The Word of God

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Lord has made it easier, in our day, to read the scriptures. We have access to scriptures online, on our bookshelf or on a tablet. However, we may have so much information that it becomes hard to focus on what is most important.

We have stress. We have deadlines. It’s easy to keep creating lists and invent things to do to occupy our time. We can even congratulate ourselves for being busy.

However, let us make sure we don’t forget to study Christ’s words. Learn about Him. Get to know Him.

For me this means I make sure I get a half hour of scripture study a day. I make this a priority. You should pray and ask to know what priorities you should focus on. Use the scriptures to help you in your search for an answer.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1: 4-6)

Don’t be surprised if the answer is simple. It could be the most important thing you need to do is teach by example one of Christ’s attributes to your children each week.

Remember, it’s generally the basic and simple things that garner strength in the Lord’s way:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.                      (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Choose to Follow the Truth

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:19)

The teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus! The truth of his words cut to their hearts and they needed to not only be rid of his message, but his entire being! This sentiment is reiterated several times by Luke:

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. (Luke 19:47-48)

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. (Luke 22:1-2)

Have you ever noticed that one simply cannot get rid of Jesus when confronted by the truth of Him? No matter how hard one tries–pretending He doesn’t exist, or ignoring Him, or closing our ears and hearts, or seeking any other way to silence Him–it does not negate the fact that He is truth, and that He presents us with a choice of whether or not to follow Him.

We see this “choice” throughout all of Scripture: People are clearly given the choice between following the world and following God. God simply does not want us to do a limping dance between the two options–a divided mind and heart will never stand.

For example, we find in 1 Kings the confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel:

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)

Joshua also presented the people of Israel with a clear choice:

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)

In the New Testament, we see Peter and John faced with this same choice … and then turning that choice back to their accusers:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:13-20)

Take It to Heart

Jesus came as the light of the world and He has left us here to shine forth His light through our words and our deeds. We are to be Jesus! And just like Peter and John, we must be bold in professing to others what we have seen and what we have heard! Jesus tells us:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

“We are holding a light … Though it may seem but a twinkling candle in a world of blackness, it is our business to let it shine. We are blowing a trumpet … We must keep sounding the alarm to those who are in spiritual danger … We are kindling a fire. In this cold world full of hatred and selfishness our little blaze may seem to be unavailing, but we must keep our fire burning. A light, a trumpet, a fire … they seem so little … But ‘with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26), and He will bless our efforts to bring the good news of Jesus to a weary and strife-torn world.” (Billy Graham)

Broken to Pieces

"Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."  (Luke 20:18)

When we fall on Jesus as our only hope of salvation, with a broken and contrite heart–completely remorseful over our sin and hopeless condition–in other words “broken to pieces”–God will welcome us!

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

“Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is–will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my own understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable–‘I have been crucified with Christ.’” (Oswald Chambers)

It is a crushing blow to come face to face with the reality of our own depravity. The more that we grow in Christlikeness, the more aware of our sinful nature we become.

And it is when we approach God’s throne full of ourselves, full of our works, full of self-righteousness, full of our arrogance, full of our own self-importance, and full of our own ability to reconcile ourselves to a holy God, that we are crushed. Eventually, when face to face with God’s pure holiness and glorious majesty, it will be supremely evident to those who have chosen not to follow our Savior that neither their arrogance nor their wealth will be able to save them.

We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled–do not forgive them. Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled). (Isaiah 2:7-12)

The book of Hebrews explains:

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Take It to Heart

I am a religious fraud if I depend upon by own sense of righteousness and abilities to reconcile myself to a holy God. It is only through the blood of Jesus that I am washed and made clean of my sins.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:1-7)

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:5-10)

Gateway to Grace

The people of Israel were a contentious and hardhearted bunch. They moaned about God and Moses all the time. Finally, God sent serpents to strike them.

The people became aware of their wrong behavior and threw themselves on the mercy of God. They knew that only He could save them,

“We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people. 

But if they were doomed, they understood that they deserved it! They were finally contrite and willing to repent of their wrong ways. (Numbers 21:4-9)

That’s the gateway to grace. Only when we admit that we’re helpless and hopeless, deserving of the wrath of a holy God, are we ready to receive salvation in Jesus. He lavishes His grace on people whose hearts are truly broken before Him. (Russell Fralick)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

We are comforted to comfort others. God doesn't bless us with his presence and comfort of his Spirit because we are somehow better than everyone else. No, he comforts us to equip, empower, and encourage others. 

God has human hands, but only when I use mine to his glory and for others comfort.

Today's Prayer...

Dear Heavenly Father,

O Lord, there have been times when I was so broken I could not go on. I know that my strength to continue came from your rich grace and mercy. Please use me this week to offer your comfort and love to others so they may feel your warm embrace and come to yearn more for the day we see you face to face in heaven. Through my Lord and Savior Jesus,
I pray. Amen.

Pray That You Will Not Fall Into Temptation

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-40)

While many perhaps find routine to be boring, there is something in it that I find rather comforting. Routine was a part of Jesus’ life, too. In our verses for today we find Him “as usual” on the Mount of Olives. He would routinely retreat to a solitary place where He could commune with His Father in prayer. There are certain spiritual disciplines that should be routine in our lives … and this is one of them. When we spend time with God and in His Word we find focus and strength and clarity.

Scripture tells us:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

In our verses for today, Jesus commands us to pray against falling into temptation. We must recognize and flee from whatever or whomever incites us to stumble and fall from the path God has ordained for us to follow.

We are not to make excuses or try to justify poor choices when the Holy Spirit is clearly directing us to “Run!”, “Flee!”, “Don’t go there!” or “Don’t do it!” When God shows us that something is wrong for us, it is wrong for us–no matter if it is acceptable for someone else. We must keep our eyes on our own paths! The conscience is a wonderful gift from God–pay attention to it!

Take It to Heart
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:5-10)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in mind,be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Helped By the Holy Spirit

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
(Luke 22:31-32)

This verse wonderfully demonstrates the sovereignty of God by clearly presenting His omnipotence and omniscience. As believers, we are kept by the power of God! Once again we see God’s boundaries on Satan. Remember Job?

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?”

Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Job 1:6-12)

Later, God said:
“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? (Job 38:8-11)

Remember the disciple’s words spoken of Jesus?

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:27)

Jesus is our faithful intercessor who sits at the right hand of God and lives to intercede for us.

The writer of Hebrews says:

But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:24-25)

“May the Lord make us watchful against our own spirit, and against the evil one, especially when he is transformed into an angel of light, that it may not be in his power to sift us so as to gain an advantage over us, by our listening to his inward suggestions, or yielding to his subtle temptations.” (K. H. Von Bogatzky)

Take It to Heart
As believers we are not left to our own resources in our sufferings but are helped by the precious Holy Spirit. Our state is one of weakness yet Christ is our strength and He will cause us to stand. After the suffering, we are able to brightly manifest the very presence of Jesus to a hurting world. When the dross has been skimmed off after the heat, bright gold shines forth. After our trials we are better equipped to encourage and strengthen your brothers and sisters.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)

Resting in Jesus

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. (John 13:25-28)

Reclining upon the Lord Jesus, resting between His shoulders, the beloved disciple is perfectly positioned to ask of the Master who will be the one to betray Him. Those who rest upon the Lord are privy to some of the deepest secrets of His heart. All are invited to rest.

His call found in Matthew is not an exclusive one:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

One of my favorite Old Testament verses regarding resting depicts a loved and protected child. It is penned by Moses, who Scripture tells us God spoke to as a friend:

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” (Deuteronomy 33:12)

I can just imagine John’s head resting between Jesus’ shoulders. Rest is very important to God and it is a subject which permeates much of Scripture. God Himself rested on the seventh day making it holy. He commanded man to rest, animals to rest and even the land to rest.

We who live in such a frenzied hectic world should take heed of this. We put more and more on our plates filling our hours with work and more work yet getting less and less accomplished. Our dependence lies in our own weak abilities. We seem to be continually striving to drink from the empty cups of our own power ever stuffing our emotions, acceptance, money, positions, etc. into bags with gaping soul holes–always coming up unsatisfied.

It is God’s desire for us to be abiding, not striving or struggling. We are always to be looking to Jesus and His power for He is our very present Savior. He is our achieving power for service as well as our source of abundant unchanging joy.

Jesus clearly teaches that our strength will be found in abiding in Him! This sure truth remains–anything of eternal value is accomplished only through our abiding in Jesus:

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

What does remaining or resting look like in a life? How is this intimate relationship with Jesus achieved? Certainly, it must begin with our salvation in Christ, accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but it was never meant to cease at that point. Our growth–our sanctification–is to continue throughout our lives. Abiding consists of being in fellowship with God through His Word, through prayer, and through loving obedience to Him. It is God’s desire for believers to be conformed to the image of His Son. That is the path of peace which passes understanding.


Take It to Heart

Never having given Christ lordship of his heart, Judas remained open to the advances of the adversary.

“Let us watch jealously over our hearts, and beware of giving way in the beginnings of sin. Happy is he who feareth always, and walks humbly with his God. The strongest Christian is the one who feels his weakness most, and cries most frequently, ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.’” (John Ryle)

Sorrow

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” (John 13:21)

Ever been betrayed by someone you held near and dear to your heart? Jesus understands. In a very solemn announcement He testifies that His spirit is and troubled over the coming betrayal of one He has shared life with. It is painful to His core. What a bitter sorrow to witness an apostle turn apostate. It is evident that this is a particularly cutting sorrow to Jesus. Just because Judas’ actions were foreknown by our Lord neither lessened nor dulled the blow. Sorrow is no less acute known long in advance. Certainly our Lord had sensed the hardness and deadness that sin had produced in Judas’ heart. He knows exactly what is in a man’s heart, much better than we know ourselves, discerning even the motives behind our actions.

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4)

In this verse for today, Jesus was not only giving the other disciples a “heads up,” but also lovingly warning Judas as well. Unfortunately for Judas, he did not heed the Lord’s admonition. The next time Judas will see Jesus will be in the garden when he comes with the mob to betray him. Sadly, within a very short time both the Master and the servant are dead–the Master dying for our sins–the treacherous servant dying in his. Judas missed his opportunity to turn for his sin.

What trouble the Lord went through for the sake of our souls! Indeed, He was acquainted with sorrow and suffering.

The prophet Isaiah had prophesized regarding this as well:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)

It is verses like these that help us see the amazing love Christ demonstrated towards sinners. He died for Judas. He died for me and He died for you as well. His love for us is beyond measure in depth and tenderness. His love carries with it the great cost of Calvary.

“Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved.” (Thomas Merton)

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

This single verse in John that is our verse for today serves as a reminder to all believers that, like our Lord, we will neither be loved nor embraced by the world. We can expect opposition. We have no cause to be surprised if we share in our Lord’s lot when friends fail and men disappoint. We are in the world but we are not to be of the world. Friendship with God is to be enduring the world’s hatred.

Jesus had warned His disciples regarding this very thing:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:18-20)

Take It to Heart

“Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.”
(William R. Newell, At Calvary)

“Redemption does not only look back to Calvary. It looks forward to the freedom in which the redeemed stand.” (Leon Morris)

A Willing Heart

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 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. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)

As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are under an obligation to follow the example of our Master. What Christ has done we should not disdain to do. Our freedom in Christ was never meant to be a license for laziness and self indulgences. This ultimately results in slavery as sin always gains a foothold in a life when it is consistently allowed. The goal of freedom in Christ is loving service.

The Bible says:

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)

Jesus tells us:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

The wording Jesus uses in our verses for today confirms and points to the fact we are to follow in His footsteps. The word translated “should” in verse 14 is from the Greek Word opheilo which means “to owe, to be indebted” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids).

The word “should” oftentimes in our day leaves us more with the impression of suggestion rather than obligation. This is not what Jesus means here. As His followers, He is our Teacher and Lord and it is our spiritual obligation to follow. It is the highest way and it is the best way for our lives. The loving pattern Jesus demonstrates to us by the example of His life is the best way for every human.

This is not legalism, but love. And when we begin to follow the path Jesus set forth for His followers to follow–acting according to His example through the power of the Holy Spirit it–our actions often turn from being motivated by duty to being motivated by desire. It is a high calling unearthly in its satisfaction and pleasure.

“To love God, to serve Him because we love Him, is … our highest happiness … Love makes all labor light. We serve with enthusiasm where we love with sincerity.”
(Hannah More)

In our verses for today Jesus gives us the promise that obedience to our knowledge of the truth will always be blessed. Knowledge can be a very funny thing.

The Bible tells us:

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

Nothing is more common than for one to sit, soak … and sour regarding the teaching of God’s Word. Professing to know truth yet remaining in disobedience. People seem to flatter themselves in thinking that there is something redeeming and credible in knowledge alone yet they remain barren of fruit in heart or character. Sadly, to know what we ought to do and what we ought to believe and what we ought to be yet remain unaffected by this knowledge only adds to our guilt in the sight of God. Where much has been given, much is expected. We who live in a land inundated with Bibles and commentaries and sermons and churches and more Biblical resources than one can imagine should take heed to this. Unfortunately, we oftentimes are careless and indifferent to what has been graciously allowed to us.

Take It to Heart

Obedience and practice is the very life of our relationship with God. We will never truly be happy in our Lord’s service if we are content with only the head knowledge of duty. Doctrinal orthodoxy apart from practical love and humility is worthless before God. We shrink the Holy Spirit within us through our lack of willing obedience. God does not force our obedience; we always have a choice.

“In the kingdom of God, service is not a stepping stone to nobility. It is nobility.” (T. W. Manson)

A Servant of All

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
(John 13:3-9)

Well aware of His own sovereign authority, origin, and coming destiny, Jesus fleshes out for His disciples (and for all of us as well) a wonderful example of servant leadership in action. He had been from eternity with God and He was going back to God, knowing all the dignity and majesty of His office. And yet, He condescends to perform the most menial task.

Believers comfortable in their own skin–knowing who they belong to, knowing their lives are filled with purpose and power and hope, knowing they are fully loved and accepted, have no trouble grasping this great truth of Scripture: Whoever desires to be great must be a servant. Those most highly esteemed in God’s kingdom are those who serve, those who willingly humble themselves.

Our Master has shown us true servanthood and has paved the way for our obedience. He is our great teacher of lowliness of heart, stripping off one glorious robe of honor after another until we find Him naked on a cross pouring out His lifeblood for each one of us. How then do we dare have the audacity to be proud?

Paul tells us in Philippians:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

We care so much about what man thinks. This thought has permeated our churches and our ministries as well as our lives. We oftentimes rate our success or failure on the approval and accolades of man. I doubt seriously if Mother Teresa began her ministry caring for the poorest of poor on this earth in Calcutta with the Nobel Peace Prize in mind. She was simply humbly serving her Master by stopping to love and care for those who could not help themselves–and it was the Lord who exalted her in the eyes of man.
Our confidence lies in the fact that Christ is genuinely concerned about our welfare. He is acutely aware of all we are going through and has promised the grace sufficient to meet each need. He loves us and desires for us to fulfill His purposes!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

To Peter’s credit, his opposition was motivated by humility. What he couldn’t accept was the reversal of the roles the Lord appeared to be initiating. Peter was the servant and Jesus was his Master. He had been privy to see His Master’s hands heal the leper and restore sight to the blind. He had seen Jesus raise the dead and believed Him to be the Son of God … and now He stoops to wash the feet of His disciples? Peter should be the one washing the Lord’s feet! It was a paradox beyond his comprehension. Yet Jesus’ purpose in this act of service was to teach a great spiritual lesson to His disciples and to all of us as well. We are all in need of continual cleansing and renewal to remain in fellowship with God. We sin, we fall, we break fellowship, we humbly repent, and we are then restored. This is not regarding our salvation, rather our abiding fellowship with Him.


Take It to Heart

Nothing eternal is ever accomplished in the flesh. When our fellowship is broken through sin, we unfortunately begin to operate in ways that seem right in our own eyes. Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Jesus silences Peter’s objections by stating his lack of understanding. His vision was now veiled, yet later he would comprehend. How often that happens to us as well. Our vision is blurred by our circumstances and we raise objections regarding God’s best for our lives. Often, like Peter, we oppose what we do not understand. It is only through our willing obedience that our eyes will be open to more of His ways. Never forget, Christ’s way is supremely the best way.

The Great Love of Jesus

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (John 13:1)

Our Lord’s appointed “fullness of time” was nearing. His death and resurrection were now imminent and He was readying for His departure home.

We find Him telling His disciples this a little later in John:
“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:28)

In Christ’s incarnation, He came from the Father. In Christ’s humiliation, He uncloaked His glory, entered this world and subjected Himself to the despising of those He came to save. He further humbled Himself by taking upon His sinless body the full chalice of God’s wrath against every sin committed by man–past, present, and future.

By having these sins nailed to a cross and bearing the full weight of them upon His body, He lovingly provides a way for mankind to regain access to God. Every evil deed, every act of gross vileness, every sinful word spoken, every slight, every selfish act–all depravity and all evil–He bore upon His perfect flesh. Therefore, in Christ’s exaltation, He was resurrected and ascended back to His Father’s side in all glory.

Praise His Name! I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

In our verses for today, realizing His time is drawing near, Jesus is about to show to His sheep–those He dearly loved–the full extent of His love. This love He is readying to demonstrate appears to be all wrapped up in selfless serving.

In reading the Biblical definition of love we find the following:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

Jesus was patient with His disciples, bearing with their infirmities and never taking away His loving kindness from them. Though He reproved them, He never removed His love from them and they remained in His constant care and concern. He rejoiced when they “got it”; He protected them; had high hopes for them; persevered to the end with them; He served them. He perfectly demonstrated Biblical love to His closest companions. This remains true of His disciples today. He has a warm and friendly love for those that are His own. Nothing can separate the believer from the love of Jesus.

I am reminded of Paul’s encouraging words to us in Romans:

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
.
(Romans 8:31-39)

Take It to Heart
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What actions do we choose to do when we are leaving someone we hold dear? How is it that we manifest our love towards those we care for deeply?

“Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved.” (Thomas Merton)