January_29

SHARING BREAD

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:4-6 (NIV)

While the shortest route from Judea to Galilee was through Samaria, it was not the only way.  Many Jews would have never thought of entering into Samaritan territory as the relationship between Jew and Samaritan was one of great hostility.  The Jews hatred and bitterness towards the Samaritans – who were themselves half Jews both by blood and religion – at this time in history, had never been greater.  Indeed, the Jews forbade the Samaritan from the services in the temple and considered their food unclean even as swine’s flesh.  Enter Jesus on the scene which, Scripture states, “he had to go through Samaria”– fleshing out His words found in the gospel of Luke and showing forth for us a wonderful example of Christianity offering freedom to those otherwise in bondage to religious prejudice:

 ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”   Luke 19:9-10 (NIV)

 

Weary from the walk He sits down by the well and waits.  Ever been weary in the center of God’s will?  There is much kingdom work to be done on this side of heaven and oftentimes as modern day disciples we may feel a bit overwhelmed.  This is nothing new – from the Old Testament to the New, there is a tendency for saints to become weary which calls for great discernment of God’s will on their part.  This is clearly demonstrated for us by Jesus in our verses for today.  Rather than run ahead with His disciples in the necessary task of gathering food for them to eat, our Savior shows us perfect discernment of God’s will for His life by waiting at the well for His next divine encounter as He later informs His disciples:

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” ³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” ³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”   John 4:32-34 (NIV)

 

“O My child, do not be overcharged with the cares of everyday living, and do not let your energies be consumed by humdrum tasks.  What is needed, must be done; but if you put the ministry of the Kingdom in first place, My strength will be yours for other tasks, and time will be given to you for both.  You do not need to respond to every call.  Learn to discern when I would use you, and when I would have the other individual lean wholly upon Me.  Otherwise, you may restrict the development of the other person’s spiritual ministry, and rather than helping, you may become an actual hindrance.  I will not overtax you.  I will use you, but I will not destroy you in the using.  But you may destroy yourself if you lack this discernment and fail to know when to direct others to look to Me.”   Frances J. Roberts 

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount:

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.   Matt 6:33-34 (NIV)

 

The plentiful harvest took Jesus to Samaria where He had an appointment albeit unbeknownst to anyone else.   Jesus gives us these words in Matthew showing forth His perfect focus of seeking to save the lost:

 ³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matt 9:35-38 (NIV)

 

“Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer – to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others?  Or do you say, ‘I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him.  I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice.  And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ‘Well done.’’  It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a ‘doormat’ under people’s feet.  God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, ‘I know how to be abased…’ (Philippians 4:12)….Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted – not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister?”   Oswald Chambers

Paul graciously states:

¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.   Phil 2:17-18 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

• Thankfully, Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost.
• Jesus’ focus was always:  “to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  
•  My focus as Jesus’ disciple is His kingdom work and His righteousness.

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January_27

SHARING BREAD

¹ The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

John 4:1-3 (NIV)

Alerted to the prodding advances of the Pharisees over His sudden prominence, Jesus sets out fleet footed for Galilee.  The Pharisees eyebrows were raised over Jesus’ growing ministry and He was well aware of their propaganda spreading out against Him.  These leaders surmised that they had rid themselves of the Baptist and now Jesus surfaced on the scene stirring stronger the hearts of the people. The fact that Christ was making many disciples grieved them and they had delusions of dealing with Him as well – setting Him off of His straight and narrow course. Jesus never concerned Himself over man’s testimony – whether good or bad.  We find earlier in John:

 ²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. ²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. ²⁵ He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.    John 2:23-25 (NIV)

 

Jesus knew very well the fickleness of man and was also clearly aware of what His future held, yet, He knew His time had not yet come hence His return to Galilee to escape His exasperated enemies.  His focus was always fixed, carefully living in regards to God’s timing and purpose.  This is evident in the response to His own family members who mockingly asked why He was not seeking to do His miracles more publically at a certain time, Jesus responds:

⁶ Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. ⁸ You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.” John 7:6-8 (NIV)

 

Always pleasing the Father, His timing was precisely what the Father desired – ever waiting for the “fullness of time” before He proceeded.  Those who follow after the desires of their own heart and ways find any time right to do whatever they please.  Conversely, those seeking to do God’s will, wait on God’s timing.  King David, a man after God’s own heart, tells us in Psalm 27:

¹³ I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.    Psalms 27:13-14 (NIV)

 

David also states in Psalm 37:

³⁴ Wait for the LORD and keep his way.  He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.  Psalms 37:34 (NIV)

 

Let’s face it; waiting (groan) is never easy.  In our microwave society, we want everything instantaneously – no waiting in lines at the bank or the grocery store; no waiting at the doctors or on the phone for a human voice; no waiting for a husband or a wife or a child; no waiting for a vacation or a home or a car – we humans simply do not favor waiting.  Yet the Bible is replete with “in the fullness of time”; “after a long time”; “at the appointed time”; “during that long period”; “when the time had fully come” – get the drift?  Our times are in His hands whether we perhaps acknowledge this or not.  Scripture tells us:

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” ¹⁵ My times are in your hands;   Psalms 31:14-15 (NIV)

 

Let me be perfectly clear here – waiting is not for want.  There is always purpose behind “pregnant pauses” in our lives.   God is in the process of hewning, pruning and building our characters and I might add those in our spheres with each minute that passes, encouraging us to “grow up “ in Him in order that we may be vessels worthy of use.  Believe me, that certainly takes time!  Abraham was 100 when his promised son was born; God took thirteen years grooming Joseph before he was elevated to the second highest in command under Pharaoh; Moses was years tending his father-in-law’s sheep before leading the Israelites out of Egypt and the list goes on and on.  To prepare a vessel for use takes time yet it is more than worth the wait.  The Creator of the universe has prepared works for us to do which requires prepared vessels and to miss that calling is to miss everything.  Rather than “kicking against the goads” during our prolonged periods of wait, a better part of valor would be to earnestly seek through prayer, God’s Word and the counsel of saints areas in our lives which God is working on and be willing participants with Him while living in joyful and hopeful expectation.  

¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.     Eph 2:10 (NIV)

 

“Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans.  Fretting is wickedness for a child of God.”   Oswald Chambers  

What I glean for this:

• Jesus was all about His Father’s purpose and timing – that was His total reason for walking the dusty earth.  ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.   John 6:38 (NIV)
• I am also to be about my Father’s will – His “good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2B).
• It often takes years to prepare a saint for the works God has planned in advance for them to do.        

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January_25

SHARING BREAD

³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

John 3:36 (NIV)

John penned similar words in I John:

¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.   1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)

The vital principle animating living beings, the very life-force itself, is given eternally to those who believe in the Son.  Conversely, those who reject or disobey through unbelief, outwardly expressing the inward attitudes of their hearts, continue to remain under God’s just wrath – His necessary righteous action against evil.  The conclusion of the matter appears to be quite clear:  we are given two options – believe in the Son or reject the Son – eternal life or eternal wrath – the choice is ours.  Jesus is the object of faith, He being the divine condition for both our abundance and joy here and now and eternally.  Jesus Himself stated:

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.   John 10:10 (NIV)

He also tells us these following Truths in John:

¹⁵ that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.   John 3:15 (NIV)

 ²⁴ “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.   John 5:24 (NIV)

“Before Jesus invades our lives, our hearts are under enemy occupation; but on our own personal Decision-Day, we receive Him as our Savior, and we’re justified!  A process of sanctification then begins as our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors increasingly come under His control and we grow in the victorious Christian life.  Satan fights for every inch of territory, and we find ourselves in constant war with the world, the flesh, and the devil – but the victory of Jesus is unstoppable, and we are more than conquerors as we increasingly worship Him with all our hearts.”     Robert J. Morgan

Jesus’ constant mantra while His feet walked this dusty earth was “Believe”- Believe my Word, Believe my miracles, Believe I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me, Believe I do only my Father’s will, Believe I came from God, Believe I came to seek and to save the lost – Believe!  Believe!  Believe! 

“Luther was right: the root behind all other manifestations of sin is compulsive unbelief—our voluntary darkness concerning God, ourselves, his relationship to the fallen world and his redemption purpose… If the fall occurred through embracing lies, the recovery process of salvation must center on faith in truth, reversing this condition.”   Richard Lovelace, Renewal as a Way of Life 

Even in Christ’s great priestly prayer He prays for those who would subsequently come to believe from the testimony of those who would faithfully continue to proclaim His message – passing down Truth from generation to generation.  His great desire is for us to be with Him eternally:

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.    John 17:20-21 (NIV)

²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.   John 17:24 (NIV)

The communion and fellowship believers now experience on this side of heaven will be magnified in eternity.  Indeed, when Jesus’ disciples came back from ministering in His name their focus for rejoicing was that even the demons submitted to them.  Jesus’ reaction was excessive, ecstatic joy yet these were the words He spoke to them:

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”   Luke 10:18-20 (NIV)

The personal relationship of believers in Christ should always be the source of their joy.  He has saved our scrawny necks, blotting out our sins and bringing us life and immortality – that is certainly reason for joy to get physical!

“Hast thou, O my soul, felt the weight of thy own guilt and misery, and been enabled, in reality and truth, to lay hold by faith of the blood of Christ for thy redemption, and faithfully to devote thyself to him in heart and life?  Then hast thou a sure foundation to go upon:  let it be thy constant care firmly to depend upon these and such like blessed declarations; look to Jesus for every blessing thou standest in need of.  Has Christ brought life and immortality to light?  Then look unto him and live.  Is there redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins?  Then throw all thy guilt upon his atonement.  Has he blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against thee?  Then shake off self-righteous dependences, and legal fears also.  Did he die for thy sins?  Then let his goodness and love lead thee to unfeigned repentance; let the sense of thy sins break thine heart, but encourage thy hope in the gospel.”    K.H. Von Bogatzky

What I glean from this:

•  Believe in the Son and have abundant life now and eternal life later.  God’s wrath remains on the one who rejects His Son.
• The root behind sin is compulsive unbelief.
•  Jesus desires for us to be in heaven with Him eternally.      

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January_22

SHARING BREAD

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

John 3:35 (NIV)

I am totally reminded of God’s commending words regarding His Son to the gathered crowd at the baptism of our Savior:

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  Matt 3:16-17 (NIV)

 

In these verses God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are represented along with, of course, Jesus – God the Son- at the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry showing forth their pleasure and approval of Him.  Paul tells us in Colossians:

¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.   Col 1:19-20 (NIV)

This is not the only event where the heavens opened and God spoke forth His affirmation regarding His Son.  Matthew records the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration as follows:

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!”   Matt 17:5 (NIV)

Authenticating and giving forth approval for the Son of God by the voice of God, Peter gives us the following description of his eye-witness account:

¹⁶ We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.    2 Peter 1:16-18 (NIV)

Not only is God the Son loved by God the Father, He has bestowed upon Him all authority and supremacy.  Jesus has been given first place over all creation.  He is the preeminent Logos, humbling Himself by becoming flesh and exalted by God to the highest place bearing the Name that is above all names.  Paul tells us in Colossians:

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.   Col 1:18 (NIV)

We are also told in Philippians:

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:9-11 (NIV)

 

God has placed all authority into His capable hands.  In the Great Commission found at the end of Matthew, Jesus tells us:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)

 

Jesus had the official right or power given Him and He in turn gives us the command to “Go” based on this power and authority and knowledge of Him.

“If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him myself.  I must take time to worship the One whose name I bear.  Jesus says, ‘Come to Me….’ – that is the place to meet Jesus – ‘all you who labor and are heavy laden….’”    Oswald Chambers  

While it is certainly glorious to be a part of His workings through His power, the greatest secret of joy is found in a right relationship with Jesus not in what we do for Him. 

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.  God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do. That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings.    Rick Warren

What I glean from this:

• God the Father loves God the Son.
• All authority is placed in Jesus’ capable hands.
• If I desire to know the universal sovereignty of Jesus I must know Him myself – no secondhand knowledge will do.

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January_20

SHARING BREAD

³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

John 3:32-34 (NIV)

Jesus testified to the Truth yet, as our verses for today state, “no one accepts his testimony”.  The people of His day regarded His words as non-important – a non-issue to them – not too dissimilar to what we find in our own times.  People do not want to be bothered if it means the ultimate authority of their life must change.  Satan has blinded eyes from the certain abundance – albeit mixed with fear – of living and dying apart from salvation in Christ Jesus.  Proverbs wisely tells us:

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.    Prov 1:7 (NIV)

It is common for those to make a joke of the word of God who are resolved that they will not be ruled by it.”  Matthew Henry

A mouse was caught by its tail in a trap the other day, and the poor creature went on eating the cheese.  Many men are doing the same.  They know that they are guilty, and they dread their punishment, but they go on nibbling at their beloved sins.  C. H. Spurgeon

What God holds out to mankind is glorious – “exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) – yet, sadly, many shrug their shoulders apathetically continuing on in their ignorance or in their selfish sinful ways – having a total disregard of God’s best for their lives. I am reminded of the words prophetically describing Jesus penned by the prophet Isaiah:

³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.   Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)

 

Despised and rejected by those He came to save, it is no wonder Jesus laments as He looks out over the city of Jerusalem – symbolizing those who willfully chose to refuse to turn to the Lord – bringing upon themselves their just condemnation:

³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “    Matt 23:37-39 (NIV)

 

Yet our God is always about doing the “unexpected for the undeserving” as Mike Huckabee so aptly stated in a recent article I read – calling and wooing us back to the point of our departure.  From Jesus’ perspective one can only imagine how the need of the people must have seemed overly rampant.  Like helpless sheep, our Shepherd knows each need and how to fill it:

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matt 9:35-38 (NIV)

“Our Creator is infinitely good, and His will is love: to submit to one who is ‘too wise to err, too good to be unkind,’ should not be hard.”   C.H. Spurgeon

God’s heart beats for man to turn to Him.  That is what gets Him off His throne running toward the repentant.  He tells us:

¹ “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’  ² All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations–    Isaiah 65:1-2 (NIV)

“While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him.  When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.”  C.H. Spurgeon

 

Jesus’ job description which He read in the synagogue from the scroll of Isaiah sums up our verses for today:

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. ¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”    Luke 4:14-21 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

•  Just as Jesus was despised and rejected in His day so too He will be in ours.
• God holds out His hands to us yet oftentimes the response He receives is obstinacy.
•  It is God’s desire for the sinner to turn in repentance to Him.

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January_18

SHARING BREAD

³¹ “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.

John 3:31 (NIV)

Just as surely as the heavens are above the earth, the One who comes from heaven is above all the peoples of the earth.  Jesus’ thoughts and ways are so far superior to man’s thoughts and ways which, I might add, are indeed evil apart from Christ.  I am reminded of God’s words through the prophet Isaiah:

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.    Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

Isaiah also broadens our scope with the following questions which point us to the Truth:

¹³ Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? ¹⁴ Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way?  Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?   Isaiah 40:13-14 (NIV)

²⁸ Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)

 

“God is wonderful in all his doings, his ways are past finding out; at the end we can see best the wise and gracious steps he took with us:  therefore, when things take such a wonderful turn that we are quite at our wits’ end, and do not know which way to go, we may believe the hand of the Lord is in it, and some good will come of it at last.  As we experience the name of Christ to be wonderful at such times, we may well expect that he will show himself to be our Counsellor and mighty God also.  At first, everything may seem to be against us, and go quite contrary; but at last, we see plainly that it was highly needful that it should go contrary to our corrupt nature, and that thus it went well; for though the ways of God are marvelous, yet they are glorious.”   K. H. Von Bogatzky

 

Paul also states the supremacy of Christ in Colossians – Jesus being preeminent over all creation, exalted by God the Father to the highest place and given the name that is above all names:

¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.    Col 1:16-20 (NIV)

In this one passage alone John 3:31is confirmed.  Note the following:  All things were created by Jesus and for Jesus; all things are held together by His power; He is the Head of the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn, the supremacy; He came as the fullness of the God-head in bodily form, indeed, the One who comes from heaven is above all.  The lowness of those who stood and those who are now standing in competition with Him is certainly here illustrated.  All the prophets and apostles were in the same mold as mere men – they were simply earthen vessels though housing rich treasure within them.  Further, Paul goes on to state that Christ has all knowledge and all wisdom – knowledge being the apprehension of Truth and wisdom being the application to life of the Truth.  Being Truth and fleshing it out is summed up in the life of Jesus:

² My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.   Col 2:2-3 (NIV)

“None but he who came from heaven was fit to show us the will of heaven, or the way to heaven.”  Matthew Henry

 

“This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: ‘I will help thee’.  ‘It is but a small thing for Me, thy God, to help thee.  Consider what I have done already.  What!  Not help thee?  Why, I bought thee with My blood.  What!  Not help thee?  I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less?  Help thee!  It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more.  Before the world began I chose thee.  I made the covenant for thee.  I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave My life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now.  In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already.  If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give.  ‘Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow.  “Help thee?”  Fear not!  If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all sufficiency.  “I will help thee”.’  O my soul, is not this enough?  Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity?  Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit?  Bring hither thine empty pitcher!  Surely this well will fill it.  Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them there – thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs.  Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside?  Go forth, my soul, in this thy might.  The Eternal God is thine helper!”  C. H. Spurgeon     

What I glean from this:

• Jesus is above all.
• In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
• Jesus will help me.

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January_15

SHARING BREAD

³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30 (NIV)

This verse is not merely advisable or fortuitous; it is the divine order for all believers.  Christ’s interest and reputation should always be advancing while ours diminishing.  The ultimate end, of course – whether we grasp this truth or not – is stated for us in the verses below:

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   Phil 2:9-11 (NIV)

 

“One day every tongue will confess You are God; One day every knee will bow;
Still, the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose You now.”  Vineyard Songs

 

The shrinking of self so that the Spirit may shine through is not a concept we readily hear from our pulpits today yet Jesus thought it important enough to address it in all four gospels.  A sampling follows:

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?   Matt 16:24-26 (NIV)

 

²³ Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?   Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)

 

The saints of the past had a clear understanding of this.  Take Paul, for instance, his words to the church in Corinth confirm his practice of Jesus’ command above:

⁵ For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.   2 Cor 4:5-12 (NIV)

 

“The kingdom of Christ is, and will be, a growing kingdom, like the light of the morning, like the grain of mustard seed.  John was not at all displeased that the effect of this was the diminishing of his own interest:  ‘I must become less.’  The shining forth of the glory of Christ eclipses the luster of all other glory.  As the light of the morning increases, that of the morning star decreases.  We must cheerfully be content to be anything, to be nothing, so that Christ may be all.”     Matthew Henry

 

Just as Moses’ face reflected the glory of God after receiving the Law from Him – though he was not even aware of it – we too are to be a reflection of the glory of Christ – though also perhaps not even aware of it – as we bring forth the New Covenant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We find in Exodus:

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.   Ex 34:29 (NIV)

 

³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.   Ex 34:33-35 (NIV)

 

Paul brings us to this reasonable conclusion in 2 Corinthians:

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰ For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!   2 Cor 3:7-11 (NIV)

¹⁸ And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   2 Cor 3:18 (NIV)

 

“Grant, therefore, O my God, that this beholding of Thee may be my constant exercise, and that by this means I may be strengthened cheerfully to follow thy pattern, and be daily more changed into the glorious image of thy love, patience, and humility, and thus be ripening for eternal life.”  K. H. Von Bogatzky

 

What I glean from this:

• The divine order for me is that Jesus must become greater and I must become less.
• As a believer, I carry around in my jar of clay the all surpassing power of God.
• Just as Moses was unaware of the radiance of his face, I should be as unaware as I reflect the Lord’s glory.  It is not about me, it is all about Jesus. 

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January_13

SHARING BREAD

²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

John 3:28-29 (NIV)

The Baptist, being so influential, had been investigated by the Jewish leaders of his day.  He had indeed confessed freely to them that he was not the Christ.  Rather, John was sent ahead as an ambassador to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming by calling the people back to a proper relationship with God through the repentance of their sins.  God was signaling a turning point in His dealings with mankind through the Baptist giving them a “heads up” if you will of the “edges of His ways”.

¹⁴ And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him!  Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”    Job 26:14 (NIV)

We find earlier in John the following to support this:

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”   John 1:19-20 (NIV)

Mark also tells us:

⁴ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  Mark 1:4 (NIV)

Isaiah’s words in Chapter 40 prophesized John the Baptist’s ministry:

³ A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.   Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)

“Neither the frowns of the chief priests, nor the flatteries of his own disciples, could not make him change his note.”     Matthew Henry

John was the forerunner of Christ and he was assured of his calling, hence he found his joy fulfilled in Jesus’ growing influence. He had great satisfaction in the advancement of Christ.  Faithful modern day disciples of Jesus should have that same satisfaction in Jesus’ growing influence as well being assured of our calling to make Jesus known.

“According to the New Testament, God wills that the church be a people who show what God is like.”  Stanley J. Grenz

No one is more exhausted than one who is constantly striving to appear great in the eyes of men.  While certain attributes man perhaps possesses could be considered great, man is not great.  It is God alone who is great. Indeed, the Bible tells us:

⁵ Should you then seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not.   Jer 45:5 (NIV)

“True glory and holy joy is to glory in Thee and not in one’s self.”  Thomas a Kempis

God is not into man’s “Big Dog” mentality.  To be sure, David, the man after God’s own heart had the correct mindset when he penned:

³ When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?   Psalms 8:3-4 (NIV)

As believers left in this world yet not the world in us, our work is to reveal Jesus to our spheres of influence.  Just as Jesus came to make the Father known, accomplishing the work He was sent by God to do, so too, we are on a divine mission.

⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.   John 17:4 (NIV)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)

We bring much glory to God through our obedience to His call and certainly our lives are most satisfied when God is most glorified as John Piper states.

“A concern for the glory of God is the ultimate motive for Christian living.”   Anonymous

As the Baptist tells us, the fullness of joy is found in bringing the light of Christ to the souls of men.

“Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.”   Leon Bloy

“The surest mark of a Christian is not faith, or even love, but joy.”    Samuel Shoemaker

What I glean from this:

• John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus – unfazed by his calling – mission accomplished!
• As a modern day follower of Jesus I too am on a mission of making Christ known in my sphere of influence.
• When God is most glorified I am most satisfied.

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January_11

SHARING BREAD

²⁷ To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

John 3:27 (NIV)

Checking his disciple’s complaint in regards to Jesus’ following surpassing that of his own, the Baptist speaks straight to the sovereignty of God.  Unmoved in the face of the world’s fickle opinions, there was not a tint of jealousy, selfish ambition or vain conceit seen in his words.  Humility shines forth from a rightful understanding of God’s sovereignty.

“Different employments are according to the direction of divine Providence, different endowments according to the distribution of the divine grace.  We should not envy those who have a larger share of gifts than we have, or move in a larger sphere of usefulness.  John reminds his disciples that Jesus would not have thus excelled him unless he had received it from heaven, and, if God gave him the Spirit without limit, shall they grudge at it?  We should not be discontent, though we may be inferior to others in gifts and usefulness, and be eclipsed by their excellencies.  John was ready to confess that it was God who gave him the place he had in the love and esteem of the people; and, if now his place declined, God’s will be done!  When he has fulfilled his ministry, he can contentedly see it go out of date.”   Matthew Henry

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12 that whatever gift God bestows is to be fleshed out sincerely – always motivated by love – to serve and edify the body.  Our gifts are given to us but not for us to be used through us for the furtherance of God’s kingdom, the building up of His saints and to bring God much glory.  The love of God expressed through human beings encourages and increases others faith.

⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷ If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸ if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. ⁹ Love must be sincere.   Romans 12:4-9 (NIV)

“Being changed and sweetly breathed upon by the Spirit of God, the will desires and acts not from compulsion, but responsively.”   Martin Luther

Paul commends the church of the Thessalonians on the proper fleshing out of their acts of service as they served enthusiastically because they loved sincerely:

³ We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.   1 Thess 1:3-7 (NIV)

In our verse for today John is clear – God is sovereign over the affairs of men.  We find in Daniel the following words spoken by Nebuchadnezzar – a pagan king no less – who took a trip from grazing at the kings table to grazing in the grass and back again!  We would all do well to take heed to his truthful words:

³⁴ At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.  His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
³⁵ All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.  He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.  No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” ³⁶ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.   Dan 4:34-37 (NIV)

Daniel had already warned King Nebuchadnezzar through an interpretation of a dream yet the king had not taken heed of his words:

²⁴ “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: ²⁵ You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.   Dan 4:24-25 (NIV)

We must remember that just as the gifts given to us are not our own, neither are our ministries – they are God’s and He will do with them as He pleases:

¹ The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.   Prov 21:1 (NIV)

 

³⁰ There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.  ³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.  Prov 21:30-31 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

• John the Baptist was not swayed by human opinion rather he was humble with a rightful understanding of God’s sovereignty.
• It is God who exalts and makes low:  ⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.   1 Sam 2:7 (NIV)
• There is no wisdom that can succeed against the Lord.

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January_08

SHARING BREAD

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. ²³ Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.) ²⁵ An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. ²⁶ They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan–the one you testified about–well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

John 3:22-26 (NIV)

For some wild reason I think my toes are getting ready to be stomped on today – go figure!  Have you ever longingly looked at someone else’s spiritual gifts and their ability to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God seemingly so effortlessly to you, the onlooker?  You come away feeling, as my Momma used to say, like “a near do well”!  I recently have had this exact experience!  Watching wide eyed (and I might add with great appreciation) a delicious “loaves and fishes” meal served to accommodate more than anticipated sans one drop of sweat or furrowed brow!  It was like a conductor smoothly orchestrating his symphony – pulled off as smooth as crème brulee!      From one that has a difficult time even boiling water you certainly can imagine my awe!  Then there were those who welcomed many into their home showing forth warm hospitality – opening their arms as wide their doors to embrace and encourage the weary.  Giving flesh and bones to Paul’s words in Romans 12:

Practice hospitality.   Romans 12:13 (NIV)

I have to admit, I felt a bit of jealousy – not that they practiced their gifts so superbly but that I am so want of them!  What wonderful ways to show forth God’s love to others!  I can’t help but believe that same feeling of jealousy was somewhat occurring with John the Baptist’s disciples in our verses for today.  People were turning to Jesus to be baptized in lieu of John and from verse 26 it sounds as if John’s disciples were perhaps a bit jealous as well.  Interestingly, as disciples of Christ, our goal is to point those in our spheres to Him is it not?  To flesh out His life for others to see and be blessed by- wooing, by His love, those who perhaps do not know Him as their Savior and encouraging and strengthening those that do.

Our gifts are given to us as simply the means we are to use to achieve this goal.  Besides that, we are not responsible for the results; we are responsible to be faithful with the gifts God has bestowed.  God may use others to minister to thousands and use us to minister to but a few – it is our faithfulness that matters in His eyes.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”  Edmund Burke

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians regarding the importance of Christ being preached even regardless of the motive behind the preaching of the Truth – the message being the same it was the motive that differed:

¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.  Phil 1:15-18 (NIV)

 

Paul rejoiced over the fact that Christ was preached.  Indeed, when the church in Corinth began disputing over following Paul or Apollos – both servants of Jesus – his response gives us the proper attitude we are to seek:

 

³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul?  Only servants, through whom you came to believe–as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.   1 Cor 3:3-9 (NIV)

“Provided that God be glorified, we must not care by whom.”   Francis de Sales

“In Christ’s Kingdom, no work is ever accomplished alone. TOGETHER, is how we fulfill our Lord’s mandate and exemplify His message.”    Olivia Xavier  

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received — only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”  St. Francis of Assisi

What I glean from this:

• Our goal as Jesus’ disciples is to point others in our spheres to Him.  “Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested.”   Oswald Chambers
• It is God that works in and through us to accomplishing His goals by the gifts He bestows upon us.   “I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him.  I ended up by asking Him to do His work through me.”  Hudson Taylor

• God bestows His gifts to His people specifically for His tasks.  “¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Eph 2:10 (NIV).  “If God has fit you to be a missionary, I would not have you shrivel down to be a king.” C.H. Spurgeon   “Being a ‘missionary’ (one who is sent) is not a matter of crossing the sea, but of seeing the cross.”  Hudson Taylor

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