All posts by Luella Campbell

JESUS SAID – 9

Bible Study, ,

Luke 9:57-58 NIV
[57] “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
[58] Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

If we know anything about Jesus, this is a cryptic statement of fact, not a plea of poverty as some interpret it. Taken literally, Jesus sounds as though He is looking for sympathy. “Poor me! I’m so poor that I don’t even have my own bed!”
Is this really Jesus talking? Did He ever look for sympathy? Consider these words on His way to the cross …

Luke 23:27-31 NIV
[27] “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. [28] Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. [29] For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ [30] Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ [31] For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

If Jesus was not crying poverty when some man wanted to become part of His disciple group, what was He saying?

Let’s look at the bigger picture. Jesus came to earth to represent the Father. As His son, it was Jesus’ role to carry out His Father’s business, to establish His kingdom on earth, to do His will as it is done in heaven.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus would build His church to carry on the Father’s kingdom work when He returned to the Father. How would He do that? By joining people to Himself and to one another, He would build His church, His body, to continue His work by representing His kingdom on earth.

Jesus is head of His body, the church, but the church only came into being at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to fill the believers with His presence and power.

When Jesus spoke to the man who wanted to join the disciples, as head of His church-to-be, His body had not yet come into existence. He was the head but He had no body.

So, correctly understood, He told the would-be disciple,

“Since I have not yet died and risen again, I do not have a body upon which to lay my head.”

Jesus was training the Twelve to be the spearhead of His enterprise to establish God’s kingdom on earth, hence He focused on them to prepare them for their massive task when He was no longer with them. He chose them and spent time training them to do what He was doing. He could not allow others to join them until His training was complete.

Jesus was not, on fact, rejecting the man’ request. He was delaying his desire to be a part of Jesus’ band of followers until the time came when he could become a member of the body of which Jesus is the head.

JESUS SAID – 8

Bible Study, ,

Jesus stated another truth that many of His children either don’t understand or ignore.

John 15:5 NLT
[5] “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

“Apart from me, you can do nothing,”… a categorical statement that has no conditions, no “ifs” and “buts”.

Why is this statement true?

Unlike any other religious system in the world, including Judaism, being a believer in Jesus is far more than adhering to a belief system. Being a Christian is not and can never be a religion as compared with other religions, which are, at best, self-help efforts to gain acceptance with a deity invented by human imagination.

Being a Christian involves a dynamic partnership between Jesus, the Son of God, and me. When I took the step of believing the truth about Him, that He is Lord, and that He rose from the dead, a miraculous change happened to and in me.

Romans 10:9-10 NLT
[9] “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

I was saved from myself and joined to Jesus in a faith-union, brought about by the Holy Spirit who came to live in me, that radically changed many things.

  1. I was spiritually dead because of sin, but the Holy Spirit made me spiritually alive to God.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins….
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

  1. I was supernaturally born into God’s kingdom and now live under His rule.

John 3:3, 5 NLT
[3] “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”…
[5] Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”

1 Peter 1:23 NLT
[23] “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

  1. I was transferred from Satan’s dominion to God’s kingdom where I am free from Satan’s power to influence me or to keep me in slavery.

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
[13]”For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

  1. I died to sin when I was identified with Jesus in His death on the cross and rose with Him to a new life.

Romans 6:1-4 NLT
[1]”Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? [2] Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? [3] Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? [4] For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

  1. I was given a new nature, God’s nature, so that I can live a new life of holiness, separated from sin to God.

2 Peter 1:4 NLT
[4]”And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

  1. The Spirit of Jesus lives in me to teach and guide me in my new life in Christ.

John 16:13-14 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

1 John 2:27 NLT
[27] “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”

  1. I have been delivered from the fear of death and I anticipate a perfect life in God’s presence forever.

Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT
[14]”Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. [15] Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”

  1. My destiny was eternal separation from God and all that God is… but God changed my direction, towards Him and eternal life.

John 3:16-17 NLT
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

  1. Jesus changed my life from a meaningless and purposeless existence to an abundant life.

John 10:10 NLT
[10]”The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

And so much more…

Can you now understand why we can do nothing without Jesus? Apart from all that Jesus has done for us through His life, death, and resurrection, our union with Him as branches in a vine, provides all the nourishment and strength we need to bear the fruit of His life in us. He provides the truth of His Word that sets us free and grows His character in us as we stay joined to Him by faith.

God’s goal for all His children is that we become replicas of His Son. Only as we protect and foster our union with Jesus in our everyday lives through the Holy Spirit in us, can we become who He has created us to be.

Romans 8:29 NLT
[29] “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

So, Jesus said,

John 15:4-5 NIV
[4] “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

JESUS SAID – 7

Bible Study, ,

There is something else Jesus said that many people have misconstrued. Consider these words…

John 8:32 NLT
[32] “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

How many people quote the second part of what Jesus said but ignore the context.

Truth Is, first, objective. Truth is truth wherever it is, regardless of circumstance or source. Truth remains true whether we believe it or not. There is no such thing as “my truth”.

Truth applied also becomes subjective, when one believes and acts or doesn’t act on it. For example, the truth is that gravity gives weight and pulls and holds objects to the earth. Without gravity, everything not attached to the earth would be weightless and float. Now, apply the truth. If you jump out of an aeroplane without a parachute, gravity will pull you to the earth and you will be killed. Whether you believe it or not, it will happen.

Now, let’s consider the truth, including its condition, Jesus promised that, if applied, will happen.

First, there is a condition, without which the truth remains objective.

John 8:31 NLT
[31] “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples IF you remain faithful to my teachings.”

The only ones who will ever experience the truth of Jesus’ words are those who are His faithful disciples. Objective truth without application will never happen. It’s like looking at a plate of wholesome food and declaring the truth, “That food will nourish me.” Without eating the food, it will not nourish you.

Second, there must be an application.

Knowing, believing, and and applying the truth is the process of freedom. By knowing, Jesus meant more than mere intellectual knowledge. Many people know that good food nourishes but how many choose good food over junk food?

Knowing (meaning, according to the Greek “ginosko”, coming to know, realise, learn, or ascertain), involves the conviction that what I know is true and what I do about what I know to be the truth will make the truth happen for me.

Let’s look at the way Jesus explained this truth.

Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
[24] “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. [25] Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. [26] But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. [27] When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Having established the first principle, let’s examine the meaning of the true freedom that Jesus offered and we experience when we faithfully follow Him and obey His teachings.

John 8:34-36 NLT
[34] “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

The core truth that Jesus revealed is that sin makes us slaves. We are slaves because we sin and…we sin because we have a sin nature that enslaves us. The bottom line is that we can’t help sinning because we are slaves to our sin nature… and we can never free ourselves from our sin nature which we inherited from the first man and with which we were born.

Romans 5:12 NLT
[12] “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

This was the Apostle Paul’s struggle…

Romans 7:15, 18-20 NLT
[15] I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate…
[18] And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. [19] I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. [20] But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Trapped in this hopeless situation, Paul discovered that there is only one way to freedom from the power of his sin nature.

Romans 7:24-25 NLT
[24]”Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? [25] Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…”

Real freedom is, then, NOT freedom from the rules or the people that enslave us from the outside but sin that enslaves us to ourselves on the inside.

Only Jesus has the power to set us free from sin’s dominion over us. He has done it, first, by perfectly fulfilling all of God’s law and then dying as a law breaker for us.

Second, by believing in Him and doing what He instructs us, He breaks the power of cancelled sin. We have His power in us, by His Spirit, to say “No” to sin and “Yes” to His commandments. We can choose not to say or do the wrong thing because He has cancelled our debt of sin and given us a new nature that hates sin.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
[17] “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

1 John 3:9 NLT
[9] “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life (seed) is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”

Through the power of His Word in us, we are free to live new lives not controlled by sin.

Romans 6:4, 6-8 NLT
[4] “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives…
[6] We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. [7] For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.”

Now let’s go back to what Jesus said.

When we faithfully follow Jesus, and adhere to His teachings, we will understand the truth that He has died to set us free from our enslavement to sin. Now we can live free from the guilt, shame, and fear that sin brought on us.

John 8:35-36 NLT
[35] “A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

Hallelujah! This is true freedom!

JESUS SAID – 6

Bible Study, ,

John 3:18-19 NLT
[18] “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [19] And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but PEOPLE LOVED THE DARKNESS more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

Have you ever wondered why so many people hate God and run from Him? Some have even made themselves believe that there is no God! So, they hate and run from someone who doesn’t exist! Now that’s strange!

This shows me that even atheists know that God is real but won’t admit it because they want to sin! They conveniently believe, against what is indelibly written on their hearts from birth,

Ecclesiastes 3:11b NLT
[11] “He has planted eternity in the human heart…”

… that when they die, they cease to exist.

So, for them, sinning doesn’t matter because there is no God, no accountability, and no judgment.

Psalms 14:1 NIV
[1] “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God (for me – understood).” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

However, for these people, it’s okay to believe what is not true as long as they are willing to accept the consequences.

Now, let’s look at the real reason Jesus said people hate God or want to believe that there is no God.

“… People loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

The bottom line is that people will always follow what they love. This is a truth that applies everywhere and on every level in life.

For example, what about our use or abuse of money? We master money or money masters us by who or what we love.

Luke 18:18, 20-25 NLT
[18] Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
[20] But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” [21] The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” [22] When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [23] But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. [24] When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! [25] In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Matthew 6:24 NLT
[24] “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

In the end, we decide where we will spend all of eternity, not by what we say or what we do but by what we love! Isn’t that amazing? We demonstrate what we love by what we say and do. God’s judgment is so just that He allows us to be our own judge.

Proverbs 8:13 NIV
[13] “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

How can we become lovers of God more than the lovers of money or anything else?

There is only one way. The Holy Spirit in us draws us to the love of God when we spend time contemplating God’s love for us.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 NIV
[5] “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Our love for God is our response to His love for us.

1 John 4:10, 13, 19 NIV
[10] “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…
[13] This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit…
[19] We love because he first loved us.”

Our love for God then, motivates us towards obedience and submission to Him. Jesus’ interaction with Peter after Peter’s denial reveals the core of our trust in and obedience to Him.

John 21:15 NIV
[15] When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

The Apostle Paul testified…

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV
[14] “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. [15] And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

So, we must all answer this question, “Who or what do you love the most?” In this context, our words and deeds will provide the answer.

JESUS SAID – 5

Bible Study, ,

John 10:27 NIV
[27] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

One thing Jesus didn’t say which He could have said!…

“My sheep listen to my voice, and then they do their own thing!”

Some translations render “akuo” as “hear” and others as “listen to”, both of which are the meaning of akuo to which we can add a third meaning, “to comprehend by hearing”.

In the context of Jesus’ words, which, do you think, is the most accurate meaning? There is a difference between “hearing” and “listening”. We are hearing things all day, sounds that go on around us all the time. Most of the time, we don’t pay attention to these sounds because they don’t directly affect us…vehicles passing by, aeroplanes flying overhead, neighbours talking loudly, dogs barking, birds twittering…these have no meaning for us.

However, what we hear becomes what we listen to when the sounds have a direct influence on us. We listen during a conversation between ourselves and another. We listen for the sound of a vehicle when we anticipate the arrival of a significant person and so on.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice.”

Since Jesus is a significant person in our lives by faith, and since we have confessed Him to be Lord, what He says to us on our daily walk with Him is vital for our spiritual wellbeing. He speaks to us because He and we are in vital union. “I know them…” This means that we are intimately connected to Him.

Jesus will say to those who claim His attention because they do things “in His name”, i.e., as His representatives, but…He does not acknowledge their connection because He will say, “I don’t know you.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
[22] “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [23] Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Evildoers? Why did Jesus call people who claimed to prophesy and do miracles in His name “evildoers”? Isn’t that a bit harsh?

For one simple reason…He had no intimate connection with them. They were not united.

This faith union with Jesus qualifies us to

Belong to Him
Listen to His voice
Follow Him

It’s this connection that makes all the difference between those who do all the right things but will still be rejected and those who follow Jesus because they belong to Him and listen to (comprehend by hearing) His voice.

Listening, not for, but to His voice, means that first, Jesus is constantly speaking to us through our circumstances, through the people around us and, most of all, through His Word and His Spirit.

We have to make choices and decisions throughout our day. We walk a tightrope of truth over a minefield of temptation. Our only guarantee of safety is to listen to His voice. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ representative in us, His other self, who was given to us at our new birth…

John 16:13-14 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

Do you get the picture? Jesus and His Spirit are in intimate connection in the fellowship of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit lives in us as His “other self”. The Spirit receives from Jesus everything we need to know to follow Him. Jesus speaks through His Word; the Spirit speaks in us what Jesus speaks; we listen and follow Him and so…

Romans 8:14 NLT
[14] “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Listening and following the Shepherd are the guarantee and safeguard against getting lost in a world of sin and evil. The more we listen, the more we are able to hear His voice in the cacophony of voices that demand our attention.

“My sheep listen to my voice.” Are you listening to His voice?