He Must Become Greater, I Must Become Less

John 3:30 is the Title of today's blog. We are to beware of those who put more emphasis on their own achievements than on GOD's kingdom.

John 3:31, "The One Who comes from above (Jesus) is above all, the one from the earth (mankind) belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. The One Who comes from heaven is above all." Praise Jesus, because of His salvation for us we one day will be made apart of His heaven for eternity!

John 3:32-33, "He (Jesus) testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that GOD is truthful." The Holy Spirit of GOD in His believers testifies this to our souls!

John 3:34, "For the one whom GOD has sent speaks the words of GOD, for GOD gives the Spirit without limit." If you have accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior, you know the Holy Spirit testifies this to you!

John 3:35-36, "The Father Loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for GOD's wrath remains on him." You are going to exist forever; either in heaven with our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD or separated from Him in a place of eternal torment in payment for your sins. Jesus has paid the price for your sins, but you can only receive the "paid in full" by accepting His gift of salvation for your sins.

The Bridegroom Says Come

John 3:27-29, "John replied (to Jesus), 'A man can only receive what is given him from heaven. You yourselves (John's disciples vs. 25) can testify that I said I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of Him. The bride (the Church) belongs to the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ). The friend who attends the Bridegroom waits and listens for Him, and is full of joy when the Bridegroom's voice is heard. That joy is mine, and is now complete.' " All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior is apart of the Church, the bride of Christ. One Day soon, the Rapture will occur and the bride of Christ will rise to meet Him in the air for the wedding feast of the Church and Christ and to forevermore be with our LORD!

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

John 3:17, "For GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." Christ paid the penalty for man's sin upon the Cross. Each individual person must accept His gift of salvation in order to receive eternal life. Verse 18, "Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of GOD's One and only Son." People often try to "protect" themselves from their fears by putting their faith in things they do or good deeds, their intelligence, money or possessions. (But the Bible tells us that "all our works are as filthy rags before a Holy GOD," Isaiah 64:6) Only GOD can save us from the one thing feared the most, eternal damnation! Verse 19, "This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men love darkness (sin) instead of Light because their deeds are evil." People don't want their lives exposed because they're afraid of being revealed of their evil ways. Things they do in secret or the cover of the dark of night will be brought to the light, whether in this life or at the Great White Throne Judgment of Almighty GOD. It will then be too late for you to change your heart and accept Jesus as Savior. Verse 20, "Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and will not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." These people don't want to change. They even feel threatened by those whose desire is to obey GOD because it exposes their own heart's evil desires to themselves! Verse 21, "But whoever lives by the truth (of salvation in Christ Jesus) comes into the Light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through GOD." Open your heart to the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth of Jesus Christ's salvation for you. This is personal and no one else can do it for you. Accept His free gift of salvation and watch what He does for you in this fallen world that soon will come to His mighty destruction before the New Heavens, New Earth, and New Jerusalem is brought to His People, Israel and His Church in Jesus Christ! What glory awaits for GOD's saved! (Revelation 21:1-4)

For GOD So Loved The World

John 3:16, "For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" The Greatness of Almighty GOD goes beyond human understanding! The smartest people alive are but infants in comprehension. Not only did GOD speak everything into existence (Genesis), "He (GOD) determined the number of stars and calls them EACH by name!" (Psalm 147:4) There's not enough words in all of man's languages to even begin to name the least amount of stars man can see - not to mention all of those stars he can't see! Even the grains of sand on the earth, bottom of the seas, and in all of the earth are as the stars of the universe (not to mention counting the grains of sand in the universe!) How much more He knows every aspect of each human being, right down to every genetic code and what makes it up! What a blessing to know GOD and His salvation! GOD has just as much information to give to us, but you must be born again for GOD to open your heart up to our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD! Before Jesus died on the Cross, He took upon Himself the sins of mankind; billions times trillions to the quadrillions of power of sins! He has paid your penalty, but you must accept His free gift of salvation for you in accepting Him as the "only Way, Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Him (Jesus.)" (John 14:6) 

Heavenly Things Verses Earthly Things

John 3:12-15, "Jesus said, 'I (Jesus) have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the One Who came from heaven - the Son of Man (Jesus.) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in Him (Jesus) will have eternal life!' " Discernment comes by way of the Spirit. When you know Christ as your Savior, His Holy Spirit's discernment  is in you. Heaven isn't expressible with this fallen world's understanding. Only a glimpse of heaven is spoken of in Revelation. It will take us in our resurrected bodies to begin to understand the eternal joy GOD has awaiting us! 

You Must Be Born Again

To be born again! Many may have the same question Nicodemus presented to Jesus. (John 3:4) Here's what He said to the member of the Pharisees.

John 3:3, "In reply (to Nicodemus' question of how one could enter his mother's womb again) Jesus declared, 'I (Jesus) tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of GOD unless he is born again.' 

John 3:5-7, "Jesus (repeats), 'I tell you the truth, NO ONE can enter the Kingdom of GOD unless he is born of the water (natural birth) and the Spirit (salvation in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. vs6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. vs7 You should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again."

Three times Jesus repeated, "You must be born again!" Man is made in GOD's image (Genesis 1:26-27) This image is trifold; GOD the Father, GOD the Son (Jesus Christ), and GOD the Holy Spirit. The Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) He is just... (II Thessalonians 1:6) This is His attitude, disposition and attitude. Our image also comprises of personality, though in a fallen state. The Son (Jesus Christ) is the physical aspect of GOD. GOD became a Man in Jesus Christ. We also have physical bodies, though fallen from sin. The Holy Spirit is GOD in the Spirit Who enters into each born again believer. Man's spirit became dead when the fall occurred. It is only revived when one admits to Him of being a sinner and wanting His forgiveness. This is when the rebirth occurs! Man's spirit is reborn when the Holy Spirit enters upon salvation in Jesus Christ!

Have you been reborn? This life in this fallen world is, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14) "Remember, O GOD, that my life is but a breath... (Job 7:7) "As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave..." (Job 7:9) Life in this fallen world is but a vapor, a vanishing cloud, the blink of an eye! Eternity is forevermore! Where will you spend it, with GOD in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem or forevermore in the Lake of Fire where in Jesus' words there is "gnashing of teeth!" (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, Luke 13:28) 

Which Temple Do You Choose?

John 2:17, "His (Jesus) disciples remembered that it is written, 'Zeal for Your house will consume Me.' "  Jesus took the evil acts in the temple as an insult to GOD and thus He did not deal with them halfheartedly. He was consumed with righteous anger against such flagrant disrespect for GOD. (Commentary)

John 2:18, "Then the Jews demanded of Him, 'What miraculous sign can you show us to prove Your authority to do all this?' " They denied the truth that stood right in front of them!

John 2:19, "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' " (Jesus was speaking of His Body.)

John 2:20, "The Jews replied,

'It has taken 46 years to build

this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' "

John 2:21, "But the temple He had spoken of was His Body." The Resurrection.

John 2:22, "After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."  All the Jews needed to do was research their Scripture and see that the prophesies about the Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus Christ!

John 2:23, "Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His Name." Where were the Jews who had just previously wanted to see "a sign" from Jesus?

John 2:24, "But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. (Some would claim to believe-in their heads, but not their hearts-and later would cry out, "Crucify Him!) (Commentary)

John 2:25, "He (Jesus) did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man."  GOD is omniscient, all-knowing!

Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things..." Mankind who does not have Christ's salvation deceives even himself!

I Corinthians 3:16, "Don't you know that you yourselves are GOD's temple and that GOD's Spirit lives in you? (If you are a Christian and have accepted Christ's salvation for your sin.)

I Corinthians 6:19-20