Category: Good Life Journal

Scripture:

Psalm 8 v. 3-4
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Observation:

When we consider the things that the Lord created, it humbles us. David is describing the Lord hand placing the universe, the heavens, stars, & moon,  and it moves him to consider his own status before God. What is mankind that you are mindful of them? Why would the Ultimate Creator, the one who has control over the Universe pay much attention to humans and even more shocking- that He would care for them?

Application:

Let’s take time to consider and meditate on who God is.

Look around at His creation. Give thought to the vastness of God and His supremacy over all. Pausing long enough to examine these things, makes me feel small. It should.

Then recall that He is mindful of us and cares for us. May that humble us, encourage us, and shape how we respond today in our call to glorify Jesus.

Pray:

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Your creation reveals your nature- beautiful in every detail. Forgive us Father, for how often we overlook the beauty of your creation. Be gracious with us when we miss it. Help us find joy in our “smallness” knowing that you are above all and still know us and care for us. Remind us that we were made by you and for you so that we may live to glorify you . Amen.

Scripture:

[14] At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

Observation:

Mary Magnalene was following Jesus for a while and knew him well, yet in the state of mind she was in, when she turned to Him she didn’t recognize Him at first – by sight or by His voice.  Not until He called her by her name did she then recognize Him.

Application:

No matter how well we know Jesus and how long we’ve walked with Him, there are times when we can be blinded by our sin, or by other things of this world, and not see Him even when he’s right in front of us.  We may be blinded by things like pride, grief, fear, or other circumstance.. who knows?  This is just a reminder that, regardless of our state of mind, we should always seek Him and His presence.  We need to pay attention to ways in which He speaks to us – through His Word, through circumstances, through prayer or worship, through His Spirit, or however you hear from him.

Prayer:

Lord I know You’re always with me, even if for some reason I don’t feel Your presence as I should.  Help me to overcome any barriers to knowing You are with me, and help me to always listen and know it’s You.  In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen.

Scripture:  

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished said (to fulfill the Scripture) “I thirst.” 

A jar full of sour wine stood there so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the sour wine he said: “It is finished” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  John 19:28-30

Observation:  

Beaten, tortured over a prolonged time; this beating known and insisted upon by the Jewish authorities and populous all the way to calling out for Jesus’ death by crucifixion.   The Roman governor, consistently saying “I find no fault in this man” bowed to political expediency and sent Jesus to be crucified.  And Jesus went “bearing his own cross.”

Redemption of the world came at so great a cost—the Innocent gave his life to be the Atonement for the Defiled—Me.

Application:  

Innocent–Something that the progeny of Adam cannot ever claim.  

There are so many metaphorical descriptions of Jesus but during this time coming into Easter one dominates: Lamb of God.

In the OT sacrificial system, an unblemished Lamb was sacrificed once per year to atone for the sins of Israel.  Purpose?  Hopefully there were some who recognized that this kind of sacrifice was temporary—it needed to be renewed every year AND there were other sacrifices for different things that took place with different animals.

Are animals innocent?  Sort of: they do not have knowledge of disobeying or being traitorous to the Most High God like Men have—so in that they are innocent.  Does Adam’s treason affect animals?  Scripture says that because of Adam the entire creation groans—until the revealing of the sons of God.

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pain of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies…” Rom 8:22-23

I use the phrase “Preach the Gospel to myself” a lot.  I use the analogy of the “face in the mirror” a lot.  There is purpose behind hammering these two phrases all the time: It is because if I don’t hammer upon them, I candidly forget them. 

I don’t really forget that Jesus died for my sins; I forget why he chose to. 

Easter then becomes a celebration without depth—if I don’t review the “why did he die for me?” often, then I take his bearing the wrath of God (meant for me) flippantly.  If I vigorously affirm John 3:16 but don’t reflect “yeah, but why did He do that for me?” I think I won’t fully comprehend at the End of Days why I would enthusiastically with tears and loud cries throw my crowns at his feet saying “Worthy are You, O Lord, only You!!” 

Jesus hung on a Cross, experiencing, enduring, and suffering physical pain.  That is in this temporal realm.  What did he suffer on the Eternal realm?  I write that because He bore the entire furious Wrath of the Holy God to atone for the Sin of the World.  I can’t imagine that a cross would have been so thorough for that.  Even so…as I finish this writing my head is bowed in shame and believe it or not, in grateful but somber celebration. 

Prayer:  

The repeated sin of Israel was they “soon forgot.”  Lord God, help me to remember your Mercy every day.  I can imagine to others it seems like dwelling on the somber side of things—but if I don’t remember the “whys” of Your Mercy, I fall away mentally and run into the shelter of my own self-sufficiency—where I don’t surrender to You daily.  I cannot remember on my own strength Holy Spirit—I need You.  AMEN.

Scripture:

John 18:4-6 – Then Jesus knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them,
“Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas
who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and
fell to the ground.

Observation:

Jesus was ready to walk into suffering. He knew it was coming. But he also knew that God had a plan that was being accomplished through it all.

Application:

There are many situations that we face, illness, death of a loved one, separation from someone we once
loved that we may not understand why we are going through or the timing but God can use this
situation for His glory. This can be an especially hard lesson if we have to wait on an outcome when we
think we have an answer. Then we can use our story for God’s glory. We can know that the
resurrection of Lazarus was a precursor to the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus loves us, cares for us and laid
down his life, defeated death so that we may believe and live.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your love, grace and mercy you have for me. Help me to be patient in difficult
circumstances to know you work things for your glory. Let me life my life answering yes to the question
that I believe you are the resurrection and the life.

Scripture:

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 17:1-3

Observation:

After Jesus finishes speaking to the disciples he now turns to speak to the Father. “The hour has come” is not just the hour that Jesus’ physical life has boiled down to but the hour of all eternity. The hour that was planned and determined before the foundations of the world. This hour’s purpose was and is to glorify Jesus. “To GIVE eternal life to all whom you have GIVEN him” “that they might know Him” Part of God’s plan to glorify himself is through giving us himself.

Application:

I think we can often times forget that this “hour” was about Jesus not us. Jesus is “The Great I Am” and we are “The Great Am Nots”. This isn’t bad news, in fact it’s the best news. Why? Because God’s main goal and our deepest need collide under the name of Jesus.   As we head into another busy week I challenge us to ask ourselves this question each morning: Are my intentions behind my actions today to make people notice me or to make people notice Christ?

Eternal life is that they may know Christ, not you.

Prayer:

Lord I am thankful today that you have given me yourself. I thank you that eternal life is not earned but given. Father forgive us for being obsessed with ourselves, for always wanting to be know, would you do a work in our lives so that our hearts desire is for others to know you.

Scripture:  

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.”  John 16:1

Observation:  

I wonder why the implication is that I have the possibility of falling away.  I thought “once saved, always saved?”  Why would Jesus say this? 

Application:  

The acronym OSAS is always a good argument starter. 

I say it that way because there isn’t much good debate, much less conversation around it.  A person is either for it or against it; OSAS is true or it is false.  When it comes down to accurate, objective, biblical study the answer is somewhere right down the middle. 

There is a substantial, experiential answer though and one that makes total sense; it drops the academic theology and has a simple, straight-forward definition:

Jesus said, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matt 24:13.

The writer of Hebrews clarified, “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end.” Heb 6:11

Paul told Timothy: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.  Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.  Persist in this…” 1 Tim 4:15-16a

I don’t think arguing/discussing OSAS is profitable.  I think that if a persistence on declaring that OSAS is right and the “law” of God, then maybe hope is placed on a slippery concept. 

Hope is always on the Cross, where daily I must go.  Recognizing His Atonement for the face in the mirror is a daily task, never dependent on one day in my past.  “But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” Lam 3:21-23a 

Every morning.  Kind of puts pursuing God in perspective, doesn’t it?  And shoos the OSAS discussion out to right field…

Prayer:  

Father, it is a pleasure and a struggle to keep my feet on the straight and narrow path of righteousness—especially to remember and recognize that path isn’t just about works; it includes the focus of my heart.  I do not want to fall away.  I do want to pursue you all my days.  Keep me, sustain me, Lord, to do just that.  AMEN.

Scripture:

“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” v. 3-5

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

v. 8

Observation:

In the last few moments and hours before His crucifixion Jesus is addressing his disciples, teaching once more about a vine analogy. Jesus knows His time is coming but there is an urgency in His disciples needing to know that He is and always will be the only source of life for which fruit can bear and God can be glorified.

Application:

Jesus spends time really honing in on the fact that we are nothing and can do nothing worth bearing fruit without Him. When we abide in Jesus the fruit is beautiful and splendor. In this life we are constantly fed lies and taught that if WE ARE a good person, if WE ARE hard workers, if WE ARE (fill in the blank) then WE ARE worthy of being glorified for bearing earthly fruit. But that’s not what Jesus says. Jesus says it is through HIM that we are able to do good acts, it is through HIM that we work hard, it is through HIM that true life-giving fruit is bore in this world. When we see and understand that we are living for the King of Kings and that we are NOTHING without HIM because HE IS the vine and life source, then we can start to glorify God in everything we do. Finally, Jesus says abide in Him. When we abide in, or act in accordance with, Jesus He will abide in us. He will give us true life. We aren’t called to be self-righteous. We aren’t able to bear fruit on our own, but through Jesus we can bear the fruit that this world so desperately needs.

Prayer:

Lord thank you for who you are. Thank you that you are enough. Your love surpasses all things of this world. Today and every day forward let us cling to you, draw us near so that we can be reminded that our life source is nothing this world has to offer but EVERYTHING that you offer through your death. Let us be the branch which bears fruit today, fruit that is altogether glorifying to the Father. Send us and have your way.

Amen.

Scripture:

Vs 8 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Vs 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? … How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Observation:

Jesus is having an incredibly intimate conversation about who He is and what is to take place.
Jesus speaks of His departure, but their separation will not be permanent.
And that Jesus and the Father are one.
When Philip asks Jesus to reveal the Father to them, the reply from Jesus is heartbreaking …

“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? …
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

This is toward the end of Jesus ministry time with the disciples, but Philip still didn’t … “get it”.

Jesus does tell them, however, to ask “in His name” and Jesus will respond “that the Father may be glorified in the Son”.

Application:

What a question to be posed by Jesus …. by name!
“Have I been with you so long … and you still do not know Me?!”
Quantity of time does not equal quality of time.
Philip had seen Jesus up close and personal for 3 years …
He had witnessed many miracles, heard the best teaching, and received unconditional love.

Yet, who Jesus actually was still wasn’t known. “Have I been with you so long … and you still do not know Me?!”

I’ve been following Jesus for decades, but how often could Jesus ask me the same question?

In my moments, or days, or months of frustration ….
When I want to cry out, “Lord, show me” … or more likely, “God, do something!”…
His reply could easily be, “Do you still not know Me?”

Philip wanted to be shown the Father, and said that would be “enough”.

Jesus ultimately did reveal the Father to Philip.
Jesus honored Philip’s request. It was a request Jesus wanted to fulfill!
Philip’s request was in line with Jesus “conditions” …

It was “in His name” and it was “that the Father may be glorified”.
Jesus said He will do “whatever I ask” … but it’s so easy to forget those “conditions” of the ask.

But these parameters of “in His name” and “that the Father may be glorified” aren’t really conditions as much as they are guardrails.

I couldn’t handle it if Jesus did “whatever I ask”.
An unlimited “whatever I ask” becomes turning Jesus into a genie.
I will worship a “lamp” instead of the “Lamb”.

Jesus’ “in my name” is a gracious protector against my “whatever”.
The more I know Jesus … the more I grow in who He … the more my “whatever’s” will resemble “in His name”.

The more I know Jesus, the more unreasonable, and even unconscionable, it would be to ask for anything outside of Who He is.

Prayer:

Thank You, Father, that You are good
Thank You that You reveal Yourself

Guide me and help me to request your will and your glory

In Jesus name

Amen

Scripture:

[23] One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
[34] “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Observation:

1) This was John speaking of himself but each disciple could have said the same thing – I am the disciple whom Jesus loves.

2) Jesus continually displayed His love for others.  Following the new commandment – to love one another as He loves us – shows that we are truly disciples of Christ, separating us from non-Christians and from those who hear the Word but the seed does not fall on fertile ground.

Application:

1) This is beautiful because we can all say this too –  I am the one whom Jesus loves.  That’s a wonderful feeling!

2) “Love one another. As I have loved you..” – This is not just loving others enough to share the Gospel and but lives, or loving others as we love ourselves, it’s a much higher standard of love – loving others as Christ loves us.  This love is a choice, it feels the pain of others, it is unconditional and it is sacrificial.  This is a high bar and speaking for myself, I can tell you that I sometimes find it difficult to live up to that standard.  Even with my failures, as I try to be more and more like Jesus, I’m committed to try and love others as He loves us.

Prayer:

Lord thank you for loving us as You do.  Thank you that I can say I am one you love.  Help me to love others with the same consistent, comprehensive, sacrificial love You have for us.

Scripture:  

(Jesus said) “Truly, truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it…and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves me he must follow me…and where I am there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves me the Father will honor him.”  John 12:24-26

Observation:  

What act of worship is surrender?   What does “dying to self” really mean?

Application:  

The chapter began with a tale of celebrity: people came from all over to see Jesus and his rockstar sidekick, Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha.  Martha is running around serving and Mary is weeping over perfume.  The authorities plot to kill Jesus even while his reputation and celebrity grows.  After a parade there were some Greeks that wanted to see Jesus—and understanding that Gentiles were being reached and time is running short, Jesus had some more hard things to teach the Disciples. 

Christianity has so many things that are counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, so far out of society’s norms as to be a “head-scratcher” cubed.

Take “dying to self”: In a society where I am encouraged to be all I can be; to have it my way;  and look to be satisfied in every respect—surrendering and giving up my will is presented to be pretty wimpy.  And yet my Lord indicates that I must put my own desires aside and embrace His Will….for what?  Oh, nothing much—Eternal Life, being with Jesus, getting kudo’s and back slaps from the Father of all Creation.

The reason this is so hard is because folks like me are not wired that way from birth.  In fact I inherited the “me, me, me” gene from my great-great (to the 40^th power or so) grandfather, Adam.  That “gene” is the Original Sin.  “I will do it, stay out of my way…” is one way it manifests in me.

Jesus is the Atonement for Sin.  Sin is something I do but sin is also written in my DNA.  I need Redemption.  I need to be Transformed.  In geek speak I need my Operating Code rewritten—and Jesus made that happen when I surrendered, when I was converted.  His rewriting of my Operating Code is why I am a New Creature in Christ—old things are passed away and (look out!!) all things are new.

So, dying to self, surrendering to Jesus has now become easy-peasy?  Wrongo.  It is a fight every single day.  I have to pay attention to surrendering because if I don’t it is too easy to fall back into the habitual reflexes I have honed very well from my birth to the present.

Surrender isn’t only a mindset born from the “will of man” (see John 1), it is foremost an act of Worship.  Laying my will, my wants, my attention and anxieties, my ambition, and all the other “my’s” at the foot of the Cross is an everyday Worship event.

Prayer: 

Lord God, you see the struggle I have every day to surrender and what conflict it raises in me.  There are times I am frozen in place because I want to act and I don’t have a clear understanding of what or how to act and please You.  Take my current struggle Lord; help me understand what to do and give me peace—peace as only You can provide.  AMEN

Scripture:

John 11:4, 25-26, 35 – (4) But when Jesus heard this it he said, “This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so the son of God may be glorified through it.” (25-26) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (35) Jesus wept.

Observation:

Jesus, upon learning of Lazarus’ sickness delayed going to Bethany so his compassion and glory could be revealed through the resurrection of Lazarus.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life and all who believe in him will have everlasting life. Jesus has compassion and identifies with our pain and suffering.

Application:

There are many situations that we face, illness, death of a loved one, separation from someone we once loved that we may not understand why we are going through or the timing but God can use this situation for His glory.  This can be an especially hard lesson if we have to wait on an outcome when we think we have an answer. Then we can use our story for God’s glory. We can know that the resurrection of Lazarus was a precursor to the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus loves us, cares for us and laid down his life, defeated death so that we may believe and live.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for your love, grace and mercy you have for me.  Help me to be patient in difficult circumstances to know you work things for your glory.  Let me life my life answering yes to the question that I believe you are the resurrection and the life.

Scripture:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  3  To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:1-3

Observation:

What door is Jesus referring and where does it lead to in verse 1? Well what does He say in 7? “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” The cultural context of what a sheepfold looks like also helps us paint an image of Jesus’ analogy to these people. The sheepfold was a place where homeowners would gather their sheep near their house and have a gatekeeper protect them from thieves and robbers.

Application:

The sheepfold is being in community with God and community with God’s people and Jesus makes it clear how many different routes one can take to enter: 1.

Jesus portrays the gospel so clearly here. He goes on to say in verse 9: I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved…”

Lastly, let us soak on the words in verse 3 for the day: To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. As we head into a busy week let us be reminded that God pursues us and does it personally. BY NAME and LEADS.

With a week filled with “to do” lists let us focus on “being”, being sheep and allowing Jesus the gatekeeper to lead us.

Prayer:

Lord I thank you for pursuing me. I thank you for leading me. I thank you for laying down your life so that I may know you, for making a way to be in community with you. Father remind me today that the cross was enough and fill me with your everlasting joy as I head into this busy week.

Scripture:  

Jesus heard that they had cast him (the formerly blind beggar) out and having found him (Jesus) said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  (The beggar) answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you.”  He said, “Lord I believe,” and he worshipped him.

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world “that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind.”” 

Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to (Jesus) “Are we also blind?”  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind you would have no guilt; but now that you say “We see” your guilt remains.

John 9:35-41

Observation: 

It is very cool that Jesus healed the blind man.  However, He did that to make a point.  Am I a Pharisee because I see?  Or because I say “I see…”?

Application:  

If I am ever going to learn from the Scriptures I need to look at and find the purpose or principle behind what He says.  Sometimes that is very difficult and I think that I have fallen into the trap of looking for something that isn’t there.

Like fishing sometimes trolling on the surface works and other times the bait needs to run deep.  Surface is easy; deep waters are tougher to get a catch from. 

The single statement above:  “For judgment I came into this world “that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind…”” can be puzzling.   So what can this mean?

I am not a biblical scholar but I think I have to go back to a principle from Ps 119: “I will delight in your statutes” (v16); “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” (v24); “When I think upon my ways I turn my feet to your testimonies” (v59), and; “The unfolding of your words gives light; It imparts understanding to the simple” (v130).

So here is what I think: 2 principles.  1) He is God and I will have no other gods before me, and; 2) I am, at my core, a treasonous person to the Trinitarian Creator of all things, my eyes full of “me.”

If I truly consider my ways I will realize I am blinded by my self-absorption with the face in the mirror.  That was the issue with the Pharisees in this passage.  Because they asserted “we see” they proved they were blind to the Son of Man and all Jesus means.

The “we see” phenomenon is why I need redemption and salvation only found in Jesus’ act of atonement.  This is the Gospel that I should preach to the face in the mirror every day because every day in some way I forget the Gospel. 

Always go back to the Doctrines of Grace, the Precepts and Principles found in the testimonies of the Most High—maybe the Word of God will unfold under these strong foundations.

Prayer: 

Lord God, thank you for dropping insight into my heart about this.  I will be thinking upon this for a long time I think, trying to smooth out my understanding of your Word in John 9.  AMEN.

Scripture:

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Observation:

In John 7, we see the feast of booths taking place. One of the big elements of this feast is light. Each night candles are lit to serve as a reminder of God’s past deliverance and future hope. After this festival is when Jesus makes the statement, “I am the light of the world”.

Application:

The light doesn’t take the darkness away it exposes it. As we follow Jesus’ light the darkness is exposed around us and, most importantly, in us. If we walk in light, we can’t simultaneously walk in darkness. As we follow Jesus, he brings our darkness to light not to shame us but to sanctify us. His light leads us, comforts us, and convicts us so that we may be made more like Him.
If Jesus is the light of the world, no one/nothing else is or can be. It’s either Jesus or darkness. May we continue to press into the light that gives life and not retreat back to the false security of darkness.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you that because of Jesus we have hope and we have life. Fix our eyes on the light. May we not be
deceived by darkness disguised as light but continue to follow the true light that is Jesus.
Even when darkness falls around us may we continue to press in.