A Wonderful Door

In olden times the main key to protection in a house was the door. Barring the door was always the first defense when threatened. In our reading today (John 10:1-18)  Jesus says, "I am the door". He then goes on to say that by going through this Door you will find safety, freedom (can go in and out), and provision (find pasture).

Remember our Door is wonderfully strong, wise, and loving. His love was forever demonstrated when He allowed Himself to be ripped up and pinned to wood so that we could go through. He was pierced to the heart so that we could enter into His heart. There are so many features of this wonderful Door. But He is our way to life abundant and eternal so we are forever grateful.

Now I See!

Wow, look at the transformation of our blind man! At the beginning of Chapter 9, he started out as a disinterested "object lesson" on who sinned. But in today's reading (John 9:18-47), he becomes a courageous seeker, teasing the Jewish leaders (verse 27 and 30), getting put out of the synagogue (what his parents feared), and finally saying to Jesus, "Lord I believe".

What a difference being healed can make! It is noteworthy that after the now bright-eyed with sight man confessed to Jesus that he believed in the Son of Man, "he worshiped Him". We can hope that he kept doing that and telling his good news for the rest of his life.

Oh, that we would all have our friend's kind of sight. If only we can just have the same testimony, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" God has surely opened our self obscured eyes to see His love and light. Praise His Name.

I See!

I have a new appreciation for sight. There is nothing like the threat of losing something to paint a whole new opportunity for gratefulness. In our reading today (John 9:1-17), Jesus"saw a man blind from birth". The disciples missed seeing him with the same love and compassion because they were just casually discussing who had sinned - the man or his parents.

Can you see the next event? As Jesus said,  "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world," he made spit and dirt into mud and put it on the man's eyes. It sounds yucky to me, but to a desperate blind man it gave enough hope to find the pool and wash. He "came back seeing". That means his eyes and his brain were instantly healed so that even the process worked. As Jesus predicted, it all happened "so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

I am struck by our Lord using spit to heal this time when later (Matthew 26:67) He received the unthinkable spit and slaps in the face from the religious leaders as He was bringing about our opportunity for healing and forgiveness. How great is our God!

Hearing Clearly?

We serve a Great God who has such good news for us. In the reading today (John 8:39-59), the people just were not hearing it. Jesus said, "Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say." The only language that they evidently understood was the devil's dialect,"Lies". ("When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.")

It is so clear how important it is to surround ourselves with truth and good news so that any other language sounds foreign. As truth and good news becomes our native language, it is evident that we are in God's family, and we have the capacity to hear our Father clearly.

Lord, help us to know You and delight in hearing You.

Giving God Pleasure?

There is a little phrase in our reading today (John 8:21-38) that just thrills me. Jesus says,"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." Can you get over the fact that we can actually give our Precious Lord pleasure and please Him? It just bowls me over!

In the Message this verse says,"The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn't abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him." It sure gives me joy to think that my actions can give delight to the Lover of my soul. I'm thinking of the Bridegroom just delighting in having His bride by His side as they partner together in Kingdom work.

How beautiful and humble is our God. It's amazing grace that we give Him pleasure.

Neither Do I Condemn You

What a drama is in our reading today (John 7:53-8:20)!  The Pharisee "police" have caught a woman in adultery "in the very act". Can you imagine that scene? It is early and they burst into the temple-teaching Jesus has started, shove her in front, to see if He would go along with the law to stone her. He responds by bending over and writing on the ground. I would love to have seen this.

Finally, things have diffused so people can hear when He says, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." That is enough to make even the religious "police" think twice. So they all retreat (oldest first). Then He who was without sin says to her, "Then neither do I condemn you."

It seems that it is hard for me to get it through my judgmental head that Jesus came to set His people free. I've been trying to pound it in by remembering Romans 8:1 ("Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,").

Lord, help us remember this especially when we are tempted to condemn ourselves. Let conviction lead us into Your arms.

Flood of Grace

We get to listen to our Lord speaking Life in our reading today (John 7:32-52). To explain why they had not arrested Him, the officers for the chief priests and Pharisees said, "No one ever spoke the way this man does."

Yes, it is on the final day and climax of the feast that Jesus makes His stand and cries out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (The Message). Wow!  We are not talking a stream of grace. We are not talking a mighty river of grace. We are talking rivers of this living water (the Spirit who was about to be given). God is into abundance and multiplication. An alternate reading of verse 37 says, "let him keep coming to Me and let him keep drinking." As we keep absorbing His love and truth, He pours out a flood of life by His Spirit to others (Isaiah 58:11, 55:1-2, {44:3-5 - about our children! }).

So let's not be like the Pharisees who were careful to believe what the "others" were believing. Let's come to Jesus, believe His truth and become an unstoppable flood of God's grace to others.

What do You Know?

My, how I have have needed that verse right in the middle of our reading today (John 7:10-31). Check it out - that pivotal verse 24.

But what got me thinking was the people's comment in verse 27.  "But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from."  How often does what we think we know get in the way of us receiving truth? Here they were seeing the rulers cower before Jesus as He speaks openly instead of seizing him to kill Him. They do begin to wonder if Jesus might actually be the Christ. But no. "We know ......"

Lord, forgive us for our "know it all " attitude". Make us humble seekers of You and Your truth.

Gonna Show Off?

Evidently having a perfect but "weird" sounding big brother had really gotten to Jesus' brothers by the time of today's events (John 60-7:9). Maybe they had noticed that things had sort of gone sour for Jesus as many disciples had withdrawn and even the 12 had been questioned. And now the Jews were outwardly seeking to kill Jesus if He set foot in Judea.

So evidently the brothers think it is time to get in their dig. "Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he's seeking public recognition. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." Can you believe the ridicule and spite from His own family? "For not even His brothers believed in Him." What hurts more than rejection from those you know and have lived with all your life?
And He walked through even this part of the pain for me and you! How we love you, Jesus.
Love,

Ouida

P.S. Thankfully we know some of the "rest of the story". After the Resurrection Jesus appeared to His most likely closest brother, James (I Corinthians 15:7). James had a radical change of heart, became a pillar in the new church, a leader of the council of Jerusalem, wrote the powerful book of James, and became a covenant friend of his Big Brother.  I love stories with good endings!

Hungry Today?

In our reading today (John 6:41-59), there are eight verses that speak about eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood. It must be important. In fact He says it is the only way to really live forever. But misunderstanding this concept caused many of Jesus' disciples (much less the Jewish leaders) to withdraw.

So what is it?  It surely must be something you are very very hungry for - to actually eat the Lord's flesh and drink His blood. It also reminds me that Jesus was really really human. He was not so much God that you can brush the wonder of His life aside and say, "Oh well, He was God". In fact he wanted us to remember His humanness so much that the nail marks remain on His resurrected body.

The Amplified Version explains eating His flesh and drinking His blood as to "appropriate His life and the saving merit of His blood". It sounds like feeding on His life and being forgiven by His blood is the daily diet that a fully alive person is desperately and consistently hungry for.

Lord make us hungry today.

Got More Bread?

I saw another revealing sentence toward the beginning of today's reading (John 6:22-40). "Very truly (emphasis His) I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."

I got to wondering how much I seek God because of wanting provision or help as opposed to just seeking His presence or how I can help others. You see the first motivation (even though He uses it to get our attention) is rather self focused.

The next verse explains further. ^"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you". He goes on to explain that this work that we should do is to believe in Him. So believing or trusting in or relying on or cleaving to or having faith in Jesus is the real key to satisfaction. It is not more bread. I kept noticing with our family that many abundant tasty meals (I my opinion) were soon consumed, and you just ended back at square one.

Lord help us to get our satisfaction from believing You whether we have more bread (all the provision we want ) or not.   

It is I.

I'm thinking that Jesus' friends were beginning to get a little edgy in our reading today (John 6:1-21). They had just had this wonder-full picnic where Jesus had amazingly satisfied over 5,000 people with food. But it was time to go back to the other side of the lake, and He had not showed up. So they got in the boat and started rowing and noticed, " A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough".

These are quite experienced fishermen who are struggling three or four miles in the dark and all of a sudden see someone walking close by on the water. Whoa! One of our storybooks said, "They were stiff with fear."

Then they hear, "It is I; don't be afraid."  It is evident they recognized the voice because "they were willing to take Him into the boat".

How often do we hear that quiet voice in a scary situation. "It is I; don't be afraid."  Do we take him "into our boat"?  Do we recognize, start to believe, have a little hope, and maybe even thank Him for showing up. Let's remember that we come into His presence with praise. It might make the trip so much better that it seems like "immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading".

Where's the Life?

I can almost hear our Lord pleading with the religious leaders in today's passage (John 5:30-47). He told them, "but I say these things so that you may be saved".

So what is the problem? It shows up right in the middle of the reading. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life."

Wow!  Here they are with the Lord of the Universe standing physically right in front of them and they can't really see Him.  They can't see that He is the treasure, the source of Life that they have long been searching for. They have stopped short in their search and settled for the Scriptures.

Our Precious Lord wants us to come all the way to Him. He wants us to relate personally, one on one, to Him. That is the way with Love.

Let us ask Him today to be our Lord and our Lover. We will then find that real, satisfying, "what we've always longed for" life.

Focus on the Father

A most fascinating sentence is in our reading today (John 5:18-29).  '"Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly,(emphasis His) I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner (even in the same way).' "

This word looks like the key to Jesus' power, love, authority, and amazing life. His submission sure was evident in the Garden. Down in verse thirty, Jesus says that "I can so nothing on My own initiative". He repeats that perspective in John 8: 28, 12:49 and 14:10. I think He wants us to get the point.

In this "land of the self-made man", we need to carefully consider what does this word means. How can I keep my focus on the Father, keep watching for what He is doing and how He wants me involved? 

Lord, give us eyes to see You and grace to be about Your business.

Walking Faith

Jesus seems amazed in the reading today (John 4:46-5:17) that the people will not believe unless they are "dazzled by a miracle" (The Message). He performs a good one for the court official's son and his whole house believes. But what about the lame man who after suffering 38 years had about lost hope of ever getting in that pool to get well. Maybe Jesus was testing his faith by asking, "Do you want to get well?"

However the guy does not answer but starts giving excuses as to why it has not happened. (Sounds like us?) So Jesus just throws out the true test. Yes, the true test is, "Will you do what I ask". In this case,"Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."  Thankfully this man has faith to get up and walk, even though the religious leaders will not like him carrying that mat.

I'm thinking faith to walk out what He is telling us to do is pretty important. Who knows what healing may come about.

My Daily Bread

Wow, did you notice in the reading today (John 4:27-45) that Jesus was shocking His disciples by "talking with a woman". Don't you love Him and His undeterred  love.

And the wonderful things He says!  In verse 34 He tells the disciples, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish His work." That seems to be true satisfaction. And the result of doing the Father's will is bringing in the ripe harvest that is all around us - "a crop for eternal life".


The wonderful thing is that even an adulterous outcast like this woman can have an amazing harvest; "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did'." And when this excited group asked the Lord of Lords to stay with them, He did so for two more days. The result -"And because of his words many more became believers."

Getting our satisfaction from doing and finishing God's will can have results better than we can ever dream of. Thank you Lord.

Jumping Water

Don't you love the reading today (John 4:7-26), where Jesus in one conversation turns around the life of the "woman at the well". One part that I like is where Jesus says that He would have given her living water if she had asked.

So what is living water? He says it is the kind that satisfies so that you don't thirst again. Later in John 7:38-39 it becomes even clearer as Jesus says, " 'Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive."

But the verse that is so exciting is in Revelation 7:17.
"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water."

In the Greek these springs are gushing fountains or jumping water. Can you imagine having rivers of this excited jumping Spirit filled water flowing from you to others? That is bound to be good new

The Joy Thief

Oops. In our reading (John 3:22-4:6) John's disciples are doing the same thing I did the other day. Comparing. They are miffed because that Jesus that John had talked about "is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

John tries to set them straight and reminds them that, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.^" Each person has his own job in the kingdom and John definitely did not have the function of Christ but had been sent ahead to prepare for Jesus' coming. The confirmation that John's perspective works is in verse twenty nine. He speaks about Jesus being the Bridegroom (of God's people) and as a friend of the Bridegroom he "is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."

Sadly John's frustrated disciples have lost their joy. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I have needed to remember that so often that I printed it on a big sign that is up in our office.

Lord, help us be content in the place that you have us today. May we even be grateful and keep our jo

Flying High

I'm thinking Jesus gets really radical in our reading today (John 3:1-21). Nicodemus is trying to be safe coming at night to get some answers. But Jesus stirs things up saying that he must be "born again". That was news to him but not to us. We hear it a lot.

What looked radical to me was verse five: "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." We are kind of used to the idea of being born of water like through baptism. We certainly do want our sins washed away and the freedom that comes. But He says this being born of the Spirit is like the wind. "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."  We are talking unlimited, uncontrollable power that you can't really understand or explain. It seems to me that we are to be like a kite flying freely on the wind of the Spirit but grounded and held securely by the Father's strong cord. Personally I'm thinking the higher the better. I know of no more beautiful sight than the one I have seen flying high above sun - lit  clouds.

Lord help us to take that kite leap into the wind of Your Spirit knowing that you hold our cord securely.

A Place of Business or Prayer?

In today's reading (John 2) there are four verses proclaiming Jesus' passion for His Father's house. As He drove out with a scourge the sellers, poured out the money, and shooed out the animals, He cried, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." He cleaned out the temple again on His last visit to Jerusalem proclaiming, "It is written, 'And My house shall be a house of prayer,'"(Luke 19:45-47).

This all reminds me that we are the house or temple of God the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:18-20). As I get busy in all the things I need to do today, what do I become? A place of business or a house of prayer.

Thank you Lord for our opportunities to pray for each other and all our need to communicate with You. Make us houses of prayer.

What do You Want?

In the reading today (Luke 1:29-51), Jesus is finding the men who will be His friends and key disciples in spreading the Good News. When he noticed the first two following Him, He asked them an crucial question. "What do you want?" Their answer was indicative of where their heart was. They did not ask to see some proof of who He was, or for help with some of their problems, they just asked,
"Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" They just wanted to be with Him.

What a lesson we can learn from them. I often have so many questions and requests for help etc. etc. Can I just be content to be in His presence, to watch and to learn, to delight in His nearness (and hate any sin that separates us).

Lord make me more content and grateful just to have You in my life.

New in This Neighborhood?

We get to start a most beautiful and profound word today (John 1:1-28). It seems, though, that sometimes in the grand verse its easy to lose the personal message. John starts out speaking of Jesus, who was so intimately involved and delighting in every detail of creation - including me, that He wanted me and you to know it and Him. So powerful is His love that even though He would be ignored by the world and rejected by His race, He still came and "dwelt among us" or moved into the neighborhood. He still became flesh and blood and muscle and bone and heart and walked out a life of love that would last. Then He made sure by the power of the Spirit that I would find out.

Thank you Lord for coming to this neighborhood and all You have done so that I would know. I love You.