Light on Earth

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Light on Earth

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:4-5

It was the life inside of Jesus that creates us. That same light was supposed to be the light and guide in our life. If we had not sinned, we would have had an intimate connection to Jesus through that creation and life. Instead we sinned and broke that connection. Not only did we lose light and direction, we also lost the life of Jesus which is eternal. Instead we were given, through grace and mercy, a few years to reconnect with him. We should have just died. The world should have ended with Adam and Eve but God couldn’t have an end like that.

Not only did God give us a few years of life, he also decided that his light should return to the earth. Through his sacrifice, Jesus was born like us so that the light found in creation would once again shine on earth.

And so the light come down to the earth and into the darkness. You would think that seeing light in darkness would be a great thing for everyone but the exact opposite happened. People became so used to the darkness that the light scared them and they ran away. The darkness, as bad as it was, also concealed sins and problems. People felt that the darkness kept them from being exposed. They didn’t realize that it was the same darkness that was creating the sins they feared to show.

Not only did people fear the light but the Bible here says that they did not comprehend it. God had become so distant that they no longer remembered what God looked like. They confused what was good for bad. They called a sinless man a sinner. They beat one who cured and killed one who raised the dead. Everything was backwards on the earth when light came down.

And now there is us. What do we do with the light? Do we recognize it? Do we fear it? Do we run away from it?

God’s light is just as much here today as it was when Jesus came to earth. The same mission is in effect, to connect humanity to God again. What can you do to help that and what are you doing that may be hindering it?

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Creator of All

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Creator of All

2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 

John 1:2-3

There are those who debate whether Jesus is God. Besides the first verse which tells us that he was God, these verses here too make a strong emphasis of that point. One of the main aspects of God is that he is Creator. If someone of something didn’t create us, than it’s not God. You cannot separate God from Creator. You can have a powerful being who can act like God, but without this key characteristic, it cannot be God.

But verse 3, the Bible is making it very clear that Jesus, the Word, created all things. The emphasis of ‘all’ and the repetition of ‘and without Him nothing was made that was made’ make it very clear that Jesus is our Creator. This was written on purpose. John was really trying to make the point that yes, Jesus is God, because of this vital point- he is Creator.

Now you can see how this might create an apparent problem. If Jesus the Son of God is Creator, does that mean that God the Father isn’t? Does the Father stop being God if he’s not a Creator? The Bible explains this issue in several places but I’ll show it in Hebrews.

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:1-2

God the Father is also Creator in the fact that it was his idea and plan. You could say that the Father was the Architect and Jesus was the Builder. They both played a part in the creation of not just this world but the entire universe. When you read Genesis 1, you’ll see that the Holy Spirit was also present at creation though his actual role is not clearly stated.

The key of course to all of this is that we are not some accident. We are not random formations and evolutions. Our beginning was clearly planned and executed which should give you hope that your future is also clearly planned.

I hope you can take some time to look at all that God has created around you, including yourself, and realize the love that is shown in what you see.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

In the Beginning

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In the Beginning

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

Jesus is called by John as the Word. This is done because Jesus was that voice that brought creation and the universe into existence. It was Jesus’ words that formed stars, planets, galaxies, molecules, atoms and everything in between. It was the same voice that raised the dead and healed with a simple word. The word of Jesus is truly a powerful thing.

The first verse of John’s gospel tell us a lot about Jesus and God. In just a few words we find that Jesus was with God, therefore separate and distinct from God but also that he was God. This opens up the great mystery of trying to understand an explain God. How can Jesus both be with and be God? I don’t think our human minds nor our limited vocabulary or understanding can truly give an answer that adequately explains this question. What we do know is that God the Father and Jesus are distinct being, both existing at the same time while not being in the same place. In that way Jesus could be ‘with God.’

We also know that Jesus and God are both one and equal:

30 I and My Father are one.”

John 10:30

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Philippians 2:5-6

This unity and equality is why Jesus not only can be ‘with God’ but can also ‘be God.’ Although that may not explain it all for some, it is what the Bible itself offers as an explanation. We have to be open to the fact there are things about God that we will not fully understand until we are standing by him in heaven.

What John clearly does in the start of his gospel however is to make Jesus the center and focus of his good news. Jesus was there at the very beginning. He was the word. He was with God and was God. That is why Jesus is able to be the savior the world needs. No one else can claim to be who Jesus is. No one else could take our place in death. I pray that we can also make Jesus our center and focus.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Go

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Go

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20

These few verses are known as the great gospel commission. They are Jesus’ last words to his apostles before returning to heaven. They are a message of hope. They are a message with a purpose and a job. It’s as if Jesus was saying, ‘This is what these last few years were all about.’

When God chose Israel in the old testament, it was to be an example of a faithful child of God to the world. The world would see the blessings and wealth of Israel and want what they had. They would learn and accept God through their lives. Instead, however, Israel moved inward and kept the blessings to themselves. They shunned anyone who tried to join them and also receive a blessing. They did the exact opposite of their mission.

Here Jesus is making it very clear that that mistake is not to occur again. They are not to keep the good news to themselves. They are not to hoard the blessings of God. They are told to go! Go out and teach and preach and baptize. To avoid any temptation of keeping the blessings to themselves, they aren’t just to be passive teachers and sharers. No. They are to actively go out and proclaim the good news.

The best part of course is that they will not be doing it in their own strength. Jesus will be with them through the Holy Spirit. Its Gods power and blessing that will be the catalyst in bring people in. There is no need to be afraid of feel alone. They will never be alone.

And now there’s us. Is our mission or purpose any different? No. These same words that were spoken to the apostles are for us as well. We cannot be passive but active. We cannot hide what we have but share it with others. We too are to go!

We are to finish what the apostles started. Through God we may be able to be the last link of this work. When the work is done, the greatest blessing and gift arrives. It is with the end of the work that Jesus will come back and take us to our promised land. Let us all be part of this calling.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Doubting

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Doubting

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Matthew 28:11-15

What a rollercoaster ride the apostles must have had. They went from being nobodies with regular jobs to being in the center of a life and world changing series of events. They met this man who changed their lives. The way he spoke and what he spoke about ignited a flame inside their hearts. The miracles he did left them in awe and wonderment. It made them question who this man could possibly be. His character was like nothing they had ever seen before. He was truly a good and loving man. There was no malice or envy in his heart. He helped so many people but also made a lot of enemies.

Then Jesus was arrested. Most of the apostles ran away but a few watched from a distance. Their hero didn’t fight but let himself be condemned and killed on a cross. Their lives seemed to give out from under them. But then Jesus appeared to them again and the tomb where he was laid was empty. Could he really be alive?

Up and down their hearts must have fluctuated. Then he tells them to go to a mountain where he will leave them, physically, again. When they saw him, they worshiped him but…

That but for me is so interesting. They were watching Jesus up there in the sky, slowly rising and yet they could still find doubt in their hearts. They heard his voice as he spoke and yet there was room for doubt. These were the same men who witnessed everything that Jesus did but they could still have doubt.

And then there’s us. Two thousand years have passed. Jesus has been up in heaven that whole time. We, unlike the apostles, live by a faith without a physical memory. We didn’t see him walk on water or multiply bread and fish. No. We must believe without seeing… or do we?

Jesus might be in heaven but he is still working here on earth. Miracles happen every day and we can see them if we have our eyes and mind open. If the apostles who saw so much could still doubt, how important is it for us to also see God working around us. Let us not get so busy that we ignore what God is doing.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Conspiracies

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Conspiracies

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Matthew 28:11-15

We live in a world today where it seems impossible to know the truth. There are so many ideas, opinions, sources, surveys, studies and experts and they never seem to agree with one another. We think this is a modern issue or problem but it really isn’t. The difficult search for truth has been a human struggle since the very beginning.

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:2-5

From the very beginning, the truth has been twisted, abused, hidden and rejected. This of course is a problem because truth is very important to us to make right decisions. Truth about health can make the difference between life and death. Truth about law can make you free or put you behind bars. Truth in relationship can keep marriages together, families united and friendships strong. Truth about God can mean the difference between eternal life or death. So is there anything that we can trust in?

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 8:31-32 and John 14:6

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Jesus Met Them

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Jesus Met Them

9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Matthew 28:9-10

Last we saw that the women who went to see Jesus in the tomb had been visited by an angel who told them the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and also gave them a mission to tell the apostles. Now Jesus himself appears and met them. His words are very similar. He tells them not to be afraid. He tells them to rejoice and not be sad. He gives them the same mission as before to go and tell the apostles and disciples. But he also adds and changes things just a little bit but in a profound way.

The angel had said, ‘and tell his disciple’s that He is risen’. Jesus makes it much more personal and familiar.      Jesus said, ‘tell My bretheren.’ Jesus still sees humanity as his family as brothers and sisters. The angel couldn’t make that connection to us because it was Jesus who became like one of us.

Jesus also says to tell them to go to Galilee and that He would meet them there. That is also a change. This was Jesus’ way of saying that the story wasn’t over. There was still more to learn and do. Although the main aspect of his mission was done, there was still more to his job.

Finally these verses say that the women worshiped Jesus and held his feet. John 20 gives us some more detail about this encounter.

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

John 20:17

Jesus wanted to meet these women so urgently that He hadn’t even gone back up to heaven yet to meet his Father. He met some women on the road before meeting God the Father. Think about that for a second. Think about where his heart and mind was. This is the same Jesus who was heartbroken when the Father no longer spoke to him in Gethsemane. Even so, He felt the need to go and meet the women even though an angel had already done that work and they were obeying. God is good.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Witnessing Prophecies

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Witnessing Prophecies

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Matthew 28:5-8

It is one thing to be told a prophecy or the future. It’s another actually experiencing and seeing it with your eyes. Jesus had told his followers that he would die and come back. He said this multiple times in multiple ways but it appears that no one really believed him. Jesus was known for his stories and parables and they must have thought it was something like that. There must have been a hidden meaning and message to his words. Little did they know how literal he was being.

Now and angel stood before them confirming Jesus’ words. Jesus was no longer dead. He was risen. Imagine the mixture of emotions of hearing that. Imagine the fear of being in the presence of a heavenly being. Imagine the joy of hearing that Jesus was alive. Imagine the confusion you’d experience hearing this for the first time. Imagine the doubt even with the angel standing before you. The angel knew this which is why he confirms his words by telling them to go inside and see for themselves.

We too have been told a prophecy. The Bible teaches us that one day Jesus will return in the clouds of the sky to take us to heaven. It teaches of a unified world bent on destroying God’s true followers. Many things are told but just like the women, it is one thing to hear it and another to witness it with your eyes. Many believe that we are already at the beginning of those events rolling out. Most of the prophecies in the Bible are actually behind us.

Will you truly believe when you see the signs? Will you, like the women, go out to tell the good news or will you doubt in your heart? We know that there will be false christs and also false events. September 11th or Y2K are good examples of that. So many people believed that end was during those times. This of course makes it harder to believe when the true signs begin to appear. How will you know the difference unless you study?

You don’t want to shrug off God’s warnings or doubt his signs. May we all seek wisdom in knowing what is true and false. Let us all be ready when Jesus really does appear in the sky.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Running Into Jesus

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Running Into Jesus

9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Matthew 28:1-4

When you chose to seek Christ and do His will, you will never know what blessings Jesus will have just around the corner for you. Mary Magdalene and Mary had gone to perform the death ceremony with Jesus body. Instead they found and empty tomb and a relaxed angel sitting on the stone door. They were then told that Jesus was alive and to go and tell the disciples. Without hesitation, they ran away to accomplish their mission but Jesus wasn’t done with them just yet.

Even before going to heaven, as we’ll learn in the next few verses, Jesus decided to stay back on earth for just a little bit, waiting just like the angel did at the tomb. Why did he wait? The risen Lord and King of the universe waiting for two women. Let that sink in for just a second. Even before seeing his own heavenly Father, whom he had been separated from with death, Jesus’ love for humanity and these two women kept him on earth. He waiting to just give them a word of encouragement.

“Rejoice!” That is what Jesus said. It’s not that they needed it. They had believed the empty tomb and the angel. No. I believe Jesus appeared to them because he knew they simply desired it in their hearts. They longed to see his face alive as they had only days before seen it lifeless and dead.

For a second time, they are told to tell the disciples but this time it is Jesus himself. What a blessing that must have been for them. These two women weren’t just in the background in Jesus’ life. He cared for them just as much as his twelve apostles. They all had a role to play in the salvation of the world. Their voices would be just as important. It was actually their voices that allowed the disciples to know the good news.

What miracle and blessing does God have in store for you today? If your heart and mind and seeking him, I’m sure you will find out.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Shaking with Fear

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Shaking with Fear

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

Matthew 28:1-4

The reaction to humans when they experience a moment with God or angels is always interesting. Fear seems to grip a human when something heavenly appears in its glory. It doesn’t matter whether they are a believer or non-believer. Many times the Bible says that people fall to the ground, face down. Here the guards became like dead men, unable to move or run away. These were the type of guards that could face death and armies, but here all that courage is drained away. When holy men experience something like this, there is not much difference.

Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God before the burning bush. Isaiah said he was undone as he stood in the temple before God. Before God, it doesn’t matter how good you may be, your sins bring you to your knees.

The angel in this story on the other hand seems very relaxed. Even as the earth shakes, the angel simple rolled back a massive stone and then simple sat on it waiting. There was no fear with the angel. Even though he was in evil territory, a place where the Devil reigned, he was not perturbed. He knew who was in the tomb. He knew he was alive. He knew he was on the winning side.

And then there’s us. How will we react when we come face to face with God? For most, if not all of us, this will probably only happen in the Second Coming. We will look up and see God and all his angels up in the sky. If you have not been faithful or true to your belief, you will scream in terror and plead for death as the reality of God will be above you and the judgement of God will be in your heart.

If you have been faithful and true to your faith, it will be completely different. You will stand in awe at the sight and as God transforms you in the blink of an eye, all fear and worry will melt away from you. You will be filled with immense love and joy. You will become like that angel sitting on the stone knowing that you were on the right and winning side.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto