Category Archives: Character
The Mirror
John 4:7&9 “Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans…”
Why did the Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans? We began to answer this question yesterday and it will interest you to know that the enmity ran even deeper. We mentioned earlier that at the time John the Baptist and Jesus were in ministry there was a huge Rabbinic movement. Read the rest of this entry
Knowing
John 3:26 “So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” (emphasis added).
In today’s scripture reference, John the Baptist’s disciples were practically blaming Him for identifying Jesus as the Messiah because now Jesus is also baptizing people, and everybody is going to Him instead of coming to John and his disciples. Read the rest of this entry
Of The Spirit
John 3:5 “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” (emphasis added)
John 3:8 “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” It also means that you cannot explain the operations of people that are born of the Spirit. Read the rest of this entry
Dive Deep
John 3:1-2 “Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, a man with some clout among his people. He came to Jesus under the cloak of darkness to question Him…” (Voice]
Yesterday, we saw that the man Nicodemus was an extremely powerful and wealthy Jew. He was a member of the Sanhedrin [the council], the ruling class. Nicodemus and a lot of other Pharisees were earnest seeking men who loved God and loved the Torah passionately. Read the rest of this entry
The Proof
John 3:2 “He came to Jesus under the cloak of darkness to question Him. Nicodemus: Teacher, some of us have been talking. You are obviously a teacher who has come from God. The signs You are doing are proof that God is with You.” (Voice]
What have you not been able to shake off so far on our study of the Book of John? It is not that you should be able to shake off any part of the Word of God but what sticks for you? The purpose of Bible study is for you to get to know the Bible for yourself. Read the rest of this entry
Not Your Ways
Ps.69:9 “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”
Please read John 2:12-25, we see a direct fulfilment of today’s scripture reference. Let me give you some background; the population of Jerusalem is about two hundred and fifty thousand people. The law demands that at a feast like this, everyone in Jerusalem must come to Jerusalem to worship. Read the rest of this entry
Personified
John 1:14 “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
Please read John 1:47-49 “As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” Read the rest of this entry
Hesed
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (NRSV, emphasis added)
Jesus is full of grace and full of truth. Jesus is not half or fifty percent (50%) grace and half or fifty percent (50%) truth. Jesus is full of grace and full of truth. Jesus is hundred percent (100%) grace and hundred percent (100%) truth. Read the rest of this entry
The How
Ps.9:1-2 “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”
It is one thing to know ‘why’ you should do something, but it is a totally different thing to know ‘how’. Our focus today is on how to live a life of thanksgiving to God. The first way is to thank God by Singing From Your Heart. Can the tone of your voice give your expression a different meaning? Certainly. God says sing from your heart; meaning, every time you show up before God, alone or in a crowd, God wants you to sing from your heart. Read the rest of this entry
Joy & Peace
Gal. 5:22-23 “ But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
The joy that overflows, is a component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I was reading the work of a renowned theologian Thomas Aquinas, and he said something very profound. He says, “God is happiness by His Essence: for He is happy not by acquisition or participation of something else, but by His Essence. On the other hand, men are happy by acquisition or participation.” Read the rest of this entry
