Jeff Miller I Corinthians Why We Should Count Our Blessings.

I just want to let everyone know that Jeff Miller is beginning his new series on 1 Corinthians. You can find his sermons on youtube or at:  http://trinitybiblechurch.com/resources/sermon-videos

Grace and Truth.

John 1:17,18  -  Why Jesus Came.

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  John 1:17

God gave us the law through Moses. All humans need laws or there would be anarchy. We cannot keep all the law ourselves. We can do our best, but we all fall short of perfection. If our salvation depended on us keeping the Ten Commandments perfectly, we could never be saved.

Knowing this, God sent his Son to keep the law in our place. He is our substitute in every way. He lived our life and died our death. All we have to do is accept what he did for us.

"No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known."  John 1:18

Jesus came to be our substitute, but he also came to show us what God the Father is like. As Jesus said to Philip, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."  John 14:9  

Grace - "In Western Christian theology, grace has been defined, not as a created substance of any kind, but as "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it."  "A share in the divine life of God."  Wikipedia

 On the other side of us striving to obey the Ten Commandments  is the Grace of God. This is an offer from God to become one with Him. He will then re-create us to be more like him each day.

Truth - "That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality."  The definition of truth makes me think of the movie called, "The Matrix,"  where reality was not what you thought it was. I would bet most of the world doesn't know the reality of life - what it really means to be born here, why we are here. Jesus came to tell us this truth. We are here to become one with God and let his love shine through us to others.

"I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."  John 17:23

The Light of the World.

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

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 of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."  John 1:9-13

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible:

"No man is left without some direct communication of light from the Father of lights. That light may be quenched, the eye of the soul may be blinded, the folly of the world may obscure it as a cloud disperses the direct rays of the sun; but a fundamental fact remains - the veritable Light illumines every man."

His own people did not receive him "...in the terrible record of his rejection by his own people, by his own disciples, by the theocratic chiefs, by the assembled Sanhedrin, by the very populace to whom Pilate appealed to save him from murderous fury."

"Which were born not of blood',.... Or bloods, in the plural number. The birth, here spoken of, is regeneration, expressed by a being born again, or from above; by a being quickened by the Spirit and grace of God; by Christ being formed in men; and by a partaking of the divine nature; and by being made new creatures, as all that believe in the name of Christ are."

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/john/1.htm

Jesus the Creator.

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  John 1:3-5

In Genesis it is written, "Let us make man in our own image." God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit created the world.

Jesus is life. Everything that is alive owes their life to Jesus.

Jesus is light. Any good that is in the world comes from Jesus.

There is no life or light apart from God.

Darkness has not overcome the light from God. Satan wanted to obliterate the light - but it was impossible. He tried to turn Jesus to darkness - but he couldn't do it. One day there will be no darkness in the universe - only light.

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world."  Verse 9.

This verse tells us God gives light to every person in the world. Everyone is born with a conscience. This is a wonderful gift from God. Even if a person never hears the name Jesus, yet he can be saved if he lives up to the light of his conscience. This person is saved by Jesus' death but will not know that until he rises and goes to heaven. The Holy Spirit has helped this person all his life for we cannot do good without God.

"They (pagans) show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them."  Romans 2:15

I thank you Father that you bring light to the world.

The Gospel of John.

Jesus the God and Creator.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  John 1:1

I remember as a little girl, I thought Jesus began his existence when he was born in Bethlehem. All I had to go on were all the Christmases of seeing him as a baby in a manger. One day, I learned he lived in heaven first and left heaven and came to earth. I don't remember how old I was when I heard this incredible news, but I do remember I was shocked and amazed anyone would leave heaven and come here.

It is still amazing news, that a God would become a man so he could save a world gone wrong. Jesus called himself, "The Son of Man" and "The Son of God." He is now both man and God and ever will be. I don't know what that sacrifice means; I don't know what he gave up - but I hope to know some day.

I am reading a book called, Expositions of Holy Scripture, by Alexander Maclaren. This book goes through the book of John. He says of these verses, "Genesis and John both start, 'In the beginning,' but, while Genesis works downwards from that point and tells what followed, John works upward and tells what preceded - if we can use that term in speaking of what lies beyond time.  Time and creatures came into being, and when they began, the Word 'was.'  (In other words, Jesus is an uncreated being)

Psalm 62 - Pour Out Your Heart to God.

Psalm 62 - What it means to me.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him. Verse 5

We find hope and rest in God.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Verse 6

God is our rock, our salvation and our fortress.

My salvation and my honor depend on God
he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Verse 7

God is our honor, our mighty rock and refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people. Verse 8

God is our trust. Trust in God means to accept everything in our lives as coming from him. The good comes to encourage us. The bad comes to make us grow - even if we don't want to grow. There is good, even in the bad, but we must look for it. We can ask God - "Where is the good in this?" and he will show us. That doesn't mean you will like it, but God works in a different way.

Pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.  Verse 8

The best thing about having a relationship with God is that we can pour out our whole heart to him. He is always with us, he is always listening and he is always helping us.

Psalm 61 - We Live Under the Wings of God.

Psalm 61 - What it means to me.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,

I call as my heart grows faint;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the foe.  Verses 2,3

"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  I often pray these words. Looking at myself, life is too much for me. But God, our rock, is enthroned up high. He sees everything and helps me. I love the image that God is a strong tower we can run to and be safe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever

and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.^b

For you, God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.  Verses 4,5

I do long to live with God forever. That is the heritage of those who believe in him. I also love this new image: dwelling in the shelter of his wings. Like a mother bird cares for her children and hides them under her wings, so God does the same.