Less of me God and more of Jesus!
John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
In these last days God has spoken unto us by His Son. Jesus created all things and all things were created for Him He is heir of all creation. He is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person. Everything in the universe is held in place by His power. Jesus purged our sins on the cross and rose from the dead in resurrection power overcoming death and sin
1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, 'My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD'" (Lamentations 3:17-18). The enormity of the pain had finally caused the author to reach his breaking point, and his confidence in God was shattered.
This fallen world has no hope to offer exiles … but Jesus does. When we invite Jesus into our messy and shattered lives, He rebuilds our hope and repairs our broken dreams with His grace. And one day, He will lead His people out of exile and to the promised land, the new heavens and the new earth, where He will wipe away every tear from every eye (Revelation 21:4).
Like the writer of Lamentations, we all experience moments when we wonder how much more we can take. But we don't serve a God who watches us suffer and takes a step back. Jesus stepped into our messy world, becoming human Himself, only to be beaten, made into a public spectacle, and crucified, even though He was innocent of any wrongdoing. On the cross, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Hope seemed lost.
But Jesus' resurrection means suffering is not forever for those who believe in Him: He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5a). He paid the penalty for our sin, and when He did that, He addressed the root cause of human suffering.
When our hearts are broken, no one understands our suffering more intimately than He does. When you are at your lowest point and have forgotten your happiness (Lamentations 3:17), cry out to Jesus. There is mercy in His arms. First 5
Until the day we leave this earth, we all are looking for wide open arms. Yes, we do our best to pretend that we have our act together, or that we are above overtures of compassion. But inside something gnaws. You see, we don't trust our own goodness. We reach out, at every opportunity, looking for mercy. We need the hugs of restoration to remind us.
And one more prayer from Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes (Sacred Self Care).
“God of compassion, who cares for us with the tender love of a mother nursing her young, help us to care for ourselves with the same mercy and gentleness that you offer us. Help us to speak words of maturity, wisdom, and kindness toward ourselves. Let our cup so overflow with self-love that we spread it to others, encouraging them to love themselves as your divine image bearers. Amen.” SabbathMoments
We waste so much nervous energy trying to make decisions. We can stress less when we remember three things: Gather the facts. What are the odds that the thing you are worrying about will ever occur? Control what you can control. Weather? You can’t control it, but you can watch the forecast. Don’t second-guess yourself. Make the best decision you can with the facts at hand. Pray, and take the next step.
When you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep – read Scripture. Distinguish between God’s voice and the voice of fear. Worry takes a look at catastrophes and groans, “It’s all coming unraveled.” God says, “every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:28 MSG). Worry never sleeps, but God’s children do. Max Lucado
John 3:30–36
30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. The New King James Version
John the Baptist had accomplished his mission: to point the world to Jesus. Faithlife Study Bible
John the Baptist insisted that Jesus Christ had to increase in popularity and that he, John, had to decrease. John explained that Jesus had to increase because of (1) His divine origin, (2) His divine teaching, and (3) His divine authority.
Even though John encouraged his disciples to also follow Jesus, there were still some found many years later in Ephesus (Acts 19).
Strong’s #3439; 5207: The Greek word for only begotten suggests a one and only son; it does not necessarily convey the idea of a birth. For example, Isaac is called Abraham’s only begotten in Heb. 11:17 and in the Septuagint, the Greek OT (see Gen. 22:2, 12, 16), when actually Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. The Son of God is the Father’s one and only, His unique Son. Although the Father has begotten many children through the new birth (1:12, 13), none of these are exactly like Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God. His Sonship is from eternity. As the unique Son of God, He has a special glory and an unrivaled place of honor.
He who comes from above refers to Jesus Christ. He who is of the earth refers to John the Baptist. John emphasized his earthly origin and its limitations. John proclaimed divine truth on earth; Jesus, on the other hand, is from heaven and above all.
No one, apart from God’s work in him or her, can accept Jesus Christ.
Certified means “to seal.” In a society where many could not read, seals were used to convey a clear message, even to the illiterate. A seal indicated ownership to all and expressed a person’s personal guarantee. To receive Jesus’ testimony is to certify that God is true regarding what He has sealed.
Unlike human teachers, Jesus was not given the Spirit by measure—that is, in a limited way . The Holy Spirit was given to Jesus completely. All three Persons of the Trinity are referred to in this verse: God the Father sent Christ the Son, and gave Him the Holy Spirit without measure.
God the Father not only gave Jesus, in His humanity, the Holy Spirit, He also gave Him all things, including the authority to give life and judge. The phrase into His hand signifies the Son’s authority over the use of “all things.” The verb translated has is in the present tense. The one who believes has eternal life as a present possession. Likewise, the one who refuses to believe on Christ has the wrath of God abiding on him or her as a present reality. The NKJV Study Bible
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
John 8:23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 3:11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
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