04/18/18 - John 10

April 18, 20178– John 10

Jesus: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Jesus knows that obedience only comes out of a personal relationship with Him as our master & friend.

One of the simplest games to teach a child is Follow the Leader.  It is a great learning tool for kids, and one that can help them learn other behaviors in a fun way.  It is also a game that teaches us how to behave in every walk of life for the rest of our days.  People must learn how to play Follow the Leader in school, work, family, sports, and every other area of life.  (So learn how to play at a young age!)

There are many things you can do in playing the game, but one key element MUST be there for it to work:  Trust.  If the follower doesn’t trust the leader, there’s not much following going on.  The only way to get a follower to mimic an untrusted leader is by force, manipulation or delegation.  Trust is PARAMOUNT to following.

That’s also why Trust is the most important asset in our personal relationships.  Breaking someone’s trust is the fastest way to kill a relationship, and the hardest thing to recover from.  Grow trust, and a marriage or friendship can go far.  Break it, and you find yourself doing looping around the clover leaf along the freeways of life.

Jesus came to earth with a gigantic problem.  All of the human race was destined for hell, and the only person who knew the roadmap to heaven was Jesus Himself.  But people didn’t know Jesus.  So Jesus taught them how to play Follow the Leader.  He would grow trust by performing a miracle, then teach them some practical lessons.  Then Jesus would heal people, and teach some more.  He would feed people and teach, walk on water and teach, cast out demons and teach some more.  All along the way Jesus was building up trust in His Word and letting people learn His voice, so that when the time came to follow, they would be ready to play the game.  And after the cross, when people thought they had lost all ability to trust, Jesus came back from the dead, permanently establishing His trustworthiness, so that all who will play Follow the Leader can join in the game.  Now the gigantic problem was solved.  His trust was proven, we know His voice, it’s simply up to us whether we want to follow.

Many people tell me they don’t know the voice of Jesus.  But that’s not because Jesus is silent, it’s just that we are not tuning into His Word, listening in prayer, seeking His truth.  Do you want to hear the Guide speak to you?  Then get a mentor that can help you learn how to Listen to His Voice speaking to you through Scriptures.  We NEED to learn how to listen for Him, because Jesus is the only one who has the GPS that can guide us to Eternal Life.

Follow the Leader is a simple game to learn, but not a childish game.  It is one we need to master if we want to navigate this life well, and certainly one we need to travel the path to Eternity.  Maybe it’s time to go back to that simple game again and play it with Jesus.  Wanna play?

04/17/18 - John 9

April 17, 2018 – John 9

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”  John 9:3

Circumstances are a consequence of our decisions, effect of others decisions, or God's opportunity for making His own decision.

Fairness is somehow an expectation of life, even though we know that life never ends up being fair.  For instance, why is it fair that many of us were born in the richness of the United States, while others are born in much poorer nations?  Why is it fair that some people have great physiques and others struggle with their body size?  Why is it fair that a child can be abused but evil people can be protected? 

Jesus was asked by the disciples one day what was the fairness behind a crippled person’s predicament.  If people were born with a defect, it was assumed that their parents sinned or they sinned (somehow in the womb), or they were going to sin, and God was punishing them with a consequence.   The fact is that most of the time we associate consequences with somebody’s wrongdoing.  Otherwise --- it wouldn’t be fair! 

Jesus never associated circumstances with fairness.  He associated them with possibilities.  Every circumstance, good or bad, has the potential to be used by God for a greater purpose.  If you have been given a blessing or shown favor, you have the chance to use that blessing to support God’s Kingdom.  If you have been given a challenge or faced a trial, it is an opportunity to lean on God or be trained by God.  Jesus answered the disciple’s questions by changing the paradigm.   Yes – sometimes our own sin causes consequences.  Sometimes the sin of others affects our circumstances.  But circumstances are not about punishment or fairness, they are about purpose.  God uses EVERY circumstance to create an opportunity for His Glory to shine.

Now that may not be helpful initially to the crippled boy and his family, but it can give them courage to face tomorrow.  It may not help the grieving couple who lost a pregnancy, but can give them hope to try again.  It may not delight those who have lost a job, faced a divorce, struggled with a rebellious child, or been abused by someone at the time, but it can be a reminder that God is not done with us yet.  God excels in working His power THROUGH our circumstances, not just helping us avoid circumstances. 

Consider that young man for a moment.  His years of struggle were used by Jesus to show the world that the Savior had arrived.  They not only witnessed a miracle, they experienced one, and they met the Savior Himself.  All of those years of difficulty were solved in one shining moment of God’s Glory.

Our trials will end the same way – it may happen in this life, or at the end of life on earth, but all those circumstances will be used to bring God Glory.  In the mean time, ask God to use our circumstances to bring Himself Glory.  You may just find yourself the subject of a miracle.

04/16/18 - John 8

April 16, 2018 – John 8

Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Real Christians are those who obey Jesus' words---and by doing so discover His Truth.

There’s an old saying:  those who Can, Do … and those who Can’t, Teach.  That may or may not be true (it depends on the teacher), but one things is for certain:  Those who Do, Know!  By doing something, you know it far better than simply by being informed.  Truth is not discovered by hearing information, but by learning it through application.

Jesus wasn’t looking for people who wanted to know about His ways.  Jesus was looking for people who wanted to follow & obey His ways.  That’s not because Jesus wanted to be in charge.  It’s because Jesus wanted people to really KNOW the Truth.  And you can’t truly know something’s true without doing it, obeying it, experiencing it.  Truth must be experienced to be fully known.

That’s why Jesus also said: “If you love me, you will obey my commands.”  People who want to know are those who follow the teacher’s instructions.  Obedience isn’t about making God happy with us, it’s about knowing Him and learning His ways.  And Jesus promises that when we obey, we’ll not only know the Truth, but it will free us from all the baggage of sin and disappointment.  No longer will we wonder about other options to God’s commands, we will KNOW His way, and develop the memory muscle to do it that way.

So it begs the question: what are we avoiding in our obedience?  Is there something we have been taught from God that we haven’t tried yet?  Is there something God says is sin in the Bible that we haven’t given up yet?  What disobedience are we still holding on to?  Make a 90 day experiment – obey what God says to do (or to believe), and watch what happens.  You may just discover what Jesus is talking about here – by holding to His teaching, you’ll discover its Truth, and find great freedom!

I’m thinking of changing that old saying to something a bit different:  Those who Do, Know … and those who Know, are Free!   Sounds a little like Truth.

04/13/18 - John 7

April 13, 2018 – John 7

Jesus: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:37-38

The craving of the soul is not satisfied by temporary pleasures but by the eternal filling of Jesus.

California is experiencing a drought this year due to a lack of rain/snow.  It happens periodically, due to rain patterns and seasonal changes, but this drought is severe enough already that water restrictions are being applied in some areas, and farmers are already being cut back.  That leads to fallow fields, dead lawns, higher crop prices, and much more.  An already thirsty valley is parched and desperate for water.

What is interesting is that only a couple of years ago, the water supply ran a huge surplus.  There was water for everything, and no worries about dry fields or dead lawns.  We had a banner year – but last year’s water supply doesn’t mean much this year.  No matter how much water we get this year, we will still need the same supply next year.  The valley is never satisfied!

People aren’t much better than valleys when it comes to being satisfied.  Everything in this life needs replenished.  While we can live off the overflow for a little while, sooner or later we need a fresh supply to keep going.

Jesus said eternal things don’t work that way.  When you get hold of something eternal, it keeps resupplying your life.  Take forgiveness as an example.  You can water the dryness of guilt away every time by the forgiveness you have in Jesus.  Or how about grace.  Once we accept it, the river seems to keep flowing every day.  Or how about mercy.  Discovering God’s mercy is like the sun coming up every morning – it’s there even when the clouds try to hide it from us. 

Rivers typically start from one of two sources:  either runoff from rain, or pressure from a spring.   Jesus says that temporary things are like rivers from rain, you’ll never have enough to last; but permanent things are like springs underground, it just keeps coming up no matter how much it rains.  Eternal things don’t come from outside sources, they are freshly supplied by the Holy Spirit from within.

Don’t keep chasing things that are never finished.  Spend your life looking for the springs.  Then you will have the endless supply of life-giving water to live on.  And that’s much better than hoping it will rain.

04/12/18 - John 6

April 12, 2018 – John 6

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27

Put our effort into the things that last forever---serving the Kingdom, reaching people, knowing Jesus, giving to needs, loving God.

One Christmas, Santa brought us a family gift that we really needed – a treadmill.  Both Dianna and I wanted to get in better shape, and our daughter Heather just thought it was ‘fun’.  So when we had a break in activities, I figured I would try it out with a short run before guests arrived.  I started off slow, and increased the speed to race as fast I as I could without falling off.   Well … the run was VERY SHORT.  It didn’t take long to discover how out of shape I really was!  Apparently, my endurance wasn’t as high as my opinion!!!  The next day, I started off much slower, and worked on running for 10 minutes, then 20, then 30, and on and on until I could easily run for an hour.  It took a while to grow my endurance.

Eternal things in life are much like getting in better shape – they both take endurance.  To gain eternal things, you must grow little by little.  Endurance doesn’t happen quickly.  It starts by putting effort in little things that grow to become strong behaviors --- things like serving God, reading Scripture, praying regularly, giving to needs, inviting people, going to worship.  By themselves, it may seem that they are doing very little to help, but when added together, they build up to a strong spiritual life.

Unfortunately, worldly things seem much more rewarding initially.  Recreation seems more beneficial than worship, accumulating seems more enjoyable than giving, knowing current issues seems more valuable than knowing Scripture.  But taken over time, things of the world never add up.  They simply take up time without gaining ground.  In a sense, they spoil – because you always have to refresh them to keep up with where you are at.

Eternal things always grow stronger.  They build on each other to make you better.  Much like a consistent workout routine strengthens the body, spiritual exercise strengthens the soul.  You may not see it happening, but an enduring life is being developed.

After improving endurance on that treadmill, it wasn’t long before the treadmill was of little value to me.  Soon (when spring arrived), I moved outside and started running miles instead of minutes.  Several months later, I ran my first 10K race, then later a half-marathon, and down the road, a full marathon.  It’s amazing how endurance can grow from those miserable first minutes on the treadmill!   All by simply putting daily effort into little things.

Start today putting “treadmill time” into your spiritual walk.  Add a few minutes, put in a new practice, grow your spiritual endurance – and see how God grows your spirit (and your life!).

04/11/18 - John 5

April 11, 2018 – John 5

Jesus said to the healed man, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." John 5:14

Don't leverage God’s blessing for our own desires, honor His salvation by living for God’s desires.

What a great story from Jesus about the true nature of healing, forgiveness & purpose.  A man lays paralyzed for 38 years, looking to be healed in this miraculous water pool, or at least gain a day’s wages by begging.  He is so used to his condition that being healed is no longer the first priority.  Instead, it’s just getting the daily help he needs.  Jesus approaches him and asks a powerful question:  Do you REALLY want to be healed?

Many people want to be fixed, but may not necessarily want to be healed.  That seems contradictory, but is often true.  It’s the person who wants the raise without wanting more responsibility.  It’s the person who wishes they could be healthier while they eat fatty foods.  It’s the one who wants the relationship to be better without humbling themselves to change.  So many want the fix, but not the cure.  In this story, the man is given the cure by Jesus, not just the fix.  And instead of returning to find Jesus to show his gratitude, this man goes off and celebrates his recovery.

But that’s not the end of the story.  Later, after being questioned by the Jews, he runs into Jesus.  So Jesus has to find him.  When they connect, Jesus says something even more powerful:  Stop Sinning or something worse may happen.  WOW!  What could be worse than laying around paralyzed for 38 years, begging for your existence every day?  What could be worse than living most of your life useless, poor, unable to do much of anything?  The answer: A life without the One who healed you.

Not only do people want the fix without the healing.  They want the blessing without the responsibility.  Jesus warns us that receiving His blessing and healing comes with a responsibility as well… to live for the one who has saved you.  When we receive blessing for God, it’s not to be used selfishly for our own desires, it’s to be used for honoring God’s desires.  Using it for ourselves rejects our relationship with God.  Using it for God builds upon our relationship with Him.  When God heals us from our past, don’t use it to increase your ability to sin, use it to increase your ability to serve Him.

All of us have been blessed beyond measure.  We have been given life, invested with abilities, grown with skillsets, surrounded with opportunities.  Don’t waste them pursuing the fix, use them to pursue the Fixer.  If God has healed you from a past sin, or granted mercy from the consequences, show your gratitude by serving Him daily.  Let your life be an example of what true healing looks like.   Don’t Sin, and make it worse.  Chances are, you’ll need the Healer again!

04/10/18 - John 4

April 10, 2018 – John 4

Jesus said: "Yet a time is has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23

God builds a relationship with people who serve His Kingdom and Believe His Word.

Whether you are a parent or not, you’ve probably experienced a time when a child is being dramatic to gain attention from their parent.  Whether in a store or fast food restaurant, the child will want something, and be pestering their parent to get it.  The demand for attention may even lead them to hysterics, with tears, yelling, crying, and angry outbursts.  In that moment, the wise parent doesn’t react dramatically, but allows the child to calm down, and maintains care while not coming under the child’s demands.  No matter what the child does to demand it, there is not much relationship happening until they calm down and the parent initiates it.

If Jesus made one thing clear, it was that we only enter heaven by having a relationship with God.  The only way to heaven is through a relationship.  It’s not based on how good of a person we are, nor the sins we didn’t commit, nor the good works we do for the Church or for people.  It’s only through knowing Jesus that we enter heaven.

But here’s the problem, and it may shock you, but you are not able to build a relationship with God. 

That’s right.  We need a relationship, but we can’t build it.  We can’t pray enough, read the Bible enough, pursue His ways enough, obey enough.  All of those are good things to do when having a relationship with God, but don’t create a relationship with God.  

Jesus said there is only one way to create a relationship with God: believe in Him, worship Him, and open our lives up to Him.  Then, God CHOOSES to seek a relationship with US.  He shows up and starts the relationship: in a moment during a worship service, at our bedside when we’re crying out in prayer, in that split second we decide to skip what our friends are doing and do what God would like.  In those moments, we worship God, and God shows up!  He initiates the relationship, and we then choose whether to accept Him or not.

There are moments when you will sense God’s Presence.  You will feel a burden to stop and help a stranded passenger.  You will be prompted to make a decision in a worship service.  A person you need to talk with will come to your mind.  Something will impact you in ways it never has before.  That’s God pursuing a relationship with you.  Don’t blow it off too quickly.  Worship & Obey, and it will engage you in relationship with Jesus.  Then see how God uses it to expand your faith and impact your life.

Listen to Jesus’ words in John 4, God is seeking a relationship with those who calm down, worship Him, trust in His Word, obey Him as best they know, and serve His Kingdom.  Those things don’t dictate a relationship with God, but they open us up to receiving a relationship FROM God!  So open yourself up today.  Be ready and start doing the things to open yourself to it, and when He shows up, respond!