John 1:12-13

Just BELIEVE!

BELIEVE in the Son of God, the Word made flesh, who gave His life so that you could live!

Yesterday, we lost a hero. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa's struggle against white minority rule) died peacefully at 90. “In Desmond Tutu’s eyes, we saw Jesus’ love. In his voice, we heard Jesus’ compassion. In his laughter, we heard Jesus’ joy. It was beautiful and brave. His greatest love is now realised as he meets his Lord face to face.” (The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby)

Let us continue to spill the light you spilled, to call out the injustices we see before us and spread joy where and when we can.  Terry Hershey “SabbathMoments”

Our maturity will be judged by how well we are able to agree to disagree and yet continue to love one another, to care for one another, and cherish one another and seek the greater good of the other. Desmund Tutu

God is always near us. Always for us. Always in us. We may forget him, but God will never forget us. We are forever on his mind and in his plans. He called himself “‘Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’)” (Matthew 1:23).

John 1:12-13

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The New King James Version

Unlike the people who rejected Him, those who accepted Jesus as Messiah are the true “children of God”. John never uses the phrase huioi theou, “sons of God,” to describe believers, preferring tekna theou, “children of God.” As in Revelation, John uses the category of “Son of God” exclusively for Jesus. For John, it’s a title denoting authority and precise relationship; He is from the Father just as an earthly son is from his father. As such, He has been given an inheritance to care for—creation and humanity—as a son on earth is given an estate. Faithlife Study Bible

The phrase believe in His name occurs three times in the Gospel of John. Name does not refer to the term by which He is called, but to what His name stands for—the Lord is salvation. In this context, the phrase means to believe that Jesus is the Word, the life, and the Light—that is, He is the Christ, the Son of God. To them He gave the right refers to the legitimate entitlement to the position of children of God. By believing, undeserving sinners can become full members of God’s family. This new spiritual birth is not of blood, that is, by physical generation or by parents. Nor is the new birth of the will of the flesh, that is, by personal effort. Neither is the birth of the will of man, that is, something done by another individual. Each person must individually trust Jesus Christ for eternal life. It is a gift to be received, not a reward achieved through any human effort. The NKJV Study Bible

By his Divine presence Christ always was in the world. But now that the fulness of time was come, he was, after another manner, God manifested in the flesh. But observe the beams of his Divine glory, which darted through this veil of flesh. Men discover their weaknesses to those most familiar with them, but it was not so with Christ; those most intimate with him saw most of his glory. Although he was in the form of a servant, as to outward circumstances, yet, in respect of graces, his form was like the Son of God. His Divine glory appeared in the holiness of his doctrine, and in his miracles. He was full of grace, fully acceptable to his Father, therefore qualified to plead for us; and full of truth, fully aware of the things he was to reveal. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

John 11:52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.