Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV)
Paul is describing God; He alone is eternal, the only God. He is immortal, invisible, and King of the ages. God is eternal; His reign is unshakable and timeless. God is immortal, He transcends time, He never dies, and He reigns forever. God is invisible to human eyes, but He is seen in His works, His creation.
Which brings to mind the hymn Immortal, Invisible. The first verse of the hymn:
Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Walter C. Smith, pub.1876
May we spend our days giving honor, glory, and praise to the Lord. Let us sing, praise, and worship our God and Saviour. Giving Him honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth
1 John 3:18 (NIV)
John says in this verse that to love with words is not enough; that love requires meaningful actions. We are to love in action and in truth. We don’t need to serve others to be saved; through God’s grace, we are saved.
We serve others because we are saved; Jesus died for our sins. We should serve others through loving actions like Jesus. We can love with words but need to show love through our actions.
Actions and truth go side by side. The truth is what we believe as Christians, and what we believe should be demonstrated by our actions.
18 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality.
1 John 3:18 (MSG)
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Is your love shown by action and in truth?
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Guide us and help us to grow more like Jesus. Teach us to exhibit actions that show Your truth and light. Like the bright and open flowers of the potentilla, let us open our hearts to love and brighten other people’s lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11 (NIV)
Who is the Good Shepard? Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Greek word kalos translates to good, noble, and beautiful. The Good Shepherd describes Jesus’ inherent goodness and righteousness. He guides and nurtures His flock. Sheep are defenseless, dependent upon the shepherd’s protection and guidance. Jesus the Good Shepard is our guide and protector. He loves us so much that he laid down His life for our sins.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
John 10:14 (NLT)
Jesus is God; He is able to protect and guide believers. He will never abandon us; He gives us eternal life.
7Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. a They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:7-11
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Are you following Jesus the Good Shepherd?
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Teach us to follow Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who protects and guides us. Let us realize that as we love flowers in many different forms and colors, Jesus loves us regardless of nationality or color. Thank you for Your forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love. Amen
5 The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love – love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.
1 Timothy 1:5 (MSG)
Timothy was left in Ephesus to make sure teaching stayed on track. False preaching was leading to bickering over pointless issues and meaningless speculations. They were so caught up in controversy that they missed the importance of loving God and others.
Paul explains that false teachers are not motivated by love; instead, they raise controversy by pushing false doctrines and dwelling on spiritual pedigrees. A true Christian leader needs to be motivated by love, simply love. Love comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV)
Christians should exhibit a love of God and love for others, a life open to God.
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Do you radiate love, simply love in all you do?
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father guide us and protects us from false teachers. Help us not to be self-centered but have our actions and behaviors, radiate love, simply love. Teach us to have a pure heart and sincere faith. Like the bright and beautiful flower of the bleeding heart plant, let us shine with your brightness and flower with Your love. In Jesus’ loving name. Amen
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.
John 6:27 (NKJV)
On the day before this passage, Jesus had taken five loaves and two small fish and fed thousands. People were seeking Jesus, not for spiritual needs but looking for free food and additional supernatural occurrences. Their motivation for pursuing Him was wrong.
Jesus encourages us to seek spiritual fulfillment rather than striving for physical and temporary objects. Seek spiritual nourishment, for we need more than food to thrive. As the Message version of the Bible says, “Work for food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides.”
28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”The Son of Man, Jesus, Has God’s seal on Him, God’s seal of approval. Jesus, His Son gives believers in Him the bread of eternal life.
John 6:28-29 (NKJV)
Jesus bore the seal of God, His seal of divine approval. God’s seal of truth is on what Jesus is saying. To His believers, Jesus, gives the bread of eternal life.
27 “Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”
John 6:27 (MSG)
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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank you for Your forgiveness and grace toward us. Thank you for Your Son Jesus, who bears your seal of divine approval. Help us to strive for the nourishing spiritual food that Jesus provides. Like the crocus flowers joyfully proclaim the arrival of spring, let our voices resound with joy, proclaiming our salvation through Jesus. Amen
But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)
In this verse, Paul is comparing the Glory of God in the Old Testament to the glory of God in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, after meeting with God and receiving the Ten Commandments, Moses’s face was radiant. His face was shining with the glory of God. When he returned to camp, the people were afraid of him due to his radiant face. Moses started covering his face with a veil.
For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6(NIV)
In the New Testament, God’s glory is visible through faith in Jesus. Belief in Jesus brings forgiveness of sin and removes the necessity of a veil to view God’s glory. The glory shining in the face of Jesus never fades; it shines through eternity when we have a relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit is in our hearts, transforms us, and guides us to become more like God. With our unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord.
And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
2 Corinthians 3:18(MSG)
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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your forgiveness, mercy, and love. We thank You for your grace, giving us Jesus. Jesus who saved us, removing the necessity of a veil to view Your glory. Like the gloriosa daisy flower petals become brighter as they radiate outward, let our lives become brighter as we grow closer to You and radiate Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen
Jesus is speaking to his disciples and the Pharisees in John 10. To His critics, Jesus was trying to explain the truth. The Pharisees do not believe Him to be the Messiah, even though Jesus’ teaching and miracles are consistent with the biblical prediction of the Messiah.
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
John 10:25-30 (NIV)
In verse 30, Jesus proclaims, I and the Father are one. A statement that upset the Pharisees; they considered it arrogant, rude, and blasphemy. They are angry and try to stone Him, but Jesus escapes.
The statement “I and the Father are one” refers to the unity between God and Jesus. Jesus is not merely a messenger or a prophet. The Greek word used for “one” in this statement is in the neuter form, which implies unity. Essentially, this means that God and Jesus are unified as one. Jesus further emphasizes this unity in verse 38 by saying, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
John 10:38 (NIV)
Verse 30 in the Message bible states that Jesus and the Father are one heart and mind.
No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”
John 10:30 (MSG)
Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Lord, they both exhibited perfect love and unity, and they are one in heart and mind.
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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Son Jesus. We are blessed that You and Jesus are one in heart and mind and keep your promises. Help us to emulate Jesus in our thoughts and actions. Like the anemone grows and flowers, let us grow like You and blossom in Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV)
To the Corinthians, Paul explains that when we accept and stand firm in Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This means that God claims us as His own and recognizes us as His children.
With the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence in our salvation and trust in God’s unfailing love. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God, given to us as a deposit, a promise, and a guarantee of His faithfulness. A promise that assures us of eternal life and peace through Jesus. Jesus, His son, who died for us while we were still sinners.
God puts His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, a promise, a guarantee of His faithfulness. Assuring us of eternal life and peace.
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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace to us. Thank you for putting your Spirit in our hearts. Let us be guided by Your Spirit, drawing closer to You. Like the violet plants spread and grow in the sun, let us spread Your Word and grow in faith. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2This is why the ancients were commended.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)
The word faith is often used in conversations. What is faith? Faith is defined as belief and trust in and loyalty to God. (www.merriam-webster.com) It is a trust that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Faith is trusting in God having the assurance that things hoped for will become reality.
Faith is a belief in things you can’t physically see. But you don’t need to view them when you trust in God, His truth, power, and Word.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11-3 (ESV)
We trust God because He never lies. He fulfills His promises; He is worthy of our trust.
When you live by faith, not by sight, you trust God even though you don’t know where He is leading you or the plans He has for you. It requires patience as well as trust, realizing God is in control.
God has plans for us, plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
The undeniable evidence of God’s faithfulness is Jesus, who fulfills the hopes and promises of God.
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
Hebrews 11:1-3 (MSG)
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Does faith in God change the way you live?
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness, love, and beautiful works. Help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. Guide us in Your truth and teach us. Like the azalea bush flourishes and produces new flowers every spring, help our faith to flourish and produce fruit. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen
I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
John 12:46 (NLT)
In this verse Jesus is speaking to a group of people in Jerusalem. The Hebrew people associated light with truth, knowledge and goodness. Darkness was associated with ignorance, error, sin, and misery. Jesus was sent to earth by God as a guiding light to all who sit in darkness, a light to shine in this dark world. Whoever believes in Him is called out of darkness into his wonderful light.
John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the true light.
6A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world
1 John 1:9
Jesus, the true light, shines the light of faith into the dark world. He came to save the world and show us the path of peace and the way of truth.
44-46 Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark. 47-50 “If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world.
John 12:44-46 (MSG)
Jesus is the true light, the light to shine; is he shining in your life?
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son the true light. Teach us to let His light shine in our lives and brighten our path. Direct our feet on the path of peace and the way of truth. Like sunflowers, follow the sun and reflect its light; let us follow Your Son and reflect His light. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Garden Faith 