Category Archives: Scripture Memory

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Giving To Get In Order To Give

God Is Able To Bless You Abundantly

SYNOPSIS: What are the conditions of God’s amazing promise to abundantly bless you? 1) You are to give authentically. In other words, you are to decide; no one should coerce, guilt, or manipulate you into generosity. 2) You are to give eagerly. Give because you want to demonstrate your love with a tangible expression of devotion. 3) You are to give delightfully. Why? “For God loves a cheerful giver.” 4) You are to give expectantly. It is a God-pleasing expression of faith to expect great things of Him that prompts His generosity to you. So, when you get giving right, God takes it upon himself to make sure “that in ALL things at all times, having ALL that you need, you will abound in EVERY good work.” And remember, “People are never honored for what they received. They are honored for what they gave.” (Calvin Coolidge)

Project 52—Memorize:
2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

As is usually the case with some of the great “promise verses” in the Bible, there are surrounding verses that set the conditions for fulfillment of God’s committed favor.  Such is the case here, where we are told that God will bless us at all times in every way with everything we need for life, joy, and success.

What are the conditions of such an amazing promise?  Paul has been teaching the Corinthian Christians for two whole chapters now about the ministry of giving.  Of course, God gave to us first, so our giving to him doesn’t initiate his giving.  Our giving is simply a thankful response to what he has already done, yet our liberality is also a catalyst for a continued, if not even greater flow of divine favor into our lives. Here is how Paul says it:

“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  (II Corinthians 9:7-8)

Paul gives some pretty clear guidelines as to how God desires for you to give in order to bless you with greater abundance:

First, you are to give authentically.  No one should tell you how to give or how much to give—not even the preacher. “You are to decide” about giving, Paul says. You need to dig way down deep and come to grips with the ministry of giving until it is a value that drives your stewardship.

Second, you are to give eagerly. Give because you really love God and want to demonstrate your love with a tangible expression of your devotion to him. Don’t do it because it will make you feel better, ease your guilt or make you look good. Don’t do it just because you feel pressured to give, “not repulsively or under convulsions,” as the little boy who misquoted the verse said. Rather, “each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give.” You are to give because it’s just the right thing to do. Give because it is the nature of love to give. Give because it is consistent with Christian character. Give from a convinced heart. If your gift doesn’t send the message of genuine desire, it won’t count as love.

Third, you are to give delightfully. Why? “For God loves a cheerful giver.”  Truly authentic and heartfelt givers will enjoy giving the gift. They don’t think of giving as a loss or a requirement or a burden, rather they think of the joy it brings and the love it communicates to the recipient. That’s what Hebrews 12:2 says about Jesus, our example of joyful generosity: “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross.” Now that was the ultimate act of joyful giving!

Fourth, you are to give expectantly. Paul teaches that when you give in a way that is pleasing to the Lord—authentically, altruistically, joyfully—God will make sure that you will always have plenty to give away:  “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”  As someone has wisely pointed out,

“Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.”

What a privilege it is to give back to God.  When we get giving right, God takes it upon himself to make sure that we will abound in every good work.

“Since much wealth too often proves a snare and an encumbrance in the Christian’s race, let him lighten the weight by ‘dispersing abroad and giving to the poor’, whereby he will both soften the pilgrimage of his fellow travelers, and speed his own way the faster.”  ~Augustus Toplady

Reflect and Apply: Offer this prayer to your Heavenly Father: “Lord, you are the Supreme Giver.  You gave your best, you gave your all, you gave yourself.  From the depth of my heart, I thank you. It is now my honor and joy to give back to you. May the sacrifice of my offerings be acceptable worship pleasing to you.”

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The Rock

In God I Trust!

SYNOPSIS: One of the things I love most about the faith that I’ve placed in Jesus Christ as my Savior is that no matter what, I win! When trouble hits, I win because God delivers me from all of my troubles. Even when I or a loved one goes through the tragedy of terminal illness, relational heartbreak, economic disaster, or premature death, I belong to a God who holds my hand … “never will I leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), provides my daily bread … “My God will supply all my needs” (Philippians 4:19), turns my tragedy to triumph … “In all things he works for the good” (Romans 8:28), trumps death with eternal life … “He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live again” (John 11:24-26), and one day will permanently turn my tears to joy and make everything new … “He will wipe away every tear.” (Revelation 21:4). No doubt about it, God is my rock!

Project 52—Memorize:
Psalm 18:2

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

William Gurnall wrote, “Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called ‘the rejoicing of hope.’”

Rejoicing in hope—that is what David did even as Saul was closing in on him with murderous intent, as we learn from the title of Psalm 18. As David stared death in the eye, he could sing and laugh and cry and sigh all at the same time. He could gladly declare, “I love the Lord… The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior,” (Psalm 18:1,46) because he knew Somebody greater than him and bigger than Saul was watching out for him:

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:16-19)

Rejoicing in hope—that is what you can do when the Lord is your Rock!  Aren’t you glad about that? I am so thankful that my trust is in the Lord. He is indeed a Fortress and a Deliverer. Not that I have been kept from all hardship and tragedy—neither have you. We’ve had our share, and perhaps will experience more in the future. As Jesus said, the rain falls on the just and unjust alike.  But we know to Whom we can run when it’s raining—our loving Shield. We know where to go in times of trouble—our great Refuge.

That is one of the things I love most about the faith that I’ve placed in Jesus Christ as my Savior. No matter what, I win! When trouble hits, I win because God delivers me from all of my troubles. (Psalm 34:17, Psalm 41:1)  Even when I or a loved one goes through the tragedy of terminal illness, relational heartbreak, economic disaster, or premature death, I belong to a God who

  • Holds my hand … “never will I leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)
  • Provides my daily bread … “My God will supply all my needs” (Philippians 4:19)
  • Turns my tragedy to triumph … “In all things he works for the good” (Romans 8:28)
  • Trumps death with eternal life … “He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live again” (John 11:24-26)
  • And one day will permanently turn my tears to joy and make everything new … “He will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4)

Even though life doesn’t always turn out as we have planned, we can rejoice in the Hope of our Rock. He has a track record of faithfulness and goodness going all the way back to the beginning. So determine now to trust him at all times, and when the tough times come around, don’t abandon the only one who will never abandon you. Make your plans now to run to the Rock!

“There is nothing more precious to God than our praise during affliction. Not praise for what the devil has done, but praise for the redeeming power of our loving heavenly Father. What He does not protect us from, He will perfect us through. There is indeed a special blessing for those who do not become offended in God during adversity. Furthermore, we become a special blessing to Him!”  ~Robert C. Frost

Reflect and Apply: God troubles?  Don’t focus on the size of your problem, focus on the greatness of your Rock.

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A Gift For God

How To Make Him Happy

SYNOPSIS: What can you give to a God who has it all and does it all? Only your fear and your hope! What satisfies God to the core of his being is the fear that arises not out of terror, but from the kind of reverence and obedience that comes from knowing that he is the giver and sustainer of life itself, the rightful owner of Planet Earth and ruler of your life.

Project 52—Memorize:
Psalm 147:11

“The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

How do you make God happy?  He has everything he wants and can create what he doesn’t have.

God is all-powerful—after all, he even created all the stars and calls them each by name:  “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4)

God knows everything there is to know—there is no limit to either his power or his understanding: “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)

God has fixed up this little globe called earth to run amazingly well, sustaining its ecological systems: “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool, and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” (Psalm 147:15-18)

God has even ordered provision for the daily needs of his earthly creatures: “He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” (Psalm 147:8-9)

So precisely, abundantly, and consistently does God care for the earth’s higher inhabitants that their utter and ceaseless gratitude is only fitting: “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.” (Psalm 147:7)

What, then, can you give to a God who has it all and does it all?  Only your fear and your hope! What satisfies God to the core of his being is the fear that arises not out of terror, but from the kind of reverence and respect that comes from knowing that he is the giver and sustainer of life itself, the rightful owner of Planet Earth and ruler of your life.

What causes God pleasure is the hope that looks to him for protection, peace, and provision: “For he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. (Psalm 147:13-14)

What causes God pleasure is the patience that waits for him to execute justice and fairness: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

What causes God pleasure is trust that expects him to fulfill his good purposes to all those who belong to him: “He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.” (Psalm 147:19-20).

What gift can you offer to the one Being who truly has it all?  Just your very life, that’s all.

“God desires to be loved by men, although He needs them not; and men refuse to love God, though they need Him in an infinite degree.” ~Plaintes Du Sauveur

Reflect and Apply: Do you want to bring a smile to God’s face today?  I think you know what to do!

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A Perfect Set Up For Spiritual Growth

So Grow For It!

Synopsis: For most, spiritual growth is a mystery. It is vague, undefined, something that is felt, not measured. Yet according to Peter, it’s a pretty practical matter, and he offers some encouraging insight into it: spiritual growth requires an active partnership with God the senior partner, and you the junior partner. Now, if that puts some pressure for your growth back on your shoulders, here’s the deal: God has done his part in setting you up for spiritual growth. 2 Peter 1:3 says: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” Did you see the word “everything” in that verse? In Greek, that means — wait for it — “everything!” God has set you up, my friend, to be a growing, godly believer. Me, too!

Project 52—Memorize:
2 Peter 1:2-3

“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life… In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises… work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.”

Every authentic, healthy follower of Christ wants to grow spiritually. That’s usually right up there at the top of everyone’s wish list. But just how does one experience spiritual growth? That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it?

For most, spiritual growth is a mystery. It is vague, not defined, something that is felt, not measured. If it is to happen at all, we see ourselves as the passive recipients of a divine agent that catalyzes growth rather than as the catalyst ourselves. In other words, our development into deeper spirituality, stability, maturity, and Christ-likeness is more up to God than it is to us.

Yet according to Peter, there is to be a pretty active partnership in this business of growth. God is the senior partner, you the junior. And here’s the deal: God has done his part in setting you up for spiritual growth. Notice what verse 3 says: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” Did you see the word “everything” in that verse? In the Greek, that means “everything!” God has set you up, my friend, to be a growing, godly believer. Me, too!

Now it is up to us to supplement what God has so graciously and completely done in order to move along the continuum toward a deeper spirituality. So what is our growth assignment then?  Look at verse II Peter 1:5-8:

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice the seven key catalytic agents to growth that Peter mentions: moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.

Very simply, when there is a choice between that which is morally pure and anything else, guess what?  You and I have to choose moral purity!  God can’t choose for us. He can strengthen us and prompt us, but we must make the choice. Added to moral purity must be Biblical knowledge, which frankly doesn’t come without regular meditation on God’s Word. Furthermore, purity and knowledge are safeguarded by self-control. Self-control is what teaches you to say “no” to anything that would hinder, hurt or destroy God’s work in you or in another. (See Titus 3:11-13) Adding to self-control is the exercise of patient endurance. Truthfully, there will be times when the only thing we can do is to grit our teeth and hang in there! Endurance must be connected to godliness or it is nothing more than stubbornness. Godliness means to think and act like God; it is to practice the presence of God at all times. Then along with godliness comes kindness and care for our brothers. Finally, to wrap everything into that which causes growth, we must express Christ-like love for all people at all times.

Purity, learning, self-control, endurance, godliness, kindness, and love are the things that you can and must do to grow.  And they are the very things that will make you more productive in your faith and usefulness to your Lord.

That’s your assignment today.  God has already given you everything you need for growth, so get out there and “grow” for it!

“A soul may be in as thriving a state when thirsting, seeking and mourning after the Lord as when actually rejoicing in Him; as much in earnest when fighting in the valley as when singing upon the mount.” ~John Newton

Reflect and Apply: The Lord has given you everything you need to grow into a thriving, useful, God-pleasing saint. Therefore, you have no reason not to grow spiritually. So today, do your part to supplement what your gracious Father has already done for you.

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Giving Therapy

Give and It Will Be Given to You

SYNOPSIS: To paraphrase the great boxer, Mohammed Ali, “Giving to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” But more than being simply what you owe, giving is, in reality, the path to receiving more. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given to you.” The Son of God was actually revealing the self-healing properties in giving of yourself to somebody else, especially when they are worse off than you. When you are going through your own hardship, whatever that may be — sickness, loss, disappointment, depression — God’s therapy is to find those who cannot help themselves, somebody who cannot pay back your kindness, and minister His love to them, whether through your time, money, or energy. So on this Giving Tuesday, give of yourself and it will be given to you!

Project 52—Memorize:
Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Dr. Karl Menninger, founder of the famed psychiatric clinic in Topeka, Kansas that bears his name, was once asked, “What would you do if you thought you were going crazy?”  Without even having to think about it, he said, “I’d go out and find someone less fortunate to serve.”

There is just something so self-healing about giving yourself to somebody else—especially when they are worse off than you. When you are going through your own hardship, whatever that may be—sickness, loss, disappointment, depression—God’s therapy is to find those who cannot help themselves, somebody who cannot pay back your kindness, and minister God’s love to them, whether through your time, money or energy.

To love, serve, and bless the less fortunate is to initiate a spiritual law that we find in Acts 20:35, “And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When you are the conduit of God’s love and grace, and when heaven’s generosity is being poured through you to those in need, on the way through you, that same flood of love, grace and generosity will leave the Divine fingerprints throughout your own life.

Now that means breaking free of your own legitimate needs and wants in order to give to others. And that is not usually an easy thing to do. Sometimes it is you that needs to receive from another. Yet even in those conditions, God’s Word is still true: Give and it will be given to you—in abundance.

Jesus was a great example of this. In Matthew 14, King Herod had just beheaded Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. When Jesus heard the news, he was deeply affected with unbearable sorrow over the loss of a loved one. And he did what most of us would do: He got away from the crowd for some time alone to pour out his grief before God.

But Jesus didn’t stay there long. He didn’t make the retreat into isolation his permanent address; he didn’t accept the paralysis of grief; he didn’t allow loss to define him. Rather, as other people who were hurting for reasons different than his own found him, he allowed compassion to flow, and out of that, he began to minister to their needs.

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. …give them something to eat!” (Matthew 14:13-14,16)

Jesus was setting a pattern for us, don’t you think? Not to minimize the pain that we experience from loss, but to turn it into a productive force that initiates God’s healing therapy in our own lives as we become the conduit of Divine love and grace to hurting people.

Perhaps you are licking your wounds today from a hurt, disappointment, loss or failure. If that is the case, try doing what Jesus did. See the needs of other hurting people around you and love them, serve them, give to them!  You probably won’t feel like doing it, but do it anyway. It won’t take away your own pain, but it will unleash God’s healing therapy for you.

At the end of the day, you will find that your journey through grief, pain, failure and disappointment will be a lot healthier and a whole lot more productive when you practice the therapy of giving.

“By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.” ~ Sir Thomas Browne

Reflect and Apply: Do you know someone in a worse off state of life than you?  Do something for them—give yourself, your time, your energy or even your resources.  You will find it to be an incredible therapy and a conduit to the grace of God that flows directly back into your own life.

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Working For “The Man”

It Is Really The Lord Christ You Are Serving

SYNOPSIS: If you are married, then love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—then treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, then lead like Jesus would—treat those under you with love and respect. And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, you are working for “The Man.” If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, then do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself. Try it—because, in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Project 52—Memorize:
Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

What if you did everything for one week as if you were doing it for Jesus?  What do you think would happen? Do you think your life, and the lives of people who interact with you, would be different? Better? Changed for the good?

I want to suggest a seven-day experiment, starting from the moment you read these words:  For one full week, treat everyone you meet as if you were meeting Jesus. Speak to them, work for them, lead them, serve them, think about them just like they were Jesus himself. Do that, no matter how you feel or how they respond to you, and see what happens.

If you are married, love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, lead like Jesus would—treat those under you with love and respect.

And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, Paul says, you are working for “the man”! If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself.

Try it—because, in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

What if you did that?  What if…?

“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.” ~A.W. Tozer

Reflect and Apply: “Whatever you do” … that is a pretty comprehensive list.  Your goal this week is to do those things out of unconditional love, with unrestrained joy, full of Christ’s peace, exhibiting absolute patience, with complete kindness, in God-hearted gentleness, out of Spirit-led goodness, with unimpeachable faithfulness along with unflappable self-control. That’s how Jesus would do it.

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Here Is God!

The Perfect Blend of Grace and Truth

SYNOPSIS: Jesus, the one who knew the heart and nature of God better than anyone, taught us in the opening line of the Lord’s prayer to approach God as “Our Father in heaven”, which literally means, “Our Father, who is as close as the air we breathe.” Moses exclaimed in Deuteronomy 4:7. “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” What does God want us to know? He is near and he is knowable, that’s what.  Furthermore, he has made himself knowable in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  And what do we know of God through Jesus?  Primarily that God is the perfect blend of the grace and truth that Jesus perfectly modeled!

Project 52—Memorize:
John 1:14

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

There is a cute story told of a family who brought their newborn daughter home from the hospital for the first time. The mom was a little concerned how the baby’s 4-year-old sister—who had been the only child to that point—would handle this new addition to the family. So mom and dad instructed “big sister” that she could be around the baby only when they were there, and that she had to be very loving and very gentle. It wasn’t long after that mom walked by the baby’s room only to discover the sister hovering over the crib. Mom was alarmed, so she snuck up behind the little girl to see what was going on, and noticed she was gently stroking the baby’s hair with her hand and whispering, “Baby, can you tell me what God is like…I’ve forgotten.”

That’s one of the deepest cries of the human heart—to know what God is like.

Bible teacher R.C. Sproul was once asked, “What, in your opinion, is the greatest need in the world today?”  His answer was that people needed “to discover the identity of God.”  He was then asked, “What is the greatest spiritual need in the lives of church people?” His answer was much the same: “To discover the true identity of God.  If believers really understood the character and the personality of God, it would revolutionize their lives.”

The good news is, God has made himself knowable. He is not some unapproachable deity way out there in a galaxy far, far away. He is the God who is there, who is near, and who will reveal himself to those who long to know him.

Jesus, the one who knew the heart and nature of God better than anyone, taught us in the opening line of the Lord’s prayer to approach God as “Our Father in heaven”, which literally means, “Our Father, who is as close as the air we breathe.” Moses exclaimed in Deuteronomy 4:7. “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?”

What does God want us to know? He is near and he is knowable, that’s what.  Furthermore, he has made himself knowable in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  And what do we know of God through Jesus?  Primarily that God is the perfect blend of grace and truth!

Grace and truth is what Jesus perfectly modeled.  Remember Jesus’s interaction in John 8 with the woman caught in the act of adultery who was about to be stoned? After embarrassing her executioners into inaction, he gently asked this guilty woman, “Where are your accusers?  Has no one judged you guilty?” 

She replied, “No one, Sir.”

At that, Jesus offered these grace-truth words that would utterly right this sinner’s upside-down life:  “Then I don’t either. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Behind this amazing display of grace and truth, as Walter Trobisch said, what we find is that Jesus “accepts us as we are but when he accepts us, we cannot remain as we are.”  Jesus brings our sin to the surface, and when we acknowledge it by confession and repentance, totally, graciously and forever forgives it. The adulteress went away forgiven, with a new clean heart and a brand new chance at life. Only grace and truth can do that for sinners.

Perhaps that is why prostitutes, publicans, and other sinners responded to Jesus so readily. At some level, they recognized their sin. That was why forgiveness was so appealing to them—and still is!  What does the world need more than anything right now? What does your sinful next door neighbor so desperately need?  The same thing you need: A whole lot of truth and a big dose of grace!

And when you meet Jesus, you meet God. And when you meet God, you get a whole lot of truth and a big dose of grace—and it completely revolutionizes your life.

“Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God; the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Reflect and Apply: Along with today’s Scripture memory, take some time to memorize and meditate on another important verse: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)