House2HouseMD

Dear Saints: Imagine coming from heaven and born into a human family and your brothers and sister don’t even get it and believe in you. The people outside also don’t understand you and think you are demon possessed. Welcome to the world of Jesus’ earthly life. I know you are saying my parents/siblings or spouse don’t also believe in me. That is what we encounter in today’s study of John 7 (Please read the entire chapter). In the midst of the back and forth, Jesus reveals why He came and who He is and what anyone who believes and trust in Him will be like. Jesus, why did you come and why do people hate you? “7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”… 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:7 and 23). Jesus came to...

Dear Saints: It is with sadness that I read the headlines, “Joshua Harris falling away from faith: ‘I am not a Christian.’” … Joshua Harris, the author of “I kissed Dating Goodbye”, announced in an Instagram post Friday that he is no longer a Christian.”(Christianpost.com, July 27, 2019). He used to be the pastor of a megachurch, Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is sad to hear and coupled with his previous announcement to divorce his wife of 20 years and they have three children. How can you follow Christ for a period and now “fall away”? I do not know what has happened to Joshua Harris because now, he applauds same sex marriage which he previously preached against. In our today’s study (please read John 6 again), we also see some precedent even while Jesus was here: “53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood ...

Dear Saints: Is it just me? I feel like most of us are like the disciples in the midst of the strong waves in the sea, and here comes Jesus walking on water and now we are terrified. We are afraid of drowning in the oceans of our problems – the health issues, marriage problems, children acting up and even outright disobedience, sibling squabbles, in-laws and out-laws issues, deaths in the family, neighbors/co-workers envy and disdain, financial crisis, national crisis of racism/tribalism, mass shootings/suicides/drug overdose, political uncertainties, social media overloads and on and on. In the midst of all these, please hear Jesus. “It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:20. Note that the disciples had two fears; one of the strong waves in the sea (please read John 6 again), and two and the greatest fear, seeing Jesus walking on water. They have never seen a man walk on water before. I will surely freak out like them. When you see God in His glory as Jesus appeared while walking o...

Dear Saints Good intentions without action amounts to nothing. We all have good intentions that we have been hoping to act on and especially simple acts of kindness. In today’s study, we discover one of Christ’s greatest miracles where He fed five thousand men in addition to women and children (please read John 6). How did it come about; and what should we know about Jesus and what should we learn to be and do? First, Jesus knows you very well including what you have and what you will say and do. So, just do it and stop pretending. Jesus, after seeing the large crowd and wanting to feed them approached Philip. Note that Jesus loves all people even when they are like sheep without shepherd. Please listen to the exchange: 5 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?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii ...

Dear Saints: We continue to study Jesus’ long conversation with the Jewish leaders who had rightly accused Him of “being equal with God” the Father (please read again John 5). And Jesus is. Today we explore the bottom line of all discussions and all conversations. Jesus confronts them with the truth of eternal/everlasting life and on how to enter in and experience Him and also on how to come so close but miss Him. Let’s hear Jesus: 24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24. We can also recall that while speaking to another Jewish leader Nicodemus in John 3:16, Jesus said, “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” We ...

Dear Saints: Jesus had one major crime the Jewish leaders accused Him of and sought to kill Him and eventually killed Him for it. Listen to the exchange, after Jesus on a Sabbath, had healed a man that was crippled for thirty eight years (please read John 5). “18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” John 5:18-19. Notice that Jesus did not deny their accusation but confirmed in the conversion that He is God. Jesus said, I am God the Son. Whatever God the Father does, that is what God the Son does. He and the Father are one. Jesus' miracles and His resurrection back up His deity beyond reasonable doubt. The attack has not stopped today. Even within the general ...

Dear Saints: This is a simple question that Jesus asked a man who had been sick and crippled for thirty eight years (please read John 5). Jesus is still asking the same question to you and me. Do you want to be made well? He is not asking, what is your condition, illness or sin. He already knows just as He knew about this man in today's account. Note also that Jesus is the one who approached the man and initiated the conversation. There were many others in the crowd of sick people around this fake healing pool. Jesus knows you individually and comes just for you. All of us are sick and have sinned. We prefer hanging around others like us who are sinners and are sick. Misery enjoys company. We also go to places and hang out where there's supposedly "moving pool " that promises wholeness but it cannot deliver. No wonder Jesus asked the question. It may be obvious to others that what you are into and relying on cannot deliver you; so the real question is: Do...