I've been reading through a chapter a day in John so that I can focus on a bit at a time and meditate on the things that really speak to me. Yesterday, I was in chapter 8, and was struck once again by who the Lord is and what He has done for me. In verse 23, Jesus says to the Pharisees, "And He said to them, 'You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am ("He" is in my translation, but not in the original text), you will die in your sins.'" Again in verses 28-29, He says this same thing again and expounds: "Then Jesus said to them, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am (He), and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.'" I was struck by what the Lord was saying here. First of all, it is absolutely essential that we recognize and trust in the deity of Christ. I will discuss that a little more later, but He says right here that if we do not believe that He is who He says He is, that He is "I AM" (the NAME of God), then we will die in our sins. The second thing I noticed was that in Christ we have access to God the Father, and by the power of Christ in us, we can have the same testimony: The trust that the Father does not leave us alone because we do the things that please Him. This seems like a bold statement, but consider another verse in chapter six of John: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the God-man, and we rest in His complete and finished work on the cross, then we have the Lord with us ALWAYS, and we are doing that which pleases Him.
In verses 34-36, Jesus says to them in this discourse on His nature: "Jesus answered them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.'" We were slaves to sin, but when we come to the Son, He "sets us free"; gives liberty to the captives; so that we are no longer slaves. But there's more..."But as many as received Him, to them He gave the RIGHT (emphasis mine) to become children of God, to those who believe IN HIS NAME (emphasis mine)..." (John 1:12), and "and if children, then HEIRS - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Romans 8:17). The Lord doesn't just set the slave FREE, He adopts the slave as His own child and then gives the slave the same inheritance as His own Son: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Verse 58 is probably my favorite verse in the book of John. Whenever I watch "The Gospel of John", it just gives me chills when this line is spoken because of the power of what Jesus is saying: "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." And this is the power of these words, of this entire chapter, and the reason why if we miss this, we miss everything: If Jesus ISN'T God, then He has NO power to save us, to set us free. ALL authority has been given to Him because HE IS GOD; God in flesh, come to redeem us who are in the flesh from the power (the strength) of the flesh and of death. "Whom the Son sets free, you are free indeed!" This is only true BECAUSE He is God. No mere created being has this kind of power and authority, because, as some correctly stated, "only God can forgive sins." Now, as Christians who believe that Jesus IS God, we have the living Christ living within us, and He gives us power and authority to do IN HIS NAME, only what He tells us to do, NOT what we decide to do FOR Him. If the Lord gives us something to do, we can do it in confidence, knowing that it is not us doing it, but the power of the living Christ within us supplying what we need to accomplish what He commands.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Knowing Christ
" You search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
John 5:39-40
Bible study will not give you eternal life. You could memorize the entire Bible and be able to discuss minute issues of biblical scholarship and yet fail to experience the truths found in its pages. It is a subtle temptation to prefer the book to the Author. A book will not confront you about your sin; the Author will. Books can be ignored; it is much harder to avoid the Author when He is seeking a relationship with you.
The Pharisees in Jesus' day thought God would be pleased with their knowledge of His Word. They could quote long, complicated passages of Scripture. They loved to recite and study God's Law for hours on end. Yet Jesus condemned them because, although they knew the Scriptures, they did not know God. They were proud of their Bible knowledge, but they rejected the invitation to know God's Son.
Can you imagine yourself knowing all that God has promised to do in your life but then turning to something else instead? You may be tempted to turn to substitutes. These substitutes aren't necessarily bad things. They might include serving in the church, doing good deeds, or reading Christian books. No amount of Christian activity will ever replace your relationship with Jesus. The apostle Paul considered every "good" thing he had ever done to be "rubbish" when compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). Never become satisfied with religious activity rather than a personal, vibrant, and growing relationship with Jesus Christ."
Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, "Experiencing God Day by Day"
Monday, April 5, 2010
God Accomplishes His Work THROUGH YOU
"The Holy Spirit will never mislead you about the Father's will. In order that you not miss the purpose God has for you, He has given His Spirit to guide you according to His will. The Spirit also enables you to do God's will. You are completely dependent on God for the knowledge and for the ability to achieve His purposes. You must be patient and wait until you hear a word from God about His will and His ways.
Jesus is our model. He never failed to know and do His Father's will. Everything the Father proposed to do through His life, the Lord Jesus did. Thus, Jesus could claim at the end of His life that He had completed everything His Father had given Him to do (see John 17:4).
What was the key to Jesus' perfect obedience? He was always rightly related to the Father. If you walk in a consistent relationship with God, then you should never come to a time that you do not know His will. There should never be a situation in which you are not enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry out God's will.
In Jesus, we have the picture of a perfect love relationship with the Father. Jesus consistently lived out that relationship. You and I quickly conclude that we are a long way from that, but Christ is fully present in us to help us know and do God's will (see Gal. 2:20). We need to adjust our lives to God and faithfully live out that relationship with absolute dependence on Him. He will never fail to draw us into the middle of His purpose and enable us to do it - as He did for people throughout Scripture.
Moses. Only through obedience did Moses begin to experience the full nature of God. We see a pattern of God speaking, Moses obeying, and God accomplishing what He purposed to do:
Jesus is our model. He never failed to know and do His Father's will. Everything the Father proposed to do through His life, the Lord Jesus did. Thus, Jesus could claim at the end of His life that He had completed everything His Father had given Him to do (see John 17:4).
What was the key to Jesus' perfect obedience? He was always rightly related to the Father. If you walk in a consistent relationship with God, then you should never come to a time that you do not know His will. There should never be a situation in which you are not enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry out God's will.
In Jesus, we have the picture of a perfect love relationship with the Father. Jesus consistently lived out that relationship. You and I quickly conclude that we are a long way from that, but Christ is fully present in us to help us know and do God's will (see Gal. 2:20). We need to adjust our lives to God and faithfully live out that relationship with absolute dependence on Him. He will never fail to draw us into the middle of His purpose and enable us to do it - as He did for people throughout Scripture.
Moses. Only through obedience did Moses begin to experience the full nature of God. We see a pattern of God speaking, Moses obeying, and God accomplishing what He purposed to do:
- God invited Moses to join Him in what He was doing to deliver Israel.
- God told Moses what to do.
- Moses obeyed.
- God delivered the Israelites from captivity in Egypt as He had promised.
- Moses and those around him came to know God more intimately.
When the people stood between the Red Sea and the oncoming Egyptian army, God told Moses to hold his staff over the sea and Moses obeyed. God parted the sea and the people crossed on dry ground (Exod. 14:1-25). Then Miriam led the people in a hymn of praise describing their new understanding of God.
When the people were thirsty and had no water to drink, they complained to Moses. God told Moses to strike a rock with the staff. Moses obeyed and God caused water to flow from the rock (Exod. 17:1-7). Whenever Moses obeyed what God told him to do, he and the people of Israel experienced the awesome power of God at work.
People of Faith. When Noah obeyed, God preserved his family and repopulated the earth. When Abraham obeyed, God have him a son and built a nation. When David obeyed, God made him a king and greatly increased the power and prosperity of Israel. When Elijah obeyed, God displayed His astounding power by sending down fire from heaven. These people of faith came to know God by experience when they obeyed Him, and He accomplished His work through them.
The Disciples. Luke records a beautiful experience of Jesus' disciples. The Lord invited seventy of His followers to join Him in the Father's work. Jesus gave these people specific directions, telling them how to travel, what to preach, how to respond to receptive listeners, and how to handle rejection. They obeyed Him and experienced God working through them to heal people and cast out demons. Jesus praised the Father for revealing Himself to these followers (see Luke 10:21-22). Then Jesus turned to His disciples and said, "The eyes that see the things you see are blessed! For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn't see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn't hear them" (Luke 10:23-24).
These disciples were blessed. They had been chosen by God to be involved in His work. What they saw, heard, and came to know about God was something even prophets and kings longed to experience but didn't.
You, too, will be blessed when God does a special, God-sized work through you. You will come to know Him in a way that brings joy to your life. When others see you experience God that way, they will want to know how they, too, can experience God as you do. So be prepared to point them to God.
If you are obedient, God will accomplish remarkable things through your life. You'll want to declare the wonderful deeds of the Lord, but you'll need to be careful that any testimony about what God has done gives glory to Him. Pride may cause you to want to tell your experience because it makes you feel important. However, you must avoid any sense of pride. "The one who boasts must boast in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:31)."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Claude King; "Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God"; copyright 2008
Sunday, April 4, 2010
God Accomplishes His Work
"But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God. (John 3:21)
My plan will take place, and I will do all my will....Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about. I have planned it; I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:10-11)
Affirmation
When we experience God's invitation to join Him, some people insist on seeing some kind of sign. In essence they are saying, "Lord, prove to me this is You, and then I will obey." When Moses stood before the burning bush and received his invitation to join God in His great work, God promised to affirm the invitation in due time. He said, "This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain" (Exod. 3:12). In other words, "Moses, you obey, and I will deliver Israel through you. You will come to know Me as your deliverer, and you will stand on this mountain and worship Me."
God's affirmation that He had sent Moses would come after Moses obeyed, not before. This is most frequently the case in Scripture. The affirmation comes after the obedience. When Jesus invited Peter to get out of the boat to walk on the water, He did not assure Peter he would stay afloat! The Lord simple said, "Come!" (Matt. 14:28). Peter wouldn't know if he could walk on the water until he took his first step.
Because you love God, obey Him. Then you will so fellowship with Him that you will come to know Him intimately. His work through you to accomplish God-sized assignments will be a joyous time for you!
What If The "Door" Closes?
Suppose you sense the call of God to a task, a place, or a particular ministry, and when you set about to do it, everything goes wrong. Often people say, "Well, I guess that wasn't God's will."
Since God calls you into a relationship with Him, be careful how you interpret your circumstances. Many times, we jump to a conclusion that God is moving us in a particular direction. We make up our minds about what He is doing and when He is going to do it, according to what seems logical to us. We start following the logic of our own reasoning, but then nothing seems to work out. We have a tendency to neglect our relationship with God and take things into our own hands, but don't do that.
Usually, when God calls or gives you a direction, His call is not the thing He wants you to do. He is telling you what He is about to do where you are. For example, examine this record of the apostle Paul's ministry:
"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, 'Cross over to Macedonia and help us!' After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them." (Acts 16:6-10)
God had already told Paul He would reach the Gentiles through him, but God - not Paul - would do the saving. Paul started in one direction, and the Spirit stopped him (see Acts 16:6-10). Then he began in another. Again, the Spirit prevented him. What was God's original plan? To reach the Gentiles. What was Paul's problem? He was trying to figure out what to do, and the "doors" of opportunity seemed to close. In fact, God was saying, "Listen to me, Paul. Go and sit in Troas until I tell you where to go."
While he was in Asia Minor, in the city of Troas, Paul received a vision to go to Macedonia and help the people there. God's plan was to carry the gospel westward toward Greece and Rome. He was at work in Macedonia and wanted Paul to join Him in that place.
When you begin to follow what you sense God wants you to do and circumstances seem to close the door of opportunity, go back to the Lord and clarify what God said. Better yet, always try to make sure on the front end exactly what God is saying. Remember, He is not calling you primarily to a task but to a relationship. Through that relationship, He will accomplish His purposes through your life.
Moses had to re-check Gods' directions constantly. He obeyed God, spoke to Pharaoh, and everything went wrong, but Moses didn't quit. He went back to the Lord to clarify what was happening.
God began to given him directions about the plagues He would bring on Egypt. Pharaoh seemed to be getting more and more obstinate. Moses daily sought God's directions and obeyed them. Later, Moses could look back and see God's handiwork in all that took place. God delivered Israel from the Egyptians in such a way that Israel, Egypt, and the surrounding nations knew God had done it. Pharaoh's stubbornness was not a sign that Moses misunderstood God's directives. Rather, it was the way God performed an even greater work than Moses could have imagined."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Claude King
My plan will take place, and I will do all my will....Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about. I have planned it; I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:10-11)
Affirmation
When we experience God's invitation to join Him, some people insist on seeing some kind of sign. In essence they are saying, "Lord, prove to me this is You, and then I will obey." When Moses stood before the burning bush and received his invitation to join God in His great work, God promised to affirm the invitation in due time. He said, "This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain" (Exod. 3:12). In other words, "Moses, you obey, and I will deliver Israel through you. You will come to know Me as your deliverer, and you will stand on this mountain and worship Me."
God's affirmation that He had sent Moses would come after Moses obeyed, not before. This is most frequently the case in Scripture. The affirmation comes after the obedience. When Jesus invited Peter to get out of the boat to walk on the water, He did not assure Peter he would stay afloat! The Lord simple said, "Come!" (Matt. 14:28). Peter wouldn't know if he could walk on the water until he took his first step.
Because you love God, obey Him. Then you will so fellowship with Him that you will come to know Him intimately. His work through you to accomplish God-sized assignments will be a joyous time for you!
What If The "Door" Closes?
Suppose you sense the call of God to a task, a place, or a particular ministry, and when you set about to do it, everything goes wrong. Often people say, "Well, I guess that wasn't God's will."
Since God calls you into a relationship with Him, be careful how you interpret your circumstances. Many times, we jump to a conclusion that God is moving us in a particular direction. We make up our minds about what He is doing and when He is going to do it, according to what seems logical to us. We start following the logic of our own reasoning, but then nothing seems to work out. We have a tendency to neglect our relationship with God and take things into our own hands, but don't do that.
Usually, when God calls or gives you a direction, His call is not the thing He wants you to do. He is telling you what He is about to do where you are. For example, examine this record of the apostle Paul's ministry:
"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, 'Cross over to Macedonia and help us!' After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them." (Acts 16:6-10)
God had already told Paul He would reach the Gentiles through him, but God - not Paul - would do the saving. Paul started in one direction, and the Spirit stopped him (see Acts 16:6-10). Then he began in another. Again, the Spirit prevented him. What was God's original plan? To reach the Gentiles. What was Paul's problem? He was trying to figure out what to do, and the "doors" of opportunity seemed to close. In fact, God was saying, "Listen to me, Paul. Go and sit in Troas until I tell you where to go."
While he was in Asia Minor, in the city of Troas, Paul received a vision to go to Macedonia and help the people there. God's plan was to carry the gospel westward toward Greece and Rome. He was at work in Macedonia and wanted Paul to join Him in that place.
When you begin to follow what you sense God wants you to do and circumstances seem to close the door of opportunity, go back to the Lord and clarify what God said. Better yet, always try to make sure on the front end exactly what God is saying. Remember, He is not calling you primarily to a task but to a relationship. Through that relationship, He will accomplish His purposes through your life.
Moses had to re-check Gods' directions constantly. He obeyed God, spoke to Pharaoh, and everything went wrong, but Moses didn't quit. He went back to the Lord to clarify what was happening.
God began to given him directions about the plagues He would bring on Egypt. Pharaoh seemed to be getting more and more obstinate. Moses daily sought God's directions and obeyed them. Later, Moses could look back and see God's handiwork in all that took place. God delivered Israel from the Egyptians in such a way that Israel, Egypt, and the surrounding nations knew God had done it. Pharaoh's stubbornness was not a sign that Moses misunderstood God's directives. Rather, it was the way God performed an even greater work than Moses could have imagined."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Claude King
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Adjustments In Prayer And The Cost
"... Mark 11:24 holds a prayer promise that has challenged me regarding the relationship of faith and prayer: "All the things you pray and ask for - believe that you have received them, and you will have them."
This verse is sometimes used to promote a name-it-and-claim-it theology. You decide what you want. You name that in your prayer, claim it, and it's yours. But that's a misguided and self-centered notion. Remember that only God takes the initiative. He gives you the desire to do His will (see Phil. 2:13) and His Holy Spirit guides you to pray according to God's will (see Rom. 8:26-28). In the God-centered approach, God leads you to pray according to His will and to believe that He will bring to pass what He has led you to pray. Then, continue praying in faith and watching for Him to keep His word.
Because an encounter with God entails a crisis of belief that may require major adjustments in your life, you need to learn how to pray. Even the prayer may be costly. You may need to let God wake you up in the middle of the night to pray. You may need to spend much time in prayer. Times may come when you pray late into the night or even all night. Becoming a person of prayer requires a major adjustment of your life to God. Prayer will always be a part of your obedience because it is in a prayer relationship that God gives you direction.
Another cost will come as you try to guide the people around you to pray. Most of our churches have not learned how to pray together. The greatest, untapped resource I know of is the united prayer of God's people. Jesus, quoting from Isaiah 56:7, said, "My house will be called a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46). To help your church become a praying church will be a rewarding experience."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Claude King
This verse is sometimes used to promote a name-it-and-claim-it theology. You decide what you want. You name that in your prayer, claim it, and it's yours. But that's a misguided and self-centered notion. Remember that only God takes the initiative. He gives you the desire to do His will (see Phil. 2:13) and His Holy Spirit guides you to pray according to God's will (see Rom. 8:26-28). In the God-centered approach, God leads you to pray according to His will and to believe that He will bring to pass what He has led you to pray. Then, continue praying in faith and watching for Him to keep His word.
Because an encounter with God entails a crisis of belief that may require major adjustments in your life, you need to learn how to pray. Even the prayer may be costly. You may need to let God wake you up in the middle of the night to pray. You may need to spend much time in prayer. Times may come when you pray late into the night or even all night. Becoming a person of prayer requires a major adjustment of your life to God. Prayer will always be a part of your obedience because it is in a prayer relationship that God gives you direction.
Another cost will come as you try to guide the people around you to pray. Most of our churches have not learned how to pray together. The greatest, untapped resource I know of is the united prayer of God's people. Jesus, quoting from Isaiah 56:7, said, "My house will be called a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46). To help your church become a praying church will be a rewarding experience."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Claude King
Your Lord Precedes You
"But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Mark 14:28
"God never sends you into a situation alone. He always goes before His children, as He did with the children of Israel when He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You do not serve as His advance troops in a foreign and hostile situation. He always precedes you in any situation you encounter. God is never caught by surprise by your experience; He has already been there. He is prepared to meet every need because He has gone before you and knows exactly what you will need for your pilgrimage (Deut. 31:8).
Not only does God go before you, but He also stands beside you and behind you, to provide protection and comfort (Ps. 139:7-12). Jesus knew His disciples would be totally bewildered by His crucifixion, so He assured them in advance that no matter what happened, no matter where they went, they could go in confidence that He had already gone before them. Paul, too, experienced this assurance (Acts 18:9; 23:11). In the most bewildering circumstances, his Lord was there!
If you are going through a difficult or confusing time, know that your Lord has gone before you and He is present with you. He is fully aware of what you are facing, and He is actively responding to your need. There is nowhere you can go that you will not find Christ waiting for you to join Him. Even when you face death, you can be assured that He has gone before you in triumph. As a child of God, rest in the knowledge that your Savior preceded you, and He will walk with you through each experience of your life."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby
"God never sends you into a situation alone. He always goes before His children, as He did with the children of Israel when He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You do not serve as His advance troops in a foreign and hostile situation. He always precedes you in any situation you encounter. God is never caught by surprise by your experience; He has already been there. He is prepared to meet every need because He has gone before you and knows exactly what you will need for your pilgrimage (Deut. 31:8).
Not only does God go before you, but He also stands beside you and behind you, to provide protection and comfort (Ps. 139:7-12). Jesus knew His disciples would be totally bewildered by His crucifixion, so He assured them in advance that no matter what happened, no matter where they went, they could go in confidence that He had already gone before them. Paul, too, experienced this assurance (Acts 18:9; 23:11). In the most bewildering circumstances, his Lord was there!
If you are going through a difficult or confusing time, know that your Lord has gone before you and He is present with you. He is fully aware of what you are facing, and He is actively responding to your need. There is nowhere you can go that you will not find Christ waiting for you to join Him. Even when you face death, you can be assured that He has gone before you in triumph. As a child of God, rest in the knowledge that your Savior preceded you, and He will walk with you through each experience of your life."
Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby
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