John 10 Devotional

John 10 25-27 …"I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

Application: Do you think you are a trustworthy person, why or why not? For most people trust is earned and in a world flooded with sin, it’s very difficult to trust anyone. Why? All are sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God. Therefore, if everyone is a sinner, everyone has the potential to hurt you. I think it is hard to trust people, but every now and then I find someone who can be trusted. What standards do I set that allow me to consider a person trustworthy? Strength, Consistency, and Protection. You see, you can not tell if someone is trustworthy under perfect conditions. In actuality, you can only tell if someone is trustworthy under difficult circumstances. This truth is reflected in John 10: 22 – 27. The Scripture says in vs. 22 that during the Feast of Dedication, Jesus was in the Temple walking in Solomon’s Porch. Now, there is a lot of background with this, but I will only make 2 brief points. (1) The Feast of Dedication is an event commemorating when God miraculously kept a candle lit for eight days on one day’s supply of oil. You may know of this day, it’s called Hanukkah. (2) Solomon’s Porch, where Jesus was talking from, is the place of judgment where Solomon would judge the citizens of the “Kingdom of Israel” during his reign. Ok, with this background in mind let’s dive back into the text. Jesus is once again being challenged by the Jews regarding His identity. He, being the light of the world, responds once again in a way revealing the hearts of his inquisitors. Jesus responds to their questions about his identity by saying, “I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” You see it is the background that makes Jesus’ words clear. Why? Well, it was God who kept the candle burning eight days on one days worth of oil, and these very people who are celebrating what God did with that oil are refusing to accept what He was doing in Jesus. The irony is, at this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus has performed several miracles, which all of Israel knows about. However, these Jews would not accept His words even though they had seen His miraculous actions. As a result, they are being judged as not being His sheep because they won’t accept Him; this is why He was at Solomon’s Porch. Even though these Jews did not believe Him, there were others who did. Remember these were difficult times. Jesus still had to go to the cross. However, Jesus remained strong, and consistent, and His actions proved he had the ability to protect them, even from the death, which will happen in Chapter 11. His actions spoke even louder than His words. Like wise, throughout history, there have always been people who have trusted God. These people have taken the time to get to know Him. As a result, they heard His voice. These people eventually realized He is strong enough to get them out of any situation they face, even death. They have learned, from their relationship with Him that God is consistent, will cheer for them, support them and believe in them even when they have given up on themselves. Finally, these people have learned to depend on him for protection; regardless of the valley they walk through, they will not worry because only He can keep them from any real harm. They choose to follow him because they are familiar with His voice and they have learned to trust it. Do you know what is interesting? Sheep are considered to be the least intelligent animal on the planet. They will even eat themselves to death if left alone. But, the interesting point is, even sheep, who are the “dumbest” animal on the face of the earth knows the voice of their Shepherd, what excuse do we have? BAAAA!

Three action steps:

1. Take the time to memorize John 10: 25-27.

2. Do you trust God? Why or why not?

3. Are you taking the time to get to know him?

Leadership lessons from Joshua

Joshua 1:6 – 7

⁶ "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

It is easy to think the hardest part in leading anyone would be to simply accomplish the mission. However, this is not the case when it comes to Kingdom leaders. Now, I am not saying that it is not important for a kingdom leader to accomplish his or her goals, but what the Scriptures convey is that paramount to accomplishing any goal is maintaining the leader’s relationship with God first. Look at the beginning of vs. 6 and compare it to vs. 7. In verse 6 God exhorts Joshua to “Be strong and courageous…” in order to lead the Hebrews into the inheritance. However, in vs. 7 we see the exhortation to “Be strong and very courageous” regarding their commandment to obey the law. The adverb “very” modifies the verb courageous; moreover, the word “very” in Greek is me‘od, which means exceedingly. Thus, God is encouraging Joshua to be courageous about taking the land but to be exceedingly courageous about adhering to the law. Is this exhortation not revealing? God is telling the General that conquering the land would be hard, but adhering to the laws and marinating a right relationship with God would be more challenging. Yet, if we take a broader look it makes perfect sense. Without a vibrant and healthy relationship with God, it is impossible for us to accomplish anything for Him or His people. To reiterate, accomplishing the mission is important for the Kingdom leader; however, the priority for him or her is to adhere to God’s commands and maintain a healthy relationship with him. Scriptures conveys the point clearly: paramount to accomplishing any goal for the Kingdom, a leader must stay connected with God first.

John 9 devotional

John 9: 24 -25

24They called the man back a second time—the man who had been blind— and told him, "Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor." 25 He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see."

Application: I don’t know what it is like to be blind, but I was once in the woods in Eastern Europe at night where it was really, really dark. And, I did not like it! I could not see anything. Being in the dark can be tough; similarly, I remember the difference I felt being in the dark in my room as a boy. I remember sharing a room with my brother and waking up at night trying to get to the bathroom. I would bump into stuff because I did not know where all the toys were. Eventually, I got used to going to the bathroom at night. (I think my brother getting his own room had a big part to do with that). When he moved out, I got comfortable with going to the bathroom in the darkness because I knew where all my things were. I was comfortable with my surroundings. However, if anybody came into my room and moved something around, I would have been in trouble. And, my entire family would have suffered as the sound of my fall reverberated throughout the house. Obviously, if I turned on the light, I would not have this problem. But, if I turned on the light, it might have woken me up more than I wanted to. And, I did not want to wake up. I simply wanted to use the bathroom and go right back to sleep. This scenario is similar to what was happening to the blind man and the Pharisees. The blind man, who Jesus healed, had been blind from birth. But, even though he was born blind, he never became comfortable with the dark! He wanted the lights on. How do I know that? Well, after Jesus healed him, the Pharisees tried to get him to lie and say that Jesus was a sinner! But, this was a man who had been blind all his life and had never seen anything. He was the last person on the earth who could lie about what he ‘saw.’ No this is a man that is going to tell everyone exactly what he sees. You see this man exhibited the actions of one who desired the light. He was so thankful to see and so thankful for what Jesus had done for him that he had to interpret accurately what he saw in Jesus. In this man’s heart he knew that Jesus was good. Everything within his heart was screaming—Jesus is a good man, he healed you didn’t he. And, because he could ‘see’ that Jesus was good, he had to respond honesty to the Pharisees questions about Jesus regardless of the consequences. The conflict for this man is the Pharisees stated whoever said Jesus was the Messiah would be kicked out of their church. For a Jew that was huge, but for a Jew who was born blind and had no income it was enormous. But, the Scriptures say, “They called the man back a second time—the man who had been blind— and told him, "Give credit to God. We know this man [Jesus] is an impostor." He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see.” Interestingly, the Pharisees who were born with functional eyes were really blind. And, unlike the blind man, they were comfortable with the darkness. How do I know this? Well in vs. 16 one of the Pharisees asks the obvious question that the blind man also repeated in vs. 31. What was the question? How can a man who is a sinner do such signs [heal a blind man]? And, the obvious answer is ‘only God can do such signs; it is impossible for anyone else.’ Therefore, Jesus must be from God. Seems simple, but the Pharisees were comfortable with the dark. They did not want to see because if Jesus was right, then they would have to wake up and admit they were wrong. Therefore, they chose to reject Jesus and walk around in the dark. Sadly, the sound of their fall is still ringing in our ears. Here is the moral of the story, when you see Jesus for who He reality is, you see yourself for who your really are. Jesus is ultimate reality or He is the light that exposes everything. If you are honest in your assessment of whom Jesus is you are in the light. Why? Because you will see how dependent you are on him to be righteous but, an incorrect assessment of Him means you are in the darkness and you think that you don’t need Him, and you can get right with God on your own! The Bible calls that being blind or being in the dark. You see, I knew there was a good reason to be afraid of the dark!

Three action steps:

1. Take the time to memorize John 9: 24 -25

2. What are some things you do differently when you walk in the dark in contrast to the light?

3. Pray for someone you know who is walking in the dark?

Leadership lessons from Joshua

Joshua 1

The LORD Commands Joshua

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: ² "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea ^[a] on the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

One of the more challenging aspects of leadership in the Kingdom is to stand on God’s promises for other peoples’ lives. Often times the believer individually wrestles to stand on God’s promises for his or her own life. That struggle is compounded for the leader when he or she has to believe God for the promises of those in whom they lead. That is why a leader’s relationship with God is paramount, and his or her ability to trust God for the manifestation of the promises in his or her own life is vital for success. Looking at the opening chapter of the book of Joshua God gives the general 4 promises that coalesce around God’s plan for the Hebrews; however, they have a direct affect on Joshua. Let’s focus on their affects on Joshua. I am going to discuss them in a progressive manner starting with the promise that affirms Joshua’s relationship with God through the promise that specifically addresses the territory the Hebrews would possess. Starting with v5c “I will never leave you nor forsake you...” What a promise! The God who parted the Red sea, destroyed the Egyptian empire would personally be with Joshua—forever. This is the one truth that is vital not just for a Kingdom leader but for every believer in God. Its impact should eradicate all fear and anxiety. God is Joshua’s companion; therefore, Joshua should have security in his identity. For, if God is comfortable enough to hang with him eternally, it will not matter that much when fickle people forsake him. V 5b “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you…” What Kingdom leader would not want to hear that promise? God was going to support Joshua like he supported Moses. Thus this promise should result in Joshua’s confidence in his office. This promise is essential for Joshua’s future because there were many times when those who followed him questioned his decision making and resource management. Fortunately, Joshua had the privilege of seeing the Hebrews question Moses’ leadership even though Moses was simply following God’s directives. This fact coupled with God’s promise would steel Joshua’s resolve to lead. V5a “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.” Wow is that not amazing? God is declaring to Joshua there will be trials, but ultimately he promises that Joshua would come out triumphant. I would like to think this promise gave Joshua strength during the many battles that lay head. Often times we want to believe that because God is with us, the road would be easy. No, God did not even promise that to Jesus, but what God did promise to Joshua was that he would be victorious. What an amazing promise. V 3 “I will give you every place where you set your foot…” Here we see the promise of success. It is amazing that God would give such a powerful promise. Why? Because usually when humans know the outcome of the story we lose interest very quickly. However, neither a believer in Christ nor a Kingdom leader has the luxury of letting down his or her guard even for a second. Yes, God’s promise is sure, and he will give us the strength to succeed. But, this walk with God is a daily effort, and the leader must remember it’s not the destination that’s important, but the journey, which requires all our focus. All these promises affected both Joshua and the Jews. A leader who could hold on to these promises would directly affect them manifesting in the lives of those whom he or she leads. Therefore, the leader must first trust God for the promises in his or her own life before he can trust God for the promises of those whom he or she leads.

Leadership lessons from Joshua

Deuteronomy 34: 9 - 12

The Death of Moses

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, ¹¹who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. ¹² For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

It is conventional wisdom to follow in the footsteps of a great man or woman. It is even more common that a disciple follows in the exact same footsteps of his or her leader. However, this is not necessarily the case when it comes to leadership succession in the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom it is only essential for the follower to take on the core values of his or her leader, but it is not essential that the follower applies the same leadership methodologies to fulfill his or her call. The Scriptures make it clear that “…no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Thus, we see even though Joshua followed in the footsteps of Moses, he did not have the same relationship with God as Moses did. This fact does not diminish Joshua’s call or standing with God. Why do I say that? Well first of all because of Moses’ disobedience, it was Joshua who led the Hebrews into the Promised Land, not Moses. Secondly, Joshua’s role was primarily that of a General in contrast to Moses’ role that was primary as prophet and priest. And, lastly Joshua was not called by God simply to maintain what Moses developed, but to progress and advance. Joshua needed to relate to God in an entirely different way than Moses did. Moses’ primary job was to deliver the Jews, but Joshua had the task of fighting for the occupation of the Promised Land. Moses’ mission led to the revelation of God’s nature; Joshua’s mission lead to the confirmation of his nature. Even though the outcome was the same –the revelation of God—each had to do it within a unique context. And so it is within the Kingdom. It is wise to follow in the footsteps of a great man or woman. However, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to succession in the Kingdom of God. For the leader, “the changing times” may require a different methodology than the generation before it. In the Kingdom it is only essential for the follower to take on the core values of his or her leader, but it is not essential that the follower applies the same leadership methodologies to fulfill his or her call.