Tag Archives: words of Jesus

Wills are important (John 19:26-27), April 25, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Wills are really important. Jesus made a will during His last moments on the cross. Listen to what He said.
Scripture
1. John 19:26-27
2. Jesus (to Mary, His mother): Dear woman, this is your son (motioning to the beloved disciple)! (to John, His disciple) This is now your mother.
Devotional
1. At age 22, I made my first will. My wife had the original and my parents and in-laws both received copies.
  1. Parents and in-laws were a little shocked
  2. Why was I making a will at such a young age
  3. Army wanted every soldier to have a will because we deploy to a conflict at a moment’s notice
  4. Important to let someone know your wishes before you pass away
  5. Avoids family fights over the things you leave behind
  6. Didn’t have much, but told where all of it went
  7. Subsequent wills determined what happened to minor children should both my wife and I die simultaneously or should she precede me in death
  8. I wanted to know who was raising my children and that the values they held were similar to mine
2. Jesus didn’t have much that we know of in terms of earthly belongings
  1. Mary’s son, but not Joseph’s son
  2. May not have been heir to Joseph’s inheritance since he was not his son
  3. May not have owned anything more than the clothes on His back
  4. Don’t hear of material things Jesus possessed
  5. Talks about teaching and preaching accepting what is offered and staying in homes opened to them. Expect that was His practice as well
3. In the room where He at the Passover with His disciples gave them His last will and testament
  1. My peace I give you
  2. I leave my legacy of peace with you
  3. I’m preparing a place for you and I’m coming back
4. On the cross, looks down and sees His mother
  1. May have seen her following at the edge of the crowd as He carried His cross
  2. May have seen her agony and grief
  3. Could not comfort her while the soldiers pushed Him toward Golgotha
  4. Did not want to depart without giving Mary what He had for her
  5. Gave His last will and testament to her
  6. All He could give at that point to keep her from being destitute as a widow in a land that didn’t recognize the importance of women
  7. Mary, treat John as your son. John, treat Mary as your mother. Comfort each other in my absence. Draw strength from each other and care for each other
5. Wills are important, even to Jesus. They are about taking care of the ones you love.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

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 happens when you give in to the mob? (John 19:11), April 24, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Mob rule is a scary thing. It’s easy to get trapped in it. But dangerous when you let it rule you.
Scripture
1. John 19:11
2. Jesus: Any authority you have over Me comes from above, not from your political position. Because of this, the one who handed Me to you is guilty of the greater sin.
Devotional
1. I have to admit, on more than one occasion, I’ve just given in to the crowd.
  1. I was in charge
  2. I knew in my heart what should be done
  3. I knew the consequences that would take place if I let the crowd rule and gave in to their demands
  4. The crowd was small, my platoon or my staff or the section I was leading at the time
  5. They were tired or hungry or wanted to stop or do something I knew wouldn’t have the outcome we needed
  6. I gave in to their demand
  7. It didn’t turn out well
  8. Mission wasn’t accomplished
  9. Results were poor
  10. All of us embarrassed
2. Pilate was the governor
  1. Had the authority to release Jesus
  2. Knew what was right
  3. Knew the consequences of giving Jesus over to this mob
  4. An innocent man would die because of his failure to stand up for what was right
  5. Wife even warned him of the failure in justice
  6. Pilate listened to the crowd instead of his conscience
  7. Gave a glimmer of hope when he offered Barabas in place of Jesus
3. It’s easy to follow the crowd
  1. Jesus told us broad the way that leads to destruction, though
  2. Easy to follow the crowd that leads to nowhere
  3. Harder to follow the narrow path that leads to righteousness
  4. Harder to stand for what is right and just and holy
  5. Like salmon swimming upstream against the current
  6. Everyone else will push against you trying to turn you around
  7. But when you know what is right it is worth maintaining the course
  8. In the end you will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

What is truth? (John 18:33-37)

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Say it enough times and it must be true. That’s what some want you to believe. But what is truth?
Scripture
1. John 18:33-37
2. Pilate: Are You the King of the Jews?

Jesus: Are you asking Me because you believe this is true, or have others said this about Me?

Pilate: I’m not a Jew, am I? Your people, including the chief priests, have arrested You and placed You in my custody. What have You done?

Jesus: My kingdom is not recognized in this world. If this were My kingdom, My servants would be fighting for My freedom. But My kingdom is not in this physical realm.

Pilate: So You are a king?

Jesus: You say that I am king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the cosmos: to demonstrate the power of truth. Everyone who seeks truth hears My voice.

Devotional
1. I’m not a salesman for GEICO, but I love some of their commercials.
  1. Remember the one with the young lady that believes everything on the Internet must be true, just because it’s on the Internet?
  2. She argues with the man next to her and just doesn’t understand that everything on the Internet isn’t necessarily true
  3. And then the prince charming she meets on the Internet walks up for their first date
  4. He’s not what she expected, either
  5. What is truth?
2. Webster defines truth as:
  1. The real facts about something : the things that are true
  2. Truth is most often used to mean being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard. Truth may also often be used in modern contexts to refer to an idea of “truth to self,” or authenticity.
  3. Humankind has been on a search for truth since Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden because at the moment they ate that forbidden fruit they discovered there was something in the world that was not true.
  4. Satan lied to them and we have been faced with this dilemma about what is reality and what is not ever since
3. Pilate wants to know the truth about Jesus
  1. We want to know the same thing
  2. We want to know about God, scriptures, heaven, and hell
  3. We want to know if there is an afterlife and a judgment
  4. We want to know if what scriptures say about the endtimes is true of if what the world says is true
  5. How do we know what is true and what is not?
4. Take a test drive
  1. Read God’s word with an open heart
  2. Let Him speak to you through His word
  3. Let Him reveal Himself to you
  4. His spirit will guide you into all truth and you will know what is real and what is not
  5. His truth will set you free
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Oh, what a tangled web (John 18:23), April 22, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. It really is true. Best to never entangle yourself, just as Jesus taught us.
Scripture
1. John 18:23
2. Jesus: If I have spoken incorrectly, why don’t you point out the untruths that I speak? Why do you hit Me if what I have said is correct?
Devotional
1. Do you remember the game called gossip?
  1. As many as are in the crowd, usually a dozen or more, sit in a circle
  2. First person whispers something in the ear of the person next to them
  3. The message is passed along around the circle
  4. See just how accurate the story is at the end of the circle
  5. Usually not very accurate
2. Gossip is a game but it’s worse in real life
  1. Little fibs that are told to one person or another
  2. Can’t remember what’s been told when it isn’t the truth
  3. The fib changes from time to time because it was fabricated
  4. Get caught in the lie and then reputation suffers as integrity is damaged
3. Jesus faced the high priest in trial
  1. Teachings were public
  2. Many probably recorded His teachings and took them back to the priests to argue about what He taught
  3. Never could win the arguments against what He said
  4. Always based in scripture which He knew better than they
  5. Challenged their authority because of His knowledge and actions to back up His knowledge
4. Just look at My record
  1. Show me where I’ve misspoken
  2. Point out the untruths that I’ve told the crowds
  3. Give an example of something I’ve taught that is contradictory to the scriptures
  4. Give evidence that supports the need for punishment
5. None could be found
  1. Even witnesses paid to lie could not hold up to cross examination by the high priest
  2. Farce of a trial had to stand some scrutiny for Pilate to execute Jesus
  3. Had to have some evidence and some reasonable facsimile of fairness
  4. Nothing Jesus had said or taught could be used against Him
  5. Everything Jesus said was true and right
  6. Everything the prosecutors brought before the priests failed to meet the standards for any punishment, much less death
6. Jesus always shared truth
  1. Many didn’t like what He said, but He gave them the truth
  2. Today, many do not like what Christians say, but we must share the truth
  3. Only the truth can free us from the guilt of sin
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

No secret societies (John 18:20-21), April 21, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Secrets are something Jesus reached inside others and made known. He didn’t seem to have any Himself. Maybe we should follow suit.
Scripture
1. John 18:20-21
2. Jesus: I have spoken in public where the world can hear, always teaching in the synagogue and in the temple where the Jewish people gather. I have never spoken in secret. So why would you need to interrogate Me? Many have heard Me teach. Why don’t you question them? They know what I have taught.
Devotional
1. I’ve taken several oaths in my life.
  1. As an Army officer to support and defend the Constitution
  2. To my wife
  3. In court, to tell the truth
  4. In various legal situations attesting to my identity or the truth of some legal document
  5. All those oaths are public record or can be
2. I’ve never belonged to one of those secret societies. And I don’t want to.
  1. Oaths behind closed doors.
  2. Teachings that you must reach certain levels before you are allowed to hear what the next level knows
  3. Secrets about beliefs and activities
  4. Secrets about loyalties and how deep those loyalties extend
3. That’s what I like about Jesus’ testimony to the high priest
  1. Wasn’t trying to be flippant
  2. Wasn’t trying to be rude or arrogant
  3. Just stating fact
  4. Everything He did was in the open for all to see
  5. Even His prayers were open enough for His disciples to overhear and record them for us later in the gospels
4. Beware of those religions that hide behind secrets
  1. Jesus had no secrets
  2. Everything He did, He did in the open for all to hear
  3. I think He tells us to do the same
  4. We have nothing to hide when we follow His command and His example
  5. It’s true many have died because of His teaching, but so did He
5. What did He teach that cost His life?
  1. God wants a personal relationship with each of us
  2. Only one relationship never ends, think about it
  3. Everyone you enter into a relationship with will die or move or things change that change the relationship
  4. Every relationship with anything or anyone terrestrial will end
  5. Only a relationship with God can last
  6. Only He is immortal and relates with our immortal soul
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Don’t you love getting advice? (John 18:11), April 20, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
I love to get advice from other people about what God wants for my life, don’t you? Yeah, right. We do seem to try to meddle sometimes, don’t we. That’s exactly what Jesus called Peter on in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Scripture
1. John 18:11
2. Jesus (to Peter): Put down your sword, and return it to the sheath. Am I to turn away from the cup the Father has given Me to drink?
Devotional
1. I know what is best for my adult children, right? I need to give them advice on their career choices, the spouse they choose, the things they do with their money, the places they go…even when they don’t ask.
  1. Same with elderly parents
  2. Same with neighbors
  3. Same with everyone around me
  4. I don’t need to take advice from anyone else, but I sure need to give others my advice
  5. I even try to give God my advice sometimes
  6. In our flawed state, we think we are smarter than God
2. That’s what Peter does with Jesus
  1. Attacks Malcus, high priest’s servant
  2. Tries to help Jesus escape from the Pharisees and the death penalty they wish to impose
  3. Thinks he knows better than Jesus what His path should be
  4. Thinks the Messiah must not die, but reign as a military and political leader to free Israel
  5. Steps in front of Jesus to protect Him
3. How often do we step in front of God’s plan instead of doing what Jesus did and trust the Father with His perfect knowledge?
  1. Can’t mean what He says
  2. Can’t mean for us to face the trial He puts in front of us
  3. Can’t mean for us to suffer
  4. The path must be different
  5. So we try to change the path, we step in front of His plan and try to change it
4. Often we pick up implements to challenge the enemy
  1. Sword, spear, implements of war to fight
  2. He wants us to submit instead
  3. Trust that God knows what He’s doing
  4. Recognize that He is God and His plan will be ultimately completed the way He intends
  5. We can choose to be a part of those plans or not
  6. The smart choice is to let Him take the lead and then do what He says
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Jesus repels the guards (John 18:4-8), April 19, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever played with magnets? The picture of Jesus facing the guards in the garden remind me of those.
Scripture
1. John 18:4-8

Jesus: Whom are you looking for?

Judas’s Entourage: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I am the One.

Judas, the betrayer, stood with the military force. As Jesus spoke “I am the One,” the forces fell back on the ground. Jesus asked them a second time:

Jesus: Whom are you searching for?

Judas’s Entourage: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I have already said that I am the One. If you are looking for Me, then let these men go free.

Devotional
1. I’m sure you remember playing with magnets when you were a kid.
  1. In science we learned about the north and south poles of those magnetic fields and how the opposite ends attracted but like ends repelled each other.
  2. The stronger the magnet, the harder it was to try to push like ends together
  3. There are scientific principles that govern those magnetic fields and explain why they attract and repel each other.
  4. Explains why light bends near the earth
  5. Explains the aurora borealis
  6. Explains parts of electrical currents
  7. Explains a lot of what looks like mysteries around our world
  8. Might even explain the migration of animals at different seasons of the year or why they can sense dangers faster than we do or can find their way home from great distances
2. Picture that experiment you did with magnets as a kid as you tried to push the north pole of the magnet against its polar like north pair
  1. With some effort you might get them to touch
  2. As soon as you release pressure they push apart
  3. If strong enough, can’t push them together
3. Now picture the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane
  1. Guards come to take Jesus
  2. Armed with spears, swords, shields, armor
  3. Jesus dressed in His tunic and sash and bare hands
  4. As they try to approach they are repelled as easily as those magnets trying to approach each other
4. Jesus could not be taken by any force men could put against Him
  1. Satan tried His best throughout His life
  2. Herod killed all the boys in Bethlehem – Jesus escaped
  3. Pharisees plotted to kill Him throughout His whole ministry
    1. Tried to stone Him – slipped away
    2. Tried to throw Him from a cliff – slipped through the crowd
5. Jesus gave Himself up willingly to the guards that came into the garden
  1. Allowed Himself to be taken
  2. Allowed Himself to be beaten
  3. Allowed Himself to be crucified
  4. No one could touch Him unless He let them
  5. He loved us enough to let them
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Longing for us to come home (John 17:24-26), April 18, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you know what it feels like to long for someone to come home? That’s what Jesus is doing for us.
Scripture
1. John 17:24-26
2. Jesus: Father, I long for the time when those You have given Me can join Me in My place so they may witness My glory, which comes from You. You have loved Me before the foundations of the cosmos were laid. Father, You are just; though this corrupt world order does not know You, I do. These followers know that You have sent Me. I have told them about Your nature; and I will continue to speak of Your name in order that Your love, which was poured out on Me, will be in them. And I will also be in them.
Devotional
1. When I was deployed on several occasions during my military career, I heard my wife talk about her longing for my return.
  1. I stayed incredibly busy during deployments and didn’t have much time to think about home
  2. Also didn’t want to get too distracted because it meant lives if I didn’t do my job well
  3. At home, an empty chair
  4. An empty space that no one could fill but me
  5. Missing sounds and smells and routines that were obvious in my absence
  6. With two children, really missed me and longed for me to return
2. We are flawed imperfect creatures because sin and death entered the world
  1. Still we long for those we love when they are absent from us
  2. Think of how Jesus feels for those He loves
  3. Loved enough that He Died for us
  4. Loves perfectly
3. Went to build a new home for us
  1. Longs for us to be with Him eternally
  2. Picture Him standing at the door eagerly waiting for the day He can meet us
  3. Only the Father knows when time will end, but Jesus stands at the edge of heaven waiting to greet us
  4. He wants us to see Him without the blinders that our flawed nature creates
  5. He wants us to know Him without the limitations we have because of our fallen nature
  6. He longs to have us join Him in His place where all evil is dispelled and we are always in the light of His glory
  7. He longs for us to see the place He has built for us to spend eternity with Him
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Crew and Christianity (John 17:16-23), April 17, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Here is a question for you to consider for a few moments: How is crew like our Christian mission?
Scripture
1. John 17:16-23
2. Jesus: Like Me, they are not products of the corrupt world order. Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks. In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them. It is entirely for their benefit that I have set Myself apart so that they may be set apart by truth. I am not asking solely for their benefit; this prayer is also for all the believers who will follow them and hear them speak. Father, may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You; may they be in Us, for by this unity the world will believe that You sent Me.

All the glory You have given to Me, I pass on to them. May that glory unify them and make them one as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may be refined so that all will know that You sent Me, and You love them in the same way You love Me.

Devotional
1. I have to admit, there are not many Olympic sports that I like to watch. I enjoy the finals of several of them when the final competitors face each other to determine who is the best in some category. Those are usually exciting.
  1. Most competitions through the preliminaries are relatively boring to me
  2. I’m not much of a sportsman
2. But I like to watch crew
  1. Team sport in which rowers compete
  2. Consist of 1, 2, 4, 8 person teams plus or minus a coxswain
  3. Men’s and women’s competition at collegiate, olympic, and international levels
  4. A lot of factors in winning but one of the most important is unity of the team in their strokes
  5. Coxswain or one of the rowers sounding as coxswain keeps rhythm so every oar goes into and out of water simultaneously
  6. Unity in every stroke breeds success, by their unity in rowing you can almost pick the winner
3. Jesus wants His followers to have that kind of unity when it comes to fulfilling His purpose
  1. Doesn’t mean we’re all alike
  2. Doesn’t even mean we agree on everything
  3. Means we all work toward a common purpose – His
  4. To go and make disciples; to share His message; to help others know He came to forgive sins and bring eternal life to all who believe in Him
  5. Even prayed for our unity, that we would be one in Him and in the Father just as He is, one purpose, one direction, one most important thing – God
4. How do we have such unity?
  1. Let Him consume you with His love
  2. Love Him back for what He has done for you
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Living in a bubble is not the answer (John 17:11-15), April 16, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever want to just be surrounded by a protective bubble to keep all the evil of the world away from you? Just have some kind of barrier so you never had to worry about any of that stuff creeping in and spoiling the relationship you want with God?
Scripture
1. John 17:11-15
2. Jesus: I will no longer be physically present in this world, but they will remain in this world. As I return to be with You, holy Father, remain with them through Your name, the name You have given Me. May they be one even as We are one. While I was physically present with them, I protected them through Your name. I watched over them closely; and only one was lost, the one the Scriptures said was the son of destruction. Now I am returning to You. I am speaking this prayer here in the created cosmos alongside friends and foes so that in hearing it they might be consumed with joy. I have given them Your word; and the world has despised them because they are not products of the world, in the same way that I am not a product of the corrupt world order. Do not take them out of this world; protect them from the evil one.
Devotional
1. Several years ago, I remember a story about a young boy with an immune system so compromised he could not be exposed to any infectious organisms of any kind without risk of flooding his system with that infection and dying.
  1. Called “bubble boy” by the press
  2. Lived inside a double walled plexiglass ball
  3. Filtered air; food and nutrients passed through chambers to him (132)
  4. Learned to roll it around to go other places
2. What a horrible life
  1. Never get a hug from his parents
  2. Never touch a dog or cat
  3. Whole existence limited to the space inside that bubble
  4. Reach up and touch his bubble; right; left; front; back; nothing but his bubble
3. Jesus doesn’t ask the Father to remove us from this world
  1. Doesn’t want us to be like bubble boy
  2. Has something better in store for us
  3. Wants us to show the world we can overcome, because He overcame
  4. Wants us to be in the world but not part of the world
4. Bubble boy had no protection from the viruses and diseases present in the world outside his bubble
  1. We have protection from the evil around us
  2. Jesus prayer for us and evoked the name of God to dispel evil around us if we will call on Him for help
  3. We have His resurrection power at our disposal to live in this present age with all the trouble and evil that surrounds us
  4. We can survive here with His help until He returns
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”