Category: Gospels
Beware of fearing men!
Scripture reading for April 21st: John 12
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 12: 42-46 “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.”
Jesus came into the world to bring the light of revelation of the Father to all who would receive Him. There were some who believed in Him among the leaders of Israel, but for fear of man, they would not confess their faith. They wanted approval from the leaders more than the approval that came from pleasing God. Today, this same fear causes many to shrink back from a public commitment to follow Jesus. They believe in Him, but fear men and desire acceptance more than God’s approval. Because of this, they stay in darkness and miss the full revelation of light!
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers boldly confess their faith in Jesus Christ, loving the approval of God over that of men. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
Jesus is the Christ, Son of God!
Scripture reading for April 20th: John 11
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 11:25-27 “Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was come into the world.””
Jesus tried to console Martha with promise of resurrection for her brother, who had been in the tomb for four days. Martha stated she believed in resurrection and then Jesus made an amazing promise. He stated one of the “I AM” promises recorded by the Apostle John, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life.” He stated that anyone who lived and believed in Him would never die and if you died believing you would live again. Mary told Jesus that she believed this too, because she believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God! Jesus then proved He had power to raise the dead by calling Lazarus from the grave!
Observations for over-comers: Faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God is the bedrock of resurrection life for each person. This truth is echoed by Job in the Old Testament! “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes, I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Secure in Father’s Hand!
Scripture reading for April 19th: John 10
Key Scriptures for over-comers: John 10:27-30 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are One.”.
Jesus wanted His disciples to know security in their relationship with the Father through faith in Him. His disciples would hear His voice and understand His words and they would follow Him. As they followed, no one would snatch them out of the Father’s hand! God is more powerful than any man or force of hell! They were secure and would never perish! We can have confidence in our Good Shepherd’s voice and eternal word!
Observations for over-comers: Overcomers don’t live in fear and doubt about their salvation. They know the Master’s voice and trust fully in His promise! “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to My words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” (Proverbs 4:20-22)
Work for the night is coming!
Scripture reading for April 18th: John 9
Key Scriptures for over-comers: John 9:1-4 “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
God doesn’t promise us an easy life without any trials or tests. The disciples were under the impression that all sickness was the result of sin. In a sense they were right, but Jesus explained that sometimes God allows sickness and infirmity in the lives of people to fulfill a greater purpose. In this case, the work of God was displayed as Jesus healed the man born blind. The disciples were also instructed and we are learning as we read this story today! God has a long view of things that we must tap into to understand His ways.
Observations for over-comers: We must always be open to the Lord to display His glorious works. Trying to figure out the ‘whys’ can get us off the subject and we miss the real need and purpose. “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,: does not He who weights the heart perceive it?” (Proverbs 24:11-12a)
Writing in the dust!
Scripture reading for April 15th: John 8
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 8:4-8 “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do You say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”
The religious leaders were zealous for the law and tried to obey every letter. But their hearts were hard. They could see the sins of other, but neglected their own glaring faults. After catching this woman in the act of adultery, they tested Jesus. (Where was the man?!) Jesus bent down to write on the ground with His finger. It does not say what He wrote. It may have been their names and the secret sins they were guilty of. His simple answer, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” stopped them in their tracks. When He looked up again, they were all gone except the woman! He showed her mercy and warned her to sin no more!
Observations for over-comers: Be slow to judge others and condemn them. Look in the mirror of God’s word and apply it to your own heart first! “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)
Anyone Thirsty?
Scripture reading for April 14th: John 7
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 7:37-39 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
Jesus was attending the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three times Jewish men were required to come before the Lord in Jerusalem. This feast celebrated the completion of the harvest and commemorated the Israelites” desert wandering where God miraculously supplied water for all from the rock. The custom was to pour out jars of water before the Lord and when they were doing that, Jesus stood up and made the declaration that anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and drink! The result would be a spring of ‘living water’ welling up within! Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would come into believers after His resurrection!
Observations for over-comers: G0d”s people, who are over-comers, are thirsty for the Living God! We go to Jesus and drink our fill! It becomes a flowing spring inside us! “O God, You are My God, earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
Manna from Heaven!
Scripture reading for April 13th: John 6
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 6:26-29 “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw the miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
Jesus fed over 5000 men plus women and children and large crowds followed Him. Jesus turned to confront them about their motives for following. They wanted to be taken care of with more bread! Human nature loves a free meal and plenty of it! Jesus plainly told them not to work only for food that perishes, but to work for food that endures to eternal life. He told them that they must eat His flesh–which was ‘real food’ and drink His blood, which was ‘real drink.’ This caused many to leave Him. He was telling them that He alone was the source of food for eternal life. They must trust fully in His broken body and shed blood to enter in! The Father was drawing them!
Observations for over-comers: Our appetite for Jesus determines our spiritual health. We must feed on this ‘manna from heaven’ and believe to eternal life! “They asked, and He brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out’ like a river it flowed in the desert.” (Psalm 105:40-41)
Crossing over from death to life!
Scripture reading for April 12th: John 5
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 5:24 “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. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
Salvation is very simple. Religious people like to make it complicated. Jesus reduced the requirements from keeping the over 600 laws to simply hearing His word and believing in the Father who sent Him. According to Jesus, the time for eternal life had already come. Even those who died in faith would hear His voice and live. The person who believes in this manner ‘crossed over’ from the realm of death to the realm of eternal life! There is no other path to receive this gift other than simple faith in God’s word! Humble people surrender to Jesus the Son and believe in God the Father!
Key scriptures for over-comers: Child-like faith opens the eternal Door of the kingdom of heaven! Let’s keep it simple. “When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty.” (Jeremiah 15:16)
Look at the fields!
Scripture reading for April 9th: John 4
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 4:34-36 “”My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.””
Jesus often used the images of the countryside that He walked to help His disciples understand His mission and heart. Jesus told them that His food was to do the will of the Father and to finish His work of salvation for all mankind. He admonished them not to say ‘Four months more and then the harvest’ even though it was not at this time ripe or ready. But the spiritual fields were ripe for harvest and disciples should be aware and working. Even as Jesus was talking, people were streaming out of the town to find the Man that the woman at the well spoken to them of. There were truly white fields for those with eyes to see! The harvest was precious and might be lost for lack of workers!
Key observations for over-comers: Disciples of Jesus are never without a harvest field and work to do. It is glorious work and the pay is amazing! “The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” (Psalm 65:12-13)
Who do you believe Jesus is?
Scripture reading for April 8th: John 3
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. 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 the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin and the forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah. He testified that he was not the Christ. He went on to state that the Father loved the Son, (Jesus) and whoever would believe on the Son would have eternal life. However, the converse was also true. Whoever rejected the Son would never see eternal life but would remain under God’s wrath. What a person believes about Jesus Christ determines their eternal destiny! This is the simple message of the Gospel and it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe! (Romans 1:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Observations for over-comers: Simple trust and full reliance on Jesus Christ as God’s Son is the key to eternal life for disciples and all who will receive this message. Rejecting the Son means God’s wrath is upon those who do so. “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 2:10-12)