John and Repentance

John bore witness and cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me, He has surpassed me because He was before me.’”  John 1: 15

John was about 6 months older than Jesus, and was His cousin, so physically John came before Jesus.  In ministry, we have already seen that John began his mission before Jesus did—his was the task of preparing the way for the Lord.

The way was always prepared for kings.  A slave would be sent out in advance to let the people know he was coming to make the path “straight,” filling in potholes and widening the paths when needed, making it easier for the royal caravan to get to the planned destination.

The word translated “surpassed” in the NIV and “preferred” in the NKJV, is actually the word genomi, from which we get the word genesis.  A richer meaning for this word might be “He was first, because He was there in the beginning of time.”  John makes no claim of being the Messiah—in fact, he proclaims that the Messiah is first.

I think about that with regard to my own walk with Christ: do I proclaim Him first?  Whose interests do I protect?  Am I looking out for my spiritual siblings?

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Unlike the slaves of old, John’s job wasn’t to smooth the path for Jesus.  His job was to encourage the people to repent so that they would be ready to receive Him. 

Matthew 3:1 says: “John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Repent means “to turn back.”  I picture myself missing the off ramp and having to turn around and go back to it—that happens a lot now, since I’m still unfamiliar with the area in which I live.  In the spiritual sense, it means to have sorrow over one’s sins. 

I once met a little girl who had trouble with stealing.  She would take something and get caught with it, then say with tears in her eyes, “but I only took it because I wanted it!”  Obviously, she wasn’t sorry over her sins, she was just sorry she got caught.  That’s not the idea of repentance we need to imitate.

Peter said, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance -2 Peter 3:9.

To a church that had become indulgent and apathetic, Jesus said, “as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Though we often hear this verse used as a “salvation” verse, Jesus was speaking to the church!  He wanted relationship with them, and wanted “in” to fellowship, but they had become lukewarm, and He could not tolerate that.  He won’t put up with this in our lives, either.  He rejects complacency, but He wants our passion.  If we don’t want Him, if we’re cold, He will woo us with his kindness.  Paul notes in Romans 2: 4 that the kindness of God leads us to repentance:

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

When we sorrow over our sin it produces the fruit of repentance in us (2 Corinthians 7:10.)  God grants repentance (2 Timothy 2:25.)  Don’t put off turning away from sin, repentance may not come (Hebrews 12:17.)  God wants all to come to repentance and not perish (2 Peter 3:9.)

In Matthew 3:13 Jesus told the parable of the sower.  In it, a farmer was sowing seed by hand out in the field.  Some of it fell along the hardened path of the road, some on rocky soil, and some on rich soil.  The seed that fell along the road didn’t even germinate—it just lay there.  Nothing happened.  The seed that fell in the rocky soil sprung up quickly, but when the heat came, it died.  The seed that fell on good soil produced up to a hundred fold.  Jesus later explained to His disciples that the “seed” was the Word of God, and the “soil” was hearts, with God being the Sower.

What kind of soil is your heart?  Are you hard, and the seed can’t get in?  Or are you rocky soil, loving hearing the message, even excited about it, until it begins to cost you something—friendships, habits, maybe pinches into your entertainment schedule?  Maybe you’re the good soil, loamy and fertile, but you’ve had a hard time recently and don’t feel much like producing anything for the Lord?  Jesus says open the door!  Let Him in, give Him the soil of your heart, and let Him nourish you and change you, so you can again produce fruit for His Kingdom.

Dear Abba,

I am sorry for the things I’ve done that have hurt Your heart.  Forgive my lack of passion and change me!  Help me to turn it around, Lord.

I will make my heart a fertile field for Your Word, so that You can help me to grow up into the Son, producing fruit that brings eternal life to others.

That’s what I want, Lord.  Help me to glorify You in how I lead my life.

Your Child,

                                    Donna

You Are Beloved

Today we’re taking a little side trip away from John to talk about another subject: prayer and hearing from God.  Ever noticed how hard it is to do those two things?  Here are some observations concerning spiritual warfare.

One of my favorite scriptures that discuss spiritual warfare is found in Ephesians 6, beginning in verse 10. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

The devil wants to muck up the issue by making it between me and those I love.  It might seem like a flesh-and-blood wrestling match, but it is not against the people you love—it’s really spiritual forces of darkness working.

God wants us to be prepared for a fight, so that when the tough times come, we can stand our ground.  John said “Greater is He that is in you (Jesus) than he that is in the world.”  God will fight the battle and win it!  One old “Jesus People” chorus goes like this:




Glory, Jesus, glory, You do the fighting for me,
Praise You, Jesus, praise You, in You there’s always victory.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, we read in Psalm 34, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

That’s the good news!  The bad news is that we are in a battle, and the devil has an advantage—he knows us very well.  He’s had about 6,000 years to study us.

The devil uses our weakness (flesh) in another way.  Obviously, the enemy doesn’t want us to pray, because he knows there are too many benefits for us in prayer.  One of the first things an enemy does during wartime is to attempt to cut off the communication between the soldiers and their command.

In fact, he’ll do everything he can to keep you distracted—frustrated or tired, upset, emotionally drained, etc. so that you’ll skip it—to prevent you from finding time and opportunity to pray. 

Last night I deliberately went to bed early so that I could get up early for “Dawn Patrol,” which meets at 6:30 (that’s a.m.!) for prayer time at my church. 

An hour after I went to bed my dog wanted out.  (I don’t put off that sort of thing…you understand.)

I let her out, I went to the bathroom and let her back in.  At 1:30 this happened again.  Then about every hour on the hour, we repeated the process, to my exhaustion and chagrin. 

Finally, the alarm went off at 5 a.m. and I pushed the snooze button.  I got up at about ten till six, with enough time to get my clothes on and make a cup of coffee before it was time to head downtown, a ten-minute drive. 

A quick trip to the bathroom and I figured I was golden, when I reached for and knocked my coffee cup off of the counter.  My heart sank—there was but a sip of coffee left, and no time to make any more if I was going to be reasonably on time to prayer.  Not to mention the mess.

The whole time this was going on, there was a dialogue in my head:

            About the time the alarm clock went off for the final time, “It would be alright not to go to prayer today.  God wouldn't be angry at you.”

    At which I balked, “I want to go to prayer.  I need to go to prayer!”  And hit the snooze for ten more minutes.

           When the coffee spilled, “You might as well stay home now.  You don’t like the coffee at church.”  (This is true.  It’s bitter and I don’t care for it.  I’ll admit to being something of a coffee snob.)  But I responded, “Oh, well.  I can get some coffee later, or make myself a cup when I get home today.”

   
On the way to church, I was stuck behind two or three little old people and had to hit the brakes for some drivers who were less than courteous, while doing my best to maintain a reasonable speed on the 500.  It was wet outside, and I've spent the last 12 years living in Arizona, where there is very little wet weather.  I was feeling drained, tired, and almost defeated by the time I got off the freeway.

The voice in my ear was complaining “see?  God doesn’t want you to get there on time.  He’s not making this easy, is He? 

“It’ll be embarrassing to be late.”

Me: “It’s only ten minutes.”

“They’ll think you’re not committed.  You don’t belong there anyway.”

“Yes. I do.”

“You’re not as sssspiritual as the othersssss” (Hear the hiss?)

About that time, I recognized the whining tone of the voice in my head.  I’d heard it before, anytime I tried to make a commitment to God in any area.

I started to understand what was really happening—it was a spiritual attack.  I had left the house early, and had not given myself and my day to God, which was my usual habit.

Jesus told His disciples “apart from me, you can do nothing.”  I can’t accomplish anything in my flesh, and if I try to, it only ends up worth nothing.  I tried to just move forward and found myself besieged.  I need to make sure I’m wearing the spiritual armor found in Ephesians 6.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints
–Ephesians 6:14-18

So how did I do in that battle this morning?  I turned up the radio to drown out the enemy’s voice, and as I pulled into the church parking lot, I heard, “You are beloved,” right before I cut the car engine.  It really resonated with me, because I could feel the pleasure of God.  He is pleased with us when we push through in our spiritual battles to allow Him the victory in our lives. 

During prayer I clearly heard the Lord.  “Do you believe my word?  Your faith will move you forward with your arms open (toward those for whom we had been praying.)”  How encouraging!  And had I stayed home and slept, I would have missed it! 

          Dear Abba,

You are always working in my life, doing good, encouraging me, building me up and making me more like Jesus.  We need the contact of prayer and time together so that I can hear from You.  Please help me to listen, to take the time to pray and wait on You.

Thank you for the victory in Christ, and that You are always with me.  Please help me to keep my armor on and trust You.




Your daughter,

            Donna

The Incarnation

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.                     John 1:14

The word “incarnation” is used by Chuck Smith to describe what happened here--Jesus came to the earth as a helpless infant.  Carnal means “fleshly” so incarnate means “to inhabit flesh.” 

He is Immanuel, God with us.  He didn’t just beam down, like Captain Kirk in Star Trek.  He was born.  He came into the world just like the rest of us—dependent upon others for life, for food, for comfort.  

Think of the faith of God! to place Himself in the hands of a young woman, really just a teenager, and to allow the elements to touch Him and be subjected to them, and to live within Time.  Hebrews says Seeing, then, that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hole fast our confession.  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 4:14-16

             

             … and dwelt among us

He did it, became like us, so that we would know that He had “been there,” just like us.  Think of all the old sayings: “walk a mile in my shoes” before you judge me.  Well, He did. 

He knew what it was like to suffer temptation, heat, cold, sore feet, headaches, annoyances, sickness, sorrow, death—everything we experience, He experienced, but didn’t sin.

We beheld His glory—that of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

They hung out with Jesus and knew Him.  They probably thought He was just a super optimistic guy at first, but when the miracles happened—they began to wonder if something else was going on.  Luke says the disciples were invited to that wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.  Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there?  I’d have liked to taste the wine that day…and I imagine them watching in wonder as the waves obeyed Him, and the sea calmed when He had been asleep in the boat.  I imagine their eyes widening as Jesus has Peter out walking on the water with Him. 

In 1 John, this same writer, John the Apostle, says that he was a witness of that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you.  –1 John 1:1-3

“We’ve seen Him, and heard Him, and we know He’s who He says He is.”  John and the other disciples touched Jesus and knew Him intimately, as the closest of friends.

Is He your close friend?  Proverbs says “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”  This friend knows all about your troubles, and has been there.  He’s ready to help, as soon as you call out to Him.  Remember Hebrews?  Come boldly to His throne, ask for His help, and you’ll meet the Friend of sinners, who loves you more than anyone else on earth.

Today, instead of sharing my prayer as I finished my devotions, I’m going to share what the Lord said to me:

My Child,

            

            Yes, I came to know what your life was like—for your benefit, not Mine.  I know all things, but you would not have thought Me genuine had I not suffered as you have.  You would not have thought Me able, or to be enough.  But now I am qualified to intervene on your behalf.  Now I can stand in your place.

           

            Child, I would do it all again—for you. 

            

            Tell others this truth—that I am all they need—Intercessor, Counselor, Helper, Peace, Joy, Grace, Life, Love, and Forgiveness.  Let me live through you, and show others My life.

                                  

                         I AM,

                                 

                                Your Abba

Becoming Like Jesus

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, but as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become children of God.

Jesus came to the earth, and was received by the earth—the wind and waves obeyed Him, even the rocks would have cried out unto Him.  Demons obeyed Him.  But mankind did not receive Him. 

The good news is that “as many” means “whoever.”  In other words, whoever receives Him is given a special privilege—the power or “authority” to become a child of God. 

Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again.”  Nicodemus didn’t understand, so Jesus explained that it was spiritual rebirth that was needed.  That’s what we must do—receive Jesus.  It’s actually translated from the Greek word meaning “to take.”  You receive something by taking it into your possession.

When I was a very little girl, I had a dream that Jesus came to the front door of my house, and I opened the door and let Him in.  I still get emotional when I think of it!  He came in, and we played, and he talked to me of things I don’t remember now, and He was fun and such a charming person!  We got along like two good friends.  I got tired, and didn’t want to go back to bed, but Jesus held me in His arms and I slept.  When I woke up, I ran to the door and flung it open—but He wasn’t there!  I wept copious tears, and my mother became agitated with me and yelled at me to close the door.  She didn’t understand what had happened to me.  I had opened the door of my heart and taken Jesus in.

That’s what we all must do—open the door and receive Jesus into our hearts.  Jesus wants to be both Savior and Lord of your life.  We pray for forgiveness, and ask Him in to save us from hell and judgment, but we also ask Him to be Lord of our lives.

The second proposition is the hardest.  We want the first one—to be saved from the fear of death, oh, what a relief!  No more looking over my shoulder.  But to let Him take the wheel?  Scarier than teaching your teenager how to drive. 

The problem is we don’t know Him.  In years past, most people went to church and knew of God.  They had read the Bible and heard sermons preached.  They knew of His character.  Now most people are ignorant about God.  They are fearful and disbelieving.  The answer to this is to get to know Him—in His word. 

To those to received Him he gave the power (authority) to become the sons of God.

 To “become” is something God always does.  He is “I Am.”  He will be what we need.  Think of it this way: God is ___________________.  What is your need?  I need salvation from sin, death, and judgment.  Jesus (Yeshua) means “God has become my salvation.”  I need God with me.  Immanuel means “God with us.”  I need provision, especially as a woman alone, a widow.  God is Jehovah-Jireh, my provider.  Sometimes I think no one cares about me, but God is “El Roi,” the God who sees.  He is with me, Jehovah-Shammah, “The Lord is There.”  I need to have victory over sin, and to be made righteous.  God is my banner and my righteousness, Jehovah-Nissi, and Jehovah-Tsidkenu. 

What do you need God to be for you?  Do you have poor health?  He is Jehovah-Rophe, the “God who heals.”  Do you feel the sting of injustice?  He will be your shield, or Magen.  God is whatever you need.  He provides for us, “The Lord our Shepherd,” Jehovah-Rohi. 

Our God becomes all we need.  What do we become?  We are given power to become children of God. 

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2.) 

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  Colossians 3:4

We don’t really know what we’re going to become, but we know we’ll become like Jesus.  How’s that working for you?  Are you discouraged about your walk?  Philippians 1:6 says:

 He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

After 28 years of walking with the Lord, I am becoming more faith-filled than I did even 5 years ago.  God is doing the work, and I am assisting by allowing Him to make me what He wills. 

Back to our scripture, John 1:12.

…to those who believe on His name.

The criterion for receiving power to become God’s children is that you believe in His name.

·                           Immanuel

·                           Yeshua-God is salvation

·                           My Banner

·                           My Victory

·                           Christ in me, the Hope of Glory

I hope to grow more and more in faith!

Some scriptures:

Believing is the work of God: Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God: that you believe in Him whom He sent." John 6:29

Faith is needed to please God: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

We shouldn't worry about getting what we need, but believe God will take care of us: Matthew 6:31-32

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  

 For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Take the leap of faith, and trust God to become all you need!

Dear Abba,

 Thank you for the day You came into my life, and for each day since, as You’ve been teaching me who You are, and that I can trust You to take care of me.  Let know more about You, and learn to trust You more.  Forgive me for my lapses of faith, for when I don’t think You’re enough.  I thank You for the privilege of serving You.  Let me be a good servant, faithful to do all You will.

I bless Your name for all You’re doing in my life, and for who You are, and who You will become to me.

Your Daughter,

Donna