AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

Whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

Whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence

And if there is any praise – dwell on these things.

____

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 HCSB

How will you direct your thoughts today? Will you obey the words of Philippians 4:8 by dwelling upon those things that are honorable, just, and commendable? Or will you allow your thoughts to be hijacked by the negativity that seems to dominate our trouble world? Are you so preoccupied with the concerns of this day that you fail to thank God for the promise of eternity? Are you confused, bitter, or pessimistic? If so, God wants to have a little talk with you.

God intends that you experience joy and abundance. So, today and every day hereafter, celebrate the life that God has given you by focusing your thoughts upon those things that are worthy of praise. Today, count your blessings instead of your hardships. And thank the Giver of all things good for gifts that are simply too numerous to count.

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

RUN WITH THE HORSES

        WHY DOES THE WAY OF THE WICKED PROSPER?

Jeremiah 12

A paraphrase of Jeremiah’s prayer in 12:1-4 might go like this: "You’re good, God; after all, you are God. So don’t get me wrong. But I know about goodness too, and there are some things I think you need to explain – like the way you seem to have blessed those scoundrels and let me, your servant, suffer." Poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, paraphrased Jeremiah’s prayer this way:

Wert thou mine enemy, O thou my friend,
How wouldst thou worse, I wonder, than                                             thou dost  Defeat, thwart me?

Essentially, Hopkins says, "With friends like you, who needs enemies?"

The glory of the gift of prayer is that God lets us speak to him honestly!

But this gift also includes the privilege of hearing him answer what we say. Prayer is a two-way conversation. God’s not-so-gentle answer to Jeremiah’s complaint is to put it in perspective. The first perspective is, "You think this is bad? You haven’t seen anything yet!" God says, "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" (verse 5). The message is that Jeremiah had better brace himself for more of what he doesn’t like. He will need the next two perspectives to do that.

The second perspective is of God’s own pain in the mess, "I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore, I hate her" (verses 7-8). God’s suffering is always greater and truer than ours because his love is. The purer the love, the keener the pain when the beloved goes astray. Jeremiah’s suffering can make him a participant, a partner with God (see Philippians 3:10).

The final perspective is the perspective of hope. "But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country?" (Jeremiah 12:15).  Things will get worse before they get better, but the bad is not worth comparing to the better (see Romans 8:18). Our prayers are surrounded by hope.

God’s words to Jeremiah call us to a "muscular" faith, a race against the horses. But they also remind us of who we run with and where we are running to.

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org 

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (2)

RECAP.  Laws that define sin.

The Ten Commandments are ten valuable laws given by our Creator God to reveal His way of life—His way of love. The Bible tells us that God Himself wrote them with His own finger on tablets of stone (Exodus 20:1; 31:18).

RESUME.  

4. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

The Sabbath day was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). It is about Sanctification and Relationship.

Note. God starts off the fourth Commandment with the word “Remember”. He knew we would forget it. God asks that we keep it set apart for Holy purposes so we can draw nearer to Him.

v The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.

v Jesus Christ allowed works of necessity, charity and piety to be done on Sabbath day.

v The Sabbath day should be a day of rest from worldly labor. All works of luxury, vanity or self-indulgence in any form are forbidden.

v Trading, paying wages, settling accounts, writing letters of business, worldly studies, traveling, visits, journeys or light conversation are not in the spirit of keeping the Sabbath day holy.

5. Honor Thy Father and Mother

Respect for Parental authority. Families are the building blocks of societies that build strong nations. This commandment shows us from whom and how the fundamentals of respect and honor are most effectively learned. It guides us to know how to yield to others, how to properly submit to authority and how to accept the influence of mentors. Further, this commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm.

6. Thou shalt not kill

Respect for Human life. The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.

v God asks us to demonstrate love and not hate towards others by not murdering.

v We must learn to control our tempers. Taking another person's life is not our right to decide.

v God is the giver of life and He alone has the authority to take it or to grant permission to take it.

v John wrote, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” 1 John 3:15. 

                                             ….to be cont’d on Monday, August 1^st

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

The Ten Commandments (1)

According to the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, God issued his own set of laws (the Ten Commandments) to Moses on Mount Sinai. And the Apostle Paul enlightens us in Romans 7:7 that the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to point out sin.

As children of God, it’s not simply enough to learn and recite the commandments. Ours study must be deeply spiritually hid and committed to our hearts.

And as we absorb these laws, one-by-one, we ought to try to commit to memory Matthew 5:17-18, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till Heaven and Earth Pass, one jot or one tittle shall in No Wise Pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.”   And there are verses from the NIRV Bible and the CEV Bible and Luke's account. Some believe that Jesus fulfilling the law brings an end to the law. The NIRV explains the meaning of fulfil thusly, “I have come to give full meaning to what is written” and the CEV reads, “I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.”   We are called to read the WORD for ourselves so as not to be fooled by the enemy.

Friends, there are numerous scriptures that use the same Greek word as what is translated “fulfil” in verse 17, and Matthew 3:15 is one instance, “…it becometh us to Fulfil all righteousness.”  Thus, it is quite clear that If the fulfilling of the law brings an end to the law, then Righteousness, God's Word, Obedience, Joy and other things eternal in nature are also gone.

The Ten Commandments in order are:

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.

Loyalty. The Creator of the universe declares He is our God and our deliverer and asks us to establish our love for Him by having no other God's. The First Commandment is the first of a series of four that define our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Establishing, developing and maintaining that personal relationship with the true and living God is the most important commitment we can ever make. We should love, honor and respect Him so much that He alone is the supreme authority and model in our lives. He alone is God. We should allow nothing to prevent us from serving and obeying Him.

v This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it excludes polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.

v Any hobby, relationship, person or anything that comes before or between you and Jesus Christ in your life or part of your life is a god.

v Anything that occupies you more than God is a god.

v You can also be a god to yourself.

v The worship of creatures is here forbidden and it is idolatry.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Reverence. God asks us to respect His Holy name and not to use it in vain. The focus is respect. It addresses the way we communicate our feelings about God to others and to Him. It incorporates our attitudes, speech and behavior. Respect is the cornerstone of good relationships. The quality of our relationship with God depends on the love and regard we have for Him. It also depends on the way we express respect for Him in the presence of others. We are expected always to honor who and what He is. On the other hand, the use of God's name in a flippant, degrading or in any way disrespectful manner, dishonors the relationship we are supposed to have with Him. This can vary from thoughtless disregard to hostility and antagonism. It covers misusing God's name in any way. The Hebrew name for "vain" is "shaw" and means vanity, falsehood, iniquity and emptiness. Simply summed up, "shaw" means showing disrespect and this is what we do when we take God's name in vain.

v The faithful are required to honor the name of God. If we’re to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then we will  respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor.

v If you swear in God’s name or lower what is Holy and perfect in His eyes, you have broken the third command.

v The Devil’s plan is to see God’s name stumbled and lowered to the lowest degree.

v All false oaths are forbidden and all light appealing to God, all profane cursing and hypocrisy is a horrid breach of this command.

v Praying and worshiping God without great faith is also a breach of this commandment.

3.  Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image

Worship.  Worship him with reverence and serious-

ness. God loves us so much that He is jealous of our love and does not want to share our love by us bowing down to meaningless idols. The Second Commandment goes to the heart of our relationship with our Creator.

 It deals with several crucial questions. How do we perceive God? How do we explain Him to ourselves and to others? Above all, what is the proper way to worship the only true God? The Second Commandment is a constant reminder that only we, of all created things, are made in the image of God. Only we can be transformed into the spiritual image of Christ, who of course came in the flesh as the perfect spiritual image of our heavenly Father. This Commandment protects our special relationship with our Creator, who made us in His likeness and is still molding us into His spiritual image.

v It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity in any form or for any purpose or to worship any creature, image or picture.

v  In addition, images are created in imagination. If you create any image of God in your imagination (mind), you have broken the second command.

                                                    …to be cont’d

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

DEFEATING THE ENEMY (3)

In conclusion, we acknowledge that THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S.  And when we walk in the flesh, we by nature, are inclined to say: “Yea right, easier- said- than -believing.” Well, let me assure you that FAITH is a gift from GOD that me must embrace with confidence. The WORD is our shield. This we know_

There are three things Satan can’t withstand: GOD’S WORD, CHRIST’S BLOOD, and the NAME OF JESUS. When we use them we’ll bring him down EVERY TIME - just like David toppled Goliath!

T

he instant he went out to fight Goliath, David began to declare victory saying, “You come against me with sword and spear…but I come against you in the name of the Lord… [He] will hand you over to me…and the whole world will know…there is a God in Israel (as in all believers)…for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1Sam. 17:45-47NIV). 

Nobody around him seemed to have figured God into the equation, but David talked about NOTHING else. He saw what they didn’t and refused to acknowledge what they did. Why? Because he knew that the God he served was bigger than the giant he faced.  Is your God that big?

When we are in a seemingly hopeless situation where there appears to be no way out, instead of wasting time and energy dwelling on our weaknesses and shortcomings, begin to focus on God’s power. [Hey friends, I’m encouraging myself…just as David did again in 1 Sam. 30:6]  When we focus on the enemy we stumble, but when we focus on God the enemy stumbles.  We will NEVER win if we fight in our own strength; so we won’t even go there! God’s already “given us authority…over all the power that the enemy [possesses]: and nothing shall harm us” (Luke 10:19AMP). 

Paul wrote, “Put on God’s [coat of armor]…that you may be able successfully to stand…against [all] the strategies…of the devil” (Eph 6:11AMP).  But, friends, our coat of armor will not protect us if we leave it hanging in our closet. We must put it on! 

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

DEFEATING THE ENEMY (2)

 "DAVID…SELECTED FIVE…STONES"

40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Shall We Talk?

Just like David…selected five…stones from the brook,” here are 5 stones we can use to defeat the enemy: (1) The stone of past successes.  Recalling his earlier victories David declared, “God who delivered me from the …lion and…bear, will deliver me from this Philistine” (1Sam. 17:37TM).  Write your defeats in sand, but carve your victories in stone by keeping track of God’s faithfulness and the “marvelous works…He has done” (1 Ch. 16:12NKJV).  Has He ever failed us?  No, and He won’t now!  (2) The stone of prayer.  “Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare” (Eph.18 TM); we can’t win without it. David “strengthened himself in the Lord” (1Sam 30:6NKJV).  When Saul came after him he called on God, his “defense and refuge” (Ps.59:16NKJV). (3) The stone of priority.  God’s priority is His reputation and David’s objective was to defend it by proving “There is a God in Israel” (1Sam.17:46). Involving God in our situation gives Him an opportunity to showcase His grace and power.  (4) The stone of passion.  

We can’t stare at our giant forever.  Rehearsing our hurts won’t heal them and cataloging our problems won’t solve them.  We must go out and face the enemy, knowing “the battle is the Lord’s” (v. 47). (5) The stone of perseverance. Solomon said, “The diligent make use of everything they find” (Pr. 12:27NLT). 

David picked 5 stones because he didn’t know how many he’d need to do the job.  Like Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over,” so be prepared to go the distance. It may take more than a day, a month, or even a year to see results, but with God’s help we’ll win....to be cont'd

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

DEFEATING THE ENEMY (1)

 

“AS GOLIATH MOVED…TO ATTACK,

DAVID QUICKLY RAN…TO MEET HIM”

1 Samuel 17:48-50 (NIV)

⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

The Bible say, “For forty days, twice a day” (1Sa17:16 (NLT) Goliath mocked the children of Israel. Today our giant may not wear armor and brandish a sword, but he’ll taunt us relentlessly day and night about unpaid bills, past sins, a failing marriage, or a job we detest. Goliath’s ancestors had been Israel’s enemies and Joshua annihilated them all – except the inhabitants of Gath where Goliath hailed from. Why do you suppose this is something of value to note? Because if we leave our old enemy a –leg- to –stand- on he’ll rise to fight again.  Perhaps dear friend, you’re dealing with issues your parents and grandparents struggled with – things like addiction, divorce, anger and depression. 

When the Israelites “heard the Philistine’s challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope” (1Sa17:11 TM).  If that’s how you feel (been there and as I share, I encourage myself), do what David did, “As Goliath moved closer to attack, David …ran out to meet him.”

Max Lucado wrote: “We retreat behind a desk, or crawl into a nightclub, or a bed of forbidden love.  For a moment we feel safe, insulated, anesthetized, but then the work runs out, the liquor wears off, the lover leaves, and we hear Goliath again…Rush your giant with a God-saturated soul! (Tell him) “Giant of divorce you aren’t entering my home, depression you won’t conquer me, alcohol, bigotry, child abuse, insecurity…you’re going down.” When was the last time you picked up your sling and ran towards the roar?

The Bible says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard (flag of victory) against him” (Isaiah 59:19NKJV). God has given us the power to fight this battle and win – let’s use it!.....to be cont'd

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

THIS IS HIS DAY

This is the day the Lord has made.We will rejoice and be glad in it.

____

God gives us this day; He fills it to the brim with possibilities and He challenges us to use it for His purposes.  The 118^th Psalm reminds us that today, like every other day, is a cause for celebration. The day is presented to us fresh and clean at midnight, free of charge, but we must beware: Today is a non-renewable resource – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Our responsibility, of course, is to use this day in the service of God’s will and according to His commandments.

Today, treasure the time that God has given you. Give Him the glory and the praise and the thanksgiving that He deserves. And search for the hidden possibilities that God has placed along your path. This day is a priceless gift from God, so use it joyfully and encourage others to do likewise. After all, this is the day the Lord has made…

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

AN ELDER’S PRAYER

THEN HE BLESSED JOSEPH 

Genesis 48:15-16

The prospect of one’s death acutely focuses the mind, but on what? Astonishingly, for some it only intensifies, concerns for personal peace and comfort. But for others, it directs their minds toward eternity and the next generation. Jacob is a very old man, near death, and that is, his frame of mind as Joseph brings him his two sons. Ephraim and Manasseh, to be blessed by their grandfather. The faith Jacob is remembered for in the New Testament is not the faith that wrestled with God, but the faith that blessed Joseph’s sons. The reason for this has much to teach about prayer.

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on top of his staff" (Hebrews 11:21).  To say Jacob blessed while he was dying is to say that the blessing was something that he himself would not see. That is the faith that so pleases God: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). The verse in Hebrews just before Jacob’s mention says the same thing about Isaac’s faith, and the verse just after about Joseph’s faith. Reuben Alves said hope is hearing the music of the future, and faith is to dance to it. Jacob, though old and infirm, is dancing as he prays his blessing.

How should the elderly pray? With a great abandon to faith and a generous love that will bless the next generation. Bodies may slow down, but our prayers shouldn’t. Theologian Karl Barth believed the nearness of death should not shrink our faith; but cause the river of responsibility "to flow more torrentially than ever in view of the approaching falls, of the proximity of the coming Judge!"

And David was comforted that God understood his frailty and mortality. "He knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust." David’s comfort grew as he considered that even though he will die. God’s love will continue to the generations to come. "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children" (Psalm 103:15-17). The passion of every generation should be to know the Lord. But the passion of a passing generation should especially be that the next generation will know the Lord – and so to pray that blessing.

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

GOD INTENDS IT FOR GOOD

 GENESIS 50:20

Of course Joseph’s brother’s expected him to try to kill them after their father Jacob died. They had it coming to them; years before they had tried callously to murder him. So they were stunned at what Joseph did when he heard of their fears. First he wept: then he said to them, "Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended if for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (verses 19-20). The worldwide famine would have destroyed them and their families had Joseph not been "sent" to Egypt ahead of them.

Over the years Joseph had gained a perspective on life that is priceless. It is wonderfully captured in the sixteenth century Heidelberg Catechism’s description of the providence of God. "Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth, and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty – all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand."

When Joseph had come to see was that the fundamental issue had not been between him and his brothers, but between him and his God. True, his brothers were scoundrels, but ultimately it was God who gave them permission to act as they did – and to use their evil against him to promote God’s good for all of them! Over the years his conflict with his brothers had been transformed into his wrestling with God – with a glorious result: He was freed of his bitterness. The Catechism says this perspective will make us "patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love." 

This is the fruit of a lifetime of wrestling with God in prayer over the bad things others have done to us. It doesn’t relieve them of their responsibility, but it frees us of our slavery to anger and a victim mentality. Fight them, and the fighting will be endless.

Wrestle with God, and you will be free.

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts [BSTFPA]

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org

JESUS COMFORTS HIS DISCIPLES

John 14:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

The Lord begins in verse 1 with a long address that continues through Chapter 17 and ends with His prayer for them. Jesus had repeatedly talked about His coming death and departure and He brings into a sharp emphasis the comments He had made. At this time the disciples did not seem to accept or understand, but obviously now this truth was beginning to sink in that the Lord was leaving them.

How Christ took notice of it. Perhaps it was apparent in their looks; it was said they looked one upon another with anxiety and concern, and Christ looked upon them all, and observed it.

In spite of how gloomy His leaving appeared, He comforts them telling them not to let their hearts be troubled. He emphasizes that they believed and trusted God the Father, and therefore they should also believe in Him. The disciples are not aware of the severe trials and persecutions that lay ahead for them. All of them will suffer persecutions because of their faith in the Lord and all but John will be martyred. The Lord’s coming betrayal, trial, and crucifixion will be the beginning of great troubles from them. Surely, this was on Jesus' mind when He spoke to them and assured them of the promise of heaven.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also."

The sure hope of heaven is the foundation of boundless strength and comfort to the child of God. It was clear that Jesus was explaining that He would soon return to heaven which is the house or abode of God the Father. Jesus was assuring them that in returning to heaven He would be preparing a place for them there where they could be with Him again. He explained several things to them.

1. One, their belief in Him assured them of a place in heaven. He was the means whereby they would enter heaven. He had explained in John 11:25-26 that He was the resurrection and the life and those that believed in him would live.

2. Jesus told them there were ample dwelling places (mansions) in heaven for them all.

3. He told them His leaving was to go ahead and prepare a place in heaven for them. He promised that their separation would not be permanent and that He would return for them.

4. Jesus said they knew the way. Jesus, by the Spirit, takes His own along with Him through life, and then takes them to His side at death. He himself conducts them to Himself.

"And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

Thomas saith unto him, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"                                               vv. 4-5

Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." vv. 6-7

Once again, the Lord repeats what He has been telling them throughout His ministry. He made it clear, that only He was the way, the only truth, the only life, and no one could come to the Father, and have eternal life except through Him. Thomas and the other disciples may not have understood earlier, but by saying salvation was only by Him they could not now misunderstand who He was or why He came into the world.

Jesus' next statement is profound. The word general word for "known" (ginosko) means "to become acquainted with." However, Jesus used the word "ginwkeite" (known), the more precise word, three times in this verse. It means to personally and intimately know Him which is a deeper relationship. The suggestion is that if they knew Him on this level of knowledge, they should know God the Father. To know Jesus spiritually is to know the Father.

Jesus further says that "henceforth you know Him" or from this moment the disciples would begin to know Him more profoundly. They did love Jesus as a man, teacher and companion, but now they would know Him as their Savior and God. He then, to preclude any misunderstanding says "you have seen Him." When they saw Jesus, they were seeing Almighty God incarnate in man. Jesus proclaimed He was God.

Note: All that saw Christ in the flesh might have seen the Father in him, if Satan had not blinded their minds, and kept them from a sight of Christ, as the image of God, 2 Cor. 4:4.

2. All that saw Christ by faith did see the Father in him, though they were not suddenly aware that they did so. In the light of Christ’s doctrine, they saw God as the father of lights; in the miracles they saw God as the God of power, the finger of God. The holiness of God shone in the spotless purity of Christ’s life, and his grace in all the acts of grace he did.

I find it amazing that some men cannot seem to comprehend what they hear and see. Preceding beliefs, prejudices and preconceptions cloud the understanding. Jesus had just stated in absolute clarity that salvation was only through Him. He told them that when they saw Him they were looking at God in corporal form. Yet, Philip's response showed the degree of his understanding. He wanted Jesus to confirm His statement with a sign or some visible form of God. He plainly had not been impressed with the great number of incredible mirages Jesus has done, nor in Jesus repeated statements as to His deity. The Jews understood God revealed Himself through His prophets, signs, and through the Shekinah glory of God.

Jesus tells them He has other things to teach them, but His time was drawing short because the devil (the prince of this world) was coming. He was referring to Judas, who was now possessed by Satan. Nevertheless, John proclaims ". . . the prince of this world is judged."  And from that day, even the memory of Satan and those that served Him will exist no longer. In contrast, those who by faith believed in Him, will be present in the New Heaven (…many mansions) and Earth with the Savior. 

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org