Tag: John

Jesus, the Light of the World

Scripture: John 1: 6-9

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Scripture Commentary:

The Book of Malachi, written about 430 B.C., foretold the coming of John The Baptist and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Present day Christians are to tell others that Jesus came and gave His life for the remission of our sins. Like John The Baptist, we are not the source of God’s light. We merely reflect that light.

Jesus is the light.

He helps us see our way to God. We, the believers and followers of Jesus Christ, are to help unbelievers onto the path that leads to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus removes the road of darkness from our path and we see His marvelous light. There is no more stumbling in the dark.

When we accept Jesus, we become new people.

We are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God.

This is only part of the message we are to share with the world. John baptized with water but Jesus forgives sin and that’s only something the Son of God can do.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 1

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

Jesus Heals the Blind

God Sent Us the Bread of Life

Will You Betray Christ?

Scripture: John 13: 21, 37-38

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” (21) Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”  Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (37-38)

Scripture Commentary:

These verses describe two events with two different outcomes. First Psalm 41:9 speaks of “my close friend” (Judas) eating with me, then lifting his heel to betray me. When Jesus chose Judas, He knew what role Judas would play in His death. The betrayal was foretold in the Old Testament.

On the other hand, Peter’s role is different. Peter denies Jesus more than three times before he begins to spread the Gospel.

Peter and Judas have different roles in Christ’s ministry. Satan thought he would win by using Judas to betray Jesus, leading to His crucifixion.

Satan forgets that God is always in control.

Then there’s Peter who proudly tells Jesus he is ready to die for Him although he didn’t fully know at the time what he was saying.

As followers of Christ, we, too, have a role in Christ’s ministry. Ask yourself what role you are playing. Is it that of Judas or of Peter?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John 13

Psalm 41

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

Lord, I Want to Follow You Now

You Will Die in Your Sins If You Reject God

God Told Us Things To Give Us Peace

Scripture: John 16: 33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Scripture Commentary:

The disciples did not fully understand what Jesus told them, and at the time they had questions. One of the questions was if Jesus went away, what would happen to them?

One answer Jesus had for them, and us today, is not to long for answers to the problems in our life. That’s an unrealistic goal since in this world, we will have trouble. There’s an eternity of problem-free living reserved for us in heaven. Rejoice in that inheritance. No one can take from us.

We can have a personal relationship with God through Christ

Christ’s death on the cross made a personal relationship with God available to each of us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us on how to live and follow in the path of righteousness.

This time on earth is temporary. Our home in God’s kingdom is permanent. So, what we are going through now is only for a short time. In spite of these inevitable struggles, we are not alone.

The ultimate victory has already been won. We can claim Christ in the most troublesome times.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John Chapter 16

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

God Didn’t Send Jesus to Condemn the World

God So Loved You That He Gave His Son

Don’t Be Ruled By Your Lusts

Sermon, Part Three: The Final Destination (The Other Destination)

John 8:44

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and a bode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

Deuteronomy: 32:17

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

If you are moving to the alternate destination (to heaven), you are ruled by your lusts. This destination is the party of flashing lights and loud, provocative music. The women are made up, the men are dressed to impress. The person at the entrance is none other than Satan himself, selling you whatever you want to hear.

In the other destination life is a party … for now.

He tells you to look out for yourself, nothing and no one else matters. Do it your way; no one cares about what you say or do.  He says that life is a party. “Worship me and I will give you anything your heart desires. The price for my party is your soul.”

He is selling his tickets to anyone who is ready to live his lifestyle. Qualifications are, me, myself and I. Disrespectful, corruptible, slanderous, issuing damaging gossip about people, being useless, miserable, and contemptible are some of the characteristics of a place in Satan’s hell-hold.

Don’t be mislead.

If Satan was to be truthful (but he cannot be truthful), he would want to be back in the Kingdom of God, the Father. Satan will mislead you into thinking he has everything you want. But there is a difference in want and need.

God gives you your needs; Satan gives you your wants, like one-night stands. In the morning you say, “What have I done? Why am I here?”

Satan started recruiting in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 3:1. He tempted Eve and succeeded, and ever since then he has been busy. His mission is to fill his house with as many of us as possible. To be tempted by Satan is not a sin, to give into him is the sin.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapter 8

Deuteronomy Chapter 32

Genesis Chapter 3

Read Parts One and Two of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Part One: Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Part Two: Love Each Other As God Loves You

Return next week for Part 4 of the Sermon, The Final Destination

Love Each Other As God Loves You

Sermon, Part Two: Love is Key to the Final Destination

John 15: 12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Think of someone in particular who needs love. Give all the love you can, and then try to give more. How do we get to the final destination? Love each other, help each other, accept Jesus, and repent.

God doesn’t make it hard or even complicated.

All you need is faith, trust and the willingness to believe. In John 14:6, Jesus saith to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Knowing Peter, Paul or Mary will not get you into heaven. Knowing, accepting Jesus, and repenting will get you into the Kingdom of God.

Well, you may say I have done good by my fellow man; I have put money in church; I have given to those in need. This is all good, but it will not give you the keys to eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

By uniting our lives with Jesus, we are unified with God, the Father. Some people may say that this way is too narrow. The way to God through Jesus is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept Jesus.

God loves us so much.

God loves us so much he sent his Only Begotten Son to give us salvation and deliverance from sin. Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

Do not be like the Pharisees who loved money. They took exception to Jesus’s teaching. Christ teaches that you cannot serve two masters: money and God. The love of anything that you place before God will only last a short time. People think that material things will give them praise, but it will not. They consider their wealth to be a sign of God’s approval. God detests selfish wealth because it causes us to abandon the true spiritual gifts that God has given to us.

Wealth won’t get you into heaven – Jesus is the only way.

Remember the rich man in Luke 16:19, who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury while at the gate laid a beggar named Lazarus. The beggar was covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The dogs came and licked the poor man’s sores. Remember that he died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.

The rich man died and was sent to hell. We do not know the rich man’s name but the poor man’s name is Lazarus. The rich man begged for mercy, but got none. While he was living, he did not repent. Now, he is dead and he cannot undo what he did while he was alive. He had no faith in God.

What is faith?

Faith is total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will. Faith is not something we put on to show others.

In this parable in Luke Chapter 16, Jesus tells us how people ended up in different places. If your life’s map is taking you to hell and you know it, and if you are here and have heard, then you still have time to make a U-turn and start on the road to God’s Kingdom.

God gives you a choice.

He doesn’t force anything on you. He is a merciful God, full of love and forgiveness. And He gives us grace, mercy, clemency, and his protection freely.

Now you have heard about the road to God’s Kingdom. You have been given the directions: repentance, love, and forgiveness. Live a Christ-like life. That does not mean to live a perfect life because none of us can be perfect.

By studying the Word, we will walk better than we have been doing. With God’s help, we will learn how to be better and do better. Faith in God will direct you to be the person that God made you to be.

Return later this week for Part Three of the sermon, The Final Destination. In Part Three we will focus on the other destination.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapters 15

John Chapter 14

Luke Chapter 16

Read Part One of the Sermon, Your Final Destination

Jesus Will Prepare a Place for You

Scripture: John 14: 1-3

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Scripture Commentary:

You can feel the love Christ has for you when you read these three verses. He is the servant going to prepare a place for you. He died for you, and is waiting to serve you.

The question is are you serving Him? Jesus’s words show that the way to eternal life, though unseen, is as secure as your trust in Him. In this chapter He tells us the way and how to get there.

Follow His words.

By uniting our life with His, we are united with God. Although the details of eternity are unknown, we need not fear because Jesus has prepared the way! Until then, He has given us The Holy Spirit to comfort and help us spread the Gospel of Our Lord.

When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows. Likewise, He will help us manage prosperity without moving to deceptive highs.

The true joy of living with Jesus Christ will keep you in His hands. Jesus will give you peace if you accept Him. He is preparing to spend eternity with you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John Chapter 14

Other Commentary on the Book of John:

There’s A Mansion for You in Heaven

Believe on the Name of Jesus

Are You Spiritually Blind?

Scripture: John 9: 39-41

Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment [to separate those who believe in Me from those who reject Me—to declare judgment on those who choose to be separated from God], so that the sightless would see, and those who see would become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind [to spiritual things], you would have no sin [and would not be blamed for your unbelief]; but since you claim to have [spiritual] sight, [you have no excuse so] your sin and guilt remain.

Scripture Commentary: Am I blind?

This is a question we can ask ourselves. Blind to what? Are you blind to injustice to your fellow man? Do you turn from the truth?

Are you a follower of Our Lord, Jesus Christ? If so, do you try to live a Christian lifestyle and spread the Gospel?

The person in the Scripture did not know Jesus had given him his sight. But once he knew, he worshiped Him and told people what Christ had done.

Do you tell people what Christ has done for you?

The man was cursed and evicted from the synagogue but that didn’t stop him from telling everyone about Christ. Physical sight is nothing without spiritual sight. When you turn to Jesus, you begin to see and understand.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapter 9

Matthew Chapter 7

Read Other Commentary on John Chapter 9:

Jesus Heals the Blind

How Will You Live Your Life?

Sermon – Part Two: How Will You Live Your Life? (What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?)

God has given us time between our birth and death. How will you live your life? What will your ‘black box’ record about you?

Have you ever done something wrong and wondered why you could not look in the mirror and lie to yourself? Satan tried to make Eve think that sin was good, pleasant and desirable. God’s Word, The Holy Bible, tells us what is good and what is evil.

As God called to Adam, “Where art thou,” He is also calling to you. Where are you?

Genesis 3:11

“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

God tells us what to do and what not to do. As with Eve, people think sin is good, pleasant and desirable, and think that the knowledge of good and evil is harmless. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good. It feels good so it must be good. Our sins don’t always appear ugly to us. And it’s the ‘pleasant’ sins that are the hardest to avoid.

Romans 1: 22

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

We can’t always prevent temptation. God does not tempt us; the devil does. But there is always an escape. Recognize and confess your sin to God. He will forgive you.

John 1: 29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

What statement will be in your black box when that day, hour, minute and second comes?

John 12: 26

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Jesus has accepted you? Have you accepted Him?

John 6: 47

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Life is short. Accept Jesus. That is eternal.

Read the Entire Chapter to the Scriptures Referenced:

Genesis Chapter 3

Romans Chapter 1

John Chapter 1, Chapter 12, and Chapter 6

Read Part One of the Sermon, What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

Sermon – Part One: What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

There is a gap between our first and last breath. In between those breaths is a punctuation mark. These punctuation marks in our lives can be a comma, exclamation point, question mark, apostrophe, colon, semicolon, and definitely the almighty period.

None of us is a mistake. God doesn’t make mistakes.

In Genesis 3: 4-6, it says:

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband [c]with her, and he ate.

This is the first recorded decision that man and woman made.

In an airplane, there is a black box. With humans, the black box is our soul, our spirit that God placed in us.

John 3: 6

That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

We all have punctuation marks in our lives.

Are you a COMMA, a mark indicating a separation from life, not doing what God placed you here to do?

Or are you an EXCLAMATION POINT? Do you express excitement about what God is doing in your life?

Perhaps you are a QUESTION MARK. You have doubts, uncertainties, and difficulties that have shaken your confidence.

Or, maybe you’re an APOSTROPHE. Have you turned away from life, taking the path of not being present? In doing so, you show your omission from God and the life He has given you.

If you are a COLON, are you part of a group that set good examples in life or are you a series of things that have no meaning? Are you quoting the good or the bad?

Or, are you the SEMI-COLON – that mark of punctuation denoting a degree of separation greater than that marked by the comma but less than that marked by the period?

No matter who you are, the end – completion – is marked by a PERIOD. This is our death.

What punctuation mark will come before the PERIOD in your life?

Read the Full Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Genesis Chapter 3

John Chapter 3

Read Other Sermons by The Gospel Mailman:

The One That Is Lost

Jesus Came to Save the Lost (Part One)

Be Willing to Accept Jesus Into Your Heart (Part Two)

God Can Hear Your Cry and Save You (Part Three)

Return Thursday for the conclusion of the sermon, What Punctuation Mark Describes Your Life?

Can You Hear the Voice of Jesus?

Scripture: John 5: 27-29

and to judge the sins of all mankind because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed the time is coming when all the dead in their graves shall hear the voice of God’s Son, 29 and shall rise again—those who have done good, to eternal life; and those who have continued in evil, to judgment.

Scripture Commentary:

Will you hear the voice of God’s Son, Jesus? Can you hear His voice now? Are you doing what He is telling you to do, or are you doing what you think you should do?

If we don’t hear Jesus now, how will we hear Him in the grave? In saying that the dead will hear His voice, Jesus is talking about the spiritually dead who hear, understand, and accept Him.

Those who accept Jesus’s word will have eternal life.

God is the source and creator of life for there is no life apart from God, either here or hereafter. Our life is a gift from God. Because Jesus is eternally existent with God, the Creator, He, too, is “the life.” It is through Him that we live eternally.

Jesus is talking to you now. Are you listening? Do you hear Him?

Read the Entire Chapter:

John Chapter 5

Read Other Commentary on John Chapter 5

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?

You Can Depend on Jesus to Make You Whole