Day 2 – John 1:6-13

John (the baptist) was sent from God as a witness. He must have been revolutionary because God is careful to point out that John was not the light was there to testify about the light. He (Jesus) was in the world that He made but we didn’t recognize him. Sad. He came to the people he had prepared but they didn’t receive Him. But the good news – “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” I think that’s me – I believe in His name and I’ve been born of God. I can’t explain it, I can’t take credit for it, I can’t fully understand it but sometime around March when I was 29 (I guess that would be 1996) I was born again – born of the Spirit – born of God. Thank you Lord for what you’ve done for me!

Day 1 – John 1:1-5

Starting here in John because my faith is low. Going through some struggles in family and work and with friends that have been going on for a few years. My “hearing” has grown dull and my “vision” blurry. I’m always been one that focuses (too much maybe?) on this hearing and vision so without these being sharp I find myself very low, hard to focus, difficult to engage with what’s going on around me. I’m not sure what it is… some disobedience on my part i’m blind to (I’m sure some), attacks from the enemy (most definitely), overconfident before (maybe?) Either way I find myself at a time when I have a head understanding of Christ’s faithfulness and sovereignty but don’t seem to be able to grasp that truth enough to make it the bedrock of my behavior. I need to get to know Him anew – praying like David did that God will “restore to me the joy of my salvation.”

John is supposedly the best book to build up a faith and begin to understand and know Christ as God so that’s where I will begin. I’m going to go at the speed prompted – some days may be a lot other may be a verse or two. Either way – this is for my kids but i’ve been asked to post it online for accountability and so I will. Take it for what it’s worth.

John 1: 1-5

I’m going to type this out for some reason – certainly won’t be doing this every day.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Simple and yet complex, visual and yet extremely accurate and practical. I think John thought (thinks?) a lot like I do. He wants it to make sense all the way back to the beginning, he sees things that are not natural but eternally real and true. John tries to find the words to express what he knows. Jesus is THE Word. Jesus is THE Light. He was God and was with God and back in the beginning when everything we know (other than Him) came into being. Some trinity type stuff in here. In him was Life for man and the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness doesn’t comprehend it. It’s dark where we are but there is a Light that is God. He created everything (nothing slipped through the cracks some other way – it all came from Him.) The darkness doesn’t get it – a common theme in the new testament is that the truth (the light, Jesus) is not comprehended in any way by the darkness. Without the Holy Spirit giving us eyes to see the Light we can’t even see Light! How blind (dead) are we that we can’t see the light while we’re in the dark?!?

Praying that God reveals more Light to me and to you. There is nothing for us in the dark.