True, Very True

John 10:1 KJV

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

The Gospel According to John uses the phrase "Verily Verily" I think more than any other of the Gospels. I am reminded that when Jesus spoke, what He said was true, very true.

Consider this and John chapter three, places where this phrase is used by the Lord repeatedly. Both of them have as their chief context the subject of eternal salvation. In each case the words of Christ are "verily,verily"; true, very true. Every Word of God is true and inspired and profitable. But in no subject is this truth more important than in salvation. All of the Bible is profitable but none of the Bible is of any profit if a soul is not saved.

Thank God Jesus is "verily verily" the door into eternal life.

Urgency

John 9:4 KJV

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Urgency. Jesus expressed it. We must practice it.

In It To Win It!

Exodus 4:31 KJV

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Exodus 5:21 KJV

And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

What a difference in just one chapter.

Exodus 4:31

The people believe and worship

Exodus 5:21

The people bewail and worry

We find the same easy switch in people still today. When things look hopeful they are quick to call themselves believers and put on a show of worship. They want; they need something. If it looks like this particular person has an "in" with God to get it for them then they are "all in". But if circumstances change the spirit of these so called believers changes. They were in this to win this. If winning isn't in their future then they are out of here and over there.

God very often allows the circumstances to change in just this manner and expressly for the purpose of weeding out the shallow believer whose only interest is what he gets from God.

Be in it to the finish. Finale or failure, choose God. Do so and you will find that, though there appears to be many failures along the way, the finale is victory for the followers of God.

A Moral Impossibility

John 8:43 KJV

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Since the Bible must be spiritually discerned Christians have come to expect that unsaved people (and sometimes saved people who have entangled themselves in worldliness) just cannot understand the Bible. Jesus expressed it in this verse. They could not understand the style of His speech, His use of metaphors and symbolism, because they had no grasp of spiritual truth.

Cambridge study notes says,

"They perpetually misunderstand His language, because they cannot appreciate His meaning….

They ‘cannot hear;’ it is a moral impossibility: they have their whole character to change before they can understand spiritual truths."

This explains why a Christian can plainly express the Word of God and yet still the person with whom he speaks does not get it. It cannot be gotten unless it is gotten from the character of the Spirit of God. The Bible says faith is a gift of God. It cannot be worked up in a man but it can be passed on from one who has faith. This is why it is so important for Christians to be vocal about their faith. It is how God moves in others to see and understand the truth of His Word.

Make Our Dwelling a Haven

Genesis 49:13 KJV

Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

Jacob's prophecy concerning Zebulun was that they would dwell at a haven and therefore be a haven. I suggest that we may make wherever we dwell a haven

For the Spirit

That we may fellowship with God at home as well as (not instead of) the church. To make our home an inviting place for the Spirit of God is not that difficult but it is on purpose.

For our family

My wife and I were much blessed in that her parent's house was always a safe place for us to come away from the battlefield of ministry. We have sought to make our home the very same sort of place for our children and grandchildren.

For others

I am thinking of both the physical house and also our presence wherever we are. The Christian should strive to be that sort of person that others feel safe around. Secure in our convictions, pleasant in our personalities and open in our reception of others.