John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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We have developed lots of ways to let the world know we believe in Jesus. Bumper stickers proclaim our faith. Scripture passages on checks, greeting cards and refrigerator magnets; profile descriptions on Facebook; jewelry with crosses, a fish and WWJD all tell the world we are followers of Jesus. Jesus said there would be another way they would know but this seems a little strange to me. Let me explain.
Category Archives: John
Cross Words #6 & 7
John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
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At the end Jesus committed His Spirit to the hands of the Lord. I have found there are times when I have come to the end – the end of my ideas, my own resources, my plans, the end of myself. At those times, when all I can do is give up or commit it to the Lord, I have discovered God is faithful with the things I commit to Him.
How much better it would be for me if I would commit it to Him before I get to the end of myself. An old song says it best:
Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.*
In His hopeless and helpless situation Jesus committed His Spirit to the Father and God raised Him from the dead. When we commit things to God we can trust He will take good care of the things that belong to Him. As long as we retain ownership they remain our problem and responsibility.
Commit that problem, fear, concern, need, weakness, whatever it is, to Him right now. It only takes a second to give Him ownership of it all.
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Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
* What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1820-1886 Music: Charles C. Converse, 1832-1918
Cross Words #5
John 19:28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
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All was now completed. His life, His work, His mission and His pain would soon end. In your dark times remember, no matter how hard the trial, it too will end. The sun will rise again. Don’t give up hope. Don’t quit.
An old farmer said his favorite Bible verse was, “It came to pass.” When asked to explain he replied, “When problems come I remind myself this trouble didn’t come to stay, ‘it came to pass’.”
But don’t waste your pain. There are lessons in life that we cannot learn on the mountain top. Character is forged in the fire of affliction. Be “thirsty” for God in the dry places. It is God’s desire that when you emerge from the flames you will have been changed. That to a greater depth you will “know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Philippians 3:10 On the other side of the cross is great joy, victory and resurrection life.
I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me.
-Robert Browning Hamilton
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Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Cross Words #3
John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”
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Hey, when I am hurting, it is hard to think about the problems other people might be having. My own pain, grief or loss can be so consuming that I am not aware of the pain, grief or loss of others. In the midst of His own anguish, however, Jesus expressed concern for the well being of others. He did not just teach His followers to do that – He modeled it in the darkest of hours.
In helping others we often find healing for our own pain.
This is because a principle of life is by giving you receive. You reap what you sow. In pain, as we sow comfort to others, we will reap comfort. As we sow we reap. As we give, we receive.
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Philippians 2:3-5
… in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: …
I’d kill for Jesus!
John 18:10 (NIV)
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
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Some time earlier, during their last meal together, Peter boasted that even though the other disciples might all abandon Jesus, he was willing to die for Him. Evidently he was sincere. Here we see Peter was certainly willing to kill for Him. (Remember, Peter was a fisherman, not a swordsman. Certainly he was attempting to kill the man but was only able to clip an ear.) But the disciples were outnumbered and out armed so Peter’s attack could have led to his death, too. Apparently Peter WAS willing to die for Jesus.
But Jesus put a stop to Peter’s attack. The Lord was more interested in Peter living for Him than Peter dying for Him. Peter failed the ‘living’ test though and denied the Lord three times.
I can relate to Peter. I too find it easier to “go down swinging” than to commit myself to “him who judges justly”. It is easier to go on the attack than to trust God with my life, family, circumstances, career, future and reputation.
While I don’t openly deny knowing the Lord (but I also don’t live in a place that confessing Him really costs very much) I do find it “convenient” to sometimes look the other way, to not speak up when I should, to ignore sin and injustice, to not “rock the boat” and thereby deny Him through my silence and inaction. It appears I too am more ready to die for Him (to make the glorious stand, be the macho man and fight to the death) than to simply live for Him.
Lord, teach me to live for you.
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1 Peter 2:23 (NIV)
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
I’m not sure I believe this.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
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Apart from Jesus I can do nothing? I’m not sure I believe this verse. At least I often don’t act like I do. I act more like I believe “I can do this but if God blesses it it will be so much better.” So I ask for His help.
When I “help” someone they do most of the work and I just provide the little extra to put them over the top. When I ask God to help me or bless what I am doing, at least in my mind, there is an implied “I can and am going to do this but, God, it will be wonderful if You give it that little extra to put it over the top and make it great.” God becomes the icing on the cake rather than the essential vine.
I am reminded again how important it is, instead of asking God to bless what I am doing, to find out what God is blessing and do that. Jesus did what He saw the Father do (John 5:19). Jesus said what He heard the Father say (John 5:28). While meditating on that one time I thought, “Lord, if I only said what I first heard You say, I wouldn’t say very much.” At that moment I sensed a small voice inside saying, “Now you are beginning to get the idea.”
Lord, In every situation I face today, help me to see what You are doing and do that, too. Help me to only speak in ways that honor you.
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Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
John 16:7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
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While it is great to have the Holy Spirit in my life my natural inclination is to disagree with Jesus’ statement here, that it is better for Him to go so the Holy Spirit can come. After all, if Jesus was walking with me, I could see him, touch Him, talk with Him and clearly hear His response (even though his disciples often had no idea what His answers meant, at least they knew they were hearing Him clearly). So why is it better for us that Jesus is now with the Father and the Holy Spirit is with us?
I see at least two reasons. Continue reading
We’ll outperform Jesus?
John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
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Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. What could Jesus be talking about when He says we will do greater works than He did? What could be greater than raising a man from the dead?
As marvelous as the resurrection of Lazarus was, he came back to a world filled with poverty, hatred and fear. In fact, he became a target for assassination because so many people were coming to Jesus because of what happened to him. (John 12:10) Once he was resurrected his body continued the process of decay and eventually he died again. I have visited his tomb in a church on the island of Cyprus.
But now that Jesus has returned to the Father we can share eternal life with people – life that does not end in a tomb. Not a life in a world of sorrow, poverty and misery like Lazarus returned to but life without end in the glorious presence of God! Life eternal where our bodies are not daily dying – in fact, nothing is dying – rather everything is alive with real life, eternal life. How much greater is that?! And the purpose of it all …?
Jesus said, “To glorify the Father”. (John 14:13) When we share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ the greatest work of all is done – the Word of God is sent to accomplish its purpose, eternal destinies are changed and the Father is glorified.
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John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.