Psalm 66:18 & John 8:47 - Failure to communicate

The other day during a conference, a single friend of mine was pleasantly surprised to be seated next to a very handsome man. They flirted casually through dinner, then grew restless as the speeches were given. During one particularly long-winded lecture, the guy sitting nest to my friend drew a # sign on a cocktail napkin. Elated, she wrote down her phone number. He looked startled for a moment, then drew another # sign, this time adding an X to the upper-left-hand corner.

Sometimes we have a failure to communicate.

Psalm 66:18

If I had cherished sin in my heart,

      the Lord would not have listened;

John 8:47

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Listening and hearing are the lock and key of communication. How do we know God is listening? Can I hear God when he is speaking to me? According to these scriptures, if there is sin in our heart, God will not listen and if we are not hearing him, we need to examine if we actually belong to God. Have we given his life to him? How about you? Do you belong to God? Have you repented and been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the holy spirit? If not, please do so today.

Lord, thank you for offering us salvation, listening to us and allowing us to hear you. Please help those who have not decided to be your child to do so today. Amen.

  

John 16:23b-24 - Specific communication in Jesus name

Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

When we are communicating with God and we have needs for ourselves and others, there are some guidelines we are given. First we need to be specific in our prayers. The other day our preacher saw Bubba and asked, “What’s wrong, Bubba?” Bubba said, “I need you to pray for my hearing.”  The preacher put his hands on Bubba’s ears and prayed. When he was done, he asked, “So how’s your hearing?”  “I don’t know,” said Bubba. “It isn’t until next Tuesday.”

Well, I guess the idea here is that we need to carefully communicate our needs to the Lord. When we do, we can more clearly see what his answer is. As this scripture states, we must ask in the name of Jesus Christ. According to John 14:13, when we do this, God is glorified.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to come to you with requests. Please help us to ask in Jesus name so that you may be glorified, Amen.

John 16:23b-24 - Ask in Jesus' name

Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In our study last night, my sisters and I were talking about deliverance from a stronghold. We talked about the many times we have asked God to remove this stronghold in our lives. We understand that God may actually let this be in our lives for many purposes and it may not be something he "heals" us of until we are made perfect in heaven. But then I remembered this verse. When we pray and ask God for something, are we asking in Jesus'name? We often say "In Jesus' name, Amen" at the end of the prayer, but are we truly asking in his name. I'm not even 100% sure what that means, but it is definitely something worth more thought and study.

Lord, thank you for the gifts and help you give us. Please help us to make our requests to you in the right way and with the right spirit. Amen.

John 6:8-9 More about Andrew

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  

Andrew and his brother must have been very close. Not only was Peter the first person Andrew told about Christ, they lived together. Mark 1:29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Since Simon’s mother-in-law lived there I would assume Simon's wife lived there also. Possibly there was more extended family. Again, we see the importance of family with this set of brothers as with James and John.  

It also appears that Andrew was a resourceful, responsible person. He was the one who found the fish and loaves when Jesus fed the five thousand. John 6:8-9 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,  “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” He served as a messenger in John 12:20-22 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.  

In Acts chapter one, Andrew is listed as present for Jesus ascension into heaven and the choosing of Matthias as an apostle. There is no other mention of Andrew in the BIble. but we do have some further information from church history and tradition:

From what we know from church history and tradition, Andrew kept bringing people to Christ, even after Jesus’ death.  He never seemed to care about putting his own life at risk. It is believed that he was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras which was on the northern coast of Peloponnese which was in Greece.  Given the fact that he was likely crucified there, he must have, like many of the other apostles, went well beyond Judea to bring the gospel into all the world as Christ had commanded (Matt 28:19-20).  Church historian Eusebuis wrote that he may have brought the gospel to as far away as Kiev which is now part of Ukraine.  It’s interesting that he was crucified like Christ but in the pattern or shape of an “X” which was often a Christian symbol and is now known as St. Andrew’s cross because it was said that Andrew, like his brother Peter, considered himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as Christ was.  He was crucified close to 70 AD.  Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-apostle-andrew-biography-life-and-death/#ixzz4WdL6zlb7  

Andrew was the first apostle. He was often one of the inner circle with Jesus, probably mostly because of his brother, Peter. He was a steady, consistent member of the Apostles.  

Lord, thank you for using all kinds of personalities and temperaments. Please help us to allow you to use us no matter what our personality is like. Amen.

John 1:40-41 - Andrew the first

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 

Andrew is Peter’s brother and an apostle, and honestly, Andrew is not known for much else, According to John’s gospel, Andrew is the first apostle to to officially follow Jesus. He is the first one to sit at Jesus’ feet for a day, then he excitedly went to tell his brother. With Peter playing such a large role in the story of the church, it is neat to see his brother get to be the first one to officially follow Jesus.

 Lord, thank you for examples like Andrew, who is not a person in the spotlight, but his role is still important and needed. Please help us to give all to you, regardless of our role.

Luke 9:54 - James the windbag

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”

In three verses in the gospels, James (and John) are shown in a not so flattering light. In Mark 3:17, Jesus calls them both Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”, I did a little research on this name and "sons of thunder" may not be a perfect translation for Boanerges. It may means something closer to Thunder Boys or Bunch of Windbags or Busy Lowing Oxen. No matter the translation, it wasn't good. In Luke 9:54 (above) the brothers are bold enough to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village. First of all, that is not how Jesus rolls. Second, they have the audacity to call down fire from heaven. Elijah, a prophet, is the only person in the Bible who does this. The third verse is in Mark 10:35-37 when James and John ask to be at the right and left side of Jesus in glory. Jesus and the other apostles did not take kindly to this political positioning from the brothers.

The last mentions of James in the Bible restore him as a great man of God regardless of his shortcomings.  Acts 12:1-2 states :It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. James was faithful to the end and in Galatians 2:9, he is esteemed as a pillar of the church.

Lord, Thank you for giving us examples of imperfect Christians. Please help us to grow and improve in our manner and conduct. Amen.

John 15:13 - Thank you to those who serve

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Thank you to those who serve in the US military.

Lord, thank you for the people who are and have served to protect our country, Please keep them safe and successful and help us to never forget their sacrifice. Amen.

Exodus 25:8-9 - Where does God live?

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

Where does God live? We usually say in heaven, but he lives in other places as well. In Exodus, God gives very detailed instructions about how to build a tabernacle. At this time, God dwelt with his people in this sanctuary he had them build. This was part of the instructions for the Jews. Today, If we are a Christian, God lives in us, in our hearts. (John 14:17, Ephesians 2:22) When I pray, I don't think about God being in some far off place, I think about him being right here inside of me, ready to listen.

Lord, thank you for coming to live in our hearts. Please help us to remember that you are living inside of us and to allow your light to shine out from us. Amen.

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Revelation 4:8b - Prayer, going into the presence of God

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

In Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, the authors were given a glimpse of heaven, but for most, entering the “presence” of God is basically prayer. One way to construct our prayers is with the following four, key elements. First praise God. One might quote, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” You may also sing praise songs, repeat phrases of praise you have heard or compose words of praise. Next ask for forgiveness from sins citing any recent offenses or areas of temptation. 1 John 1:9 states “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Third is a time of thanksgiving. Thank God for all he has given, for specific things, and especially for sending his Son deliver us. Last is an opportunity to come to God with requests. When we make requests of God, we must do so in the name of Jesus Christ. John 16:23b-24 states, “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” Going into the presence of God is a humbling experience, but time could not be spent in any better way.

Lord, thank you for allowing us to come into your presence. Please help us to speak to you in a worthy manner. Amen.

Jesus, The Word

(I wrote this lesson for a ladies class I am teaching this week.)

Jesus, the Word

Jeremiah 9:20

Now , you women, hear the word of the Lord;

open your ears to the words of his mouth.

Word, Said, Say, Tell, Told, Speak, Spoke, Truth, Testify, Testimony, Witness, Command, Hear, Language, Cried, Written, Answered, Prayed, Taught, Listened

As I was reading through parts of John studying for this lesson on Jesus as the Word, so many words popped out at me. Any word that had to do with speaking and language really came to my attention. It made me realize that Jesus as the Word is a much larger concept than I had first realized.

We usually think of the Word as the Bible, but the Word can also be thought of as the voice of God.

1. The Word as the Voice of God

In my simplified human terms, I like to think of the Trinity as a person. God is the mind, Christ is the body and the Spirit is the the soul. We think of a person as one who has all three, yet they can function somewhat independently. If the body is the physical manifestation of a human, then language is a part of that physical manifestation. Christ is God's physical manifestation. Therefore, the Word or voice of God is part of that manifestation.

According to John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind.

So, this physical manifestation of God we call Christ was with God in the beginning of the world. Genesis 1:2 says “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” So, there He is as evidenced by God's voice. His voice, which is Christ, spoke the world into existence.

The voice of God, which we can call Christ, is heard through out the old testament. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. God told Noah to build the ark. He spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. He spoke to various judges, kings, and prophets of Israel. Many of these are prefaced with “God said” or “the Lord said”, but sometimes, especially to the prophets the phrase used is “the word of the Lord.”

In the gospels, we have the Word, or the voice of the Lord spoken through the physical being of Christ Jesus. I love a red letter edition Bible which highlights the actual words of Jesus. Beyond this there are a few visions including Peter's vision, Saul on the road to Damascus and the Revelation revealed to John. But the Word is continually spread and active.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

During this time and today, I believe we can still hear God through the Spirit. We also hear his physical voice through the Church which is the Christians who are now the body of Christ in this world and through the written word, the Bible.

2. The Word as the Bible

Exodus 34:27 reads,

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.

Joshua 24: 25-26 reads,

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

God made it clear he wanted the words he spoke recorded along with the stories and linage of his people.

This quote from an article called How We Got the Bible from the Focus on the Family website does a great job of summing up how the Bible was written.

...human writers were inspired by God and moved by the Holy Spirit to record accurately what God wanted them to preserve. It does not mean God took control of people in the sense of some occult practices known as automatic writing, where the writer is in a trance-like state. It also doesn't mean the writers of the Bible were simply taking dictation. But it does mean that their words were divinely inspired and recorded. The Bible was written by real people, living in real places, recording real historical events, and also communicating God's real truths.

The Bible is a living, breathing document. It is the Voice of God, a part of the body or physical manifestation of God. It is Jesus.

Last Sunday a friend from college visited. It was such a great visit and connected perfectly to this lesson. Sharon is part of a Wycliffe Bible translation team in Senegal, the most west country on the continent of Africa. She told us all the steps involved in translating a passage of scripture. It is so detailed and laborious, it reminded me of the scribes, sitting and copying the Bible by hand. Accompanied by copious amounts of prayer, it is translated back and forth into multiple languages and read by many people to make sure the original meaning is imparted. We wondered, wouldn't it just be easier to teach them English? She said “Everyone deserves to hear the Bible in a Language they can clearly understand.” Since Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the New Testament was written in Greek, translation was part of the original writing of the scriptures. Although it is labor intensive, the Word of God is alive enough to be translated into any language (and culture) and retain it's original message.

So, what is the purpose of the word? Why does God need to speak to his creation?

God speaks to us to show us his love, to guide us and to instruct us.

3. The Word as our Teacher

Without the Word of God, we would be lost. We would simply exist without purpose, filling our lives with whatever we think makes us happy. We do have the Word, but so many people don't accept it and live this way.

In John 17:6-8, Jesus is praying for his disciples.

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 reads:

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

James 1:21-22

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Psalm 119 is incredibly long; 176 verses, but I challenge you to read it. David loves the Word. He delights in it. Here are a few passages.

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.11 I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.16 I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
    for I have put my hope in your laws.74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.114 You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
    let no sin rule over me.147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.172 May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.

Our instruction and teaching from the New Testament is a little different from the Laws of the Israelites, but the purpose is the same. Our goal is to live with God and bring glory to his name.

John 1:14 states:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There are many facets of the concept of Jesus as the Word. Three of these are The Word as the Voice of God, the Bible, and our Teacher. What are some other ideas relating to Jesus as The Word?

Ultimately, all of this helps us to understand why words and language are so important to us. Words are so powerful. I am reminded of the song “Words” by Hawk Nelson. I would like to share the lyrics wth you.

They've made me feel like a prisoner
They've made me feel set free
They've made me feel like a criminal
Made me feel like a king

They've lifted my heart
To places I'd never been
And they've dragged me down
Back to where I began

Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

You can heal the heartache
Speak over the fear
God, Your voice is the only thing
We need to hear

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

I wanna speak Your love
Not just another noise
Oh, I wanna be Your light
I wanna be Your voice

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts
Or put it out

I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

John1:17

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

Today's world Bible School lesson was about the old and new covenants. the following are my comments to a student answer.

I find that so many people I talk to don't understand the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Understanding this difference is really fundamental to understanding the Bible. I have talked to friends who point out some of the strange commandments in the Old Testament and yes, they are right there are some strange commandments. But today we are not under those laws. We are under the law of Christ. I think of it as the way we bring up our children. When our children are very small we make very clear rules for them,  they simply have to trust us and obey us.  But as they get older they have to make decisions on their own and they aren't just following our rules anymore. With my son I use this phrase "trust, obey, do the right thing". As a toddler my child just simply had to trust me and obey me. I knew what was best for him. But as he gets older he will do the right things for the sake of doing the right thing. When he's little I tell him to clean his room. If he trusts me he will do it because I told him to.  As he gets older I am hoping that eventually he will learn to keep it clean just because it's the right thing to do, not because his mom calles him everyday and tells him to clean his house. I think it's the same with God. In the first covenant, the Israelites were given very clear instructions. The people had to trust him and simply obey God. Now we still trust and obey him, but the New Testament gives us guidance to doing the right thing.

Lord, please help us to do the right thing. Amen.