The wonder of God – psalm 139

Recently I’ve been looking at a few psalms and stuff to look for good lyric content. Where better to get worship lyrics than the word of God?

The other day I was playing my guitar, and working out some chords to perhaps attempt to write a song, or at least figure out a melody to put some words to. Then something unexpected happened; one of the strings snapped. I was displeased at this as it lashed my finger. I took the broken string and threaded it through the hoop bit that goes through the back of the guitar. I don’t know why. Then i scrunched it up in my hand, and it came out in a heart shape as above! (minus a small stem on the bottom which I cropped off the photo). What are the chances? I wondered if the heart shape was a sort of sign or something.

Earlier on today, I opened the bible app that I use from time to time. It opened on this psalm – psalm 139. What a lovely psalm. I will share it with you.

You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:1-24 NIV)

This psalm outlines just how awesome God is. He knows everything about us-how we think, what we do, everything! Before we speak, He knows the words on our tongue! Isn’t that amazing? It made me think – when we bring God praise, if He knows the words on our tongues and our thoughts and the desires of our hearts, is it in effect a sort of combo-worship session? I don’t know… It probably doesn’t work like that. Anyway, I digress.

Where can I go from God’s presence? Nowhere! He’s with us for the long haul! God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and he loves us! He created us! Before we were born, He set us apart – He made each and every one of us and His love for us knows no bounds. His love reaches everywhere from the highest of heights to the deepest depths, from the east to the west to the north to the south to the planets and across the universe. Absolutely everywhere. Theres nowhere that exists where His love cannot reach. He’s even conquered death! That’s how boundless His love is! Furthermore, He’s so awesome that darkness will not be dark to Him! I don’t know about you, but I think that’s flipping amazing!

I praise Him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. We are intricately designed by the God of all – everything is! As a consequence, all creation reflects His beauty. And if you take a moment to pause and look out at creation, there is so much beauty there.

God is in creation; the works of His hands are spectacular and breathtaking, from the tulip fields to the snow leopard to the mountains to the coral reefs. Every part of it reflects the beauty and glory of God. Even us! We are blessed with being made in His image.

He has made me and He knows the days of my life – before I was born God was thinking about me! The same goes for you too! Isn’t that great? And He guides me in His holy ways. I feel so loved!

I do not deserve this in the slightest, but I’m so grateful to have such a loving God! His love for us is unending, unfailing and unfathomable. How wonderful is God? When I think of all He’s done… Wow. just Wow. Need I say more? WOW!

Why I sing

A recent turn of events got me questioning why I sing.

Today, I attended a choir concert that a friend of mine was performing in. They performed a setlist of carols and other songs. One of the songs included this phrase: I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free.

In our church worship band, we used to have a segment where we shared with each other the reasons why we sang. This is an act that sadly no longer happens. I miss it. It was a wonderful and interesting segment. I remember talking at one of these segments, but I have since forgotten the words I said. 3 and a bit years has passed. The church has changed. Things we used to do have been forgotten in favour of new things.

Recent circumstances have got me questioning whether or not I should stay in the worship band. I love to lead worship; I love to sing praise to God. I love to dance in His presence. I love to rest in God’s presence. But I don’t love being told that I should quiet down when I’m worshipping because I’m going for it too much. I don’t love being hindered, or used. Therein lies the dialemma. My love of God is greater than my dislike for limitations. Thus, I presently remain in the worship band.

Earlier on today, I was listening to Freedom Song by Jason Mraz. It’s pre-chorus goes: I feel good; and when I feel good I sing; and the joy it brings makes me feel good. This is true for me when I worship God. Worshipping God makes me feel good and it makes me want to worship God more.

When I was 7 years old, I was in church. I’d grown up in church all my life. At 7, I found myself listening to a sermon, delivered by my Grandfather. That sermon really spoke to me. Correction, God really spoke to me through that sermon. I simply had to do something about it. So that night, as a young boy, I gave my life to Christ on my Grandfather’s knee. And so my spiritual journey began. This is the greatest journey I have ever been on. At school, I tried to live for God the best I could. Where others hid, I stood up for my faith. Where tough spots arose, Jesus guided me through. At the age of 14, I was baptised at a church that I would later attend regularly. In front of strangers and my family and everyone else, I publicly showed that I was prepared to follow Christ.  The next year, I would be baptised in the Holy Spirit. And from there onwards, I’ve been trying to live for Jesus. He shapes my life; He shapes my career and where I go, who I meet and who I have the pleasure of spending time with. He gives me opportunities to tell others about Him. He is always there for me when I need Him, or when I just want to chat. He welcomes me with open arms, despite the guy i’ve been.

Y’see, about 2011 years ago, Jesus sacrificed Himself. He could’ve stayed in heaven, but He chose to come to earth and be born as a baby. He was born in a stable – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords lying in a manger. Jesus grew up and performed many miracles. He taught about many things. He got rid of the old sacrificial system of coming to God by sacrificing Himself. (Y’see, we disobeyed God, who made us and wants to be in relationship with us. We’ve been downright nasty and rude to Him, but He still loves us anyway.) Jesus died for all of us so that we could become closer to God. Then He conquered death. He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us and He promises to take us home at the end of the world, to live with Him for all eternity. We just have to repent and put our faith in Him.

I guess thats why I sing. I sing because my redeemer lives. I sing because Jesus loves me and because I love Him. I sing because thinking about the goodness of God stirs up song within me and I can’t help myself. I sing because I am loved. I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free from sin. 

Suiting up

Today, I went to see the film ‘Puss in Boots’. In my opinion, it is waaaaaay better than the shrek movies. But, that might be just because i’m a cat lover. (but I don’t sing songs about cats like this lady…  )

I do love cats. I’m thankful to God for cats. They are a wonderful creation. (see here.) Puss in boots follows the story of the animated cat outlaw/hero. The cat has a sword and a hat, and of course, boots. And those things work for that cat!

(I once tried to put a mini santa hat on my cat, but she ran away.)

If you like cats and/or shrek, then go see puss in boots. BUT THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT THE MOVIE ‘PUSS IN BOOTS’. No no no. I just used it as  a tenuous link to talk about preparedness. Y’see, in the film, that cat is prepared. He has the moves and the style, and he’s good at sword fighting. He has the wits and skills to get out of tough situations.

Sometimes as a christian, our day to day life seems hard. And, to be honest, that is to be expected:

2 Corinthians 4

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

No one said that living for Jesus would be the easiest thing ever. But, lemme tell ya, it is the best decision you’ll ever make. And it is worth it. Trust me on that one.

So, as we live for Jesus, spreading the gospel and leading people to Him, we may feel that we need a hand; we may feel that the world is closing in on us. We may even sometimes feel that our darkest hour is upon us.  But, good news! We have the Holy Spirit living within us! And also we have the armour of God!!! And through God, we can be prepared for these times; God can get us through anything:

Ephesians 6

New International Version (NIV)

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

We may be hard pressed on each side, but we can stand our ground and stand firm in the faith! We have the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness!  Our feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace! In our hands, we have the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Upon our heads, we don the helmet of salvation. We are prepared for whatever life throws at us through the power of God.

Whenever I read this passage, it stirs me up inside! This shows that no matter how bad our day might seem, or how bad we feel, God is always there by our side! Even when we are hard pressed on every side, God gives us armour to help us keep going on. When we feel defenceless, we can always come to God for help! No matter how awful things seem, God is always with us and there for us. AINT THAT SUMMIN? Wonderful!

But you may be thinking ‘breastplate of righteousness? what is this, medieval times?’ No, its not. Its actually 2011. In the AD.  But, if you’d prefer, i’ll show you the passage again in the message version (more up-to-date language).

Ephesians 6

The Message (MSG)

A Fight to the Finish

^10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

^13-18Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

¹⁹And don’t forget to pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

 

As we live for God, He wants the best for us. So He gives us things to keep us strong and to help us keep going on. God knows that there are things in life that we won’t be able to handle in our own strength, so He lends us His. And He calls us to read His word and pray. We must pray for each other and love one another; we must help each other to keep going! And as we keep going, we must continue with the mission; we must spread the good news of Jesus to the world! We must spread His love and lead people to salvation in Him. But, not in our own strength;  We do all this  in His! WOOHOO!

 

In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas

22 and counting…

Its been cold this week. Winter rears its head and its icy teeth clamp down on the country; the freezing breath of the wind penetrates through the thickest jumper. Its been hail stoning this week. Its been down to 2 degrees. What is the rationalisation of this? Its Christmas.

So, today I had a gander at the Christmas offers in the shops. I saw the hideously overpriced 3ds games in a game store (you can get the same ones in asda for like a tenner less), I saw the hustle and bustle of people buzzing around like worker bees, I saw the festive decor and at one point, my eyes were met by two large plastic eyes on a singing christmas tree. The same tree, I might add, that I passed a few weeks ago and saw a child crying out of fear.

I’ve already bought most of/ probably all of my christmas presents this year. Most of them are already wrapped. So why was I there? Was it because bleach season 5 had gone down to 12 quid? Nope, but that was a happy finding! Was it that I needed to buy some christmas presents? Nope. So what was it? I guess i’d say its the ambience; the thrill of the chase; the commercial christmas preparation.

y’know goodwill to men and all that.  But, in reality, its elbow to the face when sales are clearance. I don’t elbow people in the face, but I must admit, I do like a good bargain. And i’m a sucker for a good advert. But talking about the whole rat-race elbow in face mentality, let me whisk you back in time to christmas 2009. It was christmas week. Shops were hectic. Supermarkets – doubly so. I was on the mission for sprouts. I had no luck finding loose sprouts. Bagged sprouts were nowhere in sight. I love a good sprout, but it didn’t look like it was going to be my day… and then I gazed upon a stalk of sprouts. A forlorn, lonely stalk of sprouts with small/medium sprouts on them. A feeling of happiness came across me as I sauntered along to acquire them. Suddenly, a crazed pensioner appeared! (cue the pokemon wild encounter music! do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do dun dun dundundun dun dun dun dundundun dun… etc,etc). This was no ordinary pensioner. What she lacked in hight, she made up for in aggression  lemmetellya! There was a crazed look in her eye. I wanted the sprouts. She wanted the sprouts. I made a dash. I had a family relying on me to buy sprouts. I get to the sprout counter or whatever you call it and my hand reached out for it. The angry oap shunts me on the way and then tries to steal the sprouts. I wasn’t having none of it! I thrust my hand towards them sprouts like my life depended on it. The pensioner’s trolley half-pinned me to the counter as she battled furiously for the last sprout. I’d like to be over dramatic here and say that I sustained actual bodily harm from this sprout conflict, but that would be a lie. So if you’d like to believe that, then do. But its not true. I grabbed that sprout stalk. I grabbed it good. Holding it like a trophy and making my way back to my own shopping trolley, I said a rather loud ‘how rude are some people’/ words to that effect and glared back at the warzone. Forget all that ‘if you love something let it go’ nonsense. If you love something, fight for it! I had sprouts. They were delicious. Nom nom nom.

 

I suddenly forget what I was originally talking about. *glances back at title*… Oh yeah. The commercialisation of Christmas. Let me share this useful tidbit of information with you. Today, I had a chocolate from my captain america advent calendar. It was shaped like a gingerbread man. Yesterday’s chocolate looked oddly like one of those ‘punching nun’ puppets and whatever I ate on the 1st could’ve been anything. Whilst I enjoy a good advent calendar choccie, it occurs to me that it is just rampant commercialism. Yes, we’re counting down to the birth of our Lord and Saviour, but what does captain america or hello kitty or cars 2 or chocolate have to do with it? Another such example is coca cola. Did you know that they were the ones that dressed jolly ol’ saint Nick in red? ‘Its just not Christmas until you see the coca cola holidays are coming advert’ but why is that? Why? (btw, I do love coke, its up there in the pantheon of immortal beverages in my mind) (not that beverages are immortal… they are inanimate.) In the UK at least, and I suspect its the same in most parts of the world, Christmas is highly commercialised. We got cards, crackers, presents, trees, turkey, 3 bird roasts, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, paper hats, coca cola, christmas pudding, VH1 christmas karaoke… But we miss the point entirely. All those things are nice and lovely and tasty, but they are not what christmas is about. I’m not saying that they are wrong, i’m just saying that they are not the ‘fundamentals of Christmas’ that we have been brainwashed into thinking they are. You can’t have Christmas without its reason – Christ.

You might be thinking ‘This guy! He just did a funny quip about sprouts, rambled on about commercialism and now theres sommat about Jesus. Whats with all the commotion?’ Let me explain it to you. You see, theres this thing that happened a long long time ago. It was called creation. No bangs or anything, just God. God was all like ‘let there be light’ and stuff and in 6 days He made the universe and everything. On the 7th day He rested. In this creation period, man and woman were created. They knew their maker. Adam even walked in the cool of the day with God. Adam and Eve had the chance to have a perfect relationship with God. They also had the gift of free will. They disobeyed God, who had made them and given them everything they needed for free. Then they did some bad stuff. Murderers, adulterers and thieves appear. At one point, the earth is so sinful that God floods the world, saving only a handful of people to restart the human race. But God has promised never to flood the earth like that again. Over time, people turned their back on the God who created them, who gave them everything they’d ever need and who loved them. God gave them chances to repent and come back to Him – God provided methods of getting a good relationship with Him back. Some people came back to Him. Others chose to live for the world and drifted away from His arms of love. Lets fast forward some years. God raises up kings on earth. He sends judges to the people. He raises up prophets who spread the word of God. Some people accept these things; others turn away. God reaches out to help people from being slaves to the world. God reaches out to have a relationship with those He created. God offers an alternate way to live. People harden their hearts. It looks like it could be the end. Theres a period of heavenly silence. But wait, whats this? Prophecies of a saviour? God born in human form? A saviour who would get rid of the sacrificial system of repentance to God by being the ultimate sacrifice? A saviour is coming to take away the sins of the earth. We never have to be apart from God again! The saviour will make it easy to be in relationship with God. He will pay the price for all our shortcomings. He will make things right. Years pass… And then it happens! Roughly 2011 years ago. Jesus is born in a stable. Even from birth on the earth, the world tried to reject Him – there wasn’t even a proper place for Him to be born. Jesus grows up. He gets baptised. He goes into the wilderness and suffers temptations. And then He returns and gathers His disciples. He teaches them things whilst performing many miracles and proclaiming the kingdom of His father in heaven. But still, some people don’t accept it. And so, as prophesied, they plot to kill Him. 30 coins to crucify the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. They torture Him. They beat Him beyond recognition. They mock Him and nail Him to a cross. He suffers torture in the physical and torture in the spiritual. The sins of the world past present and future are nailed to Him at that point. The sky goes black. The devil thinks hes won. A final gasp! It is finished. The cross is pulled down and Jesus is put in a guarded tomb. But the prophecies haven’t been fully fulfilled yet. 3 days later, He raises from the dead. He overcomes death and has paid the ultimate price for everyone. Nothing separates us from God now. Nothing. We can ALWAYS turn to Him. Jesus is risen. Some people don’t believe it but He appears to people. He talks to His disciples and gives them (and us) the great commission. Then He ascends into heaven. A little bit later, the Holy Spirit is sent to earth and thats when things get doubly awesome. Suddenly, we can have the power of God running through us! In His name we can do miracles. Fast forward to now. You have a choice to make. You’ve just read a very brief summary of the bible (excl. revelation). Jesus came to earth and conquered death for YOU. Jesus loves you. Always has, always will. He reaches out to you. What will your response be?

Luke 2

New International Version (NIV)

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c]25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

So lets put the Christ back in Christ-mas. Its not about commercialism; its about a God who loves you so much that He gave Himself for you, so that in Him you might have life to the full. Santa isnt real but Jesus is, and He wants to know you personally. 

A great Co[mission]

Today I was looking at the bible app on my phone. (I felt that today I should attempt a real proper blog post as i’ve copped out the past few days- i’ve been really tired and still am!) From time to time, I find a piece of scripture and virtually highlight it for future reading. Today, I scrolled through these bookmarks and came across the great commission.

Whats the great commission you say? Well, why not read for yourself:

Matthew 28

New International Version (NIV)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

So, basically, the great commission is the mission in life for christians; wherever you go, tell them about Jesus’ love and point them towards salvation. Teach them what Jesus taught (and still teaches) us! And the final verse is particularly lovely. Lets write it like a script in a movie, or something:

(ELEVEN DISCIPLES STOOD ON MOUNTAIN. SOME WORSHIP. SOME ARE DOUBTFUL. JESUS IS WITH THEM AND STARTS TO TALK TO THEM)

JESUS: ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.

(PAUSE FOR EFFECT)

JESUS: AND SURELY, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE!

END OF CHAPTER.

 

I think that this is wonderful. Jesus tells us exactly what needs doing. And even though its a scary prospect, He assures us that we do not do it alone – He is with us. ALWAYS. Even to the very end of the age! SIGN ME UP FOR SOMMA THAT! Oh wait, already did!

………

However, this is not the version of the great commission that I had bookmarked. No no no!

The plot thickens! Dun Dun DUUUUUUUUUUN!

Mark 16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;they will speak in new tongues;¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands onsick people, and they will get well.”

¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heavenand he sat at the right hand of God.²⁰ Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signsthat accompanied it.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

This version of the great commission is slightly different. It is more subjective fact based than the account in Matthew. We get the mission. Then we get the recipe for salvation:

RECIPE FOR SALVATION

1X belief in Jesus

1X repentance

1X baptism

Mix well. Enjoy.

(enjoy salvation responsibly. hahaha y’know, like the small print on those tv adverts? no? never mind then.)

After this, we get the signs of people who do believe in Jesus. AND HERE IS THE SCOOP! If you’re a christian too, then this stuff applies to us! Jesus says that in His name we will drive out demons! We will speak in new tongues! We will heal people with the laying on of hands! But my personal favourite is this: they will pick up snakes with their bare hands and when they drink deadly poison and it will not hurt them!

OH MY WORD THATS SUPER-AWESOME! KA-POW!

And then, after saying this, Jesus ascends to heaven. The disciples wait for the Holy Spirit.

Lets write this one out like a move script too!

(ELEVEN DISCIPLES EATING. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN REBUKED BY JESUS FOR LACK OF FAITH.)

JESUS: GO INTO THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL CREATION. WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTISED WILL BE SAVED, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED.

(PAUSE FOR EFFECT)

JESUS: AND THESE SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE: IN MY NAME THEY WILL DRIVE OUT DEMONS; THEY WILL SPEAK IN NEW TONGUES; THEY WILL PICK UP SNAKES WITH THEIR HANDS; AND WHEN THEY DRINK DEADLY POISON, IT WILL NOT HURT THEM AT ALL; THEY WILL PLACE THEIR HABDS ON SICK PEOPLE, AND THEY WILL GET WELL.

(ATMOSPHERE BUILDS SIGNIFICANTLY. ITS A SHIVER-DOWN-THE-SPINE MOMENT)

(JESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN.)

(THE DISCIPLES GET TO WORK PREACHING EVERYWHERE, AND AS PROMISED, GOD IS WITH THEM THE WHOLE TIME.)

END OF CHAPTER.

So yeah, that was the great commission. Wait, no. What am I saying???? IT STILL IS the great commission. It still applies today. As a christian, it is my duty to spread the gospel to people and to share God’s unfathomable love. Through Jesus, I have the capacity to perform miracles. And even when I get scared, its ok. Y’know why? Because Jesus is with me. And God is with me. And the Holy Spirit is with me. WOOOP!

Promises and the passage of time.

Yesterday I was at a CU meeting, where a guest speaker talked about mission and the importance of mission. He talked about reaching the ever-growing number of people on the earth and the importance of sharing God’s love with them before time runs out. He referenced two passages of the bible that I will reference too!

Genesis 13

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. ¹⁵ All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

God chooses Abram (who He renames Abraham) to do His will. Abram follows God, and God blesses him. He says ‘I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.’ 

Lets skip forward a couple of chapters.

Abram is still childless. And then God reminds him of His promise:

Genesis 15

New International Version (NIV)

¹ After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,^[a]
your very great reward.^[b]”

² But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit^[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Abram is promised that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and as as numerous as dust! God promises Abram descendants-a-plenty. And God delivers. Lets skip to the end of the bible. The part that is yet to come, but was revealed to John in a vision from God.

We see here the deliverance of the promise God made to Abram.

Revelation 7

New International Version (NIV)

Revelation 7

144,000 Sealed

¹ After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:   “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Firstly, we see 12000 from each tribe  descended from the children of Jacob (who was descended from Abram). And then we read this: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. We get to heaven here, and we see a great multitude of people. Such a vast number that THEY CAN’T BE COUNTED! Time passes from God’s promise to Abram to this point, and God definitely delivers on the promise. Part of this time is yet to pass.

And theres the issue we need to look at. As a christian, my mission in life is to spread God’s love wherever I go, to tell the good news about Jesus to those who need to know; to burn brightly as a light in the darkness for God. And despite those times when I feel like wimping out and piping down, I need to spread the gospel. It is literally a matter of life and death. LITERALLY. My generation is responsible for the souls of this generation. In my time, I’ve got to tell people about Jesus; if I do not, then they might not have the time left on earth to hear about Him again.  And HERE IS THE SCOOP – I’m afraid that if you don’t know Jesus and if you don’t believe in Him, then you’re missing out on SO MANY MANY MANY things that are so awesome in life. Like spiritual gifts, forgiveness, being able to talk with God  out or simply just hanging out with God. Also, if you don’t know Jesus, things aren’t going to end up well for you. Im sorry if this offends you, but its the truth. The road i’m on leads nowhere without Jesus. The same goes for you.

I’ve heard it be said that you’re nobody ’til somebody shoots you. I say, nah man, you’re nobody ’til you encounter the overwhelming love of Jesus. bless bless bless.

God always delivers on His promises. One thing He promises is to be with you always, to let you live life to the full and to take you on an adventure unlike any other. He will love you always, on the earth and after the earth fades! He wants to know you personally.

And like Abram did all those years ago, you have a choice to make: you can follow God and live for Him and make the absolute most of your life, or you can live and die for the things of the world. I recommend the first option. Choose life. Choose adventure. Choose God. (And do it before your time passes!)

Yeah, that’d be me.

some skull caps I saw in a museum

I was reading my Bible in One year today. But, I was compelled to re-read the passage from yesterday too.

Luke 4:14-21

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”^[a]

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

We pick up the story here as Jesus comes out of the wilderness. He’s been tempted by the devil and has not given the devil any ground. Jesus returns, and He goes teaching in the synagogues. Remember, He is pre-12 disciples at this point. He goes back to His old neck of the ‘hoods (see what I did there) and enters the Synagogue on the Sabbath. Nazareth synagogue. He enters it, ‘as was His custom’. He stands up to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolls it. He begins to read. That is to say, He reads this part in particular.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then He rolls the scroll back up, gives it back to the attendant and takes a seat. The peeps in the synagogue are flabbergasted. All eyes are on Him. And He begins by saying to them “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So basically, He says ‘yeah, all that I just read out? Its about ME. You hear? Its talking about ME! THIS IS HAPPENING! RIGHT NOW!’ And that is the truth. From this point on, Jesus would spread God’s love all over! He would help the poor, He would free the captives, He would heal the sick and would proclaim salvation. I love the way that Jesus says it all nonchalantly though. Like, think about it. He walks into His hometown-synagogue, reads a little bit from the prophet Isaiah, sits down and says ‘yeah, that’s about Me! Oh, and its just been fulfilled right now. As you were listening.’ So cool! The people are jaw-on-the-floor at this! A lot of them are outraged, but its from here on in that it starts to dawn on more people that yes HE IS THE MESSIAH!

The words of the prophet Isaiah point to Him and His ministry on earth. Jesus is the Messiah; the Saviour of the world! Do you see this? 

Jesus on trial

Today I was reading my Bible in One Year passages. I happened to do this in a public place, and a friend of mine asked me what I was doing, so I had the chance to show him the bible and stuff. Reading the gospel of Mark, today’s passage included the trial of Jesus.

Mark 15

New International Version (NIV)

Mark 15

Jesus Before Pilate

¹ Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.² “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

In this passage, we can see what happens in the trial. The highly religious Sanhedrin do not like Jesus because they don’t believe He is the son of God. He is, but they don’t want to know. So, they want Him on trial and they want Him disposed of. They bind Jesus before sending Him off to trial. I don’t know whether this was just a form of handcuffs/ foot cuffs or something, or whether it was some sort of whole body binding mechanism; one thing is for sure – they didn’t want Jesus going anywhere. The Sanhedrin then hand Jesus over to Pontius Pilate.

He asks Jesus if He truly is the king of the jews. Jesus replies with ‘you have said so’. Then the chief priests start accusing Jesus of many things. Jesus is innocent and remains quiet the whole time. Pilate urges Jesus to reply, but Jesus does not. Pilate is flabbergasted!

Usually at that time, a prisoner (chosen by the people) would be released. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent and appears to have a bit of a battle with his conscience. Pilate suggests that Jesus should be freed. But the chief priests have something to say about that. They rabble-rouse the crowd and get them wanting to release Barrabus, a noted murderer. Seeing this, Pilate asks the crowd what they should do with Jesus. Pilate seems to think Jesus is innocent, but he caves to peer pressure and wants to look good in the public eye. So he lets the people decide.

The crowd shouts ‘CRUCIFY HIM’.

Pilate is like ‘Why? On what grounds? What crime has he committed to warrant this?’

The crowd doesn’t answer. They just shout ‘CRUCIFY HIM’ all the louder, as if Pilate didn’t hear them or understand the first time.

Pilate has the choice here to make the right decision. He thinks Jesus is innocent, but he wants to please the people. Pilate is more concerned with his ego than with justice and the life of Jesus, and so he caves to the pressure of the crowd. He releases Barabbus to the crowd, has Jesus flogged and then sends Him off to be crucified.

Pilate had an ultimatum – do the right thing and be hated by the people, or do the wrong thing and blend with the people. Pilate did not do what was just and he made a poor decision.

As christians, we have a similar decision to make – we can tell this world about the love of Jesus or we can blend with the crowd and try not to draw any attention to ourselves. But if we do not tell others, how can they know? By keeping silent, how will we spread Jesus’ love or help people find salvation?

We are all faced with decisions where we have a choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing. We must seek to do the right thing, even if it is costly to us. Spread Jesus’ love and compassion to the ends of the earth. Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Do not cave in to peer pressure and one’s ego.

Under Arrest

Lately, in my Bible in one year readings, I’ve been going through the life of Jesus, in Mark’s gospel. Today was the arrest of Jesus.

Mark 14

New International Version (NIV)

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

⁴³ Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶ The men seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷ Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸ “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹ Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰ Then everyone deserted him and fled.

⁵¹ A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵² he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

I think that it’s interesting that Jesus knows what is going to happen before it does. It is not surprising – He is God after all! But it is nonetheless interesting. Before Judas even arrives, He knows that the time for His betrayal is nigh.

The crowd come to arrest Jesus. The crowd that comes is the equivalent of riot police, or at least well armed police today. All to subdue Jesus – a man who was not violent!

And then it happens. Judas betrays Jesus. With a kiss. Its interesting to note here that Jesus loved us all so much that He bled and died for us; it was out of love that Jesus came to earth, but Judas betrays Him with a symbol of love; a kiss, showing how love has become corrupted in this world. Judas betrays Jesus, (who does not put up a fight), and then someone cuts off the high priest’s ear! (Like that would help the situation!) Jesus then asks them why they have come armed to arrest Him, even though He is peaceful, and points out that they had plenty of previous opportunities to make a move. But, Jesus adds, this fulfils the scriptures.

Suddenly, everyone deserts Him and flees. Perhaps the crowd of people arresting Jesus got rowdier?

And then we come to verses 51 and 52, which are just plain odd. Theres a guy following Jesus (is he a stalker or a fan or something?) who decides that when Jesus is arrested, he’ll strip off and do a runner. What is that about? I wonder what the significance of this guy is? Theres surely a reason why his actions are recorded!

Jesus died to save all of us.

Speaking of all of us, please check out some great blogs! Here and Here. There was another one but the link won’t open D: !

 

Bonfire Night

Remember remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.

Today (or should I say, this evening) it was bonfire night. I think bonfire night is a funny thing to celebrate. The background story is basically, in 1605, Guy Fawkes was all poised and ready with some barrels of gunpowder underneath parliament, waiting to blow it and everyone inside it up (including the King.) Guy Fawkes was found and stopped before parliament was blown up. Now, to celebrate the fact that parliament wasn’t blown to smithereens, we light large fires and watch firework displays. Some people even make a Guy Fawkes to burn on the bonfire.

So, in carrying on with tradition, this evening I attended a rather lovely firework display.

As I was watching these fireworks light up the sky, I thought of how many other people in the UK would be watching fireworks tonight – a heck of a lot of people! And it got me thinking about light and darkness.

Every year, millions of people flock to see lights, be they fireworks or candles or fairy lights or whatever; light is attractive. Light illuminates; light guides; light helps you to see what you otherwise couldn’t. Light is powerful – you never see anyone put on shades or special glasses to calm down the darkness! Light cuts through darkness. People love to look at light. (See THIS PREVIOUS POST.) So why not look at the one light that burns brighter than all others?

John 8:11-13

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Jesus is the light of the world. Follow Him, and you can make the darkness tremble just by mentioning His holy name. If you follow Him, you never have to live in darkness again – with Him in you, you have the power to overcome darkness/ evil.

John 1:4-5

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Jesus is the light of all the world. Darkness cannot put out His light. He shines through the darkness. He spreads love and offers salvation. He illuminates the path that will guide you to Him. You just have to open your eyes.

Jesus died to take away the sins of the earth. He died so that we could be reconciled with God. He changed the whole sin offering and sacrifice system. He tore open the holy of holies in the temple and chose to let His spirit dwell amongst each and every one of us! He wants to know us and be in relationship with us! He loves us that much! He sacrificed Himself so that you might live in His holy light! He came so that those who believe in Him never have to walk in darkness ever again!

John 3:18-20

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

 

 

Do you want some explanation? Are you confused perhaps about all this light business? Try reading this.

John 1

New International Version (NIV)

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Confused? Read it again. ONLY THIS TIME, REPLACE ‘THE WORD’ WITH ‘JESUS’. And it all makes a whole lot of sense. Jesus wants to know you. He loves you. He died for you! His love for us burns brighter than any bonfire. He is the only light worth following!

Follow the light; look to Jesus! Choose light. Choose life. It is the best decision you will ever make!