23 "The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.
God was saying that the people would one day possess land in Canaan, but in God's plan, only God's ownership was absolute. He wanted his people to avoid greed and materialism. If you have the attitude that you are taking care of the Lord's property, you will make what you have more available to others. This is difficult to do if you have an attitude of ownership. Think of yourself as a manager of all that is under your care, not as an owner. (Wow, we're not too good at that in this country!)
(Verse and commentary is copied from the Life Application Study Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion. Check it out at YouVersion .
Any Dr JOE comments will be in BLUE :0) )
John 1: 9-14
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Joh 1:10-11
Although Christ created the world, the people he created didn't recognize him (Joh_1:10). Even the people chosen by God to prepare the rest of the world for the Messiah rejected him (Joh_1:11), although the entire Old Testament pointed to his coming.
Joh 1:12-13
All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ, this new birth changes us from the inside out-rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents' family (Joh_1:13). Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God's family (Joh_1:12). Have you asked Christ to make you a new person? This fresh start in life is available to all who believe in Christ.
Joh 1:14
"The Word became human." By doing so, Christ became (1) the perfect teacher-in Jesus' life we see how God thinks and therefore how we should think (Php_2:5-11); (2) the perfect example-as a model of what we are to become, he shows us how to live and gives us the power to live that way (1Pe_2:21); (3) the perfect sacrifice-Jesus came as a sacrifice for all sins, and his death satisfied God's requirements for the removal of sin (Col_1:15-23).
"The Father's one and only Son" means Jesus is God's only and unique Son. The emphasis is on unique. Jesus is one of a kind and enjoys a relationship with God. He is unlike all believers, who are called "children of God."
When Jesus was conceived, God became a man. He was not part man and part God; he was completely human and completely divine (Col_2:9). Before Christ came, people could know God partially. After Christ came, people could know God fully because he became visible and tangible in Christ. Christ is the perfect expression of God in human form. The two most common errors people make about Jesus are to minimize his humanity or to minimize his divinity. Jesus is both God and man.
Commentary is copied from the Life Application Study Bible.
Any Dr JOE comments will be in BLUE :0)
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