Saturday, May 26, 2012
Who's Got The Power? - Jeremiah 10
Read Jeremiah 10
Growing up in America, I think we sometimes struggle with the concept of God vs. idols. In our minds an idol is an object, so when we read a passage like this it’s easy for us to focus in on the fact that idols are just made and don’t have power. That is true, but it isn’t really addressing the issue. Some of us might try and make it relevant for us. Maybe we think of sports as an idol, or surfing the net, or grades, or . . . fill in the blank. That may also be true, but it’s also not addressing the bigger issue. Some might realize that idols is a bigger issue, because maybe all of our extended families aren’t Christian and maybe some of them worship idols or have an altar in their house or work. Some of them might even burn paper money to ancestors. What’s really going on? How does our understanding of this help us to understand what God was saying to Israel through Jeremiah?
First off, let’s pick out some passages and look at them:
Jer.10:2 “or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.”
10: 5 “Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”
10:6 “ [of God] your name is mighty in power”
10:12 “God made the earth by his power; . . .by his wisdom . . . by his understanding”
The things that Israel was doing in following the idols of other nations was about who had power. They must have believed that the sun, moon, and stars had actual powers and so they worshipped them, but this only brought them fear. They wanted to have power to influence their own lives by placating these idols. People feared these gods that they worshipped. That is why they even went so far as to burn their children alive as sacrifices to these idols. They actually believed this idol was a spirit. It’s not so different from burning money to ancestors if you also believe ancestors control fate. What God was saying through Jeremiah, was that these idols that they were turning away from him to worship, not only had no power, but that God is actually the one in control; and because of that we don’t need to have any fear. God is the one who has the power! Let’s take this idea out and apply it to us. What are our idols? Do we watch sports because they can influence our fate? Maybe, but probably not. Computer? Maybe, but maybe not. These can demonstrate wrong priorities in large quantities, but as for us fearing them and letting them rule over our lives and looking to them to determine our fate? Not completely likely. How about us? Do you feel like you need to have constant control over your life? What do you try and do to maintain control? How could that be an idol? What are you afraid of? I’m speaking more of insecurities and deep fears. What do you do to control or contain it? These are more likely the idols. As Jeremiah prays at the end of Chapter 10, “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” God is there for the big things in life, and also for the everyday things. We don’t need to turn to idols or ourselves for this because he is in control, he has the power, and he loves us enough send Christ as our Savior. Let’s turn to him and continue to do it daily!
Dear God,
Help me to let you have all of me, every part of my life. Show me where I have trusted in myself or in other idols instead of turning to you. Take them Jesus, I willingly give you these areas of my life. Be the one who is always in control of me, and help me to turn to you for the important things and the small decisions so that all of what I live for reflects your glory. Amen.
Obedience and Covenants - Jeremiah 9
Read Jeremiah 9
God’s words ring throughout this chapter. In history past, He made a covenant with the people of Israel and now His people have gone astray. Verse 3 shows that the Lord is speaking in this chapter. The people are unfaithful and liars. (Vv 2-8) This is the opposite of the covenant that God had made with them. They were supposed to be a people of integrity and honesty but that has failed. In verse 9, God speaks of cutting the covenant. The destruction of the people will be complete. (Vv 10-11).
Jeremiah sets up the second section with a rhetorical question. He asks if there is someone who can understand what God is doing. God answers the question. He tells the people that even though He gave them the law, they did not follow or obey it. (Vv 12-13) The people continue to worship other gods, so God will exile His people. (Vv 13-16)
In verses 17-21, the wailing women are professional wailers who are part of Israel and the surround kingdoms’ culture. Their job is to wail, cry, and lament. There is no artificiality here even though they are professionals. What God is going to do to the people will give the mourners lots to cry about.
Verses 23-24 point to God. The Lord says that the people should not boast in their wisdom or strength but in their relationship with God, their covenant relationship with God. The second part of verse 24 talks about justice and righteousness and that God delights in those things. God delights in those things so He wants the people, who are in covenant with Him, to also exhibit those qualities in their lives.
Finally, in verses 25-26, God is calling all the nations to punishment. Circumcision was not only an Israelite custom but it can be found in other cultures too. Circumcision though had significance in Israelite culture, a sign of the covenant with God. In these verses, God is saying that the most important thing is not circumcision of the flesh but of the heart. In terms of a circumcised heart, the Israelites are the same as all the other kingdoms.
This leads us to ask the question, what does this passage say to us? Two thoughts for us to reflect on: First, how are we living our lives, in obedience to God or for ourselves? Secondly, we are in covenant with God, the new covenant (Jeremiah 34) brought on by Christ. As we examine ourselves, is the circumcision of our hearts bearing fruit the fruit of justice and righteousness in our lives as these things God delights in (V 24).
God’s words ring throughout this chapter. In history past, He made a covenant with the people of Israel and now His people have gone astray. Verse 3 shows that the Lord is speaking in this chapter. The people are unfaithful and liars. (Vv 2-8) This is the opposite of the covenant that God had made with them. They were supposed to be a people of integrity and honesty but that has failed. In verse 9, God speaks of cutting the covenant. The destruction of the people will be complete. (Vv 10-11).
Jeremiah sets up the second section with a rhetorical question. He asks if there is someone who can understand what God is doing. God answers the question. He tells the people that even though He gave them the law, they did not follow or obey it. (Vv 12-13) The people continue to worship other gods, so God will exile His people. (Vv 13-16)
In verses 17-21, the wailing women are professional wailers who are part of Israel and the surround kingdoms’ culture. Their job is to wail, cry, and lament. There is no artificiality here even though they are professionals. What God is going to do to the people will give the mourners lots to cry about.
Verses 23-24 point to God. The Lord says that the people should not boast in their wisdom or strength but in their relationship with God, their covenant relationship with God. The second part of verse 24 talks about justice and righteousness and that God delights in those things. God delights in those things so He wants the people, who are in covenant with Him, to also exhibit those qualities in their lives.
Finally, in verses 25-26, God is calling all the nations to punishment. Circumcision was not only an Israelite custom but it can be found in other cultures too. Circumcision though had significance in Israelite culture, a sign of the covenant with God. In these verses, God is saying that the most important thing is not circumcision of the flesh but of the heart. In terms of a circumcised heart, the Israelites are the same as all the other kingdoms.
This leads us to ask the question, what does this passage say to us? Two thoughts for us to reflect on: First, how are we living our lives, in obedience to God or for ourselves? Secondly, we are in covenant with God, the new covenant (Jeremiah 34) brought on by Christ. As we examine ourselves, is the circumcision of our hearts bearing fruit the fruit of justice and righteousness in our lives as these things God delights in (V 24).
Listening - Jeremiah 8
Read Jeremiah 8
There have been so many times when I have disregarded someone’s suggestion, advice, or guidance and have had to feel the effects of the consequences of those actions. One time in middle school, it was when I shrugged off the words of my parents and brother. I had a group of new friends that I had just gotten to know, and I was spending increasingly more and more time with them. Soon enough, I was spending more time with them than I was with my family. Not only that, they were being a bad influence on my character and habits.
I can tell you that my family was not a big fan of that. So they continually told me that I should spend more time with them and that these friends of mine were being a bad influence on me. Back then, I thought I was too cool for them so of course I didn’t listen to them. Eventually, I shunned my family and did my own thing.
As a couple months passed, things started to go bad. The situation with my parents and friends began to worsen. I remember getting into a ton of verbal arguments with my mom and dad. Also, drama began to tear my group of friends apart. Basically, it was a miserable time in my life.
What does my personal story have to do with Jeremiah eight? In a nutshell, this chapter summarizes the situation that Israel is in. The Israelites have been unfaithful and unrepentant despite the Lord’s continual requests for them to repent. This chapter describes the sins that the people of Israel have committed and it also begins to show the grieving heart of Jeremiah for them. And because of their sin, they are being punished.
Re-read Jeremiah 8
When we see the sin and the unrepentant nature of Israel here, we want to tell them to follow the Lord because their stupidity will bring God’s judgment upon them. And even though we may not be Israelites or soon to be facing the judgment of God, we have to take the message found in the passage to heart.
The message is to listen. We must listen to what God is trying to say to us, whether directly through the working of the Holy Spirit, His Word, and prayer or indirectly through our pastors, leaders, and Christian friends. Sometimes we may be too calloused and blind to see the bright green GO sign or flashing red STOP sign. In the case of the Israelites, it was to listen to the message of repentance. For me, it was the message of respecting the decisions and guidance of my parents and brother. What is God trying to tell you, but you’re not taking the time to listen?
What Is Clear Is Not Easy - Jeremiah 7
Take a moment to prepare your heart for God’s word and how you can deepen your relationship in this time apart from everyday’s business.
Read Jeremiah 7 and focus on how much God wants us to come to him and how he is calling us to live.
Reread verses 1-7. God clearly states what we have to do to be able to dwell in the Lord’s place and to have a relationship with him. He calls Jeremiah to “stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word…Amend your ways and your deeds and I will let you dwell in this place.” It is a repeated message throughout the bible, and in Jeremiah. God lays it out before his people on how God desires for them to live; it seems so clear as to what they should do and where their hearts should be, but repeatedly they turn away from God. From the outside looking in, their actions seem so dumb and many times we won’t understand why they continuously turn away from the Lord. Take a moment to examine your life. God has made it clear to us that he desires a relationship with us, God says to us in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” What are you choosing to spend your days doing and are you drawing nearer or farther away from God?
In verses 8-15, the Lord emphasizes how he has persistently called for his people, but they did not come and have lived apart from the Lord. This chapter continues to describe how the Lord is displeased with how the people who have ignored his calls will receive his anger and wrath. He recognizes that they are living apart from him and will let the world know that, “my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”
Again, in verses 16 to 29, God emphasizes how clear he has made it for the people as to how they should live, and how consistently they turn away from him. In verse 23, “But this command I gave them: ‘obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” It doesn’t get much simpler than that. The Lord will let out his wrath against these people, “for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.” To be forsaken from the Lord is a frightening thought. When the things of this world are temporary, and what is eternal in Jesus leaves you, there is not much else.
In the last part of this chapter, the Lord continues on how the sons of Judah will be punished. Having a relationship with God and truly living after him is not about avoiding his wrath and anger though. It is not just about obeying God so that one-day we won’t be forsaken from the Lord or has to receive an outpouring of his anger and wrath. There is so much good that comes out of following Jesus and just the opportunity to be reborn again and to have eternal life with him is something that many of us need to be reminded of. Reflect on this passage and on what God is saying to you with this passage.
Read Jeremiah 7 and focus on how much God wants us to come to him and how he is calling us to live.
Reread verses 1-7. God clearly states what we have to do to be able to dwell in the Lord’s place and to have a relationship with him. He calls Jeremiah to “stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word…Amend your ways and your deeds and I will let you dwell in this place.” It is a repeated message throughout the bible, and in Jeremiah. God lays it out before his people on how God desires for them to live; it seems so clear as to what they should do and where their hearts should be, but repeatedly they turn away from God. From the outside looking in, their actions seem so dumb and many times we won’t understand why they continuously turn away from the Lord. Take a moment to examine your life. God has made it clear to us that he desires a relationship with us, God says to us in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” What are you choosing to spend your days doing and are you drawing nearer or farther away from God?
In verses 8-15, the Lord emphasizes how he has persistently called for his people, but they did not come and have lived apart from the Lord. This chapter continues to describe how the Lord is displeased with how the people who have ignored his calls will receive his anger and wrath. He recognizes that they are living apart from him and will let the world know that, “my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”
Again, in verses 16 to 29, God emphasizes how clear he has made it for the people as to how they should live, and how consistently they turn away from him. In verse 23, “But this command I gave them: ‘obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” It doesn’t get much simpler than that. The Lord will let out his wrath against these people, “for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.” To be forsaken from the Lord is a frightening thought. When the things of this world are temporary, and what is eternal in Jesus leaves you, there is not much else.
In the last part of this chapter, the Lord continues on how the sons of Judah will be punished. Having a relationship with God and truly living after him is not about avoiding his wrath and anger though. It is not just about obeying God so that one-day we won’t be forsaken from the Lord or has to receive an outpouring of his anger and wrath. There is so much good that comes out of following Jesus and just the opportunity to be reborn again and to have eternal life with him is something that many of us need to be reminded of. Reflect on this passage and on what God is saying to you with this passage.
Impending Disaster - Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 6 addresses an impending disaster for Jerusalem for her disobedience and rebellion against God. Before we turn to Chapter 6, ask the Holy Spirit now to reveal God’s word and speak to you. After you’ve prepared your heart, read Jeremiah 6.
Vv 1-8: The Prophet Jeremiah sounds an alarm that a disastrous invasion will fall upon Jerusalem and Judah. At this time there was actually peace and security in the city and country; the people had no apprehension of danger. So why was Jeremiah warning them to flee? Because after hundreds of years of disobedience to the Lord, God was bringing judgment on His people through an attack from the Babylonians. And God was gracious enough to forewarn them through Jeremiah! The people of Judah brought upon themselves the judgment of God by their own wickedness, for they were violent, oppressive, evil, and destructive (vv. 6&7). Our God is slow to anger and quick to forgive, but He is a just God and He must punish sin (Exodus 34: 6-7).
Vv. 9-15: Sin is serious and the wrath of God is real. Do we live in such a way that reveres God or do we fall deaf to His instructions like the people of Judah? They despised the word of the Lord as “an object of scorn” and took “no pleasure in it” (v. 10). They saw no need for the word of the Lord in their lives. Is that true of us?
This section of Chapter 6 also sheds light on people who deal falsely with sin, including leaders and popular personalities of the day. We see that in our times too—spiritual gurus who tell us that we can find peace within ourselves or authority figures who say that there is no absolute Truth and that everything is relative and that “sin” is too offensive of a term. The Lord promises that these individuals will be punished and they will fall (v. 15).
Vv. 16-26: It is interesting to note that this very people of Judah found to be disobedient and offensive by the Lord Himself were people who brought Him burnt offerings and sacrifices. That is equivalent to us attending church, serving in ministry settings, or being religious in our various behaviors. The Lord takes no delight in outward appearances (v. 20). He cares about our hearts. We may be great performing Christians on the outside yet still be incurring the judgment of God with our prideful, violent, self-sufficient hearts.
How do we escape the wrath of God? It is really no use to physically remove ourselves from one city under attack to another hoping to avoid destruction. The only right way to respond is with a repentant heart: to mourn over sin with such sorrow and grief that it is like losing “an only son” (v. 26). What does that look like for you? Ask God to lead you into a period of repentance for your sins.
Vv. 27-30: God is gracious and merciful and gives us many second chances. He refines us of our impurities through His word and Holy Spirit. But to blatantly keep on sinning is to risk turning God’s refining fire of His mercy into a consuming fire of His wrath (v.29).
Vv 1-8: The Prophet Jeremiah sounds an alarm that a disastrous invasion will fall upon Jerusalem and Judah. At this time there was actually peace and security in the city and country; the people had no apprehension of danger. So why was Jeremiah warning them to flee? Because after hundreds of years of disobedience to the Lord, God was bringing judgment on His people through an attack from the Babylonians. And God was gracious enough to forewarn them through Jeremiah! The people of Judah brought upon themselves the judgment of God by their own wickedness, for they were violent, oppressive, evil, and destructive (vv. 6&7). Our God is slow to anger and quick to forgive, but He is a just God and He must punish sin (Exodus 34: 6-7).
Vv. 9-15: Sin is serious and the wrath of God is real. Do we live in such a way that reveres God or do we fall deaf to His instructions like the people of Judah? They despised the word of the Lord as “an object of scorn” and took “no pleasure in it” (v. 10). They saw no need for the word of the Lord in their lives. Is that true of us?
This section of Chapter 6 also sheds light on people who deal falsely with sin, including leaders and popular personalities of the day. We see that in our times too—spiritual gurus who tell us that we can find peace within ourselves or authority figures who say that there is no absolute Truth and that everything is relative and that “sin” is too offensive of a term. The Lord promises that these individuals will be punished and they will fall (v. 15).
Vv. 16-26: It is interesting to note that this very people of Judah found to be disobedient and offensive by the Lord Himself were people who brought Him burnt offerings and sacrifices. That is equivalent to us attending church, serving in ministry settings, or being religious in our various behaviors. The Lord takes no delight in outward appearances (v. 20). He cares about our hearts. We may be great performing Christians on the outside yet still be incurring the judgment of God with our prideful, violent, self-sufficient hearts.
How do we escape the wrath of God? It is really no use to physically remove ourselves from one city under attack to another hoping to avoid destruction. The only right way to respond is with a repentant heart: to mourn over sin with such sorrow and grief that it is like losing “an only son” (v. 26). What does that look like for you? Ask God to lead you into a period of repentance for your sins.
Vv. 27-30: God is gracious and merciful and gives us many second chances. He refines us of our impurities through His word and Holy Spirit. But to blatantly keep on sinning is to risk turning God’s refining fire of His mercy into a consuming fire of His wrath (v.29).
Friday, May 11, 2012
Chaos in Israel - Jeremiah 5
Chaos in Israel
Before you start, take time to focus yourself. Take some deep breaths. Quiet the distractions. Don’t let anything disrupt this time. Prepare to hear and learn from God. Ask Him to teach you through his living Word.
Once you’ve done that, read Jeremiah 5
This chapter starts by telling us how sinful Jerusalem has been. Not one of them can be found sinless (verse 1), and they speak hypocrisy (verse 2). Everyone is caught in sin: rich or poor, Jew or Gentile. Jeremiah tells us that the poor do not know the ways of the Lord and they are ignorant of God (verse 4), and so they sin. He also says that the rich are taking their prosperity for granted and committing adultery (verse 7-8). Neither group of people has an excuse for their sin. Although the poor don’t know any better, they are still found guilty in the eyes of God. Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s qualities and all of creation and clearly visible and evidence for God, so men are without excuse. Because God’s existence is made clear to the world, there is no excuse for sin. The rich have no excuse for their sin either. They are well off, high on the social ladder, and living prosperous lives, but that does not justify their sin. Do you make excuses for your sin? It’s easy to try and make our sin seem less ugly and dirty than it is: “it was just a small lie”, “it’s only one homework assignment that I just forgot to do”, or “it’s only one swear, and it’s not even that bad of a swear”. We can try and make our sin seem like its not so bad or tell, but in the eyes of God, sin is sin no matter how big or small. Any sin separates us from God, and we cannot hide any sin from God. All over the Bible, God tells us to own up to our sin and repent in order to receive forgiveness. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, we don’t have to hide our sin or make excuses for it; we can openly confess and be forgiven knowing that we are saved.
Everything is whack in Jerusalem: they take God’s wrath too lightly (verse 12), they doubt God (verse 19), they are blinded (verse 21), and they do not fear God (verses 22, 24). The people are stubborn, arrogant, and full of sin (verses 23, 25-28). In the ESV, Jerusalem is described as “appalling and horrible” (verse 30). All of this mayhem is happening, but why doesn’t God strike them all down like he did in the story of Noah? He can’t use a flood anymore, but he could definitely use some other method to kill all of mankind. It says in verse 15 that God will bring judgment on Israel and allow a foreign nation to invade them because of their sin. It seems just given what the people are doing, but God displays his mercy. In verse 18 (ESV), it says, “but even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you”. Even though Israel is so messed up and the people are focusing on everything but God, God is still merciful to them. We are no better than Israel; we are sinful and in need of God the same. We deserve punishment and wrath that none of us can even comprehend, but our God is a merciful and forgiving God. I don’t know about you, but that just makes me so much more thankful and in awe of God. He could smite all of humanity easily with justification, but he loves us and chooses to be merciful.
What does God want you to learn today? Do you need to repent of any unconfessed sin and come clean with God? Do you need to stop taking God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted even though we are all deserving of God’s wrath? Take this time to pray and allow the message to soak. Let the Holy Spirit move in you, challenge you, and teach you.
Before you start, take time to focus yourself. Take some deep breaths. Quiet the distractions. Don’t let anything disrupt this time. Prepare to hear and learn from God. Ask Him to teach you through his living Word.
Once you’ve done that, read Jeremiah 5
This chapter starts by telling us how sinful Jerusalem has been. Not one of them can be found sinless (verse 1), and they speak hypocrisy (verse 2). Everyone is caught in sin: rich or poor, Jew or Gentile. Jeremiah tells us that the poor do not know the ways of the Lord and they are ignorant of God (verse 4), and so they sin. He also says that the rich are taking their prosperity for granted and committing adultery (verse 7-8). Neither group of people has an excuse for their sin. Although the poor don’t know any better, they are still found guilty in the eyes of God. Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s qualities and all of creation and clearly visible and evidence for God, so men are without excuse. Because God’s existence is made clear to the world, there is no excuse for sin. The rich have no excuse for their sin either. They are well off, high on the social ladder, and living prosperous lives, but that does not justify their sin. Do you make excuses for your sin? It’s easy to try and make our sin seem less ugly and dirty than it is: “it was just a small lie”, “it’s only one homework assignment that I just forgot to do”, or “it’s only one swear, and it’s not even that bad of a swear”. We can try and make our sin seem like its not so bad or tell, but in the eyes of God, sin is sin no matter how big or small. Any sin separates us from God, and we cannot hide any sin from God. All over the Bible, God tells us to own up to our sin and repent in order to receive forgiveness. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, we don’t have to hide our sin or make excuses for it; we can openly confess and be forgiven knowing that we are saved.
Everything is whack in Jerusalem: they take God’s wrath too lightly (verse 12), they doubt God (verse 19), they are blinded (verse 21), and they do not fear God (verses 22, 24). The people are stubborn, arrogant, and full of sin (verses 23, 25-28). In the ESV, Jerusalem is described as “appalling and horrible” (verse 30). All of this mayhem is happening, but why doesn’t God strike them all down like he did in the story of Noah? He can’t use a flood anymore, but he could definitely use some other method to kill all of mankind. It says in verse 15 that God will bring judgment on Israel and allow a foreign nation to invade them because of their sin. It seems just given what the people are doing, but God displays his mercy. In verse 18 (ESV), it says, “but even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you”. Even though Israel is so messed up and the people are focusing on everything but God, God is still merciful to them. We are no better than Israel; we are sinful and in need of God the same. We deserve punishment and wrath that none of us can even comprehend, but our God is a merciful and forgiving God. I don’t know about you, but that just makes me so much more thankful and in awe of God. He could smite all of humanity easily with justification, but he loves us and chooses to be merciful.
What does God want you to learn today? Do you need to repent of any unconfessed sin and come clean with God? Do you need to stop taking God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted even though we are all deserving of God’s wrath? Take this time to pray and allow the message to soak. Let the Holy Spirit move in you, challenge you, and teach you.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
In the Times of Struggle - Jeremiah 4
In The Times Of Struggle
Take a moment to prepare your hearts for God’s word.
Now read Jeremiah chapter 4 while keeping in mind God’s judgment and just how much he longs to have an intimate relationship with us.
In the first few verses, up to verse 4, a call is made for change otherwise there will be great destruction. God says to Judah and Jerusalem to root themselves in the Lord. They are called to “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” (verse 3). Even though the conditions aren’t ideal for God’s word to be established in their lives, it is still what they are called to do and they are being reminded that they should not wait for ideal conditions to build a relationship with God. Verse 4 continues to describe how the men of Judah and Jerusalem should live; they are to be active in changing their lives. Although Deuteronomy 30:6 says “The Lord they God will circumcise thy heart,” we need the mindset of longing to change our lives and to devote them to God.
Take a moment and meditate on how God is calling you to change your life, specifically, what is God challenging you to throw away, and how can you let God fill that space?
Now reread verse 5 to 18. In these verses, the coming disaster and judgment is described. The people are warned to take safety, even though there is no real place where God’s judgment cannot reach. I personally take these verses as a challenge to not lose hope in times when God’s grace and love seem to go extinct. There will be troubled times in our lives, and times where we will have to go through great struggles, but God has a great plan for us and greater things are yet to come. Meditate on these questions, what are some of the times of struggle recently that you have had to or are going through? How can you grow in your relationship with God because of those times?
The relationship that we have with God goes two ways however, he wants us to express everything to him and he will respond. Reread verses 19 to 22 and focus on the motivation behind what Jeremiah is saying. The people are expressing their grief, and are crying out to God. And God responds by reminding them that their nation will not be ended despite the intense punishment that God let happen to them, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end” (verse 27). He still cares deeply for his people. In the last verses of this chapter, Jeremiah describes how helpless Judah is; however, they are reminded that God has a great plan for them. During this time of God just letting loose on Judah, the people do not just give up. They cry out to God, and they are reminded that God is working in their lives and that they are not alone.
Now take a moment and meditate on the message of this chapter. Reread if it helps. What parts apply to your life and how can you grow in your walk with God?
Take a moment to prepare your hearts for God’s word.
Now read Jeremiah chapter 4 while keeping in mind God’s judgment and just how much he longs to have an intimate relationship with us.
In the first few verses, up to verse 4, a call is made for change otherwise there will be great destruction. God says to Judah and Jerusalem to root themselves in the Lord. They are called to “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” (verse 3). Even though the conditions aren’t ideal for God’s word to be established in their lives, it is still what they are called to do and they are being reminded that they should not wait for ideal conditions to build a relationship with God. Verse 4 continues to describe how the men of Judah and Jerusalem should live; they are to be active in changing their lives. Although Deuteronomy 30:6 says “The Lord they God will circumcise thy heart,” we need the mindset of longing to change our lives and to devote them to God.
Take a moment and meditate on how God is calling you to change your life, specifically, what is God challenging you to throw away, and how can you let God fill that space?
Now reread verse 5 to 18. In these verses, the coming disaster and judgment is described. The people are warned to take safety, even though there is no real place where God’s judgment cannot reach. I personally take these verses as a challenge to not lose hope in times when God’s grace and love seem to go extinct. There will be troubled times in our lives, and times where we will have to go through great struggles, but God has a great plan for us and greater things are yet to come. Meditate on these questions, what are some of the times of struggle recently that you have had to or are going through? How can you grow in your relationship with God because of those times?
The relationship that we have with God goes two ways however, he wants us to express everything to him and he will respond. Reread verses 19 to 22 and focus on the motivation behind what Jeremiah is saying. The people are expressing their grief, and are crying out to God. And God responds by reminding them that their nation will not be ended despite the intense punishment that God let happen to them, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end” (verse 27). He still cares deeply for his people. In the last verses of this chapter, Jeremiah describes how helpless Judah is; however, they are reminded that God has a great plan for them. During this time of God just letting loose on Judah, the people do not just give up. They cry out to God, and they are reminded that God is working in their lives and that they are not alone.
Now take a moment and meditate on the message of this chapter. Reread if it helps. What parts apply to your life and how can you grow in your walk with God?
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
How He Loves - Jeremiah 3
How he loves
Read Jeremiah 3
I’m sure that during our lifetime we’ve repeatedly done something to upset our parents. We’ve all done it, if it’s not doing our homework or talking back to our parents. There might even be times where we feel like we’ve really messed up and they don’t love us anymore.
This is a similar story to the relationship between God and his people of Israel. They’ve sinned against God so many times that God wanted to divorce the people of Israel. This of course is not how the story ends. At the end of the day God loves us so much still. He loves us so much that he completely forgives us. He invites us to come back to him with open arms. All we need to do is “acknowledge (our) guilt.” He wants to treat us like his children, and bless us with pleasant land. He wants to be with us and bless us. Even though we are so disobedient and sinful God just wants to love us!
“We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way... He loves us….“
David Crowder Band
-Reflect on where we are disobedient, and ask God to forgive us.
-Mediate on the God’s love and grace for us.
Read Jeremiah 3
I’m sure that during our lifetime we’ve repeatedly done something to upset our parents. We’ve all done it, if it’s not doing our homework or talking back to our parents. There might even be times where we feel like we’ve really messed up and they don’t love us anymore.
This is a similar story to the relationship between God and his people of Israel. They’ve sinned against God so many times that God wanted to divorce the people of Israel. This of course is not how the story ends. At the end of the day God loves us so much still. He loves us so much that he completely forgives us. He invites us to come back to him with open arms. All we need to do is “acknowledge (our) guilt.” He wants to treat us like his children, and bless us with pleasant land. He wants to be with us and bless us. Even though we are so disobedient and sinful God just wants to love us!
“We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way... He loves us….“
David Crowder Band
-Reflect on where we are disobedient, and ask God to forgive us.
-Mediate on the God’s love and grace for us.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Worshipping Mammon - Jeremiah 2
Worshipping Mammon
Note: All names and places, except Peter Huang and Pastor Ben’s, are made-up.
Read: Jeremiah 2
My first year of serving at WCAC YG was 2002 – oh wow, that was 10 years ago. Freaky. Anyways, in the Doulos team was a young junior whose name is Edgar. I remembered Edgar as a fiercely devoted follower of Christ and quite mature for his age, frankly speaking. In fact, during the Spring of 2003, Pastor Ben invited him to teach junior high Sunday school class. Peter Huang, the harp maestro of Chambana and WCAC YG alumnus, was in that class. He, too, had fond memories of Edgar teaching. Edgar’s family moved to Raleigh, NC for his senior year. He was, and remains, a brilliant man. He graduated in the top 5% of his class at Duke, proceeded to attend Duke Law School, and now is a public attorney for the government. Unfortunately, in the course of his pursuit for success, he lost his faith. Just a few years ago, at the LIFE Conference, the group managed to meet up with Edgar and some were quite disappointed to see how far away from the faith he has drifted. I remember Peter Huang telling me, “Henry, I can’t believe that someone who used to teach us Sunday school can fall away from the faith!” Edgar was, of course, not the only WCAC YG alumnus to drift away from the faith; no doubt some of you may have other names in mind.
So consider the situation when YHWH, the God of Israel, appeared before Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah lived in a time of relative prosperity for Israel. This is not surprising. To trace the root of the problem, we need to look at the reign of King Manasseh of Judah (reign ~ 687 – 642 BC). At the time, Judah was a vassal state of Assyria; it was given independent rule because it served the interests of the Assyrian superpower. Archaeologists and ancient Near Eastern historians, based on data found in Nineveh, discovered that Judah was the source of many resources needed by the Assyrians. This meant that Judah grew in prosperity. In an effort to make Judah more marketable to the Assyrian market, Manasseh encouraged Ba’al worship. Even though he eventually repented and rolled back his program of Ba’al worship, the damage had been done. The reforms of King Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson, while approved by God, did not stem the tide of faithlessness.
Enter Jeremiah. Picture the wealth of Wall Street or Michigan Avenue, with all its glittering lights and resplendent wealth. Maybe even picture downtown Naperville, with its idyllic Riverwalk, the Five Guys and Jamba Juice, and the obvious clock tower. And then picture some old guy talking about how God will judge America and how everyone will suffer and be punished. I guarantee you that the police will take him away. Such was the suffering Jeremiah had to endure. In fact, his calling was anything but glamorous. Jeremiah tepidly accepted his calling after God’s exhortation, and after being harassed by the people, God’s only reassurance was, It’ll only get worse. What a calling!
What did Jeremiah preach to earn him the ire of the people? Well, the word of YHWH ain’t pretty. God begins nicely (v. 2-3): When Israel was young she was obedient and followed God through the desert of Sinai to the Promised Land. Now – keep in mind that Israel did sin (cf. Golden Calf), but God in his great mercy did not even bring that great sin up! What a gracious God we worship! But then, things turn south. In verse 7, God essentially scolds the Judeans: I brought you to a great land and all you do is trash it! Instead of following Me, you follow Ba’al! And this “I gave you the best, and you ruined it all!” pattern continues for several verses. Can you imagine how God must’ve felt? This is not the voice of anger, but the voice of utter sadness, the same sadness your parents showed you when they were terribly disappointed in you. It is the same voice we might use for Edgar; you used to be faithful, so ardent in your faith. What happened? Why did you give up Christ?
What was the sin that God accused the Judeans of committing? They gave themselves over to the worship of Ba’al, the ancient Near Eastern god of strength and fertility. Ba’al was a very popular god as he promised financial security in various forms, from agricultural wealth (a very good harvest) to having many wives and children (social security in old age) to strength so that one can defend one’s borders (national security). In today’s context, the equivalent of Ba’al would be money, success, status, power, etc. Jesus was not saying anything particularly new in Matt. 6:24 when he warns that “you cannot serve both God and money.” Little wonder the Judeans hated Jeremiah. Everyone’s doing just fine, making money, and living their lives peacefully. Why do we need this rabble-rouser to come along and talk about how we have disobeyed God, blah-blah? Furthermore, Jeremiah’s message was the last thing anyone wanted to hear – you are wealthy now, but God is going to take it all away! Nobody wanted to listen to that!
But the truth is that the Israelites, by worshipping Ba’al, worship something that was literally “here today and gone tomorrow.” Even today, we still have little idea of what exactly Ba’al was like. Success, like Ba’al, is here today and gone tomorrow. The trouble is that success is very enticing, and always promises to bring eternal health, wealth, and happiness. It never does. That is why it is important for all of us in our relative youths to take seriously our God who is everlasting, who loves us and desires for us always love Him as He loved us. That is also why it is important for us to remember that success is always here today and gone tomorrow. As Jeremiah had prophesied, Israel’s wealth and culture were almost wiped out as the Babylonians invaded and carted off the best and brightest to Babylon. Since then Israel would never regain its former glory. Let this be an important lesson for us to remember.
Note: All names and places, except Peter Huang and Pastor Ben’s, are made-up.
Read: Jeremiah 2
My first year of serving at WCAC YG was 2002 – oh wow, that was 10 years ago. Freaky. Anyways, in the Doulos team was a young junior whose name is Edgar. I remembered Edgar as a fiercely devoted follower of Christ and quite mature for his age, frankly speaking. In fact, during the Spring of 2003, Pastor Ben invited him to teach junior high Sunday school class. Peter Huang, the harp maestro of Chambana and WCAC YG alumnus, was in that class. He, too, had fond memories of Edgar teaching. Edgar’s family moved to Raleigh, NC for his senior year. He was, and remains, a brilliant man. He graduated in the top 5% of his class at Duke, proceeded to attend Duke Law School, and now is a public attorney for the government. Unfortunately, in the course of his pursuit for success, he lost his faith. Just a few years ago, at the LIFE Conference, the group managed to meet up with Edgar and some were quite disappointed to see how far away from the faith he has drifted. I remember Peter Huang telling me, “Henry, I can’t believe that someone who used to teach us Sunday school can fall away from the faith!” Edgar was, of course, not the only WCAC YG alumnus to drift away from the faith; no doubt some of you may have other names in mind.
So consider the situation when YHWH, the God of Israel, appeared before Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah lived in a time of relative prosperity for Israel. This is not surprising. To trace the root of the problem, we need to look at the reign of King Manasseh of Judah (reign ~ 687 – 642 BC). At the time, Judah was a vassal state of Assyria; it was given independent rule because it served the interests of the Assyrian superpower. Archaeologists and ancient Near Eastern historians, based on data found in Nineveh, discovered that Judah was the source of many resources needed by the Assyrians. This meant that Judah grew in prosperity. In an effort to make Judah more marketable to the Assyrian market, Manasseh encouraged Ba’al worship. Even though he eventually repented and rolled back his program of Ba’al worship, the damage had been done. The reforms of King Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson, while approved by God, did not stem the tide of faithlessness.
Enter Jeremiah. Picture the wealth of Wall Street or Michigan Avenue, with all its glittering lights and resplendent wealth. Maybe even picture downtown Naperville, with its idyllic Riverwalk, the Five Guys and Jamba Juice, and the obvious clock tower. And then picture some old guy talking about how God will judge America and how everyone will suffer and be punished. I guarantee you that the police will take him away. Such was the suffering Jeremiah had to endure. In fact, his calling was anything but glamorous. Jeremiah tepidly accepted his calling after God’s exhortation, and after being harassed by the people, God’s only reassurance was, It’ll only get worse. What a calling!
What did Jeremiah preach to earn him the ire of the people? Well, the word of YHWH ain’t pretty. God begins nicely (v. 2-3): When Israel was young she was obedient and followed God through the desert of Sinai to the Promised Land. Now – keep in mind that Israel did sin (cf. Golden Calf), but God in his great mercy did not even bring that great sin up! What a gracious God we worship! But then, things turn south. In verse 7, God essentially scolds the Judeans: I brought you to a great land and all you do is trash it! Instead of following Me, you follow Ba’al! And this “I gave you the best, and you ruined it all!” pattern continues for several verses. Can you imagine how God must’ve felt? This is not the voice of anger, but the voice of utter sadness, the same sadness your parents showed you when they were terribly disappointed in you. It is the same voice we might use for Edgar; you used to be faithful, so ardent in your faith. What happened? Why did you give up Christ?
What was the sin that God accused the Judeans of committing? They gave themselves over to the worship of Ba’al, the ancient Near Eastern god of strength and fertility. Ba’al was a very popular god as he promised financial security in various forms, from agricultural wealth (a very good harvest) to having many wives and children (social security in old age) to strength so that one can defend one’s borders (national security). In today’s context, the equivalent of Ba’al would be money, success, status, power, etc. Jesus was not saying anything particularly new in Matt. 6:24 when he warns that “you cannot serve both God and money.” Little wonder the Judeans hated Jeremiah. Everyone’s doing just fine, making money, and living their lives peacefully. Why do we need this rabble-rouser to come along and talk about how we have disobeyed God, blah-blah? Furthermore, Jeremiah’s message was the last thing anyone wanted to hear – you are wealthy now, but God is going to take it all away! Nobody wanted to listen to that!
But the truth is that the Israelites, by worshipping Ba’al, worship something that was literally “here today and gone tomorrow.” Even today, we still have little idea of what exactly Ba’al was like. Success, like Ba’al, is here today and gone tomorrow. The trouble is that success is very enticing, and always promises to bring eternal health, wealth, and happiness. It never does. That is why it is important for all of us in our relative youths to take seriously our God who is everlasting, who loves us and desires for us always love Him as He loved us. That is also why it is important for us to remember that success is always here today and gone tomorrow. As Jeremiah had prophesied, Israel’s wealth and culture were almost wiped out as the Babylonians invaded and carted off the best and brightest to Babylon. Since then Israel would never regain its former glory. Let this be an important lesson for us to remember.
Monday, May 7, 2012
A Prophet to the Nations - Jeremiah 1
A Prophet to the Nations
Jeremiah 1
We are starting a new devo series through the book of Jeremiah. As we begin our journey through this prophet's writings, there's two things I'd encourage you to do: pray and ask God to speak to you as you study the book of Jeremiah and then read through Jeremiah as a whole (as much as you can in one sitting)
We are being introduced to the prophet Jeremiah who was a priest (a religious leader) even before God called him to be a prophet (one who speaks on behalf of God) His ministry spanned several years and various kings, addressing various situations in Judah before their captivity. But here in chapter 1, we are introduced to Jeremiah himself.
Read Jeremiah 1 twice through. The first time, write down anything that God puts on your mind as you read. The second time, write down what God is telling Jeremiah about Jeremiah.
What an amazing exchange between God and Jeremiah! God tells Jeremiah [my paraphrase], "I knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, before you were born I set you apart and made you to be my spokesperson to the world." There is intimacy and purpose in God's design for Jeremiah. How do you think Jeremiah felt when he heard that?
I think back to how God calls flawed and unlikely people for his Kingdom purposes. Men like Moses and Gideon and even Jeremiah were a little flustered, a little fearful when God called them. Jeremiah responds in that fear, saying "I don't know what to say, and i'm too young!" But again, God reassures Him. God addresses each of Jeremiah's fears specifically.
When Jeremiah says, "I am only a youth," God responds, "I am with you...My presence is upon you, not only did I know you and set you apart, but I'm with you. You're not alone."
When Jeremiah says "I do not know how to speak," God responds "I have put my words in your mouth...you speak with My authority."
God is speaking to Jeremiah in an incredible way. Right from the start, He tells Jeremiah three things to remind Jeremiah of who he was made to be. God's purpose. God's presence. God's authority. Jeremiah's ministry and calling is rooted in those three things. This is how the book of Jeremiah starts. Anyone reading this cannot deny that whatever comes in the next 51 chapters is being said by God through His servant Jeremiah. He was made to be "a prophet to the nations."
So what then for us? Jeremiah's not all that different from us. He's young and God called him to do something. God is calling us to take part in His kingdom work. In the midst of whatever is keeping us from doing that, God wants to remind you of His purpose, His presence, and His authority in your life.
Jeremiah 1
We are starting a new devo series through the book of Jeremiah. As we begin our journey through this prophet's writings, there's two things I'd encourage you to do: pray and ask God to speak to you as you study the book of Jeremiah and then read through Jeremiah as a whole (as much as you can in one sitting)
We are being introduced to the prophet Jeremiah who was a priest (a religious leader) even before God called him to be a prophet (one who speaks on behalf of God) His ministry spanned several years and various kings, addressing various situations in Judah before their captivity. But here in chapter 1, we are introduced to Jeremiah himself.
Read Jeremiah 1 twice through. The first time, write down anything that God puts on your mind as you read. The second time, write down what God is telling Jeremiah about Jeremiah.
What an amazing exchange between God and Jeremiah! God tells Jeremiah [my paraphrase], "I knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, before you were born I set you apart and made you to be my spokesperson to the world." There is intimacy and purpose in God's design for Jeremiah. How do you think Jeremiah felt when he heard that?
I think back to how God calls flawed and unlikely people for his Kingdom purposes. Men like Moses and Gideon and even Jeremiah were a little flustered, a little fearful when God called them. Jeremiah responds in that fear, saying "I don't know what to say, and i'm too young!" But again, God reassures Him. God addresses each of Jeremiah's fears specifically.
When Jeremiah says, "I am only a youth," God responds, "I am with you...My presence is upon you, not only did I know you and set you apart, but I'm with you. You're not alone."
When Jeremiah says "I do not know how to speak," God responds "I have put my words in your mouth...you speak with My authority."
God is speaking to Jeremiah in an incredible way. Right from the start, He tells Jeremiah three things to remind Jeremiah of who he was made to be. God's purpose. God's presence. God's authority. Jeremiah's ministry and calling is rooted in those three things. This is how the book of Jeremiah starts. Anyone reading this cannot deny that whatever comes in the next 51 chapters is being said by God through His servant Jeremiah. He was made to be "a prophet to the nations."
So what then for us? Jeremiah's not all that different from us. He's young and God called him to do something. God is calling us to take part in His kingdom work. In the midst of whatever is keeping us from doing that, God wants to remind you of His purpose, His presence, and His authority in your life.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Jesus' Prayer - John 17
Take a moment to prepare yourself and your attitude, pray that you wouldn’t be distracted as you do this devo.
Now read John 17, all of it, and then read it again and try to focus on what God is placing on your heart with this passage.
This is one of the last prayers that Jesus lifts up to God, and he prays this prayer at the end of his time alone with his disciples before he is crucified. In the first five verses, Jesus prays with authority and majesty, “glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,” (v. 1), “glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (v. 5). We are reminded that eternal life with God is only made possible for us because of Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus did was for the glory of God, signifying that it is important for us to glorify God with our time here on Earth. Take a moment and meditate and pray on how you have and can be glorifying God with your life.
As Christ begins to pray for his disciples, note that he is not praying for the world. Though Jesus isn’t praying for the rest of the world, he still does care deeply for them, as anyone will be saved if he comes to God through Jesus. But how great is it knowing that Jesus cares this deeply for his disciples. He prays, “Holy Father, keep them in your name…that they may be one, even as we are one” (v. 11). What Jesus desires for his disciples is to come together and be intimate and united as Jesus is one with God. We are called to be one body. With this in mind, consider the question: How can you be more united with other believers?
As we are called to be fishers of men in Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” However, it is not easy to be fishers of men in this temporary world. Jesus prays that God would keep us from the evil one and that, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (v. 16-17). Jesus prays that we would be well equipped to do the assignment that God has called us to. It is easy to lose sight of God and to place worldly things before him, but Jesus is praying that we would be sanctified in the truth, that we would abide in him.
In the last part of this passage, Jesus also prays for those whom he has not yet met, but whom are also believers and followers of Christ. Jesus again emphasizes the importance of unity as he prays for those he has not yet met in verse 20, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me.” The importance of being one body in Christ and unified with fellow believers is strongly stressed in this prayer. We aren’t to live this life alone, but to live it together.
In his prayer, we see the vision that Jesus has for the church and for the believers in Christ; to build a unified community where people are invited to touch the glory of God, be transformed, and to be lights to the world. Reflect on this passage and on what God is speaking to you with this passage.
Now read John 17, all of it, and then read it again and try to focus on what God is placing on your heart with this passage.
This is one of the last prayers that Jesus lifts up to God, and he prays this prayer at the end of his time alone with his disciples before he is crucified. In the first five verses, Jesus prays with authority and majesty, “glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,” (v. 1), “glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (v. 5). We are reminded that eternal life with God is only made possible for us because of Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus did was for the glory of God, signifying that it is important for us to glorify God with our time here on Earth. Take a moment and meditate and pray on how you have and can be glorifying God with your life.
As Christ begins to pray for his disciples, note that he is not praying for the world. Though Jesus isn’t praying for the rest of the world, he still does care deeply for them, as anyone will be saved if he comes to God through Jesus. But how great is it knowing that Jesus cares this deeply for his disciples. He prays, “Holy Father, keep them in your name…that they may be one, even as we are one” (v. 11). What Jesus desires for his disciples is to come together and be intimate and united as Jesus is one with God. We are called to be one body. With this in mind, consider the question: How can you be more united with other believers?
As we are called to be fishers of men in Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” However, it is not easy to be fishers of men in this temporary world. Jesus prays that God would keep us from the evil one and that, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (v. 16-17). Jesus prays that we would be well equipped to do the assignment that God has called us to. It is easy to lose sight of God and to place worldly things before him, but Jesus is praying that we would be sanctified in the truth, that we would abide in him.
In the last part of this passage, Jesus also prays for those whom he has not yet met, but whom are also believers and followers of Christ. Jesus again emphasizes the importance of unity as he prays for those he has not yet met in verse 20, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me.” The importance of being one body in Christ and unified with fellow believers is strongly stressed in this prayer. We aren’t to live this life alone, but to live it together.
In his prayer, we see the vision that Jesus has for the church and for the believers in Christ; to build a unified community where people are invited to touch the glory of God, be transformed, and to be lights to the world. Reflect on this passage and on what God is speaking to you with this passage.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Overcome - John 16:17-33
Take some time to quiet your heart to spend time with God.
Before reading this passage and trying to understand it, make sure you read The Work of the Holy Spirit, because many things between the two passages are connected. In verses 17 and 18, the disciples are confused because previously in verse 10, Jesus is talking about the ascension to heaven, but in verse 16, He’s talking about the crucifixion, which are to different things that sounds the same at that time to the disciples.
From verses 19 to 22, Jesus is telling the disciples of the rejoice that will come after the grief of the crucifixion. In verse 22, Jesus says, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” This verse is implying that the joy of God’s redemption can’t be taken away by anything or anyone. In verses 23 and 24, Christ is saying how if any of them pray to the Father in Christ’s name, the Father will grant it to them, and how the disciples have not been praying as much as they should be. At the end of verse 24, it says, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” This is saying that without asking God for help, the joy in Him won’t be complete because only in through Christ could our joy ever be anywhere close to complete. Our youth group motto is that prayer is the primary work of God’s people. Are you setting prayer as a priority not only in your spiritual life, but in life in general? Reflect and pray that it would be.
To continue on, verses 25 through 30 show that because the disciples have loved and followed Jesus, the Father (regarding to the Trinity in this particular sentence) loves them.
Then, in verse 32, Christ says, “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” Throughout the life of Jesus, Father God has been with Him every step of the way, and as sons and daughters of God, He will be with us every step of the way as well. However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t have to endure hardships. In the next verse, he says that “In this world you will have trouble.” As disciples of God, He will be with us, but we will also have the task of facing hardships and overcoming them with God’s power.
Take some time now to reflect on the passage and what it means to overcome hardships with God’s glory and power. Then, spend some time in prayer and ask God to give you whatever you need in order to make that happen.
Before reading this passage and trying to understand it, make sure you read The Work of the Holy Spirit, because many things between the two passages are connected. In verses 17 and 18, the disciples are confused because previously in verse 10, Jesus is talking about the ascension to heaven, but in verse 16, He’s talking about the crucifixion, which are to different things that sounds the same at that time to the disciples.
From verses 19 to 22, Jesus is telling the disciples of the rejoice that will come after the grief of the crucifixion. In verse 22, Jesus says, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” This verse is implying that the joy of God’s redemption can’t be taken away by anything or anyone. In verses 23 and 24, Christ is saying how if any of them pray to the Father in Christ’s name, the Father will grant it to them, and how the disciples have not been praying as much as they should be. At the end of verse 24, it says, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” This is saying that without asking God for help, the joy in Him won’t be complete because only in through Christ could our joy ever be anywhere close to complete. Our youth group motto is that prayer is the primary work of God’s people. Are you setting prayer as a priority not only in your spiritual life, but in life in general? Reflect and pray that it would be.
To continue on, verses 25 through 30 show that because the disciples have loved and followed Jesus, the Father (regarding to the Trinity in this particular sentence) loves them.
Then, in verse 32, Christ says, “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” Throughout the life of Jesus, Father God has been with Him every step of the way, and as sons and daughters of God, He will be with us every step of the way as well. However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t have to endure hardships. In the next verse, he says that “In this world you will have trouble.” As disciples of God, He will be with us, but we will also have the task of facing hardships and overcoming them with God’s power.
Take some time now to reflect on the passage and what it means to overcome hardships with God’s glory and power. Then, spend some time in prayer and ask God to give you whatever you need in order to make that happen.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Holy Spirit - John 15:18 - 16:16
The very first words that this passage states is about the world and the hate they have for the disciple’s faith and Jesus Himself. Jesus states, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”. Think of a time you were made fun of or persecuted for your faith in Jesus Christ. This has been happening from when Cain murdered Abel and is still ongoing today. After reading chapter 15, you realize that there is an ongoing trend of the world hating the Father, Jesus, and Christians for who they are. Jesus even states, “They hated me without a cause”. We aren’t safe from the persecution because of our faith. Instead Jesus says that we will be hated.
Although there is the fear of being hated by the world, Jesus gives us a twist in His message and a change in the feelings.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus will send a Helper, from the Father, to be with us. The Holy Spirit is the gift that Jesus gives us after His death on the cross. People nowadays would want Jesus to be alive but have to realize that if Jesus had not died, the Holy Spirit would not have come upon every person that believes. The gift, and Helper, is for all of those who have faith in Jesus.
Although we may have the world hating the believers, we have the Holy Spirit inside of our hearts to help comfort, guide, and grow closer to God.
The end of the passage is finishing up what Jesus is saying. He says to them that the words He spoke are meant to keep them from falling away. He then starts to restate the hatred of the world. People will throw the disciples and other believers out of the synagogue. He affirms the hatred of the world by saying that people will even go to measures of killing believers, thinking that it will do good to God. Jesus affirms all of these forms of hatred that will happen but closes with this:
John 16:4 — “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”
Jesus ends with this, knowing that soon He will fulfill the prophecy and die on the cross.
Remember these words that Jesus said to His disciples before the hour of His death. We will be hated by the world. We will be persecuted, suffer loss, go through trials and tribulations, and more. But Jesus has presented us with a gift of the Holy Spirit and a Counselor. We can only draw closer to Him through the things that happen in our lives.
Although there is the fear of being hated by the world, Jesus gives us a twist in His message and a change in the feelings.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus will send a Helper, from the Father, to be with us. The Holy Spirit is the gift that Jesus gives us after His death on the cross. People nowadays would want Jesus to be alive but have to realize that if Jesus had not died, the Holy Spirit would not have come upon every person that believes. The gift, and Helper, is for all of those who have faith in Jesus.
Although we may have the world hating the believers, we have the Holy Spirit inside of our hearts to help comfort, guide, and grow closer to God.
The end of the passage is finishing up what Jesus is saying. He says to them that the words He spoke are meant to keep them from falling away. He then starts to restate the hatred of the world. People will throw the disciples and other believers out of the synagogue. He affirms the hatred of the world by saying that people will even go to measures of killing believers, thinking that it will do good to God. Jesus affirms all of these forms of hatred that will happen but closes with this:
John 16:4 — “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”
Jesus ends with this, knowing that soon He will fulfill the prophecy and die on the cross.
Remember these words that Jesus said to His disciples before the hour of His death. We will be hated by the world. We will be persecuted, suffer loss, go through trials and tribulations, and more. But Jesus has presented us with a gift of the Holy Spirit and a Counselor. We can only draw closer to Him through the things that happen in our lives.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The True Vine - John 15:1-17
A quick review before we start diving in John 15. In the book of John, Jesus makes seven “I Am” sayings. Recall them? They are good to know. Here are the first six:
“I am the bread of life” = Jesus nourishes the longings of our soul; our deep spiritual hunger
“I am the light of the world” = Jesus overcomes the darkness of the world
“I am the door of the sheep” = Jesus is the only way by which one can become part of God’s people
“I am the good shepherd” = Jesus cares about us, his sheep, so much that he laid down his life for us
“I am the resurrection and the life” = Eternal life with God can only be found through Jesus
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” = Jesus is the only Way, the ultimate Truth, and giver the eternal Life
At the very beginning of John we are introduced to Jesus’ seventh “I am” saying: “I am the true vine.” What does this mean? And what does it mean when Jesus tells us to abide in him? Before we turn to John 15, ask the Holy Spirit now to reveal God’s word and speak to you. Then read John 15:1-17.
In verse 1 Jesus describes himself as the true vine. As the vine supplies nutrients and support for the branches, Jesus is the source of life, strength, and nourishment for us. Once removed from Jesus, we will perish spiritually, like how a branch dies if cut off from the vine. Instead, we are called to abide in Jesus. To abide means to dwell in, find rest in. To abide in Christ means to continue in a daily, personal relationship with Jesus. Note that Jesus does not only call us to know him, but to abide in him. To know Jesus can be a one-time encounter, but to abide in him is a constant, ongoing process. To quote Pastor Jon, “we don’t know Jesus from afar, like a famous person, but we know Jesus as an intimate friend.” Think of your closest friend on earth. You don’t just know him/her once for all, but you are in the process of knowing that person—learning more about him/her—as you spend time together & develop your relationship. How much more we want to be in the process of knowing Jesus!
Our abiding in Christ is so important that God the Father is actively involved in the process. As the vinedresser, God cuts off unfruitful branches and prunes those that are fruitful so that they can be even more fruitful! Fruitfulness is the result of our abiding in Christ. When we find our all in all in Christ Himself, three wonderful things (fruitfulness) happen:
1. God is glorified (v.8)
2. We experience Christ’s love and our joy is full (v. 9-11)
3. Other people experience God’s love through us and vice versa (v.17)
Note that points 1-3 above cover all of our relationships (vertically with God & horizontally with people)! Just like that, when we abide in Christ, everything falls in order. Many of us are caught up with the “Christian” stuff we have to say & do, rather than being caught up with the person of Christ. But performance does not lead to fruitfulness, rather false pride. Jesus clearly tells us that if we do not remain in him we can achieve nothing of eternal value (v. 5). Examine your heart-does it find satisfaction in Christ alone?
When you seek to dwell in Christ through scripture, prayer, and community, you will be consumed with the things that are important to him. And the more you know of Christ, the more you will love him and those around you.
“I am the bread of life” = Jesus nourishes the longings of our soul; our deep spiritual hunger
“I am the light of the world” = Jesus overcomes the darkness of the world
“I am the door of the sheep” = Jesus is the only way by which one can become part of God’s people
“I am the good shepherd” = Jesus cares about us, his sheep, so much that he laid down his life for us
“I am the resurrection and the life” = Eternal life with God can only be found through Jesus
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” = Jesus is the only Way, the ultimate Truth, and giver the eternal Life
At the very beginning of John we are introduced to Jesus’ seventh “I am” saying: “I am the true vine.” What does this mean? And what does it mean when Jesus tells us to abide in him? Before we turn to John 15, ask the Holy Spirit now to reveal God’s word and speak to you. Then read John 15:1-17.
In verse 1 Jesus describes himself as the true vine. As the vine supplies nutrients and support for the branches, Jesus is the source of life, strength, and nourishment for us. Once removed from Jesus, we will perish spiritually, like how a branch dies if cut off from the vine. Instead, we are called to abide in Jesus. To abide means to dwell in, find rest in. To abide in Christ means to continue in a daily, personal relationship with Jesus. Note that Jesus does not only call us to know him, but to abide in him. To know Jesus can be a one-time encounter, but to abide in him is a constant, ongoing process. To quote Pastor Jon, “we don’t know Jesus from afar, like a famous person, but we know Jesus as an intimate friend.” Think of your closest friend on earth. You don’t just know him/her once for all, but you are in the process of knowing that person—learning more about him/her—as you spend time together & develop your relationship. How much more we want to be in the process of knowing Jesus!
Our abiding in Christ is so important that God the Father is actively involved in the process. As the vinedresser, God cuts off unfruitful branches and prunes those that are fruitful so that they can be even more fruitful! Fruitfulness is the result of our abiding in Christ. When we find our all in all in Christ Himself, three wonderful things (fruitfulness) happen:
1. God is glorified (v.8)
2. We experience Christ’s love and our joy is full (v. 9-11)
3. Other people experience God’s love through us and vice versa (v.17)
Note that points 1-3 above cover all of our relationships (vertically with God & horizontally with people)! Just like that, when we abide in Christ, everything falls in order. Many of us are caught up with the “Christian” stuff we have to say & do, rather than being caught up with the person of Christ. But performance does not lead to fruitfulness, rather false pride. Jesus clearly tells us that if we do not remain in him we can achieve nothing of eternal value (v. 5). Examine your heart-does it find satisfaction in Christ alone?
When you seek to dwell in Christ through scripture, prayer, and community, you will be consumed with the things that are important to him. And the more you know of Christ, the more you will love him and those around you.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Jesus Comforts His Disciples - John 14
Read John 14.
After washing the disciples’ feet (John 13), Jesus tells his disciples that he will leave soon, but that he will come back again. He reminds us of his promises of eternal life and the Holy Spirit.
Reread John 14:1-7
In these verses, Jesus comforts and reassures us that he will be back and that we are not alone. In verse two, he tells us that he is going to his Father’s house—a place where we will go to eventually as well. Jesus reminds us of his promise of eternal life. How do we get to God’s house? In verse six, Jesus tells us that he is “the way, the truth, and the life”. The one and only way for us to be with God is through Jesus. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins in order for us to become pure and holy so that we can be in the presence of God. So we know what it means by “he is the way” now, but what does “the truth and the life” mean?
Jesus is truth itself. In John 1:14, it says, “The Word [Jesus] 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” (NIV). The teachings and commands of Jesus are the truth. Jesus is real and what he says is the truth.
Through Jesus, we are reborn—we obtain new life. But that’s not the end of it. A baseball diamond is sometimes used as a metaphor for the stages of Christianity. Base one is knowing and accepting Christ as a savior, base two is growing in Christ, base three is serving Christ, and base four is sharing the good news. Often times people hit bases one and two, but find it hard to move further on. Because we are reborn, we need to show that through our beliefs, thoughts, and actions: we need to flip our world upside down and start living a new lifestyle for God.
Take some time to evaluate your walk with God. Which base are you on? Are you living a new lifestyle for God?
Reread John 14:8-14
Jesus tells us of the closeness in the relationship between Father and Son in verse eleven. No one has seen the Father, but the Son has shown the Father to the world because the Father is in the Son (v. 9 says, “…Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”).
Often times when people come across verse fourteen and get the wrong perception. Look back at verse 13 and reread it carefully. What does it say?
Jesus tells us that whatever we ask in his name (in Jesus’ name, Amen), he will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This doesn’t necessarily mean that God won’t grant some of our prayers such as doing well on a test (obviously you still need to study!!), but don’t be surprised if God gives no for an answer. Next time you pray for something, ask yourself if what you want will glorify God. Is it necessary? How will does it glorify God?
Reread John 14:15-31
In this passage, Jesus promises the disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit. For us, this means that if we are believers, the Holy Spirit will dwell in us forever (v. 16-17, 21). So why is the Holy Spirit so important? In verse 26, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is sent to teach us all thing and to bring remembrance of all that he has said to us. In verse 23, Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (NIV). Jesus loves God dearly, and he showed his love of God by obeying his teachings. Just as Jesus obeyed his Father in all that he did (coming to earth and dying on the cross for us), we should do so as well to demonstrate our love for God.
So where does the Holy Spirit come in? The Holy Spirit is a helper, an aide to guide us on our walk with Christ so that we won’t be mislead or get lost and wander off on different roads. It keeps us in check so we are able to obey Him.
Reread John 14
Spend some time to take in the chapter as a whole and reflect. Is your spiritual life stuck in a rut? Have you been living a life for God? Are you asking for things that will glorify God? What have you done this past week that might have been displeasing to God? Pray that God will help you obey and glorify Him in your everyday life.
After washing the disciples’ feet (John 13), Jesus tells his disciples that he will leave soon, but that he will come back again. He reminds us of his promises of eternal life and the Holy Spirit.
Reread John 14:1-7
In these verses, Jesus comforts and reassures us that he will be back and that we are not alone. In verse two, he tells us that he is going to his Father’s house—a place where we will go to eventually as well. Jesus reminds us of his promise of eternal life. How do we get to God’s house? In verse six, Jesus tells us that he is “the way, the truth, and the life”. The one and only way for us to be with God is through Jesus. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins in order for us to become pure and holy so that we can be in the presence of God. So we know what it means by “he is the way” now, but what does “the truth and the life” mean?
Jesus is truth itself. In John 1:14, it says, “The Word [Jesus] 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” (NIV). The teachings and commands of Jesus are the truth. Jesus is real and what he says is the truth.
Through Jesus, we are reborn—we obtain new life. But that’s not the end of it. A baseball diamond is sometimes used as a metaphor for the stages of Christianity. Base one is knowing and accepting Christ as a savior, base two is growing in Christ, base three is serving Christ, and base four is sharing the good news. Often times people hit bases one and two, but find it hard to move further on. Because we are reborn, we need to show that through our beliefs, thoughts, and actions: we need to flip our world upside down and start living a new lifestyle for God.
Take some time to evaluate your walk with God. Which base are you on? Are you living a new lifestyle for God?
Reread John 14:8-14
Jesus tells us of the closeness in the relationship between Father and Son in verse eleven. No one has seen the Father, but the Son has shown the Father to the world because the Father is in the Son (v. 9 says, “…Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”).
Often times when people come across verse fourteen and get the wrong perception. Look back at verse 13 and reread it carefully. What does it say?
Jesus tells us that whatever we ask in his name (in Jesus’ name, Amen), he will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This doesn’t necessarily mean that God won’t grant some of our prayers such as doing well on a test (obviously you still need to study!!), but don’t be surprised if God gives no for an answer. Next time you pray for something, ask yourself if what you want will glorify God. Is it necessary? How will does it glorify God?
Reread John 14:15-31
In this passage, Jesus promises the disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit. For us, this means that if we are believers, the Holy Spirit will dwell in us forever (v. 16-17, 21). So why is the Holy Spirit so important? In verse 26, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is sent to teach us all thing and to bring remembrance of all that he has said to us. In verse 23, Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (NIV). Jesus loves God dearly, and he showed his love of God by obeying his teachings. Just as Jesus obeyed his Father in all that he did (coming to earth and dying on the cross for us), we should do so as well to demonstrate our love for God.
So where does the Holy Spirit come in? The Holy Spirit is a helper, an aide to guide us on our walk with Christ so that we won’t be mislead or get lost and wander off on different roads. It keeps us in check so we are able to obey Him.
Reread John 14
Spend some time to take in the chapter as a whole and reflect. Is your spiritual life stuck in a rut? Have you been living a life for God? Are you asking for things that will glorify God? What have you done this past week that might have been displeasing to God? Pray that God will help you obey and glorify Him in your everyday life.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Washing Feet - John 13
A little while ago, we had an event called “You Got Served,” and if you were there you got a very good picture of what Christians did during the days of the early church. If you weren’t there, we shared a meal together and ate Mediterranean food and served one another. But the Love Feast that the early Christians observed was modeled after the feast in this passage. That’s also why we washed each other’s feet, just like Jesus did at this dinner (to see how “fun” it was you can go on Facebook and see a clip of Josh Chang washing John Hickernell’s feet). But the reason why we did all of this is important, and what better way to find out than look at the Bible itself!
Read John 13
In the olden times, servants would wash the feet of the guests when they entered the house. The roads and towns places weren’t as clean as they are now. If you’ve ever walked on a clay tennis court, or in the sand at the beach, that’ll give you a little idea of what people’s feet looked like at the end of the day. The thought of washing someone’s feet today is unpleasant, but think about what the servants felt when they had to wash those types of feet! Jesus is calling us to be a servant, and just as He showed us, we need to serve others, even if that means doing the “dirty” jobs, like taking out the trash after youth group. Try and think about any things you can do to serve in your school, church, or family.
The next two parts of the passage talk about Jesus and Him talking about His betrayal and Peter’s denial. Peter asks where Jesus is going, and asserts that he will lay down his life for Jesus. However, Jesus knows that he will deny Him three times before dawn (when the rooster crows). Sometimes we feel like that could never happen to us. But if someone was bullying a kid at school because they were Christian, and then came up to you and asked if you were with him, would you say yes? If it became illegal to be a Christian, would you still be one? If your teacher or college professor (in the future) were an atheist, would you stand up for your faith when they say demeaning things about it? We all need to stand up for our faith.
However, this doesn’t mean that we have to post: “I am a Christian. If you are a Christian, re-post this…”. Not at all. In fact, I don’t like these posts because they pressure Christians into writing something, and make them feel like they’re going to hell if they don’t. A lot of times they use the verse “Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33) However, just because we don’t post something on our Facebook doesn’t mean that Jesus is going to deny us in heaven. While we do need to stand up for our faith, that doesn’t mean we HAVE to do certain things. Like, what if a Facebook post said “I get on a knee and pray every time I get an A on a test. Every Christian should do this or Jesus will deny you in front of God…” ? Jesus cares about the heart, not about whether you Tebow or not. He wants you to stand up for your faith when it is put to the test.
Read John 13
In the olden times, servants would wash the feet of the guests when they entered the house. The roads and towns places weren’t as clean as they are now. If you’ve ever walked on a clay tennis court, or in the sand at the beach, that’ll give you a little idea of what people’s feet looked like at the end of the day. The thought of washing someone’s feet today is unpleasant, but think about what the servants felt when they had to wash those types of feet! Jesus is calling us to be a servant, and just as He showed us, we need to serve others, even if that means doing the “dirty” jobs, like taking out the trash after youth group. Try and think about any things you can do to serve in your school, church, or family.
The next two parts of the passage talk about Jesus and Him talking about His betrayal and Peter’s denial. Peter asks where Jesus is going, and asserts that he will lay down his life for Jesus. However, Jesus knows that he will deny Him three times before dawn (when the rooster crows). Sometimes we feel like that could never happen to us. But if someone was bullying a kid at school because they were Christian, and then came up to you and asked if you were with him, would you say yes? If it became illegal to be a Christian, would you still be one? If your teacher or college professor (in the future) were an atheist, would you stand up for your faith when they say demeaning things about it? We all need to stand up for our faith.
However, this doesn’t mean that we have to post: “I am a Christian. If you are a Christian, re-post this…”. Not at all. In fact, I don’t like these posts because they pressure Christians into writing something, and make them feel like they’re going to hell if they don’t. A lot of times they use the verse “Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33) However, just because we don’t post something on our Facebook doesn’t mean that Jesus is going to deny us in heaven. While we do need to stand up for our faith, that doesn’t mean we HAVE to do certain things. Like, what if a Facebook post said “I get on a knee and pray every time I get an A on a test. Every Christian should do this or Jesus will deny you in front of God…” ? Jesus cares about the heart, not about whether you Tebow or not. He wants you to stand up for your faith when it is put to the test.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Distractions - John 12:27-50
Before you start this time of devotionals, take a few moments to pray and ask the Spirit of Jesus Christ to teach you what is in the scripture. Ask the Lord to give you an open mind and heart to interpret the word for what it is with no preconceived notions. Prepare your heart and mind.
Read John 12:27-50
Verse 27 = Jesus shows anxiety and horror for the coming wrath of God. That he must bear it all for the sins of the world on that cross.
Verse 31 = He is referring to Satan as the “ruler of this world” and it is true. Satan has an overwhelming influence on today’s world just as much as before. Here, however, Jesus is talking about the victory at the cross in his resurrection over Satan.
Verse 35 = Here, Jesus calls his people to walk in his light and to not be taken over by darkness from the evil that fills the world. He tells the people that walking in darkness will cause them to be lost and wandering people, while believing in will himself will cause them to become “sons of light”. That applies to us as well. If we believe in him and abide in him, he will abide in us. We will be his children that shine life giving light.
Verses 37-43 = Although Jesus had done so many miracles and signs, the people still did not believe. Isaiah had predicted that Satan would blind their eyes and harden their hearts to the point where they could not see that they are a broken people who need to turn to Christ and receive healing.
This passage continues to say that even though some authorities did believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they sealed their mouths for fear of losing the glory that came from man, rather than fearing God himself. They didn’t want to be “put out of the synagogue”, so they never publicly recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
Verses 44-50 = At this point, Jesus CRIES out so maybe his words might penetrate their deafened ears. Just imagine the pain he must feel from knowing that after everything the people had seen his miracles, they still do not believe. His precious lambs are continuing to go astray, ignoring their shepherd that can see the wolf ahead.
Now, reread John 12:27-50 to further understand the message John and Jesus were trying to convey. Try and see the whole picture.
These people have consistently ignored Jesus even though He warned them that his light would only remain on earth for a little longer. But notice how Jesus never gives up on his people, not even at the very end. Just like he continually loves and shepherds them, he also nonstop seeks us and cares for us. Even when we ignore him or put earthly things before him, Jesus has open arms just begging for us to abide in him and reside in the pleasure and joy that comes from him, and not the world. If you have strayed and lost hope in the Lord, pray fervently that the Holy Spirit would give real desire to seek him with everything. With the words you speak, the actions you do, and the things you believe in may they all point to the one who deserves all the Glory.
Here is a list of different possible distractions from the Lord. Put a check next to the ones that you have put before Him, and ask him to give you perseverance and strength to change that (answer honestly to yourself and Jesus). Here are just a few…
Sports
Youtube
Grades
Facebook
Gaming
Tumblr
Romance
Status
Hobbies
Anime
Family
Friends
Read John 12:27-50
Verse 27 = Jesus shows anxiety and horror for the coming wrath of God. That he must bear it all for the sins of the world on that cross.
Verse 31 = He is referring to Satan as the “ruler of this world” and it is true. Satan has an overwhelming influence on today’s world just as much as before. Here, however, Jesus is talking about the victory at the cross in his resurrection over Satan.
Verse 35 = Here, Jesus calls his people to walk in his light and to not be taken over by darkness from the evil that fills the world. He tells the people that walking in darkness will cause them to be lost and wandering people, while believing in will himself will cause them to become “sons of light”. That applies to us as well. If we believe in him and abide in him, he will abide in us. We will be his children that shine life giving light.
Verses 37-43 = Although Jesus had done so many miracles and signs, the people still did not believe. Isaiah had predicted that Satan would blind their eyes and harden their hearts to the point where they could not see that they are a broken people who need to turn to Christ and receive healing.
This passage continues to say that even though some authorities did believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they sealed their mouths for fear of losing the glory that came from man, rather than fearing God himself. They didn’t want to be “put out of the synagogue”, so they never publicly recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
Verses 44-50 = At this point, Jesus CRIES out so maybe his words might penetrate their deafened ears. Just imagine the pain he must feel from knowing that after everything the people had seen his miracles, they still do not believe. His precious lambs are continuing to go astray, ignoring their shepherd that can see the wolf ahead.
Now, reread John 12:27-50 to further understand the message John and Jesus were trying to convey. Try and see the whole picture.
These people have consistently ignored Jesus even though He warned them that his light would only remain on earth for a little longer. But notice how Jesus never gives up on his people, not even at the very end. Just like he continually loves and shepherds them, he also nonstop seeks us and cares for us. Even when we ignore him or put earthly things before him, Jesus has open arms just begging for us to abide in him and reside in the pleasure and joy that comes from him, and not the world. If you have strayed and lost hope in the Lord, pray fervently that the Holy Spirit would give real desire to seek him with everything. With the words you speak, the actions you do, and the things you believe in may they all point to the one who deserves all the Glory.
Here is a list of different possible distractions from the Lord. Put a check next to the ones that you have put before Him, and ask him to give you perseverance and strength to change that (answer honestly to yourself and Jesus). Here are just a few…
Sports
Youtube
Grades
Gaming
Tumblr
Romance
Status
Hobbies
Anime
Family
Friends
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Adoring the King - John 12:1-26 Adoring the King -
Read John 12:1-26
When I was in eighth grade, my mom bought me a bass guitar for my birthday. While I was glad to receive the gift, it cost significantly more than any gift I’d been given before. It cost so much, in fact, that I felt guilty that she bought it for me. When I protested about her spending that much money on me, she smiled and reassured me that she loved me enough to spend that much money on me.
This past Christmas, I bought my mom an expensive purse. Most parents feel bad when their kids splurge on them, so I made sure that the receipt wasn’t in the package when I mailed it to her. College students don’t have alot money, but I wanted to show my mom how much I appreciated her caring for me my entire life.
We can probably all think of similar stories; either receiving an expensive gift or giving an expensive gift. While almost no one likes to spend money for the sake of spending it, almost everyone is willing to spend money on someone they love. In John 12:1-26, we see Mary expressing her love for Jesus in such a way.
“Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume,” (John 12:3). While we are not told of how Mary acquired the perfume, she could have sold it for a lot of money and spend it on herself, or, as Judas pointed out, she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. However, she instead chose to honor Jesus.
Later in the chapter, we see others adoring Jesus in another way. “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel,” (John 12:13). The crowd, being familiar with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming King of Israel, honored Jesus by publicly confessing his Lordship. They did this in spite of the fact that the Pharisees despised Jesus and were more than willing to punish those who worshipped Him.
Finally, in v. 21 a group of Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover ask Jesus’ disciples for permission to see Him. His response is not what we might expect. After speaking of His death in verses 23 & 24, He makes a statement that seems like a paradox, but is actually precisely how we go about honoring Jesus and expressing our love for Him.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him,” (John 12: 25-26). If Mary had her loved her life, she would have kept the perfume or the money it could have sold for for herself. She, however, didn’t. She made the decision to anoint Jesus instead of herself.
Notice that it doesn’t say “he who enjoys his life will lose it”. Jesus is not telling us to be consumed in depression in order to honor Him. Instead, as we become willing to lay down our desires to honor and serve Him, we can truly enjoy life in its true purpose, adoring Jesus. In v. 26, Jesus tells us that we should follow Him and be near Him. Today we do this by praying, reading God’s word, and obeying Him. As we do these things, we will learn to lay down our interests and truly love Jesus.
Take a moment to read back over John 12:1-26. Now pray about how you might better love Jesus. Ask him to reveal to you areas in your life that are not honoring to him. Are you adoring God with your finances and material possessions? Are you adoring God with your time? Do you spend time with Him? Do you spend time doing things that express your love for Him? Meditate on these things.
When I was in eighth grade, my mom bought me a bass guitar for my birthday. While I was glad to receive the gift, it cost significantly more than any gift I’d been given before. It cost so much, in fact, that I felt guilty that she bought it for me. When I protested about her spending that much money on me, she smiled and reassured me that she loved me enough to spend that much money on me.
This past Christmas, I bought my mom an expensive purse. Most parents feel bad when their kids splurge on them, so I made sure that the receipt wasn’t in the package when I mailed it to her. College students don’t have alot money, but I wanted to show my mom how much I appreciated her caring for me my entire life.
We can probably all think of similar stories; either receiving an expensive gift or giving an expensive gift. While almost no one likes to spend money for the sake of spending it, almost everyone is willing to spend money on someone they love. In John 12:1-26, we see Mary expressing her love for Jesus in such a way.
“Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume,” (John 12:3). While we are not told of how Mary acquired the perfume, she could have sold it for a lot of money and spend it on herself, or, as Judas pointed out, she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. However, she instead chose to honor Jesus.
Later in the chapter, we see others adoring Jesus in another way. “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel,” (John 12:13). The crowd, being familiar with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming King of Israel, honored Jesus by publicly confessing his Lordship. They did this in spite of the fact that the Pharisees despised Jesus and were more than willing to punish those who worshipped Him.
Finally, in v. 21 a group of Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover ask Jesus’ disciples for permission to see Him. His response is not what we might expect. After speaking of His death in verses 23 & 24, He makes a statement that seems like a paradox, but is actually precisely how we go about honoring Jesus and expressing our love for Him.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him,” (John 12: 25-26). If Mary had her loved her life, she would have kept the perfume or the money it could have sold for for herself. She, however, didn’t. She made the decision to anoint Jesus instead of herself.
Notice that it doesn’t say “he who enjoys his life will lose it”. Jesus is not telling us to be consumed in depression in order to honor Him. Instead, as we become willing to lay down our desires to honor and serve Him, we can truly enjoy life in its true purpose, adoring Jesus. In v. 26, Jesus tells us that we should follow Him and be near Him. Today we do this by praying, reading God’s word, and obeying Him. As we do these things, we will learn to lay down our interests and truly love Jesus.
Take a moment to read back over John 12:1-26. Now pray about how you might better love Jesus. Ask him to reveal to you areas in your life that are not honoring to him. Are you adoring God with your finances and material possessions? Are you adoring God with your time? Do you spend time with Him? Do you spend time doing things that express your love for Him? Meditate on these things.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Perniciousness of Sin - John 11:45-57
Read John 11:45-57
If you notice carefully, the discussion in the Sanhedrin was not about who Jesus was. The issue at hand was national security. For the Sanhedrin, Jesus was a social and political problem. They know that Jesus was performing many signs (v. 47) and they knew the signs were believable. They even said it in v. 48. But their knowledge gave way to fear: fear that the Romans will respond to this Jesus by wiping Israel off the face of the map. The High Priest Caiaphas proposed a solution: let’s get rid of him. Plus, it worked with a prophecy he gave earlier that year (v. 51). The economics seemed to work out: one man dies, and the Jewish nation is saved. The cost and benefits add up; killing Jesus makes political, social, and economic sense. Never mind, by the way, that this man was not just any ordinary man – he was Jesus the Christ – all that mattered was that at least the Jewish nation is saved. What was even more disturbing was vv. 55-57. The chief priests and the Pharisees were using a time of worship – a time of celebration in the Jewish calendar – as an opportune moment to arrest him! How ironic was it that a time for the Jews to remember how God had saved them from Egypt was used to arrest the same God who would save them from their own sins!
But we should not be too surprised. One of the central beliefs of the Christian faith is that all people are sinful (technical term: total depravity). As you may gather from the reading, even religious leaders were not exempt from sin. How scary is it that they’ve sinned, and they’ve brushed it off. What we don’t realize at times is that sin is so pernicious, so terrifying in its evil. It’s so easy to dumb it down to just personal practices; oh, if I don’t swear, I’m not sinning; oh, if I don’t think bad thoughts, I’m not sinning; oh, if I’m not angry, I’m not sinning. But in doing so, we delude ourselves into thinking that we’re actually very okay when really the truth is the opposite.
Sin encapsulates anything that does not put God in right relationship with humanity. When we think God is much less than God is, we have sinned. When we think we are something we are not created to be, we have sinned. And sin is so sly and slick that we can even do something like worshipping (or, praising God, prayer, etc.) and be sinning at the same time! We just need to open up a book on church history and read about sorry stories of Catholics and Protestants participating in – and even preaching in support of – great evils. I remember one day in class (this was when I was at Wheaton) the students turned on the TV before class started – the United States was beginning to bomb Baghdad, and almost everyone watched eagerly anticipating the first strike. Our professor – God bless his soul – came in, frowned, and turned off the TV. And this was at Wheaton, supposedly the “Harvard of evangelical Christianity!” And yet, Christian students were watching destruction with eager anticipation. St. Paul was not kidding when he wrote Romans 3:10.
In this time of Lent, we pause and meditate on the life of Christ. But we also meditate on what Christ died for on the cross. We meditate on our complicity to personal sins, but also our participation in social sins. We meditate on our personal shortcomings, and our shortcomings as the body of Christ. We meditate on how we have failed to love God wholeheartedly, and our neighbors as ourselves. We meditate on the perniciousness of our sins. But let us not leave it there, because in meditating on how low and totally depraved we are, we must acknowledge our God who stands beside us who waits with extended hands, who waits to pick us up so we can keep walking with God.
Heavenly Father, invade our lives and break us, humble us, so that we can be people you have created us to be: your beloved children. For too long, Lord, we have filled our minds with the delusion that if only we said the right things, performed the right actions, and accompany them with “Thank you Jesus”, we are truly your followers. But God, we forget that sin is so pernicious, that even “thank you Jesus” has been and still can be used to justify acts of pride to acts of grave injustice. Lord, humble us and put us in our rightful place so that we can worship you as Lord of all Creation, instead of worshipping us as the lord of our own creation. Amen.
If you notice carefully, the discussion in the Sanhedrin was not about who Jesus was. The issue at hand was national security. For the Sanhedrin, Jesus was a social and political problem. They know that Jesus was performing many signs (v. 47) and they knew the signs were believable. They even said it in v. 48. But their knowledge gave way to fear: fear that the Romans will respond to this Jesus by wiping Israel off the face of the map. The High Priest Caiaphas proposed a solution: let’s get rid of him. Plus, it worked with a prophecy he gave earlier that year (v. 51). The economics seemed to work out: one man dies, and the Jewish nation is saved. The cost and benefits add up; killing Jesus makes political, social, and economic sense. Never mind, by the way, that this man was not just any ordinary man – he was Jesus the Christ – all that mattered was that at least the Jewish nation is saved. What was even more disturbing was vv. 55-57. The chief priests and the Pharisees were using a time of worship – a time of celebration in the Jewish calendar – as an opportune moment to arrest him! How ironic was it that a time for the Jews to remember how God had saved them from Egypt was used to arrest the same God who would save them from their own sins!
But we should not be too surprised. One of the central beliefs of the Christian faith is that all people are sinful (technical term: total depravity). As you may gather from the reading, even religious leaders were not exempt from sin. How scary is it that they’ve sinned, and they’ve brushed it off. What we don’t realize at times is that sin is so pernicious, so terrifying in its evil. It’s so easy to dumb it down to just personal practices; oh, if I don’t swear, I’m not sinning; oh, if I don’t think bad thoughts, I’m not sinning; oh, if I’m not angry, I’m not sinning. But in doing so, we delude ourselves into thinking that we’re actually very okay when really the truth is the opposite.
Sin encapsulates anything that does not put God in right relationship with humanity. When we think God is much less than God is, we have sinned. When we think we are something we are not created to be, we have sinned. And sin is so sly and slick that we can even do something like worshipping (or, praising God, prayer, etc.) and be sinning at the same time! We just need to open up a book on church history and read about sorry stories of Catholics and Protestants participating in – and even preaching in support of – great evils. I remember one day in class (this was when I was at Wheaton) the students turned on the TV before class started – the United States was beginning to bomb Baghdad, and almost everyone watched eagerly anticipating the first strike. Our professor – God bless his soul – came in, frowned, and turned off the TV. And this was at Wheaton, supposedly the “Harvard of evangelical Christianity!” And yet, Christian students were watching destruction with eager anticipation. St. Paul was not kidding when he wrote Romans 3:10.
In this time of Lent, we pause and meditate on the life of Christ. But we also meditate on what Christ died for on the cross. We meditate on our complicity to personal sins, but also our participation in social sins. We meditate on our personal shortcomings, and our shortcomings as the body of Christ. We meditate on how we have failed to love God wholeheartedly, and our neighbors as ourselves. We meditate on the perniciousness of our sins. But let us not leave it there, because in meditating on how low and totally depraved we are, we must acknowledge our God who stands beside us who waits with extended hands, who waits to pick us up so we can keep walking with God.
Heavenly Father, invade our lives and break us, humble us, so that we can be people you have created us to be: your beloved children. For too long, Lord, we have filled our minds with the delusion that if only we said the right things, performed the right actions, and accompany them with “Thank you Jesus”, we are truly your followers. But God, we forget that sin is so pernicious, that even “thank you Jesus” has been and still can be used to justify acts of pride to acts of grave injustice. Lord, humble us and put us in our rightful place so that we can worship you as Lord of all Creation, instead of worshipping us as the lord of our own creation. Amen.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Jesus and Lazarus - John 11:1-44
Before you start this devotional, take some time to quiet yourself. Breathe. Slow down. Relax. Prepare to meditate and learn from the Word and hear from God. Don’t rush this process because you want this time to be fully dedicated to God.
Once you’ve ready, read John 11:1-44. Go through it once without stopping. Then go back over the passage again, looking for things that stick out to you. Make a note of these things, and write down anything else you might want to remember during this devotional.
If you’ve ever talked to an atheist or seen atheist posts online or something, one of the most common questions they ask is, “if God loves the world, then why do so many bad things happen?” That’s a good question. Why is there starvation across the world? Why do babies die before they’re born? Why are people left paralyzed after car accidents? Why do people die from cancer? For many, it is hard to believe in God because he allows these things to happen. No one knows exactly why God allows these things to happen, but verses 4 and 15 give us an answer to this difficult question. Jesus tells Mary and Martha that Lazarus’ illness is not so that he’ll die, but so that the Son of God may be glorified through him and so that people will believe. I know for me and many other believes, when things are going well, we forget how good God is and how much he has done for us. It is in the difficult times that our faith grows the most, we see God at work the most, and we see how awesome he really is. If our lives were always easy, we wouldn’t see our need for God, and we wouldn't grow. For non-believers, lives without difficulty don’t need a god. Why should they believe in a good, loving, perfect God who blesses us if there’s nothing wrong with their life? As Jesus tells us in verse 15, he uses the trials so that people will see how awesome he is and believe in him. Our prayer shouldn’t be that the hard times never come, but that during the hard times we grow in our faith, deepen our understanding of God, give thanks, and glorify him.
Once Jesus gets to Bethany (where Lazarus is), Martha tells him that Lazarus was already dead for 4 days. During their exchange, Jesus says in verse 25, “I am the resurrection and the life” (ESV). Many people know that Jesus gives us eternal life, but many forget the second part of what Jesus says. He saves us from hell and gives us eternal life and a renewed life, but Jesus also IS the new life. Our new lives as believers should be all about Jesus: growing roots into him, learning more about him, experiencing more of him, talking to him through prayer, and spreading the good news he brings. Jesus is not only God and our savior, but he is our new way of life.
Just before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, he says in verses 41 and 42, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” Right before Jesus performs this miracle, he thanks God, and he gives him the glory. Jesus wants the people to know that this is God at work and that God is using Jesus to do his work. God uses believers everywhere to do his work, but do we remember who our work is for or why we do it? I often get caught up in pride when doing God’s work and I think higher of myself than I should. Jesus sets a perfect example for us; he serves these people by raising Lazarus from the dead so that God can be glorified and so that others will believe. The work that we do should be the same: pointing to God, glorifying God, and compelling others to believe in God.
As you wrap up this devotional, end your time in prayer. Ask God what he wants you to learn from this passage. Pray that God will remind you of this message through the week, helping it stick with you and helping you apply it. Thank God for this time, for how good he is, and for how much he has done in your life. Spend time talking to the ultimate, all-loving, all-powerful, only God of the universe.
Once you’ve ready, read John 11:1-44. Go through it once without stopping. Then go back over the passage again, looking for things that stick out to you. Make a note of these things, and write down anything else you might want to remember during this devotional.
If you’ve ever talked to an atheist or seen atheist posts online or something, one of the most common questions they ask is, “if God loves the world, then why do so many bad things happen?” That’s a good question. Why is there starvation across the world? Why do babies die before they’re born? Why are people left paralyzed after car accidents? Why do people die from cancer? For many, it is hard to believe in God because he allows these things to happen. No one knows exactly why God allows these things to happen, but verses 4 and 15 give us an answer to this difficult question. Jesus tells Mary and Martha that Lazarus’ illness is not so that he’ll die, but so that the Son of God may be glorified through him and so that people will believe. I know for me and many other believes, when things are going well, we forget how good God is and how much he has done for us. It is in the difficult times that our faith grows the most, we see God at work the most, and we see how awesome he really is. If our lives were always easy, we wouldn’t see our need for God, and we wouldn't grow. For non-believers, lives without difficulty don’t need a god. Why should they believe in a good, loving, perfect God who blesses us if there’s nothing wrong with their life? As Jesus tells us in verse 15, he uses the trials so that people will see how awesome he is and believe in him. Our prayer shouldn’t be that the hard times never come, but that during the hard times we grow in our faith, deepen our understanding of God, give thanks, and glorify him.
Once Jesus gets to Bethany (where Lazarus is), Martha tells him that Lazarus was already dead for 4 days. During their exchange, Jesus says in verse 25, “I am the resurrection and the life” (ESV). Many people know that Jesus gives us eternal life, but many forget the second part of what Jesus says. He saves us from hell and gives us eternal life and a renewed life, but Jesus also IS the new life. Our new lives as believers should be all about Jesus: growing roots into him, learning more about him, experiencing more of him, talking to him through prayer, and spreading the good news he brings. Jesus is not only God and our savior, but he is our new way of life.
Just before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, he says in verses 41 and 42, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” Right before Jesus performs this miracle, he thanks God, and he gives him the glory. Jesus wants the people to know that this is God at work and that God is using Jesus to do his work. God uses believers everywhere to do his work, but do we remember who our work is for or why we do it? I often get caught up in pride when doing God’s work and I think higher of myself than I should. Jesus sets a perfect example for us; he serves these people by raising Lazarus from the dead so that God can be glorified and so that others will believe. The work that we do should be the same: pointing to God, glorifying God, and compelling others to believe in God.
As you wrap up this devotional, end your time in prayer. Ask God what he wants you to learn from this passage. Pray that God will remind you of this message through the week, helping it stick with you and helping you apply it. Thank God for this time, for how good he is, and for how much he has done in your life. Spend time talking to the ultimate, all-loving, all-powerful, only God of the universe.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Pharisees & The Adulteress - John 8:1-11
Before you start, take some time to quiet your heart and your mind. Take some deep breaths and relax. Don’t let anything distract you from spending quality time with God. Pray for focus and for God to speak to you through this devotional. Take your time, and don’t rush this process.
Once you’re ready, read John 8:1-11
I don’t know if your Bible tells you or not, but my Bible says that John 7:53-8:11 are not in the earliest manuscripts. I’m not sure why these wouldn’t be included or what the reasoning behind it is. I’m sure Bible scholars and historians know all about this, but rather than debate the history of these verses, let’s focus more on what they have to teach us.
This story can be viewed from two different perspectives, and they have different lessons to be learned. The first perspective is from that of the Pharisees. They see that this woman did something wrong, and they condemn her for it, and they are on the verge of killing her. Jesus points out that none of them have the right to do this. I imagine that at that moment, all the Pharisees felt really ashamed and guilty. They acknowledge that they are sinful and have no right to judge and condemn this woman. Often, we are like the Pharisees; we point out other people’s sin, we condemn them, and we judge them when we ourselves are sinful and deserving of judgment. Matthew 7:3 (ESV) says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” It’s easy for us to point out the flaws and sins of other people, but the truth is we are all equally sinful. None of us has the right to judge and condemn someone else; that is a right only given to God. Take some time to reflect and repent of any times you might have been like the Pharisees, judging and condemning others when you shouldn’t have.
The other perspective you can view this story from is from the perspective that of the woman. Try and picture yourself in her shoes. You committed adultery, and now you are standing before the high priests, the high officials, and the man who has been performing miracles all over. They’re discussing what do with you, and you’re moments away from being stoned. You are scared, guilty, and silent. You feel small, sinful, and insignificant. Just then, Jesus tells all the Pharisees to back off and he saves you. He tells you that he won’t condemn you, and that you are free. How awesome is that! The verses don’t tell us how the woman reacted, but I think we can all imagine who she felt. She was probably super joyful and thankful, and she probably ran off to tell her family and friends about it. That is an awesome feeling. The even more awesome thing is that Jesus did this for every human to ever walk the face of Earth. We all deserve death and an eternity in hell because of the sins we’ve committed. The good news is that Jesus took the penalty of sin away from us by dying on the cross. He has freed us from an eternity in hell, and he has promised each of his followers an eternity in heaven. An ETERNITY in the kingdom of God. I know that I often forget how significant this really is. My reaction to salvation and the cross can be rather apathetic; I forget how truly amazing it is that we are saved. Instead of apathy and indifference, our thoughts towards salvation and the cross should be like the reaction we picture the woman having: joy, thankfulness, and a need to tell others about it. Take this time remember the cross. Ask God to remind you how important and how awesome it is that Jesus died for you and gave you eternal life. Ask God to lead you to share the good news with others and to give you opportunities to do so.
Which perspective speaks to you more: the Pharisees or the woman? Do you need to stop judging and condemning others? Do you need to remember the cross? Ask God to speak to you. Listen and learn from his words. Let his message soak in and abide in you.
Once you’re ready, read John 8:1-11
I don’t know if your Bible tells you or not, but my Bible says that John 7:53-8:11 are not in the earliest manuscripts. I’m not sure why these wouldn’t be included or what the reasoning behind it is. I’m sure Bible scholars and historians know all about this, but rather than debate the history of these verses, let’s focus more on what they have to teach us.
This story can be viewed from two different perspectives, and they have different lessons to be learned. The first perspective is from that of the Pharisees. They see that this woman did something wrong, and they condemn her for it, and they are on the verge of killing her. Jesus points out that none of them have the right to do this. I imagine that at that moment, all the Pharisees felt really ashamed and guilty. They acknowledge that they are sinful and have no right to judge and condemn this woman. Often, we are like the Pharisees; we point out other people’s sin, we condemn them, and we judge them when we ourselves are sinful and deserving of judgment. Matthew 7:3 (ESV) says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” It’s easy for us to point out the flaws and sins of other people, but the truth is we are all equally sinful. None of us has the right to judge and condemn someone else; that is a right only given to God. Take some time to reflect and repent of any times you might have been like the Pharisees, judging and condemning others when you shouldn’t have.
The other perspective you can view this story from is from the perspective that of the woman. Try and picture yourself in her shoes. You committed adultery, and now you are standing before the high priests, the high officials, and the man who has been performing miracles all over. They’re discussing what do with you, and you’re moments away from being stoned. You are scared, guilty, and silent. You feel small, sinful, and insignificant. Just then, Jesus tells all the Pharisees to back off and he saves you. He tells you that he won’t condemn you, and that you are free. How awesome is that! The verses don’t tell us how the woman reacted, but I think we can all imagine who she felt. She was probably super joyful and thankful, and she probably ran off to tell her family and friends about it. That is an awesome feeling. The even more awesome thing is that Jesus did this for every human to ever walk the face of Earth. We all deserve death and an eternity in hell because of the sins we’ve committed. The good news is that Jesus took the penalty of sin away from us by dying on the cross. He has freed us from an eternity in hell, and he has promised each of his followers an eternity in heaven. An ETERNITY in the kingdom of God. I know that I often forget how significant this really is. My reaction to salvation and the cross can be rather apathetic; I forget how truly amazing it is that we are saved. Instead of apathy and indifference, our thoughts towards salvation and the cross should be like the reaction we picture the woman having: joy, thankfulness, and a need to tell others about it. Take this time remember the cross. Ask God to remind you how important and how awesome it is that Jesus died for you and gave you eternal life. Ask God to lead you to share the good news with others and to give you opportunities to do so.
Which perspective speaks to you more: the Pharisees or the woman? Do you need to stop judging and condemning others? Do you need to remember the cross? Ask God to speak to you. Listen and learn from his words. Let his message soak in and abide in you.
The Big Question and Loaded Answers - John 7:25-53
Read John 7:25-53
When looking at this passage we have to consider the point of reference for the people involved in this part of Jesus life. There are a couple things that are directly involved in Jesus’ answers to people in this section.
1) This whole thing is taking place at the feast of Tabernacles. (Celebration of the period of forty years the Children of Israel were wandering in the desert. Devout Jews live in tents for a week to remember.)
2) Jesus uses points of Old Testament scripture and these faithful Jewish pilgrims will probably be familiar with them.
Having said this, let’s look at some of Jesus’ words. Vs. 37-39. The greatest day of the feast Jesus comes out and talks about thirsty people coming to him for living water that when they drink of it will flow out of them. Jesus is talking on levels: 1) Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 58 on true fasting and the person who believes in God will have a continuous flow of living water that comes from them. For the people to whom Jesus was talking, they would have understood it as the presence and favor of God because the Holy Spirit had not yet come. 2) We also know now that the Holy Spirit is the living water as well, but there are two parts in this. The Holy Spirit helps us to continue living and producing living water, but that doesn’t mean that the original meaning for these people was negated. We need to have the same attitude toward God, and the Holy Spirit living in us helps us. 3) They would have seen the reference to walking around in the desert and being thirsty. God provided the children of Israel water from a rock in the desert. This water was not just a pond it was “living”, moving water. Would people at this feast, which commemorates this point in Israel’s history see the living water of Jesus and once again not recognize God?
All that and more were packed into those words from Jesus. Since I don’t have the space to write more I’d encourage you to look at the other words of Jesus in this passage with those first points in mind. Here are some questions to help:
- Who was looking for Jesus?
- Why were they looking for him?
- What are passages in scripture were God says people will look for him and not see him?
- Why did Jesus elude the people looking to arrest him? Clue: vs. 45-46
- Do people really know where Jesus comes from?
- Where do they say he is from?
- How does Jesus being God change the way we view this?
- How did the children of Israel not recognize God during their time wandering in the wilderness? What are the parallels?
How does God speak to us through our culture and history? Are we recognizing Christ in our own lives, or are our hearts hardened so that even when we see Christ we don’t recognize him as our savior?
Dear God,
Open our hearts to your words. Open our hearts that we can see you and recognize you when we see you. Give us willing hearts to respond to you so that in all things you may be glorified. Amen.
When looking at this passage we have to consider the point of reference for the people involved in this part of Jesus life. There are a couple things that are directly involved in Jesus’ answers to people in this section.
1) This whole thing is taking place at the feast of Tabernacles. (Celebration of the period of forty years the Children of Israel were wandering in the desert. Devout Jews live in tents for a week to remember.)
2) Jesus uses points of Old Testament scripture and these faithful Jewish pilgrims will probably be familiar with them.
Having said this, let’s look at some of Jesus’ words. Vs. 37-39. The greatest day of the feast Jesus comes out and talks about thirsty people coming to him for living water that when they drink of it will flow out of them. Jesus is talking on levels: 1) Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 58 on true fasting and the person who believes in God will have a continuous flow of living water that comes from them. For the people to whom Jesus was talking, they would have understood it as the presence and favor of God because the Holy Spirit had not yet come. 2) We also know now that the Holy Spirit is the living water as well, but there are two parts in this. The Holy Spirit helps us to continue living and producing living water, but that doesn’t mean that the original meaning for these people was negated. We need to have the same attitude toward God, and the Holy Spirit living in us helps us. 3) They would have seen the reference to walking around in the desert and being thirsty. God provided the children of Israel water from a rock in the desert. This water was not just a pond it was “living”, moving water. Would people at this feast, which commemorates this point in Israel’s history see the living water of Jesus and once again not recognize God?
All that and more were packed into those words from Jesus. Since I don’t have the space to write more I’d encourage you to look at the other words of Jesus in this passage with those first points in mind. Here are some questions to help:
- Who was looking for Jesus?
- Why were they looking for him?
- What are passages in scripture were God says people will look for him and not see him?
- Why did Jesus elude the people looking to arrest him? Clue: vs. 45-46
- Do people really know where Jesus comes from?
- Where do they say he is from?
- How does Jesus being God change the way we view this?
- How did the children of Israel not recognize God during their time wandering in the wilderness? What are the parallels?
How does God speak to us through our culture and history? Are we recognizing Christ in our own lives, or are our hearts hardened so that even when we see Christ we don’t recognize him as our savior?
Dear God,
Open our hearts to your words. Open our hearts that we can see you and recognize you when we see you. Give us willing hearts to respond to you so that in all things you may be glorified. Amen.
Jesus at the Feast - John 7:1-24
Oftentimes, we impatiently ask God for His plans for us whenever we’re at a standstill in life. We’re stuck worrying about the future and sometimes, it seems that God doesn’t have an answer for us. When these situations arrive, we often can’t grasp His concept of timing, which completely differs from our own. Everything that we yearn for, we want instantly. Take a moment and ask God to show you His own timing and to prepare your heart for the devotional.
Read John 7:1-24
The beginning part of this passage takes place in the days before the Feast of Tabernacles, which required attendance from all Jewish men. Jesus’ friends encouraged him to attend the feast and to teach others by doing miracles. However, in verse five, it shows us that they did not believe in him because they wanted him to be seen as a powerful public figure, which was completely against his true mission. Jesus replies to their requests by saying in verses 6-8, “This is not the right time, I know what I need to do and when I need to do it, and it has nothing to do with your schedule.” He had a timetable that was even incomprehensible to his disciples.
Our lives shouldn’t be centered on getting our demands whenever we want; God has his own plans and timing for us. Though it may be hard if someone in your family is suffering, remember that God uses his own plans to shape us into His witnesses. Wanting something means demanding an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. When we insist that God should give us an answer to a prayer, we are off track. The true purpose of prayer, after all, is to get ahold of God. We never realize that all the time, God is at work in our everyday events and people surrounding us. It isn’t until halfway through the feast (around four days) that Jesus began teaching, as opposed to making a flashy entrance at the beginning.
Through verses 16-19, Jesus teaches the crowd on how God should be the one driving the speaking. Jesus repeats that If anyone's heart is sincerely right with God and his intent is to do His will, he will be able to discern whether Jesus’ words are from God, or only from his natural abilities and knowledge. Are we able to filter out the distractions and the false prophets of the world today? In our world today, there are many people who claim to be what they aren’t (think Heavens Gates). Lines 22-23 describe another example in which the Jewish teachers of the law stretched the meaning of the original Law of Moses.
What is God trying to say to you through this devotional and the passage? Is your life reflecting this currently? Take some time to reread and reflect and pray for His word to dwell in you. Pray that we can realize that He answers prayers by His own timing, and not ours.
Read John 7:1-24
The beginning part of this passage takes place in the days before the Feast of Tabernacles, which required attendance from all Jewish men. Jesus’ friends encouraged him to attend the feast and to teach others by doing miracles. However, in verse five, it shows us that they did not believe in him because they wanted him to be seen as a powerful public figure, which was completely against his true mission. Jesus replies to their requests by saying in verses 6-8, “This is not the right time, I know what I need to do and when I need to do it, and it has nothing to do with your schedule.” He had a timetable that was even incomprehensible to his disciples.
Our lives shouldn’t be centered on getting our demands whenever we want; God has his own plans and timing for us. Though it may be hard if someone in your family is suffering, remember that God uses his own plans to shape us into His witnesses. Wanting something means demanding an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. When we insist that God should give us an answer to a prayer, we are off track. The true purpose of prayer, after all, is to get ahold of God. We never realize that all the time, God is at work in our everyday events and people surrounding us. It isn’t until halfway through the feast (around four days) that Jesus began teaching, as opposed to making a flashy entrance at the beginning.
Through verses 16-19, Jesus teaches the crowd on how God should be the one driving the speaking. Jesus repeats that If anyone's heart is sincerely right with God and his intent is to do His will, he will be able to discern whether Jesus’ words are from God, or only from his natural abilities and knowledge. Are we able to filter out the distractions and the false prophets of the world today? In our world today, there are many people who claim to be what they aren’t (think Heavens Gates). Lines 22-23 describe another example in which the Jewish teachers of the law stretched the meaning of the original Law of Moses.
What is God trying to say to you through this devotional and the passage? Is your life reflecting this currently? Take some time to reread and reflect and pray for His word to dwell in you. Pray that we can realize that He answers prayers by His own timing, and not ours.
Hard to Believe - John 6:60-71
In the previous passage we read about Jesus instructing his followers to “feed on his flesh” and “drink his blood”. We now come to see how his disciples reacted to Jesus’ statement and the decisions they made in response.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of God’s words as you turn to the Scriptures.
Read John 6:60-71
Upon hearing what Jesus said about his flesh & blood, many of the disciples found his words hard to believe. In actuality, they were misinterpreting Jesus’ figurative statement to be literal. They may have thought, “What? Eat Jesus’ body & drink his blood?! That’s gross! That’s wrong!” Of course it is. That’s cannibalism, certainly not something condoned by the Bible. This did not make sense to the disciples. However, instead of seeking clarification, they were quick to put off Jesus’ words as simply too much to take in. They could not humble themselves and admit that they were not smart enough to understand on their own. What are some things from Jesus’ teachings or elsewhere in the Bible that you have difficulties understanding? Have you sought clarifications on these things?
Jesus, knowing that the disciples were grumbling about what he had just said, provoked them even more by asking them to consider his own ascension into heaven. If a figurative speech is a stumbling block to them, how will they wrap their minds around Jesus rising from the dead and entering into heavenly glory? These things are impossible, unheard of! Just as these disciples cannot understand, we also cannot understand the mysteries of God: His words & plans, His power & glory without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (v. 65). The message of the cross and the things that Jesus taught are not natural to us as sinners; they are even offensive to many! Without the Spirit, we simply cannot understand or accept these things. So if we do have knowledge of these truths, it is not because we are so smart but because God has revealed them to us. And if we have difficulties understanding these truths, we cannot muster up more intelligence to discern them, but we must choose to turn to God and ask Him to help us understand.
Verse 66 shows us that many disciples decided to leave Jesus at this juncture and go their own ways. They are not alone. Throughout the ages and even on this very day, people will choose to part ways with Jesus whom they followed for a little while but have now come to find as too much to take. Perhaps because Jesus demands total repentance of sins. Perhaps because Jesus claims that he is the only way to salvation. Perhaps because Jesus teaches that homosexuality, abortion, & adultery are wrong. Whatever the reasons, Jesus has made them too uncomfortable.
We find that in John 6, there were also a small group of people who chose to follow Jesus then and all the way. They recognized that Jesus had “the words of eternal life” and that he is “the Holy One of God” (v. 69). Jesus also made them very uncomfortable. But they realized that this was a holy discomfort. They were being refined, disciplined, and challenged to become more like Christ, the Son of God. Which group of people are you part of? Remember that the decision is to follow Christ all the way or not follow him at all.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of God’s words as you turn to the Scriptures.
Read John 6:60-71
Upon hearing what Jesus said about his flesh & blood, many of the disciples found his words hard to believe. In actuality, they were misinterpreting Jesus’ figurative statement to be literal. They may have thought, “What? Eat Jesus’ body & drink his blood?! That’s gross! That’s wrong!” Of course it is. That’s cannibalism, certainly not something condoned by the Bible. This did not make sense to the disciples. However, instead of seeking clarification, they were quick to put off Jesus’ words as simply too much to take in. They could not humble themselves and admit that they were not smart enough to understand on their own. What are some things from Jesus’ teachings or elsewhere in the Bible that you have difficulties understanding? Have you sought clarifications on these things?
Jesus, knowing that the disciples were grumbling about what he had just said, provoked them even more by asking them to consider his own ascension into heaven. If a figurative speech is a stumbling block to them, how will they wrap their minds around Jesus rising from the dead and entering into heavenly glory? These things are impossible, unheard of! Just as these disciples cannot understand, we also cannot understand the mysteries of God: His words & plans, His power & glory without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (v. 65). The message of the cross and the things that Jesus taught are not natural to us as sinners; they are even offensive to many! Without the Spirit, we simply cannot understand or accept these things. So if we do have knowledge of these truths, it is not because we are so smart but because God has revealed them to us. And if we have difficulties understanding these truths, we cannot muster up more intelligence to discern them, but we must choose to turn to God and ask Him to help us understand.
Verse 66 shows us that many disciples decided to leave Jesus at this juncture and go their own ways. They are not alone. Throughout the ages and even on this very day, people will choose to part ways with Jesus whom they followed for a little while but have now come to find as too much to take. Perhaps because Jesus demands total repentance of sins. Perhaps because Jesus claims that he is the only way to salvation. Perhaps because Jesus teaches that homosexuality, abortion, & adultery are wrong. Whatever the reasons, Jesus has made them too uncomfortable.
We find that in John 6, there were also a small group of people who chose to follow Jesus then and all the way. They recognized that Jesus had “the words of eternal life” and that he is “the Holy One of God” (v. 69). Jesus also made them very uncomfortable. But they realized that this was a holy discomfort. They were being refined, disciplined, and challenged to become more like Christ, the Son of God. Which group of people are you part of? Remember that the decision is to follow Christ all the way or not follow him at all.
Listen and Obey - John 6:25-59
Whether you are reading this in the morning, afternoon, or night, the time you are about to set aside is a sacred fellowship with the God Almighty. As you go into this devotional time in the word, ask the Spirit of God to teach you.
Calm your heart, and get rid of any distractions. Clear your mind and prepare for “the one who’s sandals [we are] not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).
Review: Jesus had fed the five thousand and walked on water. Now that crowd is looking for Jesus and his disciples.
Read John 6:25-59
Take a moment to go back on what you just read. Reflect on these words. Reread the passage, once, twice, however many times you way, looking for ideas and verses that stick out to you. Don’t rush this process. Go through slowly. Spend quality time with God. Once you’ve finished this, continue reading.
Right away, Jesus tells the crowd that they still don’t seek him for the right reasons. At verse 27, Jesus tells them not to be materialistic, but to see what the kingdom of God will bring. Although one day there will be a physical kingdom, Jesus urges the Jews to understand the gift of immediate, spiritual, and eternal life. There is life that endures forever and ever that can be gained through Jesus himself. He tells them that whoever comes to him and believes in him will never go hungry or be thirsty. The Jews were once again blind and asked how to physically achieve this everlasting food, but Jesus reiterates that all they must do is believe and Jesus will raise them up. If they seek him, Jesus will never push them away. At verses 53-58, Jesus makes an analogy saying that just as eating and drinking are necessary for physical life, belief in his sacrificial death on the cross necessary for eternal life. However, they were stubborn. The crowds knew Jesus at a human level and could not understand how Jesus could be from heaven and have earthly parents. They doubted and questioned the message of truth.
Many times we are so set on the way things should turn out just like the stubbornness of the Jew’s and their idea of a saving king. Have you been stubborn on anything that you can’t give up to God or trust God in? Is there anything God has set on your heart, but that you have set aside or ignored? (the future, relationships, people, addictions). Don’t be stubborn! Ask the Lord and pray to him for His will. Listen to Him and be still.
For just as Jesus does the will of his Father in Heaven (John 6:38) we too should strive towards that goal! Be willing to listen and obey.
Calm your heart, and get rid of any distractions. Clear your mind and prepare for “the one who’s sandals [we are] not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).
Review: Jesus had fed the five thousand and walked on water. Now that crowd is looking for Jesus and his disciples.
Read John 6:25-59
Take a moment to go back on what you just read. Reflect on these words. Reread the passage, once, twice, however many times you way, looking for ideas and verses that stick out to you. Don’t rush this process. Go through slowly. Spend quality time with God. Once you’ve finished this, continue reading.
Right away, Jesus tells the crowd that they still don’t seek him for the right reasons. At verse 27, Jesus tells them not to be materialistic, but to see what the kingdom of God will bring. Although one day there will be a physical kingdom, Jesus urges the Jews to understand the gift of immediate, spiritual, and eternal life. There is life that endures forever and ever that can be gained through Jesus himself. He tells them that whoever comes to him and believes in him will never go hungry or be thirsty. The Jews were once again blind and asked how to physically achieve this everlasting food, but Jesus reiterates that all they must do is believe and Jesus will raise them up. If they seek him, Jesus will never push them away. At verses 53-58, Jesus makes an analogy saying that just as eating and drinking are necessary for physical life, belief in his sacrificial death on the cross necessary for eternal life. However, they were stubborn. The crowds knew Jesus at a human level and could not understand how Jesus could be from heaven and have earthly parents. They doubted and questioned the message of truth.
Many times we are so set on the way things should turn out just like the stubbornness of the Jew’s and their idea of a saving king. Have you been stubborn on anything that you can’t give up to God or trust God in? Is there anything God has set on your heart, but that you have set aside or ignored? (the future, relationships, people, addictions). Don’t be stubborn! Ask the Lord and pray to him for His will. Listen to Him and be still.
For just as Jesus does the will of his Father in Heaven (John 6:38) we too should strive towards that goal! Be willing to listen and obey.
Friday, February 10, 2012
He Walks On Water - John 6:16-24
All throughout the Gospel of John, we are reminded time and time again that John's purpose is to let us know who exactly is Jesus. We see who he is in his encounters with people like Nicodemus, the Woman at the Well, and the invalid at the pool of Bethesda. We are introduced to his purpose, his person, and his compassion. But more than anything we are reminded throughout this Gospel that Jesus is God. Whereas the Gospel of Mark focuses on Jesus' humanity, the Gospel of John focuses on his divinity.
Read John 6:16-24
What an encounter with Jesus! The disciples are rowing across the Sea of Galilee and in the middle of a storm, they see a man walking on water. Can you imagine what was going through their heads when they saw him? I imagine they were saying something like..."G-g-g-ggggggghost???" Perhaps one of the disciples peed in their pants out of fear. Sometimes our English translations don't do justice to the scene. If I had to guess, the disciples were terrified! But what does Jesus do? He calls out to them even when he's not yet in the boat. In the midst of their fear, Jesus reaches out to them and says "It is I; do not be afraid." In the midst of this divine encounter, which the disciples clearly do not understand, Jesus' presence is enough to calm the storm, both the one in their minds and the one they were in. This is the Jesus that John is encouraging us to get to know. He's the Son of God who has the power to walk on water. Who else can make that claim? And yet he's also the one who knows and cares for his disciples. He loves them enough to reassure them in the midst of the storm. They might have gotten caught up in their circumstance and missed who Jesus was because all they could see was the storm. But Jesus is right there, calling out to them to know him.
Re-read John 6:16-24
Is the Jesus you know the same Jesus that the disciples encountered? He's the Son of God! Let's not down play the fact that he did something incredible in walking on water. But at the same time, he's the one who calls out to his disciples to calm their fears and remind them of his presence. Spend some time reflecting on who Jesus is to you. He walks on water. He calms the storm. He calls to you.
Read John 6:16-24
What an encounter with Jesus! The disciples are rowing across the Sea of Galilee and in the middle of a storm, they see a man walking on water. Can you imagine what was going through their heads when they saw him? I imagine they were saying something like..."G-g-g-ggggggghost???" Perhaps one of the disciples peed in their pants out of fear. Sometimes our English translations don't do justice to the scene. If I had to guess, the disciples were terrified! But what does Jesus do? He calls out to them even when he's not yet in the boat. In the midst of their fear, Jesus reaches out to them and says "It is I; do not be afraid." In the midst of this divine encounter, which the disciples clearly do not understand, Jesus' presence is enough to calm the storm, both the one in their minds and the one they were in. This is the Jesus that John is encouraging us to get to know. He's the Son of God who has the power to walk on water. Who else can make that claim? And yet he's also the one who knows and cares for his disciples. He loves them enough to reassure them in the midst of the storm. They might have gotten caught up in their circumstance and missed who Jesus was because all they could see was the storm. But Jesus is right there, calling out to them to know him.
Re-read John 6:16-24
Is the Jesus you know the same Jesus that the disciples encountered? He's the Son of God! Let's not down play the fact that he did something incredible in walking on water. But at the same time, he's the one who calls out to his disciples to calm their fears and remind them of his presence. Spend some time reflecting on who Jesus is to you. He walks on water. He calms the storm. He calls to you.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand - John 6:1-15
My guess is that you’ve heard this story before. I think there might even be a Veggie Tales version of this Bible story. You may think that you’ve heard this story enough or that you know all there is to know, but take a moment and ask God to empty you. Ask him to empty you of what you think you already know, and ask him to fill you up with the knowledge and wisdom he wants you to gain from this devotional.
Take in your in doing this, and once you have done this, Read John 6:1-15
The first thing to note is in verses 1-4. It says that people were following Jesus because they saw what he had done. The same is true in today’s world. When people see God at work, they believe. At the same time, many non-believers argue that God isn’t at work because of all the violence, suffering, poverty, and problems in this world. The amazing thing is that in the midst of all this chaos, God is at work everywhere. Non-believers for the most part don’t see this world in the same way Christians, and no non-believer is going to believe in Christ unless they see the fruits of his work. This is why we as Christians should be abiding and walking with Christ daily so that our lives show the work God is doing in our life and our lives are a light to those around us in a dark world.
In verses 5-7, Jesus asks Philip where they’re going to buy bread to eat. Philip replies in verse 7 (NIV), “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Why did Jesus ask Philip when verse 5 tells us that he already knew what was going to happen? Verse 6 answers that question: he wanted to test him. Jesus wanted to test Philip’s faith in him. Jesus had already healed the sick and performed many miracles, so I don’t think feeding five thousand people is a problem for him. Philip’s answer shows a lack of faith in Jesus and also shows his insufficiency. He could work for eight months and still not have enough money to buy food for all of these people. His works and efforts are nothing compared to what Christ can do, and the same is true for us. When we don’t trust and have faith in God, we may try to do things on our own, but the truth is that anything we do doesn’t even come close to what God can do. Take this time to surrender your life to God. Confess to him if you’ve tried to handle things on your own. Ask that he would humble you and allow you to completely surrender your life because you want him to work in you. Pray for faith and trust in who he is and how great he is.
The last thing I want you to see is how great God’s provision is. The little boy offered up his lunch to God. Imagine you handing over your PB&J sandwich, an apple, some chips, and milk over to Jesus and thinking “he can feed all the people with this!” It takes a lot of faith, right? The amazing thing is that Jesus takes this small offering, and he multiplies it. He feeds all the people and then some; they all leave stuffed and leave behind twelve baskets full of food. How awesome! The point here is that God can use any offering no matter how big or small. If our heart is in the right place, like the boy who offered his lunch, God can take what we give him, multiply it, and do so much more with it. God doesn’t care about how much we do for him because he doesn’t need us to do anything, but God cares about having faith in him and having the right heart.
What is it that God wants you to learn today? Is your life clearly reflecting the work of God? Do you lack faith in who God is and what he can do? Do you have the right heart when you offer or do things for God? Reread John 6:1-15, and then take time to stop, reflect, and pray. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants to fix. Allow him to mold and to work in you so that you can love him more and deepen your faith.
Take in your in doing this, and once you have done this, Read John 6:1-15
The first thing to note is in verses 1-4. It says that people were following Jesus because they saw what he had done. The same is true in today’s world. When people see God at work, they believe. At the same time, many non-believers argue that God isn’t at work because of all the violence, suffering, poverty, and problems in this world. The amazing thing is that in the midst of all this chaos, God is at work everywhere. Non-believers for the most part don’t see this world in the same way Christians, and no non-believer is going to believe in Christ unless they see the fruits of his work. This is why we as Christians should be abiding and walking with Christ daily so that our lives show the work God is doing in our life and our lives are a light to those around us in a dark world.
In verses 5-7, Jesus asks Philip where they’re going to buy bread to eat. Philip replies in verse 7 (NIV), “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Why did Jesus ask Philip when verse 5 tells us that he already knew what was going to happen? Verse 6 answers that question: he wanted to test him. Jesus wanted to test Philip’s faith in him. Jesus had already healed the sick and performed many miracles, so I don’t think feeding five thousand people is a problem for him. Philip’s answer shows a lack of faith in Jesus and also shows his insufficiency. He could work for eight months and still not have enough money to buy food for all of these people. His works and efforts are nothing compared to what Christ can do, and the same is true for us. When we don’t trust and have faith in God, we may try to do things on our own, but the truth is that anything we do doesn’t even come close to what God can do. Take this time to surrender your life to God. Confess to him if you’ve tried to handle things on your own. Ask that he would humble you and allow you to completely surrender your life because you want him to work in you. Pray for faith and trust in who he is and how great he is.
The last thing I want you to see is how great God’s provision is. The little boy offered up his lunch to God. Imagine you handing over your PB&J sandwich, an apple, some chips, and milk over to Jesus and thinking “he can feed all the people with this!” It takes a lot of faith, right? The amazing thing is that Jesus takes this small offering, and he multiplies it. He feeds all the people and then some; they all leave stuffed and leave behind twelve baskets full of food. How awesome! The point here is that God can use any offering no matter how big or small. If our heart is in the right place, like the boy who offered his lunch, God can take what we give him, multiply it, and do so much more with it. God doesn’t care about how much we do for him because he doesn’t need us to do anything, but God cares about having faith in him and having the right heart.
What is it that God wants you to learn today? Is your life clearly reflecting the work of God? Do you lack faith in who God is and what he can do? Do you have the right heart when you offer or do things for God? Reread John 6:1-15, and then take time to stop, reflect, and pray. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants to fix. Allow him to mold and to work in you so that you can love him more and deepen your faith.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Bearing Witness - John 5:30-47
Oftentimes, we know that we are going to eventually go to Heaven, but we don't realize the many signs in our lives that God has placed for us to act upon His word in the present. Throughout our agendas and daily lives, God wants us to not bear witness to ourselves, but to Him.
Read John 5:30-47
After Jesus healed a lame man during a Jewish feast, the leader establishment was outraged at him for upsetting the status quo. They believed he was doing good works for his personal image and gain, rather than for the Father. Jesus chastised the leader establishment for not being genuine. Rather than having God in their hearts, there was only pride and ego, their traditions, and no real belief in God. He said to them, “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain that praise that comes from the only God? Bud do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (vs. 42-47, NIV). God knows the condition of our hearts and where our faith is. We can try and hide it and glorify ourselves and say we’re glorifying God, but ultimately God knows where we stand. Take this time to confess to God when you’ve been taking the glory when he should be receiving it.
Through verses 30-32, Jesus says that if he alone bears witness to himself, it doesn't count. But if there is another who bears witness to him, the testimony is true.
Through this, God wants us to realize the stark-- yet inconvenient truth that we are not to live for others. Sometimes we want to impress others, such as parents to get that perfect ACT score, or peers with shiny gadgets, brand names, and music collections. There is not much fault in that, until those earthly things become our priorities and life goals. God desires for us to impress Him-- to make endeavors in His glory. Even Jesus said in John 5:41: "I do not receive glory from people". Even Jesus Christ says this-- and compared to him, we are soiled with sin. He doesn’t need our worship or glory, but he loves us enough to allow us to be in a relationship with him and to enter his presence by what Jesus did on the Christ. Because of this, we should be witnesses for Christ to reflect what he has done for us.
He calls for us to be consistent, unchanging, and faithful through this passage. We shouldn't forget that God will bear witness until we draw our last breath. When we do good works, God should be the first thing on our minds. His reward is the gift of eternal life and the empowerment of living now. This implies that our belief should lead to good works. Our works show our commitment, confidence, and solid identification that we have been transformed. The Bible is His word in printed form, but it must also echo through our hearts with our daily actions. We can obey His word and principles by doing this.
Take a moment to pray for God's word and ask Him to let it dwell in us. Pray that we can realize that God is the only one who can give us righteousness-- and that our lives bear testimony as to who he is.
Read John 5:30-47
After Jesus healed a lame man during a Jewish feast, the leader establishment was outraged at him for upsetting the status quo. They believed he was doing good works for his personal image and gain, rather than for the Father. Jesus chastised the leader establishment for not being genuine. Rather than having God in their hearts, there was only pride and ego, their traditions, and no real belief in God. He said to them, “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain that praise that comes from the only God? Bud do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (vs. 42-47, NIV). God knows the condition of our hearts and where our faith is. We can try and hide it and glorify ourselves and say we’re glorifying God, but ultimately God knows where we stand. Take this time to confess to God when you’ve been taking the glory when he should be receiving it.
Through verses 30-32, Jesus says that if he alone bears witness to himself, it doesn't count. But if there is another who bears witness to him, the testimony is true.
Through this, God wants us to realize the stark-- yet inconvenient truth that we are not to live for others. Sometimes we want to impress others, such as parents to get that perfect ACT score, or peers with shiny gadgets, brand names, and music collections. There is not much fault in that, until those earthly things become our priorities and life goals. God desires for us to impress Him-- to make endeavors in His glory. Even Jesus said in John 5:41: "I do not receive glory from people". Even Jesus Christ says this-- and compared to him, we are soiled with sin. He doesn’t need our worship or glory, but he loves us enough to allow us to be in a relationship with him and to enter his presence by what Jesus did on the Christ. Because of this, we should be witnesses for Christ to reflect what he has done for us.
He calls for us to be consistent, unchanging, and faithful through this passage. We shouldn't forget that God will bear witness until we draw our last breath. When we do good works, God should be the first thing on our minds. His reward is the gift of eternal life and the empowerment of living now. This implies that our belief should lead to good works. Our works show our commitment, confidence, and solid identification that we have been transformed. The Bible is His word in printed form, but it must also echo through our hearts with our daily actions. We can obey His word and principles by doing this.
Take a moment to pray for God's word and ask Him to let it dwell in us. Pray that we can realize that God is the only one who can give us righteousness-- and that our lives bear testimony as to who he is.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Jesus is God - John 5:16-29
Take some time to stop and reflect. Take a deep breath. Think about what God has done in your life. Prepare your heart. Pray to him. Ask God for insight from this devotional.
Read John 5:16-29
Here, in the first two verses, we see the Jews persecuting Jesus. As a bystander reading, it is terribly easy for us to scoff at the “Jews who were persecuting Jesus” and see how wrong that is. The Jews were clearly putting religious “rituals” or “traditions” in front of what God truly desires. That’s a clear message. Sometimes, we are like the Jews; we get caught up in going through the “rituals” of Christianity, like reading our Bibles, praying, or going to church. These are all good things, but often we care more about just doing it rather than having the right heart for it. When we do our quiet times or go to church or pray, God wants to work in us and grow us. Just doing these things because “it’s what Christians do” isn’t what God intends for us. Pause for a moment to reflect on where your heart is when it comes to doing these things. Ask God to give you a passion for Him and to not just go through the motions of being a Christian.
In the next couple verses, Jesus asserts his divinity. Jesus establishes that he is God, but that he is also separate from the Father. He asserts that he has a right to be worshipped and that “the son also gives life”. This is surely comforting because it gives us a glimpse of what’s in store for us in heaven and it shows how awesome of a being we are worshipping. Furthermore, Jesus talks about eternal life. How awesome is that? Hell? What? We have God on our side and have been given eternal life. I don’t know about you, but I find peace knowing that one day I’ll be in heaven with God because of what Jesus has done for me.
Towards the end of this passage, Jesus once again asserts that he is fully God. He speaks of being the Son of Man (fully human and fully God). Then verse 29 ends with “those who have done good…. And those who have done evil…” That may seem confusing at first, for, after all, is not the way to gain eternal life through belief, not works? Jesus isn’t trying to say that our salvation is based on works. Jesus is trying to say that good works are a light, a symbol of a strong faith. If one were to be reborn in Christ, he is a changed man. Those who believe are able to enjoy the resurrection of life and so their works and deeds should reflect that. Read that line over again, and chew on it. It’s very important to be clear that good work does not bring salvation, but faith alone does. Thus, our faith should lead to good works in order to reflect the good work that God has done.
There is a lot to reflect on and be in awe of. Jesus truly is supreme, and it was this very same person who came, died for us, and gave us the chance at eternal life. There’s also a lesson to be learned in faith and to have love and compassion on others. Don’t be caught up in rituals, and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus. Additionally, in the previous devotional, you read about how Jesus healed the man at the pool. The man wanted to get into the pool to feel better. That’s how we are without God. We struggle to find him. Yet, Jesus, in all his grace, came to us, came to that man, and healed him. How ridiculously awesome is that. Think about that, and then think about this passage. How much more in awe should we be of the fact that The Lion of the tribe of Judah, Emmanuel, The Messiah, came to us fickle human beings, and offered us the promise of eternal life.
Take some time to just sit there, and meditate.
Read John 5:16-29
Here, in the first two verses, we see the Jews persecuting Jesus. As a bystander reading, it is terribly easy for us to scoff at the “Jews who were persecuting Jesus” and see how wrong that is. The Jews were clearly putting religious “rituals” or “traditions” in front of what God truly desires. That’s a clear message. Sometimes, we are like the Jews; we get caught up in going through the “rituals” of Christianity, like reading our Bibles, praying, or going to church. These are all good things, but often we care more about just doing it rather than having the right heart for it. When we do our quiet times or go to church or pray, God wants to work in us and grow us. Just doing these things because “it’s what Christians do” isn’t what God intends for us. Pause for a moment to reflect on where your heart is when it comes to doing these things. Ask God to give you a passion for Him and to not just go through the motions of being a Christian.
In the next couple verses, Jesus asserts his divinity. Jesus establishes that he is God, but that he is also separate from the Father. He asserts that he has a right to be worshipped and that “the son also gives life”. This is surely comforting because it gives us a glimpse of what’s in store for us in heaven and it shows how awesome of a being we are worshipping. Furthermore, Jesus talks about eternal life. How awesome is that? Hell? What? We have God on our side and have been given eternal life. I don’t know about you, but I find peace knowing that one day I’ll be in heaven with God because of what Jesus has done for me.
Towards the end of this passage, Jesus once again asserts that he is fully God. He speaks of being the Son of Man (fully human and fully God). Then verse 29 ends with “those who have done good…. And those who have done evil…” That may seem confusing at first, for, after all, is not the way to gain eternal life through belief, not works? Jesus isn’t trying to say that our salvation is based on works. Jesus is trying to say that good works are a light, a symbol of a strong faith. If one were to be reborn in Christ, he is a changed man. Those who believe are able to enjoy the resurrection of life and so their works and deeds should reflect that. Read that line over again, and chew on it. It’s very important to be clear that good work does not bring salvation, but faith alone does. Thus, our faith should lead to good works in order to reflect the good work that God has done.
There is a lot to reflect on and be in awe of. Jesus truly is supreme, and it was this very same person who came, died for us, and gave us the chance at eternal life. There’s also a lesson to be learned in faith and to have love and compassion on others. Don’t be caught up in rituals, and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus. Additionally, in the previous devotional, you read about how Jesus healed the man at the pool. The man wanted to get into the pool to feel better. That’s how we are without God. We struggle to find him. Yet, Jesus, in all his grace, came to us, came to that man, and healed him. How ridiculously awesome is that. Think about that, and then think about this passage. How much more in awe should we be of the fact that The Lion of the tribe of Judah, Emmanuel, The Messiah, came to us fickle human beings, and offered us the promise of eternal life.
Take some time to just sit there, and meditate.
Monday, February 6, 2012
A Spiritual Healing - John 5:1-15
Too often we only go as far as making sure that those around us are physically well. Once we see that they appear to be well, we are often satisfied; however, Jesus calls us to go deeper and to focus on one’s spiritual health. Take a moment and pray with God; ask him to show you ways in which you haven’t gone deep enough with others, that he would transform us to become followers of Christ who truly care for others, and that we would yearn to take after the example that God sets.
Now read John 5: 1-15, The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath.
In Jerusalem, Jesus is at the pool called Bethesda. It was believed to have waters that were stirred by angels, and that the first person to enter the waters would be healed; thus, sick men would gather by this pool. When Jesus sees a man who has been an invalid for 38 years, Jesus tells him to take up his bed and walk, and the man does. The invalid does not argue with Jesus or claim his words to be preposterous, but he puts his faith in this man whom he does not even know. For us today, it is extremely hard to put our absolute faith in God; though we know how great he is, we still often express doubt. James 2:14-26 talks about how faith alone will die out, and in verse 26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Faith is alive, and cannot stand-alone. How have you been doubtful of God recently? Take some time and pray with God that he would fill you with the Holy Spirit and an alive and unwavering faith in him, but that you would also seek him out.
Later on in this passage, Jesus meets with the healed man in private and informs him that it was he, Jesus, who healed him. He doesn’t only do that though, he also says in verse 14, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man was physically well, but was still hurting spiritually. He didn’t have God’s forgiveness. But Jesus cares for him spiritually, and calls him to sin no more and to proclaim the truth.
It is interesting to note that Jesus doesn’t make a spectacle of his healing of the man. He does it discretely. We see this throughout the bible in Matthew 9:27-31 (Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute), and in Mark 2:40-45 (Jesus Heals a man with Leprosy). Instead of appealing to the people and their idea of a strong leader, Jesus follows God’s plan, and lives to bring glory to the Father, and not himself.
Now meditate on how your spiritual well being. Is it alive and well, as God wants it to be? Spend some time in prayer asking God to guide you towards becoming more alive spiritually and for consistency. Also, reflect on how you can become more of a support for others spiritually more so than physically. Finally, ask God to show you how he is calling you to live as Jesus lived a life that he was called to by the Father, and not by man.
Now read John 5: 1-15, The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath.
In Jerusalem, Jesus is at the pool called Bethesda. It was believed to have waters that were stirred by angels, and that the first person to enter the waters would be healed; thus, sick men would gather by this pool. When Jesus sees a man who has been an invalid for 38 years, Jesus tells him to take up his bed and walk, and the man does. The invalid does not argue with Jesus or claim his words to be preposterous, but he puts his faith in this man whom he does not even know. For us today, it is extremely hard to put our absolute faith in God; though we know how great he is, we still often express doubt. James 2:14-26 talks about how faith alone will die out, and in verse 26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Faith is alive, and cannot stand-alone. How have you been doubtful of God recently? Take some time and pray with God that he would fill you with the Holy Spirit and an alive and unwavering faith in him, but that you would also seek him out.
Later on in this passage, Jesus meets with the healed man in private and informs him that it was he, Jesus, who healed him. He doesn’t only do that though, he also says in verse 14, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man was physically well, but was still hurting spiritually. He didn’t have God’s forgiveness. But Jesus cares for him spiritually, and calls him to sin no more and to proclaim the truth.
It is interesting to note that Jesus doesn’t make a spectacle of his healing of the man. He does it discretely. We see this throughout the bible in Matthew 9:27-31 (Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute), and in Mark 2:40-45 (Jesus Heals a man with Leprosy). Instead of appealing to the people and their idea of a strong leader, Jesus follows God’s plan, and lives to bring glory to the Father, and not himself.
Now meditate on how your spiritual well being. Is it alive and well, as God wants it to be? Spend some time in prayer asking God to guide you towards becoming more alive spiritually and for consistency. Also, reflect on how you can become more of a support for others spiritually more so than physically. Finally, ask God to show you how he is calling you to live as Jesus lived a life that he was called to by the Father, and not by man.
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