Faithful Works

John 14:21-23 KJV

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. [22] Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? [23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

---

How do we test ourselves so we can know if we are right with God? These verses make it clear that it is those that keep the sayings of Jesus that will be with him in the presence of the Father. The question arises, “which sayings do I need to keep?” This is an important question to answer because some of what Jesus taught seems to be cultural. If what he taught is cultural then it would not apply to us today.

Satan wants us to think of the Bible as a culture-bound document that is outdated and a relic. But we in Christ know that the Bible is the key to living a godly life. This belief marks us as different from the unbelieving world. However, we must pay attention to what we are believing. If what we believe is contrary to the Word, we are destroying God’s kingdom. However, if we keep the Word, Jesus promises to bring us to the Father.

So what? Now I am saying we are saved by works? No, of course not. There is no true salvation except that which is given to us freely by believing in Jesus. However, the writer of James tells us that, “Faith without works is dead.” (Jas 2:20) Dead things do not bring life. Reading the Word and failing to live the word causes many Christians to be disappointed with God. They assume they are saved by grace so then there is no responsibility on the believers’ side of the equation. Yet Jesus clearly says we obey him if we love him.

---

Lord, I thank you for your grace that leads to the saving of my soul. Help me show my love for you by leading me to keep your word. Forgive me for marginalizing your commandments. Teach me to fully obey. I hope to be in your presence one day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Abundant Life

John 10:7-10 WEB

Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. [9] I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. [10] The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

---

The Lord did not die with the hope we would be born, live, and die, then go to the grave after a life of misery. He died to impart abundant life. He did not die to give us abundant wealth (Luke 12:15). Nor did he die to leave us suffering always (Ps 27:13). He died to give us life, and so much overflow of life that it is described as abundant (John 7:38).

Abundant life does not mean riches, glory, or honor (Mt 13:22). An abundant life is one submitted to Jesus (James 4:7). In submission, we have godliness with contentment (1 Tim 6:6). Furthermore, we have an abundance of salvation which destroys the works of Satan (Acts 26:18). We also have abundant grace which leads to a victorious life (Rom 5:17).

In a victorious life the schemes of Satan are destroyed (Luke 10:19). The victorious life is one in which sin has been mastered (Rom 6:14). Life after death is assured because you have taken ahold of Christ (Philippians 3:12). He is the victory, and he is the giver of abundant life (1 Cor 15:57). Eat of the Lord and drink of the Lord; make him your King and be rich in the knowledge of his word. In eating and drinking of the Lord, we partake of his abundance (John 6:56).

---

Lord, thank you for giving me an abundant life. Thank you for saving me. Teach me the knowledge of your word so that I am rich in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God’s Audible Voice

John 10:1-6 WEB

“Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [2] But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. [4] Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” [6] Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

---

Have you ever heard God speaking audibly? No one can hear the audible voice of God.  So, how can we recognize Jesus’ voice? In part, we listen to the small still whisper in our hearts. Yet, this is problematic because if Satan is deceiving us, we may hear our own sin-sick longings and think it is God. The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked, no man can know it.

Even So, God has always spoken to his people in a variety of ways. He sent angels to Abraham and prophets to kings. He speaks to our hearts with his gentle voice; a voice we must learn to trust without becoming excessively confident. This is because all these methods can be perverted by sin. Only in the Bible do we have full confidence.

The only thing in which we can be entirely confident is the Bible. The Bible says Jesus is the word. This gives us our answer; the only way we can have full confidence is to know God’s word. The Bible is speaking, audibly, for God.

---

Lord, teach me to take everything I believe you are telling me and compare it to the teaching of the Bible. Help me trust without becoming excessively confident so that I will rely on your word and give no opportunity to Satan. Teach me discernment and humility as I press into hearing from you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus Demonstrates the Gospel

John 9:32-38 WEB

[32] Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” [34] They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” They threw him out. [35] Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” [36] He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” [37] Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.” [38] He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

---

Jesus showed the blind man, great love, as he healed him and his life. When Jesus first encountered the man who was blind, he was begging to support himself. Also, he was considered a sinner. So, when the blind man asked Jesus to heal him, even though it was the Sabbath, Jesus healed him. When Jesus healed the blind man, he made spit paste, rubbed it on his eyes, and told him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. At first glance, it looks like Jesus is humiliating the man.

But Jesus does not humiliate people, that is Satan’s method. Jesus sent the man to the pool of Siloam because it would lead to a greater healing, inner healing. Jesus did not rub spit on him to shame him. Jesus doesn’t hurt people, but Satan is intent on our destruction. So, it was with the man who was blind. It’s clear from the text scripture the man born blind had spent time at the synagogue because he has a doctrine; if you worship and obey God, you will be blessed.

Why did the beggar who was blind his entire life develop a doctrine? Because he loved God. Though he had fallen into an unhealthy lifestyle, Jesus knew what was in the man’s heart. Jesus knew this was a backslidden believer. So, he was careful to heal the man just the way the Father showed him. Then, when the priest threw the man out of the Synagogue, Jesus found him and led him to salvation. I do not think it felt great for Jesus to be told to wipe spit paste on the man. But Jesus was so convinced about the Father, he obeyed, perfectly. Jesus’ love and obedience worked salvation in the once blind man’s life.

---

Lord, please help me learn to hear from you so that I can lead the lost and backslidden to you. Show me how to love people as you love people. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reprobate Jesus

John 8:39-41 WEB

They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” 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 didn’t do this. [41] You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”

---

Jesus grew up being a boy that came from sexual immorality. Everyone knew it. And here, where Jesus is telling the crowd Satan is their father, they demonstrate their cruelty. Jesus says they are going to kill him, and the crowd does not deny it. When Jesus logically fences them in, they grab for something to change the subject. They throw Jesus’ shame of being born too early for a marital pregnancy. These are whitewashed sepulchers using religion for power but having no love in them (Mat 23:27).

If they had love in them and God was their Father, they would have the faith of Abraham. Abraham talked with God. He heard from God (Gen 17:22). Abraham loved God and loved the things of God. He wasn’t perfect in his behavior (Gen 12:10-11). Where Abraham was so amazing was his faith walk. For Abraham, if God said, Abraham was going to act on it (Gen 12:4). When strangers came Abraham fixed them the fatted calf and he believed these men were angels of the Lord (Gen 18:1-5).

If the crowd believed Abraham, they would have listened to Jesus because Jesus came to them as an angel of truth. For this, he was accused of being a reprobate by virtue of his birth. Praise God we are judged for our own merits because of the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did not have this luxury. Not in the eyes of the crowd nor in the eyes of Jewish leaders. He was viewed as the product of sexual immorality and was considered unfit for ministry.

---

Lord Jesus, please give me discernment to correctly view others in ministry. Help me love and honor those you have promoted. Alert me to wolves. Protect me as I stop trying so hard to protect myself. Help me, love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Wellspring of Life

 John 4:11-14 WEB

The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? [12] Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?” [13] Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, [14] but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

---

Does the well you drink from give you rest or do you have to go to the well to draw over and over? The well of our best thinking will never give us rest. Nor will the well of tradition. The well which gives rest and springs eternal is Jesus. Not the Jesus of our best thinking, nor the Jesus of our forebears. It is the Living Word that comes from a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ which becomes a spring of eternal life.

Are you tired? Do you feel worn out? Does taking a vacation make you feel better or do you come back and find you are still exhausted? If so, something is not right. This is one of those places in our lives where we have a view into the truth of our faith. Isaiah says that our hearts are wicked (Isaiah 64:6). The Apostle Paul also speaks of the wickedness and deceit within our hearts (Romans 1:18). Therefore, most of us cannot see ourselves. Rather, we see what we want to see. What we need is a way of seeing the truth that goes beyond our own idealism about ourselves. The issue of being exhausted versus refreshed is one of those places in our spiritual journey where we can evaluate ourselves.

If you are tired something is not right. You should have a well springing up within you that always refreshes. A living wellspring of spiritual wellness. If not, it’s time to put idealism down and look deeper. What beliefs are your works based upon? Do you take the knowledge you have and demand an explanation? God does not seem to be inclined to explain himself. He has told us a great deal about himself in the Word. However, when we take information about God from the Word and fill in all the missing pieces with our own ideas, we are going to become bankrupt. We simply cannot make up a God in our thinking that refreshes.

We also cannot take someone else’s faith and feel refreshed. Yes, we can be encouraged by others’ faith, but eventually, we need to stand upon our own faith. Do you honor your parents by keeping the traditions of faith they passed down? Honoring our parents is good but relying on tradition rather than the Living Voice of Jesus within ourselves is a work that does not bring rest. Are you reading the Bible to learn how to live? Or are you relying on what you have been taught to make your life decisions? The Bible has the power to go inside and spring up a well within. It must be the anchor of our faith.

How is your prayer life? The ultimate spring of life within is the Voice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must cultivate our relationship with Jesus in the same way we must cultivate any healthy relationship. We read the Love Letter He left us, the Bible. We also talk to Jesus and listen for the small still voice of His response. We must have both pieces in place or we may fall into delusion. However, it is wrong to avoid hearing the Living Voice of Jesus within because of fear of being deceived. Rather we should be familiar with the Bible so Satan cannot influence our thinking about God, His nature, and our relationship with Him. When this is our truth, we will have rest even as we work for the Lord. He will be a spring of eternal life within, eternal life we can drink from and give others to drink.  

---

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for looking in the wrong places for my rest. Please help me read Your Word and pray. Help me enter through the narrow gate to a life of spiritual rest and wellness. Please let my life be a place of refreshing both to me and those to whom I am sent. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Willing to be Deceived

John 2:16 WEB

To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”

There is grievous error in churches that allow speakers to sell material in the house of the Lord. It is easy to be deceived into thinking it is acceptable to turn the Lord’s house into a marketplace. The moment leaders ask God to allow them to market in the church, the deception starts. This is because there is no reason to go to God and ask for permission to market items in the church. We have in the word of God clear direction on this matter. Therefore, attempting to dialogue with God about deviating from what scripture teaches is sin and opens leaders to deception. It is evil. And evil almost always masquerades as light. The scriptures say that Satan comes as an angel of light. The scriptures also say if believers call light darkness that the darkness is exceedingly great. One of the greatest tools believers need to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy is to know and practice the word of God. Before we talk to God about a matter, we should equip ourselves with the word. Then, once we know what the Bible says, we are ready to go to God and ask for our desire or to ask for willingness to obey. But we should never go to God and ask Him to make exceptions for us so that we can disobey the His word.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for desiring that which is in opposition to the Holy Bible. Please release to me greater grace to be obedient to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.