Are you fishing in a barrell?

Jan 21, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Teaches at temple in the morning; John 8:2

A wise man once said to me, if you want to fish, you are not going to find them in a barrel of water, you have to go to where the fish are. Now I do not fish, I do not like to eat them and I figure why catch them if I am just going to throw them back in, but the words are still true. As Christians we to often try to get our conversions in church. Why are we fishing in the barrel that has no fish in it, or t best, very few. We need to go to where the people are.

Quite a few years ago, a pastor in the Tulsa area started a non-denominational movement to bring all the churches together to make October a month to win souls. Why October in Tulsa? Because in October we have the Tulsa State Fair, Oktoberfest, college football and a few other things. The idea is to go to where the people are to get them saved. Is there a model of that in the Bible? Yes:

John 8:2 VW
(2) And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

Jesus was at the Mount of Olives for the night. Why didn't He just gather those who were around them and teach to them. He wanted to reach many people not just a small amount. If you want to catch fish, go where the fish are. So He went to the Temple. Why? Was it because it was a great place of Worship to His Father, God. I do not think so. He went there because that is where the people are. The Temple is where the people would gather.

Where are you fishing at?

Read for next time: Adulterous woman brought to Jesus; John 8:3-11

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Rest

Jan 20, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives; John 8:1

John 8:1 GNB

(1) [Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Why? Why did Jesus have to leave Jerusalem. We saw yesterday that the leaders of the Jewish people denounced Him. It is clear that He had no real friends here. And leaving Himself to rest in the city itself could lead attacks by the leaders under cover of darkness.

So He went out of the town and to a private place. He may have prayed. He may have just rested. We do not know as the Gospels do not record it. But we do know that like His birth, there was no room for Him.

Read for next time: Teaches at temple in the morning; John 8:2

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Irony

Jan 19, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Judgment of Nicodemus; John 7:48-53

John 7:48-49 GNB
(48) "Have you ever known one of the authorities or one Pharisee to believe in him?
(49) This crowd does not know the Law of Moses, so they are under God's curse!"

What perfect irony in today's verses. Here are the people in charge, the ones who know the law as they teach it over and over again. They do not believe in Jesus. And they curse those who do believe in Jesus because they do not know the law.

If they knew the law so well, then why did they not search it to find the existence of the scriptures that would have pointed to Jesus? Why? They had an interest in keeping things the way they were. They did not want to see what was right before them. People are like that, then and now.

Read for next time: Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives; John 8:1

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A great man

Jan 18, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Pharisees question officers; John 7:45-47

John 7:46 WEB

46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!”

It is amazing that these men could see that Jesus was more than the average person. The tragedy is that they could not see that He was the son of God.

They like we, have a choice to make. Is He just a good man or is He something more?

When you tell others about Jesus make sure that you do not just get them to acknowledge that He is good. That is not enough.

Read for next time: Judgement of Nicodemus; John 7:48-53

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Question the source

Jan 17, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Division among the people; John 7:40-44

John 7:42 CEV

(42) The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?"

They questioned about Jesus but they did not question Jesus. That is interesting. If they had bothered to ask Him where He was born they would have found out that Jesus did fulfill the scriptures. Instead they speculated what was going on.

Just like today. Some preacher preaches something and people jump on the bandwagon because it sounds good. Why don't people go to the source, the Bible, and find out for themselves. Why? It is to easy to take things the way they are and not go to the source, then and now.

Read for next time: Pharisees question officers; John 7:45-47

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Rivers of living water

Jan 16, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Rivers of living water; John 7:37-39

John 7:38 ESV

(38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

You want a flow of life to come out of you? If so then the only way that it can come is to have accepted Jesus. There is no other way. I did not say it, Jesus did, so do not get mad at me. And He was quoting the scripture. It is amazing how many people think that Christians are judgmental because we think we are the only ones going to heaven. If that is true, that Jesus is judgmental as well.

Bit the key here is the rivers of living water. To often we look at scriptures through our own eyes and see things. Here you will need to see it the way the people He was talking to saw it. Theirs was a desert culture. And to find a river was to find a good thing, it was a source of life. Jesus is telling us here that life will spring from us if we know Him. And the word translated believe here is better translated commit or put ones trust in.

Now the question is, what is flowing out of you? Do people want to drink of what you are drinking? Do you trust in Jesus? Are you committed to him?

Read for next time: Division among the people; John 7:40-44

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The last day

Jan 15, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Last day of Feast; John 7:37

John 7:37 GNB

(37) On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and

What is so important that this one verse gets its own note in the daily life of Jesus. It was the last day of the festival. And that meant a couple of things.

1) The days before they prayed for the nations, today the only prayed for the Jewish people.

2) This day before they finished the reading of the law.

3) Jesus tells them if they are thirsty to come and drink, after a ceremony involving a lot of water.

Jesus knew what He was doing. He said anyone, that meant the Gentiles that had been prayed for before as well as the Jews. He was the completion of the law so as they finished it, He showed He completed it. Lastly, they understood the symbolism of the water after having just been through the ceremony. If they drank of Him, they would not be thirsty for spiritual things anymore.

All that from one small part of a verse. WOW.

Read for next time: Rivers of living water; John 7:37-39

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