One of the truths conveyed in this verse is that of the Trinity, since it definitely indicates two beings were present "in the beginning" when it says that the "Word was with God." To be with someone, there has to be another someone, doesn't there?
Does the concept of the Trinity bother you? I know that it is troublesome to some people. How can we say we serve one God, but that God is three persons...for some, that just doesn't seem to jive.
Here's the way of looking at it that made it clearest for me...there are many other analogies...but the way I look at it is, I am me. I am Janice. But I am Janice in the body (the Janice you see), I am Janice in my mind (the Janice that thinks/reasons/expresses herself) and I am Janice in my soul (my spiritual/eternal being that will live on forever). Each of these are separate parts of me, and individually identified, but they are all me. I think in much the same way that is how God is. I even think that may be why God said, "Let us make man in our image." Just as God is triune, we are images of that trinity. And quite possibly, even in the same identities...
Jesus Christ - the bodily image of God, the part of God tied to humanity and Savior of humanity;
God the Father - the mind, the driving force behind it all, the planner;
Holy Spirit - the spiritual presence of God.
Consider Matthew 22:37, "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
Heart - in Greek, "Kardia" - that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life
Soul - in Greek, "Psuche" - the breath of life
Mind - in Greek, "Dianoia" - faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring; imagination
I think God is asking us to fully relate to Him with the fullness of us in a mirror relationship.
This is, as Beth Moore would say, one of those things you might "pencil in" somewhere, and possibly with an eraser at your fingertips! It is certainly nothing that I'm saying is unwavering truth. But something to ponder....and maybe, hopefully, help us to see our God a little clearer.
Loving His Amazing Word!
Will be back in touch Sunday evening/Monday morning for two more days of this power-packed verse!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Day 3 - Week 2 - John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
I read this in Matthew Henry's Commentary and it made a lot of sense to me, "The plainest reason why the Son of God is called the Word, seems to be, that as our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent in order to reveal his Father's mind to the world."
So in light of that, everything we hear Jesus say and see Him do while He is on earth, we can know is revelation of the mind of God. When we see Jesus being compassionate, we know that is what God is like; when we hear Jesus condemning the Pharisee's hypocritical attitudes, or watch Him clearing the temple of mercenaries, we know those are things that God hates. When we see Christ hang on a cross and die for us, we can know that we have a God who loves man so deeply that He would express it in a manner that we would have never thought of. And when we see Jesus Christ resurrected, we can know that God is powerful enough to have authority over death.
I've often thought that one aspect of Jesus's mission on earth was to assure mankind that they serve a God worthy of serving, and One who truly cares about His creation. Not a god like the ones pagans worshipped, that constantly needed appeasing to prevent their anger from being vented toward mankind, but a God who loves His creation so much that He would suffer on their behalf, and in return only ask for our hearts to be turned toward Him, to seek Him, and to have relationship with Him.
Jesus Christ, the Living Word --- Son of God --- our Savior and Redeemer!
So in light of that, everything we hear Jesus say and see Him do while He is on earth, we can know is revelation of the mind of God. When we see Jesus being compassionate, we know that is what God is like; when we hear Jesus condemning the Pharisee's hypocritical attitudes, or watch Him clearing the temple of mercenaries, we know those are things that God hates. When we see Christ hang on a cross and die for us, we can know that we have a God who loves man so deeply that He would express it in a manner that we would have never thought of. And when we see Jesus Christ resurrected, we can know that God is powerful enough to have authority over death.
I've often thought that one aspect of Jesus's mission on earth was to assure mankind that they serve a God worthy of serving, and One who truly cares about His creation. Not a god like the ones pagans worshipped, that constantly needed appeasing to prevent their anger from being vented toward mankind, but a God who loves His creation so much that He would suffer on their behalf, and in return only ask for our hearts to be turned toward Him, to seek Him, and to have relationship with Him.
Jesus Christ, the Living Word --- Son of God --- our Savior and Redeemer!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Day 2 - Week 2 - John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
So have you spent part of your day pondering these words and what they might mean to you? It's a hard one to get out of your head, a little bit like a riddle that you just cant quite figure out and until you do, it's all you can think of.
For some reason, John is the only one in Scripture who refers to Jesus as the Word. Again in 1 John 5:7, he says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one." So, somewhat in algebraic style, we know we can substitute Jesus' name in place of "the Word", so that our verse would now read, "In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God." Does that make it clearer for us?
As I said yesterday, John's gospel is intent on convincing his audience that Jesus, the man that they saw so many years ago on earth, the man that they followed, the man that they saw crucified, and that saw resurrected and ascending into heaven, was and is God, nothing else, nothing less.
Max Lucado writes a very touching vignette regarding John's writing of his gospel...he writes words that make you able to envision this old disciple of Jesus, starting to pen the words that we are now memorizing...
He’s an old man, this one who sits on the stool and leans against the wall. Eyes closed and face soft, were it not for his hand stroking his beard, you’d think he was asleep....he is not resting. He is traveling...he journeys back, back, back until he is young again. Strong again. There again. There on the seashore with James and the apostles. There on the trail with the disciples and the women. There in the Temple with Caiaphas and the accusers. It’s been sixty years, but John seems him still. The decades took John’s strength, but they didn’t take his memory. The years dulled his sight, but they didn’t dull his vision. The seasons may have wrinkled his face, but they didn’t soften his love.
He had been with God. God had been with him. How could he forget?
For some reason, John is the only one in Scripture who refers to Jesus as the Word. Again in 1 John 5:7, he says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one." So, somewhat in algebraic style, we know we can substitute Jesus' name in place of "the Word", so that our verse would now read, "In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God." Does that make it clearer for us?
As I said yesterday, John's gospel is intent on convincing his audience that Jesus, the man that they saw so many years ago on earth, the man that they followed, the man that they saw crucified, and that saw resurrected and ascending into heaven, was and is God, nothing else, nothing less.
Max Lucado writes a very touching vignette regarding John's writing of his gospel...he writes words that make you able to envision this old disciple of Jesus, starting to pen the words that we are now memorizing...
He’s an old man, this one who sits on the stool and leans against the wall. Eyes closed and face soft, were it not for his hand stroking his beard, you’d think he was asleep....he is not resting. He is traveling...he journeys back, back, back until he is young again. Strong again. There again. There on the seashore with James and the apostles. There on the trail with the disciples and the women. There in the Temple with Caiaphas and the accusers. It’s been sixty years, but John seems him still. The decades took John’s strength, but they didn’t take his memory. The years dulled his sight, but they didn’t dull his vision. The seasons may have wrinkled his face, but they didn’t soften his love.
He had been with God. God had been with him. How could he forget?
The wine that moments before had been water - John could still taste it.
The mud placed on the eyes of the blind man in Jerusalem - John could still remember it.
The aroma of Mary’s perfume as it filled the room - John could still smell it.
And the voice, oh the voice. His voice. John could still hear it....John could hear him, John could see him. Scenes branded on his heart. Words seared into his soul. John would never forget. How could he? He had been there....most who were there are dead. Peter is. So is James. Nathaneal, Martha, Bartholomew. They are all gone. Even Paul, the apostle who came late, is dead. Only John remains...what will happen when John is gone? Who will tell them how Jesus silenced the waves? Will they hear how he fed the thousands? Will they remember how he prayed for unity? How will they know? If only they could have been there. Suddenly, in his heart, he knows what to do. Later, under the light of a sunlit shaft, the old fisherman unfolds the scroll and begins to write the story of his life.... 'In the beginning was the Word...’ ”
Let's join John in his fervency of declaring Jesus Christ as none other than Holy God, nothing else, nothing less.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Day 1 - Week 2 - .....drum roll please......
Hope you're feeling a sense of anticipation like I am! It's exciting to think that we're moving on to the second verse to add to our hearts. We've started...it's official...we're adding the second verse! And here it is....
John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Pretty simple verse in the words we're to remember---but we don't just want to remember words. We have to grab hold of the meaning of the words for it to be worthwhile in adding them to our hearts. Just words don't have any power---the power is in understanding. And this one is d-e-e-p! It touches on so many of the mysteries of God, of the Trinity and of Jesus Christ, all in these 17 simple words.
The first thing that has to be understood that in this verse, the Greek word that is translated to "the Word" in our modern translations is lovgoß, logos, from which we get our word, logic. According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, "A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus first used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. This word was well suited to John's purpose in John 1."
Strong's also says, "In John, [logos] denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds."
Wow - this is weighty stuff! Don't you find it poetic that our introduction to God in Genesis, and John's introduction to us of Jesus Christ begins the same..."In the beginning." John's goal in writing his gospel was to convince everyone who read it that Jesus is truly God. He didn't waste any time in starting to make his point, did he?
In Robert J. Morgan's book, "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart", he says, that this verse, "...speaks of our Christ's preexistence: In the beginning was the Word. It also speaks of His coexistence: And the Word was with God. And John 1:1 speaks of His divine existence: And the word was God."
Enough for tonight...we'll have a week to let the Holy Spirit open our eyes to more of His truth that comes with this nugget---your insights are just as important as mine! Share!
John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Pretty simple verse in the words we're to remember---but we don't just want to remember words. We have to grab hold of the meaning of the words for it to be worthwhile in adding them to our hearts. Just words don't have any power---the power is in understanding. And this one is d-e-e-p! It touches on so many of the mysteries of God, of the Trinity and of Jesus Christ, all in these 17 simple words.
The first thing that has to be understood that in this verse, the Greek word that is translated to "the Word" in our modern translations is lovgoß, logos, from which we get our word, logic. According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, "A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus first used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. This word was well suited to John's purpose in John 1."
Strong's also says, "In John, [logos] denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds."
Wow - this is weighty stuff! Don't you find it poetic that our introduction to God in Genesis, and John's introduction to us of Jesus Christ begins the same..."In the beginning." John's goal in writing his gospel was to convince everyone who read it that Jesus is truly God. He didn't waste any time in starting to make his point, did he?
In Robert J. Morgan's book, "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart", he says, that this verse, "...speaks of our Christ's preexistence: In the beginning was the Word. It also speaks of His coexistence: And the Word was with God. And John 1:1 speaks of His divine existence: And the word was God."
Enough for tonight...we'll have a week to let the Holy Spirit open our eyes to more of His truth that comes with this nugget---your insights are just as important as mine! Share!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Day 7 - Week 1 - Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
OK - this will be our last day for our first verse. Do you have it firmly embedded in your heart and in your mind? Have you pondered on it and has it again affected how you look at the images in your every day life? The night sky, the sunrise, the sound of the wind in the evening? When you hear a baby cry, when you wake in the morning and your body continues to function in the most miraculous of ways? Eyes that see, hands that move at your impulse, a nose that smells familiar fragrances that bring back wonderful memories.
No matter how you view the process of creation, is there no doubt in your mind Who started the process and Who guided it to completion?
Personally, I have no problem with the literal concept of a seven-day creation process. I mean God is God, right? God can do things that man would think would take a million years in the blink of an eye. I often think of the things that scientists find that they carbon date back to something like 12 billion years ago and think to myself, "Wouldn't it be funny if we find out that God created everything to look old, just as a test of faith?" Or maybe the process that God used to forge everything together is a process so totally out of man's realm of thinking that they don't get how it makes things appear aged---do we really think we can figure out just exactly how God put this whole universe together and does it really matter?
What does matter is that we don't ever override the fact that "God created" --- no chance occurrence, no random explosion of matter that caused life to appear from nothing. Our source of life is God and God alone. And when we have that firmly embedded in our hearts, then we can take the next steps of faith and trusting our lives to this most magnificent Creator of the universe.
Get ready for Week 2! We've had an easy one this week to get our brains in gear...so keep on track with me and we'll make progress together in this challenge that is set before us!
No matter how you view the process of creation, is there no doubt in your mind Who started the process and Who guided it to completion?
Personally, I have no problem with the literal concept of a seven-day creation process. I mean God is God, right? God can do things that man would think would take a million years in the blink of an eye. I often think of the things that scientists find that they carbon date back to something like 12 billion years ago and think to myself, "Wouldn't it be funny if we find out that God created everything to look old, just as a test of faith?" Or maybe the process that God used to forge everything together is a process so totally out of man's realm of thinking that they don't get how it makes things appear aged---do we really think we can figure out just exactly how God put this whole universe together and does it really matter?
What does matter is that we don't ever override the fact that "God created" --- no chance occurrence, no random explosion of matter that caused life to appear from nothing. Our source of life is God and God alone. And when we have that firmly embedded in our hearts, then we can take the next steps of faith and trusting our lives to this most magnificent Creator of the universe.
Get ready for Week 2! We've had an easy one this week to get our brains in gear...so keep on track with me and we'll make progress together in this challenge that is set before us!
Day 6 - Week 1 - Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
What do you say on a day like today? A day when many people in our very community, our immediate area, lost their homes to crazy and uncontrollable wildfires? What do you say in the light of the fact that we are trying to soak in the knowledge of God's creation and His hand in all of creation? Truth is, I don't know what you say. I don't know why these horrific things happen, why creation turns on us with natural disasters that have incredibly devastatating results. I'm not theologically wise enough (I'm not sure anyone is) to know if God causes, if God allows, or if God isn't involved at all. (I just throw in that last option because I know there are highly studied people of religion who hold to the belief that God has set the universe in motion and now, stands back, allowing man to make of it what we will. Personally, I hold that view as worthless to me---I need to know that God is always at work, just as Jesus confirmed in John 5:16.)
All I can know is that God knows and that God cares ---He knows those who are suffering, those whose hearts are broken and those that may be at just the point in their life where they are willing and ready to feel His embrace. Psalm 34:18 tell us that "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." I pray for all those hurting tonight --- all those who have lost homes --- and I pray that someone is there, ready to share with them the love of God. Either through a hug, a hand of help or a prayer shared. I pray that I will show God's compassion and love to all those who need it this week. I am so thankful that no lives have been lost.
I hear that the Salvation Army and the Downtown Women's Center are both gathering goods. Be generous --- share God's love. But most importantly, be ready to share the hope that is within you so that others may have hope of a better day.
All I can know is that God knows and that God cares ---He knows those who are suffering, those whose hearts are broken and those that may be at just the point in their life where they are willing and ready to feel His embrace. Psalm 34:18 tell us that "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." I pray for all those hurting tonight --- all those who have lost homes --- and I pray that someone is there, ready to share with them the love of God. Either through a hug, a hand of help or a prayer shared. I pray that I will show God's compassion and love to all those who need it this week. I am so thankful that no lives have been lost.
I hear that the Salvation Army and the Downtown Women's Center are both gathering goods. Be generous --- share God's love. But most importantly, be ready to share the hope that is within you so that others may have hope of a better day.
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