Monday 4/3: Luke 22
Good Monday morning friends! Here it is...the path Jesus began at Bethlehem...the Plan that God had put in motion "before the foundation of the world"...since mankind refuses to return to God, God comes to us! Jesus reveals that path, He reveals that Plan to His men as Death approaches and His purpose is fulfilled.."And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom..." Jesus, through His Work on the cross, opened "the door" that you and I might enter into God's Kingdom (on Earth and in Heaven and on Earth)...He gives to those who will believe, the present of being present in the mighty presence of God!
See you tomorrow at Luke 23.
See you tomorrow at Luke 23.
Tuesday 4/4: Luke 23
Luke 23.
This "crazy upside down" world we live in has always been a "crazy upside down" place...at least, after sin entered at Adam's fall (Romans 5:12-21)! Here, in the beginning moments of the "fake trials series" Jesus' underwent, we see darkness attacking light, as Satan's henchmen falsely accuse Jesus of the very unlawful activities they themselves were guilty of!... now if THAT doesn't sound familiar, you've been on a three year vacation to the moon or something! From our human perspective, Jesus was "railroaded" as the wicked "jumped through the legal hoops" to get Jesus out of the way...from God's eternal perspective, everything turned out according to His plan and purpose, and Jesus willingly GAVE His life as payment against the judgement of my sin and yours! Verses 39-43 remind us of The Choice...the opportunity of every and all human beings to choose to be reconciled to God by
believing on and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior! Of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, only one was saved...one was saved (by grace through faith) so that no one needs despair, but one was lost (by choosing unbelief) so that none would presume!
See you tomorrow at the Empty Tomb (Luke 24)!
This "crazy upside down" world we live in has always been a "crazy upside down" place...at least, after sin entered at Adam's fall (Romans 5:12-21)! Here, in the beginning moments of the "fake trials series" Jesus' underwent, we see darkness attacking light, as Satan's henchmen falsely accuse Jesus of the very unlawful activities they themselves were guilty of!... now if THAT doesn't sound familiar, you've been on a three year vacation to the moon or something! From our human perspective, Jesus was "railroaded" as the wicked "jumped through the legal hoops" to get Jesus out of the way...from God's eternal perspective, everything turned out according to His plan and purpose, and Jesus willingly GAVE His life as payment against the judgement of my sin and yours! Verses 39-43 remind us of The Choice...the opportunity of every and all human beings to choose to be reconciled to God by
believing on and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior! Of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, only one was saved...one was saved (by grace through faith) so that no one needs despair, but one was lost (by choosing unbelief) so that none would presume!
See you tomorrow at the Empty Tomb (Luke 24)!
Wednesday 4/5: Luke 24
Through Luke's eyes, we see Jesus as "God for anyone and everyone and each one"...healing and saving, without prejudice, those who would believe! We saw Jesus arrested in chapter 22, crucified in 23, and here in 24, the culmination of His Work and our Salvation...His amazing, glorious, one of a kind resurrection from the dead!...his "Resurrection Insurrection" whereby He overcame the "powers that be"... He conquered Death, overcame Sin, overwhelmed the Grave, and defeated satan! Because He's ALIVE, those who have trusted Him are ALIVE as well...not just in the sense of our eternal soul living eternally even after our body's physical death, but ALIVE here and now, in the abundant, contented, joyful, peace-filled, conquering, overcoming, overwhelming ALIVE of the resurrection- powered ALIVE of our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer and God, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!...His ALIVE is our ALIVE!!!!! Whew! Woohoo and Praise the Lord... THAT'S some kind of ALIVE!
See you tomorrow as we begin John's Gospel of Christ at chapter 1.
See you tomorrow as we begin John's Gospel of Christ at chapter 1.
Thursday 4/6: John 1
If Matthew is the "Jewish" Gospel, Mark the "Roman" Gospel, and Luke the "Everyone and Anyone" Gospel, John is the "All about Jesus Gospel!" We're given a claim (that Jesus IS God come to save us), and a choice (to accept or reject Jesus as Lord and Savior!).
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
See you tomorrow with John 2
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
See you tomorrow with John 2
Friday 4/7: John 2
John 2, like John 1, gives us The Claim (Jesus IS the Son of God) and The Choice (follow Him or reject Him)! Much smarter people than I tell us that John uses a "play on words" in verses 23-25, to emphasize individuals' "choice" concerning Jesus' "claim"..."many believed in His name," but only because of the "signs which He did"... Jesus, knowing their superficial belief, didn't "believe" in them...they made their "choice" to not fully believe His "claim," thus, they remained lost from God...they "believed" in Jesus, but Jesus did not "BELIEVE" in them!
You know...the same principle applies to our daily and hourly walk...we can choose to wholeheartedly believe Jesus' claims and live in His power and under His promise and according to His purpose, or we can choose to neglect/reject His presence in our lives, and live like the lost man...hopeless, helpless, joyless, peace less.... it's my choice to make... it's your choice to make...either Jesus IS the Son of God, or He isn't...our faith is based on the fact that He IS, so shouldn't my life reflect that faith?!
See you Monday at John 3!
You know...the same principle applies to our daily and hourly walk...we can choose to wholeheartedly believe Jesus' claims and live in His power and under His promise and according to His purpose, or we can choose to neglect/reject His presence in our lives, and live like the lost man...hopeless, helpless, joyless, peace less.... it's my choice to make... it's your choice to make...either Jesus IS the Son of God, or He isn't...our faith is based on the fact that He IS, so shouldn't my life reflect that faith?!
See you Monday at John 3!
Monday 4/10: John 3
Yesterday we celebrated the greatest Holi-day of the entire year, and the crowning event of all of HIStory... Empty Tomb Sunday...the glorious resurrection of Jesus from the dead! It's because of His defeat of death, hell, and the grave on that Sunday some 2,000 years ago, that we can KNOW that His sacrificial and substitutionary death for you and me on the first Good Friday is sufficient and secure! Through His death and resurrection Jesus fulfilled John 3:14&15....16&17&18...shucks, the entire Bible! The Gospel of John, the entire Word of God, for that matter, the whole of creation is all about Jesus...the Son of God, the Son of Man, Lord, Master, Creator, Savior, Almighty God in Flesh!
See you at john 4!
See you at john 4!
Tuesday 4/11: John 4
In John 4, we meet the first person to whom Jesus openly and clearly acknowledged His true identity (verse 26), and in the process, demonstrated His "unequal love equation" (loving others more and deeper and better than they love Him in return), and changed this woman's life to such a radical degree that revival broke out in the city because of her solo testimony of Jesus! Lots of "take home" for here...realizing that we're hopeless and helpless without Jesus, but WITH Jesus all things are possible...being reminded that we are to love others with the same boundless and overwhelming love that we receive from God...that one Christ-changed life can, with the power and presence of God's Spirit, change our world ...the list goes on and on...
See you at John 5 tomorrow!
See you at John 5 tomorrow!
Wednesday 4/12: John 5
John 5:8 should remind us that Jesus is God, and AS God has powers and privileges that mere mortal men don't have...it wasn't the words, "Rise, take up your bed and walk," which actually brought the healing, but the One speaking the words! Jesus, 100% human man AND 100% Infinite God! Does God still do miraculous healings? I believe He does...but again the power and privilege belong to Him alone...does He work in and through us? Absolutely! But it is He doing the working! This man has been in this condition for nearly 4 decades, so everyone knew this was indeed a miracle...this man was also one among many in that place at that moment, reminding us that it's not only God alone Who does the healing, but also God alone Who sovereignly CHOOSES who He will heal...it's good for me to remember that God is God and I am not.
John 6 tomorrow.
John 6 tomorrow.
Thursday 4/13: John 6
John 6. Following His miraculous feeding of the 20,000 or so "followers," Jesus is "hunted down," by those "fans" and others like them, seeking the physical and material things He could provide, while "setting the stage" for Jesus' great "Bread of Life" sermon which also served as a clear and definitive "ultimatum!"
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst"...with this, Jesus moves His focus from the physical to the spiritual, from the temporary to the eternal, and lays the "dividing line" of humanity... those who believe and those who do not, those who are chosen and those who are not, and also opens, for our finite minds, the "Pandora's box" of the chemistry between the true biblical doctrines of "free will" and "special election." I cannot reconcile the two to my own satisfaction, much less anyone else's, except by surrendering them to God, and simply trusting Him to "sort it all out." I know I'm saved, and thus chosen, and I also know that God gave me the choice to believe or reject His Son...these were/are "hard words" of Jesus'...hard to hear and hard to understand... so hard, in fact, that "many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (6:66)! We each have a choice to make, both initially, concerning our eternal salvation, and ongoing, concerning our "daily walk"...shall I believe in Jesus or not?!
Tomorrow we'll be at John 7.
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst"...with this, Jesus moves His focus from the physical to the spiritual, from the temporary to the eternal, and lays the "dividing line" of humanity... those who believe and those who do not, those who are chosen and those who are not, and also opens, for our finite minds, the "Pandora's box" of the chemistry between the true biblical doctrines of "free will" and "special election." I cannot reconcile the two to my own satisfaction, much less anyone else's, except by surrendering them to God, and simply trusting Him to "sort it all out." I know I'm saved, and thus chosen, and I also know that God gave me the choice to believe or reject His Son...these were/are "hard words" of Jesus'...hard to hear and hard to understand... so hard, in fact, that "many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (6:66)! We each have a choice to make, both initially, concerning our eternal salvation, and ongoing, concerning our "daily walk"...shall I believe in Jesus or not?!
Tomorrow we'll be at John 7.
Friday 4/14: John 7
John 7.
The world was divided over Jesus then, as now (v43)...Jesus says the people of the world hate Him "because I testify of it that its works are evil"...while those with an "open" heart and "ears to hear" are drawn to His love and grace, those with a self-centered self-important "world focused" heart hated Him! Jesus' didn't "sugar coat" His message nor did He work to appeal to "seekers" on their own terms... He laid out the Truth, "take it or leave it!" He revealed the intent of each person's heart letting each person choose as they wished while loving them all. He operates the same today with the mix of those who hate Him and those who are drawn to Him..."share the Truth...in love"....His followers are to "follow" His example, His method, His process as He lives out His life in our lives...love them all enough to speak, and to speak the truth, and to let each one choose....choose to
hate Jesus, or to love Him in return.
Well, week 15 of our 2023 journey through the NT is wrapped up, see you Monday at John 8.
The world was divided over Jesus then, as now (v43)...Jesus says the people of the world hate Him "because I testify of it that its works are evil"...while those with an "open" heart and "ears to hear" are drawn to His love and grace, those with a self-centered self-important "world focused" heart hated Him! Jesus' didn't "sugar coat" His message nor did He work to appeal to "seekers" on their own terms... He laid out the Truth, "take it or leave it!" He revealed the intent of each person's heart letting each person choose as they wished while loving them all. He operates the same today with the mix of those who hate Him and those who are drawn to Him..."share the Truth...in love"....His followers are to "follow" His example, His method, His process as He lives out His life in our lives...love them all enough to speak, and to speak the truth, and to let each one choose....choose to
hate Jesus, or to love Him in return.
Well, week 15 of our 2023 journey through the NT is wrapped up, see you Monday at John 8.
Monday 4/17: John 8
John 8 shows us exactly what it means to be a MAN!...a GODLY MAN!...a GODLY MANLY MAN!...cause THAT'S what Jesus was...and is...a GODLY MANLY MAN! Hollywood has traditionally portrayed our Lord with this "soft" look, wimpy voice, and almost feminine movements...see the MAN (12-20, 21-29, 34-47, 54-56) standing toe to toe with the socially elite power brokers of His day, staring them down, and speaking boldly and harshly with them, about them! When speaking to hard men, Jesus spoke as a hard man... when speaking to innocent children, Jesus spoke with gentleness...when speaking with women, Jesus spoke with respect...when speaking with the hurting, Jesus spoke with kindness, and when speaking with the seeking, Jesus spoke with hope! I'm tired of the wimpy, "girlie-man" with the soft and "breathy" voice Jesus that has been pushed on us...Jesus was and is the godliest manliest MAN that's ever walked the earth...the Son of Man, and the Son of God!
See you tomorrow with John 9.
See you tomorrow with John 9.
Tuesday 4/18: John 9
The account of the man born blind receiving his sight in John 9 is a great personal and practical lesson in witnessing of Jesus and the change He brings into our lives! "I don't understand what you're arguing about, and I don't know all the details about Him.... all I know is that I WAS blind but NOW I see!.. Jesus healed me, and He will heal you too, if you will only believe!" What a testimony! Simple, straightforward, honest, and heart-felt...hard to argue with that! He told them his story, then left the deciding up to them... that's all there is to personal witnessing..."this was my condition before I met Jesus and this is me now!"
"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
Speaking of seeing, I'll see you back here tomorrow with John 10 🤭.
"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
Speaking of seeing, I'll see you back here tomorrow with John 10 🤭.
Wednesday 4/19: John 10
Wow! The beginning verses of John 10 give us a striking picture of Jesus as our Shepherd, our Savior, our Sustainer...
Jesus is the One True Shepherd of HIS sheep (chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world), symbolically "lying" in the gate of the sheepfold to secure and protect, calling to His sheep who hear His voice and gather to Him, the Only One Son, One Savior, One Shepherd, One Lord, One Master Who can safely and completely lead them to His (and their) Father! Jesus also makes it abundantly clear that His sheep WILL hear Him and come to Him, and that those who do not hear and come to Him are not His sheep...now THAT "stirred the pot," with people responding as people have always and will respond to God's Truth...embrace it or try and destroy it (v19-21)!
John 11 for tomorrow.
Jesus is the One True Shepherd of HIS sheep (chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world), symbolically "lying" in the gate of the sheepfold to secure and protect, calling to His sheep who hear His voice and gather to Him, the Only One Son, One Savior, One Shepherd, One Lord, One Master Who can safely and completely lead them to His (and their) Father! Jesus also makes it abundantly clear that His sheep WILL hear Him and come to Him, and that those who do not hear and come to Him are not His sheep...now THAT "stirred the pot," with people responding as people have always and will respond to God's Truth...embrace it or try and destroy it (v19-21)!
John 11 for tomorrow.
Thursday 4/20: John 11
As we read in John 11, Jesus' dear friend Lazarus has died, and Jesus approaches the resting place of His friend's mortal body, and says, "Remove the dirt and open the casket!" That's not exactly what he said, but that is how it would be in today's world and our experience, and we would likely respond as Martha did, "but Lord, he has been dead for 4 days, and his body is decaying!" We have to back up a few verses to when Jesus first arrived and Martha expressed her faith that her brother would live again on the day of Resurrection, to which Jesus replied, "I AM the Resurrection! I AM the Life!" Now I admit that I have never observed a dead body coming back to life, but I HAVE met the One who did just that! Jesus arose from the grave, and because He is alive, He raises men and women, boys and girls from the dead, spiritually!.. bringing life where death once was, and light where darkness reigned! "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
See you tomorrow on fabulous Friday at John 12.
See you tomorrow on fabulous Friday at John 12.
Friday 4/21: John 12
In John 12,
Lazarus goes from what seems to be just a nice guy from a nice family, an avid although mild-mannered follower of Jesus to the # 2 "enemy of the state!" By having the greatest thing ever to happen to him, he goes from non-descript to "rock star" famous with Jesus' words, "Lazarus, come forth!" 12:1 reminds us that Lazarus was he "who had been dead, whom He (Jesus) had raised from the dead"...12:9-11 reveals Lazarus' new found fame and his being added to the chief priests' "hit list" because he was a "living witness" of Jesus' power! Kind of funny (ironic, not haha) how being on the receiving end of a miraculous move of God could put a target on someone's back...but isn't the same true of us, today? Satan isn't so concerned with us until we begin drawing lost people to Jesus... when Jesus "raises us from the dead" and brings us to the position of influencing others for Him, Satan and
his minions attack! Jesus gives us encouragement to "stay the course"..."these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
See you Monday at John 13.
Lazarus goes from what seems to be just a nice guy from a nice family, an avid although mild-mannered follower of Jesus to the # 2 "enemy of the state!" By having the greatest thing ever to happen to him, he goes from non-descript to "rock star" famous with Jesus' words, "Lazarus, come forth!" 12:1 reminds us that Lazarus was he "who had been dead, whom He (Jesus) had raised from the dead"...12:9-11 reveals Lazarus' new found fame and his being added to the chief priests' "hit list" because he was a "living witness" of Jesus' power! Kind of funny (ironic, not haha) how being on the receiving end of a miraculous move of God could put a target on someone's back...but isn't the same true of us, today? Satan isn't so concerned with us until we begin drawing lost people to Jesus... when Jesus "raises us from the dead" and brings us to the position of influencing others for Him, Satan and
his minions attack! Jesus gives us encouragement to "stay the course"..."these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
See you Monday at John 13.
Monday 4/24: John 13
Comedian Flip Wilson was famous for saying, "the devil made me do it!" Literally speaking, the devil cannot "make" us do anything we don't WANT to do .. THAT'S the real issue...what is it I am willing or want to do? John 13 gives the exchange between Jesus and His betrayer, Judas, as Judas does exactly what is in his heart to do, what he WANTS to do...betray Jesus. People try to rationalize Judas'actions as misguided or mistaken...they try to understand the complexities of the situation and Judas' inner conflict...I believe that's all poppycock (empty talk)! The Bible is pretty straightforward.... it's simple!... Judas did what Judas WANTED to do! Satan was able to enter Judas (13:27) because Judas and Satan were "on the same page"... Judas WANTED what Satan wanted...Jesus dead! Judas made his own choice, directed by Satan (13:2) perhaps, and Satan found a willing partner in Judas
because his heart was open and receptive to Satan's influence, but even more, Satan was able to literally indwell Judas because his heart was open and receptive to Satan's literal presence in his life! When you or I follow Satan rather than Christ, we have no one to blame but ourselves...we can't "pass the buck"... it's our choice, minute by minute, day by day! A word of consolation...Satan or his minions CANNOT indwell a born-again child of God, (thank you Father!), but he can influence us...not "make" us, but definitely influence us to do his bidding...
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about LIKE a roaring lion (he's a poser, not a lion), seeking who he may devour."
John 14 tomorrow.
because his heart was open and receptive to Satan's influence, but even more, Satan was able to literally indwell Judas because his heart was open and receptive to Satan's literal presence in his life! When you or I follow Satan rather than Christ, we have no one to blame but ourselves...we can't "pass the buck"... it's our choice, minute by minute, day by day! A word of consolation...Satan or his minions CANNOT indwell a born-again child of God, (thank you Father!), but he can influence us...not "make" us, but definitely influence us to do his bidding...
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about LIKE a roaring lion (he's a poser, not a lion), seeking who he may devour."
John 14 tomorrow.
Tuesday 4/25: John 14
"Arise, let us go from this place." (John 14:31)
You ever spent time in a place or with a certain person or persons, and you had had such an enjoyable, productive, just plain old good time, that you just didn't want it to end...? Imagine sitting with Jesus, hearing crazy amazing promises to you fall from His lips...."I'm preparing a place"...."I will come again to take you Home"..."the Father is sending Someone to you while I'm gone"..."He won't just live WITH you, but IN you"..."in fact, the Father, Myself, the Comforter, all 3 of us, Who are One, will live IN you"...and as if all that wasn't enough, He further clarifies..."I love you, the Father loves you, the Holy Spirit loves you...the 3 of Us, the One of us LOVES you!"...and, "I give you peace...MY peace... don't be afraid." Wow, what a moment in time..why would anyone want THAT place with THAT Person to end...
"Arise, let us go from here." What a lesson for us...God doesn't save us just to sit at the feet of Jesus and HEAR of His power, He sends us out IN Jesus' Name and power to bring others to Him! Jesus didn't die to just save us and teach us...He saves and equips us to go out and bring others to Him! The Holy Spirit didn't arrive just to comfort us...but to guide us, energize us, lead us into the world and the work God has for us!
"Get up! God has work for us to do! Let's leave THIS "place" and "git er done!"
See you at John 15.
You ever spent time in a place or with a certain person or persons, and you had had such an enjoyable, productive, just plain old good time, that you just didn't want it to end...? Imagine sitting with Jesus, hearing crazy amazing promises to you fall from His lips...."I'm preparing a place"...."I will come again to take you Home"..."the Father is sending Someone to you while I'm gone"..."He won't just live WITH you, but IN you"..."in fact, the Father, Myself, the Comforter, all 3 of us, Who are One, will live IN you"...and as if all that wasn't enough, He further clarifies..."I love you, the Father loves you, the Holy Spirit loves you...the 3 of Us, the One of us LOVES you!"...and, "I give you peace...MY peace... don't be afraid." Wow, what a moment in time..why would anyone want THAT place with THAT Person to end...
"Arise, let us go from here." What a lesson for us...God doesn't save us just to sit at the feet of Jesus and HEAR of His power, He sends us out IN Jesus' Name and power to bring others to Him! Jesus didn't die to just save us and teach us...He saves and equips us to go out and bring others to Him! The Holy Spirit didn't arrive just to comfort us...but to guide us, energize us, lead us into the world and the work God has for us!
"Get up! God has work for us to do! Let's leave THIS "place" and "git er done!"
See you at John 15.
Wednesday 4/26: John 15
One of a pastor's favorite conversations goes something like this: "yes, Pastor, I'm a born again, baptized believer in Christ and I want to join your church...and oh, where can I go to work?!" The pastor, with a look of sheer joy on his face, is grinning from ear to ear, shaking his head "yes", and reaching to shake hands!
John 15 reveals something that makes Jesus "smile from ear to ear" and nod His head "Yes"...for His people to ABIDE in Him ...to "abide" in Christ is to "remain, dwell, and continue" in Him and with Him. This intimacy is so vital to our health and life that Jesus likens our "abiding" with Him to the life giving connection of an individual branch to the vine itself..."I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I and him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." So our works (fruit) result directly and completely from our connection to Jesus, and our fruit, or rather, His fruit evidenced in and through us, brings glory to the Father...and our Savior "smiles from ear to ear!"
See you at John 16
John 15 reveals something that makes Jesus "smile from ear to ear" and nod His head "Yes"...for His people to ABIDE in Him ...to "abide" in Christ is to "remain, dwell, and continue" in Him and with Him. This intimacy is so vital to our health and life that Jesus likens our "abiding" with Him to the life giving connection of an individual branch to the vine itself..."I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I and him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." So our works (fruit) result directly and completely from our connection to Jesus, and our fruit, or rather, His fruit evidenced in and through us, brings glory to the Father...and our Savior "smiles from ear to ear!"
See you at John 16
Thursday 4/27: John 16
"Oh, if I could have walked and talked and lived with Jesus, physically like disciples did, my faith would be stronger, my witness and work for Him would be better!" In John 16, Jesus tells us we got a "better deal" than Him walking beside us...we got Him (the Holy Spirit) living INSIDE us! Jesus told His men in John 16:5-15 that He was going away and His leaving was to their benefit, because He would send the Comforter (Holy Spirit) in His place, and then He describes the benefits of having God in the Spirit living INSIDE you over having God the Son living BESIDE you! How's THAT for having God close... He's right inside us! His presence brings us comfort AND conviction, direction and boldness, learning AND witnessing....we have all we need, nay, we have MUCH MORE than we need to live our lives pleasing to God...we have God Himself living in and through us!
See you tomorrow with John 17.
See you tomorrow with John 17.
Friday 4/28: John 17
John 17...Jesus, in His famous "High Priestly Prayer," points out that those God has given Him operate on a very different agenda than the worldly world around them. By our "being on the same page" with God we demonstrate to the world a different life, a higher purpose, a sharper focus, a greater priority...that is God's plan for us, those He has chosen, those He has and will save! The lost are drawn to our love and unity with one another, and through us, drawn to God through our devotion to Christ....they see God in us and want what we have! At least, that's the way it's supposed to work...but Jesus recognizes our weakness, He prays to the Father to strengthen us, bring us together, focus us on God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so that others are drawn to God through the God they see in us! Our vital intimate relationship with the God of the universe is not just for His glory and
our benefit, but for the benefit of others as well, that, they too, might know the God of Creation personally, and knowing Him, bring glory to His High and Holy Name!
Looks like we'll wrap up John and move into Acts next week...see you Monday at John 18!
our benefit, but for the benefit of others as well, that, they too, might know the God of Creation personally, and knowing Him, bring glory to His High and Holy Name!
Looks like we'll wrap up John and move into Acts next week...see you Monday at John 18!
