John

Keep Through Thine Own Name

/ Tim A.

Jesus continuing His Priestly prayer for His disciples, prays…

“…And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee.  Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.”  John 17:11 (KJV).

Jesus is nearing the time that He will lay His own life down as the sacrifice for our sin.  This prayer is assured to be the prayer of God, the prayer God is guaranteed to hear, the prayer the Father will answer.  Why wouldn’t the Father hear His own Son’s prayer.  He is God’s High Priest.  He is the Priest of all priests.  He has obeyed His Father’s will and His Word in all things; even to the death of the cross.

Jesus’s saying “…I am no more in the world…” shows that He has already committed Himself to the cross of His death.  He considers Himself to be already dead, the work already as good as done.  Fully recognizing that the disciples are still “…in the world”, by our flesh.

Let us not believe that when He was praying for “…these”, that He is praying solely for those present day disciples.  NO! NO!  He was praying for all the disciples who would ever follow Him.  He is praying for you all who are in the faith of Jesus.  For all who would ever hear His call, “Come follow Me”.

Notice Jesus prayer in this one verse.  “…Keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me…”.  How can one who is God’s child, one who trusts in Jesus ever leave Him.  In order to do so they would have to make Jesus’s prayer null and void.  That will never be done.  In the faith of Jesus we are kept by the power of the Father’s own name.

Blessed be the name or our Lord.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Is Jesus Praying For You?

/ Tim A.

It is one of the greatest things for a follower, a believer of Jesus Christ to know.  To know that He has prayed for us, and knowing who He is means that His prayers are answered.

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine.  And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are mine; and I am glorified in them” John 17:9-10 (KJV).

There!!! Jesus said it; “I pray for them”, and He was more than sincere, that was His heart.  There are those who would and will say, “Well!  He is only praying for His disciples”.  Yes!  Aren’t you His disciple?  I am.  He prayed for me.  He prayed for you, because you and I were in His thoughts when He spoke this prayer to the Father.

He was  not praying for the “World”.  He was praying for all those whom the Father had given Him.  Jesus had said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him…” (John 6:44a).  In this way the Father has given the early disciples; for whom Jesus was praying; and us, the later ones as well.  It is a wonderful heritage which we have in prayer.  To know and believe that we were given to Jesus by the Father; that Jesus has prayed for us, and still continues to intercede for us; is a wonderful, peace giving, Spirit powerful, and awesome privilege.  It is also more than privilege; it is a “Right” given to us by Jesus, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [the Right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” John 1:12.

Because of Jesus, His praying for us, and His atoning work on the cross we glorify Him.  That is what He prayed for and that is what He receives.

Be thankful today for this wonderful blessing.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Words Which Were Given

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There are many words for us to hear.  The Words that Jesus spoke and is still speaking are the ones He has given us in the Bible; His holy Word.  They are given us for faith, practice and Christian growth; for His glory.

“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”  John 17:8 (KJV)

We see in this verse, one of those things given to Jesus by the Father; “the words”.  Which words is Jesus referring to?  Jesus’s teachings, His doctrine.

There are three things about the disciples which are mentioned: 1. They accepted Jesus’s teachings;  2. They knew – were certain – that Jesus was of divine origin and character;  3. They believed that He was sent by the Father.

Jesus brought the “words” and principles of the Old Testament to life.  As the physical manifestation/revelation of God he was the living Word of God.  They are no longer dead, lifeless vowels and consonants that only show one’s sinfulness and give no life.  Rather, they are now life giving through faith in the “Sent One”.

The only way for these disciples to know these things is because they  were God’s from the beginning.  No one can come to God on their own.  All salvation is a work of God.  It is God who awakens man’s awareness of God’s existence.  It is God who draws men/women to  Himself.  It is God who convicts of sin and all unrighteousness.  It is God the Father who causes us to look to the cross of Jesus and fall on our knees in repentance, grace and faith.  It is all of God, and His grace (SEE John 6:44).

NOTE – Election of God and predestination are essential doctrines of belief, but trying to understand it will drive one crazy.  It is essential in believing, but not for understanding.  God is sovereign and knows exactly what He is doing.  Let’s leave the work of eternal salvation to Him; through the cross of His Son Jesus.  He knows and understands it all.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Whatsoever Thou Hast Given Me…

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We are already at Memorial Day of 2010, and there are many things which can concern and worry us.  What is dear to you?  What do you cherish more than anything else?  Is it health, family, your children, your grandchildren, your spouse, your career?  There was something dear and cherished by Jesus, and He shared them with those He knew and loved.

“Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee.  For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they  have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me”  John 17:7 (KJV).

If you look at the first sentence of these two, you must ask the question “What has the Father given the Son?  That question is quickly answered by the following statement.  God’s Word is a very precious item to the Lord.  Jesus lived to glorify the Father/God by living according to His Word, preaching it, and giving it to those who followed Him.

Giving the Word of God to others is still a priority of God’s people.  It must be given.  We must ask ourselves the begging question, “Have I received the Words the Father gave the Son?”  The disciples did, and it was  His disciples for whom He prayed, “They have received them”.  It is because they had “Received them” that they were able to know, “Surely I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me”.  If you are a follower of Jesus Christ; you are His disciple, and this prayer is for you too.

When you want to know the Personal Truth personally you will hear, and receive His Word.  It will be precious to you.  Jesus Christ, the Living Word; will especially be precious to you.

-Tim A. Blankenship

…Which Thou Hast Given Me…

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We continue looking at our Lord’s Prayer as He was nearing the day of giving Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

“I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word.”  John 17:6 (KJV).

The very thing that Jesus came to do was to reveal the Father unto men.  Of course, the men of whom Jesus is speaking are those who were following Him that we know as the disciples.

Jesus had told Phillip, “If ye have seen Me, ye have seen the Father” (14:9).  Everything which Jesus did He did to glorify His Father, and do the works which the Father had sent Him to do.  He had called these men to follow Him, and He recognized that the Father had given them to Him.  When the men looked at Jesus they were seeing the works of the God of all creation.  They had been extremely blessed by seeing first hand  His power over the elements.

Only God could cause the storms at sea to cease.  Jesus had merely spoken, “Peace; be still”, and all was calm – immediately.  Three of them had seen Him speaking; and in His glory ; with Moses and Elijah on the mountain.  It is a personal longing desire that I have to see my Jesus face to face and behold Him in His glory.

Jesus prays, “…and they have kept Thy word”.  They have taken the things which Jesus has said, held them in their hearts, and they would one day, by the presence and power of the Spirit come forth in written words for all to read, and hear.

Let’s be thankful today, for those men who were faithful to follow the Lord Jesus.  No!  They were not perfect.  They were people just like you and myself.  They stumbled and fell, but my oh,  my; to have Jesus pray so for us.  This prayer is for all who will follow Him.

God bless you.  Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me; bless His holy name.

-Tim A. Blankenship

His Glory… Before the World Was

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Today we will look solely at the glory of Jesus.  It is His glory for which we live and move and have our being.

“And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine Own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was”  John 17:5 (KJV).

Notice the faith and confidence in Jesus’s praying.  He is eternal with the Father.  He possessed glory before the world, or the universe ever was.  His glory is His greatness, His power, His strength, His song, His priority. His Father’s glory.  Where I have fallen short; where you have fallen short of His glory; Jesus is the Father’s glory.

Jesus is praying for His own glory.  It seems quite clear.  This is His High Priest prayer, and He has come to accomplish His Father’s glory by the sacrifice of Himself for all the world.  The task He came to do required that He lay His creation glory aside, take on the flesh of man, and die.  How can God die?  He cannot.  Becoming flesh He could become sin, paying the price of sin, being put to death – the penalty for sin – and then rise again victoriously over death.

The glory is seen by His resurrection from the grave.  The Father restores His glory in the resurrection, and He is alive for all the world to see.  Did the Father answer His prayer; this prayer?  Most assuredly He did

Jesus is alive and in His glory.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Glorify The Lord

/ Tim A. / 3 Comments

Glorify the Lord.  Now that is a grand statement, and it is one that describes how our lives are to be.  The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  How can we who are born sinners, then, glorify the Lord?  Of ourselves we cannot.

“I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.”  John 17:4 (KJV).

Now that is a bold statement coming from a man who some would say, and are saying that He is not deity.  No mere man could make such a claim, but Jesus does in His prayer to the Father.  How could He make such a claim were He not equal with the Father?  He could not.  It would be the height of pride and arrogance for anyone else to say such a thing.  It would be next door to blasphemy.

To glorify the Lord would be to be obedient to Him in all things, and fulfill every thing that God has for you and me to do.  There would be no disobedience.  There would be no mistakes.  There would be a life completely “Sold out” to doing the Father’s business.  Jesus has lived a life of complete obedience to all the Father had for Him to do, and all the way to Calvary; the cross of sacrifice.

The desire of every Christian is to live for the glory of the Lord.  The only way of doing that is to live the life of Christ in you, the hope of glory.  We do that by realizing that it was by the sacrifice of the life of Jesus that God has reconciled us to Himself, and given us means to glorify Him in Jesus.

Tim A. Blankenship

…That They Might Know… God

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“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent”  John 17:3 (KJV).

Jesus proceeds to pray for eternal life for those whom the Father has given Him.  Eternal life He says is knowing the Father.  It is God’s desire that people might know Him.  The knowing of God is having to do with an intimate relationship.

Does that blow your mind when you hear the word “Intimacy” or “intimate” what is the first thing that flashes through your mind?  It is probably like ‘Loving your spouse’ or something along that thought line.  And it is similar.  It is opposite of knowing about God.  Many of us might say, “I know the President of the United States”, but in fact only know of him, because we voted for or against him in the last election.  We hear about him everyday.  There are a few who can actually say and be truthful, “I know Barrack Obama”.  One of those would be his wife.  Others could be their two daughters.  They have an intimate relationship with our President.

Eternal?  How long is it?  It could be expressed this way; If you counted one million years, multiplied it by another million, then eternity would only be as a grain of sand on the seashore.  That is the life Jesus Christ as purchased for those who will trust in Him.  Eternity with the God of creation; who created all that is; and we have access to His very throne even now (Hebrews 4:16).

To know the Father one must also know Jesus Christ.  Jesus made it His life’s goal to make a way possible for men, women, boys and girls of every tribe, tongue, and nation to come to faith in God.  He made that possible by way of the cross, and now you can have a personal intimate relationship with the Creator of all that is.  By way of the cross of Jesus; the One whom the Father sent.

-Tim A. Blankenship

…He Should Give Eternal Life…

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We continue to look at THE LORD’s PRAYER

“As Thou has given Him [the Son of verse 1] power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.”  John 17:2 (KJV).

Since Jesus had come for the most distinct purpose of glorifying the Father He also realizes that the salvation of many is dependent upon the Father.  The Father has given His Son Jesus “Power over all flesh”.  He will give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him.

We must understand that no one can be delivered from sin and given life eternal except it be given from above.  The man or woman on the street or in church, cannot, just with his, or her own accord, decide that they are going to follow Jesus.  It must be given to them of the Father.  It is the Father who will open their eyes, and their hearts, make them aware of their sin, their lostness, then they have desire to know God, and to call on Him for salvation.

Salvation or eternal life is given by the Father and the Son as a free gift.  It cannot be earned, nor bargained for.

These verses, and this whole prayer declares to us the very sovereignty of God in our salvation.  It is solely of God.  Our part is only in receiving the gift.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works; which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)

-Tim A. Blankenship

Jesus…Lifted Up His Eyes To Heaven…

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This will begin a focus on the “Lord’s Prayer” as given in John 17 –

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee:” John 17:1 (KJV).

There is a teaching the Lord gave concerning how His disciples are to pray in Matthew 6.  It is often called “The Lord’s Prayer”; however it should in reality be called something like “The Model Prayer”, because Jesus in that prayer was teaching His followers how to pray.  It was not a prayer He would pray.

This beginning of His prayer in John 17, is the beginning of “The Lord’s Prayer”.  This is the prayer that He prayed for Himself, and those who follow Him.

Jesus, realizing that the time of His death is approaching asked the Father to glorify Him.  A time of trial was approaching in the life of Jesus unlike anything He had ever experienced.  It was a trial that was going to be for His glory and the glory of the Father.  Jesus asked for something He knew the Father had willed for His life.  He fully believed and trusted the Father to see this matter through to the end.

When we pray in the Father’s will we will be asking for His glory to be seen in our trials, and our joys of life.  That is the heart of Jesus.

Let’s begin to follow Jesus in our praying.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Well Of Faith

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The woman at the well had met Jesus for the first time.  He had asked her for a drink of water from the well to which she had came.  Jesus had offered her water that would give her everlasting life with peace and joy in the presence of God.

While Jesus was speaking with her, He told her all about her life.  She had had four failed marriages, and the man with whom she was presently living was not her husband.  She believed Jesus, trusted Him with her life.  Her first response was to go into the city and tell as many as she could and many of them believed, because of her personal testimony, and then, we have them saying,

“Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”  John 4:42 (KJV).

They had believed her enough to go and meet the Man she told them about.  When they meet Jesus they put their whole faith in Him.

Faith is not something you gain by the words of others.  It is what you gain by meeting Jesus personally.  There are many who believe they are “Christian” because their parents, or grandparents were.  There are even some who believe they are “Christian”, because they were born in the United States of America, and because of that “Of course they are Christian”.  That is not true.  None of these cases makes one “Christian”.

If you were born in a garage would that make you a car?  To become “Christ-like” which is the meaning of the word “Christian” requires receiving personal faith in Jesus Christ, and that is a gift He alone gives.  Someone once told me, “God has no grandchildren”, and is that ever a true statement.  Trust Christ for yourself.  You will not know Him, nor will He know you if you are resting on the coattails of someone else.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Five Qualities Of The Believer’s Hope

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Five Qualities Of The Believer’s Hope

1 John 2:28 – 3:3

It needs to be understood at the beginning of this message that none are perfect nor can we be perfect in this life.  Our Lord is working in us toward perfection when we shall see Him face to face.  However, we must, by the Holy Spirit within us who know personally the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior have Christ as the central being of our lives.

As a Christian we have new hope and desires; the first of which is seeing  Him one day; and seeing Him face to face.  We also desire to one day be like Him, and as verse three of chapter 3 tells us; “We shall see Him as He is”.  What a glorious day that will be.

In this message we will look at FIVE QUALITIES OF THE BELIEVER’S HOPE.

I.  A LONGING FOR – A DESIRING FOR THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST (v. 2:28).

A.  A longing for the appearing will motivate the believer to “abide in Him”.

1. It is like the  branch abides in the vine (John 15:1-11).
2. It is similar to your home – the place you live.

a.  You may leave it to go to work, on vacation, etc., but you know there is no place like home – you return.

b.  It is the place where you receive nourishment, and love.

B.  This abiding ‘in Him’ keeps us from being ashamed when he returns.

1. When we ‘abide in Him’ we keep His commandments;
2. When we ‘abide in Him’ we have the anointing –

“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”  1 John 2:20 (KJV)

II.  KNOWING JESUS IS RIGHTEOUS – THOSE BORN OF HIM PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS (v. 2:29).

A.  Jesus is righteous – He is Deity [God].

1. He is righteous as the Christ;
2. He is righteous as the sin-bearer;
3. He is righteous as the resurrected One.

B.  Those who do righteousness are born of Him.

1. Doing what is right in one’s life;
2. Doing what is right according to God’s law;
3. Doing what is right to others.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 7:12 (KJV)

III.  ENAMORED, AWED, AND STRENGTHENED BY HIS GLORIOUS SALVATION (v. 3:1).

A.  Nothing in this world is comparable to the love of God.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:35-39 (KJV)

1. Love ‘bestowed upon us’ by our benevolent, loving Father through His precious loving Son.
2. John seems to be awe-struck with the thought Himself.

B.  Love so great we are called ‘the sons of God’.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  John 1:12-13 (KJV)

C.  The ‘Inhabiters of earth’ are so enamored with the world, they miss God.

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”  Revelation 3:10 (KJV)

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”  Revelation 6:10 (KJV)

“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”  Revelation 8:13 (KJV)

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.”  Revelation 11:10 (KJV)

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”  Revelation 12:12 (KJV)

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
” And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”  Revelation 13:8, 12, 14 (KJV)

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people…”  Revelation 14:6 (KJV)

“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”  Revelation 17:8 (KJV)

IV.  EXPECTANT OF BEING CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST – NOT CHRIST, BUT LIKE HIM (v. 3:2).

A.  In moral character.

1. Not Christ, not deity, but of His character and love for the Father and one another.

B.  Now the ‘Sons of God’.

1. That means living like ’sons of God’ – Kings and priests.
2. Living right in the present time unto the day of His appearing.

C.  We will see Jesus as He is.

V.  KEEPING THEMSELVES READY FOR HIS APPEARING (v. 3:3).

A.  The hope and promise of His appearing is the greatest hope of mankind.

1. His appearing otherwise known as Second Coming is a grand promise of change according to the Scriptures;
2. It will mean the change in ge0logy (Zechariah 14), environment, government and most of all in the hearts and lives of mankind;
3. It will also means change in the animals of the earth as well.

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”  Isaiah 11:6-9 (KJV)

B.  Those who are prepared for His coming will be keeping themselves ready.

1. The presence and  gift of His Spirit within directs us to preparation.
2. There is a place being prepared for the prepared.
3. We must fight the good fight – there is a war going on daily in our lives.

“1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”  John 14:1-3 (KJV)

“7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8 (KJV)

C.  Let’s keep ourselves pure – as much as Christ is in us.

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”
2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)

1. Because of Jesus’s wonderful gift;
2. Because of these precious promises;
3. Because we are the ’sons of God’.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Full Joy

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Full Joy

1 John 1:1-4

OUTLINE –
I.  THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING (v. 1).
II.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE HEARD (v. 1).
III.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE SEEN  (v. 1).
IV.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE HANDLED (vv. 1-3).
V.  WRITTEN THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL (v. 4).

The time of John’s  epistle was probably at or near the beginning of the influences of the Gnostics who appeared to have a “deeper understanding” of God and spiritual things.  At least they thought they did.  Their “deeper understanding” even exceeded that of the prophets and apostles; so they stressed.
These Gnostics, however, equated the physical as being evil, and God as good, thus God and evil, ie., the physical were not compatible; thus, God could not dwell in the flesh.  This denied the physical body of Jesus.
John does not deal directly with this by naming, however, he does approach it from his own experiences with Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.  The apostle is one who gives us quite clearly, in John’s gospel, that Jesus is God incarnate (John 1:1, 14).
John deals with the evil gnostics by calling the churches to remember the things written, and other, concerning the Christ called Jesus:

I.  THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING (v. 1).
A.  In the beginning God created… (Genesis 1:1).
B.  In the beginning was the Word… (John 1:1).
C.  …And the Word was made flesh… (John 1:14).

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  Gen 1:1 (KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1 (KJV)
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14 (KJV)

II.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE HEARD (vv. 1, 3).
A.  His sheep “hear His voice” (John 10:3).

  1. His sheep know His voice (10:4).
  2. His sheep follow Him (10:4).

B.  His sheep will not follow a stranger (10:5).

  1. They “know not the voice of strangers” (10:5).

C.  He knows those who know His voice (10:27).

  1. They follow Him (10:27-28).
  2. No one is able to pluck them from the Father’s hand (10:29).

D.  Those who love Him hear and keep His words (John 14:21-24).

“3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”  John 10:3-5 (KJV)

“27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”  John 10:27-29 (KJV)

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”  John 14:21-24 (KJV)

III.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE SEEN (v. 1).
A.  Jesus knowing Nathanael before meeting Him (John 1:43-51).
B.  Jesus cleansing the temple (John 2:13-17;  Matthew 21:12-13;  Mark 11:15-19) two times.
C.  Calming storms on the sea; as well as Peter walking on the water (Matthew 8:23-27; 14:22-33).
D.  Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11).
E.  Jesus feeding thousands (John 6:5-14).
F.  Jesus gives them transportation (John 6:16-21).

“And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”  John 6:16-21 (KJV)

IV.  THAT WHICH WE HAVE HANDLED (vv. 1-3).
A.  John could have Thomas’ experience in mind (John 20:24-29).
B.  Peter’s experience of walking on the water, beginning to sink, and the Lord taking his hand (Matthew 14:31).
C.  The woman with the impurity for 12 years reached out and touched [handled] His garment (Mark 5:25-34).
D.  Holding fast the faithful Word… Word of life (Titus 1:9;  Philippians 2:16).

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”  Matthew 14:31 (KJV)

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”  Titus 1:9 (KJV)
“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”  Philippians 2:16 (KJV)

V.  THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL (v. 4).
A.  Real Joy is only with the Father.

  1. Joy which no one takes from you (John 16:22).
  2. Joy which is full [complete] (John 16:24).

B.  According to Nehemiah  “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
C.  Found only in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 6:29).
D.  Freedom is related to Joy; Joy is related to freedom – Freedom’s Joy is through Jesus Christ (John 8:36).
E.  Full Joy comes when we see God and His Son Jesus for who they fully are.

“And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”  John 16:22 (KJV)
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”  John 16:24 (KJV)
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  John 6:29 (KJV)
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36 (KJV)

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Body, And The Blood

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“Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?”  John 6:67 (NKJV)

For those who do not want to accept the fact of the deity of Jesus Christ; the fact that Jesus Himself said that He and His Father are one; the fact that He said, “He that has seen Me has seen the Father”, and so much more; leaving is what you have done and invented your own Jesus.

Jesus had given many hard and heavy truths concerning Himself in chapter six.  One of the last one’s mentioned is that, “…no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (v. 65).  Then, we are told that, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more”.  What disciples were these?  It most certainly was not the twelve.  It was the twelve He asked the above question.  They were still with Him.

The “disciples” who left were partly those who had followed Jesus because they saw Him doing miracles.  They were following Jesus because they supposed, most likely, that they would receive something from Him.  Maybe a place on His administrative board when He set up His kingdom.  Maybe they followed Him just out of curiosity, or for the power they thought they might achieve.  Even today, in business, and more and more so within the Christian community we hear things like, “You need to get near those who are the movers and shakers if yo want to become a mover and shaker”.  If there was ever a man who was a mover and a shaker it was Jesus Christ.  When things didn’t sound right to those followers they just left.

Jesus had talked to them about “eating My flesh” and “drink His blood”, and some of that may have not been understood.  It was something that demanded whole-hearted commitment.  You could not be selfish, prideful or arrogant.  When they heard Him talking and teaching; and had seen His miracles it was easy to follow Him, but now, now that He made these claims, what were they to think?

The twelve faithful disciples sat ever diligent, listening, learning, and Jesus questions them, “Do you also want to go away?”  To which the disciples responded; Peter speaking first, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (vv. 68-69).

If the other disciples would have held that belief they would have continued to walk with Jesus.  Oh, how we need to follow Jesus simply for who He is.  He is worthy of our love, devotion, commitment, and worship.  Yes!  I said worship.  Deity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – is worthy of our worship.  If you have taken of the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus then, you know who He is and you worship, praise and glorify Him.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Taught By God

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“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall be taught of God’.  Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.”  Jesus  (John 6:45 KJV).

The prophets to whom Jesus was referring and the address of the words written in the prophets are Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:34; and Micah 4:2.  Maybe some who read this think, “My goodness is Jesus all he has to write about?”  He is the very reason for my being.  The very reason for my existence, and for yours as well.  He is worthy of so much more than what I can write or say.

You read in Genesis, and you will see Jesus when God has given you Light to see Him.  In Exodus Jesus is there as the lamb’s blood is put on the door posts and the lintel.  He is the Passover Lamb.  As the children of Israel journey through the wilderness,  Jesus is the Healing of the waters at Marah.  He is the Rock that followed them through the desert.  All of Scriptures testify of Jesus.

Do I ever get tired of speaking or writing about my Jesus?  Never.  I cannot do it enough.  The Revelator [John] wrote in the Spirit of the Lord, “…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”  Revelation 19:10 (KJV).  Jesus told those who hated Him; speaking of the Scriptures, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”  Jesus (John 5:39 KJV).  To know God one must be Taught By God.

If you want peace, hope, encouragement in this life, and eternal life; then, give yourself completely to Jesus.  He gave His for you.

-Tim A. Blankenship

One Together

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Jesus said,

“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

It tells us in the following verse,

“And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God”  (John 5:17-18).

Why do Christians see Jesus as Deity or God?  There is only one clear answer to that and it is this.  The Scriptures declare it.  Jesus Himself calls Himself and the Father as one; “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).  In the above text the religious leaders knew what He meant when He said, “My Father”, and they considered it blasphemy.  It is clear that Jesus meant what He said.

Jesus was with the Father in the beginning creating, bringing all that is into being.  “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made”  (John 1:3).  He is also the One who still holds all things together; “…And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [are held together]” (Col. 1:17).  If you believe Him you believe the Father.  If you deny Him, you deny the Father.

Jesus is the Living Word that was with God, was God, and became flesh and walked among men.  See John 1:1, 14.  There is only one access to God, and that is through the Son of God – Jesus Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Sons Of God

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“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name”  John 1:12 (KJV).

It is wonderful to know that God has given the right, the privilege, and the power to be “sons” of God.  This only comes as the grace gift of God to all who believe.  There is one particular word to this verse I want you to note.

The word is “sons”.  Many of the female gender may find offense with this term, and many of the newer translations change this to read, “children of God”, but I find that to be very weak and without meaning.  Why?

In the Old Testament sons were the only ones who were to receive inheritance.  The older son; in most cases; always was to receive the inheritance.  In the case of the dispersing of the land of Promise; that too; was to be given to the men of the families.  There was a case where there were no sons of the family of Zelophehad, but he had five daughters, and due to that they were given an inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11 KJV).

The blessedness of John 1:12 is that because of Jesus Christ all people male and female are put on equal ground.  We are all as sons of God, when we have by faith received Jesus as our Savior.

We are adopted into the family of God and given all the privileges of Jesus Himself (Read Ephesians 1).

Now, remember who you are.
-Tim A. Blankenship

Jesus – The Eternal

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There are a lot of voices today saying things concerning Jesus; and many of them don’t know the real Jesus.  To many Jesus was only a good teacher, a prophet, a good man, or a good example to follow.  To others he never really existed; he is kind of like the legend of king Arthur; leaving a question or questions of like, “Did he really exist, or is he just folklore and legend?”

According to many scholars, historians, archeologists and others there is more evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, His life, death, burial, and resurrection; than there is for the existence of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America.  The purpose of this message is not to present these evidences, but to just take what John the apostle wrote as fact, and present it as truth, the truth of God; and let God speak for Himself.

Purpose – To introduce Jesus Christ to us in the beginning of John’s Gospel as the Word – to see what God is like; God’s communication of Himself to bring us to Himself.

INTRODUCTION –

The writer of the notes in the PILGRIM STUDY BIBLE says, “Words reveal thoughts and character; and just so the Lord Jesus expressed God’s thought and showed us what God is like.”

Jesus is introduced to us in the beginning of John’s Gospel as the Word.  We are told by John that “the Word became flesh and dwelt amon us…”  In chapter 12:20-21 there were some Greeks who had come to a feast of Israel.  They came to Phillip and said, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”  That is what I pray we get from this message from the Gospel of John.

If the world could get a clear picture of Jesus, and follow Him, it would help us all.  The following story gives us the wisdom of a child;

“One day a father was sitting in his easy chair enjoying reading the daily paper.  His young daughter came up to him saying, ‘Daddy will you play house with me?’  He would say, ‘Not now sweetheart. I am reading the paper rightenow.  Please go a play without me.’  His daughter was persistent, though and kept coming back.  Finally, after seveal  approaches by the girl the father took a page of the peaper with a picture of the world on it, tore it into several pieces and gave it to her saying, ‘Here, see how long it takes you to put the pieces of the world  together like a puzzle.’  She took that page and was gone a very short time, and returned to her father, and said, ‘Daddy, I got it all put together.’  He looked at the page, and asked her, ‘You finished so quickly.  How did you do that?’  Her response  was one that really should have an influence on us all.  ‘Daddy’, she said, ‘There is a picture of Jesus on the back of the page, and when I got Jesus together the world came together too.”

John has some favorite words – “Life”, “love”, “witness”, “believe”, “truth, “know”, “light”, “darkness”, “world”, and “flesh”.  you will notice these words in the reading of the gospel and his other writings.

“Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word is a revelation of God to man.”  KJV BIBLE COMMENTARY

None of the Gospels are more clear on the Deity of Jesus Christ than is John’s Gospel.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”  John 1:1-5 (KJV)

OUTLINE:

I.  JESUS IS THE IMAGE AND REPRESENTATION OF GOD (v. 1;  Hebrews 1:3).

II.  JESUS IS THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD (v. 2;  Colossians 2:9).

III.  JESUS IS THE LIFE AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD (v. 3-4,  3:19; Colossians 1:16;  Genesis 1:1-3).

IV.  JESUS IS THAT LIGHT WHICH DISPELLS THE DARKNESS (v. 5; 8:12; 12:46; Ephesians 5:8)

JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF AND REPRESENTATION OF GOD.

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”  Hebrews 1:3 (KJV)

He as the Living Word was creating from the beginning of all things (Genesis 1:1).  A person’s words reveal their character, their hearts, their thoughts.  You can trust God’s Word.  In God’s case His Word is His character.

Jesus as the Living Word is revealed seven times in the first chapter of Genesis.   In verses 3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24, and 26 it reads, “And God said…”.  What God said was His Word was going forth creating.  All things that are were made by His Word – the Word who “was made flesh”.

Let’s hear what Jesus said of Himself;

“Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”  John 8:19 (KJV)

“Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”  John 8:57-58 (KJV),

and who is “I Am”?

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”  Exodus 3:13-14 (KJV)

JESUS IS THE FULNESS OF ALL THE GODHEAD – SO HE WAS WITH HIM AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN WITH HIM.

“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9).

The Scriptures tell us that “God is Spirit” meaning, basically, that we cannot see God.  “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

God in His love revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus who is the Living Word.  When we see Jesus we see the Father.  When we hear the words of Jesus we hear the words of the Father.  When we trust Jesus we trust the Father.

JESUS IS THE LIFE AND LIGHT TO THE WORLD.  The implication is that the world is in darkness and in need of light.  In the beginning God gave light for the earth.  Where did the light come from?  God is the light of the world.  Jesus later said, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5)  The light was divided from darkness.  One thing we must realize is, that, where there is light is no darkness at all.

Darkness is a way of hiding all that is evil and evil evidently does not realize that nothing is hid from God.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  John 3:19 (KJV)

Jesus is the light that shines in darkness, and darkness cannot overcome His light.  The world and the devil may think He is defeated.  We hear reports of Christianity slipping in growth, yet those who genuinely trust Jesus Christ are growing and the Body of Christ is still strong, and growing in faith; knowing that the return of Jesus Christ is soon.

The devil, that ole serpent, knows he has been defeated; but has many convinced that the battle has not yet been decided.  Anyone believing that is a fool, and pawn of evil.  The cross of Christ and His resurrection is the sure sign that the battle for the souls of men, has been won, and Jesus Christ is the Victor.  Light has overcome the darkness.

JESUS IS THAT LIGHT WHICH DISPELLS DARKNESS – HE DRIVES IT AWAY.  Who ever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness, but in the light.

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12 (KJV)

People who walk with Jesus will not abide in darkness – we are of the light, because He is the Light.

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”  John 12:46 (KJV)

When you are trusting Jesus, walking with Him, He drives all the darkness away; or will walk with you through it (Psalm 23:4).  If you are having a dark moment in your life, just look to Jesus, the One who endured the darkness of the cross for all our sin.  Paul tells us to walk as children of the light.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light…”  Ephesians 5:8 (KJV)

SUMMARY –

i.  To see God just look upon Jesus.
ii.  Everything God is; Jesus is:  Everything Jesus is God is.
iii.  Where Jesus is there is no darkness at all.
iv.  In the presence of Jesus there is no need for fear, unless you are on the wrong end of his judgment.

-Tim A. Blankenship

In The Father’s Hand

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“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” John 10:27-30 (KJV)

When you are known by the Good Shepherd, and you know Him; you are known and secured by the hand of the Father.

-T.A.