John 1:47-51
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards Him, and He says concerning him, “Look! Truly an Israelite in whom is no deceit!” (treachery!”) 48Nathanael says to him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered and says to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ you believe; greater things than these you will see.” 51And He says to him, “Most positively, I say to, from now will see heaven (sky) having been opened, and the angels (messengers) of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Humanity.” (Gen28:12)
Good Day Child of God! "Father? Your Will Be Done!" We are the end of Chapter One of John's Gospel, however it is one of those instances where the Chapter Division is correctly placed. When studying on your own, it will make more sense if you know that Chapters are arbitrarily put in place, more by word count than by structure of the Scripture.
There is something above that should have caught your attention that goes beyond the idea that Jesus saw Nathanial while he was under the fig tree. There is also something beyond Jesus' promise to Nathanial that he will see the sky open and observe angels attending to Jesus. Let's see what the Spirit says it is.
Today's easy lesson: It is important to have John the Apostle point out that Jesus said to Nathanial that he as a Jew. Oh, He didn't? Of course not, as we go along we are all going to see what Jesus’ and His Father think of the Jewish Religion, in fact, all religions. Jesus addressed Nathanial as "a true Israelite". I turned the words a bit, but that is what He is saying, above all else, Nathanial is first an Israelite, a died in wool Israelite that is not pretending, or as Jesus put it: without deceit, to others nor too himself. Nathanial was on a mission to find the Messiah, God's Plan, and in that effort, religion has no place.
What is the message? When you talk to your Father, are you doing so with a motive of receiving from Him so that you can grow and understand His thinking or are you doing it so you can gain something worldly? You could be doing it for both reasons; it is hard not to do that. After all, you want your Father to lead you on the straight and narrow, which you hope will fill you with peace, love, and joy, and there is nothing wrong with that. The message is however, if you are going to your Father to learn how to beat the system, how to get that new car, home, shoes, whatever it might be in the world, you are going to Him for all the wrong reasons.
People often ask, "Where was God when I needed Him?" That's the wrong question. Like Nathanial, if you are not already building on that relationship of both giving and expecting, then where is there a relationship to begin with. If all you do on earth is go to your mom and dad and ask for money, help or favors, other than being a vending machine, what are they to you? This doesn't change at all with your heavenly Father. He can provide infinitely more than your earthly mom and dad, and His Love is infinitely more intense, but He is not a vending machine. To think you can bend Him into one, well, it won't happen. God Loves you like no other, and is committed to you like no other. Just as giving your children candy morning, noon, and night is something you would not do, what do you suppose your much wiser Father is thinking? It is time to work seriously with the Father; you will be surprised at the change in your Life when you do. Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete NT:
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards Him, and He says concerning him, “Look! Truly an Israelite in whom is no deceit!” (treachery!”) 48Nathanael says to him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered and says to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ you believe; greater things than these you will see.” 51And He says to him, “Most positively, I say to, from now will see heaven (sky) having been opened, and the angels (messengers) of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Humanity.” (Gen28:12)
Good Day Child of God! "Father? Your Will Be Done!" We are the end of Chapter One of John's Gospel, however it is one of those instances where the Chapter Division is correctly placed. When studying on your own, it will make more sense if you know that Chapters are arbitrarily put in place, more by word count than by structure of the Scripture.
There is something above that should have caught your attention that goes beyond the idea that Jesus saw Nathanial while he was under the fig tree. There is also something beyond Jesus' promise to Nathanial that he will see the sky open and observe angels attending to Jesus. Let's see what the Spirit says it is.
Today's easy lesson: It is important to have John the Apostle point out that Jesus said to Nathanial that he as a Jew. Oh, He didn't? Of course not, as we go along we are all going to see what Jesus’ and His Father think of the Jewish Religion, in fact, all religions. Jesus addressed Nathanial as "a true Israelite". I turned the words a bit, but that is what He is saying, above all else, Nathanial is first an Israelite, a died in wool Israelite that is not pretending, or as Jesus put it: without deceit, to others nor too himself. Nathanial was on a mission to find the Messiah, God's Plan, and in that effort, religion has no place.
What is the message? When you talk to your Father, are you doing so with a motive of receiving from Him so that you can grow and understand His thinking or are you doing it so you can gain something worldly? You could be doing it for both reasons; it is hard not to do that. After all, you want your Father to lead you on the straight and narrow, which you hope will fill you with peace, love, and joy, and there is nothing wrong with that. The message is however, if you are going to your Father to learn how to beat the system, how to get that new car, home, shoes, whatever it might be in the world, you are going to Him for all the wrong reasons.
People often ask, "Where was God when I needed Him?" That's the wrong question. Like Nathanial, if you are not already building on that relationship of both giving and expecting, then where is there a relationship to begin with. If all you do on earth is go to your mom and dad and ask for money, help or favors, other than being a vending machine, what are they to you? This doesn't change at all with your heavenly Father. He can provide infinitely more than your earthly mom and dad, and His Love is infinitely more intense, but He is not a vending machine. To think you can bend Him into one, well, it won't happen. God Loves you like no other, and is committed to you like no other. Just as giving your children candy morning, noon, and night is something you would not do, what do you suppose your much wiser Father is thinking? It is time to work seriously with the Father; you will be surprised at the change in your Life when you do. Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete NT:
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
