How do I stay focused on what is important to God? Part 3

“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.” John 7:18

So far in our discussion about how to stay focused on what is important to God, we have learned to avoid hiding behind foolish stereotypes (John 7:14-16) and to ascertain God’s will by doing it (John 7:17). Today we learn to ASSESS THOSE WHO TEACH US (John 7:18-23). We all have teachers. We should have those who disciple us. However, we must be careful to whom we entrust ourselves. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus warns us to watch out for false prophets or teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Outwardly, they may appear to be Christians. They may be very gentle, kind, loving and quite popular, but if they are teaching a message that is contrary to Jesus’ message, they are false teachers and they are to be avoided.

Jesus gives us a clear warning – “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory.” (John 7:18a). Jesus gives us several things to look for in a teacher:

1.  Who is the teacher seeking to glorify? Himself or God the Father? Jesus sought to glorify the One who sent Him by teaching the doctrine His Father gave Him (John 7:16; cf. 5:19-20; 12:49-50). Jesus did not seek His own glory. What Jesus taught was always true. What Jesus taught was always consistent with what His Father taught. When a person advances the ideas of another person, it glorifies his teacher rather than himself. However, when he advances his own ideas instead of his teacher’s, it dishonors his teacher and glorifies himself. When we distort or mishandle God’s Word, we are seeking our own glory instead of God’s.

For the sake of illustration, let’s say my earthly father told me to invite people to meet him for a free meal at Mullets Restaurant in Des Moines at 8 am this Saturday by using the Dart Bus local route 6, but I told everyone I knew to meet him there at 8 am this Saturday by taking the Dart Bus route 52 because it is a more popular route (which does not go to that destination). Imagine the consequences!

First, no one would make it to the right destination because I had not communicated my father’s directions correctly. Second, all of them would miss out on a free meal. Third, they would think less of my father for sending them on a bus that took them to a destination where he was not present, thus wasting their time. By failing to communicate my father’s message accurately, I would damage his reputation and cause many people to miss out on his blessings. In addition, it would draw much attention (albeit negative) to myself from both my father and those I invited. On the other hand, if I had communicated his message accurately, many would enjoy a free meal and look up to my father for being so generous and gracious.

This is much more than semantics or splitting hairs. God has chosen specific words to communicate how to spend eternity with Him in Heaven (cf. John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; et al.). His word is truth (John 17:17), not our opinions. When we distort or mishandle His saving message by inserting unclear clichés such as “give your life to Christ,” “invite Jesus into your heart,” “surrender to Christ” instead of the words Jesus taught about how to obtain eternal life (believe or faith), we do not please the Lord even if that is our sincere desire. In addition, we are also making it easier for people to arrive at the wrong eternal destination. However, when we tell people the same condition for obtaining eternal life that Jesus taught (believe in Him – John 3:15-18; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 7:38-39; 11:25-26; et al.), we are glorifying Jesus Christ and the Father who taught Him, and we are giving lost people the Good News they desperately need to hear.

2. Are they telling the truth about Christ and our need for Him? Jesus claimed something about Himself that could not be said about any other person – “But He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” (John 7:18b). Jesus is the sinless Son of God. He is fully God and fully human. He never said, did, or thought anything wrong. Even His motives were sinless. He always sought to glorify His Father. Jesus’ listeners were the opposite of Him. They were sinners. “Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” (John 7:19). This is true of all of us. None of us can keep all of God’s laws. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10). No matter how well you keep the rest of God’s laws, if you fail at one point, you are considered a lawbreaker and deserving of eternal punishment. And the Bible tells us that all of us fall short of His glory or perfection (Rom. 3:23).  

So maybe you have never murdered anyone or committed adultery, but have you ever misused God’s name or have you ever failed to love Him more than anyone or anything else? Our innocence in one area does not excuse us in other areas. All of us are sinners and sinners need a Savior. Instead of looking to Jesus to save them, Jesus’ listeners were seeking to kill Him. If a teacher depreciates the Person and work of Christ (denies He is fully God who took the punishment for all our sin and rose from the dead) and denies their own sinfulness, and therefore denies the need to trust in Christ alone for salvation, they are not from God and should be avoided.

First Timothy 6:3-5 tells us: “3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.” In other words, there is a fungus among us and they need to be avoided. If a church or denomination ever goes down this slippery slope of depreciating the Person and work of Christ by denying His deity or distorting His gospel, it will be decision time. Will we follow Jesus and His teachings or will we follow people’s opinions and traditions?

We are living in an age similar to what Paul describes: “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3 Living Bible). We need to ask ourselves when we listen to teachers at church, on TV, the radio, the internet or even in a book, “Are these teachers telling us the truth, (which is sometimes painful) or are they telling us what they think we want to hear? Are they teaching salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone or are they teaching a faith plus gospel?” If a teacher is focused on glorifying God, if they seek to get across what God has said so that people might be delivered from sin’s penalty and obtain the free gift of eternal life simply by believing in Jesus alone who is the true God and eternal life, then you can trust that kind of teacher.

3. Are they living by a double standard? Instead of admitting their desire to murder Jesus, the crowd lies: “The people answered and said, ‘You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?’ ” (John 7:20). Because Christ’s grace conflicts with their legalistic understanding, they accuse Jesus of having a demon. “21 Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 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?’ ” (John 7:21-23). The religious leaders accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath by healing a man who had been lame for 38 years (see John 5). However, these same people did not feel it was a violation of the Sabbath to circumcise a child on the Sabbath. According to their logic, it was right to make one part of the body right before God, but not the entire body. Their logic was falling apart. Jesus did more for that lame man than the religious leaders did for the boy who was circumcised. They thought their act was consistent with what God desired but they couldn’t see that with Jesus. That’s a double standard.

When I was having a discussion with another pastor a few years ago, he said to me that if I was humble, I would agree with his understanding of a particular passage of Scripture. And I did agree with him about that passage. And then I asked him if he was open to understanding another passage in a way that may be new to him, and he said, “No.” This same person, who was ready to accuse me of being proud for not agreeing with his understanding of Scripture, turned around and was very close-minded to a different interpretation of Scripture. That kind of double standard inhibits growth. If we are not teachable and open to learning new insights from God’s Word, we are going to remain spiritually stunted like the legalistic Jews that Jesus was encountering.

If we are going to stay focused on what is important to God, we must avoid hiding behind foolish stereotypes (John 7:14-16), ascertain God’s will by doing it (John 7:17), and assess those who teach us (John 7:18-23). If the person who instructs us does not magnify the Person and work of Jesus Christ for the glory of God, then we are to avoid his or her teaching so we may remain focused on what is important to God.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be wise in terms of whom I place myself under to receive instruction. Also, please enable me to resemble You in my teaching of others. May all of us who teach be consistent in teaching what You taught so You are most glorified and people will be most satisfied in You. Help us to magnify the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully Man Who paid our sin debt in full so all anyone must do to have everlasting life is believe in Him alone. If other Christians depart from sound doctrine to follow those who teach what they want to hear, help us to remain faithful to Your words which give eternal life. Forgive us for closing our hearts off to Your instruction. Please give us an open heart that longs to gain new insights from Your Word so we may continue to focus on what matters most to You – Your glory and Your gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

How do I stay focused on what is important to God? Part 2

“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.” John 7:17

The second way to major on the majors is to ASCERTAIN GOD’S WILL BY DOING IT (John 7:17). “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.” (John 7:17). If anyone was willing to do God’s will, not just to know God’s truth, God would enable that one to believe that Jesus’ teaching came from heaven. The most important thing then is a commitment to follow God’s will. Once a person makes that commitment, God begins to convince him or her of what is true. Faith must precede reason, not the other way around.

Although this promise applies to all that Jesus taught, it especially applies to what a person must do to have everlasting life. Everyone who is willing to do what God says will discover that anyone who believes or trusts in Jesus alone has everlasting life. Jesus said, “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:40). Unfortunately, many of Jesus’ listeners did not want to do God’s will, so they never discovered the free gift of everlasting life through faith in Jesus. Instead, they wanted to kill Jesus and bring His teaching to an end (cf. John 7:19-20).

We see this happening often today. The reason people do not discover the freeness of everlasting life through faith alone in Christ alone is because they are not willing to do God’s will. They are committed to doing their own will instead of God’s. Hence, they embrace a “faith plus” gospel that emphasizes good works to get them to heaven. But because this is their will instead of God’s, they are convinced that this is the right way to heaven. It is not until they are willing to do what God says that they discover that everlasting life is a free gift through believing in Jesus Christ apart from any works (John 3:15-18, 36; 4:10-14; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26).

The reason why so many people reject that Jesus is God is because they are not willing to do God’s will. If they were willing, God would enable them to believe that Jesus is the true God and eternal life (John 1:1; I John 5:20). Spiritual understanding and growth begins with our willingness to do what God says.

But those who do believe in Christ for salvation must be willing to apply what they know to grow in their faith. We learn by doing. For example, we can know how to share the gospel, but we will not grow in evangelism until we start sharing Christ with non-Christians. Likewise, you can know the steps to forgiveness, but you will not grow in forgiveness until you choose to actually forgive the people who have hurt you. You may be able to quote 1 Corinthians 13, but until you choose to work at loving your enemy and those who are difficult to love, you inhibit your ability to grow in love. You can know how important discipleship is, but until you begin carving time out of your schedule to study God’s Word and teach it to others, you will not grow further in discipleship.

With every act of obedience, the truth of what Jesus says becomes more and more persuasive to us. We know it is true, because God proves Himself true every time. This explains why some new believers learn and grow with incredible speed. They become grown up, mature believers, in a matter of months, while others who sit under the teaching of the Word for years hardly seem to grow at all; they are still Kindergarten Christians. Why is this? It is because they are not doing what they hear. Those who put into practice the truth they hear begin to grow immediately. They move beyond spiritual infancy and enter the spiritual infantry of Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, salvation and spiritual growth begin with my will. If I am not willing to do what You say, I will not discover the reality of everlasting through faith in You alone. If I am not willing to do Your will after I am saved, I will not grow in my relationship with You. Lord God, I want to become a doer of Your Word and not merely a hearer. Please help me to grow beyond where I am today by taking that first step of obedience to Your will. Every time I obey You, the truth of what You say becomes more persuasive to me. I grow spiritually by doing what Your Word says, not by hearing. I pray Your church will be filled with followers of Christ who are growing exponentially as doers of Your Word and not hearers only. As a result, You will receive more glory and the world will be a much better place to live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A word of encouragement

“Fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

When the prophet, Isaiah, wrote Isaiah 41, his readers were not yet in captivity in Babylon. But he addresses questions that his readers would have about this coming captivity. Could God deliver them or would God save them from the coming disaster? God reminds His people in chapter 41 that because He is a great and gracious God Who will deliver His people from disaster, they can still trust in Him.

The Lord, through His prophet, Isaiah, assured the fearful nation of Israel that it did not need to fear the nations of the world (Isaiah 41:1-7) because God remained committed to His people and would use them to accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 41:8-20). What really caught my attention in this section was verse 10 where the Lord says to His people, “Fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10). This verse is loaded with encouragement for us during these uncertain and turbulent times.

“Fear not, for I am with you” – We are often afraid when we perceive ourselves to be alone in the midst of uncertain times. As we have to deal with social distancing and unrest in our society, we may think we are all alone with our fears. But God assures us that there is no need to fear because HE IS WITH US. God’s presence in our lives replaces our fears with His peace. Because no one and nothing is greater than our God, we can be free of fear.

“Be not dismayed, for I am your God” – God says not to be dismayed or discouraged because He is our God. As Christians, we are not immune to trials and difficulties (cf. John 16:33). We can experience confusion as we face major challenges. We don’t always understand why things happen the way they do. You may lose your job or your health. A loved one may die. You may be falsely accused of wrongdoing. When faced with confusing situations, God says not to “be dismayed.” Why? Because He is our God! God does not always give us answers to our “Why” questions. He gives us Himself.

“I will strengthen you” – Do you feel your strength slipping away? You feel as though you cannot hold on much longer? Don’t give up. Give in to God. He says to you, “I will strengthen you.” It is God who strengthens us to face each day. When our resources are depleted, we can easily fall victim to fear. We don’t have the energy needed to live above our circumstances and insecurities. But God does. Wait upon Him to renew your strength. He is there for you.

“Yes, I will help you” – Have you been let down by others? Are you the recipient of broken promises from those who said they would be there for you? God says to you, “I will help you.” He does not say, “I might help you.” Nor does He say, “I will try to help you.” He says, “I WILL help you.” This help from God is an absolute certainty! Our confidence does not need to be shaken when we see society collapsing around us because God has not changed. He still helps us amidst the chaos and social unrest.

“I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” – Do you feel like you are drowning under an avalanche of change? Does it seem like you have been treading water for months and you can no longer stay afloat? God wants you to know that there is no way He is going to let you drown. He guarantees to “uphold” or support you with His “righteous right hand” that does what is right when others constantly do wrong. The same hand that placed the sun, moon, and stars in the sky (Psalm 8:3) will not let go of you. His grip on us remains firm even when we waver in our walk with Him (John 10:28-29).

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, thank You for encouraging me with this one verse. I don’t like to admit it, but my faith can easily be overrun with many fears especially when I listen to the sensationalism of the media. When I feel overwhelmed with loneliness and fear, please redirect me to the fact that You are with me. Nothing and no one can separate me from Your love. When my life is filled with confusion and unanswered questions, you don’t always give me answers. You give me something much better. You give me Yourself. Thank You for the strength Your presence gives me to face my fears and insecurities. When others break their promises to me, You keep Yours. I can always count on You to deliver on what You have said. I appreciate the constant support You give me. Your righteous right hand never lets go of me. Thank You for holding me up when I am ready to collapse. Bless Your holy name my Lord and my God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How do I stay focused on what is important to God? Part 1

“Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.’ ” John 7:16

God wants us to major on what is important. He wants us to focus on relationships, especially with Him, and internal attitudes, not ourselves and external appearances. But how do we do that? How do we major on the majors? How do we stay focused on what is important to God – our relationship with Him and doing His will during this season of chaos and uncertainty? Let’s look at John 7:14-24 the next few days and find out.

The first way to stay focused on what is important to God is to AVOID HIDING BEHIND FOOLISH STEREOTYPES (John 7:14-16). In John 7:1-13, Jesus’ half-brothers tried to persuade Him to go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles to make Himself known as the Messiah. Jesus refused to follow His unbelieving brothers’ advice. Instead, He waited until the Feast was half over before going up to it. “14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, ‘How does this Man know letters, having never studied?’ ” (John 7:14-15). The word “letters” refers to the Scriptures. The crowd was amazed that Jesus could teach with such authority since He had no formal education. He had not gone to the proper rabbinical schools. Yet, He took the ancient prophecies, and expounded and explained them. This was so different from the other rabbis. They taught from authorities, but Jesus taught with authority. Christ was a refreshing difference.

These people were not admiring Jesus – they were finding ways to avoid the impact of His message. They were doing what many of us do today – they were hiding behind foolish stereotypes. That way they would not have to deal with what Jesus was saying. We can often dismiss uncomfortable teaching because the teacher is either: not very educated (and so couldn’t possibly have anything to teach me) or, they are too educated (and surely parroting what they have been taught rather than making an informed decision based on the scriptures). Have you ever done that? I know I have. We stop listening to people because of their incorrect grammar, background, their past failures, their appearance, and a host of other reasons.

Jesus tells the people –  “Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.’ ” (John 7:16). Jesus did not receive His message from men nor make it up Himself. Many people who have not gone to school are still proud of their knowledge. They say, “I studied and taught myself.” There is a lot of pride lurking beneath such a statement. But Jesus does not say that. “I am not even self-taught. My teaching is from Him who sent me.” In other words, the issue is not the Person who is speaking, but the message that is spoken.

God can and does speak to us in a number of different ways. He can speak to us through the words of a child, a grandparent, even a new believer. However, we must be open to instruction. We must stop hindering God’s Spirit by refusing to listen to someone because of our foolish stereotypes. I believe that most people today want to hear from someone who has been taught by God. Isn’t that true? Hopefully you didn’t start reading this article to hear from me. You have come to this article because you wanted to get a word from the Lord. That’s why those of us who teach God’s Word need your prayers. Pray for us to hear from God each day – to get fresh insight from His Word.

Prayer: Father God, I am certain I have often missed out on Your message in the past because of my foolish stereotypes. I have stopped listening to Your messengers because of their incorrect grammar, background, their past failures, their appearance, and a host of other reasons. Oh how I regret hiding behind such stereotypes to avoid the impact of Your Word in my life. I have forgotten how You use unexpected people to communicate Your message of grace and truth. During this time of great chaos and uncertainty in our world, I desperately need to hear from You, my Lord and my God. Please open my eyes and heart to see wonderful jewels in Your Word. Holy Spirit, please give me the ability to understand and apply the truth of God’s Word to my life. Please give me an open heart to those whom You have raised up to speak to this current generation. Help me discern fake news from Your news. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

How do I follow God’s plan? Part 5

“But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.” John 7:10

The fifth way I follow God’s plan is when I APPLY DISCRETION (John 7:10-13). After Jesus’ brothers went up to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, Jesus went up in secret. “But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.” (John 7:10). Contrary to His brother’s insincere advice, Jesus kept a low profile during the opening days of the feast because it was not God’s time for Him to be manifested as the Messiah. He was very discreet. The message is clear – people do not determine what Jesus does. Christ is supremely the Master of every situation. So now He goes up when He is ready and in the way He chooses.

Jesus found Jerusalem filled with rumors about Him. In the intervening months, He had become the sensation of the nation. Reports of His great miracles had filtered down to Jerusalem and everybody was talking about Him, as John describes: “11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, ‘Where is He?’ 12 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.’ 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.” (John 7:11-13). There was a growing tension. Public opinion was divided. Some favored Christ and others were opposed to Him.

As we seek to follow God’s plan, we must apply discretion. There is a time and place to speak up for the Lord and then there is a time and place to be silent. Christians have turned off unbelievers by failing to apply discretion. We need God’s wisdom to know when and what to say or do before an unbelieving world. We need to rely on God’s Word and the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Are you willing to follow God’s plan for your life or do you want to run ahead of Him and take your chances? Let’s wait for His leading, shall we? And if the light is red or even yellow, we will be wise to let Him hold us back. When it turns green, you will know it. Don’t race your motor while you are waiting. You will burn up all your fuel… and you might slip across that delicate line. God’s moving-violation fines are quite expensive.

Prayer: Father God, forgive us for following our own inclinations instead of Your clear and simple leading. We want to follow Your plan for our lives. Lead us to those who are receptive to the gospel that we might boldly share Jesus with them. May we follow Your leading and not our own, adjusting to Your timing even if it is a red or yellow light. It is far better to be behind You, Lord, instead of in front of You. May our lives challenge the status quo of wickedness around us because You are living in and through us. Grant us Your wisdom as we face decisions each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How do I follow God’s Plan? Part 4

“The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” John 7:7

The fourth way I follow God’s plan is when I CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO (John 6b-7, 9). When Jesus’ brothers tried to encourage Him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles to make Himself known as the Messiah, Jesus said to them,“My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.” (John 7:6). They could come and go to the feast any time they pleased because they would only be fulfilling what everybody expected of them. They could go to the feast without fear of arousing antagonism or opposition because they were a part of the world. They were non-believers and thus friends with the world. That is why Jesus says, “The world cannot hate you…” (John 7:7a). “Because you are living according to the way the world thinks; you are not raising any questions; you are not challenging anything.” Jesus continues, “…but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” (John 7:7b). “The world hates Me because when I speak I expose the hearts of men; I call sin, sin; they hate Me because I tell them the truth.”

This is surely why our modern world loves euphemisms – polite ways of describing sinful things. We change the label on the bottle of poison and think we have changed the power of the poison. That’s why we call Grouchiness “executive tension;” we call Gossip “concern”; Drunkards want to be called “alcoholics”; Prostitutes want to be called “businesswomen”; Rich snobs are called the “upper class”; Abortion is called “pro-choice”; Homosexuality is called an “alternative lifestyle.”

More recently we have seen government intrusion into common Christian worship practices in the name of health concern. Most churches in America have complied with generalized healthcare guidelines to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. But a few churches refused to comply with government demands, claiming that their allegiance to God outweighs their allegiance to Caesar. So they refused to cancel live worship services and opened their doors for those who were led to attend. Some churches even offered “drive-thru” worship services for people to attend while observing social distancing from the comfort of their cars.

But some elected leaders deemed these measures too risky. For example, Kentucky’s governor, who mandated the closure of all Christian worship services while declaring the state’s abortion clinics and liquor stores “essential services,” sent law enforcement officers to record the license plate numbers of every vehicle that attended unauthorized church services. California’s governor and local officials have banned churches from singing and playing wind instruments in their services. While some people may label these measures as “healthcare practices,” I wonder what the Lord Jesus would call it?

Christ doesn’t play these kinds of games. Jesus calls sin, sin. He came to tell the truth and that is why the world hated Him. And if we are going to be like Him, we must do the same. If we find ourselves fully accepted by the world it is cause for concern. We are to be loving, kind, sensitive, and understanding. But if our lives do not challenge the wickedness of the world around us, if our lives do not provoke some persecution, criticism, and/or opposition, something is probably wrong. We have probably become too friendly with the world around us (cf. James 4:4).

Ask yourself, “Does my life challenge the status quo of wickedness around me or am I a chameleon who simply adapts to whatever environment I find myself in?” Jesus went to Jerusalem and when He got there He upset the status quo. Thus, He says to His brothers: “You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” (John 7:8). Christ was not going up with His brothers, but He would eventually go up. “When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.” (John 7:9). Christ would remain in Galilee for a time while His brothers and other pilgrim travelers made their way to the feast. But eventually He would go in the Father’s time, and when He did He would challenge the status quo.

Prayer: Lord God, we need Your wisdom and strength during these times when people are doing what is right in their own eyes instead of doing what is right in Your eyes. Please give us a balance between grace and truth as we interact with those who are friends with the world. Instead of focusing on the response of others before we speak, help us to focus on what pleases You, my Lord and my God. May we live so closely to You that our lives will challenge the wickedness of this world to pay attention to You, Lord. Please use our voices to call people back to You, the only true God and eternal life. Forgive us for withholding the truth because of our longing for the approval of others or in an attempt to keep the peace at the expense of Your truth. Without the truth, people will not see their need for You. And without Your grace, their needs will not be met in You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

How do I follow God’s Plan? Part 3

“You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” John 7:8

The third way to follow God’s plan is to ADJUST TO HIS TIMING AND WILL (John 7:6a, 8). Jesus understood the Scriptures. He knew that God had appointed the very time in which He would be crucified. Six months from now Jesus would make a triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The people will receive Him with shouts of Hosanna. But now is not God’s time for that to happen. It is the wrong feast. It is the Feast of Tabernacles not the Passover. So Jesus told His brothers, “6 My time has not yet come… 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” (John 7:6a, 8). Jesus was not only being sensitive to what God wants to do but WHEN He wants to do it as well. We use the phrase, “Timing is everything,” because by experience we have learned that to do the right thing at the wrong time does not work. 

A basketball player can throw the most beautiful pass down the court, but if it is not timed right for his teammate to receive it, it will either go out of bounds or be stolen by the other team. For Jesus, His obedience to the Father must be according to God’s timing – like a batter swinging the bat just as the ball crosses the plate. In my own life, some of my greatest regrets were the result of hasty decisions – because I got ahead of God. It is better to wait on the Lord’s timing than to get ahead of Him and experience disaster.

Jesus knew His Father’s will and did it. How do I discern God’s will today? Ask yourself these questions as you seek to discover God’s will before making any major decisions:

1. What does the Bible tell me to do?” If your choice of action violates God’s Word, you know God’s will in the situation: “Don’t do it!” For example, co-signing on a loan. “It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend’s note, to become responsible for a neighbor’s debts.” Proverbs 17:18 [NLT]. It is unwise to become entangled in someone else’s financial problems. So if someone asks you to co-sign on a loan, don’t do it. If you already have, Proverbs 6:1-5 says to get out of it. So yes, only if your tentative decision would not violate God’s Word are you free to proceed. The matter then becomes a matter of fine tuning, being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, who will bring more information to your mind, especially relevant principles and examples from the Bible.

2. What can God show me as I pray? After you are convinced that your tentative decision would not violate God’s Word, you will want further guidance through prayer. For example, you are looking at a possible job change and you need some direction. After searching God’s Word, you have discovered that such a change would not violate God’s Word, but now on the basis of James 1:5 – you commit yourself to praying for God’s leading every morning for several days. At the outset, you prepare a sheet on which two columns are drawn, one for listing all the reasons to change jobs, and the other column to list reasons not to change jobs. Each evening you cross off a reason on one side or the other, as a result of what God told you during your prayer time that day. At the end of several days, you should see a definite trend developing, especially if you have continued to study God’s Word and Scriptural aids.

3. What can knowledgeable counselors or advisors tell me? Look at the following verses:

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

“Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war.” Proverbs 20:18

“For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 24:6

According to these verses, seeking godly advice can bring wisdom, safety, and a better chance of success. Do you have an older Christian in your life to whom you can turn for biblical counsel? If not, ask the Lord to guide you to such a person.

4. What do these circumstances tell me about God’s purposes and timing? Ask yourself whether the existence of this situation tells you something about God’s plan for you. For example, is He showing you some doors are now open? Are other doors being closed?

5. Is my heart filled with peace about my decision? This is a very subjective question, which is why it is last. According to Colossians 3:15, “the peace of Christ” is an important element in our fulfillment of God’s will in our lives. If your decision is right, you will have great confidence that you are in God’s will. If you don’t have peace, it may not mean God is saying “no,” but to wait, slow down and let God make His will clear to you.

Prayer: My precious Lord, please make me sensitive to Your will and timing, especially in these days of chaos and uncertainty.Some of my deepest regrets in life were the result of hasty decisions. Even making the right decision at the wrong time has produced disastrous results. This is such an area of weakness for me. And it does not help to live in a world that is making many fear-based decisions that ignore Your counsel. Christians are being pressured to do the same. Lord, one of my greatest needs right now is to slow down and wait upon You. Living with delayed gratification is one of the marks of Christian maturity. It is also seldom modeled in our society. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for showing me what it means to be sensitive to the Father’s will and timing. You have recorded Your wisdom in the Bible and given me the Holy Spirit to enable me to understand and apply it to my life. Thank You for giving me everything I need to make godly decisions that reflect Your will and timing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How do I follow God’s Plan? Part 2

“For even His brothers did not believe in Him.” John 7:5

A second way to follow God’s plan in addition to attending to those who are receptive (John 7:1), is to AVOID PRESUMPTUOUS RISKS (John 7:2-5). Why would the all-powerful Son of God, the Creator of the universe, stay away from Jerusalem to protect Himself from those who were seeking to kill Him (John 7:1)? Why doesn’t He just zap them and turn them into a heap of dust so everybody can know He is the Son of God? For Jesus to go to Jerusalem without the Father’s leading would have been an act of presumption, not faith.

There is a fine line between faith and presumption. One meets with God’s approval and the other prompts His judgment. The word “presumption” conveys the idea of running ahead and taking over. When we move by our own initiative – when we are not living in true submission and dependence upon the Lord – but simply following our own will or inclinations, we will not have the same protection and authority that is ours when we are walking in simple obedience to God.

“Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.” (John 7:2). This great feast of Israel occurred in early October and it was a big deal. Originally it was seven days in length, but later one more day was added (called in this chapter “the great day of the feast”). During this time, the inhabitants of Jerusalem built booths out of tree limbs which they thatched over, and families actually moved out of their houses and lived in them. This was to remind them that for forty years their ancestors wandered as pilgrims in the wilderness and lived in tents. The Feast of Tabernacles also looks ahead prophetically to Israel’s kingdom joy when the nation is regathered in the land (Zechariah 14:16).

Think about how we celebrate Christmas in America. For months we prepare. We buy gifts. We make travel plans. We gather food for the big Christmas day meal. We live in anticipation of the time off from work and the quality time with family and friends. Just as we prepare for Christmas, these first century Jews lived for the annual Feast of Tabernacles.

That’s why Jesus’ half-brothers come to Him with some advice: “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.’ ” (John 7:3). On the surface, it looks like they want Jesus to capitalize on the large number of people at the feast and acquire some publicity. “Get out of the sticks, Brother! Head south to where all Your disciples are who left You. Maybe You can win them back with Your miracles!”

His brothers continue, “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.” (John 7:4a). “Jesus, You are being unrealistic. If you want to be recognized as the Messiah, You have got to move out into the open where people can see what You are doing. You need to change your plan if You want to reach the nation.” “If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” (John 7:4b). “Don’t waste Your gifts, Jesus. You need to show Your miraculous powers to the whole world! So go down to Jerusalem and strut Your stuff.”

At first, this sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? There is almost a systematic, businesslike way to it. But the problem is: this was their plan, not God’s plan. John lets us in on the truth here. “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.” (John 7:5). Isn’t this amazing!? Jesus’ brothers lived with Him all those years and yet, they did not realize His uniqueness. They did not believe He was the promised Messiah-God.

A comic once said there are three ways you can tell that Jesus was Jewish: First, because He worked for His father. Second, because He stayed home until He was thirty. And, third, because His mother thought he was God!

That may have been true of His mother, but it was not true of His brothers. They did not see Him as any different than themselves. While His miraculous powers must have amazed and astonished them, and they could not figure Him out, yet they did not believe His claims to be the Messiah. Why? To show the readers of John and us that family connections don’t save. Being born or raised in a Christian home does not make you a Christian any more than being born in a soccer stadium makes you a soccer player. Your grandparents’ good works cannot save you because they are all stained with sin (Isaiah 64:6). Family traditions do not get us to heaven.

Only Jesus Christ can get us to heaven (Acts 4:10-12). Every person on earth is invited to make the decision to believe or trust in Christ alone to save himor her for an eternity in hell (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). This may offend your family, but what is better – to offend your family who can only destroy your physical body or to offend your God “who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” forever (cf. Matthew 10:28)!?!

So this ends up being a real challenge for Jesus. His brothers’ advice was rooted in rejection and unbelief. Jesus’ brothers knew He would go to the feast – all Jewish males were required to do so. The Jews were plotting to kill Christ and His brothers supported this. But God had not told Jesus to go to Jerusalem, so Jesus didn’t take it upon Himself to go.

As Christians, we need to be very careful about the advice we receive from non-Christians. The non-believer does not have a biblical framework from which to guide their decision-making.  They are not sensitive to what pleases God, so it is very important that we examine their advice in light of what God’s Word says.

Jesus’ half-brothers were religious people. Their presumption sounded so spiritual. Likewise, religious people today can talk the talk. But in reality, they are not walking the walk. The devil was very religious when he was tempting Jesus. He talked the talk – he quoted scripture. But his suggestion was marked by two qualities: pride and self-interest. Anytime a person is motivated by pride and self-interest there’s a good chance he or she is operating in the realm of presumption, not faith.

If God tells you to go to the dark side of the city and share the gospel, then go. But get His authorization before you go. Don’t just go on your own initiative. We are called to go but we still need to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit as to exactly how, where, and when we are to do that.

In 1912 the “unsinkable” Titanic was launched in Liverpool, England. On board was a family, which was unexpectedly transferred to the Titanic for its maiden voyage. The god-fearing mother of seven-year-old Eva Hart saw the pride and disregard for normal safety measures exercised by the ship’s captain. After reading the shipbuilders’ claims, Mrs. Hart believed – and so stated – “This is flying in the face of God!”

Because of Mrs. Hart’s spiritual convictions and concern for the presumption of the ship’s leadership, throughout the voyage she stayed awake at night aware of the pending disaster. Because of her sensitivity to God’s warning she was able to move her family to an upper deck almost immediately after the ship collided with the unseen iceberg. Her family did not join the 1,500 others who died that night.

Jesus stayed in Galilee because it would have been presumptuous to go to Jerusalem without the Father’s leading. Likewise, we are to follow God’s plan by avoiding presumptuous risks. Seek the Holy Spirit’s leading before making a final decision.

Prayer: Father God, how desperately I need to depend on You for guidance and wisdom.The world advises me to make decisions based on what is popular and best for me without paying attention to what pleases You. Forgive me for the many presumptuous decisions I have made out of pride and self-interest. Lord God, I want to submit to Your leading, not my own or my family’s or my friends’. Thank You for reminding me that family relations are not what save me from my sins and give me everlasting life. Only You are able to rescue me from hell and give me everlasting life the moment I believe in You alone. Please empower me to boldly share this message of hope to a lost and dying world. In the name of my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ. Amen.

How do I follow God’s Plan? Part 1

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.” John 7:1 

We are all faced with choices. We make choices every day. You have already made choices today. You made a choice to get up. You made a choice to get dressed. You made a choice about what to wear. You made a choice about what to eat or drink. You made a choice to come to this online devotional today. And there are more choices to come!

In John 7, Jesus is being faced with choices. In our last article, we finished John 6. We move ahead to six months later as we begin chapter 7. At the end of chapter 6, a turning point has taken place in our Lord’s ministry. Thousands of Jesus’s disciples – those who had sat under His teaching everywhere He went — have now drawn back and ceased to follow Him.

In the opening words of chapter seven, John declares that there is a hint of murder in the air. Our Lord is aware of a growing hostility against Him and that the Jews in Judea are seeking a way to kill Him. With this in mind, we are going to see that Jesus desired to follow God’s plan for His life more than anything else.

What about you and me? Are we willing to follow God’s plan for us even if it involves pain and rejection? How do we follow God’s plan? Today we will find out. I FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN WHEN I…

ATTEND TO THOSE WHO ARE RECEPTIVE (John 7:1). “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.” (John 7:1). Six months after the events of Chapter 6 of John, Jesus was ministering in Galilee. He walked from village to village proclaiming the gospel. Look at a map of Palestine in the time of Jesus. See where Galilee is north of Judea and Samaria? Jesus purposely stays away from Judea. Why? Because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Our Savior had no martyr complex. He was not about to endanger His life. He did not seek after persecution, He tried to avoid it until the time arrived for Him to be crucified.

So Jesus goes up to Galilee where people would be more receptive to His ministry. If we want to follow God’s Plan, we must focus our attention on those who are more receptive to the gospel. Remember what our Lord instructed His disciples to do when they encountered opposition to the gospel? “And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” (Luke 9:5).  The Lord does not want us to stand there and argue with those who are resistant to the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond to our message. But we are responsible for how we respond to their resistance. Like the disciples, we must move on to those who are more receptive.

I encounter several people on our Facebook page who are opposed to the clear and simple gospel and a literal understanding of the Bible. It profits no one to argue with those people. Their minds are already made up. God wants me to speak the truth to them, but not argue with them. God already has other people He has prepared to hear and believe His gospel. Those are the people I seek to interact with.

Does this mean we are to give up on reaching the resistant? Not at all. Continue to pray for them and model Christ before them. But don’t try to argue them into God’s family. Instead, be aware of others God has in your life who are ready to trust in Christ alone for His gift of salvation. Satan would much rather have us argue with those whose minds are blinded by him than see us share with those who are prepared to be rescued from his kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of God’s Son.

Prayer: Lord of the harvest, thank You for modeling what it means to follow God’s plan for my life. Just as You sought out people who were more receptive to Your message, so I am to seek out people whom You have prepared to hear and believe the gospel. There may come a time in my life where Your plan involves being led up a hill to be crucified for following You. I do not seek such a time, but I do seek You and Your leading in my life. There have been several seasons in my life where You called me to preach to resistant people who did not want to hear Your Word. Even then, Your grace was sufficient to sustain me. Thank You for the many times You have redirected me to people who are eager to hear Your Word and believe in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life. I am trusting You today to lead me to those who are prepared to hear and believe Your life-giving gospel message. In Jesus’s powerful name. Amen.

Why do some unbelievers remain with Jesus?

“Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ ” John 6:70

When Peter answered the Lord’s question about whether they also wanted to leave Him, he said, “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:69). But Peter was wrong about one thing. He said, “We.” By that he meant the Twelve. But Jesus corrects him, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). Jesus is saying, “No, Peter, there is one here who has not come to know and believe I am the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In these last two verses Jesus exposes the one who “is a devil.”

Here we see the third group of disciples in this whole passage. This group is comprised of unbelievers who remain with Christ (John 6:70-71). Why do some unbelievers remain with Jesus?

A. BECAUSE JESUS SELECTED THEM (John 7:70a). Jesus admits that He chose Judas Iscariot as He did the others. “Did I not choose you, the twelve…?” (John 6:70a). Out of the hundreds who were following Him, Jesus chose one who would refuse to believe in Him and would eventually betray Him (John 6:64, 70-71; cf. 12:4; 13:2, 10-11, 21-30; 17:12; 18:2, 5). What an amazing picture of God’s grace. He desires all people to be saved – even those who will betray Him. The second reason some unbelievers remain with Jesus is…

B. BECAUSE THEY SERVE GOD’S PURPOSES (John 6:70b). Judas had every opportunity to know and serve Jesus like the other Eleven. Yet in the spirit of the “devil,” he actively opposed Christ. “…One of you is a devil.” (John 6:70b). Eventually Judas would betray Christ and hand Him over to His enemies (John 18:2-5; cf. Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50; Luke 22:1-6, 47-48). This was all a part of God’s plan and purpose for His Son (John 13:18-30; 17:12). Judas stayed with the group; he lived with them, ate and slept with them, performed miracles and preached the kingdom message with them, and yet was not one of them. He never was. The third reason why some unbelievers remain with Jesus is…

C. BECAUSE THEY SELFISHLY WANT TO BENEFIT FROM BEING WITH CHRIST (John 6:71). “He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.” (John 6:71). Outwardly Judas was a disciple. Judas was privileged to be in Jesus’ inner circle of friends. He was given a prominent position as treasurer and kept stealing from the money box (John 12:6). No doubt he felt important being associated with Christ who brought hope and healing to so many. Even Judas had deceived the eleven other disciples! They did not know that he was a fake, but Jesus knew. Inwardly, Judas was a traitor, an enemy opposed to all that God wants.

My friends, you and I live in glass houses! I cannot see into your heart and you cannot see into mine, but God sees us just as we are. What does He see when He looks at us? We may deceive each other, but we will never deceive God! He knows where we stand spiritually this morning. There has never been a better incentive for us to look carefully at our own hearts.

 We have looked at three groups this in this chapter. No doubt, most churches probably have representatives of each group. Some of you have been under the teaching of God’s Word, but you will drop out. You want entertainment, not expectations. You will not want to be bothered with studying and searching and understanding. You will not want to follow truth when once you see or hear it. You will rationalize it, ignore it, and eventually you will drop out. You will go off in search of a better deal, something more agreeable to what you want instead of what God wants. It happened in Jesus’s day and it will happen again.

But there are some of you who will never leave Jesus. You cannot quit. You have found too much, you have learned too much about life. You have been ministered to and fed by our Lord. You know the comfort of His presence. You can never give Him up.

But there may be others here who want to stay with Jesus for your own purposes. You want to appear to be a Christian, but you are not. You have never believed in Jesus Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life. Oh, you know the Bible and you sing songs of worship on Sunday mornings. But you do not know the Author of the Bible. You are only out for yourself. You want to use God for your own benefit.

Let’s come back to Jesus question, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). Thousands withdrew from Jesus, but twelve stayed, one of whom was unsaved. Not everyone walks away from the Lord. Some people make a total commitment to Jesus Christ and to His will for their lives. I hope that is you. Not everyone walks away, what will you do?

Does your heart say to Jesus, “Lord, to whom can I go? I don’t always understand, I can’t always figure You out, I don’t always like what You do, but Lord, to whom can I go?” That is the heart He is looking for. If you have to say, “I belong to the first group, I’m afraid,” there is still hope. You can ask Him to teach you and open your eyes and lead you forward. You can start right now to obey what He tells you to do. But if your heart is like that of Judas, centered on yourself, all you can hear, I’m afraid, is the word of Jesus, “There is one who will betray Me.”

If your heart is like that of Judas, I believe there is still hope for you. It was not Judas’s betrayal of Jesus that made him unsaved. It was his unbelief toward Jesus that caused him not to be saved (cf. John 6:64, 70-71; 17:12). Before Judas hung himself after his betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 27:3-5; Acts. 1:18), the Bible never says he believed in Jesus for everlasting life.  Therefore, I believe it is a strong argument for Judas being an unbeliever and confined to the Lake of Fire in the future.

But for the sake of illustration, let’s say Judas did believe in Christ for everlasting life before he betrayed the Lord by turning Him over to His enemies and then committed suicide by hanging himself. Would Judas be in heaven? Absolutely, because he would “have everlasting life” (John 3:16) which by definition cannot be lost because it has no end. Judas would be in heaven because no one can snatch him out of God the Son’s and God the Father’s hands (John 10:28-29). He would be in heaven because Christ died for all Judas’s sins including his betrayal and suicide (Colossians 2:13-14). But Judas would not have eternal rewards in heaven which require faithfulness to Christ to the end of one’s life (cf. I Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 2:12; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10, 25-27; 3:11-12).

On the other hand, let’s say Judas did not believe in Christ for everlasting and betrayed the Lord. But instead of hanging himself, he looked to Jesus in faith to forgive all his sins and give him everlasting (John 3:16; Acts 10:43). Would he be in heaven? Absolutely. And if he lived faithfully for Christ to the end of his life, he would receive eternal rewards in heaven (cf. I Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 2:12; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10, 25-27; 3:11-12).

Where does that leave you? If you are not sure you have everlasting life, then take Jesus at His Word when He said, “Whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). It does not matter how you have lived in the past. Perhaps you have pretended to be a Christian. You may have betrayed Christ outwardly or inwardly, but Jesus still loves you and wants to save you from an eternity separated from Him. Simply come to Him in faith just as you are, and He will give you everlasting life and come to live inside of You forever! He can transform you from a fake into a faithful follower of His.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, like the crowd in the synagogue in Capernaum two thousand years ago who heard these wonderful words from Your lips, we, too, fall into one of these three groups. Lord, make us those who love You, who cluster around You, who cling to Your words, who are willing to search them out and understand them and obey them, and believe that they alone are the words that give life. Lord, some of us may be following You from a distance, uncertain and uncomfortable. Help us to give up control and surrender to Your love which never fails. Some of us may find ourselves to be like Judas. We have pretended to be a believing disciple. We know how to look, speak, and act like a Christian, but we do not know for sure that we have everlasting life. So Lord Jesus, we come to You now as broken sinners, trusting You alone to forgive our sins and give us everlasting life. Thank You for the immense grace you have shown to us. Help us to cling to You and Your unchanging Word regardless of how the world responds to You. We ask this in Your matchless name. Amen.