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The Word: Judge or Salvation?

Scripture reading for April 22: John 12

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My Words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not receive My Words has a judge; the Word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father, Who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment–what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told Me.” John 12:46-50

Jesus plainly declared that He was the ‘Light of the World’ Who came to reveal the Father and His great love for lost mankind. In declaring the Gospel and calling people to repentance, His message was rejected by many of the religious Jews. They judged Him by His Words to be a blasphemer and impostor worthy of rejection and death. But Jesus was patient with them. He reassured them that He did not come into the world to judge them or others in the world. His goal was to see as many as would believe saved by faith and trust in His Word. Those who chose not to believe but judge, these would have a judge: The Words spoken by Jesus! This was the true light of Truth shining from God’s Son, the Savior.

Not only was Jesus not there as a judge, the Father sent Him with the message of salvation and eternal life through repentance and faith. Jesus’ Words were a light to all who were in the darkness of sin or religious self improvement. He called out to them to simply believe. He performed miracles and gave supernatural signs that God was present with Him by healing the blind and lame, casting out demons, and even raising the dead to life again. He did all this at the Father’s command to fulfill His will. Many believed in Him but did not confess Him for fear of religious leaders.

What have you done with the Words of Jesus Christ? If Jesus’ Words will be our judge on the last day, what will be His verdict about our believing them? Can you say with Jesus, “What I say, therefore the Father has told me.”?

Prayer: Father God, thank You for giving Jesus the Words that He has declared to us in perfect obedience. I want to stand at the last day with no fear of judgment or death. I love my Father and Savior Jesus and His saving Word of the Father’s love and mercy! Amen!

The Light of Men!

Scripture reading for October 16th: John 1, Psalm 56, Proverbs 20

John 1: 1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John, the beloved Apostle of Jesus Christ, begins his Gospel account focusing on Jesus Christ as the “Word.” The Genesis account of creation is the record of God’s creation through speaking His Word. Out of nothing, at His Word, the various elements of creation were formed. “All things were made through Him” is John’s proclamation! This includes life itself, the living creatures great and small as well as man made in God’s image and likeness. But death came on the scene through man’s disobedience and men were plunged into darkness. But God sent His Son to reveal God’s light and life in each human life: “His life was the Light of men.” Jesus Christ, born of a woman, but the Son of God, reveals grace and truth through the light of His perfectly obedient life. He gave His life to reveal the Father to all in darkness!

Psalm 56:12-13 “I must perform my vows to You, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

Prayer: Father God, thank You for Jesus Christ, the Word of Life. In the light of His life, my inner darkness has been revealed and chased away by His glorious Light. You have delivered me from darkness, kept my feet from falling, and enabled me to walk before You in the Light of Life! Use me this day to testify to those still in darkness of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the Light of Life to all mankind!

Proverbs 20:24, 27 “A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?” . . .”The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.”

Christ shines in the darkness!

Scripture reading for October 24th: Ezekiel 1-3, John 1

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The apostle John was in his eighties when he wrote this Gospel of Jesus Christ. John was a young man when he was called by Jesus to follow Him. He was now old and an overseer of churches in Asia. He wrote to counter false teachers in the church who were denying the deity of Jesus Christ. As an eye-witness of Christ’s glory, John wrote to clarify that Jesus was the Son of God and Creator of all things. Jesus was and is the source of all life and light and came from heaven to earth as the Son of Man to bring a revelation of God the Father and His love to a dark world of lost people. John uses the word “believe” ninety-eight times. Faith by ‘believing’ brings adoption into God’s forever family.

John 1:9-13 “The true Light, which gives Light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, but the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Prayer: Father God, thank You for Old Testament descriptions of the likeness of Your throne and the human form on it. But thank You for the clear and final revelation of the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, Son of God! He is the true Light of the world bringing light and eternal life to all who will repent of sins and self-centeredness and believe on Him.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness of a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of His waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around Him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”

Salt and Light

Scripture reading for July 22nd: 2nd Kings 4-6, Matthew 5

Matthew 5: 13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the World. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.”

Jesus began to teach His disciples and followers about their identity as designed by God. He used familiar examples of salt and light to help those in darkness of sin understand God’s plan for their lives. Jesus had earlier demonstrated God’s plan to salt the earth’s people with miracles of healing and deliverance and to bring light to those in Satan’s darkness of sin. Each human life is to be like salt–adding God’s “flavor” to their surroundings. Each person is to bear the light of God’s life wherever they are in this world. God’s light shines through us in the good works we do in response to God’s goodness and the infilling Holy Spirit. Christ’s disciples were to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ bringing glory to Father God!

Matthew 5:43-45 “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven.””

Prayer: Father God, I often find it hard to believe that my life can be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ to those around me. Fill me again with Your Holy Spirit and bring out the preserving and flavoring ‘salt’ of Your love and goodness. Flood my inner man with Your Word which is a light to my path and brings light to the World. Help me to love my enemies and pray for those who would persecute me and Your followers. Amen!

2nd Kings 5:13-14 “So he (Naaman the Syrian with leprosy) turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you: will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” So he went and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the Word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Displaying God’s Works!

Scripture reading for November 3rd: John 9

Key Scriptures: John 9:1-5 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When the lights are turned on, everything in the room becomes visible! When Jesus came into the world, He came as the “Light of the World,” to illuminate the darkness over men’s souls and reveal His Father’s glory Jesus used this man that was born blind to illustrate for His disciples and us how God’s heart to bring light into this dark world works. Jesus performed a creative miracle, making some mud from dirt and saliva, and putting it on the man’s blind eyes. He was told to wash in the pool of Siloam and when he did, he was healed and light flooded his life! The Pharisees and religious leaders got upset over this miracle because it was done on the Sabbath. They called the formerly blind man in and questioned him and his parents, seeking to discredit Jesus and the miracle. The darkness over their own souls was visible!

John 9:39-41 “Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, ‘We see’ your guilt remains.””

Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for displaying the works of healing, miracles, and forgiveness of our sins that we may have light in the darkness of our sinful souls. Thank You for Jesus, the Light of the World! May His light in me illumine every area of my heart and shine out to illuminate the darkness of others who are blind to Your grace and love.

John 9:25 “So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God; We know that this Man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

The Lord of “Break-through”

Scripture reading for April 17th:  2nd Samuel 3-6, John 9

Key Scriptures: 2nd Samuel 5:19-20  “And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines?  Will You give them into my hand?”  And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”  And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.””

King David was victorious when he inquired of the Lord and carefully obeyed His instructions.  David also gave God the credit for the victory.  He proclaimed this victory as the “Lord breaking through my enemies like a breaking flood.”  

John 9:24-25 “So for the second time they (the Pharisees) called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God.  We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.”  He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for breaking through against all Your enemies and bringing light to a darkened world.  Enable me to walk in Your light today and reflect it to this dark world. Amen.