The Source of Praise

Warner Sallman  painting

Scripture Reading: John 12:37-43

Focus Scripture: “for they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.” John 12:43 (NIV)

               They Jews refrained from telling others about their faith experience with Jesus. They feared they would be put out of their house of worship. This is a very real fear in the hearts of a devout believer.

“They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

               I find these last words, our focus verse, very sad. Yet, in our 21^st Century don’t we see people every day that also have this motive? We seem to see people who do kind things not from the goodness of their hearts but their motive is so they can boast to others. They choose to do this so those who hear of their actions will build them up.

               I recently was privy to someone’s kindness and sat in on an impromptu meeting where this praise issue came up. The members of this small group were of the same mind about being thanked by other people for certain acts of kindness. The praise of man, if we accept it, will be all we get.

               Dear Father God: Please forgive us for being in love with man’s praises. Remold us to Your liking so that we reflect You to those around us. We will give You the praise. We ask this out of Your grace for us. In the Name of

Jesus, we pray. AMEN

God Speaks

Scripture Reading: John  12:27-36

Scripture Focus:

“Put your trust in the light while you have it,

so you may become sons of the light.”

John 12:36a (NIV)

            The voice of God spoke. Some in the crowd thought it thundered; others said it was the voice an angel.

            In my allied reading, Barclays Daily Study Bible-the Book of John volume 2, I read that in Old Testament days God spoke to people who faced trying times. New Testament people seemed to get away from that belief. He ends the section with this statement:

            “Our trouble is not that God does not speak, but that we do not listen.”

            My thought after I read this was, “How true!”

I shared this lengthy passage from Barclay with two of my friends. One of them pointed out that we sometimes have the habit of giving something to God and taking it back. Then we repeat the process several times. Give and take back. Again, we repeat the process until we are weary.

            When will we learn to listen?

            Maybe this giving and taking back is something we need to fast as a part of our Lenten practices.

>Personal Update: I was released from in-home therapy last Thursday. In addition, Hubby checked me out in driving both cars. I drove to Kmart and stopped at CVS on my way home. I drove solo to church yesterday. I had a few errands to run this morning. People are glad to see me out and about. I am almost back to my active self. I will try to return to my three day a week posting schedule.

Jesus to Be Glorified

Scripture Reading: John 12:20-28

Scripture Focus:

                              “Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

                                             John 12:23 (NIV)

               What did Jesus mean by saying “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”? My research has shown me something I should have learned a long time ago but didn’t. “The Greeks and Jews took it to mean that subjected kingdoms would grovel before the conqueror’s feet; by glorified he meant crucified. When the Son of Man was mentioned they thought of the conquest of God’s armies of God; he meant the conquest of the cross.” ¹

               Jesus told the people, including the disciples, that he would die several times but they chose to interpret his words to their liking. Is it any wonder the disciples felt betrayed and disillusioned when Jesus’s words came to pass?

               The people who heard Jesus say these difficult things are no different from those of us who live in the 21st Century. We have something in us that sometimes makes us hear what we want to hear.

               King Solomon gives us sage advice when he tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding.”(Proverbs 3:5, NIV) Think on this thought as we go through the Lenten season. Have we watered down God’s message to us by applying our thoughts to the message God has for us?

Should we wait and look at these words, as He would want us to?

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1. Daily Study Bible, the Book of John, Vol. 2 by William Barclay Westminster Press © 1975 page 123

Thoughts at the Triumphal Entry

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Scripture reading: John 12:12-19

Scripture focus: 

               “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

              

                              ‘Hosanna!’

                             

                              ‘Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord!’

                             

                              ‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’”

               “Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’”

                                                            John 12:13, 19 (NIV)

               The people traveling to the Feast of the Passover received word that the Teacher was coming to Jerusalem. (My research showed that there could have been close to 2,700,000 people attending this feast.¹⁾

               There were several groups of people in this massive crowd. Those who followed Jesus, those who heard about Him and were curious, and those who were the governing officials—the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

               Those who followed Jesus may have been caught up in the mood of the larger crowd. Those who had heard of the Lord wanted to make Him an earthly king. (Verse 13.) This was not Jesus’ plan. The Pharisees watched and witnessed the horde of people going to where Jesus was and decided that they may have been fighting a losing battle. This scene seemed to cement their resolve to remove Jesus from this earth.

              

               Jesus, who came in peace and not war, did not have it in mind to be an earthly king. He knew what lay ahead for Him. I wonder what He thought when he heard the crowd say, “Blessed is the King of Israel.” Could it be He realized that the people had not been listening to his teachings?

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1. Daily Study Bible: The Book of John Vol. 2 by William Barclay. © Westminster Press. Philadelphia 1975, Page 115

Mary of Bethany

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Scripture reading: John 12:1-11

Scripture focus: 

                            “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume me; she poured it                             on Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled                              the house But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who would later betray him,                                      objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was  worth a year’s wages.”

                       “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always  have me.”  John 12: 3-5, 7-8 (NIV)

 

               My name is Mary; I live in Bethany. The Master brought my brother back to life. My brother Lazarus hosted a dinner to honor Jesus as a way to thank him for this miracle. My sister Martha served the meal. I wanted to honor the Teacher in a special way for his wonderful deed to our family.

               I had this alabaster jar of pure nard, a gift from a suitor. As I opened the container, the wonderful scent filled the house. I carefully poured the nard onto Jesus’ feet, not wanting to waste any of it. Then, I wiped his feet with my hair, being certain to cover all of them.

               One of his disciples objected to what I had done. He muttered something about the nard could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus spoke up in my behalf. He told that disciple I had been saving this perfume for when He was buried. What he did not say was that the perfume was the most precious thing I possessed. The Teacher could have chided me for doing this but, instead, he spoke words of kindness on my behalf.

               I never forgot what Jesus did for our family when he brought our brother back to us. I will also remember how He stood for me that night when that disciple ridiculed me for my act of love for the Master.

Book Review: 40 Days of Decrease

Author: Alicia Britt Chole

               Mrs. Chole investigates the season of Lent in a very well researched book. She takes the 40 days of Lent and explores various aspects of the season.

               In each days reading, she has a section relating to Jesus’ actions during His last week on earth. She continues with a reflection of what we have read. Next, she tells us what we need to fast (give up) for that day. Mrs. Chole then gives us information about Lent and its history. She ends each daily section with our reading the book of John, chapters 12 through 21,          one section at a time, she has also included a place for us to journal our thoughts about each day’s passage. Those who faithfully read and journal about the book of John will gain intimate knowledge about the last week of Christ’s life.

  

               I would recommend this book for any individual or group who wants to learn more about Lent, the process of fasting, and the ways of Christ in the face of His path to Golgotha. I would also recommend this book to anyone who feels the need to grow in the Lord. I intend to use this study as my Lenten devotional.

               I received this book from Thomas Nelson free of charge. All they asked of me was that I read it and give an impartial review.

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I am posting this on Ash Wednesday as a way to be true to my intention about letting others know about this marvelous book. 

Great is God’s Love

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“Praise the Lord, all you nations;

Extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

And the faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 117:1-2 (NIV)

               The psalmist makes it clear to his readers; all the nations are to praise the Lord. The people in those nations are to lift their voices, giving thanks for Who He is.

               God’s love for us is immeasurable. He loves us when we come to Him and confess our wrongdoing, take our emotional bruises and hurts to Him, or just go to His Throne to tell Him that we love Him. Let me say it this way: We cannot quantify God’s love for His children; it is so vast.

               God’s faithfulness never ends. He is as true to His word today as He was to the patriarchs and prophets in the Old Testament.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)