Tag Archives: words of Jesus

Don’t get lost in despair! (John 14:1-4), March 26, 2014

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever been lost in despair? We probably have all had those moments at one time or another. I found myself in one of those spots many years ago and it took God to pull me out.
Scripture
1. John 14:1-4
2. Jesus: Don’t get lost in despair; believe in God, and keep on believing in Me. My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. If there were not room for everyone, I would have told you that. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together. You know where I am going and how to get there.
Devotional
1. I’ve told the story before, and you can read the long version in my book “The Dream” which you can find on Amazon if you want to read it.
2. Desert Storm August 1990, Saddam Hussein crossed into Kuwait
  1. Medical planner for XVIII Airborne Corps
  2. Spent a couple of weeks planning the defense of Saudi Arabian – Kuwaiti border
  3. Started planning the offensive campaign in September
3. 24th Infantry Division wanted to move across the desert to the Euphrates River with blitzkrieg speed.
  1. Crush anything in their path and move on
  2. Planned to move 635 miles as fast as possible – 5 to 10 days
  3. Intelligence said Iraq would use chemical weapons since they had used them on their own people, the Kurds, in the NW to quell their revolt
  4. With chemical rounds available, estimated 3,000 casualties per day
4. Army had never moved that fast against that formidable a force according to our intelligence
  1. Soviet weapons systems
  2. Chemical munitions
  3. Dug in positions
  4. Distances would stretch across 600 miles of desert, too far for helicopters to fly without refueling
5. Medical support for that kind of warfare seemed impossible
  1. My responsibility to write the plan to save those 3,000 lives per day
  2. Casualty meant died or wounded, most would be wounded and need medical support
  3. How do you put the right medical support within reach of the soldiers on the front line when it takes five days to set up a hospital in the field?
  4. Platinum 10 minutes; Golden hour; Surgery in two hours
  5. Moving 600 miles in five days,
  6. no organic vehicles to carry all the equipment required to set up the hospitals, they are stationary once established
  7. Shared vehicles moved ammunition, water, food
6. I couldn’t figure it out
  1. No precedence in history
  2. No current doctrine to support that kind of move without a lot more assets than were available
  3. If the estimates were right, thousands would die
  4. Despair
7. October 12, 1990
  1. Awoke from a dream
  2. Maps of the battlefield showing all the medical unit movements
  3. Knew how to support the movement of the corps through their rapid movement
  4. Medical units did treat thousands of casualties, but not American
  5. Wounded Iraqi soldiers abandoned by their units as they retreated under the pressure of the Allied attack
  6. Desert Storm medical support changed Army doctrine in many areas, but especially in the medical support of active combat
8. Dream came from God, convinced of it
  1. Don’t get lost in despair, believe in God and keep on believing in Jesus. He comes through at just the right time…always.
  2. You can read the whole story in my book, “The Dream” available on Amazon.
  3. God truly is an amazing God.
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.

Be careful what you promise (John 13:36-38), March 25, 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 made a promise you really intended to keep, but them just crumbled under the enormity of the task? I have to admit, I have more times than I’d like to remember, actually. Peter did it, too.
Scripture
1. John 13:36-38
2. Simon Peter: Lord, where are You going?

Jesus: Peter, you cannot come with Me now, but later you will join Me.

Peter: Why can’t I go now? I’ll give my life for You!

Jesus: Will you really give your life for Me? I tell you the truth: you will deny Me three times before the rooster crows.

Devotional
1. Have you ever made a promise you really intended to keep, but them just crumbled under the enormity of the task?
  1. I have accepted a few tasks that I really wanted to complete
  2. Promised a completion date
  3. Promised high quality
  4. Had to go back and beg for more time or relinquish control of the project completely
  5. Just not able to do it
  6. Overcommitted
  7. Beyond my capability
2. Peter promised to stay with Jesus forever to support Him and protect Him
  1. Really wanted to
  2. Had every intention of fulfilling His promise
  3. Then the soldiers came in the middle of the night
  4. Judas betrayed their Master
  5. Arrested Jesus to take Him to trial and crucifixion
3. Peter stood for a moment with sword in hand
  1. Cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear
  2. Jesus put it back and made it new
  3. Peter dropped his sword
  4. Ran rather than be arrested
4. Peter didn’t want to deny Him
  1. Meant every word
  2. Meant to stand up to the enemy
  3. Meant to stay faithful to the end
  4. Couldn’t take the pressure of feeling alone
  5. All the other disciples fled, too
5. Peter tried to keep his promise but crumbled under the load
6. Jesus knows our weaknesses,
  1. Still He forgives
  2. Strengthens
  3. Lifts us
  4. Calls us to follow 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.”

You can’t go (John 13:31-35), March 24, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
My grandson had the thrill of his life last week. This year he is finally tall enough to ride “The Rattler”, the big roller coaster at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. He’s wanted to ride for a long time, but just wasn’t quite tall enough. His plight reminded me of today’s words from Jesus.
Scripture
1. John 13:31-35
2. Jesus: Now the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him. If God’s glory is in Him, His glory is also in God. The moment of this astounding glory is imminent. My children, My time here is brief. You will be searching for Me; and as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.” So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.
Devotional
1. When you were a kid, do you remember those times when your mom or dad or big brother or sister left you behind? “Sorry, you can’t go with me, kid.
  1. Not this time.
  2. You’re not big enough.
  3. You’re not old enough.
  4. You’re not ready.”
  5. How did you feel?
2. I imagine that’s how the disciples felt when Jesus talked to them about going away.
  1. Closest friends.
  2. Went everywhere with Him
  3. Enjoyed His teachings, His miracles, His company
  4. Wanted to protect Him from the crowds and His enemies
  5. Wanted to be wherever He was
3. What did they feel
  1. Disappointment
  2. Rejection
  3. Abandonment
  4. Fear
  5. Anger
  6. Confusion
4. We look back and understand
  1. Know where He was going
  2. Know we can join Him one day
  3. Know how to get to the place He went
  4. Ask His forgiveness
  5. Accept Him as Lord
  6. Follow Him each day
5. We can’t go there yet, but one day it will be time and we can be with Him forever
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.”

Visibly distressed (John 13:21-27), March 23, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
How much did it hurt when your friend hurt you by saying or doing something that you didn’t expect. Imagine what it would feel like if they did it and you knew it was going to happen.
Scripture
1. John 13:21-27
2. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed.

Jesus: I tell you the truth: one of you will betray Me.

The disciples began to stare at one another, wondering who was the unfaithful disciple. One disciple in particular, who was loved by Jesus, reclined next to Him at the table. Peter motioned to the disciple at Jesus’ side.

Peter (to the beloved disciple): Find out who the betrayer is.

Beloved Disciple (leaning in to Jesus): Lord, who is it?

Jesus: I will dip a piece of bread in My cup and give it to the one who will betray Me.

He dipped one piece in the cup and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After this occurred, Satan entered into Judas.

Jesus (to Judas): Make haste, and do what you are going to do.

Devotional
1. We’ve all been hurt by a friend at some time or other or we haven’t lived.
  1. It’s the way of relationships in a broken world
  2. Misinterpret actions or words
  3. See things from our broken past instead of God’s perfect lens even if Christian brothers and sisters
  4. Marred by the consequences of past sins and the brokenness of this world
2. Probably never expected the hurt or betrayal, though
  1. We expect our relationships to be good
  2. We expect encouragement and support from friends
  3. We expect our friends never to stab us in the back or give us up to our enemies
3. Now put yourself in Jesus’ place
  1. Betrayed by His friend and abandoned by the rest
  2. But knew about it ahead of time
  3. Inspired the prophets to write about it centuries before He came to earth
  4. Lived with the reality every day
  5. Had to eat this last meal with His betrayer knowing what would happen next
4. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed! No kidding!
  1. Had a human side
  2. We all need others to lean on
  3. They were about to desert Him and one would betray Him
  4. He knew it all and it was coming in just hours
  5. His physical, mental, and spiritual agony was about to begin
5. We cannot begin to understand the stress Jesus felt
  1. But we can thank Him for His sacrifice
  2. We can praise Him for what He did for us
  3. We can follow Him when He calls
  4. We can love Him because He loves us more than we can know
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.”

Betrayal always carries bad consequences (John 13:12-20), March 22, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever been the victim of betrayal? Have you ever betrayed someone? There are always consequences, you know.
Scripture
1. John 13:12-20
2. Jesus: Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and truly, that is who I am. So if your Lord and Teacher washes your feet, then you should wash one another’s feet. I am your example; keep doing what I do. I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master. Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them. If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness. I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but let the Hebrew Scripture be fulfilled that says, “The very same man who eats My bread with Me will stab Me in the back.” Assuredly, I tell you these truths before they happen so that when it all transpires, you will believe that I am. I tell you the truth: anyone who accepts the ones I send accepts Me. In turn, the ones who accept Me also accept the One who sent Me.
Devotional
1. It’s been a lot of years and I won’t mention any names, but a fellow officer in one of the units to which I was assigned was a good friend…I thought.
  1. We often ate lunch together.
  2. We shared techniques in leading our units that worked and those that didn’t work so well so we helped each other.
  3. Families spent time together after work during our leisure hours.
  4. Thought we were good friends
2. One day things changed
  1. Had an inspection and some things were missing from his unit
  2. Accountable, but consumable
  3. Used up in training, but had to account for their use and replace because of alert status
  4. His soldiers got lazy and didn’t do the proper paperwork to account for the consumables after one training event and so there was a shortage
  5. I was accused of stealing
  6. Took less than an hour to show the paper trail to prove no one in my unit took any of his consumables. All mine were accounted for and a trail for when and where each came from
3. Pain came from the betrayal
  1. We were friends
  2. He knew my character
  3. He knew I wouldn’t tolerate such behavior from anyone under my authority
  4. Still he accused me to try to cover his soldiers’ failure
  5. “The one who ate bread with me, stabbed me in the back.”
  6. My friend left the service very soon after that event
4. Nothing of what Jesus felt
  1. Judas sat as His feet continually
  2. Listened to His teaching
  3. Said he believed what the Master taught
  4. Said he believed Jesus to be the Son of God
  5. Would soon betray Him to the high priest and the Sanhedrin
  6. He would die because Judas decided to betray his friend
5. You just don’t know the consequences that will come as a result of betrayal
  1. My friend ended his career
  2. Judas hung himself
  3. Jesus died on a cross
  4. Be careful of betraying your friends
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 happens when you ignore the boss? (John 12:44-50), March 20, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
What happens when you ignore the boss? You might never see the boss in a large corporation, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore what he says. You job will be on the line if you do. So how does that relate to our spiritual life?
Scripture
1. John 12:44-50
2. Jesus (crying out before the people): Anyone who believes in Me is not placing his faith in Me, but in the One who sent Me here. If one sees Me, he sees the One who sent Me. I am here to bring light in this world, freeing everyone who believes in Me from the darkness that blinds him. If anyone listening to My teachings chooses to ignore them, so be it: I have come to liberate the world, not to judge it. However, those who reject Me and My teachings will be judged: in the last day, My words will be their judge because I am not speaking of My own volition and from My own authority. The Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and speak. I know His command is eternal life, so every word I utter originates in Him.
Devotional
1. As I’ve mentioned several times during my podcasts, I served in the Army for thirty years.
  1. Armed Forces are part of the Executive Branch of the government under the Constitution
  2. Keep the borders of our nation safe and prosecute conflicts directed by the President and approved by Congress
  3. President is the Commander-in-Chief, the boss
  4. Served under six: Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush
2. Met Rosalynn Carter and George W. Bush, but never met any of the other presidents or their wives before or after they were in office
  1. Why bring that up?
  2. All of those presidents who a lot of Executive Orders that applied to service members
  3. Many of those Executive Orders affected our behavior, what we could or could not do both in battle and in peacetime environments
  4. Ignoring or disobeying any of those orders could mean stiff administrative actions, discharge, hefty fines or imprisonment
  5. I had to obey all those orders yet I only saw one of those Commanders-in-Chief in person and that was during the Army’s response to Hurricane Katrina and then only long enough for President Bush to shake my hand and say, “Keep up the good work, Colonel Agee.” The same thing he said to several others crowded in that room with him that day.
3. We obey our bosses who we may never see
  1. Why is it so hard to obey the God who loves us so much He came to earth in the flesh to live with us?
  2. Why is it so hard to listen to what He says and understand His commands are for our good?
  3. Why can we not figure out that failing to obey God carries consequences far worse than failing to obey an earthly employer?
  4. Time to meditate on just Who we should listen to now isn’t it?
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.”

Stay in the light (John 12:35-36), March 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 been in absolute, total darkness. It’s hard to find those spots today, but when you do, they can be pretty scary.
Scripture
1. John 12:35-36
2. Jesus: Light is among you, but very soon it will flicker out. Walk as you have the light, and then the darkness will not surround you. Those who walk in darkness don’t know where they are going. While the light is with you, believe in the light; and you will be reborn as sons and daughters of the light.
Devotional
1. Growing up in central Tennessee or central Kentucky, you know about Mammoth Cave. It’s named after the discovery of the Mammoth skeleton found in its caverns deep under the earth.
  1. System goes on for miles
  2. Popular tourist attraction
  3. Beautiful natural sculptures from millennia of stalactite and stalagmite formation
  4. Evolution of insects, fish and frogs without sight
  5. Every tour stops deep underground to demonstrate real darkness
  6. All lights extinguished for a few moments with no light anywhere
  7. Shocked by the total absence of light
2. Few places you can go without some light visible
  1. Light pollution from cities makes night training difficult for military
  2. Observatories find it more difficult to search the stars for the same reason
  3. Use to be able to point out many more constellations and clearly see the Milky Way
  4. Light floods our skies 24 hours a day because of the man-made devices we employ
  5. We despise darkness
3. Darkness means
  1. Can’t navigate
  2. Can’t avoid hidden danger
  3. Can’t distinguish friend or foe visually – sense we rely on the most
  4. Fear
4. Many live in spiritual darkness and don’t know how to escape it
  1. Swallowed in fear
  2. Know there is danger, but don’t know how to avoid it
  3. Sense the evil in the darkness but run headlong into it because there is no way to recognize the right path in the darkness
  4. Need light to show the way
5. Jesus says He is the light
  1. He lights our way
  2. He says when we believe in Him, His spirit will live in us and we become sons and daughters of the light, His light will shine in and through us to light the path before us
  3. Might not see the whole journey,
  4. Might only be the next step
  5. But will never be in darkness if Jesus is living in 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.”

Everything will change (John 12:30-32), March 18, 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 thought about the key events in history that really changed the world. Stop and see if you can name a few.
Scripture
1. John 12:30-32
2. Jesus: The voice you hear has not spoken for My benefit, but for yours. Now judgment comes upon this world, and everything will change. The tyrant of this world, Satan, will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, then all of humanity will be drawn to Me.
Devotional
1. There are some key events in history that change everything. Think about it
  1. The Renaissance
  2. Pax Romana
  3. Life of Muhammad
  4. Reformation
  5. World War I
  6. World War II
  7. Printing Press
  8. Berlin Wall
  9. American Revolution
2. None compare to what Jesus did for us
  1. God spoke to the crowd
  2. God gave us a means of escape from the punishment for our sins
  3. God gave His life that we might have eternal life
3. Everything changed; we can be changed, too, if we will let Him change us
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.”

Extravagant giving may not be so bad (John 12-7-8), March 16, 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 given someone an extravagant gift and others kind of scolded you about it? We probably all have if you think back through your life. Men can think about that tiny little rock on their fiance’s finger. That’s a lot of money for such a small thing, isn’t it? But is it really extravagant? Jesus got one of those gifts one day and everyone complained.
Scripture
1. John 12:7-8
2. Jesus: Leave her alone. She has observed this custom in anticipation of the day of My burial. The poor are ever present, but I will be leaving.
Devotional
1. When young men get down on their knees and ask for a young lady’s hand in marriage, she usually expects a gold or white gold ring with at least one diamond in it, right? It’s just the way of things, or it least it has been for a long time.
  1. Diamonds are measured in karats
  2. 200 milligrams which is 7/1000’s ounce
  3. Perfect cut and highest quality 1 carat diamond is $17,000
  4. Is that extravagant?
  5. Ask your fiance
2. Jesus and His disciples were eating with Lazarus at his home in Bethany
  1. Martha was working as hostess serving the guests
  2. Mary sat at Jesus feet and poured pure nard
  3. Comes from a plant grows to about 1 meter (3 ft) in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. It is found in the Himalayas in Nepal, China, and India at an altitude of about 9,800 to 16,400 ft. Rhizomes (underground stems) can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency.
  4. Other gospels tell us she broke an alabaster jar to pour out the precious liquid
  5. The alabaster stone from which the jar was carved probably came from the quarries of Alabastron in Egypt, the place from which the stone for the sarcophagus for Seti I and many of the canopic jars came
  6. Each item on its own cost months or maybe even years of labor wages for their purchase
3. Not just Judas, but several of the disciples who were with Jesus complained about the waste
  1. Look at what that money could have bought
  2. Look how many people we could have fed
  3. Look what we could have done for the poor
  4. Look how much ministry we could have done if she had sold that perfume and given the money to us instead of pouring it out on your feet
  5. Jesus, scold her!
4. He didn’t
  1. Sometimes extravagance is the right thing to do
  2. She showed extravagant love through her gift to the One who set her free
  3. We give extravagantly to the one we wish to live with for the rest of our lives
  4. We think nothing of shelling out those months of pay to put the right ring on our bride’s finger
  5. Why should we complain when someone pours out an expression of love for their savior?
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.”

That was no magic show (John 11:43-44), March 15, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you like magic shows? I’m always fascinated by them and like to see if I can catch the magician in some mistake that reveals his secrets. 2,000 years ago, that was no magic show at Lazarus’ tomb, though
Scripture
1. John 11:43-44
2. After these words, He called out in a thunderous voice.

Jesus: Lazarus, come out!

Then, the man who was dead walked out of his tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud.

Jesus: Untie him, and let him go.

Devotional
1. A couple of months ago, I saw the Illusionists. It’s a group of magicians that do a variety of tricks on stage that really boggle the mind.
  1. A couple of the acts were pretty weird, like running sharp objects through his body. I didn’t care so much for that.
  2. Escape from a water chamber similar to Houdini’s water chamber, but without the straightjacket
  3. One that really fascinated me was a man who just manipulated playing cards.
    1. Hidden in pockets
    2. Appeared from thin air
    3. Thousands of cards
2. We enjoy watching things we can’t figure out
  1. Enjoy trying to catch the magician in his tricks
  2. Try to find the wires or hidden pockets or figure out the strange technology they used to fool you into thinking something magical has happened
  3. Their skills are sometimes incredible
3. 2,000 years ago those around the tomb didn’t see a magic trick
  1. No incantation
  2. No technology, wires, or mirrors
  3. No double to take Lazarus’ place
  4. Jesus prayed, thanked His Father for hearing His prayer
  5. Called in a loud voice
4. The dead man walked out of the tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud
  1. Jesus brought life into a dead body
  2. Arms bound to sides
  3. Legs bound together
  4. Enough life to get up, walk out of the tomb wrapped from head to toe, probably hopped out
  5. Took away the stench of death, too
  6. Untie him, and let him go.
  7. Free him from the shroud as I freed him from death
  8. No magic, just power over death
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.”