Burunche’s Blog

“ohn 7:10-24 The Heavenly Scholar

“But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good;” others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

After Jesus’ family has left for Jerusalem, Jesus gets a release from his Heavenly Father to go as well. Jesus goes into the temple and begins teaching, probably on the teaching steps on the east side of the temple. The religious authorities are outraged! Here is this upstart from Galilee, of all places, teaching in the TEMPLE! Not only that, but this man teaches eloquently and with authority. How can this possibly be? The scribes and Pharisees have been studying all their lives, and they are certain that this ridiculous Galilean carpenter cannot possibly know more than they do….yet, he does. And those who actually love God know that the things Jesus is teaching are true because his teachings resonate with them.

“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

The religious authorities delegate some of their underlings to interrogate Jesus as to the source of his teachings. Jesus, knowing that there are those who really do love God, answers, referring them back to their own hearts. Jesus then points out that he is not seeking his own glory, but God’s.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

When Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, the religious authorities became incensed, feeling that this represented forbidden work. These men were far more concerned with the letter of the Law than with the Spirit, and they totally lacked compassion. Now Jesus is pointing out that the Sabbath has become the favorite day for circumcising, even though Moses never ordered any such thing. These men who claim to be following every tiny nuance of the Mosaic Law are actually breaking it; yet, they want to criticize others who are doing acts of compassion.

Yesterday, I spoke about Arthur Blessit, the man who carried a 12-foot cross with a wheel on the end throughout 323 countries for more than fifty years. Many people refused to understand Blessit’s passion for men and women to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Some of those most offended were in traditional churches. Years ago, a pastor friend gave his testimony. Our friend was about thirty years old, a highly successful businessman, and an elder in his Methodist church. But when people on fire for Jesus came to speak at a Lay Witness Mission, our friend realized that he had never committed his life to Christ. That commitment cost our friend his businesses, a nice home, and many other possessions. He and his family moved so he could attend Methodist seminary, and he began pastoring tiny churches in rural areas. Financially, things were tough, and our friend wondered if he had really heard God properly. But during the short time our friend was at the church we attended, at least eight different families entered the ministry or missions. Our friend’s sermons were so good that I still have the recordings and listen to them periodically. As with Blessit, only eternity will tell how many have come into the Kingdom through our friend’s willingness to sacrifice.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to obey You, even when we don’t understand, when others around us are criticizing, and when it’s uncomfortable or difficult. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.”

Few things are tougher than going against your family’s wishes. Parents and siblings are always certain that they know more about you than you do yourself. Add in a calling from God that leads you to do strange new things and you’re really in for problems.

Jesus has returned to Galilee, his home area, because Jewish religious leaders are trying to kill him. But there’s a problem: the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the major feasts, is approaching. As an observant Jewish male, Jesus should go to Jerusalem, but it’s too dangerous. Jesus’ brothers are absolutely no help, for they urge Jesus to go to Jerusalem and preach there. Obviously, Jesus’ brothers have no conception of who Jesus is, and in addition, they are likely embarrassed by Jesus recent teachings about being the bread of life. Then there’s Jesus’ statement about people eating his flesh and drinking his blood-too weird! Not only do Jesus’ brothers not understand who he is, but they fear that the religious authorities-and possibly also the Romans-are going to swoop down on Jesus, killing him and taking vengeance on his family as well. Far better for Jesus to go to Jerusalem and act out there rather than remaining in Galilee, attracting unwanted and deadly attention to his family.

“Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.”  Jesus always does things in his Heavenly Father’s time, not on a schedule dictated by those around him. So far, Jesus has not received a release from God the Father to go to Jerusalem, so he’s staying in Galilee.

It’s tough going against the advice and wishes of family and friends. The man in the picture who is carrying a cross and waving a Bible is Arthur Blessit. During the Jesus People movement, Blessit was running a Christian coffee house when God called him to take down the 12-foot cross from the wall of the coffee house, attached a wheel to the lower end, and begin carrying it on Christmas Day 1969. Until Blessit’s recent death on January 14, 2025, he carried that cross around the world through 323 countries and territories, logging 43,340 miles, or to about 86 million steps and shoes he had to re-sole or replace several times every year. During these travels, Blessit was shot at, chased by wild animals and snakes, and persecuted. In India men tried to set the cross on fire.

No matter where Blessit went, he preached salvation through Jesus Christ and moved other pastors to invite people to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sometimes, people would fall to their knees when they saw the cross. When Blessit went to Westminster Chapel in London in 1982, he turned the place upside down, encouraging all who heard him to go out and invite people to follow Jesus. Only eternity will tell us how many people were led into the Kingdom by Blessit or by someone whom he inspired.

Undoubtedly, when Blessit began carrying that cross, there were many who thought he was crazy, and many more who were offended that he would take such an action. But God had spoken to Blessit, and Blessit had such a passion for God and His Will that he picked up the cross and began walking. Blessit even had an aneurysm and had been warned that his health was failing; yet, the aneurysm never burst and Blessit kept walking.

It’s quite likely that God will never call you to do something as radical as carrying a 12-foot cross throughout the world. But God delights in forcing us out of our comfort zones. When I was a surgery resident, the hospitals where I was training had no hospital chaplain. One Sunday while in church, I felt God calling me to begin leading a Bible study in one hospital. I got permission to use a vacant conference room and advertised the weekly Bible study. Some days I was the only one attending the study. I would write out the main points of the Bible study on the blackboard in the room, figuring that someone would read it, even if it was only the janitor cleaning the blackboard! I also prayed for a chaplain and nine months later, God raised up a chaplain who sought me out to introduce himself. I hugged the man and wept, for God had answered my prayers and I was released from the Bible study.

Did I want to occupy an empty conference room and appear foolish? Absolutely not! Did people think I was crazy? Probably. But a hospital chaplaincy was born from that empty conference room. Who knows how much comfort and how many people have found their way to God because I was willing to appear crazy?

May God help all of us, so that when He calls us to do something radical, we will obey and not argue or listen to well-intentioned friends and relatives who would stifle the call of God!!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow You and not listen to those who would force us away from Your call on our lives. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 6:60-71 Many Disciples Turn Away

“Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

“Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” You have to feel sorry for the disciples. Here they’ve been basking in the thrill of miraculously feeding several thousand people and watching Jesus tame a storm on the Sea of Galilee, only to stand and listen as Jesus begins teaching difficult spiritual concepts.

While Jesus is describing himself as being the bread of life and talking about people eating his flesh and drinking his blood, men in the crowd are sidling up to Peter and the other disciples and asking, “Just what does your master mean by all this?” While Peter would love to appear spiritually advanced, frankly, he too is clueless. Peter may be coming up with grand-sounding phrases such as “Just wait and Jesus will explain it all.” But the disciples are just as baffled as everybody else. It’s no fun looking stupid! Some of the disciples are whining that these things are incomprehensible, and Peter is tempted to agree.

“Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”  Once more, we see Jesus refusing to water things down. Jesus knows full well that some of those claiming to be disciples are simply camp followers who will desert at the first sign of trouble. Here, the term “disciples” refers to all those who have been traveling around with Jesus during his ministry.

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

The twelve disciples whom Jesus has chosen might be confused and even embarrassed, but they remain faithful. But these teachings might mark the time when Judas Iscariot begins to distance himself from Jesus. Judas wants to commit himself to a victorious Messiah, not to somebody teaching weird stuff that attracts ostracism from religious leaders.

There are many times in the Bible when large numbers of casual followers disappear while a trusty few remain. In the story of Gideon, Gideon starts out with 22,000 men and winds up with 300, but those 300 accomplish everything God wants them to do. God is far more interested in dedication than He is in sheer numbers.

When the Northern Ethnic Conflict began in Northern Ghana in February 1994, our small clinic had 11 workers. Later, we acquired another 11 workers as Konkomba nurses fled to Saboba, making a staff of 22. We were the only source of medical care for 100,000 Konkombas who had nowhere else to go. We were running this clinic with intermittent electricity from a small generator and no running water. We sterilized everything in a big pressure cooker over a coal pot on the verandah. And God showed up and did miracles. Many of the staff who served sacrificially have gone to be with Jesus, and many more have retired. But those of us who remain can confidently testify that God multiplied our efforts and gave us supernatural strength.

Pursuing God’s Will can be a lonely business. But Romans 8:31-32 tells us, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  

Your position may be a lonely one, but if God has sent you there, God can keep you there, and God will be with you to the end of the age.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help those of us in lonely outposts to remember that no matter how many people desert us, You will never leave us or forsake us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 6:41-59 Rejected by His Own

“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.”

The Jews are furious! Jesus is NOT performing up to expectations! First, Jesus does this great miracle, feeding thousands of people. Then when those same people follow Jesus, he refuses to repeat the miracle and even teaches that he has been sent from heaven to be the “bread of life.” The nerve of this man! After all, he’s just from Nazareth and everybody knows his family. Where does he get the crazy idea that he has come down from heaven and that God is his Father? What about Joseph?

“Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”  Now Jesus is virtually teaching blasphemy, making himself equal with God. The Pharisees and Sadducees are absolutely livid! All these men can think of is how can they get rid of this upstart? As the religious leaders rage, they completely ignore Jesus’ statement that “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

Is God drawing the religious leaders? Yes! Forever and ever, God continues to draw all people to Himself. But only those who are spiritually hungry will respond. When Isaiah describes his call from God in Isaiah 6:8, God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Only Isaiah answers, even though the temple might have been full of people. Isaiah is listening and longing for contact with God while those around him are merely practicing religious rituals. So, Isaiah hears God’s call, receiving the touch of God’s coals of fire on his lips, and becoming one of the most important prophets of all time while the rest of the crowd observes their rituals and returns home unchanged. This same phenomenon is about to happen to those hearing Jesus teach. And things are about to become even more radical.

“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” 

Jesus begins teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Drink blood?!?!?! From the time of Moses, Jews have been forbidden to drink blood or to use it in cooking. Even Jews caught up in idol worship avoid drinking blood. And eating human flesh is just as abhorrent an idea. The Jews fail to realize that Jesus is speaking of spiritual matters and not physical ones. Even the disciples likely remain confused until Jesus dies and is resurrected.

Jesus is speaking plainly; however, many in the audience fail to grasp the truths he is teaching. Blinded by prejudice or preconceived notions, thinking only of earthly things-it doesn’t matter. Many hearing Jesus reject him and his message because he fails to meet their expectations. But Jesus never waters down his messages or changes his focus. Jesus is speaking the truths his Heavenly Father wants him to speak; to do anything else would be to fail his Father.

Many times, we may be tempted to soften harsh truths, to water down the demands of the Gospel, or to try to explain that God doesn’t REALLY require holiness and righteousness…but if we do such things, we are failing God and ourselves. Jesus told spiritual truths, knowing that many would reject him, but he went ahead anyway.

My husband got saved at the age of 37 through the witness of a fellow worker named Jack. But this witness was anything but diplomatic. Daily, Jack would tell my husband, “Bob, either you accept Jesus, or you’re going to hell!” This statement was roughly the verbal equivalent of being smacked up alongside the head with a 2×4! Now, Jack was not the only Christian influence in Bob’s life; however, one morning Bob found himself asking Jack, “How do I get the Lord in my life?” Jack’s story bears out the fact that even rough approaches may work with the right people.

May God help us, so that we refuse to compromise the message of the Gospel or to water it down!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to fearlessly proclaim Your Word, being careful to deliver Your messages in Your fashion. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 6:22-40 The Bread from Heaven

“On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks—when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Therefore, they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus has just done a miracle, feeding 5,000 men, plus approximately another 5,000 women and children by multiplying 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. When the crowd begins to murmur about making Jesus king, Jesus immediately hikes on up the mountain and out of sight. The crowd disperses and the disciples set off in their boat. Jesus comes to the disciples, walking on the water in the midst of a terrible storm, the wind and waves die down, and the boat suddenly arrives at Capernaum. But the crowd is entranced by the idea of free food, so as soon as they can get transport across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, they follow Jesus and the disciples. 

“Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Jesus has no illusions about the crowd’s reasons for following him. “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Therefore, they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Now we’re getting to the truth. These folks are still hoping for more free food and attempting to disguise their real purposes by sounding religious.

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus has done a miracle out of compassion for those listening to him; however, he refuses to be swayed from the fundamental reason for which he has come. While the crowds are concentrating on physical needs, Jesus is speaking of spiritual needs. These verses from John 6 are some of the most comforting things Jesus says, for they assure us that everyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life and that nobody who believes in Jesus will be refused or discarded.

What can we learn from the fashion in which Jesus handles the crowds? Jesus loves these people, but he has eternity in view while those listening are generally thinking only of earthly things. When we live for Jesus, we must always live with eternity in view, “keeping the main thing the main thing.” It is incredibly easy to get sidetracked. One friend of ours with a call to village ministry has become involved with running a Christian orphanage. While orphanages generally are very necessary and quite a good ministry, this was never our friend’s calling. Now decades have gone and he is still running an orphanage while fighting the uncomfortable feeling that he should be doing something else.

May God help us, so that as we go through this year, we follow His leading and not settle for something that is good but that is not God’s perfect will for our lives.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us not to become distracted or diverted from Your Will and Calling for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 6:15-21 Jesus walks on the water

Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”

Jesus has just miraculously fed nearly 10,000 people. Needless to say, these people are thrilled and want to seize Jesus and make him king. After all, why not? Jesus as king might mean free lunches forever! But Jesus knows exactly what these folks are thinking and climbs up the mountain to talk with his Heavenly Father. Meanwhile, the disciples have gotten back into their boat and are heading across the Sea of Galilee for Capernaum. But there’s a problem. The mountains to the east of the Sea of Galilee act as natural wind tunnels, funneling storms onto the Sea of Galilee. Windstorms can come up with no warning, endangering those in small boats.

With the wind coming from the east and the disciples setting out from the west side of the lake, they’re rowing against the wind and struggling out in the middle of the lake. Suddenly, lightning flashes. The disciples glimpse a figure walking on the water and begin to panic. But then they hear a familiar voice reassuring them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” It’s Jesus! And as soon as the disciples help Jesus climb into the boat, the wind dies down, and they suddenly reach dry land. In a few short minutes, the disciples have gone from the sheer terror of thinking they are about to die to safety, relief, and peace.

There are all kinds of storms out there, and some of them are far worse than a sudden windstorm on a large lake. “Your scans show that spot on your lung has doubled in size. We need to do a needle biopsy.” Some friends just lived through this storm. H. went into the hospital, thinking he was facing a needle biopsy on a lung mass. But the doctor was diligent and chose to repeat the CT scan, even though the previous one was only a few weeks old. Our friend’s wife had just gone for a cup of coffee when the OR coordinator called to inform her that the procedure had been cancelled. The repeat CT scan showed that the mass was now so small that the surgeon wouldn’t be able to get tissue even with a fine needle biopsy! Rather than spending much of the day in a hospital gown, our friends returned home rejoicing. The next doctor’s appointment is scheduled for May. What happened? Jesus passed by.

Another friend from Hawaii is an avid cyclist. Unfortunately, our friend suffered a fall on a steep mountain trail, landing on his side and possibly cracking ribs. But within two days, our friend was pain-free and completely healed. What happened? Jesus passed by.

WHEN JESUS PASSED BY (Recorded by Heaven Bound)

1. A Cripple starts walking, A blind man can see, the leper is cleansed, and the captive have been set free. A woman rejoices, her son did not die, All of these things happened, when Jesus passed by.
2. Chorus: When Jesus passed by, when Jesus passed by, gone were all the heartache, the troubles and strife, Just reach out and touch him, and he’ll hear your cry and you’ll know something happened, when Jesus passed by.
3. Now I was a sinner, in the rags of my sin, unworthy without, I needed Jesus down deep within, then this King became my Savior, his riches they’re all mine, I became God’s child, when Jesus passed by.

Chorus: When Jesus passed by, when Jesus passed by, gone were all the heartache, the troubles and strife, Just reach out and touch him, and he’ll hear your cry and you’ll know something happened, when Jesus passed by. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78SSiHGeVCw

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help us to trust that You will pass by and that You will move miraculously for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

“JOHN 6:1-14 FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So, when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

The disciples are sweating bullets! 5,000 men plus as many as 5,000 women and children, have followed Jesus to a place where there is a natural amphitheater. 10,000 people have been listening to Jesus and watching him heal the sick and deliver others from demons. Now the crowd have used up all the food they have brought, and one of the biggest noises being heard is the growling of hungry stomachs.

Jesus uses Philip as his straight man. “He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” Jesus is quietly smiling.

Now Andrew softly observes, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”  Notice Andrew is the one with enough faith to canvas the crowd for resources while all the other disciples are standing looking helpless.  Jesus grins at Andrew and Andrew grins back, knowing Jesus is about to do something marvelous.

“Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” When Jesus does a miracle, he does it completely. Philip has been wringing his hands, worried that it would take the equivalent of 200 days’ wages to buy sufficient bread just to give each man a small piece. Now Jesus has multiplied five loaves and two small fish to satisfy the hunger of approximately 10,000 people. But wait, there’s more.

“So, when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Not only has Jesus fed all these people but there’s even a basket of bread for each of the disciples! You can practically hear Jesus chuckling as the disciples gather up all that bread.

What can we learn from this story? The Bible assures us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Neither the disciples nor the crowds have done anything wrong. Jesus meets these people at their point of need and helps them. When we are following Jesus, we too can confidently ask Him to help us. But we need to be prepared for answers to come in ways we cannot anticipate.

THE KFC MIRACLE: Years ago, I had friends who had taken a step of faith, giving up a luxurious lifestyle so that the father/husband could pursue advanced training in pediatric surgery. Now the family was crowded into a small house in a Detroit suburb, living on a very limited budget. Despite these restrictions, my friends had invited me to stay with them overnight; meanwhile, the wife’s father was also visiting that night. My friend M. and I stopped at a fast-food restaurant to buy supper. As M.’s wife and I set out the food that night, I realized there was no way we could possibly feed four adults and two ravenously hungry teenagers with the amount of food we had. But M. prayed over the food and we began distributing it. But even though everyone ate to their satisfaction, the level of the food never reduced below half in each of the containers. At the end of the meal, we put away leftovers.

My friends did not beg God to multiply the food, only to bless it. My friends were trusting God to lead them and to provide for them. That night, my friends had to face a grilling by a father who thought they were crazy for having taken this radical decision. As the meeting was ongoing, I was doing intercessory prayer in their basement. The meeting was successful, and M.’s father changed his mind, giving his blessing to their decision. The following day, I left Detroit, traveling to Indianapolis for an interview. I have since lost touch with my friends; however, I will never forget the KFC miracle.

As I am writing this, I have just gotten word that a childhood friend who has generously supported the hospital for more than twenty years has died. Our hospital needs more donors, particularly donors from within the country. We must trust that God who moved my friend to help us can move in the hearts of many others to multiply their assistance.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us need miracles of multiplication. Your hand is not shortened. You are the God of heaven and earth and nothing is too difficult for You. Lord, please hear the cries of Your children! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 5:31-47 The Fourfold Witness

“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

“I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

To understand what Jesus is saying, we need to know the Scriptural basis for his remarks. Deuteronomy 19:15 says “by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” In traditional Jewish courts, someone making a claim must produce at least two witnesses who agree and three witnesses are even better. Now Jesus is asserting that he has three witnesses.

David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary explains it this way: “You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.”

a. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth: Jesus noted that the religious leaders knew of and heard John the Baptist for themselves. They needed to think of and believe what John said about Jesus.

b. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light: The religious leaders accepted the work of John the Baptist for a time. They needed to continue to believe John regarding Jesus the Messiah.

i. “The expression of lamp our Lord took from the ordinary custom of the Jews, who termed their eminent doctors the lamps of Israel.” (Clarke)

ii. “He said that John was the lamp which burns and shines. That was the perfect tribute to him. (a) A lamp bears a borrowed light. It does not light itself; it is lit. (b) John had warmth, for his was not the cold message of the intellect but the burning message of the kindled heart. (c) John had light. The function of light is to guide, and John pointed men on the way to repentance and to God. (d) In the nature of things, a lamp burns itself out; in giving light it consumes itself. John was to decrease while Jesus increased. The true witness burns himself out for God.” (Barclay)

iii. To rejoice: “To jump for joy, as we would express it. They were exceedingly rejoiced to hear that the Messiah was come, because they expected him to deliver them out of the hands of the Romans; but when a spiritual deliverance, of infinitely greater moment was preached to them, they rejected both it and the light which made it manifest.” (Clarke)

3. (36) The testimony of the works of Jesus.

“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”

a. A greater witness than John’s… the very works that I do: Jesus claimed another witness regarding His identity and deity – the very works that He did. This present controversy started with a remarkable healing of a man paralyzed for 38 years. This was one of many works that testified to the deity of Jesus.

b. The very works that I do; bear witness of Me: The majority of the miraculous works of Jesus were simple acts of compassion and mercy, done for simple and needy people. In this, these works… bear witness to the heart of God. The Jews looked for a miraculous Messiah, but they did not look for One who would express His miraculous power in simple acts of compassion and mercy. They looked for the Messiah to use miraculous power to bring military and political deliverance to Israel.

i. Because Jesus’ miraculous works didn’t fit in with what they thought the Messiah would do, they didn’t receive this witness of Jesus’ works.

4. (37-38) The testimony of the Father.

“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.”

a. The Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me: In virtually every work and word of Jesus, God the Father testified to Jesus’ status as the Son of God. But specifically, the Father testified of the Son in Old Testament prophecy and at the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:22).

b. But you do not have His word abiding in you: They will not receive the testimony of the Father, because they do not have His word abiding in them. They can’t hear God the Father audibly, or see Him, but they have His word. They are guilty because they do not abide in the word that God gave them.

5. (39) The testimony of the Scriptures.

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

a. You search the Scriptures: In theory the religious leaders in Jesus’ day loved and valued the Scriptures (here used in the sense of the Old Testament). They studied and memorized and thought upon them continually, correctly thinking eternal life was found in God’s revelation.

i. “They read them with a wooden and superstitious reverence for the letter, and never penetrated into the great truths to which they pointed.” (Morris)

ii. “They read it not to search for God but to find arguments to support their own positions. They did not really love God; they loved their own ideas about him.” (Barclay)

iii. Search the Scriptures: “The verb itself (eraunao) implies keen scrutiny, tracking down the message of the Scriptures. The tragedy was that these people, for all their painstaking exploration of the sacred writings, had never found the clue which would lead them to their goal.” (Bruce)

b. These are they which testify of Me: If their study of the Scriptures was accurate and sincere, they would see that they spoke of the Messiah, God the Son. Their recognition of and belief upon Jesus was a measure of their true understanding of the Scriptures.

6. (40-44) The reason for their unbelief.

“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”

a. But you are not willing to come to Me: The religious leaders were not willing, even though they had all the testimony one could have wanted. They were concerned with man’s honor, not the honor that comes from God (do not seek the honor that comes from the only God).

i. Jesus made it clear that having life is found in fulfilling the command “come to Me.” “Christ is a person, a living person, full of power to save. He has not placed his salvation in sacraments, or books, or priests, but he has kept it in himself; and if you want to have it you must come to him.” (Spurgeon)

ii. Their refusal to come to Jesus was despite their searching of the Scriptures (John 5:39). “They search the Scriptures, but they will not come to Jesus. Is it not, therefore, a good thing to search the Scriptures? Ay, that it is, and the more you search them the better; but still it is not the thing: it is not the saving work. You may be Bible readers and yet perish, but this can never happen if you come to Jesus by faith.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “The words Ye are not willing to come here set forth strikingly the freedom of the will, on which the unbeliever’s condemnation rests.” (Alford)

iv. “Let me tell you, the day will come when you will wring your hands in anguish to think that you despised that life. It may be that it will be so in the throes of death, but it is certain that it will be so amid the terrors of judgment, when there shall open wide before you the gates of hell, and before you shall blaze the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Spurgeon)

v. I do not receive honor from men: “I do not stand in need of you or your testimony. I act neither through self-interest nor vanity. Your salvation can add nothing to me, nor can your destruction injure me: I speak only through my love for your souls, that ye may be saved.” (Clarke)

b. That you do not have the love of God in you: The reasons for their rejection were fundamentally reasons of the heart, not of the mind. These religious leaders could hide behind supposedly intellectual excuses, but their real lack was love and desire for the honor that comes from God.

c. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive: Jesus prophesied the coming day when the descendants of these religious leaders would embrace a false Christ, an Antichrist, who comes in his own name. The rejection of Jesus left them open to terrible deception.

i. “The words are perhaps spoken primarily of the false or Idol-Messiah, the Antichrist, who shall appear in the latter days (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12); whose appearance shall be according to the working of Satan (their father, John 8:44), shewing himself that he is God, 2 Thessalonians 2:4.” (Alford)

ii. Though this will ultimately be fulfilled in the very end times, there were lesser fulfillments through history. “An outstanding fulfillment of this prediction came about in AD 132, when one Simeon ban Kosebah claimed to be the Messiah of David’s line, and led a revolt against Rome… Simeon’s messianic pretensions involved himself, his supporters and the people of Judea in the most fearful ruin.” (Bruce)

e. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? The fatal error of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day – and ever since – is pride. They longed for prestige and honor from one another and were willing to sacrifice the honor that comes from God alone for the sake of man’s honor.

i. Charles Spurgeon preached a message on John 5:44 (Why Men Cannot Believe in Christ) and in one remarkable section of that sermon he examined of how fame, honor, and celebrity hinder true faith (how can you believe, who receive honor from one another). Following are some lines from that sermon:

· “The mere fact of receiving honor, even if that honor be rightly rendered, may make faith in Christ a difficulty.”

· “When a man gets to feel that he ought to be honored, he is in extreme danger.”

· “Always receiving this undeserved honor, they deceived themselves into believing that they deserved it.”

· “Dear friends, it is very difficult to receive honor and to expect it, and yet to keep your eyesight; for men’s eyes gradually grow dull through the smoke of the incense which is burned before them.”

· “Once more, the praise of men generally turns the receivers of it into great cowards.”

· “But, oh, how many live on the breath of their fellow men; to be approved — to be applauded — that is their heaven; but to be despised, to be sneered at, to be called fool, to have some nickname applied to them; oh no, they would sooner go to hell than bear that.”

ii. “The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their pride, vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other’s praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must have given up the good opinion of the multitude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men!” (Clarke)

iii. “Seeking credit as religious men from one another, they necessarily habituated themselves to current ideas, and blotted out Divine glory from their mind.” (Dods)

iv. “They had accused Jesus of acting independently of God; He now accuses them of displaying that independence. The motive of their actions is not love for God but the approval of their fellows.” (Tasker)

7. (45-47) The testimony of Moses.

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

a. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me: These religious leaders rejected Jesus because they rejected God’s word through Moses. Moses accuses them, because Moses wrote about Jesus and they would not receive the testimony of Moses.

b. For he wrote about Me: Jesus said of the Scriptures that they testify of Me (John 5:39). The words and writings of Moses fulfill this, prophetically speaking of the Messiah in many places.

i. The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear. (Deuteronomy 18:15)

ii. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9)

iii. Jesus was typified in the rock that gave Israel water in the wilderness (Numbers 20:8-12 and 1 Corinthians 10:4).

iv. The ministry of Jesus was shown in almost every aspect of the seven different kinds of offering that God commanded Israel to bring (Leviticus 1-7).

v. Jesus and His ministry were shown in the Tabernacle and its service. One place where the New Testament makes this connection is with the word propitiation in Romans 3:25, which speaks of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant.

vi. The law of the bondservant speaks of Jesus (Exodus 21:5-6 and Psalm 40:6-8).

vii. No wonder Jesus could say “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the Book it is written of Me” (Psalm 40:7). He could teach a Bible study where beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27).

viii. “Thus the writings of Moses were prophetic. In them nothing was completed. They pointed on to other things, which came to pass when He came. Thus in this word we find at once the authority and limitation of Moses.” (Morgan)

ix. “This is an important testimony by the Lord to the subject of the whole Pentateuch; it is concerning Him. It is also a testimony to the fact, of Moses having written those books, which were then, and are still, known by his name.” (Alford)

c. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? Jesus did not call these religious leaders to a new or a different faith. He called them to believe what Moses, what the Scriptures, what His works, what John the Baptist each testified about Jesus: that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God the Son. If they refused to believe this overwhelming testimony, it was unlikely they would believe Jesus’ own words.”

There’s a popular Gospel song that says, “Whose report will you believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord!” The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day rejected Jesus because he failed to fit their preconceived notions of the way the Messiah was to behave. You might try to put God in a box, but God is fond of exploding boxes-and preconceived notions. Today, let us believe “the report of the Lord!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please let all who read these words come to know You as the Only True Living God and Jesus Your Son as their Savior and Lord. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 5:24-30 Life and Judgment Are Through the Son

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” Jesus has already made radical statements, essentially making himself equal with God. Now Jesus is stressing the need for his audience to listen closely and to believe in God the Father. True believers will receive everlasting life.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”  These statements are interesting but also perplexing. One question is “which dead are we talking about?” Is Jesus speaking about spiritually dead people who hear Jesus, believe in God, and pass from spiritual death to life? Is Jesus referring to his eventual descent into hell, where Jesus traditionally is believed to have preached to the physically and spiritually dead? And then there is the matter of judgment. The Heavenly Father has given Jesus authority to judge both the living and the dead.

“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” One of the things that has been difficult for Jesus’ disciples and other listeners to accept is that Jesus himself is listening to his Heavenly Father and judges as his Heavenly Father instructs him.

What’s so important about these verses? Today we have all kinds of voices to which we can listen. Social media forms proliferate frequently, and we might stay on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram, etc, for hours. The more time we spend in such activities, the more confused we may become, particularly if we simply open our minds to whatever appears on our smart phones and tablets. But as we are viewing indiscriminately, we are also wasting our lives.

There’s a thoughtful poem written by C.T. Studd, founder of the Worldwide Evangelism Crusade. Studd served as a missionary with China Inland Mission and then returned to Great Britan and founded WEC, serving in the Belgian Congo, now DRC, for many years.

Only One Life
“Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to invest our lives carefully, with eternity in mind. Thank You for sending Jesus to lead us to You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 5:1-15 Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”

Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

John 5:16-23 Honor the Father and the Son

“For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

The Jewish religious leaders are fuming! The very nerve of this upstart preacher from Galilee! Everybody knows that when an angel troubles the water of the pool of Bethesda, it’s a case of first come, first served. So what if this cripple has been trying to make it to the water first for thirty-eight years? By now, he should have been able to recruit someone to help him, shouldn’t he? The very fact that the man has been unable to secure his healing for thirty-eight years should tell you that this man is really a sinner and that God doesn’t want to heal him! Now this ignoramus from Galilee, of all places, comes along, asks him a few questions, and then orders him to take up his bed and walk! ON THE SABBATH!!! Just who does this guy think he is anyway? To make matters worse, this so-and-so even claims to be the Son of God and claims that God wanted this man to be healed because God is still working. Certainly, if God were still working, He should have informed the religious leaders first, shouldn’t He? How can a Sabbath-breaker possibly be doing the work of God?

God allowed the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians to conquer Judea. While survivors of the Northern Kingdom were scattered, survivors of Judea went into exile in Babylon. Eventually, many of the descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned to their ancestral territories, rebuilding the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. As part of this process, those who were religious recognized that God had punished their nation. To avoid further divine punishment, religious leaders and teachers began devising ever-increasing numbers of rules for the devout. Unfortunately, these attempts to satisfy God focused on actions rather than heart attitudes. Many of those who returned to Jerusalem failed to recognize that it was gross idolatry and wickedness on an unprecedented scale that had led to the exile in the first place. Although Ezra and Nehemiah both acknowledged God’s provision and mercy in their writings, many others took refuge in observing minute rules.

Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

By the time of Jesus, rules governing what one can and cannot do on the Sabbath has become quite complicated. Later, when queried about another healing, Jesus will point out that even the most observant Jews will lead their animals out to water or get their animals out of ditches, should the animal wander out and fall into one. But the religious leaders have no concern for this poor man who has suffered for thirty-eight years and who has now been healed. All these critics can think of is the chance to catch Jesus as a Sabbath-breaker. And when Jesus refers to God as his Father, these men are probably rubbing their hands in glee! Now they REALLY have caught Jesus…or have they?

The tragedy for many of the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day is that they claim to be waiting for Messiah; yet, when Messiah comes in the form predicted by Isaiah, they refuse to acknowledge Him. Those who are truly seeking God will eventually believe in Jesus while those who are only interested in rule-keeping will not.

The question for us as believers is this: Are we more interested in enforcing rules than in proclaiming God’s mercy? Are we setting ourselves up to judge others, neglecting to realize that we ourselves might equally qualify for judgment? May God help us, so that we will remain merciful, no matter what!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, teach us how to be merciful and help us to be merciful, for many of us have only learned how to be vicious. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.