ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 6, 2012)

Life: Lost and Found

John 12:1-33



"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
(John 12:25)

Jesus said these words shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The same people who greeted Him with ecstatic praises of "Hosanna! Hosanna!" would soon be shouting "Crucify Him!"

Jesus loves life, and He is the source of it. He loves giving life, yet He did not love His own life so much that He sought to save it from the hideous cruelty of the cross. Compared to the opportunity to bring glory to the Father through His own willing obedience, Jesus despised and "hated" His own life.

We too must have the same priorities as our Lord. We must dismiss ("hate") our own lives and see that in turn we and others will find life in Christ. Does that seem to be asking a lot? It is. But it's not nearly what Christ gave for us. Paul knew the joy of a life lost (yet found!) in Christ. He considered "everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things... that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8). Let that be our heart's desire today also.


INSIGHT
WE LOVE OTHERS MOST WHEN WE LOVE OUR LIVES LEAST.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 27-28
Psalm 84
Acts 5-6

John 12:1-33
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
12 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate[a] with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar[b] of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages.[c] It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 When all the people[d] heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them[e] and believed in Jesus.
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
“Praise God![f]
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”[g]
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.[h]
Look, your King is coming,
riding on a donkey’s colt.”[i]
16 His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.
17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others[j] about it. 18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone[k] has gone after him!”
Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man[l] to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
Footnotes:
a. John 12:2 Or who reclined.
b. John 12:3 Greek took 1 litra [327 grams].
c. John 12:5 Greek worth 300 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage.
d. John 12:9 Greek Jewish people; also in 12:11.
e. John 12:11 Or had deserted their traditions; Greek reads had deserted.
f. John 12:13 Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise adapted from a Hebrew expression that means “save now.”
g. John 12:13 Ps 118:25-26; Zeph 3:15.
h. John 12:15 Greek daughter of Zion.
i. John 12:15 Zech 9:9.
j. John 12:17 Greek were testifying.
k. John 12:19 Greek the world.
l. John 12:23 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.


CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN
with Judy Robertson

There's a broadway hit, a candidate for president, and an ongoing nationwide marketing campaign by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.But does this church teach historic Christianity?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 5, 2012)

Our Victory over Death

John 11:1-44


"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.'"
(John 11:25)

This year marks the tenth anniversary of my mother's passing. In the final years of her life, Mom became a committed follower of Jesus. Through all the ups and downs of cancer, her trust in Him only grew. In the Lord's good providence and timing, He took her home.

At another time of great loss centuries earlier, Jesus' words to Martha here in John 11 come as she and Mary mourn the death of their beloved brother Lazarus. He was Jesus' personal friend, too. What the Lord said to Martha was both fact and promise, cause and effect even. Because He is "the resurrection and the life" death has become irrelevant. These are words of hope to those who've seen a loved one die.

In Christ, death is defeated. It holds sway over this world, but it no longer has power over anyone who has repented of their sins, believed the Gospel, and received life from Jesus. I remember saying at the time that Mom did not lose her battle with cancer. Actually, she won. Such is the hope, the comfort, and joy we have through Jesus.

INSIGHT
"PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS."
(PSALM 116:15)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 23-24
Psalm 82
Acts 2

John 11:1-44
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Raising of Lazarus
11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[a] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people[b] in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin,[c] said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”
17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him.
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,[f] and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
Footnotes:
a. John 11:2 This incident is recorded in chapter 12.
b. John 11:8 Greek Jewish people; also in 11:19, 31, 33, 36, 45, 54.
c. John 11:16 Greek Thomas, who was called Didymus.
d. John 11:18 Greek was about 15 stadia [about 2.8 kilometers].
e. John 11:25 Some manuscripts do not include and the life.
f. John 11:33 Or he was angry in his spirit.


CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 5]

Who is the real Jesus? What is the difference between the Jesus of the LDS Church and the Jesus of historic Christianity? To know the answer you must first discover the true Jesus of the Bible.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 4, 2012)

Our Eternal Fortress
John 10:22-42


"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
(John 10:28)

We've all heard stories about secret underground bunkers or seen movies about some awesome, impenetrable fortress. Humanly speaking, the security of such places may be debated. But Jesus' words reveal the absolutely impenetrable fortress of every believer's eternally secure salvation.

The "them" in this sentence refers to Jesus' sheep, those who "listen" and "follow" Him (v. 27). The security of their souls is perfectly and infinitely guarded by at least six mighty truths: 1. They are His ("My sheep"); 2. He knows them (v. 27); 3. He is the one who gives them eternal life; 4. that eternal life was given to Him by the Father to give (v. 29); 5. they are in the Father's Hand (v. 29); and 6. Jesus and the Father are one (v. 30).

Your eternal future was forever won by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. You can rest assured it is held safe not by your own strivings, but by the hand of the omnipotent, loving, promise-keeping God. "A Mighty Fortress is our God... His kingdom is forever" (Martin Luther, 1529).

INSIGHT
THERE IS EMPHATIC FORCE BEHIND "NEVER." WE CAN THINK OF IT AS THOSE WHO ARE THE LORD'S WILL "ABSOLUTELY NEVER" PERISH!

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 20-22
Psalm 81
Acts 1

John 10:22-42
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.[a] No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”
33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures[b] that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’[c] 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.
Footnotes:
a. John 10:29 Other manuscripts read for what my Father has given me is more powerful than anything; still others read for regarding that which my Father has given me, he is greater than all.
b. John 10:34 Greek your own law.
c. John 10:34 Ps 82:6

CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 4]

The question is a troublesome one for many, but for the sake of integrity of the gospel Christians must ask the question, "Can a Mormon be a Christian?" And the answer must come from God's Word. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 3, 2012)

Taking Great Confidence

John 10:14-21; 1 Peter 1:3-5

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again." 

(John 10:17)

Jesus' words are especially powerful for what they tell us about His Identity, Purpose, and Authority.

Identity - "My Father...loves me." The Father always loved Jesus (John 17:24). For all eternity He has been "well pleased" with His Son (Matthew 3:17). You, too, find your identity in His perfect love for you. 

Purpose - "I lay down my life...." Jesus is not speaking of a conditional love from His Father. Rather, in the Trinity there has always been joy and celebration of the Son. Though each has a role in the great work of salvation, Jesus is eternally the one who "humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8) for you. 

Authority - "only to take it up again." Jesus' power did not end at death. He could both lay down His life, and take it back up. Who else could have such authority? He holds the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:18). 

Apply this to your life and have confidence that your salvation is by Jesus' perfect strength and success, not your own!

INSIGHT

IT IS ALSO HIS SAME VICTORIOUS POWER WHICH WILL PROTECT US IN THIS WORLD AND LEAD US HOME.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Isaiah 18-19 

Psalm 80

John 21

John 10:14-21

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

19 At these words the Jews were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

1 Peter 1:3-5

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 3]

with Crista Wagner

What do Mormons believe? How do these beliefs differ from what the Bible teaches? Every Christian needs to be aware of the key differences. Listen and learn what you need to know. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 2, 2012)

No Ordinary Shepherd

Psalm 23; John 10:11-13



"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
(John 10:11)

Why would any shepherd willingly die to save the flock he's watching over? They are, after all, only sheep. If we think about it, it sounds absurd. Only a shepherd of remarkable courage and benevolence would so commit himself, even to his own death. Such a selfless shepherd would act so devotedly because he knows the importance of the one who owns the sheep.

The answer to the question, of course, is that Jesus is no ordinary shepherd. He is God. He is the Good Shepherd. From eternity past, God the Father entrusted every precious believing soul to the Son. The Son honors the Father in His perfect care of and sacrifice for the Father's flock.

While He was with them, the Good Shepherd protected them and kept them safe, losing none except the one destined to be lost (John 17:12). Yet His greatest act of love and devotion would be His own obedient death for their sakes - for our sakes. We are those sheep! Through it He did what no one else could do; He secured our safety and peace for all eternity.


INSIGHT
THE GOSPEL IS BEAUTIFUL NOT BECAUSE OF THE SHEEP BUT BECAUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. OUR WORTH IS DUE ENTIRELY TO HIM.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 16-17
Palms 79
John 20

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 23:4 Or through the darkest valley
John 10:11-13
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.


CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 2]
with Shawn McCraney

Mormonism is all over the media. As major networks run specials on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many people are wondering what Mormons truly believe. Can a Mormon be a Christian?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (AUGUST 1, 2012)

The Life-Giving Savior

John 10:1-10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." 

(John 10:10)

We might think of this verse only for the "down and out" in life - those who appear to have given up on life. I know I have. I've quoted this verse to drug addicts and alcoholics. It exposes Satan's intentions behind those substances. My intentions were good. I meant to show the miserable end result of those things and the hope that can be theirs. But the ferocity of Satan's hate is not limited to addicts. He is equally happy to steal, kill and destroy a successful executive or a housewife caring for the family, a plumber or a religious monk trusting in his own piety. He is not particular. 

The message of the Gospel is that Jesus - also no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-36) - is God, and He came to earth to do for us what we never could: save us from all that holds us captive. He alone can break the bonds of sin shackling every human heart. Apart from Jesus we have only death, even in our greatest earthly successes. True life, overflowing life, eternal life, is found only in Jesus, the life-giving Savior.

INSIGHT

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Isaiah 14,15 

Psalm 78

John 19

New International Version 1984

X

John 10:1-10

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

The Shepherd and His Flock

10 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Footnotes:

a. John 10:9 Or kept safe

CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 1]

with Judy Robertson

There's a broadway hit, a candidate for president, and an ongoing nationwide marketing campaign by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But does this church teach historic Christianity?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 31, 2012)

The Gift of Infirmity

John 9; Romans 8

"'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"
(John 9:3)

Heaven will be filled with heroic saints. Think of the five young missionary men who lost their lives at the hands of the Waodani (Auca) Indians of Ecuador in 1956. Or think of Joni Erickson Tada of our lifetime, living courageously as a quadriplegic most of her life, and yet thanking God for the influence it has allowed her to have for His kingdom. Remember Job in the Bible, who endured so much yet refused to heed his wife's advice to "curse God and die" (2:9). Four thousand years later, the story of his suffering continues to inspire people to draw ever closer to God in their trials.

The account of the man born blind in John 9 is another such story. Receiving his sight was precious. But he received two greater gifts: eternal life and the privilege of being used by God. No matter what our disease or impairment, Jesus encourages us that God is sovereign in our weaknesses. He has a good purpose in mind for every detail of our lives. How amazing it will be to speak with these saints in heaven one day!

INSIGHT
"BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN JARS OF CLAY TO SHOW THAT THIS ALL-SURPASSING POWER IS FROM GOD AND NOT FROM US."
(2 CORINTHIANS 4:7)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 11-13
Psalm 77
John 18

John 9
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Footnotes:
a. John 9:39 Some early manuscripts do not have Then the man said … 39 Jesus said.
Cross references:
A. John 9:2 : S Mt 23:7
B. John 9:2 : ver 34; Lk 13:2; Ac 28:4
C. John 9:2 : Eze 18:20
D. John 9:2 : Ex 20:5; Job 21:19
E. John 9:3 : Jn 11:4
F. John 9:4 : Jn 11:9; 12:35
G. John 9:5 : S Jn 1:4
H. John 9:6 : Mk 7:33; 8:23
I. John 9:7 : ver 11; 2Ki 5:10; Lk 13:4
J. John 9:7 : Isa 35:5; Jn 11:37
K. John 9:8 : Ac 3:2, 10
L. John 9:11 : ver 7
M. John 9:14 : Mt 12:1-14; Jn 5:9
N. John 9:15 : ver 10
O. John 9:16 : S Mt 12:2
P. John 9:16 : S Jn 2:11
Q. John 9:16 : S Jn 6:52
R. John 9:17 : S Mt 21:11
S. John 9:18 : S Jn 1:19
T. John 9:22 : S Jn 7:13
U. John 9:22 : ver 34; Lk 6:22
V. John 9:22 : Jn 12:42; 16:2
W. John 9:23 : ver 21
X. John 9:24 : Jos 7:19
Y. John 9:24 : ver 16
Z. John 9:27 : ver 15
AA. John 9:28 : Jn 5:45
AB. John 9:29 : Jn 8:14
AC. John 9:31 : Ge 18:23-32; Ps 34:15, 16; 66:18; 145:19, 20; Pr 15:29; Isa 1:15; 59:1, 2; Jn 15:7; Jas 5:16-18; 1Jn 5:14, 15
AD. John 9:33 : ver 16; Jn 3:2
AE. John 9:34 : ver 2
AF. John 9:34 : ver 22, 35; Isa 66:5
AG. John 9:35 : S Jn 3:15
AH. John 9:35 : S Mt 8:20
AI. John 9:36 : Ro 10:14
AJ. John 9:37 : Jn 4:26
AK. John 9:38 : Mt 28:9
AL. John 9:39 : S Jn 5:22
AM. John 9:39 : Jn 3:19; 12:47
AN. John 9:39 : Lk 4:18
AO. John 9:39 : Mt 13:13
AP. John 9:40 : Ro 2:19
AQ. John 9:41 : Jn 15:22, 24
New International Version (NIV)

GRACE
with Max Lucado

Charles Morris is joined by a well-known author talking about grace - something that is more than we deserve and greater than we imagine.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 30, 2012)

Life Worth Emphasizing

John 8:12-59

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
(JOHN 8:12)

Most of the New Testament was first written in Koine Greek. In seminary I spent a year studying that language. Anyone who has studied it can tell you of the challenges and rewards that come from the experience. It is hard work, but suddenly there comes a moment of first breakthrough that makes it worthwhile. Like a jeweler's loupe, the familiarity with biblical Greek my professors have taught me has magnified the vibrant colors of God's Word in its original language.

In the original Greek what Jesus is saying here is emphatic. The English language does not quite translate the force of Jesus' declaration for us to appreciate it fully. "I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never, ever, ever walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He is emphatic about who He is and what that means for those who follow Him. Because Jesus is the light of the world, we who walk in His light never walk in darkness. He is the light of life, and He is the light of our lives!

INSIGHT
Thank You, Jesus, for being the light of the world. Thank You that, in You, we never, ever walk in darkness. Amen.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 9, 10
Psalm 76
John 17

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[b]”

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would[c] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Jesus’ Claims About Himself
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”

49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Footnotes:
a. John 8:28 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
b. John 8:38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.
c. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then


GRACE
with Max Lucado

Charles Morris is joined by a well-known author talking about grace - something that is more than we deserve and greater than we imagine.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 29, 2012)

Your Biography

John 8:1-11


"'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"
(JOHN 8:11)

I'm fascinated by books and stories that tell how someone lived his or her life. In the Bible we read hundreds of mini biographies, some only a verse or two long. In 2 Samuel we read about Benaiah. One of King David's chief men, he "was a valiant fighter...who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion" (2 Samuel 23:20). The lives of most of the kings of Judah and Israel are summarized with the words, "and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."

In John 8 we get another brief life story. Jewish leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. By Jewish Law she was to be stoned, but what would this Teacher say? Jesus did not condemn her, but He did write her biography when He summed up her life as a "life of sin." A good doctor shows the disease then dispenses the medicine. People don't need condemnation, but they do need to be shown their honest condition before God, and then the Savior He sent to save them.


INSIGHT
WHAT BETTER BIOGRAPHY IS THERE THAN OF A LIFE CHANGED BY JESUS? DOES YOUR LIFE TELL THAT STORY?

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 6-8
Psalm 75
John 16

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

GRACE ACHIEVED [PART 5]

with Max Lucado

Grace is what God has done. Grace is what God has accomplished through His Son. Jesus declared it from the cross when he said, "It is finished." 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 28, 2012)

Ministry in Opposition

Genesis 39; John 7


"After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life."
(JOHN 7:1)

In election years we constantly hear about poll numbers. One misstep on the campaign trail, and a candidate's popularity with voters can drop overnight. Jesus certainly wasn't running for office, but He knew first-hand how quickly the tides of public opinion can change.

John 6 opens with Jesus being a hero to thousands. He miraculously fed over 5,000 people on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee in the north. The same chapter ends with most of the people abandoning Him (John 6:66). His "poll numbers" were far worse in Judea to the south: the ruling Jews there wanted Him dead!

In today's verse John implies that Jesus stayed in Galilee for a time preaching, teaching, and healing. He did what ministry He could, where He could. Jesus was not afraid for His life. He went to Jerusalem shortly after (John 7:2). Even when opposed, He continued in ministry. With you and me in mind, Jesus was faithful to His purpose to save us, even becoming "obedient to death - even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8)!


INSIGHT
LORD JESUS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS IN YOUR EARTHLY MINISTRY AND THAT WE NOW HAVE LIFE IN YOU. AMEN.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 3-5
Psalm 74
John 14-15

John 7
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus and His Brothers
7 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8 You go on. I’m not going[a] to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.
Jesus Teaches Openly at the Temple
10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. 15 The people[b] were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.
16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”
20 The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. 22 But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23 For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? 24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”
Is Jesus the Messiah?
25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”
28 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. 29 But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” 30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time[c] had not yet come.
31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”
32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. 33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”
35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands?[d] Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”
Jesus Promises Living Water
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[e] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[f] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
Division and Unbelief
40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”[g] 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”[h] 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.
45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.
47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. 48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”
50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. 51 “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes[i] from Galilee!”

[The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53–8:11.]
53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.
Footnotes:
a. John 7:8 Some manuscripts read not yet going.
b. John 7:15 Greek Jewish people.
c. John 7:30 Greek his hour.
d. John 7:35 Or the Jews who live among the Greeks?
e. John 7:38 Or “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from the heart of anyone who believes in me.’”
f. John 7:39 Some manuscripts read But as yet there was no Spirit. Still others read But as yet there was no Holy Spirit.
g. John 7:40 See Deut 18:15, 18; Mal 4:5-6.
h. John 7:42 See Mic 5:2.
i. John 7:52 Some manuscripts read the prophet does not come.


GRACE ALIVE [PART 4]
with Max Lucado

As trouble builds in the Muslim world, violence never seems to abate. This time it comes over the release of a poorly made movie endorsed by a small church pastor. What is it that this world needs?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 27, 2012)

Inspiration to Press On

John 6:64-71; 1 Peter 1



"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'"
(JOHN 6:69)

We have spent a few days together looking at Jesus' words about life in John 6. John tells us the crowd's reaction to what Jesus had taught them. "From this time, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him" (v. 66). "You don't also want to go away, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Peter's earnest reply has lived on in the hearts of believers for centuries.

Forgiveness of sins and new life are free gifts to us. We simply cannot earn them. Yet, following Jesus will cost us. It may cost us a promotion, a friendship, possessions... It is a cross-bearing life (Luke 9:23). Jesus pictured it as striving to get through a gate with obstacles all around it (Luke 13:24). Tradition says Peter himself was crucified upside-down for his faith.

In Peter's words we find inspiring reasons to press onward in Jesus: He is Lord; He alone has spoken the words of eternal life; He is the Savior God promised He would send. Along with Peter we testify that there is no one else we would follow.


INSIGHT
BE ENCOURAGED TODAY. EVERY TRIAL OF LIFE WILL ONE DAY BE WORTH IT ALL WHEN WE SEE JESUS FACE TO FACE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 1-2
Psalm 73
John 13

John 6:64-71
New Living Translation (NLT)
64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”
66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.[a]”
70 Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.
Footnotes:
a. John 6:69 Other manuscripts read you are the Christ, the Holy One of God; still others read you are the Christ, the Son of God; and still others read you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
1 Peter 1
New Living Translation (NLT)
Greetings from Peter
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.[a] 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
May God give you more and more grace and peace.
The Hope of Eternal Life
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, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
A Call to Holy Living
13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”[c]
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.[d] Love each other deeply with all your heart.[e]
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.”[f]
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Peter 1:1 Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia were Roman provinces in what is now Turkey.
b. 1 Peter 1:6 Or So you are truly glad.
c. 1 Peter 1:16 Lev 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7.
d. 1 Peter 1:22 Greek must have brotherly love.
e. 1 Peter 1:22 Some manuscripts read with a pure heart.
f. 1 Peter 1:25 Isa 40:6-8



GRACE ABUNDANT [PART 3]
with Max Lucado

Grace is a free gift, but it is also given in abundance. If this is true, why does it seem like we do not receive grace in full? And what can the parable of the prodigal son teach us about this?

Angels

I never believed in Angels
Till I saw you

The day first we met
With a cheerful smile on your face
It was more than enough to give heart a twinkle and eyes a wink

So different you appeared midst the crowd of people
A thought of you made me rekindle

It all began with a small Hii
Neither You nor I had wondered it will go till sky

With Time
U got to know me, I got to know you
There was nothing as such common
If you were American then I was a Roman

Together we laughed; we giggled and played a little
Made a relation thats not brittle
In all it was not less than a miracle

For You
Was blown away by your warmth
Which gave hope to fight the life's storm
Your words are perfect 
To bring down even the bits of imperfection

You are not less than the blow of fresh air
All fair and full of care
In you lies the ocean of happiness 
Which completes every blankness...

Full of zing for life
You keep on adding fun to everyone's life
Sorrows are miles away from you
Because you are not the right venue...

The bond I share with you
Is beyond my view....
It will not be wrong to say
I never believed in Angels 
Till I saw YOU...

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 27, 2012)

An Accurate Reading

John 6:59-63; Hebrews 1

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." 

(JOHN 6:63)

In my last computer support job before seminary, I worked on a satellite program for a defense contractor. Teams assembled satellite dishes in the work yard and pointed them to the sky to transmit and receive information. The GPS in your car or phone works much the same way. Accuracy is guaranteed by evaluating data from three or more orbiting satellites. Likewise, we obtain a more accurate understanding of what God is saying in "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." the Bible when we evaluate a topic across several passages. 

Jesus says here that the Spirit gives life. He also says the words He speaks are spirit (or, "Spirit") and life. Last week we read how the Father also gives life (Day 5, John 5:21). Through this "data" we learn: First, all Three Persons are God, for only God can give life. Second, God has communicated to us about Himself. Third, Life is found in His words. Fourth, we can know His will by listening to what He tells us. 

The God-breathed pages of Scripture all took on human flesh in Jesus, flesh and words that bring life.

INSIGHT

LONG BEFORE SATELLITES AND CELL PHONES, THE PSALMIST WROTE, "YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH" 

(PSALM 119:105).

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Song of Solomon 7-8 

Psalm 72 

John 12

John 6:59-63

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit[a] and they are life.

Footnotes:

a. John 6:63 Or Spirit

Hebrews 1 

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Christ Is God’s Son

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

The Son Is Greater Than the Angels

5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.[a]”

God also said,

“I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son.”[b]

6 And when he brought his supreme[c] Son into the world, God said,[d]

“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”[e]

7 Regarding the angels, he says,

“He sends his angels like the winds,

his servants like flames of fire.”[f]

8 But to the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.

You rule with a scepter of justice.

9 You love justice and hate evil.

Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,

pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”[g]

10 He also says to the Son,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth

and made the heavens with your hands.

11 They will perish, but you remain forever.

They will wear out like old clothing.

12 You will fold them up like a cloak

and discard them like old clothing.

But you are always the same;

you will live forever.”[h]

13 And God never said to any of the angels,

“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

until I humble your enemies,

making them a footstool under your feet.”[i]

14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

Footnotes:

a. Hebrews 1:5 Or Today I reveal you as my Son. Ps 2:7.

b. Hebrews 1:5 2 Sam 7:14.

c. Hebrews 1:6 Or firstborn.

d. Hebrews 1:6 Or when he again brings his supreme Son [or firstborn Son] into the world, God will say.

e. Hebrews 1:6 Deut 32:43.

f. Hebrews 1:7 Ps 104:4 (Greek version).

g. Hebrews 1:9 Ps 45:6-7.

h. Hebrews 1:12 Ps 102:25-27.

i. Hebrews 1:13 Ps 110:1.

GRACE ALONE [PART 2]

with Max Lucado

We find grace at the center of the Gospel. It is the essence of our salvation. But have you been changed by grace? Are you trusting in grace alone? Or are you trying to add to what only God can do? 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 26, 2012)

A Statement So Shocking

John 6:52-58


"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
(JOHN 6:54)

Jesus here continues to teach His hearers what it means to follow Him. Initially they heard Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, where He miraculously fed more than 5,000 of them. Some followed Him across the lake the next day, hoping for more free food. What they received instead was shocking. Not only did Jesus declare Himself to be the "bread of life," He said that one had to feed on His flesh and drink His blood if they would have eternal life! You can imagine how unsettling these words were.

Athletes subject themselves to remarkable self-discipline. Achieving peak performance is their "flesh" and "blood." If you've ever committed to a sport or a race or a personal goal, you understand. What Jesus said to His hearers that day He still speaks to us: Eternal life is a gift, found in Him alone by faith alone. Our works can never save us. Yet, if we are going to follow after Him, nothing less than total, sold-out commitment to Him will do. Jesus must be our flesh and blood.

INSIGHT
IS JESUS YOUR GREATEST PURSUIT IN LIFE? HE IS THE LORD, AND HE DESERVES TO BE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Song of Solomon 5-6
Psalm 71
John 11

John 6:52-58
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”

GRACE [PART 1]

with Max Lucado

Charles Morris is joined by a well-known author talking about grace - something that is more than we deserve and greater than imagine. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JULY 25, 2012)

The Bread of Life

Exodus 16, John 6:30-51



"I am the bread of life."
(JOHN 6:48)

Nearly 1,500 years before the events of John 6, God used Moses to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. For the 40 years that followed, God fed an estimated 1 million men, women, and children as they journeyed in the desert to the Promised Land. He did this by sending bread from heaven. Having just fed a crowd of 5,000, Jesus takes the opportunity to show that He is the true bread from heaven. What was only a shadowy allusion before was now perfectly revealed in Him.

The Israelites who ate the manna (bread) God gave them in the desert all died (6:49). But Jesus is the bread God gives, "who comes down from heaven" (6:33), and those who eat of it "will live forever" (6:51).

How may we receive this bread? By believing entirely in Jesus Christ. If He is the bread, how do we "eat" Him? As we set out to make everything He is and everything He taught the very "foods" we desire to live by, we show that we long to know Him as our source of life. He is our sustenance, the daily bread we need.


INSIGHT
LORD JESUS, YOU ALONE ARE THE TRUE BREAD OF LIFE, THE BREAD OF HEAVEN. MAY WE HUNGER TO KNOW AND LOVE YOU MORE EACH DAY. AMEN.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Song of Solomon 3-4
Psalm 70
John 10
Exodus 16
New Living Translation (NLT)
Manna and Quail from Heaven
16 Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin,[a] between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt.[b] 2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.
3 “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” 8 Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Announce this to the entire community of Israel: ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.
And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts[c] for each person in your tent.”
17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out,[d] everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.
19 Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” 20 But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them.
21 After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts[e] for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”
24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. 25 Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the Lord. There will be no food on the ground today. 26 You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.”
27 Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. 28 The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 30 So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.
31 The Israelites called the food manna.[f] It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.
32 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt.”
33 Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the Lord to preserve it for all future generations.” 34 Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant—in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant.[g] 35 So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
36 The container used to measure the manna was an omer, which was one-tenth of an ephah; it held about two quarts.[h]
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 16:1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be confused with the English word sin.
b. Exodus 16:1 The Exodus had occurred on the fifteenth day of the first month (see Num 33:3).
c. Exodus 16:16 Hebrew 1 omer [2 liters]; also in 16:32, 33.
d. Exodus 16:18 Hebrew measured it with an omer.
e. Exodus 16:22 Hebrew 2 omers [4 liters].
f. Exodus 16:31 Manna means “What is it?” See 16:15.
g. Exodus 16:34 Hebrew He placed it in front of the Testimony; see note on 25:16.
h. Exodus 16:36 Hebrew An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

John 6:30-51
New International Version (NIV)
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[a]”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[b] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Footnotes:
a. John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25
b. John 6:45 Isaiah 54


KEEPING FAITH
with Alex Chediak

What is the greatest challenge for today's college student? Many would assume grades or social status. But there is a greater challenge every Chris