Tag Archives: John

How to pass the test (Revelation 22:7-21) December 31, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 22:7-21

Set – Revelation 21-22

Go! – Revelation 19-22

Revelation 22:7-21
The Anointed One: ⁷ Look now, I am coming soon! The one who remains true to the prophetic words contained in this book will truly be blessed.
⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and witnessed these visions. And when I heard and witnessed them, I fell prostrate at the feet of the heavenly guide who showed them to me. ⁹ But he refused.
Guide: You must not do that! I am a servant with you, with your brothers and sisters the prophets, and with those who keep the words contained in this book. Worship God instead!
¹⁰ (continuing) Do not seal up the prophetic words contained in this book for another day, for the finale is near. ¹¹ Let the one given to evil continue down evil’s path and the one addicted to filth continue to be its servant. But let the one who is righteous journey along the righteous road, and let the holy continue in holy ways.
The Anointed One: ¹² See, I am coming soon, and I will bring My reward with Me. I will pay back every person according to the deeds he has done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and Omega, the First One and the Last One, the beginning and the end.
¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their garments. In the end, they have rightful access to the tree of life and will enter the city through its gates. ¹⁵ The dogs, the sorcerers, those who commit immoral acts, the murderers, the idolaters, and all who love and practice deception must remain outside the gates for all eternity.
Jesus: ¹⁶ I, Jesus, have sent My messenger to show you and guide you so that you in turn would share this testimony with the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star.
The Spirit and the Bride: ¹⁷ Come.
And let everyone who hears these words say, “Come.”
And let those who thirst come.
All who desire to drink, let them take and drink freely from the water of life.
¹⁸ Beware, everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book. Know this for certain: if anyone adds to these words, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone subtracts from the prophetic words of this book, God will remove that person’s access to the tree of life and to the holy city which are described in this book.
²⁰ The One who testifies to these realities makes this promise:
The Anointed One: Yes. I am coming soon.
To which we say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
²¹ May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with all the saints. Amen.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The visions I showed John about the end-times neared their end. John fell at the feet of the guide I had sent to help him see the visions of the things to come. But the guide did exactly what I expected of him. John’s guide told him to get up, only I am worthy of worship, all the angels in heaven, the prophets, those redeemed by My blood are brothers and sisters around the throne and all will worship Me together.

John’s guide reminded him that those who are righteous should remain righteous. The question you should then ask is, How? John’s guide hinted at the answer as he talked about remaining faithful to the prophecies in the book John saw. Remember, John’s Revelation talks about judgment, an accounting, rewards, and punishments. It also talks a lot about worship, praise, prayer, blessings, community, righteousness, and a lot of other things about heaven and what awaits you there.

Before you enter, though, the accounting of your life will happen. As this year comes to a close, perhaps it’s a good time to take inventory. Let Me examine your life before I do it at the finale when the stakes are eternal. You have the criteria. I’ve given you the answers to the exam. I didn’t even hide the questions you must answer. Do you believe in Me for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you confessed your sins and asked for My forgiveness? Do you obey the commands I give you?

These are the fundamental questions I will ask you. How do you know what My commands are? Read the textbook I left with you. Make My words a part of your life every day. Absorb them like a sponge soaks up water. Then don’t just read or hear My words, but do them. As you read and hear My word, ask yourself what you will do because of what you’ve heard. As James tells you, “Be doers of the word, not just hearers only.”

A new year starts tomorrow. How about beginning with Me, then every day begin with Me again, and again, and again. You’ll face Me at the finale John talks about in the vision I gave him. Why not get ready for it by walking with Me every day until then. You’ll pass the test if you do.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The final harvest (Revelation 14:6-20) December 29, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 14:6-20

Set – Revelation 14

Go! – Revelation 10-14

Revelation 14:6-20
⁶ I saw another messenger flying through midheaven. He carried an eternal gospel, bringing good news to all the citizens of the earth—every ethnicity, nation, language, and people.
Heavenly Messenger (with a loud voice): ⁷ Fear God. Give Him glory, for the time of judgment has arrived. Worship the One who fashioned heaven and earth and created the seas and the springs.
⁸ Another messenger, a second, came along.
Second Messenger: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great city! She has intoxicated all the nations with the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversion.
⁹ Another messenger, a third, followed.
Third Messenger (with a loud voice): Those who worship the beast and its image, and all who receive its mark on their foreheads or on their hands, ¹⁰ will be forced to drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured out undiluted into the cup of God’s anger. And they will face the torment of fire and the agony of sulfurous flames before the holy messengers and the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment will rise throughout the ages for eternity. Day and night will come and go without pause or cessation. There will be no end to the torture experienced by those who worship the beast and its image and by those who receive the mark of its name.
¹² Here is the patient endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesus.
¹³ Then I heard a voice call out from heaven.
A Voice: Record this: “Blessed are the dead who have died in the Lord from now until the end.”
Spirit: Yes, they will rest from their labors because their deeds remain with them.
¹⁴ Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, a golden wreath atop His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵ Another messenger proceeded from the temple and called with a loud voice to the One who sat on the cloud.
Heavenly Messenger: Take Your sickle and reap the harvest, because the harvest of the earth is full and ripe and because the time to harvest has come.
¹⁶ Then the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth gave up its harvest.
¹⁷ Just then another messenger proceeded out of the heavenly temple. He also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Then another messenger (the one with authority over fire) came out from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle.
Messenger of Fire: Take your sharp sickle and gather together the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for the grapes are ripe and ready for harvest.
¹⁹ So the heavenly messenger swung his sickle over the earth, gathered the fruit of the vine from the earth, and threw it into the great winepress, which is the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trampled outside of the city, and blood flowed from the winepress. The blood ran deep. It reached as high as the bridle on a horse and ran for the distance of about 185 miles.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Have you thought much about the wrath of the Father when He finally comes to take His faithful home? That last verse you heard today is an indication of just terrifying and how terrible His wrath will be for those who decide to go their own way. When I return to harvest the earth, I will do so as swiftly as a sickle cuts a swath through wheat. One pass and everything in its path is gone.

John saw the results of that harvest. The blood of the guilt poured from the metaphoric winepress he saw in his vision. The blood ran at the depth of a horse’s bridle for 185 miles. Did you ever think about how much blood that was or how many people that might represent?

If the river was only ten feet wide and the bridle was about six feet high, the volume of blood from just the city of Babylon, the great city of God’s wrath represents more than 150,000,000 people. That will be the first city of all the cities on earth that will feel the wrath of the Father when He sends Me to bring My followers home. It will be an awful day for those not protected by the blood of My forgiveness.

I’ve told you that narrow is the path that leads to eternal life and few find it. Not because the Father and I don’t want you to find it. I make it plain for all to see. Few find it because few are willing to sacrifice their selfish desires for My will in their life. The narrow path to eternal life with Me means obedience to Me, not the cry of the world. It means staying focused on Me. Listening to that still, small voice Elijah heard. Walking in the light I give you each day. Living for Me instead of yourself. It’s contradictory to the path the world tells you to walk, but that’s why so few follow it.

Are you ready for My final harvest? Follow Me and you will be.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Our hope of salvation (Revelation 5:1-10) December 28, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 5:1-10

Set – Revelation 5-6

Go! – Revelation 5-9

Revelation 5:1-10
¹ And then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated upon the throne, a scroll written both on the inside and on the outside. It had been sealed with seven seals. ² Then a mighty heavenly messenger proclaimed with a loud voice,
Mighty Messenger: Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
³ No creature of creation in all heaven, on all the earth, or even under the earth could open the scroll or look into its mysteries. ⁴ Then I began to mourn and weep bitterly because no creature of creation was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into its mysteries. ⁵ Then one of the elders consoled me.
One of the 24 Elders: Stop weeping. Look there—the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. He has conquered and is able to break its seven seals and open the scroll.
⁶ I looked, and between the throne and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders stood a Lamb who appeared to have been slaughtered. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes (the eyes are the seven Spirits of God sent out over all the earth).
⁷ The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated upon the throne. ⁸ And when He took it, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell prostrate before the Lamb. They worshiped Him, and each one held a harp and golden bowls filled with incense (the prayers of God’s holy people). ⁹ Then they sang a new song.
Four Living Creatures and 24 Elders: You are worthy to receive the scroll,
to break its seals,
Because You were slain. With Your blood, You redeemed for God
people from every tribe and language, people from every race and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them a kingdom; You have appointed them priests to serve our God,
and they will rule upon the earth.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

John got to see some things about the end times that I asked him to reveal to Christians everywhere to give them hope during those dark days of persecution the early church faced from both the Jews and the Romans. While those early believers faced incredible pressures from all sides, I wanted them to know that judgment would come and My followers would remain safe with Me for all eternity. While they could not see the spiritual battles that took place in a spiritual dimension outside their view, John got a glimpse of My victory.

One of those scenes, John saw Me as both the slain Lamb and the Lion of Judah. Before he saw Me between the throne and the 24 Elders, though, John saw all of heaven weeping about a scroll in the hand of the One on the throne. Take note of the reason for their weeping.

No creature of creation in all heaven, on all the earth, or even under the earth could open the seal of the scroll. That’s a pretty significant phrase for all those out there who think I was just a good man, a good teacher, a prophet sent by God like Moses or Elijah or Mohammed. They could not open the scroll. No one or nothing created from the beginning of time could open the scroll. But then I stepped forward.

You see, I wasn’t created. I wasn’t part of creation. I AM. Just as I addressed Moses when he saw the burning bush in the desert that wasn’t consumed in the fire, I AM. As the sacrificial Lamb for your sins, I AM God made flesh for you. I lived alongside you and felt every temptation you feel but didn’t fall to the lies that Satan gives. I was and I AM your spotless, unblemished sacrifice, the price paid for your sins.

Everyone else who comes along to tell you about Me is part of My creation. And everyone and everything attempting to break the seal on the scroll in the hand of the One on the throne of heaven could not because they are created. The messengers around the throne were created. The 24 Elders were created. All was created…except Me, because I AM. I was here before time began and I will be here after time ends. But for a little while I combined Myself with some of your DNA a walked on the earth with you. I AM all God and all Man. I AM your perfect intercessor and I AM worthy to open the seal and the scroll so John could see more of the unfolding of the final judgments against Satan and those who choose to follow him.

So there it is for all those who want to wish away My diety. I was before creation. Never part of creation. I AM worthy to open the scroll because no creature of creation can open it, but then…that doesn’t describe Me. I enjoined human flesh to My heavenly body for a time, I AM still Me, the God-Man, your hope of salvation and life everlasting.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s commands don’t weight us down (1 John 5:1-12) December 25, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 John 5:1-12

Set – 1 John 3-5

Go! – 1 John 1-5

1 John 5:1-12
¹ Everyone who trusts Jesus as the long-awaited Anointed One is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father cannot help but love the child fathered by Him. ² Then how do we know if we truly love God’s children? We love them if we love God and keep His commands. ³ You see, to love God means that we keep His commands, and His commands don’t weigh us down. ⁴ Everything that has been fathered by God overcomes the corrupt world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
^5-6 Who is the person conquering the world? It is the one who truly trusts that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus the Anointed is the One who came by water and blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood.
The Spirit of God testifies to this truth because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ So there are three testifying witnesses: ⁸ the Spirit, the water, and the blood. All three are in total agreement. ⁹ If we accept the testimonies of people, then we must realize the testimony of God is greater than that of any person. God certified the truth about His own Son. ¹⁰ Anyone who trusts the Son of God has this truthful testimony at the core of his being. Anyone who does not trust God calls God a liar because he ignores God’s truthful testimony regarding His own Son. ¹¹ And this is the truth: God has given us the gift of eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² If you have the Son, you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son of God, you are not acquainted with true life.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Let Me tell you a story about love. Once a husband sat his new bride down after their honeymoon and gave her a legal pad page full of the things he expected her to do as his loving wife. Dinner on the table promptly at 5:30. House picked up before he arrived home from work each day. Vacuum the carpet at least twice each week. Mop all the other floors at least once a week. Wash and iron his clothes weekly and make sure his clothes were arranged in his closet in a certain order. And the list went on.

She loved her husband, but lived a miserable life making sure she accomplished each item to his specifications because he checked each week and admonished her if she failed to meet those standards in any way. After several seemingly endless and torturous years, the woman’s husband died.

A few years later the woman met another man and they too fell in love and married. No list appeared when they returned from their honeymoon, though, and the two of them loved each other dearly. Several years later, while cleaning out one of the closets, the woman came upon a box and in it she found that legal pad page of rules her first husband had given her. The list that caused her such misery and tension in her marriage.

As she read down the list, to her amazement, she found that every single item on the list were things she did with joy for her new husband. What was the difference? The rules were not burdensome. She did them out of love. The rules were embedded in her heart and she knew those very things would make her second husband happy and so she did them. Not out of a sense of duty or responsibility, but out of an overwhelming sense of love.

That’s what happens when you love God. Listen again to what John wrote, “You see, to love God means that we keep His commands, and His commands don’t weigh us down.” Like the woman who did all those things her first husband demanded of her, she did for her second without even thinking about it. The difference was love. The difference was a sharing of their hearts.

How do we share hearts? I won’t explain it. I will not explain to you how I become part of you, just as I will not explain how I became both God and Man. The mystery of how I do those things is far beyond your human understanding. Your understanding is finite and I am your God. Just know I can do it and believe in Me. You don’t need to explain it, just have faith. You don’t need to explain the intricacies of gravity to know that things fall, but you believe it. The mystery of gravity, I put into place before creation. My commands I put into place the same way. Just believe and know that My commands are not burdensome.

It’s all about love. Think about what that means for you today.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Blessed are you who believe (John 20:11-29) December 24, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 20:11-29

Set – John 20-21

Go! – John 19-21

John 20:11-29
¹¹ Mary, however, stood outside the tomb sobbing, crying, and kneeling at its entrance. ¹² As she cried, two heavenly messengers appeared before her sitting where Jesus’ head and feet had been laid.
Heavenly Messengers: ¹³ Dear woman, why are you weeping?
Mary Magdalene: They have taken away my Lord, and I cannot find Him.
¹⁴ After uttering these words, she turned around to see Jesus standing before her, but she did not recognize Him.
Jesus: ¹⁵ Dear woman, why are you sobbing? Who is it you are looking for?
She still had no idea who it was before her. Thinking He was the gardener, she muttered:
Mary Magdalene: Sir, if you are the one who carried Him away, then tell me where He is and I will retrieve Him.
Jesus: ¹⁶ Mary!
Mary Magdalene (turning to Jesus and speaking in Hebrew): Rabboni, my Teacher!
Jesus: ¹⁷ Mary, you cannot hold Me. I must rise above this world to be with My Father, who is also your Father; My God, who is also your God. Go tell this to all My brothers.
¹⁸ Mary Magdalene obeyed and went directly to His disciples.
Mary Magdalene (announcing to the disciples): I have seen the Lord, and this is what He said to me . . .
¹⁹ On that same evening (Resurrection Sunday), the followers gathered together behind locked doors in fear that some of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were still searching for them. Out of nowhere, Jesus appeared in the center of the room.
Jesus: May each one of you be at peace.
²⁰ As He was speaking, He revealed the wounds in His hands and side. The disciples began to celebrate as it sank in that they were really seeing the Lord.
Jesus: ²¹ I give you the gift of peace. In the same way the Father sent Me, I am now sending you.
²² Now He drew close enough to each of them that they could feel His breath. He breathed on them:
Jesus: Welcome the Holy Spirit of the living God. ²³ You now have the mantle of God’s forgiveness. As you go, you are able to share the life-giving power to forgive sins, or to withhold forgiveness.
²⁴ All of the eleven were present with the exception of Thomas. ²⁵ He heard the accounts of each brother’s interaction with the Lord.
The Other Disciples: We have seen the Lord!
Thomas: Until I see His hands, feel the wounds of the nails, and put my hand to His side, I won’t believe what you are saying.
²⁶ Eight days later, they gathered again behind locked doors; and Jesus reappeared. This time Thomas was with them.
Jesus: May each one of you be at peace.
²⁷ He drew close to Thomas.
Jesus: Reach out and touch Me. See the punctures in My hands; reach out your hand, and put it to My side; leave behind your faithlessness, and believe.
Thomas (filled with emotion): ²⁸ You are the one True God and Lord of my life.
Jesus: ²⁹ Thomas, you have faith because you have seen Me. Blessed are all those who never see Me and yet they still believe.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I love the reactions people have when the Father sends His messengers to meet with them. Most of the time, they recognize them as His angels and fall on their face as though they were dead. All the soldiers positioned around the tomb fell prostrate that morning. The angel’s feet touched the ground, an earthquake shook the ground, and the soldiers fell down as if dead. It happens all the time. They can be really scary dudes when they don’t come to deliver a message to you…or even when they do.

Mary got their rhetorical question that morning, “Why are you crying?” Of course they knew. She didn’t know where I was even though I had told her I would rise from the grave. Her joy overcame her fear…sort of. I’m not sure she knew they were angels yet. Then she turned to Me and thought I was the gardner. Still frozen with grief, she didn’t know who I was.

All that was to change for her and My disciples in just a few short minutes. The angels announcement, My appearance in the garden, then My appearance behind locked doors grew their faith exponentially. The eleven began a mission that changed the world at My direction. Millions believe because of the truth Mary found out from the angel that morning. The truth My disciples learned that evening. The truth of My words and My Spirit in them.

They all believed because they saw Me. Blessed are you because you believe and have not seen Me, but trust in My word and the word of those who have gone before you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Pruning the vines (John 15:1-17) December 23, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready -John 15:1-17

Set – John 15-17

Go! -John 15-18

John 15:1-17
Jesus: ¹ I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. ² My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; ³ already you are clean because you have heard My voice. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.
⁵ I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. ⁷ If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. ⁸ Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father.
⁹ I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. ¹⁰ Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. ¹¹ I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this.
¹² My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. ¹⁴ You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. ¹⁵ I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. ¹⁷ This is My command to you: love one another.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Here again I gave My disciples a metaphor that was very clear to them, but perhaps not as clear to you, so let Me explain a little. Vineyards grew everywhere in Judea. Almost everyone had their own small vineyard, in fact. Anyone who owned property grew a small garden to raise some vegetables and grapes. Vegatables to eat and grapes to drink. Wine was important to everyone because the surface water in Judea is exceedingly poor to drink. The rivers flow fast and pick up a lot of dirt and silt as they flow down the mountainside. You just can’t drink it. So from an early age, wine with meals just happens.

Fermentation allows the alcohol in the wine to kill the bacteria in the water with which children’s wine is commonly diluted. But everyone drank something other than surface water in My day. So everyone knew about vineyards and how to grow grapes. You probably get grapes from your grocery and may have never seen a vineyard except in pictures. But it’s hard work to maintain a good vineyard. The growers take great care of their vines.

Those branches without fruit, though, take up precious water and nutrients from the soil and do nothing except grow useless branches and leaves without giving anything back. So the grower cuts off those branches, removes them from the vineyard and burns them. They aren’t good for anything. They’re not strong enough for making things. They’re hollow, but porous, so you can’t even use them as straws. They’re crooked so not really useful at all. They usual have a foul odor when you burn them, so they’re not even good for kindling. So the grower makes a pile of the branches, lets them dry and burns them in a great heap.

The good grower also cuts off the runners from the branches that grow fruit so that those runners don’t take away extra nutrients from the fruit. Once again, those runners are useless, so they also go into the heap and end up as part of the blaze. If you’re the vine, the cutting might sound painful, but it is necessary for production of the best crop.

The same happens metaphorically between God and His creation. Those who do not obey Me and therefore do not obey Him, are like the branches that do not produce fruit. He cuts them off and burns them in the fire. They will forever be separated from Him at the end of time. Those who do follow Me and therefore obey Him, He still prunes so they produce the best fruit possible. Pruning is an important part of the growing process. He cuts away those parts of us that are unproductive, ineffective, useless to His plan and His kingdom. It may seem painful when He prunes things from our lives, but remember the Father is God, the Creator. He knows how best to use you and how best to help you grow. Trust Him to prune your life for your best advantage as the perfecter of your faith.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Enjoy the peace of Jesus’ legacy (John 14:15-31) December 22, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 14:15-31

Set – John 13-14

Go! – John 12-14

John 14:15-31
Jesus: ¹⁵ If you love Me, obey the commandments I have given you. ¹⁶ I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will remain constantly with you. ¹⁷ The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth, because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him. But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you. ¹⁸ I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you. ¹⁹ In a little while, the world will not see Me; but I will not vanish completely from your sight. Because I live, you will also live. ²⁰ At that time, you will know that I am in the Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. ²¹ The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you.
The Other Judas: ²² Lord, why will You reveal Yourself to us, but not to the world?
Jesus: ²³ Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him. ²⁴ The one who does not love Me ignores My message, which is not from Me, but from the Father who sent Me.
²⁵ I have spoken these words while I am here with you. ²⁶ The Father is sending a great Helper, the Holy Spirit, in My name to teach you everything and to remind you of all I have said to you. ²⁷ My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful. ²⁸ You were listening when I said, “I will go away, but I will also return to be with you.” If you love Me, celebrate the fact that I am going to be with the Father because He is far greater than I am. ²⁹ I have told you all these things in advance so that your faith will grow as these things come to pass. ³⁰ I am almost finished speaking to you. The one who rules the world is stepping forward, and he has no part in Me; ³¹ but to demonstrate to the cosmos My love for the Father, I will do just as He commands. Stand up. It is time for us to leave this place.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

It was so hard to give those final words to My disciples that night. I knew what was coming and wanted to tell them so much more, but I knew they would not understand yet. Time was so short for My human frame. Judas had already left and was going to the priests to give them the sign by which he would identify Me to the soldiers who would take Me away. I knew the brutality of what was ahead. As a man, I feared death. I feared the physical pain I was about to endure. I knew the Father would stay near Me until the end, but I also knew there would come a point at which He must turn His back on Me because I would bear the sins of the world and I must appease the penalty for sin before I could conquer the grave.

I tried to give words of comfort to My disciples and listened to those same words in My humanness. I believed them. I knew them to be true. I was in touch with My Father and knew the splendor of heaven that awaited Me, but I also dreaded the sorrow and pain both My disciples and I would endure in the coming hours. The depth of that conflict between My deity and humanness shows in My garden prayers. I wanted to avoid what was coming if there was any other way to get the Father’s plan accomplished. But His plan is always paramount…always.

So I gave encouragement to those around Me as best I could so they could face the coming trial and perhaps better understand all the events that would happen in the three days that would transpire before they saw Me again. I wanted them to believe and perhaps these words of encouragement would get them through the grief until I could return to them. Then, of course, they would understand. And when My Spirit return, they would have Me in them. They would really begin to comprehend all I said to them and My words would open to them as never before.

I wanted them to know the peace I enjoyed despite the coming trauma. Peace despite the accusations. Peace despite the coming crucifixion. Peace that the world will never enjoy. Peace that I leave as a legacy to all My followers. Peace. The angels who heralded My birth said I would give peace to all people who pleased God. That is My legacy. Enjoy My peace.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What’s a shepherd? (John 10:1-21) December 21, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 10:1-21

Set – John 10-11

Go! – John 9-11

John 10:1-21
Jesus: ¹ I tell you the truth: the man who crawls through the fence of the sheep pen, rather than walking through the gate, is a thief or a vandal. ² The shepherd walks openly through the entrance. ³ The guard who is posted to protect the sheep opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When all the sheep have been gathered, he walks on ahead of them; and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ The sheep would not be willing to follow a stranger; they run because they do not know the voice of a stranger.
⁶ Jesus explained a profound truth through this metaphor, but they did not understand His teaching. ⁷ So He explained further.
Jesus: I tell you the truth: I am the gate of the sheep. ⁸ All who approached the sheep before Me came as thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to their voices. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be liberated, will go in and go out, and will find pastures. ¹⁰ The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance.
¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep in His care. ¹² The hired hand is not like the shepherd caring for His own sheep. When a wolf attacks, snatching and scattering the sheep, he runs for his life, leaving them defenseless. ¹³ The hired hand runs because he works only for wages and does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, I know the Father; I will give My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ There are many more sheep than you can see here, and I will bring them as well. They will hear My voice, and the flock will be united. One flock. One shepherd. ¹⁷ The Father loves Me because I am willing to lay down My life—but I will take it up again. ¹⁸ My life cannot be taken away by anybody else; I am giving it of My own free will. My authority allows Me to give My life and to take it again. All this has been commanded by My Father.
¹⁹ When He spoke these words, some of the Jews began to argue.
Many Jews: ²⁰ He has a demon and is a raving maniac. Why are you people listening to Him?
Other Jews: ²¹ No demon-possessed man ever spoke like this. Do demons give sight to the blind?

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The shepherd metaphor probably means a lot less to you today than it did to those Jews who heard Me give it 2000 years ago. They saw shepherds every day tending sheep on the Judean hillsides. Many of them owned sheep and understood what it meant to hire out the job of tending sheep to low paid hired hands who ran from danger.

Maybe a better metaphor for you can be found in a number of news articles that find their way into local papers these days. Gunmen enter a school and you hear about the heroics of teachers taking charge of their class of students. Those teachers protect the students in amazing ways, often standing in the way of gunfire and sometimes giving their lives to protect the children under their care from the random shooting of some crazed gunman. But at the sound of the first shot, most who are not given the responsibility of students flee from the scene as fast as they can. That’s the difference between the shepherd and the hired hands in the metaphor.

The teacher is ready to die for his or her students to keep them from harm. The aid or janitor or vendor visiting the school is often out the door and away from the scene because they don’t feel the close relationship with the children and responsibility to care for them. It’s that teacher’s willingness to give her life for her children that starts to touch on the love for others that I have for you when I gave My life for you on the cross. Yet My love is so much greater.

As heroic as the stories sound of those teachers that stand in the line of fire, as amazing as their love sounds, it’s nothing compared to the love I have for you. No one could take My life. I willingly gave it up. No executioner could kill Me. I had to let him nail Me to the tree and tell the angels to turn their backs and hold back their wrath. I am your protector and will keep you safe from the evils of the world. But understand what that means. Does that mean you will be free from trouble? No. You will face persecution just as I did, but I will guard your heart. You need not fall to temptation if you let Me act as that teacher in the room for you. If you’ll let Me be your Shepherd. If you’ll let Me into your heart to guide your life from this point on. I can and will do it for you. Just ask Me in.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Why is He so smart? (John 7:12-20) December 20, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 7:12-20

Set – John 7

Go! – John 7-8

John 7:12-20
¹² The crowds would talk in groups: some favored Jesus and thought He was a good man; others disliked Him and thought He was leading people astray. ¹³ All of these conversations took place in whispers. No one was willing to speak openly about Jesus for fear of the religious leaders.
¹⁴ In the middle of the festival, Jesus marched directly into the temple and started to teach. ¹⁵ Some of the Jews who heard Him were amazed at Jesus’ ability, and people questioned repeatedly:
Jews: How can this man be so wise about the Hebrew Scriptures? He has never had a formal education.
Jesus: ¹⁶ I do not claim ownership of My words; they are a gift from the One who sent Me. ¹⁷ If anyone is willing to act according to His purposes and is open to hearing truth, he will know the source of My teaching. Does it come from God or from Me? ¹⁸ If a man speaks his own words, constantly quoting himself, he is after adulation. But I chase only after glory for the One who sent Me. My intention is authentic and true. You’ll find no wrong motives in Me.
¹⁹ Moses gave you the law, didn’t he? Then how can you blatantly ignore the law and look for an opportunity to murder Me?
Crowd: ²⁰ You must be possessed with a demon! Who is trying to kill You?

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

During My time on earth, many questioned how I could be so wise about the Hebrew Scriptures without a formal eduation. I spoke about concepts within the law that amazed the people and confounded the scholars. I turned the Pharisees’ arguments upside down on them when they tried to trap Me in their traditions and opened the laws to catch them in their own traps. So many questioned My abilities and My understanding, My sources and authority.

It would be easy to say all of it came from the God side of Me, but that is only half the story. I was completely God, but also completely Man. My mother, Mary, and My earthly father, Joseph, made sure I knew My real heritage from an early age and made sure the scriptures were available to Me. Joseph would read to Me often from the Law and the Prophets before I could read and Mary would help Me memorize long passages of scripture as a young boy.

I would spend time meditating on what those scriptures meant and because of knowing the story of My birth, I could see the prophecies within those scriptures that pertained to Me throughout My life. I saw the truth of My birth in Bethlehem, yet being called a Nazarene living in the town of Nazareth. I understood the cries of mothers since all the boys My age were killed by Herod. My parents fled to Egypt and called out of Rahmah. I knew the story and the scriptures.

Throughout My life I made the scriptures part of My life and they awakened every day as My human life unfolded around Me. But you can use the scriptures the same way, you know. They are about Me, but when you let Me into your life, you can understand the scriptures with authority because of My Spirit in you and confound those around you.

The issue most have in understanding the scripture is they fail to do what I did when I was young and continued to do throughout My life. I made the scriptures part of Me. I learned them. I studied them. I let them speak to Me and through Me. I didn’t try to twist them to suit My desires, but rather made sure My desires fit the scriptures. That’s hugely different from what I hear in a lot of pulpits today. The scriptures haven’t changed. Neither have men and women. The truths contained in My word are as old as creation and I gave them to you to help guide you through life so you might enjoy more abundant living.

In America, statistics tell you high school graduates read less than one book per year after graduation. What a dismal indictment and waste of your education. But certainly you should at least read My book. How else will you understand how to live? I gave you a manual to live by. Proverbs is full of short lessons that if followed will keep you out of trouble financially, in your relationships, with your boss, in almost every area of life. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day and you’ll read it once every month. It’s not hard, but it will change your life.

The book is only 1500 pages in most translations. If you read an hour and a half a day, you can read it in 52 days. About fifteen minutes a day and you’ve read it in a year. Can’t you afford that much time to learn about Me and what My plan for this world and for you might entail? Can’t you spend just fifteen minutes a day in My word to better understand the precepts by which I will judge you at the end of time? Don’t you think if you’re going to have a test over you life it makes sense to read the rule book? It’s there for you.

How did I speak with such understanding and knowledge? I made the scriptures a significant part of My human life every single day…without exception. The Father’s words given to humankind are the most important words you can read each day. I understood that from an early age and lived it throughout My life with you. Make them a part of your daily life, too. You won’t regret it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Why do you follow Jesus? (John 6:22-40) December 19, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 6:22-40

Set – John 6

Go! – John 5-6

John 6:22-40
²² The following day some people gathered on the other side of the sea and saw that only one boat had been there; they were perplexed. They remembered seeing the disciples getting into the boat without Jesus.
²³ Other boats were arriving from Tiberias near the grassy area where the Lord offered thanks and passed out bread. ²⁴ When this crowd could not find Him or His disciples, they boarded their small boats and crossed the sea to Capernaum looking for Him. ²⁵ When they found Jesus across the sea, they questioned Him.
Crowd: Teacher, when did You arrive at Capernaum?
Jesus: ²⁶ I tell you the truth—you are tracking Me down because I fed you, not because you saw signs from God. ²⁷ Don’t spend your life chasing food that spoils and rots. Instead, seek the food that lasts into all the ages and comes from the Son of Man, the One on whom God the Father has placed His seal.
Crowd: ²⁸ What do we have to do to accomplish the Father’s works?
Jesus: ²⁹ If you want to do God’s work, then believe in the One He sent.
Crowd: ³⁰ Can You show us a miraculous sign? Something spectacular? If we see something like that, it will help us to believe. ³¹ Our fathers ate manna when they wandered in the desert. The Hebrew Scriptures say, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
Jesus: ³² I tell you the truth: Moses did not give you bread from heaven; it is My Father who offers you true bread from heaven. ³³ The bread of God comes down out of heaven and breathes life into the cosmos.
Crowd: ³⁴ Master, we want a boundless supply of this bread.
Jesus: ³⁵ I am the bread that gives life. If you come to My table and eat, you will never go hungry. Believe in Me, and you will never go thirsty. ³⁶ Here I am standing in front of you, and still you don’t believe. ³⁷ All that My Father gives to Me comes to Me. I will receive everyone; I will not send away anyone who comes to Me. ³⁸ And here’s the reason: I have come down from heaven not to pursue My own agenda but to do what He desires. I am here on behalf of the Father who sent Me. ³⁹ He sent Me to care for all He has given Me so that nothing and no one will perish. In the end, on the last day, He wants everything to be resurrected into new life. ⁴⁰ So if you want to know the will of the Father, know this: everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will live eternally; and on the last day, I am the One who will resurrect him.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Why do you follow Jesus? I knew that many that crossed the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum that day were following Me only to see more miracles. They didn’t care about My teaching, they only wanted to see Me turn a small lunch into enough to feed a crowd again. Or to cause a blind man to see. Or make a lame man walk. They followed Me to see some circus act and see what kind of spectacle I might perform in their presence so they could tell their children and their neighbors about it when they returned home.

But why do you follow Me? If you follow Me only so I protect you or heal you or provide for you, you’ve come to Me for the wrong reason. Remember what I told you. In this world you will have trouble. If you follow Me, you will find yourself surrounded by those who want to hurt you or even kill you. They tried to stone Me, push Me over a cliff, even kill Me. They could do none of those things until I allowed them to take Me to the cross, but they can and will do those things to you. Look at the trail of martyrs that have gone before you. Don’t think you will remain exempt from the persecution that has befallen the church.

So why do you follow Me? Do you want to hear My words? Do you want to learn from Me? Do you want to find out how to gain the abundant life I spoke about when I walk alongside you? Do you follow Me to discover how I want you to live? Do you follow Me to become like Me as My disciple? Why do you follow Me? Doing so will cost you everything. It will cost your plans, your wealth, your family, maybe even your life. The reward is worth it, but you must count the cost before you decide to follow Me. Understand it will cost you everything when you follow Me.

Stop and think about it. Most of the crowd that day just wanted to see more miracles. They didn’t understand My mission or meaning. Few who come beside Me will take up the mantle and truly follow. But abundant life awaits those who do. Will you be one of those who follow Me for the right reasons?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.