He Can Relate

John 4:6-8 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Many things can be said about this portion of Scripture. However, today I would like to focus on one aspect of a truth that should bring us great comfort during those moments when we struggle with life's circumstances and feel like no one understands. "Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well." Jesus, who was fully God, here in this verse demonstrates that He was also fully human. As a human being Jesus experienced life as we experience it. Hebrews 4:15-16 clearly tells us, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 2:18 reiterates this truth. As children of our Heavenly Father, we can find great comfort, peace, and joy, knowing that whatever God allows us to face, or whatever He allows the enemy to throw at us, we have One who understands exactly what we are going through and stands ready to walk with us, guide us, and strengthen us. Remember that greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world. If we are feeling weary and defeated, know that we have a God who relates and is there even when no one else is.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Who Is Increasing?

John 3:29-30 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Who is getting the glory? When we serve I mean. Who is getting the glory? Sadly, it does not take long for some ministries to go sideways, because their focus has shifted from lifting up Jesus, for His glory, to promoting self and what we are doing. Some of John the Baptist's disciples were disputing because people were starting to follow Jesus, instead of John. John's response was a simple response because from the beginning John stayed focused on what his mission was here on earth, to prepare the way for Jesus. His answer was as simple as, "My joy is fulfilled in knowing that I am glorifying Jesus by pointing people to Him, and not myself." (My paraphrase) This should be the goal for any of us who are actually serving the Lord. We must decrease to the level where people see more of Jesus than they do of us, in our words, actions, and deeds, so that when we testify of Jesus we will not be hypocrites or self-serving. If we took a step back and honestly examined our service to the Lord, who would we have to admit is increasing in our lives? Would we be able to honestly answer, "Jesus"?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Let His Light Truly Shine

John 3:18-21 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Romans 8:1 tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." What does it mean to be "in Christ Jesus"? Jesus explained it in today's verses. Those who reject the truth of the Gospel and the truth of who Jesus is are condemned. Why are they condemned? They are condemned because of their unbelief and because they love their sinful life and sinful ways more than doing what is right. They refuse to acknowledge their sinful ways and prefer to live in them, rather than repent and call upon the Name of Jesus. Since we are not guaranteed tomorrow, our unbelief today could be our last day of unbelief, as death can swoop in and take us out of this world without Jesus as our Savior. Lest we forget, the return of Jesus can happen at any moment, then it will also be too late for unbelievers. I cannot stress enough that life is like a vapor and there is no guarantee that we will see tomorrow. For those of us who claim to be born again followers of Jesus, if we proclaim salvation but continue to love the darkness and live in the sinfulness of the dark, are we truly born again? Can we proclaim to be a follower of Jesus but live in the flesh, without evidence of real change? Jesus clearly told us that those who live out the truth, come to the light because they will not be ashamed of their deeds. Too often we only quote the first part of Romans 8:1, but fail to acknowledge that there must be evidence that we belong to Jesus by the way the Spirit produces deeds of light in our lives. If we are to claim no condemnation, then we must truly let the light of Christ shine through us; and maybe, just maybe, God will use our deeds of light to lead someone else out of the darkness before it is too late.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Which Will We Be?

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In this one verse we see the reason for Jesus' first coming. He did not come to judge or condemn. He came to save and bring us into His family, to be used for His glory, until He either takes us home or returns to get us. That being said, who are we to judge or condemn another? Have we now put ourselves in the place of Jesus to judge another? James 4:11-12 warns us against speaking evil and judging our brethren. He warns that there is only one Lawgiver and only one Judge. Now before my legalistic brethren lose their minds, I want to say that we can certainly judge without being judgmental. When we know that there is sin in our brother's life, we are to follow the instructions given to us in the Scriptures (Galatians 6:1-5). We need to examine ourselves, approach with humility, and seek to come alongside that struggling brother and help him to be restored. If he refuses and is stubborn about it, then there are steps that can be taken to put him out of fellowship, in love, so that God can deal with him; even to the extent of allowing Satan to deal with him, "for the destruction of the flesh" (1 Corinthians 5). Again, please understand that there is a difference between judging and being judgmental. In John 8, an adulterous woman was brought to Jesus to be judged and punished in accordance with the Law. The Lord Jesus, who is perfect, and had EVERY right to judge her and condemn her, chose redemption, forgiveness, and restoration. The scribes and Pharisees were seeking judgment and condemnation. In the end, Jesus spent more time dealing with their wrong attitude and motives than He did dealing with the woman. So, when we are faced with dealing with one one another when we sin, we have one choice; we can be like the scribes and Pharisees or be like Jesus. Which will we be?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Is Risen!

Matthew 28:6 NKJV He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Do We Truly Understand?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Do we truly understand the magnitude of what this verse is telling us? It is a verse that is widely quoted and the reference is often seen in varying public events. However, for all the exposure it has been given, I still have to ask, "Do we truly understand the magnitude of what God is telling us in this verse?" The greatest act of love, in the universe, was performed for you and me. No one, and I mean no one, has ever demonstrated love to this extent...ever. Jesus went to the cross to save the vilest offender. People whom we would not give a second thought to. People whom we judge and condemn every day of our lives. People we deem as unredeemable because of their action, attitudes, or lifestyles; these are the people Jesus died for. Some of us, if not all, are these very people. It does not matter whether we categorize our sins as great or small. Sin is sin, and it was OUR sin that was hanged on that Cross. Jesus endured suffering like no one else in the history of man. Why was His suffering like no others? It was unique and terrible than any others because He did it for a world that hated Him. He did it for a world that did not, and does not, deserve it. He did it for people who would mock Him, reject Him, and spit on His sacrifice. So, if we say that we truly understand the magnitude of what Jesus did, then what we are saying is that we are doing all we can to love Him by obeying His commands, serving Him, and seeking every single opportunity to tell others. Based on that, how are we doing?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Do We Not Know?

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?"

Jesus asked Nicodemus a question that applies to each and every born again believer. "Are we true followers of Jesus, and do not know these things?" I have often heard Christians say that they are hesitant to share the Gospel because they do not know enough. Really? Do we think that Jesus will accept that as an answer? Is it really that difficult to share our testimonies about how we were lost, living a life that was leading us straight to hell, but one day we heard a wonderful, life-changing, message about how Jesus, the Son of God, came here, died for our sins, and gave us eternal life when we repented and called on His Name? Jesus held Nicodemus to a high standard because he was a religious leader. He was supposed to be able to teach others God's truth, especially what it meant to be born again. You might say, "Yeah, but I'm not a church leader." Well, God's Word tells us that we are ALL now a royal priesthood that is chosen and separated unto the Lord. Each and every one of us has access to the Word of God, in one form or another, and also have something the religious leaders of that day did not have...the Holy Spirit indwelling us. Therefore, we will all be held to a higher standard, and will be held more accountable for not only knowing God's truth, but also speaking it and living it. The truth of the matter is that today we all need to consider the question Jesus asked, and ask ourselves if we are in God's Word enough to be able to teach its truth to anyone who asks or inquires? Can we give an answer for what we believe, or, "Are we a follower of Jesus and do not know these things?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Right to the Motives

John 2:23-25 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

Why do we follow Jesus? Why do we seek Him? What are the motives of our hearts? There were many who sought Jesus when they saw the signs. They believed in His Name, yet He did not commit himself to them. The reason He did not commit Himself to them was because He saw past their superficial belief, right to their hearts. What they sought was selfish. Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Just like He knew the motives of those people's hearts, He knows ours. God promised to give us the desires of our hearts, with the condition that we first delight ourselves in Him. When we fail to do that, we pray and ask for the wrong things, the selfish things. As a result we see prayers that go unanswered or answered in the negative. Ultimately, this weeds out those who are only fair-weather followers. They inevitably turn away from the Lord, and turn to the world and its way, in order to pursue that which was not meant for them to have, and that which feeds the flesh and its wicked desires. Jesus is not a genie in a bottle that we summon whenever we want something or want to escape the trials of life. He is our Savior, our Lord, our God. True followers will follow Him, regardless of whether or not we get what we want. We can always rest assured that He will give us what we need, what is best, and those things that are always for our good and His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Are They Really Places of Worship?

John 2:15-16 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

How would Jesus react if He physically appeared and observed our church services today? Would He be pleased with our efforts to serve one another in love? Would He see people gathering for the purpose of truly worshipping together, and seeking to serve one another, rather than seeing people who show up to see how they will be served? Would He see people who are there to fulfill their weekly "Christian duty" that will make them feel better, or people who are truly seeking to hear from the Lord? Would He encounter people with lips that claim they love Jesus, but whose hearts are far from Him? Would it truly be a time of lifting voices of praise, or will it be nothing more than a concert and the entertaining of the masses? Would He see people with hearts ready to receive a life changing message or see nothing more than a "feel good", motivational, speech that is forgotten with the closing prayer? As true born again followers of Jesus, we must not enter our places of worship so haphazardly, but truly consider why we gather, and what we are seeking when we do gather. Are our local churches really places where we gather to worship, honor, and praise the Lord, or have they become country clubs where we gather to rub shoulders in our cliques, and enjoy the weekly entertainment? Would Jesus see a group of followers who are seeking, and loving, the Lord with their entire being, or would He have to make a whip of cords and start cleaning house?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13)

In View of Who We Will Be

John 1:40-42 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

"You shall be called Cephas." At this stage of Peter's walk with Jesus, the only thing that resembled a stone in his (Peter's) life was that he was hard-headed. He was prideful and often "opened mouth and inserted foot". Yet, Jesus called Peter "Cephas", "A Stone". In other words, this was the beginning of Peter's journey to be molded and shaped into the stone that God would use, for His glory. Peter was no different than any of us. We are all a bit rough around the edges. Well, ok...a lot rough around the edges. However, just as Peter had to experience certain failures along the way, and taught some humbling lessons, we too need to go through this pruning process. God used Joseph mightily in Egypt, but he too was a prideful, and kind of a spoiled, young man. God allowed exactly what was needed in his life to humble him and prepare him to be the second in command of Egypt. We can find great hope and comfort in the fact that Jesus called Peter "A Stone". Why, you ask? Well, because it shows us that the Lord deals with us on the basis of who we are going to be, as He works in us and through us. Every trial and circumstance God allows us to experience is tailor made for us as individuals. God uses each instance to mold us and shape us into who He needs us to be for His glory. Peter, who had some real failures, also became a great soul winner for Jesus. In Christ, we have been separated unto God for the purpose of carrying the Gospel to wherever He leads, and wherever He opens doors; whether at work or play. If we stumble along the way, that is okay. God will use those moments, if we let Him, to teach us, grow our faith, and make us more effective for the cause of Christ. Whatever we may be struggling with today, know that God has allowed it because He is dealing with us in view of who He is going to transform us into, by the work of His Spirit in us; all for His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13)

Come and See

John 1:38-39 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

"Come and see." How do we respond to the Lord when He we Him and His plan for our lives? When we search the Word to find His will, and earnestly ask, "Lord, what is Your will and plan for my life?" What do we do when He says, "Come and see"? Many of us would probably answer, "Well, I would follow Him." That sounds like a great spiritual answer, but the truth of the matter is that Jesus has probably been saying, "come and see" to many of us for quite some time. In reality, we have most likely responded with, "Yes Jesus, but first, could you give me some more details?" "You know, like how is this going to work, and how uncomfortable is this going to be?" "Am I really going to have to sacrifice some things that I really don't want to sacrifice, like time and resources?" Yes, the Lord also wants us to count the cost of following Him, but we often use that as an excuse not to be moved out of our comfort zone. You see, when Jesus said to those few disciple in the beginning, "come and see", He did not give them any details about where they were going, how long they would travel or what they would encounter along the way. Jesus simply said, "Come and see." In other words, "If you are willing to follow Me, you will have to trust me to lead you, by faith." What detail(s) are we looking for that is keeping us from truly following the Lord, by faith? How long will we put off responding to our Lord and Savior's invitation to "come and see"? If we take those steps of faith that God wants us to take in following Him, He will reveal the details in His time, and in His way. So for now, let us simply put our faith where our mouth is and, "Come and see."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13)