Category: Believing and Acting on God’s Promises

Louise on Some Elements of Book of John, Sunday Jan 21, 2024

Louise has been reading Pastor Bob Yandian’s study/book of the Book of John, devoted to the deity of Christ.

Using Pastor Bob’s study, Louise starts with Jesus in the Temple cleansing it.

Then she moves to the story of Nicodemus told largely in chapter 3 of John. See below. He was a Pharisee trying to understand Jesus, especially how he performed miracles.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John Testifies Again About Jesus

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[h]

31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[i] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Conversation Between Nicodemus and Jesus

Jesus could see that Nicodemus, like most of the Pharisees, was very religious, following all the rituals and traditions, but he was not moved by the Holy Spirit in areas like healing, miracles and others that Jesus taught and acted upon.

Jesus not Nicodemos you must be “born again” and accept the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, in his life. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless you are born again and so born of the Word of God–the born again experience–you cannot receive the new birth and receive the Holy Spirit.

Louise explains that Nicodemus finally did receive Jesus and his message.

This message will bless you.

Don’t Blame God, Louise Teaching Sunday October 23, 2022

This bible lesson started out with the title “Why Does God Allow Things to Happen?” Read/listen on for a great message on God’s presence in our lives, his promises, and his expectations for how he expects us to receive his gifts and powers.

There’s a deception out there in the Church community. We ask ourselves why does God allow hurricanes, wars, cancer, Corona virus, etc.? If he’s such a good God, why does he allow all of this to happen?

My God is, however, all and always Good. See John 10:10: he thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Satan came to kill, steal, and destroy. God does not do these things.

Pastor Louise begins with Adam, who disobeyed God and so opened the door to Satan.

Satan’s temptations made to Jesus in the 40 days in the wilderness meant that Satan owned the earth and was all evil. Jesus turned down all he offered with his answers.

God sent Jesus to win back what Adam had lost, so Jesus is often called “the Second Adam.”

When Jesus returned from death and resurrection, he gave us authority to do right, to reject Satan and his temptations. To be “born again” describes this gift from Jesus to us.

See Acts 10:38. “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” and Matthew 4:23: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”

And read Matthew 8, 1-4 again: “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The leper is like all of us. God can do anything, but we need to let Jesus know what–like the leper–we need or want.

Continue with Isaiah 53:4

“Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.”

Look up “grief.” The original was translated from the Greek as “grief,” but it also means physical sicknesses and illnesses.

Jesus bore all our sicknesses and illnesses at the Cross, the Atonement. This meant not just spiritual, but ALL physical illnesses.

The biggest weapon that Satan has against us is our ignorance. God has given you the weapons to defeat Satan but YOU have to draw on Scripture or the Word to bring it to pass in your lives.

God will not put any disease or sicknesses on us, but he will “allow’ it.

Pastor Louise then described how experiences with tennis lessons got out of hand, getting involved in strife, etc. with the ladies at the court. “I was out of God’s will,” she said. Hand pain followed, then she had to listen to God who was allowing tennis to put Louise into disobedience to his word. She allowed her flesh to take over. Then she turned away from the obsession with tennis and to God’s word.

You have to judge yourself. Be honest, then Louise gives a short description of End Times, the Rapture, Tribulation, etc.

But God DOES NOT put sickness on you. Satan wants to take you out, you, as a Christian, have a target painted on your back.

You can speak life, or speak doubt and death over your life.

Louise finishes this lesson with the story of a tornado that roared through our neighborhood on April 27, 2011. The power of God saved us.