Those are the lyrics to an old song by the Hollies.
John 4:42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
As I glean from what God is speaking to me through loving my brother, Wilhelm, and others, this verse is one of many (see below) that have come up in the conversation. I phoned Wilhelm to chat it over, to explore what God was/is saying to me, to us, and ultimately to whomever else comes here to read this. The following is a message he shared with a group that we all belong to, and I’ve changed certain facts to protect identity and confidences. Here’s his story>
Morning all, I thought this would be a safe place to share what’s going on. I need to get this all out as its been weighing on me heavily last night. I have a core group of friends that I have known since elementary school. My one friend’s cancer was in remission, but returned. Somoene sent me a bible verse that very minute he announced that about giving hope to the sick. Even though they are all atheists, I felt it necessary to share it with them, so I did
They have argued with me many times in the past about the existence of God and never felt the need to defend it and took the shots. This time my one friend Preston reached out to me right after and demanded I take it down because it triggers himself. We got in a little bit of a spat. I didn’t really think much of it after. I didn’t hear from any of them for 4 months until one of the friends called me crying recently saying that Preston started a different chat without me and everyone else is going along to get along. They don’t want to speak to me again but wanted me out of the chat so they can continue. My friend who called me said I did nothing wrong and he hates that this is happening. I left quietly and sent a nice message to Preston
This makes it extra hard because I am the only one of them who lives alone and doesn’t have many people in my life.
I am not sure what made him boss of everyone but the same thing happened during COVID where nobody was allowed to see me until I got the shot
I have a long history and trauma around rejection and abandonment. I was raised in a new age cult. My mom and my dads family excluded us and wouldn’t have a relationship with us for half my life because my dad split from it. This is a continuous pattern I notice that keeps coming up in my life
I try to say this makes room for the right people to enter but I don’t know if it’s true, especially at my age. I have tried to end my life once and God saved me so I will never try that again now that I have another chance
If I ever attempt to date someone, they end up ghosting immediately without a thought or giving it a chance. It hurts so deeply that I won’t even try again for some years
I have grown and feel much more confident in myself than I used to. I have been feeling this heaviness in my chest lately that won’t go away. I cry out to God at night and lose sleep. Not sure what else I can do. I thought I would be stronger than this it’s really hitting me…
As I continue to mull over the above, this recently revealed struggle of my brother in Christ has been on my mind.
He didn’t just simply give that verse! His thought was to bring that one to Jesus! Which is evidence of true faith!
To look even deeper, as I spoke with him over the phone, there is a fellow Christian in his life who has a ministry of sending verses to folks. She had just sent him this verse, not knowing the reason WHY just knowing God told her to do it. Wilhelm quoted that scripture to the chat, even though he knew it was against the rules.
In our conversation there were many interjections, by him and by me, which tells me – amoung other things – that God is teaching me, and teaching him. Its new material! Our hearts and minds are challenging one another! Iron is sharpening iron… we’re being mutually encouraged by one another’s faith.
I’ll bring you through the chat by quoting the verses that came to me as we spoke, and then the “word” about that scripture particular to this chat>
John 14:26
God is our teacher, through one another Ephesians 5:21 in and through the Holy Spirit.
2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NKJV
This young man has been given a prophetic gift similar to one I’ve seen in others. He speaks a word that God has revealed to him, that is clearly stated in the word. In this case he said it so verbatim, that I wondered it he knew the verse, he did not, but he does now LOL.
The idea behind this verse is one to be studied and explored. In this present context what it means is that those that experience you and I, believers, its as though they are “reading” the bible. But instead the message sent to them is a living breathing human being, this child of God that has been sent into their lives. This cannot be achieved in any other way than by knowing God. See John 15, Matthew 6:33-34.
In the case of this group of young men, they chose to exclude him. They walked away from him. They walked away from Christ Jesus, because he was not representing himself, he represented Christ when he quoted God’s word in response to the need. Cancer kills… our only hope is God healing. We’ve all lost members of our household and family, and friends groups to Cancer. We know the hope is slim. This brings to mind what we see in John 6. Read it for yourself and see. When folks walked away from Jesus message, he didn’t chase after them. In fact, he turned to the core 12 and said, John 6:67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
- don’t go jumping to conclusions here. Some who didn’t believe while Jesus was with them came to believe in him after he died and rose again. The apostle Paul being a prominent example.
John 2:23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
This scripture comes early on in John’s gospel. Its part of the introduction of the Good News that the disciple John is telling. John’s gospel is not a historical narrative in the sense that is sequential course of events. Its best thought of as a witness on the stand, giving his testimony. In defense of Jesus. The prosecution, who is that? hmmm well the judge is the one who is reading the bible. You, the reader, are making the judgement to accept or reject Christ Jesus. Accept of reject God’s solution to the problem.
So the part that has always intrigued me about John 2:23-25 is that Jesus was experiencing success… his empire! his kingdom! his following! Its begun, and Jesus walked away! He didn’t entrust himself to them! What do you mean, John?!?! Well, keep reading (the gospel according to John) and you’ll see.
Later when Wilhelm’s friends wake up, in need of God, suddenly their eyes are open…
Revelation 12:11
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
If you spend your time chasing butterflies, they will fly away. But if you spend your time creating a beautiful garden, the butterflies will come to you.
And if they don’t, you still have a beautiful garden.German saying….
Running Down Vimy 