Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.
Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).
1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
What was the first miracle performed by Jesus in the Bible? Purpose and reasons for a miracle.
Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.
Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!
Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).
1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
What was the first miracle performed by Jesus in the Bible? Purpose and reasons for a miracle.
As we continue with the Lord’s first miracle, we need to understand some of the reasons why our Lord performed it at a wedding ceremony.
So, we begin with a question: What is the purpose and reasons of a miracle?
1. A miracle is not something in or of itself, a miracle, like a parable, is designed by God to reveal something about the individual who performs the miracle and the words or the message that He is about to teach.
2. Miracles were used by our Lord to teach others, whether believers or unbelievers, the message that is about to be revealed by the supernatural power of God which is designed to convey who the man is and what the message is all about.
3. The easiest definition of a miracle falls under the principle that it is not the man but the message that truly counts.
However, we are about to enter into a study that the average believer knows nothing about, and that leads us to my fourth principle;
4. The man who is about to perform the miracle is God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires those who are watching and listening to understand His message and His miracle, which is the manifestation of His glory.
5. The Man and His message are both working together to introduce to Israel that their Messiah has arrived and He is right before their eyes and about to perform a miracle right here at the wedding of Cana. And even though the majority of believers do not really understand who the man is and what He is about to teach them by means of a miracle, we all need to make sure that we understand who He is and what He desires from all those who follow Him.
Most believers say they know the Lord Jesus Christ and Who He truly is but they do not understand the man and the message working together right before their eyes?
Just like today, the average believer misses the Lord right before their eyes and they do not understand who He is and what He says. As the good doctor says, that is Luke who worked with the apostle Paul wrote in Lk 1:68, “Blessed {be} the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people.
Notice that the Lord visits us every day in some way, yet many miss the visitation of the Lord because they are pre-occupied with other things rather than the Word of God. This is another reason that the Apostle Paul said in 2Ti 2:1-4, You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with {me,} as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [Then the purpose and reasons are given to us] No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
Mat 13:19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.”
6. What makes this first miracle different and distinct from all the other miracles that our Lord will perform is that as you have heard me say this hundreds of times that it is not the man but the message that counts.
7. What makes this miracle stand out from many other miracles is that both the Man and the message is present so that no one can say about this miracle, “It is not the man but the message that counts.”
When both the man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the message, the manifestation of His glory, are right before their eyes and they missed out on the visitation of our Lord because they were preoccupied with other things of this world.
This is one of the reasons why the apostle John wrote in 1Jo 2:7 Beloved [members of the Royal family], I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment which you have heard.
This refers to the love that was provided and taught to all the believers in the Torah, which really refers to the ways that the Old Testament believers were taught.
The Torah can refer to the entire Old Testament or the first five books in the Old Testament which are the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are also called the Law.
In 1Jo 2:7-8, look what the apostle John says, Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 1Jo 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
And where does that true light shine today? It shines in the believers who know and realize that they are the light of the world. This principle was revealed with the woman who the Pharisees said was caught in adultery, and our Lord said in Jn 8:12, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” The light of life refers to believers who let it shine.
They are identified by our Lord beginning in Mat 5:13-15, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty {again}? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do {men} light a lamp, and put it under the peck measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
And then here is another reason why we should let our light before men in Mat 5:16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Back in 1Jo 2:9-14, The one who says that he or she is in the light and {yet} hates their fellow brothers is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Then notice one of the commands that the apostle John gives us. 1Jo 2:15-17, Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (feeding the carnal nature) and the lust of the eyes (coveting what others have) and the boastful pride of life (bragging about their victories in their arrogance), is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and {also} its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
“Abiding forever” is a reference to the believers who have lived their life for the Lord in both time and eternity.
1Jo 2:8-12, On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. The one who says he is in the light and {yet} hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children [those who just became a believer], because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
This means that you and I have been forgiven for “His name’s sake” because, as Hab 1:13 says that He cannot even look upon sin and therefore He forgives us so that His justice and righteousness is now satisfied and He is free to love us without compromising His character and His nature.
1Jo 2:13-14, I am [presently] writing to you, fathers [those who have reached the adult spiritual life and are growing up to spiritual maturity as they live the adult spiritual life], because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men [believers who have been saved and growing], because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children [new believers], because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers [in the past], because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men [those who are zealous for the Word of God], because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
The evil one refers to Satan and his kingdom of darkness.
And then the divine command is given by the Apostle John in 1Jo 2:15-17, Do not love the world [that does not mean not the people of the world but the system of the world which we call the cosmic system] Nor, do not love the things in the world [or the things in the cosmic system]. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and {also} its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
Now, that’s a lot of information you have just read. The reason is that one of the main commands to pastors is to study and teach, study and teach and pray until he is exhausted (1Ti 5:17). And never feel sorry for a pastor who is exhausted because he is doing his job. He is doing what God the Holy Spirit empowered him to do. He is to study and teach; Study and teach; He is also told to pray.
In 1Ti 5:17, Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
The word for the elders is the masculine noun called presbuteros (pres-boo’-ter-os); and it refers to the males who teach doctrine as an elder to those who are listening. The word presbuteros is interesting because today there are many churches called Presbyterians, and the word that they use is the word presbuteros which does not mean elders but it means literally the “Old Man in charge.”
In fact, go to Ac 5 and look at what happened in the early church.
Ac 5:37-6:7, “After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away {some} people after him, he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then} released them.
So, they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for {His} name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus {as} the Christ. Now at this time while the disciples were increasing {in number,} a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic {Jews} against the {native} Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving {of food}.
And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. [Next the role of the pastor is defined]. But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
A miracle is God revealing to man and showing Himself to man so He can get man’s attention. Mankind is so weak and frail, and mankind walks by sight, therefore, man constantly needs something to get his attention. Knowing man is weak and walks by sight and not by faith knowing man needs illustrations and examples, we need divine power illustrated for us. If God just said I have all the power, I can do anything, the average believer would not believe it. But when God raises someone from the dead and changes water into wine then God can get your attention and that’s just what a miracle is designed for. A miracle is also God using what impresses man to get His attention. This is why the early apostles performed many miracles because they wanted to get the attention of the people in that city.
After performing a miracle, the people would listen to the ones who performed the miracle and the messages that they are about to reveal to man. Remember it’s never the man or the miracles that is the issue, it is the message that the miracle is used to draw attention to man. Now, at this time Jesus only had 6 disciples. Most scholars believe that Andrew, Peter, James, John, Philip and Nathaniel were the first disciples of our Lord. This doesn’t accomplish the goals that the Lord had for all of His disciples, including Judas Iscariot.
It is important to note that the six disciples who represented our Lord’s new followers because there are 6 waterpots that are empty vessels, made of stone, (which speaks about people who have been hard all their life or have lived in the hardness of the heart). So, Jesus said “fill those vessels of stone with water” and I will turn it into wine (the fruit of the Spirit). There is a very beautiful illustration of the principle that Jesus could take a stone or a vessel. A type of a stone hearted person that’s empty and fill it with the water that He will turn into the wine of the Holy Spirit. Back to the miracle and the message.
Jn 2:3-6, And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
In this verse, Jn 2:6, the Lord uses the original Greek language noun Hudria which is translated waterpots, or vessels, to describe that the Lord uses these vessels to fill them up with the Spirit of God. And so, the six waterpots or vessels represented six followers of our Lord, some who came from following John the Baptist along with some our Lord chose before He went to the wedding.
No longer were the Jews to be cleansed by the ceremony of pouring water into the vessels or the waterpots and then wash them all inside and then empty the water that was used to cleanse them out all of the water and pour new water in the vessel. They were just to fill the vessel to the brim then pour the pure clean water into the waterpots or the vessels but now they could be cleansed by believing upon the Lord and enjoy the life that He gave you.
So, He tells the servants to draw water and fill the jars or put clean water in the waterpots or the empty vessels for the Jewish custom of purification. Instead, our Lord told them to bring the water to the headwaiter and let him test it so He can taste it to see if it was good enough to drink, which he drank it and found it to be heavenly wine.
Jn 2:7-11, Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.
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