Isaiah 43:4 My Own Value

"Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. 

Observation:

This is a message to Israel in a time when all hell was breaking lose....literally. In their pride they served both God and man made idols. Now they are being taken off to captivity by Babylon. Everything they have invested is lost, families are split apart and their identity is no longer Israelite, but foreigner. They had placed their hope in the wrong thing, and it has all come crashing down. They are floundering without their identity, and God being who He is, comes to the rescue. He gives them this message of hope through Isaiah. That even in foreign lands, when all seems lost, He will be with them. He reminds them how special they are to Him, that He has set them apart, that He loves them. This encourages them to find their identity in Him and not this world.

Application:

I am on a quest to let others know how valuable they are to God. They are so valuable that God gave His own life in replacement for them. However, so often I struggle with my own value. It is so easy to believe God finds others valuable, but myself, man it is so hard for that to sink in. I very often accept God's love when I feel my performance meets His standards,  but shy away in guilt when I feel like I have fallen short. Yet, when I speak to others on God's love I tell them in all sincerity that God's love for them is not based on performance, He could not love them more or less, He loves them perfectly. As it turns out my quest needs to be tweaked, I want to let all know (I'm including myself), that they are valuable to God. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your abundant patience with me. I am amazed by You!

John 14:16-17, 26 The Spirit

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. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

Observation:

Jesus is going away, He is going to be with the Father. His disciples are understandably troubled. He is not just their teacher, He is their dear friend, and they have given up everything to follow Him. Jesus has compassion on them and encourages them with the promise that another will come. He who comes is the Holy Spirit. He is our advocate; He pleads and intercedes for us. He will lead us into all truth; which means we may not know where each path will lead us, but we can rest assure that it will be truth. He is unrecognizable by the world; the way He works and leads is completely opposite of the world.  The world tries to change us from the outside in, while the Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out. He represents Christ, that means when He is out front, you look like Jesus. He teaches us God's ways and truths, and reminds us of those truths when we need it the most.

Application:

Some churches never teach on the Holy Spirit, while others seem to have an unhealthy obsession with Him, placing Him above the Father and Christ. These two extremes make it very difficult for your average Christian to learn about the Holy Spirit. But the bible steps and begins to unveil the Holy Spirits character in John 14; John 14 helps me get to know a little more about God and how He is equipping me through His Spirit.

My relationship with the Holy Spirit links me to the Father, He is constantly making me look more like Jesus, and He is comforting me when I am troubled and afraid. It is important that I invest and pour into that relationship above all else and I do so by seeking God. Every time I seek God in a His Word, biblical community, and in prayer, I'm fueling the Holy Spirit in me.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for Your Spirit. He is a sign upon me that I am Yours. Thank You for the comfort and truth that He brings me.

John 14:10 Empowered By A Direct Line

The Father has given me all these truths that I have been speaking to you, He empowers all my actions.(the Voice).

Observation:

Phillip and Thomas wanted to know God. Jesus tells them that they have already seen God in Him. That everything Jesus did and said came straight from His/our Father in heaven. His heart was turned and tuned into the Father all the time. Without having Christ in their hearts, I.e. the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they must have been terribly confused and overwhelmed by this statement. 

What Jesus was saying to them was mind blowing because no one had a direct access to God. Priests had to prepare their whole lives to enter the Holy of Holies just once and if their hearts weren't right they would be killed by God. In fact they use to wear bells to enter the temple so that those outside could hear if something had happened to them. So a direct line to God, wow, it must have seemed impossible. But because of Christ it is not.

Application:

The question that I must ask myself is, who empowers my actions? As I look back on this last week there were a few occasions when I was empowered by a little weak and selfish me, and not a Big, Strong, Loving God. Yesterday my heart was so sad to see that ugly truth. I can easily make excuses for it, like "I'm only human". But the truth is I'm more than human, I am infused with the nature and power of Christ. I don't have to ask someone else to talk to God on my behalf, I have a direct line to Him. I can ask for His intervention, His wisdom, comfort, will, and provision.  And I, like Jesus, can live for His glory and not my own. It is the greatest desire of my heart to do this, yet sometimes I still miss connecting and reflecting Him. Today I'm grateful that God is not done with me yet (Philippians 1:6).

Prayer:

Father, there is no one like You. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to connect directly to You. I'm amazed that the God of the universe makes time for me anytime I want. Please forgive me for ignoring and even taking this sweet gift for granted. Like Jesus, I want everything I do to be empowered by You and for Your glory.

John 14:7 To Know Him

If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” 

Observation:

Jesus has spent three years with His disciples. Three years in the trenches, three years of healing and instructing, three years of loving. Yet they still don't know Him. Why? I believe they are still struggling with their own ideas on who Jesus should be, than who He really is. They are still questioning the validity of the Messiah claim, looking for signs of the Old Testament prophecy, but never taking the time to just know Him for who 

He is. They wrapped up Christ's identity in a result and not in a person.

Application: 

I have a vision statement for my life, it is to know Him and be known by Him. The bible is filled with attributes of God's character.  For two years I highlighted and marked each attribute of God that I came across with an A. I learned about what He loves, likes, and hates. I've learned what He does and the way He moves. This continual investigation into the "who" of God has made me able to cast out thoughts that are not of God. It has also made me more aware and obedient of the Holy Spirits prompting. God and I are dance partners, He leads and I follow. The more I dance with Him the more I can sense His next move and follow gracefully.

Prayer:

Father, You are the lover of my soul, the ultimate dance partner. Please continue to reveal Yourself to me. I want to know You, be known by You, and reflect You to others.

John 13:8, 37-38 Humility and Boldness

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me. (John 13:8, 37, 38 NLT)

Observation: 

Peter is probably the most vocal of all the disciples, and he also seems to be the one most sure of himself. More than once Peter has stepped out of his place and put his foot in his mouth. But Peter is also the one who walks on water with Jesus and he is the one who accurately says that Jesus is the Messiah while others are merely guessing. It seems to me that Peter was a risk taker. He would rather fail then never try at all. And fail he does. Peter fails in the most heart wrenching way when he denies Christ three times. But it had to be that way for Peter to learn humility. However, once humility is taught to Peter, Peter will preach the gospel with such boldness, while relying on the Holy Spirit (humility), that from one sermon over 3000 people will give their lives to Christ.

Application:

I've been taught this lesson several times. I've boasted of my strengths only to find them falter when most needed. God is getting me to the point where I boast in God only and not in myself. He is getting me to the point where I rejoice in my weakness because that is where He is going to show off.  He is getting me to the point where I get excited when he asks me to do something that I know is completely out of my comfort zone. I use the word getting, because I'm not there yet, but I can see how far He has taken me and I get excited.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for continuing to teach me humility while still challenging me to be bold in You. My relationship with You is a great adventure and I'm so grateful!

John 13:21 instruction vs. destruction

Jesus was becoming visibly distressed. I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.

Observation:

Jesus knows the heart of Judas, He knew even before Judas was born that he would betray Christ. It never stopped Jesus from loving Judas. Here in chapter 13 we see Jesus washing Judas feet just like he washed all the other disciples. He confirms out loud that He knows there is one among them that will betray Him. I believe He did that for our benefit. It is like He is saying "I know what a child of mine is about to do to me, but I will love and bless him anyway". 

Nevertheless, Jesus is distressed, why? If He already knew Judas would betray Him, why is He distressed? I believe it is because He loves Judas and His heart hurts to see Judas take the path of death. Deuteronomy 30:19 says I set before you life and death; blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that your children may live. God's heart is that all of us would choose life and His heart breaks to see us continually choose death.

Application:

In the same group of scripture Jesus tells us to do what He has done. This command is more significant than just serving others, it is loving others who have and will betray us. 1 John 4:19 says we love because He first loved us. We don't love and serve others because we expect a return from them, we love and serve others because God has and does love and serve us. 

This also means that we can expect heart break. People will disappoint us and choose destruction when abundant life is in their grasp. But be encouraged, not all will choose destruction. There were 12 disciples, only one chose the path of destruction, the other 11 chose the path of instruction. All twelve fled and hid when Jesus was being persecuted; all twelve failed Him. The difference between the 11 and the 1, is that 11 of them had chosen in their heart to be Christ's, so in the failure they were instructed and abundant life grew from that instruction. For the one, however, only death, because his heart was turned toward evil. So don't give up, love anyway, this one could be number 11 not number 12. 

Prayer:

Father, there is so much to be uncovered here it seems almost overwhelming to me. I pray for those You have given me, my husband, my children, others that I walk with on this journey, please turn their hearts toward instruction and help them remain faithful during the times of sifting, so that all of them may have abundant life. Father, I also ask for the perseverance that comes from Your refinement. Help me to press through when loving others is difficult; help me to believe the best when all I see is yuck.

John 13:1 Leave Well

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Observation:

As John looks back and records the events leading up the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he makes some interesting observations about Christ that were not so clear in the moment. Jesus held on to His earthly ministry loosely. It was always about the Father's plan, so when the time came to leave, to suffer, to die, and to live again, He could do so WELL. Jesus had set His mind to honor the Father and love those whom the Father had given Him no matter what. He had set His mind to make every moment count and the only moments that create positive life-changing impact are the ones rooted and grounded in love.

Application:

God gave me this scripture a few years ago as confirmation that it was time for me to leave RiverPoint. I was deeply wounded and worn and I DID NOT WANT TO LET GO! But God helped me from the onset with this scripture, He said to love them to the very end. This command left no room for gossip, slander, divisive conversations, only love. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I remember facing the staff, the worship team, the church, explaining, loving, and blessing them. I received so many hugs, tears, and blessings back. I didn't quite understand the why behind it all, but I knew God's goodness would shine and His purpose would prevail.  Looking back, when I'm now at RiverPoint again, I feel like a completely different person and I'm so grateful for this word. I know that without it I would have infected several others before I left. Moreover, this life application has shown me that I need to set my mind to leave this earth loving those God has given me to the very end. 

Prayer:

Father, I praise You for Your mindfulness of me, how well You love me and nourish me. Without You it would be impossible to love others well. Thank You for the life-lesson I have received through this scripture. Father, please help me to finish well by loving others

John 13:6-8 I Don't Understand

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 

Observation: 

In the time of Peter and the Passover, everyone wore sandals, there was no complete foot covering available. Moreover, everyone had to walk, few had donkeys and even fewer had horses, so the majority had to move around on foot. Compound that with heat and dust, and you get some pretty dirty feet. In addition, they didn't have baths like we we have baths, you had to go down to the river to get clean. So when you would arrive at someone's house for dinner, it was customary that a slave would wash the feet of the visitors. In fact, the slave that washed the feet could not be a Jew, because it was considered beneath their position (even as a slave) to do so. 

No one had washed the disciples feet as they ate the Passover meal. I can't help but wonder if it is because there were only Jews in the room. It never occurred to any of them to take the task on themselves. So imagine their shock when the Supreme Authority in the room humbles himself and begins to do the lowest of all jobs. It is too much for them to reconcile at the time.  It is only when they look back on that incredible moment that they see Christ showing how they and we are supposed to live and love another.

Application:

Many things happened in my life this week that I don't understand. They are emotionally heavy things and I'm finding it difficult to know what God wants me to do with these things. However, I am not anxious, because I know that God will show me in due time. Like this scripture, Jesus has no expectation of them understanding the significance of the moment; Jesus also has no expectation of me understanding the significance of this moment in my life. This is very reassuring to me because I and others expect a reaction from heavy circumstances, but I have none to give, and God is okay with that.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that I can lean on You and not my own understanding. Even in several heavy circumstances this week I know Your goodness is there. I know that when the time comes You will make my path straight. I love You.

John 13:23 I AM THE ONE THAT JESUS LOVES

The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 

Observation:

This is John writing about himself. Throughout the book of John we see John referencing himself as the one that Jesus loved. In our culture we would consider that arrogance. You just don't hear many people referring to themselves as loved by someone else. We feel comfortable expressing love for others, but to boldly label ourselves as loved? It is a foreign concept. Now amplify that as a Christian. Do we walk around referring to ourselves as deeply loved by Jesus? I've never heard a Christian say that. But I wonder how we might change and how the world might change if we did.

Application:

I struggle with a terrible self image. Sometimes the battle in the mind is more intense then others, this morning it was intense. I don't look the way or weigh what I use too. My husband is constantly telling me that I'm beautiful, but it can't quite compare with the continual bombardment going on in my mind. I got frustrated with God this morning, screaming in my mind "Why won't you help me Lord?", "Why won't you help me look better so that I won't have this terrible battle? You know how much this hurts me". As I pressed through and into His word this simple sentence caught me. John saw himself as loved, that was the only label he carried. He didn't carry fat, ugly, stupid, just loved. And truth be told it is the only label that he gave out as well. If you read 1,2,3 John you will see him referencing us as beloved. Oh to truly take off those old labels and put on the only one that matters...I AM THE ONE THAT JESUS LOVES!

Prayer

Father, I'm sorry for getting frustrated. Thank You for breaking through the battle and calming me with Your truth. Please continue to renew my mind so that the only label I carry is the one that tells the world how much You love me and You love them.

John 12:23-25 Sling Shot

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 

Observation

Jesus had to die, crucified, take our sin and shame on the cross, before he could truly glorify the Father. He gives the example of a kernel of wheat having to die before new life can come. The new wheat that comes from the kernel is substantially bigger and more effective then the kernel could ever be on its own.  So it is with us. We have to die, our old self image, our idols, our expectations, our old way of living before new life can come. And we can trust that the new life that comes will be substantially greater than anything we could hope for or imagine.

Application

There is always a next step, but many times the next step is a pull back. God takes us through times where our lives feel like a sling shot....He is pulling us back so that He can shoot us forward. I'm seeing that in one area of my life,and I've seen it for sometime. I have been trying to progress in an area for several years. I have begged God, worked up all the discipline I could muster, tried to change my heart and mind, but not only have I not progressed, it seems like I'm going backwards. My mind tells me that if I tried hard enough I could fix it, if I had a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit's power in me then it would be done, but that line of thinking leads me to discouragement and depression. I can even say "die flesh" and ask God to kill that flesh, but I don't see the change needed. I believe I know why, it is because my heart motive is wrong. I've asked God to change my heart and I believe He is answering me by pulling me back like a sling shot, the farther I'm pulled back the greater I will shoot forward.

Prayer

Father, I praise You because even though it looks like my prayers are changing nothing, and I'm digressing instead of progressing, I don't walk by how things look, I walk by faith and Lord I trust You.  Please continue to have Your way in all areas of my life, I love You.

John 12:26 His Path

Anyone who serves Me must follow My path, anyone who serves Me will want to be where I am, and he will be honored by the Father.

Observation

Jesus is spelling out in no uncertain terms what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is one who serves Christ and you cannot serve Christ unless you follow Him. Well actually it is not just follow Him it is follow His path. There is a path that Christ took on this earth. That path was filled with lots of new relationships, incredible teaching moments, miracles and wonder, and horrific suffering.

Jesus says that we will want this path if we are truly devoted to Him; out of love we will want to be where He is at. Then He closes this verse with a promise. Those found in Him will be honored by the Father in heaven.  

Application

There are times where Jesus is taking me into unknown territory and it is scary. You would think those times would decrease the longer I walk with Christ, but they don't.  Weekly I'm challenged with getting out of my comfort zone and trusting Christ. Sometimes it is even trusting Him with the pain I'm experiencing. It is hard to do, my initial reaction is to run to anything else but Christ at the first sign of discomfort. But Christ is not in those others things and I'm so in love with Him that I want to be where He is at; so I follow. Where He is at there is joy and pain, but His presence calms the storm, helps me breathe through the pain, and walk on water. I've seen incredible things on this path. I've seen miracles in others and in myself. I've seen love so deep that mere words can't describe it, and I've also seen just how ugly sin is and the destruction it causes. But there is no place I would rather be then with Him.

Prayer

Father, it is hard for me to understand why you would honor me, when it is because of Your grace, strength, and love that I'm even walking with Jesus. The truth is, I just want to be where You are at. I'm amazed by You Lord. It has always been and will always be You Lord.

John 12:2 Serving Out Of Love

Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

Observation

In Luke 10:38 Martha is serving Jesus and His disciples, she becomes agitated that Mary is not up helping. Her sister Mary is instead sitting at Christ's feet, listening to His teachings. Jesus tells Martha in Luke that Mary made the better choice. Here in John 12 we have the same scenario, yet there is no complaining. Why? Well perhaps it has to do with the death and resurrection of her brother Lazarus found in chapter 11. Martha may have learned a few valuable lessons through the death and resurrection experience. Lessons like loving others for how God made them and not trying to change them to be like you, or perhaps using the gifts God gave you out of an overflow of love without an expectation of adulation. I believe that through the death and resurrection of Lazarus, Martha was able to see just how much Jesus loved her and how that love was not based on performance; and it changed her. It didn't change her gifts, it changed her heart and the motivation in which she did everything.

Application

I firmly believe that is the love of Jesus that changes us. We can try and try to perform but eventually we will run to the end of ourselves. There is only one water that will never leave you thirsty and the that is the living water of Jesus Christ. I sometimes struggle with getting resentful in serving. God knows how much I complain. I can make excuses on why that is the case, "I'm tired", "I'm empty", "I do so much more than others", all of it is bunk. I sound a lot like Martha in Luke 10. I'm serving out of my own might, trying to perform and I need the love of God to change me. 

Prayer

Father You are so good to hear and answer my prayers. Father, I ask that You change me with Your love. Please rid me of my selfishness. I want to accept and love others just how You have made them and I want everything I do to be from an overflow of You in my life. 

John 12:2 Serving Out Of Love

Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

Observation

In Luke 10:38 Martha is serving Jesus and His disciples, she becomes agitated that Mary is not up helping. Her sister Mary is instead sitting at Christ's feet, listening to His teachings. Jesus tells Martha in Luke that Mary made the better choice. Here in John 12 we have the same scenario, yet there is no complaining. Why? Well perhaps it has to do with the death and resurrection of her brother Lazarus found in chapter 11. Martha may have learned a few valuable lessons through the death and resurrection experience. Lessons like loving others for how God made them and not trying to change them to be like you, or perhaps using the gifts God gave you out of an overflow of love without an expectation of adulation. I believe that through the death and resurrection of Lazarus, Martha was able to see just how much Jesus loved her and how that love was not based on performance; and it changed her. It didn't change her gifts, it changed her heart and the motivation in which she did everything.

Application

I firmly believe that is the love of Jesus that changes us. We can try and try to perform but eventually we will run to the end of ourselves. There is only one water that will never leave you thirsty and the that is the living water of Jesus Christ. I sometimes struggle with getting resentful in serving. God knows how much I complain. I can make excuses on why that is the case, "I'm tired", "I'm empty", "I do so much more than others", all of it is bunk. I sound a lot like Martha in Luke 10. I'm serving out of my own might, trying to perform and I need the love of God to change me. 

Prayer

Father You are so good to hear and answer my prayers. Father, I ask that You change me with Your love. Please rid me of my selfishness. I want to accept and love others just how You have made them and I want everything I do to be from an overflow of You in my life. 

John 12:4-6 Heart Motive

But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people? " Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

Observation

Judas was one of the elite 12 that followed Jesus. He knew the inner workings of Jesus's ministry and was in charge on the money box. Even though he was close to Christ and the Kingdom of God, he still couldn't see God. Judas had an expectation of Jesus and Jesus wasn't meeting that expectation.  Judas was looking for a Lion and Jesus came as a Lamb. Judas wasn't the only one that was disappointed, the religious leaders and others Jews were disappointed also, but Judas was the only one that was in Christ's inner circle that would miss what God was doing in a big way. Yet it was all apart of God's plan, that Jesus would be betrayed by one of His own.

Judas couldn't see the evil that was growing inside of him. He knew how to manipulate things to make himself look good, like he cared, like he fit. When John is writing this book later he can see the signs as he is looking back. I wonder if any of the disciples had an inkling of what was going on in Judas's heart before he betrayed Jesus?

Application

We all tend to look at our motives in benign ways. But Christ demands more, He asks us to surrender our hearts to Him and so that He can reveal and heal the ugly inside. It is tough to do. When we behave badly we blame it on others or circumstances, but when others behave badly we have no problem labeling it a character issue. The challenge is to pull the plank out of our eye before we pull the splinter out of someone else's. That is my challenge. I recognize that the flaws I see in others are many times the flaws that God is trying to address in me. I hope I never get to a place where I think God has nothing to work on in me.

Prayer

Father, I ask you to search my heart and reveal my hidden faults, cleanse me and lead me in Your path of righteousness.Search My Heart

How to keep the spark alive

My relationship with God is very much like my marriage. There are times where the romance is high and I think my heart couldn't possibly hold any more love and then there are times where I get stuck in the routine of it all and I miss all the fireworks. It's the normal ebb and flow of any relationship.

Lately I've been in spiritual rut. I talk to God daily, but the excitement to learn and teach just doesn't seem there. This isn't the first time I've been here and surely won't be the last. So as you can see I haven't posted and SOAP studies lately, but I have mixed things up in order to take myself a little deeper into Christ.

See, when we hit that tough patch of ground we have a choice to give up and drift away or press through and go deeper. So here is what I do to mix it up and press through:

1. I listen to podcasts. There are sermons online by some incredible teachers. Some of the ones that I listen to are LifeChurch/Craig Roschelle, Elevation Church/Steven Furtick, Joyce Meyer, Mars Hill/ Mark Driscoll, and Redeemer Church/Timothy Keller.
- it is always refreshing to hear a new perspective on the word.

2. I have memory scripture that I look at multiple times in a week. I will usually pray these scriptures as I review them. It is a great way to set my mind right.

3. I have my favorite scripture recorded on audio by my husband. Sometimes I take a walk and just listen to him read the word over me.

4. I read Christian Fantasy Fiction. Weird I know, but I love when creativity and fantasy meet. The are some great authors who a fantastic job of describing Christ and helping you see Him in a different way.

5. I talk with friends that I know love Jesus and love talking about Him. I'm so grateful for these friendships because they spur me on in my relationship with Jesus.

It doesn't matter so much how you pursue Christ, but that you do pursue Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. I know that promise is true. So for those few that read this blog, let me encourage you that if you get stagnant in your relationship with Christ, mix it up and try some different things, but don't give up pursuing Him.

John 11:25 I AM

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 

Observation:

It is always significant to me when God makes an "I Am" statement. He said these words first in Exodus 3:14 "I AM WHO I AM". When I first read these words long ago, I sat there waiting for God to finish the sentence. What does I AM WHO I AM really even mean. I think for me God adds to that statement throughout the rest of the bible and so I consider His I AM statements treasures. In fact, just a chapter back in John 10, He say's I AM the Good Shepherd. 

These words had significant meaning to Martha in whom they were spoken too. Martha's brother Lazarus had been dead for four days. A Jewish superstition at the time was that the spirit of a man lingered around his dead body for three days, so four days was a day too long for Jesus to raise Lazarus. When Jesus tells Martha that He is the resurrection and the life, He is saying there is no limit to the life He can bring to someone. He is not bound by our superstitions, our expectations, or our knowledge. He is God and will do as He chooses.

Application

"I am the resurrection" and the life means to me that, bringing life is not something that I can do on my own. It goes back to a relationship with Christ based on works versus one based on grace. But the life He is talking about is not just eternal life in heaven, but a new life right here and now. I could not make myself kind, gentle, faithful, and loving. Everything I could do was temporary performance, and I always failed. But He gave me new life, and He is the one who sustains that spiritual life everyday.

Jesus is also enlightening me on His authority. The Jews wanted a king to free them from their Oppressors, but God wanted to give them something even better, eternal life. Many times I would like to settle for what I think is best for me, but God always has something better if I am willing to submit myself to God and wait for Him.

Prayer:

Father, You are the Good Shepherd, You are the Resurrection and the Life, You are the Way. I am so grateful for who You are.

John 10:3-5 Fan or Follower

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 

Observation:

I usually think of the passage of Jesus proclaiming Himself the Good Shepherd as a comforting one.  I harken back to psalm 23, where the Shepherd's rod and staff comfort the sheep. Or how about the protection that anointing sheep provided? The origin of anointing was from a practice of shepherds. Lice and other insects would often get into the wool of sheep, and when they got near the sheep's head, they could burrow into the sheep's ears and kill the sheep. So, ancient shepherds poured oil on the sheep's head. This made the wool slippery, making it impossible for insects to get near the sheep's ears because the insects would slide off. Yes, thinking of the Shepherd and His flock has always brought me comfort.

But I think Jesus is actually challenging you and I in this scripture. He is saying that we should know His voice and follow Him. During Jesus's three years of ministry on Earth He had many people show up applaud or boo, receive healing, food, etc. then leave to their homes the next day, never choosing to follow Him. In fact there is a point when Jesus has many disciples, but most leave Him because His teaching is too tough. Jesus is challenging us to be more than fans, but followers, His own that know His voice and follow Him into abundant life.

Observation

How can I follow Him if I don't even know His voice? There is a constant pressing in, a seeking that has to happen in my own life. If not, then I can be tossed about by any teaching. This is important to me for two reasons. One, I have listened and observed false teaching. Although I don't believe the motive of the teacher was malicious, it still burdened me with the yolk of religion and I had to walk the road of recovery. The second reason is, that I made a choice several years ago to be more than a fan. I want an extreme relationship with Christ. I confess that choice has brought discomfort at times. I'm sure the disciples felt that way as Jesus challenged the religious leaders. But Christ will accept nothing less and because I love Him, I don't want to bring Him anything less. 

Prayer

Father, I live in a world where being just a fan of You is enough. But I know You want all of me, and Lord I want to give You all of me. Please continue to be my Good Shepherd and lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name sake.