The Book of John_Day 8

Who you know matters more than what you know

Read – John 8

When religious leaders bring an adulterous woman to Jesus for judgment, it becomes a lesson in not judging others. Jesus goes on to explain He is the eternal Son of God and they are illegitimate children.

Using the name God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14, Jesus makes an audacious claim: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58)! Jewish leaders heard this statement and became so angry they wanted Jesus dead. The Pharisees were considered the ultimate authority on God’s Word by the nation of Israel and had an incredible knowledge of the Scriptures. Jesus brushed off their personal attacks and reminded the Jewish leaders that they may know the Scripture but they do not know God.

“‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am’” (John 8:58)!

What a dangerous place to be — to know the Bible cover to cover yet not know God. In John 8, the Jewish leaders knew enough of the Bible to debate Jesus but failed to apply it to their lives. Reading and applying the Bible should always point us to Jesus. Knowing Jesus is more important than knowing Scripture.

When we know Scripture and apply it, we look like Jesus at the beginning of chapter 8. We shield the helpless, forgive the sinful, offer hope in hopeless situations, and rebuke self-righteousness. When Scripture is applied, it points us to Jesus instead of preparing us for debate.


While reading your Bible today and over the next few weeks, begin your time by asking God to meet with you and allow you to know Him, not just His words.

As You Go Pray 4/05/20

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

Living Confidently Even When

“I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” Psalm 27:13-14

Lunch is ready, wash your hands. Now! The trademark mantra of Moms for generations. Now you hear the same words, wash your hands even if you simply touch the door handle. Wash hands! Keep your distance – six feet! Stay home! This is the new life we find ourselves in at this time. No one ever imagined we would be at this place. However, Jesus tells a most timely parable that could easily apply today.

“Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, what should I do, for I have no place to store my crops? Then he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

The man had life the way he wanted, all the things he would need for years to come. He made some good financial decisions only to wake up with the words, “You fool!,” and his world was gone.  In February we woke up to a world changed totally.  Life for us was good but then an unexpected, unprecedented, and deadly virus attacked the world. What we had was no longer there. The barns we built were gone.

Jesus parable would be filled with hopelessness and it is, if your focus is not on God. The man’s focus was on his treasure, not upon God. The same is said of anyone “who stores up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

However, to His disciples we are told, “not to worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.” (Luke 12:22) Jesus points to the sky and tells us to look, “the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.” If God can take care of birds, think about how he must care for you. He tells us, “of how much more value are you than the birds!” (Luke 12:24)

Living confidently in the midst of a crisis is not easy. Unfortunately, fear can overwhelm followers of Jesus. We have to be reminded often that God’s kingdom is greater than our struggle. To hear again the comforting words of Jesus as he tells us, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

C.S. Lewis tells about living confidently even when life seems hopeless. Replace his “crisis” with our crisis of the virus to keep in perspective Jesus words, “do not be afraid, little flock.”

“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (any microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

The days ahead may still be stressful yet our hope is secure in God. Our future may be uncertain but we stand on the unshakable ground of God’s Word. Our path may be rocky but we walk with Jesus in confidence. “Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:18-19)

 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn Burton

 

 

 

 

The Book of John_Day 7

What to do when friendship hurts

Read – John 7

As Jesus becomes more well-known, everyone has an opinion about what He should do next. His brothers ridiculed Him, a crowd calls Him demon-possessed, and religious leaders attempt to arrest Him.

Sometimes following God can lead you to lonely places. Jesus’ own brothers questioned His divinity and seemed to mock Him, pushing Him to go public and show everyone who He really was. Jesus dealt with criticism from His brothers, criticism from neighbors, and death threats from the religious leaders who should have been on His side.

“Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him” (John 7:18).

The very people who should have supported and sustained Jesus’ ministry turned against Him, yet He continued to do the right thing. Jesus did not grow bitter or angry; He did not plot revenge or plan a public relations campaign to promote Himself. Instead, Jesus chose not to take His rightful place as God. He chose to humble Himself, stay out of the confusion and offer spiritual refreshment to anyone who was looking for something new (John 7:37).

We can take heart because we’ve given our lives to the same Jesus that dealt with real life problems. When we feel lonely and left out, we know He felt the same way and responded in love. We can rest in the knowledge that Jesus suffered and faced hardship, but it never conquered Him. That means sorrow, loneliness, and hardships do not have to conquer us. No matter your circumstances, Jesus can understand exactly where you are and help you stand strong. Because Jesus faced loneliness, you do not have to face it alone.


Do you have a troubled relationship with someone in your life? How can you respond to this person differently knowing you have the strength Jesus offers?