Diving In - Examining Ephesians – August 31 Readings: Ephesians 1-6 – Overview

 

Ephesians: A Worthy Walk 

For the next month, we will be studying the Book of Ephesians, a letter Paul wrote while he was in jail in Rome, awaiting his first trial. Ephesus was one of his best churches, and he spent a lot of time there on his missionary journeys. The church likely planted the other churches of Asia Minor that Jesus referenced in Revelation 2-3. 

Ephesians is easily outlined. Chapters 1-3 speak of the great salvation we have in Christ, which comes by grace through faith alone. Then, 4:1 is the turning point, where Paul admonishes them to "walk worthy of the calling you have received." We cannot be worthy of Christ's salvation - it is a gift of grace. But having received it, we can then, by the Spirit's power, WALK worthy. Chapters 4-6 describe the worthy walk. This is a favorite template of Paul. He develops a doctrine then applies it practically. 

As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage. 

Today's Reading:  Ephesians 1-6    

Read the whole book today

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah11-12, 1 Corinthians 3, Psalm 103:10–16, Proverbs 21:24–25

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:     

Today's devotional is more of an assignment - don't you hate that? I'm supposed to do all the work and you just read what I think, right? We are going to do things differently today. I would like you to play pretend for a few minutes.

Read the entire six chapters of Ephesians as if you were person in that church hearing the letter from Paul read for the first time. If you have time, read it twice, or three times. If you are by yourself, read it outloud - it won't take more than about 10 or 12 minutes to do so. 

Consider these questions: What is the book all about? 

Why did Paul write the book? 

Were there specific issues or problems he might have been addressing? 

Today is your day to get yourself grounded in the book and then tomorrow, we will dig into chapter 1. 

At the risk of giving you too much information, Ephesians follows a typical pattern in Paul's writings. The first 3 chapters are doctrinal - they describe the great salvation we have received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and all that this means in our lives. Ephesians 4:1 is the turning point of the book. It urges us to "walk worthy of the calling we have received." We can never BE worthy of salvation by grace but having been saved, we can walk worthy. Chapters 4-6 describe the life that we have been saved are meant to live as we walk in the Spirit. Romans follows this same structure. Chapters 1-11 lay out key doctrines concerning the righteousness that comes by faith, the verse 1 of chapter 12 tells us because of that mercy we should give our bodies to God as living sacrifices. The rest of the book is practical - how the righteous live. 

Throughout September, we will be reading and studying Ephesians. Get a notebook of some sort and study the book with us. Keep notes. 

May the Spirit of God open your mind to the truths of this great epistle. 

Think and Pray:

Take time to read this book once, twice, or more. Why did Paul write it? What issues in Ephesu was he addressing? 

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 30 Readings: John 17:24 – To Be with Jesus

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:23) 

John 17:24   “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation."

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 9-10, 1 Corinthians 2, Psalm 103:1–9, Proverbs21:21–23

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know     

Consider the things that Jesus prayed for when he poured his heart out to the Father the night before he died. We have reviewed many of these requests, which reveal his heart to us and show us where our hearts should be. The greatest truth of all should be the simplest fact of this prayer. 

JESUS PRAYED FOR ME!

And for you of course. Some of the prayers, especially in the first few verses, are directed toward the Twelve, the original disciples, but as the prayer progresses Jesus makes it clear that his focus is not just one those who walked with him through Galilee, but on all who would come to believe in him. He prayed for you. He prayed for me. Whatever is going on in your life, whatever hurts and pains you are going through today, you can remember that the Savior, the Lord, the King of kings - he is praying for you. 

And, according to verse 24, he wants you to be with him for eternity. I have always been insecure, but if I believe the Bible, I can rest in the absolute assurance of this fact. Jesus not only loves me, but he wants me to be with him forever and ever, in his glorious heavenly home. 

He not only desires it, but he did what was necessary for us to be there. He left the glories of heaven where he received much-deserved worship to come to earth and live in humility and rejection. He lived a perfect life and died for our sins on the Cross. He rose again as Lord of all to offer life to all who believed. My sin separated me from the God of heaven and Jesus, because he wanted us with him eternally, paid the ultimate price so that this prayer could be answered.

Jesus wants us to be with him forever and we will be, because of all he did for us. He prayed and became the answer to his own prayer!

Father, I thank you for your love, which motivated your Son to come to earth and seek and save the lost. I can never adequately thank you for that love!

Think and Pray:

Meditate on the joy of this truth - that Jesus prays for you and desires you to be with him forever. 

Why Evangelism Fails - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 29 Readings: John 17:20-21 – That the World May Know

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:20-23)

 

John 17:20-23  “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 7-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, Psalm102:24–28, Proverbs 21:19–20 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Why Evangelism Fails    

Why is the evangelism of the American church so ineffective? 

No, we do not need to argue whether that question is founded on fact or not. The evangelistic efforts of the evangelical churches in the USA are generally ineffective - so much so that we've coined a phrase to justify our efforts. We put on massive shows and programs and say, "if just one person was reached, it is all worth it." 

Jesus said that in the kingdom, a seed brings forth fruit, 30-fold, 60-fold, or a hundredfold. In our evangelical church kingdoms, thousands of man-hours are considered profitable if they produce ONE-fold. 

Three things are easily demonstrated in Christianity today. Most Christians rarely if ever share their faith with a lost person. Many (perhaps most) churches spend little time actually proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even many of our "outreach" events are little more than social gatherings in which someone gives a vague mention of Jesus but little real gospel truth. Finally, when we do share the gospel, the response is often disappointing - the harvest is not what we'd hope for or expected. 

Again I ask, why is this? 

There can be many reasons for this, of course, but in verses 20-21 Jesus prayed about one of the major reasons. In recent devotionals we have seen the heart of Jesus for the unity of the Body of Christ and his assertion that the unity of the church ought to reflect the unity in the essence of Father and Son in the Trinity. Now, Jesus prays that his followers would be one so that "the world may believe that you sent me." 

The world will believe that God sent Jesus Christ when it sees a united church. Hmmm. We can deduce from that that a divided church hinders evangelism and prevents the sinful world from seeing Jesus in us. We are the light of the world, sent to shine the light of Jesus in this world. If we are divided, fighting, bickering, struggling for power. we cannot shine the light. 

A divided church will never accomplish the mission of God. It will never be effective in evangelism. Every time you are tempted to speak in anger at a fellow believer, to cause division in a church, to fight with another believer, you must ask yourself this, "Is it worth the damage it will do to the work of Christ in the Body of Christ?" 

Father, may I not be a hindrance to your work by being divisive, by seeking my own and causing pain in the Body of Christ. 

Think and Pray:

Are you an agent of division or of disunity in the Body of Christ? 

God's Sanctifying Word - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 28 Readings: John 17:17 – Sanctified by Truth

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:17)

John 17:17  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 6, 1 Corinthians 1:1–17, Psalm 102:17–23, Proverbs21:16–18

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  God's Sanctifying Word  

What do you think of when you hear the word holy? Perhaps you imagine some kind of unique Christian saint who lives just a notch or two above the rest of us. Some would see a person who dresses a certain way and conforms to a list of rules - the more rules the holier. Some people present themselves as "holier than thou" by thinking themselves as better than others. 

What is holiness, true, biblical holiness? The concept in the Old Testament, picked up for the New Testament, being set aside for God's use. Those things that were set apart for temple use were holy. Things that were holy were devoted to God and his service and were not to be used for mundance things. 

Imagine 10 clay pots, simple clay pots designed to hold water. One of these is selected from among the others and is set apart to be used in the temple. Once it is consecrated, or sanctified for God's use in the temple, it may never again be used for purposes other than God's. That which is holy is God's and God's alone. 

Jesus prayed that his followers would be "sanctified" - made holy, set apart for the service of God. His ultimate desire is that we be called out of this sinful and world and set apart for God's service - God's and God's alone. 

How can sinful people such as we are be sanctified? By the truth. Satan has sown this world with his lies which deceive so many into making wrong choices and committing sin - living in unholiness, living for this world. What is the correction for lies? Truth. We are set apart for God's work by having Satan's lies replaced by God's truth. 

Where does truth come from? "Your word is truth." It is in the word of God that we learn the things of God. The Holy Spirit uses God's word to set us apart for himself, to make us holy. 

Father, make me holy by your word and its sanctifying, purifying power. 

 

Think and Pray:

Is your life being lived for the things of this world or are you set apart for God? 

Are you devoting yourself to the sanctifying word of God? 

Unity Like God's - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 27 Readings: John 17:11 – Trinitarian Unity

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:11)

John 17:11  I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 4-5, Romans 16, Psalm 102:10–16, Proverbs21:14–15

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Unity Like God's     

Years ago my dad was traveling, preaching Bible Conferences at churches all over the country. In a couple of years, he spoke at well over a hundred churches within a short period of time. He shared that in all of those churches, there were only a handful, five or fewer, that had anything that even approached biblical unity. 

The fact is that American churches are marked by strife and division in many ways. Power struggles. Conflict between leaders and the people. Anger and bitterness. 

Even in the absence of division, the concept of unity, of fellowship, of the sharing of our lives with one another is foreign to our ideas of independence. We like to live for ourselves and not be under anyone's control. 

Jesus spoke again of his Father in verse 11, of the unity that existed between Father and Son. As members of the Trinity, they experienced a perfect unity, a spiritual intimacy that is unhindered. We understand that and accept it. 

It is when Jesus says, "that they may be one as we are one" that things get interesting. The unity of the Body of Christ is meant to be patterned on the unity of the Father and Son (and Spirit). Churches and Christians should walk in love and joy and peace in a way that amazes the world. 

The church is meant to be an earthly reflection of the love and unity of the Godhead. 

That is why division in the Body is so serious. Yes, it hurts us and hampers our work, but ultimately, it grieves our Lord because it does not reflect God's purpose. In this prayer, Jesus pours out his heart to the Father, praying that the church would know this unity. To this day, this is one prayer of Jesus that has not been answered. One day it will be. 

May we be agents of love and unity today. 

Father, use me as an agent of your love and unity. 

Think and Pray:

Do you seek love and unity in the Body of Christ, even at personal cost? 

Displaying Christ's Glory - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 26 Readings: John 17:10 – Christ Glorified in Us

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:10) 

John 17:10  Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them.

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 1-3, Romans 15, Psalm 102:1–9, Proverbs 21:11–13 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Displaying Christ's Glory    

It is easy to read verses such as John 17:10 and miss the fact that a truth-bomb just went off. Jesus makes three simple statements there which can be glossed over too easily. 

• Everything I have is yours - Jesus recognized that he derived his power, his authority, his glory, his mission, and everything else from the Father. He was dependent on and committed to the Father. He lived for the Father. 
• Everything you have is mine - Jesus was the heir of the Father's glory, the inheritor of all of Heaven's riches and power. These two statements are key to Trinitarian doctrine, though they speak only of Father and Son. These are two separate persons, Father and Son, who are completely united. What is the Father's belongs to the Son and what is the Son's belongs to the Father. 

Throughout the book of John, Jesus says statements such as these, emphasizing his unity with the Father. They are one, a perfect unity beyond our imagining. It is the third statement Jesus makes that should blow our minds. 

• I am glorified in them. 

It was Jesus' hope and expectation that he would be glorified in us. In other statements in this prayer Jesus explains his desire that the unity of the Father and Son would be reflected in the unity of the Body of Christ. But here he says that the glory of the Father and Son was meant to be reflected in us. We are to shine, as Paul put it, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 

Remember when Jesus said, "I am the light of the world?" He also told his disciples that they were the light of the world. Was he confused? Of course not. He was telling them that he would shine his light in this world through them.

Consider that. There is only ONE light in this world - Jesus. If the world is going to see that light, they will see him shining in us. You and me. The church. That is why we cannot afford to hide our lights. That is why we cannot afford to dim our lights with sin and worldly passions. This world badly needs the light that Jesus intends to shine through us. Through US!

Oh, Father, clean me that I might shine brightly with the glory of Jesus Christ, that the world may see HIM!

Think and Pray:

When the world looks at you, what do they see? 

Living on God's Agenda - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 25 Readings: John 17:4 – Glory

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus - John 17:4)

John 17:4  I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 

Through the Bible Readings: Song of Songs 7-8, Romans 14, Psalm 101:5–8, Proverbs21:9–10 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Living on God's Agenda

What drives you in your life? When you get up in the morning, what is your goal? As you go through your day, what is it you are hoping to accomplish? As you lay your head on your pillow, what is it you are thinking about and hoping for?  Many people seek power and control over others, personal glory, or to receive praise from people. Others live for pleasure or money. 

Jesus was driven by one thing and one thing only. From his Nativity until the time of his death and resurrection, he was motivated by the desire to glorify his Father in Heaven by doing the work that God had set for him. How often did Jesus say something like "my time is not yet come." He was operating on an agenda set by the Father and his sole motivation was glorifying the Father by accomplishing that agenda. 

Now, as Jesus was coming to the end of his life and praying for his disciples, he emphasized his relationship to the Father and would go on to pray that our relationship to him would be patterned after his to the Father. In other words, it is our Savior's desire that our lives be lived for the glory of God in all things and that we seek to carry out his will and accomplish his work. 

Jesus spent his life carrying out the agenda that the Father set for him. We must seek the Father's agenda for our lives, then devote ourselves to that agenda with passion, giving glory to God at every step along the way. 

Father, show me your way. that I may live for your glory and accomplish your work. 

Think and Pray:

Whose agenda are you serving? Are you living for the glory of God and accomplishing his work? 

Knowing Jesus - Jesus’ Prayer List – August 24 Readings: John 17:3 – Knowing God

John 17: The Heart of Jesus 

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, in Matthew 6, is often called "The Lord's Prayer." That is our prayer, a model prayer for us to pattern our prayer lives after. It is John 17 that is truly the Lord's Prayer, the one that shows the heart of our Savior. In it, he pours out his soul to the Father the night before his death and shows us that which he cares most about. 

Do you have a prayer list, a guide to those requests you make regularly to God? In this chapter, we see Jesus' prayer list, what was on his heart, what he prayed for regularly. 

It is recommended that you read the entire prayer each day this week. We will examine a highlight each day. 

Today's Reading:  John 17      (Focus: John 17:3)

John 17:3  This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ. 

Through the Bible Readings: Song of Songs 5-6, Romans 13, Psalm 101:1–4, Proverbs21:6–8 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Knowing Jesus 

This prayer demonstrates the heart of Jesus Christ, what was on his mind the last night of his earthly life, before his death. In verse 3, he makes it very clear that the key to eternal life is simple. It isn't about knowing a theology or set of doctrines. It isn't about a set of rules that we are to follow or a series of religious rituals and practices we are to go through. Our faith is about one thing - knowing God through Jesus Christ. 

The disciples, of course, knew Jesus personally, but this prayer was for all of us. Jesus' desire was that we would have a relationship with him, a spiritual fellowship, that would cause us to desire to worship him and serve him and love him every day of our lives. As we walk with Christ, we are gradually conformed to his image - we become like him. 

I apologize for the brevity of this devotional. I procrastinated today, and then developed a bad migraine this evening that made concentrating and writing difficult. Please take the time to carefully read the passage and seek to come to know the heart of our Savior. 

Think and Pray:

Do you know Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord? 

Jesus Wins - When Your World Explodes – August 23 Readings: John 16:25-33 – World Conqueror

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:25-33       

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30 Now we know that you know everything and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Through the Bible Readings: Song of Songs 3-4, Romans 12, Psalm 100, Proverbs 21:4–5 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Jesus Wins!   

Early during the coronavirus shutdown, when my favorite shows went off the air and there were no sports to watch, I did something that seems a little silly to most. I went back to YouTube and other sources and watched old sporting events. Football games. Of course, I watched a lot of old baseball games featuring a certain team from out east. Even though I knew how the game came out, I still enjoyed tension and drama of watching the game unfold. 

We live today in a world of tension and drama, filled with sadness and pain, but make no mistake about it. We know how the game will end. During this life, Jesus promised, the followers of Jesus will be scattered and pursued and will endure much pain and suffering. It is inevitable in a world given over to sin. 

We have called this two-week excursus in John 14-16, "When Your World Explodes." This year, 2020, has been a real stinker for a lot of people, hasn't it? We don't know that the last few months will get better and who knows what 2021 holds in store? Sometimes, our world just explodes. Sometimes, people present the faith as if it is a means to health, wealth, comfort, and ease in this world. Jesus promised just the opposite. "You will have suffering in this world." It is a promise from our Savior. 

But Jesus gave one more promise. "I have conquered the world." Jesus defeated everything in this world that could possibly hurt us. On the cross, when Jesus rose up and said, "It is finished," he was declaring his victory over Satan, over sin, over death, and over hell. 

It is important to remember that Jesus, today, is not battling Satan for supremacy in the heavenly places. He has it. He established it. He has won. He conquered them all. 

Now, my friend, it is important that we remember that Jesus' victory, while guaranteed, is not always evidenced today. Sometimes, in this day, it LOOKS like righteousness is losing and the enemy is gaining ground. We must walk in faith knowing that our future is glorious in Christ. Jesus wins. 

Father, I rejoice in the victory of your Son, who has conquered every enemy of my life. 

Think and Pray:

Take time today to thank God for the victory you have in Christ. 

Remember that our victory, though guaranteed, is future. Today, our suffering can be real, but it will end in glory. 

Audacious Prayers - When Your World Explodes – August 22 Readings: John 16:23-24 – Ask and Receive

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:23-24       

23 “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Through the Bible Readings: Song of Songs 1-2, Romans 11:11–36, Psalm 99, Proverbs21:1–3

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Audacious Prayers    

It was drilled into me all my life that the Bible has no contradictions, and I believe that in the sense it is intended. There is another sense, though, in which the Bible is constructed on the basis of what I call “true contradictions.” The more technical term for these is antinomies. I believe these are the key to understanding Scriptures. We have one God who exists eternally in three separate and co-equal persons – a true contradiction. Jesus was fully God and fully human at the same time. God is sovereign over the affairs of the world and at the same time we are morally responsible for our choices. In each of these, both truths cannot be true but the Bible affirms them both. God’s thoughts are higher than ours and in the divine logic there is a solution that defies human logic. When we deal with these antinomies, these true contradictions, we must hold both sides of antinomy as true and affirm them in our minds. Heresy results when we take one side of these true contradictions and trumpet it to the exclusion of the other side.

Prayer is a true contradiction. Some view it as an opportunity to control God, to manipulate him into giving us what we want. They confess their desires and “speak them into existence” expecting God to jump in line. Others have asked why we should bother praying. God is going to do what God is going to do as the sovereign Lord of the universe. What effect do our prayers have? If God controls this world and has already determined the end from the beginning, what is the purpose of prayer?

 C.S. Lewis wrote a powerful essay about two types of prayer that are shown in biblical prayers, styles that seem to stand in contradiction to each other but are a true contradiction revealing the full orb of God’s glory in prayer. Type A prayers are the sort we see in this passage – ask and receive. Pray in faith believing God will give you what you ask for. “Ask anything in my name.”  While these verses have been misappropriated, misapplied, and misused, they are God’s word, God’s promises, God’s truth.

There is another kind of prayer, Type B. This was evidenced in Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane in Luke 22:42. He had asked for the biggest prayer anyone ever prayed for and then he said, “Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.” Type B prayers seek to align with the will and character of God.

The Bible affirms both prayers. In fact, our prayers, if they are to be biblical, ought to be bold and audacious. They ought to be grand, touching eternal issues, demonstrating that we believe in a God who can do anything. In the end, though, we recognize that we are the creatures, not the creator and we yield to his will. 

Father, help me to pray big prayers, audacious prayers, prayers that shake heaven and earth. But also, in the end, I remember that your will is always best. 

Think and Pray:

Which type of prayer is more likely to mark your prayer life? 

Do you pray prayers that demonstrate that you believe our God is big and can do anything? 

Labor Pains of Life - When Your World Explodes – August 21 Readings: John 16:20-22 – Sorrow to Joy

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:20-22       

20 Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

Through the Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 11-12, Romans 11:1–10, Psalm 98, Proverbs20:29–30 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Labor Pains of Life    

Have you ever wondered why a woman has more than one baby? I was present when all four of my children were born and as best I can decipher, using my detective skills, gathering the evidence, I have come to this conclusion. She went through some significant pain during the process of childbirth. When something is painful to me, I avoid it, but after each long process of labor was over, she was ready (eventually) to go through it again. 

There is a reason for that, which Jesus referenced in verse 21 in our passage today. When the baby is born, joy comes and the pain begins to fade. It is not so much that the pain is forgotten, perhaps, but that the joy of the newborn baby is so great that it outweighs the suffering. 

I had a discussion recently with two men whose families had encountered tragedy and hardship. They were reflecting on family members who were dealing with the question of why God allowed the suffering their family experienced. In the middle of the suffering it is hard to understand the whys and wherefores of God's will and purposes. This earth is a lifelong process of labor pains that culminates in that glorious moment when we see Jesus face to face and all the promises of the Gospel come to pass. 

We have come to expect the process to be fun, to be easy, to be free of pain and suffering, but that is not the way of things in our faith. We are called to live as strangers and aliens in this world, preparing for the glories of heaven, but we want ease and comfort in the here and now. 

Jesus was preparing his disciples for the reality of discipleship. Life can be hard. Serving Jesus is not always fun. The process of pregnancy and giving birth isn't always fun, I suppose. It is hard work and suffering and pain and enduring until the end, when the treasure hoped for arrives. 

That is what we must remember. The treasure we hope for, and wait for, and long for - it is worth it. It is so wonderful that a moment in the presence of Jesus will make us forget everything we have suffered here on earth. It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. 

Father, help me to remember why I am here. It is not to enjoy this world, but to to labor for the day I see Jesus!

Think and Pray:

What is your attitude toward life? Are you living for pleasure and fun? 

Or do you realize that life is about enduring suffering for the day you see Jesus face to face? 

The Real Second Coming - When Your World Explodes – August 20 Readings: John 16:16-19 – Seeing Jesus Again

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:16-19       

16 “In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me.”

17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What is this he is saying, ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

19 Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’?

Through the Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 9-10, Romans 9:30–10:21, Psalm97:8–12, Proverbs 20:26–28 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  The Real Second Coming    

We talk much about the Second Coming of Jesus, and I believe that Jesus will one day descend from heaven to end the world in his glory. I believe in the future return of Christ. But in a very real sense, Jesus makes the argument in the Farewell Discourse that the Holy Spirit would his second coming. Look at some of the key passages throughout this message.

First of all, in each of these passages he calls the Spirit the “Counselor,” and we will define that term later. But in John 14:16 he promises to send “another Counselor” to be with the disciples. This signifies that the Spirit would fulfill the role that Jesus performed when he was with the disciples after Jesus left. We know that the Spirit would indwell the disciples and empower them.

This theme continues in the other passages. In John 14:26, Jesus says that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name. Then, in John 16:7 we read, “It is for your benefit that I go away because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.” This is a key verse that tells us that Jesus sends the Spirit (from the Father) to be his presence with us, and that this is better even that Jesus being with us. This theme continues in John 16:15-16. “Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you. A little while and you will no longer see me; again a little while and you will see me.” Jesus is going away for a time, then he will be seen again. Of course, this could be a reference to his death and resurrection, but in the context of the lengthy teaching on the Spirit, it seems best to see this as a reference to Jesus returning in the form of the Holy Spirit.

It is not a stretch to call the Holy Spirit the Second Coming of Jesus. What we call the Second Coming should perhaps be called the Third Coming, or more simply, the Return of Christ. But the Holy Spirit is Jesus with us, Jesus in us. We were not left as orphans in this world when Jesus left, and that is a great comfort in a tumultuous, sinful world. We were given the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit in us is Jesus’ method of giving us peace and comfort in a hard and harsh world.

Remember the story of the disciples of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee in the boat? They were professional fisherman and the storm was so intense that they were terrified. They were panicking. If you are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and the professional fishermen are panicking, perhaps it is time to be afraid. But what was Jesus doing? He was asleep in the bottom of the boat. He was not clueless or uncaring. He was resting in the power of the Father. The presence of God gave him such comfort that the storms of life did not rob him of his peace.

Today, we are not with Jesus in a boat. We are the boat and Jesus is in us! That is the Holy Spirit’s role. He is the power and presence of God within us, working the work of God within so that we can always rest and trust in God and walk in his power. Do you think it is a safe place to be in the boat with Jesus? How much better to be the boat, with Jesus in you by his Spirit’s indwelling presence and power?

Thank you for the constant presence of your Spirit, who is Christ's presence in me. 

Think and Pray:

Remember and reflect on the reality of the fact that the Spirit is the "second coming" of Jesus - Jesus' presence and power at work in you. 

The Jesus Life - When Your World Explodes – August 19 Readings: John 16:12-15 – The Revealing Spirit

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:12-15       

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

Through the Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 7-8, Romans 9:1–29, Psalm 97:1–7, Proverbs20:24–25 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: The Jesus Life     

When we read John 16:13, where Jesus promises that the Spirit will declare to his disciples "what is to come" we tend to assume that he is promising to give us details of the end times. Certainly, the New Testament, which the Spirit would reveal, as promised in this passage, would reveal much of the story of how God will consummate the world in glory, but that is likely not what Jesus is promising in verse 13. The meaning there seems to be broader. 

Verse 16 will go on to explain that in "a little while and you will no longer see me; again a little while and you will see me." The Spirit would be the return presence of Jesus Christ in this world, working through believers and through the church he would establish. He would be the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. 

What was it the Spirit said that "is to come?" There was a whole new system of living coming into the disciples' lives after Pentecost. The Spirit would (according to verse 14) "take from what is mine and declare it to you." The things of Christ, the ways of Christ, the life of Christ - the Spirit would declare that to the church and through us into the world. Look at what Paul said in Ephesians 3:3-6, when he described the life of Christ that was to come.

The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Ephesians 3:3-6

 After Pentecost, things would be completely different, a new way of the Spirit. At this point, they had no idea what "was to come" and couldn't have understood or accepted it if Jesus had tried to explain it. But, as time went on, the Spirit would explain and work out this new life of Christ in the lives of the Apostles, just as is promised here. 

 The new life of Jesus, worked in us by the Holy Spirit, would produce a full understanding of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone, apart from any works of the law. It would involve a full understanding that the Gospel is for all nations – that God is now working through the church, not a nation to gather a redeemed people. It would help us experience firsthand the reality of “Christ in you, our hope of glory”

Thank you, Father, for the life of Christ which your Spirit enables in me. 

Think and Pray:

Are you living the "Jesus Life" that was promised here? 

Turning the Tables - When Your World Explodes – August 18 Readings: John 16:8-11 – The Convicting Spirit

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:8-11       

8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Through the Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 5-6, Romans 8:18–39, Psalm 96:7–13, Proverbs 20:21–23 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Turning the Tables    

It appeared to be an imminent victory of the enemy over the Creator. Since that nascent moment before the dawn of time when pride was born in him and he rebelled against God, Satan had what appeared to be his best opportunity to win. Rome’s political forces and Israel’s religious leaders conspired to arrest and try Jesus. Men stood in judgment over the Son of God and declared him guilty. They judged him as worthy of death and carried out the sentence. The rebellion reached its zenith as the Son of God was brutally crucified and then God’s sovereign grasp over this world appeared to be in doubt.

Appearances can deceive and God’s rule was never in doubt. The night before he died, before he was arrested, tried, judged by human beings, convicted, and crucified, Jesus reminded his disciples of the truth, in a great cosmic irony. John 16:8-11 says:

When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

As Jesus awaited arrest, and knowing he would be tried, convicted, and killed, he reminded his disciples in the quiet of the Upper Room that the judgment of the world on him was temporal, temporary, and apparent. A greater judgment was coming from the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. When Jesus left the world and sent the Holy Spirit, at Pentecost, the Spirit would be the one who would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Once, Jesus overturned the tables in the Temple. Here, he overturns the tables on the devil. The world was about to judge him but it would be the Spirit who would judge the world. Satan was at work to destroy Jesus by bringing about his death, but Jesus reminded his disciples that the ruler of this world has already been judged.

Our world judges Christians and in God’s grace he sent Jesus to seek and to save the lost. This can give us the mistaken impression that the judgment of the world on the church and on Christians is of ultimate importance. It is not. Jesus is the judge, the one before whom every man and woman will stand and to whom every knee will bow. He allowed himself to be judged but only so that the greater purposes of God could be accomplished and his grace displayed. While today, people decide whether they believe in Jesus or not there will come a time when every knee will bow, believer or atheist, lover of God or skeptic, and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord. Jesus is not on trial, he is the judge. God turned the world’s verdict of guilty on its head.

This passage is a powerful statement of God’s supremacy even over a world that was about to judge and crucify his son.

Think and Pray:

Ask the Spirit of God to do his work of conviction in you. 

Jesus in Me - When Your World Explodes – August 17 Readings: John 16:1-7 – It Is for You

John 14-16: When Your World Explodes

Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.

We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.

Today's Reading: John 16:1-7       

“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.

Through the Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 3-4, Romans 8:1–17, Psalm 96:1–6, Proverbs20:19–20 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:   Jesus in Me 

It is an amazing statement - one you probably don't believe!

You don't believe it because you've never experienced life the way the disciples did. They were with Jesus for over 3 years and they lived in constant confusion. Everything he did boggled their minds, troubled their hearts and gave them anxiety. Why, Jesus? What are you doing? They never understood his teachings. They misunderstood his kingdom. They pretty much got it all wrong all the time.

We have the Holy Spirit living in us, illumining our hearts to understand the word of God, the will of God, and the ways of God. Still, sometimes, God confuses us, baffles us, and blows our minds. But the ministry of the Spirit inside of us enables us to understand God's word and walk in the light.

That's what Jesus said that is so hard to accept. "The Spirit of God in us is better than Jesus with us." In John 16:7, Jesus told the disciples that it was to their advantage if he went away because then the Holy Spirit would come. Their lives would be better when they received the Spirit and were filled by his power.

Have you ever said, "I wish Jesus was here so I could ask him some questions." Most of us have. We all have questions. And if we had the Holy Spirit AND Jesus, that would be quite a combination. But Jesus made it absolutely clear that we are way better off today with the Spirit of God indwelling us than we would be if Jesus was here beside us and the Spirit were not indwelling us. We'd be as clueless, as confused, and as prone to error as the disciples were.

The Spirit indwells us at salvation (called the baptism of the Holy Spirit) and is our ever-present source of power, of enlightenment, and of the wisdom of God. He convicts us of sin, helps us to see the truth of God, and empowers us to walk in the ways of God. As we walk in the fullness of the Spirit, all that God has prepared for us can be ours.

Father, I thank you that you have given to me your Holy Spirit to enlighten me, to empower me, and to guide me in your ways. May I walk daily in the fullness of your Spirit's power. 

Think and Pray:

Think about how the disciples' lives changed after Pentecost. 

Remember that the power that changed them indwells all believers and is available to you. 

Consider how your life might be different if you walked daily in the fullness of the Spirit.