Because of our purpose in 20:31, John produces evidence to substantiate that Jesus IS the Christ. All the shame and the scorn aimed at Him confirmed, rather than disproved, Jesus & His mission – “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29).
First came the betrayal & arrest. Judas leads a large group of soldiers (probably 500+) and religious leaders to arrest Jesus. This group was ready for problems with Jesus & His followers. But Jesus made it clear (when Peter cut off the the dude’s ear) that he wanted no problems when he told Peter “Put your sword away!” And frankly, I think Peter was going for the head and the dude ducked! Peter was not a surgeon!
Next to having a friend turn on you is having another friend abandon & deny you – and multiple times. It’s not as if Jesus was not feeling lonely enough going thru this trial stuff, then to have His closest buddy deny knowing Him – ouch! “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” They asked Peter. He denied it, saying, “I am not.” It also must have devastated Peter to hear that cock crow and realize what he had just done!
Amidst all of this Jesus is being put on trial. Over & over again they find no fault in Him (duh). He finally gets to Pilate and at one point Jesus tells him, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Then Pilate asks a question that ALL PEOPLE must answer: “What is Truth?” (John 14:6!)
SO WHAT?!
*Ever been betrayed by a friend? Then you know the hurt. Ever been the betrayer? Trust is broken, pain is inflicted and major relational damage is caused. Sometimes, in the case of Judas, the damage is eternal. I pray if you know of anyone you’ve done this to that TODAY you would go make it right – as best as you can.
*Don’t give up on friends when they hurt you. What if Jesus had given up on Peter? A big chunk of our new testament would be missing! Peter became one of the biggest leaders in the early church for Jesus!
*How do you determine truth? Believing in something doesn’t make it true – you can believe gravity doesn’t exist, but dive off the roof of your home and you’ll find out pretty quick that it does! Then what makes things true? Truth! And you have to discover it if you want eternal life! Lord, make us truth seekers!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
260 in 2012 - Day 85 - John 17: The Lord’s Prayers
Matthew 6 & Luke 11 are called “The Lord’s Prayer” – a pattern Jesus gave us of how to pray. Here, in chapter 17, we have recorded prayers from our Lord. In most of the Bible we don’t get a whole lot of the content of Jesus’ prayers to his Father but in this chapter we do. We get to see some pretty intimate conversation between Jesus & His Dad! Basically, Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples and finally, you & I!
In praying for Himself, Jesus has His Father’s purpose in mind, “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…... I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus always prayed for not His will but His Father’s.
Then He prays for His disciples, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” Whoah – how totally encouraging for the disciples to hear this! And he asks His Father to protect them! The disciples would remain here and would face tough stuff – so He asks His Daddy to be their refuge & strength, always there in time of need. I’ll take prayers like this anytime!
Finally, Jesus prays for “those who will believe in Me through their message” – that’s you & me! He prays that we be unified and united with Him. Why? “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” God soooo wants us to be with Him in Heaven someday! And Great News – He provided that way through Jesus!
SO WHAT?!
*Prayer can be a great revealer of our heart. What we pray for, how we pray and the time we give it. So, how’s your prayer life? God wants to have intimate conversations with us – and here’s the cool part – ANY TIME! The more we pray, the more we show our dependency on God. Let’s depend on Him often & always.
*How cool is it that Jesus prays for us and wants to spend eternity with you & me!~ Take some time today to thank Him.
In praying for Himself, Jesus has His Father’s purpose in mind, “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…... I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus always prayed for not His will but His Father’s.
Then He prays for His disciples, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” Whoah – how totally encouraging for the disciples to hear this! And he asks His Father to protect them! The disciples would remain here and would face tough stuff – so He asks His Daddy to be their refuge & strength, always there in time of need. I’ll take prayers like this anytime!
Finally, Jesus prays for “those who will believe in Me through their message” – that’s you & me! He prays that we be unified and united with Him. Why? “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” God soooo wants us to be with Him in Heaven someday! And Great News – He provided that way through Jesus!
SO WHAT?!
*Prayer can be a great revealer of our heart. What we pray for, how we pray and the time we give it. So, how’s your prayer life? God wants to have intimate conversations with us – and here’s the cool part – ANY TIME! The more we pray, the more we show our dependency on God. Let’s depend on Him often & always.
*How cool is it that Jesus prays for us and wants to spend eternity with you & me!~ Take some time today to thank Him.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 84 - John 16: The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. He is more than a “Force” to be with you, He is God who lives inside every believer. Twelve times in verses 7-15, “he” or “him” is used because the Holy Spirit is a person – not your conscious, not a force, but a person. What are some things he will do? “He will be our Advocate…….. He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment….. He will guide us into all the truth….. He will not speak on his own…..He will speak only what he hears…..He will tell us what is yet to come…..He will glorify Jesus…..He will make know to us stuff from Jesus” And He doesn’t have far to go ‘cause He lives in us!!!
Next, Jesus explains He is leaving to His disciples and how eventually it will lead to joy. I can’t imagine having spent three years in intimacy with Jesus (GOD) only to hear He’s gonna’ leave – this must have been heartbreaking and Jesus knew that. So He gives comfort, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
Jesus often spoke in parables & stories so that only those who truly wanted to seek Him would understand. BUT someday He will speak plainly & simply to us and we’ll get it – I am TOTALLY looking forward to that day because I’m usually one of the dense ones whom Jesus has to clearly explain things to!
Then Jesus ends with this, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
SO WHAT?!
*Ever called the Holy Spirit an “it”? Yeah, me too. We must remember HE is a REAL person who REALLY lives inside every believer! So next time you feel outnumbered, under educated or unqualified, remember God is in you and one plus God is always a majority!
*Right now, if you’re a believer, Jesus is getting a room in heaven ready for you and me. Until then, he wants us to, by His Holy Spirit’s strength, live a fruitful & meaningful life for Him! Take some time today and write down what your weekly schedule looks like and then ask: “Lord, how can I organize my life so You can spend my time, talents and treasure for You, not me?” (Thanks D-Gray for this one!)
Next, Jesus explains He is leaving to His disciples and how eventually it will lead to joy. I can’t imagine having spent three years in intimacy with Jesus (GOD) only to hear He’s gonna’ leave – this must have been heartbreaking and Jesus knew that. So He gives comfort, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
Jesus often spoke in parables & stories so that only those who truly wanted to seek Him would understand. BUT someday He will speak plainly & simply to us and we’ll get it – I am TOTALLY looking forward to that day because I’m usually one of the dense ones whom Jesus has to clearly explain things to!
Then Jesus ends with this, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
SO WHAT?!
*Ever called the Holy Spirit an “it”? Yeah, me too. We must remember HE is a REAL person who REALLY lives inside every believer! So next time you feel outnumbered, under educated or unqualified, remember God is in you and one plus God is always a majority!
*Right now, if you’re a believer, Jesus is getting a room in heaven ready for you and me. Until then, he wants us to, by His Holy Spirit’s strength, live a fruitful & meaningful life for Him! Take some time today and write down what your weekly schedule looks like and then ask: “Lord, how can I organize my life so You can spend my time, talents and treasure for You, not me?” (Thanks D-Gray for this one!)
260 in 2012 - DEVOS - Day 83 - John 15: Jesus – The True Vine
Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness, The Resurrection and The Life, The Way, The Truth and The Life, and here in chapter 15, The True Vine (Yep - 20:31 again!).
This is an amazing chapter that uses a vine metaphor to explain a believer’s connectedness to Jesus & how their fruitfulness is directly related. Jesus is The Vine, God is the Gardener and true believers are the branches. Basically here’s the deal – those not connected (dead, fruitless branches), God cuts off, even throws into the fire (an illusion to judgment). And those who are connected (live branches), He prunes so they will produce even more. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Those not connected to the LIFE in the Vine are dead and dying and can’t do a thing. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Jesus goes on to explain how this looks: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love……..Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends………..I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit………Love each other.”
To finish the chapter, Jesus explains to His disciples that they will be hated! People hated & persecuted Jesus, and the world will do the same to His followers. “Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.” Why? Because Jesus IS God! But take courage, God is sending His Advocate, The Holy Spirit, to those who hate us in order to testify about Jesus! Kinda’ like a big brother who sticks up for his siblings! Cool God Stuff!~
SO WHAT?!
*Ok, so I’ll ask the obvious, are you connected with Jesus? I’m not talking about knowing things about Him, or going to church or being involved in your student ministry. A relationship with Jesus begins by acknowledging you’re a sinner & that can’t make yourself right with God. But when by grace through faith, you believe that Jesus took the penalty for your sins when He gave His life on the cross and you receive that free gift of forgiveness - THEN you become connected forever. If you haven’t admitted this yet – believe & receive today! If you have already – whoohoo – let’s be producin’ fruit for Him!
*Pruning hurts. The tough stuff God allows us to go thru in our lives is His pruning. This is done NOT to pick on us but to make us more fruitful for Him! Is there anything you are going through right now where you think God is being unkind? Spend some time in prayer asking God to give you strength and to help you see what He is doing. Most likely, He is preparing you for even greater things!
This is an amazing chapter that uses a vine metaphor to explain a believer’s connectedness to Jesus & how their fruitfulness is directly related. Jesus is The Vine, God is the Gardener and true believers are the branches. Basically here’s the deal – those not connected (dead, fruitless branches), God cuts off, even throws into the fire (an illusion to judgment). And those who are connected (live branches), He prunes so they will produce even more. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Those not connected to the LIFE in the Vine are dead and dying and can’t do a thing. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
Jesus goes on to explain how this looks: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love……..Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends………..I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit………Love each other.”
To finish the chapter, Jesus explains to His disciples that they will be hated! People hated & persecuted Jesus, and the world will do the same to His followers. “Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.” Why? Because Jesus IS God! But take courage, God is sending His Advocate, The Holy Spirit, to those who hate us in order to testify about Jesus! Kinda’ like a big brother who sticks up for his siblings! Cool God Stuff!~
SO WHAT?!
*Ok, so I’ll ask the obvious, are you connected with Jesus? I’m not talking about knowing things about Him, or going to church or being involved in your student ministry. A relationship with Jesus begins by acknowledging you’re a sinner & that can’t make yourself right with God. But when by grace through faith, you believe that Jesus took the penalty for your sins when He gave His life on the cross and you receive that free gift of forgiveness - THEN you become connected forever. If you haven’t admitted this yet – believe & receive today! If you have already – whoohoo – let’s be producin’ fruit for Him!
*Pruning hurts. The tough stuff God allows us to go thru in our lives is His pruning. This is done NOT to pick on us but to make us more fruitful for Him! Is there anything you are going through right now where you think God is being unkind? Spend some time in prayer asking God to give you strength and to help you see what He is doing. Most likely, He is preparing you for even greater things!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
260 in 2012 - DAY 82 - John 14: Jesus – The Way, The Truth & The Life
Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness, The Resurrection and The Life, and here in chapter 14, The Way, The Truth and The Life (Again 20:31!).
The news of the previous chapter had made the disciples anxious. And since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He gives them comfort, both in the future, because he’s gonna come back for them (1-14), and in the present, by giving them His Holy Spirit (15-31).
God’s house apparently has many rooms and Jesus is going there to prepare the ones for His kids. (I remember preparing rooms for each of our kids before they came into this world - it was fun!) The disciples don’t get it (again) or how they would get there, so Jesus tells them “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In doing so, Jesus is claiming the authority to determine who comes and how one gets to heaven. Yep – He said He is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. In other words, heaven is MY home, I determine who comes there and if you know God, you know Me ‘cause we’re one and the same!
Then Jesus says He is going to give believers an advocate, a representative for us – “The Spirit of Truth.” This Holy Spirit will live in us and be with those who are His! And how does Jesus describe those who are His? ”If you love me, keep my commands…… Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me….. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” And again, Jesus sets the example, “I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”
SO WHAT?!
*I remember my dad telling me about Chicago when I was a kid and then one day taking me there and it was even greater that he told me it was! The Bible gives us glimpses of what heaven will be like and some day Jesus is gonna’ come back and take His kids there and it’s gonna’ be amazing Are you excited? We should be!
*The way to heaven is exclusive: One Way = Through Jesus! There can’t be many ways. Allah, Buddha, Joseph Smith or even your friends may say that their ways lead to God, but that would go directly against the words of Jesus in verse 6. Why only one way? Read 20:31 again and you’ll see.
*The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. Jesus wanted us to have peace about our future because of what He did for us, so He put Comfort inside each believer – how cool is that!?~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The news of the previous chapter had made the disciples anxious. And since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He gives them comfort, both in the future, because he’s gonna come back for them (1-14), and in the present, by giving them His Holy Spirit (15-31).
God’s house apparently has many rooms and Jesus is going there to prepare the ones for His kids. (I remember preparing rooms for each of our kids before they came into this world - it was fun!) The disciples don’t get it (again) or how they would get there, so Jesus tells them “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In doing so, Jesus is claiming the authority to determine who comes and how one gets to heaven. Yep – He said He is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. In other words, heaven is MY home, I determine who comes there and if you know God, you know Me ‘cause we’re one and the same!
Then Jesus says He is going to give believers an advocate, a representative for us – “The Spirit of Truth.” This Holy Spirit will live in us and be with those who are His! And how does Jesus describe those who are His? ”If you love me, keep my commands…… Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me….. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” And again, Jesus sets the example, “I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”
SO WHAT?!
*I remember my dad telling me about Chicago when I was a kid and then one day taking me there and it was even greater that he told me it was! The Bible gives us glimpses of what heaven will be like and some day Jesus is gonna’ come back and take His kids there and it’s gonna’ be amazing Are you excited? We should be!
*The way to heaven is exclusive: One Way = Through Jesus! There can’t be many ways. Allah, Buddha, Joseph Smith or even your friends may say that their ways lead to God, but that would go directly against the words of Jesus in verse 6. Why only one way? Read 20:31 again and you’ll see.
*The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. Jesus wanted us to have peace about our future because of what He did for us, so He put Comfort inside each believer – how cool is that!?~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Monday, April 23, 2012
260 in 2012 - Day 81 - John 13: Jesus’ Ministry to His Disciples
John has been writing and showing that Jesus is the Christ. The first 12 chapters have centered on those who rejected Jesus. Now 13-17 will focus on those who believe in Him, His disciples. A good friend reminded me, “Ministry is hard, messy and inconvenient.” This chapter kinda’ goes that way: Ministry (1-20), Pain (21-30), Ministry (31-35), Pain (36-38).
MINISTRY (1-20): Jesus is about to head to the cross. He knew His time was short and yet he wanted one more time with His disciples – Amazing Love! We begin with a rather profound statement: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” How could Jesus love Judas knowing what he would do to Him? Yet, He continued love & offer Judas a chance to repent! Then I thought, how can God love ME knowing how I’ve treated Him?!~
Then Jesus serves them by washing their feet – a lowly and humiliating job. Foot-in-mouth Peter tells him no way, that is, until Jesus says he can’t go to heaven unless he does. Peter’s reply? “Then wash all of me!” Ya’ gotta’ love His zeal! Why this example? Because “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” They needed to see servanthood.
PAIN: (21-30): Then the shocking word from their Master: “I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” What amazes me is as they all looked around, none of them had a clue to who it was until Jesus revealed it was Judas. This is a good reminder that our outward acts may fool people but they never fool God! Then we read one of the most horrifying lines in the Bible: “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.” It’s one thing to be demon-possessed, it’s a whole different situation to have Satan Himself enter! How painful it must have been for Jesus to reveal the heart of one He poured 3 years of His life into.
MINISTRY (31-35): “A new command I give you: Love one another.” To love others was not a new command, but to love them sacrificially like Jesus did was revolutionary! To love others this way will bring people to Jesus, unite believers and benefit society as well.
PAIN (36-38): Now it’s Peter’s turn as Jesus tells Him “before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” Judas betrays Jesus and now Peter denies His Lord – both brought pain to our Savior. But don’t confuse the two: Judas had unbelief and a heart issue, Peter’s heart was right, he sinned, but repented and was forgiven!
SO WHAT?!
*Jesus calls all of His kids to serve Him. He set the example. How are you & I involved in regularly serving Jesus? If you’re not, take some time today and ask God How you could be. Maybe check with your pastor or youth pastor and ask them.
*Is there anyone whom you feel as if you’ve let down? Someone to whom you’ve broken a promise? Why not give them a call and ask forgiveness and allow God to heal that hurt?! Restoring relationships is why Jesus came!
* Finally, I’ll end with the words of our Savior in verse 17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
MINISTRY (1-20): Jesus is about to head to the cross. He knew His time was short and yet he wanted one more time with His disciples – Amazing Love! We begin with a rather profound statement: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” How could Jesus love Judas knowing what he would do to Him? Yet, He continued love & offer Judas a chance to repent! Then I thought, how can God love ME knowing how I’ve treated Him?!~
Then Jesus serves them by washing their feet – a lowly and humiliating job. Foot-in-mouth Peter tells him no way, that is, until Jesus says he can’t go to heaven unless he does. Peter’s reply? “Then wash all of me!” Ya’ gotta’ love His zeal! Why this example? Because “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” They needed to see servanthood.
PAIN: (21-30): Then the shocking word from their Master: “I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” What amazes me is as they all looked around, none of them had a clue to who it was until Jesus revealed it was Judas. This is a good reminder that our outward acts may fool people but they never fool God! Then we read one of the most horrifying lines in the Bible: “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.” It’s one thing to be demon-possessed, it’s a whole different situation to have Satan Himself enter! How painful it must have been for Jesus to reveal the heart of one He poured 3 years of His life into.
MINISTRY (31-35): “A new command I give you: Love one another.” To love others was not a new command, but to love them sacrificially like Jesus did was revolutionary! To love others this way will bring people to Jesus, unite believers and benefit society as well.
PAIN (36-38): Now it’s Peter’s turn as Jesus tells Him “before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” Judas betrays Jesus and now Peter denies His Lord – both brought pain to our Savior. But don’t confuse the two: Judas had unbelief and a heart issue, Peter’s heart was right, he sinned, but repented and was forgiven!
SO WHAT?!
*Jesus calls all of His kids to serve Him. He set the example. How are you & I involved in regularly serving Jesus? If you’re not, take some time today and ask God How you could be. Maybe check with your pastor or youth pastor and ask them.
*Is there anyone whom you feel as if you’ve let down? Someone to whom you’ve broken a promise? Why not give them a call and ask forgiveness and allow God to heal that hurt?! Restoring relationships is why Jesus came!
* Finally, I’ll end with the words of our Savior in verse 17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Friday, April 20, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 80 - John 12: Love & Hate, Belief & Rejection
The Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, brought mixed reactions in Jesus’ day and still brings those same mixed reactions today! Here are a few in this chapter:
LOVE: Mary pouring out a years wages worth of perfume on Jesus.
HATE: Judas’ reaction towards Mary “wasting” the perfume. The chief priests planning to kill both Jesus & Lazarus.
BELIEF: “Many of the Jews were going over to Jesus & believing in Him.”
REJECTION: The Pharisees upset that the “whole world has gone after Him.”
LOVE: Jesus’ sacrifice – “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
REJECTION: When hearing God’s voice, instead of worshiping said “it had thundered.” And “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.”
BELIEF: “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.”
Jesus finishes up with these words: “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
SO WHAT?!
*What is your reaction to the Gospel? The good news begins with bad news: You & I are sinners that DESERVE eternal punishment in hell forever for our sins against a Holy God. Do you agree with this? We must believe in the bad news in order to believe in the good news of the good news – that Jesus took MY penalty for MY sins when he gave His life in MY place. So, we either believe & receive eternal life or reject & expect eternal punishment. The choice is ours.
*If you have believed & received, Ephesians 5:8 says “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Does your life shine the Light of Jesus or do you still love dark living? God help us to Live in Your Light!
LOVE: Mary pouring out a years wages worth of perfume on Jesus.
HATE: Judas’ reaction towards Mary “wasting” the perfume. The chief priests planning to kill both Jesus & Lazarus.
BELIEF: “Many of the Jews were going over to Jesus & believing in Him.”
REJECTION: The Pharisees upset that the “whole world has gone after Him.”
LOVE: Jesus’ sacrifice – “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
REJECTION: When hearing God’s voice, instead of worshiping said “it had thundered.” And “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.”
BELIEF: “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.”
Jesus finishes up with these words: “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
SO WHAT?!
*What is your reaction to the Gospel? The good news begins with bad news: You & I are sinners that DESERVE eternal punishment in hell forever for our sins against a Holy God. Do you agree with this? We must believe in the bad news in order to believe in the good news of the good news – that Jesus took MY penalty for MY sins when he gave His life in MY place. So, we either believe & receive eternal life or reject & expect eternal punishment. The choice is ours.
*If you have believed & received, Ephesians 5:8 says “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Does your life shine the Light of Jesus or do you still love dark living? God help us to Live in Your Light!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 79 - John 11: Jesus – The Resurrection and The Life
Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness, The Good Shepherd and in chapter 11, The Resurrection and The Life! (Again 20:31!)
Imagine getting word that your closest friend is dying and is going to die, and you’re not gonna’ be there. That’s just the situation Jesus was in. He loved Lazarus & his family. So he tells his disciples that He, and they, are going back to see Lazarus. The disciples are scared because last time there the Jews tried to stone Jesus. He assures them that God will be with Him as long as He is doing His Father’s will (9-10). Then Jesus has to explain to his dense disciples (likewise with me) that Lazarus has died and He is going to resurrect him. And why? (20:31 again): “so that you may believe.”
Up to this point, six miracles have been presented but NONE of them compare to raising Lazarus from the dead! Jesus arrives and Martha tells Jesus “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise, but she’s thinking the last day and Jesus is thinking TODAY! Then comes one of the most powerful statements ever by our Lord, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God…” (20:31 again). She then takes Jesus to Lazarus. Looking at His friend causes Jesus to cry. Then Jesus tells Lazarus to come out of the tomb AND HE DOES! There’s a first – an obedient dead man!~
What was the result of this? It caused the Holy Heavies to get ticked because people were following Jesus and not them! From that day forward they plotted to arrest & kill Him!
SO WHAT?!
*What makes Christianity the ONLY way and the RIGHT way? The fact that Jesus is ALIVE! The leaders of all other religions – Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Allah, etc… are ALL DEAD. Jesus is alive! We serve a RISEN Savior who is with us today and every day – what a huge reminder!
*And hey, if God can cause a dead man to obey Him, he can help us to do the same. Lord help us to obey YOU and not our own selfish desires!
Imagine getting word that your closest friend is dying and is going to die, and you’re not gonna’ be there. That’s just the situation Jesus was in. He loved Lazarus & his family. So he tells his disciples that He, and they, are going back to see Lazarus. The disciples are scared because last time there the Jews tried to stone Jesus. He assures them that God will be with Him as long as He is doing His Father’s will (9-10). Then Jesus has to explain to his dense disciples (likewise with me) that Lazarus has died and He is going to resurrect him. And why? (20:31 again): “so that you may believe.”
Up to this point, six miracles have been presented but NONE of them compare to raising Lazarus from the dead! Jesus arrives and Martha tells Jesus “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise, but she’s thinking the last day and Jesus is thinking TODAY! Then comes one of the most powerful statements ever by our Lord, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God…” (20:31 again). She then takes Jesus to Lazarus. Looking at His friend causes Jesus to cry. Then Jesus tells Lazarus to come out of the tomb AND HE DOES! There’s a first – an obedient dead man!~
What was the result of this? It caused the Holy Heavies to get ticked because people were following Jesus and not them! From that day forward they plotted to arrest & kill Him!
SO WHAT?!
*What makes Christianity the ONLY way and the RIGHT way? The fact that Jesus is ALIVE! The leaders of all other religions – Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Allah, etc… are ALL DEAD. Jesus is alive! We serve a RISEN Savior who is with us today and every day – what a huge reminder!
*And hey, if God can cause a dead man to obey Him, he can help us to do the same. Lord help us to obey YOU and not our own selfish desires!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 78 - John 10: Jesus – The Good Shepherd
Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness & here, The Good Shepherd. (Keep going back to 20:31!)
Jesus declares Himself as the “Good Shepherd” who was appointed by God in contrast to the false shepherds of this time (Pharisees) who were self-appointed and self-righteous.
In doing so, here are some of His statements that stood out to me:
- There’s only one way to come to God: “The man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.” And “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
- Jesus – no one else – provided that way: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
- Jesus still saves people: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.” And “In that place many believed in Jesus.”
- Once we are God’s kid, we stay God’s kid: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
- Jesus is God: ”I and the Father are one.”
- Jesus gives meaning & purpose: “I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”
SO WHAT?!
*A shepherd cares for his sheep & knows them. Are you in charge of any others? Maybe, maybe not, but all of us as believers are to look out for each other. Are you checking in on how others are doing? Financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc??? Take a moment today and contact one of those peeps. It will mean TONS to them!
*Christianity is both inclusive and exclusive. Inclusive in that “whosoever believes in Jesus has eternal life.” Exclusive in that there is only one way and it’s by grace thru faith in the person & work of Jesus Christ. Is this what you believe? I hope so!
*Let’s continually thank God that because we have believed & received we are His and we will forever be His!!!!!!
Jesus declares Himself as the “Good Shepherd” who was appointed by God in contrast to the false shepherds of this time (Pharisees) who were self-appointed and self-righteous.
In doing so, here are some of His statements that stood out to me:
- There’s only one way to come to God: “The man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.” And “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
- Jesus – no one else – provided that way: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
- Jesus still saves people: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.” And “In that place many believed in Jesus.”
- Once we are God’s kid, we stay God’s kid: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
- Jesus is God: ”I and the Father are one.”
- Jesus gives meaning & purpose: “I came that you might have life, and have it to the full.”
SO WHAT?!
*A shepherd cares for his sheep & knows them. Are you in charge of any others? Maybe, maybe not, but all of us as believers are to look out for each other. Are you checking in on how others are doing? Financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc??? Take a moment today and contact one of those peeps. It will mean TONS to them!
*Christianity is both inclusive and exclusive. Inclusive in that “whosoever believes in Jesus has eternal life.” Exclusive in that there is only one way and it’s by grace thru faith in the person & work of Jesus Christ. Is this what you believe? I hope so!
*Let’s continually thank God that because we have believed & received we are His and we will forever be His!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 77 - John 9: Jesus – Healer of Blindness
Another great chapter offering hope to those who don’t yet know Jesus!
As I read this chapter, I want to sing the song, “Blind man stood by the road & he cried…..” Anyway, I’ll spare you the pain!
Jesus finds this guy who has been blind from birth. His disciples are wrongly thinking “Wowsa, what did his parents do for this to happen to him?!” It’s easy to think like this, but Jesus instead tosses out the idea that God allowed this to happen so that, at this time & in this place, He could heal him (here’s mud in your eye) and point others to God!~ God’s thoughts are soooo not ours are they! And we see four different reactions to this healing:
The Neighbors were surprised and skeptical. (8-12)
The Pharisees showed disbelief and prejudice. (13-18)
The Parents believe but were afraid, so they kept quiet. (18-23)
The Healed Man showed consistent, growing faith. (24-34)
Then Jesus turns the conversation to spiritual blindness (35-41). The healed blind man now responds “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” Physical sight, which is temporary, had now become spiritual sight, which is eternal! The Pharisees are then ticked that Jesus for calling them spiritually blind. Truth hurts.
SO WHAT?!
*Because we live in a “cause & effect” world, it is easy to think that when we see problems that there is a cause. Ultimately it IS true because everything is a result of sin in our world. But not all effects are directly related to a cause in our own life. For example: WHAT IF……God has me to suffer all my life in order to be an example of perseverance to others?!~ Yikes! But I know people like this! Their example helps me keep on keeping on when stuff gets tough! If you are one of thee people, please, somehow, be encouraged, God is using you!
*What are some things that you can be blind to? Yeah, yeah, I know, if we saw them we wouldn’t be blind to them! But I’m talking about things like people’s hurts and their lostness! You and I need spiritual eyes, so one of my daily prayers is “Lord, help me to see people the way YOU see them.” How about making this your daily prayer too?
*Who are those in your circles of influence who are spiritually blind? Let’s ask God TODAY to open their eyes to see Jesus, and to use us in the process!
As I read this chapter, I want to sing the song, “Blind man stood by the road & he cried…..” Anyway, I’ll spare you the pain!
Jesus finds this guy who has been blind from birth. His disciples are wrongly thinking “Wowsa, what did his parents do for this to happen to him?!” It’s easy to think like this, but Jesus instead tosses out the idea that God allowed this to happen so that, at this time & in this place, He could heal him (here’s mud in your eye) and point others to God!~ God’s thoughts are soooo not ours are they! And we see four different reactions to this healing:
The Neighbors were surprised and skeptical. (8-12)
The Pharisees showed disbelief and prejudice. (13-18)
The Parents believe but were afraid, so they kept quiet. (18-23)
The Healed Man showed consistent, growing faith. (24-34)
Then Jesus turns the conversation to spiritual blindness (35-41). The healed blind man now responds “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” Physical sight, which is temporary, had now become spiritual sight, which is eternal! The Pharisees are then ticked that Jesus for calling them spiritually blind. Truth hurts.
SO WHAT?!
*Because we live in a “cause & effect” world, it is easy to think that when we see problems that there is a cause. Ultimately it IS true because everything is a result of sin in our world. But not all effects are directly related to a cause in our own life. For example: WHAT IF……God has me to suffer all my life in order to be an example of perseverance to others?!~ Yikes! But I know people like this! Their example helps me keep on keeping on when stuff gets tough! If you are one of thee people, please, somehow, be encouraged, God is using you!
*What are some things that you can be blind to? Yeah, yeah, I know, if we saw them we wouldn’t be blind to them! But I’m talking about things like people’s hurts and their lostness! You and I need spiritual eyes, so one of my daily prayers is “Lord, help me to see people the way YOU see them.” How about making this your daily prayer too?
*Who are those in your circles of influence who are spiritually blind? Let’s ask God TODAY to open their eyes to see Jesus, and to use us in the process!
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 76 - John 8: Jesus – The Light of the World
Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life and now in this chapter, The Light of the World. John continues to give evidence that Jesus is the Messiah and how better than to record Jesus’ claim to be “Light” (which by the way is a theme in most of John’s writings). Light helps us to see things and see them more clearly. In this chapter, Jesus sheds light on the Pharisees misunderstandings.
First, trying to trick Jesus, they bring Him a woman who was caught in adultery. She was having relations with someone other than her husband and the punishment was death. Classic reply from Jesus, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus first shed light on the judgmental attitudes of the Pharisees! And the older you get (as indicated) the more you realize how much of a sinner you are! So each of them dropped their stones & left. THEN Jesus shed light on the adulteress by telling her to “go now and leave your life of sin.”
The rest of chapter 8 is about Jesus shedding light to the Pharisees regarding who HE is and who THEY are. He begins with a GREAT promise to believers: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is LIGHT, they are Darkness. The Pharisees tell Jesus He can’t claim things to be true without other witnesses & Jesus tells them God is both His Father and His witness. They don’t get it because they have no relationship with Jesus - “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” Jesus goes on to tell them a bunch of things they don’t get and don’t like:
- You will die in your sin.
- Where I go you cannot come.
- You are from below, I am from above.
- You are from this world, I am not.
- You are slaves to sin, I AM Truth that sets people free.
- God is my Father, the devil is your father.
- Before Abraham was born, I AM
SO WHAT?!
*Jesus did not come into the world to condemn people but to save them (John 3:17). You and I are not called to be judges who hand down sentences to sinners, but rather we are to show the mercy & grace to others that God has shown to us (Ephesians 4 :32). This past week, have you been wanting God to pass judgment on another person for their sin? Take a moment right now to ask forgiveness for throwing judgmental rocks. Then ask God how you can instead show His love, mercy & grace to them instead. Then DO IT!
*”This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (3:19) Lord, help us to Love YOU and Your Light!
*The Pharisees had knowledge OF God but no relationship WITH God. How about you?
*Finally, “Who’s Your Daddy?!” - Had to ask it!
First, trying to trick Jesus, they bring Him a woman who was caught in adultery. She was having relations with someone other than her husband and the punishment was death. Classic reply from Jesus, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus first shed light on the judgmental attitudes of the Pharisees! And the older you get (as indicated) the more you realize how much of a sinner you are! So each of them dropped their stones & left. THEN Jesus shed light on the adulteress by telling her to “go now and leave your life of sin.”
The rest of chapter 8 is about Jesus shedding light to the Pharisees regarding who HE is and who THEY are. He begins with a GREAT promise to believers: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is LIGHT, they are Darkness. The Pharisees tell Jesus He can’t claim things to be true without other witnesses & Jesus tells them God is both His Father and His witness. They don’t get it because they have no relationship with Jesus - “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” Jesus goes on to tell them a bunch of things they don’t get and don’t like:
- You will die in your sin.
- Where I go you cannot come.
- You are from below, I am from above.
- You are from this world, I am not.
- You are slaves to sin, I AM Truth that sets people free.
- God is my Father, the devil is your father.
- Before Abraham was born, I AM
SO WHAT?!
*Jesus did not come into the world to condemn people but to save them (John 3:17). You and I are not called to be judges who hand down sentences to sinners, but rather we are to show the mercy & grace to others that God has shown to us (Ephesians 4 :32). This past week, have you been wanting God to pass judgment on another person for their sin? Take a moment right now to ask forgiveness for throwing judgmental rocks. Then ask God how you can instead show His love, mercy & grace to them instead. Then DO IT!
*”This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (3:19) Lord, help us to Love YOU and Your Light!
*The Pharisees had knowledge OF God but no relationship WITH God. How about you?
*Finally, “Who’s Your Daddy?!” - Had to ask it!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
2012 Dare 2 Share Game Day - Friday Night
Last night God did some pretty cool stuff in student's lives here in Chicago!~
From the moment Jesus came into my life, I've wanted to tell everyone about Him, how He changed my life and how He continues to! That's why I like D2S. The ministry of Dare 2 Share is Mobilizing teenagers to relationally and relentlessly reach their generation for Christ! Students don't need more entertainment that leaves them focusing on themselves, they need a Cause to live for! Jesus lived that Cause, wants to live it in us and wants to help us to do the same!
Last night kicked off with a dramatization of the Apostle Paul in prison just before he died. He was passionate about writing one last letter to his disciple Timothy (2 Timothy in the Bible). The focus was on 4:1-8 and this was the message:
GO and preach the Word,
FIGHT the good Fight,
WIN the Prize!
Greg, Zane & Propaganda taught thru this passage and it was powerful! Then Zane walked us thru the G.O.S.P.E.L. acronym and got us prepared for the opportunities we will get today to share Jesus!
Then the evening ended with a powerful dramatization on God's judgment, mercy & grace. TONS of students gave their lives to Jesus and TONS MORE surrendered to follow Him!~ Totally SICK - as Zane would say!!!!
Students were challenged by Greg, Zane & Prop with "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" - For the Greater Glory of God and the Salvation of all Humanity! To live for Him and no longer for self! Lord, please make that true in my life as well!~ To let others in on this amazing relationship with Jesus, to stand up for the truth and to someday hear our Daddy in heaven tell us WAY TO GO!
Ohhhhhh Yeahhhhhhh - can't wait for more today!
PLUS - it's been totally cool to be here and hang with youth pastor friends David, Eric, Jaret, Jody & all of Brian Ford's team! I'm watching these leaders and they are amazing with their students! Honored to be with them.
You can see some pics on my facebook at:
2012 Dare 2 Share Game Day
Mr. Bill - Student Pastor
Twitter/Vimeo/YouTube/Google+ - mrbill6761
From the moment Jesus came into my life, I've wanted to tell everyone about Him, how He changed my life and how He continues to! That's why I like D2S. The ministry of Dare 2 Share is Mobilizing teenagers to relationally and relentlessly reach their generation for Christ! Students don't need more entertainment that leaves them focusing on themselves, they need a Cause to live for! Jesus lived that Cause, wants to live it in us and wants to help us to do the same!
Last night kicked off with a dramatization of the Apostle Paul in prison just before he died. He was passionate about writing one last letter to his disciple Timothy (2 Timothy in the Bible). The focus was on 4:1-8 and this was the message:
GO and preach the Word,
FIGHT the good Fight,
WIN the Prize!
Greg, Zane & Propaganda taught thru this passage and it was powerful! Then Zane walked us thru the G.O.S.P.E.L. acronym and got us prepared for the opportunities we will get today to share Jesus!
Then the evening ended with a powerful dramatization on God's judgment, mercy & grace. TONS of students gave their lives to Jesus and TONS MORE surrendered to follow Him!~ Totally SICK - as Zane would say!!!!
Students were challenged by Greg, Zane & Prop with "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" - For the Greater Glory of God and the Salvation of all Humanity! To live for Him and no longer for self! Lord, please make that true in my life as well!~ To let others in on this amazing relationship with Jesus, to stand up for the truth and to someday hear our Daddy in heaven tell us WAY TO GO!
Ohhhhhh Yeahhhhhhh - can't wait for more today!
PLUS - it's been totally cool to be here and hang with youth pastor friends David, Eric, Jaret, Jody & all of Brian Ford's team! I'm watching these leaders and they are amazing with their students! Honored to be with them.
You can see some pics on my facebook at:
2012 Dare 2 Share Game Day
Mr. Bill - Student Pastor
Twitter/Vimeo/YouTube/Google+ - mrbill6761
Friday, April 13, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 75 - John 7: Who IS This Jesus?!~
The theme from the book of John, located in John 20:31, continues to be proclaimed: Jesus is God! Jesus’ brothers (James & Jude) want Him to “put on a show” at the annual feast but once again, it’s not the right timing so Jesus declines. They go to the feast and Jesus secretly shows up anyway and begins teaching. “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” Jesus is constantly exposing hearts, because hearts need changing!~
All of this brings a division as to who Jesus is. Some said he was a prophet. Some said He was the Messiah. Others were unsure, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?” And some wanted to seize Him, but because it wasn’t His time they couldn’t – Ha!
Finally we see the unbelief of the religious leaders in 45-53. No one was willing to agree who Jesus was (and IS) because by agreeing with what He said would go against all Jewish tradition and knowledge.
SO WHAT?!
*What is your motivation for following Jesus? The fear of the Lord? The things He does for us? My friends are a part of a church? It’s a good thing to regularly check our motives!
*What has Jesus exposed in you heart recently? An improper thought? A wrong attitude? Anger issues? Whatever it might be, let’s humbly admit our issue, seek forgiveness and let His Holy Spirit transform us!
All of this brings a division as to who Jesus is. Some said he was a prophet. Some said He was the Messiah. Others were unsure, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?” And some wanted to seize Him, but because it wasn’t His time they couldn’t – Ha!
Finally we see the unbelief of the religious leaders in 45-53. No one was willing to agree who Jesus was (and IS) because by agreeing with what He said would go against all Jewish tradition and knowledge.
SO WHAT?!
*What is your motivation for following Jesus? The fear of the Lord? The things He does for us? My friends are a part of a church? It’s a good thing to regularly check our motives!
*What has Jesus exposed in you heart recently? An improper thought? A wrong attitude? Anger issues? Whatever it might be, let’s humbly admit our issue, seek forgiveness and let His Holy Spirit transform us!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 74 - John 6: Jesus - The Bread of Life
In chapter 5, John describes Jesus as God, The Living Water. Here in chapter 6, He is God, The Bread of Life. Kinda’ cool that he uses the two most necessary things that sustain our physical bodies to describe Jesus!
Jesus is gonna’ feed the crowd but first asks a question to test his disciples: "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Phillip bombs the test and Andrew passes – good thing it isn’t the ultimate test! Phillip pulls out his “living by sight” calculator and basically says it can’t be done. Andrew, attempting to live by faith, brings Jesus a little boy with some fish & chips, figuring Jesus could do something with it – and He does! This is the second of three occurrences in John where we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus (1:40-41, 12:20-22). And Jesus DOES do something – he feeds everyone there and there are leftovers! Then he left because they were gonna’ try to make Him King. Throughout the Gospel accounts we often see Jesus leave or get away in order to avoid things that were not in line with His calling.
The next account, that proves that Jesus is the Christ (remember our theme in 20:31), is His authority over creation. The disciples are out in the boat, see Jesus walking on water up to the boat, and they freak out! Yeah duh – me too! He calms them and they go on – astonished at what they had seen!
Next we read how Jesus sees hearts, another proof of His deity. “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” How do we get this bread? “Believe in the one he has sent." And who did God send? “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Yep – the Christmas verse – John 1:14! Only problem is, many saw Jesus – The Living Water & The Bread of Life, and still chose not to believe.
All of this ticked off the Jews because Jesus was claiming to be God. So Jesus tells them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh….I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…” They did not understand that Jesus was talking about being united with Him into a new living relationship by believing! Even some of those who followed Jesus left after hearing this because it was a hard teaching.
SO WHAT?!
*Living by sight is always easier and seems more practical. But we are called to live by FAITH! What are you & I believing God to do that, when it happens, there could be no other explanation for?! Live this way and watch God be strong! Sight living is boring, but as we live by faith, we get to brag on what God does instead of what we do!
*Many things distract us from all God wants us to be. Jesus chose to avoid many of the things that distracted Him from doing His Father’s will. How about you? What are the things that distract your life from God’s will? Technology? Gadgets? Parties? Pleasure? Stuff? Pursuits? The list is endless. Write yours down, give them to God and ask Him to help you stay focused on your life’s calling!
*Having a relationship with Jesus is a killer – you have to DAILY DIE to self! God wants no less than 100% of each of us. Is this a hard teaching for you to follow? It’s a good reminder that we need to be “all in” when it comes to our relationship with Jesus! There’s a hymn that goes, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back……Though none go with me, still I will follow…..no turning back, no turning back.” - Good stuff.
Jesus is gonna’ feed the crowd but first asks a question to test his disciples: "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Phillip bombs the test and Andrew passes – good thing it isn’t the ultimate test! Phillip pulls out his “living by sight” calculator and basically says it can’t be done. Andrew, attempting to live by faith, brings Jesus a little boy with some fish & chips, figuring Jesus could do something with it – and He does! This is the second of three occurrences in John where we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus (1:40-41, 12:20-22). And Jesus DOES do something – he feeds everyone there and there are leftovers! Then he left because they were gonna’ try to make Him King. Throughout the Gospel accounts we often see Jesus leave or get away in order to avoid things that were not in line with His calling.
The next account, that proves that Jesus is the Christ (remember our theme in 20:31), is His authority over creation. The disciples are out in the boat, see Jesus walking on water up to the boat, and they freak out! Yeah duh – me too! He calms them and they go on – astonished at what they had seen!
Next we read how Jesus sees hearts, another proof of His deity. “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” How do we get this bread? “Believe in the one he has sent." And who did God send? “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Yep – the Christmas verse – John 1:14! Only problem is, many saw Jesus – The Living Water & The Bread of Life, and still chose not to believe.
All of this ticked off the Jews because Jesus was claiming to be God. So Jesus tells them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh….I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…” They did not understand that Jesus was talking about being united with Him into a new living relationship by believing! Even some of those who followed Jesus left after hearing this because it was a hard teaching.
SO WHAT?!
*Living by sight is always easier and seems more practical. But we are called to live by FAITH! What are you & I believing God to do that, when it happens, there could be no other explanation for?! Live this way and watch God be strong! Sight living is boring, but as we live by faith, we get to brag on what God does instead of what we do!
*Many things distract us from all God wants us to be. Jesus chose to avoid many of the things that distracted Him from doing His Father’s will. How about you? What are the things that distract your life from God’s will? Technology? Gadgets? Parties? Pleasure? Stuff? Pursuits? The list is endless. Write yours down, give them to God and ask Him to help you stay focused on your life’s calling!
*Having a relationship with Jesus is a killer – you have to DAILY DIE to self! God wants no less than 100% of each of us. Is this a hard teaching for you to follow? It’s a good reminder that we need to be “all in” when it comes to our relationship with Jesus! There’s a hymn that goes, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back……Though none go with me, still I will follow…..no turning back, no turning back.” - Good stuff.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 73 - Chapter 5: Curiosity Turns to Hostility
As Jesus presented Himself to be God in the previous chapters, the reactions were somewhat reserved. Over the next three chapters that reservation turns into rage and into plans to kill Jesus.
To begin, Jesus finds a guy next to this pool who is lame and who has been superstitiously trying for 38 years to get healed. Jesus asks him if he wants to get healed, and even though he doesn’t answer Jesus’ question, Jesus says “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." And, as always, he is healed. This upsets the Jews because it happened on the Sabbath, a holy day of rest, so, as a result, they persecuted Jesus. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
Jesus goes on to explain further His oneness with God the Father: “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.” Then comes one of the most profound statements summarizing the Gospel: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” What an amazing verse on what happens when someone truly believes!
Jesus then gives testimony to His claims. In the old testament, all claims had to be substantiated by 2 or more witnesses, so Jesus give these proofs:
1 – John the Baptizer (32-35)
2 – Jesus’ Works (35-36)
3 – The Father (37-38)
4 – OT Scriptures (39-47)
Our chapter then finishes with these two verses: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
SO WHAT?!
*Myths, superstitions, fables, false beliefs will never lead us to the Jesus of the Bible who is God. There is only one way to come to God!
*Memorize verse 24 – it will be a blessing to us if we do AND to those whom we come into contact! Eternal life begins the moment we believe & receive! It is at that point when we cross over from death to life – whoohoo!!!
*Verses 39-40 are sobering. They warn us not to be so involved in religion that we miss the relationship with Jesus! Which of these would define your Christian life: Rules & Doing? Or Relationship & Being? The first two will drive you nuts and far away, the second ones will draw you near and give peace.
To begin, Jesus finds a guy next to this pool who is lame and who has been superstitiously trying for 38 years to get healed. Jesus asks him if he wants to get healed, and even though he doesn’t answer Jesus’ question, Jesus says “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." And, as always, he is healed. This upsets the Jews because it happened on the Sabbath, a holy day of rest, so, as a result, they persecuted Jesus. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
Jesus goes on to explain further His oneness with God the Father: “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.” Then comes one of the most profound statements summarizing the Gospel: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” What an amazing verse on what happens when someone truly believes!
Jesus then gives testimony to His claims. In the old testament, all claims had to be substantiated by 2 or more witnesses, so Jesus give these proofs:
1 – John the Baptizer (32-35)
2 – Jesus’ Works (35-36)
3 – The Father (37-38)
4 – OT Scriptures (39-47)
Our chapter then finishes with these two verses: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
SO WHAT?!
*Myths, superstitions, fables, false beliefs will never lead us to the Jesus of the Bible who is God. There is only one way to come to God!
*Memorize verse 24 – it will be a blessing to us if we do AND to those whom we come into contact! Eternal life begins the moment we believe & receive! It is at that point when we cross over from death to life – whoohoo!!!
*Verses 39-40 are sobering. They warn us not to be so involved in religion that we miss the relationship with Jesus! Which of these would define your Christian life: Rules & Doing? Or Relationship & Being? The first two will drive you nuts and far away, the second ones will draw you near and give peace.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 72 - Chapter 4: Jesus - Living Water
The accounts in this chapter again point to Jesus being the Christ (26).
Jesus’ run in with the Samaritan woman at the well requires a bit of context. First, Jews did not associate with “half-breed” Samaritans, and a woman at that. Second, women would come twice a day (morning & evening) to get water. Her coming at noon is out of place, maybe to avoid those who knew her reputation. BUT because Jesus is the ultimate transformer & none of these things were the biggest issue to Him, He asked her for a drink. She is taken back that He would even come to her & then He offers her “living water.” Notice the next exchange: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus then begins to tell her about her life. I’ve always assumed that this shows the all-knowing power of Jesus (which is certainly a possibility), but maybe Jesus had a heightened sense of observation? Just a thought. Regardless, her sinful lifestyle is exposed, the need for a forgiving Messiah is shown and Jesus reveals His identity: “The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." The result? Tons of people believe in Jesus! And we are reminded to open our spiritual eyes because many more (the harvest) are ready to believe!
The chapter concludes with Jesus’ second miracle in Cana. Jesus’ response to those who had heard about the water into wine thing He did, showed they were not interested in WHO Jesus was but just wanted His miracles: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." But in His great mercy and love, Jesus, just by speaking, heals this man’s son, resulting in his whole house believing!
SO WHAT?!
*When Jesus went up to the Samaritan woman at the well, He made a powerful statement: Neither race, nor economics, nor social status, etc… can separate us from the love of God in Jesus! We are called to reach out to ALL types & kinds of peeps. So……who is it hardest for you to reach out to for Christ? Do this – commit them to daily prayer over the next 30 days and see if God works on your heart!
*Water represents life. Without it, you and I will die. When Jesus offers Himself as living water, He is stating that without Him we will die spiritually. What do you thirst for? Anything you & I thirst for more than Jesus will leave us parched. Lord, give us a deep thirst for You above all other things!
*Lord, let us never forget that YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST!
Jesus’ run in with the Samaritan woman at the well requires a bit of context. First, Jews did not associate with “half-breed” Samaritans, and a woman at that. Second, women would come twice a day (morning & evening) to get water. Her coming at noon is out of place, maybe to avoid those who knew her reputation. BUT because Jesus is the ultimate transformer & none of these things were the biggest issue to Him, He asked her for a drink. She is taken back that He would even come to her & then He offers her “living water.” Notice the next exchange: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus then begins to tell her about her life. I’ve always assumed that this shows the all-knowing power of Jesus (which is certainly a possibility), but maybe Jesus had a heightened sense of observation? Just a thought. Regardless, her sinful lifestyle is exposed, the need for a forgiving Messiah is shown and Jesus reveals His identity: “The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." The result? Tons of people believe in Jesus! And we are reminded to open our spiritual eyes because many more (the harvest) are ready to believe!
The chapter concludes with Jesus’ second miracle in Cana. Jesus’ response to those who had heard about the water into wine thing He did, showed they were not interested in WHO Jesus was but just wanted His miracles: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." But in His great mercy and love, Jesus, just by speaking, heals this man’s son, resulting in his whole house believing!
SO WHAT?!
*When Jesus went up to the Samaritan woman at the well, He made a powerful statement: Neither race, nor economics, nor social status, etc… can separate us from the love of God in Jesus! We are called to reach out to ALL types & kinds of peeps. So……who is it hardest for you to reach out to for Christ? Do this – commit them to daily prayer over the next 30 days and see if God works on your heart!
*Water represents life. Without it, you and I will die. When Jesus offers Himself as living water, He is stating that without Him we will die spiritually. What do you thirst for? Anything you & I thirst for more than Jesus will leave us parched. Lord, give us a deep thirst for You above all other things!
*Lord, let us never forget that YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST!
Monday, April 9, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 71 - John 3: For God So Loved The World…
Without question, the most known Bible verse in all the world is John 3:16 – and it’s a great one! But do you know what vs 15 says? Vs 17? The context has to do with what it means to be born again. (This is actually one of those verses that CAN be pulled out of context because it describes so much of God’s heart.) Nicodemus, curious about Jesus, comes to Him one night with a compliment towards all Jesus had done. Jesus tells him “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nic doesn’t get it and so Jesus explains that it is not about religiosity. It’s not about DOing. It’s not about keeping “the rules.” It’s about a totally new relationship – a spiritual one! How does this occur? “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Why? “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.” What an awesome invitation! And He did this to SAVE us not condemn us! But what about those who don’t believe? “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” Jesus is Light and Light exposes evil and some people will sadly love evil more than Light. I used to.
The chapter finishes with John the Baptizer describing his position in regards to Jesus. John is a friend, not the Savior. “He must become greater; I must become less.” – was JTB’s disposition!
SO WHAT?!
*Memorize John 3:16 if you haven’t already!
*We all must be “born again” to have eternal life, there is no in between. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." To remain neutral to Jesus is still a form of rejection. Lets continue to lovingly pray for our friends who tell us “Jesus is good for you”, because they truly just don’t understand!
*Who is increasing in your life? Jesus or You? Oh Lord, please help it to be Jesus!!!
The chapter finishes with John the Baptizer describing his position in regards to Jesus. John is a friend, not the Savior. “He must become greater; I must become less.” – was JTB’s disposition!
SO WHAT?!
*Memorize John 3:16 if you haven’t already!
*We all must be “born again” to have eternal life, there is no in between. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." To remain neutral to Jesus is still a form of rejection. Lets continue to lovingly pray for our friends who tell us “Jesus is good for you”, because they truly just don’t understand!
*Who is increasing in your life? Jesus or You? Oh Lord, please help it to be Jesus!!!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Annual Easter Post - THE RICH FAMILY IN CHURCH
By Eddie Ogan
I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12,and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.
By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.
When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1.
We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.
Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.
The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change.
We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before.
That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.
We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.
But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.
When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.
As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.
Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.
We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor.
That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed--I didn't even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!
I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way.
Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.
Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.
When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church."
Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100."
We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!
[forwarded by Willard Caddell, who was a very rich man...RIP]
I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12,and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.
By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.
When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1.
We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.
Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.
The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change.
We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before.
That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.
We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.
But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.
When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.
As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.
Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.
We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor.
That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed--I didn't even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!
I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way.
Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.
Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.
When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church."
Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100."
We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!
[forwarded by Willard Caddell, who was a very rich man...RIP]
Thursday, April 5, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 69 - John 1: Jesus – THE WORD
Introduction to John:
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John all describe the life of Jesus from different eyewitness accounts. Matthew, Mark & Luke are often called the “synoptic” gospels because of their “common view.” The Gospel of John differs quite a bit in content as it focuses on Jesus being God from the very beginning. John’s purpose for this book is clearly defined in 20:31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
This book was written by the apostle John in approximately 85-90 AD and is one of the last books written in the Bible. The author does not mention himself by name, but instead refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Love is a key theme in all of John’s writings. “Signs”, “Believe” and “Life” are three additional key words as well. John’s Gospel is an excellent book for a new believer to read to get a grip on who Jesus is and what new life in Christ is like.
John 1: Jesus – THE WORD
This chapter totally rocks! As a new believer, I was challenged to memorize it and I can’t tell you how many times God has brought these verses up as I’ve shared Jesus with others since October of 1982!
The first five verses explain that Jesus is God (deity). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Only God has been around since the beginning, so “the Word” has to be God. This is confirmed by saying that “the Word” created all things and is the source of life and light.
Next comes two amazing statements. The first is a sobering one: “He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” The Jews in Jesus day rejected Him and many still do that today. The second statement offers incredible hope: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” How amazing is that? ALL who believe & receive now enter into God’s family!!! Then comes “the Christmas verse” (14): “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This is exactly what we celebrate at Christmas – that God became a man in the form of Jesus! So when you include verse 14, the mathematical solution goes something like this:
The Word is God.
Jesus is the Word.
Therefore, Jesus is God!
The rest of the chapter has to do with John the Baptizer. (He wasn’t “Baptist” or “Methodist”, etc…he baptized people) Basically, he denies being Jesus (because people were wanting to follow him) and instead points people TO Jesus!
Finally, I love Andrew’s response when finding Jesus: “Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, '"We have found the Messiah"' (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
SO WHAT?!
*Either Jesus IS God or he’s a liar or a lunatic, because He claimed to be God. How should this truth impact you & me? It should lead us to both Know Jesus & Make Him Known to others!
*Have you believed in and received Jesus yet? If so, then you are the King’s kid – Royalty! WOW - to think that God would adopt us into His family – whoohoo!!! Are we privileged or what?! Take some time to thank Him today!
*Finally, when was the last time you “brought someone to Jesus?” You don’t have to know much, you just have to WANT others to know Jesus. Bring people to Jesus by sharing the Gospel, by living the Gospel, by bringing them to church or student ministry, etc….
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John all describe the life of Jesus from different eyewitness accounts. Matthew, Mark & Luke are often called the “synoptic” gospels because of their “common view.” The Gospel of John differs quite a bit in content as it focuses on Jesus being God from the very beginning. John’s purpose for this book is clearly defined in 20:31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
This book was written by the apostle John in approximately 85-90 AD and is one of the last books written in the Bible. The author does not mention himself by name, but instead refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Love is a key theme in all of John’s writings. “Signs”, “Believe” and “Life” are three additional key words as well. John’s Gospel is an excellent book for a new believer to read to get a grip on who Jesus is and what new life in Christ is like.
John 1: Jesus – THE WORD
This chapter totally rocks! As a new believer, I was challenged to memorize it and I can’t tell you how many times God has brought these verses up as I’ve shared Jesus with others since October of 1982!
The first five verses explain that Jesus is God (deity). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Only God has been around since the beginning, so “the Word” has to be God. This is confirmed by saying that “the Word” created all things and is the source of life and light.
Next comes two amazing statements. The first is a sobering one: “He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” The Jews in Jesus day rejected Him and many still do that today. The second statement offers incredible hope: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” How amazing is that? ALL who believe & receive now enter into God’s family!!! Then comes “the Christmas verse” (14): “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This is exactly what we celebrate at Christmas – that God became a man in the form of Jesus! So when you include verse 14, the mathematical solution goes something like this:
The Word is God.
Jesus is the Word.
Therefore, Jesus is God!
The rest of the chapter has to do with John the Baptizer. (He wasn’t “Baptist” or “Methodist”, etc…he baptized people) Basically, he denies being Jesus (because people were wanting to follow him) and instead points people TO Jesus!
Finally, I love Andrew’s response when finding Jesus: “Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, '"We have found the Messiah"' (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
SO WHAT?!
*Either Jesus IS God or he’s a liar or a lunatic, because He claimed to be God. How should this truth impact you & me? It should lead us to both Know Jesus & Make Him Known to others!
*Have you believed in and received Jesus yet? If so, then you are the King’s kid – Royalty! WOW - to think that God would adopt us into His family – whoohoo!!! Are we privileged or what?! Take some time to thank Him today!
*Finally, when was the last time you “brought someone to Jesus?” You don’t have to know much, you just have to WANT others to know Jesus. Bring people to Jesus by sharing the Gospel, by living the Gospel, by bringing them to church or student ministry, etc….
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 68 - Luke 24: Jesus is Alive!
You can visit the graves of every religious founder such as Joseph Smith, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, etc…. And why? Because they are DEAD. Yep, all of them. Not so with Jesus! He and He alone rose from the dead – an event verified by many witnesses (1 Cor 15:3-7)!
We read today that early in the morning (after keeping the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) women came to bring spices to complete Jesus’ burial. They arrived to find Jesus gone and angels reminding them what happened. The women, in turn, went back and told the disciples. The disciples didn’t believe them, yet Peter ran to see for himself and was still baffled!
I love the next story! Two guys are walking on the road to Emmaus, talking and discouraged about all that had happened in Jerusalem (to Jesus). Then, like out of nowhere, Jesus is walking with them…..listening…..hmmm……..I see………..hmmm…..and they begin to tell Jesus their twist on the story. Side note – Jesus has a better grip on how things are. Anyway, Jesus sets them straight in sort of a Hello duh, didn’t Jesus have to suffer & die?! Then, He took them through the scriptures to show them, ate with them and as He broke bread they recognized Him and poof – He was gone!
Later, while the disciples were talking about all this, Jesus pops in and says, “Peace be with you.” And yeah, you & I would have freaked out too! They think it’s a ghost, Jesus tells them to look at his hands & feet (I believe in order to see the scars), and then asks for some food.
Then in verse 45 we read, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.” We all need the Lord to understand the scriptures! Then He gives them their calling: Preach in His name, be His witnesses and I’ll give you the power to do it! After that Jesus ascended into heaven and the people worshiped & praised God!
SO WHAT?!
*Faith in Jesus Christ alone rests completely on the validity of the resurrection! The apostle Paul puts it this way, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” – 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. Do you believe it? Let’s remember, as we tell others about what Jesus did for us, not to leave Him in the grave! HE’S ALIVE!!!!! Maybe instead of wearing crosses we should be wearing open tombs?
*Do you have a hard time understanding the Bible? Pray before you read your Bible and ask God to “open your mind” so you can understand. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job and He loves to do it!
I've LOVED growing with y'all thru Luke's gospel!~
We read today that early in the morning (after keeping the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) women came to bring spices to complete Jesus’ burial. They arrived to find Jesus gone and angels reminding them what happened. The women, in turn, went back and told the disciples. The disciples didn’t believe them, yet Peter ran to see for himself and was still baffled!
I love the next story! Two guys are walking on the road to Emmaus, talking and discouraged about all that had happened in Jerusalem (to Jesus). Then, like out of nowhere, Jesus is walking with them…..listening…..hmmm……..I see………..hmmm…..and they begin to tell Jesus their twist on the story. Side note – Jesus has a better grip on how things are. Anyway, Jesus sets them straight in sort of a Hello duh, didn’t Jesus have to suffer & die?! Then, He took them through the scriptures to show them, ate with them and as He broke bread they recognized Him and poof – He was gone!
Later, while the disciples were talking about all this, Jesus pops in and says, “Peace be with you.” And yeah, you & I would have freaked out too! They think it’s a ghost, Jesus tells them to look at his hands & feet (I believe in order to see the scars), and then asks for some food.
Then in verse 45 we read, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.” We all need the Lord to understand the scriptures! Then He gives them their calling: Preach in His name, be His witnesses and I’ll give you the power to do it! After that Jesus ascended into heaven and the people worshiped & praised God!
SO WHAT?!
*Faith in Jesus Christ alone rests completely on the validity of the resurrection! The apostle Paul puts it this way, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” – 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. Do you believe it? Let’s remember, as we tell others about what Jesus did for us, not to leave Him in the grave! HE’S ALIVE!!!!! Maybe instead of wearing crosses we should be wearing open tombs?
*Do you have a hard time understanding the Bible? Pray before you read your Bible and ask God to “open your mind” so you can understand. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job and He loves to do it!
I've LOVED growing with y'all thru Luke's gospel!~
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
260 in 2012 - DEVOS - Day 67 - Luke 23: The Crucifixion, Death & Burial of Jesus
A few years back I took an unbelieving friend with me to see “The Passion of the Christ” and it was like no other film we’d ever been to. It was not your laughing, popcorn eating, sit back & enjoy type of movie. I will never forget exiting the theatre afterwards…………..it was dead silent. The somber look on people’s faces is still etched in my brain. My friend didn’t even want to talk about it with me for weeks. Why is it we can watch people get blown up and splattered in films all the time but have this depiction grab us – believer or unbeliever - so deeply? It’s Jesus! He is like no other.
We begin with the unfair trials of Jesus. The “whole assembly” was the Sanhedrin, consisting of probably 70 men. These were the “holy heavies” of the day. They bring Jesus to the governor Pilate accusing Him of “subverting our nation.” It was a deliberate lie to say He apposed paying taxes because they had addressed this before (20:20-25). He was indeed Christ (Messiah) – so guilty as charged. YES “He stirs up the people all over Judea by His teaching” because it made the religious peeps look bad, but NO the sinless Jesus was not guilty of any crime. Pilate knew it (vs 4) but because he was afraid of the people, sent Jesus on to further trial. Jesus became a problem to both Herod & Pilate, ironically uniting them. And eventually, Pilate granted the cries of the crowd to crucify Him.
Being led away to be crucified, Jesus profoundly tells the mourners they should really be more concerned about where they and their offspring are headed when they die than Him! Then as they were crucifying Him, the mercy of God again shows itself in Jesus’ words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And as the guilt-ridden thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him, Jesus again mercifully tells him that “…today you will be with me in paradise.” Amazing how Jesus is constantly thinking of people to the very end!
The time of His death had come. It was preceded by a sunless darkness and as Jesus committed Himself to His Father, we know from other gospels that there was an earthquake as well. Those there gave praise to God! They realized this was no ordinary man. Some left the scene in anguish, others stood at a distance in shock.
Finally we are told that not all of the Sanhedrin agreed to put Jesus away, at least not this Joseph. He took Jesus down from the cross and properly buried Him in a tomb.
SO WHAT?!
*Just like the reactions of those who saw the Passion movie that day, the crucifixion of Jesus should sober us. The cross is a symbol like no other. Think about it. If someone today were to wear a guillotine or an electric chair around their neck, we’d be a bit freaked out & wonder if they might be the next school gunmen or terrorists. But to wear a cross is ok? Again, it’s symbol is Jesus. This unique death & event is the ONLY way by which we can be made right with God. Have you ever put your faith & trust in Jesus ALONE for the forgiveness of your sins? There’s a big difference between knowing OF Jesus and KNOWING Jesus. He’s still offering you the opportunity today! Romans 10:9-10
We begin with the unfair trials of Jesus. The “whole assembly” was the Sanhedrin, consisting of probably 70 men. These were the “holy heavies” of the day. They bring Jesus to the governor Pilate accusing Him of “subverting our nation.” It was a deliberate lie to say He apposed paying taxes because they had addressed this before (20:20-25). He was indeed Christ (Messiah) – so guilty as charged. YES “He stirs up the people all over Judea by His teaching” because it made the religious peeps look bad, but NO the sinless Jesus was not guilty of any crime. Pilate knew it (vs 4) but because he was afraid of the people, sent Jesus on to further trial. Jesus became a problem to both Herod & Pilate, ironically uniting them. And eventually, Pilate granted the cries of the crowd to crucify Him.
Being led away to be crucified, Jesus profoundly tells the mourners they should really be more concerned about where they and their offspring are headed when they die than Him! Then as they were crucifying Him, the mercy of God again shows itself in Jesus’ words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And as the guilt-ridden thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him, Jesus again mercifully tells him that “…today you will be with me in paradise.” Amazing how Jesus is constantly thinking of people to the very end!
The time of His death had come. It was preceded by a sunless darkness and as Jesus committed Himself to His Father, we know from other gospels that there was an earthquake as well. Those there gave praise to God! They realized this was no ordinary man. Some left the scene in anguish, others stood at a distance in shock.
Finally we are told that not all of the Sanhedrin agreed to put Jesus away, at least not this Joseph. He took Jesus down from the cross and properly buried Him in a tomb.
SO WHAT?!
*Just like the reactions of those who saw the Passion movie that day, the crucifixion of Jesus should sober us. The cross is a symbol like no other. Think about it. If someone today were to wear a guillotine or an electric chair around their neck, we’d be a bit freaked out & wonder if they might be the next school gunmen or terrorists. But to wear a cross is ok? Again, it’s symbol is Jesus. This unique death & event is the ONLY way by which we can be made right with God. Have you ever put your faith & trust in Jesus ALONE for the forgiveness of your sins? There’s a big difference between knowing OF Jesus and KNOWING Jesus. He’s still offering you the opportunity today! Romans 10:9-10
Monday, April 2, 2012
Mr Bill - Resume
My Career Objective is to:
In my life, with my family and in my calling to work with students, my life’s pursuit is Knowing Jesus & Making Him Known.
Ministry Experience
Feb 2006 – Feb 2012 Student Pastor, Redeemer Community Church, Katy, Texas.
Accomplishments:
• Developed a purpose statement & vision.
• Laid out 1, 2 & 5 year ministry goals.
• Recruited & trained 20+ adults to serve with.
• Discipled, counseled & mentored students & families.
• Planned and coordinated 5 community-wide student conferences with up to 13 churches & 1100 people.
• KEYS Mentored 7 students thru the Katy Independent School District.
• Coordinated 10 community outreaches & a church-wide ministry in Galveston to hurricane Ike families.
• Regularly study, prepare & teach weekly Bible studies to junior high & high school students.
• Trained over 80 students how to share their faith.
• Planned, equipped & led 4 summer mission trips.
June 1990 – Dec 2005 Youth Pastor, Katy Bible Church, Katy, Texas.
• Developed, implemented and maintained a purpose-driven, great commission obsessed youth ministry.
• Studied, prepared and taught 23 books of the Bible – verse by verse.
• Trained and equipped over 350 students to share their faith.
• Personally discipled 47 students (1-3 yrs. each) to become multiplying disciplemakers.
• Planned and coordinated a city-wide youth event for 3 years reaching over 1,000 teens each year.
• Worked with district superintendent to develop a campus visitation ministry for youth workers.
• Planned, equipped and led 14 missions trips involving over 250 students and leaders.
• Designed, supervised and constructed a commercial playground for our church.
• Presently lead the Katy Area Youth Ministries, a multi-church ministry network to students.
Other
Jan. 2005 – Jan 2006 Dare 2 Share Houston Coordinator and Trainer for youth evangelism teams.
Jan. 1988 – May 1990 Youth Intern, Faith Presbyterian Church, Aurora, Colorado (1 ½ yrs. JH, 1 yr. SH).
Oct. 1986 – Dec. 1987 Junior High Assistant, Bear Valley Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado.
Philosophy of Ministry
• Pray, Study, Equip Ephesians 4:11-17
My responsibility as a youth minister is to be a facilitator of the Gospel. I am to pray, to teach the Word of God, to love,
encourage, guide and equip students within families to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and in service to others.
• Shepherd the Flock 1 Peter 5:2-4
My responsibility as a youth minister is also to look after those whom God has placed in my trust. This involves building
lasting relationships, modeling a Christ-like life and serving our Lord Jesus Christ together.
• Disciple the Faithful Matthew 28:19-20
Finally, as a believer, I have the privilege of calling students to surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I want to tell
as many as I can while I can! Those who believe are the ones I pour my life into so they too can “make disciples.”
Education
-August 2004 Tested and ordained by the elders of Katy Bible Church.
-June 1990 – present Continuing yearly education
-May 1990 Bachelor of Arts, Colorado Christian University
- Major in Youth Ministry
- Minor in Business Administration
*Additional resume material & references available upon request
In my life, with my family and in my calling to work with students, my life’s pursuit is Knowing Jesus & Making Him Known.
Ministry Experience
Feb 2006 – Feb 2012 Student Pastor, Redeemer Community Church, Katy, Texas.
Accomplishments:
• Developed a purpose statement & vision.
• Laid out 1, 2 & 5 year ministry goals.
• Recruited & trained 20+ adults to serve with.
• Discipled, counseled & mentored students & families.
• Planned and coordinated 5 community-wide student conferences with up to 13 churches & 1100 people.
• KEYS Mentored 7 students thru the Katy Independent School District.
• Coordinated 10 community outreaches & a church-wide ministry in Galveston to hurricane Ike families.
• Regularly study, prepare & teach weekly Bible studies to junior high & high school students.
• Trained over 80 students how to share their faith.
• Planned, equipped & led 4 summer mission trips.
June 1990 – Dec 2005 Youth Pastor, Katy Bible Church, Katy, Texas.
• Developed, implemented and maintained a purpose-driven, great commission obsessed youth ministry.
• Studied, prepared and taught 23 books of the Bible – verse by verse.
• Trained and equipped over 350 students to share their faith.
• Personally discipled 47 students (1-3 yrs. each) to become multiplying disciplemakers.
• Planned and coordinated a city-wide youth event for 3 years reaching over 1,000 teens each year.
• Worked with district superintendent to develop a campus visitation ministry for youth workers.
• Planned, equipped and led 14 missions trips involving over 250 students and leaders.
• Designed, supervised and constructed a commercial playground for our church.
• Presently lead the Katy Area Youth Ministries, a multi-church ministry network to students.
Other
Jan. 2005 – Jan 2006 Dare 2 Share Houston Coordinator and Trainer for youth evangelism teams.
Jan. 1988 – May 1990 Youth Intern, Faith Presbyterian Church, Aurora, Colorado (1 ½ yrs. JH, 1 yr. SH).
Oct. 1986 – Dec. 1987 Junior High Assistant, Bear Valley Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado.
Philosophy of Ministry
• Pray, Study, Equip Ephesians 4:11-17
My responsibility as a youth minister is to be a facilitator of the Gospel. I am to pray, to teach the Word of God, to love,
encourage, guide and equip students within families to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and in service to others.
• Shepherd the Flock 1 Peter 5:2-4
My responsibility as a youth minister is also to look after those whom God has placed in my trust. This involves building
lasting relationships, modeling a Christ-like life and serving our Lord Jesus Christ together.
• Disciple the Faithful Matthew 28:19-20
Finally, as a believer, I have the privilege of calling students to surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I want to tell
as many as I can while I can! Those who believe are the ones I pour my life into so they too can “make disciples.”
Education
-August 2004 Tested and ordained by the elders of Katy Bible Church.
-June 1990 – present Continuing yearly education
-May 1990 Bachelor of Arts, Colorado Christian University
- Major in Youth Ministry
- Minor in Business Administration
*Additional resume material & references available upon request
260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 66 - Luke 22: Last Supper, Betrayal, Denial & Jesus’ Confession
These last three chapters in Luke record the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. No event in history has had more impact or ever will until He returns. I pray these last three chapters sink deep into our souls and transform us!
Cool start - wouldn’t it have been tight to be Peter & John looking for the guy carrying water and everything be just as Jesus told them!?~! Ha – would love to have been there!
Anyway, we first read about Jesus’ passion to have one last moment & Passover celebration with his disciples. I’m ever amazed at His desire to spend time with people – even those who betray Him. Amazing how someone could spend three years with Jesus and still turn on Him like Judas did. Jesus continued and will continue to reach out, but woe to those who don’t turn to Him!
Jesus then addresses greatness. Our world’s system of leadership brings out a lot of selfishness & arrogance, but God’s system is quite opposite. The way up is truly down. You want to be great, you be a servant of all. Humility is God’s way and Jesus exemplified it!
Then we read of Peter’s painful denial of Jesus. Fear had overtaken his call to follow and three times he denies his Lord. Jesus told him he would, but lest we condemn Peter, Jesus also predicted Pete would turn back. And certainly God used him greatly!
Then there is the garden. At the most crucial time in His life, Jesus asks his disciples to pray. He returns to find them nodding off – not that any of us would ever nod off in church……. What a lonely & trying time for our Lord this must have been.
The chapter ends with Jesus’ confession that He is God! If the religious leaders were not peeved by now, this would do it. To claim to be God was the ultimate blasphemy………unless of course you ARE God, which they refused to believe He was!
SO WHAT?!
*I believe that just as Jesus had a passion to spend time with His disciples, He has that same passion for us. Yet often times, the first thing to go when we get busy is our Bible reading & prayer time. How’s your 260 in 2012 going? Lets not let the busyness of life to allow us to ditch our time alone with our Creator!
*Are we guilty of denying Jesus? Do your friends, co-workers, family members know that HE is what you live for? Let’s be like Paul who was “not ashamed of the Gospel.”
*Who are your “garden friends?” Friends who will be there in our time of greatest need, who will be Jesus to you & weather storms with you. You need ‘em and so do I. And who are WE that garden friend to? As believers we were never meant to be “lone rangers”……….. and hey, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!
Cool start - wouldn’t it have been tight to be Peter & John looking for the guy carrying water and everything be just as Jesus told them!?~! Ha – would love to have been there!
Anyway, we first read about Jesus’ passion to have one last moment & Passover celebration with his disciples. I’m ever amazed at His desire to spend time with people – even those who betray Him. Amazing how someone could spend three years with Jesus and still turn on Him like Judas did. Jesus continued and will continue to reach out, but woe to those who don’t turn to Him!
Jesus then addresses greatness. Our world’s system of leadership brings out a lot of selfishness & arrogance, but God’s system is quite opposite. The way up is truly down. You want to be great, you be a servant of all. Humility is God’s way and Jesus exemplified it!
Then we read of Peter’s painful denial of Jesus. Fear had overtaken his call to follow and three times he denies his Lord. Jesus told him he would, but lest we condemn Peter, Jesus also predicted Pete would turn back. And certainly God used him greatly!
Then there is the garden. At the most crucial time in His life, Jesus asks his disciples to pray. He returns to find them nodding off – not that any of us would ever nod off in church……. What a lonely & trying time for our Lord this must have been.
The chapter ends with Jesus’ confession that He is God! If the religious leaders were not peeved by now, this would do it. To claim to be God was the ultimate blasphemy………unless of course you ARE God, which they refused to believe He was!
SO WHAT?!
*I believe that just as Jesus had a passion to spend time with His disciples, He has that same passion for us. Yet often times, the first thing to go when we get busy is our Bible reading & prayer time. How’s your 260 in 2012 going? Lets not let the busyness of life to allow us to ditch our time alone with our Creator!
*Are we guilty of denying Jesus? Do your friends, co-workers, family members know that HE is what you live for? Let’s be like Paul who was “not ashamed of the Gospel.”
*Who are your “garden friends?” Friends who will be there in our time of greatest need, who will be Jesus to you & weather storms with you. You need ‘em and so do I. And who are WE that garden friend to? As believers we were never meant to be “lone rangers”……….. and hey, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!
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