John 1:1-5 Jesus, the light of the world.

 Jesus is the visible manifestation of the invisible triune Godhead. In faith we can show others His love for His creation. Faith in Him moves mountains of hatred.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Ephesians 1:19-23 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And  He put all things under His feet, and gave Him  to be head over all things to the church, 23  which is His body,  the fullness of Him  who fills all in all.

Jesus in the power of Holy Spirit was raised from the dead overcoming sin and death. In our faith in Jesus  we are adopted into the Body of Christ. 

Ephesians 3:1-7 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

The mystery of the Gospel of Grace, before hidden, was now revealed to mankind, that in the birth, death and resurrection  of Jesus the Christ salvation  was given. This dispensation of grace was given to Paul by divine revelation. 

Acts 26:9-11  “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things  contrary to the name of  Jesus of Nazareth. 10  This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority  from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11  And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul thought he was doing the right thing in persecuting the believers in Jesus. He was wrong. Until being struck by the power of Jesus in the road to Damascus he remained ignorant of the plan of God. We can be dead wrong in our beliefs until the truth is revealed to us by the power of Holy Spirit in our lives. It takes a divine moment of truth to believe and it becomes our testimony of God’s mercy and grace to sinful man and the blessings of our faith in Jesus to restore us to Himself.

Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

The Apostles thought that salvation was only for the Jews and Jesus was their Redeemer King. It was to Paul that the dispensation of grace without works would be revealed for ALL  of mankind by faith in Jesus the Christ alone.

John 1:1-5  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Jesus, all man-all God, the Savior of the world! To God be all honor and glory. Carla

“In the beginning”. John begins by quoting the opening words of Genesis in Greek (Genesis 1:1). He uses Genesis 1:1–5 to establish the “Word” as a preexistent agent of creation present with Yahweh from the beginning. 

John begins with a quotation that invokes the context of Genesis 1:1–5 with its imagery of creation by divine word and opposition between light and darkness. His interpretation centers on the Word as Creator and bearer of divine light. Genesis 1:1 and Proverbs 8:22 both use the Hebrew word reshith (usually translated “beginning”), and the larger context of both passages is God’s creation of the universe. 

In making this connection, John states that Jesus existed prior to the first acts of creation. God’s Son isn’t an act of creation, but the means of it (Colossians 1:15–23; Hebrews 1:1–4). It is all the more dramatic, therefore, that the one through whom all of creation came to be has become part of the creation. Faithlife Study Bible

Genesis 1:1 starts with the moment of creation and moves forward to the creation of humanity. John 1:1 starts with creation and contemplates eternity past. The fact that the Word was with God suggests a face-to-face relationship. In the ancient world, it was important that persons of equal station be on the same level, or face-to-face, when sitting across from one another. Thus the word with indicates a personal relationship, but also implies equal status. The Word, Jesus Christ Himself, is an active Person in communication with the Father (1 John 1:2). 

Moreover, the Word was God. The word order in Greek shows that the Word was “God,” not “a god.” This is a straightforward declaration of Christ’s deity, since John uses Word to refer to Jesus. The Word was of the very quality of God, while still retaining His personal distinction from the Father. Neither the Person of Christ, nor His Sonship, came into being at a point in time. Rather, the Father and the Son have always been in loving fellowship with one another. 

All things were made through Him. God the Father created the world (Genesis1:1) through God the Son (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). All creation was made through Him. Thus He is the Creator God.  

Note that life is not said to have been created; life existed in Christ. Humans are dependent on God for life. Our existence, spiritually and physically, depends on God’s sustaining power. In contrast, the Son has life in Himself from all eternity. 

The life, Jesus Christ, is also the light of men. This image conveys the concept of revelation. As the light, Jesus Christ reveals both sin and God to humans (Psalms 36:9). Later in this Gospel, Christ declares Himself to be both the life (11:25) and the light (8:12). Death and darkness flee when the life and light enter. The dead are raised and the blind receive their sight, both physically and spiritually. 

The light shines in the darkness. Christ entered this dark world to give it spiritual light (Isiah 9:2). The word translated comprehend can mean (1) to take hold of; (2) to overpower; or (3) to understand. Therefore, this verse may mean that darkness did not positively take hold of or understand the light, or that darkness did not negatively overcome the light. Both statements are true. Humans did not appropriate or understand the light, nor did they overtake or overpower it. 

Although Satan and his forces resist the light, they cannot thwart its power. 

In short, Jesus is life and light; those who accept Him are “sons of light” (12:35, 36). As the creation of light was the beginning of the original creation (Genesis 1:3), so when believers receive the light, they become part of the new creation (2 Corinthians 4:3–6). The NKJV Study Bible

1 John 1:1–2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

As Hebrews 13:2 advises, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Certainly, we never know how the Lord will bless our intentional service to others. First5

No one of us can make it alone.

When life is on tilt, where do our marching orders come from?

Start here: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Fear says, "I'll make you safe."

But love says, "You are safe."

“This part of your life is not about being a reporter,” the abbot once told Thomas Merton. “It’s about listening to your heart.”

“Vocation,” Merton wrote, “does not come from a voice ‘out there’ calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice ‘in here’ calling me to be the person I was born to be.” Sabbath Moments

1 Timothy 2:5-7 To God be all glory!

The Body of Christ is a living, Sprit filled body of believers, who believe in the person of Jesus the Christ anointed of God. In this dispensation of the Grace of God we abide.

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for  he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before  Gentiles,  kings, and the  children  of Israel. 16 For  I will show him how many things he must suffer for My  name’s sake.”

Paul was feared by those who followed the way because he had taken many prisoners in the name of God by the Jews. BUT God directed Ananias to open the eyes of Saul (Paul) and Ananias’s obeyed. Sometimes we obey even in fear because we believe in Father who protects us and Holy Spirit who directs us in the way of Jesus.

Romans 11:25 I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be  wise in your own  opinion, that  blindness in part has happened to Israel  until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 

Grace, blessed grace, the undeserved and unmerited favor of God to mankind. When this dispensation of time ends then God will resume His dealings with Israel  as His chosen people.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 For  we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are  God’s building. 10  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid  the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than  that which is laid,  which is Jesus Christ. 

Paul after the road to Damascus and his meeting with Jesus was given the mystery of the dispensation of grace of God. He became the chief minister to the Gentiles of the foundation that only comes in Jesus as the chief cornerstone. Jesus the Christ is the head and ALL who  believe in Him will be saved. By one Spirit we are baptized into His body.

2 Peter 3:15-18 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved,  since you know this beforehand,  beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Peter was minister to the Jewish believers and Paul as minister to the Gentiles. But both grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings. He alone offers salvation to the world. 

1 Timothy 1:15-17 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus came to the world to save sinners. There is no one righteous, no not one, only in the righteousness of Jesus Christ are we able to stand before our holy God. Paul was the first sinner saved by grace on the road to Damascus. The long suffering triune Godhead offered salvation to all in the dispensation of His grace.  

1 Timothy 2:5-7 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

There is no other way to the Father but Jesus the Christ. In Him exist the whole Godhead and in Him alone we are saved. Carla

One God alludes to the Jewish prayer called the Shema (Deuteronomy  6:4). Paul draws on this prayer to highlight God’s universal reign; because there is only one God, He is the God of all people (1 Timothy 2:3–4). The Shema affirms the uniqueness of God over and against other gods—those worshiped by Israel’s neighbors. The false teachers may have used this prayer as an excuse to exclude people from the gospel. God desires all people to be saved, and He is the only one who can save (Acts 4:12). “The Lord is One”.  The need for a mediator testifies to the sinfulness of humanity, while the provision of a mediator demonstrates the kindness of God. 

Paul refers to Jesus as a “man” here to stress His full identification with humanity. Because He was fully human, Christ was able to mediate on behalf of humanity and offer Himself as a ransom for humanity. Jesus’ role in this passage recalls Paul’s description of Jesus as a second Adam (Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:45–49). Who gave Himself a ransom refers  to the sacrificial death of Jesus and echoes Jesus’ words regarding His sacrificial death. 

Paul reminds believers that Jesus’ life was the price paid to free people from sin (Mark 10:45 and compare Isaiah 53:12).

Paul did not appoint himself; God appointed him. Therefore, his authority to instruct the church comes from God. While in leadership at Ephesus, Timothy experienced opposition from other believers. Paul asserts his own authority as an apostle in support of Timothy’s leadership to bring correction to wayward believers. Paul also commends Timothy to the Ephesians by reminding him (and them) of the prophecies spoken about him (1 Timothy 1:18; 4:14). The Greek word used here for herald, keryx, refers to a person with authority to preach the gospel message. I am speaking the truth emphasizes  the validity of Paul’s statement (Romans 9:1; Galatians 1:20). 

Although Paul preached the gospel to all people, his primary calling was to bring the gospel to Gentiles (non-Jews).  Faithlife Study Bible

One God is a central truth of the Hebrew Scriptures. The only living God desires all to be saved. He is the only One to whom our prayers should be addressed. Mediator is a concept derived from the ceremonial worship prescribed in the Old Testament. In the tabernacle and later in the temple, the priests meditated between God and the Israelites by offering animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people and by interceding to God for the nation. In their position as mediators, the priests were the only ones eligible to enter the Holy Place, the place where God had made His presence known. The one Mediator is the Man Christ Jesus (Hebrews 9:11-15).

There is one God from whom salvation is available. There is only one way to Him, through the Mediator, Christ Jesus, who has the full nature of God and the full nature of man.

The work of the Mediator is described as giving Himself a ransom for all. The Greek word translated ransom is found only here in the New Testament. It specifically refers to a ransom paid for a slave. In Greek it is formed with a prefix that reinforces the idea of substitution (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). 

In other words, Christ substituted His life for ours. Our sins had separated us from God. Christ paid the penalty for our sins so that we could be reconciled to our Father. 

Teacher of the Gentiles describes the ministry to which Paul had been commissioned (Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13). 

Faith refers to one’s initial salvation (justification); truth relates to the believer’s growth in salvation (sanctification). 

Paul was called not only to preach the gospel to the Gentiles but also to guide their growth in the truth. This is why he left Timothy at Ephesus. Timothy was to charge the Ephesians not to teach other doctrines, fables, or endless genealogies. The NKJV Study Bible

2 Timothy 1:11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 

Galatians 3:19–20 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 

1 Timothy 1:11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust

I received this email from a Sabbath Moment reader,

"I think my inner fire has gone out. I am normally a pretty out going, giving, strong, open minded and kind spirit. Lately I find I just feel tired and weary with people and my own life. Not even sure who to trust. I just feel numb. Has this ever happened to you?"

"Yes," I write her, "it has."

Yesterday we told the story of Mother Teresa visiting a small dirty shack to light a candle. And here’s the deal, she wasn't in that shack just to be kind. She was there to shine. In reading her book (Come Be My Light), you realize that she did so at a time when her own life was racked with doubt and frustration and moments of deep despair. So. Yes, even from darkness, the light still shines. I take extraordinary hope in that. It does my heart good.

Savor moments in your day my friends.

Take delight in small gifts.

And be ready to “open the door” for someone who may need it.

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” Albert Schweitzer. Sabbath Moments

God would send His own Son to the world as the ultimate sacrifice, allowing Jesus to die on a wooden cross as our substitute, paying the penalty for our sins. Jesus is the greatest fulfillment of God's covenant (2 Corinthians 1:20).

While we're grateful for God's blessings, like family, friends, finances or material things, He is the One we depend on.When we remember that God didn't hold back His only Son on our behalf, we can hold our earthly blessings loosely and trust in His perfect plan and provision. Why did God test Abraham in Genesis 22 if He is sovereign and all-knowing? He understands the depths of the human heart better than we do (1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9), so He already knew Abraham's heart fully belonged to Him.But Abraham apparently didn't know that yet. After years of God refining his faith, this test revealed the depth of Abraham's faith to Abraham. We also face tests and challenges to our faith, although we probably will never experience quite what Abraham did.These tests allow the Lord to reveal what's in our hearts and produce endurance in us (James 1:3-4). Sometimes we will pass the test, and sometimes we will fail, yet God is merciful to us either way. A passed test offers opportunities for deeper obedience and growth while a failed test reveals the areas of our hearts that must be purified and refined.

Let's be encouraged by the fact that this is all part of God's plan to grow our faith: "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). Even testing ultimately allows us to bring more glory to our Creator. First5