John's Gospel begins where the Bible begins: before creation. He places Jesus in eternity with God the Father as an active agent in the Creation account. It is referred to as the preexistence of Jesus. He has always existed, because He is God.
He is very careful to place Jesus in the creation account in order to contradict certain heresies that were infiltrating the church.

There were those who believed that Jesus was just a man. That falsehood would have negated His deity. Others believed that He was just a Spirit. That would have negated His humanity. John tells us that Jesus is both God and Man.

It is important that we understand that Jesus is both God and Man. He set aside His glory in order to experience all the difficulties of mankind, yet He was still God and so able to carry all the sins of the world to the cross. On the cross Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin. The thrice Holy God died in our place! What a Savior!

- Dr. Darryl -

Israel was a nation with unimaginable promise, unlimited potential, and the ultimate blessings of God. God had actually bound Himself with a covenant to care for them, provided they held up their end of the covenant. It was a straight forward agreement that made God your friend. But the blessing became a curse. If the conditions are not upheld, God actually becomes your enemy. Freedom has the effect of a double edged sword. Does that remind you of the United States?


The majority of people throughout history have lived under some type of tyranny. Our own country began under tyranny, but with the help of God we were able to gain freedom. Most nations could not even entertain thoughts of living in freedom because of historical circumstances. Few peoples have ever aspired to establish a free country; fewer still have ever achieved it. Judges 2:10 gives a condemning review of one generation in Israel. After Joshua, a generation arose that did not know God. It didn’t take long for them to forget God and then began the inevitable descent into slavery.
The Bible says, "where the Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom". (2 Cor.3:17)


The United States was founded on principles derived from Scripture. It seems to be a Scriptural principle that freedom is linked to a nation's love for God. As long as we honor God, I believe that we have the promise of freedom. Conversely, to the extent that we reject God, we will experience more tyranny either from outside threats or from our own government.


Based on our willingness to obey God rather than man, we will either continue to experience freedom or descend into the atrocities of tyranny. The latter option was the path chosen by Israel. After the strong leadership of Joshua, the Israelites became enamored with the false religions of Canaan and abandoned worship of the one true God. They declined so much that God accused them of being worse than the pagan nations. What a sad epitaph over a once great nation.


We find ourselves at a similar crossroad. Will we trust in God or continue to pursue the idolatry that so easily entices us? A correlating question is, will we continue to be free or become enslaved as a result of idolatry?


What is the answer to this dilemma? Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and seek His Face, throwing ourselves upon His mercy and grace. Those who know God are the only ones who have access to the throne of God therefore it is our responsibility to make sure this country remains free by calling on Him. He may yet extend His mercy to us. It is incumbent on the church to take the lead in this repentance, because the world has little understanding of the concept of true prayer. Are we willing to use it to seek His Face?

- Dr. Darryl -

Nearly all the commandments are stated in negative terms, "thou shalt not." Of the two that are not stated in negative terms, one is later restated in negative terms: "On [the Sabbath] you shall do no work." The other positive command intrigues me: "honor your father and your mother." It alone is left as a positive command. Why? It could easily have been stated negatively: "Do not dishonor your parents." It alone is left in the positive mode. The other commandments can be obeyed by not doing something, but apparently this one can only be obeyed by doing something proactive to honor your parents.


One reason for the negativity is that God is dealing with sinful human beings. We know how to do wrong! We were born with the knowledge of good and evil, as promised by the devil to Adam and Eve. One of my favorite illustrations of original sin is when a child becomes a toddler. If you have any doubts about the reality of sin, just find a two-year-old and spend some time reacquainting yourself with the 'terrible twos.' Human beings need correction throughout life, especially during the early years.


The law was intended to keep us from doing wrong, similar to a parent dealing with a two-year-old. Our propensity to sin is a reflection of our sinfulness and God's holiness. But behind each of the commandments is a positive principle, grounded in the person of Christ. For instance, "You shall not murder," is based on the principle of the sanctity of human life. He takes no delight in the destruction of a soul. His grace goes even further, "God is not willing that any should perish..."
Behind the principle stands the person of Jesus Christ, Who is Life. So the commandment is based on the principle and the principle is based on the person of Christ, which makes the law holy. The law is holy because it reflects the character of a holy God and our holiness only comes through a relationship with Him.


The law cannot change your heart or offer you salvation. If the law had been able to offer life, then it would have produced righteousness. (Galatians 3:21) The law was not able to offer righteousness, but it can lead to the One Who does offer righteousness; Jesus the Messiah. Once a person is saved, he has no need of an external law. The law is written on his heart and the Spirit of God governs his actions from within his heart.

- Dr. Darryl -