John 14: The Way, The Truth, The Life

Today’s reading is John 14.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the incarnate embodiment of everything we most need. When you are lost, what do you need? The way. When you are ignorant and foolish, what do you need? The truth. When you are dead or dying, what do you need? Life.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life.

If you don’t know Jesus, if you deny Jesus, if you abandon Jesus, if you ignore Jesus, no matter what you own, what others think of you, where you live, what job you have, how much money is in your bank account, you are lost, foolish, dead.

But if you have Jesus, you are safe, you are wise, you are alive. Praise the Lord!

Do you have Jesus? Can we help you find Him? Let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s reading is John 14.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does John 14 prompt or improve your praise of God?

John 12: Not to Judge, but to Save

Today’s reading is John 12.

Jesus is the light of the world. But we must understand, Jesus turned on the light not to uncover the evil of men so they could be condemned. He turned on the light so people could see the pathway of righteousness and get on it. How silly it is for us to walk in the shadows where we will get lost because we cannot see the path and stumble because we cannot see the obstacles in front of us. Instead, let us come to the light, walking on the path illuminated by Jesus’s own footsteps.

With that in mind, we grasp Jesus’s teaching about salvation and judgment. Jesus didn’t come into the world to bring judgment. He didn’t come into the world to cause us to lose our way or stumble over obstacles. He could have. He could have come to wage war on every sinner on the face of the earth. But that was not why He came. He came to save the world. He came to show the way. He came to offer the sacrifice. He came to defeat the real enemy who wants to have us condemned.

Of course, He explains, if we do not walk in His light and listen to His direction, we will be judged. Judgment is coming. Jesus warns us judgment is coming. When Jesus warns of the coming judgment, He does not do so because He delights in the coming judgment, but because He wants us to know what is at stake. He wants to save us from that coming judgment. And if we are judged, it will not be because Jesus wanted to judge us. That wasn’t His goal. It will be because we refused the salvation He offered.

Here we are drowning in our sin and Jesus tosses the life preserver. He warns us, “Grab hold and hang on. Don’t let go or you’ll drown.” And we get mad that He is judging us for not hanging on to the life line instead of grabbing hold and praising Him for making and showing the way.

At the same time, let us understand our own place in this. Sadly, it seems to me too many of us take delight in expressing the coming judgment on some. We too often and too easily want others to see our superiority. Instead, we should be like Jesus. Our goal is not to condemn. Our goal is to save. Certainly, those who refuse will be condemned, and they will be without excuse because they did hear the truth about the consequences. However, this outcome saddens us because we don’t want sinners condemned, not even the ones who sinned against us, we want them saved because Jesus wants them saved. Rather than proclaiming their condemnation, let us make sure we are showing the way to salvation.

How badly does Jesus want salvation instead of condemnation for the whole world? He wants it so badly, He went to the cross to make atonement. Will you accept His sacrifice? Will you take hold of the salvation He offers? Or will you push back and walk headlong into judgment and condemnation? The choice is yours.

If we can help you choose salvation, let us know in the comments.

Tomorrow’s reading is John 12.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does John 12 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 101: I Will Not Walk with the Wicked

Today’s reading is Psalm 101.

About a hundred psalms ago, the psalmist declared:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers…

Psalm 1:1 (ESV)

Now, a hundred psalms later, David makes that opening psalm personal. He will not simply declare some no-name person out there is blessed if that person refuses to walk with the wicked. He commits to the God of steadfast love and justice that he personally will not walk with the ungodly. He will avoid the counsel of the wicked, the way of the sinners, the seat of the scoffers.

As king, David must be very careful of his counselors, advisors, ministers. Bad advisors would not simply lead him astray, but the entire nation. He would not associate with slanderers or the haughty. He would not allow liars to continue as his counselors or even remain in his house. In fact, not only would he not allow them in his administration, he would cut them off from the land.

You and I are not kings, but is that any reason to hang out with the wicked? Of course, those who care for the lost are right: we cannot bring the gospel to the lost if we hole up in supposedly holy enclaves, always avoiding those still in their wickedness. We could not have been saved if some righteous person had not interacted with us while we were still in our sins. True, Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. However, be clear: He did so because the tax collectors and sinners came to Him to be influenced by Him, not because He came seeking their approval. When the worldly become our best friends, we are in danger. As Psalm 1 said, their direction, guidance, counsel will not draw us closer to God, but lead us to the way that perishes.

We are not in governing roles making judicial decisions about the wicked, therefore we will not exercise some of the extreme judgments the king claims in this psalm. We may not destroy slanderers and liars, but we must destroy their influence in our lives. We may not cut off evildoers from the land, but we must cut off their counsel in our behaviors.

Be prepared. They will be surprised when we do not join them in their flood of debauchery. They will malign us (see 1 Peter 4:3-4). But God is just and they will give account to Him.

Let us refuse to walk with the wicked.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 101.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 101 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Psalm 95: The Good Shepherd

Today’s reading is Psalm 95.

This may surprise you to hear, but Psalm 95 calls to mind Psalm 1. Remember, that psalm is all about two ways: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. God knows the way of the righteous. The way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 95 provides a case study. Israel who tested God at Massah and Meribah, who refused to enter the Promised Land were listening to the counsel of the ungodly, walking in the way of sinners, and sitting in the seat of scoffers. They walked the way of the wicked and they perished in the wilderness. Though, Joshua and Caleb, who instead clearly meditated on God’s ways, survived and entered the Promised Land with that second generation. They knew the Lord and they walked His way. And His way worked.

But this leads to a second reference: Psalm 23. If the Septuagint heading is correct in attributing this psalm to David, we are not at all surprised to see this reference.

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice…

Psalm 95:7

As we learned earlier in the week, Psalm 95 is made from the same wool as Isaiah 40.

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:10-11 (ESV)

The Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want. He will lead us beside still waters and restore our souls. But best of all, He will lead us to the house of the Lord where we will dwell forever. That is our God. That is our King. That is our Savior.

But who is that? Jesus, of course.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice…and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice…I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…

John 10:2-3, 11, 14

That’s our Shepherd. That’s our King. That’s our God. Jesus is the One who holds the whole world in His hand. And He will hold us, if we will hear His voice and follow Him.

Will you?

Next week’s reading is Psalm 96.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Psalm 95?

Psalm 86: Teach Me Your Way

Today’s reading is Psalm 86.

What’s your goal?

Many people come to God simply because they want to go to heaven. They are not actually very interested in God. They will get baptized today and hope God lets them in heaven. But between now and then, they really wish God would just kind of let them go their own way. They just want the reward He is offering. These get in a kind of bartering religion. They just want to know which bits God will require to allow them into heaven. The rest, they aren’t going to worry about.

That’s actually not how it works. In fact, I think even the strictest people taking this approach likely won’t be in heaven.

Notice David’s goal in Psalm 86:11:

Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name (ESV).

David doesn’t simply want rescue, deliverance, and salvation. He doesn’t want to know enough to slip into the pearly gates by the skin of his teeth. He wants to know God’s way. He wants to walk God’s way. He wants to walk in God’s truth. He wants to fear God with his entire heart. He doesn’t want heaven so much as he wants God. He wants to walk with God, be with God. That, of course, gives heaven.

There’s only one way to God. God’s way. And God’s way works!

What’s your goal?

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 86.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What in Psalm 86 prompts or improves your hope in God?

Psalm 84: We Need a King

Today’s reading is Psalm 84.

Admittedly, vs. 9 stands out as odd. Smack in the middle of this pilgrimage psalm, the son of Korah drops in a prayer for the Lord’s anointed, the king. Some suggest this must be a later interpolation. I never quite understand why supposed scholars believe a statement is so odd the original author would never have included it, but some later editor would think it made sense to add it in. If the sentence doesn’t make sense in the context, why would an editor add it?

Perhaps the issue is not that it doesn’t make sense. Perhaps the issue is it just takes more work to figure out what the true sense of it is.

Think about this from a pilgrim’s perspective, from the vantage point of one who wants to travel the king’s roads and be protected by the king’s soldiers as he travels from his home to the capital city. Of course this pilgrim wants to pray for the king. When the king reigns wisely and prospers, the pilgrimage will be safer. When God shields and protects His anointed ruler, He in turn shields and protects the anointed ruler’s realm and subjects. Additionally, when God shields and protects the anointed ruler in Zion, He shields and protects Zion.

And here is the key for us. Just as that pilgrim saw a protected, shielded, blessed king as a means of protection and strength to make the journey from his house to the Lord’s house, we also need a shielded, protected, anointed King. Jesus is not merely the guide on the way or the guardian of the way to the Lord’s house. Jesus is the Way. If we want the favor and honor, the grace and glory that comes from the Lord, we need a King. We need Jesus!

Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Psalm 85.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Psalm 84?

Psalm 84: Blessed

Today’s reading is Psalm 84.

While modern students and scholars don’t really know what “Selah” means in the psalms, their presence in this one seems to mark off three stanzas. Each containing a declaration of blessing.

The first stanza ends with the declaration, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!” The psalmist himself is not there. He longs to be there. He envies those who are presently in the temple, serving and singing.

The second stanza begins with the declaration, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.” Be aware, ESV and some other translation add “to Zion.” That phrase isn’t in the Hebrew and is borrowed from vs. 7 to add possible sense to the verse. Whether the point is those who gain strength from God know the way to Zion or they just know the ways of God is a bit up in the air. In any event, back in stanza one the psalmist wanted to be in the temple, but he isn’t. However, not only is the one who lives there blessed, but the one strengthened by the Lord to travel there is blessed.

The third stanza ends with the declaration, “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Some don’t dwell in the temple. Some are unable to travel to the temple. All are able to trust in the Lord no matter where they are. Our psalmist longs to make the pilgrimage, but his speaking in the third person in the second stanza intimates he is not able. Yet, where he is, he trusts in the Lord. Because he does, he walks uprightly. That is, he walks in God’s ways. Therefore he is blessed. Isn’t that exactly how the psalms started? Go back to Psalm 1 and take a look.

We today are even more blessed. We don’t have to travel to Mt. Zion to worship, to be in God’s presence. When we came to Jesus, we came to Mt. Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the temple of the Lord (see Hebrews 12:18-24). We became stones in the temple. Please, don’t take that to mean we are the temple whether or not we assemble together. Take that to mean we are the temple because we assemble together whether or not we are in the assembly. What a blessing we have.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 84.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 84 admonish you?

Psalm 67: Blessed to Show God’s Way

Today’s reading is Psalm 67.

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

…

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Don’t be confused. Your eyes did not deceive you. This week’s psalm is Psalm 67, but I did just quote Psalm 1. On Monday, I suggested this week’s psalm brings together three strands of thought. The first is the Aaronic blessing. The second is the Abrahamic promise. The third is the Psalmic introduction. (I admit it, I made up “Psalmic” so the three strands sound the same.)

We have often said the first psalm provides an introduction to the entire psalter. We’ve noted multiple psalms calling back to it. Psalm 67 does the same. The entire psalter begins with a declaration regarding whom God blesses. He blesses the one who meditates on and delights in His law. He blesses the one who walks on God’s way. He blesses that one like a tree planted by streams of waters, yielding fruit in its season. By implication, He makes the blessed one stand in the judgment and among the congregation.

Notice how so much of this makes its way into this week’s psalm. We seek a blessing. When we are blessed, the rest of the earth will learn about God’s way. God blesses by causing a fruitful yield on the earth. While that last one refers specifically to God’s blessing Israel with fruitful crops, it still calls to mind the fruitful blessing of Psalm 1. Because the nations learn God’s way, they can be glad God judges and leads them (of course, only if they will follow).

Like yesterday, we discover we must not seek blessing simply for the sake of personally experiencing blessing. Rather, we seek blessing so folks outside Christ, not walking on God’s way, may learn God’s way. We seek blessing so people around us may see it really does matter who a person’s God is.

May we seek God’s blessing. May we declare God’s blessing. May we shine the light of God to folks around us so they will want to walk God’s way.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 67.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 67 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Draw Near to God through Jesus

Today’s reading is Hebrews 7.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The author of Hebrews drives this home emphatically. Jesus is our high priest.

In Hebrews 2:15-18, He became like us, partaking of flesh and blood, including death so He might free us from death. Through this, He became our merciful and faithful high priest who helps when we are tempted. In Hebrews 4:14-16, because our high priest past through the heavens and has been tempted like us, but without sin, we can draw near to the throne of grace and find mercy, grace, and help in our time of need. In Hebrews 6:19-20, our high priest has gone as a forerunner on our behalf into the holy of holies behind the curtain. He is a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.

Now, in Hebrews 7, we have a priest after the order of Melchizedek who was not made perfect by the law, but by His indestructible life. He is a permanent priest because death does not prevent Him from continuing His work. He does not repeatedly make offerings because He offered Himself once for all. He is high priest and sacrifice all rolled into one. And because of all this, we can draw near to God through Jesus. He is our better hope through which we draw near to God.

However, make sure to understand this most important point about our most high priest and our Most High God. Jesus doesn’t just save everyone. He doesn’t just save anyone. He saves those who draw near to God through Him. He doesn’t save those who turn their back on God and run the other way. He doesn’t save those who keep God at arm’s length. He doesn’t save those who try to draw near to God through their own strength. He saves those who draw near to God through Him. He saves those who come into God’s presence by His authority, based on His sacrifice, by His grace given to help in our time of need.

Praise the Lord! He will save us. Let us draw near to the Most High God through Him. If we can help you draw near to God through Jesus the Messiah, please let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 7.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why should we draw near to God?
3. Why should we draw near to God through Jesus?
4. How do you think we draw near to God through Jesus?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Healthy Fruit

Today’s reading is Matthew 7.

There are two ways: the one Jesus has taught in this sermon and the one anyone else will describe. However, know this, if someone encourages you to take a different way than the one described by Jesus, that person is a false prophet. Jesus’s point is straightforward. There will be lots of people who come along teaching us lots of things. They will act like they are on our side. They will act like they are on God’s side. What they say may even sound good. They will look like sheep. But really they are wolves.

How are we to know who they are? Look at the fruit of their teaching. What exactly is that fruit? I can tell you what that fruit is not. It is not the fruit of fantastic experiences or seemingly miraculous powers. Jesus points out that many folks who believe they’ve prophesied, cast out demons, and done mighty works will will be told to depart because they weren’t producing the right fruit. They were actually false prophets.

What is the fruit? It is the fruit of obeying what Jesus has said in this sermon. Jesus has taught the will of the Father. If we are going to call Jesus “Lord,” we are going to do what He says. If someone teaches different things than what Jesus has taught in this sermon, that person is a false prophet, a false teacher. His fruit is diseased. Her tree will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

On a side note, I find it interesting Jesus describes this false prophet as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, not in shepherd’s clothing. That’s because the wolves come from among the sheep. If we do what the one, true Shepherd says, we are sheep. If not, we are wolves. There is no in between.

Be a sheep. Be a healthy tree. Bear healthy fruit. Just do what Jesus says, and don’t listen to people who don’t.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 7.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How do Jesus’s sheep live?
3. What fruit does a healthy tree produce?
4. What advice would you give to someone for knowing the one, true Shepherd’s voice and bearing Jesus’s fruit?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?