What Is That To Me?

John 21:21-22. Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22. Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. (KJV - sent from CadreBible)

That's a pretty good reminder that I am not to be concerned with what hardships or blessings others might endure in comparison with mine. "Its not fair," is not acceptable. What is someone else's blessings to me? Am I coveting what God has given someone else? Am I so dissatisfied with what God has given me? I better be careful. Its not possible to follow Jesus while I'm looking at someone else.

Rewards and Consequences

As I read my Bible this morning, I keep thinking of soul winning, witnessing. Today's reading includes John 16-18 and tells of Jesus' testimony before His accusers and persecutors contrasted with Peter's denial. Peter went out and wept, Jesus was beaten and crucified. Jesus suffered at the hands of man, but had great victory, joy, boldness, and peace with God the Father. Peter avoided suffering, but had defeat, depression, sorrow, agony, and loss with God the Father. Which will I choose today?

Humiliating Love

Humiliating Love

John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. (KJV - sent from CadreBible)

Can you imagine wiping someone's feet with your hair!? How humiliating that would be! And in public, nonetheless! What an incredible display of love and devotion! Three thoughts:

1) IN THE CHURCH: Suppose Mary did this only in the presence of the disciples. I liken that to performing an act of devotion and love for Jesus in the church (not the building, but the presence of the brethren). Simple things like singing with all your heart, all your strength, all your mind, and all your soul. So few will do such a thing. I dont even know any women who would do this for their husbands in the privacy of their own homes. How great is the limit of love we must have when we fail to love our Lord with all He has given us. What about service: teaching Sunday School, helping in the nursery, cleaning up, serving at a fellowship event, etc. Mary washed Jesus' feet. Jesus washed the disciples' feet. We're to serve each other in such a manner.

2) OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH: Verse 9 says that much people of the Jews were there. I believe that means even when Mary performed her act of devotion. That means she humbled herself, subjected herself to humiliation in front of unbelievers. Why? Love! How great is my love when I won't do so much as speak of my Saviour in the the presence of unbelievers? Something to think about...

3) JESUS DID YHE SAME FOR US: Hebrews 12:2-3 tell us He endured the cross, despising the shame, and suffered the contradiction of sinners against Himself. Does He really deserve less from me? I think not! To present my boat a living sacrifice is no more than my REASONABLE service (Romans 12:1).

Priceless

Matt 16:26 For what is a man profited if he should gain the whole world l, but lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Trillions have been spent in hopes of recovering our economy. The hopeful spenders and supporters are trying desperately to resuusitate their dying God. Trillions spent, and owed now by the American people. It has not worked. How much more valuable is an individual than the economy?

Trillions (2.3) spent on healthcare in the U.S. in 2008. How much more valuable is an eternal soul than a temporal body?

Where is your investement?

Made Whole

Jn 5:14. "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, 'Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee."

Made whole: this man could not do so much as enter into a pool of water without help from another. He had no power to supply himself with anything that was needful for his own survival. He was fed in some manner, by some man, but none would carry him. He had no peace that he would continue to survive even another day. He had no pleasure and was unable to obtain any. He was in need of physical healing.

Jesus healed many folk while He was here. He continues do so today. When this man was healed, there was a multitude of blind, deaf, and lame folk there, but Jesus healed only this one, and no other in this place. Why? It is His soveriegn will to do so (Rom. 9:15,18; 2Tim. 2:9). The fact that this man was healed and none other does not make the power of God any less effective, even though some will dispute it and say, "because He did not heal me, He did not heal thee." Many others would hear the testimony of the man who was healed and see the evidence of it, but discount it in unbelief, holding the truth in unrighteousness.

Jesus' healing of the sick was an act of compassion, but was also intended to give testimony of the fact that He is the Son of God (Lk 7:22, Jn 3:2, Jn 14:11). His passion, His purpose, His ministry was to suffer our punishment for sin and give to us eternal life (Jn 12:27). He came to make those that are poor in spirit inherit the kingdom of heaven, and to fill those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt 5:3, 6). He came to seek and to save sinners (Lk 17:33) and to make whole the sinner (Matt. 9:10-13). It is not the healing of the temporal body that concerns Jesus, for the death of God's saints is precious in His eyes (Ps. 116:15), but the healing of the spirit.

He has made me whole.

Sin no more: Truly an impossible thing for me to do just as it was for Paul, the apostle (Rom 7:14-23). What does Jesus mean, "sin no more"? Exactly that. Those sins that I am aware of, I am not to do. It may be that He means not to continue in sin rather than not to commit any sin. Perhaps the message here is not to return to the sinful lifestyle that put is in the mess we found ourselves in before Jesus came along and made us whole, restoring us to a favorable relationship with our Father in heaven.

Lest a worse thing come upon thee: I was bound for eternal destruction. Is that the worse thing that could come upon me? No. A worse state than I endured while on earth is the worse thing. I had no peace with God. I had no power with God. I had no pleasure with God. Once I was made whole I immediately had peace, power, and pleasantness. To continue in sin means to return to the place from whence I came. My eternal destination will not change, but God had to put me into a place of need before I would call out to Him, and I was not His child. I had no physical ailment, although some are brought there. I had no loss of love, although some are brought there. I had to endure no great emotuonal, physical, or mental anguish, although some are brought there. I did, however have to endure spiritual poverty, lack of spiritual food and water.

Less a worse thing come upon thee. I am now a child of God. He has warned me of the results of my sin before I committ it. To dwell in sin will result in a worse lack of spiritual peace, power, and pleasatness than I sufferred before. That's why backlsliding is dangerous, and unhealthy. The power I had with God in ministry dissapates. The peace I have with God diminishes. The pleasures I have with God dissappear. Having known tasted and lost, the sufferring is worse. I must keep under my body, and bring it under subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.