Life Source - Week 6 - Day 3 ** John 14

Have you ever felt totally confused by a conversation that you are a part of?  I mean, you hear the words ... but you cannot grasp the meaning.  It is so frustrating!  That is exactly the scene in John 13 that we have read this week.  There is so much confusion in the room.  Jesus washes their feet and then says - now you do it, too.  When?  Right now?  Jesus keeps talking about leaving and they can't go.  Why not?  They have been everywhere with Him for 3 years.  One of them is going to betray Him?  Surely not!  Who in the world?  Judas gets up and leaves and no one knows why.  And then Jesus even tells Peter that he will deny knowing Him or having any kind of relationship with Him.  Peter?  No way!  Their world seems to be spinning out of control.

VERY TROUBLING, INDEED!

Read John 14.

I suspect your world has troubling things in it as well.  Do you feel at times as if your world, as well, is spinning out of control?  We all have times like that - times we would rather crawl in a hole than face the day.  Times when we wonder ... "what's the point?" 

Jesus steps into the swirling confusion with gentle encouragement.  And it is encouragement that you and I can claim as well.  Warren Wiersbe notices 6 assurances in this chapter to claim when you are tempted to loose yourself in troubling, anxious thoughts. 

1.  You are going to heaven.  There is a place for you there.  History is not random.  It is going someplace ... and you are a part of that destiny.  And, believe it or not, you even know the way there.  It is Jesus Himself.  He is the Way!  He is the path.  Don't forget ...

2.  You can know the Father right now.  Mankind has a longing to know God.  And Jesus tells you that you can know God.  You can see Him.  All you have to do is look at Jesus.  God is the perfect Father.  Some of you reading may have had tremendous dads ... and others may have had horrific ones.  Some of you may have had no dad at all.  But all of that falls away in the face of the knowledge of the perfect Father that wants me as His child.  When you are secure in the arms of that Father ... He will handle the troubling things!

3.  You have the privilege of prayer.  And a precious privilege it is.  It must be in faith - believing.  It must be in obedience.  And it must be in the character and the will of the Lord Himself.  That's what it means to be "in Jesus' name".  The Lord is allowing you the privilege of "using His name" as you approach the throne of grace.  Carry that privilege carefully! 

4.  You have the Holy Spirit.  Translations of verse 16 are interesting.  The King James uses the word "comforter".  New American Standard uses "helper".  NIV uses "counselor".  The Greek word is parakletos and is hard to translate.  It literally means "one called in to help".  The Holy Spirit provides the strength when you are weak.  He provides wisdom when you feel at a loss.  He provides the courage when you are afraid.  You have Him ... He has been "called in" to help you!

5.  You have the Father's love.  This goes deeper than the knowing of the Father.  He actually loves you.  Even when you see yourself as a bit of a mess!  He loves you ... and will not stop.

6.  You have His gift of peace.  This peace is deep within the heart.  It is like the Hebrew word, shalom.  It has everything to do with wholeness - with well being - will a settled spirit.  It has everything to do with the best for you.  The world strives after peace ... and usually fails.  The child of God receives this incredible quality as a gift.  You can be at peace. 

In particularly troubling times ... you may need to remind yourself of these assurances quite often.  You may even need to repeat them to yourself every morning before you face the day.  But when you do ... when these anchors of the soul are secure in your own mind and heart ... then ..

Let not your heart be troubled ...



Life Source - Week 6 - Day 2 ** John 13: 18 - 38

Let's finish John 13 today.  Read John 13: 18 - 38.

I am amazed by the way Jesus treated Judas.  And we see Him trying to break through Judas' cold heart in this passage.  Jesus loved Judas.  There is no greater test of agape love than the way you treat your enemies. 

Picture this scene ... the disciples gathered around a meal together.  William Barclay describes the custom of the day.

The Jews did not sit at table; they reclined.  The table was a low solid block, with couches round it.  It was shaped like a U and the place of the host was in the center.  They reclined on their left side, resting on the left elbow, thus leaving the right hand free to deal with the food.  Sitting in such a way, a man's head was literally in the breast of the person reclining on his left.  Jesus would be sitting in the place of the host, at the center of the single side of the low table.  The disciple whom Jesus loved must have been sitting his right, for as he lent on his elbow at the table, his head was in Jesus' breast.  It is quite clear that Jesus could speak to Judas privately without the others overhearing.  If that be so, there is only one place Judas could have been occupying.  He must have been on Jesus' left, so that, just as John's head was in Jesus' breast, Jesus's head was in Judas'.  The revealing think is that the place on the left of the host was the place of highest honor, kept for the most intimate friend.

Jesus evidently placed Judas close so that He could talk with him without the others hearing.  What a gracious protection for Judas.  I wonder what Peter would have done had he realized Judas' plan.  Then there is the piece of bread mentioned in verse 26.  For the host to offer a tid-bit personally to one of the guests was a sign of special friendship.  Time after time Jesus appeals to Judas ... and time after time Judas ignores the appeal.  Why?  I think it was because Jesus was not the kind of Messiah that Judas wanted.  He was disappointed in Jesus.  He wanted political power.  He wanted Rome gone.  Jesus could have accomplished that ... but Jesus did not accomplish that ... and Judas was horrifically disappointed. 

Have you ever been there - knowing that God could do something - but did not do it?  What do you do with those disappointments?  It is in those times of bitter disappointment that our faith is tested the hardest.  It is in those times of bitter disappointment that we are faced with a core question:  Can God be trusted, or not?  Judas chose not.  I pray that you and I will choose trust.  God is God ... and there is no other.  God is love ... and there is no deeper.  God is wise ... and there is none wiser.  So when I am disappointed in the outcome of something, a healing not happening, a circumstance not resolving like I wanted it to ... I stand in the same place as Judas ... Judas chose darkness.

I choose trust.  And you? 

It is only after Judas departs that Jesus begins His final discourse with His disciples.  There are no more precious words in all of scripture than the next 4 chapters.  I am praying for you ... that God will minister to your heart as we read them.

Life Source - Week 6 - Day 1 ** John 13: 1 - 17

Today we are considering one of the precious pictures in Christianity ... a well known event to those who have experience with church and Bible study.  If you are new to scripture ... prepare to be amazed!  It is remarkable in its simplicity ... and remarkable in its profundity!

Read John 13: 1 - 17.

Some observations ...

First, look again at verse 1.  "Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love."  Love behaves.  Love does something.  Yes, it is a choice ... and, yes, there can be deep emotion.  But love also shows itself ... it is not invisible.  And we observe Jesus, Son of God, demonstrating His love by what He does.  It is an action word.  If someone were to ask you, "Whom do you love?"  Which individuals come immediately to mind?  Now ... for those dear ones ... how do you show it?  What do you do to "demonstrate the full extent of your love?"  That is an important question for those of us who are Christ-disciples.  Are you more concerned about how others demonstrate love toward you than you are about your own demonstrations?  Perhaps there is room for growth in this area for us!  Perhaps, this week, we could each focus more on the giving than on the receiving.  It's a challenge!  Will you take it? 

Secondly, this encounter is all about humility vs. pride.  We see startling examples from both Jesus and Peter.  Consider Jesus.  He is the central character.  Since this meal could not have been in His home (because He did not have a house of His own on this earth), He was obviously a guest.  It was the responsibility of the host to provide water for foot-washing to remove the dust and dirt of the road from the guests' feet.  It was a servant's job.  Don't miss that ... it was a servant's job.  And we watch the Lord ... Messiah ... Son of God ... Lion of Judah ... just do the task because it needed doing ... and it allowed Him to "demonstrate His love".  Where does such humility come from?  Where does the willingness to serve other people come from? 

I suggest to you that it comes directly from knowing who you are.  It comes from being completely secure in your own identity and self.  It comes from being free from the tyranny of self-consciousness.  Jesus KNEW ... 1) His position, 2) where He had come from, and 3) where He was going.  (verse 3)  If we are knowledgeable of the same things ... we, too, can be free from self-tyranny.  We, too, can be secure enough to demonstrate our love for others.  We, too, can serve other people.  If you are still struggling with doubts about those things, you may want to pursue these passages ...

• my position ... read Ephesians 1: 3 - 14
• where I came from ... read Psalm 139: 13 - 16
• where I am going ... read John 14: 1 - 3 (we will get there later this week)

You may need to pray that God will imprint your mind and spirit with these truths.  You may need to say them out loud to yourself every morning.  On the heels of these truths comes genuine humility.  As you more fully realize these truths you become more able and willing to serve others - motivated by love, not by guilt or by needing the praise of people. 

The passage is clear about our Lord's desire that we follow this example.  We are to be willing, even pleased, to have opportunities to serve other people.  It is a mind-set ... and heart condition.  And ... it is counter-cultural. 

Several years ago when I was teaching school, we had a particularly difficult 8th grade boy.  He was incredibly smart, intellectually.  But he was difficult - no motivation, no interactions, no involvement - except for trouble-making.  I made a statement at one faculty meeting that I just could not figure out how best to serve him.  One of my friends and colleagues nearly came out of her chair with these words, "I'm not here to SERVE him!"  The whole idea was repulsive and offensive to her.  It was then that I began to realize just how counter-cultural Jesus' words and examples toward others really are.  But it is clear ... there is no "wiggle room" with interpretations.  Jesus said, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."  And so, my friends, we are servants.  And it takes genuine humility.    

In this scene we also observe dear Peter ... outgoing, passionate, open Peter.  He is too proud to allow his Lord to perform this humble task for him.  No way!  His pride is so dominant in him right now that he even tells Jesus what He can do and what He will not do!  (verse 6 - 8)  Ever been there?  In your own prayers ... have you ever told God exactly what He needs to do and what He must not do?  That's pride.  I don't doubt Peter's intention ... it is his wisdom that fails here.  And there is a lesson for me.  I hear the words of James in James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and HE will lift you up." 

However, when Jesus reprimands him, Peter jumps in 100%!  We will observe Peter's continuing battle with pride as we read further in John.  It is such a pertinent, relevant, continuing struggle.  And one that you and I must battle on a daily basis.  Stay in the fight!  It is a battle worth fighting. 

Lord, how we long to be Your servant first ... and then be willing to be used by You to serve others in our own circles and world.  Give us eyes to see opportunities.  Give us hearts that desire to follow Your example.  Give us the courage to 'just do it'! 

Life Source - Week 5 - Day 3 ** John 12: 12 - 50

The "hour" has come and Jesus is heading into Jerusalem.  Before you do the reading for today, there is some historical information that has been helpful to me as I read. 

First, consider the way Rome governed its outlying provinces.  At this time, Rome is the world power that has conquered the major part of the known world.  Politically, Rome was THE power.  For the outlying provinces, there was a governor over a region who answered to the Caesar.  Within the individual countries (such as Judah) the local authorities were allowed to carry on the government AS LONG AS THERE WAS NO UNREST!  As soon as some sort of civil disorder or uprising appeared, Rome would sweep in with her power and might and do away with the local, failed government.  That helps me understand the dramatic opposition the Jewish leaders had to Jesus and the masses of people wanting to see and hear Him.  And remember, it's Passover, so the population of Jerusalem has swelled considerably ... an environment ripe for uprisings!   

Secondly, the date palm was plentiful in Judea.  And during the Maccabaen period when the Jewish resistance movement was victorious, the palm became a symbol of Jewish nationalism.  It was even stamped into the coinage used by the resistance.  So this "waving of palm branches" carries all sorts of symbolism.

Third, the word "hosanna" literally means, "save now".  It is the exact equivalent to crying out "God save the King". 

With that bit of information ... read John 12: 12 - 50.

How desperately these people wanted Jesus to rise up as their king ... their ruler ... reestablish Judea as a national presence to be dealt with ... drive the Romans out.  I am reminded of a scene in "Fiddler on the Roof" when the Russians are exercising their power over their Jewish neighbors.  Another pogrom is about to happen ... the Jews are being driven from their homes.  One of the characters in the movie says, "Rabbi, we have been waiting for Messiah all our lives.  Wouldn't now be a good time?"  I suspect so many Jews in Jerusalem that day felt the same way.  "Wouldn't now be a good time for Messiah?"  They just did not understand all the prophesies about the suffering that must take place for redemption to happen.  They wanted it all about earthly things ... earthly kingdoms ... earthly prosperity and rule.  Have you ever been guilty of that kind of thinking?  Have you ever been guilty of wanting Jesus to behave just exactly like you want Him to?  I mean, you know what you want ... you know what would seem 'good' to you ... so Jesus, perform!  How do you respond when He does not behave as you would have Him behave?  Would you be one of the crowd ... crying 'Hosanna' one day and 'Crucify' the next? 

Lord ... keep us steady and faithful. Grow in us the absolute certainty that Your ways are not only good, but are the best. Yes, we cry 'Hosanna' ... and we submit again to Your rule in our lives ... You are our King!




Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young donkey.  In the Roman world, the conqueror would ride into a city on a horse ... a symbol of war.  In the Hebrew world, riding into a city on a donkey was a symbol of peace.  As Jesus fulfills the prophecy that He would indeed ride on a donkey, He is also making a statement as to the kind of king He was to be at this point.  King Jesus ... Prince of Peace.  In our Tuesday class, one of our class members said, "But when He comes back, it will be on a horse!"  She is exactly right!

Revelation 19: 11 - 16

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him ... On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.


Chapter 12 closes the public ministry of Jesus.  He is going to focus His final teachings on His own disciples.  He has given the signs of His deity to the crowds ... He has taught the crowds ... He has used the Old Testament scriptures to confirm His identity ... He has brought light ... some choose belief ... others do not.  One of His final cries to the crowd is found in verse 46: I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." And in verse 50: I know that His command leads to eternal life. 


Remember with me the way John began this gospel.  In that magnificent prologue John said in 1:5  "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."  Indeed, we are watching the darkness gathering ... and the misunderstanding taking center stage.  But, thanks be to God ... we do not have to be in the dark.  Believe ...

Lord, we do believe.  Help our unbelief.  We choose faith.  We choose to walk in light ... to walk in You.  May we, also, bring glory to Your Name by the way we live our lives. 

Life Source - Week 5 - Day 2 ** John 12: 1 - 11

Our reading today is John 12: 1 - 11.  This may be a familiar story ... but as you read this time, do it slowly ... savoring the emotion, the sensations, the aromas of the scene.  After you read, come back and we will consider each of these 3 friends of Jesus and what we can learn from them.

It is nearing Passover and Jesus is heading back to Jerusalem.  The "hour" has come.  Before entering the city, Jesus stops in Bethany where His dear friends gather with him for supper.  See His humanity.  What a wonderful, peaceful moment for Jesus before the trauma of the next week hits.  Jesus is in a comfortable place.  He is with His friends. 

There are three siblings in this scene - Mary, Martha and Lazarus (back from the dead, remember!)  We read first of Martha in verse 2.  She was serving ... she was using her particular set of gifts to serve her Lord.  We read of Martha also in Luke 10: 38 - 42.  She was serving a meal at that time as well.  A key element in the Luke story is in verse 40: "But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?'"
Martha has grown in her relationship with the Lord.  I think the revelations she received from Jesus in chapter 11 have grown her up.  He is truly the "Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."  And now watch what is happening in chapter 12 ... Martha is still serving a meal ... she is still using her considerable gifts ... but the complaining is gone!  I think, perhaps, she now counts it a privilege to serve the Lord ... not a duty or a burden.  How I want to be like that!! 

Using her God-given gifts and abilities ... her work ... as a service to the Lord.  What a privilege. 

We also see Lazarus in verse 2.  All we know is that he was there, at the table.  People were coming to see him.  DUH!! They want to hear the story first hand.  I would to!  They want to see him and hear him.  We don't know of Lazarus' words at that dinner table ... but my imagination can piece together the buzz and conversation going on. Lazarus telling ... over and over ... the walking out of that tomb ... seeing light ... seeing his sisters ... seeing his Lord!  Telling the story is "bearing witness to the work of God in his life."  That's what it means to "witness" - tell your story.  Tell how Jesus has come to you ... what He has done for you ... why you love Him. 

Telling your story with God ... for the glory of God ... being a witness.  What a privilege.

The third sibling is Mary.  I think she may have been about the only one who took Jesus' predictions about His necessary death to heart.  She believed Him about that ... and knew it was soon.  I see Mary so overcome with the desire to worship and adore her Lord ... that she anointed Him with the perfume.  It most likely was his entire body, not just His feet.  (see Matthew 26: 6 - 13 and Mark 14: 3 - 9 for parallel accounts of the event)  Can you imagine the aroma?  Can you feel the silence that must have descended in the room?  Would you have been embarrassed watching it?  After all, Mary untied her hair ... custom required women to only let their hair down in the privacy of their own bedrooms.  This is a pure act of adoration, devotion and worship.  There are some things to notice about this action of Mary:

1. It was public
2. It was spontaneous
3. It was sacrificial
4. It was lavish
5. It was personal
6. It was un-embarrassed
7. Others misunderstood and criticized

And Jesus called it "beautiful!"  (Matthew 26 account)  

Have you ever criticized someone else's worship?  Called it "undignified" or "showing off"?  This story screams to me that such criticism is unacceptable!  You do not know the heart of anyone ... we even struggle with knowing our own hearts.  How dare we presume that we can pass judgement on someones worship ... someones devotion and adoration of their God? 

My challenge for us ... stop it!  When the temptation looms in your heart ... divert your eyes ... refocus on your own, personal heart worship ... ask God to forgive your spirit of criticism ... think of Mary. 

Worshiping the Lord your God ... with ALL ... expressing your complete devotion to Him.  What a privilege.

The three elements that we see illustrated by the friends of Jesus in this passage can represent for us the elements that we would do well to emulate.  There is our work, illustrated by Martha.  Is your work done for the glory of God?  There is our witness, illustrated by Lazarus.  Do you give glory to God by telling your story to anyone?  And there is our worship, illustrated by Mary.  Do you pour out your heart and devotion to God through worship or are you going through the motions?

Warren Wiersbe says, "Actually, the Christian life ought to be a beautiful balance of worship, work, and witness." 

Lord, we seek that balance this week.  Give each of us an opportunity to speak to someone this week about Your part in our lives.  May we work without complaining this week ... knowing that, actually, we work for You.  And may we worship with the kind of lavish abandon that Mary demonstrated for us so beautifully.  May you smell that sweet aroma from our hearts as well.

Life Source - Week 5 - Day 1 ** John 11

Read John 11 today. 

There are so many dramatic highlights in this chapter. The most obvious is Jesus' next "I AM" statement. He says it to Martha: I AM the resurrection and the life. (verse 25).

Did you know that there is a plant whose colloquial name is resurrection plant?

 
According to biologist Dr. T. Ombello: 

"When the soil is moist after infrequent rains, a Resurrection Plant absorbs water and grows rapidly, producing a flat rosette of scaly stems up to one foot across. As the soil dries, it cannot store water like its succulent neighbors, so it folds up its stems into a tight ball as it desiccates and goes into a state of dormancy. The folded plant has a limited surface area, and what little internal moisture is present is conserved. All metabolic functions are reduced to a bare minimum and it appears to be dead. The plant can remain in this dormant condition for years. When the rains return, the plant's cells rehydrate. The stems unfold, metabolism increases, and growth resumes. Even dead Resurrection plants will unfold if given water, since rehydrated cells expand even if there is no living protoplasm in them."

Have you ever felt like you were in a dormant stage spiritually?  Have you ever felt "dead"?   Lazarus was ... and to have life again ... he required the Lord, Jesus.  So do you.  There is no other way ... no other place to go ... no other source. 

Jesus was so deeply moved by the pain and the loss and the suffering at this scene.  He could not hold back the tears - even knowing what He was about to do.  You see, it is the pain that death causes those left behind that is worthy of tears.  One who has trusted their life to the Savior does not see death.  But those standing around his/her bed ... they see it ... and the agony of separation and loss washes in like a tidal wave.  I can well remember standing by the casket of my dad - with an ache so deep that I have no words to describe it.  He did not see death ... but I felt its blow.  It was at that moment that I began to get a sense of the seriousness, the horror, of sin.  Death was not part of God's original plan for His precious creation.  It came in on the heels of rebellion and sin. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that the "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" and that the "wages of sin is death".  But he does not stop there.  He goes on to shout in Romans 8:1-2 ... "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."  Yes ... Jesus brings life.  He is the source.  Jesus IS the resurrection and the life.  Do you know Him?  Are you free from the law of sin and death? 

One other thing I want you to notice in this chapter.  Watch Martha.  Can you identify both elements of doubt and elements of faith in this friend of our Lord? 

• verse 21 ... "if You had been here" ... ever felt that way?  Lord, if you had been with me this would not have happened ... little faith, doubting the wisdom of the Lord! 
• verse 24 ... Martha states her theology ... she verbalizes her religious belief ... but it falls short in the face of the death of her brother ... I feel a little "so what" in her statement ... little faith!
• verse 22 ... I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask ... great faith!
• verse 27 ... I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God" ... pinnacle of faith!

I refreshes me no end to see this fluctuation in Martha!  Why?  Because I see it so often in me.  How about you?  There are times when my faith stands so firm ... and times when it seems so weak and fragile that I wonder how it is alive.  It is at those times that we must remember ... the resurrection plant! 

Remember in previous chapters how the Lord has cried out ... "If anyone is thirsty, come to me".  He is the water.  When His very presence is applied to our lives ... we, too, begin to unfold and grow and gain strength. 

Jesus called for Mary ... and she was able to get up from her debilitating grief.
Jesus touched Martha ... and she was able to make the greatest statement of faith of all times
Jesus called for Lazarus ... and he walked free from death.

He calls you as well.  He would touch you.  He would give you life ...
Are you listening?

Life Source - Week 4 - Day 3 ** John 10

We finish this week's lesson in John 10.  Before you read, allow me to make some comments about shepherding in the Middle East.  It is so different from what we know in the West - with our ranches and huge herds. 

• flocks were not large ... usually about 25 sheep
• the eastern shepherd "leads" the sheep ... he does not "drive" them
• the shepherd carries 4 pieces of equipment ... his scrip (a pouch to carry his food), a sling as an offensive weapon, a staff (a club like piece of wood that hangs on his belt - a weapon) and his rod (the crook that you see in pictures ... to pull wayward sheep back ... to place across the entrance to the fold.  The shepherd holds the rod low at the entrance forcing the sheep to slowly crouch underneath it to get into the fold.  This allows the shepherd to examine each sheep for any injury that has come its way during the day.) [look at Ezekiel 20:37]
• the "fold" is the pen which encloses the sheep for the night ... in towns, it is a common area used by many shepherds and the flocks are mixed together ... in the wilderness, it is a blocked area usually surrounded by rock walls and brush collected by the shepherd.
• shepherds use their voice or a small flute-like instrument to call their sheep ... it is unique to each shepherd ... and their sheep now the sound ... and respond.  Other sheep do not respond.
• the shepherd will risk his own life to protect his sheep when mortal danger is near.  Remember how David talked about killing a lion and a bear to protect his sheep (1 Samuel 17: 34 - 36)

Now ... read John 10 with those images in your mind.  See what impresses you in these precious words from our Lord. 

Jesus makes three remarkable claims about His own identity in this chapter.  The first is in verse 7.  His claim is that He, Himself, is the gate for the sheep.  It is His person that allows the sheep to go in and out in safety, in security.  And the realization hits home ... how in the world do we live our lives in and out of the struggles, the battles, the dangers, the fears that this world throws at us?  How can we keep functioning with any sense of peace and calmness in our own souls?  Oh, yes ... it is because of our gate-keeper.  It is because Jesus, Himself, gives us that security.  His sheep know that He provides the fullness so that we can move about our lives with security.  And, with that picture in mind, hear Him say, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."  That's what abundant life means ... it means we are secure with Him! 

His second claim is in verse 11.  He is also the good shepherd.  The word "good" means "intrinsically good, intrinsically beautiful".  The Lord Himself is that for you.  That means that He is on the watch for you.  He is carefully watching for the dangers, the threats that come your way.  And He was willing to give His life for you.  That's what a good shepherd does.  He does not bolt and run when the going gets rough!  He will not leave you.  He will be beside you in the most difficult circumstances that you must face.  He is right there ... with His rod and His staff.  You are safe.  Do you believe that?

Don't miss verse 16.  There is indeed one flock ... His flock of His followers ... but there are many sheep-pens, many folds.  In this context, Jesus is most likely referring to the fold of Judaism ... He has other sheep, the Gentile believers who will be brought into the flock.  He did not require them to be a part of the Jewish fold.  In fact, Paul addresses that very question in the book of Galatians.  Converts did not have to become Jewish before they could accept Christ.  How does the verse apply to us, today?  There is one flock ... Christ's church, His body on this earth.  And it is scattered all over the globe.  They do not exist in one sheep-pen.  That is why there are different ways to worship, to exist together, in different places.  Don't make the Jewish mistake of exclusivity - of thinking that all must look and act just like you to be a part of Christ's flock! 

There is about a two and a half month time span between verses 20 and 21.  The first of this chapter is somewhere around the Feast of Tabernacles.  That is in the fall, the harvest.  Verse 21 begins with the Feast of Dedication.  That feast is in the winter.  It is Hanukkah.  It is the 8 day celebration of the Maccabaean revolt that finally regained freedom for Jerusalem from Antiochus Epiphanes in 164 BC.  The Temple had been horribly desecrated and defiled during Antiocus' reign.  It had gone so far as offering pigs on the great altar before the Temple.  The rooms of the Temple had been turned into brothels.  It was a capital offense to circumcise your baby boys.  In fact, if you did circumcise your baby on the 8th day ... as Jewish custom required ... as were caught ... you were crucified with your baby around your neck.  The horrors are beyond anything I can even imagine.  Judas Maccabaeus led the revolt that finally freed Jerusalem.  Then the process of cleansing the Temple and rededicating it began.  It is that hard won freedom ... that return of light and freedom to Jerusalem ... that Hanukkah celebrates.  So ... it is now December. 

His third claim comes during this festival of celebration.  It is in verse 30.  Jesus makes a public statement regarding His identity and equality with God the Father.  It is a claim to deity.  And the Pharisees did not miss it!  To those religiously blind eyes, He was committing blasphemy.  And that offense deserved the death penalty.  Feel the rage and violence that fills the air. 

Jesus retreats.  Not because He is afraid ... not because He could not safe Himself ... but because the time was not yet right.  His "hour" was not yet here.  His arrest and sacrificial death must happen during Passover, not the Feast of Dedication.  I am intrigued by the location to which He retreats.  He goes back across the Jordan River to where John had been baptizing.  That would be where Jesus had been baptized by John.  That would be where He had received the confirmation from the Father that He was, indeed, beloved and pleasing to the Father.  Maybe He needed that reminder.  He knows what lies ahead for Him. 

And the people continue to come ... and they believe.  Nothing, nothing, nothing is powerful enough to stop the plan of God for the redemption of people.  Not then ... and not now.  No government, no tyranny, no charismatic opposition has the power to thwart the plan of God.  He is still sovereign over the affairs of men.  Even in the madness in our world at present.  I find peace knowing that. 

Close today by hearing again these beautiful, strenghtening words from our Lord ...

My sheep listen to my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  I and the Father are one.

Listen ..... believe ...... and live!

Life Source - Week 4 - Day 2 ** John 9

Our reading today is John 9. 

This chapter narrates an intriguing story.  It is another of the "signs" that John records to lead his readers to faith.  Several things impress me.  Let me share a few ...

First, the disciples saw a chance for a theological discussion ... Jesus saw a man who could not see.  The song, "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath comes immediately to mind.  Sometimes I, too, am more interested in talking "about" Jesus, or religious matters, or theological questions, than I am about walking in Jesus' steps ... seeing people through His eyes ... doing the "work of God" (verse 4).

Secondly, this blind man did not seek out Jesus and ask for help.  Jesus saw him ... went to him ... helped him without requiring anything at all from him.  How often do we reserve our help to those who want it ... who ask for it.  That way we can determine if they are "worthy" of our help or not.  I realize that we must be wise.  After all, I work in a church ... and the scam artists abound ... those who learn how to milk the churches in our community.   And we must be wise stewards of our resources.  But I am talking about on a personal level.  When was the last time you ever just helped someone because they needed help and you happened to be there?  I think to have the eyes of Jesus ... we need to see more of those opportunities.  Perhaps we can be a bit blind ourselves!

The third thing that strikes me as remarkable in this encounter is the progressive nature of this man's faith.  Did you see it?  His understanding of who Jesus was grew ...

1. the man they call Jesus (verse 11)
2. he is a prophet  (verse 17)
3. this man from God  (verse 33)
4. Lord!  (verse 38)

Don't miss that his understanding and his confidence grew as he dealt with opposition.  I need to remember that when dealing with the opposition that I must sometimes face.  He moved from no knowledge of the real identity of Jesus to full faith is His Lordship!  And he worshiped.  How about you?  Don't become discouraged if you feel that your understanding of Jesus is not very far down the road.  Respond to what you do know ... and let it grow.  Be faithful in the little things ... and it will grow. 

Lastly, I love the blind man's statement in verse 25.  "One thing I do know.  I was blind but now I see."  So often we must stand firm on the "one thing we do know".  We will not be able to answer all the questions the world throws at us.  We will not be able to explain all the reasons for suffering and pain and loss and destruction.  But each of us ... in faith ... can follow this man's example. 

Don Francisco is a singer ... a troubadour really ... who puts God's Word to music.  He tells the stories in song.  One of his songs is "Since I Met Him I Can See" and it tells this man's story and his encounter with Jesus.  I include the words of that song as we close our thoughts today ...

Now it's hard to describe what my life used to be

To someone who's always been able to see

You know I wasn't unhappy or bitter that way

But everything changed since I met Him that day.

I was down by the corner just passing the time

Sittin' in the sunlight and feeling it shine.

When the sounds of a crowd began to grow in my ear

So I waited and I listened as I heard them draw near.

Then a man stepped up to me and He spat on the ground

He put the mud on my eyes and then smeared it around

Sent me off to Siloam to wash of the clay

I opened my eyes - and I looked at the day!

And I have no idea how He did it

I just know what happened to me

Yesterday I was in darkness

But since I met Him - I can see!

When the Pharisees heard it, they put me on trial

Even called in my parents and grilled them awhile.

And when in the end I defended the man

who had opened my eyes - all the trouble began.

Because I said - "Ever since the beginning of time

No one's opened the eyes of someone born blind.

This man's sent from God - it just can't be denied."

And they cursed me and grabbed me and threw me outside.

I really don't know how He found me

But I know who was talking to me

It was easy to tell by the sound of His voice

He was the reason I see.

And as soon as He spoke to me I couldn't hide

the emotion that welled up from deep down inside

And combined with the dreams that He'd made to come true

To kneel there and worship was all I could do.

And I called Him my Lord and Messiah

For everything He'd done for me.

For yesterday I was in darkness

But since I met Him - I can see.

And I called Him my Lord and my Savior

For everything He's done for me

Because yesterday I was in darkness

But since I met Him - I can see!



Our Lord and our God ... thank you for sight.  Thank you for our physical eyes.  But thank you mostly for spiritual sight.  For the gift of being able to see Jesus.  And we pray that you will increase, day by day, our ability to truly see!

Life Source - Week 4 - Day 1 ** John 8

In this lesson, we will cover 3 chapters in John ... chapters 8, 9, and 10.  They are full of teaching and dialogue.  You may want to spend more than one day in each chapter.  There is so much!  The only reason I will be covering so much territory in what seems like a short time is because I am tracking our study to accompany the Tuesday Bible Study group at my church.  I hope you are keeping a journal or notebook of some kind as you study.  In Lesson 4, when you read a chapter ... have a pen in hand and make notes to yourself about what stands out to you.  That will be your most effective application tool. 

Today ... read John 8.  What does the passage say to you?  Make your own notes, and then come back.

Consider with me verses 7:53 - 8:11.  Several lessons emerge for me.  It is extreme cruelty to use people as objects to prove points - as do the Pharisees in this encounter.  It robs the person of all humanity.  It is extreme cruelty to use people for one's own personal lust and pleasure - as we see in this narrative.  Perhaps the man (who does not get dragged into the scene ... even though the Old Law is clear about his guilt and death sentence as well!) seduced the woman.  Perhaps it was the other way around.  We don't know.  But it is sin ... it is violation of the precious gift of sexuality.  The lesson I glean for myself?  Watch out that you don't use people for your own purposes - regardless of what those purposes may be.

I am intrigued with the detail that Jesus stooped down and began to write something in the dirt.  Why?  Was it time for an "arrow prayer" to His Father?  Was it to not look at the lustful, leering eyes of the men in the crowd or the shame of the woman?  Was she ashamed or was she defiant?  Again, we don't know.  The most interesting reason I found  was in William Barclay's Daily Bible Study Series.  He uses the Armenian translation which says, "He himself, bowing his head, was writing with his finger on the earth to declare their sins; and they were seeing their several sins on the stones."  Maybe. 

What we know is that the people began to leave ... the older ones first.  I like to think that I have grown wiser with age.  Have you?  I wonder - if Jesus had been listing their personal sins in the dirt - interesting that the older people had the wisdom to recognize that ... and the courage to walk away.  Lessons for us?  Leave judgement to God.  He knows all the details ... we do not.  I need to deal with my own sin.  Let God deal with other people's.  The problem is ... when we have been hurt badly ... we want some kind of revenge or vindication.  I think Jesus would perhaps stoop down and begin to write my own personal struggles with sin to allow me to let it go!  I think He would say to me ... Gail, deal with your own stuff!  Let me deal with his/hers. 

I love the fact that Jesus gave her the freedom and the opportunity to go ... now she has a choice.  She can go back to her life of sin ... or she can choose to "follow" the Rabbi!  I like to think that she left her life of sin and became of believer.  But then, I like happy endings!  We don't know the rest of her story.  God does. 

Verses 12 - 59 continue the confrontation that Jesus has with the Pharisees.  The questions about His identity and His authority.  The tension is building.  The hour is coming ...

Jesus makes one of the "I AM" statements in this chapter.  Did you find it?  Verse 12: "I Am the light of the world."  He goes on to say that following Him keeps one out of darkness.  I want that!  I want to walk in light.  In the dark, you stumble, you crash into things, you fall.  Things are distorted. 

Once again ... we see this primary message of Jesus ... follow me. 

I am sitting in Colorado as I write this post.  It is February ... snow is deep ... everything is covered.  Once in this kind of snow my husband and I went out for a snow shoe.  We hiked up a deeply covered trail that had had no foot traffic on it at all.  The snow was knee deep.  It was so hard to pick my legs up for the next step.  It didn't take long for me to realize that if I would just fall in step behind him ... I could step into his tracks ... and my way was so much easier.  I could go further ... I could breathe better.  And I hear Jesus repeat ... over and over again ... "follow me". 

Yes, Lord ... You have already walked ahead  ... I will follow.

Life Source - Week 3 - Day 3 ** John 7

Today our reading is John 7.  Before you begin, know that it is a dialogue between Jesus and different groups of people.  Identify these groups as you read.  Also, note the confusion that swirls around in this chapter.  The  dialogue takes place during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  Let me share a little background about that particular feast before you read the chapter so that you can place yourself in the scene.

Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Ingathering) was one of the three pilgrimage feasts on the Jewish calendar.  That means that males 19 and older, living within a 15 - 20 mile radius of Jerusalem, were required by law to go the Jerusalem for the feast.  Others throughout Judea longed to be in Jerusalem for the celebration of the pilgrimage feasts.  (The others were Passover and Pentecost)  It takes place in the fall at the end of the autumn harvest.  So Jerusalem is packed to over-capacity at the time of chapter 7.  This feast lasted 7 days.  At some point commentators tell us it swelled to 8 days but we do not quite know when.  It was the most celebratory of the feasts ... a pure joy. 

From the Holman NIV Commentary on John by Max Anders:

At the heart of the celebration was a daily rite which we need to be aware of in order to understand John 7.  Rabbinical literature tells us that each morning great multitudes gathered at the Temple of Herod, carrying a citrus fruit called an ethrog in their left hands.  In their right hands they carried a lulab, which was a combination of three trees - a palm, a willow, and a myrtle - emblematic of the stages of their ancestors' journey through the wilderness.

Each morning the people would gather with the ethrog and the lulab.  The crowds followed the priest who carried a golden pitcher to the Pool of Siloam, chanting psalms and waving their lulabs in rhythm. As they approached the pool, the priest would dip his pitcher into the water and the people would say, "Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3). The crowd then marched back to the temple.  The priest who had led them circled the altar once, and with accompanying priests ascended to the platform, and poured out the water.

On the seventh day, the priest would circle the altar seven times in succession - as the people of Israel had encircled the walls of Jericho. ...  It was considered the height of joy in a person's life if he could see the water being poured out onto the altar.

Now ... read John 7.

Notice a couple of things with me.  As Jesus is in dialogue with the visiting Jews as well as the Jewish religious leaders, He is challenged by three primary questions. 

1. Where did He go to school and get His rabbinical training?  All rabbis taught referencing their teacher.  Yet Jesus never mentioned His teacher.  I understand this question.  As humans we want to know the credentials of our teachers, right?  Which school?  Is it a ranked school or a little community something?  Can you see the intellectual snobbery that surfaces? 
   Ever find yourself guilty of such snobbery?  Jesus' answer to the challenge:  God taught me.
2. Where did He come from?  After all, Nazareth was just some little back water place ... certainly incapable of producing a prominent rabbi.  It's in Galilee, for heavens sake!  Can you see geographical snobbery surfacing?  Ever been guilty of such thinking?  Just think about our own country ... north vs south ... Texas vs the rest of you :) ... and within each state there is the urban vs the rural.  Then move into the international arena.  How human to think that way.  Jesus answer to the challenge: I came from God.
3. Where is He going?  Jesus had said that they could not go where He was going.  In their flesh state of mind they began trying to figure out where that was.  The conclusion was that He must be going to the Gentiles ... there is no way Jews would go there!  Can you see ethnic snobbery surfacing?  Ever been guilty of that?  Are there peoples that you will have no part of?  Peoples you feel "better than"?  Jesus' answer to the challenge:  I am going to God.

The second thing I want you to notice in this chapter is verses 37 - 39.  Think about what we learned about the Feast of Tabernacles ... it is the autumn harvest.  Water is on every mind.  It is getting scarce.  Cisterns are low.  Springs are running low.  Hills are turning brown.  The water ceremony at the great altar at the Temple is on every mind.  They want to see that water being poured out!

So here is Jesus and He calls out to crowds what He is still calling out to all who will listen:  "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 

Are you thirsty?  Are you longing for satisfaction in your life?  Are you tired of feeling parched and needy?  There is only one place where it can be found ... and that place is the source of life ... that place is the person of Jesus, Messiah and Christ.  He said "Come" on the last, great day of the Feast of Tabernacles ... and He still says "Come" to you and I.

Have you?  Will you?

Lord, help us make our "coming" to You be a daily renewal.    We are so easily side-tracked.  We know that we cannot live without water.  We cannot make it through one day without water.  Through Your Spirit, Lord, give us eyes to see on a spiritual level ... we cannot make it through one day without You!  So, today, I recommit to the daily taking of Your life into myself.  I want streams of living water to flow from me on all those around me ... beginning in my home.  I know You are faithful to Your promises ... and so, I come.

Life Source - Week 3 - Day 2 ** John 6: 25 - 71

Read John 6: 25 - 71

These verses contain one of the discourses (the teaching sections) of Jesus recorded by John.  This one centers on His teaching about Himself being the bread of life.  It contains the first of the "I AM" statements of Jesus (verse 35).  Those "I AM" statements carry Jesus' revelations about His very character ... His being.  Remember verse 4 tells us that it is Passover time.  Therefore, the minds of the people are centered on this very important feast on the Jewish calendar.  It would be spring time.  Passover occurred at the beginning of the grain harvest. 

If you are not familiar with the reasons and the rituals behind this particular feast day, you can read the details in Exodus 12.  The feast commemorated the Jews release from Egyptian slavery.  It centered around a meal.  So that meal would have been on every ones mind.  I love the way Jesus takes advantage of the current events and culture to do His teaching.  That is relevant teaching! 

So He speaks of hunger ... He speaks of bread.  And He places Himself at the center.  The people knew about hunger ... so do we.  The people knew about bread ... so do we.  What was Jesus communicating?

Bread sustains physical life.  And Jesus is the source of our sustenance for spiritual life.  What is spiritual life?  It is relationship with God.  And that relationship comes through Jesus.  He tells us to take Him into ourselves for that life.  Do you believe Him?  Are you doing that?  It is described so beautifully by St John of the Cross (1542 - 1591):

I no longer want just to hear about you, beloved Lord, through messengers.  I no longer want to hear doctrines about you, nor to have my emotions stirred by people speaking of you.  I yearn for your presence.

In this dialogue, Jesus speaks about "eating His flesh and drinking His blood."  Read His words again in verse 53 and don't miss the drama that is swirling around the Lord.  That sounds very strange to our ears, to our culture.  But there are other cultures that would not find the words so strange.  I have read of some Native American peoples who believed that by drinking the blood of an animal, they were taking the strength, the life of that animal into themselves.  When Jesus said we must drink His blood He meant that we must take His life into the very center and core of our hearts.  I think it is described best by William Barclay:

Here is Jesus, the life of God.  So long as He remains a figure in a book He is external to us; but when he enters into our hearts He is within us, and we can feed upon the life and strength and the dynamic vitality that Christ gives to us.  He is saying: 'You must take my life inside you; you must stop thinking of me as figure in a book and a subject for theological debate; you must take me into you, and you must come into me; and then you will have life, real life.'  When Jesus told us to eat His flesh and drink His blood, He was telling us to feed our hearts and souls and minds on His humanity, and He was telling us to revitalize our lives with His life until we are drenched and permeated and saturated and filled with the life of God.

Christian commemorate the life giving sacrifice of Jesus' body and blood every time we share communion together.  But, my friends, it cannot be relegated to a ritual observance and not be a daily eating and drinking!  Are you doing that?  Are you intentionally taking Jesus in every day?  I know you eat every day!  I know you drink every day!  Your body would soon be screaming at you if you did not.  Can you hear your spirit scream?  Is it starving? 

Feed yourself today ... and tomorrow ... and ...

Jesus is your bread of life. 

One of the saddest passages in all of scripture is found in verse 66 of this chapter:  "Many disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."  They thought this teaching was too difficult to take - too hard to swallow!  Jesus then asked His chosen Twelve if they, too, were going to leave.  I pray that our response is the same as Peter's ...

Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We believe ...

Life Source - Week 3 - Day 1 ** John 6: 1 - 24

Today, read John 6: 1 - 24

First, let's consider the miracle, the "sign", in verses 1 - 15.  I wish I had been there!  Did the bread "grow"?  Did the baskets just stay full?  What did that look like?  Could you see it appear?  So many questions!

Several things stand out to me as I read this event.  One is the way our Lord used this opportunity to teach and train His own disciples.  He knew what He was about to do.  And yet He keeps asking questions of the disciples.  It is the same way we teach our children when we are doing it well.  It kept the disciples thinking.  They were trying to figure out how to make this work.  That means they were engaged in the process.  Teaching is so much more effective when your students are engaged in the process!  Ask any teacher.  Ask any mom.  Jesus takes the extra time to train these men.  He could have just done it ... but He didn't.  He trained. 

I love the phrase that begins verse 12 ... "When they had all had enough ..."  Enough.  What a beautiful idea.  What an illusive idea.  Jesus provided enough for the people that day.  I know that the specific reference is to the food.  But ... consider the reality that Jesus still provides enough.  He is enough.  That means that fullness and satisfaction come from Him ... He is enough.  Spend some time today thinking about the myriad of ways that Jesus is your "enough".  That will be worship! 

I am challenged in verse 12 when Jesus told them to collect the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted.  Our particular culture is so wasteful.  Those little words from our Lord remind me to be more aware of my own tendencies to be careless and wasteful with the blessings that He continually pours out on me.  What can you do this week to help curb the waste in your own life?  I am going to be more aware of intentional food buying - not just filling the refridge and watching it spoil!  I am going to get into that closet of mine and recycle clothes that are good and still in style and just never worn.  What are some ideas you have to help with our tendency toward waste?

The people are so overwhelmed by this display of abundant food supply, we are told they intended to make Jesus king by force.  Not sure how you do that ... but there was some plan evidently.  Wouldn't Jesus have made a terrific king?!  Think of all the good He could do - "a chicken in every pot and a car in every driveway" - kind of thinking.  Was that a temptation for our Lord?  I think it was.  I think it was like the temptation in Matthew 4: 8 - 9.  Jesus would have been a great ruler.  But that was not the God-ordained path.  That would have been temporary solutions.  That would have left man in our pitiful, hopeless state of separated from God.  So, Jesus went into solitary with His Father ... He needed strength to resist temptation.  If Jesus needed that ... how much more do you and I!?  He needed some alone time with God perhaps to recenter Himself on His primary mission.  If Jesus needed that ... how much more do you and I?!
Do it this week.  Make time for it this week.  You and your Father ...

Consider verses 16 - 24 ... the storm, the walking on the water, the miraculous arrival at the destination.  There are so many lessons we can glean for ourselves here.   First, I think it is important to remember that the disciples were NOT out of God's will by being in that boat.  Jesus had sent them there.  That is where they were supposed to be ... and the storm came anyway.  Following Jesus does not mean a life that is storm-free.  In fact, just the opposite!  Storms will come into each of our lives.  The difference that following Jesus makes is that He is there - in the middle of the storm.  Therefore, there is no need for fear.  "It is I.  Don't be afraid".  Those are still the most encouraging words to me.  Don't be too quick to pass judgement on a decision that you have prayed over and felt that it was in God's will for you if the circumstances get stormy.  Listen to Henry Blackaby:

The outward appearance of success does not always indicate faith, and the outward appearance of failure does not always indicate that faith is lacking.  A faithful servant is one that does what his Master tells him whatever the outcome may be.

Trust the Lord in your storms.  He may calm the storm and bring peaceful circumstances.  (Mark 4: 37 - 41)  He may allow a shipwreck to further His purposes. (Acts 27: 27 - 44)  Or He may just get you to the other side as He does in this passage.  What is required of us?  Follow the example of the disciples in verse 21: "They were willing to take Him into the boat".  Is Jesus "in your boat"?  He will not force His way in.  He will wait for the invitation.  What circumstance is stormy for you right now?  Why not stop and ask Jesus to get in with you?  Take Him in!