Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 John 20:30-31

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 20:30-31, where John closes this chapter by sharing his heart that people read his letter and believe.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Building on my post yesterday, God wants to save as many as possible, so He reveals Himself through Creation (general revelation) and specifically in His Word, through the Holy Spirit, and through others (church, other believers, etc.) - this is referred to as special revelation.  John, as Christ's ambassador, was given a mission to share the gospel through His books (including 1-3 John, Revelation) and the general theme is to save through faith in Christ. Salvation gives us life both now to the full (John 10:10), and for eternity. Read the Bible and encounter God. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: All people seek purpose, but often seek purpose in earthly pursuits as these become idols in place of God.  Believers are tasked with sharing the gospel and by demonstrating God in them through love of others.  God's Word plays a key role in this mission, and God also commands us to love others and to be a light so that others are drawn to Him as a contrast to the darkness of this world (without God). Be a light to others.     
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid seeking purpose above God - we exist to bring glory to Him.  Claim the promise that Jesus gives us life now and for eternity.  Follow the example of John to share the gospel and by being a light to others.  Read the Bible, know and love God and in response love others to be a light.    

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus for Your Word so that I can know You, love You and love others.  I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Genesis 25, 27, 30, and 32

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

I continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Jacob: Wrestling with the Past*".

*Title of lesson three from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day three starts with Max Lucado emphasizing that "God blesses us in spite of our lives and not because of our lives." God knows all about Jacob's past yet He still blesses him and gives Jacob a new name - a new name that is more symbolic of who Jacob is in God's eyes. Lucado then wants us to see how Jacob focused on knowing God's name (Genesis 32:29) and that with each encounter (or wrestling match) with God, Jacob's name for God evolved as he better understood God's character.  Ultimately, as Jacob gets older he sees God as his "shepherd" and "the Angel who has delivered [him] from all harm" (Genesis 48:15-16). 

For me, this morning, my takeaway is that we are encouraged to "wrestle" with Him - check out this awesome post at DesiringGod.com. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and whom I have seen and significantly encountered many times in my life and I am grateful for each and every encounter as my love for You as grown - I know You exist and You have blessed me in so many ways I cannot even list all of them here.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I worry and I have many other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 Genesis 25, 27, 30, and 32

 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

I continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Jacob: Wrestling with the Past*".

*Title of lesson three from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day two starts with Max Lucado discussing how Jacob wrestles with God and Lucado indicates that once Jacob recognizes that he has encountered God, He seeks God's blessing and that this is a bold ask.  We are encouraged to approach God boldly in our interactions - not in an arrogant manner, but in a manner where we know that God is all powerful and He is capable of doing anything - assuming it is His will.  Lucado points us to Ephesians 3:

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12

Lucado then wants us to look at how God has left reminders (physical or otherwise) for us to remember the encounters we have with Him. 

Finally, as part of today's review of Jacob's story, we are encouraged by Lucado to see how Jacob's request to be blessed can be distilled down to a simple matter for God to settle: "God, do I matter to You?"

Lucado points us to the following verses:

• John 1:12 (NCV)
• Romans 8:15-16 (NIV)
• 1 John 3:1 (NLT)
• Ephesians 2:19 (NLV) 
• Galatians 4:7 (NIV) 
• Isaiah 49:16 (NIV) 
  

All of the above verses underscore how we DO matter to God, and how believers are part of God's family.

I am encouraged to be bold in my interactions with God.

Discuss and comment on this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and I know I matter to You...deeply.  I am part of Your family - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift...my sin continues, including worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message to me today and every day.

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

1 Kings 17

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.” v24

The Lord is in control (Colossians 1:16-17) and everything He allows or does is for a reason - that He be glorified and His children are rescued.  Israel is deep in sin (King Ahab has been worse than those before him (1 Kings 16:30) and God causes a drought (v1).  Out of this drought, the Lord brings Elijah to a widow and her son for food.  She has little but gives what she has and learns how God provides.  This is reinforced as God uses Elijah to heal the widow's son (v19-23).

This process of how people know who God is and how He works is a lifelong process. I don't know what happened to the widow and her son but I suspect that they sought God and God continued to reveal Himself to them as they grew in maturity in their love of God.

This interaction with Elijah reminds me of Jesus' interaction with the woman the well where a Samaritan woman encounters the promised Messiah.

We must all move beyond knowing that God is real to truly seeking Him and growing in Christ.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God[.] Hebrews 6:1

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who continues to reveal Himself...daily!  Thank You Jesus for always being there and providing for me, guiding me, healing me, protecting me, etc.  I am not worth such love.  I am often harsh with my words and actions. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.