On 13/05/2024 11:25 am, ChristRose wrote:
> Context
>
> John 7 presents Jesus at the Feast of
> Tabernacles, dealing with public opinion
> and Jewish leaders' hostility. His
> teachings and actions deepen the
> division between those who believe and
> those who do not, emphasizing His divine
> origin and the spiritual discernment
> needed to recognize it. This chapter
> transitions from prior signs that
> demonstrate His authority, to teachings
> that challenge deeper understanding and
> belief in His identity, linking to the
> book's overall focus on belief in Jesus
> as the path to eternal life.
>
> Natural Divisions
>
> 1. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
> (John 7:1-13)
>
> Jesus’ decision to go to Jerusalem
> secretly underscores His awareness and
> control over His mission timing. The
> public’s varied opinions about Him
> illustrate widespread misunderstanding
> of His true identity and mission. This
> reflects 1 Peter 2:4-8 which talks about
> Jesus as the cornerstone chosen by God
> but rejected by men, highlighting the
> division His presence brings among
> people.
>
> 2. Jesus Teaches at the Feast (John
> 7:14-24)
>
> Midway through the feast, Jesus begins
> to teach openly, challenging the Jewish
> leaders' authority and their
> understanding of the law. His assertion
> that His teaching is from God invites
> listeners to a deeper spiritual
> discernment, aligning with James 1:5
> which encourages believers to seek
> wisdom from God, who gives generously to
> all without reproach.
>
> 3. Division Among the People (John
> 7:25-36)
>
> The people are divided over Jesus’
> identity, some believing He is the
> Christ, while others doubt based on
> their understanding of His origin. This
> division underscores the spiritual
> blindness and the necessity of divine
> revelation in recognizing Jesus’ true
> identity. Ephesians 1:17-18 speaks to
> God giving a spirit of wisdom and
> revelation to know Him better, echoing
> the need for spiritual insight seen in
> this division.
>
> 4. The Promise of the Holy Spirit (John
> 7:37-52)
>
> On the last day of the feast, Jesus
> promises the Holy Spirit to those who
> believe in Him, symbolized by rivers of
> living water. This promise not only
> fulfills prophetic imagery but also
> points to the transformative power of
> the Spirit in believers’ lives, resonant
> with Romans 8:9, which states that
> anyone who does not have the Spirit of
> Christ does not belong to Him.
>
> 5. The Unbelief of the Authorities (John
> 7:53)
>
> The chapter concludes with a note on the
> authorities’ unbelief, setting the stage
> for further confrontations. Their
> hardened hearts contrast sharply with
> the living water offered to believers,
> as highlighted in 2 Corinthians 3:14
> where it mentions their minds were made
> dull.
>
> Attitudes to Possess
>
> 1. Openness to Divine Wisdom (John
> 7:14-24)
>
> Believers should be open to the divine
> wisdom that Jesus offers, distinguishing
> it from human traditions. James 3:17
> describes this wisdom from above as
> first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open
> to reason, full of mercy and good
> fruits, impartial and sincere.
>
> 2. Discernment of Truth (John 7:25-36)
>
> Believers are called to discern the
> truth of Jesus’ words and His identity,
> beyond superficial appearances.
> Philippians 1:9-10 encourages love to
> abound more and more in knowledge and
> depth of insight, so believers may be
> able to discern what is best.
>
> Actions to Take
>
> 1. Seek Understanding of Jesus’
> Teachings (John 7:14-24)
>
> Believers should actively seek to
> understand and apply Jesus’ teachings in
> their lives. Colossians 3:16 advises
> letting the word of Christ dwell in you
> richly, teaching and admonishing one
> another in all wisdom.
>
> 2. Embrace the Spirit’s Power (John
> 7:37-52)
>
> Believers must embrace the
> transformative power of the Holy Spirit,
> recognizing it as essential for living a
> life that reflects Christ. Ephesians
> 3:16-17 prays that believers may be
> strengthened with power through His
> Spirit in the inner being.
>
> Word of exhortation for the believer
>
> As followers of Jesus, let us be
> vigilant in our understanding and
> receptive to the wisdom He imparts.
> Embrace the living waters of the Holy
> Spirit, which Christ promises to all who
> believe in Him.

"Let us?" "Should?" Let us receive Him?" "Embrace the living waters?"

That is supposed to have already happened!

Well, where is the promise in you???

I thought that a believer was already a believer, not a talker about
believing, a talking religious head!

> This empowerment is not
> just for personal edification but for us
> to be bearers of His truth and grace in
> a world that is deeply divided and in
> need of His light.

But you are not His light.

You are still in the darkness, in your continual sin, as well you know.

So, what exactly are you doing here?

Michael Christ

> Invitation for the unbeliever
>
> If you are searching for meaning and
> fulfillment, consider Jesus Christ, who
> offers not just teachings but the gift
> of the Holy Spirit, symbolizing rivers
> of living water to refresh and renew.
> Through His death and resurrection, He
> has provided a substitutionary atonement
> for sin, satisfying God’s righteous
> requirements. This gift is available to
> you; embrace this life-transforming
> opportunity by trusting in Him today.
>
>
> --
> Have you heard the good news Christ died
> for our sins (†), and God raised Him
> from the dead?
>
> That Christ died for our sins shows
> we're sinners who deserve the death
> penalty. That God raised Him from the
> dead shows Christ's death satisfied
> God's righteous demands against our sin
> (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:1-2). This means
> God can now remain just, while forgiving
> you of your sins, and saving you from
> eternal damnation.

--
God is God in all His Being.

Jesus is the everlasting Father, Jesus is God, Jesus is the Lord. John
10:30  I and Father are one. If you can't see that the Lord Jesus is the
everlasting Father you are not born again and can't see the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
YET sinners, Christ died for us.

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it
is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Psalms 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt
are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that
hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

"To seek your own will is to seek your own glory."

"If God is not first in everything He is not first in anything."

"What makes the bible the truth? The resonance (voice, the Person) of
God. When you find Him you have found the author."

"All men were born sinners. Why? Because all men were born not loving
God with all their heart, soul, and mind. An abomination. Therefore,
sin is not what you do; it is what you are."

"Compromise will condemn you."

"There are no sinners in Christ Jesus."

"My sons are born of Me. In them is no darkness at all."

"You can't learn righteousness. Haven't you had enough time already to
know that?"

"The way of truth is the testimony of life."

"I merely speak the truth, what is revealed to me, and the cards fall
where God intends."

"Nothing that is produced is produced without first being faith."

"You can only find proof of God through faith because that is how we all
live, by faith."

"It is not what you do that matters, it is how you treat Me."

"Keep going forward. Forget about the past. Lift up your head, look
ahead."

"You cannot be free and free indeed with guilt in your heart."

"Priority is everything."

"The truth doesn't need evidence, it is evidence."

"There is no greater possession a man has than his own will, to squander
it or to place it where it truly belongs."

"An atheist is a fool who thinks truth is found in living a lie."

"Saying "prove it" [as a foundation] is merely an ignorant straw man, to
an ignorant straw man."

"Wait, rest, be still, and know."

"No man can wash his own hands!!!"

"I find this in the Christianity religions: 'Nobody's perfect' they say,
and they use that as an excuse not to do what is perfect."

The Atheist: "They don't believe and put their faith in a Creator (the
obvious). So no evidence and proof is to be found!!"

"The world is the way it is because God can't compromise who He is."

"Man is not the centre of being."

"Man is incompatible with the natural world because of his sinful nature."

"And then the Lord said, "I see everything."

"Man has no greater idol than his own will."

"Where is God hiding? He isn't."

"If you don't keep all the scriptures, you can't keep any of them."

"You can't prove anything because everything depends on a person's
willingness to believe."

"Atheists are ultimately trying to be pointlessness, meaninglessness,
and purposelessness in their point, meaning, and purpose."

"The last day of creation will be the last day of time. God is always
full of hope."

"The veil of the temple was rent in twain, not to have a book pass
through it so that a sinner could play God."

"A phylactery does not a heart for God make. Not back then, and not today."

"No one in heaven is better (or higher) than what makes it heaven. Such
is the love of God."

"The definition of an atheist: A man full of bluster and bullshit
pretending he is the meaning of life."

"Free will is not power; it is the choice that I allow; that choice is
still according to my power," says the Lord.

What does a fool do? A fool looks for a "nothing" in a "something" in
order to explain the existence of existence.

"Unless you do all because He is who He is, all your religion is in vain."

"Every man is subject to God; He judges every man, and He is reality.
 What a gift in a fallen world!"

"Love MUST be a choice or it is nothing but a law!"

"Why were all men born sinners? So that God could reveal Himself, so
that we would behold the glory of God, and that we should bring forth
the glory of God"

"God does not and will not arbitrate for any man to love Him! If God
isn't everything to you, He is nothing to you where the rubber meets the
road."

"It is the unforgivable sin not to love God with all your heart, soul,
and mind. What do you have that is lasting? It is not so much being
punished; it is what you are left with."

"Love isn't worth anything without first a free will choice for God to
birth it in a man."

"The point of salvation: desperation. Anything less than that is
self-righteousness."

"A sinner is not a believer in God; a sinner is a believer in sin."

"A piece of dirt is not the promised land; that is only a reflection.
The promised land is knowing Me, says the Lord."

"It is all about God or it is all about idolatry."

"The Lord Jesus is coming soon. He has always come soon."

"There is no revolving door of self-worship in a son of God's life!"

"There is no such thing as random!"

"You can't truly love without it being with all your heart."

"No one can see God without their whole heart. Unless you can see God,
you know nothing."

"You can't learn God, God has to reveal Himself to you."

"No sinner is sinless in any way."

"Only God is life; only the Kingdom of God of His "Nature" is life."

"What you believe is just a leaning on your own understanding; faith is
a leaning on the one you have chosen to trust."

"God uses the "letter" to crucify a man and raise him from the dead."

"Not fearing God is sheer stupidity for sinners."

"Self-righteousness is any exclusion of God in your heart, because any
exclusion reveals that you think more about yourself than what you
really are."

"Atheism: "The claim that life received from itself."