There Ahead of Us

“Verily, verily, I say unto you; before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

The other day I spoke of what church goers say to annoy their pastor. Today we will look at what the world says to annoy me. “Well, pastor,” they smirk, “after all, Jesus never said He was God.” They have just lit my fuse. When they say this I am always reminded of the Jews who were falsely accusing Jesus. These modern scoffers are the same sons of the devil as they were.

In Exodus chapter three, when Moses was telling God why he couldn’t obey God’s call, God told Him by what Name He would be known. God would be known by the Name, “I AM”. That is why the Jews tried to stone Jesus for even using that name. It belonged exclusively to God. It did and it does. So, when Jesus uses it He is asserting that He is God. Some cults even remove this verse from their Bible. Those who come to Christ must believe that He is the Son of God, for no one else could take away our sins.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die on the cross for my sins. Let me never be deceived by the devil that Jesus is other than who He said He was. Amen.   

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net   

Bad Parentage

“You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because no truth is in him.”      John 8:44

What an indictment! Satan is a murderer. Satan has no truth in him. Satan is a liar. That isn’t just the indictment against the devil. Jesus applied it to those who rejected Him. In my book Deceived, I show how an entire segment of the professing Christian community is under this strong judgment of God. We shouldn’t just read the Bible to find out how awful everyone else is; we should be looking for ourselves on every page.

Are we truthful? The devil isn’t; he’s the father of lies. Are we loving? He is a murderer. Are we honest? He is a thief. Do we love God’s law? He hates God’s law. Do we love the fellowship of the saints? He wants to keep us from the fellowship of the saints. It wouldn’t hurt us to honestly assess our “devil quotient”. We are to let our light so shine that others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Do others see our light, or do they see our “devil quotient”?

Dear Father, Help me to let Your light truly shine through me each day. Amen.

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Good Parentage

“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.” John 8:39

While this verse might seem to apply only to the Jews; it really applies to all who claim faith in Abraham’s God. The Jews rejected Abraham’s God by rejecting Jesus as the Christ. The Muslims have rejected Abraham’s God by denying that Jesus is the Son of God. Many Christians have rejected Abraham’s God by denying the true divinity of Christ. That is the major idea of the context of this verse. But it has another one as well.

The Jews wanted to kill Jesus. Would Abraham have wanted to kill Him? He had a chance, you know. When Jesus came to Abraham to warn him of the destruction of Sodom, what did Abraham do? He killed the fatted calf to honor Jesus. He bowed down before Him. He prayed to Him. He believed Him. He loved Him and obeyed Him. Those were the works of Abraham. Galatians tells us that all who come to Christ by faith are sons of Abraham. These are the works that should be evident in our lives as well.

Dear Father, I want to act like a child of Abraham each day and give You the proper honor and devotion that you deserve. Amen.

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It's Free

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

“I can’t wait to get out of this house and live on my own and make my own rules!” Parents have heard that sad song for generations, maybe even since Adam. Teens often feel that they are just a slave in their homes. It is not a justified feeling; it is a rebellious human feeling. It was the feeling of Adam and Eve in the Garden. They wanted to be like God and make their own rules. They didn’t want a children’s role anymore.

All people of all ages have felt the same. I want to be in control. Jesus pointed out that that idea was slavery. Adam and Eve had become slaves of sin as soon as they ate the fruit. The Jews had rebelled against God and been conquered by the Babylonians and then the Romans. Their sin had brought them into subjection to foreign rulers. Even in such a state of bondage they still rejected God’s provision for freedom. It was to be freedom from the real cause of slavery. They could be free from sin and so can we. It can only be done through Jesus Christ. He died for our sin that we might become free of its curse and be restored as children of God. Rebellious pride led to the downfall of Israel. It still leads today to the eternal downfall of millions. Only through Jesus Christ can we be freed from slavery to sonship with God.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Jesus to make me free to be Your child. Help me walk obediently in that freedom each day. Amen.

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Merry Christmas

"For unto us a Child is  born." Isaiah 9:6

          

          It’s Christmas morning and many people may have already gone to the Christmas tree and opened their presents. If there are small children in the house, many adults might have even been awakened early to get this done. Well there was an early awakening on that first Christmas morn.

Babies don’t come into this world quietly. Mary had labor pains the same as any mother. Her pains brought about the same screams of any mother. And then, in that lowly stable, the greatest Christmas present ever was delivered. There wasn’t much sleep for mom or dad that night. But the excitement didn’t just occur in the stable.

Out on the hillside there were shepherds watching their flocks. Angels appeared and announced the promised birth of the child, a seven-hundred-year-old promise, and they were told where to find the present. Off they scooted to see the present they had long awaited. There wasn’t much sleep that night for the shepherds either.

Far, far away there were some wise men looking at the night sky. Then one of them shouted, “Look at that! We’ve been waiting for that star since we were told about it by Daniel five hundred years ago! Unto us a King is born!” In their excitement they may have started to plan their trip right away. They had a long way to go. They didn’t get much sleep either.

The mother and father gave their Child the gift of love that night. The shepherds gave the Child the gift of worship that night. The wise men planned what great gifts they would bring to the Child King. But most importantly, that night God gave to mankind the greatest gift of all. “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and His name shall be called, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Almighty God”, the “Everlasting Father”, the “Prince of Peace”. May the Wonderful Son of God bring you the gift of peace this Christmas. 

The True Light of Christmas

“I am the Light of the World. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

How do we know how to live? Do we, like politicians, take a poll to see which way to go? Do we seek advice from the prophets of this age? Do we rightly go to God’s word and seek it there? Psalm 119 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” We remember from John 1:1 that Jesus Christ is God’s Word. Jesus said in John 7:16, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” Jesus lived and taught the enduring Word of God.

How do we know how to live for God we never read the Word of God? How do we know if we seldom hear it? If we went to school one day out of every seven and then test day came, how would we likely do? Jesus said quite clearly, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness.” He didn’t say that he who gives lip service to Him would not walk in darkness, but that he who follows Him wouldn’t. This is why we read in Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” Let us follow in His Light and clearly see our way in the darkness of this world.

Dear Father, Thank You for Jesus and Your written word. Help me daily to learn them better and follow them more closely. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

In Christ There Is No Condemnation

“Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’.” John 8:11

The adulterous woman had been caught and judged. Before her sentence was carried out her judges brought her to Jesus. That is where every guilty sinner needs to be brought. After a little bit her judges all left her and she was alone with Jesus. These next words are so important. “Neither to I condemn you; go and sin no more.” She had been judged by the law, the righteous Law of God. Jesus had mercy on her. That is the Gospel. Jesus told her to go and sin no more. That is the practical use of the law to guide our steps.

God’s righteous Law applies to all men, past and present. It was not a time sensitive set of rules, but His lasting expectation for the behavior of men. All men break that law, and that is called sin. We break it every day. God, in His mercy, has given His Son to forgive us our sin, but not ours alone. We must bring sinners to Jesus for His mercy on them as well. He is ready to forgive all who will kneel before Him and claim Him, the Son of God, as their Savior.

Dear Father, Thank You for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Help me to keep your Law and confess when I break it. Help me to bring others to find forgiveness in Christ. Amen.

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Who Is That Guy, Anyway?

“For even His brothers did not believe Him.” John 7:5

Has all your family trusted Christ as Savior? Does it hurt you to have them reject Him? Take heart. Jesus’ brothers did not believe Him. They lived with Him. They played with Him. They went to school with Him. They heard Him preach and saw His miracles. They didn’t believe Him. Not yet, anyway.

There are two books in the New Testament to show us that things changed. James and Jude are two of Jesus’ brothers. They are two who didn’t believe Him and then they did. How did this happen? I Corinthians 15:7 says simply, “After that He was seen by James.” After His resurrection, Jesus sought out His brothers to tell them one more time that He was truly the Son of God. On that last visit they believed in Him. Jesus just kept loving His family and sharing the Good News of who He was. At last they believed Him. Take heart; Jesus knows how much you love your family. He loved His, too. He cares for your family as much as He cared for His. Let your family see Jesus in you; let them hear Jesus from you. Let Jesus change their hearts.

Dear Father, I thank You that You understand all my feelings including my love for lost relatives. Father, I place them into Your hands. Amen.

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The Right Choice

“Peter answered, ‘To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’.” John 6:68

After looking at one of the saddest verses in Scripture it is refreshing to find this one. The multitude of disciples had left Jesus when He told them hard things to understand. But Peter spoke up for the remaining twelve and said, “Where else can we go? Only You provide eternal life.” That is faith commitment. That is true spiritual insight. There is no place to go for life and hope and peace besides Jesus Christ.

Over the many years of my pastorates a lot of people have come to church and been on fire for a while. But then, they are gone. They are not just gone from my church; they are gone and not going anywhere. I have never encountered a pastor who did not have the same frustration. Then there is the octogenarian who has been a member since birth. They don’t just sit; they work and pray. They stay through the good times and the lean times. They send you notes saying they are praying for you. Like the widow’s mite, they share their resources. And when they talk about Jesus their eyes light up and the tears of joy roll down their cheeks. That is a faith commitment. That is seeing Jesus as the true refuge for the soul.

Dear Father, let me be the one who stands by the testimony of my faith; the one who knows there is no other place to go but Jesus. Amen.

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Not What They Wanted to Hear

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” John 6:66

Talk about a sad verse of Scripture, this is it. People liked to follow Jesus for a variety of reasons. He was popular, at least with the common man. He was kind, even to the lepers. He was giving, as in feeding five thousand men plus women and children. He was interesting, as in more exciting to hear than the arguing between the Pharisees and Sadducees. In the modern world we could say that Jesus put on a good show and fed the people while He did it. But when it came down to calling them to a faith life, looking at the Father instead of the world; when it came time to call them to believe in that which was contrary to their perceived ideas; well it was different. Then the crowds of disciples left Him.

What about us? Are we in it with Jesus for the good things? Are we liking the “moving” worship services spiced with espresso coffee? Are we loving the variety of services our church “provides” for us? Are we loving the good show and not the Savior? Jesus looked at all those loving the good show and told them difficult things about really following Him. They left? What are we looking for in Jesus? Are we looking for a good show or a Lord who has expectations of us? Will the next and better “good show” pull us away from our current one? Or will we be satisfied with serving instead of being served? Will we be content to eat the True Bread of Life or demand glazed donuts with it? This moment in Jesus’ ministry was truly a sad story.

Dear Father, help me focus on Jesus and not seek the “good show” that attracts the flesh but leaves the spirit unfed. Amen.

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Living Bread

“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. I am the Bread of Life.” John 6:33 and 35

The bread of God isn’t a thing. It is a person. If I feed someone bread today will they live forever? No! But if someone comes to Christ today, believing that He is the full provision of God for life now and forever; then they will live forever. Jesus had just fed five thousand people with a few loaves and fish. They remembered the wilderness wandering and how God had fed them every day for forty years. They wanted the same earthly provision from Jesus. “Prove you are God by feeding us bread every day for forty years,” was their taunt. Jesus said I can do better than that. “I am the Bread of Life. This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die.”

The question is, would we like to eat bread forty years and then die, or would we like to eat the Bread of Life and live forever? Jesus gave Himself on the cross for our sins. The night before He did that He took bread and gave it to His disciples and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.” The true Bread of God is Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. He who feeds on this bread will live forever. As we share the love of God with those in need, we must not forget to make sure they also hear that it is Jesus Christ who alone can save them, not just from hunger, but from eternal death.

Dear Father, thank You for the gift of the Bread of Life and the eternal feast it provides for me. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

An Interesting Work

“This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

The Jews had come to believe that salvation was through works; so they asked Jesus what “work” they must do to please God. All over the world people are still asking that question. They look to anyone who will give an answer; anyone that is except Christ. All religions have a code to live by if you want to get to heaven. For all of them salvation is by works. So, Jesus gave the simple true answer. The work of God is to believe in Christ. In other words, the work is not a work at all; it is faith. It is not blind faith in an indifferent god. It is faith in the revealed Son of God, Jesus Christ, sent by a loving God who cares for His creation.

This was Paul’s message to the Philippian jailer. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” It was Peter’s answer to the Jewish leaders. “For there is none other Name under heaven given whereby we must be saved.” It is John’s purpose for writing the fourth Gospel, “These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in Him.” It is by faith and not works that we are saved. Jesus did the work on the cross and we believe in Him. That is the work of God.

Dear Father, let me not become distracted by trying to earn my salvation; but let me daily rejoice in the finished work of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Is It All True?

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:46

Do pastors get annoyed? Yes! We get annoyed. When someone tells me that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament must be different gods; it annoys me. First it annoys me because these people have obviously read neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament. Without information they have come to a conclusion, and an errant conclusion at that. In Malachi 3:6 God says, “For I am the LORD; I do not change.” In Hebrews 13:8 the Bible declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We have One eternal God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Ghost; who changes not.

That is important for us because it draws us into a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Old Testament. It is there that we first find Christ. In Genesis one He is the Creator. In Genesis three He is the promised Savior. In Genesis 6-8 He is the Ark of Safety. In Genesis twelve He is the Seed of Abraham that will bless all the world. And so on throughout the entire Old Testament. Don’t annoy your pastor. Learn to love the Old Testament and rejoice in Christ who is written about there. Remember, Jesus told the Jewish teachers that this is true and that they should read it more carefully.

Dear Father, help us each day to rejoice in Your eternal Word which teaches clearly about Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Both or None

“He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:23

There are billions of people in the world today who say that they believe in God. Jesus says that number is much smaller than many claim. What is the evidence that we know God? We must acknowledge Jesus Christ as His Son. There are over one billion Muslims in this world and they all profess to know God. But they don’t. Why? Because they say that Jesus Christ is a prophet and proclaim firmly that “Allah is not begotten and Allah does not beget.” Allah has no son. Jesus said that to know God we must first give honor to Jesus as His Son. Billions more people are Hindus and Buddhists. They all claim to know God or be searching for Him. But they reject Jesus as God’s Son and therefore have turned away from truly searching for God or truth.

Jesus didn’t leave any doubt about His relationship to the Father. He is the only begotten Son of God. He is the eternal Word, who with the Father made all things. He is the one who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Do not be fooled by imitations. Unless people confess that Jesus Christ is the One True and Only Son of God, they don’t know God. What they are offering is a foundation of sand in this life and a worthless certificate to enter the next. Accept the only One who died for our sins and rose again for our justification and about whom the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”

Dear Father, help me daily to remember that there can be no substitute for Jesus and no other way to You than Him. Amen.

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Signs and Wonders?

Lessons from John: 15

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” John 4:48

I think I have heard it too many times to count. Why doesn’t God just show Himself and prove that He is real? Wow! I even hear that statement from believers, and it makes me sad. Let’s just look at a brief history of why it saddens me. In Exodus God delivered the Israelites from Egypt with many signs and wonders. But when they got to the other side of the Red Sea, they belly-ached and cried and moaned that Egypt was better and even made themselves a golden calf and called it god. Signs and wonders did not convince them. Centuries later Elijah called for God to send fire from heaven. God did and the people believed and followed God for about a month. Signs and wonders again didn’t do the trick.

Jesus showed signs and wonders all the time. Just count up how many miracles He did. What did the people do with Him? The crucified Him! Today’s verse wasn’t a commentary on what the people needed; it was a sad criticism of what they thought they needed. And people still ask for the same things today and then still don’t believe. Paul wrote to the Romans, “The just shall live by faith.” What God desires from us is faith that He is true, that His Son was the perfect sacrifice for sin, and that Christ’s resurrection from the dead provides eternal life to all who will believe in Him. Signs and wonders are not the means to salvation. Faith is.

Dear Father, help me to live by faith in the truth of Your word and in the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Best Opening Statement

“Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’.” John 4:7

How easy is it to begin a dialogue about God? We often freeze up at the very thought of how to do it. But Jesus makes all the rough places plain. He makes talking about Him as simple as a four word introduction, “Give me a drink”. It wasn’t just the words He said that brought about the conversation; it was the kindness He showed in saying those words. Jews despised Samaritans and the Samaritans felt the hatred as a real lash on their backs. Jews wouldn’t even speak to Samaritans; but Jesus did.

His comments to her were couched in kindness. He didn’t run away when He saw her. He didn’t have anything nasty to say to demean her. He simply talked with her like He would talk to His own friends. That she found in Him a person who would treat her with dignity surprised her. It opened her up to hear words of even greater love from His lips. All conversations with others who are outside the church don’t have to begin with buttonholing them and saying, “Let me tell you about your sin and God’s grace.” They do need to begin with love, kindness, and the reality that we are genuinely concerned for them. Then, like the woman at the well, they just might give us the opening we need to make the greater story of Christ’s love for them clear.

Dear Father, Thank You for coming to us through the love of the cross and the humility of Christ. Help us to go in the same way to a world that needs You. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

Best Obedience

“But He needed to go through Samaria.” John 4:4

Have you ever needed to do something unpleasant? Could you have avoided the task and done something differently but with a less positive outcome? Maybe surgery was your best option but you chose physical therapy. Or, maybe changing jobs was truly the best option but you chose to stay where you were? We often avoid doing the necessary for the less painful options. But in this passage we see that Jesus NEEDED to go through Samaria.

Actually there was a path around Samaria that good Jews took from Judea to Galilee. Jesus didn’t take it. He took the path He needed to take. He needed to meet with a woman who was in great need; she just didn’t realize it. He needed to confront an entire town with the truth of who He was; they just didn’t know they needed it. The outcome of Jesus doing what He needed to do was salvation for many. The second outcome was that others second guessed His choice. We have to consider in our lives what choices we need to make to follow God and forget about those who would second guess our lives. We are in Christ and we need to follow Jesus who needed to go through Samaria.

Dear Father, Your Son did what He needed to do for Your glory. Please help me to do the same. Amen.

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Best Discernment

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

How long does it take to achieve greatness? Writers, actors, musicians, and artists often slave away in obscurity longing for that break that will make them famous and rich. The core of man craves importance. Satan tempted Eve with being like God; really important and powerful. We imagine what we would do if we suddenly had “it all”. That is what we get up for and work for and seek. Who really wants to be the “nobody”? Nobody does. We want to be the prom king and queen and take that high school glory the rest of the way through our lives.

 John the Baptist saw it differently. He said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. If we want to let Jesus shine in our lives we must do the same. In John 12 there were some Greeks in Jerusalem who came to the disciples and asked to see Jesus. They didn’t want to see the disciples; they wanted to see God manifest in the flesh. People all around us need to see Jesus. The question for each of us is, “Do they?” Or do we keep getting in the way. We must decrease and He must increase. If we do then He will and the world will truly see Him.

Dear Father, Help me each day to stand behind my Savior and not in front of Him. Let other people see Jesus and not me. Amen.  

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Best Promise

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten so, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

We all know somebody who likes to tell the same stories over and over again. Sometimes we smile as we hear them. Sometimes we groan because we have to hear them again. And sometimes we avoid those people so that we don’t have to hear them again. But today’s verse is a story so wonderful that the repeat telling of it only becomes better each time. Some very great preachers have spent months just preaching on this one verse.

What makes it so great? Well, it is a love story; God’s love. It is also a mystery; why would He give His Son to die for us? It has a happy ending for those who believe it. It has universal appeal; it is for the whole world. Everyone everywhere can love it. They can find hope and joy in it. They can hear the greatest promise by the Great God of creation and know it is for them and not someone else. Who wouldn’t want to hear this story over and over again? Who wouldn’t want to retell this story as often as they could?

Dear Father, Thank You for the greatest true story ever told and for the hope and joy and promise that that story gives to us all. Amen.

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Best Answer

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God’.” John 3:3

When Jesus began His answer to Nicodemus it may seem that He wasn’t concerned with Nicodemus’ question. That would be incorrect. He was concerned with the question that was about to be asked, “How can I know God like You do?” Nicodemus knew the Scriptures very well. He was a teacher of the Jews. He had memorized all five books of the Law, all of the Psalms, and all of Isaiah at the very least. He knew all about God; but he didn’t know God. What he had come to Jesus to find was how to know God.

The answer Jesus gave has never changed. To know God we must be born again. We come into this world tainted by sin. We are damaged goods by being descendants of Adam and equally guilty of his sin. That birth is good enough to live on this earth; but it is not good enough to get us to heaven. To know God we must be born again. We must be born by the Holy Spirit through faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ and in His perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Jesus included all that in His answer to Nicodemus. (John 3:3-21) Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’.” That is the unchanging truth of God.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sins so that through faith in Him I may be forgiven and born again into Your family. Amen.

 

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More Than a Teacher

“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” John 3:2

Lots of people come to Christ with the same attitude of Nicodemus. He was a good religious fellow, an esteemed teacher among the Jews. They recognize that Jesus isn’t any ordinary man; but that He was very special. Today there are religious teachers that believe and teach that Jesus was an extraordinary man, a true example to live by, a great teacher, even a prophet. Even the Muslim world venerates Jesus as a prophet. Nicodemus wasn’t alone in his esteem for the man Jesus. But Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand the full truth.

Jesus isn’t just a good man or a great man. He isn’t just a teacher, example, or prophet. Jesus is God in the flesh, fully God and fully man. When Nicodemus tried to protest that such faith in Jesus was beyond reason; Jesus appealed to Scripture. The Old Testament taught about the coming Messiah. “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Jesus reminded Nicodemus that it taught that the Messiah would have to be lifted up as Moses had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Nicodemus understood the story and its meaning right away. Jesus was the Son of God who came into the world to offer forgiveness for sins and everlasting life. Don’t let anyone sell you short on who Jesus is. He is the only begotten Son of God, our Savior.

Dear Father, Thank You for making it so clear who Jesus is that anyone who looks at Your word may know Him. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net  

Inside Knowledge

“For He knew what was in man.” John 2:25

What is hidden from God? Nothing! And still we live our lives as if we can and do successfully hide things from Him. If we really think about how thoroughly Jesus knows us, we begin to realize the depth of our human depravity. We don’t like to think about that and so we falsely assume that we can hide things from God. We can’t. But that truth is related to man and God’s law. We break it and break it and we try to hide it from Jesus like Adam and Eve did in the Garden. That is our depravity.

But thanks be to God, there is more. There is the Gospel. Jesus Christ has died on the cross because of what is in man. He died for our sins, which in even the best of men, are too many for anyone to come on their own into the presence of God. Jesus knew what was in man and He knew the need that created. We have need of a Savior, and He willingly gave Himself to be that for us. We can come to Him for forgiveness of what is wrong in us each day. He knew what was in us but He loved us and died for us anyway. Thanks be to God.

Dear Father, Thank You that You have provided not only the law to expose our sins, but also the Gospel to give us forgiveness and hope. Amen.

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The Miracle of Duty

“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water,’ and they filled them.” John 2:7

Filling the waterpots was the daily duty of servants. They had done it many times before and would do it many times afterward. What made this time different? This time Jesus told them to do it. He didn’t ask them to do something they couldn’t do or didn’t know how to do; He asked them to do what they did each day. Now, though, they were doing it for Jesus.

Jesus is the love of God manifest to man. He loves us. He died and proved on the cross how much He loves us. Still, people fear Him. They fear that He will make them do something they find impossible. They fear to simply trust Him. The servants were wiser. He asked them to do what they could do and they did it for Him. In obedience to His command they were part of a great miracle. We needn’t fear Jesus. He knows us and calls us to do what we do for Him. He will make of it something great for Himself.     

Dear Father, Thank You for the Gentle Shepherd, Jesus, who loves us and asks of us simplicity of service that can be used for Him. Amen.

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The Simplest Invitation

“Come and see.” John 1:46

Do you ever fear that you will get tongue-tied when you try to tell others about Jesus? Are you afraid that you can’t memorize a long evangelistic message to give to others? Fear not! Today’s verse sums up what we must say. “Come and see.” That is the shortest witnessing verse in the Bible and still the most effective.

Philip had found his friend and told him that he had found the Messiah. That was just relating good news. There was nothing traumatizing in relating a short bit of good news. We do it every day. But his friend was in doubt. Philip didn’t rush into a long spiel. He didn’t try to make perfect oratory of biblical truth. He simply said, “Come and see”. Philip’s friend came and saw and believed. The invitation is simple; the truth is solid; the salvation is real. Come and see.

Dear Father, Thank You for making it so simple that even I can come and understand and be saved. Amen.

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Eye Witness Testimony

“I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34 

I was on a jury once. Witnesses were called. The prosecutor asked who had been in the car on the night of the crime. “That man” was the unanimous answer as people pointed toward the defendant. The prosecutor then asked what the man was doing. The eye witnesses again all agreed on what happened. Who the man was and what he was doing were central to the case. It is the same with Jesus. Eyewitnesses, like the Apostle John who wrote the Gospel of John, and John the Baptist who had baptized Jesus, are important to relating who Jesus was and what he did.

What do both John the Apostle and John the Baptist have to say about Jesus? They both assert without hesitation that He was the Son of God. After baptizing Jesus John said, “He is the Son of God.” At the conclusion of his Gospel John the Apostle said, “Jesus is the Son of God.” God had alerted the prophet John the Baptist that He would see and recognize the Son of God at His baptism; and he did. Jesus revealed Himself daily as the Son of God to His disciples who all then went on to declare exactly who He was. The jury was unanimous. God Himself was on the witness stand declaring the truth. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Rest peacefully in this truth.

Dear Father, Thank You for revealing Your Son to the world. Help me to trust Him more each day. Amen. 

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Summing Up the Prophets

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29

This verse may be my favorite verse in the Bible. It sums up the entire Old Testament. It sums up the Gospel message. It sums up the scope of the work and purpose of Christ. It clearly foretells His death on the cross. It is a three second sound bite that really tells the whole story. It demands our attention with its introduction. It grabs our lapels and says, stop, listen, live! Then it tells the: who, what, why and for whom of the story of Scripture.

From Genesis onward the lamb represented the acceptable sacrifice to God and the substitute sacrifice for mankind. In Exodus it was the lamb that was slain and whose blood was placed on the door posts so that God would pass over those covered by the blood. In Isaiah it is Jesus who is pictured as the lamb before its shearers saying not a word. And why was a lamb slain? It was to cover the sins of the one offering the sacrifice. But Jesus doesn’t just cover our sins, He forgives them and carries them away. He offered Himself not for His own sins, of which He had none, but for ours. And He offered Himself not for just a few but for the world. This loving sacrifice is why Jesus can say that He is the exclusive way to God, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes unto the Father except by me.” 

Dear Father, Thank You for sending the Lamb of God and giving me forgiveness of sins and offering that same forgiveness to all who will believe in the Lamb of God. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

  

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Thanksgiving

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Psalm 136:1

Thanksgiving can kind of sneak up on you. First there is Halloween and then there is Christmas. Blink and you miss Thanksgiving. But true thanksgiving should never sneak up on us. It should be our attitude every day. It is not a once a year event, or even a once a week event. Our lives, our thoughts, our prayers should be filled with thanksgiving daily.

If we truly believe that God is good, then we should thank Him for His goodness. If a friend brings over a casserole as a special gift to us, we thank them. If we get a flower, even one picked from our own prize flower garden, handed to us by our grandchild, we thank them. If we get a word of encouragement in a time of stress, we thank the giver. We thank others every day. We need the same mindset toward God.

The new day is a gift, but if we don’t live to see it, and we know Christ as Savior, we have already received a far better gift of seeing the Light of the World in person. The clothes we wear is a gift of God’s gracious provision through our employment or gifts from others. Our food is the same. Our house is the same. Everything we have is the same. God told the Israelites not to forget how they got the Promised Land. It wasn’t by their doing, but by God’s. Everyday everything that they had was a gift from God. When they forgot that, they became arrogant and forgot God as well.

It is the same with us. There is nothing we have apart from God’s bountiful provision. Every day we need to be thankful to Him. On this special day of Thanksgiving we can openly confess that all we are and have is from His gracious hand and give Him the hearty thanks that He deserves.

Dear Father, Receive our thanks this day for all that You have given to us. Amen. 

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Gracious Truth

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

What does grace look like? Grace is an idea; can it have a valid picture to represent it? Yes, Jesus Christ is the picture of grace. If I want to show someone a picture of my children I can open my wallet and say, “Here, look at my children.” If I want to show someone a picture of grace I can open God’s Word and turn to any story of Jesus Christ and say “Look, here is grace.” Truth is another idea with the same image. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” The truth was that Truth was right in front of Him. Jesus is the perfect picture of truth.

But is there another picture of grace and truth? Yes, it is to be seen in the followers of Jesus. We are Christians, little Christs. We are to be the reflection of our Lord. We are to show His grace to others so that they might see Him. We are to demonstrate His truth to others so that they might see Him. Jesus told us to let our lights shine. Our lights are simply to be reflections of His light. Our lives are to be the book of Christ that is known and read by all men. Let us let our lights shine so that the world can see and glorify the Father and the Son.

Dear Father, Help me each day to keep the light of Jesus shining brightly in my life. Amen.    

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The Light that Split the Night

“The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah had foretold that light would shine in the darkness and that all those who dwelt in darkness would see the great light. Isaiah was not speaking of anything directly related to his time or age. He prophesied the coming of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. In John 1 we find clear reference to this prophecy of Isaiah. In verse 4 it says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Then John adds in verse 9, “That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” Jesus Christ wasn’t just the light for a small backwater province of the ancient world. He is the light for all men coming into the world.

Sadly He is not the light that men think they are looking for. They think that light is at the end of the prosperity road, or the peace road, or the education road, or the science road. Mankind wants to find light in all the wrong places. So, when Jesus offers them light, they do not receive Him. Jesus, you see, was poor; a failure on the prosperity road. He did not bring peace; a failure on the peace road. He was not well educated; a failure on the education road. He believed in miracles; a failure on the science road. But Jesus owns the cattle on the thousand hills. He is the Prince of Peace. He is all wisdom and knowledge. He performs miracles. As John went on to say in 3:19, “men loved darkness rather than light.” And so the light came and the world didn’t care. But those who believe in Him now have light that will guide them and care for them and lead them on the straight path all their lives. Rejoice in the Light of the World.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending the promised Light. Help me to look to Him for true guidance every day. Amen.

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Summing Up in One Word

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

John. 1:1

How do we express ideas? How do we understand ideas expressed by others? Yes, we use words. Words reveal an idea; they open up a window into the mind of the speaker or writer. We need words. In the Old Testament God spoke by words through the prophets so that His people and others as well might know the mind and will of God. Those inerrant words are recorded for us in clear language so that we can still know the mind and will of God.

John reveals another way that God conveyed Himself to us. It was through the Word, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the revelation of God to man. As Isaiah promised the virgin would give birth to a son who would be called Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Jesus Christ is the Word of God revealed in flesh and blood, very God of very God and very man of very man. Jesus told His disciples that those who had seen Him had seen God the Father. (Jn. 14:9) How do we know who God is and what He is like? We look at His Son Jesus Christ who is the word made flesh. (Jn. 1:2) Each day that we pick up our Bibles we need to see Jesus smiling back at us from the page. He is the Word of God.

Dear Father, Thank You for sending the true and eternal Word into our world that we may know You and come to You. Amen.

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False Confidence

“Concerning the wicked, there is no fear of God before his eyes.” Psalm 36:1

Are you ever astounded at how greatly people can sin and not take any thought of it? How can a person perform even one abortion let alone hundreds or thousands? How can a judge uphold the right to murder the preborn and then eat his lunch without any regrets? How can a politician say that he has the best interests of his constituents in mind and then vote to kill his youngest and most defenseless ones? How can the wicked sin so freely and seem to have no sense of guilt about it? God says quite simply that they have no fear of Him in their thoughts.

If that is the characteristic of the wicked; how should our lives be different? In verses 5 – 10 of this psalm David creates the contrast. The righteous reflect on God’s mercy. They see the purity of His judgments. They rejoice in His lovingkindness and seek shelter under His wings. They also take note of the wicked and their ways and seek to be separate from them. And they note the end of the wicked and rejoice in the Light that God has given them to be saved. The world should be able to tell distinctly between the godly and the wicked, even if they are wicked themselves. And it should never be said of God’s children that we have no fear of God before our eyes.

Dear Father, Thank You for light, love, mercy, and grace. Help me to keep a clear view of a righteous God and a loving God always before me. Amen.

  The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

 

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Cause For Rejoicing

“And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.” Ps. 35:9

When we think back on the joyful days of our lives, what do we most often think of? I remember the joyful day I met my wife and then the joyful day we were married. We have six children who all came on joyful days and twelve grandchildren who did, too. I remember when my first book was published. I wanted to jump for joy, and maybe I even did. Everyone has joyful days to remember. They may be work related, or getting to retire from work. They may be sports related whether it be a personal highlight or a favorite team’s victory. Lots of things can make us jump for joy.

David calls for us to take a deeper look at joy. While they have been few, there have been a few un-joyful days with my beloved spouse and a few more with our children. Joy in the home is not permanent. Our job that we so desired to get may end up in great disappointment and our team may have a losing season every year after their winning one. Earthly joys are all impermanent. But the joy of our salvation, that is different. There is always the certainty of God. He never changes. There are always His promises. They never change. The day we were saved should register first in our memories of joyful days and be quickly on our lips when others ask about our most joyful day. That is truly rejoicing in His salvation.

Dear Father, Thank You for the joyful day that You made me Yours. Help me to always think of that joy and express that joyful day to others. Amen.

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You Can't Go Two Ways

“Depart from evil and do good.” Psalm 34:14

There are two misconceptions about the Christian life that lead to much confusion in the world. One is that some Christians actually do teach that since God is grace and love, we are free to sin indiscriminately to demonstrate just how gracious He is. This false teaching has been around since the first century and won’t go away because men revel in sin and will make any excuse to do it without fear of consequences. The second misconception is that Christian life is all about the “Thou Shalt Not’s”; that Christianity is the religion of “Don’t”.

David declared in this psalm that believers are to live differently than the misconceptions. Yes, we are to depart from evil; but then we are supposed to do good. Paul told Titus to teach the church to be “zealous for good works”. (Titus 2:14) Jesus said that the two greatest commandments were to love God; which is turning from evil; and to love our neighbor; which is doing good. Paul told the Ephesians that when we become Christians we have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works that God has ordained for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10) So let us listen to the psalmist and “depart from evil and do good”.

Dear Father, Thank You for saving me from my lost and sinful estate and giving me something good to do; help me each day to do it. Amen.

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Beautiful Praise

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.”        Psalm 33:1

I vividly remember my junior high music teacher calling me in after class one day and saying, “David, you just can’t sing. Frankly, you are no good at singing at all.” That was his response when I tried out for chorus. How do you suppose a junior high school boy would feel at that comment? Forget even trying to sing; you can’t do it now or will you ever be able to do it. That was a pretty harsh comment. Close your mouth and listen to others; don’t open it and ruin the music. I am very glad that God has a different approach.

He says that we are to make a “joyful noise”. Very often that is all that many people can really produce; but to God it is absolutely beautiful. That’s right! He says that the off key or tone deaf singing of His saints is beautiful music to His ears! We have a royal audience who has given us a command performance to sing for Him. He wants us to sing before Him in the assembly of the righteous (at church) and in the privacy of our own home devotions. He says that the “praise from the upright is beautiful!” Don’t hold back! Sing praise to God! Hallelujah, amen!

By the way, my junior high teacher was wrong. I went on to become a minister of music and soloist. It all came together after I became a Christian.

Dear Father, Thank You for giving me the invitation to sing Your praises in the congregation of the upright. Amen.

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