John 9  It is interesting that John gives us a whole chapter about this amazing miracle.. and none of the other gospels cover it at all.   "And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth." 

We learn from this passage that this was not an ordinary blind beggar.  He was able to converse with the Pharisees clearly and boldly as they questioned him. He was kicked out of the synagogue without concern and worshipped Jesus joyfully.  The Words of Jesus had changed everything in his life. 

It was the disciples that thought the blind man was being punished for either his own sin or his parent's sins and that was why he was blind.  Jesus said, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him." 

Imagine being that young man. Perhaps all of his life he had felt the shame of his blindness. Perhaps he had known anger that this was his lot in life.. maybe even blaming his parents or himself.  The lies of Satan often cause us to blame sickness and disability on God.. it is not so!  No matter what situation we find ourselves in.. Jesus is ready to display the "works of God" in us.  It does not always mean we will be completely healed.. but it does mean that God can be glorified in every one of us when we open ourselves to His work. Father, do Your work in us today!

 Jesus took some dust from the ground, spit on it, and made it into clay.  Just as Adam was formed by the Lord's Hand in Eden, Jesus formed this clay and applied it to the eyes that had never seen. "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." He told the man.  He went, washed, and "came back seeing." !   Ever wonder how he knew where to go and how to get back?  This was an unusual man in many ways. 

We are never told his name, but his testimony is so powerful.. 

"The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed by eyes.. so I went away and washed, and I received sight." (v11)  he tells his neighbors. 

".. one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." (v25)  he tells the Pharisees. 

" Lord, I believe." (v38)  he tells Jesus. 

He understood the Truth.  He believed the Truth. He chose to abide in that Truth.. a life changed by the Light of the world. 

The Pharisees wondered.. for a minute.. if they were blind. "We are not blind too, are we?" they asked Jesus.  If only they could have confessed the truth.  If only they would have received Him.  They would be able to see.. they would have no longer remained in their sin. 

Jesus said, " We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work. While I am in the world I am the light of the world. " (v5)  His work is to open blind eyes. To bring light.. to give life.  His Words are life changing, light bringing, earth shaking.  We have those words to share with others.. Lord, help us to be faithful to share this with those still lost in the darkness. 

Father, we willing choose to abide in the Word.. in Jesus Christ.. Whom You sent to bring us Life.  Be glorified in us.. we are the work of Your hands. Amen. 

 John 8:31-59 "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." 

The key to everything.. to all Truth.. to all Life.. to all that is of God.. is the Word.  The Logos - the living voice.. the essential Word.. The Word who" became flesh and dwelt among us"  Jesus instructs us to "abide" in His Word.. abide in Him.. remain in Him, continually,  for in Him is true freedom. 

The Jews didn't even want to admit that they were not free!  They were living under the authority of the Romans.. they had been slaves for 400 years in Egypt..  They had been taken captive by Babylon.. and worst of all they were slaves to sin.  They lied straight into the face of Truth.. and lied to their own selves. Satan, the father of lies had them so blinded that they could not see the Truth, nor could they hear the Words of Jesus. Our world is much the same today.. who today would confess that they are slaves and not free?  America the land of the free and the home of the brave?  huh.  See the faces of those addicted to drugs..immorality.. money.. fame.. Will they admit that they are slaves and not free?  O Lord, help us! Open the blind eyes and the deaf ears!

Jesus said that they were not of God. That is why they could not hear or understand Him. There was only one hope for them.. they must come to know the One who alone knows the Father.  Not Abraham, not Moses, not the prophets.. only Jesus! 

"If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."  Jesus was sent by the Father.. to honor the Father.. to speak the Words of the Father.. to do the work of the Father.. to be glorified by the Father.  He came to bring Truth, to set us free from sin and death, to fulfill the Father's will. 

This is the Word we abide in.. the word that makes us true disciples. The Word that is Life.. 

Father in heaven, once again I'm brought before this amazing Truth.. that You sent Your only Begotten Son so that we can believe on Him and be saved.. eternally alive with You.. I am  overwhelmed by the height and depth and width and breadth of Your great love for even me.  I will. I want to.. . I determine to .. abide in Your Word.. in Jesus Christ.. the Truth.. the One who has set me free from sin and death.. All glory and honor to Jesus Christ and to our Mighty God and Father forever and ever. Amen 

 John 8:12-30  Jesus tells them.. and us.. Who He really is. He speaks only what the Father has told Him to speak.. He acts according to what the Father has done.  The statements He makes in this passage are truth.. a foundation for our faith in Him.

 "I am the light of the world, he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (v12) 

 Light and darkness.. from the beginning this has been the work of God. Light is not produced by man's efforts.. it is from above.. from the Word of God.. spoken into being.  Jesus came from God and went back to God.. He was not on His own.. but sent from the Father.  The Father testified.. bore witness of Jesus.. by His Spirit upon Him.. by His Word spoken to them.  Jesus said that if they knew the Father they would also know Him.  But.. if they refused to listen to Him they were refusing the testimony of God the Father too. 

This is Truth that we need to hear.. really hear!  The unbeliever will "die in [his] sin".  There is not a clearer statement. An unbeliever cannot go where Jesus has gone. An unbeliever does not know God... and he does not know Jesus. This is darkness. 

Jesus spoke the Truth. He spoke what the Father wanted Him to say.  The Father sent Him to say these things so that people would believe and be saved.  "Abide in MY word.. "  He tells them.  Abide in Truth spoken by Jesus Christ and find life. Find freedom. Find the Father. 

This is my prayer, Father in heaven,  to know You, to abide in Jesus, and to follow Him always. Let the Light of Jesus Christ be my abiding place I pray.. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

John 8:1-11   Jesus spent the night on the Mount of Olives and went back to the temple early the next morning.  People began gathering to hear Him and He sat down to teach.  It is at that time that the scribes and Pharisees brought the "woman taken in adultery".  They claimed to catch her "in the very act"!  Amazingly they did not catch the man involved "in the very act"!

Their plan was to test Jesus. To "catch"  Jesus in the act of breaking the commandment of Moses.  Isn't it interesting that they credited Moses with making that Law and forgot that it was actually God Who gave the commandments.  They wanted the woman to be stoned.  Perhaps they wanted Jesus to throw the first one.  Instead, He stooped down and wrote something in the dirt on the ground.  When they continued to ask Him what He had to say.. He spoke, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 

Only Jesus was "without sin".. only He had the authority to judge her.  These self-righteous men recognized their own guilt in that moment. The power of Jesus' words pierced their hearts.  Everyone left.. one by one.. until only Jesus and the woman were left.  Jesus remained stooped over and writing on the ground until they had all departed from His Presence.  

When Jesus straightened up again He saw the woman still standing there.. all alone.  His words were for her.. "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"   She answered, "No one, Lord."  KJV says  "No man."  Not even one. none. nobody.. nothing.  She calls Him "Lord".. recognizing His authority, submitting to His supremacy.. she recognized that, even though no man condemned her, Jesus still could.  But.. He did not.. "Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on, sin no more." 

This is one of the most powerful, personal, and precious displays of God's mercy found in the Word.  Remember John's premise in writing this account is to reveal that Jesus spoke only what His Father told Him to say and to do only what the Father does..  Jesus perfectly displayed the mercy and grace of our Father in heaven.. He reveals our sins. He chooses not to condemn us, but to forgive us, cleanse us, and lead us out of sin and into His righteousness.   His lovingkindness never fails.  Psalm 136 reminds us 26 times.. in every verse.. this truth.."For His lovingkindness is everlasting"! 

"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." (v26) Amen!

 John 7  There was so much controversy and confusion over Jesus during this time.  It was the Feast of Booths.  It was a time to celebrate the harvest.. a time of rejoicing and feasting.. a time of worshiping the King.  Jesus' brothers challenged Him to go to Jerusalem and let everyone see Him.  They  did not believe in Him.  Jesus sent them away on their own.  He went up later in private but eventually ended up teaching in the temple. 

Some people questioned Jesus. Some accused Him of having a demon.  Some argued with Him and some called Him good. 

Meanwhile,  Jesus just kept on proclaiming the Words of His Father. 

He testified of the evil deeds of the world. 

He sought to give glory to the Father. 

He exhorted them to judge with "righteous judgement" not "according to appearance.

He testified that He was sent by the Father. 

He told them that He was going to leave and wouldn't be seen by them because they could not go where He was going. 

He offered them, once again, living water. 

He left them in their division and confusion. Each to make the choice for themselves.. to believe or to reject His Words. 

We live in a world that is in the same state of confusion, division and controversy.  We have been offered  the Word of Life.. and the Living Water.. and we have to make the same choice that those before us had to make... will we believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit.. or will we turn away.. never able to go where Jesus has gone?  

Jesus says that if we seek Him we will find Him. If we believe we will have Life.  If we trust in Him we will be held in His Hands and He will never cast us away.  The Father has set this course for mankind.  He sent Jesus for this purpose and given us the opportunity to find salvation through Christ.  If.. we will believe. 

But, if we refuse. If we let our hearts stay hard and broken. If we stay in our sin and confusion.. we will never see Him for we cannot go where He is. Not everyone will go to heaven.  Death will come to everyone.  The choice has to be made now. Tomorrow may be too late. 

Father in heaven, You are Holy and good. You offered up Your Son so that we might believe on Him and receive eternal life.  Thank You. Give us faith that is living and growing by Your grace and power. Help us to love as You have loved us.  Help us to walk in the Truth.  Help us to worship and celebrate every day the blessings that You have provided. Remove any confusion and cleanse us from all evil we pray. In Jesus'  name we come. amen

 John 6:41-71  Jesus has two answers for those who were grumbling because He said He had come from heaven.. 

First, " No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day." (v44)  and again in v65 "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father." 

Everything begins and ends with God.  He created everything and He is control of everything.  It is by His grace that Jesus was sent into the world to be the "bread of life."  It is the Father who opens our eyes to see and our ears to hear.. that we might come to Jesus and believe and receive Life. It is the Father that offers this precious Sacrifice.. flesh and blood.. given so that we might have eternal life.  If we don't believe the Father.. we cannot know the Son. 

Secondly, Jesus continues to use this illustration of eating bread and drinking blood to reveal the most vital truth.. His Life is the only food that feeds the spirit.  He invites us to consume Him.  He is the source of life and unless we partake of His sacrifice.. His body.. His blood.. we "have no life" in us. 

Jesus says that His words are "spirit and are life".  When others moved away from Jesus because these words "hard".. the disciples chosen by Jesus chose to stay. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." (v68)   They believed.  All except Judas.. for even though he stayed.. he was not granted life from the Father. 

These are hard words. They challenge our understanding.  We want faith to be as simple as just saying, "Jesus come into my heart.".  And, in some ways it is.. but, here we are faced with knowing that the Father doesn't always grant that "drawing" of people to Jesus.  Some people, like Judas, have the same opportunity to believe, but don't.  Some people, whom we pray for.. don't come to faith... ever.  It breaks our hearts. I have asked that question, "Why, Lord?"  But, even when we don't understand we still believe.. for there is no other way.. and we can trust Him still. 

It is hard to understand how.. how do we eat His flesh and drink His blood?  How do we go that far?  What does that mean, really?  We need the Spirit of God to give us the life of Jesus. We need the Father to draw us to Jesus.  We need the body and blood of Jesus to abide in Him and He in us.  

Father in heaven, holy and mighty God, grant us wisdom to comprehend Your Word and to go deeper with Jesus by the work of Your holy Spirit in us. You have given us Words of Eternal Life.  Fill us now with Your Presence.  We need You, Lord. Thank You for hearing our prayers.  May Your will be done in us this day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

 John 6:30-40   Jesus told the people to stop working just for food for their bodies but to do the work of God -  get  food for their souls.. spiritual food.. "believe in Him whom He has sent." 

The same people who ate the multiplied loaves and fishes.. now wanted a "sign"?  Another "work"? Did they want manna?   Though their ancestors ate it and still failed to obey God's Word..did they think they needed to see it for themselves.?

Jesus told them that there was something better than manna.. it was "true bread out of heaven".. Himself. 

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."   He is the One who came down out of heaven to give life to the world. He is the One they must believe in so that they could have eternal life.  This "is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." 

 Jesus said,  "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who come to Me I will certainly not cast out..  ( v37)"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day."  (39)    What wonderful promises.. the Father gives us to Jesus and Jesus receives us who believe in Him.  He is the One who will raise us up.. from death to life.. from darkness to light.. from destruction to salvation!   He will not let us go.. He is able to do all that the Father wills.. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Thank You Father for bringing us into Your Kingdom through Your grace as we come to Jesus and find true Life.  Help us to believe and obey Your Word, wholly and completely surrendered to You.  May we continually find life in the Bread of Heaven.. who promised that He would never cast us out.  We hold on to these promises as we pray that our faith will grow stronger, deeper, and never falter.. for Christ is our Lord forever by Your great mercy and love. Thank You. amen. 

 John 6:15-29   Jesus sent the multitude away and then He sent His disciples away, while He went up to the mountain by Himself.  He knew that the people wanted to force Him to become the king.. and that they wanted Him to keep on doing miraculous things to satisfy their stomachs.  His purpose was altogether different than what the people thought. 

The disciples went into their boat and began to cross the sea. They had waited for Jesus but it was getting dark .  Matthew tells us that Jesus had told them to go ahead of Him.   "And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew."   This storm came out of nowhere and was slowing them down.  Then... they saw Jesus.  They were frightened by this sight until Jesus spoke, "It is I, do not be afraid." 

John omits the story of Peter walking on the water with Jesus.  He tells only that Jesus got in the boat and they "immediately" arrived on the shore where they were headed. 

The people who had been left on the other side of the sea realized that Jesus was gone and they found some boats to take them across to Capernaum.  They found Jesus already there and couldn't figure out how He got there without them seeing.  They were confused. All they wanted was more bread and more signs.  Instead Jesus gave them spiritual instructions.. 

"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal."   What work? they asked.  "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." 

To work means to be occupied - to do-- to be engaged in..  The "work of God"  Jesus said, is believing - trusting - having faith in God and the One who He sent.  Don't be occupied with the physical things.. be occupied with the spiritual things.. this is what God requires. This is why He sent Jesus.  There is a spiritual food that is so much more vital than bread that is here today and gone tomorrow.  Jesus goes on to tell them that He is that Bread.

Father in heaven, we tend to be just as confused and mistaken as the people who were following Jesus.. who had eaten the bread until they were satisfied and wanted more of the same.  We need Jesus.. we need to eat of the spiritual Bread.  Fill us today Lord that we might walk in this Truth and live for You in all we do.. Let us do our work.. having faith in Jesus.. with all of our being. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 John 6:1-14  Keeping in mind that everything that Jesus did was according to the Father's will.. revealing the Father to His people.. this miracle gives us a greater glimpse into the greatness of God. 

Jesus takes His followers across the Sea of Galilee and into a deserted area.  He then tests Phillip by asking him where he could buy some bread.  Impossible place and an impossible amount of hungry people! Phillip recognizes the futility of the situation.  But, Andrew brings a boy with a small lunch.. 5 loaves of barley bread and 2 small fish.  This is just what Jesus would use to feed over 5000 men, plus women and children..

He took the loaves and gave thanks. He distributed the loaves to His disciples and then the fish.  Everyone ate. Everyone was satisfied. The leftovers were more than the original amount they started with... 12 baskets full. 

We depend on God's provision for our daily bread.. there is no bread without grain.. there is no grain without soil and water and sunshine.  There are no fish except that God has provided.  We are as helpless to provide food for ourselves and our families as Phillip was for the multitude.  But.. God sees our need and has provided for us.. to satisfy us.. and to even provide more than we need so that we can help others. This is the greatness of our God. 

Psalm 145: 15-16 says, " The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou dost give them their food in due time. Thou dost open Thy hand and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing,"   Jesus did what the Father does.  It was as plain as day that He was God.. the Son who came in the flesh to show us the Father.  Yet.. they still did not understand or believe. 

Father help us to see clearly.. that we might know Your greatness and the greatness of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh that we might know You and believe. Thank You for all that You have provided, we exalt and worship You.. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

 Amen

 John 5 : 25-32  Jesus is the Word and He speaks what His Father tells Him to speak. His work was to reveal the Father.. reveal the Truth about God's Kingdom.  In this passage Jesus reveals the Truth about life and death.  His statement in verse 25 is powerful.. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live." 

Life.. is in the Father and in the Son.  Jesus received from the Father two things.. the authority to give life and the authority to pass judgement.  There will be a time, Jesus tells us, that "all who are in the tomb shall hear His voice." (v28)  Those who believed the Word would be resurrected into Life.  Those who refused to believe and remained in their sinful state.. would be resurrected to "judgement"....  A just verdict of condemnation and punishment will be rendered. 

Once again Jesus declared, "I can do nothing on My own initiative.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." 

God created everything and set up His plan for all the world according to His will.  He writes the story of history.. and he determines the rules.  Life and judgment are His to give as He chooses.  He decided to give Life to those who would listen to His Word and abide in it.  He sent Jesus to reveal this absolute Truth.. From the beginning of creation to the end.. this is His will.  It is a merciful and gracious gift. It is a priceless promise from His grace and love to His creation.. mankind.   He gave Jesus to fulfill all that was needed to complete the transaction according to His own will. 

Those who refuse to hear.. refuse to believe... and refuse to surrender and obey.. will be held accountable for that decision. They will be judged by Jesus and He will render a just judgement. 

Father in heaven, You are holy, righteous, and perfect.  You are gracious and merciful, full of lovingkindness and love.  You have revealed to us the Truth. You have offered us Life.  You have told us the penalty of rejecting the Truth and the Life.  Father, there are so many who have deaf ears and blind eyes. We plead for You to send forth Your Spirit into the world, once again anointing Your church with the power and love of Jesus Christ so that more will hear and  turn from unbelief and find salvation through the Son who died for them. Let the Name of Jesus be exalted and lifted up today so that the harvest will be great to the glory and honor of Your Name. Amen 

 John 5 : 25-32  Jesus is the Word and He speaks what His Father tells Him to speak. His work was to reveal the Father.. reveal the Truth about God's Kingdom.  In this passage Jesus reveals the Truth about life and death.  His statement in verse 25 is powerful.. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live." 

Life.. is in the Father and in the Son.  Jesus received from the Father two things.. the authority to give life and the authority to pass judgement.  There will be a time, Jesus tells us, that "all who are in the tomb shall hear His voice." (v28)  Those who believed the Word would be resurrected into Life.  Those who refused to believe and remained in their sinful state.. would be resurrected to "judgement"....  A just verdict of condemnation and punishment will be rendered. 

Once again Jesus declared, "I can do nothing on My own initiative.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." 

God created everything and set up His plan for all the world according to His will.  He writes the story of history.. and he determines the rules.  Life and judgment are His to give as He chooses.  He decided to give Life to those who would listen to His Word and abide in it.  He sent Jesus to reveal this absolute Truth.. From the beginning of creation to the end.. this is His will.  It is a merciful and gracious gift. It is a priceless promise from His grace and love to His creation.. mankind.   He gave Jesus to fulfill all that was needed to complete the transaction according to His own will. 

Those who refuse to hear.. refuse to believe... and refuse to surrender and obey.. will be held accountable for that decision. They will be judged by Jesus and He will render a just judgement. 

Father in heaven, You are holy, righteous, and perfect.  You are gracious and merciful, full of lovingkindness and love.  You have revealed to us the Truth. You have offered us Life.  You have told us the penalty of rejecting the Truth and the Life.  Father, there are so many who have deaf ears and blind eyes. We plead for You to send forth Your Spirit into the world, once again anointing Your church with the power and love of Jesus Christ so that more will hear and  turn from unbelief and find salvation through the Son who died for them. Let the Name of Jesus be exalted and lifted up today so that the harvest will be great to the glory and honor of Your Name. Amen 

 John 5:18-24   John wrote in Chapter 1 verse 18 "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."  Jesus came to "explain" or "declare" .. to unfold, recount...the Father, the Holy One, the God Who sent Him. 

In these verses from chapter 5 John records the Words of Jesus that explain and declare Truths regarding His Father.   Jesus said that the "Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever He does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works that these will He show Him, that you may marvel." ( v19-20)   Things like raising the dead.. like judging.. separating those condemned to those given true life. 

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His Hands.. He expects His Son to be honored because He is His Son.. To honor the Son is to honor the Father, Jesus says.  To hear and believe the Words of Jesus .. to believe the Words of the Father Who sent His Son.. is the means of eternal life.  There is no other way but God's way. 

The Jews sought to kill Jesus because He called God His Father  "making Himself equal with God."  (v18)   They didn't know the Father or honor Him and would stand in condemnation from God Himself unless they repented and believed.  Jesus explained this relationship between Himself.. the Sent One. the Son.. and the Father, revealing and declaring that this was what the Father was doing.. The Father was working and the Son was that Work.. the Word.. the Life.  The oneness of the Father and the Son is revealed here and we are given the privilege to witness the Work of the Father in the life of the Son. 

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it." (1:4-5)

Father in heaven, we give You all praise and thanksgiving for the Life we have been given through the Beloved, Only Begotten Son.  Jesus Christ is our Lord and King, sent to speak Your Words, to do Your Works, and to deliver us from death into Life eternal.  We honor the Son and we honor You, our Father and God to whom all glory and power belongs. Amen. 

 John 5:9-17   The man who was healed by the pool carried his pallet..  and headed to the temple. It was the Sabbath.. and for the first time in 38 years he was able to walk!  He had much to be thankful for and he was ready to worship and praise God for this wonderful miracle.  But.. the first thing he runs into is judgement.. "therefore the Jews were saying to him who was cured, 'It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.' "  An incredible work of God had just been done and the Jews missed it because of a pallet... because of their hard hearts. 

The man had heard Jesus and obeyed Jesus.  He was headed to the Temple to thank and praise God, not even knowing who Jesus was until He found the man in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you." 

This man went to the Jews and told them that it was Jesus who healed him.  They, in return,  turned on Jesus because He did this on the Sabbath. Jesus had one answer for His actions.. " My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.." 

The work of God .. His business... is not bound by the Law that He gave to men. He is always working and is not limited by earthly expectations and rules.  The Jews continually missed the Truth.. they missed Who was the Sovereign God.. the One who made the rules.  They missed God..completely. 

Psalm 86:5  "For Thou, O Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee."  Verse 8 " There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord. Nor are there any works like Thine."  Verse 10 "For Thou art great and doest wondrous deeds, Thou alone are God." 

If only the Jews would remember the Words of God and given Him glory..  Let us not miss Him either..

Father in heaven, You are still at work.. in us, in our world, in the church.  You are working to bring us to know Your greatness and Your wondrous deeds.. to honor Your Holy Name.. to celebrate Your forgiveness and Your love that You have granted to us who will believe.  May our hearts be ever yielded and still before You that all You desire to do in us will bring glory to the Name of our great  Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 John 5:1-8  Jesus went back to Jerusalem.. back to celebrate one of the feasts, perhaps Passover.   Jesus went first to Bethesda where there was a pool of water surrounded by "a multitude of of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered.. "   A hospital without any doctors or nurses.. a place where the only hope was that the water would be stirred by an angel and one person might be healed.  A place where most of the residents stayed in hopelessness. 

Jesus approached one man.  He had suffered for 38 years.  He could not even hope to reach the healing waters.. he had tried and failed too many times to try again.  Jesus asked him, "Do you wish to get well?" He didn't know who Jesus was.. he didn't have much hope.. but when Jesus spoke the Words, "Arise, take up your pallet and walk."  this man did not hesitate!  It was immediate.  He felt it. He believed.. He obeyed. 

Two quotes from the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

"His Word has power to work; people are simply to believe His Word." 

"Jesus' word accomplished His will... When people obey His command to believe, God works in and through His Word." 

" In the beginning was the Word... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.. " John's gospel shares with us the power of the Word and leads us to "simply believe".  

What words do we need to hear today? What is the Word of God, Jesus Christ, speaking to us.. personally?  Let us have ears to hear.. to believe and to obey. 

Father in heaven, let me hear the voice of Jesus Christ, the living Word today..in Jesus' name Amen. 

 John 4:46-54  Jesus and His disciples left Samaria and returned to Galilee, first going to Cana.  There, a  "certain royal official"  came to  Jesus to request Him to come to Capernaum and heal his son.  This man knew that his son was at the point of death and he knew that Jesus was his only hope.  He had already taken a step of faith, leaving the bedside of his dying son to travel to Cana seeking Jesus.  Yet, Jesus, knowing this said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders you simply will not believe." 

But, this did not phase the royal official.. he just continued to plead with Jesus, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 

Jesus did not go down.. but he said, "Go your way; your son lives."  The man could have given up hope.. but, he chose to believe "the word that Jesus spoke to him and he started off.."  The story continues.. the man meets his slaves on the way home.. they have good news.. his son is healed.. and it happened at the same hour that Jesus had spoken those words. "So the father knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son lives'; and he himself believed and his whole household." 

I see a progression of faith in this event.  The man came to Jesus.. so perhaps there was a measure of faith present in his heart.. or was it just desperation? But.. it seems that the words Jesus spoke hit the mark.. "Unless you people see signs and wonders you simply will not believe.."   Jesus says "will not".. not "cannot".. The man tries again.. he wants to believe.. he wants Jesus to do that sign.. that wonder.. to heal his son.  And when Jesus tells him to go and that his son lives.. he chooses to believe.  Perhaps it was a tentative belief .. a hopeful belief.. a step of faith.  But... when he receives the good news and he checks the timing of the healing.. he knows it was Jesus who healed the boy.. Jesus who spoke the Word.. Jesus who did what He said and was Who He said He was.  And then.. He BELIEVED!  And his whole household did too. 

Perhaps we can relate to this man.. this "certain royal official"..  We come to Jesus with our desperate needs.. we hope.. we have only the smallest grain of faith.  We do want to see the signs and wonders.. but what we need most.. and He knows we need it more than anything.. is the will... to make that choice.. to believe. He speaks to us even now.. we have the ability to believe in Him.  It is not that we cannot.. it is that we will not believe.  It is a choice that we must make our own selves. 

Father, help us to move from unbelief to absolute, confident faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in all things... and in every circumstance.  Open our ears to hear His voice.. the Word, Who became flesh.. Who speaks Your Words.. that we might know Him more and know You, our God and Creator.. in greater fullness than ever before. We know that faith is a gift that You provide, so we ask that You help us to make that choice.. to believe..  We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ the Beloved Son and King of our hearts. Amen.