March 2 2014
Do You Love Things That God Detests?
John 6:62-69
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no-one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Many years ago a Bible study teacher asked the class, “What is the most important event in the life of Jesus on this earth?” Most of the class answered that the most important event was the resurrection. However, the teacher said, no. She said the most important event was the ascension, as this event concluded Jesus’ life on this earth, and was the only event that no other human had recorded in the Bible! Other humans were raised from the dead, with Lazarus being the most well know. And of course, every human is born, not by a virgin mother, but all are born. All other humans also will die or have died. Of course, all of these events are needed for Jesus to fulfill the Law and the Profits, as He said he did.
Today we see many people who profess to be Christians are falling away from the faith. Church attendance in this country continues to wane, as people are drawn to the ideas of mankind, and thus away from the ideas of God. As we see churches failing and closing in this country, which has been happening for many years now in Europe, where church attendance has dropped to as little as three percent of people now attend church in some European countries. Many Christian churches have closed and been sold to other worldly religions, or even as gambling places or worse.
In the selected verses, a question is posed, “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!” Jesus had recently said He was the bread come down from heaven, and many of His followers had left because they did not understand what or who He was claiming to be. Jesus asked another question of His disciples, and more specifically of this chosen Apostles that questions was, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" And as usual, Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Are you questioning in your own mind, who Jesus really is? Unlike the Apostles you have had the opportunity to “see” Jesus “ascend to where he was before!” Well at least you have read about it in God’s Book. Do you have enough proof that it really happened?
From the Book of Acts we are told about this act of ascension that Jesus performed. He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9b-11) Jesus had to leave this earth to return to heaven from where He had come. In this account we see the promise of God, delivered through the angels that He would someday return to this earth. This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
In the Gospel of Mark we can read about Jesus ascension from the earth back into heaven. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. [(Mark 16:19-20)] Here Mark gives a visual account of seeing, or at least in believing, that Jesus was now seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
In the account written in the Gospel of Luke we finally read about how those witnessing this, the greatest event to every occur, so far on this earth, were affected by seeing it! When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. (Luke 24:50-52) Here we read about the effect it had on those who witnessed it, “Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” So finally we have an answer to the question Jesus had posed to those who were trying to figure out, if they would follow Him. What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
Have you received sufficient evidence that Jesus did in fact ascend into heaven? In the Gospel of John we read about what the status of belief in Jesus was when He had asked His disciples if they too wanted to leave Him, or if they would believe and follow Him. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. (John 7:5-7) This is of course before He had died on the cross, arisen from the dead and had not yet ascended. We do not have the excuse that these people did, because we have experienced these events through reading about it in God’s Book!
Jesus once said He did not come to remove the law but instead to fulfill it. Do you believe Jesus is the only one to follow, through this life to end up in heaven with Him? Then what is most precious to you in this life? Are you working to please mankind or are you trying to emulate Jesus? Do you believe that God has maintained His Book, and that it must not be changed? Jesus seemed to believe that way. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. (Luke 16:15-17) We now have the “Good News” about the kingdom of God to share.
Do you love things that God detests? Do you believe God’s Word enough to find time and desire to study it? Jesus said, any time is the right time for His followers to believe and share their belief with others! We have the good news; it is contained in “That Book!” “Then they worshipped him with great joy.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
If you enjoy Verse of the Week and want to share it with others feel free to forward it. You may subscribe to Verse Of the Week by sending an email to rlmoak@fuse.net.
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John 6:62-69
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no-one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Many years ago a Bible study teacher asked the class, “What is the most important event in the life of Jesus on this earth?” Most of the class answered that the most important event was the resurrection. However, the teacher said, no. She said the most important event was the ascension, as this event concluded Jesus’ life on this earth, and was the only event that no other human had recorded in the Bible! Other humans were raised from the dead, with Lazarus being the most well know. And of course, every human is born, not by a virgin mother, but all are born. All other humans also will die or have died. Of course, all of these events are needed for Jesus to fulfill the Law and the Profits, as He said he did.
Today we see many people who profess to be Christians are falling away from the faith. Church attendance in this country continues to wane, as people are drawn to the ideas of mankind, and thus away from the ideas of God. As we see churches failing and closing in this country, which has been happening for many years now in Europe, where church attendance has dropped to as little as three percent of people now attend church in some European countries. Many Christian churches have closed and been sold to other worldly religions, or even as gambling places or worse.
In the selected verses, a question is posed, “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!” Jesus had recently said He was the bread come down from heaven, and many of His followers had left because they did not understand what or who He was claiming to be. Jesus asked another question of His disciples, and more specifically of this chosen Apostles that questions was, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" And as usual, Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Are you questioning in your own mind, who Jesus really is? Unlike the Apostles you have had the opportunity to “see” Jesus “ascend to where he was before!” Well at least you have read about it in God’s Book. Do you have enough proof that it really happened?
From the Book of Acts we are told about this act of ascension that Jesus performed. He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9b-11) Jesus had to leave this earth to return to heaven from where He had come. In this account we see the promise of God, delivered through the angels that He would someday return to this earth. This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
In the Gospel of Mark we can read about Jesus ascension from the earth back into heaven. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. [(Mark 16:19-20)] Here Mark gives a visual account of seeing, or at least in believing, that Jesus was now seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
In the account written in the Gospel of Luke we finally read about how those witnessing this, the greatest event to every occur, so far on this earth, were affected by seeing it! When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. (Luke 24:50-52) Here we read about the effect it had on those who witnessed it, “Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” So finally we have an answer to the question Jesus had posed to those who were trying to figure out, if they would follow Him. What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
Have you received sufficient evidence that Jesus did in fact ascend into heaven? In the Gospel of John we read about what the status of belief in Jesus was when He had asked His disciples if they too wanted to leave Him, or if they would believe and follow Him. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. (John 7:5-7) This is of course before He had died on the cross, arisen from the dead and had not yet ascended. We do not have the excuse that these people did, because we have experienced these events through reading about it in God’s Book!
Jesus once said He did not come to remove the law but instead to fulfill it. Do you believe Jesus is the only one to follow, through this life to end up in heaven with Him? Then what is most precious to you in this life? Are you working to please mankind or are you trying to emulate Jesus? Do you believe that God has maintained His Book, and that it must not be changed? Jesus seemed to believe that way. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. (Luke 16:15-17) We now have the “Good News” about the kingdom of God to share.
Do you love things that God detests? Do you believe God’s Word enough to find time and desire to study it? Jesus said, any time is the right time for His followers to believe and share their belief with others! We have the good news; it is contained in “That Book!” “Then they worshipped him with great joy.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
If you enjoy Verse of the Week and want to share it with others feel free to forward it. You may subscribe to Verse Of the Week by sending an email to rlmoak@fuse.net.
To unsubscribe send an email to rlmoak@fuse.net and type “unsubscribe verseoftheweek” in the subject line.
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