A Christian author helping people come to Jesus, helping people understand the Bible, ministering to a lost and hurting world, and speaking truth to power.
Good evening brothers and sisters. I wanted to take a minute to explain a few things. I had a good Christian brother that I met here on WordPress disagree with how I honored the victims of 9/11 today. He blocked me on his twitter and stopped following my blog. That is unfortunate, but it happens. Sometimes Christian brothers disagree on things. Peace to you brother.
I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog! I appreciate you all even though we sometimes have different views on things. This site is a place where you are going to hear the truth. Some of it might be hard to hear, but I won’t apologize for speaking the truth. We are to preach the Truth of the Gospel and speak truth to power regarding issues in our society. Jesus and the Apostles did the same thing.
I honored my mother in law who passed away six years ago today. I also honored our fallen brothers and sisters today by encouraging people to seek the truth, sharing Bible verses, and saying prayers. My posts regarding 9/11 were not meant to be offensive in any way and I was not talking about politics. I was speaking truth regarding something I care deeply about because I love my country deeply, and I want justice for those who died. It had nothing to do with politics! I want to make that very clear. I was told what I was talking about was the same thing as talking about politics at a funeral. That is not at all what I was doing! I rebuke that sinful assessment of my writing in the Name of Jesus!
I have made it very clear many times on my blog that I will always be real, open, and honest about what I believe. I am not going to back down from that. If I offended you in any way, it is always your prerogative to leave my site. Just don’t tweet angry emojis or cuss in your blog posts about it. You are wasting your breath, you will just need to repent later, and it’s not going to phase me in the least anyway.
Nobody is going to step on my ministry, and I will just keep marching for Christ. I have been serving Jesus and preaching the Gospel for almost 22 years and I am not stopping now! The better way to confront me would be to speak to me directly in an intelligent conversation. I am always up for a good conversation and I don’t mind hearing how someone might disagree with me as long as it is respectful. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We have freedom of speech and I am going to speak freely on my blog without fear of persecution or judgment, even from other Christians. I hope you do the same!
I know who I am in Jesus, and I am confident in Him. I know the Word of God and I am confident in that too. I will pick the truth up when it falls in the street, I will dust it off, and I will send it on its way. That applies to the Bible and to issues in society. I strive to speak the truth in love, and it was in love that I wrote all of my posts today.
I didn’t expect such harsh judgment from another brother in Christ. I love and forgive him. May God’s love wash over our hearts and may His will be done.
Grace and peace to you all!
In Christ Forever,
Ryan
This picture is in memory of my Mother in law Bev. I spent the day remembering her and those we lost on 9/11, and I did it with great respect and love in my heart!
Well folks, today is the 1 month anniversary for this blog! This will be my 95th post in 30 days, and I just want to give glory to God! Thank you all for your support and encouragement! The Lord brought to mind a great old TobyMac song this morning. It is a perfect way to start the day with our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
Don’t lose heart today brothers and sisters! The Lord is preparing great things for us! May we keep our eyes on our one true love and our only hope! He will break open the sky someday, and we will see His glory!
Please enjoy some peaceful praise and worship music from brother TobyMac this morning and may God bless you with a heart full of joy!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5
The Lord is making all things new, even now! He will wipe away every tear! Trust in that truth today!
“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”
“The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.”
1 Corinthians 16:19
Good morning and blessings to you all on this fine Sunday that the Lord has made! Thank you all for your prayers! They are being answered! I am feelin’ the Spirit and I would like to take you all to church today!
Now I know many of you have never gone to church and might not ever step foot in a church. I get that and I understand! Church can be weird for a lot of people. I also know many of you don’t even have access to a church. That’s okay! I am not talking about taking you to a building called church. I am talking about how the first century Christians had church…right in their homes!
The church is the worldwide body of believers known as the Body of Christ. Wherever we gather together to worship Jesus and learn about Him and His teachings is church. We are the church!
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:27
Every Holy Spirit anointed blog giving glory to Jesus and correctly preaching and teaching God’s Word, The Bible, is church! Church is any place a body of believers gathers together to learn about the Lord and grow in the knowledge, love, and grace of Jesus Christ. It is also a place where believers minister to and share Christ with people who don’t know Jesus yet in an environment of love, grace, and forgiveness. That is what you will find here! Straight truth from the Bible, a sole focus on Jesus, and lots of love, grace, and forgiveness!
“For I resolved to nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2
So, with that, welcome! I’m glad you are here! C’mon in!
You can even wear your jammies (or “jim jams” if you’re from Australia) at this church! Just like the ancient believers, we can meet and learn about Jesus and God’s Kingdom right from our own homes! Praise God we can use the internet for His glory!
Before the message, I just want to start with a prayer:
“Father God, I lift up every single person who reads this today. Open up our minds and hearts to Your Word. Please speak to us in the Holy Spirit and reveal yourself to us in new and mighty ways! Thank you Lord that you hear us. May Your will be done in all things. In the Name of Jesus, Amen!”
Ancient Corinth, Temple ruins
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians around 55 A.D. just a few years after establishing the church there. He wrote the letter due to distressing reports of the church being caught up in all kinds of sin: idolatry, sexual immorality, divisions, misusing spiritual gifts, and teaching lies being among the top. It is a serious letter of Paul rebuking and pleading with the church to remember their first love Jesus and hold fast to him.
Ancient Corinth by the seaAncient Corinth, Temple of Apollo
According to research on Corinth by David G. Horell, professor of New Testament Studies and director for the center of Biblical Studies at the University of Exeter, U.K.:
“The city lies at an important trading position about six miles to the southwest of the narrow isthmus that separates the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs. Ancient Corinth had two nearby ports: Lechaeum to the north and Cenchreae to the east. In ancient times, ships were pulled across the narrow stretch of land separating east and west on a paved road known as the diolkos.”
Isthmus of CorinthAncient Corinth, The TheaterAncient Corinth, Castle on the cliff AcrocorinthAncient Corinth, view from CastleAncient Corinth, view above CastleAncient Corinth Roman periodAncient Corinth Roman period
I would like to focus on one particular passage of Scripture from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He is talking about the Holy Spirit and How He searches all things. Paul is trying to impress on the new believers that they have very real power in the Holy Spirit! He wants them to understand that they should not live immorally now that they have God’s Spirit inside of them.
“However, as it is written:
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for
those who love him”–
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
Did you catch that? When you have the Holy Spirit, God allows you to know His thoughts through the Spirit! God gives us deep understanding and wisdom as the Spirit searches our hearts and minds. Did you know that? That the Holy Spirit searches you deeply, so that you can have more of the kind of thoughts God has? Yeah, it’s incredible!
We cannot even imagine the wonderful things God has prepared for us! The Holy Spirit searches us, so that we may know God better. To know Him deeply…even to the point of having His thoughts in our minds!
Paul continues with his explanation of the Spirit’s power in that passage:
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
“For who has known the
mind of the Lord
that he may instruct
him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:13-16
So, when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit and through God’s Spirit you have God’s thoughts and the mind of Christ! Like I said, incredible! Folks, the only reason I understand the Bible is because of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that leads me in the Word and teaches me. It is the Spirit empowering me to preach the Gospel. It is the Spirit refreshing and sanctifying my mind every day.
The Bible was foolishness to me and I did not understand it before I had the Holy Spirit. After I accepted Jesus in 1996, it was like the Words of the Bible were flying off the pages right into my mind and heart. It felt that way because that is exactly what the Holy Spirit does!
“..I will put my laws in their
minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my
people.”
Hebrews 8:10
The Holy Spirit actually deposits God’s Word in our minds and writes God’s Word on our hearts after we receive Jesus Christ as Lord! You are never going to understand the Bible in the spiritual power it was written in without the power of the Holy Spirit! You must have the mind of Christ!
For all of you who don’t know Jesus yet, you can come to know Him and receive the Holy Spirit today! God’s love is for all people on this earth. No matter where you are from, He died for you too. Repenting means turning away from your sin and turning towards God and living His Way instead. The Way to get back to the God Who created you is through His Son Jesus. The gift of forgiveness of sins and salvation through Jesus is a free gift you could never earn. I pray you receive that gift today!
May the Holy Spirit lift us all up today, search us deeply, and make our minds and hearts more like Jesus! In the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen!
Oh how very true that verse is for all of us! The tongue is a hard thing to control isn’t it? According to God’s Word, we must choose carefully what we say and how we say it.
The things we say come from our hearts. If our hearts are filled with righteousness, we will speak righteousness. If our hearts are filled with unrighteousness, we will speak unrighteousness. It’s just that simple.
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
Jesus speaking in Luke 6:45
So, whenever you speak, it is your heart talking. We need to make sure our hearts are filled with the right things then! Here is some excellent advice from the Apostle Paul on how to fill your heart with good things.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7
Getting all of that worry and anxiety out of your heart and mind will most definitely help you fill your heart with the goodness of God. Lift up everything to Him. Anything you can imagine or want to discuss! Give it all to Him! That will help you speak life with your tongue and not speak death. Did you know the tongue has that power? Yes, remember the verse above, it can spark destructive fires in our lives.
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21
Don’t love the tongue then! Speak life over yourself and others, and flee from speaking death! Here is more of God’s wisdom from the Book of Proverbs.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1
“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
Proverbs 15:2
“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
Proverbs 15:4
You can see how important it is to control our tongues. Since our hearts are tied to our tongues, let’s look at more Scripture about that. The Apostle Paul has more excellent advice on how to fill our hearts with the good things of God.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
That goes well beyond worldly positive thinking! In order to do that, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and the sealed hope of Heaven! And we do that by the power of the Holy Spirit! You are not going to speak evil or death when your heart is swimming in what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy!
When writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul encourages the believers to live as children of light. He does not want them speaking dirty or discouraging to each other. He wants them to lift each other up!
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29
Can you imagine how great our relationships would be if we stopped to think about other people’s needs and what is helpful for building others up first before we speak? That would definitely help tame our tongues! I pray we all do that, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!
In the Book of James is where we find the very famous Scriptures on taming the tongue. Let’s take a look at what James has to say about our ever restless tongues. It will help us see more clearly just how important it is to control it.
“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
James 3:2-6
Whoa! That’s intense! I don’t want my tongue set on fire by hell, and I definitely don’t want to hurt or burn anyone with it! It is amazing that we can control the entire course of our lives with our tongue! What a great freedom and a most serious responsibility! So serious it holds the power of life and death!
“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
James 3:7-12″
Folks, I am writing this today because I have a deep conviction about this. I struggled with my tongue for years as I suffered Celiac. I was angry about the disease and I let my tongue fly wildly way too many times! I burned and hurt my family and friends, and I had to ask for forgiveness. I had trouble with bad language and slander, and the Lord set me straight with all these verses! Please hear me, the Lord cares very much about what you say and how you say it. As Ambassadors of Christ, please remember this. We are not representing ourselves. We are representing Jesus. I pray that the Lord will empower us in the Holy Spirit to speak life wherever we go!
Speak life into your heart!
Speak life into your health!
Speak life into your marriage!
Speak life into your kids!
Speak life into your friendships!
Speak life into your work!
Speak life into everything!
If you are struggling with your tongue (and we all do at some point), then hand it over to the Lord. The Holy Spirit will remove the unwholesome talk from your heart and bring peace. This is a very effective prayer I prayed for many years and I still do:
“Lord Jesus, please give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name and love you first. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Help me be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to become angry. Deliver me from anger and heal my heart Lord. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me speak life Lord! Amen!”
James gives us more wise advice that we can use to tame our tongues.
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the world planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
James 1:19-22
So, in order to live that way we must humbly accept God’s word that has been planted in us and do what it says. More of God’s Word in our hearts=more taming of the tongue. Praise God He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us and His Spirit is full of power, love, and self-discipline! We need that power and love to be self-controlled, especially when it comes to our tongues! Put that burning tongue of fire on ice with God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit today! It is very refreshing and you’ll be glad you did!
I had a great drive running around town doing my errands! I was listening to music with the windows down just praising and celebrating the Lord! It is a beautiful Colorado day with a nice cool breeze from the Rockies, and I give glory to God for it all!
Photo I just snapped looking east off our back deck 9-7-18.God is awesome! Glory to God!
Here is another great song by Tauren Wells off of his album “Hills and Valleys”! This song also features another Christian artist named Hollyn. She came on the scene a few years ago, and she is a strong sister making a cool and unique impact in Christ. May we all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and reflect His love to a lost and hurting world! Amen!
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:3
Good morning everyone! I have some errands I have to do this morning, but I wanted to post a blessing to you all before I head out.
Grace and peace. Think on those two words today!
Grace in that God loves us so much that He died for us and forgave all of our sins!
Peace that flows like a river of living water inside our souls!
Grace and peace are yours from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! That mighty free gift to us is paid for in full through the Blood of Jesus! All you have to do is freely receive it!
I just published a piece called “Jesus & His 7 “I am” Statements.” However, there is one more big “I am” statement that I did not mention, but it is vital in fully understanding who Jesus is.
In the beginning of His ministry, the ruling Jews tried to accuse Jesus of being possessed by a demon because of the claims He was making about Himself. This accusation prompted a fascinating conversation through which Jesus was able to explain who He really is.
“The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
John 8:48-58
Folks, that is an incredibly bold statement! Why? Because Jesus was telling them that He is God! Jesus was born through the lineage of Abraham through the covenant of Isaac. I wrote a piece about that titled “Nothing Is Impossible” just a few days ago.
“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.”
Matthew 1:17
Nobody else on earth has ever said “I am” when speaking about themselves, except for God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, and we learned that way back when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush!
“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
Exodus 3:14
The ruling Jews of the day knew exactly what Jesus was saying about Himself when He said, “before Abraham was born, I am!” They knew who Abraham was and they knew who I AM is, and since Jesus is before Abraham and called Himself I am, then He is God! This was an infuriating statement to the ruling Pharisees of the day. What was their response? Well, they wanted to kill him!
“At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
John 8:59
They were not able to touch Jesus yet because He is God and it was not His time to die for us yet. God decided when it was time for that, not men. He is I AM!
“..while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Jesus made some very bold and amazing statements while He was on earth. I would like to take a look at 7 major statements that Jesus made to tell us who He is. These statements still stand today, and they will for eternity! This post will be a longer and more in depth Bible study of these statements.
In the Gospel of John is where we will find these 7 life changing statements. After Jesus performs the miracle of feeding 5,000 people with only “five small barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:1-15) and after He walks on water (John 6:16-21), He begins to explain who He is in a unique way the next day. The crowd of people who enjoyed the miracle of the bread and fish take their boats to find Jesus in Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee (the lake), and Jesus begins to preach to them.
Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee
“Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.””
John 6:26-29
Notice that Jesus said “the work” not “works.” There is only thing God requires to be saved, and that is to believe in the One He sent, and that is Jesus.
“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
John 6:32-34
I love that! They were just like us. They must have looked at each other and said, “well that sounds good to me, give us that bread then!” I love the answer Jesus gives them even more!
He is the Bread of Life!
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35
What Jesus means is that He is living food and water for our souls! When we believe in Him, our souls will never go hungry or thirsty again!
In John chapter 8:1-11 we find the beautiful account of Jesus forgiving the woman who was caught in adultery. Jesus was teaching in the temple courts at the Mount of Olives when the ruling Pharisees brought the woman in to stone her to death according to the law. They were also using her to test Jesus and make Him look bad and challenge His authority.
“But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
John 8:6-7
Everyone ends up walking away and not a single person throws a stone at her! After this amazing scene of forgiveness and authority from Jesus, He speaks to the woman.
“Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one sir, ” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:10-11
Jesus can and will forgive any sin of every sinner on this earth. That woman had just been caught “in the act of adultery” and was literally pulled out of bed and dragged into the temple courts to be judged and killed, but Jesus forgave her and saved her right in the midst of her sin. He loved her and set her free to live a life of righteousness! He then turns to the people and gives them another piece of who He is.
He is the Light of the world!
“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.””
John 8:12
Again, Jesus means that He is the light for your soul! When you believe in Jesus, you will no longer walk in the spiritual darkness of this world. You will have the light of life!
Jesus also says “I am the light of the world” in John 9:5 just before He heals a man who was born blind and restores his site!
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”
John 9:5-7
In John 10:1-18 Jesus uses a parable of a shepherd and his sheep to explain who He is:
“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
John 10:1-3
He is The Gate!
“Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:7-10
What Jesus is saying is that He is the only way to Heaven. He is the gate by which you must enter. There is no other way inside. He is the full life we desire in our hearts!
He is The Good Shepherd!
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me–just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 10:14-15
Jesus most definitely laid down His life for all of us when He willingly died on that cross to forgive the sins of all mankind! John 3:16 is a famous verse for a reason folks. Read it and believe it, it is the truth!
John 11:1-44 records the amazing miracle of a man named Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus! He was the brother of Mary and Martha. This Mary is the one who wiped the Lord’s feet with perfume and her hair. Jesus knew this family well and he loved them. Mary and her sister Martha send someone to tell Jesus their brother is sick because they know He can heal him.
“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”
John 11:4-6
By the time Jesus gets back to Judea to help Lazarus, he has been dead lying in a tomb for four days. Mary and Martha are upset that He didn’t come earlier to prevent their brother’s death, and Martha questions Him about his delay.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
John 11:21-24
He is The Resurrection and the Life!
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
That is a huge statement and a huge promise! Praise God! Mary’s answer to Jesus is spot on too!
“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
John 11:27
Good answer Martha! Right after the conversation, Jesus gets up, goes to the tomb where Lazarus has been laid to rest, and He raises him back to life!
“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.”
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:43-44
If you want the grave clothes of this dark spiritual world off of you, then turn to Jesus and He will set you free! He will take them off of you and let you go in peace! By the way, the Lazarus miracle still happens in our time. Ask me about what happened when I stopped breathing in 2012! I’m still here because of Jesus! Hallelujah!
Before Jesus was crucified, He spent time with His disciples comforting them and praying for them. He let them know that He would be leaving them soon and He did not want them to be troubled. In this moment, we learn more about who Jesus is.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
John 14:1-5
Yes, that was Thomas the doubting one. I love his childlike heart though, asking a straightforward question with his finite human understanding. He is like us. We all like having good directions, so we can arrive at our destination safely. The answer Jesus gives Thomas is the Gospel, that is, the good news of Jesus Christ.
He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life!
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
That, my friends, is the way you end up in Heaven safely!
He is The True Vine!
In John 15:1-5 Jesus uses an analogy of a vine and the branches to illustrate who He is:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:1-5
If you want to bear righteous fruit in your life that pleases God, then believe in Jesus and remain in Him. He is the vine, we who believe are the branches, and we bear that fruit because of Him! Amen!
Here are those 7 statements that Jesus made about Himself:
I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the gate.
I am the shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way and the truth and the life.
I am the true vine.
For those of you who don’t know Jesus yet, please consider these statements in your heart and just imagine what Jesus can do for your life and your soul! He proved that He is indeed all of those things, and those are not only statements, they are promises!
Grace and peace to you all!
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
That is very good advice from the Apostle Peter! I pray that all of us who know and love Jesus will live like that in the power of the Holy Spirit! No, we are not perfect, but we can live this way in God’s love and power every day.
There is another piece of advice in this passage of Scripture that I had to live out during a very difficult time in our lives:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:9
Have you ever been so mad that you wanted to take revenge? I have, and it was just a few years ago. The Lord intervened and held me back in the Holy Spirit.
The event that made me angry took place at the old school my wife used to teach at. The principal was a bitter woman full of hate, and she had it out for several of the great teachers in the school. To cut right to it, this lady did my wife wrong and my wife had to leave the school.
We were unemployed yet again at the worst time for it! I was suffering Celiac so badly and had no way to earn an income, and now my wife was out of work too! This was back when I was wrestling God about my disease too. The world was crashing down around us and I couldn’t take it anymore. The anger boiled in me like never before in my adult Christian life, and I went into what I call “old school 303 style from the old neighborhood” mentality and I wanted revenge. I wanted to put in work and I wanted her to pay for her sin and evil against my wife that put us in such a bad situation!
As I was driving to the principal’s house to brick her front window, the Lord came down on me powerfully in the Holy Spirit. It was like a physical wrestling match as I tried to continue down the road. I could hear him saying, “Do not take revenge, it is mine to avenge says the Lord.” I tried to keep driving and ignore Him, but it was no use for me to fight Him, so I submitted to God and drove back home.
“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, ” says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19
I prayed a heartfelt prayer that the woman would be convicted of her sin and the Lord would save her. I prayed she would be removed from power at the school. I also asked God for forgiveness and I forgave her. In that moment, I completely lifted it up to God and let it go, and my heart was free.
You know what? I’m really glad I did! I’m really glad I have the Word of God flowing in my mind and heart, and I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit helping me live life wisely! The Lord took care of it, and that lady ended up getting fired from that school within a few months! I pray the Lord saves her and I forgive her in the Name of Jesus!
What happened next in our lives is so incredible that I praise God for it every day! My wife ended up getting a teaching job at the best new charter school in town! We moved our kids out of their old school and they have attended the charter since my wife started! It is such a blessing knowing my wife and kids are together all day, and our kids love the new school even better! My wife has been there for several years now and she is an integral part of building the curriculum and the Lord has blessed her with great success and victory!
She makes more than she did at the old school and the staff she works with our passionate people who care about kids! The principals are supportive and helpful, and she is doing great! Glory to God! He took care of it in His mighty loving way!
So, I praise God! He worked it all out even better than I could have ever imagined! I am so glad she is not working at that old school anymore. We thought when she got that job that it was going to be for a long time, but it was just a stepping stone to even greater blessing!
Yeah, it hurt getting there a few times, but the Lord is faithful to us and He led us through it with victory! I am so glad I did not brick that lady’s house! Please forgive me for even thinking such things Lord.
Follow the Word of God and do what it says, and you will be blessed. I can promise you that with all my heart!
“For,
“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””
1 Peter 3:10-12
Put the brick down brothers and sisters! Keep your tongue from evil and lies. Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it! In the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen!
Ryan Callahan's Blog 
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