Have you ever considered why we should study the Things The Bible Says or how the Bible has influenced you and others whether you read it or not?  How the Bible has shaped the Western society and culture? The fact is that even in the days of eroding family values, and an academic and political backlash to remove the Bible and its relevance, it is the most important document and influence for us.  It is just as relevant today as it has ever been. In fact, the Bible is so important it has influenced much we take for granted in the world from science, technology, and even our political system!

If we know why the Bible is important, then we can study the Bible more effectively!

It is an incredible privilege and exciting to hear and know God personally through His Word that has something important and precious to say to us. We get into God’s Word because it is the framework of the Living God. His principles, calls, and plans for us to know, grow, prosper in our lives. Whether you have

Mark D

General Idea: 
After having stayed in Samaria for two days, Jesus ventured back to His hometown of Galilee. During this journey, Jesus arrived at Cana, where He performed His first public miracle—turning the water into wine. There, He encountered a government official whose son was very sick, who begged Jesus to help and to heal him. It was the passionate plea of a desperate father seeking any help he could get; and the One of True Help was right there in his midst! Jesus started to follow him to where the sick child was, in Capernaum. Yet, Jesus was perplexed and even upset that people just wanted a show of signs and wonders without the real Wonder that went with it. They wanted the show without the substance. Since this is where Jesus grew up, where He and His father had their carpentry business, and where people knew Him as the carpenter, they were not willing to see Him as more than a carpenter. They did not show belief or the essential, forerunning aspect that goes before faith. Jesus saw the faith in this official but not in his own people. Then, He told him to go ahead home, where his son had been healed, as Jesus said, your son will live, and the official saw this become fact. In so doing, his faith was not just mere belief; it was faith and reason that spread to his entire family. 
 
Contexts and Background: 
The coming chapters will testify what real true healing is all about, that Jesus nailed our debt of sin to the Cross! He paid a debt that we could never afford to do by any means conceivable—not by works, or ideas, or experiences, or education, or service, or being good. If these things could add even an insignificant amount to our debt of grace, then Christ’s work on the cross would have been unnecessary and meaningless because we could have done it on our own! Our saving faith is by Christ alone—nothing to add, and nothing to declare except to receive His most precious free gift of grace by our faith alone— period! The question inlayed in this passage is what will we do now? How then shall we live? 
 
Devotional Thoughts: 
John chapter four is asking us if we should choose to do what is right or what others say is right. Do we go outside of our own cultural and racial boundaries so we can relate to others? We have to see that the Gospel is about relationships and the impacting, redeeming power of our Lord. It is not about traditions or culture or a show. Christianity is cross-cultural and deeply impacting; it is more concerned with people than with customs. It is not about easy belief; rather, it is about the impact of our Lord going deeply within us, so He is displayed and deployed outside of us. Here is Jesus calling for us to cross our social and personal barriers to pursue people with a faith that is real, deep, and strong. Jesus transcended His and her culture to minister to a person who would not have been associated with or helped. In so doing, He cut across strict cultural barriers of race and gender, pointing us to the unity and impact of the Gospel. Our Lord engaged in conversation with a moral outcast and showed mercy to a public official, modeling for us the proper approach with which a man relates to a woman and to someone in authority: with gentleness and kindness and in respect. He practices what he calls us to: listening, valuing, caring, and conviction, all converging with the Gospel. 
Jesus is directing us to look around and consider all the opportunities He has provided. What stops us? Is it our culture? Is it our fear? What about our past failures? Our expectations? Can we see what He has for us, the wonders of His grace and new life? Can we see His plan unfolding in front of us? Can we walk by faith, even when we are not sure where He is leading? Or, do we even see what is around us? Is the barrier so tall it blocks out the Son? Perhaps we are too busy running from what is ahead, taking the long road in a desert of despair and hopelessness. Our expectations must be in the reality and veracity of who Jesus Christ is, His perfection and activity, and what He came to do for us.

General Idea:
After having stayed in Samaria for two days, Jesus ventured back to His hometown of Galilee. During this journey, Jesus arrived at Cana, where He performed His first public miracle—turning the water into wine. There, He encountered a government official whose son was very sick, who begged Jesus to help and to heal him. It was the passionate plea of a desperate father seeking any help he could get; and the One of True Help was right there in his midst! Jesus started to follow him to where the sick child was, in Capernaum. Yet, Jesus was perplexed and even upset that people just wanted a show of signs and wonders without the real Wonder that went with it. They wanted the show without the substance. Since this is where Jesus grew up, where He and His father had their carpentry business, and where people knew Him as the carpenter, they were not willing to see Him as more than a carpenter. They did not show belief or the essential, forerunning aspect that goes before faith. Je

John 4:46-54 Jesus Heals!

General Idea: 
 
During the Passover, Jesus and His Disciples went to Jerusalem to celebrate and visit the Temple. Jesus saw shame and deception in the Temple as merchants were selling the wares for worship—even the animals needed for the sacrifice. This was an abomination. Jesus got mad and justly so; He fashioned a whip out of some rope and chased the deceptive merchants and their animals out of the Temple area. He overturned the tables and proclaimed, get these things out of here because you turned my Father’s House into a den of thieves and trade. Later, His Disciples remembered the prophecy from Scripture that, “passion for God’s house consumes me.” The Jewish leaders confronted Jesus and asked Him, by what sign does He do this and what authority do you have? Jesus responded, Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up. They were perplexed; it has been in construction for over forty years and you can rebuild it entirely in three days? But Jesus was referring to His Body as the Temple of God, and when He would be raised from the dead. This was a very important point for the Disciples, for when Jesus was killed and then He came back, this event helped cement in their minds and hearts who and what Jesus was; fully God, as revealed by the prophecy of Scripture and by Jesus’ words too. Jesus did many miracles. Many people started to believe that He was indeed the Promised Messiah! 
 
Contexts and Background: 
 
The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of the coming LORD. Here we find convergences of Old Testament prophecy and Jesus’ prophecy that later helps motivate and rally His Disciples after Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection. 
 
A contradiction here? Matthew, Mark, and Luke record that Jesus cleansed the Temple during the week that led up to Jesus’ betrayal and Crucifixion. John seems to indicate that Jesus did this right after the Cana wedding. Only John records Jesus’ statement and challenge that if they would destroy this temple He would raise it up. Also, Matthew indicates that this event was the basis of the false charges for Jesus’ arrest and mock trial, and taunting at the cross from the mob. The significant differences and timeline indicate that Jesus cleared out the Temple at least twice (Matt. 21: 1-17; 26:61; 27:40; Mark 11:15; 14:58; 15:15-19, 29; Acts 16:14). 
Devotional Thoughts 
 
One of the deficiencies and fickleness of character that humans have is the tendency of being shallow. We like a charismatic speaker over being told the truth, a flashy dresser over something practical, and a celebrity over an intellectual or even a friend. We want a religion that does not convict or teach because we want to indulge ourselves with what we want and to feel good. We want our ears tickled and our problems solved; we want to feel good but we do not want to grow in faith or learn from adversity. We want comfort and not have to bother with the time and work that true spiritual formation takes. Jesus walked away from these people who were flocking to Him. The question we must ask, is how shallow am I? Where do I need conviction; in what areas do I need to grow? And then, we need to get up and follow Him who comforts and assists us to do it. 
Watch the Eternal Life video here: https://youtu.be/gfAxzvU1ofQ 
 
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General Idea:

During the Passover, Jesus and His Disciples went to Jerusalem to celebrate and visit the Temple. Jesus saw shame and deception in the Temple as merchants were selling the wares for worship—even the animals needed for the sacrifice. This was an abomination. Jesus got mad and justly so; He fashioned a whip out of some rope and chased the deceptive merchants and their animals out of the Temple area. He overturned the tables and proclaimed, get these things out of here because you turned my Father’s House into a den of thieves and trade. Later, His Disciples remembered the prophecy from Scripture that, “passion for God’s house consumes me.” The Jewish leaders confronted Jesus and asked Him, by what sign does He do this and what authority do you have? Jesus responded, Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up. They were perplexed; it has been in construction for over forty years and you can rebuild it entirely in three days? But Jesus was referring to His Body

John 2:13-25 Bible Study.  Cleansing the Temple

For the full description and the COMMENTARY—WORD AND PHRASE MEANINGS, etc. go the http://ThingsTheBibleSays.com 
 
General Idea: The following day after the baptism, Jesus walked by John the Baptist and he proclaimed, Look, there is the Lamb of God. Then Jesus began to call His twelve Disciples personally. He used different approaches that seemed daring and obscure. Using a direct approach, a challenge (“Why do you want this?”) He used them to call others too. Then, two of John’s disciples, John and Andrew, started to follow Jesus, but He challenged them, asking “what do you want?” He called His first two disciples with a challenge; Andrew, the first one, was so excited he told his brother Simon he had found the Messiah. Then, they stayed with Jesus. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter; He then went to Galilee to call the other Disciples. He called Philip who was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Philip got so excited; he told Nathanael that he found the One about whom the Prophets foretold. Nathanael could not believe that the Messiah could come from such a rough part of the county as Nazareth, but Jesus reassured him by telling him who and where He was and Nathanael believed and proclaimed that Jesus was the King of Israel and the Son of God. Jesus told him, “you will see even greater things—even heaven opening up with all the angels going up and down.” 
 
Contexts and Background: 
This passage is about transitions. The first transition is John the Baptist, who lived in the age of Law, and his ministry was preparatory to Christ. He transitioned his ministry and mission and his disciples over to Jesus the Christ. The new age and Covenant begins from the age of Law to the Covenant of grace. Jesus becomes the Bride as the Church is (Matt. 11:1-19; John 3:29; Eph. 5:25-27, 32). The second transition is the Disciples migrating from their positions to His position. Jesus is calling His first followers, those with whom He would spend three, close, intimate years, teaching them all they needed so to know God. They would be the authority to be the foundation that Christ used to form the Church to worship Him and proclaim the new age of the Kingdom of God. Jesus transformed their lives from fisher-men to fishers-of-men, from the rough and dirty to the pure of heart with a bold purpose and mission. They would be transformed by grace and be the bearers of grace and the prime instruments by whom others would be transformed too. 
 
Devotional Thoughts: 
 
Look! Look to Christ! See who He is and what He has done! Jesus is the great Victim, the pure, sinless One who sacrificed Himself for the dirt of humanity and the dirt of life; He lived and breathed as we do, experienced all as we do so He would know our burden and then lift it from us. Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to save you and lift your burden from you and give you a triumphant, new, eternal life of real, effectual hope and wonders beyond wonder. Think about this: if each one of us was more like Andrew, excited about our faith and bringing even just one to the Gospel, how much stronger the Church would be; how much more could be done. 
 
Look! Look to Christ! This is the message that the preacher gives, not to have us look upon him but upon Him. Look to Christ and not to me. Any true Christian leader will always point people to Christ and not to themselves. Ministry and life are about Christ, not about “me;” it is not selfish or self-focused—it is always about Christ and nothing else matters. When a leader draws attention to himself or is prideful, it is a certainty he is not from above, but from down below; you can count on that they are up to no good. 
 
Watch the Eternal Life video here: https://youtu.be/gfAxzvU1ofQ

For the full description and the COMMENTARY—WORD AND PHRASE MEANINGS, etc. go the http://ThingsTheBibleSays.com 

General Idea:  The following day after the baptism, Jesus walked by John the Baptist and he proclaimed, Look, there is the Lamb of God. Then Jesus began to call His twelve Disciples personally. He used different approaches that seemed daring and obscure. Using a direct approach, a challenge (“Why do you want this?”) He used them to call others too. Then, two of John’s disciples, John and Andrew, started to follow Jesus, but He challenged them, asking “what do you want?” He called His first two disciples with a challenge; Andrew, the first one, was so excited he told his brother Simon he had found the Messiah. Then, they stayed with Jesus. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter; He then went to Galilee to call the other Disciples. He called Philip who was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Philip got so excited; he told Nathanael that he found the One about whom the Prophe

John 1:35-51 Bible Study. Jesus Calls His Disciples!

Welcome to our Bible Study series on the Book Of John. 
 
John 1:19-34 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah, then John Testifies about Jesus! 
 
For the full description and the COMMENTARY—WORD AND PHRASE MEANINGS, etc. go the http://ThingsTheBibleSays.com 
 
General Idea: 
 
John the Baptist is ministering near Bethany by the Jordan River, as he gives his mission and testimony to a group of religious leaders and their representatives. They were perplexed about him; was he the long awaited Messiah or some kind of Prophet or a second coming of Elijah? Who is this guy? They needed to know. John’s answer was equally perplexing, as he stated he was not the Messiah, as he quoted Isaiah saying: I am a mere voice proclaiming from the wilderness, prepare the straight and correct way of the LORD. Then they confronted John about his baptizing, and he replied saying, I merely baptize with water, he who comes will baptize with fire, and I am not worthy to even be His slave. 
 
After that, the talked-about One came; Jesus had finally arrived! John saw Him and proclaimed, 
Look! Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! He is the One I was talking about, He is the One of whom I said, “soon One who is far greater than I will come, for He existed long before I, and I baptize to point to Him and show my people Israel—here He is.” Then the Holy Spirit descended ever so tenderly like the gentleness of a dove coming from heaven and resting on Jesus. John proclaimed, He is the One to whom we are all looking and need; He is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and I testify that Jesus is the Son of God! 
 
Contexts and Background: 
 
The purpose of John’s ministry and baptism was one of preparation and repentance to prepare for Christ, to make us aware of our sin and need for a Savior. This was a very public event because our faith needs to be public and pronounced—a continual living event. Our Lord identified Himself and calls us to be identified in Him. The context is also about being loyal to God so that we cling to Him with faith and obedience. 
 
Devotional Thoughts: 
 
This passage is a picture of the character of Jesus, His humility, coming sacrifice, and His public vocation to be the sin-taker and bearer. He is like the Lamb who is brought to the altar into the presence of God; it is slaughtered, then sacrificed to appease God’s just wrath for sin so He can dispense His temporary grace. The lamb’s blood gives the sinner atonement, a temporary pass of grace, a covering to hide one’s heinous sin before a just and Holy God. Here, Jesus comes as that ultimate continual Lamb, as the suffering servant who reveals to us the Holy Spirit and the love and gentleness of God. He comes to us as the God of Truth who loves and cares, and gives us his everlasting undeserved and unmerited grace. He is the Lamb of God who comes to bear our sins, to take them upon himself, unburdening us and burdening Himself, and in so doing, taking our sins away. Then His blood will be shed for us, poured out for us, and His body will be broken for us as He covers us with His righteousness, giving us fullness and effectual life. He is the God who cares and who loves, in whom we can rely, put our faith in, and trust with everything (John 4:42)! 
 
The question is, if we trust in Christ, if we understand His character, how will we live? Are we living as we believe? If not, why not? Make a commitment to remove all obstructions! 
 
 
Watch the Eternal Life video here: https://youtu.be/gfAxzvU1ofQ

Welcome to our Bible Study series on the Book Of John. 

John 1:19-34    John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah, then John Testifies about Jesus! 

For the full description and the COMMENTARY—WORD AND PHRASE MEANINGS, etc. go the http://ThingsTheBibleSays.com 

General Idea: 

John the Baptist is ministering near Bethany by the Jordan River, as he gives his mission and testimony to a group of religious leaders and their representatives. They were perplexed about him; was he the long awaited Messiah or some kind of Prophet or a second coming of Elijah? Who is this guy? They needed to know. John’s answer was equally perplexing, as he stated he was not the Messiah, as he quoted Isaiah saying: I am a mere voice proclaiming from the wilderness, prepare the straight and correct way of the LORD. Then they confronted John about his baptizing, and he replied saying, I merely baptize with water, he who comes will baptize with fire, and I am not worthy to even be His slave.  

After that, the 

Mark D Videos

John 4:46-54 Jesus Heals!

John 2:13-25 Bible Study. Cleansing the Temple

John 1:35-51 Bible Study. Jesus Calls His Disciples!

John 1:19-34 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah, then John Testifies about Jesus!

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Mark D Videos

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John 4:46-54 Jesus Heals!

John 2:13-25 Bible Study. Cleansing the Temple

John 1:35-51 Bible Study. Jesus Calls His Disciples!

John 1:19-34 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah, then John Testifies about Jesus!

Description

Group of Brands