Vain Vision

SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 12:24 For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

OBSERVATION: False prophets were telling people what they wanted to hear, and causing them to see what they wanted to see. This may make people happy in the short term, but it is cruel and ultimately very dangerous.

• What if, to avoid the unpleasantness of city traffic, you taped a pleasant scene of a quiet country road on the inside of the windshield of your friend's car and let them happily drive away? They would have a false vision (KJV - 'vain vision') that would end in disaster.
• What if, to eliminate the unsightly appearance of a skull and crossbones, you removed the poison labels off of all your friend's dangerous materials? That would be doing them no favors.

This is the kind of thing that the false prophets were doing.

APPLICATION: Speak truth, not just what people want to hear. Even if it is hard to hear. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."
I think an even more important application is about hearing from God. "Vain visions" and "flattering divination." Is my vision of God and of my life vain? Do I see only what I want to see? Am I so locked up in myself that I am not even open to broader understanding? Is my vision me-driven and me-focused or God-driven and God-focused? Am I fooling, not others, but myself? The same is true with flattering divinations. When I hear from God does it always benefit me? Am I always the hero? If so, that should be a tip-off. This is not a harsh word about pessimism and doom, but of truth and reality. I don't want to be fooled by the beautiful scene inside my windshield. I want to see things as they really are. Then when I need to make corrections, I can. When I need to hit the brakes, I can.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, give me eyes to see and ears so hear. I know my tendency is to bend things to my advantage. I want to get it straight. Amen.

The Few Who Remember

SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 6:9 Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations.

OBSERVATION: Through the prophet Ezekiel, God said some pretty tough stuff to the nation of Israel. It was all deserved, of course. They had forgotten Him, left Him, broken their covenant and stepped out of His blessing and protection. Before the consequences came that they had brought on themselves, God was good to warn them and instruct them.He said a third would die in Jerusalem from pestilence and famine during the siege. A third would die from the sword in and around Jerusalem. And a third would flee, but the sword would catch up with them, too. Only a few in number, a remnant, would escape. Those who escaped will remember God.It is better to be among the few that remember than to be among the many who die from forgetfulness -- forgetting about God, His promises and His sovereignty.

APPLICATION: Forgetfulness can be fatal. Don't make the fatal mistake of forgetting about God. Remember!

• Remember that I am not my own but I am bought with a price -- the precious blood of Jesus.
• Remember that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. His ways are best.
• Remember that it is not about me. I am part of something much bigger.
• Remember that God rewards those who diligently seek Him.
• Remember that today is a day that God has made and He is always with me.
  

PRAYER: Jesus, It is a joy to remember You. Your promises are wonderful and your presence is satisfying. I want to be among the few who remember You. Amen.

Much More To See

SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 1:5-6 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.

OBSERVATION: In this vision Ezekiel sees creatures that he is at a total loss to describe. I would certainly do no better. "...the likeness of a man... four faces... four wings..." No man I ever knew had four faces and four wings.
He was trying to describe something that is foreign to our earthly experience. We have words and descriptions significant for our experience, but not for those things that we've never had to describe before. The descriptions that we have available are insufficient for those things.

APPLICATION: I am reminded from Ezekiel's experience that "the half has never yet been told." There are unexplored places on this planet and in this solar system that house things we have never encountered. I have seen footage of deep sea diving explorations that film strange looking creatures.
How much more does the spiritual realm contain wonders beyond my imagination and description. There is plenty about eternity that I don't understand and can't describe:

• "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard nor has entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those that love Him."

In fact, there are a lot of things that I can't understand or phantom:

• "...the love of God that surpasses knowledge."

It would be pretty arrogant of me to think that I've seen it all and can understand it all. What incredible things are there in the spiritual realm that I have yet to see?

PRAYER: Father, continue to show me more and more of Your spiritual wonders. Amen.

In the Spirit on the Lord's Day

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

OBSERVATION: What a great phrase, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day." It is great to be in the Spirit and what a great day to be in the Spirit -- the Lord's Day! This is a precursor to everything else that takes place in the book of Revelation. John was in the Spirit, and that's when Jesus appeared to him and gave him his revelation. Would this revelation had come to John if he hadn't been in the Spirit honoring the Lord's day? We'll never know, so let's never test it ourselves. All we know is that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he did receive the visitation of the Lord. We also don't fully know what this state is that John is in. But we can focus on what we do know. John was seeking after the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, mindful of the Spirit.
John was on the island of Patmos, exiled for his faith. Even in dire circumstances, even having suffered for his faith in Christ, Even with no assurances of what his future would hold -- even in those circumstances John was able to do two things: He was in the Spirit and he observed the Lord's Day.
We often find the smallest excuses to explain away why we just can't be in the Spirit or keep the Lord's day:

• "I can't be in the Spirit when they expect so much of me at work."
• "I can't be in the Spirit when my home life is so difficult."
• "I can't keep the Lord's day because that's our family day."
• "I can't keep the Lord's day because that's my only day to sleep in."

All of these things look pretty pale in comparison to John's circumstances. The good news: No matter what I can still be in the Spirit and keep the Lord's day.

APPLICATION: Don't become distracted. No matter what I may 'suffer,' no matter what others may do, I can still be in the Spirit and keep the Lord's day.

• Begin with prayer. Ask the Lord to fill me with His Spirit. He says He will if I ask.
• Be open to revelation. He wants to reveal things to me if only I'm open.
• End excuses. There is nothing or no one keeping me from the Spirit of God.

PRAYER: Alpha and Omega, Lord I have not yet had to suffer hardships like John and many others have had to face. I want to be ready so that, in any circumstance, my devotion to You only grows and grows. That is true right now Jesus, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Speak to me. Reveal truth to me. Amen.

Greatest Joy of Children

SCRIPTURE: 3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

OBSERVATION: I really understand and identify with this statement from John. There is a joy that comes from seeing those you love and those you have responsibility for or investment in really serving the Lord and living for Him. Because nothing is more important. if you were to fail in teaching a child a profession, or teaching manners, or teaching them in some sport -- none of those would be as bad or as damaging as failing to teach them to follow the Lord. If they get that, the other things will kind of take care of themselves.

• Physical children. John may have been speaking of his physical children. Even if he wasn't, everyone of us with physical children identify 100% with his words as they apply to our children. Nothing brings greater joy than having your children grow to make their own decisions and choose to serve the Lord and then, in turn, teach their children to do the same.
• Spiritual children. John very well may have been speaking of children in a spiritual sense -- meaning those he had led to the Lord, (Like Paul who called Timothy his 'true son in the faith'), or even those into whom he had some spiritual input as a pastor and as an elder mentor. When pastors see their 'children' acting contrary to how they re taught every week they are dumbfounded and discouraged. When they see the people in their church actually applying the lessons taught, there is nothing more affirming and gratifying.

Everyone wants their children, physical and spiritual, to succeed. There is no greater success than walking in truth and following the Lord.

APPLICATION: John the Elder had given his life to input spiritual truth into his 'children.'

• Rejoice when others walk in the truth. Notice it and affirm it, as John is doing here. These words must have been very encouraging to those he was writing.
• Model walking in the truth. How hypocritical to expect others to do it but not do it yourself. "You teach what you know but you reproduce who you are." Walk the talk. Be a model.
• Release 'children' to make their own decisions. This is the most difficult part, but necessary. How can you affirm others in their decisions and direction if they are not given room? This means they may stumble and fall, like a baby's first steps. Make it incremental steps.

PRAYER: Lord, today I pray for my children. I have no greater desire than to see my children following after You, for their benefit and Your honor. Amen.

The Truth Doesn't Change

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 38:14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me."

OBSERVATION: King Zedekiah just didn't get it. He kept asking Jeremiah the same question, hoping for a different answer. But the truth doesn't change. Jeremiah told him very plainly that the city was going to be taken by the king of Babylon, per God's plan. Zedekiah didn't like that answer. Jeremiah told him if he resisted God's plan that Zedekiah and his family would be destroyed. He didn't like that answer either. He was hoping Jeremiah's message would change. Maybe prison and mistreatment and the threat of death would change the message. Nope. The message didn't change. Truth doesn't change.

APPLICATION: Jeremiah was faithful to speak God's message of truth even when it was unpopular or even brought punishment to him. Truth doesn't change.
Application of this passage breaks down to two main areas: receiving truth and delivering truth.

• When I receive truth from God, do I negotiate like Zedekiah or accept it as the sovereign plan of God? There are plenty of people who wan tot hear truth, but only if it agrees with their ideas and their life. Selective acceptance of God's word is a form of manipulation. A common form.
• Am I willing to deliver truth from God no matter what the consequences? What if it is unpopular? What if it is not received? What if it makes people think less of me? What if it costs me in some way? Jeremiah was a faithful messenger. Am I?

PRAYER: Father, I don't like unpopular messages, just like anyone else. I will value truth over popularity. I want to hear Your words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Amen.

Out of Desolation

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 33:10-11 "Thus says the Lord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place— of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"—in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His mercy endures forever"— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the Lord.

OBSERVATION: Even though the land was to go through a very tough time, God was reassuring the people that it wouldn't be forever. When the land becomes desolate and lifeless, it is hard to imagine any normal or even joyful activity being done in it again. When Nebuchadnezzar came and drove the inhabitants from the land and tore down the buildings and the wall around the city it would seem that all was lost -- that it was over. You can almost imagine someone traveling through the ghost town of Jerusalem, looking into ruined and empty houses where families once laughed together but now there was only echoing silence. The sounds of life and laughter that once rang through the city seemed to be gone forever. The sense of loss and grief are magnified by the sensation that those sounds would never return again. God was telling them to take heart. Incredibly, joy and life would return to this desolate place.

APPLICATION: I think this is a great picture and a great promise for any time that we experience grief. The grief brings a very strong sense that things will never be joyful again. From the center of grief it is very hard, if not impossible at times, to imagine that there could ever be joy again.
No matter how desolate and lifeless things get, God can restore joy and laughter -- the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. "Though sorrow may last for a night, joy comes in the morning."

PRAYER: Father, with You there is never an absolute end. There is always hope. Each evening has a dawn. Every way down has a way up. When my imagination fails for a better day, I trust in You.

You Have Overcome

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

OBSERVATION: Two things really stick out to me in this verse. They both deal with overcoming.
1- It is in the past tense. It says, "You have overcome." It doesn't say someday you may overcome. It doesn't even say that you are currently overcoming as if the struggles and the battle were on-going and the outcome as yet undecided. Even though John was writing due to some specific problems and struggles, in his mind they had already overcome. Being 'of God' is to have already overcome. I wonder if that was an encouragement to the people who received this letter. It should have been. It should be for me, too. I have already overcome. Giving my life to Jesus and going from darkness to light was the act of overcoming. I have overcome. I have overcome the pull of the world and the temptation to 'lean on my own understanding.' This is overcoming. It is done.
2- It was 'little children' who overcame. I think this is so cool. They weren't hulking giants or spiritual champions. Even little children in God's kingdom are overcomers. It is not an issue of personal fortitude. Imagine the littlest baby in God's kingdom and the toughest enemy. The toughest, strongest enemy doesn't have a chance in the battle against God's little children.

APPLICATION: I have nothing to be discouraged about and nothing to fear. As God's little child, I have overcome.

PRAYER: Father, Wonderful Father, all I need to know is that I belong to You. As Your little child, I have overcome. I do not rely upon my own strength. I do not rely upon my own endurance. I can take no credit for overcoming. It all comes from You and belongs to you. Amen.

Offending the Artist

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

OBSERVATION: Murder is not a new invention. It has been with us since the beginning of time. Cain was the original murderer. His murder of his brother Abel was without justification or provocation. Abel was the righteous one, not Cain. Abel's sacrifice was accepted, not Cain's. Abel was killed for his righteousness, not Cain. Abel is listed in Hebrews 11 'Hall of Faith', not Cain.

APPLICATION: It is impossible to turn on the TV or read the newspaper without seeing senseless murders taking place. Anger and evil of all types take root in the murderer's heart and ultimately take expression in violence. What could possibly drive someone to taking the life on another person?
Jesus said if you hate your brother you are guilty of murder.
Murder and hatred are both affronts, not just to the person they are directed towards, but also to their Creator, God.
If I take something that you have made, that doesn't belong to me, and destroy it, I have offended and violated you. If You show me your creation, fresh out of the studio, and I don't destroy it but I express hatred and disgust, I have similarly offended you, the artist.
When I express hatred or destruction for anyone else -- one of God's workmanship -- then I am violating God, His sovereignty and handiwork. I put myself above their Creator.

PRAYER: Jesus, I do not want even the slightest amount of the spirit of Cain in me. Cain thought he was preeminent over Abel and, ultimately, above Cain. What arrogance! Make me humble towards You and all of Your workmanship.

Annointing to be Taught

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

OBSERVATION: Here's to common idea -- that a preacher will have 'the anointing.' Because of 'the anointing' he preaches with vigor. After the dramatic preaching, and because of 'the anointing,' the people who listen gain something of real value. They learn about God and then return the next week to learn more from this man who has 'the anointing.'
This verse takes a different approach. The disciple John, writing to these believers, said that they have the anointing and don't need the teaching of others. Each believer's anointing is their teacher. They are not borrowing or living off of the anointing of others, but on their own anointing.

APPLICATION: The primary teacher for each believer is their own anointing -- the Holy Spirit working in their own hearts. God is already work speaking to believers and teaching them. The best thing that teachers can do is fortify and cooperate with God's anointing, what He is already speaking through His Holy Spirit. How great it would be if everyone were taught by God Himself -- not relying on others, not giving the responsibility of hearing God and growing in Him to another, but taking personal responsibility for their own walk with God.
Will I trust God's anointing in me to hear Him?

PRAYER: Lord, This anointing that John talks about is still available today, so lead us in it. Help me, help us, grow in confidence of Your anointing. Teach me by Your anointing. I will be taught by You and I will be responsible for that which You teach me. Amen.

Destruction or Punishment

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you," declares the Lord. "Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

OBSERVATION: There is an important distinction here between punishment (or correction) and destruction. It may look the same sometimes, but it isn't. We may think when we are being corrected that it is for our destruction, but there are huge differences between the two.
Destruction, as in this verse, is to bring an end to things. Punishment, on the other hand, is for a new beginning. Destruction makes something less. Punishment makes something more. Destruction makes something less valuable. Punishment makes something more valuable. Destruction removes a future. Punishment restores a better future. Destruction demonstrates wrath. Punishment demonstrates love. "For every son that He loves He chastens." Punishment is for my good. Destruction is for my harm. God says, "I will rightly punish you." His punishment is right. It is not pleasant, but it is right.
Sin seeks my destruction. The harm caused by sin is not punishment but it is destruction. I would be wise to flee the destructive influence of sin and embrace the corrective influence of God's punishment.

APPLICATION: I think God is the only One who can rightly punish. I should leave that to Him. There may be situations that a person can be used in the process, like a parent to a child, but that shouldn't be my 'ministry.' Some people in the Body of Christ may feel that they have the gift of discipline -- but it is not a gift.
How does God discipline or 'chastise?' I don't know for sure. It may depend on the sensitivity of the person being chastised. I remember with our youngest daughter you just had to look disapprovingly to her for her to be chastised. For our oldest daughter, it was much more difficult. Am I sensitive to the Lord's approval or disapproval?

PRAYER: Jesus, You are always seeking my good. Sometimes that takes the form of correction. I trust You. Make me who You want me to be. Amen.

You Can Count on Me

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 35:18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’"

OBSERVATION: God set this whole thing up with the Rechabites to teach Israel a lesson. He had Jeremiah call them together and offer them wine because He knew they wouldn't drink it. He could count on them because they have faithfully been keeping the command of their father.
The point is: God had seen their faithfulness. He had taken note of it. He knew when He needed and illustration of faithfulness who He should call.
All of their obedience and sacrifice done in secret was fully known by God. He didn't miss a thing.

APPLICATION: I can know with a certainty that God sees my faithfulness, or lack of faithfulness. When He needs an illustration of faithfulness today, I want Him to know that He can count on me. That isn't achieved through talk, but through quiet, unseen action. Am I faithful to God and to others? Do I consistently keep the command of my Father?

• Do I keep my word to others, even when it is difficult?
• Do I sacrifice myself for others?
• Do I seek applause or recognition or applause for myself, or am I willing to to serve silently?

God is still looking for faithful servants that He can count on, like the Rechabites, today. God, You can count on me.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for the illustration of the Rechabites to remind me the importance of faithfulness. I know You see and record every action done in secret. I will serve You faithfully today. Amen.

Prophecy of Prosperity

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 23:17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’

OBSERVATION: This is speaking of 'prosperity teachers.' They teach "if you can dream it you can achieve it." They tell people what they want to hear, what will make them popular. The 'name-it-and-claim-it' people walk after the imagination of their own heart.
Their teaching is this: God wants you to prosper. Confess prosperity. Have faith for prosperity and you will prosper. If you are not prospering, there is something wrong with your faith. Pick your dream. Put a picture of it on your refrigerator. Believe for it and you will have it.
That teaching has left many people shipwrecked and off-track in their faith. Jeremiah was dealing with some of those very same people in his day.

APPLICATION: The important thing is this: Not what do you want, but what does God want? Not what can you dream for yourself, but what has God really said?
Speak it like it is, not however you would like it. The truth is God is more interested in my character than in my comfort.

• "In this life you will have tribulation."
• "As a woman giving birth, this is your time of pain."
• "I am pressed on every side..."
• "The fiery trials perfect you."

I want God's way, not my imagination or anyone else's. Truth will set you free, not prosperity.

PRAYER: Lord, I can fully trust You. You only do that which is best for me. You see more than I do and know more than I do. I choose your reality over my imagination. Amen.

First Strike

SCRIPTURE: John 18:22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"

OBSERVATION: This is a striking moment (pun intended). Here someone on the high priest's staff (we are not given a name) pulls back his hand and lets it fly. It strikes its intended target -- the face of Jesus. A man slapped God. And here's the ironic part; he slapped Jesus because he felt that Jesus wasn't paying the proper respect to the high priest. But the high priest is only an illustration or a foreshadowing of a much greater High Priest, and that is Jesus Himself.
The reality of this situation was exactly opposite of how this man saw it.
Jesus wasn't dishonoring the high priest. Jesus, as the great High Priest, was being terribly dishonored by the high priest and all present. The officer should have rightly slapped his boss, not the Lamb of God.
This was the first strike against Jesus. Many more would follow.

APPLICATION: Making a reaction or taking sides before you have all the information is always a bad idea. You are likely to condemn the innocent and condone the guilty. And we never really have all of the information.
An explosive anger can get me into a lot of trouble. Many times I have allowed myself to get angry when something that someone did annoyed me -- only later to find our the extenuating circumstances, which really justified the action. If only I'd known.
It is better to always get all the information before making a judgement. It is best to never let yourself react out of anger. Learn to control and check emotional responses.

PRAYER: Jesus, I still can't fathom the idea, a man's hand striking You in the face. Thank You for the indignities that you suffered for me. I can certainly undergo indignities and inconveniences for You. Amen.

When The Time Comes

SCRIPTURE: John 16:4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. "And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

OBSERVATION: The nature and purpose of prophecy in general is not to predict the future, like a magic eight ball, just so that I can know things before they happen. In general, the nature of prophecy is to speak a word so that when it takes place it is recognized and not unexpected. Jesus said, "that when the time comes you may remember." Like Peter who was told that he would deny Jesus before the rooster crowed. When it happened, he remembered.
That also means something else of importance. Some of the truth that Jesus is teaching me is for now, and some is for later. Some teaching (prophetic) is time-released. It is triggered for understanding at the time when it is needed. Like the prophecy of Joel that Peter used in Acts 2, it may not make any sense at all until its fulfillment comes.
So I must learn, not just whay I need for today and what makes immediate sense to me, but I should also take in and tuck away things that, even though they have no meaning right now, will at some time. Like preparing for a long trip. You don't just take whay your hungry for right now but also take what you will eat later. Some of the truth from God's Word and His Spirit is for now, some is for later.

APPLICATION: Two main points of application:
1- I don't need to predict the future. I will recognize what I need to recognize when the time comes.
2- Tuck as much of God's Word away as possible -- not just what is needed for the moment.
This Life Journal is a great way to do that!

PRAYER: Jesus, pour Your words into me, those I need for now and those that will bring understanding later. Amen.

Speak For Yourself

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 14:14 And the Lord said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.

OBSERVATION: False prophets were telling the people what they wanted to hear -- a popular message. They were prophesying peace and prosperity. They said they didn't have to worry about the sword or about famine. It was a kind of a 'don't worry, be happy' kind of message.
The problem is: it wasn't true. God was saying just the opposite. The sword was coming. Famine was coming. The prophets were prophesying lies and their prophesies, or their positive confessions, could not stop God from His planned outcome. All it did was confuse the people and cause them to fail to prepare.

APPLICATION: This has always happened and, I suppose, always will. People think by just putting a 'thus saith the Lord' on their statements that they are speaking for God or obligating God in some way. Just as in this case, false prophets will be held accountable and responsible for their words. (Just read the next two verses.)
This also goes for those in the positive confession camp, as if God is indebted to fulfill their false words.
Don't play games with God. Listen to Him. Know His word. Do what He says. Honor Him as God.

PRAYER: God, Your word counts, not my word. Your word will come to pass, not my word. Unlike these false prophets, make every word that comes out of my mouth be founded on the truth or Your word. Amen.

A Heart of Peace

SCRIPTURE: John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."

OBSERVATION: That first phrase is really a powerful on -- "Let not your heart be troubled..." It says a lot. The main thing that it says is that I have control over my heart, especially over what may trouble it. Jesus wouldn't say, "Let not your heart be troubled" if, in actuality, I had no control over the situation, or if He would just remove all troubles from me. But the fact of the matter is that things will take place in my life that will threaten to bring trouble to my heart and when those things come (and they will come), I will have the ability to let my heart be troubled or to not let my heart be troubled. It's up to me. He gives the trick to this control in the same verse for application. But first:

• He didn't say, "Let not your mind be confused." Things do happen in this life that confuse and confound me. "Why would God do that? How can anything good come from this? I don't understand it!" That's why God said, "Lean not on your own understanding." It is insufficient for the task. If my heart being troubled is tied into my mind's understanding, then I am in trouble. When a child dies, for example, there is no way to understand that. The mind tries to persuade the heart, but Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled." Even when your mind does not understand.
• He also didn't say, "Let not your life have troubles." Again, they will come. There is nothing we can do about that. These disciples were about to see Jesus arrested, killed and buried. There was nothing they could do about that, though they did try. Peter started swinging a sword to avoid it, but that was the wrong answer. How much guilt and regret do we deal with for things that were going to come anyway? I wonder if Peter, in those three days between Jesus' arrest and resurrection, felt guilt and regret. "It was all my fault. I should have protected Him more. I shouldn't have let Him come to Jerusalem. I shouldn't have stopped swinging that sword. I sure shouldn't have denied Him. Maybe I could have organized a prison-break. Now it's over. It's too late. And it's all my fault!" Looking back on his situation we can see that it wasn't Peter's fault. That 'trouble' was bound to come. He couldn't have stopped it. And, there was about to be great benefit from it. He couldn't see it at the time. Neither can we, from withing our own troubles, see the bigger picture. I don't bring on all the troubles in my life. They're bound to come. Don't let them become a source of guilt or regret. That has no benefit, only harm.

The fact is that troubles will come that I don't understand. But they don't have to trouble my heart or cause guilt and regret.

APPLICATION: Jesus gives the powerful application point: "Believe in Me." That will counteract any trouble that I will find myself in. "I don't understand, but I believe in Jesus. I feel like it's all my fault, but I believe in Jesus. I don't see any good coming from this, but I believe in Jesus."

He said, "You believe in God;" you believe in a powerful, sovereign Creator of the universe, "now believe also in Me." Take that next step and believe that the very God Who is over all is also very close, very personal and very committed to your welfare. That belief -- an all powerful God who knows and cares about what I'm going through -- is what can keep my heart untroubled in very troubling circumstances. The God Who is way out there (transcendent) is also right here (imminent).

PRAYER: Jesus, I believe in God and I believe also in You. I will not let my heart be troubled. Amen.

Don't Hide at Church

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’
Jeremiah 7:9-10 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’?

OBSERVATION: The prophet Jeremiah was calling people on their presumption of God and their wrong thinking. They were treating the temple of God as sort of a home base. When kids play tag they can't be tagged if they are on base. They can run around, taunt the person who is 'it' and do whatever they want as long as they get back to home base before they are tagged. Once on home base the are 'free' or 'safe.'
God's people were running wild, taunting God with all of their sin and disobedience but they thought they were safe as long as they made it back to base. If they went to the temple regularly, they could do whatever they wanted. This is not what Solomon had in mind when he built and then dedicated the temple to the Lord.
It was like the people were holding the temple hostage. As long as the temple was in the land they though God wouldn't 'shoot.' But then God said, "Look at what happened to Shiloh..." (7:12). God tells the people that their hearts and their actions are more important then where they meet. There is no free pass to sin. Deliverance is not for the purpose of greater atrocities (v. 10). Liberty is not to be used as a cloak for vice (1 Peter 2:16). Going to church is not a magic formula you can use to excuse rotten behavior.

APPLICATION: Sometimes people think they have special exemptions because of who they are. I know someone who didn't get a speeding ticket that they deserved because his neighbor is a good friend of the officer that stopped him. I can think that since I go to church, because God and I are on a first name basis, that I have special privileges. That type of thinking misses the point entirely. It doesn't impress God that I am a pastor. What He cares about is how I'm living my life. Am I living a temple life wherever I am? Do I make my words to others as a temple of God? Do I make my actions and attitudes a place where He wants to dwell? Do I treat people -- all people -- in such a way that God would approve? God is pleased with that, not that I show up at church every once in a while.

PRAYER: Father, I never want to play that deadly game of tag that You talk about in this passage -- running to the temple to be 'free' to do whatever I want all the other time. Make my life Your temple. My home is holy. My work place is holy. The gym is holy. The stores and car wash and movie theater and restaurants are holy. Be with me and be pleased in all I say and do today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Lazarus' Ministry

SCRIPTURE: John 12:11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

OBSERVATION: What a great epitaph! "On account of Jim many believed in Him." Wouldn't that be great?! But what did Lazarus actually do? He was a friend of Jesus who invited Him into his house. He was a part of a believing family. He became sick beyond his own ability to recover. Messengers went from him to get help from Jesus. He died. He was wrapped up and put in a tomb. When Jesus called him, he responded to His call and came out from his tomb.
Lazarus didn't do anything remarkable by his own strength. He just knew Jesus and Jesus did amazing things through him. For that reason, many believed in Jesus on account of him. Sounds like ministry.

APPLICATION: Lazarus' effectiveness in ministry was not due to his own merits but on Jesus' merits. He was Jesus' friend, Jesus raised him from the dead, he responded to Jesus' call. Lazarus was ordained to bring people to Jesus. Can the same be said of me?
What could his enemies do to him? It says that they sought to kill him. So what-- been there, done that. He didn't have to fear death. Neither did Paul. Neither do I. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live..." Like Lazarus, I was once a dead man. I'm living on grace, each and every day. Death has no power over me.

PRAYER: Jesus, I think today about the day that You called me forth from my own death to minister to others. Not because of me, Lord, but because of You.

An Apparent Contradiction

SCRIPTURE: John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
John 11:14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."

OBSERVATION: No wonder why the disciples were confused. Here is, seemingly, an absolute contradiction. Jesus told the disciples, "This illness is not unto death," and then, "Lazarus is dead." What? That is a blatant contradiction. Or is it?
Something that seems to be a contradiction is called a paradox. This is certainly a paradox.
What would I have thought if I had been among the disciples? I probably would have thought, "Well, this is it. This is the first time that I have heard Him say something that is wrong. He said Lazarus wouldn't die but now he has died. He missed it. Maybe He's not Who He said He is."
I might have thought that, but I would have been wrong. Had I not hung in there to see the rest of the chapter, I would have made a big mistake.
Jesus didn't say that Lazarus wouldn't die. He said that the purpose of this illness, its final purpose, was not death. Death would not be the final answer, it would not have the last word.
What seemed like an iron-clad, air tight contradiction turned out to be just as Jesus said.

APPLICATION: In life, especially in my relationship with Jesus, I have to deal at times with apparent contradictions. "Jesus said this, but something else seems to be true." How do I deal with these paradoxes?
The Greeks were famous for introducing logic, reason and intellectual processing into the world. One line of logic made motion illogical and impossible.-- seemingly. The argument goes this way: If you string an arrow on a bow and pull back with significant force and release, the arrow will fly through the air. Imagine the arrow in flight. At any given instant the arrow occupies a set place in space. At any moment in time it is stationary (imagine taking a picture). An item can not be stationary and in motion at the same time. Therefore, motion is impossible.
It is a paradox because you can't evaluate an object in motion at a given instant. If you take a snapshot in time and not take the full picture in mind you are bound to make faulty conclusions.
If the disciples had taken a snapshot -- Jesus said the illness is not unto death and Lazarus has died -- they would have made a faulty conclusion. They had to wait for the intended, though highly unexpected, result that Lazarus would rise from the dead. When I, or others, take a snapshot of life at any given moment faulty conclusions can be drawn. When I am confused by a circumstance of life and feel a sense of contradiction: wait, look at the big picture and let Jesus resolve the paradox.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I know that my impatience often leads me to hasty conclusions. The disciples were willing to wait and they saw the miraculous. The disciples followed You anyway. I will follow You, no matter what.

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 2:22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord God.

OBSERVATION: The stain of sin is impossible for me to remove. Trying to cover over it only makes things worse.
The word for 'lye' in this version is actually more like a carbonate of soda. It is nitre, taken from the bottom of lake Nitron in Egypt. When exposed to the sun it becomes dry and hard. Then, when vinegar is poured on it, it bubbles and effervesces, like alka-seltzer. (See Proverbs 25:20 for the same word.) Neither the activity of nitre nor the cleansing power of soap are sufficient to remove the mark of sin. There is no substance known to man that can cleanse a person from sin. There is no activity that I can undertake that will cleanse me of my sin.

APPLICATION: Left only to myself, this verse would be a life sentence. Like the mark that God put on Cain because of his sin, I carry that same mark. Nothing I can do changes that.
That's why Jesus came.
There is a song that keeps going over and over in my mind as I write about this verse:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
How precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Jesus' blood becomes more precious to me when I consider it's unique ability to solve my sin problem. Activity can't cleanse me. Soap can't make me clean. Only the blood of Jesus can.

PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for coming to cleanse me of my sin. Your blood is able to do what nothing else could do. I am clean because of You.

A Pure Language

SCRIPTURE: Zephaniah 3:9 "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord."

OBSERVATION: When it says, "I will restore to the peoples (ethnic groups) a pure (unmixed) language... to serve Him with one accord" it speaks of removing the things that divide and separate. The Tower of Babel separated people through language, and language still separates people today -- not just through foreign languages but also through divisive speech. How we use our tongue either unites or divides.
A 'pure language' is one that unites.

APPLICATION: Do I use my mouth to unite or divide? A pure language that unites is:

• Encouraging. Words of kindness and affirmation.
• Inspiring. Words that motivate and build confidence.
• Healing. Words of forgiveness and restoration.
• Others-Oriented. Not about myself but about others.
• Listening. Sometimes the best words are no words but a listening ear.

PRAYER: Lord, teach me to have a pure language. Make my mouth a place of blessing and of unity. Amen.

Mercy Me!

SCRIPTURE: Habakkuk 3:2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

OBSERVATION: When a wrong has been committed there are two possible responses of the offended party:

• Wrath. Exacting punishment and payment. Righteous indignation. Demanding justice.


• Mercy. Extending kindness and forgiveness.

Habakkuk is saying, "Wrath is warranted, but consider giving mercy instead."

APPLICATION: Do I rush toward wrath or extend mercy to others? Remember these two things:
1- The only time that mercy can be shown is when wrath is due.
2- Whenever wrath is warranted, mercy is always an option.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7)

PRAYER: Jesus, I remember today the mercy that you have shown me. In large and small ways, I want to show mercy. make me more aware of ways in which I can show mercy to others.

Righteous Judgment

SCRIPTURE: John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

OBSERVATION: There are a couple of applications from today's scripture. One of those applications is this -- appearance can be a hindrance to righteous judgment.

Things are not always as they appear. Judging according to appearance does not produce righteous judgment. Also, righteous judgment is not harsh judgment. That becomes clear in the next chapter when the appearance-judgers bring an adulteress to the righteous-judger, and He shows her compassion.

APPLICATION: Don't be fooled by appearances! Judge with righteousness or, better yet, leave the judgment to Jesus, the righteous-judger.

PRAYER: Jesus, thank You that You don't judge me according to appearance. You see something that no one else sees. Amen.

A Lesson from Leftovers

SCRIPTURE: John 6:12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."

OBSERVATION: This verse is one portion of this story that I have never really thought of before -- the clean-up. Who ever wants to think of clean-up? But it is part of the story.

Jesus demonstrates, once again, His seemingly contradictory nature. He baffles us. He had just performed an incredible miracle. Thousands and thousands were fed. Not just sparingly, but they were completely filled and couldn't eat anymore. The text tells us that just to give everyone a small morsel would have cost a small fortune -- much more than they could spare financially. Financial solutions are always limited solutions. But Jesus' solution was seemingly limitless. There seemed to be no difficulty for Him to provide more than -- much more than -- finances could have provided. There is no end to His resources and no limit to His ability. No, in light of that, doesn't this statement seem a little odd? "Gather up the fragments so that nothing is lost?" In other words, pick up the left-overs so we can use them again. Fill your baskets with whatever has been cast out so that we have this old, half-eaten food for later. I think if I were one of the disciples there that day I would have suggested, "Hey, Jesus. Is it really necessary for us to go through all this clean-up trouble? It's just a lot of work for nothing. I'm sure the animals around here will eventually get it all cleaned up. I don't know about the other guys, but I don't really think I want to eat this half chewed bread and fish that we find lying on the ground. We don't really have to, You know. Next time we're hungry just do this little trick of Yours again and we'll have plenty! And it will be fresh! With Your limitless resources we can certainly afford to just leave this here. What do you say?"

I think it's a pretty good idea, and it shows a great deal of faith! The problem is, it seems to violate one of Jesus' values: "that nothing is lost."

APPLICATION: Jesus creates things for a purpose -- not to be trash. More important than presuming upon Jesus' limitless resources is to be faithful with what you've already been given. This has many applications: from humility and the hard work of going back through the field to pick up the fragments; to not allowing the gifts that God has given me to be lost or wasted and unused; to giving a portion of what Jesus gives me back to Him; to carefully stewarding resources. There are a lot of applications but they all flow from this: Be faithful with what He gives me and value every morsel. Don't presume upon His grace but treat everything with great respect and appreciation.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are so generous and limitless in Your resources. Forgive me when that has caused me to be wasteful, with finances, with people, with opportunities, with time, etc. Never allow presumption to get in the way of my faithfulness with every scrap. Thank You for every morsel of my life. By treating each crumb with respect I respect You. Make me a faithful servant, willing to gather up the left-overs and not demanding daily miracles from You. You provided through the loaves and fishes and You provided with the left-overs that the disciples had to go out and gather. Both are gifts from You. Amen.

Making Himself Equal With God

SCRIPTURE: John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

OBSERVATION: "Making Himself equal with God." This is a definite problem for some people, then and now. And yet it is something about which Jesus was very clear. This was the main theological sticking point for the Jews of that day, for early Christian heresies and for some cults today. They may be willing to say many things about Jesus, but not that He is God.

In this chapter, Jesus gave specific ways in which He was equal with the Father:

• Actions/Power. Jesus did the same things and in the same way (manner) as the Father. He was equal in power, being omnipotent.


• Resurrection. The authority to raise life from the dead. Only God has that power. Jesus has that power.


• Judgement. To hold people accountable for their actions and provide ultimate justice. All judgment has been committed to the Son.


• Honor. Honoring Jesus is equivalent to honoring the Father. The Son is equal in honor to the Father.


• Eternal Life. The eternity of Jesus is equal to the Father. Jesus will consummate the ages to usher in eternity.


• Scripture. The validation which comes from scripture belongs to Jesus.

In every way, these are only a few, Jesus is equal with God. He said it because it's true. His enemies didn't like it.

APPLICATION: Many groups today can't handle Jesus' equality with God. I think of the Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to give Him those credentials. When I am confronted by anyone wanting to discuss their faith, there are two benchmark questions I should ask that tell me how to proceed:

1- Who is Jesus?

2- Why did Jesus come?

A third could be: "How do we receive eternal life?" The answer to these questions will tell a lot about who I'm dealing with and help focus on the real important issues. Don't argue about fringe issues. Stick with the ones that really matter.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are God! As God, You alone were qualified to die in my place to secure for me eternal life. As Thomas declared, so do I: "My Lord and My God!" I praise You. Amen.

Desperate Need or Quest for Truth?

SCRIPTURE: John 4:48-49 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"

OBSERVATION: Many people came to Jesus wanting Him to do a miracle so they could make up their mind about Him. The miracle was sort of a pop quiz. He had to prove Himself. Of course, even when He did it was discounted or doubted.

The man in our story didn't seem to come with that on his mind. He just wanted his son healed. He was desperate. He would try anything. He may not have been confident that Jesus could do it, but he was willing to give it a try.

When he heard Jesus' word, "Your son lives," he believed it. Maybe it was the authority in His voice or maybe it was a calm and quiet assurance in his spirit, but he believed. When he arrived home the report of his son's miraculous recovery even solidified his faith and that of his entire family.

APPLICATION: Then main application I see in this story is how our quest for truth can be so intertwined in our life circumstance that they are impossible to separate. This man was not on a quest for truth per se, he was desperately trying to meet the immediate need for his son. That brought him into a quest for truth. He wasn't seeking a sign from a purely intellectual standpoint but had an ulterior motive, a personal agenda. He didn't come looking for a faith but driven by a need. Through is need he encountered a faith.

He didn't even realize the bigger impact of his question to Jesus. Jesus did.

When it comes to faith in Christ, we all have a very personal motive. I need Him desperately. Need is a trellis upon which faith grows.

What if this man's son had never fallen ill? He may have never met the Savior.

Bring my needs to Jesus.

Accept others at their point of need.

Let faith, need, life and application all mingle together.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are so good to meet me at my point of need and there reveal Yourself to me. You are not just about theological formulas and answers but also very practical and 'wearable' truth. Thank You for being both things to me. Amen.

Who's Hearing Whom?

SCRIPTURE - Isaiah 66:4 "So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight."

OBSERVATION - I have heard many people talk about praying to God and feeling like He doesn't hear them. They wonder if their message is getting through. They may even shake their fist at God when He doesn't do what they told Him to do.
How much worse is God's case against us? against me? How many times has God spoken to us when we haven't heard Him and not done what He said? All of a sudden the contrast is rather striking and I have a new perspective. He is God and I am not. He hears me. Do I hear Him? It may not be wise for Him to do what I say but it would always be wise for me to do what He says. Do I listen? Do I obey?
I was speaking to a young girl the other day who said she couldn't pray to God or listen to Him because He seemed imaginary to her. She felt silly praying to Him. In the same breath she told me that she often, however, talked with the tree in her backyard because she could see her tree. And, apparently, the tree talked back. She knew the tree's favorite color and other detailed information.
How foolish! God has spoken clearly through His Word, through His Son and through His Spirit yet we would rather talk with inanimate trees. It reminds me of the prophets' warnings to those who carved idols and bowed down to a hunk of wood. They are foolish.

APPLICATION - Who, or what, am I listening to? It is far more important that I listen to God then He listens to me. I know that He listens to me. Do I listen to Him and obey what He says?

• Be in the Bible. Read it. Study it. Meditate on it. Obey it. It is God's communication to me.
• Listen in prayer. Take time not just to download to God but also stay quiet to hear Him.
• Seek Him for direction in circumstances of life. Then proceed with confidence in His direction (Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5).

PRAYER - Lord, probably the most important thing that I can do is listen to You. I want to hear You. Help me. Teach me. I change my focus from being heard to being a hearer and a doer. Amen.