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John 14

8/30/2013

John 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

This is important to remember and so incredible for us because God has always worked on us knowing Him. We have the word, we had the word in flesh, Jesus, and now we have the Holy Spirit. There is no reason why we would choose this world if we open our heart and believe.

In verse 23 Jesus is clear on the importance of our love for Him. “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” When we believe our heart is filled and the Holy Spirit will do all He can to keep us focused and growing. Our responsibility is to follow the Holy Spirit and trust in all He is showing us because it comes from the Father. The constant theme of love in John chapter 14 is so important for us to comprehend because it is who God is and it makes a difference in what we do. In verse 15 Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” We don’t obey because we are told to; we obey because we love Him. This is the incredible example Jesus showed His entire time on earth.

He said many times that He does nothing on His own but only what the Father tells Him. We have the same chance to do this because the Father has given us all the tools necessary, all we have to do is use them. Verse 21 says, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” He will reveal Himself to all of us, so we know the truth.

Look at the devotion that Jesus has and the example we see for ourselves when He is getting ready to be turned over to the leading priest and Pharisee’s. Verses 30-31, “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.” What He was about to face is not really comprehendible for us, but He did it because it was not about Him. Jesus is with us to give us our strength and the Holy Spirit lives in us to guide us to do what is right. We can’t let the fear of this world dictate what we do even when it seems tough because when we are in Christ “the ruler of this world has no power over us.”

We are here for a short time to glorify God so when this world is gone we will have glory with the Father in heaven. Amen

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John 13

8/28/2013

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John 13:13-17 “You call me “Teacher and Lord,” and you are right because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth; slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

We see a humble Lord doing something people would expect a servant to do and that is Jesus’ point. He said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” We must realize that as we grow in knowledge of the Lord and we understand the truth of the word it doesn’t make us better or someone who should be honored, it makes us more of a servant to live as Jesus did. God’s word is for us to learn and live and Jesus shows us how He lived it during His stay on earth.

When we realize that leadership is not power it is applied knowledge we will start doing our part to make disciples that don’t want to just hear the word but they will want to live the word out. We must not worry about what we are but who we are in Christ. This will humble each of us to do the things that Jesus did and when we are authentic and read about whom Jesus is we will shine and then people will seek Jesus for who He is. I love John chapter 14 verse 12 which says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” We are here to carry out the great commission and be Christ-like as we do it. Our light that comes from Christ will impact people if it’s not about ourselves and what we have done but about Jesus and what He did for us.

In John chapter 14 verse 6 Jesus makes a bold statement and we must remember this as we seek to grow and make a difference. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” This is why when He says “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you,” He means it. How is our walk looking? Is it about us only or are we shining for others to see? I pray for myself to want to learn so I know and know so I grow and grow so I shine all that He has shown me. Keep on seeking and you will find, those are great words to remember because God is for us and wants us home. Amen

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John 12

8/25/2013

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John 12:23-24 “Jesus replied; “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into His glory. I told you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels – a plentiful harvest of new lives.”

As we accept Christ as Lord we must understand that we are new creations in Christ and we show that to be true by a renewing of our heart. We are excited to seek wisdom and understanding from God’s word and we surrender our lives to Jesus to do God’s will. Verse 25 says, “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” Jesus knew He had to die so He could be raised again. We must die to self and realize no matter what we have done God loves us and sent Jesus for us.

So as we learn and grow we change our way of thinking so we do not just do what our flesh is telling us. This takes discipline and openness to who Jesus is. Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” As we seek we will find as we find we will grow and as we grow we will die to ourselves and be born again.

Jesus goes on to say in John chapter 12 verse 26, “Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” We all can be disciples but are we willing to learn to be like Jesus and help develop more disciples by planting seeds and watering them? We can’t be new creations and do nothing with it, we must change and shine the light of Jesus for all to see, and then we will be that kernel that grows. Amen

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John 11

8/22/2013

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John 11:21-27 “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her. “Your brother will rise again.” Yes, Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha? Yes, Lord, she told Him. I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

This is the difference between belief and faith. Faith is shown by action and action is what moves us to truly believe. Martha had no doubt; she said in verse 27, “…I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God…” She didn’t hope, she knew, we must know as well. Jesus shares something that is important in verse 26 and it is what Martha showed as she went up to Jesus. “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die…” I love that Jesus said this because again I believe our choice is seen by our actions and when we choose to live in Christ we die to self and we show our belief by how we try and resemble His actions.

In Christ we have strength, in Christ we have peace, in Christ we have joy, and in Christ we can do all things. When we believe in Him and understand that we have a responsibility to join Him in life then we will understand how our belief is so much more than words. I like 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 16-17 because we see how important God’s word is for us and what it can do when we believe it is truly from God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

When we believe this in our hearts we will open His word and learn. He won’t read it for us He wants us to be a part of this relationship because when we are it means much more. When Martha said, “Yes, Lord, I have always believed you are the Messiah,” she showed it by how she approached Jesus. Let’s remember how great His sacrifice was and believe who He is by opening our hearts and growing daily. Amen

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John 8

8/18/2013

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John 8:12 “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

The thing that made me read this again is this statement, ‘…If you follow me…’ We need to understand that when we accept Jesus we are not trying to learn to lead we are learning to obey. Our obedience is what makes us change and our change is what shows that we belong to Christ. The Pharisee’s believed in a Messiah but they only thought in the worldly sense of who he would be. We must let go of this world and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord.

In verse 23 Jesus says, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world, I do not.” When we accept Jesus for who He is we must surrender our will and our thoughts and let our worldly flesh go. Jesus continues in verse 24 by saying, “That is why I said that you will die in your sin; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sin.” The Pharisee’s wanted so badly to have the Messiah come but they weren’t willing to listen and follow. I love what Jesus says to some believes in John chapter 8 verses 31-32, “Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Our belief is shown by our faith and our faith is shown by our surrender because we believe. As we read on in John chapter 8 Jesus goes on to share this in verse 51, “I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” The most amazing thing about this is that Jesus came to this world, God in the flesh, surrendering all for us because He obeyed the Father. He knows what needs to be done and he prayed often so His relationship stayed fresh. Verses 54 and 55 are great examples of our Lord obeying and working on glorifying the Father. “If I want the glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God, but you don’t even know Him, I know Him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know Him and obey Him.”

As we open our hearts and learn we grow in our understanding and we also grow our relationship so we desire to obey and desire to follow what Jesus has already done. Then we see our Lord and we work hard to emulate His life and we forget ours. This is a never ending process of our relationship that is so worth our time. Let’s be thankful and let God work in us to move us to be different. Amen

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John 6

8/15/2013

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John 6:26-27 “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understand the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of His approval.”

As I read, this stood out and opened my eyes to how simply Jesus has laid out our focus. What I mean is, we need to not focus on the what, such as the worldly things that make us crazy: Money, jobs, homes, vehicles, etc., and focus on the who. When we seek or concentrate on knowing our Lord and Savior we find our Lord and Savior. When we find Him our hearts open to Him and we desire more of Him. The incredible part is the more we do this the more we change and the less we do it the harder it is for us to develop.

Our purpose as Christians is to Love God and love people and as we do that and have a relationship with Him we grow and we finish our purpose, which is what it says in Matthew chapter 28 verses 18-20, “Jesus came and told His disciples. ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

See if we worry about perishables we don’t get to the core of what is important. To know Jesus is to be like Him and to be like Him is what helps people see the light in the world and it shines and His characteristics are what show through us and make people want to know Him. If we only do the surface we only grow so much and we miss the understanding that brings the qualities of heaven to earth. Jesus’ prayer says, “On earth as it is in Heaven.”

Warren Wiersbe said it like this and it really sunk in as I read it. “As His servants, we are distributors, not manufactures. If we give what we have to Him, He will bless it and give it back to us for use in feeding others.” Wow, as we seek to understand we can make a difference watering and planting seeds to people, but if we just hear, we repel people by our hypocrisy and it is harder for people to grow. We all need to surrender and seek wisdom from the Lord and make every effort to keep our eyes on the prize so we can be just like Him. Amen

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John 3

8/10/2013

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John 3:27-30 “John replied, ‘No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for Him. It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with Him and hear His vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at His success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”

John is surrendering control and joyfully giving it to Jesus. He knew this from the beginning and stayed true to his purpose and calling. When we can open our hearts and let the Spirit change and develop us we will let go of the struggles we fight with our flesh. Look at what Jesus shares in John chapter 3 verse 6, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to Spiritual life.” We must seek that life given to us by the Spirit. He will lead us and guide us when we are willing to listen. As we grow and change our ways we develop and what we care about changes.

The Spirit fills us and we desire more and more wisdom from the Lord. In John chapter 3 verse 31 it says, “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of earth, and we speak of earthly things, but He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.” When we open up to these truths we will seek things that come from Him and when we are seeking we will find because the Word says so. I love the fact that God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son for us, but I also love the fact that Jesus loved the Father so much that He only did what He told Him and surrendered His power to live like we do in the flesh.

When we accept Him and claim it we must be willing to learn and surrender. I want to finish with John chapter 3 verse 36 and then a prayer. “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” Dear Father thank you for your love and your Son, please help me open my heart to be new in Christ and always be focused on you and not myself. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen

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Luke 19

8/5/2013

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Luke 19:5-9 “When Jesus came by; He looked up at Zacchaeus and called Him by name. ‘Zacchaeus! He said. Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your house today.’ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. ‘He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.’ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’ Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.”

I love this because it shows how our hearts should be about things of this world. Nothing is ours so we should not let anything trap us into thinking we need it. Knowing Jesus and accepting Him as Lord and Savior is all we need. How exciting is it that we are around when we have the bridge already made to get home to the Father. Zacchaeus was so excited he climbed a tree to even see Jesus; we have Him every day so we should be uncontrollably excited.

Jesus didn’t tell Zacchaeus to do anything, but he stood there in verse 8 and said, “…I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.” Look at the difference between Zacchaeus and the rick man in Matthew chapter 19. The rich man wanted to follow laws so he could have eternal life. There wasn’t anything to do with his heart and changing the way he thought. Jesus tells him in Matthew chapter 19 verse 21, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come, follow me.” He went away sad, are we like Zacchaeus? Eagar to be with Jesus and give up anything we have or are we like the rich man who couldn’t give his stuff up to follow Jesus?

I want to continue to grow so I don’t ever think about anything but how Jesus lived and handled life and then I want to be so comfortable with Him that nothing else matters and my joy and excitement is doing the will of the Father. We should all be excited because we know the way to heaven and we know the person who has bridged the gap. I say we need to keep our heart growing and enjoy everything we have in Christ. Amen

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Luke 18

8/2/2013

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Luke 18:16-17 “Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

This is important because what a child brings is openness, humility, and a want to follow or surrender. They don’t come with an agenda or living to be right, they just come seeking for someone to show them the way. We as adults have trouble doing this because we know it all and are sure that we can get ourselves through our problems. When we can stop and say God help me, show me, and lead me our ability to hear the whispers of God are magnified. We must think about how Jesus handled situations and continue to study so we can follow His example, because even being God in the flesh He humbled Himself to the position and did nothing without listening to the Father.

Look at what Jesus says in John chapter 12 verses 49-50, “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know His commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” I love this because it shows faith and devotion, Jesus says, “I know His commands lead to eternal life…” We know Jesus came to bridge the gap to the Father in heaven so why is it hard to learn and follow what Jesus is showing us? He is the way the truth and the life so we need to believe that and show the same love that He has by obeying and following Him.

I love that Jesus shows us how to live by His example not just His words. When we understand this and open our hearts to change the Spirit will help us change. We are not in this alone, we have been given the tools to be strong and be confident, all we have to do is give up control and live doing what we are shown in His word and by the Holy Spirit in us. I want to finish by really seeing and hearing what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” It does not say everything you want so understand He knows what is best for us so we need to keep our focus on Him. Amen

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John 14

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