Pass It On

Invest your life in somebody.

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

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The Christian life is a journey, a journey that isn't much different than the first disciples, some days we are faithful and strong, other days we lose sight of our mission and we can look a little too much like the world than we should, some days we are full of questions and doubts.

So what is a disciple? According to the online dictionary a disciple is: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy. To make a disciple means to reproduce a follower of Jesus Christ who is committed to living a transformed life, one who obeys the Word of God, and makes the mission of disciple making his or her top priority.

Jesus gave us the command now the question is how to we make a disciple?

The first step in the discipleship process focuses on conversion. You can't become a disciple if you're not a follower of Christ.

The second step in the discipleship process spans a life time of spiritual growth. Jesus twelve disciples went from weak and feeble in their faith to men that were spiritually mature, they didn't become disciples overnight, they had three years of Jesus pouring his life into them.

The third step in the process involves becoming a disciple maker. Jesus teachings and his deeds built these guys into true disciples that could go out and make more disciples. Their weak little faith matured into the bold, dangerous faith that would cause them to sacrifice their own lives for the truth that they believed.

Other than Christ example of creating disciples, Paul's relationship with Timothy is one of the clearest examples of how to make a disciple. Paul said "Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you" (1 Tim 1:18) Paul went on to teach Timothy how to live as a Christ follower. Later Paul told Timothy to take hold of the teaching that he received from Paul and study it, make sure that reliable people can confirm those teachings and then pass on the truths that he has learned to others so that they can in turn pass it on to others.

This multiplication strategy is how the good news has spread for thousands of years. If this multiplication process were to go unbroken then there would be no problem in reaching the world with the good news.

The mission focuses on making disciples. The strategy involves investing in others who in turn make more disciples.

Every Christ follower should grow spiritually and become mature. As we grow more mature we need to get our own Timothy that we can disciple as we continue our own growth. I need to stay focused on investing my life in others so that I can be a part of this multiplication process of making more disciples.

You gave us a mission Lord that is very doable if we would all keep our focus on the mission, help me to grow as your disciple and then in turn invest my life into others so that I will be obedient to your command to "Go and make disciples."

I’m On A Mission

No time to waste!

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" 7 He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

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I have been studying about leaders in the Bible and learning that the only leaders that were pleasing to God was the leaders that were willing to do anything that God asks them to do. That brings about the next area of focus for my Bible study.

What is it that Jesus told us to do?

Jesus told his disciples that they are on a mission from God, he told them that as they go about their everyday lives he wants them to make disciples, the man that wants to be obedient and pleasing to God must make this mission a top priority in life.

Remember Jesus started his ministry by telling his disciples "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Now as Jesus is preparing to leave he confirms the original purpose that he had for calling these guys, he wanted to make them fishers of men.

Not only are we to go and evangelize next thing that is essential for us to nurture these converts and turn them into disciples, we have to teach them how to live by instructing them from the word of God. We are on a life long journey of growth spiritually, we are to become more mature as we are pushed along by our desire to be more like Jesus and to please him, and as we grow we need to help grow others that are around us.

Notice that Jesus didn't tell us to go and make offering givers or teachers or chair stackers, he just told us one thing that we are to make and if we make disciples then all of those other things will get done as well. Doing all of those other things will become a part of the mission of getting one more soul for Jesus.

There are many missions that we can base our life on, commonly pursued missions that the world pursues are: pleasure, money, fame, influence, and power. We need to set aside the fleshly desires and take up a higher purpose for life.

My mission will decide how I spend my time. Those worldly pursuits can easily get out of control and can occupy your time and keep you from fulfilling the mission that God has given us. We cannot say we are willing to do all that God asks unless we are willing to adopt the mission of making disciples as the top priority in our daily lives.

Help me Lord to keep my mission in focus, help me to be obedient to your command to make disciples. Help me as I work in my church to make discipling men a top priority.

A Heart Willing To Do All God Asks

God continues to look for leaders that are willing to do everything that he asks.

Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

John 10:18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

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Throughout scripture God has been looking for leaders who will do everything that he asks them to do. There were many different responses to God’s authority, just remember how different leaders in the Bible responded, think about Moses, Abraham, King Saul, Jonah they all had excuses and went against God and only partially obeyed God’s will.

Today we see an entirely different man, the God man, he had choices and the power to disobey and yet he was fully obedient to God’s will for his life. You don’t think that he had the power to choose? Could he have gone against the Fathers will? The devil believed that he could.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

Satan worked overtime on Jesus because he believed that it was possible to get him to be disobedient and thwart God’s plan for a Savior that would make the perfect sacrifice for everyman. Satan worked him over but he was obedient, through all the human suffering and emotion that he experienced he proved to us that it is still possible to overcome all these things that weigh us down and be obedient to God’s will.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Even in the garden moments before his arrest, Jesus told God the Father “thy will be done.” Jesus had fully aligned his will with the will of the Father, he said that he had “the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.” Praise God that Jesus was obedient unto death!

Jesus was perfect at doing his Fathers will despite the circumstances, despite the trouble, despite the emotions through all the trials that he endured, all of which are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Jesus was still obedient and he was willing to do everything that God asked him to do.


It should be noted that Jesus had to struggle with the same issues that we use to excuse our disobedience he is our example of the man that completely obeyed his Fathers will.

A follower of Christ may become sorrowful and troubled when one considers the implications of obeying God, obedience can be costly, you may suffer but it will be worth it all to hear the Savior say “well done good and faithful servant.”

There are so many excuses that we use for our disobedience but you proved that they can all be overcome. Help me to live each day in submission to your will.

What's In Your Heart?

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them.

1 Samuel 16:6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!”7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

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Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD?

That sounds like a simple question and yet we all have to scratch our heads and ask the same question of ourselves. Or maybe you have somebody that will ask you the hard questions, somebody that will keep you accountable before God, church attendance would probably drop if the pastor walked around confronting people like Samuel confronted Saul.

God wanted obedience from King Saul but instead he did his own thing and then when he was caught in his lies by Samuel the priest he was never repentant. Samuel was sent to anoint a new man to be king a man that has a heart for God.

The man for the job was David, the least of his brothers, he was looked down upon as a shepherd, he was from a small town, there wasn’t much going for him from a human perspective. But God doesn’t look at what we look at, God sees the real person without any spin or propaganda, he takes a look at the inner man. Look at what David told his son Solomon when he was passing on the crown:

1 Chronicles 28:9 "And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

The Lord sees every heart, he has supernatural vision, the kind that looks deep inside and sees beyond the walls and deception that we throw up to impress each other. Man may be impressed by looking at that but just remember it wont last, eventually what is in your heart is going to leak out.

It may seem scary to think that God’s eyes see deep inside to the heart of a man, but thankfully he does, because while other men are busy looking at my exterior God is looking at the desires of my heart. When I do slip up he knows the attitude and the intent of my heart and that I desire to please him.

Create in me a clean heart

David was bold enough to ask God to purify the sinful heart that we are born with and to get rid of all the impurities that hamper our relationship with God.

Psalms 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

Psalms 26:2 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

Create in me a loyal heart

David told Solomon to “Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.” The whole heart, nothing less, God wants your loyalty.

Psalms 103:1 Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

David wasn’t perfect but he truly desired to be God’s man, a man that could lead his country with integrity and faithfulness. We all know of David’s failures but despite those failures the Lord still knew that David’s heart truly desired to do what God asked him to do.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

I will strive to know God and to know what he wants me to do. What a huge compliment to David that God said that he was a man after his own heart. Meditating on his word everyday will be a big help toward creating a pure heart.

Give us men in our church Lord that have a heart for you. Help me to always strive to keep my heart pure so that I will please you.

Anywhere Lord…..Just Not There.

Jonah didn't like God's plans.

Jonah 1:1 The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are."3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD.

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2 He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.

Jonah 3: 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" 5 The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. 10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

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God asked Jonah to be his man to go tell the people of the great city of Nineveh that God is not happy with them.

Jonah decided that he didn't want to be God's man to lead a revival in Nineveh, this city was the capital of the Assyrian empire, Jonah didn't like his assignment and he really wasn't interested in preaching to these wicked people. Jonah's will was exactly the opposite of God's will, God wanted to show mercy to the Assyrians but Jonah only wanted the Assyrians to experience God's judgment.

Jonah's self centered desires required some intervention from God to redirect Jonah's path. The Lord told Jonah to go East and Jonah said nope, I am going west, he got to the coast of the Mediterranean and he said I need to go even farther so he bought his ticket and off he went, further west on that now famous boat ride.

Notice how going against God became a difficult path, the progress of the boat was hindered by a huge storm, and Jonah's plan to run from God wasn't going so well. Jonah thought that everything was working out great, he was so much at peace with his plan that he bedded down for the night and didn't have any idea that danger was on the way, instead of the Ninevites experiencing judgment Jonah was about to experience it instead.

Jonah wasn't ready to pursue God's will, he didn't agree with it, he had a struggle to come to grips with what God was asking him to do, God looks for leaders who resolutely strive to understand and pursue his will, even if we can't stand the thought of what God wants us to do.

Often times in life we feel like we are riding in that boat waiting to see if it is going to fall apart, we are in the midst of a storm that God has sent but we don't see that the purpose of the storm may be a means of God getting our attention so that we will change course. When we are in that boat we will often blame others for the situation but when Jonah was asked he immediately confessed that he was the reason for the storm.

Does it seem weird that Jonah told the guys to throw him into the ocean, why not just get down on your knees and beg God for forgiveness? Maybe Jonah still wasn't ready to go to Nineveh, maybe the thought of dying at sea was a better idea in Jonah's mind than going to Nineveh, but God was willing to give Jonah another chance to do his will. Jonah was repentant and he was able to show the Assyrians that they needed to repent too.

Am I willing to do ANYTHING that God asks me to do? It is easy to think so before the time comes to actually do it. God wants leaders that are willing to do his will even when it is something that you prefer not to do. I think that most of us have said I will go anywhere but… For Jonah the big but in his life was Nineveh, God wanted to do big things in Nineveh, but Jonah needed some time to get on board with God's plan.

Forgive me for not being completely obedient, thank you for working with me Lord even when I don't think that your way is the best. Help me to trust you and help me to desire the same things that you desire and to be completely willing to follow you.

Our Disobedience Is A Heart Problem

God is not be pleased with leaders that are disobedient or full of pride.

1 Samuel 15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the LORD who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD! 2 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.

7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

10 Then the LORD said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.

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The story of Saul leaves me with a lot of questions that I would like to ask God someday. Surely God knew that Saul wasn’t going to do much of anything that he was asked to do but God still chose Saul to be Israel’s first king.

Saul was sent on a mission to execute God’s judgment on an evil nation, he was told to be through and eliminate all signs that these people ever existed, don’t even take any plunder.

Most cookie jars are noisy, I wonder why they make them that way, so when Samuel walks up he can hear the lid on the jar being moved and Saul is in trouble. Saul decided that partial obedience to God would suffice, what would it matter if their king was allowed to live and why not come home with some reward, don’t I deserve it for the work that I have done for you Lord. Poor Saul he thought that he was getting away with something but his noisy cookie jar had already given him away:

“I have carried out the LORD’s command!” “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

Saul must have gulped as he heard these words and thought to himself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” so now he tries to turn his disobedience into a noble cause “we brought back all this stuff to sacrifice to the LORD” how can you argue with that? Are you buying that story? If Samuel hadn’t said anything I am pretty sure that those livestock would be in the pasture for a long time.

Samuel asked “Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD?” and just like our kids lie to us Saul replied “But I did obey the LORD!”

Not only was Saul disobedient to God, he was also suffering from overly inflated self esteem, right after the victory Saul set up a monument to himself. Pride was probably behind Saul’s motives to plunder the country instead of destroying everything, he was able to say “Look what I did.”

God is not be pleased with leaders that are disobedient or full of pride, he may still use them for a season just as he did with Saul, but he still took Saul out when his servant David was ready to take the throne.

We should take obedience very seriously, God told Saul that “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.” Disobedience is a big deal!

We have to protect our hearts selfishness, disobedience and pride can cause us to rebel against God and will take away our usefulness in God’s kingdom work.

Take my pride away Lord, my selfishness too, I want to be completely obedient to you.

Our Selfish Hearts

Our hearts are naturally selfish and are in need of a supernatural makeover.

1 Samuel 10:1 - 16:7

1 Samuel 10:7  After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. 8 Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” 9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart,

1 Samuel 13:7 Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the LORD’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you.

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It is very difficult for anybody to wait, everybody wants “it” now, whatever “it” is, “it” better be now. I guess that’s a sign of selfishness that is innate to all of us, looking out for our own interest doesn’t blend too well with the concept of waiting, if I have to wait then it must not be all about me.

The new king of Israel had to wait, Samuel told Saul to go to Gilgal and wait there for his arrival. Well Saul goes to Gilgal but instead of waiting he decides that doing is a better option.

The Philistine army was provoked by the king’s son Jonathan (1Sam 13:1) and they positioned themselves for war against Israel, and now Saul’s entire kingdom is scared, “they took cover in cracks in the hillsides and in the woods and in rocks and holes and hollows. And a great number of the people had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead” (1Sam 13:6, 7).

So far so good, Saul is still waiting at Gilgal just like Samuel told him to do, there is trouble all around, you may even say that he caused the trouble, Samuel didn’t send him to Gilgal to start a war he was just told to go and that later the priest was going to come and “sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings”

But after seven days of waiting and a war just round the corner, Saul gave up waiting and decided that if they were going to be fighting a war then they should take care of these offerings so that they would have all the help that they could get. Saul was looking at the circumstances and he allowed the situation to decide his ethics.

Was Saul’s decision not to wait a selfish move?
How did God desire Saul to act even in the face of difficult circumstances?

We are faced with difficult decisions in life and when we make our choices we reveal our heart condition. If our choices are not aligned with God’s will or they are outside of his commands then our hearts are not right and we need to deal with what's on the inside because it directly affects what people see on the outside.

Our hearts are naturally selfish and are in need of a supernatural makeover, which is where the Holy Spirit does his work, cleaning out the dark corners of our wicked hearts.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must give up control and wait on the Lord, he is never late and will give us strength for every situation.

It’s all about you Lord and not about me, help me to work within your timing. Create a pure heart in me that will make choices that are pleasing to you, choices that will glorify you.

Waiting On The Lord

Sometimes God uses the pause button.

Acts 7:20  "At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21  When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22  Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.

23  "One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24  He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. 25  Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.

26  "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'

27  "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked. 28  'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' 29  When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.

30  "Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. 31  When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him, 32  'I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

33  "Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34  I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'

35 "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. 36  And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

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Looking back at Moses life we can see that God was preparing him to be a leader to rescue his people, but I wonder if Moses had any idea that God was going to use him to help his people, do you think that Moses was sitting in his bedroom in the royal palace and dreaming of what it would be like if he could use his power and authority to help the Israelites.

The scriptures tell us that "Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action" that sounds like pretty good credentials to require a leader to have, maybe Moses thought that he could help his people. Moses had a great resume and should have been the leader of something but instead when he was forty years old he made a big mistake.

After Moses killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian to get away from Pharaoh, I bet that if he dreamed of leading the Israelites then that dream had disappeared by now, did he feel like he blew it and that he would never get another chance? Moses must have been broken hearted and felt like a failure. Do you think that in those forty years in the desert that Moses ever thought that he would be useful in helping the Israelites?

Exodus 3:7  Then the LORD told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8  So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians

Notice who God said was going to rescue the Israelites, God told Moses that God was going to rescue his people and that Moses was going to be God's instrument to make it happen.

Also notice that after all the forty years of training and qualifications that Moses had, God used the broken man that had spent another forty years in the desert, time and again we see in the Bible that God uses the broken and weak to lead the strong.

Looking back at this story the timing seemed so right for Moses to lead his people when he was the strong and powerful man but God took him out of his position of authority and in his own timing he used the broken man that had no strength of his own to rely on.

Becoming the type of leader God desires you to be requires viewing your preparation from God's perspective. God's timing and preparation and his use of our failures can turn us into a leader that he can use.

Thank you Lord for using me beyond my perceived weaknesses. Thank you for looking past our mistakes and still finding us useful for your work.

Humble Pie

A pie that most of us could do without.

John 21:15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.

16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.

17 A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.

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Peter was always a man of action and right now he is tired of sitting around inside the house feeling sorry for himself. Peter decided that he was going fishing and the rest of the disciples joined in for an all night fishing trip that must have been miserable since they didn't catch a single fish.

Jesus got their attention and told them what to do to get fish and their obedience paid off, sounds like the same thing that happened on another night and just like that other night this time their nets were maxed out.
How awesome it would have been to have breakfast with Jesus, I am sure that the fact that these guys were up all night didn't matter to any of them, nobody said a thing about wanting to get home and jump in between the sheets, the rest of the world would have to wait while they ate breakfast with Jesus.

I guess it would be very awkward for Peter to sit around the breakfast table and wonder how the Lord felt about him after his denial, Peter fell short of his good intentions and his plans to be committed to Jesus no matter what may happen. Jesus knew what Peter needed and after they finished eating he turned to Peter and asked him if he loved him, Peter must have been scared and wondered if Jesus really thought that he didn't love him.

Peter was a lot more careful in announcing how much that he loved Jesus, he didn't brag this time about how dependable he would be, after all he had blown it big time the night that Jesus was arrested. Humble pie can be breakfast food.

We need to remember the sad situation we are in, Paul called it a war within his body that although he had good intentions he wasn't always able to follow through and do the right thing:

Romans 7: 14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am!

Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

I must strive each day to maintain a close relationship with my Savior, Peter walked this earth with Jesus for three years and the battle with sin still worked within his mind and he chose to deny Christ, we all must stay humble on our spiritual journey.

Thank you Lord for breaking the power of sin and for being my sacrifice for my sin. Help me to depend on you each day of my spiritual journey instead of relying on my own strength.

Meeting Jesus Makes Life Exciting

The Christian life is anything but boring.

John 20:18 "I have seen the Lord!"

1 John 1:1 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. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 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 4:14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Acts 2:32,4:20 "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this." "We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard."

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There are a lot of techniques for sharing the good news that have been invented to help us have the confidence to share about our Savior, but back in the time that Jesus was on earth they didn't need to take a class, they were so excited about having been with Jesus that they couldn't keep it to themselves.

• The Shepherds told everybody after they visited the baby Jesus,
• Simeon and Anna met Jesus when he was presented in the temple were both excited,
• Andrew went to get his brother Simon,
• Greedy Matthew left his exceptional income as a tax collector,
• The Samaritan woman went and got her entire village,
• The disciples were on fire for Jesus after his resurrection,
• Saul met Jesus and his preaching was indisputable proof that Jesus is the Messiah,

Every time that people really saw Jesus for who he is there was an excitement that could not be contained, the apostles lives were never the same after Jesus came into their life, imagine getting to live side by side with the promised Messiah and being an eye-witness that can vouch for his credibility.

The people that met Jesus in the New Testament didn't live a dull boring life but instead the Savior brought them excitement and hope.

Its difficult to feel the excitement level that the people that met Jesus face to face must of had. But he is still our awesome Savior and we should live each day with the excitement of knowing that this is a temporary assignment and better days are ahead because we have Jesus looking after us today and for eternity.

1 Peter 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.

I pray Lord that my life will over flow with excitement from having met you, I want to live each day in victory knowing that i have a bright future in eternity with you.

It Is Finished

Jesus is our final sacrifice for sin.

John 19:30 "It is finished"

Jesus finished all the work that he came to earth to accomplish and he announced that it is finished, oh sure there was some things that man thought that he should have accomplished before he left our midst but those things were not on God's agenda.

It is finished; all the prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. He suffered and died so that I can live for eternity with him.

Isaiah 53:5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished.

His death was the only sacrifice for sin that was of lasting effect, the old system of sacrifice had to be done over and over again but now we have freedom in Christ to live as a child in his family.

Galatians 4:5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

It is finished; the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

The battle is over! I have accepted Jesus sacrifice as the payment for my sins and now I have the freedom to live as his child.

Thank you Lord for the finality of your sacrifice for my sins, I am your child and nothing can change that fact.

Nothing But The Truth

scripture

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John 18:28  Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29  So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man?"

30  "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted. 31  "Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them. "Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied. 32  (This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he would die.)

33  Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" he asked him. 34  Jesus replied, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?"

35  "Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?" 36  Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world."

37  Pilate said, "So you are a king?" Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true."

38  "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime. 39  But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this 'King of the Jews'?" 40  But they shouted back, "No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!"

observation

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Truth (tr-oo-th) n. - ???

It seems like a silly question for Pilate to ask but here we are in 2009 and we still cannot get the great minds of the world to agree on a concise definition. Here is what Wikipedia tells us about truth:

The word truth has a variety of meanings, from honesty, good faith, and sincerity in general, to agreement with fact or reality in particular. The term has no single definition about which a majority of professional philosophers and scholars agree, and various theories of truth continue to be debated. There are differing claims on such questions as what constitutes truth; what things are truthbearers capable of being true or false; how to define and identify truth; the roles that revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective, relative, objective, or absolute.

In the gospels there are 68 verses where Jesus uses the phrase "I tell you the truth" seems like we have a source for truth worth looking into.
Here is some absolute truth from the author of truth:

• God loved
• God gave
• We believe
• We receive

John 3:16 gives us the only truth that we need to base our live upon

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

application

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Throw away all of those philosophies about truth and hold on to the absolute truth that is found in John 3:16, it's the only truth that matters.

prayer

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Thank you Lord for this basic truth that we can build our lives upon. Thank you for your Son that died on the cross for me.

Got Courage?

scripture

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John 18:1 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees.

2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.

4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. "Who are you looking for?" he asked.

5 "Jesus the Nazarene," they replied. "I AM he," Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.)

6 As Jesus said "I AM he," they all drew back and fell to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them, "Who are you looking for?" And again they replied, "Jesus the Nazarene." 8 "I told you that I AM he," Jesus said. "And since I am the one you want, let these others go." 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: "I did not lose a single one of those you have given me."

10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"

12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, "It's better that one man should die for the people."

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest's courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, "You're not one of that man's disciples, are you?" "No," he said, "I am not."

18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, "Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said."

22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. "Is that the way to answer the high priest?" he demanded.

23 Jesus replied, "If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, why are you beating me?" 24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, they asked him again, "You're not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "No, I am not."

26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?" 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

observation

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Last night we were in the garden, you know the one outside of Jerusalem that we always went to, Jesus liked to go there and pray and relax, but tonight the peace and quiet there was turned into confusion and chaos. We were relaxing in the garden, some of us were already asleep when all of a sudden there was a lot of noise and the light of torches and lanterns piercing the night, who were these people and what did they want?

Jesus calmly went over to them and asked them who they were after, when they said that they were there to arrest Jesus I was shocked, they had already tried to take him in plenty of times before but he always got out of the situation. Jesus message wasn't accepted by everybody and we lived each day knowing that adversity could pop up at any moment, had they finally gotten the upper hand and caught Jesus off guard, fear went through all of us as we thought of the idea of living without him.

And then just as we began to think that Jesus was surprised by any of this and was powerless to save himself, there was a supernatural power that caused the whole group to stumble backwards and fall down, it looked to me like that was a good time to leave the scene as quickly as possible but Jesus just stood there and waited for them to recover and stand back up.

We were all scared and didn't know what to do, Peter reacted impulsively like he did so much of the time, out of fear he drew his sword and attacked the closest person that he could reach. Poor Peter he hasn't ever been a military man and you could tell by the way he swung that sword. The only target that he could hit was a servants ear, which didn't even last very long because Jesus showed us again that he was still in charge of this situation when he picked the ear up and reattached it.

Jesus told Peter that he was not going to resist, he said that he was not here to do his own will but instead he was going to be obedient to the Father, he had told us many times that this is why he had come to earth.

After the violence that took place, it is a wonder that we weren't all arrested and brought up on charges, but instead the soldiers were ordered to tie up Jesus and they got out of there as fast as they could. They were a little shook up after being thrown to the ground and witnessing an ear being put back onto the servant's head.

Simons fear didn't stop after we left the garden and when I made the arrangements for him to come inside the gate at the High Priest house he was confronted by the gate keeper, the woman asked Peter, "You're not one of that man's disciples, are you?" Why she didn't ask me the same question, we will never know, but I wasn't going to bring it up.

I don't know for sure what Peter was thinking but I know I was still concerned that the religious leaders were going to turn to us and have us arrested too. We knew that they hated Jesus and we were told many times that they would hate us and that we would suffer and may be killed for our beliefs. Are we doing the right thing? Am I really convinced that he is the Son of God? Maybe I am wrong.

After Peter was inside the courtyard he was confronted two more times and asked if he was one of Jesus disciples and two more times he told them that he didn't even have any idea who Jesus was. Did he realize that he had done exactly what Jesus said that he would do? Peter seemed so bold and courageous at times but at other times he was just as fearful as the rest of us.

After Jesus was taken away and I began to calm down, I realized that Jesus told God that he didn't lose any of us, he protected us every time there was an uprising that seemed to put us in danger. Even when they were eager to kill him their anger wasn't turned toward us, in retrospect it seems that we were never in any real danger, he really did protect us.

I didn't want to be a coward, I wanted to be as bold as Peter was when he told Jesus that he would never deny him and yet I am just as terrified and cowardly as Peter had been. I didn't admit to the girl at the gate that I am Jesus disciple, I stood there and watched Peter get questioned again and again and didn't offer him any support. Will I ever be strong and fearless for Jesus?

Matthew 10:28 "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

application

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Those of us that live in America make it out to be so difficult to admit our faith in Jesus, we are so timid about it when there is so little opposition, nobody is going to throw us on a cross or feed us to the lions and yet we are so nervous. I want to be as bold as Peter turns out to be after Jesus resurrection, after all the doubts about Jesus true identity are cleared up, what a difference in Peter after he sees the ultimate proof of Jesus identity. His death and resurrection were the best evidence we could possibly ask for.

prayer

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I want to eager to share your good news and bold enough to do it Lord. Help us to live for you in word and in deed so that the world will be drawn to you.

Unity In The Community

scripture

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John 17:20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

observation

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Unity of the Trinity

There are various areas of a relationship that may or may not be in unity but the scriptures teach us that within the trinity the three persons work in complete unity. There is a unity of purpose that affects everything that they do, all three persons doing nothing that will be in conflict with their common goal, all three of them are always building up the other. We have no better example of what unity looks like than to look at the relationship in the trinity.

Unity of the church

Here is where unity gets messed up. The body of Christ is not working with a unity of purpose, to much of the time we become selfish and self serving rather than constantly looking out for the best interest of the whole body.

Romans 12:3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Too much of the time the body of Christ is an odd looking creature, this part elevating itself above another part, a part that is weak being abused by a stronger part. There has to be a unity of purpose in order to accomplish anything that God has called us to do, if each leg has it's own agenda then how will the walking get done. If the body is not in agreement about the direction it is trying to go in then there wont be much progress in any direction.

Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

application

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It is human nature to look out for yourself and to promote your own agenda, but scripture tells us to be careful in how we see yourselves and in how much we promote our own personal interest.

We are on this planet for God's purpose and his agenda, we need to be careful that we don't allow anything that is on our personal agenda to get in the way of God's agenda.

Each part of the body of Christ should have the same purpose, working together in harmony to bring glory to God.

prayer

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I need to be on a mission for you Lord, working for your glory and not for my own pride. I am here to bring glory to you, the church is here to bring glory to you, I pray that we will all work together in unity.

Be Different

scripture
John 17:6  "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7  Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8  for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

9  "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10  All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11  Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12  During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

13  "Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14  I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15  I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16  They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17  Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18  Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19  And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

observation
Very few people are aware of the time and date that they are going to leave this planet, at this point in the book of John, Jesus is preparing to die a horrible death, but in the same sacrificial way that he always has, he is more concerned for his disciples that he is leaving behind than he is for his own welfare.

What a challenge for us that we should become a fraction of the selfless nature that Jesus was, with the exception of a couple of boat rides and one donkey ride, he walked everywhere that he went, he went without food and water, he probably never had a Posture-pedic mattress to sleep on. He was mentally and emotionally stretched as people were pulling at his side wanting to get something for themselves as they selfishly begged for a cure for whatever ailed them. Others were throwing out traps to try to catch him in his words so that they could find an adequate excuse to have him killed. Imagine putting your head down at the end of the day and trying to fall asleep after all that was going on around you.

Jesus prays for the welfare of his disciples instead of his own welfare, Jesus came to earth with a message from God which he gave to his disciples:

I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

Jesus knows that they will have hard times, they will be hated just as he was and they would be persecuted just as he was. I think that if I was one of those twelve disciples that I would be saying to myself "Jesus got to leave this world, I want to go too" but Jesus didn't pray for them to be taken out of this cruel world instead he asked God to give them protection from the evil one while they were still here.

Jesus prayed for protection but it wasn't in the way that we may wish that he would have. He didn't pray for us to have a life free of pain and suffering, he didn't pray for us to be rich and famous, the protection that he prayed for us to have was only from the power of the devil.

After that the next thing that he prayed for his disciples was for them to become holy:

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

Did you catch that? Jesus said he was paving the way for us, he said that he is holy and that he is going to be the sacrifice that is necessary for us to be holy too. Ever since the book of Leviticus the Lord has called his people to be set apart and be different from the rest of this world, he told us to "be holy, because he is holy" and yet so many times we look just like every other sinner that is in this world. Ephesians 1:4 tells us:

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, we have an obligation to live for him and to become a child that represents the family well, we shouldn't be the prodigal son that looks just like the rest of the world with its selfish desires, instead we should strive to look like our father who is holy.

application
Anybody that knows that they are approaching death doesn't waste time talking about stuff that doesn't matter, if it was important for Jesus to bring up as he comes close to the end of his time on earth then I should take notice, his prayer for us to become holy should be the prayer of every believer.

1 Peter 1:15  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

prayer
Help me to realize the extreme love that you have for me, love that brings you such heartache and great joy. Help me to desire to become more like you every day so that I will look more like my heavenly Father.

Mission Accomplished

scripture
John 17:1-8  After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2  For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.

3  And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4  I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5  Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

6  "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7  Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8  for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

observation
I love to work on a project and see it come to completion, one of my most satisfying projects was the mission trip to Athens in 2008. In this passage just before the end of Jesus ministry he talks to God and tells the Father "I have accomplished my mission."

Jesus was here on this planet on a mission from God, a mission that nobody understood, a mission that was above the human wisdom of the day that told Jesus to exalt himself and bring glory to himself by setting up his kingdom on earth. Jesus mission was to bring glory to his Father instead of putting the spotlight on himself.

If we are supposed to be like Jesus then we should ask "what did Jesus do" and the only answer to the question is that Jesus brought glory to God by completing his work that God sent him here to do.

Can we say that we are fulfilling our mission? Do we bring glory to God everyday instead of elevating ourselves? Do we know what our mission is?

application
I need to bring glory to God by living my life for him, Jesus didn't live for his own benefit and I need to put aside my selfish human desires and live for something much greater. I must live each day as "His man on His mission"

prayer
I want to live each day with urgency as I remember that I am on a mission from you.

Related articles

• The Night That Changed Everything (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)