Burunche’s Blog

John 11:28-44 Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy“

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

I must say that Martha is my kind of gal! While Mary sits weeping in the house, Martha boldly confronts Jesus: “Why didn’t you come sooner? Sure, we believe in a resurrection, but who knows when that will happen?” Then Martha goes in the house and informs Mary that Jesus has come and is asking for her.

“Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Mary confronts Jesus about the delay between his receiving the message and his arrival.  

“Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” Verse 35 “Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the entire Bible, but it is an important one. Many times, we think Jesus must have been impervious to pain, unmoved by human emotions. But Jesus is both Son of God and son of man and God has given people emotions; therefore, it is quite reasonable that Jesus would be grief-stricken.

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus is tempted to grieve for Lazarus along with Mary and Martha; however, he has another work to accomplish.

Jesus comes to the tomb and commands that the stone be rolled away from the mouth of the cave where Lazarus has been buried. Ever practical, Martha warns that by now the body will be rotting and the smell will be intolerable. But Jesus insists, and the stone is removed.

“And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

The miracle is complete, Lazurus has come back to life, and people are tearing off the graveclothes as fast as possible, weeping for joy as they do so. Earlier, Jesus raised a young man in Nain from the dead, so why has he handled this situation differently?

Jesus wants us to know that even when all hope is gone, HE is the One who controls life and death. Although God the Father has already given Jesus that power, when Jesus rises from the dead, he will have complete power over death, hell, and the grave.

What does this story mean for us? Many times, we feel called into a situation, only to encounter one roadblock after another. At such times, it is tempting to give up, making the excuse that we must not have heard God properly. At such times, we need to remember Hudson Taylor, Founder of the China Inland Mission, “There are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”

Taylor is further quoted as having said, “All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.” And, he added, “Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength.” So, the three stages are God’s work from man’s perspective: impossible—difficult—done. But the men and women witnessing this tide turn are not spectators or armchair critics—they are men and women of faith. Faith is not a warm, upward thought. Rather faith is action displayed and lived out in the arena of our days to the glory of God and the advance of His Gospel. Paul described his preaching, teaching, travel—and jail trips in between—as hard labor energized by God, “Struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). Therefore, faith is speaking and writing for the sake of the Gospel. It is working and risking. It is winning and losing. It is going and not always returning. It is asking, seeking, and knocking. It’s what Jesus said “moves mountains.” https://www.challies.com/articles/beginning-with-impossible/

It’s quite possible that Jesus didn’t want to stay away from Lazarus when he first received the message; however, God the Father instructed him to do so. Jesus was always in contact with God the Father, taking orders from Him. If we want our efforts to bear fruit, we too must remain in constant contact with our Heavenly Father, for only then will our work be effective.

When Lazarus came out of the grave, he was wrapped in grave clothes designed to hold his rotting body in place. But those graveclothes only hindered the movements of Lazarus once he came back to life. Today, are you allowing old beliefs, old prejudices, old assumptions, the opinions of others, and any other blighted thing to wrap around your heart and mind like the graveclothes? May God help all of us so that we throw off those things that bind us and follow Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have allowed our stinking thinking and the judgments of others to bind us so that we can’t do Your Will. We repudiate these things and ask that You help us to walk free into Your glorious future. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 11:1-27 The Death of Lazarus

“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore, the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.”

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

“Jesus, you’ve GOT to be kidding! What do you think you’re doing?” The disciples are shocked and outraged. Here Jesus has just learned that his good friend Lazarus is sick, and he’s not rushing to heal him. After all, Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha have entertained Jesus and the disciples many times, feeding them and accommodating them. One time, Mary even broke a flask of fragrant oil, anointing Jesus and wiping his feet with her long glistening hair. If any family deserves primo consideration, it’s this one. To make matters even worse, the religious authorities in Judea are still out for Jesus’ blood, and they might be willing to wipe out the disciples also.

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.”

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

Now the disciples KNOW that Jesus is mashugana, crazy! Jesus has already delayed until Lazarus is dead, so what can he possibly do about the situation? And why risk being stoned? Thomas is likely representing the rest of the disciples with his fatalistic pronouncement.

“Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Previously, Martha was the one who was too busy to listen to Jesus; however, Martha has learned and grown in her faith. While Mary is weeping inside the house, Martha confronts Jesus and makes a statement of faith that will echo through the ages.

God’s delays are not God’s denials. The disciples want Jesus to operate on a human schedule, and by their reckoning, Jesus has already blown it. But Jesus has a much bigger miracle in view, one that requires Lazarus to remain in the grave long enough for his body to begin to rot. When Jesus says that he is the resurrection and the life, he wants to graphically demonstrate that affirmation!

So many times, we want God to run on our schedules and we are upset when He refuses to do so. But God has bigger plans than we do and His plans are perfect while ours are anything but perfect. Here Jesus is waiting until all hope is completely gone so that nobody will say that Lazarus was simply in a coma and woke up. In the days before good medical care, that phenomenon was so frequent that the practice of wake keeping came about-family and friends sitting near the dead body in case the person woke from a coma. Jesus is setting the stage for a mind-blowing miracle, one that will be recounted throughout time.

As I am writing this, we are struggling to recruit some key staff for the mission hospital where we work. Vicious rumors plus our remote location are making things difficult, and we are struggling to trust God’s timing. But this is God’s facility, and therefore He is responsible for preserving it. We continue to pray that God will move key people in or out, depending on His Will. Truly, we are in a Martha situation.

Delays are not denials. Trust that if God has called you, God will keep you. And if God is keeping you, God has His timing all worked out. Hang onto God’s hand and praise Him for the answers that are coming!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel we need You to work immediately, not realizing that Your timing is perfect while ours is not. Please help us to patiently wait for Your complete solutions to our problems and show us what to do while we wait. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 10:31-42 Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods?”’ If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” And many believed in Him there.

People are weird! Sometimes the people who should most readily accept you and believe in you refuse to listen while those least likely to do so believe you.

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

The Jewish religious leaders have asked a question, and Jesus has answered honestly. But because Jesus has told them that he is the Son of God, they are certain that he is blaspheming. And nothing gets these guys’ blood up like the chance to STONE A BLASPHEMER!!! WOO HOO!

But there’s a tiny problem. “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods?”’ If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 

Jesus knows these men love to split legal hairs, so he puts out an argument that will engage their love of debating legalities. The accusers are stuck, for Jesus has quoted Scripture quite accurately and succinctly, and they have no answer. As these men are attempting to seize Jesus, he walks through the crowd and disappears, walking on to the Jordan River where John the Baptist first baptized.

“And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” And many believed in Him there.”  Forget the religious authorities, the common people follow Jesus and listen to him. Remembering everything that John the Baptist has spoken about Jesus and the miracles Jesus has done, these people have no problems believing in him.

Two different groups of people and two totally different responses: religious authorities can think of nothing but incriminating Jesus while the common people recognize him for what he truly is, namely, the Son of God, the Messiah.

Throughout the history of the Christian Church, there have been repeated cases of religious authorities rejecting someone whom God has sent. John Wesley was an Oxford-educated Anglican cleric and a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford when he encountered the Holy Spirit during a Moravian prayer meeting in 1738. Wesley left the Moravian prayer group, founding his own movement, Methodism. The Methodist movement spoke to the lower classes, with Methodist societies and study groups springing up throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Not only did these groups emphasize Bible study, prayer, and personal accountability, but they also served as educational centers in which many working people learned to read the Bible for themselves. Wesley preached wherever he could, frequently speaking to thousands of people in the open air. The Methodists also led in many different movements that transformed the face of British society, including the abolitionist movement, support for un-ordained preachers of both sexes, improved working conditions in factories, etc. It has been argued that Britain would have suffered the same bloody revolt against the monarchy that convulsed France had it not been for the Methodists. Although eventually Wesley was considered one of the best-loved men in England, at the beginning of his ministry he faced severe persecution, much of it from the established church.

We are called to be faithful to God’s Word and to his Will for our lives. God does not call us to be popular, as the stories of Jesus and Wesley amply illustrate. May God help us so that we will be faithful to Him, no matter what!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to love You more each day than we did the day before. Help us to look to You for approval and not to men. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 10:22-30 The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

Israel is NOT a tropical country, even if it does have palm trees in some places! The winters can be bitterly cold with humidity making the cold penetrate even more deeply. Jesus has gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication, but he’s inside the temple when a crowd of men surrounds him. While the Pharisees and Sadducees may be leading the crowd, there are also large numbers of men who have heard of Jesus but who have never seen him and are curious to see what this man looks like. Out in the villages, they say that Jesus is a prophet, and some say he might even be the Christ, the Messiah for whom the Jews have been waiting. This is a golden opportunity to learn what this man is really about.

“Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” The Jews referred to here are the religious leaders, for there were many Jews who already believe in Jesus, having just seen him restore sight to a man born blind.

“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.” Jesus has no illusions about the men leading this group; he knows they don’t believe in him but are only seeking excuses to eliminate him by any means possible. To the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus is simply an excrescence, a road block, and an obstacle to smooth relations with the Romans that must be removed by any means possible. Just watch the Roman soldiers striding through Jerusalem, snatching fruit from fruit sellers and pushing people out of their way, threatening anyone who opposes them. It takes virtually nothing to set the Romans off, and Jesus might give the Romans the excuse they need to destroy Jerusalem, hunting down Jews wherever they find them. So even as Jesus is performing miracles that convince those hungry for God to believe in him, the religious leaders are hardening their hearts, denying that such acts must come from the God they claim to worship.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”  Once more, Jesus uses the indelible image of a good shepherd calling his sheep to follow him. Good shepherds lead their flocks to places where they may graze safely and drink from clear quiet streams or pools, bringing them back to the sheep fold at night to rest safely, protected from all evil. But Jesus promises something even better-eternal life and security. Once someone follows Jesus, nobody can snatch that person out of Jesus’ hand!

Later, Saint Paul will write to the Romans, assuring them, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

These are worrisome times. School shootings, air disasters, uncertainty about new governmental policies, economic upheavals-many of us may feel like anxious sheep quaking in our wool and longing for safety. Things were no safer in Jesus’ day, for there was the added burden of infectious diseases that could wipe out entire populations. The night before Jesus was betrayed, he gave as many instructions to his disciples as possible, but he did not sugar coat anything. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Want peace in the midst of chaos? Learn to know the Shepherd. Want rest for your soul? Learn to know the Shepherd. Want assurance of eternal life after death? Learn to know the Shepherd. “But,” you say, “how can I meet the Shepherd, let alone get to know about Him?” That’s simple. Just ask. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please introduce us to Jesus and to Your Holy Spirit. Open our eyes to see that You have been there all of our lives, simply waiting for us to turn to You. Please teach us everything there is to know about You and Your Kingdom. And please give us that peace and assurance that You are the Giver of eternal life and that NOBODY can snatch us out of Your hands once we turn to You. We pray in the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 10:1-21 Jesus the True Shepherd“

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

I must confess that this chapter from the Gospel of John is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. There is so much assurance here for believers. Face it, folks, many of us have suffered rejection and repeated attacks in our lives. We have trusted people who have disappointed or even betrayed us. People have made promises, only to renege and even pretend that they never said anything to us. Now Jesus is speaking to all of us, assuring us of His watch care and His love.

The sheep folds in Jesus’ day might hold several different herds of sheep, depending on how large they were and their location. Sometimes there would be someone keeping the door while at other times, the shepherd might have to sleep in the gate hole to protect the sheep. But no matter what the arrangement, once the sheep were in the fold for the night, they were safe. And in the morning, the shepherd would lead his sheep out, calling to them. The sheep would follow because they knew the shepherd’s voice.

If the sheep were attacked by wild animals, the shepherd would fight off the animals, killing them if possible. David did not fear Goliath because he had been killing lions and bears with his slingshot for years. Goliath was simply a bigger target.

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus was speaking to Jews, but he already had the rest of the world in view. It was never God’s intent merely to be a God of the Jews, but for the Jews to demonstrate what could happen if a small nation would love God and serve Him completely. Most of us qualify as sheep “not of this fold.”

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Jesus speaks of laying down his life and taking it up again. When Jesus was crucified, he voluntarily went to the cross, and then his Heavenly Father raised him from the dead, giving him power over death and the grave.

Have you ever heard the Shepherd’s voice? You’ll know when you hear it, for Jesus’ voice is the voice of love, of acceptance, of peace, of joy, and of contentment. Many of us sheep have wandered into mudholes and our wool is dirty; Jesus isn’t worried because he can clean up any mess. Some of us have gotten into addictions; again, Jesus can heal and make anyone whole.

I had a friend whose son had been in the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, pushing drugs and pimping prostitutes. All the time this man was busy being bad, his mother was busy praying. One day, the man suddenly had an encounter with Jesus. As the motorcycle gang members were about to attack him, he holed up in a telephone booth and called his mother. She advised him to call the nearest church, which happened to be an Assemblies of God Church. The pastor who came to this man’s aid turned out to be a former Marine and lumber jack who was more than capable of helping him escape from the motorcycle gang. I first heard this man’s testimony in 1980 and then I met his mother in 1981, and she verified the whole story.

Want a new beginning? Trust the Shepherd! Jesus is more than able to meet any need and to handle any problem, no matter how difficult. Is it always easy to trust Jesus? Are you kidding? Sometimes, you feel as if you are walking across a yawning gulf on a narrow footbridge. But Jesus can guide your steps so that you will make it. May God help each of us to trust the Good Shepherd!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are battered and bruised and afraid to trust anybody or anything. Please speak to our hearts and give us Your peace and assurance. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 9:35-41  True Vision and True Blindness

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.”

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

No matter what the Pharisees do, Ibrahim KNOWS that he has been healed and is certain that Jesus is a prophet. When Jesus informs Ibrahim that he is the Son of God, Ibrahim has no problem believing instantly. For the rest of Ibrahim’s life, he will never forget the moment Jesus touched his eyes.

“And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.”

While Ibrahim has received his healing, some Pharisees have followed him out of the temple as he has been expelled. Not satisfied with ostracizing this poor man who only has only desired to see clearly, now the Pharisees want to attack Jesus. But Jesus knows precisely what these men are up to and now he is about to confront them about their spiritual blindness.

Do any of the Pharisees become convicted and repent of their wretched treatment of this beggar who only desired to see? We hope so. But again, people who are bent on revenge or persecution are pretty single-minded. The adrenaline is flowing, and these guys are so PROUD of the fact that THEY ARE RIGHT!!!

When Jesus tries to point out their spiritual blindness, the Pharisees have no interest whatsoever in listening to him. Their minds are made up; don’t confuse them with the facts.

The problem for the Pharisees is that they have been listening to one another but not to God. They have formed cozy enclaves and study groups where they take turns expounding the Scriptures and reciting the petty regulations that have grown up around the Scriptures over the centuries. In short, these men have formed mutual admiration clubs with closed memberships and nobody should intrude, least of all the Holy Spirit.

When the Jesus Movement began in the 1970’s, it turned traditional churches on their heads. Although the Movement allegedly began on the West Coast of America, revivals broke out in many places. Coincidentally, the Charismatic Movement was already ongoing. Both movements drew young people to radical Christianity in droves. Revival broke out at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, inspiring many of the students to enter missions. Youth With A Mission, YWAM began in 1970, exploding into an international faith-based mission movement with stories of miraculous provision, healings, etc.

While many mainline churches felt threatened by these movements, there were many who were drawn into the Kingdom of God for the first time. The new wine of revival had come and the old wineskins of traditional congregations were bursting.

In 2023 a morning prayer meeting at Asbury again mushroomed into a revival lasting several weeks and sparking other revivals in campuses across America.

The Holy Spirit cannot be contained or restrained. As long as we are willing to allow God to move, He will do as much as we will allow Him. Our chief job is to invite God to come and then to get out of the way, trusting that God will advise us on how to carry out His perfect Will. But when we begin to organize in mutual admiration societies, rest assured that the Holy Spirit will leave and go somewhere else!

May we always listen to God and allow Him to work in our lives so that when He is doing miracles, we will not be sitting in rooms muttering about minutiae that don’t matter and claiming we are doing this in His Name.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please have Your way in our lives! Please send revival and let it begin with us! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 9:1-34 A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

Some said, “This is he.” Others said,  “He is like him.”

He said, “I am he.”

Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

Then they said to him, “Where is He?”

He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.”

Poor Ibrahim! That morning, he was sitting there begging as he had done for most of his life when Jesus walked by. The disciples were eager to assign spiritual blame; surely, this man or his parents must have committed horrible sins that he had been born blind. But Jesus wasn’t interested in such rubbish. Spitting on a little clay and anointing the man with the mud, Jesus ordered Ibrahim to go wash in the pool of Siloam. As the water from the pool touched Ibrahim’s eyes, suddenly he could see perfectly! But when Ibrahim rushed back to Jesus to thank him, the religious authorities pounced on him, dragging him to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were enraged! How dare this ignorant so and so dare to heal on the Sabbath, breaking the rules about working on the Sabbath?

Ibrahim’s parents were terrified when the Pharisees interrogated them. The last time Ibrahim’s parents had seen him, he was still blind. If Ibrahim’s parents were put out of the synagogue, his father’s business might fail, leaving the family to starve. So Ibrahim’s parents referred the Pharisees back to Ibrahim. Ibrahim could only testify to the truth: once he was blind but now he could see. Incensed, the Pharisees threw Ibrahim out of the synagogue, leaving him seeing but cut off from his religious community.

Did Jesus realize that when he healed Ibrahim, Ibrahim might suffer? Certainly. But Jesus knew that Ibrahim desired to see above everything else, and Jesus also knew that once he touched Ibrahim, Ibrahim would never be the same but would follow God whole-heartedly for the rest of his life. Even as the Pharisees were throwing Ibrahim out of the temple, common people outside the temple were already thrilling to the story and milling around, waiting to see this blind man who had been healed. As Ibrahim stumbled down the temple steps, people began cheering and congratulating him. The Pharisees were glaring at this sight! How dare these people refuse to realize that this was the Sabbath and nothing was supposed to happen on the Sabbath?

We read this story and marvel at the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees. We grimace at the idea that this poor man who had suffered his entire life was excommunicated through no fault of his own. Those Pharisees were really blind, but how blind are we?

The big mistake the Pharisees made was treasuring their prejudices above God’s Word. Throughout the Mosaic Law, God emphasized mercy and compassion; however, the Pharisees were neither merciful nor compassionate. Blinded by dedication to man-made laws, these self-styled disciples of Moses knew nothing of the spirit that moved Moses to write that Law. I like to think that when Ibrahim made it into heaven, Moses and Jesus were both waiting to embrace him and welcome him.

God is always doing new things and working in new ways. If we are to work the works of God, we must listen to Him and not to our preconceived ideas. We need to rely on God for our guidance and not to those around us who might have their own agendas. May God help us so that we will listen to Him and to nobody else!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are blind in many areas, much worse than the blind man You healed. Lord, heal our minds and our hearts so that we will follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 8:30-59 The Truth Will Set You Free (2 John 1:4–6)

“As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him. So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they replied.

“If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. You are doing the works of your father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?  Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”

“I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge. Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”

“Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death. Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say ‘He is our God.’ You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.”

“If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. You are doing the works of your father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!”

“For great entertainment and quick enlightenment, try the teaching steps!” If there had been advertising in Jesus’ day, this could have been the advertising slogan. On those steps, there were all kinds of different teachers, each with his band of listeners, and one could move from one group to the next until one found something interesting. Generally, teachers of the Law would be explaining some minute parts of the regulations that had grown up long after Moses had given the original Law. In an effort to ensure proper compliance, scribes and teachers continued to argue and develop long lists of behavior necessary for believers to really fulfill the Law.

Jesus has been teaching on the teaching steps on the east side of the temple, trying to explain his origins and the reason he is teaching. We have previously discussed these teachings in detail; however, the point now is to look at the response of the religious authorities. Jesus is speaking truth about the Kingdom of God; however, these people have already become self-styled experts on ways to approach a God whom most of them have never known. Blinded by tradition and prejudice, these men refuse to believe that the Son of God is truly speaking to them. These men would rather listen to those reciting traditions than to open their hearts and minds to divine truth.

It’s very gratifying to sneer at the religious authorities of Jesus’ day, but are we any better? When we need information or enlightenment, do we pray before we Google or consult Wikipedia? Do we ask God for wisdom and truth, or do we select what fits our preconceived prejudices? And if someone pours poison into our ears about others, do we believe them? If we need to take a decision, do we really wait on God for advice, or do we chant “Dear God, I am about to take actions. Please approve and rubber stamp them!”

Currently, we are on the edge of a situation in which a good person has listened to wrong counsel, resulting in some bad decisions that may have tragic and long-reaching consequences. We are walking around this situation with prayer, remembering that at any time, we too might fall prey to vicious gossip and jump to unwarranted conclusions about someone we have previously trusted.

May God help each one of us, so that we only listen to Him and not to lies!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, guide us in the truth. Your Word is truth. Help us to look to You for Your Wisdom and not to rely solely on our own judgment. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.