During recent months, we have been studying the gospel of John during our Saturday morning Breakfast Club Homeless Ministry. We are approaching three years of the weekly walk-in breakfast open to all and designed to welcome our homeless friends to the Sparrow’s Nest.
In this season we are enjoying stronger bonds of relationship, and a growing expectancy of good things happening in our lives with the help of God, caring friends, and helping ministries and agencies in our community. Note that the phrase “growing expectancy of good things happening in our lives” is nothing other than a working out of the biblical promise of HOPE, one of the most important themes and principles that we must understand and employ as we seek to help others through the gospel of God’s love.
Hope is a strong underlying theme of Isaiah as was rehearsed repeatedly in our recent devotions (see ISAIAH blog posts). Recall the opening of Isaiah 40, “Comfort, O comfort My people says your God” and the famous and inspiring words of Isaiah 40:28-31 .. “The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet THOSE WHO HOPE IN / WAIT FOR THE LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Our study of the biblical book of John has worked out into three broad themes. First, “not Moses but Jesus,” exemplified in the Scripture reference John 1:17, “The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The second theme of our study centers around the seven great signs or miracles of the gospel of John, the central (or fourth) sign being the occasion in which Jesus provided food to the multitude on the mountainside, of which Jesus spoke “Truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” (5:32-33). The third theme of our study centers on the promises offered by Jesus in his last days, focused mostly on John chapter 14 and exemplified in the well know but often overlooked promise of John 14:2-3, in which Jesus states “In my Father’s house are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you … and I will come back to take you to be with me that you can live where I live.” Consider the meaning of this promise to those who have experienced earthly homelessness.
In this season we are enjoying stronger bonds of relationship, and a growing expectancy of good things happening in our lives with the help of God, caring friends, and helping ministries and agencies in our community. Note that the phrase “growing expectancy of good things happening in our lives” is nothing other than a working out of the biblical promise of HOPE, one of the most important themes and principles that we must understand and employ as we seek to help others through the gospel of God’s love.
Hope is a strong underlying theme of Isaiah as was rehearsed repeatedly in our recent devotions (see ISAIAH blog posts). Recall the opening of Isaiah 40, “Comfort, O comfort My people says your God” and the famous and inspiring words of Isaiah 40:28-31 .. “The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet THOSE WHO HOPE IN / WAIT FOR THE LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Our study of the biblical book of John has worked out into three broad themes. First, “not Moses but Jesus,” exemplified in the Scripture reference John 1:17, “The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The second theme of our study centers around the seven great signs or miracles of the gospel of John, the central (or fourth) sign being the occasion in which Jesus provided food to the multitude on the mountainside, of which Jesus spoke “Truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” (5:32-33). The third theme of our study centers on the promises offered by Jesus in his last days, focused mostly on John chapter 14 and exemplified in the well know but often overlooked promise of John 14:2-3, in which Jesus states “In my Father’s house are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you … and I will come back to take you to be with me that you can live where I live.” Consider the meaning of this promise to those who have experienced earthly homelessness.