Rise Again

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?””
John 11:23-26 NLT

Another “I AM” statement from Jesus. This time it was “I am the resurrection and the life”. To rewind a little, though, Jesus said this in response to Martha’s faith-filled assumption that her brother was going to be resurrected “at the last day” or at the end of time. She obviously felt that it was now too late for Lazarus to rise there and then because he was dead and buried, and had been in the grave for four days. But she had faith that there would be a day sometime in the future when he would rise again. 

Jesus followed His statement about being the resurrection and the life by assuring Martha that anyone who believes in Him will live even after death, and in fact they will never die in the first place. And there was then His poignant question of Martha, “Do you believe this ..? It is a question that is universal and timeless in its reach. God sent His Son to redeem wayward humanity once and for all, and all they have to do is answer a truthful and enduring “YES” to His question.

How could Jesus make such a statement about being the resurrection and the life? Jesus, being the Son of God, spoke out the reality and truth that He was and is the resurrection and life. Death has no power over Jesus, and neither does it have any power over anyone who believes in Him. In Jesus there is life, and life eternal. 

Jesus told Martha “Your brother will rise again”. Jesus had previously told the crowd in the Temple, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:40). It was taken as read that there would be a day when the dead were resurrected, though there was a group of Jewish leaders, the Sadducees, who thought otherwise. But with the benefit of the Holy Spirit’s revelation to the early church and the Apostles, we know a bit more. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:23, “But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.” We believers know that one day Jesus will return, and we will “rise again” to join Him. There are several interpretations of Scripture about the order of events, but through Jesus all believers in Him will be resurrected and then live forever. There is no other way, except through Jesus because he is the Resurrection and He is the Life. 

Dear Father God. Once again we pray for all those around us who have been deluded into thinking that they will meet up with their loved ones in Heaven after they die. Please help us communicate to those around us that it is only through faith and belief in Your Son Jesus that Heaven will become a reality. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Extraordinary Faith

Posted on by korgrocker

“Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.””
John 11:18-22 NLT

The scene couldn’t have been clearer. Lazarus had died and was in his grave. In those days a doctor wasn’t needed to certify his death because the people in Bethany just knew that he was dead. They had dealt with the rituals necessary before interment. The body had been washed and wrapped in scented cloths. There was no doubt and it was so real and certain that we read in John’s account that many people from Jerusalem, just a few miles up the road, had come to Bethany to offer their condolences to Lazarus’ two surviving sisters. Not even the Pharisees could have had any doubts about Lazarus’ demise. Lazarus and his two sisters must have been well known in the area and had many friends.

While Jesus was still on the road approaching Bethany, “Martha got word that Jesus was coming”. So she went out to meet Him, and gently rebuked Him for not coming earlier, when He could have perhaps saved Lazarus from death. But then Martha made an extraordinary statement – “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask”. That is faith. Martha had no doubts about Jesus and His identity and powers.

Do we pilgrims have faith like Martha’s? Faith that expects miracles to happen when God shows up in our human situations? Of course, we mustn’t expect to see dead people rise up out of their graves just for the sake of it. Jesus had the power to raise Lazarus and return him to life, but He wouldn’t have done that without a reason, and that was because He wanted to bring glory to God and prove to the Pharisees once and for all that he was who He said He was. John 11:4, “But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”” 

Reading on in John’s Gospel, we find that Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:12-14). We pilgrims apparently have tremendous power at our fingertips, but Jesus introduced a caveat by saying such miracles performed in His name will bring glory through Him to the Father. That certainly happened in the case of Lazarus. 

God is loving, merciful and compassionate, and He will often bring about miraculous events in answer to prayers. I can personally testify to His healing power, and I give God all the glory for what he has done for me, and on more than one occasion. And what was about to happen in response to Martha’s faith and Jesus’s desire to bring glory to His father, turned Judea upside down.

Dear God. We pray for more faith like Martha’s, faith that will see amazing works and will give You all the glory. Amen.

Graveyard Dead

Posted on by korgrocker

“So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.”
John 11:14-17 NLT

A pithy, out-of-the-corner-of-his-mouth, comment from Thomas to the other disciples perhaps made them chuckle, but it illustrated the underlying fear that they felt about returning to Judea. Not a sensible decision was their thought because Jesus had, not so long ago, left there under the threat of being stoned to death for what the Pharisees considered was His blasphemous teachings. The Pharisees couldn’t dispute the miracles but they violently objected to Jesus’ claim that He did them in God’s name. But Jesus was on a mission and nothing was going to stop Him returning to see His friends. While Jesus and His disciples had been away, Lazarus had become more and more ill, and had finally died. His distraught sisters made the arrangements for his burial and it was in a tomb, probably hewed out of rock, and sealed by a stone placed over the front, that Lazarus’ body was incarcerated. In those days a body was washed and wrapped in a long length of cloth complete with spices before it was buried, and Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days before Jesus turned up. 

After death bodies start to decompose, a process in which the cells, starved of oxygen, start to break up and dissolve, and the naturally-occurring bacteria in the body go on a feeding frenzy. In cold climates the process takes a while, but in a warm place like Israel, decomposition accelerates. So after four days, Lazarus’ body was well beyond any form of recovery, even through the most advanced medical techniques available today, let alone two thousand years ago. So to everyone present in Bethany, there was no doubts about Lazarus being dead. Graveyard dead. Modern claims that perhaps Lazarus wasn’t really dead but had just fainted or was comatose, denies the intelligence of the people in Bethany. They knew that dead means dead. 

It is a fact of life that everyone one day will die. It was Benjamin Franklin who apparently uttered the phrase “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes”, a rather sardonic observation that continues to apply today. But no matter how hard people try, and how much they spend on surgical or medical remedies, everyone will die one day. We all will have to face it. To many people the thought of death is to be avoided for as long as possible. Perhaps they suddenly face the reality at a loved one’s funeral or on a hospital visit. So before it is too late, it is advisable to do things like make a will, or take out life insurance, protecting our loved ones and leaving a legacy in line with our wishes. Some people even organise their funerals, picking songs or hymns, and so on, but in the end there is an end to a person’s natural life.

It is sad that people generally give no thought to what happens after death. According to the Bible, after death our bodies die but our spirits live on. On the cross next to Jesus’ a thief was told by our Saviour that he would soon be with Him in Paradise. Obviously his body wouldn’t go there because, after the custom of that time, it would have been disposed of on the rubbish heap in the Valley of Hinnom, a place where executed criminals were thrown after death. So our spirits live on and end up either in a place of comfort – Heaven – or in a place of discomfort – Hades. Jesus told the story of the Rich Man and another man called Lazarus, who was a poor beggar who sat at the Rich Man’s gate. After they both died, the poor man, Lazarus, was comforted “in the bosom of Abraham” but the Rich Man ended up in a place of torment. We can read the story in Luke 16. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord”. He had no doubts where he was going to end up after he had died.

So when we die our bodies are discarded and our spirits end up in a holding place. Lazarus was “graveyard dead” and we can assume that his spirit was in one of them and probably the place of comfort. The issue for human beings is about where their spirits (souls) go when they die. We pilgrims have a message of hope for a future with Jesus. We mustn’t keep such good news just to ourselves.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your promise of eternal life with You. Please help us to share it with those around us, people with ears receptive to the truth. In Your precious name. Amen.

Lingering Doubts

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.””
John 11:11-15 NLT

Did Jesus have a sense of humour? I can just imagine Him chuckling to Himself with the thought of what He was about to do. But in the meantime He was perhaps teasing His disciples a little. They probably struggled a bit to keep up with all that their Master and Lord was doing, and they took what He said at face value. Quite correctly, they pointed out that if Lazarus was sleeping then he was on the mend and would soon be up and about. But Jesus then dropped a bombshell – Lazarus was dead and He, and His disciples, were going to go to Bethany to raise him from the dead. That was the only conclusion the disciples could draw. And Jesus added that if the disciples had any lingering doubts, then this was going to blow them away. Only God had the power to raise someone from the dead.

There were several occasions when the disciples displayed their doubts over their faith and Jesus’ power. There was that time when Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on the Sea of Galilee towards Jesus. We can read the account in Matthew 14, “Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”” (Matthew 14:28-31). Then there was the time when Thomas received the tag “Doubting”. John 20:24-28, “One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!””.

Do we pilgrims have any doubts over our faith? If we are honest with ourselves then the answer must be “Yes”. There are dark times when we gaze up into the heavens wondering why there is no answer to a prayer or an anguished cry for help. These are the times when all we have to rely on is our faith and the memories of previous times of wonder when God brought about a miracle in our own lives. I regularly think back with a grateful heart to such times as those. But sometimes we echo the cry of the father whose son was demon possessed. We read in Mark 9:23-24, ““What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!””

Sometimes our minds find themselves wandering through corridors of human reason and logic, and can soon find themselves in a cul-de-sac of doubtful thoughts. But at such times as these, we pick up God’s Word, the Bible, and read it. “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). In God’s presence all our doubts will disappear like the mist before the morning sun.

Dear God. Your peace is precious and we can receive it every time we feel doubts start to rise. We are so grateful. Amen.

In The Dark

Posted on by korgrocker

“Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.””
John 11:7-10 NLT

The disciples were enjoying their time of rest, away from the maelstrom of aggression and threats that Jesus was enduring in Jerusalem. And then Jesus told them that they were returning to Judea, to a place called Bethany quite close to the very place of danger He had left just a few days before. In their logic, they could see no reason why they should return, because Jesus had told them, and presumably the two sisters as well, that Lazarus wasn’t going to die from his sickness. But then Jesus said something cryptic, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” In a natural world, there was less likelihood of danger in the daytime, when it was light, than when it was at night, when it was dark. In daylight we can see where we are going and can avoid obstacles in our path, but the same obstacles would trip us up if we couldn’t see them in the dark. But who was the Light of the World, if it wasn’t Jesus Himself? In John 8:12, we read, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”” The people in Israel enjoyed the presence of the One who brought God’s light to their world, but there was a time coming when the light would no longer be with them, plunging them into darkness.

There was a day when we pilgrims suddenly experienced a transition from darkness into light, a day when we received Jesus into our hearts through repentance and belief. Ephesians 5:8-9, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true”. Darkness, in a spiritual sense, is associated with sin and evil, something that Paul was very much aware of when he wrote, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them” (Ephesians 5:11-13). The apostle Peter used the same analogy – 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light”. 

We pilgrims are torch bearers for our King, Jesus. He reminded us of our duty as His followers in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father”.

Being in the light is a favoured place for believers in Jesus. People are drawn to the light because it can bring a sense of security and peace. In the dark there are all sorts of horrors, real and imagined – just ask a child. When we go about our business in our families and communities, what do they see? A dark cloud bringing darkness, depression and misery, or a light bulb bringing cheer and God’s presence, illuminating their lives? Hmmm…

Father God. Through Your Son Jesus You brought light to this world. It must have grieved You deeply to find that so many people chose to remain in the darkness of their wickedness and sin, but we pray that the light we have through You will radiate like beacons throughout the communities in which we live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus Had a Plan

Posted on by korgrocker

“A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha …. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.””
John 11:1, 3-7 NLT

John’s account in his Gospel doesn’t provide any details about the nature of Lazarus’ illness, but events could have developed in the following way. One day Lazarus was a healthy young man, carefree and enjoying life. Then he started to feel unwell. A fever developed and he became too ill to get out of his bed. The fever started to get worse, and he drifted in and out of delirium. His poor sisters became very worried, and spent their time in shifts, dealing with his personal needs, wiping the sweat from his brow. Trying to get him to drink. After a few days, he became comatose and still. Barely breathing. The fever raging on. In the middle of all this the two sisters sent a message to their friend Jesus, an anguished call for help. He didn’t come to heal their brother, but perhaps He instead sent a comforting message to Martha and Mary, that Lazarus was going to be alright.

Jesus received the message but He decided to stay where He was for another couple of days. If He was still at the place where He went to after His previous hassles with the Pharisees, He was still near Jericho and not too far from Bethany where Lazarus and his two sisters lived. Jesus, however, had a plan. Lazarus’ sickness was an opportunity for giving glory to God and His Son, Jesus, and His plan was that “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death”. So rather than rush to his friend’s bedside, Jesus stayed away for another couple of days. And then there came the moment when He decided to travel to Bethany, in Judea. 

As the story unfolded, the backdrop to one of Jesus’ most momentous miracles was starting to build. This was a miracle that indeed brought glory to God, but it also sealed Jesus’ death warrant. So the story of Lazarus has remained in Scripture as an important milestone on Jesus’ journey to the cross, and our journey to salvation. It was an event that was faith building for His disciples, and is the same for us, His modern disciples, today. There are no doubts in our minds. John’s account lacked details, but that in a way makes it even more authentic. The events in Bethany changed John’s life, and he wrote much later “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). John was convinced about Jesus’ divinity and never wavered in His faith in Jesus. He went on to write, “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). John did his utmost to leave a legacy underpinned by the reality of Jesus, and his writings have endured the passing of time to bring that message to everyone who dares to pick up a Bible and read it. With John today, and countless disciples since, we give Jesus all the glory, all the praise, and all our thanks and worship. Forever.

Dear God. We give You all the glory for the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Thanks You. Amen.

A Brother With Two Sisters

Posted on by korgrocker

“A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.””
John 11:1-3 NLT

Chapter Eleven in John’s Gospel introduces Jesus’ friends, Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. They lived in a place called Bethany, a village located about two miles from Jerusalem on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. So it was quite close to Jerusalem and someone walking from there would take about forty minutes. We know little about the three siblings, but a story was about to unfold that had earth-shattering consequences. The account in John doesn’t appear in the other Gospels, although references to Mary and Martha do. But we do know that Jesus was friends with this small family unit, and probably stayed with them as often as He could. 

We know a little about Mary, because she “poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair”. John 12:3, “Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” And we know a little more about the two sisters from the account in Luke 10, where Martha bustled around preparing a meal for all the hungry guests – Jesus and His disciples – while her sister, Mary, chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to His teaching. This is a well know story often referred to today, with some women identifying either with Martha or Mary in the course of their Christian journeys.

Lazarus became sick. With what we don’t know, but it was important enough for his sisters to send a worried message to Jesus. But the picture emerges in our minds of this ordinary Israeli family, living in a house large enough to accommodate guests. Lazarus and his sisters were probably at the younger end of the age spectrum, but there is no mention of parents or other relatives. Circumstances conspired to leave them, apparently reasonably well off, as three siblings living together on their own. John provided just the bare minimum of facts about this family unit, leaving us to try and fill in the gaps. 

But we pilgrims can relate to the concerns of being ill, and especially if a person close to us is unwell. A parent with a sick child. A wife with a sick husband. A Mary and Martha with a sick brother. Part of life as a human being living on Planet Earth is having to deal with sickness. This wasn’t God’s plan when He created the human race. Instead, we live in a world corrupted by sin, and under the power of the “god of this age”, and because of that we will experience illnesses, all the way from a common cold through to the ravages of cancer. When Jesus came He offered eternal life to all who believed in Him. This wasn’t an infinite natural life extension but eternal spiritual life. Yes, there were well documented occasions, such as in the account we are reading today, when Jesus healed the sick and even raised the dead. Today, there are still miraculous healings that take place through God’s servants and these are all down to God and His compassion.

There was a bond between Lazarus, Martha and Mary that was strong and able to withstand what would be coming to them in the days and weeks ahead in John’s account. But we pilgrims need to be on our guard because the devil excels in breaking up families, and especially Christian families. The devil will want to destroy anything that God has created and ordained. We know from Genesis 2 that God ordained marriage between a man and a woman – “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one” (Genesis 2:24). From the man/woman union comes a family, and family life, and two of the Ten Commandments confirm the importance of the family. The sibling family residing in Bethany were perhaps unusual, but they demonstrated a familial bond that was important.

In a spiritual sense, we are part of a much larger family, made up of the children of God. The devil will want to divide and conquer the church of which we are a part, so we need to be on our guards. And that is the message today as we explore the account of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, and what was about to happen in Bethany.

Dear Father God. You designed the family unit and put within us Your family dna. You too are a part of a family unit, together with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We pray for our families and know that even if we aren’t in a family unit, You are there with us. We are so grateful. Amen.

Escape to the Jordan

Posted on by korgrocker

“Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptising and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.”
John 10:39-42 NLT

The tone of John’s account is remarkably downbeat, factual but unemotional and, at times, a bit short on detail. There was Jesus, apparently in the middle of an antagonistic and aggressive crowd, who were wanting to stone Him because they considered His claims about Himself to be blasphemous – “Once again the people picked up stones to kill him” (John 10:31) – yet He was able to escape arrest, walking away and leaving His aggressors behind. And Jesus didn’t have far to go. The exact place where John the Baptist was baptising in the Jordan is debated amongst archaeologists, but the consensus seems to place it about five miles North of the Dead Sea, no more than twenty or so miles from Jerusalem. So Jesus didn’t have far to go before He found a place of safety. John’s account records that “many” followed Jesus there and “many” believed in Him.  Away from the legalistic and aggressive crowd in Jerusalem it seems people were more able to listen to Jesus, see His miraculous signs, and come to a belief in Him as the Son of God.

We pilgrims know how difficult it can be, to share the Good News about Jesus with several unbelievers all at the same time. They tend to hold each other back and even resort to ridicule or more aggressive responses. But on their own, without peer pressure, people can be more receptive. The devil has indeed blinded the eyes and stopped the ears of those who otherwise would be open to hearing our testimonies of hope in Jesus, for a future with Him in eternity. Much of our evangelism is focussed on helping people move a little closer to a belief in Jesus, without finally hearing the big “Yes” to become a follower and believer in Him. But the people in Jesus’ day were pre-armed by John the Baptist, who pointed the attention to Jesus, and they remembered what he had to say. John 1:29-30, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me’”. John the Baptist was well respected by the people and they listened to him.

We pilgrims must always take advantage of the occasions where we find a chink in someone’s anti-God life and provide an opportunity to communicate the love of God. There are many lonely or depressed people around us, who have no solution to their misery. The pressures of life have worn them down, and they desperately need to hear Good News, but they turn on their televisions and find even more depressing news and images of distress that contribute to their own problems. Such people would, however, rather turn to hedonistic activities to try and dull the pain, or they try and find a “god” in activities such as alternative religions or practices such as Yoga. They end up seeking medical solutions with pills that treat their symptoms rather than the cause behind them. They may even engage in public demonstrations for lost causes instead of focusing their human efforts towards God, because we know that there is only one Person who has the remedy for their suffering and that is Jesus. The people in our families and communities need to see and feel the love of Jesus and we may be the only people who can help. 

In Jesus’ day, the people were drawn by His miracles. In our days, miracles are not quite so obvious but we can tell about the miracle we experienced on that day when we came to believe in Jesus. But there came a time when Jesus had communicated all that He could and it was time for Him to find a place of safety where He could find rest and recharge His spiritual batteries. If Jesus needed to do that then how much more must we, His followers, who are not immune from the pressures of life just because we are believers. We too need to find a place perhaps right back at the beginning when we were baptised. That place when we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. That place when we heard the voice of Jesus saying “come”. And when we arrive there His Spirit will once again flush away the stains of this world, resourcing us for our journey towards the promised land. 

Dear Father God. On our knees today we offer to You all the praise, all the worship and all the glory. Amen.

The Father’s Work

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
John 10:37-38 NLT

Father God was, and is, a worker. His activities never cease, and He considered His work to be “very good”. Genesis 1:31, “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day”. We can’t even start to imagine the extent of the work necessary to create the universe, and ever since then God has continued to work in His creation. The devil came to frustrate and destroy God’s work by bringing evil and wickedness into this world but God had a plan right from the beginning, a plan that involved His Son, Jesus.

Jesus’ coming to this world was very much a part of God’s creative work, and He told the crowd before Him that the evidence of His Father’s endorsement of Jesus as His Son, was contained within the miraculous works that He performed. And if that was not enough, after Jesus’ baptism by John, a public declaration from Father God was heard, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy”” (Matthew 3:17). But regardless of all the evidence before them, the people still refused to believe in Jesus.

What was the work that Jesus was undertaking on behalf of His Father? In John 17:4, Jesus’ prayer included this verse, “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). So everything that Jesus did in His short life brought glory to His Father. All the teachings, all the miracles, the training of His disciples, even the death on the Cross – all Jesus’ work was the implementation of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Those years spent in the carpenter’s shop were preparation for the ministry years still to come. And there came a point when Jesus could say that His earthly work was complete. 

In His last post-resurrection days, Jesus delegated to His disciples the work necessary for the building of His Kingdom and the Church. And that has continued over the centuries since, and still goes on today. We pilgrims are spiritual descendants of the first disciples, and we also are working in our families and communities, to continue the Father’s work. One day it will all be completed and God will declare that His work is “very good”. What a privilege we have, to be part of God’s workforce, employed in the service of our King. 

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for the work that You have delegated to us. We pray for Your guidance in doing it. In Your previous name. Amen.

Know the Scriptures

Posted on by korgrocker

“They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.”
John 10:33-36 NLT

More clear speech from Jesus. Faced with a situation where the people around Him wanted to kill Him because He claimed to be the Son of God, a blasphemous claim in their eyes, Jesus pointed out what was written in Scripture. Jesus quoted a verse from Psalm 82 – “I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6).  But the Psalmist, under the power of the Holy Spirit, then wrote, “But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler”. Of course, these references to “gods” were not assigning the recipients some form of divinity, but God was pointing out through the Psalmist that anyone who has some degree of control over another, such as a judge or someone in a position of authority such as an employer or civil servant, has a power that is godly (note the small “g”). And God then included a warning that such “gods” will themselves be accountable for their actions. Such judges were perhaps referred to by Paul in Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God”. Jesus was saying if those who hold a divinely appointed position can be considered “gods,” how much more can the One whom God has chosen and sent be the Son of God.

The Scriptures, what we believers refer to as the Old and New Testaments, are a rich and limitless source of information, all of which was inspired by the Holy Spirit through over 40 authors and over a period of 1500 years or so. The more we pilgrims read the Bible, the more we find out about God, and what we don’t know about Him. We can read a passage of Scripture one day, and then find more from it at a subsequent reading. Such a divinely inspired book is unique and it connects us to our Heavenly Father, inspiring us, and touching our spirits with His love and grace. Sadly, many theologians over the years have interpreted the Scriptures in certain ways and have veered away from God’s original intentions. This is how cults have developed, and some have even changed the Scriptures to suit their beliefs. 

But we pilgrims are committed to the Bible and all it contains. We take seriously the warning at the end of Revelation, “And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Instead, we agree whole-heartedly with Peter’s words in his first epistle, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment” (1 Peter 2:2). The “pure spiritual milk” constitutes God’s complete, special revelation, encapsulated in what we now know as the Bible. So we pilgrims read the Bible and re-read it, feeding our souls on God’s Word. There we will find peace, purity and food for our souls. There is no other religion in the world that has a God who died for us so that we can have eternal life. All the other religions expect works to take place, so that our place in eternity is earned. We pilgrims are saved purely by grace. There is no other way into God’s presence.

Dear Father God. Only You have opened a door into Your presence. Other religions fail to find it, no matter what they claim. So we fall on our knees before You today, in grateful worship. Amen.