The Word of God Stands on its Own Merit: Day 7: 1 John 4

 1 John 4

4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore, speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God: he that knows God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knows God.

8 He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love castes out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feara is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The Word of God Stands On It's Own Merit: Day 6 1 John 3

 John 3

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knows us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remained in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abided in death.

15 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keeps his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

The Word of God Stands on Its Own Merit: Day 5: 1 John 2

 1 John 2

2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

The Word of God Stands on Its Own Merit Day 4: 1 John 1

 1 John 1

King James Version

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Word of God Stands on its Own Merit! Day 3 Palms 3

Psalm 3

Lord how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

 Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belongs unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

The Word of God Stands on its own Merit! Day 2 Psalm 2

 

Psalm 2

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from use that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.  Psalm 1:1-12

The Word of God Stands On Its Own Merit! Day 1 Psalms 1

 

Psalms 1:1-6

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

News about my blog

Hello Friends. I am going to be taking some time off my regular posts, starting today. There are some things that I just need to focus on in the next few weeks. I am not sure when I will be back to do the kinds of post that I have done for you. I am anticipating it might well be into June. Perhaps towards the end of that month. 

However, I do plan to post a bible scripture each day, if I possibly can.  That will start later today.  So please feel free to continue to come here and get that and also you may want to reread some of my older posts. I would also suggest that you make reading your bible (which is more important than even coming here) everyday a part of your life, if you don't already do that. 

I am truly sorry. There is so much going on in my life and at this time (retirement is not always a smooth sail like we think it will be sometimes, ha, ha) while I do not want to ignore God, (which I don't intend to do), I need to concentrate on other things to. 

I will keep you up on the status of this blog in the meantime. Thank you for your commitment here. You are such a blessing to me. And I love that I have been able to share the gospel with you.

God Bless, Becky

Jesus" Disciples: Bartholomew

 Who was Bartholomew?

Bartholomew is listed as one of the twelve disciples of Jesus in each of the four references to the group (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). In the Gospel of John, however, he is always referred to as Nathanael (John 1:45–49; 21:2). Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning “son of Tolmai.” So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei.

In each of the listings of the disciples, the names of Philip and Bartholomew are linked, which could mean they were good friends or even related. What we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael comes primarily from the account of his call by Jesus (John 1:45–49). After Jesus called Philip to follow Him, Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (verse 45). This would seem to indicate Philip and Nathanael were students of the Law and the Prophets and that Philip recognized from their study that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for.

We see from Bartholomew’s next statement, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) that he held the town of Nazareth in the same regard as many Jews of that day. Nazareth, and all of the area around Galilee, was seen as a low and wicked place. Even Bartholomew/Nathanael, himself a Galilean, was doubtful that anything good, let alone God’s Messiah, could come from such a place.

The next verse gives us true insight into the character of Bartholomew. When Jesus saw him coming, He said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” The Greek word for “false” means “deceitful, crafty, or full of guile.” Jesus knew Nathanael’s heart, just as He knows what is in every heart. Jesus’ assessment of Bartholomew was that he was a “true” son of Abraham, that is, a man who worshiped the true and living God without any of the deceit or hypocrisy that characterized the religious leaders of that day.

What follows is a declaration of Jesus’ divine nature and power. Bartholomew/Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew him, and Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you” (John 1:48). Jesus wasn’t present when Philip called Nathanael, yet He had seen and heard their conversation, evidence of His omniscience. He knew not only Nathanael’s words but his heart and sincere character as well. Nathanael (Bartholomew) saw the attributes of divine omniscience and the ability to discern hearts in the Man who stood before him. Nathanael’s familiarity with Old Testament prophecies caused him to recognize Jesus for who He was, the promised Messiah, Son of God and King of Israel (verse 49).

This is all we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael from Scripture. As an apostle, Bartholomew saw the risen Lord Jesus (John 21:2) and was present at the Ascension (Acts 1:1–11). Tradition indicates that Bartholomew was a minister of the gospel in Persia and India. There is no biblical record of his death, but one tradition has it that he was tied up in a sack and dropped into the sea. Another tradition claims that he was crucified. All traditions agree that he died a martyr’s death, as did all the apostles except for John.  (Credit: gotquestions.org)

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Another amazing fact about Jesus, that not only was he born and laid in an animal troff in stable, but he was also raised in a not-so-great city that Bartholomew had asked if "anything good can come out of Nazareth?" 

And therefore, as Jesus explained how he knew Bartholomew, he realized Jesus was who He said He was. 

That all people could know who Jesus is would be wonderful. 

And friends, one day everyone will know. 

 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Philippians 2:10

But not only that:

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. verse 11

We had better be ready. Are you? 

 Hello Friends. I am so sorry I have not been here for the past few days.

 I had some tech problems with my pc and after trying to work them out, finally figured out it was because someone was trying to hack into it, Thankfully, they did not get anything. I have to say that even though it is at times stressful to keep changing passwords (because I don't rely on programs that make them for me), and having to use virus protection, I am thankful that the banks and credit card companies that I use will lock even me out until suspicious activity issues are addressed. These people that do these things do not care who they take from nor how much they steal. I saw one report on this subject that while a lot of them are in other countries, they think they have a right to the money in America because we are rich here. While that is mostly true compared to many countries, most of us struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table. We work hard for the money we earn and we as Christians know that our blessings from God Himself and no one has a right to take them from us. 

One last thing about this is that while these people are doing criminal things, we should be praying for them. One day they will bow their knees to a Holy God as we will, and wherever they end up after that, may be the same place as those that do not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Well, have a great rest of your day. I probably won't be here tomorrow as my family will be coming over.  God bless you and your family!

Jesus Disciple: Phillip (part two)

 Who was the Apostle Phillip?

Philip the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor1. He is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels and plays a significant role in the Gospel of John. Here are some key points about Apostle Philip:

1. Background and Calling:

   • Philip hailed from the city of Bethsaida in Galilee, the same town as Peter and Andrew.
   • He was among those who followed John the Baptist and witnessed John pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God.
   • Philip introduced Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus.

2. Role in the Gospel of John:

   • In the Gospel of John, Philip is prominently featured.
   • Jesus tested Philip when He asked him how to feed the 5,000 people.
   • Philip served as a link to the Greek community. He bore a Greek name, likely spoke Greek, and may have been known to Greek pilgrims in Jerusalem.
   • During the Last Supper, Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, providing an opportunity for Jesus to teach about the unity of the Father and the Son.

3. Feast Day and Veneration:

   • In the Roman Rite, Philip’s feast day, along with that of James the Less, was traditionally observed on May 1st.
   • The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Philip’s feast day on November 14th.
   • Philip is depicted as an elderly, bearded man holding a basket of loaves and a Tau cross in iconography.
   • He is venerated in all Christian denominations that venerate saints.

Philip’s pragmatic and sometimes skeptical approach contrasts with his role as a light unto the nations and a pillar of Christ’s church2. His legacy continues to inspire believers across different traditions.  (Credit: christianity.com)

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Hello, Friends. I had trouble with my pc on Saturday with the post about the Apostle Phillip. Not only that, but I was not having a great day. And so, I did not get to finish that one. And part of the problem was way that christianity.com had their post formatted. Instead of continuing along the same path to finish it up today, I just decided to post some of their points about him which is above. I am not complaining about how their posts are as that is just the way they have made them. But they don't copy well for me. If you would like to know more about Apostle Paul, you may want to click on the graphic above about him and see what is said about him there. I have not read any of this however and am not going to try to copy any of it here. I would ask that you please keep me in your prayers and thank you for doing so.  At any rate thank you for coming by. Have a blessed day. 

May we all stive to fulfill God's promise to Abram in our own lives.