Sacrificed For Our Sanctification.

John 17

And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours. – Vs 19 NLT

This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible because it is a prayer of Jesus that He prayed on our behalf. It is just hours before is arrest, trials, and crucifixion, yet He stops to talk to His Father and lift up His disciples and all those who would believe in Him because of their words. That includes me and you. He prays that we would know the Father and Himself as the sent one, the crucified sacrificial Lamb of God. In fact, that is Jesus' definition of what it means to be saved. This is not just an intellectual knowledge, but an intimate, personal knowledge that should grow over time. The word Jesus used was actually a Jewish idiom referring to sexual intimacy between a man and a woman. Jesus is asking that we might experience eternal life which is a close, intimate, personal knowledge of God and His Son. And that knowledge will grow deeper over time. Jesus also asked the Father to protect us from the enemy during our time here on earth. He didn't ask God to take us out of the world, but to leave us here, even though, as His followers, we are no longer a part of this world. He left us here to carry on His mission. He was actually sending us out into the world (Vs 18). Because of that, He asks the Father to set them apart in the truth of His word. We, like the disciples, have heard the truth. In fact, Jesus prayed, "I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me" (Vs 8 NLT). Jesus had told them the truth about who He was, where He had come from, what was going to happen to Him, and where He was going. He had told them the truth about the Holy Spirit to come and the role they were to play after He was gone. Everything God had said regarding Jesus in His word, which at that time was the Old Testament, had been and would be proven true in Jesus. So He asks that the Father would dedicate them for service according to that truth. And that applies to us as well.

But everything that Jesus asked the Father to do would only be possible if Jesus did what He came to do. And that is what verse 19 talks about. Jesus tells His Father that He is setting Himself apart or dedicating Himself for the sake of His followers. Like a lamb that is dedicated or set apart for sacrifice, Jesus is consecrating Himself for death on the cross. He is willingly putting His life on the line so that we might have eternal life. Jesus didn't just ask the Father to do all these things for us at no cost to Himself. He laid it all on the line. He sacrificed Himself on our behalf. Listen to what He says: "I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours" (Vs 19). Everything Jesus prayed was possible ONLY if Jesus accomplished what He was sent to do. His death was the key. And He did it for our sake – on our behalf. Why? So that we might be truly sanctified. His death made possible our dedication. His sacrifice made possible our sanctification. What Jesus did on the cross is what sets us apart. His death is what gave us life. He paid the debt we owed so that we might be reconciled or restored to a right relationship with God. We are now set apart and dedicated to Him. We have been bought at a high price. Paul tells us just that in 1 Corinthians 6:20: "For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (NLT). He reminds us later in the same letter: "God purchased you at a high price. Don’t be enslaved by the world" (1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT). Jesus set Himself apart for death so that we might be set apart to God. To honor God with our bodies and to never again allow ourselves to go back into slavery to the world. We are no longer of this world (Vs 14). Instead, we have been sent by Christ into the world to carry on His work (Vs 18). We have been set apart and dedicated for that purpose. And He payed for it with His life.

Father, You sent your Son to die on my behalf. He dedicated Himself for that purpose. And because He did, I am set apart and dedicated to You. He bought Me our of slavery to sin and dedicated me to You. I am no longer mine. I belong to You. May I live like it. Forgive me for failing to glorify You in my body like I should. I tend to want to glorify me. Forgive me for allowing myself to fall back into slavery to this world. I allow it to capture me with its pleasures and false promises. But I am no longer of this world. I have been sent into it as an ambassador or representative of Christ. Show me how to live out that reality every day. I belong to You. May I live like it every day of my life.  Amen

I Have Overcome the World!

John 16

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. – Vs 33 NLT

In this chapter we have Jesus sharing some heavy and somewhat confusing news with His disciples. It is clear from the passage that they are having a hard time tracking with Him. They even say, "And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand" (Vs 18 NLT). Jesus has good news and bad news for them. The bad news is that the hour is coming when they will be considered outcasts from the synagogue. They'll be excommunicated and unable to worship as they have all their lives. On top of that, they will be killed and those who do it will think they are doing God a favor. The good news is that Jesus assures them He is sending them a "helper." They don't know it yet, but this is a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit. "And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment" (Vs 8 NLT). Jesus assures them that, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future" (Vs 13 NLT).

Then Jesus really confuses things by telling them, In just a little while I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that, you will see me again" (Vs 16 NLT). He also tells them that the coming events will leave them weeping and mourning while the world rejoices, but their grief will turn to joy. He is clearly foreshadowing His crucifixion and death, as well as His resurrection. Finally, He tells them that because of what He is about to go through, they will have new power available to them. They will be able to pray in the authority of His name and receive whatever they ask for. They will have direct access to the Father because of what Jesus is about to accomplish on their behalf. While Jesus is going to be leaving them and returning to the Father, His departure will provide them with a reconciled or renewed relationship with the Father.

But Jesus' last statement in this chapter is the most impactful one. He tells His disciples that "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" (Vs 33 NLT). He basically assure them that the days ahead will not be easy ones – even after His resurrection. Yes, they will have access to the Father. Yes, they will have a divine Helper in the form of the Holy Spirit. Yes, they will be able to ask the Father for anything they need in Jesus' name. But they will experience extreme pressure. That is what the Greek word used here for trials and sorrows means. It refers to "oppression, affliction, tribulation, and distress." They are going to face some difficult days ahead. It is not going to be easy. And the book of Acts chronicles exactly what Jesus is prophesying. The apostle Paul testified to the reality of Jesus' statement in his letter to the Romans: "Even the Scriptures say, 'For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.' No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us" (Romans 8:36-37 NLT). John also testified to the truth of Jesus' statement. "For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5 NLT).

Jesus has overcome the world. Even though He had not yet died or been resurrected, Jesus confidently asserted that what He was about to do was as good as done. He was going to finish what He had come to do. And He did. He overcame the world. And because of that we can have the same confidence that Paul and John had. Overwhelming victory is our through Christ. We can win the battle against the world because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We can win. It is going to be hard, but we can win! We WILL win, because He has already won.

Father, I want to live with a sense of victory, not defeat. I want to live as an overcomer, not an underdog. Keep me focused on the words of Jesus. He has overcome the world. He has won the victory. It is just a matter of time before He sets everything right, but it WILL happen. Help me not to lose sight of that reality. Amen

What Do You Wish For?

John 15

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – Vs 7 NASB

Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. I have always struggled with this verse. It's a promise from Christ Himself, but I have rarely seen it become a reality in my life. I know the problem is not with Christ or His Word, so it begs the question, "Why don't I seem to get whatever I wish?" About two years ago, while on a missions trip to Ethiopia, I had the opportunity to teach this chapter to about 160 pastors and church leaders. It was in studying for that lesson that the real message of this verse jumped out at me. I discovered that it had very little to do with what I wish. At least not with the kinds of things that I tend to wish for. The secret to understanding this promise is to keep it in its context. But like a lot of other passages in Scripture, we tend to lift it out of its context, and when we do, we lose its real meaning.

Jesus starts out chapter seven using the metaphor of vines, branches, and the vinedresser. It is an agricultural metaphor that his listeners would have easily understood. The real point of the metaphor seems to be about fruit bearing or fruitfulness. In the first 10 verses, Jesus uses the terms "bear fruit" and "bear more fruit" six different times. The clear purpose of a vine is to bear fruit. It is the reason a vinedresser plants the vine in the first place. When he places the vine in the ground, his expectation is that it bear fruit. In verse seven, Jesus says, "…ask whatever you wish." That word means "have in mind, intend" or "desire, wish, take delight in, have pleasure." Think about it. What does the vinedresser have in mind or intend when he plants the vine? Fruit. And the more, the better. If the vine could intelligently think, what would its greatest desire be? To produce fruit and a lot of it? The vine wouldn't desire something else. It wouldn't want to be the wood used to build a yacht or a throne. It would take delight in doing what it was intended to do. And in doing so, it would bring pleasure to the vinedresser. The same thing holds true for the branches. Their greatest desire or wish would be for fruitfulness. They would want, desire, wish, and take delight in doing what they were created to do.

But what is Jesus really talking about here? His followers. He is giving us a parable or story that helps us better understand our role in His kingdom work. God is the vinedresser, and He "planted" His Son on this earth to bear fruit. We are the branches. We are attached to and abide in the vine, and have the power and resources of Christ Himself flowing through us. As a result, we produce fruit. So when Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you," He is still talking about fruitfulness. What is the greatest wish or desire of the vinedresser? Fruitfulness. What is the greatest wish or desire of the vine? Fruitfulness. What should be the greatest wish or desire of the branch? Fruitfulness. We should want nothing more than to be fruit bearers. That should be my greatest wish or desire. It should bring me pleasure to bear fruit for the Father as Jesus produces it through me. This isn't about me getting whatever I want, but about my life being used by God to produce what HE wants. Fruit. Just look at verse eight: "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." I glorify God when my life produces fruit. Why? Because it is clear that He has produced it in me. When a winery produces abundant grapes, you don't praise the vine or the branches, you praise the keeper of the winery. The same is true in our lives. When our lives produce fruit, God gets the glory. Because He is the one who made it possible. So when Jesus says,  "ask whatever you wish." He isn't telling us we have a blank check and can write it for whatever we want. He is saying that our desires are going to change. What we ask for is going to radically change the more we abide in Him. As the life of Christ flows through our life, we will see our desires change. What used to bring us pleasure no longer will. Instead we will find that we want what He wants. We will desire what He desires. And what does He desire? Fruitfulness.

And here's one more thing to think about regarding fruitfulness. The fruit is NOT for you. I used to think that I was the key beneficiary of the fruit in my life, but if you stick with the metaphor, you realize that the fruit is produced for others, not for me. I am not the beneficiary. An apple tree does not eat the fruit it produces. Others do. So when I allow God to produce fruit through me, it is those around me who benefit. They are blessed. They get to enjoy what God has produced through me. So they benefit from my love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. But I don't go away empty handed. Jesus tells us in verse 11: "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." What is the joy that Jesus has that He wants to fill us with? To do the will of His Father. To produce fruit. When we see our lives producing fruit and benefiting those around us, we WILL have joy. Because we will know that we are doing what we were made to do. We are being used by God. And who could wish for anything more?

Father, make it my greatest wish to bear fruit for You! Continue to change my desires to match Yours. I want to want what You want. I want to be fruitful. So that my joy may be full. Amen

He Loved To Death.

John 14

I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the prince of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. – Vs 30-31 NLT

Time was running out. Jesus' days on this earth were numbered and He knew that His death was fast approaching. So He tried to encourage His disciples. He told them that He was going to prepare a place for them (Vs 3). He reminded them that He was the way to that place (Vs 6). He reassured them that He and the Father were one, and that by knowing and believing in Him, they would know the Father (Vs 10-11). He encouraged them that even though He was leaving, they would do even greater works than He had done (Vs 12), and that whatever they asked God for in Jesus' name, He would guarantee that they got it (Vs 13-14). He told them that even though He was leaving, He would not leave them alone, but would give them another Helper – the Holy Spirit – who would guide them, teach them, and supernaturally bring to their minds all that Jesus had taught them (Vs 16-17, 26). He reminded them that the best expression of their love for Him was to obey all that He had said and taught them (Vs 21, 23). Then to calm their fears and to give them confidence to face what was coming, He assured them that He was going to give them His peace – in the form of the Holy Spirit (Vs 27).

But one of the most fascinating things Jesus said to the disciples was His statement regarding the coming of the enemy. Jesus said, "I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the prince of this world approaches. He has no power over me" (Vs 30). The Message paraphrases verse 30 this way, "I'll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don't worry – he has nothing on me, no claim on me." Jesus was letting them know that He was about to be betrayed into the hands of enemies and Satan was behind the whole thing. But He was also letting them know that what was about to happen was all under HIS control not Satans. What Jesus was about to do, He was doing willingly! And not only that, He was doing it as an expression of His love to His Father! Look at what He said earlier in the book of John:

The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my Father has given me this command." – John 10:17-18 NLT

Satan was not in control of the situation, Jesus was. Satan was not taking Jesus' life. Jesus was willingly laying His life on the line in obedience to the command of His Father. And in doing so, it was the greatest expression of His love for His Father. Jesus' death was a demonstration or proof of His love for the Father. And it was a demonstration or proof of the Father's love for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NASB).

Jesus literally loved His Father to death. Paul tells us, "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8 NASB). Jesus loved His Father enough to obey Him – even though it meant giving His life and dying a criminal's death on a cross. He did what His Father commanded Him to do. That makes what Jesus says in verses 21 and 23 that much more impactful. "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them … All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them." Jesus could say this because He was about to do it. He modeled it. His greatest expression of love for His Father was to obey His Father's command to sacrifice His own life on our behalf. So what makes me think that I can say that I love Jesus but can refuse to obey what He has commanded me to do? Obedience to His commands is the greatest expression of my love for Him. Am I willing to love Him to death?

Father, You showed Your love for me by sending Your Son to die in my place. And Jesus showed His love for You by doing just that. He obeyed, even though it cost Him His life and separated Him from You for the first time in all eternity. But that demonstration of His love for You made salvation possible for me. And allowed me to enjoy Your love for me. Thank You both. Now may I learn to obey You more – even if it costs me everything! Amen

That God Be Glorified.

John 13

The time has come for me, the Son of Man, to enter into my glory, and God will receive glory because of all that happens to me. – John 13:31 NLT

Have you ever wondered why God allows suffering and heartache in your life? I have. I look at those times and wonder what in the world God could be thinking. Why would He allow me to have to go through a time of difficulty or testing? He could prevent it. He could stop it. He could change it. But sometimes He doesn't. Why? Then I read this chapter and I hear Jesus say, "The time has come for me, the Son of Man, to enter into my glory, and God will receive glory because of all that happens to me." Do you hear what Jesus is saying? God is going to be glorified by ALL that happens to Him. And what is about to happen to Him? His arrest and trials. His abuse at the hands of the Jews. His scourging and humiliation at the hands of the Romans. His brutal crucifixion and ultimate death. And Jesus is saying that God will receive glory because of all that happens to Him! God was going to receive glory not only through Jesus' resurrection, but through His crucifixion as well.

Jesus lived to glorify His Father. In everything He did. Every act, every deed, every thought, every circumstance of His life brought glory to God. Because He lived in constant obedience to God. His godly reaction to even ungodly circumstances brought glory to God. His godly and obedient submission to His Father's will, even when it was not ideal or pleasurable, brought glory to God. You see, we somehow think that God can only be glorified through the good times. We fail to realize that we bring Him glory when we acknowledge Him even in the bad times. When we trust Him when things look dark and bleak, He receives glory. When we praise Him, even when things look bad, we give Him glory. It is our lives that bring Him glory, not just our words. It is our responses to life that bring Him glory, not just our religious observances. Jesus knew that what He was about to go through, and it was going to be worse than anything any one of us has ever been or ever will go through, was going to bring glory and honor to His heavenly Father. Why? Because His faithful obedience was going to show the world the amazing love of God. What does John 3:16 tell us? "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (NIV). In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (NLT).

God was going to be glorified by Jesus' obedience. God was going to be glorified in the suffering and death of Jesus. His life and subsequent death would glorify God. So could God be glorified in my sufferings? Could God be glorified in the struggles of my life? Over in 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians, "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (NASB). What was that price? The death of Jesus Christ. With the death of His own Son, God purchased us out of slavery to sin. He redeemed us off of the slave market and set us free. So what does Paul say we should do? Glorify God with our bodies. Jesus glorified God with His body. Should we do no less? And how do we do that? By accepting from the Father what He allows into our life. By trusting His love and mercy. By not leaning on our own understanding, but instead, resting on His promises. God wants to use you to bring glory to Himself. But He is most glorified when I am most satisfied with Him. And I show my satisfaction in Him when I trust Him – with everything that happens to me – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Father, I want my life to glorify You today. Forgive me for constantly complaining about the circumstances of my life and failing to realize that You know exactly what you are doing. May I continue to trust You more and more because You are trustworthy. Help me to see that You are using every event in my life as an opportunity to glorify You. To show the world that You are powerful, faithful, loving, and trustworthy. Amen

You're Killing Me!

John 12

When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too. – Vs 9-10 NLT

I love the Pharisees. Not in an admirable way, but in a kind of rubber-necking-wreck-on-the-side-of-the-highway kind of way. There's just something about them that intrigues and attracts me. Maybe it's because I see a lot of myself in them. In this story in chapter 11 of John, I find it quite humorous that their solution to the presence of Lazarus, this guy that Jesus miraculously raised from the dead, is to kill him. Think about it. Is that not a really bad solution to their problem? I mean, I understand that it was a real hassle having this guy walking around telling people that he had once been dead but now was alive all because of Jesus. Sure, his story of resucitationfrom death to life was causing a lot of people to become followers of Jesus, but does killing him really makes sense? Is that the best solution you can come up with? After all, Jesus JUST raised him from the DEAD! Couldn't He do it again?

But isn't that the way men think? Rather than see the miraculous nature of what Christ had done as living proof of who He claimed to be, they would rather just destroy the evidence. Which is why I think Jesus warned us that the world would hate us. "The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you" (John 15:9 NLT). The world hates the message and the messengers. It hates what and who we stand for. So its only solution is to destroy us. But Jesus told us, "Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). The Psalmist reminds us, "In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalms 56:11 NASB). They could have killed Lazarus, but Jesus could have just brought him back to life. I am not saying He would have, but He could have. And even if Jesus chose not to, the death of Lazarus would not have been the end. Jesus came to give abundant life now, but eternal life forever. That's why death is not a dead end. For those who believe in Christ, it is just the beginning. In fact, Jesus says just a few verses later, "Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25 NLT). Jesus' healing of Lazarus wasn't about restoring physical life on this earth, but to prove that Jesus was the Messiah and had the power and authority to promise eternal life. The Pharisees didn't know what to do with Jesus or His miracles. They didn't know what to do with Lazarus. The best they could come up with was to kill him. But he had been dead before. He would live to die again. But he would rise again. Just like we all will. But the next time it would not be to more of the same kind of life he had come to know, but to a new life altogether. Eternal life. Free from sin, sickness, and death.

Recently I ran across the lyrics to a song that has really meant a lot to me. I catch myself listening to it throughout the day, even at night as I am going to sleep. Check out the lyrics and see if they are not an encouragement to you.

It is not death to die To leave this weary road And join the saints who dwell on high Who’ve found their home with God It is not death to close The eyes long dimmed by tears And wake in joy before Your throne Delivered from our fears

O Jesus, conquering the grave Your precious blood has power to save Those who trust in You Will in Your mercy find That it is not death to die

It is not death to fling Aside this earthly dust And rise with strong and noble wing To live among the just It is not death to hear The key unlock the door That sets us free from mortal years To praise You evermore

O Jesus, conquering the grave Your precious blood has power to save Those who trust in You Will in Your mercy find That it is not death to die

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

It is not death to die. It is to live!

Father, give me a boldness to face death fearlessly. Remind me constantly that I have nothing to fear from death or from men. They can only kill me, but you have already given me new life. It is not death to die. Help me believe that. They can kill the messenger, but not the message of hope that is found in the Gospel. Amen

See The Glory Of God.

John 11

And again Jesus was deeply troubled. Then they came to the grave. It was a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 'Roll the stone aside,' Jesus told them. – John 11:38-39 NLT

In all the times I have read this story, I never made the connection between the death of Lazarus and the death of Jesus that was coming just a short time later. I also never thought about how this event must have gone through the minds of the disciples when there were told that the tomb of Jesus was empty. Did they recall this day? Did they remember that Lazarus had been dead four days but was able to walk out of his own grave? Like so many of the events in the Scriptures, this was just a glimpse into what was to come.

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, His friend Lazarus was dead and buried. But Jesus knew this. He had delayed His arrival for just this purpose. He was going to use this as an opportunity to glorify God and validate His position as the Messiah. The atmosphere in Bethany was dark and gloomy. The cries of mourners filled the air. Hope had given way to despair. Any anticipation of Jesus healing Lazarus from his sickness had faded when Lazarus breathed his last breath. It was over. Even Jesus was too late. Both Mary and Martha confronted Jesus with the words, "Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died!" They both believed that Jesus could have healed Lazarus. But death was final. Their brother was gone. Yet Jesus responded, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?" (Vs 25-26 NLT).

When they arrive at the tomb, they find a cave with the entrance covered by a stone. Sound familiar? Jesus commands them to remove the stone. Sound familiar? The women don't expect to find anything inside but a dead and decaying body? Sound familiar? But what does Jesus say to them? "Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe?" (Vs 40 NLT). So they remove the stone and Jesus calls out "Lazarus, come out!" And then John records, "The man who had died came forth" (Vs 44 NASB). Sound familiar?

This whole event was a precursor to the one coming up in just a few days. Jesus was going to die. He was going to be buried. He was going to be placed in a grave. His death would be mourned by His followers. It would be accompanied by despair and a loss of hope. His death would carry with it an air of defeat and finality. His grave would have a stone rolled in front of it. Yet, that stone too would be rolled away. His tomb would be found empty. Because He is the resurrection and the life. But do we believe? Mary, Martha, and the disciples had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. But what did they do when Jesus died? They despaired. They gave up hope. They doubted. They failed to believe. The women went to the tomb to anoint a dead body, not to look for a risen Lord. The disciples were in hiding. But Jesus was alive! He had conquered death and the grave. He had paid the penalty for sin. He had satisfied the just demands of a holy, righteous God. And He had glorified God through His life, His death, and His resurrection. But do you believe?

"Did I not say to you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Do you believe in Him today? Is He big enough for your problems? If He great enough for your defeats and despair today? If Jesus alive and well in your life today? He wants you to see the glory of God in your life today. He wants to prove Himself as the resurrection and the life even today. He can bring joy out of despair and victory out of defeat. He can bring life where there appears to be nothing but death. He can restore. He can revive. He can give life. Do you believe that today? If so, you will see the glory of God.

Father, I want to see your Glory in my life today. But I know I have to believe that nothing is too great for Your Son. I don't have a problem believing in the reality of eternal life, but I sometimes struggle believing that Jesus can give me abundant life here and now. I doubt and despair. But Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He wants me to believe. He wants to show me the glory of God. May that happen in my life today. Amen

Life In All Its Fullness.

John 10

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. – Vs 10 NLT

Abundant life. Life to the full. Better life than you've ever dreamed of. The kind of life that Jesus is promising is not just a slightly improved version of the one we were living before He showed up on the scene, but something that is out-of-this-world better. The Greek word Jesus uses for "abundant" life in this verse is perissos and it means "over and above, more than is necessary, super-added." It can also mean "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon." So what Jesus is promising is a life on this planet that is super-charged and superior to anything man had ever experienced before.

But is that what most of us are experiencing as a result of our relationship with Christ? If we're honest we would have to say, "No!" For most of us, our life since coming to know Christ has had its improvements, but it would be hard to say that it is "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon." In fact, for many, it is just a slightly improved version of the old life we lived before coming to Christ. We've given up some of our old habits, replaced them with a few good ones, attend church on a fairly regular basis, read our Bibles, occasionally pray, give to the church, and try our best to be good Christians. But is that what Jesus is talking about? Is the abundant life just a slightly improved version of our old life? Is it just a sanitized version of our life before Christ? Is that what He laid down His life to offer us? I don't think so. And I don't think Jesus is just talking about eternal life either. No, His offer is about a better life right here and now. A life that is over-and-above and exceeding anything we have ever known before. It is a life filled with joy and peace, power, contentment, rest (Matthew 11:28-29), divine guidance and empowerment, and so much more. But we settle for so much less. Jesus came that we might have life to the full. A complete life. A super-added life that is so much more than anything in this world can offer or ever provide. It is a life where the flesh no longer has to control me. It is a life where sin no longer has to dominate me. It is a life where self no longer has to rule, but I can learn to love God and others more than I love me. It is a life where sacrifice comes naturally. It is a life where God's will becomes more appealing than my own. It is a life where eternal things take precedence over temporal ones. It is the life God intended us to live from the beginning.

Is that the life you're living? Is that the life you're experiencing? If not, Jesus' offer still stands. He is offering life to the full, but it will be on His terms, not yours. It will be based on His definition, not yours. Are you willing to let Him give you the life He longs for you to have? It will look a lot different than anything you might expect. But it will be so much better than anything you ever dreamed of. It will be life in all its fullness!

Father, Your Son came to give me life to the full, but I have settled for so much less. I want to experience abundant life, super-charged life right here and now. You give me glimpses of it, but I know there is more. Help me give up my own expectations of what abundant life might be and allow Christ to give me the life He died to provide. Amen

…Was Blind, But Now I See!

John 9

"If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see." – Vs 41 NLT

It's interesting that yesterday's chapter was about the Light of life shining in the darkness. Now John tells us the story of Jesus' encounter with a man who literally lived his life in darkness due to blindness. From the time he was born this man had lived in a world devoid of light – a world of perpetual darkness. Then he has a "chance" encounter with Jesus, the Light of life, and his world would change forever. You would think that Jesus' miraculous healing of this man's condition of physical blindness would have been a cause of celebration, but instead it was a cause of consternation for the Pharisees. Why? Because Jesus had chosen to heal this man on the Sabbath. He had broken the law – at least according to them. He had violated their religious protocol. And that was more important than the fact that his man had been blind since birth and could now see for the first time in his life.

This sets up a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. But it also drags the poor man right into the middle of the whole thing. He is questioned relentlessly. He is forced to retell his story multiple times. His veracity is brought into question. And he begins to lose patience with his inquisitors. But he gives them a well-reasoned response that shows he not only has gained physical sight, but insight into what has just happened to him.

"Why, that’s very strange!" the man replied. "He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know anything about him! Well, God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Never since the world began has anyone been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do it." – Vs 30-33 NLT

As far as this man was concerned, there was only one logical conclusion. He used to be blind, but now he could see. He had experienced a miracle from God. This man Jesus had to be from God. This man not only could SEE, he could understand. He could perceive the truth about who Jesus really was and ended up believing and worshiping Him (Vs 38). But what about the Pharisees? They are the ones who remained blind. Jesus tells them, "I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind" (Vs 39 NLT). Their problem was that they thought they could see. They thought they were perceptive and insightful, but in reality they were blind. They couldn't see the Light of life standing right in front of them. They were blinded by their self-righteousness and pride. They were blinded by their own rules and religious regulations. They were blinded by their insatiable need for respect, power, and recognition. And unlike the man in the story, their blindness was the result of sin. Jesus told them, "since you claim to see everything so well, you're accountable for every fault and failure" (Vs 41 MSG).

How's your sight today? Are you living in the darkness brought on by pride and self-righteousness? Do you refuse to see the truth about who Jesus says He is? Are you blind to the reality of His life-giving, light-shedding power? So often we live as if we think we can see. We want to believe that we have all the insight we need. But Jesus is calling us to admit our blindness, to acknowledge that we really live in darkness. He is the Light of life and He wants to shine in our lives every day.

Father, thank You that you opened my eyes to the truth about my blindness. I too was blind, but now I see. I was living in a world filled with darkness, then the Light of life came in and revealed the truth about who I was and who He is. But spiritual blindness still creeps in at time, causing me to think I see, when I really can't. I can be blinded by my pride and self-righteousness. Never let me forget that it was Jesus who opened my eyes so that I could see anything at all. Any spiritual sight or insight I have are because of Him and Him alone.  Amen

The Light of the World.

John 8

I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in. – John 8:2 NLT

Light is a theme all throughout the book of John. It began in the very first chapter when John introduced Jesus as the "Light of men" (Vs 4). John said, "And the Light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it" (Vs 5 NET). He went on to say, "The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world" (Vs 9 NET). He tells us that John the Baptist came to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. Now we have Jesus claiming to be the Light of the world. Not only that, He claims that those who believe in Him will no longer walk in darkness. Instead they will have the Light of life. This entire chapter is so politically incorrect and non-seeker sensitive! Jesus is stating the reality of the spiritual condition into which He came. It is DARK. These people are stumbling around in the darkness of sin like blind men in the middle of the night. Jesus describes the spiritual climate a few chapters later like this: "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him" (John 11:10 NASB). Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world. He came to dispel the darkness. The darkness of sin tried to master or overcome Him, but it failed. Jesus came to provide men with light that would expose their sins and expel the darkness of sin. And He took His role seriously. That's why He does a full-frontal assault on the Pharisees and their self-righteousness. Just take a look at what what Jesus has to say to them in this discussion alone:

•  You will die in your sins (Vs 21, 24)

•  You are slaves to sin (Vs 34)

•  You don't do the deeds of Abraham (Vs 39)

•  You're murderers (Vs 40)

•  You can't hear from God (Vs 43)

•  You are sons of Satan (Vs 44)

•  You are not of God (Vs 47)

Wow! No wonder these guys were out to get rid of Jesus. He was attacking the very essence of who they were. He was exposing the reality of their sinfulness in the midst of all their self-righteousness. He was exposing the darkness of their lives. These were the spiritual elite, the religious leaders of the day. They had their spiritual act together so to speak. But in the presence of the Light, they got exposed for what they really were. But isn't that what Light does? Shouldn't that be what Jesus does in our own lives every day? Jesus is still the Light of the world. He is still the Light of life. He still illuminates the darkness. He dispels it. He replaces the darkness with Light. So that rather than stumbling around in the darkness of our delusional self-righteousness, we see the reality of what we truly are without Him.

Jesus came to dispel the darkness. He can to eliminate the effects of sin in the lives of men. Light can be glaring and intimidating, especially when you have grown used to the dark. It is like having someone turn on the lights in the middle of the night. It is a shock to the system. It can be uncomfortable. Just as it must have been for the Pharisees in Jesus' day. But Jesus was not out to bring comfort. He was here to expose and expel. He was hear to set free and deliver from slavery to sin. And He is still doing the same thing today.

Father, thank You that the Light of life shined in the darkness of my life and set me free from the darkness of sin. May I have the same passion to expose the blindness of self-righteousness in my life and in the lives of those around me like Jesus did. Give me a growing concern for the lostness of this world and a boldness to reject political correctness and seeker sensitivity. Men are stumbling around in the dark and need to be exposed to the one true Light.  Amen

Living Water.

John 7

If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within. – John 7:5 NLT

John tells us that Jesus made this statement on the last day of the Feast of Booths. This would have been the eighth day. Each day up until then, the priests would had fulfilled the ceremony of carrying water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring it into a basin located by the altar of burnt offering. At this altar the priests would sacrifice various offerings to God. Some offerings were made for their own sins and some for the sins of the people. The point of the burnt offering was that, by it, a person might become accepted before God and forgiven. The burnt offering involved the sacrifice of a male animal: a ram, goat, bullock, or a turtle dove. The offering had to be without blemish, the very healthiest and best available. This foreshadows the Lord Jesus, who was examined by Pontius Pilate who declared, "I find no fault in Him at all."

But not only did the sacrifice foreshadow the future atoning work of Jesus, the water in the basin foreshadowed the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus offers Himself as the only way to quench their spiritual thirst. If they only believed in Him, He promised thema source of "living water" or new life through the Spirit of God.  It was the same offer He made to the woman at the well back in chapter 4. "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (John 4:10 NASB). There on the Temple Mount, Jesus was declaring Himself as the source of life. The day was coming when He would offer Himself as our substitionary sacrifice. He would do what no bull, goat, or lamb had ever done – completely satisfy the just demands of God. He would be the perfect sacrifice, or as John the Baptist, He would be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And as a result of that sacrifice, those who believe would be given new life – made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Isaiah had predicted this statement by Jesus hundreds of years before: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55:1-2 NIV). Jesus is offering His listeners something far greater than they had ever received before: Eternal life. Something that is absolutely free and cannot be bought with our good efforts or hard work. Jesus is offering living water that will flow from within. You won't have to go the Pool of Siloam or the well of Jacob and haul your water through self-effort. He will cause it to flow from right within you through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is offering to quench thirst and satisfy our spiritual needs. But we tend to turn elsewhere to have our needs met. We tend to look elsewhere to satisfy our spiritual thirst. We attempt to haul water from other sources in an effort to quench the spiritual thirst within us. But Jesus says, "Come to Me and drink." He is the source. The only source. And when He quenches our thirst, we never thirst again!

Father, thank You for the living water made possible throughthe death, burial, and resurrection of Your Son. Thank You for the reality that because of His death, I have new life made possible by the Spirit of God who lives within me. I am a new creature. I have a source of spiritual sustenance that flows from within, not from without. I don't have to haul water to the altar. I don't have to go to the well of life anymore. The water of life flows within me! Amen

What Are You Hungry For?

John 6

Where are we to buy bread so that these may eat? – John 6:5 NASB

"This He was saying to test him" (Vs 6). Poor Philip. Little did he know that Jesus was giving him a test to see how he would respond. Jesus already knew how He was going to handle the situation, but He wanted to see how Philip and the other disciples would assess their circumstances and respond. And I don't think Jesus was surprised at their reaction. "It would take a small fortune to feed them!," was Philip's shocked response (Vs 7 NLT). As much as eight month's wages. In other words, Jesus was asking the impossible. There's no way this could be done. They lacked the necessary resources. In fact, all they could find was five loaves of bread and two fishes. Andrew, having assessed the situation, says, "But what good is that with this huge crowd?" (Vs 9 NLT).

I love this story because it reminds me of my daily life. It is how I tend to view everything that goes on around me. I have limited perspective and a nearsighted view of how things really work. I say I believe in God, but then as soon as I encounter a situation where my resources seem limited, I begin to doubt. My belief becomes limited by my ability to see how things will turn out. If my resources are as meager as five loaves and a couple of measly fish, then I begin to doubt whether I can accomplish the task at hand. My God becomes only as big as my resources. I look around me and ask, "What good is that with this huge crowd?" I limit God. I fail to trust Him. I say I believe in Him, but as soon as the situation gets a little tough, I begin to doubt.

Then He does what only He can do. Jesus steps in and shows that He is not limited by man's lack. He accomplishes the impossible with the improbable. He turns little into much. He satisfies and fills. He meets the need and beyond. But He is always doing more than just meet the need. He is teaching a lesson. A lesson regarding trust. He can be trusted. He will come through. But more than that, He is teaching that there is more to life than the physical needs that seem to consume us. He was testing His disciples and He was teaching them at the same time. Sure, He fed the five thousand in a miraculous way. The disciples even picked up 12 baskets of leftover bread when it was all said and done. They had seen a miracle. But there was more that Jesus wanted to teach them. The people He fed had had their physical need met. Now they wanted more. They show up the next day asking Jesus to perform another sign for them so that they might believe. They even give Him a not-so-subtle suggestion by reminding Him that Moses gave their ancestors in the wilderness manna to eat. Couldn't He do something similar? Wouldn't it be great if Jesus would give them bread right out of heaven so they just had to gather it up every day. No more need to grow grain, harvest it, then bake the bread. Jesus could just cause it to fall from the sky!

But Jesus wasn't interested in providing them with that kind of bread. He wanted to give them something more. He offered them the bread of life. His own life. His body as a sacrifice for their sins. The bread they wanted would never satisfy. It would always leave them hungry for more. They had all eaten to their fill the day before, but now they were hungry again. Jesus was offering them the "true bread of heaven." Himself. He was offering them the only thing that could truly satisfy. But they had limited perspective. They had their eyes set on the wrong thing. They hungered for the wrong kind of bread. But so do we so often. We lose sight of what He is really offering and demand that He provide what we want. We want Him to meet our temporal needs. We demand that He satisfy our physical hunger. But He is offering so much more. He is offering eternal life. He is offering that which can truly satisfy. But will we believe Him? Will we trust Him? He is the bread of life.

Father, Your Son is the bread of life. He is all I really need. But I sometimes doubt He is all I need. I sometimes look at my circumstances and think He is not enough. I look at my own resources and panic. I judge based on my circumstances and begin to fear. But He is greater than my circumstances. He offers me more than just a quick fix for my temporal problems. He is the bread of life. Help me to trust Him more. He always satisfies. Amen

Whose Will Are You Seeking?

John 5

I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. – John 5:30 NASB

Chapter five of John gives us one of Jesus' first and longest discussions regarding just exactly who He was. In an address aimed at the Pharisees, Jesus clearly teaches that He is the Son of God, referring repeatedly to God as His own Father. He claims to to be sent from God. And He states that He is on a mission from God. He says, "I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does" (Vs 19 NLT). As God's Son and as His representative here on earth, Jesus is fully determined to do His Father's will, and nothing more. Which begs the question, as a son of God myself, am I willing to do only what I see the Father doing? Do I even know what the Father is doing? Am I aware of His bigger plan, His kingdom agenda, or am I stuck planning and attempting to implement the agenda of my own little kingdom of one?

Back in chapter four, right after His encounter with the woman at the well, the disciples returned with food and encouraged Jesus to eat. His response was, "I have food to eat that you do not know about" (John 4:32 NASB). The disciples, as they were prone to do, scratch their heads and wonder out loud what Jesus is talking about, because as far as they can see, He has no food. Then Jesus patiently responds, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:35 NASB). Jesus got His sustenance, His nourishment, His energy – from doing what His Father had sent Him to do. It was His reason for being. It was why He was here. In fact, Jesus puts it this way in the very next chapter of this book: "I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want" (John 6:38 NLT). In Matthew 20:28, we have these words of Jesus recorded: "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." It would appear that God's agenda involved Jesus serving as the ransom or payment for the sins of men. He was to be the substitionary sacrifice in our place. That is why He was sent, so that was what He was going to do.

But what about me? What about you? What have we been "sent" to do? Do we have a mission? Has God given us a job to do? It would appear that we have at least a part of our God-given mission recorded for us in Matthew 28:19-20. We're highly familiar with these words, but the question is, "Do we obey them?" Take a look at what Jesus said again: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB). Make disciples. Teach them to obey the commands of Christ. That is God's will for you and me. That's His assignment. But like Jesus, can we say, "I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me?" Too often, my agenda gets in the way. My will takes precedence over God's will. My agenda trumps His. Yet we're always asking what God's will is for our lives. And when we ask, what we're really saying is that we hope His will lines up with ours. We want it to be something WE want to do. We want it to be enjoyable. Yet Jesus came to suffer and to sacrifice His life for the sake of those who didn't deserve it, and for many who would never appreciate it. Why? Because it was His Father's will.

Are you and I willing and ready to do the Father's will regardless of the cost? Are we willing to let go of our will so that we might obey His instead? We are each called to be like Christ. What better way to follow His example than to do as He did and to make the Father's will the highest priority in our lives.

Father, You have a plan and You are working that plan to perfection. And the amazing thing is that You have chosen to include me in that plan. But I confess that I often put my will and my agenda ahead of Yours. I fail to do Your will and instead do my own. But I want to live like Jesus did. I want to find my nourishment, my source of energy from doing just what You have told me to do. I want to live obediently and faithfully within Your will. I want to be a disciple maker, helping build Your kingdom here on this earth until Your Son returns again. Amen

Surely, You're Not Greater Than…?

John 4

And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed? – John 4:12 NLT

While reading chapter four of John this morning, I tried to stay away from the same old comfortable conclusions that seem to come with this all-too-familiar passage. There are tremendous lessons to be learned in Jesus' encounter at the well with the Samaritan woman. But in attempting to look a little bit beneath the surface I saw something I had never seen before. It came out as I looked more closely at the woman's responses to Jesus. She found herself in an uncomfortable spot – a Samaritan woman, of questionable moral integrity – stuck in a conversation with a Jewish rabbi, when all she really wanted was to get her water for the day and go home. The last thing she was looking for was small talk with a Jew. They were enemies. But here she was. And little did she know that this was a divine encounter that would change her life forever.

Immediately, Jesus tells the woman, "Give me a drink." It's almost a command. She was probably expecting silence. Instead, she gets a request. She is shocked and expresses her surprise in her response. "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" (Vs 9 NLT). That's when Jesus launches into His familiar lesson on living water. But this part of the discussion escapes her. She doesn't get it. He is communicating on a spiritual level, but she is stuck in the physical realm. He is talking about eternal things. She is mired in the temporal.

That's when it struck me. Look at her response in verse 12. She says, "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us this well?" (Vs 11 NASB). Jesus has just offered her living water. But she analyzes her circumstances and sees that Jesus has no means of drawing water from the well – Jacob's well – the only source of water she has ever known. She had a limited perspective and a single source of sustenance. All of her life, she had placed her need for water in one place – Jacob's well. She had relied on it and it had supplied her need. At least the need that she was aware of. But she had greater needs. And she had other resources. How do we know? The passage tells us. Jesus tells her to go and call her husband. She responds, "I have no husband." But the truth is, she had HAD five different husbands and was now living with a man who was NOT her husband. This woman had a need. She was thirsty for a lot more than water. And while Jacob's well had quenched her physical thirst, she had been looking everywhere for something or someone to quench her thirst for love, recognition, significance, worth, joy, and contentment. She had "gone to the well" six different times in an attempt to satisfy her emotional and psychological thirst. But nothing had worked.

Now Jesus was standing right in front of her, offering her a new source of sustenance – Himself. But when Jesus confronts us, and offers us living water, we are faced with a dilemma – will we believe Him? Or will we ask the same question she did? "You are not greater than ________?" Fill in the blank.

"You are not greater than my job, are You?"

"You are not greater than sexual fulfillment, are You?"

"You are not greater than money and material things, are You?"

"You are not greater than a husband or wife, are You?"

"You are not greater than recognition, are You?"

"You are not greater than entertainment, are You?"

What's your "Jacob's well" this morning? What have you been relying on to meet your needs? You see, until we acknowledge the fact that we have other things we depend on more than Jesus Himself, we will never turn to Him for what we really need. As long as this woman thought her thirst could be quenched at a well dug by the hands of men, she would always be thirsty spiritually. As long as she thought her emotional thirst could be quenched by yet another physical relationship, she would never be satisfied. She had to accept the fact that, yes, Jesus WAS greater than Jacob. Jesus was greater than Jacob, Jacob's well, her five husbands, her current live-in relationship, her water bucket, her friends, family, or her religion.

Jesus IS greater! But do we really believe that? Do we live like it? The truth is, we ask Jesus some form of that same question every day of our lives. He offers us more, but then we ask, "But are you really greater than ________?" We doubt that He can do more than what we are already doing. We question whether He can deliver more than those resources we are already comfortable relying on. So we settle for less. He offers living water and we settle for H2O. In our search for satisfaction, we must come to the point where we admit that our sources are far inferior to Jesus. He is greater!

Father, forgive me for allowing other things and other people to replace Your Son as the primary resource in my life. I turn far too often to things other than Him in an attempt to meet my needs and quench my thirst. But they never satisfy for long. They just leave me needing more and looking elsewhere. Help me trust the words of Jesus Himself, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst again!." Amen

Born again!

John 3

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3 NASB

Born again. What an overused and misunderstood term. It was the calling card of the religious right for years and a badge of honor for many conservative evangelicals. But then, over time, it seems to have become a trite and meaningless title that functions more as a label than a doctrinal reality. Yet, when John penned these words of Jesus they carried a note of surprise, even shock. Which is why Nicodemus responded as he did. The words, "born again" were not some hackneyed phrase that Nicodemus had heard repeatedly over his life. They were new and strange. He didn't know what they meant. Which is clear in his response: "How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?" (Vs 4 NLT). He was confused. He didn't know that Jesus was talking about spiritual birth. He didn't even know it was a possibility.

Jesus was introducing to Nicodemus the doctrinal concept of regeneration. Jesus was telling this well-educated Pharisee about a need in his life that he was totally unaware of – the need for a regeneration or resurrection of his dead spiritual life. Regeneration deals with man’s condition of spiritual death and his need for spiritual life or new birth. By definition, it is the supernatural act of God whereby the spiritual and eternal life of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is imparted to the individual through faith in Jesus Christ. Why do we need it? Because man is spiritually dead and separated from God by his own sinfulness and God's holiness. He is totally incapable of doing anything to solve the problem of his sin and God's just responsibility to deal with that sin. He's dead. So God came up with the plan of regeneration.

“…even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!)” – Ephesians 2:5 NLT

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” – John 5:21 NIV

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit ifyou have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)” – Romans 8:9 NLT

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:4 NIV

We may live a new life. A Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered new life that makes us not only right with God, but His children. We are born again into His family. Regeneration or new birth is just a part of what happens at salvation. And like the entire, incredible, miraculous salvation process, it is all the work of God. I bring nothing to the table. Neither did Nicodemus. Which was a shock to his pharisaical system. Over in Titus 3:5, Paul tells us "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." Nicodemus' hope was not in himself, but in the only One who could do anything to give him new life. His hope was in new life, not a new-and-improved version of his old life. Nicodemus, like the rest of us, was dead in his trespasses and sins. Then along came Jesus with His offer of new life. Nicodemus could be born again. He could be give new life in Christ. What an amazing, miraculous idea. I was spiritually dead, but am now BORN AGAIN. May those words never become trite or overused in my life again. May they never lose their significance.

Father, You have given me new life and new hope through Jesus Christ. You have regenerated my once dead spiritual life and made me alive in Christ. I have Your Spirit living within me and that is an amazing, mind-blowing reality. Never let me take it lightly or for granted because it was all made possible through Your own Son's sacrificial death in my place. Amen

A Glimpse of His Glory.

John 2

This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him. – Vs 11 MSG

Chapter two of the book of John records Jesus' first miracle: His turning of the water into wine at the wedding in Cana. John says, "This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave." And in doing so, He manifested His glory. He made visible or exposed to view who He was – the Son of God in all His glory. His miracles or signs were less about the events themselves than about the One behind them. We get caught up in the wonder of how Jesus could turn plain, ordinary water into wine. But John is emphasizing the miracles as a sign of Jesus uniqueness. Remember chapter one? He is the Word incarnate. He is the Light of the world. He is the Lamb of God. He is the Messiah. The Chosen One of God. And this first miracle is a sign that proves He is all those things and more.

His miracle was a revelation of His glory. The Greek word for glory is doxa and it means "magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace." What Jesus did that day revealed His essential deity. Though He appeared to be just a man to those around Him, Jesus was in fact completely God in human form. He was the God-man. His turning of the water into wine was a glimpse of His creative capabilities as Creator of the universe. Every miracle He did was a subtle revealing of His divinity. He made high-quality wine out of ordinary water. That act displayed His glory.

John records that as a result of what Jesus DID, His disciples believed. Did they know exactly what it was they were believing? Did they know exactly who there were dealing with? Probably not. Ever after a lot of years and a lot of miraclesthe disciples still wrestled with just who Jesus was. They knew He was someone special, but they were not completely sure of just who it was they were following. But we can sometimes struggle with the same thing. We can end up seeing Jesus one particular way and lose sight of the glimpses of His glory all around us. We can concentrate on Jesus the man and take our eyes off His divinity. We can look right past His glory. His magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace. May we daily get a glimpse of His glory and believe in Him.

Father, give us a glimpse of Jesus today. May we see His glory in the everyday affairs of life. Let us be amazed at His unabashed divinity and power. And as a result, may we believe in Him more than ever. Amen

Identity Crisis.

John 1

Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. – John 1:29 NASB

In this opening chapter of John's gospel, we have his introduction to the coming of Jesus into the world. It begins with the familiar description of Jesus as the Word of God. Then John describes Jesus as the Light of the world. When John the Baptist comes onto the scene and sees Jesus standing on the banks of the Jordan River, he make his famous proclamation, "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." He claims Jesus to be the Son of God (Vs 34). He later tells two of his own disciples that Jesus is the lamb of God (Vs 36). One of these two men refers to Jesus as a rabbi or teacher (Vs 38). Later, when Andrew went to find his brother Simon and bring him to Jesus, he refers to Jesus as the Messiah (Vs 41). When Jesus encountered Philip a few days later and invited him to follow Him, Philip took the news to Nathanael and said, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (Vs 45 NASB). In Nathanael's encounter with Jesus, he tells Jesus, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel" (Vs 49 NASB).

In just one short chapter we have seen Jesus referred to as…

The Word

The Light

The Lamb

The Son of God

A rabbi or teacher

The Messiah

The Christ

Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote

Jesus of Nazareth – the son of Joseph

The King of Israel

You could almost conclude that they didn't know exactly what they had in Jesus. Their perceptions were confused and clouded by their expectations. These men, as good Jewish citizens, were expecting a conquering Messiah – a deliverer. They wanted a King to free them from the tyranny and oppression of Roman rule. Their descriptions of Jesus point to a man – a human deliverer. Sure, he would be a representative of God, a son of God – like David – but just a man. He would be wise and brave, a great military man like David and wise like Solomon. He would lead them to victory over their enemies.

But John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, opens his book with a different description of Jesus altogether. He describes Him as the Word and the Light. He is not just a man, but the uncreated, pre-existent Word of God. He is the creator, not the created. He is pure Light. He came to expel darkness, but not civil and political darkness. He came to set people free, but not from the tyranny of men, but from slavery to sin and ultimately death. He came to give life, but a different kind of life than just freedom from problems and the concerns of the day. He came to bring eternal life and a restored relationship to God Himself. He came to make the sons of men children of God (Vs 12). He came that we might experience the grace of God (Vs 16) and joy of a restored relationship to a holy, righteous God who was obligated to punish us for our sin.

Jesus came onto the scene and men had a hard time figuring out exactly who He was. Men still struggle with that today. Even as believers we can end up calling Him everything from our friend to our Savior, our redeemer to our teacher, our helper to our hope. Sometimes we aren't really sure what we have in Jesus. But John drives us back to the truth. He is the Light of the world. He is the Word of God become flesh. He is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is God's solution to man's problem. The sinless Son of God in human flesh, who lived a sinless life, died a sinner's death, and rose again so that you and I might have life. Not just a better life here and now, butlife with God the Father for eternity.

Who is your Jesus this morning? Is He your Light? Is He illuminating your life today, expelling the darkness and showing you the way to live? Is He your Word? Is He speaking to you daily, giving you hope and help to live the life you've been called to live? Is He your Lamb? Are you confident that His sacrificial death has taken care of your sin debt once and for all? How we view Jesus is the key to our view the world and how we will live out our lives in it.

Father, thank You for Your Son – the Light, the Word, the Lamb. May I see Him as He truly is today. Not as just what I want Him to be. Open my eyes to the beauty and reality of just who He is. Amen

Soul Strength.

3 John

Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. – Vs 2 NET

I love this prayer. John writes to his dear friend and fellow elder, Gaius, and tells him that he loves him and that he is praying that he would be in as good health physically as he is spiritually. He prays that all areas of life would prosper like his spiritual walk is prospering. Could you pray that for your friends? Or better yet, would you WANT your friends to pray that for YOU? Think about it. What is John really praying? He is telling Gaius that he is asking God to prosper his life to the same degree that his spiritual life is doing. How could John pray this kind of prayer? Because he knew that Gaius was doing well spiritually. He even mentions it in his letter. "Some of the brothers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living in the truth" (Vs 3 NLT). Gaius was living in the truth. He was acting faithfully and showing love for the rest of the church. John knew this to be true of Gaius and had had it confirmed by others. So when he prayed that Gaius physical well-being prosper like his soul, he was praying a true blessing on this dear friend.

But it makes me think. Would I really want anyone to pray that prayer for me? I mean, how well is my soul really doing? Would I want my physical, emotional, and general well-being to prosper on the same level? That's kind of a scary thought. But the real issue is that John had his focus on the right thing. He was more concerned about Gaius' spiritual health than his physical health. Sure, he wanted him to be well in body, but he was more concerned that he be well in soul. His greatest joy was to hear that Gaius was "walking in the truth." We all know that we can be doing well physically and tanking it spiritually. We can prosper on a physical level and be an absolute pauper in the spiritual realm. John knew this would never satisfy. And so should we. Think about how you pray for others. Do you concentrate on their physical well-being? Do you pray mainly for their physical health, their circumstances, situations, and emotional well-being? Nothing wrong with that, but how much do we pray for the spiritual health of one another? I would encourage you to go and read through the letters of Paul and see how he prayed for the people under his care. It is amazing how little he prayed for anything having to do with their physical state or needs. His prayers were almost always on their spiritual growth and walk with the Lord. He knew that was the key to true prosperity and health. To be strong in spirit and soul is to have what we need to make it in this world, whether we are healthy or not, prosperous or not, successful or not. May we learn more and more to concentrate our attention on the souls of one another, encouraging spiritual health over anything else.

Father, I pray that in all respects my brother and sisters in Christ may prosper and be in god health, just as their souls prosper. Amen

Too Hip For Our Own Good.

2 John

Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son. – 2 John 9 MSG

Today there is a trend in Christian circles to be relevant and contextual. It is the mantra of the postmodern crowd who believe that we have to do all we can to make the gospel more palatable and approachable to a new generation of believers. Now, don't get me wrong. I am all for relevancy and making the scriptures relateable to your audience, but we always run the risk of altering the message in such a way that the central message of the cross can become clouded and even lost. This seems to be the message behind John's short little letter. Whether he is writing to an actual woman (lady) or referring metaphorically to one of the churches in Ephesus, we don't know. But it seems clear that he warning his reader(s) about false teachers. This was a growing problem as the church spread throughout the known world at this time in history. The apostles were the gatekeepers of the truth and their numbers were declining. New churches were springing up as the gospel spread, but there were not always knowledgeable teachers in place to educate the people. So it was easy for well-intentioned, but misguided individuals to pop up and begin teaching their version of the Truth.

John simply warns about "anyone who is so progressive in his thinking that he walks out of the teaching of Christ." The New International Version translates it this way: "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ…" This person has "run ahead" or gone too far according to the New American Standard Version. The Greek word means "to go further than is right or proper." They've overstepped proper bounds. So much so, that John was bold enough to say that they don't have God. Their teaching was so wrong it revealed that they were not even in Christ.

So what was it they were teaching that was so bad? Well, according to John, "They do not believe that Jesus Christ came to earth in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist" (Vs 7 NLT). At best, they were denying the incarnation of Jesus. He didn't really come in human flesh. He wasn't really born of a virgin. But they also were probably denying His death, burial and resurrection. If He didn't really come in a human body, there was no reason for Him to die and resurrect. And that means He doesn't have a human body today. So in essence, they were denying the key elements of the gospel message. Most likely because it didn't sell well in their cultural context. They had updated the gospel story to suit their own tastes and to attract an audience that might have found the original version a little too hard to swallow.

Is this happening today? You bet. In countless ways. There are entire movements within Christianity that downplay everything from the divinity of Christ to His miracles. There are churches and teachers out there who over-emphasize Jesus' humanity and downplay His deity. They stress His role as a model for life as a man, and lift Him up as an example to follow. But in doing so they virtually eliminate His role as Savior andredeemer. They turn Jesus into more of a life coach and self-help guru than the Savior of the world. These teachers stress social action and civic awareness, but downplay man's sin and our need for a Savior. In their efforts to make the church more missional, they fail to teach the gospel as life-transformational. Behavior modification takes the place of heart transformation. The Bible becomes little more than a blue print for living and Jesus gets turned into a life coach with some great tips for making a difference in the world.

This is another gospel. But it is NOT the gospel of the Bible. So John warns us to not even give someone who teaches this kind of stuff a greeting. "If someone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite him into your house or encourage him in any way" (Vs 10 NLT). Sounds a little rude doesn't it? But John knew that false teaching of any kind was dangerous and especially among new believers who were not yet grounded in the truth. They were susceptible to the lies, the pretensions or plausible lies, that sounded so good, but were far from the truth. The lies are subtle and deceptive. They sneak in and catch us unawares. They are cloaked in a lot of terms that seem familiar and give them a sense of validity and credibility. But we have to check to make sure that the truth of the gospel message regarding Jesus Christ remains unchanged. The context should never change the content. Relevancy should never change the reality of Jesus Christ and His incarnation, substitutionary death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and coming return. Or the fact that salvation is available through Him alone, but grace alone.

Father, keep us pure. Help us stay focused on the truth of the gospel message. False teachers abound today and sometimes we have a hard time seeing them. Give us eyes and ears to see and hear truth and recognize falsehood. Protect Your church Father from the lies of the enemy. Help us to see that they are subtle and we can be so susceptible to them if we are not grounded in Your Word and knowledgeable of Your truth. Amen

What Do You Know?

1 John 5

We know that those who have become part of God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. – 1 John 5:18-20 NLT

John wraps up his letter with a few simple declarations about what it is we should know as believers in Jesus Christ. He says we should know that as believers, because we belong to God and He cares for us, we will not live lives that are characterized by habitual, repeated sin. We will not be easy prey to the enemy. Sin will be a part of our lives, but not a prevalent or pervasive part. We won't make it a practice of sinning. We will find sinning repulsive, not attractive. Why? Because we are held securely in the hands of Jesus Christ. He not only died for us, He lives for us. He has given us His Spirit to empower us. Sin becomes an anomaly in my life, not normalcy.

Secondly, John says that we should know that we are children of God. We should recognize that we are called to be set apart, distinct and different from the world around us. In fact, he reminds us that we should also have an awareness that the world is under the power and control of the enemy. Nothing we see happen in the world should surprise or shock us. The news we see on TV and in the daily paper should not be news to us at all. It is the natural outcome of a world under the control of Satan. The Message paraphrases verse 19 this way, "We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One." That makes it a little more personal, because we are not talking about an impersonal world, but about real people who are "in the grip of the Evil One." They are enslaved to sin and to Satan. He is using them and abusing them daily. He cares nothing for them, but only desires their destruction. But we have the privilege of being children of God. Do you see the dichotomy here? We are the "haves" and they are the "have nots." We have what they need, but we are like children from a wealthy family who walk by the poverty in their own community everyday without using our abundant resources to do anything about it. Yes, we are called to distinct, but that does imply distance. We know we are children of God, and we know they are not. But our desire should be that they experience the same adoption into God's family that we have enjoyed.

Finally, John says that we know that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has given us the ability to understand and know God. John uses two different words for "know" here. The first word is eido and it simply means that we recognize or understand. We see or perceive that the Son of God has come. It is evident in our lives and in His ministry to us and through us. This has to do with perception. The second word is ginosko and it has to do with intimacy. It means "to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of." Because Jesus Christ has come into my life, I have the ability to know God in an intimate and personal way. I have been reconciled or made right in my relationship with Him. I was once an enemy, but now I am His child. I was once under His divine wrath, but now I enjoy His love and compassion. I have a personal relationship with the one true God.

Do you know that today? Do you think about it? Do you see it and perceive it in your life every day? It reminds me of the words of the old hymn, "I Know Whom I Have Believed."

I know not why God's wondrous grace To me He hath made known, Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love Redeemed me for His own.

But I know Whom I have believèd, And am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I've committed Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith To me He did impart, Nor how believing in His Word Wrought peace within my heart.

But I know Whom I have believèd, And am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I've committed Unto Him against that day.

Father, there is a lot I don't know. But I do know that Your Son came to give me eternal life and because of simple faith in the gospel message, I am now Your Son and have a relationship with You that I never could have had any other way. I also know that I am Your child and I live among people who do not enjoy that same privilege. They are under the control of the enemy. They are slaves to unrighteousness. Give me a heart for them. Don't let me walk past them, judging them as I go. May I perceive their predicament and understand that I have the answer. It is the same gift I received from You. Amen