Devotionary

Living water. What in the world is that? For some of us, our familiarity with these kinds of terms, found throughout the New Testament, makes us comfortable with them, but not necessarily aware of their meaning. They can become like so much white noise, spiritual-sounding words that have long lost their significance in our lives, if they ever had any to begin with. But when Jesus talked about living water, those who heard Him were taken aback at His choice of words. What was He talking about? What kind of water was He referring to? And Jesus’ choice of location and timing are critical to understanding the meaning behind His somewhat cryptic terminology. Chapter seven of John tells us that it was the annual Jewish festival called the Feast of Booths. Jesus had made His way into Jerusalem for this event and about halfway through the days set aside for its celebration, He appeared at the temple, and began to teach. He created quite a stir by claiming to be speaking on behalf God. His detractors accused Him of be

In John chapter six, we have the feeding of the five thousand – a very familiar story to most of us. By this time in the timeline of Jesus’ ministry, He has become a very popular figure. He is attracting large crowds, due to His growing reputation as a worker of miracles. News has gotten out that He heals the sick and performs miraculous signs. The rumor mills are churning out all kinds of information regarding Jesus, both true and false. And before long, He finds Himself being pursued by everyone from the merely curious to the deathly ill. He is attracting thrill seekers as well as God seekers. And one day, surrounded by a growing crowd made up of all kinds of people, Jesus issues a challenge to His 12 disciples. He presents them with a seemingly impossible conundrum that tests not only the limits of their financial resources, but their faith. Within the crowd that day were all kinds of people, each hungry for something. Each had a need, including the 12 disciples. And Jesus is going to address the root prob

I always find it interesting that there are those who refuse to accept that Jesus was the Son of God. They have always been around. They were there in Jesus’s day. And in each generation, these people always make the same claim: That Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God. Well, even if you want to refuse to believe that Jesus made that claim, you have to admit that the religious leaders of His day certainly thought He had. That’s the main reason they wanted Him dead. It’s the reason they accused Him of blasphemy. In fact, in today’s episode, based on John 5, we see the religious leaders seeking to kill Him, “because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18 ESV). But Jesus really wasn’t out to make a big deal of His deity. He was more concerned about His mission. He had no problem owning His divine nature, but He was far more interested in doing what He had been sent to do. He was out to do the will of the one who had sent Hi

The woman at the well. You’re probably familiar with the story. After all, it’s a classic picture of Jesus going against cultural norms and rocking the proverbial world of His day. He shows up at a Samaritan village and strikes up a conversation with a woman who is there to gather water. This was not a chance encounter, but a divine appointment. When this woman had gotten up that morning she never dreamed that he typical ho-hum day was going to include a visit with the Son of God. This story reveals far more than Jesus’ propensity to reach out to the less fortunate and the less-than-accepted of His day. He wasn’t just ministering to this woman’s spiritual needs, He was exposing the society’s addiction to anything and everything but God to meet its needs. This woman was a case study in humanity’s obsessive search for satisfaction and meaning. John chapter four provides a glimpse into mankind’s Don Quixote-like quest for identity, hope, purpose and love. Jesus would reveal that He was greater than anything this

Some of us have heard the phrase, “born again” so often that we can hardly stand the sound of it anymore. But how could something that used to have a rich and dramatically important meaning become so pedestrian to most of us? In today’s episode on the third chapter of John, we are going to hear Jesus use those two powerful words to explain something exciting and life-changing to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was searching for significance and risking his reputation by talking to this upstart rabbi from Nazareth. Nicodemus shows up at night, an indication that he wanted his encounter with Jesus to remain as incognito as possible. He started out his clandestine encounter with Jesus with flattery, telling him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for on one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” But Jesus doesn’t even take time to thank him. He simply starts talking about being born again. And this unexpected turn in the topic of conversation leaves Nicodemus dazed and confused. It

Would you like to have a glimpse of Jesus’ glory? At the very early stages of His earthly ministry, Jesus performed a miracle at a wedding. Not everyone noticed, but the disciples and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were probably well aware of what had just taken place. Jesus had come to the rescue of the wedding host, who had run out of wine for the festivities. Jesus had the servants fill casks with water and the He miraculously turned the water into wine. Not exactly a simple parlor trick. And John describes it as the “first glimpse of his glory.” This was just the beginning. There would be much more to come. And isn’t that what we would like to see? Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus would do a little wine-into-water action in our lives? But when we read these stories we fail to remember that Jesus has done something far greater in our world. He has turned sinful men and women, condemned to death for their rebellion against God, into children of God. He has brought the spiritually dead back to life. He has restored

Who was Jesus? There are a lot of opinions as to the answer to that question. Some say He was just another man, a good man, but a man nonetheless. Others say He was a great teacher and left us a wonderful example to follow, not unlike Gandhi or Mother Teresa. Still others claim He never existed at all. He is a myth, a figment of man’s fertile imagination. And yet, there are still those who believe Him to be who He claimed to be: The Son of God and the Savior of the world. The author of the book of John, also known as the Gospel of John, would fall into the latter category. And because the author of John was the disciple of Jesus who bore that name, He has some very strong and extremely personal opinions about who Jesus was and what He came to accomplish. John’s gospel is very intimate, providing us with an up-close and personal glimpse into the life of the Son of God. He will introduce Jesus as the Word of God, the co-creator of the universe, working alongside the Father and the Spirit to produce all that exi

Today, we begin a new study in the gospel of John. One of the things that sets the gospel of John apart from the other three gospels is its emphasis on Jesus’ deity. He gives the purpose statement behind his gospel in the last two verses of the final chapter: “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.” He wanted his readers to believe in the deity of Jesus. He was the God/Man, God incarnate. He was not just another rabbi, teacher, moralist, or martyr. Jesus was God in human flesh, who was sent on a mission by His Father to redeem man from the condemnation of sin and the penalty of death. He was the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ, who came to pay the penalty for man’s sin and offer His life as a substitutionary atonement for all those who believed. Belief will be a key word throughout the gospel, with the more t

With this episode, we’ll wrap up our study in 2 Corinthians. We’ll close it out by looking at the final chapter in the book, chapter 13. In it, Paul is going to demand that the Corinthian believers test themselves. He wants them to do some serious soul-searching to determine if they are really in the faith, or not. As we will see, Paul is not really questioning their salvation, as much as he is raising some serious doubts about the effectiveness of their sanctification. The problem as he saw it, was that their lifestyle wasn’t tracking with their profession of faith. Their behavior was not matching their belief. For Paul, life change was non-optional for the believer. True conversion brought about true life transformation. Spiritual maturity is to be characterized by increasing Christ-likeness. Transformation into the likeness of Christ is one of the primary byproducts of coming to faith in Christ. Paul was done having his authority as an apostle questioned. He was through letting the Corinthians raise doubts

Power in weakness. That is NOT a part of the American cultural mindset. Weakness is nothing more than what it is: weakness; and it is to be avoided at all costs. We are strength-addicted. We want strong bodies, strong portfolios, healthy and robust social lives, strong kids, strong marriages, and the protection of a strong military infrastructure, backed by a strong government that reflects our strongly held political beliefs. But, as we will see in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is going to take a dramatically different approach to life, finding pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and troubles. It would be easy to write off Paul as a man with some serious issues. He wasn’t realistic about life. Or maybe he didn’t really know what it was like to suffer. But Paul will make it perfectly clear that he was well-acquainted with sufferings of all kinds. He was the poster-boy of suffering. But rather than loathe the trials and tribulations of life, Paul saw them as unique opportunities to watch God work

In this episode, you are going to hear me refer to some events from an earlier period of my life, when this particular blog was originally written. They offer a historical record of a time when the circumstances of life seemed to be giving me a run for my money. But it just so happened that my time in the Word at the time when all these things were going on had me in the book of 2 Corinthians, and in this particular passage. It was timely, to say the least. Here, in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, I was given an opportunity to compare my sufferings with those of Paul. And it was not a fair fight. He won hands-down. But the amazing thing is that Paul was prone to brag about his sufferings, not whine about them. Instead of complaining about all that had happened to him in his ministry for Christ, he found reason to rejoice in the weaknesses his circumstances had revealed. Weakness is not something we tend to appreciate or even want to admit. Weakness is to be avoided at all costs, just like suffering. But for Paul, it

Is the truth really relative? Well, the truth is, many today believe that it is. They have listened to the enlightened ones of our day and bought into the notion that truth is subjective and the versions of the truth are as many as there are people on the planet. But that version of the truth is nothing more than a lie of the enemy. It stands against what God has claimed about Himself, that He is the God of all truth. It also stands against what Jesus claims about the Word of God, “Your word is truth.” But truth has always been under attack and it was no different in Paul’s day. So, in 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, we will take a look at Paul’s defense of the truth. He will expose the gullible, tolerant and undiscerning nature of the Corinthians believers, reprimanding them for their too-easy-acceptance of falsehood disguised as truth. It didn’t seem to matter if someone was teaching a different Jesus, a different gospel or a different Holy Spirit, they were more than willing to accept it as truth. And all to their

Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re almost all pacifists. I’m not talking about your opinion as to whether a country should go to war or whether a Christian should take up arms. No, I am talking about our unwillingness to speak out against false teaching in the church and to stand up for the truth of the gospel. We’ve become increasingly more politically correct, unwilling and afraid to say what needs to be said. We’re inherently non-confrontational, even when it comes to defending the truth of God’s Word. Here in chapter ten of 2 Corinthians, Paul is going to go on the offensive and deal with what he sees as a real threat to his ministry and the overall health of the church. He wasn’t some kind of fading wall-flower, too scared to speak up or risk rejection. The gospel was everything and he was unwilling to tolerate anyone who threatened its integrity and clouded its message. In the very next chapter he will accuse the believers in Corinth: “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if th

In chapter 9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul continues to deal with the sometimes unpopular topic of giving. For Paul, giving was not a dirty word, it was simply an expression of gratitude for all that God has done for us. God has been gracious, so why shouldn’t we be? God has given to us freely and richly, so why would we not be willing to share with others? Selfishness has no place in the body of Christ. A me-centered attitude is antithetical to all that Christ taught and the life that He modeled. So, for Paul, giving was to be a normal and natural part of the believer’s life. And what was amazing about the kind of generosity Paul describes is that God is the one who gets the glory, not the giver. Just as misuse of financial assets within the church can damage the reputation of God, our generous giving brings glory and honor to Him. The lost world is given a first-hand glimpse into the goodness of God through the goodness expressed by His children through their overflow of generosity to those in need. Jesus had told

Integrity. It’s a long-lost art. And sadly to say, even within the church, in some instances. And nowhere does a lack of integrity show up more regularly or egregiously than when it comes to the handling of money. And the same was true in Paul’s day. That’s why he takes time to assure the believers in Corinth that he is a man of integrity, who can be trusted to care for their financial gifts for the needy believers in Jerusalem. He had gone out of his way to ensure that their donations to the cause were going to get where they belonged. No skimming of funds for personal gain. No mishandling or cooking of the books. For Paul, this was about the integrity of the gospel more than anything else. Any mismanagement of the funds given to aid the church in Jerusalem would end up harming the cause of Christ and bring shame to the name of God. So, in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, we will see Paul assuring the Corinthians that he can be trusted. But, in a way, he is teaching them a valuable lesson on personal integrity. All th

Giving. It’s become a dirty word within the church today. We hate sermons that talk about giving. We can’t stand it when the church begins yet another giving campaign. It can almost seem like all the church is interested in is money. But in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, we are going to see the apostle Paul unapologetically broach the subject of giving. He isn’t embarrassed by it and feels no remorse for asking the Corinthians to generously and sacrificially give to meet the needs of others within the body of Christ – even those living in another part of the world. For Paul, the ultimate model for giving was Jesus Christ Himself, who gave His own life in order that sinful, condemned men and women might be made right with God. Paul describes it this way: “he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” So, why wouldn’t believers who have been richly blessed by Christ, be willing to sacrificially give of what they have in order to bless the lives of those in need? For Paul, giving was a privilege, not a

There is a kind of sorrow that is nothing more than feeling sorry for yourself. You regret what has happened because of something you have done. It has thrown a wrench into your life and made things difficult for you. It has resulted in alienation from others or even open hostility. You regret what you have done because you don’t like the ramifications. But then there is the feeling of sorrow over what you have done. That is something different altogether. That kind of sorrow is not tied to the ramifications of your actions, but to the action itself. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul is going to deal with just how vastly different these two kinds of sorrow really are. He will refer to one as worldly sorrow and the other as godly sorrow. And for the believer, there is only one option, because worldly sorrow lacks repentance. It comes with only regret. And regret never results in life change. At least not for long. So, Paul is going to give the Corinthians a brief, but important lesson on what godly sorrow looks like an

What does spiritual transformation look like? Is it measurable or even identifiable? For Paul, the answer would be a simple, but resounding, “Yes.” His life was proof of the inner transformation that Christ was bringing about within him. Talking about spiritual change proves nothing. Claiming to have a vibrant walk with God is great, but it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if that change doesn’t show up in real life. True spiritual transformation has physical and tangible manifestations. They’re visible and highly objective, not subjective. They will stand out among the crowd of posers and fakers. And Paul’s life was living proof. Even in the midst of trials and tribulation of all kinds, Paul was still sharing the gospel and giving his life to the cause of Christ. He faced rejection and ridicule with a stubborn resolve that was based on the belief that God’s power shows up best in the middle of our weakness. That’s why he could say, “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can wor

What’s your purpose in life? Why are you here and what is it you feel compelled to accomplish in the time God gives you on this planet? For Paul, the answers to those two questions were one and the same: To call people back to God. He was single-minded when it came to his life’s purpose, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had been commissioned by God to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that a lost and dying world might be reconciled to God. This wasn’t just Paul’s profession, it was his obsession. It drove his agenda. It motivated his every waking moment. He knew there was no more important task to perform in this life than presenting the message of new life in Christ to those who were dead in their trespasses and sins. It was job number one and he did it well. And as we look at 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, we will hear Paul express his deep-seated belief that this ministry of reconciliation was not his alone. It is the responsibility of each and every individual who calls themselves a child of God an

Goals. Some people love them, while others hate them. Some avoid them like the plague. But for the apostle Paul, he had one simple goal: To please God. Gone were the days of ladder-climbing and resume-building. He had no one to impress. He had no earthly achievements to pursue or temporal objectives to reach. For him, it was all about living his life in order to please the one who had called him. That’s why he could say that, whether he was dead or alive, his sole ambition was to please God. Today, as we look at 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, we want to get a glimpse into this single-minded outlook of Paul. It isn’t that he was against achieving anything in this life. It was that he had a long-term perspective that focused on the hereafter far more than the here-and-now. Yes, he was busy sharing the gospel and traveling near and far to make it happen, but he wasn’t out to be the best evangelist on the planet. He could care less whether he made a name for himself or got a lot of credit for all he had done. He knew ther