Come and See

Come 
            And 
                       See..




John 1:35-39

35  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God.
37  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.


Jesus asked, "What seek ye?" They answered, "Master where dwellest thou?" 
Jesus answered, "Come and see." 


John 1:45-46

45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of  Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 
46  And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

Here Philip told Nathanael, they had found the Messiah. Nathanael asked, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Come and see." 


Today, Jesus is calling out, saying "Come and see. Come dwell with me; I in you and you in me! Come see that the Lord is good. Come and see that my burden is light. Come and see my yoke is easy. Come and see; that I will give you rest for your soul."


John 1:51

51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of  God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

Jesus answered, "Ye shall see."  We the Church are calling out to the lost. Come and see the glorious salvation of the Lord.


In John chapter 4, There came a woman of Samaria to Jacobs well. Jesus came to the city of Samaria, he was tired so he stopped to rest at the well, while his disciples went into the city to get food. Around noon the woman came to the well to draw water, and Jesus spoke to her.

"Give me to drink." And she said; "How is it you being a Jew ask of me to give you drink?" For the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered her and said; If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?"  Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman said, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus said, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman answered, " I have no husband."
Jesus said, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The woman said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet."

The woman departed into the city and called all the men of the town and said. "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Is this not the Christ?"


Today, Jesus is still saying "Come and see. Come taste of the Lord, see that He is good!"

David spoke in Psalm 27:13

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.

1 John 3:2 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Come and  see.




Created by: Brittany Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church

Ishmael - The Unwanted Child

Breaking the Generation Chain

Studies show that children from broken homes generally experience lower achievement than the children of intact families. There are exceptions. It is surprising how many broken homes, and even abusive homes, produce achievers. It is as if the struggles of youth develop a drive for some to achieve against all odds. Bill Clinton's step-father was an abusive alcoholic, and Barack Obama's father abandoned him at a young age. His mother was absent much of the time, and he was raised by his grandparents.

It is true that our upbringing has a profound effect on our behavior. Alcoholics tend to have children who are alcoholics. Sexually abused children often become abusers as well. But we do not have to accept  these inherited flaws. We can break these generational chains. With God's help we can break away from our past. We are new creations in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17). The gospel is about restoration of the mind and spirit.

The Hindus have what is called the "caste system." This system breaks population into hereditary group called jatis. In some rural parts of India this system is radially followed. A person cannot move from his or her cultural stratum. This is bondage and discrimination. We are all children of God, equal in His sight. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16, emphasis mine). All of us are Gods wanted children.

by Gary Erickson

Circumstances Preceding the birth of Ishmael
God had promised Abraham a homeland and an heir, a son by Sarah (Genesis 13:16;15:4). The promise of a homeland had been followed immediately by a sign of sacrifice and prophecy (Genesis 15:7-14), but this promise of a son include neither a sign of sacrifice nor a definite prophecy. Abraham and Sarah had to take the promise on faith. They probably talked and dreamed of the arrival of their son, but their disappointment mounted month after month, no sign of fulfillment materialized. Sarah's patience snapped as she realized she was too old to bear a child. Instead, she conceived a plan for Abraham to get his son of promise.

Sarah's Plan and Abraham's Mistake

Sarah's solution to the problem was legal and not uncommon in their day. A favorite slave girl became a concubine, or surrogate mother, to bear a son who would then be adopted by the matriarch as her own. During their sojourn into Egypt the aging couple had acquired a slave girl named Hagar. Instead of waiting on God to fulfill His promise, Sarah persuaded Abraham to obtain the child by her Egyptian maid.

Human efforts to assist in the fulfilling of divine promise only complicate matters.  

The Grieving Father
Ishmael had been in Abraham's home for fourteen years before the birth of Isaac, and was almost grown. Abraham had once regarded Ishmael as the answer to his prayer for a Heaven-appointed heir of the promise (Genesis 17:18). He loved his son Ishmael, and Sarah's demand to case him out caused him much distress. It was like sentencing Ishmael and his mother to die in the wilderness hundreds of miles away from Hagar's home in Egypt.

God did not approve of what Sarah and Abraham had done, and Ishmael, though a descendant of Abraham, could never be accepted as the heir of promise. In Paul's allegory, he represented the flesh under bonded of law, which must be done away with in order for the spiritual man to have liberty.

When our vision is dimmed by disappointment, rejection, doubt, fear; anxiety, or broken dreams, we need to open spiritual eyes and look for the hand of God at work. 

Works of the flesh are always unwanted, and they war against the spiritual life and the spiritual inheritance. God's mercy and compassion can turn our mistakes into blessings when we come to Him with a repentant heart. 

Created by: Jocelyn Jones

Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church

References: Davis, Richard. Lessons from History for Christian Living. Summer 2012. Hazelwood: Word Aflame Publications, 2011. 12-18. Print.

The Promise

"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" Acts 2:33

In this dispensation of grace, believers in Jesus Christ started to receive the Holy Ghost in the inner man for the purpose of salvation, adoption, and ownership which comes by Jesus Christ. While you read this study, lets seek to be more than a "seer" or a "hearer" of this great promise but let us seek to be the very ones to experience the promise. 

The beginning

It is important to know that the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts is the inauguration of the church age. God personally christened his church (body of believers) with his very own Spirit. It was the beginning of his beautiful church. The Apostle Peter recounted this great event to the brethren in Jerusalem, affirming that it was "the beginning" or the start of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

^"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"

Acts 11:15-17

It is evident that even the Apostle Peter acknowledges that the Pentecost experience was the beginning, mankind had never experienced such a phenomenon until then. The church, the body of Christ was no longer and empty shell, we can now be filled with his Holy Spirit. What a marvelous experience it is to not only be born of the water, but to be born of the Spirit as well, just as Jesus said in John 3:3-8.

Can we withstand God?

God is the coordinator of this biblical event called the baptism of the Spirit. The called out Apostles could not withstand what God was doing in those days, neither can we withstand what he is doing now. Jesus orchestrated it, he gave the Apostles instruction to tarry (wait) in the city of Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father (The Holy Ghost).

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." Acts 1:4

It was Jesus who stood on the mount of olives and told his Apostles that they would be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days after his ascension and that they would receive power.

"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:5 

The Promises of God are sure! Ten days later they were all filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

 

This is that!
The birth of the church was so significant that even the prophet Joel prophesied about it. The Apostle Peter, seeing and experiencing this spiritual birth, understood what was happening and said...

"..this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" Acts 2:16-17.

A promised experience!
Jesus promised his disciples before he was crucified that another comforter would be sent in his name. This comforter would abide with his disciples forever. After Jesus made this statement he let them in on a secret "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you" John 14:18. Yes, Jesus himself would be that comforter in Spirit form.   

This same promise was reiterated several times during Jesus' earthly ministry, in one account he explains that the Holy Ghost would not come unless he departs John 16:7. He also taught his disciples that believing on him as the scripture says that "out of his belly shall flow rivers on living water" John 7:38. The proceeding verse sheds significant light on this saying. "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" John 7:39.

More good news!

This promise is for everyone that believes in Jesus Christ, Jesus said "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:37. Paul passing through the upper coasts of Ephesus seeing certain disciples asked "have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? This my friends, I ask you today, have you received the Holy Ghost in the same manner as they did in "the beginning"? Acts 11:15

Authored by:

Min. John W. Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church