Salt & Light Blog

You Can Do What Jesus Did, He Promises!

10/25/2015

John 14:12-14 is popular for a few reasons. It reads,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
It is very powerful. It isn’t about prosperity. It isn’t about winning football games or climbing mountains. It is about evangelism. It is about obeying Jesus' command to love people and leading them to God. When Jesus said this, He was answering Phillip’s request to see The Father, during a conversation about following Jesus.
Verses 4-11 precede these verses and gives us the context,
“And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
Jesus wants us to follow Him. Following Him means walking as He walked, doing as He did in His name and by His authority. He is our God, our King, Our Lord and Master. So when we go where He goes we act in His authority, we act in His name.
In order to really read the passage in its full context we also need to see what Jesus said after this amazing promise. Verses 15-17 read,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
What great things are you asking in Jesus’ name? Are you loving Him and keeping His commandments? Are you revealing The Father to world by living for Jesus through The Spirit? That is at the heart of this passage. It is not about asking for stuff, or asking to be successful. It is about loving people by doing what Jesus did.
What did He do? He loved people. He was moved by that love to action. If they were hungry He fed them. If they were sick, He healed them. If they were broken, He restored them. If they were alone, He befriended them. If they wanted to know God, He taught them. He tells you and me to do these things as well. He equips us to do them and He even promises we’ll do more than He did.
Does your mind lie to you and tell you that you aren’t good enough to do the works Jesus did? Are you filled with doubt about who you are? Maybe you think that only some people are able to love others the way Jesus did. Perhaps you imagine only the very best Followers can heal or prophesy or do that most miraculous work of all, lead someone to the saving grace and truth of Jesus. But that is a lie.
1 John 3:19-22 reads,
“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him”
God is greater than the lies and doubts of your heart. He promises again that whatever we ask we receive. Let’s look at the context of this promise too. Is it about wealth? Is it about achievements? It is about love.
Verses 16-18 pave the way for this beautiful promise,
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
It is about living out that love the way Jesus did. It is about obeying Jesus. The passage continues with verses 23-24.
“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us,by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
You are called for a great purpose. It is a purpose much greater than sitting in a church pew. It is a call bigger than inviting a person to church. It is a job more wonderful than giving the waitress a tract. You are commanded to love others as Jesus loves you. He didn’t love in a small way, He loved in a big way. He spent time, He healed, He spoke truth, and He laid down His life. You are commanded to love the same way. You are commanded to reveal God to the lost by loving the way Jesus did.
John 15:12-17 reads,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
So go, love, bear abiding fruit. Go, lay down your life for the lost. Ask Jesus to let you heal people. Ask Jesus to speak the truth to people through you. Ask Jesus to allow you to feed the hungry and warm the cold and comfort the hurting. Ask Jesus to save people. He will. Love them the way Jesus loves and see what Jesus will do.

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1 John 2:1-6 If You Know God, You Won't Sin... But if (and when) You Do, Jesus has Your Back.

1/12/2015

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1 John Chapter 2 Verses 1-6

Verse 1 reads,

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

John addressed the readers of his letter with affection as his “little children.” He also addressed them that way understanding that many of them were not as mature in Christ as he was. He was someone they looked up to, followed, and listened to.

He exhorted them not to sin. In verse 10 the last verse of the previous chapter and the sentence directly preceding the one above John said, “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” So he had just said that everyone sins and anyone saying they don’t is sinning in the most grievous of ways, blasphemy by calling God a liar. So John followed up his appeal not to sin with the encouragement that if we do, we have an advocate (supporter, intermediary, intercessor, and mediator). And not just any advocate but Jesus Christ who unlike us is righteous. Moreover Jesus is with the Father. He is right there beside the Father. But Jesus doesn’t have to plead our case with the Father. He doesn’t have to beg Him to forgive our sins. Jesus and the Father are one, they have the same nature and their wills and desires are aligned. Jesus is our mediator because He paid for our sins and made His righteousness, ours. Verse 2 reads,

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

We should absolutely not sin intentionally. We should strive to live virtuously but when we do sin, we don’t have to be racked with guilt, unable to continue walking with Christ. Jesus is the propitiation, the appeasement for our sin. He paid the price. He is with the Father as the reconciliation and peace between us. His righteousness is ours. So God isn’t looking down us with condemnation and disappointment. (Romans 8:1). He is looking at us with the love of our Father, our devoted doting Daddy.

But that doesn’t mean we should go around sinning as much as we like claiming grace over everything and assuming there will be no consequences. John says that if we know God, our lives will prove it by our commitment to obey His commands. Knowing God is having a personal relationship with Him, gaining firsthand experience of who He is. If we know God in such an intimate way, we agree with Him because our nature is being conformed to His. Verses 3-5 read,

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:”

Once again, John accuses people of being liars, but this time it is people who claim to know God, but don’t keep His commandments. People who say, “I’m a Christian” but live their lives looking just like the world, purposely sinning and declaring grace do not really know God. They do not walk in the light of truth. Walking in the light of truth means walking transparently, not attempting to hide our sins but at the same time diligently obeying God. The truth is Jesus came to earth lived perfectly, died horribly, and rose triumphantly to pay the price for our sin and bring us peace with the Father. Living in that truth opposes continual willful sinning.

What are the commandments we ought to be keeping? There are more than 600 commandments. But Jesus said that the crux of all the commandments, the Law, and every word the prophets spoke were these two in Matthew 22:36-40.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus said we are to love God with everything we have our entire being, everything we think, do, and want. He also said we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, to consider other people just as important as we consider ourselves. Their needs and hopes are just as much as priority as our own.

Later Jesus gave a new commandment. John 13:34-35 says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus was about to give His life for us, He made us more important than Himself. Loving others as we love ourselves makes us consider others equally with us, loving others as Jesus loved us means we put the needs of others ahead of our own needs, we sacrifice for them, we love others with all our being and in every we do, think, and want.

Jesus said that by obeying that command, people would know we were His disciples. John said that when we obey, we ourselves will know that we know God. It is important for people to see Jesus in us, to understand there is something peculiar about us. It is just as important for us to realize it of ourselves, loving others like that, obeying God’s commandments takes faith impossible without God.

In verse 6 John says,

“whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

John says that if we abide in Jesus, we ought to do what He did and love as He loved. That is the commandment that Jesus gave us. “love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Believer, walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk. Do not fool yourself by claiming grace so that you can keep looking like the world. Walk in God’s light and by His supernatural might obey His commandments. You won’t have to question your salvation when you know that you are doing something impossible in the world as you love others the way Jesus loved you.

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John Chapter 21 If You Love Jesus, Feed His Sheep and Follow Him

1/9/2015

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John Chapter 21

Seven of the disciples had gone fishing one night at Peter’s prompting. They were out all night and caught nothing. At daybreak, while the men were still out on the water Jesus appeared on the shore. None of them recognized Him at first. He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They told Him they didn’t. He said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they did as He suggested. They caught so many fish that the net was too heavy to bring in. John suddenly recognized the Lord and he told Peter it was Him.

Peter was stripped down for work, but when He heard it was Jesus, he grabbed his clothes put them on, jumped into the water and swam to shore to be with the Lord. He loved Jesus so much that he couldn’t wait for the boat to get him to His destination. Did Peter remember the night of the storm when he had walked on water with Jesus? Probably.

The others brought the boat and the net full of fish the 100 yards to shore. When they arrived they saw that Jesus had made a charcoal fire and a breakfast of fish and bread for them. He asked them to bring some of the fish they had just caught and add it to the meal as well. So they hauled in the net, which even though it was overfull with 153 fish had not torn.

Jesus said, “Come and have breakfast.” They sat down and Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. Then He did the same with the fish. I imagine they couldn’t help but think back to the last meal they had eaten with their Lord. I guess their minds wandered to the events of that night and how they had deserted Him. John probably remembered what Jesus had gone through for them. But Jesus was there with them now. He was hosting a meal, reminiscent of the feeding of the 5,000. He was feeding them and He had made their hard night’s work productive when they had found nothing on their own.

Then Jesus and Peter went for a walk together. The charcoal fire probably looked and smelled like the fire in the courtyard of Annas’ home where Peter had denied knowing Jesus. Though clearly Jesus had forgiven him, if Peter was anything like me he had not forgiven himself. Verses 15-17 take up the narrative.

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. And three times, each time more vehement than the last, Peter declared his love for Jesus. Each time Jesus answered by telling Peter to take care of His sheep. Jesus knew Peter’s sincerity. Jesus knew Peter’s heart. He was giving Peter a chance to know his own heart. Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times in the night before the rooster crowed before Jesus crucifixion. Now dawn had broken, Jesus was alive and Peter professed his love three times. The profession was for Peter to know that he had come to this point. The public declaration redeemed him for himself and those around. (The other disciples were within earshot walking behind them.) It showed him the change since his sins had been forgiven. The actions, the good works Jesus told Peter to do were so that Peter would glorify Jesus, by doing what Jesus had done and tell the world publicly that He loved Jesus. But telling the lost with words doesn’t work. Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs and feed and tend His sheep.

When you made the decision to follow Jesus, Jesus knew your heart immediately. When you confessed your need for Him and your commitment for Him out loud, it was for you and the church to know your heart. It was proof for you that you were now a public follower of Jesus. It is taking up Jesus cause and acting on it through loving good works that you glorify Jesus and tell the world who He is.

Verses 18-19 read,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus told Peter just how passionately he would demonstrate his love and just how closely he would follow. He told Peter that he would die rather than deny Him again. He would follow Jesus all the way to death. Although not a pleasant thing to hear, Peter needed to hear it. It was a reassurance to Peter to hear Jesus really did know how deeply he loved Him.

Peter, being who he was, exuberant and impetuous noticed John behind them. Peter took his attention off Jesus and himself, pointed to John and said, “Lord, what about this man?” but Jesus said, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (Verse 22). Jesus’ plans for your Brothers and Sisters in Christ are not your concern. He commanded you. He equipped you. You follow Jesus. Let them follow Him. We are supposed to be accountable to one another and encourage and exhort one another but Jesus doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to each other. He doesn’t want us to focus on others, He wants us to focus on Him and follow Him. We can’t control what someone else does, we can only control what we ourselves do.

Following Jesus means shadowing Him. Walking by His lead, with our eyes and heart on Him. How can we follow Jesus if we are fixating on someone else? If you love Jesus, feed His sheep. If you love Jesus do it with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. With your entire attention on Jesus, you will see your brothers and the world with His Spirit and nature and you will love them like He loves them.

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John 16:14-15 When Jesus Returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit Came to Us

12/27/2014

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John Chapter 16 Verses 4-15

Before he gave up His life, Jesus spent the last evening before His arrest teaching the disciples some weightier lessons than He had so far taught them. At the time Jesus’ Crucifixion looked, to His disciples like the worst tragedy that could happen. But we know that Jesus’ sacrifice made the way for hope and joy for us. Starting in verse 4 Jesus explains why.

“But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

The eleven disciples Jesus was preparing to be apostles loved their Rabbi, Lord, and friend deeply. They were truly dismayed at the thought of His looming death. They didn’t want to believe that it would really happen. But Jesus told them it was a good thing, because once He went to the Father, the Helper would be sent.

It is an advantage that Jesus returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit came. But why? While Jesus was with them, The Holy Spirit had been with them but not within them and not the way He would be. (John 14:16-18). But once Jesus made a way for salvation the Spirit of God could commune with believers in a new and intimate way. Jesus described some of what the Holy Spirit in would do in verses 8-11.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Holy Spirit is the one who makes the guilty aware of his wrongs in order for him to come to a place where he can acknowledge his need of Christ. We can point fingers and blame until the cows come home and we will never have an effect on an unbeliever’s heart. It is the Holy Spirit and only the Holy Spirit that can bring a person to faith. He is the one who makes it possible for us to follow Christ and live honorably even though Jesus is not physically walking the earth. He conforms us to Jesus’ image. And He reminds us that the world will be judged and although Satan is defeated, there are countless souls who will be judged alongside Him. He loves them and doesn’t want any of them to perish. The Holy Spirit made sure that the disciples remembered all of Jesus words so they could teach and spread the Gospel. He also continued to teach them the profound truths of God as He continues to do today. Verses 12-13 read,

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Just as Jesus did nothing and said nothing without the Father, it is the same of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us and directs us. He illuminates truth to us and allows us to understand the word. He showed the future to the apostles and He shows us too. He reveals to us the profound mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

Verses 14-15 read,

“He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Holy Spirit perfectly reflects Jesus. He is the Spirit of God. He reveals God to us and through us. Not only does He show us who Jesus is, He makes us into Jesus’ image. Even as He conforms us to the likeness of Christ, He endows us with Jesus’ attributes, authority, and gifts. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for you and me to do what Jesus did, to love as Jesus did and bring people to a relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is God and He is in you, Believer.

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John 15:12-17 Friendship with God

12/24/2014

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John Chapter 15 Verses 12-17

It was the night Jesus would be arrested, the day before He would lay down His life for the salvation of the world. He was teaching the disciples on the last evening as their Rabbi. Verses 12-13 read,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Earlier in the evening, before the Seder, Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, told them that the servant wasn’t greater than the master and so they should also be humble and serve. They should wash one another’s feet as He had washed theirs. He then gave this same commandment, “love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34). He gave them the commandment again after supper but instead of talking about servants and masters, He spoke about friendship. His words had to bring back the memory of Jesus, their rabbi, bending down with only a towel on His waist doing the most humble of acts and calling it love.

But now Jesus followed it up by saying, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed His love for the disciples by washing their feet, and act of great humility, then told them to love one another as He loved them. Now He told them again to love one another as He loved them but this time He told them the greatest display of love was in laying down one’s life for his friends. He was getting ready to do just that.

The disciples knew that Jesus life was in danger. He had not been able to teach and speak publicly in Jerusalem because the Sanhedrin had decided they wanted Him dead. Jesus had told them He was going to return to the Father. They knew His death was a real possibility but they also still thought He would somehow overthrow the Roman Empire and free Israel. He certainly was about to begin His royal kingdom and free many people from bondage. But it wasn’t going to be the way they imagined. Jesus was preparing them for His death, but they wouldn’t grasp all His words and comfort until afterward.

So Jesus continued to teach, He told them about the unique friendship He offered. Friendship with God. Verses 14-15 say,

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

In the old covenant, Israel served God. He had plans and purposes that He didn’t always tell His servants. The faithful served God and sometimes He called them Friend, as in the cases of Abraham and David. Those servants who not only obeyed God but sought a relationship with Him were His friends.

But in the new covenant, Jesus extends friendship to everyone who will accept it. Being in a relationship with God, being friends with Him, God trusts us with the secrets of His Kingdom, He lets us in in the plan, and we partner with Him in it. We serve people to show them God’s love. We serve one another. We work to bring the lost to a relationship with God.

That is awesome. You are God’s friend! You don’t get to choose your family. You are born to them. You love them and they love you and it is a special relationship. But unless you were adopted, your mother and father didn’t choose you. Servants are chosen but there is distance between the master and servant. The servant has no choice in obeying the master if he wants to maintain that relationship. But friendship is special. It is different. You choose your friends. You choose to begin that relationship and maintain it. Friends become partners in life by election. Here is the thing about your friendship with God. He chose you! He said, “I want to be your friend.” Almighty Awesome Holy God picked you to be His friend.

He loves you. He adores you! He appreciates you, and enjoys you. His love is perfect, it is tangible, and it is awesome. Verses 16-17 read,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

He chose you and expects you to live up to that high calling. He makes it possible because He is with you. You abide in Christ and Christ abides in you. That is how you can bear fruit. You live out the love of Christ in you and His Spirit allows you to work with God to fulfill the Father’s plans. He said you are His friend and all you have to do is ask the Father as Jesus’ representative to the world and He would give it you!

Does He give you what you ask because you are good, because you deserve it, or because you asked in just the right way? No, He gives it to you because He loves you, you are His friend and partner, and because you are loving people as He loves you.

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John 15:1-11 The True Vine, the Vinedresser and the Branches. What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?

12/23/2014

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John Chapter 15 Verses 1-11

Jesus and the disciples had left the Seder but He continued to teach them. Perhaps they had gathered together in the Garden of Gethsemane or perhaps He taught them as they walked there. Jesus had a lot of important things to say.

He begins with an illustration of fruit vines. Verse 1 reads,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser”

Jesus called Himself the true vine. He didn’t say a vine, but “the true vine.” He is the original genuine vine. Without Him, no other vines could have been grown. All the branches stem from Him and have their origin and root in Him.

Then Jesus referred to the Father as the vinedresser. According to Chron.com, the job description of a vinedresser is “an agriculturalist involved in the daily pruning and cultivation of grapevines.” He works daily and year round to ensure the vines produce grapes. He prunes, keeps pests away, irrigates, and harvests. Without the vinedresser, the vines wouldn’t produce good fruit.

In verse 2 Jesus tells says,

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Bearing fruit means to display or manifest the consequences of Salvation. As you continue your walk with Christ, the Spirit transforms you more and more and you show the effects of it. You mature, you act differently, speak differently, you even begin to want different things for your life than before salvation. That is the fruit. And God knows the difference between real fruit and fake fruit. You can fake it with the world, but you can’t fake it with God. Wax fruit might look like the real thing but it can’t make wine.

Believer, pruning isn’t fun by any means, but it means that you are producing fruit and that God wants you to produce more and better fruit. If you aren’t being regularly disciplined, shaped, or pruned, it is not a good thing. It doesn’t mean you don’t need it. It means you aren’t producing fruit and you are not part of the true vine. You never surrendered yourself to Christ if you bear no fruit. The Father, our Vinedresser will take whatever fruit you bear, prune you and make you produce better fruit.

Jesus was talking to the disciples and that includes you and me, Believer. He told them they had already been forgiven of their sins and they had to continue following Him. Verses 3-6 read,

“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned”

Abide means, to wait for, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place, sojourn, to conform to, to acquiesce in. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). We wait in Jesus, accept Him, stay patiently in Him and acquiesce or submit to Him and He does the same in us. He waits patiently in us, He accepts us without question, He submits to us. Jesus does that! Do you see how amazing that is? Jesus, the Son of God abides in you!

And moreover, He makes it possible for you to bear fruit. The branch can’t produce fruit without the vine. It withers and dies. It has no source of life without the vine. Dead branches are of no use to Vinedresser, He tosses them into the fire.

Jesus promises more than producing good fruit if you abide in Him. He promises that you will be used and that you will glorify the Father, or reflect the Father’s image to the world. You will make the Father known to those who wouldn’t have known Him. How will you do that? Verses 7-8 say,

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Asking the Father whatever you wish doesn’t mean you can ask Him for a Porsche and He’ll give it to you. If you abide (wait, acquiesce, and conform) in Jesus and Jesus words abide in you, you will ask for what would please the Father. You will ask for what would make His love known. You will ask for what will expand the Kingdom of God.

Believer, don’t be afraid to ask the Father for anything. Ask and it will be done for you! Jesus promised this a few times. Too often I catch myself not asking for the big stuff, being timid about it. No! Ask God to heal the cancer! Ask God to provide for the poor family about to be evicted. Ask Him for miracles! Let Him be glorified. What glory is there to God if you pray some weak faithless prayer like, “if it is your will let the doctors heal Joe.” God will always do His will. Pray for a miracle. Pray with knowledge of who God is and how deeply He loves. Pray, “Thank you Father that you are Healer. Heal Joe. Sickness leave Joe now. Father, refresh him and heal Him in Jesus’ name.” You don’t have to give God permission to do His own will. If He doesn’t want Joe healed for some reason, He’ll let you know. God will tell you what and who to pray for. If you abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in you, don’t you imagine He will tell you His will, that your desires will conform to His and that His power and strength is with you? When you pray like that, when you ask God for whatever you wish, you will bear more, bigger, and better fruit. You will mature.

Apart from Jesus you can do nothing! But in Him, nothing is impossible. Nothing. Ask the Father whatever you wish and it will be done. The Father’s love is perfect, boundless, and lavish. He is love. And through Jesus, that love is heaped and poured on you. That love is amazing. It is active and tangible. Sometimes that love means pruning, but it always means the best for us. Abiding in Jesus means abiding in the love of the Father. That can give you joy even through the pruning. It gave Jesus joy through His suffering. He knew the Father’s will was being done. Verses 9-11 read,

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

How do you abide in Jesus? Keep His commandments. Jesus kept the Father’s commandments. He loves the Father with His soul, strength, heart, and mind. He loves us the same way. Jesus commanded that we love others as He loves us. In doing that, we abide in Him. By doing that we can have complete joy regardless of the circumstances.

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John 14:12-17 You Will Do Greater Things than Jesus.

12/20/2014

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John Chapter 14 Verses 12-17

One of the most amazing promises of the Bible is John 14:12-14, where Jesus says,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever mulled it over? Jesus says that if we believe in Him we will do the works the He does. But He doesn’t stop there. He continues with “and greater works than these” That is incredible! But it is true. Jesus did great things while He was walking the earth. What are some of the miracles He performed? He fed 5,000 men with a couple fish and a five loaves of bread. He healed men with leprosy. He healed the lame and the blind. He freed people from demons. He spoke into people’s hearts and lives. He raised people from the dead.

According to His promise, if you believe in Him, you will do all those things too. Remember belief isn’t about agreeing He exists. Belief is about trusting Him, acknowledging in your core that He is Christ, the Son of God, your savior, and depending on Him. It is remarkable to me that I should be doing all those amazing feats.

What could you or I possibly do that is greater than Jesus? Seriously? Yet He didn’t just say, “You can do greater things” or “You should do greater things.” He said, “You will.” What is it that you and I could possibly do? When Jesus returned to the Father He gave us a job. Matthew 28:18-20 reads,

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus considers that of the greatest importance. That is a hefty job and it was the last thing Jesus commanded before ascending to Heaven. It is a considerable undertaking but He makes it possible. He gave us a gift. He didn’t leave us here to fight it out alone, to wander lost and hope we were getting it right. The Holy Spirit came and He unites with those who believe. He fills up those who follow Jesus. He guides, comforts, transforms, and empowers us. Jesus describes Him in verses 15-17.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

We don’t just have God with us. He is not distant, looking down on us from Heaven hoping we do well on our mission. He is living within in us. God is inside you, Believer! Because He is in you, you can do the work of Jesus. You can reveal God to the world. You can do all those awesome and wonderful things Jesus did. Jesus loved people with every fiber of His being. He healed the sick. He comforted the hurting, even when He was hurting.

Are you doing that? Or is the power inside you quenched and grieved, stifled and depressed? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” What are His commandments? They are simple. John 13:34 says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

And we just read Jesus parting words, our great commission from Matthew’s gospel. We are to make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.

We cannot love one another without active implementation of the gifts we were given. Jesus didn’t love others by saying a prayer as He passed them by. He loved by connecting to and relating to people. He loved by meeting their needs. He loved by pointing people to repentance and directing them to the Father. He loved by teaching people what God wants. God wants love and relationship not sacrifice and ritual. Hosea 6:6 reads,

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Examine your life and ask yourself if you are truly loving others as Jesus loved. Are you doing the work of Jesus? Maybe you are doing your own work. Maybe you are doing the work of your church. Who is being glorified by your acts? Is God being glorified when you can’t say no to every favor asked of you and work yourself into a tizzy? I doubt it. Is Jesus being glorified as you sit in your church pew and pray for the orphans and widows?

Even acts that seem great might not be loving others as Jesus loved if anyone but God is getting the glory. When you adopt the needy family for Christmas, is it you, your church, or God being praised? When you heal a broken arm is it you or God being exalted? When you feed the homeless man is God being adored?

Are there any works to examine? Is there active love happening in your life? If you love Jesus, then you should be loving others. You love Jesus by loving others. You are not saved by works. That is clear. But your love for God is manifested by good works. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (Verse 12). He said whoever believes in Him will do the works He did. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you love Jesus and you believe and follow Him if you are loving people in a concrete manner like Jesus. Don’t dupe yourself by saying your relationship with God is a private one and that God knows your heart and that is enough. Yes, God knows your heart, but He wants others to know His heart and He wants people to see you are His disciple. John 13:35, the verse directly after Jesus tells the disciples to love one another as He has loved, says,

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So I challenge you to love others tangibly as Jesus loved and loves. I challenge you to do at least one great work today, and each day. I challenge you to unleash the power of God within you and obey Him in a way that might even frighten you a bit. Ask the Father anything in Jesus’ name and watch what Jesus will do for the person you lavish His love upon.

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John 13:21-37 Judas Betrayed Jesus, Peter Denied Him. It was the Response that Defined Them.

12/17/2014

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John Chapter 13 Verses 21-37

Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover Seder, it would be Jesus’ last supper before His arrest. Jesus knew that one of his best friends was about to betray Him, and that soon ten more of His friends would abandon Him. He knew that his trial would be a joke and He would be sentenced to death. And He knew that His death would be terrible. But He also knew that the culmination of His life was His death. He wanted to give up His life for those friends who stayed, the friends, who abandoned and those of us who hadn’t been born yet. His hour was mere hours away. Jesus had just taught the disciples that they had to follow His example and serve people in humility. Verse 21 reads,

“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

The disciples couldn’t imagine that. They all looked at each other wondering who among them it could be. So Peter motioned to John to ask. And John asked. Jesus told them that it would be the one who He gave the bread to after it was dipped. He then gave the bread to Judas.

Today, we take bread and wine and remember Christ’s body and blood which He willingly gave for us. At my church we dip the matzo in the wine. Jesus handed the bread dipped in the wine to Judas. He handed him His Body. He gave Him the choice to follow through on His plan or not.

At that moment Satan entered into Judas because Judas made the choice to give Jesus up to the authorities. (Verse 27). But Judas already had the plan. (Verse 2). He had been playing with the devil and it was in that mulling over the plan and playing with it, that Judas gave Satan the invitation to enter. Jesus told Judas to hurry up and get it over with. Judas didn’t have to betray Jesus. He could have stayed with Him. All it would have taken for Jesus to be arrested would be for Him to go teach in public. The bloodthirsty Jewish leaders would have snatched Him up. Judas had a choice, before, during and after his treason.

When Judas left, the other disciples didn’t know what had taken place. They still had no idea the deceitful heart of their friend. They assumed he was going to buy food or make a donation or some other treasurer’s errand.

When Judas left, Jesus kept teaching. His words would have immense impact on the disciples in light of the events that were to soon follow. Verses 31-32 read,

“When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.”

In other words, Jesus was saying it was His time. People would see Him clearly for who He is and because of that God would be seen too. In Jesus’ crucifixion God would be glorified and Jesus would be recognized. Then He continued in Verses 33-35,

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus was about to die for love of the disciples, the world, and you and me. He told them, “You can’t come with me right now, but I want you to love people, to show people who I am by loving people like they have never been loved before me. Love them the way I love you.”

Peter asked Jesus where He was going. And Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Jesus was about to give up His life and though Peter couldn’t follow Him to his own death immediately, Jesus told him, one day He would. Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

Peter’s exuberance for Jesus could sometimes get him a little puffed up, and Jesus deflated his pride. Verse 38 reads,

“Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.”

Jesus predicted two of Peter’s acts in that conversation. First He spoke of an act of utter devotion, when Peter would be crucified and die for his faith in Jesus. Then moments later He foretold Peter would even deny knowing Jesus.

All but John would abandon Jesus that night. John and the closest women who followed Jesus would stay with Him through everything. But every one of the others would hide and disavow Him. Ten of them would also come back, follow Jesus even to the point of death, and spread the truth and love of Jesus to the world.

We are human. We sin. We have times when we choose poorly and choose well. Failure doesn’t have to be the end of your story, it can be the beginning.

Judas chose to betray Jesus and he chose not to come back and ask for forgiveness. He let Satan in and he wallowed in selfish pity and committed suicide rather than turn to God. Peter denied Jesus, not once but three times that night. He had chance after chance not to give in to his fear but he chose to deny Jesus. But Peter turned to God and repented. Peter went onto be the leader of the apostles. He spread the gospel. He lived for Christ and just as Christ prophesied, he gave up his life rather than deny Christ.

Only John didn’t betray Jesus that night. But all except Judas came back, repented and lived glorious effective lives for Jesus. You’ve messed up. You’ve done really bad things. Jesus forgives. Those acts don’t have to be what defines you. Let Jesus be who defines you.

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John 13:1-20 Jesus, The King of Kings, Removed His Outer Garments and Washed the Disciples Feet.

12/16/2014

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John Chapter 13 Verses 1-20

The disciples were gathered for the Passover Seder. Passover is a very special and significant feast. It is a celebration of life as the blood of a sacrificed lamb covered the people of Israel so that they would not suffer the curse of death that overcame Egypt and allowed them to escape slavery to the Promised Land.

Verse 1 reads,

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Jesus was hours away from His arrest and death. One of his closest friends was about to betray Him. And Jesus was the only person in the room who knew that the betrayal would lead to a horrific death. But Jesus’ life wasn’t taken from Him. He freely laid it down. He came into the world for that very reason and He chose to give His life. He kept that purpose in mind and was able to face His looming death with joy and love. But instead of wallowing in what was about to take place, He loved people actively. The passage we read today is about an act of love in the midst of angst. Verses 2-5 say,

“During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

What Jesus did was groundbreaking. During these early centuries people walked the dirty, muddy, or dusty roads in sandals and their feet got filthy. When they would enter a home, if the home had slaves the lowest slaves would wash the dirt and muck from their feet. If there was no slave in the home, the guest would wash his own feet. Never did a person with a higher social standing wash the feet of someone lower than himself. The task was one the most menial of jobs.

The disciples must have been shocked that their Lord and teacher was doing this job that only the bottommost servants ever did. But Peter was the one to voice his amazement. Verses 6-7 describes the exchange.

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

Peter loved Jesus intensely and He respected Him deeply. He couldn’t fathom his Lord doing this task removing the most disgusting of dirt from His feet. His feet had walked the dirty streets. His feet were caked with mud made up of dirt, animal waste, and who knows what. His feet were the dirtiest part of him and Jesus was kneeled at them with a towel around his waist like the meekest and lowliest servant to wash him. Verses 8-9 read,

“Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

I just love Peter’s fervor. If washing his feet meant sharing with Jesus, then he wanted in completely. But Jesus told his friend that he was already clean and only needed his feet washed. After Jesus had washed all their feet, He got redressed and took His place at the table. Verses 12-16 read,

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

Jesus never asked someone to do something He wasn’t willing to do Himself. He set an example of fundamental service for one another. We are to love one another as Jesus loved us. He loved us in humility and service. His love was active and apparent. It wasn’t a gushy feeling, it was manifest. Jesus continued in verse 17.

“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

You know you are to follow Jesus example. You know you are supposed to love others just the way Jesus loves you. He promises you are blessed if you do that. Not everyone who looks like a follower of Jesus is. Even among the disciples, one of them was not truly a believer. Judas was about to go betray Jesus. Judas who had been a part of every miracle and experience, Judas who had just had his feet washed in a beautiful act of love was about to commit an act of treachery. Jesus told the disciples it was about to happen as well and they probably didn’t understand that one of them could ever do something so traitorous. But Jesus told them so they would know that He was Christ and so they would understand that He willingly gave up His life. It wasn’t Judas who killed Him. It wasn’t the Romans, Pilate, Herod, the Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, or anyone else that took His life. He gave it. He chose to do that act of love just as He chose to love the disciples by washing their feet.

Verse 20 reads,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Jesus had spoken about His unity with the Father many times. In this verse He adds us to the unity. When we love and serve people, we give them the chance to receive the love of Jesus. When they accept us and our acts of love, they are feeling the love of Jesus and so they are experiencing the love of God. You are Jesus representative. You are God’s will put into action. Jesus said in verse 15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” So be a follower of Jesus and do what He has done.

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John 12:20-43 Jesus Died Publicly for You. Will You Live Publicly for Him?

12/14/2014

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John Chapter 12 Verses 20-43

Not everyone in Jerusalem for the Passover was Jewish. Some Greeks had also come and wanted to see Jesus. And Jesus taught them. He spoke about His impending death which was on His mind. He had been teaching, and doing miracles for about three years telling people about the love of the Father. Now it was all coming to a close. But the end of His earthly ministry would be the beginning of The Last Days and the opportunity for every person to come to Salvation. Jesus taught the Greeks and the Jews that had found Him about the death He was about to face. Verses 23-26 read,

“And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

Jesus spoke as He often did in a parable. And what He says is truly awesome news for us and for the Greeks. Jesus referred to His death as His glorification. It was truly the perfect reflection of God’s love for us. When Jesus died on the cross He revealed God absolutely and completely in His perfect love.

And then compared His death to that of a grain of wheat, though the grain dies alone the crop it produces is much bigger than the lone grain implied. And with each subsequent crop the harvest grows larger. And Jesus didn’t hold back. As soon as he described His own death, He alluded to us, His followers giving up our lives for Him as well. He said we would have to choose Him or the world. If we choose to give up our worldly lives, we will gain eternal life. But if we do choose to follow Him, we have to be willing to truly follow and do everything Jesus did up to and including giving up our lives.

But it comes with a promise. “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” That is deep! It’s huge! The Father, Our God, Our Creator will honor us! He honors us through our union with Christ. He honors us by transforming us to Christ’s image. When we serve Christ, we become one with Him with the promise of God’s presence always with us. And so the Father honors us by giving us His Son and His Spirit.

Jesus continued teaching and He expressed His feelings about what was coming. So often people paint a picture of a stoic or even a detached Jesus. But Jesus was not apathetic or cold. He was passionate about The Father and passionate in His love for us. He fervently threw the money changers out of the temple. He compassionately healed the sick. He lovingly fed the hungry. He cried at the death of His friend. And He tenderly brought people to a place of repentance and belief. He did not face His fast approaching death without feeling. In verses 27-28 Jesus said,

““Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Jesus knew how awful His death would be but He also knew that it was His purpose and so rather than forgo it, rather than ask the Father to save Him from crucifixion, He chose to glorify Him. It is not a sin to feel the angst and difficulty of the sacrifices made for God. It is in remembering their purpose that we can go through it. That is how Jesus managed it. He took His eyes off Himself and put them on the big picture of God’s purpose, which is God’s glory. And the Father answered Jesus so that everyone could hear! “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” God was glorified in Jesus birth and life and He would be glorified in His death and resurrection. It wasn’t Jesus who needed the audible comfort. It was the listeners. Jesus continued teaching in verses 31-33.

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.”

When we read this, we understand that Jesus was talking about conquering Satan and bringing the offer of salvation to the whole world. But the crowd listening didn’t completely understand that. Many of them accepted that Jesus was the Christ, but they still thought He would have an earthly eternal kingship. They couldn’t reconcile what He was saying to their preconceptions of the Messiah. Jesus was saying He would be lifted up from the earth alluding to His crucifixion and His ascension and they thought He would be king and rule Israel forever on earth. So Jesus answered them in verses 35-36.

“So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

They had Jesus with them. They had the chance to believe right then and there. The choice was and is to believe in Jesus Christ and walk in the revelation of truth and love or to reject Him and be overcome with darkness, to be blinded to the truth. Jesus urged them to believe so that they could become sons of light, light themselves to reveal the truth to others.

So many people just couldn’t believe. They had Jesus, the perfect image of God right there in front of them. They had seen the great works He had done. They had heard the deep truths He had taught. They had seen the good He did. They had even heard the voice of God confirm Jesus Christ. But they didn’t believe.

But many people did believe. But too many of those who believed Jesus didn’t confess it. They were afraid to say it publicly because they didn’t want to be kicked out of the synagogue. They couldn’t even sacrifice their place in the synagogue for Jesus, they certainly weren’t willing to sacrifice their lives. Verse 43 describes them like this,

“for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

What is your response to Jesus? Do you believe? Do you confess to everyone that Jesus is Lord? Are you willing to give up your worldly life to follow Jesus? Do you seek honor and glory for and from God or the glory that comes from man?

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You Can Do What Jesus Did, He Promises!

1 John 2:1-6 If You Know God, You Won't Sin... But if (and when) You Do, Jesus has Your Back.

John Chapter 21 If You Love Jesus, Feed His Sheep and Follow Him

John 16:14-15 When Jesus Returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit Came to Us

John 15:12-17 Friendship with God

John 15:1-11 The True Vine, the Vinedresser and the Branches. What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?

John 14:12-17 You Will Do Greater Things than Jesus.

John 13:21-37 Judas Betrayed Jesus, Peter Denied Him. It was the Response that Defined Them.

John 13:1-20 Jesus, The King of Kings, Removed His Outer Garments and Washed the Disciples Feet.

John 12:20-43 Jesus Died Publicly for You. Will You Live Publicly for Him?

Donna Campbell

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