HERE is the first part of JOHN 5.
Happy reading!
Again, I appreciate so much, your comments and thoughts on this-
I hope we can start to get more discussion on how these things challenge us personally.

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As we move into John chapter 5, Jesus’ ministry goes from one of a more private nature with his disciples
To one of a public nature involving conflict with the Pharisees.
The miracle we see in John 5 was not only public-
It was done on the Sabbath, and incited the opposition of the religious elite.
John 5:1-15-
Here we find a man who was an invalid for 38 years.
38 years of suffering- 38 years of not being able to live life to the full.
Yet Jesus asked him the question he asks us- “Do you want to get well?”
It seems like a silly question until you make it personal.

What about our lives, and the sin that causes us to suffer?
What about the lack of a Christ-like life that causes us to not live life to the full
How many times have we heard the invitation to get well and decided, “well, now is not the time.”
I Mean, if Jesus wants to just “POOF” and make me holy I’m all for it
But if it takes sacrifice and effort- If I have to do something….
Well, I need to decide how important this really is to me.

Jesus didn’t just wave his hand over this man, he too needed to do something.
John 5:8
Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."
I need to commend this man for his ambition.
He could have just as easily said, "Pick up my mat? That is too hard!"
It’s too much, too soon! “Will work for food Jesus!” I didn’t want a job, I wanted a handout!
But he didn’t- He picked up his mat and walked.
What do we say, when Jesus tells us what we need to do to be well?
Maybe even after 38 years of us doing things our own way?

There is a lesson there for us-
And I believe there was a lesson there for the Jews too
The first two miracles we saw so far, were private in nature- but this one was public

I wonder if he did it to prove a point?
Jesus always made a lesson from what was there- and it may have been the case here as well-
38 years the man was ill- maybe Jesus saw in him a chance to speak to his own people
Could he have remembered Deut 2: 13-15-
Was he reminding his people about the time in the dessert?
Was he making this miracle public to tell his people, you have been spiritually sick too long,
The great physician is here?

But Just as strange- look at verse 13-
After healing this man, what did Jesus do?… it says that Jesus slipped away.
All of the people gathered by this pool, yet he did not heal any others, why just this one?
And why slip away?
I believe Jesus was letting the people of Israel see this and was waiting for a response
Just like was he waiting for a response from this man.
Because something else was strange about this healing-
Look at John 5:12-13 again.
This man was not healed due to faith- He didn’t know who Jesus was.

But he responded IN faith- He responded due to what God did for him First!
And every indication we have is that he did respond.
In verse 14 we find him at the temple- and look at Jesus’ words
Stop sinning or something worse will happen-
Worse than 38 years as an invalid?
Jesus put sin into a whole new perspective with this guy.
I wonder how many of us appreciate our cleansing like this man did.
Do we realize what an amazing miracle we have been given?
We have been set free from something far greater than physical troubles
And Jesus tells this man the same thing he tells us-
What is important is that you are cleansed from your sin

And the man’s response is the exact same as we saw of those in chapter 4
The same as ours should be
John 5:15
The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
He told the good news of what God had done for him
And so should we.

But that always leads to The controversy-
John 5:16-18-
Jesus was a controversial figure-
He deliberately challenged the legal traditions of the scribes and Pharisees.
WHY?
Because they had taken the Sabbath- God’s gift to man
And transformed it into a prison house of regulations and restrictions.
Matt 15:7-9
You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

Don’t many today do the same thing?
These guys saw a miracle and they spent their time arguing about if it was done on the proper day-
Oblivious to the fact that the one who can bring life is the one who created the Sabbath.

And just like them- we have been saved from sin and death-
But instead of rejoicing and filling our area with the good news about Jesus, who saved us-
Too many churches have become known as a people who argue musical instruments, how many cups, building usage, and what the Greek word means.
People who as Jesus later says in verses 39-40
Diligently study the Scriptures because we think that by them we possess eternal life.
yet refuse to come to him to have life.

I choose to be someone who gives life!
How about you?

I hope all of you have a very very merry Christmas.
I hope you all recieve the richest of Christ's blessings over the holidays...

I'm glad I have gotten to know you.
It is good to have family in the faith.

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As we keep reading in John 4- we find that there was a lesson here for the disciples too!
John 4:27-38-
The disciples returned from the town not daring to question the master.
Even though he was talking to a woman.
They had other things on their mind… the food.
But Jesus was to teach them a few things about true nourishment
And expose a little bit about their hearts in the process.

His words were, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
And he explained to them that doing the Father’s will- in this case leading this woman to salvation
Was true nourishment for his soul.

How many of us view doing God’s will in this light?
And how many of us when it comes to making the effort to save souls have been on a starvation diet?
For the disciples, food and comfort were their big concern all day.

Did you ever think where they went to get their food?
Verse 8 tells us they went into the town nearby.
And where was it that the woman went with her message?
Verse 28 says she went to the same town.

Isn’t it odd that Jesus’ disciples…
men who were selected for the sole purpose and mission of testifying to the will of God and proclaiming his kingdom...
They came back from town with food.
Yet this one woman went with the bread of life and brought back the whole town?

I wonder how many of us are just like they were...
Spending so many of our days and so much of our time concerned about our own needs and wants
That we miss the whole point about life to the full.
The harvest was ready, God only needed faithful workers to claim it.
John 4:39-42-
Look at the impact of a person excited about God’s work in their life!
Many of the Samaritans believed!
And with this crowd we see the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus
John 15:1-5-
The Samaritan woman bore fruit, as many believed (verse 39)
She bore more fruit as many more believed (verse 41)
And even today continues to bear much fruit though her life and actions…

When the purpose of your life is to share with joy what God has done for you,
Amazing things happen.

THANK YOU ALL so much for letting me into your lives.
I am so thankful that I get to pray for you guys.
I am thankful I get to hear your stories.
I am thankful, I get to learn from your comments.

I hope we get a lot of good discussion on John chapter 4

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As we look into John chapter 4 we see Jesus, as he ministers to the woman at the well.
John 4:1-10-
Because the Jews were trying to incite competition between Jesus and John the Baptist
Jesus headed North to Galilee.
The route he chose was quite interesting:

The Samaritans were a mixed race, part Jew and part Gentile,
And they were rejected by the Jews because they could not prove their genealogy.
So they went off and established their own temple at Mount Gerazim.
This only fanned into flame the hatred of the Samaritans by the Jews.

So why would Jesus take this route?
He had three choices, and this was not the closest, OR easiest choice…
Well, I believe it is because Jesus KNEW he was about to meet a woman there and lead her to saving faith
And that faith would impact an entire village.

It makes me wonder….Why does God have us take the routes we do…
How often do we have, as Jesus later states, “a field ripe for harvest” right in front of us?
Yet for too often, I choose a different route,
Or I walk right by these people, never knowing the potential that is there.

In that day it was not proper for any man, especially a rabbi, to speak to a strange woman
But our Lord set customs and what is acceptable aside because a soul’s salvation was at stake.
And he did what we all should do, he opened his mouth and spoke to her.

Jesus did not use sales talk, and he did not talk down to her-
He spoke to her heart about things she understood-
He was bold enough to speak to her about the real issues in her life.
And so, to a woman at the well, drawing water…. he spoke of living water.
John 4:10-
Jesus explained to her that she was ignorant of 3 very important facts
Who he was, what he had to offer, and how she could receive it.
And as we read on we see her response:
John 4:11-15-
It is funny the lessons we can learn here, and how easily we can see ourselves in this woman.
Jesus speaks to her of living water and her first concern is:
How do you get it, and who are you to give it to me?
What is the catch? And where are the rules?
Jesus’ replay is: there is no catch:
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Eternal life! Just seek him, drink deep of his love…
You too can have eternal life!
But, you need to play a part in it too….
John 4:16-24-
Go and get your husband!
Now where did that statement come from? Think about that for a second…

Jesus is giving her the answer he gives each of us -
The only way to prepare the soil for a seed-
The only way to get you ready for life to the full is to plow the soil
So the water can sink in deep!
You need to soften up your heart with conviction- it is time we deal with your sin.

Obtaining life means I need to face my sin and pick a side.
And Jesus put the plow right to the hard spots….
And what we see is, she responded the same way many of us often do:
John 4:20
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,
but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

I find myself again, being just like this woman quite often.
When I am confronted, It is much more comfortable to fight doctrine than to face my sin!
And Jesus’ explanation to her was no less challenging to her than it is to me.
Re read:
John 4:23-24-
It is time we take the worship out of the building
It is time where we stop placing importance on the mountain
True worship is who you are- it is your life-
I must worship in spirit and truth.
And me, and all other true worshippers, need to stop the fighting and bickering… and start sharing the living water!
Rom 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.

Praise God, this woman responded-
Her faith became active-
And, she left her things behind and went out and shared the good news.

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In the next section (in a few days…) we’ll see that the disciples learned a lesson in this exchange too!
I'll post the rest of John 4 later in the week!

Please do not hesitate to keep commenting on the first part of John 3.
I am so happy and thankful for the comments we have gotten so far.
You all bring me a lot of joy!

OK- on to the rest of chapter 3...

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Now not only is Jesus shown in chapter 3 as the teacher,
Jesus is then shown by John as the bridegroom-
John 3:22-30
First off we need to understand what the role of John the Baptist is…
Because in many ways it is our role too-
Jesus is the bridegroom, we are merely the best man at this wedding.
And as the best man we have one goal- To bring the bride and the bridegroom together.

The church is the bride of Christ and our joy needs to be in bringing its people to their groom.
All that I do must be out of my debt of love for him, for his glory and not mine.
This is about his kingdom, his family, and his wedding with the church.
That was the mindset of John.

There are 3 “Musts” listed in John chapter 3
The must of the sinner: in John 3:7 “You must be born again.”
The must of the savior: In John 3:14 “the Son of Man must be lifted up”
And the must of the servant: John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.”


But why should we listen to the testimony about Christ?
What reason is there for us to believe it?
Well..... Because Jesus Christ came from heaven- and as John 3:31 tells us
"The one who comes from above is above all”
No earthly messenger can make that claim, not Buddha, not Mohammed, not the pope or your preacher.
And Since Jesus came from heaven he represents the father.
His claim in John 8:38 is that he is telling us exactly what he has seen in the Father's presence,
And those who receive his witness and ACT UPON IT, know by personal experience that his witness is true

Jesus’ teachings are not to be studied just intellectually, separated from every day life-
It is only when we obey his word and put it into practice that we see its truth and experience its power
This was the testimony of Jesus
John 7:16-17
Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.
If anyone chooses to DO God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

To reject the son’s witness is to rebel against the highest authority in the universe.
There can be no neutrality when it comes to Christ. We must either trust him, or reject him.
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God's wrath remains on him."

“Everlasting life” does not just mean “eternity in heaven.”
The believer possesses that life right now, and all the joys of it.
Mark 10:29-30
"No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age

But, in the same way, you do not need to die and go to hell to be under the wrath of God either.
Remember John 3:18 ?
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

And that is why John gives us this testimony.
So that you come to know him- and the relationship he desires, fully
And have life to the full NOW.

When I look at our relationship with Christ…
It is a living relationship- That begins with new birth from above (Born again in the waters of baptism)

It is a loving relationship- Because he is the bridegroom, and we are a part of the bride, his church

And it is a learning relationship- Because he is the faithful witness who shares God’s truth with us, even now.


I love John chapter 3!

Thank you all so much for being so patient with me and so very kind.

John 3 is one of my favorite chapters.
I hope it brings about:
- a lot of good discussion
- some heartfelt confession
- and some amazing vision for what God can do.

I will be splitting John 3 into two posts so the read is not quite as tedious.


Thanks again guys.... this is becoming very beneficial.

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As we finished with Chapter two, Jesus had made quite clear to his disciples
Following him was not a passive act.
He challenged the religious leaders, he challenged the laws of nature, and he looked into the hearts of men
And now in chapter three, the ministry of Christ begins to take form
We hear his first real teachings, and are given a glimpse into the plan of God for man
John 3:1-3-
Jesus, poured out to Nicodemus the secret to the kingdom of God.
You must be born again!
It is about change, and new life, Living for a different purpose, and knowing the father of our souls
But Nicodemus was not ready to understand it yet,
So Jesus the teacher begins to explain.

He starts off with the example of “new birth”
John 3:5-7-
Nicodemus was thinking of a natural birth, not spiritual,
As a Jew, he thought you were born one of God’s people- but the situation is no different today.

When we speak of being born again, people often discuss their family’s religious heritage
Their church membership, and different aspects of doctrine and religious ceremonies.
But what God refers to is a totally new, changed, and Christ-like life.

But living “Born again” is more than just a new birth in baptism through water and the spirit.
Just as a physical child inherits the nature of the parents
The Child of God must take on the nature of God.
And it is through the spirit if Christ that we become partakers of the divine nature.

Our conversion is not about taking one step, or merely following a rule
It is a new birth, and it needs to be the beginning of a new life.

Jesus then goes on to give a second lesson about life in Christ
John 3:8-12-
The word wind in both Hebrew and Greek can also be translated spirit.
And as Jesus explains, those with the spirit of God will not live a predictable life
Like the wind, the spirit is invisible and powerful. It fills us with life to the full
And it demands that we submit ourselves in faith to a God that will lead us where we need to go,
And not always where we want to.

But as he stated about the Jewish leaders, they were not ready for that kind of uncertainty.
Their concern was for their reputations, It was for their security.
And they were clearly not ready to lay down their life for the will of this teacher
They were more concerned about the praise of men, than the praise of God

He then explains light and darkness-
John 3:19-21-
Why do people not come into the light of life? -Because they love the darkness.
And the closer you get to the light of life, the more your sins are exposed.
It is not intellectual problems that keep people from trusting Christ,
It is moral and spiritual blindness.
And it is not sin or struggle that steals a soul, it is keeping it in the darkness.
Do we bring our sins, and our life into the light... or are we also afraid?

I must love Christ and my relationship with him more than sin.
I must openly discuss and confess my LIFE not just my actions to be called into his light.
And my goal should be to want to be seen (in the light)