Seeing Something New

John 10:16
John 11:47-53


I always come away with something new, something I have seen or realized after going to Bible Study that has given me that "ah ha" moment. Even though I know I have read that same passage before, when I see something that I haven’t understood, comprehended, or recognized before I just love it! There are two passages from the past couple of weeks in my Bible Study’s study of the Gospel of John that I thought were pretty cool that I just feel like sharing, one is from John 10:16 and the other is John 11:47-53.

In the first verse, John 10:16, Jesus talks about me. I’ve never really looked at that verse so specifically before. I have always read it as there were people who were not yet believers, and would become believers. That is a very general principal for the verse. Specifically, however, Jesus is talking about the gentile nation. He is referring to the non-Jews who will be able to be one of God’s children because of the sacrifice that he talks about immediately preceding and following this verse. All of this goes back to God’s promise in Genesis. God’s promise to Abraham was that God would swear “…by my own name that I will certainly bless you…And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:16-18, emphasis added.) I find it so awesome to see that direct reference to a united group of God-worshippers – the Jewish nation and the gentile nation as one. I am able to belong to God (as a gentile) because of these words of Jesus.

The second passage, John 11:47-53, raises two very distinct emotions in me: excitement and sadness. Excitement in the fact that here is a direct prophesy that shows just what Jesus was about (again taking us back to Genesis). “…he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” John 11:51-52. God used Caiaphas to prophesy the truth, but he himself was blinded and/or hardened to the truth. He was supposed to be a student of God, a religious leader who knows (or is supposed to know) God and His word, but he didn’t see God in Jesus. In John 3:19, John writes that “…the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” Because of the religious leaders’ selfishness and love for power, they plotted to (and did) kill Jesus. How sad that the very people who were looking for the Messiah/Christ missed Him because of their sin.

To read just what the religious leaders were about is, on the one hand sad, but on the other hand, it is something that I must guard myself against. I must not become so entrenched in my traditions and opinions that I lose sight of God and who He is and what He wants. As the body of Christ, the church (little “c”) must also guard against this tendency to miss the truth in a bid to keep a hold of its traditions, power, etc.

Australia Itinerary

Most people know how obsessive/compulsive I am, and know that I'm a total planner. Well, seeing as my friend Caytie who is going to Australia with me doesn't mind this about me and is, in fact, similar in that regard, we've planned everyting that we are doing day-by-day. For those who care and wish to know, the following is Caytie's and my itinerary while in Australia for 22 days!

Minnesota to Sydney, Australia :: November 11-12

Sydney, Australia :: November 13-14
* Olympic Park
* Opera House
* Sydney Harbour Cruise
* Fort Denison
* Sydney Harbour Bride
* Royal Botanic Gardens

Blue Mountains :: November 15
* Wentworth Falls
* Katoomba (Three Sisters)

Canberra :: November 16
* Black Mountain Tower
* National Capital Authority Area
* Lake Bauerly Griffin

Cooma / Snowy River Mountains :: November 16-18
* Centennial Park / Man From Snowy River sculpture
* Mount Kosciuszko
* Snowy River Mountains horseback ride
* Snowy River National Park
- McKillop's Bride and Little River Gorge
- Buchan Caves Reserve

Phillip Island :: November 19
* Koala Conservation Centre
* Phillip Island Penguin Parade

Melbourne :: November 20
* Eureka Skydeck 88
* Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Garens
*Olympic Park
* Fitzroy GArdens and Captain Cook's Cabin

Great Ocean Road / Port Campbell :: November 21
* GOR Memorial Arch
* Cape Otway Lightstation
* Triplet Falls Rainforest Walk
* Gibson Steps
* 12 Apostles (at sunset)

Great Ocean Road / Portland :: November 22
* 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and Mutton Bird Island
* Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands
* Tower Hill Game Reserve

Great Ocean Road on to Adelaide :: November 23
* Cape Bridgewater
* Princess Margaret Rose Cave

Adelaide :: November 24
* McLaren Vale / Adelaide Hills / Barossa Valley Wine Tour

Adelaide to Coober Pedy :: November 25

Coober Pedy :: November 26-27
* Desert Cave Town Tour
- Working Opal Field to see Opal mining methods. Venture down a former working mine to see opal traces embedded in the sandstone
- The Breakaways, a range of colourful exposed sandstone outcrops - spectacular views over the Moon Plain - once an inland sea. This dramatically beautiful area has been the set for many internationally known movies
- The famous Dog Fence (dingo fence) - stretching 5,300km across Australia
- The Serbian Underground Church - spectacular excavation, traditional Serbian Orthodox architecture and fascinating sand stone carvings
- A genuine underground home - see how the locals live

Coober Pedy to Flinders Ranges :: November 27
* Pichi Richi Pass -- Camel Tour
* Camel's Hump Lookout
* Police Hill Lookout
* Castle Rock Lookout

Hawker / Flinders Ranges :: November 28-29
* Flinders Ranges National Park
- Wilpena
- Arkaroo Rock
- Sacred Canyon Walk
- Moralana Scenic Drive
* Yourambulla Caves
* Death Rock & Kanyaka Waterhole

Adelaide to Cairns :: November 30
* 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic Flame Relay monument
* Esplanade Lagoon
* Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park

Cairns :: November 30-December 4
* Ocean Spirit Upolu Cay Cruise
- Great Barrier Reef
* Kuranda
- Train
- Riverboat Cruise
- Koala Gardens
- Skyrail
* Yungaburra / Curtain Fig Tree
* Millaa Millaa Falls
* Mungalli Falls
* Wooroonooran National Park
- Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway
* Paronella Park