John 3:7 (KJV) No Other Way

John 3:7 (KJV)

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

 

The world has marveled at the doctrine of the new birth ever since.

 

Some marvel because it is so different from the doctrine of religion. 

It has nothing to do with good works, religious exercises, or human reform. It is completely out of our hands.

 

Some marvel because it is audacious in their eyes. 

How dare Jesus, let alone His followers, put such a restriction on eternal life? In almost every religion, there is a provision for the outsider—the sincere seeker whose background, upbringing, or presuppositions have placed him on a different path. But Christ gives no alternative. There is no other name, no other way. You must be born again or be forever separated from God.

 

Some of us marvel because of the grace of the new birth. 

It is out of our hands. It is impossible for us to do for ourselves. The new birth is all and only of God—yet it is offered to all and given freely to whoever will receive it.

 

And then, we marvel at the result of it:

·       Sins forgiven

·       Debt paid

·       Adoption into the family of God

·       Joint heirs with Jesus

·      Seated together with Him in heavenly places

 

The doctrine of the new birth—it is a marvel.

 

Marvel not. Come to Christ and be born again.

 

#BornAgain #JesusSaves #John37 #GraceAlone #EternalLife

No Other Way: The Audacity and Grace of Salvation

Will you marvel or believe? Jesus said, “Ye must be born again.” There is no other way. If you’ve never trusted Christ, now is the time. Call upon Him today. What was the moment you truly understood the meaning of being born again? Share in the comments!

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To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6700 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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John 3:7 (KJV) No Other Way

John 2:2 (KJV) Jesus at the Wedding

John 2:2 (KJV)

And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 

 

It appears that Cana was a village near Nazareth, suggesting that Jesus’ mother was either a relative or well known to the family of the couple being wedded. Customs were different there and then compared to our own, but some things never change—weddings tend to be community events, women enjoy them, and when invited, it is expected that you will attend.

 

Jesus was invited as His mother’s son. His disciples were invited, though they were not from Nazareth but closer to the Sea of Galilee, likely because it was already known how close they were to Christ. None of them resided in Cana or Nazareth, yet all were present at the wedding.

 

Weddings (and, I will interject here, funerals) have always been opportunities to minister. Those called into the ministry should accept these invitations as often as possible, not knowing what doors God may open through them.

 

Jesus performed His first miracle there, and His disciples, the Bible says, believed on Him there.

If you care for the souls of men and women, make it a practice to attend these types of functions and willingly minister in whatever ways you are asked.

 

#CanaMiracle #WeddingMinistry #JesusInvited #FaithInAction #DisciplesBelieved

Jesus at the Wedding: Serving at Life's Celebrations

Jesus used the wedding at Cana as an opportunity to minister. How can you use similar moments in your life to serve others? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Look for a wedding, funeral or community event to attend and offer your help or prayer.

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6700 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

John 2:2 (KJV) Jesus at the Wedding

John 1:1 (KJV) The Word Made Flesh

John 1:1 (KJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

 

This passage is one of the most profound, clear, and important verses in the New Testament, yet it is often overlooked, dismissed, and, in some cases, even vilified.

 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, who claim their Bible is based on the Received Text—just as the King James Version is—have rewritten this passage to remove Jesus from the Godhead.

 

But it is clear that the Word is Jesus:

·   Verse 11 – "He came unto His own…"

·   Verse 14 – "And the Word was made flesh…"

·   Verse 17 – "…by Jesus Christ."

 

The Word was in the beginning.

By implication, before the beginning—but that is speaking as a man. If the beginning had a beginning, then there was no “before” until there was a beginning. Before the beginning—before the creation of time—the Word self-existed.

 

The Word was with God.

By His side, near to Him, and to His advantage. Albert Barnes says, “intimately united.” He is distinct from God, yet inseparable from Him.

 

The Word was God.

Continuously existing as God. In absolute agreement with God. In substance and in essence, God.

I don’t have to understand it or explain it—the Bible absolutely declares it.

 

And the Word, not God the Father, is the Creator:

John 1:3 (KJV)

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

#JesusIsGod #TheWordMadeFlesh #John1Truth #BiblicalAuthority #DefendingTheFaith

The Word Made Flesh: That Cannot Be Rewritten

 

John 1:1 declares Jesus as God, why do some try to change it? Comment your thoughts! Take a step today—share this truth with someone who needs to hear it.

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6700 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

John 1:1 (KJV) The Word Made Flesh

Luke 24:9 (KJV) The Forgotten Ones

Luke 24:9 (KJV)

And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 

 

Tell it to the rest.

Gill likes to say that they told it to the eleven, to the seventy, and to as many others as were assembled.

 

It’s a grand and important work to speak of Jesus’ resurrection to the Christians. It’s a blessing for preachers to gather together and recount the many evidences of His resurrection—to talk about the eyewitnesses and the infallible proofs. It’s a joy for us to assemble on Resurrection Sunday and be reminded yearly, “He is risen, as He said.” Members of the local church gather in a special service to partake in the Lord’s Supper and remember His broken body and shed blood for our sins. It’s all good.

 

But let’s not forget “the rest.” The word means the others, the residue, the remaining.

 

Tell it to the others.

Those who were not assembled. Talk to those who do not attend church about Jesus’ resurrection.

 

Tell it to the remaining.

Those who got left out. They might be easy to reach. They might be the ones who were forgotten. They might have fallen through the cracks. Be sure they are not overlooked.

 

Tell it to the residue.

I’m thinking now of those we might consider less desirable. I once heard someone call them “riffraff.” The down and out, the tough cases—those no one seems to want to reach. But they need to hear about Jesus’ resurrection too.

 

Easter season is approaching quickly, and as Christians, we rejoice in what that means. But as we observe the resurrection of Christ, let’s be sure to consider “the rest” and make an effort to tell them about the Lord.

 

#HeIsRisen #TellTheRest #ResurrectionTruth #PreachChrist #ReachTheForgotten

The Forgotten Ones: Go, Tell the Rest!

Who in your life needs to hear about the resurrection of Christ? Take one intentional step—invite someone who doesn’t usually attend church to a church service or share the Gospel with someone outside your usual circle.

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 24:9 (KJV) The Forgotten Ones

  

Luke 23:2 (KJV) Earthly Governments vs. The Heavenly Kingdom

Luke 23:2 (KJV)

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

 

The passage says, “they began to accuse him…” They certainly weren’t finished. Their intention was to have Christ crucified at all costs.

 

Perverting the nation

I take this to mean turning people away from what they believed was their Jewish heritage. Over time, they had drifted so far from the roots of their faith that they sincerely believed they were its sole possessors.

 

Forbidding to give tribute to Caesar

This was an absolute falsehood, as demonstrated when they asked Him about paying tribute, and He said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” Jesus was no threat to worldly governments then, nor is He a threat to them now. Those governments that have persecuted Christians and sought to exterminate the Christian faith have done so to their own detriment. Christians make the very best citizens. True Christianity discerns the difference between the earthly and the heavenly.

 

Christ a King

They believed this was the capstone of their argument against Him. Christ is a King—but His kingdom is not of this world. The things of this earth will melt away in due time, but it is not the work of the Christian to bring about their end. True believers are ambassadors of a different land. We have not come to cause a coup; we have come to represent our King on foreign soil and to invite others to meet Him.

 

Religion—like that of the Pharisees, and like so many associated with Catholicism and her Protestant offshoots (as well as Islam, which is, frankly, a type of Catholic offshoot)—confuses faith with earthly power.

 

Apparently, Pilate recognized the difference. Though he was not as firm in his conviction as we might have wished, he still saw no fault in Christ. Even now, the world would do well to recognize that Christ’s kingdom is eternal, and His followers are not its enemies.

 

#ChristIsKing #TruthRejected #PilatesDilemma #EternalKingdom #FaithfulAmbassadors

Pilate’s Dilemma: Earthly Governments vs. The Heavenly Kingdom

 

If Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, how should we live as His ambassadors? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Share the Gospel with at least one person. Whether through a conversation, a social media post, or handing out a Gospel tract, be intentional about representing Christ.

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 23:2 (KJV) Earthly Governments vs. The Heavenly Kingdom

 

Luke 22:15 (KJV) The Battle of Desires

Luke 22:15 (KJV)

And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

 

There is an interesting emphasis in this passage: “With desire I have desired.”

Both desires come from the same root meaning—to long for, to crave. It was Jesus’ deep longing to fellowship with His disciples, to comfort them, and to be with them. He yearned to support them before His suffering, knowing the emotional turmoil it would bring them. Understanding the trials they—and those who would follow them—would endure after His suffering, Jesus passionately desired to spend these final moments with them.

 

Yet, He also knew His suffering was not the end, but the doorway that would open the opportunity to share this same supper in eternity. He longed to eat with them, to fellowship with them, to comfort them, and to promise them that one day, they would do it all again with Him.

 

“With desire I have desired.”

But Jesus was not the only one with a desire for His disciples in connection to His suffering.

Luke 22:31 (KJV)

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

This “desire” comes from a different root, meaning to demand for trial, for torture, for punishment. Jesus warned that Satan had asked to have Peter, that “he may sift you as wheat.”

 

Life brings hardships, difficulties, and trials. Jesus desires to come alongside you—to comfort you before the trouble, walk with you through the trouble, and promise you a hopeful end after the trouble. Meanwhile, Satan desires to use the trouble to accuse you, try you, punish you, and ultimately ruin you.

 

I, too, have a desire. In my times of trouble, I long to lean on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

#JesusDesiresYou #ComfortInChrist #VictoryThroughTrials #SiftedButSecure #LeaningOnJesus

The Battle of Desires: Christ’s Comfort vs. Satan’s Sifting

Life’s trials will come—Jesus desires to walk with you through them, while Satan desires to tear you apart. Which desire will you surrender to? Read Luke 22 today and write down one way Jesus prepared His disciples for what was ahead. Share your thoughts in the comments!

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 22:15 (KJV) The Battle of Desires