Do you know who you trust?

In Luke 4:14 Jesus is in Galilee and goes to His home church. He goes up front to read and the attendant hands him the scroll. However, instead of reading where they left off last week- as was customary- Jesus instead searches out one of His promise verses. He finds Isaiah 61 and begins reading his mission statement.

 

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour...

 

The rest of the chapter beautifully describes the healing and restoration He will bring and the restoration we get to bring because He has restored us.

 

When Jesus says He is coming to restore, it would remind them of the year of Jubilee. Jesus came to release us into the year of Jubilee. Take a look at Leviticus 25. The 50th year was a year of Jubilee. It was a year of celebration. You would not plant or harvest this year because it was a year of rest as well. God promised the 49th year would produce enought for three years.

 

You would also return property. If someone sold property, it was because of financial hardship. You did not move around in those days. You had your town and your family had been there for generations. When you sold land, you took away from your sons' inheritance. God wanted that returned to the seller so His people were not dispossesed and homeless.

 

Go back to Luke 4 and look at the power of Jesus' words. They create life. There are multiple times in chapter four where His voice and words are emphasized:

 

• 4:22- "All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth."
• 4:32-"[the people] were astonished at his teaching for his words possessed authority."
• 4:36-"For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out!"
• 4:41- In contrast, Jesus would not let the evil spirits speak. He only wanted His voice to be the one that speaks over us.
 

Jesus only needs to speak and things are created. He is, after all, His Father's Son. Back in Genesis the Father spoke and the world was created. Now, the Son is walking on Earth and His very words have healing power. another name for Jesus is the Word (Jn 1). Jesus follows His Father's example in this too:

 

John 14:10-14-- The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am giong to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth...

 

John 15:7-12-- If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you...

 

John 16:23-24-- Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full...

 

Take a look at those chapters. There is a lot of good stuff there.

 

 

 

Jesus came to bring us freedom. His words have creative power. Where do you need to ask Him to bring you into freedom?

Put off the Old, Put on the New

Pt. VII

Continuation of Seeing with the Father's Eyes

 

The first way to do this is to put off the old self and put on the new. Romans 6 says to present yourselves as alive from the dead. You are no longer the dead person but the new person which means we no longer need to think as the old person but rather as the new. Ephesians 4:22-25 says, “Be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We do this by taking off lies and speaking truth to those around us for we are all members of one body.

Colossians 3:9-10 says the same thing. Do not lie to each other for you have put on the new self which is renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 2 Corinthians 3:18-4:2 says the same thing. If what we are saying over someone doesn’t pull them up into their new nature and the new way of thinking, then don’t say it. We aren’t to speak lies over each other but rather truth.

The more we see God, the better we can become more like Him and mirror him (1 Jn 3). One of Jesus’ names is Truth. The more we focus on Truth, the less we focus on the non-reality. Jesus came that we may live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus took care of sin so we could walk in the fullness of life. This means there is no more lying. No more complaining. No more pity parties of I’m not good enough. He took away stress and anxiety. Jesus took all that negativity away from us at the cross. He died so that we would no longer have to live in that.

Ramsomed from Darkness into Light

Pt IV

 

continuation of Promises of Restoration in the Prophets

We are now in the Kingdom of God. We were ransomed from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light (Col 1:13).

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:17-21).

 

The first thing Peter does is calls God Father. Our Father is our judge and he is impartial. We were ransomed from the kingdom of sin. To require ransoming means that we were stolen. We were taken from the Kingdom of God and enslaved in the kingdom of darkness. The highest price was paid for us, Jesus’ blood. Our worth was so high that Jesus’ blood was the cost for our ransom. That is how valuable the Father says we are.

If God sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners, imagine all that he has for us now that we are saints in his kingdom (Ro 5:8-10). That is what God did for us while we were enemies. We were in an opposing kingdom. Take some time and revel in that fact.

If you want more on this, see my previous posts Call on Him as Father, Impartial Judge, Ramsomed, The Precious Lamb We Did not Buy, to name a few.

Promises of Restoration in the Prophets

...Pt. III

Continuation of Redemption Promised

All throughout the OT, we see Israel turning from God and God imploring them to return. The books of the prophets are some of the most beautiful writings on this. They do contain warnings and list Israel’s offenses against God but they also have the most beautiful promises of restoration.

You have Hosea, whose life is a living picture of how God pursues his unfaithful bride. She continues to walk away and commit adultery but Hosea keeps seeking her out and bringing her back even when she has children by other men.

Isaiah has the most beautiful promises of what God will do for his people and how he sees his people—chapters 40-66 especially. He tells the end story there of how He will restore His people and restore to them more than what they lost.

Isaiah 43:4, 5—Because you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you, I give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not for I am with you.

Isaiah 57:18-19—I have seen his ways but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace to the far and to the near, says the LORD and I will heal him.

Isaiah 61:7—Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion.

 

Isaiah 62:1-5— For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness and the kings your glory and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken and your land shall no more be termed Desolate but you shall be called My Delight is in Her and your land Married for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman so shall your sons marry you and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Jeremiah talks about what will happen to God’s people if they do not turn back to Him.

It talks about how He will restore them even though they won’t repent.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 – For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the LORD and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you declares the LORD and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 33: 8-9—I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them.

Then we have Ezekiel. God tells the story of Israel as a faithless bride in Ezekiel 16. He saw her cast out as an unwanted child left to die in the wilderness and he saved her. He gave her beautiful clothes and jewelry and food. But she trusted in her beauty and paid people to sleep with her. Because of this Israel was exiled but God promises to establish an eternal covenant with his people. He continues to list the things they have done but concludes with I will restore you. This is what you have done but I will restore you.

Ezekiel 36:24-30— I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Then right after this God brings Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones and tells him to prophecy over them life. The valley of bones would come from a great war. Man fought against God and lost and died. But God promises to bring life and to restore so he has Ezekiel be part of his picture example. He speaks life over the bones and restores the bones to people. No longer is it a valley of dead bones but now it is a valley of people restored to life. In the New Testament we get to see this more clearly with salvation. Jesus came to restore life to us. We fought against God and died. But Jesus came and raises us to life so that we may live in Him.

The amazing thing is that Jesus was never Plan B. Man’s sin did not surprise God. He did not have to scramble for a Plan B. 1 Peter 1:20 says Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world. Before Genesis 1:1 the plan was already set to save mankind. Before Adam was even created God already had a way to restore him. Talk about amazing love!

Redemption Promised

... Pt. II. 

A continuation of A Tale of Two Kingdoms.

It is in this perfect paradise that Satan enters as a serpent. He sows deceit into the pure sanctuary and brings forth death. As a result, all of creation is cursed. The woman saw the fruit was pleasing and desirable. She was being tempted to find pleasure outside of God. She is being told she does not have full pleasure in God. They turned from the Pleasure-giver and tore from Him. They were no longer filled with Him. Instead, they feel shame. They both hide in the trees that were to bring them pleasure.

However, it is at this bitter time that God makes a promise to restore his people back into his kingdom made clear by the appearance of His Son. Imagine that moment. You are full of shame, God curses things, you watch God kill and skin an animal and you are kicked out of the Garden, your home, the place you know you are meant to belong because you are with God and in a right relationship with Him. God tells them to get in this dead and bloody thing and they will be okay. Their shame will be covered. Later, God tells us to get in a dead and bloody thing that is now risen and alive and our shame will be taken away. We get the upgrade, the new and improved. Just as a lamb was slaughtered in the Garden to clothe the man and woman and cover their shame, so the final Lamb was slaughtered to remove their shame.

God curses the serpent and says one day you will be crushed by the descendant of a woman. Jesus was the descendant of a woman. He did not have an earthly father. Romans 16: 20 says, “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” We are one with Christ and get to take part in crushing Satan under our feet.

Fast-forward to Exodus. God brings His people out of the land of slavery and into the desert where He gives them a new identity as children of God. They are no longer slaves. It is in the desert that he washes away the identity of slavery and restores to them to their proper identity as children of God. They definitely don’t get it all the time and God gives them a picture example. He has them make the tabernacle. The tabernacle was made to look like the Garden of Eden—fruit everywhere, vines, cherubim covering the walls (Ex 36:8). He has them make the Ark of the Covenant. The base wood of the ark and the tabernacle is acacia, a thorn bush. It was not originally part of creation. God covers it with gold. The thing that was a curse is now covered in gold and used for something royal instead of firewood.

On top of the Ark of the Covenant are two cherubim, just like there are cherubim guarding the way to Eden. God will meet us between the two cherubim (Ex 25:22). Every year a priest was to put blood between the two cherubim on the ark on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). This was when they offered a sin offering and a burnt offering and did the scapegoat. The amount of blood between them would look like someone tried to enter Eden and was slaughtered. Fast forward to the New Testament for a moment. Jesus did meet us between the cherubim and took the first blow to make a way. He was massively obedient and made a way.

The veil covered with cherubim was torn at crucifixion. Where cherubim once kept us from entering the garden of pleasure, the garden of fellowship, they could no longer do so. Before, only the high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8). The first thing God does is remove the veils with the cherubim; a way to God and the tree of life in Eden is reopened. The Garden of pleasure is where people can fellowship with God. A way back into the kingdom of God was made.

Sons of Promise

In chapter 3 Jesus talks with Nicodemus. At this point, Jesus is known as a great teacher (3:2) and has caught the attention of the academics. In chapter 4 the Samaritans begin to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. By chapter 7 many in Jerusalem begin to wonder if Jesus is the Christ. However, they had no idea who He really was. And they had no idea who they were.

Right after Jesus confirms His identity that John declared beforehand, Jesus becomes really frank with his audience. Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here... You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.... Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God’” (8:42-47 ESV)

Jesus says, “[E]veryone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:34).

When we are born, we are slaves to sin. Jesus came so that everyone could be adopted into His family. He came to take us from being sinners to saints, from slaves to children. The moment man sinned in the Garden of Eden, we switched kingdoms. God made Adam of His own image and likeness but then Adam sinned and switched kingdoms. After this he then had a son in his own image and likeness, not in the image he was made in (Ge 5:3). No longer were men sons of God. Our bloodline changed. We became slaves to sin instead of sons. Now Jesus has come to restore mankind to the proper bloodline. He came so we could now become sons of God, children of promise (Gal 4:28).

Back in chapter one, John began to build this idea. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12-13). Now, instead of only one man being humanly the son of God (Adam), now all can have that lineage.

John 3:22-36 is the first pivotal moment. The previous three chapters are leading up to this moment. John the Baptist and John the Author are establishing who Jesus is. They tell us who Jesus is. Right after this, the book of John launches into a time of establishing Jesus’ authority as the Word of God. John does this by showing examples. Now we can see how Jesus is the Word of God. Now we can see the authority of Jesus’ words.

"I know that you are the offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my father and you do what you have heard from your father” (8:34-38). Jesus speaks out of what He has seen but they speak out of what they have heard. They haven’t experienced the truth. They think they have because they have heard but they haven’t experienced the Truth. They haven’t experienced Him yet. A slave does not get to experience what it is like to be part of the family. He only does what he is told. The slave can go from master to master, but the son is in the family forever. However, the son gets to experience what it is like to be part of the family.

“They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did” (8:39-41).

You can tell they are offended because they get personal here. “We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested” (8:41 NIV). They know that Jesus’ mother did not have a husband when she became pregnant with Jesus. Jesus ignores this personal attack against His mother and continues with His point.

“The only Father we have is God himself.” (8:41 NIV) They thought they were already of the family of God just because they were Jews, the people of God. They may be the people chosen by God, but they were not yet of the family of God.

The people Jesus is talking with completely missed their identity. They are offspring of Abraham but are not his children. They did not understand who they were. They were descendents of this great man of faith but they did not share the same faith. They were slaves to sin instead of children of the promise made to Abraham.

However, Jesus doesn’t leave them at this point and go to a different nation where He might be better received. He keeps telling them who He is. He keeps after them. He isn’t going to stop talking with you and stop pursuing you if you push Him away. He will keep after you. He loves you too much to walk away from you.

God Will Confirm His Words

The book of John opens with John the Baptist stating this is who I am and this is who Jesus is. Then Jesus says this is who I am. In John 8, Jesus talks about who He is and almost point for point confirms what John the Baptist said about Him.

John 3—John the Baptist’s statements about Jesus    John 8—Jesus’s statement about who He is

Jesus came from heaven, we are from Earth (31)	I am from above, you are from below (23)
Jesus is above all (31)	I am judge (23, 26)
Jesus tells what he has seen and heard	I have much to say and judge, I declare God’s word (26)
We do  not believe Him (32)	We do not believe Him, specifically the Pharisees (13)
God gives words to those He sends (34)	I declare what I have heard from him  (26, 28)
God gives a limitless amount of His Spirit (34)	I am not alone (29)
If you obey the Son, you’ll have eternal life, if you do not obey, the wrath of God remains on him (36)	If you believe in me, you’ll live; if you don’t, you will die in sin (24)

Jesus confirms the words John spoke about Him. Remember that John said, “[H]e whom God has sent utters the words of God” (3:34)? Guess what, when we speak the words that God gives us, He will confirm them.

Now, we do need to be careful. This doesn’t mean we speak every thought that pops into our head and declare it as the word of the Lord. Be careful about this. God gives a stern warning about speaking presumptuously in Deuteronomy. “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him” (Dt 18:20-22).

However, when God does give us something to say, do not be afraid to say it. God will confirm His words. His words will accomplish everything He intends and will not return to Him empty (Isa 55:10-11). They will leave a lasting effect on the listener. When God declares something, it will happen (Isa 48:3). He teaches us what to say. “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen as one being taught” (Isa 40:4). 

How do we know the difference between our words and the words of God? Get to know His voice. Spend time in the Word and in prayer. Test what you hear. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Th 5:20). Make sure it aligns with Scripture. God does not contradict himself. If it doesn’t match with Scripture, toss it. If it does, I find it helpful to write down the reference next to the word.

Spend time with other believers who hear God’s voice well. This is probably the best way to learn. When we are with other believers, we can learn from them and learn to hear God’s words. We can test things out on each other and together discern if it aligns with God’s Word.

You will begin to know your Father’s voice. The sheep know the Shepherd’s voice (Jn 10:3-5). Soon it will become second nature and you will just know that it is God’s voice. It isn’t always something you will learn over night. Maybe you’ll have a burning bush moment like Moses did but for many of us, we learn God’s voice by being in His presence. We learn His voice by practice. If you hear something and it doesn’t sit right with you, it’s likely that isn’t God’s voice. If you hear something and it touches your heart so deeply, there’s a good chance it is God’s voice. But again, test everything with the Bible.

 

“Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there” (Isa 48:16). God is not silent. Quiet yourself and be still and listen. This takes practice. In our busy world it is hard to still ourselves. But keep at it. God loves talking with us and wants to talk with you. He loves you so much and wants to tell you this and more.

Jesus the Word

The book of John is full of identity statements. The first one we are looking at is Jesus as the Word of God. The book opens by giving others’ testimony about who Jesus is then shows through examples that Jesus is these things.

John the Author opens his book by stating who Jesus is. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. [He made everything and nothing was made without Him.] In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (1:1-4). By opening this book with “in the beginning” every Jewish mind would automatically go to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...” John is saying Jesus is the Word and He was the means by which the world was created.

We also see John the Baptist declare Jesus’ identity. Jesus came from heaven and tells about what he has seen and heard. He is sent from God and “utters the words of God” (3:34). We have heard that Jesus speaks the words of God but now we get to experience this.

Chapter four opens with Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at a well. She realizes Jesus is the long-awaited Christ and tells everyone in her town about Jesus. “[M]any believe in him because of the woman’s testimony... and many more believed because of his word” (4:39, 41). This is a transition story from the testimony of others to Jesus’ testimony about Himself. Now others are beginning to see the authority He has as the Word of God.

The next several stories focus on Jesus’ words. When He heals, John focuses on the fact that He speaks healing and restoration over people. He does not say that He touched people. It was not that Jesus was afraid of touching sick people but that John wanted to make a point about the power Jesus’ words have.

Right after the story of the woman at the well, John tells about a time when Jesus heals an official’s son. The father comes to Jesus asking him to heal his son. Instead of going to his house, Jesus just speaks healing over the son and declares that he is healed. “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way” (4:50). The same hour that Jesus spoke healing the man’s son was healed. He and his household believed in Jesus as a result of His words.

After this Jesus goes to Jerusalem for a feast and is walking down by the pool of Bethesda. It was believed that an angel would fly over the water and his wings would touch the water. When this happened, the first person into the water would be healed. This had become the hangout spot for everyone who was sick, lame, blind and paralyzed. Jesus is walking down by the pool and talks with a man. He asks him if he wants to be healed. I can only imagine the look on the man’s face. He was down there for that very reason but had no one to help him into the pool. Jesus then tells him to stand up, grab his bed and walk.

The Jews get mad that Jesus is healing on the Sabbath. Unphased, Jesus tells them that He is sent from God and does as He sees His Father doing. God created the world and brought life into the world so Jesus is restoring life to the world. Then He says a crazy statement: “An hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to also have life in himself” (5:25-26). Jesus is saying that when the dead hear His voice, they will be raised to life. His very words and voice will restore life. That is some serious power and authority!

Later, Jesus is teaching and the people are amazed at His teaching. “How is it that this man has learning when he has never studied” (7:15). Jesus wasn’t part of the religious training system. He did not have the training the Pharisees and priest had yet He had such insight and authority in His words that it left people amazed. The priests and Pharisees send men to arrest Jesus but they marvel at Jesus’ words as well. “No one ever spoke like this man” (7:46)!

A while later the Pharisees talk with Jesus about His crazy statements. He keeps declaring who He is— the light of the world, the word, the light of life... “So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I come from and where I am going” (8:13-14). He knows His identity. Regardless of what people keep saying, He knows that He came from heaven. He knows He is the Son of God. He knows He is the Messiah.  “[H]e who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him” (8:26).

Jesus continually shows the power of his words. He has authority in his voice. He declares something and it is, just as in the beginning where God created the world with His voice. Now, Jesus is walking on the earth and His very words spoken are creating and renewing life on earth.

Intro to the book of John

There are several pivotal moments in the book of John where the story takes a step up from the direction it was previously going. Each moment allows a new theme to spring forth and the following section shows the outworking of this truth. This first post is going to be more of an introduction to the next several posts about the book of John.

The book of John is introduced by establishing Jesus as the Word, as Light, and as Life. Immediately following this John the Baptist is introduced. The first few chapters have introduced Jesus and have given a flavor of his teaching and actions. This section is introduced by John the Baptist declaring that Jesus is the Christ and is closed by John declaring Jesus’ fame must increase and his must fade into the background (chapters 1-3). His ministry as the forerunner of Christ is coming to a close. It is at this instance that we reach the first pivotal moment.

John is still baptizing people, and some of his disciples are upset because Jesus and his disciples are baptizing more people. John reminds them that he already said he was not the Christ but he is the one who comes before him. John knows who he is. He knows his role and his identity. In ancient times, a herald would run ahead of the parade declaring that the king was coming and prepared the people for his arrival. He would raise excitement and anticipation so they would expectantly look for the king’s coming. John is the herald that runs ahead declaring the king is coming (1:23). He is the best man in the story not the groom (3:29-30). John recognized his role was to prepare the way for Jesus. Now that Jesus had arrived, his role was coming to an end.

John explains that Jesus comes from heaven and tells us about what he has seen and heard. When we believe him, we have eternal life and become ambassadors of the Word. God sends us and gives us His words and His Spirit. We tell others and the cycle starts over for as they believe, they become ambassadors speaking out the words of God that the Spirit gives us.

John the Baptist then gives this testimony about Jesus: “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (3:34). In other words, God gives words to those whom He sends. He gives an unending amount of the Spirit. He isn’t going to take away the Spirit or the words He’s given to those He sends. God even promises this in Isaiah 59:21. “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord, “My Spirit that is upon you and my words that I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth or out of the mouth of your offspring or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring from this time forth and forever more.”

John is establishing who Jesus is. He is establishing his identity. Right after this, the book of John launches into a time of establishing Jesus’ authority as the Word of God.

... For the sake of brevity this is coming later...

God will Provide for you Financially

George Mueller was a director of an orphanage in England in the 1800’s. He never solicited monies or donations. He relied solely on prayer so that only God could be credited with providing for their needs. One day, there was nothing for breakfast, but Mueller had everyone sit down as they normally would. They prayed, thanking God for breakfast. When they finished praying there was a knock at the door. The baker had brought over enough bread for everyone, free of charge. A little while later there was another knock. The milkman’s cart had broke down in front of the orphanage, and he asked if they wanted the milk since he could not deliver it. This is just one of the hundreds of stories Mueller got to be a part of because he dared to trust God to provide.

This year I came face-to-face with the question are you willing to let God provide for you? This required me to humble myself and admit I needed help. It caused me to really look at my beliefs. Do I actually trust God enough to provide for me? This was really hard for me to come to grips with. At first my pride would not allow me to trust God or even accept anything from Him. But He was not content to leave me in that state. He wanted to show me more, to take me on an adventure. He started softening my heart through prayer and time in His Word. He began breaking down the misbelief that He would only provide when it came to ministry but not for everyday life. He showed Himself faithful on so many occasions.

Trust that He is faithful

This was hard. I did not have much of a base to go off of so we had to start small. I wasn’t ready for the deep end of the pool yet. At first I was trusting God to provide where I was short. Soon I had to trust Him to provide because I had very little. He will start small and ease you into trusting Him. He wants to gain our trust and not force trust on us.

One day, I got an update from a missionary couple in Italy. They were getting married in a few months and were asking for additional financial support. Among the different requests, they were asking for $150 for a wedding dress. At the time, I did not have money to give them but really wanted to help. I asked God for the $150 so I could give it to them. The next day I got an email from school that they were returning $150 because they overcharged me. It was like God was saving that money so I could bless my friends. How cool is that!

God then had me trust Him for something bigger, a job and financial provision until I got one. A year ago I graduated from college. I spent eight months looking for a job before God provided a full-time position. It was a long eight months. In all honesty, I only had enough saved to allow me to stay here for about three and a half months. God provided for the rest of the months. It was crazy. I felt like the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7 or in 1 Kings 17 (minus the widow and child aspect). I should only have been here for a few months but God kept providing for me. He allowed me to stay here until He gave me a full-time job.

This summer, the end of the month was coming to a close and I only had $30 in my bank account. Rent was due in a week and a half and I had no idea how I was going to pay it. There was absolutely nothing I could do but pray. I did not want to ask for help. Part of me did not want to ask for help because of pride, but a larger portion of my heart wanted to see God be a Provider. Throughout Scripture, we see God as a Provider. He provided a lamb in the place of Isaac in Genesis 22. He gave Elijah bread in the desert (1 Ki 17:1-6). He provided food for Elijah and a widow and her son during famine (1 Ki 17). Jesus fed 5,000 people (Mk 6). I wanted a story like that. I wanted to see God provide for me. It was the coolest thing. That week I got several checks in the mail. I had exactly enough to pay my rent. This was not a onetime occurrence either. I got to see God do this on several occasions.

I heard a quote that we should be leaning so far into God that if He is not there we would fall on our face. I want to be so dependent on Him that if He is not there, I will fall on my face. I am definitely at the shallow end of trusting God. I’m only ankle deep. But God is taking me deeper. He wants me to be swimming but we have to work our way up to that. One day I’ll be at that point but it is a hard thing to pray for. I like my comfort. A little too much sometimes. I know God is going to keep stretching me and asking me to trust Him for things beyond my comfort level. However, He is faithful. He will provide. If He gives a promise, He will not back out of it but will fulfill it (Isa 54:10, 1 Sa 15:29).

Dare to ask God to provide for you, and trust that He is faithful. He wants to show you more of Himself and take you on an adventure. It will stretch you and grow you but it is worth it.