I AM #1 He is personal in our relationship.

Have you asked Jesus to be your PERSONAL Lord and Savior?

That question used to be used a lot more than it is now, or perhaps I heard it so often that I almost became immune to its significance. That the God of the universe would come to us personally, in the form of a human in the Gospels and in the form of the Holy Spirit to us today, is unique from all of the other religions.

In the Gospel of John, there is never a mention of systematic theology or a study of God, neither is there a study of Christ in the educational sense. And yet the master teacher produces an exquisite way of teaching that reveals characteristics of Christ.

For instance, in the first Intransitive I Am Statement, Jesus said, “Jesus said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.”is speaking to the woman at the well. In my book,

The Gospel of John One Day at a Time, I described the encounter as follows

In the Old Testament, Jehovah God would reveal Himself and distinguish Himself from the other “so-called” gods who were made out of wood and did not speak or do anything. When Jesus came to the woman at the well, she was surprised that a Jewish man would speak to her, a woman with a questionable reputation. Today, many are surprised that the God of the universe would speak to them. As I write this, I am in awe that God forgave my sins and puts up with me. I love Him and He “walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own” (In the Garden, hymn published 1912). The idolatrous images made in the Biblical days did not have a personal relationship with those who worshipped them. We, on the other hand, have a God whose presence is with us always, who invites us to pray to Him, and responds when we do.

In the Old Testament, another woman, Hagar calls God “The God Who Sees”. “So she named Yahweh (I AM) who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” (Gen. 16:13)

God saw her and Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman in a personal encounter. The first stand-alone I AM Statement in John also precedes the first Transitive I AM Statement, showing that God not only sees, not only comes, but God through Jesus and now through His written word, the Bible, speaks to us. Several times in the Old Testament, God mocks the false idols for, “They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see.” Psalm 115:5, 135:16.

Instead of His presence and his voice, we often forsake Him, the one true God, for idols that we have made and as we have made gods in our own image and likeness, they have mouths but cannot speak, ears but do not hear. Like them, we have no knowledge to speak of and no discernment with which to hear. We need to see God and His presence and His speaking to us.

There is an entire book in the Bible called “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” God wants to reveal, unveil, take away the hiddenness of Christ and become personal. I wrote a four-part study on the one word of “Revelation” you can read (see the link below).

Yes, I believe God will speak to us in a personal relationship with us, primarily through the Bible, through prayer, through discernment of His spirit, through other believers, through nature, through studies with others, through sermons, through experiences. In fact, there are very few things that we experience in life that is not a revealing of God’s desire to be in relationship with us.

So, I ask again, "Have you asked Jesus to be your PERSONAL Lord and Savior?"

"Flee and pursue."

2 Timothy 2:22 could be translated as "Run away and run after!"

Flee means to escape, like Mary and Joseph did in fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13) or Moses did when he fled from Egypt after he killed an Egyptian (Acts 7:29).

Pursue, on the other hand, means "to chase after in order to catch", says Dr. Rusty Womack of Rocky Hock Baptist Church (don't ya love that name of the church?).

Pursue can also be translated as persecute. Persecute? Yeah, like hunt it down, track it down, be on the prowl, but not for evil, but for good.

You don't have to be a youth to be chased by youthful lusts. I met a guy almost my age the other day who is still living like he was a teenager, stuck in youthful sins.

And a person of any age can chase down righteousness, faith, love and peace. Not that we'll catch them but we can pursue them, can't we?

How? First, stop chasing youthful lusts, or middle age lusts, or old people lusts! Be brave enough to "run away"!

Second, call on the Lord. Ask Him to purify your heart.

But be warned: it's not a one and done deal. Paul had told Timothy something similar in his previous letter. "But as for your, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." (1 Timothy 6:11).

It's time. It's time to grow up, stop chasing the wrong things. Flee from them! Be a Man or Woman of God. Lace up your shoes and start chasing those things.

People get ready, Jesus is coming

     I hate being pulled over by a police officer when I have been speeding. But I breathe a sigh of relief when I get a warning. Being pulled over is justice. Getting a warning is mercy (not receiving the punishment we deserve). Not being pulled over at all is grace (getting something good that we don't deserve). But if all we got were warnings, or not getting pulled over at all, there would be mercy and grace, but ultimately there would be no justice.

     The following was in response to someone asking me what to do in preparation to the End Times. We can pray for grace

    You are asking the right questions, but unfortunately there are very few right answers. Although the Bible teaches that the end times are going to have famine, it does not say to stockpile food. The Bible talks about violence, it doesn’t say to load up with guns. It talks about pestilences, but the solution will not be vaccines or doctors. There will be meteors causing world-wide calamity, but God does not say build bomb shelters, although he does allude to people hiding in caves but their prayer is “fall on us.”

     It definitely does not say to be alarmed about godless people like the Hollywood elite, like those whom you mentioned. (She had mentioned some elite showing themselves eating bugs in times of famine). No you are not to “panic”, but the Bible says be prepared. So how? Not with self-sufficiency but spiritually with God.

     Luke 18 has Jesus questioning on whether or not He will find true believers trusting in Him before the Rapture: “⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

     In speaking of the Great Tribulation, Mark 13:20 states that unless the Rapture comes for the elect, no one would be spared (the word saved can mean spiritually “going to heaven” or as in this case “physically spared”). “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.”

     So how do we prepare?  “pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass.” That means to be living a life of repentance (I repent every day, meaning I stop going the way that is against God), godliness (don’t just stop doing wrong but start doing right. I try to do the things that are with God and for God), faithfulness (not just having trust in my mind and heart, but acting on my faith), moral purity (not because I have to but because I want to), true worship with other Bible-based believers (it is REALLY HARD to find a Bible believing church).

    The Bible says “Watch and pray”.

     Luke 21:36 says, ^{“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[fn] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”}

^{“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[fn] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”}

^{“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[fn] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”}

^{“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[fn] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”}

^{“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[fn] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”}

³⁴ “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁶ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. ³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸ For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

     For three years or more before I left Killeen, every messageI preached was on Christ’s return, in some form or another, except for the last one. But very few churches do I see preaching on repentance, preaching on Christ’s soon return. They are out there I am sure, but as I visit around, most are praising and preaching but without much urgency or conviction.

     It’s not just having good worship, but good prophecy. Revelation 19:10 says, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

     We should not be lulled to sleep. We should not be merely preaching “peace and safety” (perhaps because of the Rapture). No, we should be ready, “watch” and behave, “be sober”. Paul had urgency when writing to the Thessalonians, chapter 5: ¹ But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

     Christians are divided on whether or not believers will go through the Tribulation. Perhaps Matthew 25 has an answer:

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming;[fn] go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour[fn] in which the Son of Man is coming. 

Daniel's 70th Week

 Revelation 11: 

John’s Revelation and Daniel’s 70^th Week

Many people teach that there will be a “Seven Year Tribulation,” with the last three-and-a-half years being the “Great Tribulation.” 

Where does the teaching of a seven-year tribulation come from? 

Surprisingly, nowhere in Revelation does it say that the time span from Rev. 4 through 19 is seven years. However, since Revelation 11 - 13 mentions a three-and-a-half year time-frame of “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” twice (See Revelation 11:3 & 12:6 below):

“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
(Revelation 11:3)

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (Revelation 12:6)

 and “42 months” twice (See Revelation 11:2 & 13:5 below): 

“But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months."
(Revelation 11:2)

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 
(Revelation 13:5)

 this is a good time to discuss “Daniel’s 70^th week.”

Daniel 9:24-27

 

²⁴ “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. ²⁵  “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. ²⁶ “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”

 

In Daniel 9:24-27, the prophet wrote that Israel had “70 weeks” to “finish the transgression.” What did Daniel mean by 70 weeks? The word “weeks” was actually the word “sevens” and literally meant “70 sevens.” 

Most interpret this to mean 70 periods of seven prophetic years consisting of exactly 360-days[1]. A week of prophetic years is seven 360-day years (or 2,520 days), so seventy weeks would be 490 “prophetic years,” or more exactly, 176,400 days. This can be seen this way:

Daniel divides the first 69 “weeks” into two sections: seven and 62 “weeks” (or a little more than 476 years on our calendar). The first seven “weeks” was the time that it took for the city to be rebuilt and for the Old Testament to be completed in the year 396 BC. 

Following that were 62 “weeks” to total exactly 69 “weeks” from the time that King Artaxerxes gave the “command to restore and build Jerusalem,” (Dan. 9:25a, fulfilled in Nehemiah 2:7-8) in the year 444 B.C. until Jesus rode into Jerusalem in what is known as the Triumphal Entry (Matt. 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:29) in the year 33 A.D. 

Many have gone so far as to say that the prophecy was fulfilled to the very day, that being March 30, 33 A.D. (See The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy by Tim LaHaye, pg. 358, article written by Randall Price and Thomas Ice).

Because of His rejection, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, saying “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation,” (Luke 19:42-44). 

This is interpreted as when “Messiah shall be cut off,” (Dan. 9:26a), followed by a time when “the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined,” (Dan. 9:26b). 

That destruction occurred by the Roman army in 70 A.D.

On Palm Sunday when Jesus arrived at Jerusalem, the “prophetic clock” stopped, and the counting of the 69 weeks was completed.  

“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

(Luke 21:24)

Daniel’s 70^th week was postponed until “he (the prince who is to come; i.e., the antiChrist) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week (7 years); but in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate,” (Dan. 9:27).

 

---

[1] A prophetic year=360 days; our calendar year=365.2485 days.

John 3:8, Hebrews 11:8, and Joshua 3:13

    For a fourth of my adult life, I was in full-time communications and part-time ministry (at least vocationally). Then for nearly the other three/fourths of my career, I have been in full-time ministry and part-time communications, writing for fun and sometimes profit in the free-lance and self-publishing world.

The circle is 

now complete-

My SWBTS ring,

featuring the Dome
bought in 1991 by

Melissa's parents.

As of June 6, 2022, “the circle is now complete”, as some jedi warrior once said, but not nearly as ominous as all that. I will resume my communications career, taking the role of Associate Director of News and Information at my alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

    I pursued communications for neither fame nor fortune (a good thing too), but rather because “I never heard the Apostle Paul preach, but I read what he wrote”. The written word has a legacy different and likely more lasting than the preached word.

    I am proud to be back “home at the dome” in Fort Worth. Southwestern was a great and formative experience for me. At the time of my enrollment, it was the largest Protestant seminary in the world with more than 5,000 students on campus. I loved SWBTS so much I spent six years getting a two-year degree in 1991. (Full disclosure, during that time, Melissa and I alternated going to school, she got her bachelor’s degree, we had two children, and I served in two churches as well as working most of those years as full-time journalist.)

   My family asks me, “Are you excited? Are you nervous?” to which I reply, “yes to both.” I enjoyed my years as managing editor of two Texas newspapers and a writer at several others including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. After so many years in ministry, I never left writing and I know also I will never leave ministry either.

    I left First Baptist Church of Killeen more than a month ago for a self-imposed Sabbatical. I officially accepted the Southwestern position the first day of my unemployment. But when I announced my resignation, I had absolutely no idea I would be going to where I am going. I intentionally preached my final sermon on the text of the waters parting only after putting their feet into the water. It truly was a leap of faith in a lifetime of walking by faith. 

    And as He always has been, God continues to show Himself faithful.

Let Us Mourn

    I know you are hurting. So am I.

   So, let me say, it’s okay to grieve, so let us grieve. We can mourn, so let us do so. We can pray, so let us pray.

   I understand this tragedy erupts a flood of empathetic emotions in many of you, like my friend, a 78-year-old father in my EMAW group, who expressed deep mourning for the victims and their families last night. Understandably so, as he lost his oldest son years ago in an automobile accident. His youngest son, also in our group, just witnessed a tragic accident on Monday, bringing back sorrow from losing his older brother.

   So, tell our Heavenly Father, that you are heartbroken. A deranged teenager is to blame, but we want to be angry at someone, at some people, even God, for letting this happen. We can turn away from, or turn off, the reporting and the sadness lessens, but the families cannot. The injured cannot turn off the pain. The witnesses cannot turn away from the trauma, they cannot silence the memories of the cries of horror and fear. The medical personnel who treated and will continue to treat the survivors cannot “turn it off”.

   And God does not turn away. Some people will mock the “thoughts and prayers” we give, but God’s comfort is real so let them mock as we pray. God’s comforting Holy Spirit can soothe even though it will not silence the pain. Nothing can, not even time. The excitement of coming summer was replaced yesterday with a lifetime of terrible, horrendous memories which will fade, but it will not ease anytime soon. It will never completely fade away.

   The bottle of tears God collects bulged even more yesterday and will grow even more tomorrow. This world is hurting, and it always has. But the ultimate and eternal future is bright.

You are struck with sadness as I am, and maybe our tears are from griefs that resonate from unrelated hurts but are now coming to the surface. The cause of sorrows within us may be different, but we can share their griefs. So can Christ. Billy Graham wrote this years ago:

“May God give us the sensitivity to recognize these needs in those around us. While grief can turn us inward, compassion for others should turn us outward. Not only do we gladly bear one another’s burdens we also bear (carry) the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the ultimate burden bearer, for Scripture tells us that He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows.”

Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely, He has borne our griefs ​and carried our sorrows; ​​yet we esteemed Him stricken, ​​smitten by God, and afflicted. ​​But He was wounded for our transgressions, ​​He was bruised for our iniquities; ​​The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Our burdens can broaden as others share them with us and we with them. But they will never disappear.

You and I must choose to look at the stable stars and not the falling ones. I am so proud of the teachers who serve our children, day after day. I love the parents who loved their children and thankful for those children who were able to come home yesterday, and the day before, and those who will come home today. We can beam and smile at children who are kind to those who are different. I praise God for the border patrol and all of the “good guys” with guns to stop the evil, deranged, and demonized persons.

No, thanking some people who are good will not take away from the tragedy. But if you and I focus on things which are “true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and are praiseworthy,” perhaps then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7-8).

Be Careful What You Pray For...

 

1 Samuel 12-13

"You said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king. … the Lord has set a king over you.”
… “We have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” (12:12,13,19)

God reigns over His people, regardless of whether a judge or a king is there. Election after election, it seems we have a choice of “the lesser of two evils” or as one stated it, “the evil of two ‘lessers’.” In a good and godly society, a democracy will elect good and godly leaders. However, societies are rarely, if ever, good and godly.

The solution? 

Samuel’s solution is found in 1 Samuel 12:23, “…far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”

A pattern emerges in the lives of believers who seek the Lord.

1.       1. Recognize the sin. The people had asked for a king, contrary to what the Lord said. We must remember that sometimes God will answer our prayers even if they are contrary to His perfect will. We must confess what we have done wrong. The Greek word for confess is “homo-logeo” which means “same words” or “same profession”. If you prayed for something and actually received your request from the Lord to your own regret, first of all recognize your sin. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:8, was to "convict the world of sin". 

2.       2. Remorse. Truly grieve over what grieves the Lord. Worldly sorrow produces death. Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Learn from your mistakes. If God allows something to happen, like the anointing of a king, against His perfect will, it is part of His permissive will. Learn from what has happened, then pray that God will still be glorified in what has occurred. Peter was grieved when Jesus asked him three times "do you love Me", the same number of times Peter had denied his Lord (John 21:17). 

3.       3. Repent. For sins of commission, stop doing what is wrong; for sins of omission, start doing what is right. Proverbs 28:13 says we must confess and forsake our sins. Even if there are sins which have led you down the broken road, God always accomplishes His purposeful will. In the case of Israel, they needed to repent, but their sins did not thwart God's sovereignty. God's purpose is to reveal His glory, regardless of our actions. When we spot the error of our ways or even our prayers, admit it to God (recognize), express your sorry (remorse) and resolve to not do it again, or to not omit doing it again (repent). Jesus used the word "repent" eight times to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.  

4.       4. Restore. Sins can never be undone. Only Jesus is the “Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets” (Isaiah 58:12). In some cases, though, we can make restitution. The sons of Israel could not undo the damage of selling Joseph to slavery, but they were given an opportunity to restore themselves in the eyes of Joseph (see Genesis 41-50). This is God's prescribed will. Zacchaeus restored fourfold what he had wrongfully taken (Luke 19:8, prescribed in 2 Samuel 12:6).

5.       5. Reconcile. When we practice all five “R”s, we are exemplifying Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We were enemies of God, but Christ brings us together; we are to do the same (Romans 5:10-12).Through Christ, we are reconciled with God, despite our sins. After wrongfully asking for a king and God grudgingly granting them a king, Israel needed to reconcile with God. When we and God are on the same side of obedience, we will discern God's perceived will. Proverbs 1:2 says that through prayerful study of His wisdom, instruction, and understanding, His Holy Spirit will allow us to perceive his will. "To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding." That is why it is important to be reconciled to God, so that He can grant us a perception of what He is up to.  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (ESV, CSB="discern", NIV="test and approve") what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The woman at the well perceived Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19).

Seek God’s guidance today to follow this pattern.

Making connections with the Resurrection

     If today's final devotional after 50 days left you a little hanging, here is a little reflection based on John 21, modified and expanded from my "Gospel of John, One Day at a Time". (see https://johnoneday.blogspot.com/p/john-chapter-21-memory-verse-and-there.html )

 After the resurrection, the angels as well as Jesus told the women that He would appear to the disciples at Galilee (see Matthew 28:7–8; Mark 16:7).

 So why didn't they go to Galilee?

 Perhaps the disciples were too afraid due to Jesus's brutal death and stayed behind locked doors in Jerusalem, even after hearing about the empty tomb and His appearing to the women. Jesus even appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection (see Luke 24:13–32). The Bible also indicates that Peter ran back to the tomb AGAIN, this time without John (see Luke 24:12), and Peter apparently saw Jesus then (Luke 24:34). When the two return from their aborted trip to Emmaus, Jesus had already appeared to Peter but not to the rest. Then Jesus, who always "meets us where we are" then appears to them all (except Thomas) in Jerusalem Sunday evening after the Resurrection.

 After this, they went to Galilee, taking “Doubting Thomas” along with them. John 21:1 says that “Jesus showed Himself AGAIN to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias,” indicating that the appearance to Thomas found in John 20:26 was also in Galilee.

 Jesus went to Galilee because He had been so well received there. People would have been most anxious to see Him alive. Therefore, today's reading found in John 21 is the third appearance of Jesus to the disciples, but not the last.

 But didn’t Jesus also tell them to remain in Jerusalem? So, which was it, Jerusalem or Galilee?

 There appears to be a 40-day gap between Luke 24:43 and 44, explained by Dr. Luke in his sequel, commonly called "The Acts of the Apostles". Acts 1:3-4 explains, "Jesus showed Himself alive to His apostles after His sufferings by many infallible proofs, appearing to them during forty days and talking about the kingdom of God. And while He was with them, He told them not to leave from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise— 'of which you have heard Me speak,' He said."

 Mark 16:9 says that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. I think it is interesting that she appears in all four of the gospels but then never in the rest of the New Testament, including Acts 1:14, where Luke specifically mentions Jesus’s mother and brothers. 1 Corinthians 15:5–7 says he was then "seen by Cephas [Simon Peter], then by the twelve [this must have meant to include Matthias, see Acts 1:26, since Judas was already dead, and of course Thomas, a week later].

"After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

"After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."

 Why James?

 After He appeared to the 500, He went to His own brother, James, who would later become a strong leader in the church. Although the Bible never tells us specifically, He surely appeared to His own mother, Mary, and the rest of His brothers, who are next seen in Jerusalem with the 120 disciples in Acts 1:14 after Jesus ascended to heaven.

 Who are "all the apostles"?

 In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent out 70 "sent out ones".  “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two … where He Himself was about to go.” The verb “sent them out” in Luke 10:1 is “apostello” from which we derive the noun “apostle.”

 Wouldn't you like to have seen the resurrected Lord? Read Hebrews 9:28 about how Jesus will appear to those who look for Him: “Christ…will appear a second time for salvation…to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” James, the Lord's brother, wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (see James 4:8).

 If you want to see the Lord spiritually, you must seek Him, and He will come to you.

 Pray this prayer to God:

“Father, I want to draw nearer to You, and have You come nearer to Me. Reveal Yourself to me today as I seek You. Thank You for rewarding those who seek You. Amen.”

 /For all of the Fifty Days of Devotionals by FBC Killeen, go to https://fbckilleen.com/march2res/  

Hold on Tight To Your Dreams

I am on track for what I posted a year ago .

(This is modified and updated from what I posted March 1, 2021.)

Challenge # 1: Today, write your own "I have a dream" speech. Where do you see God's will for you in 4 years (March, 2026)?

Challenge #2: What must you do TODAY to begin / continue the path to achieve #1?

What needs to happen by...

...One month from now?

...Six months from now?

...One year from now?

Write it down, then go toward your dream. The journey to a dream makes the dream become reality.

Every step of your journey will be one step closer to perhaps even MORE and even BETTER than your dream now. Each step will be your reality.

Stay on the journey.

Don't expect everyone to be excited for your dream: "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more," Genesis 35:7.

It is not their dream, it is yours. Do not be discouraged.

Stay on the path.

Don't expect it to be easy: Joseph's dream led him to rejection, slavery, and prison. Even after all of that, Joseph went through seven years of plenty before his brothers and eventually his entire family would fulfill his dreams. Joseph stayed on the path on which God was leading. You may even have to go alone. But every hard step is one step closer.

Stay on the map.

Don't expect others to remember. "Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him," Genesis 40:23. You need to remember and rehearse it in your heart and remind others who are on the journey with you. Make sure your dream lines up with the Word of God and the Will of God. Years later, Joseph could see that his brothers meant it for evil, but God's Will was for Joseph to stay on the map.

Stay in the moment.

Don't expect it right away. "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay," Habakkuk 2:3. While Joseph was in Egypt, he married and had children, both would ascend to be tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh)!

Sometimes God's will happens while you are waiting for God's will to happen. Life is a journey and God will walk with you along the path, not just at the destination. We don't live in the past. We don't live in the future. We live in the moment. Enjoy the scenery along the way.

Stay until the end.

Don't say, "It's too late for me!" God saves the best to last! Remember when Jesus turned the water turning to wine? The master said, "You have saved the best for last!" So does God. " 'And it shall come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh...Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions," Joel 2:28 with Acts 2:17.

For Joseph, he could have given up or worse, given in to bitterness. When his brothers arrived, there was some understandable testing from Joseph, to see if his brothers had changed. But it was not vengeful, as seen in his weeping (Genesis 45:2) and forgiveness (45:5). Joseph stayed to the end to see that God indeed meant it for Good (Genesis 50:20).

Stay the course.

Remember God has put eternity on your heart, and God knows no age nor limitations of time. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end," Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Had Joseph not stayed the course, he might not have seen his father again or even his little brother Benjamin. What's more, Joseph's father would have gone down to the grave mourning (Genesis 44:29, 31). What joy there is when we stay the course.

Stay with the dream until it is reality.

Don't doubt God may have placed it on your heart. God speaks through dreams. Who do you THINK put that desire in your heart?? If you walk with the Lord, God put it there! Psalm 34:7 says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Sometimes God tells you to reach for the sky, just to stretch you. No journey is "as the crow flies"... sometimes the road will head east, west, and sometimes south, so that it can go eventually go north.

Joseph stayed with the dream, even in death. He had his descendants to carry his bones back to the Promised Land, a dream for his children's children and beyond for more than 400 years. Your dream is the future's legacy. Don't let doubt destroy what faith has founded. This verse, Habakkuk 2:3, bears repeating:

       For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

​​But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

​​Though it tarries, wait for it;

​​Because it will surely come,

​​It will not tarry.

It is never a failure to follow the Lord God. Prepare, expect, and even count on course adjustments.

You don't need to see the destination to arrive there...

...You...

...just ...

...must ...

...trust...

Stay in the faith.

Finally, look to Jesus for your dreams. "For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ," Galatians 1:12.

Jesus not only knows the way; He is THE Way.

Jesus not only knows what is true; He is THE Truth.

Jesus is not just alive, lively, and living; He is THE Life.

If the journey seems dark, just follow your headlights.

Stay with the Lord.