Month: November 2022

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

God created man as a sinless moral agent in God’s image for His purpose. God placed him (Adam) in the Garden of Eden with the responsibility of tending and keeping it (2:15). God commanded him to freely eat of every tree of the garden (2:16) but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because man would surely die the day he ate of it (2:17). Satan, clothed as a serpent, used his craftiness to have a conversation with the woman and convinced her to trust him and distrust God and His word.

“Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden (3:2), but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die (3:3).’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die (3:4), for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (or gods), knowing good and evil (3:5).” We must be anchored; do not fall prey to Satan as the woman did. She believed his half-truths, total lies, and bold accusations of God having less than honest motives. Be careful not to add to God’s word; He did not say: “you shall not touch the tree.” Today put your trust in the God; He is love and truth. Do not trust Satan; he is a liar and deceiver.

As children of God, giving God thanks should be a part of our daily worship of Him. The songwriter says, “When I look back over my life and think things over, I can truly say that I’ve been blessed; I’ve got a testimony.” This is the testimony every child of God ought to have.

We are in a spirit-filled relationship with Christ; therefore, we ought to encourage each other. In these verses Apostle Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to “Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with their heart to the Lord” (v.19). He warned them against being excessively drunk with wine and praising pagan gods as was a custom with the Greeks. Instead Paul urged them to be filled with the Holy Spirit (v.18). He urged the church to sing a variety of forms of songs, honoring God and making melody with their hearts to the Lord. Today that repertoire might include the traditional hymns, gospel songs, contemporary, spirituals, rap and so forth.

Then the apostle urged the church to always give thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (v.20). Because our heavenly Father  has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ, He is worthy to be blessed and  praised (1:3). Give Him a hand clap and shout glory!    

John 17:6-10, NKJV

Christ is always the ultimate example in all things for children of God. In verses 1-5 He prayed for Himself, asking His Father to glorify Him as He was in the beginning. He didn’t find it robbery to humble Himself and descend from His seat in heaven where He sat on His Father’s right hand to come to earth and die for our sins. Soon He would go to the cross, and His earthly mission would be complete. He was ready to return home to His Father and be glorified with Him in authority and majesty which He had with the Father   before the world existed (v.5). Jesus was not selfish in His prayer, and we should not be either. He prayed a specific prayer for His disciples.

He told the Father that He had manifested, or revealed, the Father’s name to those whom the Father gave Him out of the world. They belonged to the Father just as we belong to Him through our faith in His Son Jesus. The Father gave them to Jesus, and they kept and obeyed His words. Christ’s prayer showed how personal the relationship was between Him and His Father. He said that those the Father gave Him knew that all things were of the Father and certainly believed that the Father sent Him from above. He has given them the words of the Father, and they have received them (vv. 6-8). Thank God for the prayer of our Brother. His disciples needed it then just as much as we need it now. His prayer was not for the world; it was specifically for those whom the Father has given Him for they belong to the Father, and Jesus is glorified in them. Our spiritual walk must be holy, in love, and in unity because that is how we glorify the Father and His Son. We cannot walk with one without the other. Those who belong to Jesus belong to the Father, and those who belong to the Father belong to Jesus. Shout glory and give God a hand clap of praise for He is worthy.

John 17:1-5, NKJV and AMP

John 17 is our Lord’s last prayer; it is often called Jesus’ “high priestly” prayer. After Jesus had had a long talk with His disciples, telling them many things in John 13:31-16:33, including that He would soon leave them and prophesying of suffering and Christian persecution, He prayed to His heavenly Father. He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and prayed: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You (v.1). Jesus knew that His earthly mission was to seek and save lost souls, and the time of His death had come. He continued His prayer, requesting that the Father glorify Him so that He also may glorify the Father. He prayed for the Father to glorify Him just as the Father has given Him power and authority over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him (v.2). Jesus’ earthly ministry was finished so He had to die to be glorified. In His glory He could give life permanently and forever to every person that God gave Him. He continued praying in verse 3 about what eternal life is. It is “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. He prayed that He has glorified the Father on the earth and has finished the work which the Father has given Him to do (v.4). He is saying to the Father that He has fulfilled His purpose on earth. Now, His request is “O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty which I had with You before the world existed” (v.5). Yes, even though Jesus always had glory, it was shrouded in his flesh. Shout glory and give God a hand clap of praise for He is worthy.