Today's Bible reading is the 18th chapter of the Book of John. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+18&version=NASB

It was a night raid of sorts. With lanterns and torches to light the night as they traveled "over the ravine of the Kidron" to the garden where Jesus was with eleven of His disciples, Judas accompanied the Roman cohort and the officers from the chief priests and Pharisees as they came to arrest Jesus. Judas was "betraying" Him by disclosing the location of the garden and leading them there. Judas had been to "the garden" before as we read that Jesus would often meet with His disciples there. Bringing those seeking to arrest Jesus to this secret place under the cover of darkness and away from the crowds was exactly the opportunity that they had wished for. In addition to the lanterns and torches we read that this group of men also possessed weapons. Undoubtedly the weapons were intended to be used for overcoming any resistance they may have met. Beside Peter's impulsive act of cutting off the ear of the high priest's slave, Malchus, there would be no resistance. Jesus would not permit it. His hour had come. As He had earlier prophesied, He was being delivered into the hands of sinful men as ultimately He was being "delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God". Had it not been for this Divine plan, no number of Roman soldiers and assisting officers from the high priests and Pharisees would have been sufficient "man power" to arrest Jesus. We see this when those who were there to arrest Jesus that night said they were seeking Jesus the Nazarene. Simply be saying, "I am He", the scripture says that they all drew back and fell to the ground. No, He was not being arrested against His will, He was about to give "His life a ransom for many." Praise God.

Today's Bible reading is the 17th chapter of the Book of John. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17&version=NASB

Today's scripture reading contains what is often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although we find much of the prayer to be specific to His disciples, we find great comfort and joy in verse twenty where Jesus says to the Father, "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word". That includes me and you! It is quite a significant matter to consider that Jesus had prayed for me before He died for me. He likens believers unto Himself as being those "not of the world" as He was not of the world. As we see in today's passage, because the world hated, or should I say in the present tense, hates Him, those who believe in Him are also objects of the world's hatred. This truth is repeated for us elsewhere also. Often times we wish to respond to this "hatred" or opposition to Christ and Christian virtues by removing ourselves from the world. But Jesus prayed not to take us out of the world but to protect us "from the evil one". The struggle has long been that of living in the world but refraining from living like the world, loving the world and feeling at home in the world. A final short thought from today's chapter is the stark reminder in verse three. Eternal life is knowing "the only true God, and Jesus Christ" whom He has sent. In a world full of gods and religion, there is only one "true God" and His Son Jesus Christ. This truth is unalterable by men. Having billions of people believe in another god does not make the god true. I rejoice in His gracious favor bestowed upon me that I might know the "true God" and His Son Jesus.  

Today's Bible reading is the 16th chapter of the Book of John. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16&version=NASB

With sorrow filling their hearts at the thought of Jesus leaving them, He told his disciples that it was actually to their advantage that He go away. I can only imagine that they considered His leaving anything but an advantage for them. But Jesus told them that it was indeed the truth. His leaving would be to their advantage because it would mean the coming of the Helper. If He did not leave the Helper would not come. But if Jesus left, Jesus Himself would send the Helper. As God the Father had sent the Son out of love, God the Son would send the Holy Spirit. As Jesus had not spoken on His own initiative, the Holy Spirit would also not speak on His own initiative. Jesus then begins to explain how the Helper would help and I would like to note just a couple of things during these brief thoughts. First of all, Jesus said that He would convict the world of sin. We often don't think of being convicted of sin as a provision of "help", but oh how much men need help from God in this matter. Absent this gracious ministry of the Helper we would be utterly overtaken and consumed by sin. Another title He gives to the Helper is the "Spirit of truth". As such, Jesus said that He, the Spirit of truth, would guide us into all truth and that He would glorify Christ. Our world is starved for truth. We ought to be thankful and overjoyed to know that the Spirit would guide us into truth. And as we are guided into truth, Jesus Christ, who is The Truth, will be glorified.

A Sainthood from God

Much is being made of the current Pope set to have the Vatican declare two former Popes as having attained the status of being "Saints". Before going to bed tonight, the last news headline I read was titled "Countdown to canonization of John XXIII, John Paul II". I have long believed that the erroneous teachings of the Catholic church are a testimony of the grace and patience of God as He allows them to carry on their blasphemous ways. As I considered their practice of "canonization" and the declaration of "sainthood" upon one man by other men, I couldn't help but consider the contrast of Biblical truth. Long before Pope Francis had it in his mind to perform this "double ceremony", to be more precise, about 31 years ago, God Himself, not any man or institution of men, called me to be a saint in Christ Jesus. I find my sainthood in Him and not in my own good works, miracles or intercessions. I am a saint because I am in Christ. I am a saint because of the good works that He has done, because of the miracles that He has performed and because of His intercession for me. I'm not a saint because of the things I have done but a saint because of His name. Without worldly fanfare and "Papal pomp", my declaration of sainthood in Jesus was in the quietness of my heart and soul. No cameras, no "live streaming video" and no large gathering of people to celebrate me. Just angels in heaven rejoicing as this sinner became a saint because of the efficacious work of Christ on Calvary's cross. Praise God that my sainthood is not bestowed upon me by men but is a gracious gift of God that He has bestowed upon me through His Son. Amen!

Today's Bible reading is the 15th chapter of the Book of John. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15&version=NASB

In today's passage we read of the Vine, the Vinedresser, the branches and fruit. It is important to note that God the Son is the Vine and God the Father is the Vinedresser. We are the branches and the fruit would include the good works that "God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph 2:10). I am a branch with the inability to produce fruit on my own. But the Vine is capable of producing fruit in and through me (a branch) as I abide in Him. Oh, the importance of abiding in the vine! Without Him we can do nothing but as we abide in Him we can bear much fruit. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" we read in Philippians 4:13. Fruit bearing is not for self exaltation but much appreciation is had when the Father is glorified. Although I do not have time to write on all matters related to this chapter I feel compelled to rejoice in the 13th verse where we find Jesus saying, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." I am so thankful for knowing the One who possesses the "greater love" and for being His forever friend and brother because He laid down His live for me.

Today's Bible reading is the 14th chapter of the Book of John. You can read it here at Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14&version=NASB

There are so many wonderful truths spoken of in the 14th chapter of the beloved apostle’s Gospel! A promised dwelling place in heaven, Christ’s promised return and reception of His Church.  In a sense, the words spoken by Jesus in the 6th verse could be considered the standard of the Christian faith, the foundational truth of what we believe.  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” He said, “no one comes to the Father but through me.” We read of the truth that to know Jesus is to know the Father. As the Hebrew author wrote concerning Jesus; He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature. We have the promise of answered prayer, the promise of “another Helper”, the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth. Oh how thankful we should be for the Helper, the Spirit of truth and the promise that we have Him forever! Daily we are in need of the Helper’s influence in our lives and daily we are in need of revealed and sustained truth. In the chapter we see Jesus teaching on the relationship between loving Him and keeping His commandments and we see Him living this truth as He did “exactly as the Father commanded” and that He did not even speak on His own initiative. As wonderful as those truths are, it is a repeated phrase that I would like to ask you to ponder. It is seen in the 1st verse and again in the 27th  verse of the passage. “Let not your heart be troubled” our Savior said. Having partaken of flesh and blood and dwelling among men, Jesus saw first- hand the reality of troubled hearts. I consider it a precious truth that He does not wish for His children to have troubled hearts. Consequently, in the first verse He says, “believe in God, believe also in me.” There is no doubt that believing God and believing His Son is necessary to rid the heart of life’s troubles. And in verse 27 we find that He has actually left behind His peace as a gift for us. Not a peace like the world gives but a peace given by the Prince of Peace.  

He Uses The Same Soap

In John's Gospel account of the Lord's Supper, we have the great story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. After getting up from supper, preparing Himself for the task and pouring water into a basin, we read that Jesus began to wash the disciples' feet. When He came to Peter, Peter rhetorically asked Him, "Lord do You wash my feet?" After Jesus tells him that he will understand what He is doing later on, Peter tells Him, "Never shall you wash my feet!" Jesus responds again by telling Peter, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Peter answers back, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." With words that teach an enduring lesson of truth, Jesus then tells Peter, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean". Of course the lesson that Jesus is teaching is one of great spiritual significance. The one who has believed in Jesus, the one who by grace and through faith has been "born again", has been "bathed". He or she has been washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus. But we still walk around in a world where sin is ever present and we still have the need to come to Jesus to "wash our feet". No, we need not "bathe again", just wash our feet. It is not a matter of salvation but of sanctification. I fear that too often we rejoice in the lack of our needed to be cleansed all over again and we forget of our need to wash our feet. As I thought about this it occurred to me that God uses the same "soap" to wash our feet that He uses to first bathe us and make us clean. Spirit led, my pastor does a great job of preaching and teaching the word of God. On most Sunday's the majority of the people in church are in need of having their feet washed. Like Peter, they represent those who have been bathed already. Of course, I always assume that there is a small number of those who are needing first to be bathed clean. Because God uses the same soap, my pastor need only preach Christ and Him crucified. He need only preach the matters of "first importance". He need only preach the word. God the Holy Spirit will use His word to wash the feet of one and use the same word to bathe and make entirely clean another. I am thankful that He uses the same soap. A soap that has made me "completely clean" and can one which can cleanse my feet.