.

Thirdly, the ciphered-style stimulates our passion and zeal. Consider Revelation’s text and we discover that it is one thing to proclaim, ‘A world leader is coming, ’ and quite another to refer to this person as ‘The Beast.’ It is one thing to denounce the ‘worldly commercial system’ and quite another to say ‘Babylon…the mother of all harlots…the whore!’ Does not the ‘Bride of Christ’ sound much more intriguing than the ‘Christian’ designate; is not the ‘Lion of Judea’ a noble title for our Lord? These codes are both vivid and powerful for the believer.

Why John

Perhaps you have never wondered why this Revelation of Jesus was given to John, but suffice it to say, you should be acquainted with the reason as it will be helpful to you in your daily walk with Christ–God knew John. That is to say John’s record preceded him—he (previously) bore witness to the Word of God in his Gospel and in his three epistles, demonstrating that he had embraced Christ and shared all he had received. We see a similar occurrence in Genesis 18:17-19 when God opts to reveal his plan to Abraham regarding Sodom and Gomorrah…

And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Take Heed to What You Hear

That is the lesson for us. Why do we go to church; why do we read His Word? Are we merely seeking to become smarter sinners? Is our desire to gain biblical knowledge and insight selfish in nature, or is it our mission (like John) to share that which we have freely received. The truth of the matter is that consistent revelation comes to those who come with the attitude that they will give away what it is they have received. In so doing, swiftly the words of the Gospel Author make perfect sense.

Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

Read Full Post »

There’s Something in My Bread

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Jesus, religion, travel, world news, tagged bread, communion, fellowship, Jesus, John, superheroes on November 7, 2008| 5 Comments »

There’s Something in My Bread…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. 1 John 1:3

So What

When I was a fledgling Christian, the first few times I read this verse I was jealous. Despite knowing better, it almost seemed as if they (the disciples in general, and John in particular) were rubbing my nose in the fact that they hung-out with Jesus, they heard and spoke with Jesus, they had seen Jesus, and they had touched Jesus. My initial reaction was how easy it must have been to come into a saving faith being so ‘personally’ blessed.
What I missed in the passage was that John is telling us that we can be similarly blessed—we can experience Jesus in the same way the disciples did.

OK…How?

We can glean from the experience of two men who were traveling on the Road to Emmaus; the account given to us in Luke 24. We recall that this event took place after the crucifixion and that these two fellows were quite dejected (not knowing Christ had indeed risen). Although not recognizing Him, Jesus joins them on their walk and as verse 24:27 points out…

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then later on we see this occurrence…

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him…He was known to them in the breaking of bread. Luke 24:30-31, 35

In the communion of fellowship, Jesus revealed Himself and in the same way He reveals Himself to us today! The scriptures tells us that Jesus has come and, “In the volume of the book it is written of Me, ” (Hebrews 10:7, quoting the Psalmist). Further more we know that, “faith comes by hearing the Word of God, ” (Romans 10:17), but in actuality the Word is opened-up as we partake of the broken bread recalling why He was broken. Christ is known in the breaking of the bread. By this we may know Jesus as the disciples knew Jesus.

Read Full Post »

He Dwells — The B'log in My Eye

Discussing the Christian walk with intention and purpose

Posts Tagged ‘John’

Close to You

Faith or Fortuity

The Lion and the Scroll

This is Fascinating

What Do You See?

Full Disclosure

There’s Something in My Bread

Email Subscription

Dave’s TWEETS

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Blogs I Follow

Blog Stats

Categories

Archives

Flickr Photos

Email Subscription

Discussing the Christian walk with intention and purpose

Posts Tagged ‘John’

Related articles

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

SHARE this:

Email Subscription

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Blogs I Follow

Blog Stats

Categories

Archives

Flickr Photos

Email Subscription