Category Archives: John

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Fighting For The Wrong Cause

Being With Jesus:
John 18:36 (NLT)

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Those around the world who claim Christianity as their faith would do well to think deeply on Jesus’ response to Pilate: My kingdom is not of this world!

Jesus was standing before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who in a sense had the power to set him free or to crucify him. So it would have been expected that Jesus would lay down a defense for his life at this point. Yet Jesus chose not to, instead informing Pilate that if it were about winning his freedom, or winning this turf war against the Jewish religious leaders, or throwing off the yoke of the Roman Empire to establish a new religious kingdom that would rule Planet Earth, his followers would be putting up a fight right about now.

But they weren’t. And Jesus wanted it that way. He had bigger things in mind—like the spiritual revolution that would be set afoot throughout the world by his death for the sins of man and his victorious resurrection from the grave as Lord of life. Gaining and maintaining power in the current world order was not what Jesus was about. He knew that mankind had been so totally corrupted by sin that a whole new, recreated world would be the only answer. Now make no mistake, until the time for that arrived, there would be kingdom work to do, but with Jesus, it was never about political, military, cultural or philosophical domination.

Jesus’ disciples struggled with that at first—but they eventually got it. Following his death, resurrection and ascension, they set out to take Jesus’ message to the ends of the earth. In 300 years, without fielding an army, without financial backing, without a huge voting block, without academic systems, without TV networks, printing presses and marketing campaigns, they subdued the mighty Roman Empire when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be the religion of the very empire that had done its best to snuff it out. And all they did was do what Jesus did: loved fiercely, served humbly, proclaimed boldly and die sacrificially.

It is too bad that around the world today, Christianity is known more for its politics than its love. We fight rather than die. We protest, leverage power, build a constituency rather than sacrificially serve and humbly surrender. In Eastern Europe, Christians wage war to cleanse their land from ethnic impurities. In the Middle East, Christians take up arms against the Muslims bent on destroying them. In the United States, Christians flock to a political party and a candidate friendly to their views and use all means at their disposal to tout their platform.

Now am I saying that Christians should not use all means possible to influence their culture, to defend their wives and children against harm and to get their guy elected? Not necessarily. But there is a fine line between fighting for a system that will soon be destroyed by fire and laying down their lives in the same manner their Savior did to redeem the world.

What I am saying is that true Christians need to think long and hard about what Jesus said—that his kingdom is of another place—and make sure they are not fighting for the wrong cause. What does that mean? It will mean different things in different places. But in your place, like the early disciples, you have to figure that out and then begin to live within your culture as Jesus did.

And if the untold thousands of us around the world who claim Christ as Savior did that, we would set afoot a new wave of Christian influence that would capture Planet Earth in about three months, not three centuries.

The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected. (G.K. Chesterton)

Getting To Know Jesus: What are you putting your hopes in—a political party, winning an election, enacting certain laws? Think about that in light of what Jesus said: My kingdom is of another world. If it weren’t, my followers would be putting up more of a fight. Are you fighting for the right cause?

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Passion Over Perfection

Being With Jesus:
John 18:25 (NLT)

“Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”

Peter usually takes a beating when evaluated alongside the eleven disciples. He gets labeled as the stumbling, bumbling, think-before-you-speak, foot-in-the mouth, inconsistent goofball from Galilee, who for reasons God only knows, got chosen to be one of Jesus’ first disciples. Good old Peter—the first century version of Gomer Pyle in the Lord’s little band of foot soldiers.

But let’s give Peter some credit. He may not have been perfect—by a long shot—but he sure was passionate! And he was there—at least give him that. In John 18, as Jesus was arrested and brought to trial, when everyone else but John had fled, Peter figured prominently. He was like a bull in a china shop—passionate, yes; perfect, no—but he was there:

He whacked off the ear of one who came to arrest Jesus. (John 18:10-11, NLT) Passionate—but misguided!

He surreptitiously followed as the High Priest’s SWAT team took Jesus to jail. (John 18:15-17, NLT) Passionate—but fearful!

He stood among the soldiers as they warmed themselves by the fire. (John 18:18, NLT) Passionate—but silent!

He denied knowing Jesus when questioned, but at least he was there to be questioned. (John 18:25, NLT) Passionate—but weak!

He doubled down on his denial when questioned again. (John 18:26-27, NLT) Passionate—but fundamentally flawed!

Yes, Peter was all of those things we’ve said—there is no doubt about it—but passionate? You bet—imperfect, but passionate to the core! Perhaps that is why Jesus gave Peter so much public attention and placed him so prominently on his leadership team. Like the very flawed King David, Peter had a heart after God.

God can use people like that. In fact, I suspect God prefers them over the perfect. Oh, and just a little a hint: There are no perfect people, only those who think they are. Of course, I am not excusing Peter’s imperfection; only explaining it. But I think the reason the Gospel writers included Peter’s gaffes with regularity was not to put him down as the dunderhead we often think he was, but to remind us that God uses imperfect people, especially the passionate ones!

“Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring. ” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Getting To Know Jesus: Ask God to give you greater passion. Pray for self-control and wisdom, too—but if you are like me, you probably need more passion than the other two.

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Creating Space

Being With Jesus:
John 18:1-2(NLT)

After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.

We know this grove of olive trees was called the Garden of Gesthemane. By the other Gospel accounts we also know that when Judas showed up with the guards to arrest Jesus in this very place, he was in deep and agonizing prayer. What may be lost amidst the greater drama of Judas’ betrayal and Christ passion, however, are the words, “Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.”

This was a regular place for Jesus. The disciples were familiar with Jesus’ garden retreat; so was the devil, since he knew to inspire Judas to betray the Savior there. Jesus had gone there often enough that those who knew him knew that would be the very place where he prayed.

Have you ever wondered why John took this small, seemingly insignificant detail and tucked it away within the more obvious storyline of Jesus’ arrest? Perhaps he wanted us to see what was plain to Jesus’ disciples: That even the Son of God carved out the time and made room and even found a physical place in his life for regular communion with his Father. Furthermore, Jesus had purposely included his disciples in his private times with God to leave an example for them to show that if he, the very Son of God, needed quiet time, so did they.

So do I—and so do you. In fact, making space for God in your daily schedule is not only a great way to give your worship to God, it is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself. It is the path to staying in a peaceful place for the rest of the day, for turning your concerns of what you’re about to face over to the One who can take care of them, for gaining God’s wisdom and perspective on life, for off-loading junk that you don’t need to carry with you a second longer, and on the list could go. Everything that is health and life to you has roots in the quiet space you create to be with your God.

Do you have that regular place? Do the people in your life know where you spend time with God? Does the devil know where to find you? The place itself is not important. The fact that people know that you are regularly in that place is not important. What is important is that you are in that place where you can touch God and God can touch you with his love and grace.

It is said that early African Christians were dedicated and regular in their personal devotion to God. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly challenge anyone neglecting their prayer life, “Brother, the grass grows on your path.”

Keep the path to your garden well worn!

“Prayer is the acid test of devotion.” ~Samuel Chadwick

Getting To Know Jesus: Perhaps making this very moment of devotion a regular part of your life that you fiercely guard will be the beginning of that “familiar place” for you.

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Worth The Effort

Being With Jesus:
John 17:20-21 (NLT)

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

Jesus spent his last hours on earth praying desperately for the unity of his church. He knew that without unity, the church would fall apart. With unity, however, Jesus knew that nothing could stop his people from accomplishing the mission of reaching the world with the Gospel.

That is the power of unity. The great preacher Vance Havner once said, “Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them get together they can stop traffic.” So it is with the church. If we get together in unity, we will stop the traffic in our community.

The question is, since we all agree that unity is a powerful and a necessary thing, how do we move from agreement to action? How can we practice unity? The Apostle Paul provided some powerful insights in his words to the church in Ephesus:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 1:1-3)

Did you notice that word, “effort”? Paul says we are to “make every effort” to attain and maintain unity in our church. Frankly, it takes hard, focused, continual, intentional and strategic effort individually and corporately to keep the church united as one.

The word “effort” means to be diligent, to be zealous, to make haste to do something, in this case, being eager and fully dedicated to maintain the unity of the Spirit. It refers to a holy zeal in guarding our Christian unity. Why do we need holy zeal? To counter Satan’s unholy zeal in dividing us. Satan’s number one goal for the church is disunity. That’s why each Christian needs to take personal responsibility for the spiritual unity of his or her church.

James Hewitt tells the story of one woman’s unforgettable experience teaching Vacation Bible School with her primary class. The class was interrupted one day about an hour before dismissal when a new student, a little boy, was brought in.

The boy had one arm missing, and since the class was almost over, she had no opportunity to learn any of the details about the child’s disability or his state of mind. She was afraid that one of the other children would make a comment and embarrass the poor little guy, and there was no time to warn them to be sensitive.

As the class time came to a close, she began to relax. She asked the class to join her in their usual closing ceremony. “Let’s make our churches,” she said. “Here’s the church and here’s the steeple, open the doors and there’s…”

Then the awful reality of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks—the one armed boy couldn’t make a church with his hands. The very thing she’d feared the kids would do, she’d done. As she stood there speechless, however, the little girl sitting next to the boy reached over with her left hand and placed it up to his right hand and said, “Hey Davey, let’s make the church together”

That is what we need to do—give ounce of energy to keep the unity of the Spirit with other believers. As we do, we will make the church together. Believe me, it will be worth the effort!

“We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately” (Benjamin Franklin)

Getting To Know Jesus: There is nothing is more important to Father than the unity of his family. Do you give much thought to that? What strategic and intentional part can you play to attain, maintain and increase the unity of the spirit through the bonds of peace in your spiritual community?

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In It But Not Of It

Being With Jesus:
John 17:15 (NLT)

“I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.”

I cannot think of a more difficult assignment that you have today than to live in the world but not be of it. Yet that is the exact calling that God has placed upon your life. You must live as light on a spiritually dark planet yet not be absorbed by the darkness; you are to be gospel seasoning in a tasteless world without losing your God-flavor.

To get out of balance on either end of that assignment, which is an easy thing to do, by the way, is a recipe for spiritual uselessness at best, and spiritual offensiveness at worst. Some Christians have assumed their assignment is to retreat from the world so far that they are insulated from sin. Great—all they have succeeded in doing in making themselves weird and forfeiting any ability to attract people to the joy and abundance of the Kingdom Life. Other Christians, much larger in number, have gone so far the other way and have so blurred the lines between believer and non-believer that the world has no way of seeing in them the attractive beauty of Christ’s holiness. Not only that, but they have not made God happy in the process.

It is a tough act to pull off, to be in the world yet not of it, but Jesus, himself, has prayed to his Father for you—so that gives you a fighting chance. Not only that, Jesus, himself, has set for you an example of how to live in the culture and not be absorbed by it. It’s called the incarnation.

The truth is, wherever Jesus went, not only was he untainted by the sinful world, his life was so compelling different that he drew unbelievers to the Father likes bees are drawn to flowers. Furthermore, Jesus, himself, promised to send you the Holy Spirit to lead you, guide you, walk with you every step of the way and empower you to live in this world but be set apart from it as living witness of the grace of God.

It sounds like your assignment, as difficult as it may be, is completely doable since Father, Son and Holy Spirit are on Team You!

“Our witness – good or bad – is the overflow of our lives.” (Allistair Begg)

Getting To Know Jesus: Read John 17 out loud today, and absorb the words as Jesus prays for you. You will be encouraged.

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Praying Like Jesus

Being With Jesus:
John 17:1 (NLT)

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed.

For so many Christians, prayer is a very private matter. But often, Jesus offered his prayers to God in a very public way—never to show off how great he was as an intercessor or to showcase how impressive his prayers were, but simply to model for his disciples how to connect simply and powerfully with his Father. Through Jesus, we come to understand that authentic prayer is in no way about overcoming any reluctance on God’s part to hear and answer our prayer, but rather it is about tapping into God’s desire to graciously give us what we desire and what he wills through our praying.

Jesus gives us several examples of how we can pray like he did. Obviously, the most famous example is what we call the Lord’s prayer—a brief but powerful, simple yet profound way to effectively connect our needs with God’s will. Another touching example of prayer is this one found in John 17, what we now call Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. This is his final prayer before going to the cross. He knows full well that he will have to suffer unspeakable pain, take the sin of mankind into his sinless spirit, and die the death of a common criminal to redeem mankind, yet facing that he still focuses his prayer on us. And he leaves us a beautiful template for how to pray.

Let me encourage you to take a moment to pray through Jesus High Priestly Prayer using the guide that following. Read the verses aloud as a prayer to God, then using the prayer focus, rephrase Jesus prayer in your own words.

Prayer Focus: Glorifying God through your praise—verses 1-5

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Prayer Focus: Acknowledging God’s Word and who you are in him—verse 6-11

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.”

Prayer Focus: Interceding for unity and protection for Christ’s church—verses 11-12

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”

Prayer Focus: Asking for joy and sanctification—verses 13-19

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Prayer Focus: Lifting the world-wide church of Christ to God—verses 20-23

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Prayer Focus: Ask that the love of God will be revealed in you and through you—verses 24-26

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

This may time a few extra minutes, but it will be well worth your time as you enter into the same kind of praying that Jesus did. And as you do, you can have this confidence that if the Father listened to the Son, he will listen to you as you come to him in the name of his Son.

“Our prayers matter to God—all of them. They rise up to heaven as pleasing incense before his throne. God will not answer every prayer according to our desires, yet each prayer is an act of worship offered in faith that blesses the very heart of God. Prayer is practicing the presence of God. It is entering his very throne room in the great court of heaven. It is exercising faith in the One who rewards those who believe that he exists and diligently seek him. It is placing your needs, concerns and hopes into the hands of a loving Father who delights in your dependence and is pleased to provide for your needs according to his gracious will. Never forget, your act of prayer does far more in the unseen realm that you will ever realize this side of eternity. So pray—and let God.”

Getting To Know Jesus: Use this prayer guide ever day this week, and notice the results in your life. You will be pleased with the things that happen for you—and more importantly, in you.

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Peaceful Trials

Being With Jesus:
John 16:33 (NLT)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I hate to be blindsided, and I am sure you do, too. Nobody likes to be caught off guard by bad news or troubling circumstances. The shock and suprise of such experiences makes these difficulties doubly devastating.

That’s why Jesus gives us a divine heads-up in John 16. Standing at both ends of this chapter, like bookends, Jesus gave his followers an FYI on some of the challenges they would certainly face. In verse 1, he says, “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.” Then again at the end of the chapter in verse 33, he reminds them of this insider information so that when bad things happen, they won’t be unsettled.

Just what insider information did Jesus provide? Simply that your faith is going to get you into a fair amount of trouble in this life. People are not going to like you because you follow Jesus. You will be persecuted not only for the stand you personally take on moral issues, but just for the position your Christianity represents. In fact, some people will even hate you with a murderous zeal disguised as religious passion simply because of the Christian life you live:

“Indeed the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.” (John 16:2, LB)

Without even trying, your lifestyle of faith will bring them under such conviction that they will find it intolerable and want to do away with you. Things may get a bit rough, so be ready for it, Jesus says.

The good news, however, is that you will never have to face these difficulties alone. The fact is, through Christ you will overcome each challenge victoriously, even the most extreme challenge of staring into the abyss of martyrdom. You will overcome because you know what is coming. (John 16:1,4, 33) You will be victorious because Jesus has already been victorious under these same pressures. (John 16:33) You will be able to face these situations with courage and grace because of the presence of the Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit. (John 16:7) You will win in the hour of trial because the Sovereign Father who loves you (John 16:27) will hear and answer your every prayer. (John 16:23-24)

Knowing ahead of time what is coming, and knowing that your victory has been secured already, you can go about your day, and come what may—trouble, hardship, disappointment, failure, persecution, hatred, even death—live in the wonderful reality of what Christ promised: “In Me, you will have peace!”

Peaceful trials—that is what Christ has promised you.

“God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” (C.S. Lewis)

Getting To Know Jesus: You and I do not know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow. And we know Who holds our lives in his hands. So why don’t you join me in thanking God ahead of time for His peace that will guard our hearts and ease our minds tomorrow, no matter what circumstances tomorrow may bring.