"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."
John 2:23-25
I have been trying to avoid talking (typing) about something that I see taking place "out there" in the church at large, but I have been confronted with it several times this week, and oddly enough, several times it has come up in the conversations I have been having, brought up by others and not myself. It is the "revival" that has been happening in Lakeland, Florida. Living in Florida myself, I am actually surprised that I have not heard more about it, nor have I been swept up in the ever-increasing flood of "talk" about it that seems to be circulating. But in the last week, the Lakeland "happening" has been brought to the forefront so many times that I cannot ignore speaking about it any longer. For the sake of this discussion, I will refer to what is happening in Lakeland as a revival, but will elaborate further in this article.
First of all, let me say that up until this point, I had not heard much about or from Todd Bentley, the man who seems to be "leading" the "revival." I have watched some YouTube footage of him, and at first glance, he seems to come across as almost every other "faith healer" I have seen out there. He goes down the line, as people have come up to the "healing line," and he has a brief discussion with them about what he prophesies to be their particular ailment or situation, and then places his hand on their forehead, and pushes them back as they are "slain" in the Spirit. I did notice that the ones who were not "slain" right away, he returned to, to ensure their "slain" status I guess, as he gave them an extra "dose" of the good old Holy Ghost. Now, I write this, not to poke fun or be sacrilegious, but to point out some things that I have noticed, or have been brought to my attention. I come from the theological perspective where I believe that the Holy Spirit still works today, giving gifts of healing, and tongues and all the rest, so I am not a legalist on a vendetta here. But what I want to bring to our attention is the concern of a couple of things....people flocking to this "happening" because of the signs, and the accuracy of the "prophecy" of Mr. Bentley himself.
In this passage that we are looking at today, from John 2, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover, during the feast, and He was performing signs, miracles, and people were beginning to flock to Him. But Jesus refused to "commit Himself to them" because He knew what was in their hearts. They weren't there because of who HE was. They were there because of the signs that He performed, the miracles, the healings. Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 24:24, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." What concerns me most about "the happening" in Lakeland, and other events like it, is that people are drawn there because of the so-called "signs" and not check out what is happening experientially against God's Word to see if it checks out. The apostle Paul told the people of Berea to check out even what he was saying to be sure that it lines up with what God says. One of the reasons we have false revivals is that we as the Body of Christ, the Church, have fallen away from reading and studying our Bibles. We are in error because we don't know the Scriptures. We don't read them, we don't study them, we don't apply them. But that is for another discussion. Regardless, we must seek wise counsel from our pastor or others whom we trust before following the latest celebrity preacher around like sheep.
If you watch Mr. Bentley closely, and listen to him "prophesy" over people as he goes through the "healing line," you will notice that a large amount of the time he is wrong as he speaks out over their life. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 it says, "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'; which you have not known; 'and let us serve them,'3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." So let me ask you this question: Are we running after Mr. Bentley and others like him because we think we need a sign, and he is providing one, or have we checked him and his works against the Bible, God's Word, and found all to be true and to line up? Beware, beloved, because in the last days there will come wolves dressed in sheep's clothing among us, to devour us. Let us beware. In the June 28/July 5, 2008 issue of World magazine, there is an article on Todd Bentley, called "Same old scam?" by Rusty Leonard and Warren Cole Smith (p. 81). In the article, it points out that the collection of the offering at these meetings can take "as long as 30 minutes." In the insert in the article, "Smelling A Scam," there are four points about telling whether or not it is a scam. Number 2 on the list is, "Is there an emphasis on money?" I have been in a lot of churches, and have never seen it take 30 minutes to take an offering. Even in large stadium events where the crowd is twice that as Mr. Bentley's. It has never take 30 minutes to pass a bucket from one end of a row to another and have several men collect them at the other end. So what am I saying? I am concerned that if this article is true, and I have no reason to doubt that it isn't, then there seems to be some emphasis on money here in Lakeland. Get the article. Read it for yourself.
I will not be attending "the happening" in Lakeland, nor watching Mr. Bentley on television (God TV or any other). I guess my critics will have a good time with that, and that's okay. I don't have to jump off a building to know that sudden stop at the bottom is painful. And I don't need to go to Lakeland to know what a false prophet looks and sounds like. Jesus didn't commit Himself to some of those who came after Him, because He knew what was in their heart, that they weren't commited to Him but just followed the signs. Beloved, it is truly a heart issue here. Don't be misled. Check out what goes on out there in the church against what is in the Scriptures. If it doesn't line up, then cast it off. We need to be more discerning about things like this. Shalom.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Cleaning House
"Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!' 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.' 18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, 'What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?' 19 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' 20 Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. "
To set the story, Jesus comes to Jerusalem at the time of Passover. One of the first places He goes to visit is the temple. When He walks in, He sees there are people selling sheep, selling oxen, selling doves, and tables for exchanging money, The religious leaders of the day were using this as an opportunity to line their own pockets. When people brought oxen and sheep and doves to the temple for sacrifice, they would usually be found unfit for sacrifice because of some microscopic blemish. But the people were instructed that they could buy a "pre-approved" animal out in the courtyard. These were sold at exorbitant prices. The same with the money changers. When the people came to pay their temple tax, their money was declared no good because of the image of Caesar on the coins, but were instructed that they could exchange it for shekels in the courtyard. And the money changers would charge exorbitant fees. When Jesus comes into the temple, He sees that the people were being robbed and ripped off in the very place where they should be introduced to the True and Living God.
This seems to be happening, sad to say, across the Church today. But instead of sheep, oxen, and money changers, we have books, seminars on tape/CD/DVD, and podcasts on MP3. All designed to take your money, and always justified with "we are helping people." We have allowed the marketplace to come into our churches, and that is one of the things that Jesus demonstrates here: it is not to be. I personally made the mistake of allowing ladies in our church to talk to other ladies and invite/pressure them into hosting parties in their homes so that they could sample/buy whatever was being sold, with the exchange taking place at the church. This is one of the tragic mistakes of my career. It should not happen in our churches. Commerce should take place outside the walls of the church. Am I saying that a church should not have a bookstore? I am not saying that at all. Some of the finest bookstores I have ever been in are located in some of the churches I have attended. I am saying that daily commerce should take place somewhere else. The buying and selling of items for your kitchen or to decorate your home should be done outside of the church meetings and fellowship.
There was another feast that was linked to Passover, but was seven days later. It was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where the Jews would scour their homes to make sure there wasn't any leaven present in their homes. They searched every corner, every cupboard, every cooking utensil to make sure not a trace of leaven existed. Leaven in the Bible represents sin. That is exactly what Jesus was doing here, as He cleanses His Father's house of the evil and sin that existed there. And beloved, that is what we must do with our own lives. In my life, in your life, we must clean it up from the leaven. We must look in every "nook and cranny" of our lives, and make sure there is not even a trace of leaven to be found, because that will give our enemy, the devil, a foothold in our lives.
"Oh come on now, this is 2008. Are you saying the devil will infiltrate our lives?" Beloved, we have been called to be separated from this world. Not weird or anything, like the dudes on the street corners with bullhorns, yelling at people to be saved (I wondered aloud about how many people they had converted that way as I looked around and saw all the windows going up in the other cars). We are called to separation from this world. Sad to say, to some that means weirdness. To me it means live in this life like there is no tomorrow and store up treasures in heaven, because that is really where my home is. I cannot let myself get too attached to this world and the things (and people) in it. But if I don't clean out the leaven in my house, my daily walk is not as meaningful as it could be, and not as impacting as it should be. Beloved, it is time to clean house; our own. Amen? Amen. Shalom.
To set the story, Jesus comes to Jerusalem at the time of Passover. One of the first places He goes to visit is the temple. When He walks in, He sees there are people selling sheep, selling oxen, selling doves, and tables for exchanging money, The religious leaders of the day were using this as an opportunity to line their own pockets. When people brought oxen and sheep and doves to the temple for sacrifice, they would usually be found unfit for sacrifice because of some microscopic blemish. But the people were instructed that they could buy a "pre-approved" animal out in the courtyard. These were sold at exorbitant prices. The same with the money changers. When the people came to pay their temple tax, their money was declared no good because of the image of Caesar on the coins, but were instructed that they could exchange it for shekels in the courtyard. And the money changers would charge exorbitant fees. When Jesus comes into the temple, He sees that the people were being robbed and ripped off in the very place where they should be introduced to the True and Living God.
This seems to be happening, sad to say, across the Church today. But instead of sheep, oxen, and money changers, we have books, seminars on tape/CD/DVD, and podcasts on MP3. All designed to take your money, and always justified with "we are helping people." We have allowed the marketplace to come into our churches, and that is one of the things that Jesus demonstrates here: it is not to be. I personally made the mistake of allowing ladies in our church to talk to other ladies and invite/pressure them into hosting parties in their homes so that they could sample/buy whatever was being sold, with the exchange taking place at the church. This is one of the tragic mistakes of my career. It should not happen in our churches. Commerce should take place outside the walls of the church. Am I saying that a church should not have a bookstore? I am not saying that at all. Some of the finest bookstores I have ever been in are located in some of the churches I have attended. I am saying that daily commerce should take place somewhere else. The buying and selling of items for your kitchen or to decorate your home should be done outside of the church meetings and fellowship.
There was another feast that was linked to Passover, but was seven days later. It was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where the Jews would scour their homes to make sure there wasn't any leaven present in their homes. They searched every corner, every cupboard, every cooking utensil to make sure not a trace of leaven existed. Leaven in the Bible represents sin. That is exactly what Jesus was doing here, as He cleanses His Father's house of the evil and sin that existed there. And beloved, that is what we must do with our own lives. In my life, in your life, we must clean it up from the leaven. We must look in every "nook and cranny" of our lives, and make sure there is not even a trace of leaven to be found, because that will give our enemy, the devil, a foothold in our lives.
"Oh come on now, this is 2008. Are you saying the devil will infiltrate our lives?" Beloved, we have been called to be separated from this world. Not weird or anything, like the dudes on the street corners with bullhorns, yelling at people to be saved (I wondered aloud about how many people they had converted that way as I looked around and saw all the windows going up in the other cars). We are called to separation from this world. Sad to say, to some that means weirdness. To me it means live in this life like there is no tomorrow and store up treasures in heaven, because that is really where my home is. I cannot let myself get too attached to this world and the things (and people) in it. But if I don't clean out the leaven in my house, my daily walk is not as meaningful as it could be, and not as impacting as it should be. Beloved, it is time to clean house; our own. Amen? Amen. Shalom.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Water To Wine
"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.' 4 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.' 5 His mother said to the servants, 'Whatever He says to do, do it.' 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, 'Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.' And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!' 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
John 2:1-11 NKJV
What is happening here is pretty obvious to the reader. There is a wedding in the little town of Cana, located in Galilee, and Jesus and His disciples are invited, as well as His mother. Now, I can sense all you Catholics out there start salivating, because Jesus' mother Mary is there. Well, fret not (salivate not?) because it was not Mary who set it up. It wasn't Mary who performed the miracle. Her biggest role in this miracle was to tell the servants to do what Jesus instructed them to do. Since they are servants, they probably would have done that anyway. Go figure. Anyway, they run out of wine at the wedding, and Mary comes to Jesus and tells Him this. And He asks her why she is telling Him, because His time to come on the scene publicly had not yet arrived. Now, it doesn't tell us in the narrative of the text, but I kinda think Jesus was hanging out with the servants in the back of the room, or off in another room, and that is why He had to be told there was no more wine. Just my own personal opinion. Nevertheless, Jesus' mother came and told Him they were out of wine. Now there were six big water pots there that held twenty to thirty gallons of water each. That is a lot of water. So Jesus instructs the servants to fill the water pots to the brim with water. They do it. And then He instructs them to draw some out and take it to the master of the wedding feast. And it is the best wine that they have had at the wedding. It was customary that the best wine would be put out first, and as the guests drank and got a little buzz on, then they wouldn't notice that they not-so-good wine had been brought out as the evening wore on. So the master of the wedding feast was impressed at this deviation from custom.
Beloved, I think one of the messages that this passage has for us is this. You and I are the water pots. We are the jars of clay, that are cracked, that leak, that the Lord takes and picks us up and fixes us, and stops us from leaking. Our youth leader/young adult leader told me the other day, that he was talking to his group about how you stop a cracked pot from leaking. You know how? (Glad you asked) You immerse it. That is what God wants for us. To be immersed in Him and His Word. To be so totally filled up and surrounded by Him and His Word, that His Holy Spirit just flows out from us and through us. We are just covered by Him, both inside and out. Now that is not part of this text, so I guess you get that at no extra charge. But we are the earthen vessels. And as we are filled to the brim with the water of the Word, the New Wine of the Holy Spirit changes us into vessels of honor, because we are now the container of the best wine in the house! The Holy Spirit of God! And it doesn't matter where you are in life, it is never too late, and you have never gone too far to turn around and allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out. Beloved, today is the day to leave your nets, meaning, to stop what it is in your life that has you so occupied that that is all you are focused on, leave your nets and follow Him. Follow Jesus Christ the Son of God, and you might end up at a wedding, filled with the best wine in the house! This day, be immersed! Shalom, shalom.
John 2:1-11 NKJV
What is happening here is pretty obvious to the reader. There is a wedding in the little town of Cana, located in Galilee, and Jesus and His disciples are invited, as well as His mother. Now, I can sense all you Catholics out there start salivating, because Jesus' mother Mary is there. Well, fret not (salivate not?) because it was not Mary who set it up. It wasn't Mary who performed the miracle. Her biggest role in this miracle was to tell the servants to do what Jesus instructed them to do. Since they are servants, they probably would have done that anyway. Go figure. Anyway, they run out of wine at the wedding, and Mary comes to Jesus and tells Him this. And He asks her why she is telling Him, because His time to come on the scene publicly had not yet arrived. Now, it doesn't tell us in the narrative of the text, but I kinda think Jesus was hanging out with the servants in the back of the room, or off in another room, and that is why He had to be told there was no more wine. Just my own personal opinion. Nevertheless, Jesus' mother came and told Him they were out of wine. Now there were six big water pots there that held twenty to thirty gallons of water each. That is a lot of water. So Jesus instructs the servants to fill the water pots to the brim with water. They do it. And then He instructs them to draw some out and take it to the master of the wedding feast. And it is the best wine that they have had at the wedding. It was customary that the best wine would be put out first, and as the guests drank and got a little buzz on, then they wouldn't notice that they not-so-good wine had been brought out as the evening wore on. So the master of the wedding feast was impressed at this deviation from custom.
Beloved, I think one of the messages that this passage has for us is this. You and I are the water pots. We are the jars of clay, that are cracked, that leak, that the Lord takes and picks us up and fixes us, and stops us from leaking. Our youth leader/young adult leader told me the other day, that he was talking to his group about how you stop a cracked pot from leaking. You know how? (Glad you asked) You immerse it. That is what God wants for us. To be immersed in Him and His Word. To be so totally filled up and surrounded by Him and His Word, that His Holy Spirit just flows out from us and through us. We are just covered by Him, both inside and out. Now that is not part of this text, so I guess you get that at no extra charge. But we are the earthen vessels. And as we are filled to the brim with the water of the Word, the New Wine of the Holy Spirit changes us into vessels of honor, because we are now the container of the best wine in the house! The Holy Spirit of God! And it doesn't matter where you are in life, it is never too late, and you have never gone too far to turn around and allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out. Beloved, today is the day to leave your nets, meaning, to stop what it is in your life that has you so occupied that that is all you are focused on, leave your nets and follow Him. Follow Jesus Christ the Son of God, and you might end up at a wedding, filled with the best wine in the house! This day, be immersed! Shalom, shalom.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Calling
"The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Phillip and said to him, 'Follow Me.' 44 Now Phillip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Phillip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 46 And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Phillip said to him, 'Come and see.' 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!' 48 Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, ' Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' 50 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you, "I saw you under the fig tree," do you believe? You will see greater things than these.' 51 And He said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'"
Admittedly, the title of this blog sounds more like a third-rate horror flick than a devotional about Jesus Christ. However, that does not discount the importance of what the Word has to say to us today. The very next day, after calling Andrew and Peter (and other gospels include James and John on this day), Jesus goes to Galilee, and found Phillip. But what Jesus says to Phillip, and what He says to you and to me, are the most important words for a believer. Jesus said to Phillip just two words: Follow Me. Now what is interesting to note here, what is most important to note here, is what Jesus didn't say. Jesus didn't say, "Follow the ministry of so-and-so." He didn't say, "Make sure you go to that church over there, or that church over here." He said, "Follow Me."
That is a word for all believers today. We need to follow Jesus. Not the caricature of what some churches have made Him out to be. We need to study the Bible and see who Jesus really was, and is. Jesus wants us to follow Him, not some doctrinal statement of some church. If your church says you need "Jesus and...." then perhaps you need a new church. That is what the Judaizers were telling the Philippians at the church in Philippi. Jesus was good, but they also needed the law of Moses, in this case, circumcision, to be true followers of Christ. Not so. Jesus didn't call His disciples to some statement of faith or doctrinal statement of some church. Those are made by man, in the traditions of man. Jesus wants us to follow Him. That is our calling. That is our purpose. That is our mission. Now, having said all that, I am not saying that statements of faith or doctrinal statements are wrong. They identify certain specifics about a particular church. But they are the basis of our faith.
Beloved, Jesus knows each and every one of us, just as He "saw" Nathanael under the fig tree, even before Phillip came and got him. And He sees each one of us, and loves us, and calls us, not to a church or a creed, but to Himself. Shalom.
Admittedly, the title of this blog sounds more like a third-rate horror flick than a devotional about Jesus Christ. However, that does not discount the importance of what the Word has to say to us today. The very next day, after calling Andrew and Peter (and other gospels include James and John on this day), Jesus goes to Galilee, and found Phillip. But what Jesus says to Phillip, and what He says to you and to me, are the most important words for a believer. Jesus said to Phillip just two words: Follow Me. Now what is interesting to note here, what is most important to note here, is what Jesus didn't say. Jesus didn't say, "Follow the ministry of so-and-so." He didn't say, "Make sure you go to that church over there, or that church over here." He said, "Follow Me."
That is a word for all believers today. We need to follow Jesus. Not the caricature of what some churches have made Him out to be. We need to study the Bible and see who Jesus really was, and is. Jesus wants us to follow Him, not some doctrinal statement of some church. If your church says you need "Jesus and...." then perhaps you need a new church. That is what the Judaizers were telling the Philippians at the church in Philippi. Jesus was good, but they also needed the law of Moses, in this case, circumcision, to be true followers of Christ. Not so. Jesus didn't call His disciples to some statement of faith or doctrinal statement of some church. Those are made by man, in the traditions of man. Jesus wants us to follow Him. That is our calling. That is our purpose. That is our mission. Now, having said all that, I am not saying that statements of faith or doctrinal statements are wrong. They identify certain specifics about a particular church. But they are the basis of our faith.
Beloved, Jesus knows each and every one of us, just as He "saw" Nathanael under the fig tree, even before Phillip came and got him. And He sees each one of us, and loves us, and calls us, not to a church or a creed, but to Himself. Shalom.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The First Disciples
"Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 The Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' 39 He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone)."
This is the calling of the first disciples of Jesus. John the Baptist had disciples that were following him, but when they heard him call Jesus the Lamb of God, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and they left following John, to go follow Jesus. Now, the first thing I think of when I realize what is happening here, is, "I'm glad it is John and Jesus, and not me and one of MY friends." Because, if I had been doing what John the Baptist was doing, and getting some followers, my pride would probably begin to get all puffed up, so that when they left me to follow one of my friends, I would get extremely jealous. We get that way as humans, don't we? We get all wrapped up in what we are doing, and begin to view that in a way that overstates the importance of it. Jesus didn't "need" John the Baptist as an "advance man." John came to fulfill the Scripture prophecies. Jesus could have used television and billboards and email and websites to promote Himself (if they had been invented back then). But get this. He used a relative. Now, most people have at least one family member...well, enough said. You get the point. But when His cousin, John the Baptist, saw Jesus, he acknowledged Him by calling Him the Lamb of God, which was the purpose of His ministry here on earth. Jesus was going to become the sacrificial Lamb of God, to take your sin and my sin upon Himself. He was going to die so that you and I wouldn't have to. And when John said that, two of his disciples realized what he was saying, and left to follow Jesus.
When Jesus realizes He is being followed, He turns to them to ask them if they know exactly what they are doing. "What do you seek?" He asks them. I believe that this surprised them, so they asked Him their own question. I believe that they just didn't know how to articulate what was deep in their hearts: "We seek YOU." That was what was on their hearts, but they were caught off-guard by His question, so they asked, "Where are You staying?" Beloved, let me ask you: What do you seek? Is it a wife? A husband? That promotion? More money? We look for fulfillment in life in all different kinds of places and people, when all our fulfillment is not places and people, but a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. Andrew and his friend realized this. They spent the day with Jesus, and Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon, whom we know in the Bible as Peter. When Jesus sees Simon, whose name means "shifting sand," Jesus changes His name. He tells him, "You were once known as Shifting Sand, but now you are going to be known as A Stone." He changes his name from Simon to Cephas. Cephas is Aramaic. When the Bible was translated into Greek, Cephas became petros, or Peter.
Beloved, when we come to Christ, it tells us in the Bible that He gives us a new name that only He knows. He loves us so much He gives us a new name unique to us. Something like the pet names we would give a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. He changed Peter's name from something mediocre, like "shifting sand," to something firm and stable, like "a rock." It was an indication of what He was going to do in and through Peter's life. My friend, what is He going to do through YOUR life? Believe in Him. Trust in Him today. Allow Him to live through you, and allow you to touch your world for Him. Shalom.
This is the calling of the first disciples of Jesus. John the Baptist had disciples that were following him, but when they heard him call Jesus the Lamb of God, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and they left following John, to go follow Jesus. Now, the first thing I think of when I realize what is happening here, is, "I'm glad it is John and Jesus, and not me and one of MY friends." Because, if I had been doing what John the Baptist was doing, and getting some followers, my pride would probably begin to get all puffed up, so that when they left me to follow one of my friends, I would get extremely jealous. We get that way as humans, don't we? We get all wrapped up in what we are doing, and begin to view that in a way that overstates the importance of it. Jesus didn't "need" John the Baptist as an "advance man." John came to fulfill the Scripture prophecies. Jesus could have used television and billboards and email and websites to promote Himself (if they had been invented back then). But get this. He used a relative. Now, most people have at least one family member...well, enough said. You get the point. But when His cousin, John the Baptist, saw Jesus, he acknowledged Him by calling Him the Lamb of God, which was the purpose of His ministry here on earth. Jesus was going to become the sacrificial Lamb of God, to take your sin and my sin upon Himself. He was going to die so that you and I wouldn't have to. And when John said that, two of his disciples realized what he was saying, and left to follow Jesus.
When Jesus realizes He is being followed, He turns to them to ask them if they know exactly what they are doing. "What do you seek?" He asks them. I believe that this surprised them, so they asked Him their own question. I believe that they just didn't know how to articulate what was deep in their hearts: "We seek YOU." That was what was on their hearts, but they were caught off-guard by His question, so they asked, "Where are You staying?" Beloved, let me ask you: What do you seek? Is it a wife? A husband? That promotion? More money? We look for fulfillment in life in all different kinds of places and people, when all our fulfillment is not places and people, but a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. Andrew and his friend realized this. They spent the day with Jesus, and Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon, whom we know in the Bible as Peter. When Jesus sees Simon, whose name means "shifting sand," Jesus changes His name. He tells him, "You were once known as Shifting Sand, but now you are going to be known as A Stone." He changes his name from Simon to Cephas. Cephas is Aramaic. When the Bible was translated into Greek, Cephas became petros, or Peter.
Beloved, when we come to Christ, it tells us in the Bible that He gives us a new name that only He knows. He loves us so much He gives us a new name unique to us. Something like the pet names we would give a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. He changed Peter's name from something mediocre, like "shifting sand," to something firm and stable, like "a rock." It was an indication of what He was going to do in and through Peter's life. My friend, what is He going to do through YOUR life? Believe in Him. Trust in Him today. Allow Him to live through you, and allow you to touch your world for Him. Shalom.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The One Who Is After Is Before
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' 30 'This He of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me." 31 'I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.' 32 And John bore witness, saying, ' I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 'I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." 34 'And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'"
John 1:29-34
Just imagine the scene. John the Baptist is there at the Jordan River, baptizing people unto repentance for their sins. The religious leaders of the day have sent messengers to him, to inquire if he is the Messiah that has been prophesied about. I can picture John almost chuckling under his breath, thinking that the religious should be paying more attention. He answers them by saying that, no, the one who came after him and was before him (is John toying with them by this answer?) is the one whom he is unworthy to untie his sandal strap. And then it happens. He looks up, and there He is! Jesus is coming toward him!
Jesus is coming toward His cousin, John the Baptist. And John is so overcome, that he tells those there, whoever who will listen, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And those words have significance for you and me in 2008, right where you live. Because you see, we are all sinners, and John was pointing out that we have a hope. Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb, who provides the atoning sacrifice for our sins-yours, mine, the whole world. And John was pointing out to those around him, that, "There He is! HE is the Messiah! I saw the Spirit of God descend upon Him like a dove (so when you put those little doves on your car point them downward...)! And then John gives the most remarkable statement. He tells everyone that Jesus is the Son of God! That He is the one who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit. Had they even HEARD of the Holy Spirit prior to this time? Glad you asked. The answer is a resounding "Yes!" The prophets in the Old Testament were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
Beloved, you and I have the best opportunity in the world. We, as sinners, get to trade all of that junk in our life, the sin and the bondage to it that we experience, and trade it in for a life of freedom in Christ Jesus, all because He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. So we don't have to run around in bondage to this world and the world system to which the enemy tries to convince us we are slaves. So take heart. John the Baptist recognized Him, and so can you and me. All we have to do is get to know Him through His Word. Get into His Word and let His Word get into you! Shalom!
John 1:29-34
Just imagine the scene. John the Baptist is there at the Jordan River, baptizing people unto repentance for their sins. The religious leaders of the day have sent messengers to him, to inquire if he is the Messiah that has been prophesied about. I can picture John almost chuckling under his breath, thinking that the religious should be paying more attention. He answers them by saying that, no, the one who came after him and was before him (is John toying with them by this answer?) is the one whom he is unworthy to untie his sandal strap. And then it happens. He looks up, and there He is! Jesus is coming toward him!
Jesus is coming toward His cousin, John the Baptist. And John is so overcome, that he tells those there, whoever who will listen, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And those words have significance for you and me in 2008, right where you live. Because you see, we are all sinners, and John was pointing out that we have a hope. Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb, who provides the atoning sacrifice for our sins-yours, mine, the whole world. And John was pointing out to those around him, that, "There He is! HE is the Messiah! I saw the Spirit of God descend upon Him like a dove (so when you put those little doves on your car point them downward...)! And then John gives the most remarkable statement. He tells everyone that Jesus is the Son of God! That He is the one who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit. Had they even HEARD of the Holy Spirit prior to this time? Glad you asked. The answer is a resounding "Yes!" The prophets in the Old Testament were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
Beloved, you and I have the best opportunity in the world. We, as sinners, get to trade all of that junk in our life, the sin and the bondage to it that we experience, and trade it in for a life of freedom in Christ Jesus, all because He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. So we don't have to run around in bondage to this world and the world system to which the enemy tries to convince us we are slaves. So take heart. John the Baptist recognized Him, and so can you and me. All we have to do is get to know Him through His Word. Get into His Word and let His Word get into you! Shalom!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Witness
"John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me."' 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.' 21 And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, ' I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' 22 Then they said to him, 'Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' 23 H said: 'I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said.' 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 26 John answered them saying, 'I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.' 28 These things were done in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
John 1:15-28
In chronological years, John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus. But Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," (John 8:58). So John was referring here in verse 15, to the eternal nature of his cousin, who was actually, chronologically 6 months younger. John was there at the Jordan River, baptizing people and declaring that the One coming after him was the Messiah. There he was, this strange man, declaring that there was One who was coming and He would be their Messiah. And John was declaring, that in Him, we have received grace for grace. In other words, we will receive the continual grace of God, and we can never exhaust the grace of God, if we are willing to totally receive and "embrace" the Person of Jesus Christ. Just think about that, and what that means. If we can, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, embrace the person of Jesus Christ in our lives, we receive the continual grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
When John appeared on the scene, baptizing there at the Jordan River, the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, thought he was the Christ (Messiah), so they sent priests and Levites out to inquire of him if he was or not. What is tragic to me about that is, that they were so caught up in their "religion" that they didn't even know if this was their own Messiah or not, because they weren't looking for Him. They were more caught up in "keeping the rules" that they weren't looking for His coming. You know beloved, that is the way it is today. We sometimes get so caught up in "keeping the rules," that we forget to look for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. And He is coming very soon. Just read the headline of your local paper. Jesus is coming soon. Let us not be so caught up in the religion in our lives, that we forget to be looking for Him.
And let us listen to the John the Baptists in our lives telling us that He is coming. They may look a little strange, maybe even act a little strange, but they might sound like the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Amen? Amen.
John 1:15-28
In chronological years, John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus. But Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," (John 8:58). So John was referring here in verse 15, to the eternal nature of his cousin, who was actually, chronologically 6 months younger. John was there at the Jordan River, baptizing people and declaring that the One coming after him was the Messiah. There he was, this strange man, declaring that there was One who was coming and He would be their Messiah. And John was declaring, that in Him, we have received grace for grace. In other words, we will receive the continual grace of God, and we can never exhaust the grace of God, if we are willing to totally receive and "embrace" the Person of Jesus Christ. Just think about that, and what that means. If we can, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, embrace the person of Jesus Christ in our lives, we receive the continual grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
When John appeared on the scene, baptizing there at the Jordan River, the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, thought he was the Christ (Messiah), so they sent priests and Levites out to inquire of him if he was or not. What is tragic to me about that is, that they were so caught up in their "religion" that they didn't even know if this was their own Messiah or not, because they weren't looking for Him. They were more caught up in "keeping the rules" that they weren't looking for His coming. You know beloved, that is the way it is today. We sometimes get so caught up in "keeping the rules," that we forget to look for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. And He is coming very soon. Just read the headline of your local paper. Jesus is coming soon. Let us not be so caught up in the religion in our lives, that we forget to be looking for Him.
And let us listen to the John the Baptists in our lives telling us that He is coming. They may look a little strange, maybe even act a little strange, but they might sound like the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Amen? Amen.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Word Became Flesh
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:14
We have established the fact that Jesus was in the beginning with God, along with the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:1 we have God creating the heavens and the earth. The word in Hebrew used for God there is Elohim, which is the plural form of the word. He is the three-in-one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Elohim. Genesis 1:2 tells us "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The Holy Spirit was there. God the Father was there. And here in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John tells us that Jesus was there with God in the very beginning as well. In fact, John tells us that Jesus is God. So we have established that.
Now we come to this verse today. John tells us in verse 1, that "the Word was God." Here He tells us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is speaking about Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is the one who became flesh, who left the throne room of heaven and lowered Himself and became a man. He did this as part of God's plan to reconcile mankind unto Himself. We were separated from God because of sin, but Jesus came to reconcile us to God.
The Greek word used for "dwelt" there, means to "encamp" or "tabernacled." The tabernacle of the Old Testament was covered in animal skins and looked rather ordinary from the outside. But on the inside it was adorned in gold. This is where the "chabod" was, the presence of God, the glory of God. That is the way Jesus was. He was so ordinary looking that Judas had to identify him to the Romans with a kiss. And yet, His glory "leaked out" on the Mount of Transfiguration. John was there, along with Peter and James, to witness the glory, the glory of Jesus' deity shining out through His humanity. And because of the work that Jesus did on the cross, He tore the veil in two, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the temple, so that now, you and I too, can behold the glory of God. We do not need a priest to go in once a year and do it for us. We can now come boldly before the throne of God. We can come daily, we can come freely, and we can come because of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus, who is full of grace and truth. Jesus spoke the truth to people, but He wasn't mean or harsh about it, but full of grace. Beloved, this day, we too can behold the glory of God. We too can come into the throne room of heaven and present our lives to God, as a living sacrifice to Him. "Lord, this day, I will live my life as a sacrifice of worship unto You." Shalom.
John 1:14
We have established the fact that Jesus was in the beginning with God, along with the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:1 we have God creating the heavens and the earth. The word in Hebrew used for God there is Elohim, which is the plural form of the word. He is the three-in-one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Elohim. Genesis 1:2 tells us "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The Holy Spirit was there. God the Father was there. And here in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John tells us that Jesus was there with God in the very beginning as well. In fact, John tells us that Jesus is God. So we have established that.
Now we come to this verse today. John tells us in verse 1, that "the Word was God." Here He tells us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is speaking about Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is the one who became flesh, who left the throne room of heaven and lowered Himself and became a man. He did this as part of God's plan to reconcile mankind unto Himself. We were separated from God because of sin, but Jesus came to reconcile us to God.
The Greek word used for "dwelt" there, means to "encamp" or "tabernacled." The tabernacle of the Old Testament was covered in animal skins and looked rather ordinary from the outside. But on the inside it was adorned in gold. This is where the "chabod" was, the presence of God, the glory of God. That is the way Jesus was. He was so ordinary looking that Judas had to identify him to the Romans with a kiss. And yet, His glory "leaked out" on the Mount of Transfiguration. John was there, along with Peter and James, to witness the glory, the glory of Jesus' deity shining out through His humanity. And because of the work that Jesus did on the cross, He tore the veil in two, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the temple, so that now, you and I too, can behold the glory of God. We do not need a priest to go in once a year and do it for us. We can now come boldly before the throne of God. We can come daily, we can come freely, and we can come because of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus, who is full of grace and truth. Jesus spoke the truth to people, but He wasn't mean or harsh about it, but full of grace. Beloved, this day, we too can behold the glory of God. We too can come into the throne room of heaven and present our lives to God, as a living sacrifice to Him. "Lord, this day, I will live my life as a sacrifice of worship unto You." Shalom.
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