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Category Archives: John

John 3:1-21

31 Jan

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

John 3:1-21

Dear God, I need some time with you this morning. I need some time to center myself back on you. I need to spend some time letting the Holy Spirit envelope my soul. For the last couple of days, I have not taken any time to really immerse myself in you, and I miss you. Oh, how grateful I am to miss you.

As I thought about finding some scripture through which I could try to hear your voice this morning, I thought about the rant that Jesus goes on in his conversation at night with Nicodemus. I was listening to a praise and worship song and watching the video on YouTube when I saw a slide that had the words for John 3:16-17. It reminded me that those verses are just a small part of this little speech Jesus gives to Nicodemus. Is it possible the words you had for Nicodemus 2,000 years ago are the same words you have for me this morning? Maybe so, maybe not, but there might just be something in here for me.

This starts with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, labeling Jesus as a teacher sent from God. Jesus implies back that Nicodemus cannot see (experience/enter into personally) your Kingdom because he has not been born again. Confused, Nicodemus asks him to explain.

Jesus explains that we must embrace being transformed into a new creation by your Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in order to know you and your kingdom. I cannot do it in my own power. Maybe that’s what I was missing this morning–doing it on my own for a couple of days and feeling the difference.

When Nicodemus presses for further explanation (verse 9) Jesus takes off. Here is an outline of where he goes:

  • You don’t believe me when I tell you things about earth and the realities here even though you can see them with your own eyes. How will you ever believe me about heaven?
  • The Israelites looked upon the bronze snake to save them from the snake bites in the wilderness. Jesus will save all of us in the same way. Ever since I preached on this passage two years ago, I have tried to remember that every time I see a cross or a crucifix. My savior.
  • John 3:16 and 17 are an extension of this thought. God gave Jesus to be my redemption. Redemption that comes through God’s power and not mine. He didn’t do this to condemn me, but to save me.
  • This is the part that is hard for me. To think of all of the people who do not believe. There are categories of those people. Those who have never heard of you so they don’t know to believe. Those who were raised in other religions and believe in that and not you. Those who were raised with no religion and have a hard time believing. And then those who were raised and trained in you and then walk away.
  • People loved the darkness more than the light. That can certainly be me at any given time. I heard Rich Mullins say one time that sometimes he just wanted you to turn away and ignore him so he could do what he wanted without your judgment–at least for a little while. But the truth is, it’s not your judgment we should fear as much on earth as it is the emptiness of walking away and the vicious cycle of hiding our shame that comes with walking away.
  • Hiding from the light and going towards the light. What an interesting message from Jesus to Nicodemus as they talked at night. I never thought of this before, but was this Jesus pointing out to Nicodemus that he was hiding from the light as he came to learn more from Jesus. Interestingly, Nicodemus would continue to follow Jesus in the shadows until Jesus’s death, when he broke ranks with the Pharisees and went to help Joseph of Arimathea to care for Jesus’s body and put him in the tomb.

Father, draw me close to you. Never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear you say that I’m your friend. You are my desire. No one else will do. Because nothing can ever take your place. To feel the warmth of your embrace. Help me find the way. Bring me back to you. You’re all I want. You’re all I’ve ever needed. You’re all I want. Bring me back to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2021 in John

 

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John 8:31-59

15 Jan

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?” “No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? ” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.

John 8:31-59

Dear God, this starts with Jesus speaking to “the people who believed in him.” But at what level did they believe in him? Did they just think they believed in him and his teaching as a prophet, or did they think he was your son–the Messiah? It seems that they were more on the prophet side of things, even though they might have though of him as the Messiah. But maybe they didn’t understand who the Messiah was. Perhaps they saw a warrior champion who was going to lead the people, and your plan was to turn that on its head and die for them and their reconciliation to you.

As I read this, I couldn’t help but think about the Christians who attacked the capitol last week. There was Christian music playing. There were Jesus banners. There was a Christian flag. One man reportedly yelled, “Give it up for Jesus!” and the crowd cheered. The a good number of the people there were Christians. Thinking about it and comparing it with this passage, I think they’ve started to get the same misconception these early “believers” had. They think this is about winning. They think this is about political power. They think this is about influence on a broad scale. They think this is about legislating morality from the top down. They think it is about the Supreme Court and its rulings. They are like the crowd Jesus addressed. Let’s just take Jesus’s words here and see what they might have to say to them (and me):

  • “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  • “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”
  • “…if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.”
  • “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
  • “No, I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”
  • “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”
  • “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!”

First, I have to confess that if I had been there at the time, I would probably have been on the people’s side. I would not have believed Jesus was your son. How could I have? What are the odds that this simple man would be the one? Surely, your son would be more grand than this guy was! So I can recognize my own limitations, and I am sorry I’m not better.

Second, they are looking for greatness and Jesus seems to just be looking for humility. All he wants them to do is know the truth, repent of their sins and be set free. That’s it. That’s how this starts. And they cannot handle that. They cannot handle their need for humility.

Third, I am a little surprised Jesus got into this back and forth with them. I don’t remember too many times he did this. It’s actually a pretty long conversation/argument.

Father, I don’t know that I’ve come up with any answers about Christians and their role in last week’s riot/insurrection. I know that I’m worried about them as individuals and for our Christian church as a whole. I heard an interesting question yesterday. Why do we have U.S. flags in some churches? As I thought about the question, the Catholic church I attend has a U.S. flag. I attended a Methodist church for a long time, and it has a flag too. Why? As an American I pledge my allegiance to you first and then to my country as a citizen. But that doesn’t make me better than the Canadian, German, Nigerian, or whomever is worshipping in their church that morning. So why would the church have an American flag in it? A sign of allegiance by the church to the country? I don’t know the answer, but it’s certainly made me consider the separation of church and state in a new way. I don’t know. Now I’m just rambling. Just help me today, Father. Help me to understand the world through your eyes, do the things you need me to do, and love the people you need me to love.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2021 in John

 

John 16:16-33

30 Dec

“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:16-33

Dear God, one of the interesting things about this story is that it is all about Jesus speaking plainly so they can understand, but what they took from it wasn’t what he told them about mourning and then being okay. They still missed it. No, their response was to say that they had been doubting in who he was because Jesus spoke so cryptically, but now since he was speaking plainly to them they believed him. But they still missed what he was saying!!

I’m going to shift gears a little bit here and talk about the mystery of the afterlife. Over the last four years, there have been (at least) two shows/movies that have dealt with the questions of what is happening beyond our earthly lives. The first was a TV series called The Good Place. The second was a movie that just released from Pixar, but they probably started working on about four years ago, called Soul. I probably would not have watched The Good Place if a good friend hadn’t recommended it to me. And I probably wouldn’t have watched Soul except that 1.) it was a Pixar movie and they are usually pretty good and 2.) given that I had watched The Good Place, I was intrigued by how this movie might present the after life. 

Beyond the false premises each of these stories embraced, what I noticed is that, even among seemingly secular people, there is this desire to figure out what is going on in the universe, and an innate knowledge that there is more to life than what we can physically see. The Good Place focused on works to explain what happens to us, but even that life turned out to be empty and ultimately everyone chose non-existence over an good, but seemingly empty, existence for what I’ll call “never ending time.” I am intentionally not saying “eternity” because I am assuming that the time plane you work on does not match up with the time plane where we currently live. 

Soul, on the other hand, focused on the “great before.” The posited that there is a place where our souls develop before they come to earth in our bodies, and it’s only when they find their motivation to live on earth that they get their chance. To be honest, I’m not even sure what question this theory is answering except that we all need to find our motivation for wanting to live life. 

I guess where I ultimately come to on all of this is a willingness to submit myself to ignorance. Some would call that weak-minded, but I simply don’t need to know or understand everything. I’m here for a reason (or many reasons–most of which I do not realize) and you have use of me while I’m here. There will be times when I am scared, confused, hurt, thrilled, relieved, etc. All of those things are pushing me in the direction you need me to go so that I might do the work you need me to do and become the man you need me to become. In terms of the “great before” or the after life, I’m just going to trust you, with the understanding that, if I’m wrong about anything 1.) there is room for you to take care of me and love me and 2.) even if I am wrong about #1 there really isn’t anything I can do about it anyway.

Father, help me to be a person who can provide your comfort and peace to those who are seeking such things. Give them your hope, peace, and joy through me and through others. And for everyone involved in The Good Place and Soul, please speak your comfort and truth to them so that they might join with your kingdom and become your ambassadors as well.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2020 in John

 

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John 14:1-14

09 Dec

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

John 14:1-14

Dear God, I cannot imagine how confusing it must have been to be a disciple following Jesus in that moment. I mean, it seems to me that Jesus was always the one with the questions to which no one but him knew the answers. I do not like situations like that. I have the advantage of reading all of this in retrospect. In the moment, I would have been totally confused, and I suspect I would have just left.

That being said, I am grateful I am on this side of things with this perspective on you. There is still so much happening around me that I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you are working in the lives of those I love. I don’t understand where I country is heading in terms of politics, international affairs, or even how social media is feeding conspiracy theories. I don’t understand so much, but I know that I don’t have to worry about how this all ends.

Father, this chapter starts with, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” So I will be at peace. I’m sorry for having trouble setting aside time to spend with you in prayer like this. I have excuses, but the sum total of them still don’t add up to a reasonable explanation. I’ve made choices, and I’m sorry. I will follow you on this way. I will go where you go. My hope, joy, and peace are in you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2020 in John

 

John 10:1-21

05 Dec

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

John 10:1-21

Dear God, there is so much here. Almost too much. But it all goes together. It was impossible to look at one part without the context of the other parts.

First, I confess to you that if I had been there 2,000 years ago listening to this, I would have been in the demon-possessed camp. I wouldn’t have believed. Would you have held that against me?

Now I sit here and think about who Jesus is to me. He is my shepherd. He is my gateway to you. He owns me, protects me, and provides me with a clear pathway to you. The Holy Spirit as well. Though I walk down any road, whether it be in the valley of the shadow of death, a mountaintop road, or just the long, winding road in the middle, you are there with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of everyone, including my enemies. My cup is overflowing with good things from you. Your attention to detail is amazing. My wife and I were talking this morning over breakfast about your attention to detail in our lives. Amazing. Surely goodness and mercy have and will continue to follow me all of the days of my life. And I know that when my time here is done, I will dwell with you forever.

Father, I praise you because all blessings flow from you. I praise you as one of your creatures here below. I praise you above everything on earth and in heaven. I praise you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In Jesus’s name I approach your throne and pray all of this,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 5, 2020 in John

 

Psalm 119:105-106

17 Nov

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

Psalm 119:105-106

Dear God, modern Christians have modified the meaning of “word” to mean “scripture,” but that’s obviously not what the psalmist referred to here. Apparently, he (assuming it was a “he” back then) was referring to your law laid out under Moses. Your word is your regulations.

Then there is the prayer Jesus prayed for his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

John 17:17-19

This idea of your word here, once again, is probably not intended to mean the disciples sitting around and reading the scrolls of scripture, but your regulations. Yes, Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice to fill the gap between what we are able to do and your pure expectations, but that surely doesn’t mean we can ignore your regulations.

Father, help me to know how to follow your expectations of me today. I am sorry for when I fail. I’m sorry for when I covet, lust, hate, etc. I’m sorry for when I spend more time in my own interests and pursuing the cares of the world than pursuing you. Thank you for your forgiveness, but I hope that maybe I can live in a way today that will need a little less forgiveness than I needed yesterday. May it all be for your glory and not mine.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2020 in John, Psalms

 

1 John 1:5-10

26 Sep

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John 1:5-10

Dear God, I’m about to get into some controversial theology here that, at the end of the day, probably doesn’t matter, but here we go anyway. I pray to you and not Jesus. Is that wrong?

When I think of the Trinity I think of it as all three of you having your roles. There is you, the Father. In my mind, your nature is the core of God. Then there is your son. He is part of the nature too, but–again, in my mind–his role was to reveal you to us, teach us about you, and then be the sacrifice for us. Perhaps he even helped you experience the human condition in a way you couldn’t have before. Finally, there is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is my counselor, comforter, supporter, convicter (if that’s a word), etc. He is here with me now as I type this to you. He is in my heart. He ministers your presence and love to me. He guides me and whispers in my ear.

Growing up Baptist, I learned some phrases and concepts that I’m not sure can be backed up scripturally.

  • “Ask Jesus into your heart.” In looking at scripture, I certainly need to accept Jesus’s sacrifice for me in order to be in relationship with you, but Jesus himself said that he was sending the Holy Spirit to be with me.
  • “Pray to Jesus.” Well, it seems to me that Jesus prayed to you. Jesus did say that we needed to ask for things in his name, but you are the father. Here is something that I think addresses all of it from John 14.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

John 14:12-21

So going back to Jesus, John tells us in these verses from 1 John (back where I started) that one of the things Jesus did was teach us about you. You are light. We cannot be that light on our own. To have fellowship with you, we need to be cleansed. We need what Jesus did. But in my mind, what Jesus did was give us the physical and intellectual pathway to get to you.

Father, surround me with your Holy Spirit. Strengthen me. Help me to repent when I need to repent. Love through me. Help me to forgive as I have been forgiven (which is to say, help me to forgive generously!). Be glorified. Help me to decrease as you increase. Bring your kingdom to earth, and let your will be done on earth. Use me however you will to accomplish your goals.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2020 in 1 John, John

 

Jesus wept.

27 Aug

Jesus wept.
John 11:35

Dear God, sometimes this is the only verse that makes any sense. A friend tragically lost his son this past Sunday and I found out about it last night. When I asked myself what kind of Bible verse would speak to his situation, this is what came to me. There are no words. There is no making sense of it on this side of heaven. Sometimes it’s just a tragic situation and Jesus, you, and the Holy Spirit just weep with us.

Then I thought of this poetic part of the musical Hamilton after they have lost their son. The song is “It’s Quiet Uptown.” Here is the first verse:

There are moments that the words don’t reach
There is suffering too terrible to name
You hold your child as tight as you can
And push away the unimaginable
The moments when you’re in so deep
It feels easier to just swim down

Poetry is amazing at communicating so much emotion and meaning in so few words. And now I’m trying to figure out how to be there for this friend. I don’t think he is a believer, but I’m not sure because it’s actually been well over 10 years since we talked. I don’t want to come in with stupid, empty spiritual jargon. I most especially don’t want to cause any harm. I just want to love and comfort and help him to keep from “just [swimming] down.”

Father, guide me moment to moment in this situation. Comfort my friend. And please make this pain count. Make it count for the murder and his family. Make it count for the victim and his family. Make it count for his classmates, his community, and even our world. Do not let this pain be in vain. Please make it count.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2020 in John

 

John 17:20-21

29 Jul

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:20-21

Dear God, maybe this is just the bargaining stage of mourning.

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Depression
  • Bargaining
  • Acceptance

We have denied the reality of COVID-19. We have been angry about having to quarantine and wear masks. I’m sure some have been depressed. And now there is a group out there that is once again pushing a seemingly false solution to the problem so that we can take a shortcut and get out of this pandemic more quickly. And I mention all of this this morning not to take shots at those that believe this. They are good people. The part that is on my heart is that it is one more thing that Satan (and the earthly powers and principalities) is using to tear us apart. To tear apart our unity. Our country is called the United States of America. Well, there is not much about us right now that is united. This turmoil is awful and it is making me sick to my stomach. One answer would be to just ignore it and focus on me, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve called me to do. I think you’ve called me to go back to Jesus’s simple prayer for us before he died. He prayed that we would be one, as you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one.

Father, first, it starts with me. Help me to love beyond my exasperation. Help me to let things go and just rest in you. Help me let go of my need to be right or what I perceive as reasonable. Help me to just love. Yes, let it start with me. And then I pray for your church. The pastors and the lay leaders: let them be a source of your unity. Make them one. Then let that filter down to your people. Unite us together. I am afraid of what kind of persecution it will take to answer this prayer, Father. I can’t imagine another way for us to unite except through persecution. But whatever you have for me, I submit to it and I accept.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2020 in John

 

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John 17:13-20

17 Jun

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
John 17:13-20

Dear God, thank you for praying this prayer for me. Thank you for having this kind of heart for all of us. I think, today, I am going to pray this for my fellow Christians. The ones in my family, in my church, in my community, and in the world.

Father, help us to all learn from you that we might have a full measure of your joy within us. Give us your word, and help us to receive it and embrace it even if it costs us the approval of the world. Don’t relieve us from the sufferings of this world, but use those sufferings to draw us closer to you and to learn to help our sisters and brothers in their suffering. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil. Sanctify us by helping us to live in your truth. Help us to know truth from lies. Help us to know the voice of the shepherd and to discern when we are hearing Satan instead. Send us into the world so that we might be your ambassadors to others who need you and need to see you in their neighbors. And sanctify us through the power of what Jesus did for us. What you did through sending Jesus for us.

I pray all of this in Jesus’s powerful name–my only hope,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2020 in John

 
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