The Preacher’s Corner

Today in John chapter 8:31-38 we receive a beautiful, relational teaching from Jesus teaching us about the freedom we can have from our slavery to sin and bondage to this world and the things in it through Christ! He said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall MAKE you free." This comes from the position of being a disciple of Jesus and continuing in His Word, as was promised in John 16 when Jesus said, "When the Spirit of truth comes He will reveal all things to you (as you are able to bear it). Now, the Jews He is speaking with today are not going to receive His teaching very well for they do not have a connectional relationship in the Father, nor the Son. What is vital for us today is to consider (in our hearts) how we respond to this teaching as concerning our personal relationship with God. Also, we take a glimpse at verses 39 to 47, but we will get into that detail tomorrow! May God bless you richly today as you connect with Him and Pastor J!

Today in John chapter 8:13-30 there are many things to receive from  God's Word! First, that Jesus is the light of the world and there is  absolutely no need for any to remain in the darkness of ignorance  anymore because God has given us His Word and revealed His redemptive  plan through the Messiah who has come, and is coming again, our LORD  Jesus. Next we receive the blessing of Jesus' revelation of the  connection between He and the Father. Lastly we receive understanding of  the reason why the religious leadership couldn't acknowledge Jesus for  who He is, it is because they do not know the Father (who they claim to  serve, follow, and love!!!). All this and more today with Pastor J.

As we finish off John chapter 7 and enter into John 8 we come across the  details of a woman who was captured by the pharisees and scribes. She  happened to be in the "very act" of adultery at the time and she was  drug into the temple and before Jesus as He was teaching a large crowd  of people. In their efforts to try and snare Jesus because of breaking  the law to set this woman free, Jesus ended up busting these guys' party  by on simple statement! Tune in to find out the rest of the story and  have a blessed weekend!

Today in John 7:25-36 we shall find Jesus in a pickle again! The religious elite are upset with Him once more because of His comfortable claim of being from heaven and being sent from God, who He calls His Father! The neat thing we get from today is the reaction of the people. That many of them respond to all the "stories" that are going on about Jesus and, as we shall see today, the come to believe in Jesus because no one else ever has, nor in their estimation ever could do those miracles which Jesus has done and they not be the Messiah! Many came to believe in Him, which caused even more fervor from the religious elite to have Jesus killed! We know that this simply cannot happen till God has completed His work through Jesus on the earth, then for Jesus to accomplish just one more thing!!! All this and more today with Pastor J, so don't miss this one eh!!!

In today's lesson from John 7:15-24 Jesus seeks an answer to the title  question, "Why do you seek to kill Me? Indeed, if these Jews He was  dealing with had truly been followers of Moses, and obedient to the law,  then they certainly wouldn't be out to kill anyone! Also, we receive a  lesson in judgment which will cause some folks' heads to explode, for  often in our society we are warned of bringing the Bible into  discussions of morality or ethics and we are chastised as being a people  who are too "judgmental", and at that by our own Christian community  above all others! There is so much to receive today with Pastor J on a  Monday!!!

Today in John chapter 7 we are introduced to the feast of booths,  otherwise known as the feast of tabernacles or Sukkot. At the beginning  of this chapter we discover that many of Jesus' own brethren still do  not believe (fully) in Him and through them a challenge of temptation is  brought against Jesus to reveal Himself at the feast and let the whole  world know who He is. Next we find the people in the temple marveling at  Jesus' understanding of the Torah because of His doctrine. The people  have the idea Jesus is stupid because He does not have the pedigree of  having a Rabbi or have been taught in the temple! Some interesting  things we are able to discover today with Pastor J!!!

One of the greatest questions Jesus ever asked of His disciples found in  John chapter 6 today! We finish off the chapter with this nightmare of a  question. This is not the easiest question to answer though, especially  coming from the Son of God who knows what you're thinking even when  you're not talking! Peter has a great answer to Jesus' inquiry as to if  they will depart from Him as many of the other disciples did and we need  to consider if his response is true of our own hearts today! All this  and much, much more  this day with Pastor J!!!

Today in John chapter 6:43-59 we shall find Jesus in the synagogue  teaching  the difference between that literal bread that God gave to the  Israelis of old, and that spiritual bread that stands before them in  this moment! As we discuss the concepts of trans-substantiation and the  teaching of the conversion of the earthly elements of bread and wine  into the literal body and blood of Jesus, because of this teaching in  John 6, by the Catholic church, we shall discover the error of this  teaching as we look into the woman at the well in John 4 and consider  how Jesus uses physical things to reveal spiritual truths. Man shall not  live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the Father,  and many other quotes from God's Word concerning the spiritual nature of  this Word being our subsistence!  This and much more today with Pastor  J!!!

Today in John chapter 6:35-42 we receive a most precious promise from  Jesus, which happens to be the will of God, that is the guarantee of our  Salvation! Also, we discover that we must COME to God and BELIEVE in  Jesus! Not to mention Jesus reveals there are many who have already come  to Him, not because they have been drawn to Him by the Father, but  because Jesus had physically provided for their material need at the  moment and they want more! All the more proof that true believers are  drawn to Jesus by the Father through the Spirit unto salvation and not  because of a personal decision! Nevertheless, this and much more shall  be shared today with Pastor J, so hold on tight!

Today in John chapter 6 we continue the conversation of those who were  waiting for Jesus to return so they could make him their king! They saw  the disciples get in a boat and leave, but they didn't see Jesus take  off walking across the water! As they catch up to Jesus on the other  side, they question Him as to why He left them only to discover Jesus  rebukes them at the point that it wasn't the miracle of their feeding,  but the fact they were fed, that they were following Him. This, and so  much more to be revealed today with Pastor J, so tune in!!!