Jesus prepares us for what is ahead

John 16:1-4

Jesus continues to teach His disciples, “I have told you these things so that you won’t fall away.”

 

“For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.”

 

“This is because they have never known the Father or Me.”

 

“Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember I warned you.  I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.”

 

Jesus will always prepare us for what He has for our lives.  He promised to never leave us and will never forsake us.  We are victorious in Christ.  But we will face persecution and we will experience opposition from those who reject Him.  We must never fear what people may say or do to us to try to keep us from serving and obeying God.  God will come to our defense and He will keep His hand upon us.  He may not deliver us from the persecution, opposition and attacks, but He will deliver us through them for His glory.  We are never to try to protect our own life, as our life belongs to Him and He will give us His peace for whatever He calls us to do.  As Jesus here prepares His disciples for what was ahead of them, so He also prepares us.  As we stay in God’s word, pray, and stay in fellowship with other committed believers in Christ, we will be strengthened and will be able to stand against any attack or resistance we may receive for being Jesus’ disciples.  This world is not our home, but our home is with Jesus even while we walk in this world.  Grace and peace are ours daily in Christ.  He will give us His grace to get us through any trial and He will guide us by His peace as we walk with Him through the trial.  He will strengthen us and prepare us for to do His will.

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for Your love and grace which keeps us close to Your heart.  Thank You for Your peace which guides us and reminds us that we belong to You.  Thank You that You always prepare us before hand for whatever You have for us to do.  Thank You for Your word that teaches us more about You and that speaks into our lives so that we may be more like Jesus.  Thank You that Jesus lives and that He prays for us.  Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who helps us to obey You and to follow Jesus.  Thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit in our lives who teaches us to love You and to love one another.  Please help our pastors to be filled and led by Your Holy Spirit that Your church may grow in You.  Please do a mighty work in our fellowship.  Please help us to pray more and to trust in You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.  Please help us to always be reminded of Your love and presence in our lives.  We belong to You and You love us.  May our lives reflect Your love and may we love You completely.

In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Holy Spirit Help and Comfort

John 15:18-26

“When the world hates you, remember it hated Me before it hated you.”

 

“The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t.  I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you.”

 

“Do you remember what I told you?  ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’  Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you.  And if they had listened to Me, they would listen to you!”

 

“The people of the world will hate you because you belong to Me, for they don’t know God who sent Me.”

 

“They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them.  But now they have no excuse for their sin.”

 

“Anyone who hates Me hates My Father, too.”

 

“If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty.  But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us – Me and My Father.”

 

“This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: ‘They hated Me without cause.’ [Psalms 35:19; 69:4]

 

“But I will send you the Comforter – the Spirit of Truth.  He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about Me.”

 

“And you must also tell others about Me because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

 

These passages teach us more about the Holy Spirit which Jesus promises to all who will receive Him by faith, showing that we belong to Him.  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Tri-Unity God. He can be everywhere at once.  He can fill each believer and bring us all into unity with one another.  He is a person and He is holy.

The spiritual battles we face as believers in Christ are three fold:  We struggle against our own sin nature inherited from Adam which opposes God ; we struggle against with this world’s system which opposes God, and we struggle against the temptations of the devil and his demons, who oppose God. Though the devil was defeated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, he still tempts believers to sin, and he is the influencing power behind this world’s system who promotes  hatred toward Jesus and all who follow Him. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to walk with Jesus.

We beed the Holy Spirit to give us God’s power to stand in Christ and to walk obediently with Him.  We need the Holy Spirit to teach us God’s Truth.  We need the Holy Spirit’s power to help to resist the  temptation to sin.  We need the Holy Spirit’s power to remind us of God’s Promises.  We need the Holy Spirit to help us grow in our Covenant Relationship with our Loving Heavenly Father.  We need the Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin and to point us back to God when our vision is clouded by the darkness of sin’s consequences.  We need the Holy Spirit to comfort us during the trials and persecution we will face as followers of Jesus and we need the Holy Spirit to teach us about Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit has a very important role in the life of every believer.  We must chose to yield our will to His and to learn to follow His leading in our life.  The Holy Spirit will always lead us in God’s will for our lives and He will always remind us of God’s truths in His word.  He will always help us to walk closer to Jesus.  He will help us to walk in unity with Jesus and with other believers in Christ.  He is very important in the church and will always point to Jesus, never to Himself.  We don’t worship the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we worship God and give Him glory through the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit should also point to God and never to the individual person exercising the gifts.  God is always glorified in our lives and in the church when we are walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and who teaches us about You and helps us to walk with You.  Thank You for all You’ve done for us in Christ.  Thank You for Your love that is expressed in so many ways.  Thank You for the life we have in Christ.  Thank You that Your mercies which are new every morning.  Thank You that You are for us and not against us.  Thank You for Your wonderful love that gives us so much that we may be blessed and renewed in our lives.

Please help us to listen to the Holy Spirit and to always remember Your promises and Your purposes for our lives that we may bring You glory and share Your love with others.  Please help us to stand strong against the persecution we will receive for belonging to Jesus.  Please help us to continue to grow in You that we may not forget all You’re done for us and who we are in You. 

Please help our pastors and guide them by Your Holy Spirit.  Please help them to yield to Your Holy Spirit and to always serve You in Spirit and in truth. 

Please help all who call upon the name of Jesus to love Him more and more and to love one another more and more.  Please be glorified in our lives and help us to shine our lights for You in this dark world. 

Thank You for all the opportunities You give us to know You and to make You known to others.  May we not be distracted from all You’ve called each of us to do.  May we know Your will and the power of Your Holy Spirit in our lives.  Thank You, again, for Jesus and all He means to us:  Jesus is our Life,  He is our Hope,  He is our Light, He is our Sustenance, He is our Saviour, our Friend, Our Lord, Our Master, He is our Eternal Life and He is the Love of our lives.  Thank You!  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Holy Spirit Joy

John 15:1-17

[Jesus said], “I am the Vine, and My Father is the Gardener.”

 

“He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”

 

“You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you.”

 

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from Me.”

 

“Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

 

“Anyone who parts from Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile and burned.”

 

“But if you stay joined to Me and My words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!”

 

“My true disciples produce much fruit.  This brings great glory to My Father.”

 

I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love.”

 

“When you obey Me, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father and remain in His love.”

 

“I have told you this so that you will be filled with My joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow!”

 

I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.”

 

“And here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.”

 

“You are My friends if you obey Me.”

 

“I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in His servants.  Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me.”

 

“You didn’t choose Me.  I chose you.  I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.”

 

“I command you to love each other.”

 

Jesus’ words to His disciples are so plain.  He speaks in such a way that even a child can understand.  Jesus desires even for all to come to Him, even the children can know eternal life through Jesus.  The relationship we can have with Jesus frees us from the guilt and shame of our sin.  This gives us a deep joy.  We are free to love by the love God gives to us.  We want to obey God and extend His love to others because of the love He’s given us.  The greatest relationship we can ever have is to be one with Jesus and the Father.  This is the greatest friendship ever known to man.  It’s well worth what we must give up to follow Jesus.  There is nothing more valuable that this world offers that can compare to knowing Jesus and to be forgiven of our sin.  Jesus offers us life, but abundantly here and eternally in Heaven.  When we walk with Jesus we are changed from the inside out.  The fruit our lives produces come from being with Him.  The deep, abiding joy we have in Christ is one example of the fruit we will experience.  Other fruit is found in Galatians 5:22-23 – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Self Control.  We will see more of the attributes of Christ in us as we walk with Him.  We will be humble and obedient to the Father like Jesus. We will hate sin and be bold against it.  We will not be controlled by our feelings, by fear or by doubt, but by His word, by love for God and others by the power of the Holy Spirit.  These are all gifts of grace and mercy extended to all who will walk with Jesus.  Though we will sin, we will hate to sin and we will sin less and less, as we come to God for His help to change in those areas where we used to sin without care.  In Christ we will not want to sin, and we will follow  the principles of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sin to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  This is not just a one-time event, but a life-long practice as we learn to walk with Christ in obedience. 

If we love Jesus, we’ll obey Him

John 14:15-30

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.”

 

“And I will ask the Father; and He will give you another Comforter, Who will never leave you.”

 

“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.  The world at large cannot receive Him, because isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him.  But you do, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.”

 

“No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you.”

 

“In just a little while the world will not see Me again, but you will.  For I will live again, and you will, too.”

 

“When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.”

 

“Those who love Me, My Father will love them, and I will love them.  And I will reveal Myself to each one of them.”

 

Judas (not Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

 

Jesus replied, “All those who love Me will do what I say, My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them.”

 

“Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not do what I say.  And remember, My words are not My own.  This message is from the Father who sent Me.”

 

“I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.” 

 

“But when the Father sends the Counselor as My representative – and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I Myself have told you.”

 

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives.  So don’t  be troubled or afraid.”

 

“Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.  If you really love Me, you will be very happy for Me, because now I can go to the Father, Who is greater than I am.”

 

“I have told you these things before they happen so that you will believe when they do happen.”

 

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the prince 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.”

Don’t be troubled, Trust Jesus

John 14:1-14

[Jesus is with His disciples to share the Last Supper before He goes to the cross as the Passover Lamb.  Judas has already left to betray Him and Peter has just declared that he’s ready to die for Him, but Jesus tells him that instead he’ll deny Him three times before the rooster crows. Jesus  encourages and teaches His disciples about their future and the faith and hope they must have in Him.]

“Don’t be troubled.  You trusted God, now trust in Me.”

 

“There are many rooms in My Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you.  If this were not so, I would tell you plainly.”

 

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.”

 

“And you know where I am going and how to get there.”

 

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said.  “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

 

Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

 

“If you had known who I am, then you would have known who My Father is.  From now on you know Him and have seen Him!”

 

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”

 

Jesus replied, “Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you?  Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father!  So why are you asking to see Him?”

 

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?  The words I say are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.”

 

“Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.  Or at least believe because of what you have seen Me do.”

 

“The truth is, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to the Father.”

 

“You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it,  because the work of the son brings glory to the Father.”

 

“Yes, ask anything in My name, and I will do it!”

 

Again Jesus declares His Deity and His mission on this earth.  His disciples are not thinking about Heaven, but about this earth.  They can’t believe because they aren’t willing to believe that Jesus will die.  They are thinking like mere men with their hopes on what they see. They’re thinking Jesus will set up His kingdom on earth, so for Him to die just can’t be true in their minds. 

But after Jesus’ resurrection, when they see Him alive again after His crucifixion, they will believe Jesus’ words in a new way. They will truly understand that as the Messiah and the Lamb of God He fulfilled all righteousness by obeying the Father and giving Himself for our sins that He may redeem us back to God again.  The disciples will know first hand this deliverance.  Jesus will give them His Holy Spirit so that the work of God will be multiplied through the life of each disciple – even to this very day.  Jesus reassures them that He will always be with them.  Though they may not see Him after His ascension, He instructs them to ask for whatever they need and it will be theirs.  This will strengthen their faith in Him and they will be renewed in their spirits to do the work God has called for them to do.  This is true to this very day.  We’ve been given the spirit of God to teach us and to fill us to do the work of God as God’s instructed each of us to do.  As we draw closer to Him, and allow His word to live in us, we will know what His will for each of our lives.

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for the hope You’ve given us in the promises of Your word.  Thank You that Jesus was so patient with His disciples when they just weren’t grasping what He was telling them. Thank You that You’re so patient with us today. Thank You that You’ve given us Your Holy Spirit to help us and to guide us in all truth. Thank You that You have a plan for each of our lives.  Thank You that You want us to know You and to know Your will for our lives.  May we be seeking You and desiring to do Your will everyday.  Please fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit.  Thank You for our pastors who love and serve You faithfully.  Thank You for the power of Your word that changes our hearts and lives.  Thank You for the many people who came to church this Resurrection Morning who don’t usually come.  Thank You that Your Holy Spirit did a might work in the hearts of those who were open to You.  Please continue to help those who struggle with their faith to know that You will help them if they will call out to You.  Please help them to believe in You, Lord Jesus.  Please help us to continue to ask You for those things we may think impossible, and for the faith to believe that You will do whatever we ask according to Your will.  Thank You for the mighty power of Your love that’s changing so many lives.  Please continue that good work You’re doing in Your church.  Be glorified Lord Jesus.  We love You!  In Your name we pray.  Amen.

By faith in Christ we are called God’s ‘Dear Children’

John 13:31-38

As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for Me, the Son of Man, to enter into My glory, and God will receive glory because of all that happens to Me.”

 

“And God will bring Me into My glory very soon.”

 

“Dear children, how brief are these moments before I must go away and leave you!  Then, though you search for Me, you cannot come to Me – just as I told the Jewish leaders.”

 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment:  Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

 

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

 

Simon Peter said, “Lord, where are You going?”

 

“And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow Me later.”

 

“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked.  “I am ready to die for You.”

 

Jesus answered, “Die for Me?” No, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me.”

 

Jesus’ ‘TIME’ had come.  Before now when the Jewish leaders tried to have Him arrested and kill Him, they were not able to even touch Him because ‘His time had not yet come’  . . . God had planned for Jesus to leave Heaven and come to earth to live as a Man, being faced with all the temptations we are faced with, yet without sinning – then to go to the cross to pay for our sins as the Perfect Sacrifice.   Jesus was in His Father’s perfect plan, up until it was ‘HIS TIME’  to give His life on the cross. . . No one took Jesus’ life from Him.  He gave up His life for us in accordance with His Heavenly Father’s will and plan for Him.  He obeyed His Heavenly Father all the way to the cross.  Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God, without spot or blemish.  Only He could redeem us with His own blood.  This was the last sacrifice ever needed for sin.  From here on out anyone who sinned could come to Jesus, confess their sin and ask for His forgiveness with confidence that He would hear them. 1 John 1:9

 

Jesus had chosen His disciples and they had spent 3 years with Him as He taught them about God’s plan.  Over and over He’d spoken to them about His going to the cross and giving up His life according to the Scriptures.  The Scriptures had prophesied of Messiah’s death on the cross – the Lamb God provided to be sacrificed for sin (Gen.22:8) – but the disciples refused to believe this, as they were expecting Jesus’ kingdom to be on earth.  Their faith was weakened by their unbelief.  Jesus told them ahead of time this would happen. He also gave them hope and strengthened them after His resurrection.  After His resurrection, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that life would be different from that of the Mosaic Covenant  which had them offering sacrifices at the Temple for a covering for their sin each year at Passover.  Now Jesus would be the perfect Sacrifice, once for all.  Jesus was the Passover Lamb.  Faith in Jesus would provide a new Covenant Relationship with God.  Now life through the blood of Jesus would provide freedom of sin, once for all,  and the power to live obediently with God through His Holy Spirit Who is given to all believers in Christ upon conversion.  God’s love would now be the identifying mark distinguishing Believers in Christ from non-believers.  The power of God would be seen through Believer’s humility and obedience to God and seen through God’s love flowing through their lives toward one another.  God is glorified through each  heart surrendered to Christ.  This is God’s plan for all who receive Christ to this very day. 

 

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in HIs sight.  This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.  As the Scriptures say from Habakkuk 2:4, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:16- 17

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for Your plan of Salvation through faith in Christ.  Thank You for Jesus and His words recorded for us today that we may follow Him and learn from His obedience to You and Your perfect will accomplished through His obedience to go to the cross for our sins. 

May You be glorified in our lives and may we walk obediently with You according to Your perfect plan and will for our lives.  May we live in the power of Your Holy Spirit that our lives may bring You glory and honor.  Thank You for Your love and the love You give us through Your Holy Spirit that proves that we are Your disciples. 

May You be glorified in Your church.  Please strengthen and help our pastors to walk in the power of Your Holy Spirit that they may know Your will and speak boldly of You.  May they speak  Your words accurately that others may come to know You. 

We love You Lord Jesus.  Thank You for Your obedience to the Father and love given for us on the cross.  May we walk with You and may You be honored in our hearts, thoughts, words and in every area of our lives.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

In Christ – we’re never alone

John 11:35-44

[After Jesus asked those mourning for Lazarus where they put him.] They told Him, “Lord, come and see.”

 

Then Jesus wept.

 

The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much He loved him.”

 

But some said, “This Man healed a blind man.  Why couldn’t He keep Lazarus from dying?”

 

And again Jesus was deeply troubled.  Then they came to the grave.  It was a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 

 

“Roll the stone aside.”  Jesus told them.

 

But Martha, the dead man’s sister said, “Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he has been dead for four days.”

 

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe?”

 

So they rolled the stone aside.  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank You for hearing Me.”

 

“You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so they will believe You sent Me.”

 

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

 

And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth.  Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

 

Unbelief by those who call Jesus Lord troubled Him then and it troubles Him now.  If He is Lord of our lives, then we must believe and trust in Him, even when we don’t understand what we see going on around us. We may grieve for the loss of our loved ones, yet our hope is still in the Lord.  Sometimes our pain is so deep that all we can do is weep.  It’s at those times we must know that Jesus weeps with us. We are never alone, He promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  When we are tempted to feel the pressure to despair – we must not give in to our emotions. God promised He wouldn’t give us more than we could handle. He promised to make a way for us so we can stand in Him. Jesus had just previously said that He was the Resurrection and the Life and those who believe in Him, though they died, would live again.  We must hold on to Jesus tightly and know that He’s holding onto us.  We belong to Him and He has given us His Holy Spirit.  Our life is in Him.  His Spirit is within us.  We are one in Jesus.  There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus.  We are risen from the dead in Christ.  He is our Resurrection and our Life.  One day Jesus will call our name and we will be in His presence – face to face with Jesus in Heaven.  What a glorious day that will be.  Our time on this earth is short, and our pain is for a moment – but we have an eternity with Jesus, starting from the first day we said yes to Him.

 

Heavenly Father;

You know all things we go through in this life.  You know our thoughts, even before we think them.  You know the paths we take and the struggles we face.  You understand us better than we understand ourselves.  You love us and counsel us with Your word.  You teach us and guide us through the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Your ways are always true and right.  You’re Holy Spirit leads us into all Truth and Light.  We are Yours.  Thank You for this life we have in Jesus.  Thank You for the hope we have in You and the faithfulness of Your promises.  Thank You that You promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  Thank You that You promised to be close to us when we grieve and are in deep sorrow and pain.  Thank You, Jesus that You are our Resurrection and Life.  Thank You for this gift of Life we have in You.  Thank You for going to the cross for our sins.  Thank You that we can be set free from the bondage of sin as we put our hope and trust in You and resist the temptation to sin.   Thank You for all You give to us to fill our deepest needs.  May our hearts be filled with all the fullness of Your love that we may be made complete and whole.  Please help us to let go of any mindsets which pull us away from You.  Please help us be renewed in our faith, that we may stand when the battles come. Please change those areas in our lives which cause us to pull away from You.  Please help our witness and testimony of You to be faithful and true that others may come to know You.  Please be with our loved ones and help them to have strong faith in You.  Please help them to know the presence of Jesus more and more through the trials they face in this life.  Please help them to follow Jesus more closely and to bathe themselves in Your word.  Please guide and protect them and speak into their lives and into their hearts of Your love for them.  Please help them to know that You see them and all they go through and You care so deeply for them.  Please help them to find their way to You.  Please open their hearts and heal them from the hurts of the past.  Please help them to know that You are continually speaking to them.  Please help them to hear You and to know Your deep, deep love for them.  Please strengthen them in Your love and lead them according to Your will for their lives. 

 

Please help our pastors and the team coming back from Mexico cross the border safely and quickly tomorrow.  Thank You for keeping them safe on the road today driving up from Vizcaino to La Posada in Rosarito.  Please continue to give them traveling mercies as they drive back home. May their conversations be filled with thanksgiving to You.  Thank You for blessing them to be able to get so much work accomplished on the Missions Base these past few days.  Thank You for all who sacrificed their time and finances, and took time off of work and from their vacation time to come and serve.   Thank You for Your kindness and love.   Thank You for the way You work in and through each life and heart.  May You be glorified in each of our lives.   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

For the glory of God!

John 11:1-16

A man named Lazarus was sick.  He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.

 

This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.  Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 

 

So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him, “Lord, the one You love is very sick.”

 

But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for the glory of God,  I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this.”

 

Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,

 

He stayed where He was for the next two days and did not go to them.

 

Finally, after two days, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”

 

But His disciples objected, “Teacher,” they said, “only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill You.  Are You going there again?”

 

Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day.  As long as it is light, people can walk safely.  They can see because they have the light of this world.”

 

“Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light.”

 

Then He said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

 

The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!”

 

They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night’s rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

 

Then He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”

 

“And for your sake, I am glad I wasn’t there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in Me.  Come, let’s go see him.”

 

Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too – and die with Jesus.”

 

Jesus did whatever the Father gave Him to do.  He perfectly represented His Heavenly Father Who sent Him, so that those who saw and listened to Jesus could know what His Father was like also.  The words He spoke and the miraculous signs He performed revealed His Deity.  Jesus was open and spoke plainly about who He was to those who questioned that His Authority and power was from God.  Jesus was always in complete control over all that came His way.  Those who did not believe in Him hardened their hearts more and more and were determined to kill Him for the wonderful works He did to help the people in need because He did not keep their traditions and rebuked them to their faces for their evil deeds and evil motives – telling them that they refused to believe in Him because they were of their father, the devil – the father of all lies and deceit.

 

Jesus’ disciples had great concern for Jesus’ life if He were to go back to the region of Judea in Bethany to help Lazarus. This showed that they still believed that Jesus would set up His Kingdom on this earth.  Jesus wanted them to see His glory and that He was Lord over all, even over death, and that His Kingdom was not of with world.  Jesus had told them, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for the glory of God,  I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this.”  Jesus spoke of Lazarus sleeping, knowing he was already dead.  His disciples, still did not fully understanding the power of God in Jesus.  They were thinking in human terms according to their own limited understanding when they considered the word, ‘sleeping’.  Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” There could be no confusion about what Jesus was to do.  If His disciples could see this miraculous sign of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, they would also know that Jesus could raise Himself from the dead and prove Himself the Messiah, by offering His life as a sacrifice on the cross, then rise again from the dead proclaiming victory over sin and death – once for all.  Jesus could then offer complete victory over sin and death for all who believed in Him and received Him as their Savior and Lord.  His disciples must believe in the resurrection power of Jesus, as they would face persecution and death for the Gospel message they would proclaim to the world, which includes all Gentiles.  Jesus was not worried about protecting His own life. Thomas said he would follow Jesus to His death, too, thinking that if Jesus went back to Judea His life would be taken by the Jews.    But this was not Jesus’ time to give up His life, as there was still work to be done.  His disciples would see once more that those who hated Jesus had no power over Him.  They would see the power of God in Jesus and Jesus would be glorified.  Their faith would be strengthened and their testimony would be enriched by what they were to see first hand.  Seeing Lazarus raised from the dead and ultimately seeing Jesus raised from the dead would make them creditable witnesses of the Truth of God as they testified that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and the Savior of the world.  They would be more than willing to lay down their lives to follow Jesus and testify to the world of Him. 

 

We are given this same opportunity, today.  Jesus comes to us and we receive Him and He changes our lives.  This is for the glory of God that the world may see Jesus in us and come to know Him themselves.  We will also face persecution from those who hate Jesus, even today.  But we must be reminded that this world is not our home.  We must take heart in the words and promises of Jesus and always remember that He is still Lord over all.  Though His attoning work on the cross is finished, He is still drawing peole to Himself that they may know Salvation.  He does this work today through all who call Him Savior and Lord.  He’s given us His Holy Spirit that He may do the works of God through us, as we walk in His Light.  We are the light of the world, Jesus’ love shines through us as we abide in Him.  We must remember that God’s ways are not man’s ways – His thoughts are not our thoughts – that we may  trust in Him completely.  As long as Jesus’ church is in the world, His Light shines as the Light of day.  His work continues through His disciples today.  Soon His church will be taken out of this world, then judgment will begin on all who reject and hate Jesus.  May we be faithful to the end and bring glory to God through our testimony of His faithfulness.  May we serve Jesus faithfully and remember all His words and promises to us.  May we stay in close fellowship with Him and faithfully follow His leading in our lives . 

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for the wisdom You have shown that makes believing in Jesus so simple that even children can come to Him and receive Your free gift of salvation.  Thank You for showing us the humanity of those You chose to spread the Gospel message.  Thank You that You show us through Scripture that those who will trust in You and rely upon You, those who love You and follow Jesus will be used by You.  Thank You for the wisdom You’ve shown in sending Jesus, that no one can boast of their own efforts and good works to win favor with You or to earn their way in to Heaven.  We have no good works to offer You, in and of ourselves.  Even our understanding of You is skewed by our sin nature and our own  fleshly desires.  May we purify our hearts and minds by staying in Your word and in fellowship with You and other believers commited to You.  Thank You for Your mercy and grace.  You are so patient, kind and forgiving toward us.  May our hearts be true to You.  May our lives bring You glory as we shine for Jesus in this dark and dying world, among those who desperately needs You.   May we not fear death, nor the threats of those who seem to have power in this world, for You are in complete control over all.  You are Lord over all.  May we be about Your work and may we serve You in sincerity and purity of heart. 

May You do a mighty and great work in and through our fellowship.  Please lead and guide our pastors and leaders.  Please help them to discern Your will and protect them from distraction, deception, or anything that will draw them away from You.  Please strengthen them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Thank You for their heart for You, for Your people, and for Your church.  May Your church truly love and worship You in Spirit and Truth by their example and through our prayers for them.  May we each have a testimony of Your faithfulness in our lives, that we may encourage and strengthen one another in faith and good works in Your church.  You are worthy of all praise, honor and glory! 

Please bless my brothers and sisters serving in Mexico right now.  Please give them wisdom to keep them from getting ill.  Please provide safe water and food for them.  Please help them to get the rest they need from all their hard work.  Please help them to see how they are connected to one another and to bless each other with loving thoughts, words and deeds.   Please bring them all home safely with a testimony of Your faithfulness and love which they are currently experiencing.  Please strengthen their faith in You through their steps of faith and sacrifices to serve on this short-termed mission’s trip to Vizcaino, Mexico, Baja Sur.   Thank You for all that’s getting accomplished by the hard work of so many coming from so far away.   May You be loved and adored for Your goodness toward us.  May the people in Vizcaino be blessed by the love of Jesus through each person who is serving You  working on the Missions Base construction site,  serving at Calvary Chapel, Vizcaino, helping the people through outreaches of sharing the Gospel, humanitarian aide, medical and dental clinics and all that’s done in Your name.  May You be glorified!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Do we have compassion for those without Christ?

John 8:1-11

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,

 

but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple.  A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them.

 

As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery.  They put her in front of the crowd.

 

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.”

 

“The law of Moses says to stone her.  What do You say?”

 

They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stood down and wrote it the dust with His finger.

 

The kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stone!” 

 

Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

 

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

 

Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

 

“No, Lord,” she said.  And Jesus said, “Neither do I.  Go and sin no more.”

 

Jesus offers us forgiveness and grace. We all have sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23).  The Religious leaders hated Jesus so much that they were blind to their own sin.  They were consumed with trying to kill Him.  Before they could legally arrest Him, they needed to have a reason.  Here they are trying to trap Him to justify their hatred of God’s only begotten Son.  The wisdom of Jesus turns their evil intent back upon them.  They all left and could not accuse this poor woman who was paraded around in front of everyone and exposed for her sin.  Jesus shows great compassion upon her and protects her from those who thought they should kill her. God has great power over all evil, over the schemes of the devil, and over all those whom the devil would use for his evil purposes.  Jesus confounds the Religious leaders and once again teaches all who want to hear and know Him how to have eternal life.  The compassion Jesus had upon this woman made a believer out of her.  She feared for her life and was publicly humiliated.  If they had caught her ‘in the very act of adultery’, it’s possible she was not even dressed.  Jesus bent down and wrote in the dirt.  He didn’t look upon the woman to shame or embarrass her any further.  Instead He came to her defense with great power and authority in all humility, wisdom and grace.  No one could find fault in Jesus.  He was completely without sin.  The woman called Jesus Lord, showing that she had become a believer by experiencing His compassion and forgiveness for her sin.  Jesus commanded her to repent, which is consistent with the very first message He preached, and is still the message to all, especially those in the church who may feel comfortable because they are in church and know something about God.  We all need to be very careful that we are abiding in Jesus and loving Him with all our heart.  May we love like Jesus loved – proving we are His disciples.

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You for the grace, mercy and wisdom Jesus shows toward those who are caught in sin.  Thank You for the kindness and compassion He gives to all who come to him in humility and faith.  Thank You that even those who lack faith, but want to believe, Jesus patiently teaches and draws out more faith from them.  Please help us walk humbly with Jesus in faith, hope and love.  Please fill us with Your power and wisdom to serve You and share the hope of eternal life with those in the world who are hopeless lost in their sin.  Please change us from the inside out, that we may have the mind of Christ and the compassion He has for others who are in need of forgiveness, mercy and grace.

 

Please help our pastor to be protected from the wiles of the devil and those the devil would try to use to bring him down.  Please come to his defense and strengthen him in the power of Your Holy Spirit as he faces many spiritual battles.  Please renew him, strengthen him, and use him for Your purposes.  Please grant him wisdom and power to do Your will.  Please work in Your church through the power of Your Holy Spirit, so people will be changed and love Jesus.  We want Jesus to always be welcome in His church and be worshiped by those He redeemed in the power and love of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for all You’ve done for us! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Are we Offended by Jesus?

John 6:60-71   

Even His disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

 

Jesus knew within Himself that His disciples were complaining, so He said to them, “Does this offend you?”

 

“Then what will you think if you see Me, the Son of Man, return to Heaven again?”

 

“It is the Spirit Who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.  And the very words I spoke to you are Spirit and Life.”

 

“But some of you don’t believe Me.”  (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe, and He knew who would betray Him.)

 

Then He said, “That is what I meant when I said that people can’t come to Me unless the Father brings them to Me.”

 

At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him.

 

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave, too?”

 

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?  You alone have the words that give eternal life.”

 

“We believe them, we know You are the Holy One of God.”

 

Then Jesus said, ‘I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.’

 

He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would betray Him.

 

 

In John 6:53 Jesus said, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son fo Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.” Jesus’ previous words were offensive to the human intellect.  The disciples who were following Him due to the miraculous works He did could not wrap their minds around Jesus’ infatic statement about how to receive eternal life. Consequently, they left Him, showing that they really didn’t have faith and belief in Jesus to know that whatever they didn’t understand, God would provide the grace and the wisdom to  continue in Him. He would reveal what this meant as He taught them that He must go to the cross to die for the sins of all mankind.  He would be faithful to His promises to them.

 

We all are faced with this challenge in our lives.  We are tempted to rely upon what we think, what we know to be true by our own human reasoning.  We must change our way of thinking if we are to follow Jesus.  We must surrender our will to His and humbly receive His Words and be led by His Holy Spirit. Jesus wants all of us.  He wants us to trust Him at His word.  He wants us to have eternal life in Him.  He’s given us all we need to believe and to have faith in Him, we must chose to follow no one else except Jesus.  Peter said it all when he said,  “Lord, to whom would we go?  You alone have the words that give eternal life.”

 

Heavenly Father;

Thank You again for Your words that give life.  Thank You for the hope we can have in Jesus when we chose to believe Him at His words and surrender our own will to You.  Please strengthen us in faith that we may know You better.  Please help us to have a living and an abiding relationship with Jesus everyday.  Please help us to hold on to Jesus tightly and to have faith to know that even if we don’t understand what we see, even if we don’t understand what You have for us to do at any particular time, we can have confident assurance that You are able to direct us and guide us according to Your will for us in Christ Jesus. 

 

Lord Jesus, Thank You for the cross!  May You find us faithfully remaining in You.  May our hearts and minds be centered upon You. May our lives be centered in Your will for us.  Please help our pastors as they are faced with decisions they need to make.  Please grant them your wisdom to do Your will.  Please give them strength in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please give them peace which speak louder than the storms and trials they face. Please hold onto their hand, Lord Jesus. May they know Your closeness and Your presence. Please be with us and help our fellowships to grow in You and to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and Your love.  Please help us to be in unity with Your Holy Spirit as You guide our lives and ministry for You.   In Jesus’ Name. Amen.