June 9 Esight, 2008

“For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14I received an email recently from a friend of mine in Australia. He was excited about a study that he had just finished on God’s wrath. His conclusions were truly moving and they reminded me of some of the very same conclusions I had come to a few years ago. I had been puzzled about the Bible’s use of the word “Jealousy” as it pertains to God. My quandary went as follows:

John states that “God is love.”(I John 4:8) Paul states that “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous.”(1 Corinthians 13:4) Yet, Moses states that God “is a jealous God.”(Exodus 34:14) How are we to make sense out of this apparent contradiction? God is love, love isn’t jealous, God is jealous. Hmmm . . . Interesting.


Our first clue is found in Paul’s second letter to the believers in Corinth. He wrote to them, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)

Is there a “godly jealousy” that is the very expression of love and an “ungodly jealousy” of which God would never claim to be? There must be! Again, Paul says in his letter to the Galatian believers, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality. . . jealousy. . . things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21, emphasis added)

So, what is the difference between godly and ungodly jealousy? James gives us another hint: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:14-16, emphasis added)

The difference between the two is simple. One is based on complete, unabbreviated, other-centered concern for the highest welfare of its object. The other is rooted in the self-centered concern for one’s personal loss. In the Hebrew, jealousy can express a very strong emotion whereby some quality or possession for the object is desired by the subject. (Brown Driver Briggs).

Could it be that a soul truly finds its greatest joy and happiness when that soul is loving Him who is Love? If so, then would God have an other-centered motive for being jealous of His competition?

Why is God jealous? Because it’s all about you, dear one. He wants what’s best for you. He knows that the things which your heart may long for above Him are truly self-destructive and will only hurt you. He who sins against God “injures himself.” (Proverbs 8:36) It is not for His sake that He cries out in wrath against His competition, but for yours. He will suffer nothing to hurt the apple of His eye. Your well-being, not His own, is His supreme concern and passion. His jealousy is absolute, yet completely and perfectly other-centered.

This may be hard for us to grasp since the only jealousy we know is that which springs from our own self-centered hearts. God cries out, however, not out of fear of His own personal loss, but because He is jealous for you. I don’t know about you . . . but there have been plenty of times in my life where I needed a God who cares for me more than I have cared for myself.

I wish you God’s best this week.

“Jehovah as a mighty one goeth forth. As a man of war He is jealous, He crieth, yea, He shrieketh, against His enemies He showeth Himself mighty.” (Isaiah 42:13)

June 1 Esight, 2008

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.— Psalm 51:12There are three words that I would like you to ponder this week: Restoration, Joy and Salvation.

The word Restore is defined as “to bring something back to an earlier and better condition, to return somebody to a previously held rank, office, or position, to reestablish or put back something that was once but is no longer there.”

I believe in a God who is a restorer. I know a God who can take things I’ve messed up and bring healing and restoration. Have you ever found yourself in need of such a God? There’s a statement which brings me much hope:

“Nothing is so entangled that it cannot be remedied; no human relationship is too strained for God to bring about reconciliation and understanding; no habit is so deep rooted that it cannot be overcome. No one is so weak that he cannot be strong; no one is so ill that he cannot be healed. No mind is so dull that it cannot be made brilliant. . If anything is causing worry or anxiety, let us stop rehearsing the difficulty and trust God for healing, love, and power.” (Ellen White, Review and Herald, October 7 1865)

The second word, Joy, is what I believe God wants to restore us to. Look back in your memory to an event in your life where you wished, with all your heart, that you could make time stand still in order for that moment to last forever. Was it a moment of joy, accomplishment, or maybe even love? Whatever it was, it resonated within your heart in such a way as to make a lasting impression. For, in this event, there was an echo of what God had intended for you from the beginning. He is still offering that to you today. When you’ve found it, you won’t have to wish time would stand still. You’ll have an eternity of time to bask in its joy.

The final word is Salvation. All of us have “made a fine mess of things.” We have made mistakes, stupid choices, dumb decisions. We have set in motion chains of events that only God can save us from. I’m glad to be able to say that we serve a God of second chances. My God continues to love me even after I’ve managed to completely mess things up. He runs to me when I cry out for help. I long to learn to love Him the way He loves me.

Would you like these three things more fully this week, dear reader? Restoration, Joy and Salvation? They’re yours for the receiving if you will simply embrace the One in whom these qualities are found.

I wish you God’s best this week . . .

May 25 Esight, 2008

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, invited to be an apostle . . . among whom you also are invited . . . to all who are loved of God in Rome, you are invited into the other-centeredness of love: Grace to you and peace from God our Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ.―Romans 1:1-7 (Personal Translation)

This week, there are three things I would like to point out about the first seven verses of one of the most revolutionary books in the Bible. This book, more than any other, has, century after century, radically changed the way people see God. Three words will be our focus: Apostleship, Invited and Himself.

First, Apostleship. What is an apostle? No, it’s not just a messenger or someone who is sent. Yes, by definition that is included, but consider the twelve. They were invited to have an very intimate relationship with Jesus that very few would have during His life. For three years, they were privileged to be able to relate to Jesus “behind the veil.” Paul states that he, too, was invited to be an apostle even though Jesus had ascended. The three years were over, but God was still extending this level of intimacy to Paul, but not just Paul. Take note! “Among whom you also are invited. . .” Could this truly be what God desires for you too? To enter into the same closeness and understanding that the original twelve were privileged to? Is He really extending that kind of relationship, that level of familiarity, to us?

The second word holds the answer to that question: “Invited.” To invite is defined as “to ask somebody to come or go somewhere or to do something, to ask for something or say that something should be welcomed, to encourage or provoke something that might not have happened otherwise.” God is saying to you that you are welcome to enter in. He is encouraging you to enter, engaging you by the powerful combination of His other-centered love yet leaving you in complete freedom to remain outside. That is what makes His love so attractive. Yes, He wants you, but He only wants you to enter in if that is what you desire as well. Compelling, but not compulsory. Forceful, but not forcing. Deeply attractive, but never overpowering. God’s grand “invitation” to you is for you to enter into this intimacy with Him, the God of the Universe!

Finally, “Himself.” Anyone who knows grammar knows that the “selfs” are only used for two purposes: One, to refer back to the subject, and the other is solely for emphasis. In this text it is used for emphasis. Not because of Jesus, not for Jesus, not by Jesus, but the Father Himself is inviting you.

In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you . . . . John 16:26-27

Can you hear the Father’s voice right now? He is calling . . . The Father Himself is waiting, longing to enter your heart. Why don’t you let Him come in? This week, make the conscious decision to enter into the embrace of His perfect love more deeply. Throw open the doors of your affection, lower your guard, yield to His generous, self-abandoning love for you. Give to Him some of your time this week. Like the apostles of old, walk with Him, speak to Him, but more importantly . . . listen.

I wish you God’s best this week . . .

May 18 Esight, 2008

“For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that one died for all, then all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”— Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15″Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment”—Ghandi

“It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour’s matchless love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary’s cross, and the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders.”—Ellen White, The Desire of Ages p. 483

“The law of love being the foundation of the government of God…God desires from all His creatures the service of love–service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.”—Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets p. 35

Fear definitely works on the surface. I remember being fourteen years old and having been introduced to Bible truths for the first time. It was a presentation that I sum up as “Do it or get the plagues.” It worked! I conformed. I made lots of changes. I mean, honestly, it was a no-brainer. Follow God or be punished. So, I cast my lot. I was in!

It was two years before this would all begin to unravel. To make a very long story short, I will simply say that I found myself one morning, at age sixteen, on my knees. I had been overwhelmed, for the very first time, by the fact that God loved me. (For more on this please listen to He Already Had on our free Sermons / Downloads page.)

Loved! This was new. This was different. Even the word does not do justice to what I sensed was in the heart of God for me. I fell to my knees, having never encountered anything like that, and, with tears streaming, decided I would spend the rest of my life endeavoring to help others have this very same encounter. Nothing else mattered. This love was paramount. All else paled in comparison.

Recently, a very dear friend of mine looked at me and blurted out, “I just can’t love a God who says ‘serve me or I’ll kill you’.” Wow! I was taken back. I looked into her eyes and, with all the clarity I could muster, sought to explain: God isn’t saying that at all! God is saying, “Sin brings death, you’re dying, let me save you! Let me give you life!” Two very different pictures of God.

Through Renewed Heart Ministries, I spend an inestimable amount of time each month seeking to reach out and help others see God for what He truly is. Yes, it would be easier to scare people into following God. Yes, there would be larger numbers, greater statistics and baptisms by the droves. I think, however, that as great as these things are, God desires more. He doesn’t want just your behavioral conformity. He wants your heart. He wants you to see His heart. He wants to usher you into an encounter within the veil. He desires an encounter of Love between just you and Him. We must stop to consider that if our service to Him is not based on a voluntary response to His love for us, how fulfilling would it really be for Him? Having said that, I will say that I concede that obedience from any motive is good for us in the sense that, at the very least, it keeps us from self-destructive behaviors. The question is: How meaningful can it be for God to know that we are only following Him because we feel like we have to? Doesn’t He deserve more? Doesn’t He deserve to be loved with the same kind of self-abandonment with which He loves us? Doesn’t He?

Do you desire to have this type of intimate relationship with God? Voluntary. Fulfilling. Meaningful. Free. A relationship based on Love rather than fear of punishment or hope of reward? Allow God, this week, to usher you more deeply into an encounter with three things that are promised to take our hearts captive: Amazing Grace, Extravagant Love and Intimate Friendship. It is in these themes alone that redemption, reconciliation and restoration truly find their accomplished end in us.

I wish you God’s best this week, keep your eyes on His heart…

www.renewedheartministries.com

May 11 Esight, 2008

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever “— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden.—Genesis 3:22-23Does God not know how to make a complete sentence when He talks? Of course He does. Why then do we find that, in His dismissal of Adam and Eve from the garden, He cannot speak? In order to fully appreciate this you must traverse the timeline of the entire history of the human race from beginning to end. From God’s desire to share the pleasure of His other-centered love with us, through the fall, our redemption and restoration.

Our first stop this week is in His admonition to the Hebrews to build a sanctuary. Notice the reason….

“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.”—Exodus 25:8

Then again, note the desire of Jesus toward the close of His ministry.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me”—John 17:24

Finally, sense His goal for our restoration.

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”—1 Thessalonians 4:17

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.”—Revelation 21:3

From the very beginning God has desired nothing greater than to simply be with you, dear reader. He has continually been drawing your heart back to the place were you belong. Here, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17, KJV). He desires for you to be restored to see His Face again (Exodus 33:20, Revelation 6:16, KJV) for it’s been far too long. He longs to stand on the wall, open the gates, and welcome you home.

Why then could He not finish His sentence in Genesis? I believe with all my heart that the pain of being separated from us, from you, was too great. His emotion could not be forfended, His voice choked, and He simply began to weep. Moses kindly steps in and finishes the story with his own words, but God’s separation from us was breaking His heart. God was having to send them away, having to do what He must, but not what His heart wanted.

This week, rather than asking more from Him, why don’t you, along with me, bring a little joy to His heart? We may not be able to be physically with Him yet, but will you give Him some of your time? Just be with Him, with the hope that you and He, although not face to face, can be heart to heart.

I wish you God’s best this week.

May 4 Esight, 2008

“…Jesus Christ, through whom we have caught grace and apostleship ushering us into obedience to faith in the midst of all the Gentiles for His name’s sake.” (Romans 1:4,5; personal translation)There are three things I would like to point out this week that have truly blessed my reading of Romans recently.

First is Paul’s use of the Greek word lambano. Traditionally, this word has been translated as the part each of us must play, what each of us must do, in order to obtain God’s grace. Lambano has been seen as our receiving or acceptance, but the word lambano truly means to take into one’s own possession, to catch something, kind of like “catching” a cold. You see, “God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe” (E. G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 69). It’s all around us already; He simply wants us to catch it, as though we were in a room full of germs. (I know, but it’s the best illustration I could think of at this moment.) Or, rather, to be caught up in God’s already present, all-pervading grace.

Second, what Paul caught was not only God’s grace, but also “apostleship.” Apostleship was the avenue by which Paul could express the obedience he desired to give God that had grown out of his faith in God’s love for him. Paul’s heart longed to say, “thank you.”

And, third, this was in plain sight of others for the purpose of declaring God’s name or Character before the world! (“His name’s sake”).

I was asked just last night, “how does one see God correctly, Herb? How do we catch the vision of what He truly is?” Would you like this experience, dear reader? Would you like to be caught up in God’s grace, to see His heart unfurled? And then to be caught up in a deep heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for all He has done for you? He has saved you—do you desire to be overwhelmed with the longing to give your all to Him, to be used by Him to “save” His character from all the lies told about who and what He is? Then spend some time in the atmosphere of God’s unmerited, non-condemning, self-abandoning love this week. Put yourself in a place where you can be “infected.” It’s all around us! The only question is, will you choose to breathe?

April 27 Esight, 2008

In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.—Psalm 16:11With so many demands on our busy schedules today, it is extremely easy for our time with God to become just another item on our daily agendas for which we must spare some time, something for us to check off our to-do list. Before we know it, the hustle and bustle of the day has begun. We rush off with the ever-present nagging in our hearts: did you put in your time with God today? Thus we put in our time, watching the clock, timing ourselves.

We feel as if God is just another person in our life demanding our attention. On top of all this, we feel that what He wants to discuss with us is also a little too invasive, perhaps some unrepented sin or a tedious duty left undone. After a while we begin to resent it all.

But this is not how God would have you feel toward Him. He desires for you to understand that “in His presence is the fullness of Joy!” “In His right hand there are eternal pleasures.” He “opens” His “hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:16).

Hear His message to you at this moment. He is whispering to you, “I don’t want anything from you…I want to give you something. I am the great Giver of the Universe. It is My nature, not to take from you but to give to you. Why don’t you give Him a chance this week to show you what He’s really like? If we could just see Him as He truly is, everything inside of us would begin to resonate. Our heart would begin to whisper, “This is what I’ve always been looking for… this is that for which I was made.” We would find in His presence the “fullness of Joy.” In Him, we find all our “desires” satisfied and fulfilled. He really is beautiful, if we can see Him as He truly is.

Have you been drinking from the broken cisterns that this world has to offer? Why not try the thirst-quenching water of His non-condemning, unconditional, self-abandoning love for you? You are truly precious to Him. He adores you, for you are the “apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

For more on this topic, please listen to To Love and Be Loved at:

https://renewedheartministries.com/resources.asp?t=sermons

April 20 Esight, 2008

And the Word was God…—John 1:1The church that I belong to provides a Bible study guideline for the study time that takes place during their weekly service. It seems as though the subject of last week’s lesson was the Divinity of Jesus, because I received no less than 10 emails or text messages from friends who teach these classes in their respective churches. The emails and messages asked nearly identical questions regarding this subject.

Rather than debating whether or not Jesus was God, let’s assume that Jesus was God. Let’s assume He was Divine and look rather at how He defined Divinity. What does Divinity mean? Who was Jesus? Well, He was God! But what does that mean? What is God? One verse immediately comes to mind: “God is Love” (I John 4:8).

Paul states that Jesus is God’s own self-revelation:

God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Jesus is referred to as “the radiance of [the Father’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Jesus himself stated, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (John 14:9-10) Did you catch that? Jesus was the express revelation of what type of a person God truly is, because during every moment of Jesus’ life, he was not merely Jesus, but the Father within Jesus living out His love.

A friend once questioned me, “If God loves us so much, why did He send His Son? Why didn’t He just come Himself?” That’s an excellent question, but the truth is this: He did come Himself. God did not send someone else, He came Himself in the person of His Son! God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Consider these statements:

“Christ was the medium through which He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 5:19. God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption.”- Steps to Christ, p. 13

“God gave Himself in His Son that He might have the joy of receiving back the sheep that was lost.”- Christ Object Lessons pg. 190

“Every gift is stamped with the cross and bears the image and superscription of Jesus Christ. All things come of God. From the smallest benefits up to the largest blessing, all flow through the one Channel–a superhuman mediation sprinkled with the blood that is of value beyond estimate because it was the life of God in His Son.”- Faith and Works pg. 22

I would like to encourage you to spend some time this week simply writing down one-word descriptions of what you see in Jesus. Then ponder the list. Ask the tough questions. Consider: had the Father come instead of the Son, not one note would have been different. The song would have remained the same. The story would be left unchanged. . .

April 12 Esight, 2008

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no changing or shadow of turning.—James 1:17Do you know what one of my favorite things about God is? It is the fact that you can tell Him anything, you can let Him in, so to speak, and He is never going to change in reference to you. He’ll never pull back, never will the expression on His face change. In our darkest moments, He does not withdrawal, but presses in even closer with His eternally loving embrace to heal, help, and cause us to grow. He wants you to let Him into your deepest darkest secrets. He wants an intimate relationship with you. He promises not to condemn, but to help. He will always be honest with us, but it will be in kindness and love. He’s not afraid to tell us where we are wrong. And where we are not in the wrong, He will come “to our defense with the wrath of a God.” He will stand by us through it all. And, after all, no matter what you tell Him, no matter how deeply you let Him in, doesn’t He already know anyway? This leads us to today’s passage, on which I would like you to meditate this week.

James tells us that with God there is no changing or shadow of turning. What does he mean by shadow of turning?

Have you ever just sat on your front porch and watched the shadows turn as the sun moves across the sky? Why do the shadows turn? This happens because the position of the sun to these objects is constantly changing. God is whispering to us in this passage, “tell me anything, let me in, my position toward you, my relating to you, will not change! No matter what you could tell me, I will not pull away, I will remain.”

C.S. Lewis stated in his book The Problem of Pain “Why else were individuals created, but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently? And this difference, so far from impairing, floods with meaning the love of all blessed creatures.” Yes God loves each of us infinitely, but each of us is different and, thus, God wants a unique and individual, intimate relationship with each of us, as well. (This thought is also reflected in John’s statement in Revelation 2:17.)

Dear friend, do you need a God that knows everything there is to know about you and still loves you nonetheless for it? I give you my God. He truly is the most beautiful being I have ever encountered….

April 1 Esight, 2008

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.—1 John 2:28Thank you, most sincerely, for your patience over the last two weeks. We just completed filming 17 one-hour presentations to be released soon on DVD. But, rest assured, I’m back now, and thus this week’s E-sight. Thank you for understanding.

Over the course of the last two weeks I had the chance to interact with a young man who was quite distraught. He has heard so much about faith, God’s mercy, love and grace, but it had made no difference to him in a practical way. His fear, or rather lack of assurance, was still rooted and grounded. His question to me was, “Yes, all that is fine and good, but I’m still going to be judged by my works.”

I immediately understood his dilemma. And, yes, you cannot deny the plain, clear teaching of the scriptures that “we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10) and, yes, Paul is clear, “each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12), and, yes, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

My friend was quick to also quote this well-known statement: “The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,–just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents,–perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized” (Ellen White, Steps to Christ, p. 62).

Where my new friend failed was in the fact that he did not continue reading to the next paragraph. The very next paragraph states, “It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned” (White, p. 62, emphasis added).

Did you catch that? Yes, the judgment is based on works, but whose works would you rather be standing in, yours or Christ’s? It is not your own righteousness that saves you, but the righteousness of Christ which saves you both now and in the judgment. This is exactly why eternal life is a free gift given to all. Jesus has given His righteousness, the condition of eternal life, to all.

Jeremiah is clear:

“In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:6).

“In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16).

Paul unequivocally states, “We shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10). Not by our own. On that day, whose life would you rather answer for, the one you’ve lived–or the life that Jesus lived and has given to every man, woman, and child as a gift? There is not the slightest reason why each and every person should not pass through the judgment with all hope and joy, save the single fact that they themselves would not have it that way. Christ’s “works” have been given to all, whether any person receives them as their own is another question.

Be at peace, my friend, you’ve learned the fear of God, now learn to love Him. Begin to see yourself not as you are in and of yourself, but according to what you are in Christ. This is His gift to you.

“By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:17-19).