Persecuted by The World

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Scripture: John 15:18-16:4

Focus verse: “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘ No servant is greater than his master’. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”John 15:20 (NIV)

               “What is the Master saying?”

               “He speaks of people being persecuted because he chose us from the world. Why?”

               “They hated him without reason? Who would do that?”

               The disciples are hearing things they don’t understand. They hear him speak of hatred, persecution, shunning and killing of those who believe in Him. Questions arise in the disciples’ minds. Jesus’ words pierced their hearts, bringing grief to the forefront.

               In our 21^st Century world, we should look closely at these words and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and strengthen us. 

              

Back just before the Super Bowl, I read where an automobile company would have a a commercial about their product. What I read offended me. The message I received from that company was, “We cater to the young. We think older people (read senior citizens) are not the people we want purchasing our cars.” My original thought was: When did older people become personae non grata? As I read this scripture, I understand why businesses do not treat older people with the respect they deserve. They don’t look at the people as who they are but for what those people can give. (Please forgive my rant.) 

                   

Book Review: I Hope it’s not Hereditary, by Jedidiah Hartley

               Jedidiah Hartley writes a series of stories about his father, Evangelist Bob Hartley. This book tells about his father and many antics that Bob Hartley performed as a child growing up, as a young adult on his own, and an adult during the years as Jedidiah grew up.

              

               The tales this son shares with his readers remind me of stories one would hear around a kitchen table. A son would say something like, “Do you remember when,” or “Let me tell you about my dad.”

While Jedidiah Hartley shares stories from his dad’s life, some rather embarrassing, the reader will get the feeling that this son is proud of his father in spite of the crazy antics, Bob did.

               I usually choose to review books that deal with spiritual growth. There was some spiritual growth in this collection of stories. This book starts out like a biography and changes toward the end to a memoir.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy stories about families and those members who have come through times brought about by their own choosing.

There was a drawback to my really liking this book. The title on the Book Club Network site read, “Hope it’s not hereditary.” The actual title of the book was “I Hope it’s Not Hereditary” I found this misleading.

               I received this book from Whitaker House publishing via Book Fun and Book Club Network free of charge. All they asked of me was an honest review.

                

More of the Disciples' Thoughts

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-22

Focus Verses: “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. John 14: 15-17 (NIV)

“If you love me, you will obey me.”

What does the Teacher mean? Of course, we love him. Haven’t we followed him as he traveled through the land and spoke to the people?

“And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

Does our leader have that kind of power? Can he really ask His Father and then promise that we will have someone stay with us forever?

The other disciple named Judas listened to the Master and asked, “But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

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The disciples still did not understand what they heard. Now, Jesus tells them that He and His Father will send someone new to be with them forever.

We have an advantage over the disciples. We know what Jesus meant by saying He would send someone to them. He sent the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth) to guide them. Because He did this for them, and for us, we have an open line of communication to God; we can communicate with Him because of what Christ did on Calvary.

Dear Father God: Thank You. You gave us Your Holy Spirit to guide us through the difficult times of life. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen

Thoughts of Thomas and Philip

Scripture Reading: John 14:1-14

Focus Verse: “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’” John 14:5 (NIV)

What is the Teacher saying? Thomas looked down at his feet and haltingly asked, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Philip chimed in, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus looked deeply into Philip’s eyes and said, to him, “I and the Father are one.”

Huh! What does Jesus mean? I look at the others. They all have the same blank look on their faces. None of us understood what we heard.

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Sometimes, we receive direction or instructions from Jesus we do not comprehend. We ask, again, for God’s Will and we hear more words we do not ‘get’.

When we encounter words from God that puzzle us, what can we do to learn what they mean? One way we have is to study the Word. Another avenue we have is to pray and ask God to show us what lies ahead.

When we study God’s Word, we should apply what we learn to our hearts. We have to search our hearts to see if we harbor in our hearts anything, of which He speaks.

 As we pray, we should take the time to listen to how God responds to our pleas. We should not pray ‘on the run’. (It is very easy for me to fall into that practice.)

Dear Father God: Please let us learn to listen to You and understand Your words to us. Help us when we question what You tell us. I ask this out of Your grace for me. In His Name, I pray. Amen.

Love One Another

Jesus' Statue at our church. 

Scripture Reading: John 13: 31-36

Focus Verse: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 (NIV)

               After the betrayer left, Jesus tells the remaining 11 to “love one another.” He continues by telling them to: “Love one another as I have loved you.”   The teacher loved these men in the following ways: ¹

1. Selflessly-He never thought of himself. Do       we always think of the other people involved in circumstances in which we find ourselves? As I          write this, I think of a friend who very recently went to be with Jesus. This woman exemplified           what it meant to be a follower of Jesus.

2. Sacrificially-He did not set limits to how much he would give or where it would go.

     Jesus gave His life for our sins. He became sin for each of us. This is a sobering thought to me as      I read my Lenten devotionals. I realized recently that I hurt someone with a reply I made to her.           All I have been able to do is pray and ask God to forgive me.

3. Understandingly-He knew the disciples through and through.

    We know God knows us—every part of us. David wrote in Psalm 139 that God knew us before He      formed us. We have to keep this thought in our hearts, especially when we feel we have lost touch      with Him.

4. Forgivingly- He held nothing against them.

    Jesus forgave completely. He forgave the disciples for abandoning him in his last hours. In our           21^st   Century world, we see a lot of dysfunction and estrangement in families. Some of these              issues have gone on for many years. Might we have seen harmony, had we learned to forgive one        another? 

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1. Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of John-Vol.2, William Barclay pp. 149-150. Westminster Press, Philadelphia

In The Upper Room

Scripture: John 13:18-30

Focus Scripture: “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’” John 13:18 (NIV)

      The Scene is the upper room. The time is Passover. The activity is the Passover meal. Those assembled are the Master and his 12 disciples.

      In this lengthy passage, Jesus tells of his soon-coming betrayal. Peter gets John’s attention and asks him to ask Jesus to tell who the betrayer is. Jesus gives a clue to the disciples as to which of them plans treachery. He, then, excuses Judas Iscariot to do what Judas has to do.

     This action shows me Jesus gave permission to complete the plot that the leaders had planned. In addition, this passage tells me the enemy was present. (Verse 27)

     Were the any of the disciples listening? Simon Peter seems curious but chooses to ask John to inquire as to what it means. The eleven others did not realize what the Master said to His betrayer.

      Had they realized what was unfolding, could they have stopped Judas Iscariot from what he had to do? I think not, God was in control and this happening was part of His plan.  

      In our 21^st Century world, we have many heart-breaking events in the news begging for our attention. I recently read that these harsh events come to us in order for us to pray for those involved.

Early in my Christian walk, I received instruction to pray for people on all sides of a circumstance. Later, I heard we needed to pray for the caregivers as well as those who are ill. We should pray for all those involved in troublesome events, especially when we do not understand them or their actions. 

Jesus’ Example

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Scripture: John 13:8-17

Focus Scripture: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:15 (NIV)

               What was Jesus really doing when He assumed a servant’s role and washed the disciples’ feet?

               William Barclay points out there is only one kind of greatness, the greatness of service.1.Anything else is selfishness. He tells us the Teacher made this fact an underlying message through the visual image of foot washing.

               When do we do service in our 21st Century church? When we do any of the following:

                             

1. Volunteer for a task.

2. Visit those who are ill.

3. Pray for others consistently.

4. Donate time and talent to ministry.

We are all servants. When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, He bestows certain Spiritual gifts he desires us to use for the expansion of His kingdom. What we do with those gifts is our gift to Him

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1. Daily Study Bible Book of John, vol. 2, William Barclay, page 139, © 1975 Westminster                   Press Philadelphia