Author Archives: God's Favourite House

Loaded Benefits II

Acts 2:2-4 “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…”

John 20:22Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” What is the difference between what happened in Acts 2 and this experience in John 20? When Jesus breathed on the disciples here, they were clothed with power and authority as a Church. Jesus was clothing them with His power and authority. John 20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” It is almost unbelievable that God will give men such authority. But the Church has that power to retain people’s sin and to forgive.

What happened at Pentecost was what was prophesied in Joel 2:28-29. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” (KJV). Read the rest of this entry

Loaded Benefits I

John 20:21 “Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you”

John 20:17Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Jesus made it possible for His Father to truly be our Father. Read the rest of this entry

Seeker Heart II

Isa.42:3 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.” (NIV).

God cannot ignore a genuine seeker and David understood this which was why he said in Ps.51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” (NKJV). That is why everyone that seeks God genuinely, finds God. Read the rest of this entry

Seeker Heart I

Matt.12:20 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.”

Jesus could not resist Mary’s love and thirst for Him. Jesus said, ‘Ma-ry!’ and even though Mary did not recognize Him facially, she recognized that nickname, that special way Jesus calls her. The Bible says, Read the rest of this entry

Dear Woman

John 20:14 “She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.”

The only thing that could satisfy the thirst Mary had was Jesus. Like we said yesterday, Mary was not impressed with the linen wrappings, or with the head covering that was majestically arranged, and she was not even impressed with the angels. Read the rest of this entry

Him Alone

Isa. 55:1 “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].” (AMP).

It is possible to come to the waters and not drink if you are not thirsty. Interestingly, it is only what you thirst for that can satisfy your thirst. Nothing else can. Peter and John had left but Mary could not leave, she was thirsty because, at this point, all Mary had was Jesus. Read the rest of this entry

Come Thirsty?

John 20:10-11 “Then they went home. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.”

John outran Peter but he did not overstep authority. Peter arrived on the scene and they both went into the tomb. What they saw confirmed what they had been told and they went home satisfied. But not Mary. Think about this for a minute; these were men, ladies came to call you that there is trouble. Read the rest of this entry

Outlook

John 20:9-10for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home.”

Today we start off by delving deeper into our final thought from yesterday. John 20:5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in.” Even though John told us how he outran Peter and got to the tomb first, John got there and did not act until Peter got there. Read the rest of this entry

From Observation

1 Cor. 10:11 “The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written down to teach us, because we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal.” (NCV)

If you look closely at John 20:1-2 and at how the whole thing panned out, you would realize that these people had no expectations. They came and saw the stone had been rolled away and they still did not think Jesus was resurrected. Instead, they thought someone had stolen His body. Read the rest of this entry

For Love

John 20:31 “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”

We are grateful to God for all that He has been teaching us though our study in the Book of John. It has been a totally life-changing journey. We are in the penultimate chapter and our study over the next few days is like the peak of the story. Read the rest of this entry