Tree of Life - Christians on Campus @ UM-Flint

John 14

2009-02-17T14:55:00.001-08:00

John's writing is simple because he was just a net-mender. However, his writing is profound because he fully experienced God in a subjective way. John 14 demonstrates this.

What does 14:6 mean? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the reality and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. Is it a human language?

How about 14:10? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father who abides in Me does His work. What is this?

John 14:20 is really confusing. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Who is in whom?

Many Bible readers just scratch their heads and skip this chapter. In fact, this is one of the most crucial chapters in the Bible. Read this chapter prayerfully and carefully with the help of the footnotes in the Recovery Version. Don't read it with your limited mind, enjoy it with your spirit contacting the Comforter who is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). If you are open and soft toward Him, He will teach you all things (John 14:26, First John 2:27).

May the Lord bless you with His sweet presence and His divine speaking within your spirit. If God can use John, He can use you and me. Amen.

John 13

2009-02-17T14:50:00.001-08:00

Do you still remember the subject of John? Check your Recovery Version. Here is a hint - Life is for building.

Christ came that we may have life (zoe) and have it abundantly. Furthermore, all believers should become one flock under the Shepherd. (John 10:10, 16) Again we see that life is for building. However, after we receive Jesus Christ as our life, we still walk on the earth, contacting all kinds of people, things and matters. As a result, we may become dirty. Therefore, there is a need of foot-washing.

God's life in us issues in fellowship - vertical fellowship with God and horizontal fellowship with all the believers. This two-fold fellowship may be frustrated by our contact of worldly people, things and matters. Hence, we need to receive the inner cleansing from the Lord (Ephesians 5:26). We also need to wash one another in love. Foot-washing restores the fellowship of life and allows the building work to continue in us.

Enjoy the following hymn (John 13:34,35) and experience the inner cleansing within you:

A new commandment
I give unto you
That you love one another
As I have loved you,
That you love one another
As I have loved you.
By this shall all men
Know you are My disciples
If you have love one to another.

Winter 2009 Bible study is back!

2009-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Christians on Campus at UM-Flint Wednesday Bible study is back! In winter 2009 semester, we will continue faithfully to come together doing nothing but reading and enjoying the Holy Words!

Time: Every Wednesday from 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Place: Alumni Room (third floor next to the Riverview Dinning) @ University Center (except 3/18 and 4/15 - move to UCEN 174)

"Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4)

John 12

2008-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of John is a gospel of life, testifying that Jesus Christ came to be our life for the building of God. In other words, life is for building.

Our human life is not sufficient for God's purpose. From our own experiences we know that our life is sinful, weak, corrupt, sick, and evil. Our life tears down, but God's life builds up. Hence, for us sinful men to participate in God's building, at least three steps are necessary:

1. The problem of sin has to be dealt with. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

2. The problem of death has to be dealt with. We are all dead in God's eyes. We need to be born again (John 3:3). We need to be regenerated in our spirit (John 4:14, 24). We need the life of God (John 10:10). For this cause, Christ died as a grain of wheat in order that many grains will be reproduced (John 12:24). Christ is the prototype, we are His duplications. Christ is the original, and we are His xerox copies.

3. Our souls have to be reconstructed. Having God's life in our spirit is one thing; having God's nature in our soul is another. Having God's life is just a beginning. We need to move forward and let God's nature spread from our spirit into our souls. Do your feelings match God's feelings? Do your thinking match God's thinking? Do your choosing match God's choosing? This is John 12:25. This is a life-time process.

Again, life is for building. God's life is for building God's dwelling place for His satisfaction and His expression. Hence, we need to experience regeneration (life) in our spirit and we need to experience transformation (building) in our souls. This is the church life depicted in John 12:1-11. This will fulfill God's purpose. This will make us genuinely happy because it makes God really happy.

John 8

2008-10-31T11:54:00.001-07:00

In the beginning of Chapter 8, some Bible scholars were testing Jesus by bringing to Him an adultery case. They challenged the Lord, Moses commanded us to stone such woman. What then do you say? (cf. John 8:1-5)

The Lord's answer was divinely marvelous: He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. (v7)

When they heard that, they went out one by one, beginning with the older ones. (v9)

This is Jesus. He is the light of the world. He enlightens us and exposes our real condition. As we open ourselves to Him, we shall receive inward shining and healing. Those who follow Jesus shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (v12)

Open yourself to Jesus by telling Him: Lord, I am a sinner, but You are the light of the world. I need you. Shine upon me and enlighten me. O Lord Jesus, help me follow You and receive the light of life. Amen.

John 7

2008-10-24T08:00:00.001-07:00

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his inner-most being shall flow rivers of living water.

"The last day" means every human enjoyment will end. And the result is thirst and dissatisfaction. Check with your own experiences. How did you feel after your high school graduation? How did you feel after a party ended? Outwardly you may be somewhat successful, but inwardly there is emptiness and thirst.

What shall we do? What can satisfy the thirst deep within us? Let him come to Me and drink. How do we come to Jesus and drink? The answer is in Romans 10:9 - open our mouth to call upon His dear name and open our heart to receive Him into our spirit.

Do not reason with your limited mind. This is beyond our understanding, but our lack of understanding does not prevent us from enjoying the benefits. Do you understand orange juice? No, but you can enjoy it and experience all its benefits. Hence, let's be simple and
call upon His name. Try it and you shall experience rivers of living water flowing out of your inner-most being (your spirit).

May the following hymn help you open to Jesus and drink. http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=1331

Just taste and see that the Lord is good;
Just taste and see that the Lord is good.
He's good for You, as He is for me;
So whatever you do, just taste and see.
Just call O Lord—He'll change your life;
Just call O Lord He'll change your life.
Amazing grace He will afford;
If in every place You call O Lord.
You'll feel real love coming into your heart;
You'll feel real love coming into your heart.
You'll sense a flow from God above;
And You will know you've found real love.

John Chapter 2

2008-09-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

In John chapter we read the first miracle Jesus performed: He turned water into wine. This first mentioning of the miracle sets forth the principle of miracles in the Scriptures, that is, to change death into life. Read the following verse (John 23-11):

And when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. And Jesus said to her, Woman, what do I have in this that concerns you? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do. Now there were six stone waterpots lying there, according to the Jews' rite of purification, holding two or three measures each. Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, Draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast. And they took it to him. And when the master of the feast tasted the water which had become wine and did not know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew, the master of the feast called the bridegroom And said to him, Every man sets out the good wine first, and when they have drunk freely, then that which is worse; you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of signs Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed into Him.

Also I was touched by the Life-Study Message:

The wine, which was the center of the enjoyment of the wedding feast, ran out (2:3). This signifies that the enjoyment of human life will be terminated when human life runs out. When the wine runs out, the pleasure of the marriage feast is gone. This signifies not only that the enjoyment of life is over, but that human life is finished. Regardless of how much pleasure you are enjoying, when your human life is ended, all your human enjoyment is also gone. Regardless of how good your wife, your husband, your parents, your children, or your job may be, if your life has come to an end, your pleasure is gone. When the wine has been exhausted, the feast is over, for the feast is dependent upon the wine. All your enjoyment depends upon your life. If your life has been terminated, your enjoyment is brought to an end. Regardless of the kind of wedding you are in, when your human life runs out, your wedding is terminated and the enjoyment is over. That is what happened that day in Cana of Galilee.

Do you not believe that before the Lord Jesus went to Cana He realized that the wine would run out? Surely He knew it ahead of time, for that was the reason that He went to Cana. The wine did not run out by accident. The Lord Jesus foreknew that the wine would be exhausted, and He went to Cana to establish the principle of life, changing death into life. By coming to the marriage feast, He came to deal with and to heal the situation. The Lord healed death in the human situation by turning it into life like the way Elisha healed the salt water by making it fresh (2 Kings 2:19-22).

When the Lord came into the world, He came into a situation where human enjoyment existed, but was not lasting. He came into a situation where the death of human life terminates all human enjoyment. The changing of water into wine is a sign which must be understood figuratively. For example, if we are over sixty years of age, we are approaching a time when the wine is almost gone. When our wine is about to run out, we know that our marriage feast will soon be over. But, praise the Lord, it is at such a time that the Lord comes into our situation. In our marriage feast we have the Lord! We need not be afraid, for He can change the water into wine.

John 1:19 - 51

2008-09-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Lord continues to bless us with His rich Words....the second Wednesday that met together, we continued with the second-half of John chapter 1. I was touched that John chapter 1 ends with the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. In John 1:51, the Lord tells Nathanael that

"Truly, truly, I say to you, You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:51)

This is marvelous! The Son of Man, Jesus, now is a ladder connecting the earth to the heaven, connecting men to God! In our daily life, we all have troubles, problems, things we don't know how to handle with. But praise the Lord we have Jesus - who is our ladder that takes us from our situation and enter into God. We need this kind of savings every day!

John 1: 1- 18

2008-09-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

We began our Wednesday noon Bible class with Gospel of John. I was touched that the Gospel of John is a bridge connecting the beginning and the end of the Bible. In this gospel, we can see that 1) The eternal Word incarnated coming to bring God into man, and 2) Jesus crucified and Christ resurrected going to prepare the way to bring man into God, and as the Spirit coming to abide and live in the believers for the building of God's habitation (Outline of Gospel of John in the New Testament RcV).

The following is an excerpt from Life-Study of John, which is a fantastic introduction to this gospel:

The Bible is very consistent. If you read it with insight and with the heavenly vision, you will discover that it begins with life and building. We see life and building in Genesis 2. Immediately after the creation of man, life was introduced. After the Lord God created man, He placed him in a garden in front of the tree of life (Gen. 2:7-9). Following this mention of the tree of life, we see the flowing river and three precious materials: gold, bdellium, which is pearl, and onyx, a precious stone. According to the further revelation of the Scriptures, especially Revelation 21, these precious materials are for God’s building. In Genesis 2:22 we find specific mention of the building. “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, builded he a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Heb.). God took a rib out of Adam’s side and used it to build him a wife. Thus, the man was created, but the woman was builded. In Genesis 2 we see life, the materials that proceed out of the flow of life, and the building of a wife. Therefore, in Genesis 2 we have life and building.
The book of Revelation also speaks of life. Revelation 2:7 says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” This certainly is a reference to the tree of life in Genesis 2. Revelation 2:17 says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone.” This verse speaks of a stone which, according to the Bible, has no purpose other than that of building. In the last two chapters of Revelation, which are the last two chapters of the Bible, we see the building of the New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem the river of life flows and the tree of life grows in the waters of the river (Rev. 22:1-2). Thus, it is clear that the Bible ends as it begins, with life and building.
Between Genesis and Revelation, the two ends of the Bible, there is a wide gap, a broad span. What bridges this gap? The bridge is the Gospel of John. The book of John opens with the words, “In the beginning.” However, if you read this gospel carefully, you will discover that the history recorded in it has no end. Hence, it starts from the beginning in eternity past and it continues indefinitely into the future. Thus, it bridges the span between Genesis and Revelation.

How wonderful is it that now God come to be with men!

Bibles for America

2008-09-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

If you want to know more about the New Testament Recovery Version, read it from http://www.biblesforamerica.org

Then, request a FREE copy from here:
https://www.biblesforamerica.org/products/RequestRcV.aspx

The best things on earth that God created are free - air, water, beautiful sunshine - same is true for a FREE Bible! Let us read His Word!

The New Testament Recovery Version

2008-09-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

This semester we will use the best study Bible that's available to college students at the best price - Free! I am a business professor and I know the best thing does not come free - except this one! Many Christians in this country are benefited from this Bible and they really wanted to share the good news to people who are serious about the Holy Words - not just for knowledge but to seek LIFE in the Words....

"You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. " (John 5:39-40) The footnote in this verse really tells the importance of "scriptures" and "life":

To "search the Scriptures" may be separated from "come to Me" (v. 40). The Jewish religionists searched the Scriptures but were not willing to come to the Lord. These two should go together; because the Scriptures testify concerning the Lord, they should not be separated from the Lord. We may contact the Scriptures, yet not contact the Lord. Only the Lord can give life.

Read more about the New Testament Recovery Version here: http://www.recoveryversion.org/

Check out the Online New Testament Recovery Version: http://online.recoveryversion.org/

COC at Street Fair

2008-09-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord after a lot of prayers we had our presence on campus at UM-Flint! We participated the New Student Welcome Day Street Fair to welcome the arrival of a new academic year and many new faces on campus! We wish everyone the best in this semester and don't forget our Wednesday Bible class. We will meet in the Lapeer Room at University Pavilion from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.