What is humility?

Zephaniah tells us in 3:12, the “But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.”

We are not to think too highly of ourselves. The Lord showed the Jews during those forty years wandering in the desert, that He was in control and He would take care of them by letting them go hungry and then feeding them manna. We become humble when we acknowledge God is in control and release our selfish pride. We become humble when we recognize God knows what we need and that He will be the one to meets those needs.

1 Peter 3:8 says “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” As we turn from being selfish and self centered, we can start to develop compassion and sympathy toward our fellow man.

Jesus was the perfect example of being humble. Born of a virgin in a stable; he was the King of Kings riding in his royal procession on a donkey. He, who knew no sin, became sin so we could become His righteousness; though Jesus is God, He became nothing to die on a cross for us. We should model ourselves after Jesus, serving others and not just being served. Serving others will help us develop a humble heart.

1 Peter 5:6 tells us that the Lord will honor the Humble, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Psalms 69:32 also tells us that “The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive.” So being humble will open our eyes to see what the Lord does in our lives. We may have a tendency to think that everything is of our own doing. Don’t let pride blind you to what God is doing around you.

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

I rise and fall everyday with prayers thanking God for all that I have, from my family, to my health, to my family’s health, to my job, to pretty much everything He has lead me through in my life. It should be a great comfort to us, that humble and thankful praises from us are more pleasing to God than the most costly, pompous sacrifices.

Without God I am nothing; may all the Praise and Glory be to God. Amen


Thanks for checking in and God Bless >>John

When did Christians stop carrying a Bible to Church?

I have noticed ever since I started attending my Church about 4 years ago, no one really brought their Bibles with them to service. I found this strange, as I always did. Not that what I do is the litmus test for normal, well in my mind it is, but to most people maybe not so much and don’t even ask my wife…ha! I find it strange because the source of our knowledge about our faith lies within the pages of that book. We are to base our lives on the teachings from those pages  we hear about while in service on Sundays….yet most leave it at home as if they are going to see a movie and don’t want to crowd their seat up with “stuff”. 

Now do I think it is a sin or something to make a big deal out of? Well my short answer is no. Do I think not bringing your Bible to Church is a good thing? No I do not. Do I think it is indicative of the overall Bible ignorance that plagues this generation? A very confident Yes! If the only time you get your dose of Bible truth for the week is the hour on Sunday, you are missing the point of being a Christian. My Pastor has asked everyone to bring their Bibles every Sunday while we go through the entire Bible this year. He heard the pages turning after asking us to turn to a verse and said something like, “that’s a beautiful sound, the sound of Bible pages turning”. You know what? It was beautiful.

Why should we read the Bible and read it often? Because the Bible is literally "God-breathed", 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” In other words, it is God's very words to us. As Christians, I would want to know why you would not want to keep your Bible on you, if not everyday at least Sundays at service!

Early in my faith I found it hard to read the Bible consistently, but being the OCD freak I am, I took my Bible with me to work and I have done it for many years now, not only is it convenient,  but it gives you opportunities to witness, Amen!! Having my Bible on me more often, I believe, is one on several factors keeping me in God’s word. The largest factor is, I genuinely wish to know all I can about the contents of its pages, but honestly, sometimes I read it, well, because it is there. 

The Bible is so important that Jesus said of it, "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" - Matthew 4:4. If we want to live life to the fullest, live the life of a Christian, as God intended us to, we must immerse, read and heed God's written Word.

Thanks for Checking in, God Bless >>John

Please leave comments if you have them, good or bad!!

Happy New Year from John Christian Doe Podcast!

Thanks for a great year Lord! Thank you so much to my listeners and readers, your support is awesome! May all of us grow in your faith this year.

Thanks for checking in >>John

The Birth of Jesus - Luke 2

Take time out of this wonderful day of family and friends to remember....

God bless and Merry Christmas everyone!!

The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  - Luke 2:1-20

Thanks for checking in > John

Still haven't found what you're looking for?

Psalm 127:1-2

Prosperity Comes from the LORD.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.
"1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

This psalm was written by David to his son Solomon. While David was building the military security forces in Israel he placed Solomon in charge of the protecting the gates and building the first Temple to God.

David is reminding his son that all building and fortifying and preparing was futile if the city is not in the service of God. Sodom and Gomorrah could have spent day and night preparing and securing themselves, but nothing they could have physically done could have prevented their destruction by God.

At the end of verse two in Psalm 127:1-2 David tells Solomon, that even in his sleep God gives to His beloved, those who believe and serve the Lord. This is a reference to when the Jewish people received manna, food from heaven, as they slept each night in the wilderness. They did not have to earn it or work for the food. When they awoke, they would find enough manna for the day waiting. God provided.

Sadly, too many of us spend lives looking for something other than God to fill our longing for meaning; business, money, hobbies, relationships, clothes, sports, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but trying to fill a void only God can fill will leave you unfulfilled and wondering why your life has never seemed satisfactory. Those who do find fulfillment in nothing but worldly things find that it is short lived. I have been there and I think many of us have heard people talk about “something missing” in their lives …like so many before me, I have found that God is that “something missing”.


“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34)

Thanks for checking in and God Bless.

Why the Atheist doesn't exist

This is an Excerpt from God Doesn't Believe in Atheists by Ray Comfort

There can be no such things as an atheist. This is why: Let's imagine that you are a professing atheist. Here are two questions for you to answer: First, do you know the combined weight of all the sand on all the beaches of Hawaii? We can safely assume that you don't. This brings us to the second question: Do you know how many hairs are on the back of a fully-grown male Tibetan yak? Probably not. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that there are some things that you don't know. It is important to ask these questions because there are some people who think they know everything.

Let's say that you know an incredible one percent of all the knowledge in the universe. To know 100 percent, you would have to know everything. There wouldn't be a rock in the universe that you would not be intimately familiar with, or a grain of sand that you would not be aware of. You would know everything that has happened in history, from that which is common knowledge to the minor details of the secret love life of Napoleon's great-grandmother's black cat's fleas. You would know every hair of every head, and every thought of every heart. All history would be laid out before you, because you would be omniscient (all-knowing).

Bear in mind that one of the greatest scientists who ever lived, Thomas Edison, said, "We do not know a millionth of one percent about anything." Let me repeat: Let's say that you have an incredible one percent of all the knowledge in the universe. Would it be possible, in the ninety-nine percent of the knowledge that you haven't yet come across, that there might be ample evidence to prove the existence of God? If you are reasonable, you will be forced to admit that it is possible. Somewhere, in the knowledge you haven't yet discovered, there could be enough evidence to prove that God does exist.

Let's look at the same thought from another angle. If I were to make an absolute statement such as, "There is no gold in China," what is needed for that statement to be proven true? I need absolute or total knowledge. I need to have information that there is no gold in any rock, in any river, in the ground, in any store, in any ring, or in any mouth (gold filling) in China. If there is one speck of gold in China, then my statement is false and I have no basis for it. I need absolute knowledge before I can make an absolute statement of that nature. Conversely, for me to say, "There is gold in China," I don't need to have all knowledge. I just need to have seen a speck of gold in the country, and the statement is then true.

To say categorically, "There is no God," is to make an absolute statement. For the statement to be true, I must know for certain that there is no God in the entire universe. No human being has all knowledge. Therefore, none of us is able to truthfully make this assertion.
If you insist upon disbelief in God, what you must say is, "Having the limited knowledge I have at present, I believe that there is no God." Owing to a lack of knowledge on your part, you don't know if God exists. So, in the strict sense of the word, you cannot be an atheist. The only true qualifier for the title is the One who has absolute knowledge, and why on earth would God want to deny His own existence?

The professing atheist is what is commonly known as an "agnostic" - one who claims he "doesn't know" if God exists. It is interesting to note that the Latin equivalent for the Greek word is "ignoramus." The Bible tells us that this ignorance is "willful" (Psalm 10:4). It's not that a person can't find God, but that he won't. It has been rightly said that the "atheist" can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman. He knows that if he admits that there is a God, he is admitting that he is ultimately responsible to Him. This is not a pleasant thought for some.
It is said that Mussolini (the Italian dictator), once stood on a pinnacle and cried, "God, if you are there, strike me dead!" When God didn't immediately bow to his dictates, Mussolini then concluded that there was no God. However, his prayer was answered some time later.

Excerpted from God Doesn't Believe in Atheists by Ray Comfort

It's 3am, do you know where your Bible is?

This past Sunday at my Church, Pastor Mark Miller was talking about the current statistics regarding adult’s lack of knowledge of the bible. He stated how the generations of 30 – 50 somethings know less about the bible than at any other time in history. He also mentioned that the children of these people knew even less than their parents. So this prompted me to do a little research myself and I found this article by Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D. This was shocking information and I won't add a bunch of facts from it here, but read it. It simply talks about data from surveys that shows that American main stream is completely ignorant of the Bible. When I relate this with my first posting about the secularization of society it makes total sense.

Now, I can only make sense of this by relating to my own experiences with my faith. Keep in mind that I am NOT an expert in theology, psychology, sociology or really any “-ologys”, wait, is webdevelopmentology a word…? I digress; I have studied most of them in college and do understand some basic truths about people having been a person for some time now. I have not always lived as a Christian, though I always considered myself one. I was raised Catholic (FYI, I am no longer Catholic, I now wave my Protestant flag), was an Alter Boy, I was in youth group, Sunday school and all of that. So I pretty much knew the basics of the Christian faith (or so I thought).

Fast forward to my late teens early twenties. I was in a fraternity in College and was trying my best to be as non productive as I could, and at THAT I was successful. I had a Bible and occasionally read it when I was feeling the need or guilt for redemption, but I tried not to read too much or go to church too often. I mean who wants to have their faults and sin pointed out to them right? It was like I was thinking “God, I know you are there and you are the best and you know I love you but, you know, ummm I’M JUST HAVING TOO MUCH FUN! I’ll act like this for a while, and I’ll get back to you. Come on, you know I’m a good person, right?”

I find it embarrassing and very hard to look back on this period in my life, but you grow in the valleys of life and can’t get up unless you have fallen. Now as a 31(almost 32, shhhh) year old married father of 3, looking back I am just so disappointed in that young man that I was. By the grace of God and a lot of patience from my wife, I have somewhat stayed on course and the Lord steered me through those troubled times. Although I might not be “brand new”, I believe I am at least returnable to the Lord now, Amen?

If it is not obvious, I am not a total bible thumper and I don’t condemn people who don’t go to church. It’s not my job to judge others as I still fall short of the grace and glory of God. Life is hard and I know people get caught up in things, and you do things that are not only unhealthy physically and mentally, but morally also. You then try and convince yourselves nothing is wrong with your actions, saying “It's not that bad”, or “it’s not really hurting anyone”. I have been there brothers and sisters, believe me, it is hurting you and those around you.

Well, enough of my carrying on, I just wanted to share a bit of my story and views as someone who has been broken and found his way back to Jesus and is taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge the Lord has given us in the Bible. I read and study it in some way every day now and it is better than any self help book.

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace”

I’d like to get some dialog going about why we as a people(All people not just Christians, we are all Gods children) reading and studying the Bible less or not adhering to the basic principles of the bible. Is it because people find it somehow not applicable to today or is it kind of how I was in college, not really wanting to hear the truth because of how it makes you feel? Does anyone have any other ideas?