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A Man Sent from God
/in Pastors BlogA Man Sent from God
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
John 1:4-5
Before we talk about John, it is important to see what Jesus himself said about him.
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 11:11-15
There has been no one greater than John. That is a powerful statement from Jesus. When you think of Moses, David, Samuel, Elijah and more of the heroes of the Bible, it’s hard for me at least to place John above them. John’s story is barely recorded in the Bible. He preached and baptized but very few words are recorded. He very quickly is put in jail and then beheaded. How can he be considered greatest above people born?
The next question of course is how can he be the greatest and also the least of all those who will be in heaven?
Let’s try and answer to these questions. He is the greatest because unlike all the other prophets and heroes who prophesied of the coming Messiah, John was the one to actually baptize him into his role. John witnessed and was a part of the fulfillment of the great promise of the Old Testament. In that way he is given an exalted position and title. He was the one chosen to introduce the light into the world. A very weak comparison would be like the person who finally carries the Olympic torch into the stadium and lights the big fire to start the Olympics.
But John is also the least because although being part of the beginning and being so close to the Messiah, he was kept at a distance and actually reduced by God so that Jesus could be increased.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30
John was so important and yet his story is all but pushed to the side. We must accept that our lives can follow in the same way. Just because our names might be forgotten in history because we didn’t do something world changing, doesn’t mean that we aren’t important to God’s work. We must accept the role God has for us and accept that for many of us, our true reward will only come at the end.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Light on Earth
/in Pastors BlogLight 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
/in Pastors BlogCreator 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
/in Pastors BlogIn 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
/in Pastors BlogGo
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
/in Pastors BlogDoubting
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
/in Pastors BlogConspiracies
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