Read John 11:1-18
Lazareth is sick. He is the brother of the Mary that anointed Jesus' feet with oils for his burial. How ironic that she prepared Jesus for burial and her brother is going to actually be buried first. The minute Jesus heard the news he prophesied Lazareth's fate: this sickness would not end in death. Through what Lazareth endures, Jesus is going to be glorified. So Jesus waits 2 days then announces to his disciples that they are going into Judea again. Wasn't this the place they kept trying to stone Jesus? Jesus response to that was vs. 9-11. In essence if you walk in the spirit there is no way the dark evil can touch you because the spirit is the light. But if you walk in fear and darkness then you need to be afraid. Then he threw in the part about Lazareth being asleep and him needing to go wake him up. Needless to say the disciples didn't understand he was talking about death. So Jesus comes out and plainly tells them that Lazareth is dead.
I love Thomas. He is so real and honest. He says, "Let's go so that we can die with him." I guess Thomas didn't understand about walking in the light because he was sure that they weren't going to get out of this one alive.
They got to Bethany and found that Lazareth had been dead for 4 days. Lazareth means helper and its root is the same one we get for the Holy Spirit who is our helper. Lazareth was a type of the Holy Spirit who had been hidden for 4,000 years. (Remember a thousand years is as a day to the Lord). Man has been on the earth for 4,000 years and the Holy Spirit is fixing to be resurrected when Jesus dies. This is a picture of that very thing. Verse 18 says that Bethany is only 15 furlongs from Jerusalem. Is that saying that this event is only 15 days from Jesus' crucifixion in Jerusalem? I bet so.
God, I am continually amazed at how calculating and planned your plan is. You have this thing orchestrated and we get to be a small part of the music you are making. Thank you for your wisdom and your great love for us. Thank you for sending Jesus down to us. May we be instruments of your glory.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday's Devo- Your Kingdom Come
Read John 10: 23-42
The Jews are still trying to make Jesus come out and say that he is the Messiah so they can arrest him on charges of blasphemy. He wants them to come to the conclusion themselves so he points to the evidence to prove the point. His works are his proof but because they refused to believe them then they are not his sheep. This goes against all they believe. Since they are Jews then they are God's children; how dare he insinuate that they are not. But when he said that he and the Father are one that was the last straw. They picked up stones to throw at him. He asked them what good work were they stoning him for. They said they weren't stoning him for his works but for his blasphemy.
They try to get Jesus on semantics but Jesus always has an answer. He is the word come to life so they can't beat him on technicalities. What amazes me is the hardness of their hearts and how they couldn't see the miracles and the evidence. All they could see was the jot and tittle of the law. Jesus tried to open their hearts by saying if you can't believe me at least believe my works. But they couldn't even do that.
Once again he did the Jesus slip and disappeared and showed up at the place that John baptized him into his ministry and John pronounced him the Passover Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. People here were hungry. They had walked miles to come out to find John the Baptist, a man wearing nothing but camel's hair and listen to his words of promise. The people recognized that Jesus was this promise and many believed on him.
Reading this I have to ask myself: Do I have any good work that someone would want to stone me for? Have I upset the spiritual kingdom enough to be persecuted like Jesus did? I have to say a big NO. Do I want to? That's a tricky one. I want to see Satan's kingdom fall but it won't do that without a fight. I don't know if I'm ready for the fight. I want to be. Lord, train my hands for war. I want to see your kingdom come and the kingdom of darkness fall.
The Jews are still trying to make Jesus come out and say that he is the Messiah so they can arrest him on charges of blasphemy. He wants them to come to the conclusion themselves so he points to the evidence to prove the point. His works are his proof but because they refused to believe them then they are not his sheep. This goes against all they believe. Since they are Jews then they are God's children; how dare he insinuate that they are not. But when he said that he and the Father are one that was the last straw. They picked up stones to throw at him. He asked them what good work were they stoning him for. They said they weren't stoning him for his works but for his blasphemy.
They try to get Jesus on semantics but Jesus always has an answer. He is the word come to life so they can't beat him on technicalities. What amazes me is the hardness of their hearts and how they couldn't see the miracles and the evidence. All they could see was the jot and tittle of the law. Jesus tried to open their hearts by saying if you can't believe me at least believe my works. But they couldn't even do that.
Once again he did the Jesus slip and disappeared and showed up at the place that John baptized him into his ministry and John pronounced him the Passover Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. People here were hungry. They had walked miles to come out to find John the Baptist, a man wearing nothing but camel's hair and listen to his words of promise. The people recognized that Jesus was this promise and many believed on him.
Reading this I have to ask myself: Do I have any good work that someone would want to stone me for? Have I upset the spiritual kingdom enough to be persecuted like Jesus did? I have to say a big NO. Do I want to? That's a tricky one. I want to see Satan's kingdom fall but it won't do that without a fight. I don't know if I'm ready for the fight. I want to be. Lord, train my hands for war. I want to see your kingdom come and the kingdom of darkness fall.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Fri.'s Devo - God's Got the Power.... all of it.
Read John 10:19-22
After Jesus gives the exhortation about the good shepherd and the hireling the Jews are once again divided and upset. I'm sure they are wondering where they fit into the story. Is Jesus referring to them as the sheep, the hireling, the wolf, or the thief? Good question. Some of them accused Jesus of being crazy and having a devil. Others said there was no way a devil could open the eyes of the blind. Good call. The devil can only deceive and counterfeit what God does. Only God can create good; the devil can only try to copy it.
In the Exodus plagues the Egyptians could turn their rods to snakes, turn the water to blood, and bring up frogs from the rivers but they couldn't reverse the curse. They couldn't turn the blood back to water or send the frogs back to the rivers, or try to turn their rods back into snakes mainly because Moses' rod had swallowed their rods. Only God could reverse the curse. The devil's power is limited. He couldn't turn the dust to lice, bring flies, bring boils, rain down hail, bring locusts, fill one small section of the earth with darkness for 3 days and kill the firstborn of every household. God's judgments are just and fair and God's power is omnipotent.
I read something yesterday that tried to put fear in me about our country until I realized the unlimited power of our God. He is so able to keep me safe or receive me up to heaven. To live is Christ and to die is gain. It's a win-win situation. Our president is not our all-powerful leader... God is our all-powerful God in total control of the world. Lord, we put our trust in the God who is.
After Jesus gives the exhortation about the good shepherd and the hireling the Jews are once again divided and upset. I'm sure they are wondering where they fit into the story. Is Jesus referring to them as the sheep, the hireling, the wolf, or the thief? Good question. Some of them accused Jesus of being crazy and having a devil. Others said there was no way a devil could open the eyes of the blind. Good call. The devil can only deceive and counterfeit what God does. Only God can create good; the devil can only try to copy it.
In the Exodus plagues the Egyptians could turn their rods to snakes, turn the water to blood, and bring up frogs from the rivers but they couldn't reverse the curse. They couldn't turn the blood back to water or send the frogs back to the rivers, or try to turn their rods back into snakes mainly because Moses' rod had swallowed their rods. Only God could reverse the curse. The devil's power is limited. He couldn't turn the dust to lice, bring flies, bring boils, rain down hail, bring locusts, fill one small section of the earth with darkness for 3 days and kill the firstborn of every household. God's judgments are just and fair and God's power is omnipotent.
I read something yesterday that tried to put fear in me about our country until I realized the unlimited power of our God. He is so able to keep me safe or receive me up to heaven. To live is Christ and to die is gain. It's a win-win situation. Our president is not our all-powerful leader... God is our all-powerful God in total control of the world. Lord, we put our trust in the God who is.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thurs.'s Devo - The Good Shepherd
Read John 10:1-18
I've read this parable of the sheepfold over and over and keep thinking I'm missing something. In the last chapter the Jews have accused Jesus of calling them blind and now he is implying that they are also deaf and not God's. Jesus gives us the analogy of a sheepfold. Interestingly sheep means one who walks forward. You can only enter the sheepfold legally through the door which is Jesus, but you can enter illegally by climbing up some other way. Some say there are many ways to God but if you don't come through Jesus you are the thief and the robber. This is where I get confused: you enter in by the door but the shepherd leads you out. That tells me that we get saved to go out. It is when we are "out" that we need to follow the sheperd and know his voice.
Jesus is the good shepherd but there is one that will try to lead us called the hireling. He will try to gather people to himself but when the wolf comes the heirling will only fend for himself. If we stay with Jesus, the good shepherd, he will lay down his life to save us. The thief's job is to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give us abundant life. The wolf's job is to seize us and scatter us. Jesus' job is to bring us all into one fold.
Just like the godhead is a three-part entity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the enemy has three parts also: the devil, the false prophet, and the beast. (Rev. 20:10) I would think that in this parable the devil would be the thief and the robber, the false prophet would be the hireling that tries to deceive and the beast would be the wolf. The good news is that we are under the protection of the good shepherd and all we have to do is stay with him and do what he says and go where he says to go and we are totally safe.
Lord, may we never fear the enemy because you are our good shepherd.
I've read this parable of the sheepfold over and over and keep thinking I'm missing something. In the last chapter the Jews have accused Jesus of calling them blind and now he is implying that they are also deaf and not God's. Jesus gives us the analogy of a sheepfold. Interestingly sheep means one who walks forward. You can only enter the sheepfold legally through the door which is Jesus, but you can enter illegally by climbing up some other way. Some say there are many ways to God but if you don't come through Jesus you are the thief and the robber. This is where I get confused: you enter in by the door but the shepherd leads you out. That tells me that we get saved to go out. It is when we are "out" that we need to follow the sheperd and know his voice.
Jesus is the good shepherd but there is one that will try to lead us called the hireling. He will try to gather people to himself but when the wolf comes the heirling will only fend for himself. If we stay with Jesus, the good shepherd, he will lay down his life to save us. The thief's job is to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give us abundant life. The wolf's job is to seize us and scatter us. Jesus' job is to bring us all into one fold.
Just like the godhead is a three-part entity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the enemy has three parts also: the devil, the false prophet, and the beast. (Rev. 20:10) I would think that in this parable the devil would be the thief and the robber, the false prophet would be the hireling that tries to deceive and the beast would be the wolf. The good news is that we are under the protection of the good shepherd and all we have to do is stay with him and do what he says and go where he says to go and we are totally safe.
Lord, may we never fear the enemy because you are our good shepherd.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wed.'s Devo - I Once Was Blind...
Read John 9: 17-41
We are still discussing the blind man that Jesus healed. When asked by the Jews who the healed man thought that Jesus was he said, a prophet. Amazing that the man didn't know who Jesus was. The Jews didn't believe the man was really blind so they call in his parents. The parents testified of the healing but were afraid when asked who healed him. They didn't want to be thrown out of the synagogue for believing in Jesus so they told them to ask their son because he was old enough to speak for himself. (I guess people have sold out for smaller things than that.)
So they go back to the blind-now-seeing man and tell him to give God the praise and not Jesus because he is a sinner. He gives them a great answer, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know, but one thing I know, that I was blind, and now I see." The Jews can't stand it; they want to know HOW he opened his eyes. Maybe they can get him on a technicality of how he administered the miracle. The blind-now-seeing man is getting exasperated and wants to go home so he answers, "I've already told you and you didn't listen: why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to be his disciples also?" I bet that burned their chaps. Then they continue to explain that they are Moses' disciples, and they know that God spoke to Moses, but they didn't know about this Jesus. So the man replies, "How could this man do this miracle and you not know who he is? Noone since creation has ever opened the eyes of a man born blind. He couldn't do this except through God."
This shamed the Jews who were suppose to be the teachers not the ones being taught so they threw the man out of the synagogue (the very thing the parents feared).
Jesus found him and led him to salvation. Jesus told him that he came to bring sight to those who couldn't see and blindness to those who could. The Pharisees asked him if he was talking about them. Jesus told them that because they claimed they could see their sin remains.
If our spiritual eyes are opened then we are constantly aware of our sin and our need for God. If we are blinded we think we are OK and don't need God.
Lord, help us not to be blind to our need for a Savior every moment. And help us not to fear man who can only take our life not the life inside us.
We are still discussing the blind man that Jesus healed. When asked by the Jews who the healed man thought that Jesus was he said, a prophet. Amazing that the man didn't know who Jesus was. The Jews didn't believe the man was really blind so they call in his parents. The parents testified of the healing but were afraid when asked who healed him. They didn't want to be thrown out of the synagogue for believing in Jesus so they told them to ask their son because he was old enough to speak for himself. (I guess people have sold out for smaller things than that.)
So they go back to the blind-now-seeing man and tell him to give God the praise and not Jesus because he is a sinner. He gives them a great answer, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know, but one thing I know, that I was blind, and now I see." The Jews can't stand it; they want to know HOW he opened his eyes. Maybe they can get him on a technicality of how he administered the miracle. The blind-now-seeing man is getting exasperated and wants to go home so he answers, "I've already told you and you didn't listen: why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to be his disciples also?" I bet that burned their chaps. Then they continue to explain that they are Moses' disciples, and they know that God spoke to Moses, but they didn't know about this Jesus. So the man replies, "How could this man do this miracle and you not know who he is? Noone since creation has ever opened the eyes of a man born blind. He couldn't do this except through God."
This shamed the Jews who were suppose to be the teachers not the ones being taught so they threw the man out of the synagogue (the very thing the parents feared).
Jesus found him and led him to salvation. Jesus told him that he came to bring sight to those who couldn't see and blindness to those who could. The Pharisees asked him if he was talking about them. Jesus told them that because they claimed they could see their sin remains.
If our spiritual eyes are opened then we are constantly aware of our sin and our need for God. If we are blinded we think we are OK and don't need God.
Lord, help us not to be blind to our need for a Savior every moment. And help us not to fear man who can only take our life not the life inside us.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tues.'s Devo - Open Our Eyes
Read John 9:1-16
Jesus passes by a man who is blind from death and his disciples want to know if he is blind because he sinned or his parents. They attributed sickness with sin. Jesus said he was born this way so that God's works might be shown in him. Then he throws in that nugget about working in the day because when the night comes, no one can work. And as long as Jesus is in the world there is light in the world. It is still light now because Jesus is in us, but when we are taken out of the world it will be dark and no one will be able to see whether they have eyes or not.
Then Jesus recreated the scene in Genesis where God formed man out of the dust of the earth only he only made the eyes this time. When I meditated on this seemingly gross act I saw something profound. Water is a picture of spirit. So the spirit of Jesus came out of his mouth and created sight for a person who couldn't see. Then he told the man to go baptize his eyes in the pool that meant "set apart". When he did this he came back with the ability to see natural and spiritual things for the first time. He was so changed some people had a hard time believing it was him.
The Pharisees came and asked him how he could see. They argued about Jesus "working" on the Sabbath and whether a sinner could do such miraculous deeds. Once again they are divided among themselves.
The truth comes with a sword that divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow, and divides our thoughts from our intentions. It even divides families and friends. Lord, apply your sword to our hearts. Cut out what needs to be taken out and give us eyes to see.
Jesus passes by a man who is blind from death and his disciples want to know if he is blind because he sinned or his parents. They attributed sickness with sin. Jesus said he was born this way so that God's works might be shown in him. Then he throws in that nugget about working in the day because when the night comes, no one can work. And as long as Jesus is in the world there is light in the world. It is still light now because Jesus is in us, but when we are taken out of the world it will be dark and no one will be able to see whether they have eyes or not.
Then Jesus recreated the scene in Genesis where God formed man out of the dust of the earth only he only made the eyes this time. When I meditated on this seemingly gross act I saw something profound. Water is a picture of spirit. So the spirit of Jesus came out of his mouth and created sight for a person who couldn't see. Then he told the man to go baptize his eyes in the pool that meant "set apart". When he did this he came back with the ability to see natural and spiritual things for the first time. He was so changed some people had a hard time believing it was him.
The Pharisees came and asked him how he could see. They argued about Jesus "working" on the Sabbath and whether a sinner could do such miraculous deeds. Once again they are divided among themselves.
The truth comes with a sword that divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow, and divides our thoughts from our intentions. It even divides families and friends. Lord, apply your sword to our hearts. Cut out what needs to be taken out and give us eyes to see.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monday's Devo - Stumbling Over the Rock
Read John 8: 42-59
The Jews were totally deceived. They thought God was their father but Jesus told them that the devil was their father because they obeyed him rather than God. The proof was in how they accepted the son sent by the father. The son looks, talks, feels, and acts like the father so much that they are one in every way. You can't have one without the other.
They don't like that so they tell Jesus that HE is demon-possessed. Jesus tells them that he is not demon-possessed but he honors God and they don't. He continues to explain that he doesn't seek his own glory but there is one that will seek them out and judge them one day. If they will believe in what Jesus says they will not see death. (I think he throws hard things at them just to get them mad.) Not see death....hard to swallow. Of course the Jews stumble over this one. Who wouldn't without God's help. Now they are convinced he is demon possessed. How can he say a man will never die. Their great father and hero Abraham is dead along with all the great prophets.
Jesus answered by explaining that it is God that honors him - the same God they are claiming to have. Then he claimed to know God and Abraham who looked ahead and saw his day coming and was excited about it. That was another hard thing to swallow. How did he know Abraham? He gives them the punch line: Before Abraham was, I am. That was the same answer Abraham got when he asked God who he was: I am. They couldn't take it anymore and picked up stones to kill him but Jesus did the Holy Ghost slip and disappeared.
It is amazing to me that Jesus spent so much time with the Jews whose spiritual eyes were so closed. I guess it was so that they would one day look back and see how blind they were and all the chances they had to accept the truth. We get to read it with our spiritual eyes opened and it is not hard for us to see the truth. But looking through their clouded eyes I can see how stupid the things that Jesus said must have looked to them.
I am so thankful that God has given me eyes to see and ears to hear. Let's be good stewards of these eyes and ears we have been so graciously given.
The Jews were totally deceived. They thought God was their father but Jesus told them that the devil was their father because they obeyed him rather than God. The proof was in how they accepted the son sent by the father. The son looks, talks, feels, and acts like the father so much that they are one in every way. You can't have one without the other.
They don't like that so they tell Jesus that HE is demon-possessed. Jesus tells them that he is not demon-possessed but he honors God and they don't. He continues to explain that he doesn't seek his own glory but there is one that will seek them out and judge them one day. If they will believe in what Jesus says they will not see death. (I think he throws hard things at them just to get them mad.) Not see death....hard to swallow. Of course the Jews stumble over this one. Who wouldn't without God's help. Now they are convinced he is demon possessed. How can he say a man will never die. Their great father and hero Abraham is dead along with all the great prophets.
Jesus answered by explaining that it is God that honors him - the same God they are claiming to have. Then he claimed to know God and Abraham who looked ahead and saw his day coming and was excited about it. That was another hard thing to swallow. How did he know Abraham? He gives them the punch line: Before Abraham was, I am. That was the same answer Abraham got when he asked God who he was: I am. They couldn't take it anymore and picked up stones to kill him but Jesus did the Holy Ghost slip and disappeared.
It is amazing to me that Jesus spent so much time with the Jews whose spiritual eyes were so closed. I guess it was so that they would one day look back and see how blind they were and all the chances they had to accept the truth. We get to read it with our spiritual eyes opened and it is not hard for us to see the truth. But looking through their clouded eyes I can see how stupid the things that Jesus said must have looked to them.
I am so thankful that God has given me eyes to see and ears to hear. Let's be good stewards of these eyes and ears we have been so graciously given.
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