This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

It’s been a tough two weeks for Give Attention to Reading–computer problems and schedule conflicts abound. However, I think we’ve got it together enough to finish out this six-month trek through the New Testament. We are in our final month, wrapping up by looking at the writings of John. Thanks for being patient with us.

This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Today’s reading is John 19:1-20:31.

“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).

A disciple’s testimony. Evidence submitted for review and consideration. But submitted for an ultimate purpose. John, as tradition tells us, wasn’t simply telling us stories about some man. He was telling us about a Savior. He was telling us about the hope we might have of life. Over and over again he talked about the life we might have through Jesus. In fact, Jesus is the life.

I have been dead in my trespasses and sins. There is only one way to have life. That way is not to somehow pay for my sins. In fact, the only way I can pay for my sins is through my death. But Jesus has paid for my sins that I might have life if I will simply believe Him.

As John had just written, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 17:1-18:40.

“So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?’” (John 18:11).

How many times have I read Jesus’ prayer in the Garden? How many times have I noted that Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will”? And yet, saying that in a prayer is altogether different than actually following through with it. Here in John 18:11 I see that Jesus meant what He prayed.

It is easy to pray that God’s will be done in my life. It is a lot harder when I face the day and find that it didn’t contain the ease I had hoped. To be sure, many days are filled with obvious blessing from God. On other days, the blessing is blurred a bit. Those are the days that I have to ask myself if I really mean it when I pray that God’s will and not mine be done.

Today, I will drink the cup the Father has given me and respond simply by doing His will.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you today?

Today’s reading is John 15:1-16:33.

“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” (John 15:5).

What a promise. It is when I abide in Christ that I bear great fruit, surely a reference to the Spirit’s fruit in Galatians 5:22-23. For years I was trying to bear fruit on my own so Christ would let me abide in Him. It never worked. That only led to a ratrace of desperation, trying harder and harder but always coming up short.

What a great change of heart, mind, and spirit came when I realized that it worked the other way around. When I abide in Christ, He bears fruit in me. I don’t have to try harder to bear fruit. What I have to do is get into Christ, abiding in Him, in His word, in His love and allowing Him to abide in me. He will do the hard part of bearing fruit.

Today, I want to spend my time connecting to Christ. I’ll let Him bear the fruit.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 13:1-14:31.

“Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand’” (John 13:7).

I totally get where Peter was. Many things happen in my life and I wonder, “God, why on earth did you do that?” I needed to read this today. I don’t always understand why God does what He does. I don’t always understand what is happening in my life and how God can make it work together for good in His plan. I need to learn the faith Jesus was striving to teach Peter here.

I’m like a little child who doesn’t always understand what a parent does. However, in the years to come, I figure it out. How many times do I look back now and say, “Oh, that’s why my dad did such and such”? How many times do I do the same with God? How many times when I finally make it through the judgment by the grace of Christ will I look back and say, “Oh, that’s why God did such and such”?

I may not understand why today is going the way it is. I may not understand why God does what He does. However, today, I’m working on the faith to accept what comes from His hand and know that it is good and one day I will see that.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 11:1-12:50.

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (John 12:49-50).

Imagine that. Jesus, God in the flesh, God the Son, incarnate deity, would not speak on His own authority. That is,  unless He had authority from the Father, He did not speak. He did not go out on a limb saying, “The Father is silent about this, I will speak.” He did not cross the Father saying, “The Father has spoken against this, but I will speak for it.” He did not say, “The Father has spoken for this, but I will speak against it.” He spoke only what the Father authorized.

How much more should we?

But why?

Because what the Father has authorized is eternal life. Jesus was not trying to be legalistic here. He was simply recognizing that what the Father had taught and said was the way that worked for those who wanted eternal life. When we go out on our own authority that won’t lead to life. That way leads to death. God’s way works. Ours does not.

Today, I want to simply speak where God speaks and be silent where God is silent. I don’t want to step out on my own authority. I want to be like Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 9:1-10:42.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

I’ve spent so much of my time trying to explain what this passage doesn’t mean that I’ve often lost the great comfort it does mean. If I’m one of Christ’s sheep, hearing His voice, and following Him, I can’t be lost. I won’t stray. No one can snatch me out of His hand.

I don’t have to fear that somehow Satan is going to pull a fast one on me, trick me right at the end, get me out of Christ’s hand, then kill me. I’m a sheep of the great Shepherd. He is protecting me.

Of course, I’m not saying I’m perfect right now and nothing will keep me from being perfect. Rather, I’m saying that I’m growing in Christ and I don’t have to fear that Satan is going to stop that as long as I continue to follow the Shepherd. I don’t have to live in fear today that somehow Satan is veiling something from me or that somehow the people around me will keep me out of the fold. I can trust in the Good Shepherd who so wanted to save me that He laid down His life for me. I can put my eternal life in His hands. Where He leads is the way to go. I’ll just follow Him.

Today, I need to simply follow the Shepherd’s lead. I can’t possibly be lost if I do that.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 7:1-8:59.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Jesus did not say, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you right.” For far too long that is how I’ve read this verse. It was as if the issue was simply knowing the truth. If I knew the truth, I’d be right and that was better than being wrong. But the point of the truth is not just to know the truth. The point of the truth is to be set free from my sin.

When I know the truth, it will set me free. I need to learn the truth not to be smarter than someone else, righter than someone else, better than someone else. I need to learn the truth or I will forever be in bondage to my sins.

Thank you, God, for revealing your truth. Sanctify me by your truth.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?