Loving my brothers

 S :  1 John 3:     (NASB)

13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his [g]heart [h]against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will [i]assure our heart before Him 20 [j]in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence [k]before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

O - John here is speaking to believers in the new church and letting them know how they will be treated by the world and how the world will know that they are of Christ.  It is by love and sacrifice that brothers will be know,   those that love their fellow Christians as they love and care for themselves and their families.  They will know us by our hearts, if God's truth and word abides in our heart,  He is capable of helping us lead a righteous life, and whatever we ask from a pure heart He is good and faithful to provide.

A -  The application for me is to focus on loving my brothers and loving my neighbors.   In both cases there will be challenges and those I delight in, but through Christ I shall learn to love them all.   I need to stay connected to God and the Holy Spirit to cleanse my heart of all unrighteousness, and pray for the things I need to love my brother and neighbors.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for todays revelation, may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I pray you would cleanse me on all unrighteousness, and give me a renewed heart to love my brothers and my neighbors.    I pray for peace of mind and physically wellness so that I may see and love those you are putting before me.

This is the day the Lord made, I shall rejoice in it

 S - Psalm 118:10-  (NASB)

All nations surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished as a fire of thorns;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
13 You pushed me violently so that I [d]was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
14 [e]The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.

15 The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
17 I will not die, but live,
And tell of the works of [f]the Lord.
18 [g]The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to [h]the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.
21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is [i]the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O Lord, do save, we beseech You;
O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
Bind the festival sacrifice with cords [j]to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
You are my God, I extol You.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

O - Sometimes scripture does says it all plainly and clearly and there is no need for interpretation.  Psalm 118 is one of those scriptures which speaks plainly and communicates my heart.   It reveals who God is and reveals Christ to us as well.   It also reveals the heart I have to praise the Lord and rejoice in His goodness in my life.  It serves as a reminder to who he is, my savior, my redeemer, my strong tower, my friend.   

A -  The application:  This is the day the Lord made, I shall be glad and rejoice in it!  I will come in the name of the Lord into my workplace, my home, my community and serve God and what he is doing cheerfully.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your word through the psalmist.  This is my heart felt feeling to who you are in my life,  I pray that you remind me frequently to reflect on these words and be glad to be walking under your watchful eye and covering.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Walking in the Truth and the Light of Jesus

 S -  1 John 1: 6-10   (NASB)

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

O - This revelation that John is sharing with us is of the truth of who we are now that Christ has come.  Now that He has come we can have a relationship with Him and we can walk in the Light (or truth).    It also means that our sinfulness can be cured as well; we need only acknowledge our sin and turn from it and Christ is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and forgive us our sins.  This is the Good News.

A -  The application for me is to walk in the Truth that when I walk with Jesus I can be guided by His truth and will understand the path of righteousness.   I have to acknowledge my own frailty and be washed by the blood of Christ so that the affects of sin won't weigh me down and I can walk in righteousness, loving God and loving others.  This truth will permeate through my whole life and I will be transformed day by day into Christ's likeness.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your Truth,  I pray that I would be able to walk in your Truth all of my days.  I pray Lord,  that you would forgive me of my sinful past, and help me to walk righteously.  I pray that you would heal my mind and body so that I can always hear and know your truth, and not get lost in the affects of this world.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 

Loving and following Christ

 S - John 21:15-17

  (NASB)

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you [f]love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [g]love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you [h]love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [i]love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you [j]love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you [k]love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I [l]love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

O -  In this  interaction between Peter and Jesus,   Jesus is helping Peter to understand Jesus' love for Him and the calling that Peter will have.   At this point in time Jesus had already shown himself 2 other times after his resurrection, but had not had the one on one talk with Peter about his denying Jesus 3 times.   This likely weighed heavily on Peter as he had declared in the garden of Gethsemane that he would follow Jesus even unto his death.    I believe this three times repeated question was intentional to relieve Peter of his guilt and re-affirm him in his calling.

A -  The application for me is to recognize I too have denied Christ in my sinful and shameful moments. I believe Jesus words and actions with Peter are for me today also.   Do I love him?  The answer is yes, I do, but I still fall short.   Yes but do I love him?   Yes I do, but I have been disobedient.  Yes, but do I love him.  The answer is yes, and I keep coming back to Christ when I fall short and look for how He desires to change me and give me a purpose.

P -  Dear heavenly father, thank you for the message today.  May it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would heal me of my past, and reveal to me your planned future.  Lord I love you with all my heart, mind, and strength.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Jesus and the His Kingdom

 S - John 18:33-37    (NASB)

“Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this [j]on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom [k]is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [l]of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

O - Jesus is speaking to Pilate when Pilate asks if He is the King of the Jews.   Jesus knows this is the truth but wants to show Pilate it is not He who proclaims He is the king of the Jews but God and God's people who reveal this.   But then He reveals the real shocking truth, His kingdom is not on earth, but in heaven. He is there to lead God's people to a restored eternal life with God.

A - The application for me is to realize I am a subject under Jesus' reign, and that His kingdom is in Heaven, and He has prepared a place for me.   This world is fallen and falls short of the glory of Heaven, but it is the place God has us now.   We are to live, knowing the truth of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven.  We can enjoy the wonder of God's creation, the relationship with people here on earth, but we should long for what lies ahead, an eternity with the Father in Heaven, and fellowship with Jesus and God's people.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for your grace and peace.  I pray this revelation of your kingdom and your restoration would be my daily reality.   Help me to long not for things of this world but of heavenly things like a deep relationship with Jesus, and a sharing of the good news that Jesus has overcome the world.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Jesus my Lord, Savior, friend

 S - John 17:6-12     (NASB)

6 “I have revealed you[a] 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. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

O - I love this paragraph on Jesus describing those God has given Him on earth to follow Him and be a part of His team,  His disciples.  He speaks of them with great respect, thankfulness, and caring.   While Jesus is the savior of the whole world, those He enters into a relationship He truly loves and cares for.   It is personal for Him.   He prays specifically for God the Father to protect them and keep them safe and with Them.

A - The application for me is to recognize I have the same genuine relationship with Jesus.  I have made Him my Lord and He has made me His friend.   I know He will never give up on me, and even when I am wandering and lost in the troubles of this world, He is praying and interceding for me.   

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that I may walk in the peace and confidence that you are my Lord, Savior, and friend.   I pray that you watch over me as I learn to live with this new revelation of my mental health and fragility.  Give me knowledge and wisdom on what to do and how to avoid the troubles I have faced before due to my illness.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

My counselors - Jesus in Heaven and the Holy Spirit on Earth

 S -  John 16:4-11   (NASB)

“I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me,[c] ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 [d]And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: 9 sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

O - Jesus is speaking here to his disciples before he is about to be taken and crucified.  He knows what is to come, and that his sacrifice will be the way for God's people back to Him once and for all.   But to His disciples they only know that they follow Jesus and love Him, not what He is going to do for them and whom He shall send to them to help them after Jesus takes His place on the throne of God at His right hand.  The holy spirit is crucial for the mission the disciples will face in bringing the good new to the world.  Not only will it provide them with conviction and correction,  it will give them knowledge and truth that they are to speak to witness to God's love and grace.

A -  The application for me is to recognize that though I was not a disciple who got to walk with Jesus,  I stand in the same benefits that Jesus promised them.  First I have Jesus as my advocate with God the Father, and because of that I am restored to a relationship with him , despite my past actions.   Second I have the Holy Spirit to guide me to live a life of righteousness.  I have all I need to live a God honoring life here on earth,  I merely need to remain in connection with the Trinity.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you continue to guide me, especially in this season where I am learning more about the disease that I am living with and the wanting to walk in your will for my life.  I pray Lord you give me wisdom and insight into how I am to live in this new season.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.