For Him ... or Against Him (John 7:25-31)

Today's scripture: John 7:25-31

Centuries ago, Solomon wrote, "... there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). And is that ever true ...

In Jesus' day, there were two distinct factions: those who believed in Him because of what He'd done, and those who wanted to "seize Him."

It's the same today. Many of us who follow Christ do so because of what we've seen Him do. We've seen miraculous healing and drastically changed lives. We've experienced His work in our own lives.

Jesus has supernaturally carried me when I haven't had strength. He has given me a peace in the midst of the storm. He has protected me from danger. I know He's with me. I know He's who He says He is. Because I've seen His work.

There are others who want to "seize Him." Obviously, they can't physically do so because Jesus no longer walks the earth in human form. However, they can figuratively seize Jesus. They can strive to hinder the spread of His truth by mocking His message and persecuting His followers.

I've heard that there are only two "accepted" people groups that can be ridiculed today: Christians and the obese. But even the latter is less and less acceptable—as it should be, I might add. Every other religion, lifestyle choice, race, or culture is protected. Very, very soon, only Christians will be the targets of ridicule, hate, and outright persecution, just as Jesus Himself prophesied (Matthew 10:22; Luke 21:17).

We're in a war, folks. Us against them. But that doesn't mean we should retaliate or fight. We should, instead, be Christ-like, demonstrating His love. We should, indeed, turn the other cheek, showing our enemies compassion (Matthew 5:39; Luke 6:29). With our gentle spirits, Jesus might just use us to bring "them" over to our side. After all, didn't He reach one who fought against Him the most? Paul himself?

Two sides to the fight will continue to exist until Jesus sets up the new heaven and earth. We need to stay strong, to grow closer to God, to be His ambassadors of light in this ever-increasingly dark world. And to win as many to our side as we can!

Knowing God's Will (John 7:10-24)

Today's scripture: John 7:10-24

Each of us has a purpose, a God-directed, God-planned purpose. He has given us gifts and talents to fulfill that purpose. In order to do what He's called us to do, however, two things are required: We need to know our purpose, and we need to give Him all glory, honor, and praise.

So, how do we know God's purpose and will for our lives?

First, of all, we need to be willing to do His will. God works through willing hearts. If we resist Him and seek our own paths, He will allow us to follow those paths. During my many years of rebellion, I continually sought my own path, my own will. It was only when I turned back to God and surrendered my life to Him that I began to see His will.

Second, we need to know Him. In order to hear God's voice, we need to recognize it. And we know His voice by reading and studying His word. Few of us hear God's audible voice, but we can certainly hear it through His scriptures. Daily study and meditation of God's word is critical to knowing Him and His will.

Then, we need to give God all glory, honor, and praise. Sometimes, it's far too easy to take credit for what we do. We have the gift of administration, and someone comments on a well-run meeting. We have the gift of hospitality, and we're praised for a slam-bang event. We have the gift of speaking, and we hear how amazing a speech was. Our humanity says, "Yes, I did a great job, didn't I?"

We can forget that it's not us at all. We didn't do anything. Everything we do (our gifts and talents) comes from God. It's only by His grace that He allows us to do anything. We need to be humbly grateful for what we are able to do through Him, and we need to give Him the glory.

When I speak or sing and someone comments on what I said or how I sang, I've learned to say, "Thank you. God is good, isn't He?" It's okay to be graciously thankful for any positive comments, but eyes need to be pointed immediately to the Giver of all gifts.

Be willing to do God's will. Seek His purpose in you by getting to know Him more intimately through His word. And give Him all glory, honor, and praise as He fulfills His purpose through you.

Secret? Or Public? (John 7:1-9)

Today's scripture: John 7:1-9

Sometimes, I'm guilty of being a "secret" Christian. What I mean is that I don't proclaim my faith as openly and "publicly" as I should. My friends and family certainly know I follow Christ, and I'm not shy about mentioning my faith if the subject comes up, but sometimes, I just don't seek the opportunities to talk about it ...

When I read verses like John 7:4, I recognize that I need to proclaim my faith more than I do. When I thank the grocery checker, I can easily say "thank you and have a blessed day." While it may not be the gospel message, who's to say that her interest might not be piqued by these simple words?

The question I have to ask myself—and perhaps one that you need to ask yourself—is: "For what am I 'known publicly'?" You've probably heard something similar to, "If you were on trial for being a believer, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

I want to live so that others will know the good news of salvation; to be light in a dark world; to be "known publicly" for being a follower of Christ.

I have been so very blessed, and I know the best news of all. How can I live in secret? How can I not want the world to know about this news?

Lord God, help me to be a public believer. Help me to seize those opportunities to share the news of Your amazing grace. May Your message of salvation be spread through all of us who follow You. Amen.

To Whom Shall We Go? (John 6:66-71)

Today's scripture: John 6:66-71

Peter asks a question that I often ask as well: "Lord, to whom shall we go?"

I honestly don't know how unbelievers handle just day-to-day living. If I didn't believe God has a purpose and plan for my life, I wouldn't get out of bed. If I didn't have confidence that Jesus would give me daily strength, complete hibernation would be my chosen lifestyle.

This world is just too hard. Too hard.

Watching the news is like seeing prophecy unveiled. War. Natural disasters. Sin. Corruption. Perversion. Hate. Brother against brother.

Sometimes, it's difficult just reading my friends' Facebook statuses. Fighting cancer. Losing loved ones. Looking for work. Struggling with relationships. Praying for prodigals.

It's just hard.

So when things are so rough and valleys so low that the mountaintop isn't even visible, what do we do? Where do we go?

For those who don't believe in a sovereign, loving God? I don't know. Culture? Philosophy? People?

I'm so blessed I don't have to rely on these things ... these things that will let me down more often than not.

Instead, I know I can go to my Lord because, truly, to whom shall I otherwise go?

The Trinity (John 6:60-65)

Today's scripture: John 6:60-65

One of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith is the trinity. One God in three Persons. We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The best explanation I've heard is comparing the trinity to H₂O. It can be liquid, frozen, or steam. It functions differently, but its molecular makeup is still the same.

So, even though each Person of the trinity "functions" differently, they are all the same God.

The Father is on His throne. He is Creator, Sovereign. The Son is seated at the Father's right hand. He came to earth to take on flesh and to pay the penalty for our sins. The Spirit indwells all true believers and encourages and convicts us.

Even though the word "trinity" doesn't appear in the Bible, illustrations of this mystery abound. Today's verses offer such illustrations.

Jesus, God the Son, is speaking. He talks of the Spirit, making it clear that this is the part of the triune God who brings life—eternal life (v. 63). He talks of the Father, stating that only those that have been "granted" access to Jesus will come to the Son. In that same sentence, He talks about Himself (v. 65).

I often pray to each "Person" of the trinity. I worship the Father for His grace and mercy. I praise the Son for His redemption and daily strength. I thank the Spirit for moments of encouragement and needed conviction.

I may not fully understand how God works in each of His "Persons." I do feel tremendous gratitude, however, that I can be confident that the triune God loves me unconditionally, that He is in me to guide and direct my paths, and that I am assured of eternity with Him.

If this concept is holding you back from faith, I encourage you to just pray to God. Don't try to figure out how one God in three Persons can possibly work. His ways are higher than ours because He is, in fact, God (see Isaiah 55:9). We may not always understand those ways, but we can trust in His love and grace.