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Articles from Pastor Jon's Blog

Spiritual Gifts - 2 2007-08-18 15:16:32 This week we continue studying the Spiritual gifts. We are looking at the gifts of prophecy and service. ...

John 6:12-13 2007-08-18 00:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven 3. (12-13) Gathering up the fragments of the feast. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. a. Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost: The disciples gathered the leftovers at the command of Jesus. Jesus is generous, but not wasteful. b. Should the disciples have anticipated what Jesus could do, or should do in this situation? There was enough evidence both in the Old Testament and in what Jesus had already done to give them a confident expectation of what Jesus would do here. i. Old Testament passages warn against doubting God’s provision: Yes, they spoke against God: They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?" (Psalm 78:19) 2 Kings 4:38-34 is an example of God multi ...

John 6:11 2007-08-17 00:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven 2. (11) The five thousand are fed. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.a. Jesus took the loaves . . . He distributed them to the disciples: The miracle resided in the hands of Jesus, not in the distribution. Little is much in His hands. b. Bread comes from grain, which has the power of multiplication and reproduction within itself. But when it is made into bread, the grain is crushed, making it "dead" - no one ever multiplied wheat by planting flour. But Jesus can bring life from death. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><< ...

John 6:10 2007-08-16 00:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven B. The five thousand are fed. 1. (10) Jesus commands the group to sit down. Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. a. Make the people sit down: Jesus here takes authority as the Lord; as a loving shepherd, He makes His "sheep" to lie down on green pastures. He fulfills Psalm 23:1-2: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. b. The men sat down, in number about five thousand: Jesus administered everything in an orderly way. Creation shows us that God is a God of order and organization. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><< ...

John 6:8-9 2007-08-15 00:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven 3. (8-9) Andrew’s help. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" a. Five barley loaves: Barley was always regarded as simple fare, more often fit for animals than for men. In the Talmud, there is a passage where one man says, "There is a fine crop of barley" and another man answers, "Tell it to the horses and donkeys." b. What are they among so many? There isn’t much to work with here, but God doesn’t need much. "Small things are not always contemptible. It all depends on the hands in which they are." (Taylor) i. In fact, God doesn’t need any help - but He often deliberately restrains His work until He has our participation. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><< ...

John 6:5-7 2007-08-14 12:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven 2. (5-7) Jesus asks Philip a question. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." a. Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat? Why did Jesus ask Philip this question? Maybe because he was from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and this is near where this miracle took place (Luke 9:10). b. He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do: Jesus also lets His followers participate in the work of the Kingdom, even when He has things planned out. c. Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient: Their problem is in two parts. First, they don’t have the resources to feed the multitude. Second, even if they did have the money i ...

John 6:1-4 2007-08-13 00:00:00 John 6 - The Bread from Heaven A. Preparation for the miracle. 1. (1-4) A crowd gathers to Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. a. Then a great multitude followed Him: In this miracle, Jesus went out to a deserted place to be alone (Luke 9:10), yet the crowds followed Him there. In spite of this imposition, Jesus still ministered to the multitude with great compassion. b. They saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased: Luke 9:11 tells us that Jesus also taught this multitude, something that John doesn’t specifically mention. c. The Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near: John is the only one of the four gospel writers (all four describe this miracle) wh ...

Sunday Quotes 08.12.07 2007-08-12 00:00:00 "Sin is the world's best detective. It always finds us out!" – Unknown "The difference between religion and salvation can be summed up in two words: do and done." – Unknown "The peace of God cannot be fully explained but it can be fully experienced." – Unknown "When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works." – Unknown "We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience." – Unknown "In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him." -- C.S. Lewis<:))))><< ...

John 5:45-47 2007-08-11 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 7. (45-47) They reject the testimony of the Father through Moses. "Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" a. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me: These religious leaders rejected Jesus because they rejected God’s word through Moses. Moses accuses them, because Moses wrote about Jesus and they won’t receive the testimony of Moses. b. For he wrote about Me: Where did Moses write about Jesus? In many pages, but here are a few: i. The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear. (Deuteronomy 18:15) ii. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall li ...

John 5:40-44 2007-08-10 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 6. (40-44) The reason for their unbelief. "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" a. But you are not willing to come to Me: They are not willing, and they are not willing because they don’t have God’s love. They are concerned with man’s honor, not the honor that comes from God (do not seek the honor that comes from the only God). b. That you do not have the love of God in you: We see that these reasons essentially have to do with the heart, not with the mind. People like this may hide behind intellectual excuses, but the bottom line is that they have a heart problem with Jesus, not a head ...

John 5:39 2007-08-09 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 5. (39) They reject the testimony of the Father through the Scriptures. "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." a. You search the Scriptures: It is the Scriptures (here used in the sense of the Old Testament) which speak of Jesus. Significantly, they searched the Scriptures, but they did not have His word abiding in them. We can know the Bible without having His word live in us. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><<  ...

John 5:37-38 2007-08-08 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 4. (37-38) The witness of the Father. "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe." a. The Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me: When did God the Father testify to Jesus? In virtually every work and word of Jesus, God the Father testified to Jesus status as the Son of God. But specifically, the Father testified of the Son in Old Testament prophecy, and at the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:22). b. But you do not have His word abiding in you: They will not receive the testimony of the Father, because they do not have His word abiding in them. They can’t hear God the Father audibly, or see Him, but they have His word. They are guilty because they do not abide in the word that God gave them. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James tra ...

John 5:36 2007-08-07 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 3. (36) The witness of the works of Jesus. "But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish; the very works that I do; bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." a. A greater witness than John’s . . . the very works that I do: Every aspect of the works of Jesus testified to the deity of Jesus. b. The very works that I do; bear witness of Me: The majority of the miraculous works of Jesus were simple acts of compassion and mercy, done for simple, needy people. In this, these works . . . bear witness to the heart of God. The Jews looked for a miraculous Messiah, but they did not look for One who would express His miraculous power in simple acts of compassion and mercy. They wanted a Messiah to use miraculous power to bring political deliverance to Israel. i. Because Jesus’ miraculous works didn’t fit in with what they thought the Messiah would do, they didn’t receive this wi ...

John 5:33-35 2007-08-06 00:00:00 John 5 - A Healing and a Discourse 2. (33-35) The witness of John the Baptist. "You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." a. He was the bright and shining lamp: John was a true witness of Jesus, but the religious leaders did not receive the testimony of John the Baptist regarding the identity of Jesus. Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><< ...

Sunday Quotes 08.05.07 2007-08-05 00:00:00 "God is dead." Nietzsche "Nietzsche is dead." – God "We tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship." – Unknown Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush aflame with God; but only he who sees, takes off his shoes, the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries. -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning I want deliverance. I need forgiveness for what I have done. But I need also deliverance from what I am. -- Watchman Nee A pharisee is hard on others but easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others but hard on himself. -- Unknown <:))))><< ...