Two Fires - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 21:9,

"When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread."

After Jesus' resurrection and his two meetings with his disciples in the locked room, Peter had gone fishing in the Sea of Galilee. Accompanied by other disciples they fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning Jesus appeared on the shore, told them to cast their net again, and a miraculous haul of fish was made.

We are told when the disciples came ashore they saw Jesus with a fire of burning coals with a breakfast of fish and bread on it. This is the setting when Jesus "reinstated" Peter following Peter's denial of Jesus. Peter had denied him three times the night Jesus was arrested. Now, at this breakfast setting, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times. It really is quite a setting.

Earlier, when Peter denied Jesus, it was at break of day, and being cold, there was a fire there as well, "'You aren't one of this man's disciples too, are you?' she asked Peter. He replied, 'I am not.' It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself." John 18:17-18.

I note there was a fire at Peter's denials of Jesus and then later when Jesus "reinstated" him. What is the significance of a fire at both events? I really don't have a clue.

Here are some interesting passages that mention fire (that probably have nothing to do with the two events):

"Everyone will be salted with fire." Mark 9:49.
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Luke 3:16.
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work." 1 Corinthians 3:11-13.
"...for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" Hebrews 12:29.
"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." James 3:6.
"Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." Jude 22-23.

As I say, I have no clue as to why we are told a fire was present both when Peter denied the Lord and when the Lord provided Peter an opportunity to confess his love of the Lord. I just note that both accounts choose to make note of it.

Do you have any idea? Tongue in cheek (or is it?) we could say, "trial by fire"...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Death Defeated! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 20:1,

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance."

The stone had been removed from the entrance of the tomb Jesus was laid in following his death because he had arisen from death! Death had no mastery over him! "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him." Romans 6:9.

For those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, death has no mastery over us as well! We know this because of his resurrection! "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:11.

Here is a handy list of all the eyewitnesses to Jesus' resurrection (lifted right out of the NIV Quest Study Bible). Following the passages where the empty tomb is cited, there are twelve sightings listed, beginning with who saw him, where they saw him, when they saw him, and the passages where this is documented:

The empty tomb, Jerusalem, Resurrection Sunday, Matthew 28:1–8, Mark, 16:1–8, Luke 24:1–12, John 20:1–10.

To Mary Magdalene in the garden, Jerusalem, Resurrection Sunday, Mark 16:9–11, John 20:11–18.
To other women, Jerusalem, Resurrection Sunday, Matthew 28:9–10.
To two people going to Emmaus, Road to Emmaus, Resurrection Sunday Mark 16:12–13, Luke 24:13–32.
To Peter, Jerusalem, Resurrection Sunday, Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5.
To the ten disciples in the upper room, Jerusalem, Resurrection Sunday, Luke 24:36–43, John 20:19–25.
To the 11 disciples in the upper room, Jerusalem, Following Sunday, Mark 16:14, John 20:26–31, 1 Corinthians 15:5.
To seven disciples fishing, Sea of Galilee, Some time later, John 21:1–23.
To the 11 disciples on a mountain, Galilee, Some time later, Matthew 28:16–20, Mark 16:15–18.
To more than 500 hundred, Unknown, Some time later, 1 Corinthians 15:6.
To James, Unknown, Some time later, 1 Corinthians 15:7.
To his disciples at his ascension, Mount of Olives, 40 days after Jesus' resurrection, Luke 24:36–51, Acts 1:3–9.
To Paul, Damascus, Several years later, Acts 9:1–19; 22:3–16; 26:9–18, 1 Corinthians 9:1.

Live it! Love it! Believe it!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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From Secret to Bold - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 19:38-39,

"Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds."

We read that following the crucifixion of Jesus, two men asked for his body, prepared it for burial and placed it in a nearby tomb.

One of the men was Joseph of Arimathea. In Luke 23:50-51 we read he was a member of the Council (the Sanhedrin), and that he was "a good and upright man." In Mark 15:43 we read that he was not just a member, but actually a "prominent" member of the Council. As a man who was "waiting for the kingdom of God", he disagreed with the Sanhedrin about their decision and action against Jesus. In Matthew 27:57 we are told he was a rich man, making him, along with Nicodemus, able to provide the expense of preparing Jesus' body for his burial in Joseph's own tomb, Matthew 27:60. John 19:38 says he was a secret disciple of Jesus - secret out of fear of the other leaders.

The other man was Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin. He was the Pharisee that visited Jesus at night that we read of in John 3. Jesus called him "Israel's teacher", John 3:10, and the one to whom Jesus spoke the famous words, "no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." John 3:3.

From this we find, contrary to what many think, not all who were Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin were bad people. And, where they were once secret disciples, they now boldly and publicly sought and got Pilate's permission to take Jesus' body for burial.

What brought about their transition from secret disciples to bold disciples? I have to think the events we are told of that took place that day had an incredible impact on them, on many-- and on many yet today.

How about you and me? Are we bold disciples because of the events that took place those days? Are we fearless as opposed to being fearful of family members, coworkers, neighbors? Are we assured and confident?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Half-Wits - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 18:22,

"When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. 'Is this the way you answer the high priest?' he demanded."

In a preliminary investigation before the former high priest, Annas, Jesus refused to provide any new "evidence" for the purported charges he was arrested for. Annas apparently thought he could get Jesus to say something that could be held against him before the Sanhedrin. Jesus simply told Annas that anything he could say was already said publicly and openly.

Refusing the intentions of the high priest prompted a half-wit official to slap the Son of God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the redeemer of mankind, the object of God the Father's intense love. Whoever this official was, can you imagine what he must think today, knowing what he knows now? What must he think of his actions when he was in this life? How could he have been so obtuse, so foolish?

Obviously it was not just him but all who unwittingly participated as the useful idiots Jesus used to effect his atonement for the sins of all mankind on that cross.

It is not just those then to be marveled at for being given to such foolhardy decisions. "How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:29-31.

Just how do you think people who reject Jesus Christ in this life will feel following this life, knowing then what their lack of faith prevented them from seeing today?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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What's In A Name? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 17:11-12,

"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me."

God the Father commissioned Jesus Christ, his Son, to effect the redemption of mankind with all the power and authority of the Father. This is what Jesus meant when he acknowledged to the Father in his prayer in John 17, that he kept his disciples safe by his name. Jesus Christ had within him all the authority and power of God the Father.

So close is this identification of Jesus with the Father he told his disciples, "'If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.' Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.' Jesus answered: 'Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.'" John 14:7-11.

In John 1:12 we read, "Yet to all who did receive him [the Word, Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." This means we believe in his power as the Son of God, his status as the Son of God, his authority as the Son of God, his credentials as the Son of God. After all, Jesus Christ is vested with all these things from the Father. This is what it means to believe in his name.

Here is something Jesus promised his followers in John 14:13-14, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Here Jesus is offering access to his authority and power to his followers.

How amazing is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Our Advocate Is Busy in the World - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 16:8-11,

"When he [the Advocate, the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

The Holy Spirit is called the "Advocate". For those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and becomes our advocate. More than just representing us in God's court as our advocate, he comes to us to strengthen us, to encourage us, to teach us, he comes alongside to help us. As far as representing us before the father, I am reminded of Romans 8:26-27, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God."

Of course, Jesus Christ does as well, "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:34-35.

In John 16 Jesus said when the Holy Spirit came he would prove the world to be wrong about three things: sin, righteousness and judgement.

The Holy Spirit helps us see our sinful condition, he helps us sense our need for the Savior. In our lost and fallen condition we would never see ourselves as God does and the Holy Spirit helps us in that regard. This is my understanding of the one unpardonable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in denying him as he shows us our sinful condition.

The Holy Spirit also reveals to us that we are not right with God as sinners. We need to change our standing with God and that will not come about by us being "good enough". Our acceptable standing with God can only come about by us having Jesus Christ's own righteousness being credited to our account by embracing him in faith. That righteousness of Jesus Christ is proven by his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven.

The Holy Spirit also brings a dread to non-believers about the looming judgment they may or may not be conscious of. I am reminded of Psalm 14:5, "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous." Satan is already condemned in God's judgment as a fixed reality, and the horror of falling under God's judgment is seen in Satan's situation.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Imperative to Love One Another - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 15:17,

"This is my command: Love each other."

Jesus quite simply told his followers to love one another. This is his command. In a beautiful passage where he speaks of the atmosphere, the climate of love that we are to dwell within with him and the Father, he says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." Verses 9-12.

An ever expanding universe of love awaits those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith in the next life, an expanse of love that envelopes us all together with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and all the heavenly host that communes there.

However, the Lord is not content with us not living out this love now, in this nasty, sinful, estranged and rebellious world. The love Jesus asks of us is to be manifested in this life because it furthers his agenda of redeeming all who are willing. We show the world who Jesus Christ is by our expression of love towards one another. We show our lives have been impacted by him, a change within us has been wrought.

And, this he says, brings him joy! "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." Would any of us want to withhold from him the joy he anticipates in his people? And, who would not want to have the joy within themselves the Lord gives as we obey him?

Here is how we are capable of loving one another: "We love because he first loved us." John 4:19.

Here is an insightful note from the NIV Quest Study Bible, "There will always be individuals who try our patience and stretch our capacity to love. It's helpful to realize that God enables us to love others (1Jn 4:19). Jesus does not command us to feel a certain way; he commands us to show love to one another through our actions."

"This is my command: Love each other."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ: Always In Control - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 14:30-31,

"I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me."

Here Jesus tells his disciples that the culmination of his earthly ministry is upon them. The "prince of this world", that is, Satan, is coming in the person of Judas Iscariot. All according to plan, God will use Satan through the betrayal of Judas, who had chosen to worship the idol of avarice rather than the Son of God. Jesus came to offer himself as a sacrifice for all mankind and this was the chosen vehicle in accomplishing that.

As Jesus comforts and assures his disciples just before it happened, he made clear that although Satan was the tool through which he would effect his atonement for sin, Satan himself had no hold over him. What Satan was going to accomplish in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was something the Father and the Son planned. Satan was the dupe. As Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom for us, he showed the world that he loves the Father and does exactly what the Father commands him.

Far from Satan having any "hold" on Jesus Christ, any control or power or authority, it was actually the other way around. I am reminded of Hebrews 2:14-15, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus Christ] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

Just how wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

A New Command - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 13:34-35,

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another."

Jesus issues a "new command" to his disciples. He tells them they must
love one another. He went on to say that as we express this love for
one another it reflects to everyone that we are his disciples. The
world needs to know that there exists a reality among mankind: some of
us belong to God and are heaven-bound and maybe those of the world
should have a concern for their own prospects.

How many times have you seen something other than love being
expressed between believers? How are we supposed to love one another?
We love our spouses and family members, but... how do we manipulate
the vagaries of our heart's emotions?

The Quest NIV Study Bible has a great observation on this, "God
measures love by obedience, not by warm feelings and emotions." We
read in 1 John 5:2, "This is how we know that we love the children of
God: by loving God and carrying out his commands." Quest goes on to
point out that love and obedience are so closely connected that John
said, "This is love for God: to keep his commands" 1 John 5:3.

Paul supports this thought in Romans 13:8-10, "Let no debt remain
outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for
whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You
shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not
steal, 'You shall not covet,' and whatever other command there may be,
are summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of
the law."

Another thought is that we are helped by the Holy Spirit in this
regard, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." Galatians 5:22. When we embrace
Jesus Christ in faith, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and
begins to build those attributes within us that reflect we belong to
Jesus Christ. I note love is the first in this list.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply
and let me know.

They Would Not Then They Could Not - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 12:37-40,

"Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'"

Here is an incredibly sobering passage. John tells us that, "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him [Jesus]." Verse 42. However in verse 37 John speaks of others who would not believe in him. The result? Their ability to choose him was taken from them.

Note the progression: "they still would not believe in him" then, "For this reason they could not believe", (verse 37, then verse 39.) Because they would not, God hardened their hearts so they could not. John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them."

I am reminded of other places where we learn of God hardening the hearts of sinners. In Romans 11:8 Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day." Paul goes on to quote David, Psalm 69:22, 23, "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."

I am also reminded of how God gives those who refuse to believe in him over to their depraved sinful nature, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." Romans 1:24. Also, "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." Romans 1:26, 27. In the following verse Paul said, "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28.

For those who would not embrace the Lord, God then changed their hearts so they could not. That door is not always available to us in this life! It just may be that if we reject what is offered in the gospel message, the result may be God takes away our ability to respond to it.

As I say, sobering, isn't it?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

--

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"Yet to all who did receive Jesus Christ, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

Jesus Wept - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 11:33-35,

"When Jesus saw her [Mary, Lazarus' sister] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept."

Toward the end of Jesus' earthly ministry, the brother of Mary and Martha, Lazarus, died which became an opportunity for Jesus to yet again establish his bona fides as being who he said he was and what it was he came to do. Jesus told his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." Verse 11.

Upon going to where Lazarus was now buried, Bethany, we are told Jesus wept just before he raised Lazarus from the dead when he encountered Mary and the other mourners there weeping. One wonders, since Jesus went to raise Lazarus, why did he weep when he came into contact with Mary?

We can exclude the reason why Mary and the other mourners were weeping. They were weeping at the loss of a loved one, as we all do when death strikes. However, Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, and since Lazarus, were he not raised back to life, would be heaven bound as a friend of Jesus and his disciples. Lazarus would be right there with the Lord in heaven a short time later when Jesus would ascend there.

Certainly, the humanity of Jesus is on display in this event. He appears to be identifying and sympathizing with the mourners there, demonstrating his great heart of love for people and the loss they experience due to sin, and the consequences of sin: physical death that became a reality for us all at the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

In any event, many of us find a profound reflection of the heart of Jesus Christ in this account, a heart that was willing to give himself, to suffer on that cross, as he took the punishment for our sins in his own death.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Shepherd's Influence - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 10:2-5,

"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

I note in this teaching of Jesus that people (the sheep) follow who they belong to. "...his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus teaches us a great point here. We follow-- we are influenced-- by who it is we belong to.

I find a similar point Jesus made about those who do not belong to his sheepfold (they belong to the other "shepherd", the devil), "Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires...  Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ... If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." John 8:43-47.

I would like to think that I am my own man, that I don't follow anyone's influence, that I order my own perspectives and considerations. That simply is not the case for any of us. Jesus Christ said, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me..." Verse 14. And, "... his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

I had a good friend tell me one time, "My wife does not like your religion or your politics." Well, we march to different drummers - we follow two different shepherds, we have two different influences in our lives. Why should she like my religion or my politics? We have two different mindsets because we have different influences on our lives.

Of course, we get to decide who we will be influenced by. Everybody starts life in a sinful condition and marches to the drumbeat of the devil. We can, however, choose Jesus Christ, who becomes the shepherd we follow, that we are influenced by. No, I am not my own man. I order my perspectives and my considerations based on the influence of Jesus Christ in my life through the Holy Spirit that dwells within me. It was once not that way. All I can say is,

 
"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:8-10

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Unseen (Pun!) Purpose - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 9:1-5 ,

"As he [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'"

Jesus' disciples thought that an infirmity such as blindness must be caused by sin. Elsewise, I assume they thought, why would God allow such a thing to happen? As we find out from the account, the man's blindness had nothing to do with sin. Jesus explained the man was born blind "... so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Jesus was authenticating himself and his message, as well as stirring up the religious leaders against himself intentionally by healing the man. The man was born blind for this very event to take place.

I think of an expectant couple awaiting the birth of a new baby. That child would grow and become an important member of the family, contributing to the family in so many ways. Yet, as the baby was born, he had no eyesight - born blind. And, while he may have been loved and cared for in his infirmity, what a devastation to the parents! Here is a child that was going to be a dependant for the family. They could not possibly know the purpose of the blindness, if there was one. No way to foresee how this could possibly contribute to a display of the works of God. Not at the time of the birth, not while he was growing up. There simply was no way they were going to know all those years.

Yet, look at his story! It is documented in the eternal words of Scripture! His blindness provided an opportunity for God to display his works!

I think it something for consideration today. In the midst of what may seem to be nothing but loss or devastation or whatever, there just may be a purpose for it in the long run. We may not know till later, we may never know in this life. One thing for sure is that nothing happens on planet earth without God knowing about it. We do not live in a random, senseless world where things happen for no cause whatsoever. God is on his throne and he never sleeps!

A test of our faith is to recognize that when bad things come, God knows about it, and even if we can't see the why of it, it does not mean there may be no purpose of God in it. Just ask the man born blind...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Two Drummers! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 8:42-47,

"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. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 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. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.'"

Here is an amazing passage! Jesus explained to those who opposed him why they were opposing him.

These Pharisees and opposing Jews thought they were in good stead as Abraham's descendants. Abraham had a good standing with God, and as his physical descendants, these people thought they were as well, "'We are not illegitimate children,' they protested. 'The only Father we have is God himself.'" These people had deluded themselves and could not see they were influenced by someone other than God. Jesus told them directly, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires." Their thinking, their desires, their actions, their perceptions, were all entirely distorted and twisted because of this influence. The ultimate damnation of their situation is clear in what Jesus told them, "The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." They didn't listen to Jesus because they marched to a different drummer than God, that is, the devil who influenced their thinking.

It appears to me today that many fail to understand just why we see a cultural and political shift on the move - where is it coming from? Many believers are bewildered at the insistence of leaders within our country and society that are hellbent on indoctrinating children in schools and society as a whole on the moral excellence of questioning gender identity, embracing homosexuality, the delusion of a woman's "right to choose" to murder her unborn baby, the imperitive to banish Christianity, Jesus Christ, God, the Bible, from schools, the workplace, the public square. The history of a nation that was built upon the founding principles inspired by its Christian influence is now to be replaced with Critical Race Theory, BLM with its underpinning of Marxism, the removal of monuments and remembrances reflecting its Christian founding, and on and on. An insane push to exchange freedom for a godless collectivism and domination. (God wants mankind free - free to choose him!)

The result of this, of course, is the inevitable huge clash between two (and only two!) influences on the ground. There are those of us who march to the drumbeat of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The other side follows another drummer. 

Reread that passage above and think about our current cultural and political war. (Politics is the public expression of a person's spiritual condition.) The devil's followers are unable to hear the drumbeat of God that many of us follow. The devil's followers want to carry out the devil's desires. Those who follow the devil cannot hear what the rest of us are saying because they do not belong to God, they belong to the devil.

Nothing new here. It is all on display in the account of Cain and Abel. The relevance of all this lies in how we approach the other side if we can recognize that the two sides march to different drummers. Never the twain shall meet until a conversion to Jesus Christ takes place, one individual at a time.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

--

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"Yet to all who did receive Jesus Christ, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

A Hateful World - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 7:7,

"The world cannot hate you [Jesus' brothers], but it hates me because I [Jesus] testify that its works are evil."

The NIV Study Bible points out that "the world" in this verse is, "Either (1) people opposed to God or (2) the human system opposed to God's purposes". It goes on to point out that since Jesus rebuked the world (and identified his brothers with it), he was hated for it. While that is certainly what Jesus had to say in this passage, there is a larger context of the animosity "the world" holds Jesus in.

John points out that the world hates God's people, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:12-13. As Jesus talked about things ahead, he said, "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

My thought is that the world hates Jesus and his followers for the essence of what he is: God incarnate. There is a war that is fought within the spiritual realm where Satan and his minions attempt to array themselves against anything God and his people do. Rebellious people of the world march to that drummer and identify and align themselves with the dark side in the spiritual realm.

I love how Psalm 2 pictures this state of affairs:

"Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
'Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.'

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
'I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.'"

It simply is not going to turn out well for those who hold Jesus Christ and his followers in hateful contempt.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

What God Requires - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 6:28-29,

"Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'"

There are so many religious people who determine to order their lives by doing good works they think will earn them God's acceptance, his favor-- those good works that God requires. This is the very issue asked about in verse 28.

Some people think if they do enough good works, it just may tip the balance sheet in their direction with God. Knowing of their sinful condition, sins committed in the past, they sort of want to roll those back by doing good things. Some people feel an inadequacy and seek to overcome it by doing good works. I call them do-gooders. They expect much of themselves, and of course, many expect even more from the rest of us. I think you see what I'm getting at.

I love Jesus' answer here. When asked what the works were that God requires, Jesus responded with a whole different paradigm: believe! The work of God is to believe! Believe in the one God has sent, his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus answered the  real question they were seeking an answer to - how to become acceptable with God. How to gain a righteous standing before him.

Belief is not a work. Faith is something that is cast as other than doing good works. "... to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:5. Note the big "but" right in the middle of that verse. When answering, Jesus turned their assumption back on itself. While unspoken, he changed "works God requires" into what it is that God requires period. He requires faith!

There will be a big work that God requires, but that was the work that Jesus Christ did by dying on that cross on our behalf. All God now requires is that we believe in him! Jesus did the work, we just need to trust in him. There simply is no way to adorn the cross of Jesus Christ with our good works. The sacrifice he made of himself was perfection and you just can't add to perfection!

Believe in the One God has sent!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.