That you May Believe - Study 3/3/13
That You May Believe
On Friday, March 1, 2013, CNN reported the following: “A Florida man fell into a sinkhole that opened suddenly Thursday night beneath the bedroom of his suburban Tampa home, calling out to his brother for help as he fell, the brother said Friday. "I ran toward my brother's bedroom because I heard my brother scream," Jeremy Bush told CNN's "AC360." "Everything was gone. My brother's bed, my brother's dresser, my brother's TV. My brother was gone." Since Thursday, the rescue teams have tried without success to recover the body and they have given up. The authorities said that the hole is about 50-60 feet deep and the ground around it is still unstable.
Hard to believe! Well the earth has swallowed people before. Check it out in the Bible, “the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods” (Numbers 16:31-32). I am reminded of this story as we study the Gospel of John. Apostle John wrote, “30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20: 30-31). Do you believe?
You will say believe what? That Jesus is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1). Do you believe that “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Let’s read John 1: 1-18:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,[c] and His own[d] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became 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.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
16 And[e] of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,[f] who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
I don’t know if Jeff Bush, the man swallowed into the ground in Florida believed in Jesus. Though tragic, it would be comforting to know that He is with Jesus now. “Oh that can’t happen to me”. We cannot say it is for Jeff’s sins but for sure, it happened that you and I can learn how short life is. Your bedroom is the safest place you can be and Jeff was there.
Do you believe that Jesus is God who came to save you and me from our sins that we may have life everlasting now and forever with God? You can’t believe unless you see the need for a savior. We have all sinned and hell is reserved for sinners. If Jesus is not God, then He could not save anybody from sin. Do not believe anything contrary. He is not an angel as some teach. “3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made”, including angels.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief in Jesus name. Amen.
PS. Thank you for praying for me during my Sabbatical. I was almost burnt out and I needed rest. I thank Brother Bobby Harris who carried on in our Bible study while I rested. The Lord bless you my brother.
On Friday, March 1, 2013, CNN reported the following: “A Florida man fell into a sinkhole that opened suddenly Thursday night beneath the bedroom of his suburban Tampa home, calling out to his brother for help as he fell, the brother said Friday. "I ran toward my brother's bedroom because I heard my brother scream," Jeremy Bush told CNN's "AC360." "Everything was gone. My brother's bed, my brother's dresser, my brother's TV. My brother was gone." Since Thursday, the rescue teams have tried without success to recover the body and they have given up. The authorities said that the hole is about 50-60 feet deep and the ground around it is still unstable.
Hard to believe! Well the earth has swallowed people before. Check it out in the Bible, “the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods” (Numbers 16:31-32). I am reminded of this story as we study the Gospel of John. Apostle John wrote, “30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20: 30-31). Do you believe?
You will say believe what? That Jesus is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1). Do you believe that “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Let’s read John 1: 1-18:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,[c] and His own[d] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became 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.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
16 And[e] of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,[f] who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
I don’t know if Jeff Bush, the man swallowed into the ground in Florida believed in Jesus. Though tragic, it would be comforting to know that He is with Jesus now. “Oh that can’t happen to me”. We cannot say it is for Jeff’s sins but for sure, it happened that you and I can learn how short life is. Your bedroom is the safest place you can be and Jeff was there.
Do you believe that Jesus is God who came to save you and me from our sins that we may have life everlasting now and forever with God? You can’t believe unless you see the need for a savior. We have all sinned and hell is reserved for sinners. If Jesus is not God, then He could not save anybody from sin. Do not believe anything contrary. He is not an angel as some teach. “3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made”, including angels.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief in Jesus name. Amen.
PS. Thank you for praying for me during my Sabbatical. I was almost burnt out and I needed rest. I thank Brother Bobby Harris who carried on in our Bible study while I rested. The Lord bless you my brother.
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