Blog Archives - The Lord's Humbled

John 3:16

4/27/2010

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [unique] Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

This is possibly the first memory verse I learned as a child. It says a lot. First, it says that God loves us. Second, it says that God loves us. Third, it says that God really does loves people.

Yet, there are obvious thoughts in just this one passage that also teaches that people need to love Him. First, people must believe in God. Second, people must believe in who Jesus is as God's Son. Third, people must believe.

Like all passages in the Bible (as well as any other good literature) context of what one is reading is important. What does begotten mean? What does belief mean? How can a person perish? What is eternal life?

Within the context of a particular passage things can be answered. Within the context of the letter, it is written in, meaning can be understood. When one looks at the entirety of Scripture - well, duh - understanding leaps from the pages to your heart and mind.

Now, look at this "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). Is there understanding within this context. Belief means understanding who Jesus is as God's Son and being obedient to His teachings. It is not enough to say the words "Jesus is God's Son" as if your making some sort of incantation. Belief entails action.

Perishing is the idea of not having eternal life; rather, eternal death (God's wrath). So, to have eternal life not only necessitates understanding who Jesus is but also following His teachings that come through the word (cf. John 17:20-21).

Be the Lord's humbled and let Him guide you through His word.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Worship

4/25/2010

Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield" (Psalm 5).

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Imitate Christ

4/24/2010

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Did your parents ever say, "Listen to your elders"? Well, it is not a bad thing to do. Generally, it is a sign of respect to people who have lived life and, hopefully, have some wisdom to show for it. As I have grown older, I have learned that it is important to show respect to all people.

All people need to be shown that they matter and are important. But does that mean they are right in their thought processes? Does being older mean that they know better? If that be the case then the apostle Paul should have said, "Imitate me." He didn't say that. He said, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Christ is the key factor in how a person listens to others. Christ is the one to be followed. Christ is to supersede one's elders, parents, teachers, spouses, children, co-workers, and friends. Christ is who a believer imitates.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

There Are Some Who Seek To Destroy The Church

4/23/2010

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also" (Acts 12:1-3).

The church that is referred to in this passage is the "people" who follow the teachings of the apostles of Christ (cf. John 17:20-21). When the "church" lives as it should it truly is inspiring to see. However, those who oppose the teachings of Christ find the "church" very adversarial and contentious. Why? Because they (people who oppose God) like not to be exposed by the light of Christ (cf. 1 John 1:5-10).

Thank God for James who stood his ground for Christ and was delivered a physical death blow. Thank God for John who continued on in Christ even after the death of his brother. Thank God for the "people" who solidified their faith in Christ and continued to spread the word of God even in the face of immediate persecution. Thank God for Jesus, the Messiah, who promised grace to those who believed in Him through the apostle's word

May the Lord see you as a representation of Him.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Peace! Be Still!

4/15/2010

"But he (Jesus) was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'" (Mark 4:38-41).

There are many storms in life that can make a person feel scared and conflicted. In the time of Jesus, people were concerned about being caught in a storm on this particular sea. These storms were known to be great, powerful, and scary. In fact, the general population would have understood this experience as a time of uncontrollable evil; that is, when the storm raged.

What did Jesus show when He spoke? First, He showed His power over nature. Second, He showed His power over the fears of evil.

Who is this Jesus that can speak the words, "Peace! Be still"? Who is this Jesus who can control nature and create an atmosphere of peace - not only physical peace but, more important, spiritual peace.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Trust In The Lord

4/14/2010

"When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice" (1 Samuel 8:1-3).

You may have heard the phrase, "The apple doesn't fall from the tree". Unfortunately, this phrase is not applicable to Samuel and his sons. Samuel was very focused on being humble before God. He trusted God and was blessed for it. However, whatever the reason, his sons did not follow their dad's example.

Samuel's boys perverted their leadership. They conformed to the world and were not humble before the Lord. Their reputation was poor and the people knew it.

You could be the best parent in the world for your children. Sadly, they choose their life. If your children don't walk in the path of righteousness continue to pray for them and continue to be there for them. Yet, never-never-never give up on walking with God.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Do You Have Your Attorney?

4/12/2010

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).

At this time in history, when the apostle John wrote these words, Christians had truly been influenced by false and heretical teachings. Some believed that Jesus did not exist in fleshly form. From this incorrect presupposition many people were led astray and even believed that they could not sin regardless of their lifestyle. Well, this false teaching had to be contended with.

Jesus is the saviour from our sins. Yet at the same time He is, also, our attorney before God. Those who do not deny Him, through their understandings and actions, will be blessed by His skills as a defense attorney. Those who follow false teachings about Jesus will not be able to have Him as their attorney. This would be unfortunate. Remember, we must have true and obedient faith in Jesus Christ.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Worship

4/11/2010

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-15).

Pain

4/9/2010

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away'" (Revelation 21:3-4).

By itself, this passage is rather powerful. But by truly understanding the context of the work of Jesus, this passage becomes remarkable. Children of God feel pain. We hurt when there is a loss; whether, spiritual or physical. We're sad when others ridicule us or speak ill of us. We're frustrated when we realize that we can't fix the brokenness of mankind. And, yes, we are demoralized when we just don't understand the "why" part of things.

Someone once said that if we, as humans, felt no pain we wouldn't know joy; hence, we couldn't truly live. However, where is true life? Where is the blessings of perserverance? Is it in pain? No - not ultimatley.

Like the penalty of sin so is pain. When the penalty of sin is cast away through true, obedient faith in Jesus Christ, then a person knows peace. When the kindness of God finally removes all of our anguish and pain then we will know real life.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves

Come Back Home, Son

4/7/2010

"I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him" (Luke 15:18-20).

With my work, I normally deal with people who have been hurt a great deal in their life. Unfortunately, as they go through their pain they tend to respond to it by purposefully or inadvertandly causing pain in others. I haven't found too many people that aren't affected by others "negative" attacks.

Recent attacks by others have caused me to pray for strength to withstand such assults. As I prayed I was reminded about how people treat God. We love Him one day and are mean to Him or His children the next day. How painful is this for God to see. How hurtful is it for Him to witness.

Remember, if you come to Him after running away He will show compassion.

The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves