The Daily Dose

Hear His Heart

And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” John 9:37

Jesus is full of compassion.  He was when He walked the earth 2000 years ago and He still is today.  He loves people just as His Father loves and in that loving, compassion is poured out.  It is especially evident when He touches and heals someone.  The blind man in John 9 is no exception.  After Jesus sent the man to the pool to wash his eyes, the man did not see Him again until later on after he had been thrown out of the synagogue.  Even though the man had just been healed and then reprimanded and put out by the Pharisees, Jesus was there for him.  As you read the interaction between Jesus and the man, you can hear the compassion in Jesus’ words and how he wanted the once blind man to know Him personally.

Jesus first invited the man by asking him if he believes in the Son of God.  The man responded with: If I can know who He is, I will believe.  That is when Jesus revealed Himself personally to the man.  The man acknowledged that he was lost in darkness and needed the help of the Savior and then when the Savior was revealed, he quickly believed.

Thank goodness, that is the same love and compassion that Jesus offers to us still today.  But there is a difference. He already paid our sin debt and now He not only offers His compassion and healing, He also offers salvation and freedom from the oppression of the enemy.  Today, He is asking you: Do you believe in the Son of God?  The answer is totally up to you.  You can choose to make your encounter with Him the greatest connection in your life, or you can choose to put it off for another day but let me warn you . . . there is no guarantee that you will have another day.

Today I want to encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart and into your life.  If you have never received Him as your Lord and Savior, make today the day.  If you have invited Him in, but never made the change in the direction you were heading, turn around today and walk toward Him.  It is not hard to do, you simply begin to acknowledge Him in all your ways and then follow the direction He points out to you.  Pray this prayer today from your heart.  Jesus will take your hand and walk out all the days of your life leading you to your blessed and intended purpose.

God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new today.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in the blood of Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to accomplish the things You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Focus on His love

Therefore, some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.  John 9:16

A few years ago, we had the honor of going on a tour in Israel.  It was such an amazing opportunity, and the entire trip took 10 days.  We arrived there on a Wednesday and left on the following Tuesday, so we were actually there on Saturday the sabbath.  We were still able to go out and see some places, but the entire country, still shuts down on the sabbath day.  So much so that in the hotel we stayed in, every light was set on timers and the elevators are set to move continually stopping on every floor, so no one would flip a switch or push a button.  It was definitely foreign to us and hard to believe that it was necessary to go to such extremes. 

God gave the commandment for the sabbath so that His people would have permission to set aside a day from working.  It was to be a day of rest and set apart to God. In Mark 2, Jesus quoted Isaiah the prophet by saying the sabbath was created for man, not man for the sabbath.  Jesus was telling the priests of His day that God gave the sabbath as a gift to people not as an obligation.  God wanted His people to be different from those who did not know Him personally and to not feel pressured into pushing themselves to over work.

In today’s reading, the Pharisees, once again are trying to condemn Jesus for opening a blind man’s eyes on the sabbath day.  These religions and legalistic leaders were more focused on enforcing the law instead of the care and well being of the people around them.  They did not know the concept of love and they had become enforcers of the law rather than loving the people God had entrusted to them to care for.

Legalism is a dangerous place to be, and in the world, we live in it can be easy to look at who is doing the right things and who is doing the wrong things.  If we are not intentional about loving the people around us, we can easily get caught up in this enforcement mentality.  Instead of looking at lost people’s behavior, it is more important to look at them as one of God’s creations and the object of His love.  Remember that God want to recue all people, not condemn them.

Today I want to encourage you to focus on loving all people with God’s unconditional love.  Don’t decide who is worthy or unworthy of your attention.  There are none that are worthy, but Jesus died for all.  It is our job to love them and share the message of God’s love and let the Spirit of God be the one that convicts and draws them in.  Let’s not be a people that are like the Pharisees of Jesus day, instead let’s be like Jesus who went out to all the people so that they all could come in to Him.

Today’s scripture reading: John 9:13-34

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 

14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 

15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 

19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 

21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 

22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 

23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 

29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 

31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 

32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 

33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

I was one way, now I am another

Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” John 9:9

Before I had a personal encounter with Jesus, I lived my life in a direction that was fear and survival based.  I thought that if I wanted anything in life, I was going to have to struggle and fight for it just like the rest of the world did.  I had no idea or concept of purpose or vision.  I just lived day to day, living from one bad circumstance to the next.  In a sense, I was blind to the plan and life God had designed for me to live.  I was groping through life in the dark with no end or light in sight.

Then one day, I met Jesus.  He opened my eyes to the truth of His love and the good news of His salvation.  He rescued me from that life of deception and blindness.  The scales fell off my eyes and I could see the light of the future shining in.  Before I started walking in a personal relationship with Him, I was one way, but after I gave my life to Him, I am now another better way.

This same thing happened to the blind man that Jesus met in today’s reading.  He was blind and begging for food to live another day.  He was in a bad way, for sure.  Those who saw the blind man thought they could figure out how he had gotten into that predicament.  They thought he was born blind because of someone’s sin.  It was his parents’ fault or his that he was there to begin with. 

After the blind man had an encounter with Jesus that day, he was changed.  Never more to sit begging in the streets just to have some food to eat.  Now he was a completely different person that could begin to fulfill his mission in life.  Now he would be able to help others and become a witness of the great works that Jesus did.  He was one way with no hope in sight, but then he met Jesus and his life changed and turned in a totally different direction.

Today I want to encourage you to have an encounter with Jesus.  If you have never entered into a personal relationship with Him, do that today.  You can invite Him into your heart and into your life and when you meet Him on a personal level, your life will begin to have meaning and purpose.  If you have already invited Him into your heart but have grown stale in your walk with Him, you can have a fresh encounter today.  Reach out to Him with your heart and ask Him to help you back on the right track with Him.  He will meet you where you are and put your feet back on solid ground.  Your life can begin again to have purpose and you will walk in newness in your personal connection with Him.  Pray this prayer today and Jesus will come into your life.  Then you will be able to say: I was one way, but I met Jesus and now I am another way.

God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new today.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in the blood of Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to accomplish the things You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: John 9:8-12

8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”

10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

God’s Glory Revealed

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”  John 9:3

I often feel like I bring many struggles of myself simply by the choices I make.  No matter how intentional I try to be, I still make mistakes.  The revelation I received about growing and trusting God through struggles has set me free from trying to obtain perfection.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I have given up on trying, it’s just that I am confident that even when I do mess up, God will work things out as I trust Him with the overall outcome.

Today’s scripture has helped solidify this freedom.  In the situation where Jesus encountered a blind man, the disciples asked, “Who had sinned to cause this man to be born blind, him or his parents?”  Clearly, we know they both sinned, they were people and no person is without sin.  All have sinned.  Jesus replied that it had nothing to do with sin, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  Wow!  This is freedom:  my struggles have nothing to do with me missing it, but that the works of God can be revealed as I grow through them.  As I walk through the problems in faith and grow closer and stronger in the LORD, the works of God can be clearly seen.  So, it’s not only about growing through the trial, it is all about the works of God shining through.

Today I want to encourage you in your current struggle/test.  Grow in this time to the point that God’s work and glory can result both in your life and those around you.  You are the representative of God to those in your sphere of influence and they are watching to see how God makes a difference in your life.   Let His presence be evident in the way you trust Him, not by obtaining perfection, but how you grow closer to Him through all life’s troubles.

Today’s scripture reading:  John 9:1-7

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 

7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Pray again

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.  Romans 1:8

Can you imagine this?  The faith of the church in Rome was talked about all over the world.  Well, at least the known world at that time.  Not surprisingly, Rome is thought of today as a great church throughout many countries in the world.  Rome had become so full of Christians, that they were famous all over the earth.  Not just in name, but in faith.  They were full of faith people and their faith was talked about everywhere.  Paul was not with them at this time but was eager to return to encourage them and impart spiritual giftings.  Yet, the passage says that Paul prayed for them.  Even though they had world famous faith, he still talked to God about them continually.

Not long ago, America was known as a Christian nation.  It still is on some level, but mostly in name only.  Not because of big faith, though many people here still have it.  What happened and where did we lose our interest in having world famous faith?  Could it be because we are not praying for our land like we, as Christians once did?  Could it be that we have gotten distracted with things and media?  Too busy to fast and pray like Christians did so many years ago.

What is the solution?  We can start again.  We can begin to turn away from the world’s news and back to God’s good news.  We can pray for the body of Christ (Christian people) to be full of faith once more.  We can turn off the media and distractions of world entertainment and fall in love with our Heavenly Father and loving Savior, Jesus all over again.  Let’s become known as a Christian nation again today to the world around us.  It’s not about politics, it’s about Jesus and He is greater than anything in the world!

Today I want to encourage you to take a step back from the things of the world.  I’m not talking about your job or people you love; I’m talking about taking time away from “pastime habits” and making it a priority to pray for America.  Not for the political parties, start praying for the believers.  Start with yourself.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anywhere in your life you may be missing it with distractions from what is important, then be willing to lay it down if He reveals something to you.  Next, start praying for your family members.  Don’t tell them what they are doing wrong, pray for them and believe that God’s plan and purpose for them will be accomplished.  Then start praying for those in your church.  If you don’t have a church, get connected in as soon as possible.  Lastly, start praying that your church will be full of faith and growing in the things of the Lord.  He is not the one who is distracted with the things of the world, He is waiting on us to get in line with His plans and put our personal agenda to the side.

Today’s scripture reading: Romans 1:8-15

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—

12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Wrapped in flesh

Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.  Romans 1:3&4

God started talking about the good news way before Jesus was ever born.  He started talking about it to the first people ever to walk the earth.  Then He continued down through the ages to the prophets.  Then one day, He wrapped that good news up in flesh.  A human body!  On the day Jesus paid the debt for sin, that gift of eternal life, the good news, was opened up!  Now it is available to all people.

Just to prove that statement is true, this book of Romans, was written to the Christians at Rome.  They were of course roman people.  They were not Jewish, nor were they children of Israel.  They were citizens of the nation that ruled over the people of God. Not only ruled over but dominated and oppressed them.  God gave His gift of salvation wrapped up in body to be poured out, not for just His chosen nation, that gift was opened up for all the people of the world.  He paid the price of a debt that no natural man could settle for himself.  God wrapped Himself up and became the gospel!

After He paid off that debt, He got back up out of the grave and now He lives forever wrapped in that flesh as a man ruling and reigning in His Father’s kingdom.  He is now the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

Bring this down to you and me.  When I think of this on a personal level, wow!  This great gift is what life is all about.  There is nothing else that matters.  It is so easy to see when your eyes are on it.  The problem is that so many times we get distracted and this gift that once was so precious to us can become out of focus and even forgotten about.  The solution?  Keep your relationship with your Savior part of your daily walk, in fact, give the first of your day and all that you have to Him.  He gave His all for you, He certainly deserves your first and best in return.

Today I want to encourage you to make the decision to seek His Kingdom first and your right relationship with Him.  If you have already committed to doing this, then examine your heart closely to be sure you are holding nothing back.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area you may be keeping Him out of.  If He reveals anything to you, don’t make excuses, quickly ask Him for His empowerment and the faith you need to turn that area over to Him.  If you have never received the gift of salvation, make that decision today.  It is only a simple prayer away.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart and into your life and He will change you from the inside out and your life will never be the same again:

Pray:  _{God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father. I also ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen}

Today’ scripture reading:  Romans 1:1-7

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Honor

Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  John 8:54

Honor!  You don’t see much of it these days.  Sure, we have holidays to honor those who have served and fought for our country, and that is a good thing for sure.  But mostly, we look for reasons to be proud and that is just not the same thing.  Honor is something that we are definitely lacking in our world today.  There are many scriptures in God’s Word teaching us to honor.  Scriptures like: Honor your father and mother.  Honor authority that God has established.  In honor prefer one another.  Honor widows who are really widows.  Honor is something we give to others because they are God’s creation and valuable.

So what is honor anyway?  Honor is a regard for others with great respect.  In today’s reading, Jesus talks about honor.  He said that honoring yourself is nothing, but when you live by and keep God’s words, your Father in heaven honors you.  In this case, Jesus was talking about Himself, but it is the same for us today.  When we live our lives by honoring and following God’s written word to us, we step into a place of honor with Him.  When we love what He loves and hate what He hates, that is when you can step into the greatest position with Him.  You come into agreement with His plan, His vision and His purpose!  He will place you in a position of honor as you begin to live out His agenda and get into agreement with all that He wants to see you accomplish.  You will be honoring and loving people and that is what God does and loves.

This may sound like a difficult thing to do, but practically speaking, honoring and following God’s written word can be as simple as hiding it in your heart so that you will not sin against Him.  It is making time each day to look into His perfect word and making it a priority.  It is putting every word that you learn and know into action in your life, and it is making His word final authority in all areas of your life.  If God said it in His word, then you make every effort to make it a reality in your daily walk with Him.

By living your life in agreement with the word of God, you will not only be pleasing Him and walking in His honor, but you will also be living in the purpose for which you were created. That is when you will be living the best life that He has planned for you before you were even born.

Today I want to encourage you to be honorable.  Honor others around you each day.  It is not about them deserving it or being worthy to receive honor, it is about loving and respecting the people that God loves so dearly and gave His only Son to redeem.  Then begin to honor God’s word in whatever you do.  Make it the standard by which you live your life and hold it close in your heart so that you are able to walk out the plan that God has for your life.  When you do, you will be pleasing God and you will be esteemed with His honor.  You will grow closer to Him than you ever were before and make an impact in the world around you each day.

Today’s scripture reading: John 8:48-59

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 

50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 

51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 

53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 

55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Who is of God

He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:47

How do you view conflict.  Is it a bad or a good thing?  I have to admit that even though I have been good at it in a professional setting, I try to avoid it when it comes to personal matters.  Especially in my closest relationships.  However, recently I have had a breakthrough in this area in a positive way.  Conflict or confronting differences can actually be an opportunity to grow in your personal character, as well as in your relationships with those you love.  I have always viewed conflict as fighting instead of merely bringing two different opinions together.  Ideally, two opposing perspectives can make for an entirely new solution that could not have been reached without the different points of view.

In today’s reading, what looks like a bad situation between Jesus and the Jews, is actually an opportunity for those listening to learn about who Jesus really was and grow in knowing Him more.  In the conflict and even argument they were having, Jesus was able to clearly explain that He came only to do what He had seen and heard from His Father.

This conflict and the many others He had during His time was an opportunity for Him to not only teach, but also to love on the people who were being ignored and oppressed by the very leaders that were supposed to be caring for God’s people.  I have struggled in times past with these passages because I didn’t understand why Jesus would argue with those, He would never be able to convert to believing in Him.  Through it all, He was able to give us an example of handling conflict with grace and humility and at the same time letting people know that our heavenly Father loves us so much more than just wanting us to keep a set of rules.

Today, I want to encourage you to take a new perspective on conflict.  See it as an opportunity for something new and even better to emerge.  Don’t fight your way through a difference of opinion.  Instead look for ways to bring ideas together to reach a solution for the future that will make the environment you are in a better place to be.  Follow Jesus’ example and consider who will be impacted by your conflicts and then use them as opportunities to let other people know just how great your heavenly Father is and how much He love those who would pursue Him.

Today’s scripture reading: John 8:37-47

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 

38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 

41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 

47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

The Truth makes you free

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36 

Freedom!!  It’s something we are very proud of in our country which is ironic in itself since our county was founded on grace and humility.  But freedom in Christ Jesus is something totally different!  Being free from the bonds and curse of sin is part of God’s gift to us and not to us only, but also to Him.  He never intended for His creation to fall into the clutches of sin.  His plan was always Freedom!

As I thought about this verse this week I could see a picture of a prisoner being set free from prison, a vile criminal.  Someone undeserving being set free and not just set free but pardoned by the most powerful person in the country, the president or prime minister.  Now imagine if you were that criminal and the president came in and gave you a full pardon and removed the criminal record from your background.  It would be absurd to say, “No thanks.  I will stay here in prison and just make the best of the life I have here”.  You would say, “Thank you and I will take that freedom pass”.  Then if anyone ever confronted you and said you didn’t have the right to live in society and you are a criminal, you would defiantly declare, “That’s not me!  I have been set free by the highest authority in the land and there is no evidence of any vileness in my background!!”

Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us:  God (the most high authority ever) came down and set us free from a vile, dirty, and sin stained world and even released us from living under the curse of this world because of sin.  We are victorious in Christ Jesus who loved us before we even knew about Him.  It is a graphic picture and hard for me to imagine that He would set someone like me free, but glory to God He did!  He will do the same for you, too!  It doesn’t matter where you are in life, He wants to rescue you right where you are.  You don’t have to get cleaned up first.  Jesus got right down there in the pit to lift you out.  He does the cleaning up as you submit to Him.  He will lead you into all truth and the truth will make you free!!  Then the next time the accuser comes and tries to tell you that you are a filthy despicable criminal, you can defiantly declare, “That’s not me, I’ve been rescued and saved by the Most High God!!  There is no record anymore of my sin, past, present or future. I have been made clean and free!”

Today I encourage you to get free from sin by getting Jesus in your life.  If you already know Him as LORD and Savior, then spend some time rejoicing and thanking Him today that you have been made free from the bondage of sin and the curse!  Maybe you think “I haven’t been that bad so it’s not that exciting.” Listen to me!  Once you receive Jesus you never have to spend one second in hell and that’s something to get excited about.  Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned and fallen short.  So whether you have a vile, filthy past or have just fallen short, you still need the love and salvation of Christ Jesus.  Without Him, none of us would be free!

Today’s scripture reading: John 8:31-36

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 

35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 

36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Always do what pleases Him

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” John 8:29

Have you ever wondered why God requires obedience?  Why does God want people to obey His commands and directions?  Is it because He is controlling and wants to keep you in line?  After all, most Christians would tell you “God is in control.”  Maybe it is because He wants you to do things His way because He likes to have His own way?  If that were the case, wouldn’t that be selfish and against all the character of a loving Father? 

The fact is, God is in control of His plan and have no doubt, His plan has and will come to pass.  However, He is not controlling people.  If He were, that would go against the fact that He created people with a free will to choose their actions.  If He were in control of people, wouldn’t it make sense that the first thing He would do would be to make all people get saved and to honor and worship Him.  If He were in control of all people, wouldn’t the world look a lot different than it does today? In fact, there wouldn’t even be a need to give commandments if He were controlling everyone.  We would all just do things the way He made us do them.

We have such a loving God and He wants for people to choose to love and follow Him.  The reason He wants us to obey and follow His leading and direction is because He wants to lead us into the best life we can possibly live in this world.  He knows how things were created to be successful in this world because He set it up. He is not trying to control people or manipulate them into doing what He wants, He has planned out the greatest possible existence for each person and His desire is that we would be lavished in His love in this world and the next. By following Him day by day, we can live the life of greatest success because we are following the one who designed it.

In today’s reading, Jesus talks to the leaders that are wanting to keep Him quiet about doing the things that please His Father.  Even though Jesus knew the plan was for Him to come into the world and pay the price for all the sin in the world, He also knew that it was the greatest plan that God had designed for His life.  He told the leaders that He always does the things that please the Father, because He knew that even though it would look like it was a bad thing to die on a cross, He would be following the plan and receive the highest honor ever.

Today I want to encourage you to seek out the plan God has designed for your life.  Start be following the steps He has laid out in scripture for you.  Things like loving God and your neighbors.  Coming together with other believers on a regular basis.  Submitting to your spouse and bringing your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Then seek Him daily and press in close in your relationship with Him.  Walk out your life in step with all that He wants to do with you.  He wants to lead you step by step because then He gets to be with you step by step.  That’s how much He loves you.

Today’s scripture reading: John 8:21-30

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”

23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 

24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 

26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” 

30As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.