LookingtoJesus

May 13

Bible Reading: John 20:1-10

John 20:1, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.”

Who moved the stone? English journalist Frank Morison had a desire to learn about Jesus, the uniqueness of the resurrection account having captured his attention.  Influenced by the skeptics of his day, he set out to prove that the story of Christ’s resurrection was only a myth.  His studies, however, led him to a discovery of the Biblical truth.  He wrote a book about it entitled, “Who Moved the Stone?”; a book considered by many to be a classic apologetic regarding the resurrection.

It was an enormous stone, estimated to weigh between three and four thousand pounds.  The stone was just one of the security measures Pilate had put in place.  He sent a guard (16 soldiers) to secure the tomb, instructing them to “make it as secure as (they knew) how” (Matthew 27:65).  Those Roman soldiers were proud and capable—they failed in a given task under penalty of death.  The guard set a “seal on the stone.”  The soldiers, the seal, and the stone were set in place.  They had done everything they could to make the grave secure—but how can you lock up the Creator in a cave?  The entirety of the Roman army would not have been able to keep Jesus bound in that tomb.  Mountain atop mountain would not have kept entombed He “who is the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).

It was an angel of the Lord who rolled back the stone (Matthew 28:2).  He moved the stone not to let Jesus out, but to let the witnesses in! The tomb is empty.  Jesus is alive!  He has ascended to the right hand of God.  He is the risen, reigning, and returning Lord.  His sacrifice on the cross for you is the greatest act of love ever witnessed in the history of man!  Likewise, His victory over sin and death and all the forces of evil is a universal triumph of infinite personal import to every believer! 

“It was impossible for Him to be held in (death’s) power.” – Acts 2:24

THE TOMB IS EMPTY NOW
Adieu to every fear!
The tomb is empty now!
Ye need not seek Him here!
The tomb is empty now!

Refrain:
He reigns, He reigns in Heav’n,
In Heav’n today, today;
A crown upon His brow!
His brow! The shadows flee,
The shadows flee away!
Away! The tomb is empty now!

In death He closed His eyes!
The tomb is empty now!
By faith I see Him rise!
The tomb is empty now! [Refrain]

Behold where He was laid!
The tomb is empty now!
Our debt of sin He paid!
The tomb is empty now! [Refrain]

In Him our hopes we place!
The tomb is empty now!
And we shall see His face!
The tomb is empty now! [Refrain]

May 10

Bible Reading: John 19:31-42

John 19:33-34, “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.”

“On a scale of 1 to 10, what’s your pain level right now?”  They ask that question of Laura at every visit to the oncologist.  She usually says about a “four,” though it’s hard to say exactly because it’s kind of subjective.  Members of our hospice team ask the same question of our hospice patients, as pain management is a key concern in providing compassionate care.  Our nurses do a great job of finding and using the best medications in order to provide the highest level of comfort to the patient.

No one asked Jesus about His pain level when He was dying on the cross.  In fact, the point of crucifixion as punishment was to maximize pain.  It wasn’t just the pain associated with having nails driven through one’s hands and feet; it was the pain associated with the ongoing struggle to breathe. The body was situated such that the chest wall was in a permanent position of maximum respiratory inspiration.  To exhale, it was necessary to force the body upward, which was accomplished by pressing down on the nails in the feet.  As the legs became fatigued, breathing became increasingly more difficult.  And the heart and organs suffered for it.

Jesus did not die like the others.  He and the two thieves had been on their respective crosses for the same period.  At the close of day, the two thieves were still alive.  So, the soldiers came and broke their legs.  But when they found that Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs (John 19:33).  Instead, they pierced His side with a spear, the blood and water bearing witness to the reality of His death (John 19:34).  That they did not break His legs fulfilled the prophecy, “Not one of his bones will be broken” (Psalm 34:20).  He died on His terms. His life was not taken from Him. When the time came, “He gave up His spirit” (Matthew 27:52; John 10:17-18).

Jesus experienced unimaginable pain on the cross, especially in bearing the sins of us all.  He even refused the wine mixed with gall that would have dampened his pain (Matthew 27:34).  We also experience pain, sometimes quite severe, which we try to avoid at all costs. But Jesus embraced the pain and suffering on the cross willingly.  He did that to save us from our sins and bring us one day to a place where there will be “no more pain” (Revelation 21:4).  “Hallelujah, What a Savior!”

Jesus willingly embraced unimaginable pain on the cross so that He could bring us to a place where pain will be no more.

HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR!
“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

May 9

Bible Reading: John 19:25-30

John 19:26-27, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’”

My mom, Marlene, died 21 years ago after a months-long battle with an aggressive cancer.  She died trusting Jesus, for which I’m extremely grateful.  Before she died, she had some last words for all us children and for her grandchildren as well.  We rightly count the last words of a person as precious because pending death refines one’s words, reflecting their character and deepest thoughts.

Jesus shared some last words with us all, in what is commonly referred to as His “seven sayings from the cross.”  Here in John chapter 19, we find three “sayings” recorded.  But it is best to consider them all and in their chronological order.    

• “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
• “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
• “Woman, behold, your son” … “Behold, your mother” (John 19:25–27)!
• “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)?
• “I am thirsty” (John 19:28).
• “It is finished” (John 19:30).
• “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).

So, what do we find in these last words of Jesus?  There are words of distress and even agony, especially as He experienced the Father’s wrath in bearing our sins.  And there are words of love in expressing forgiveness to all and in His compassionate concern for His mother.  Jesus spoke hope-filled words to the repentant thief and as He committed His spirit to the Father.  He also spoke those three triumphant words, “It is finished,” which birthed the good news of salvation in His finished work on the cross. 

What you won’t find are expressions of anxiety or anger or any derogatory statements of any kind.  This although He was being unjustly punished and subjected to the mockery and taunts of those around Him.  And in that He’s left us an example, even as Peter drew attention to Jesus’ last words and exhorted us to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21-23).  Jesus is the best example for us in every virtuous way, and we do well to consider what He had to say as He was confronting death, as His last words speak to the glory of who He is.

He that was full of grace and truth spoke that way as He died on the cross! 

NEAR THE CROSS
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain—
Free to all, a healing stream—
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and Mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

May 8

Bible Reading: John 19:23-24

John 19:24, “This was to fulfill the Scripture.” (19:28, 19:36, 19:37)

In April 2024, an Oregonian won the $1.3 billion Powerball lottery.  Officials noted that the odds of winning that lottery were about one in 292 million.  Pretty steep odds, right?  Did you know that there were over 300 prophecies about Christ given in the Old Testament.  All the prophecies were given at least 400 years before he was born and some thousands of years before.  He fulfilled thirty-three prophecies on the day of his crucifixion, with several of them being referenced in this chapter in John.  The odds of any random person fulfilling all those prophecies were astronomical!

Jesus spoke of how He came to fulfill the Scriptures.  He chided the religious leaders, saying: “You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39).  And likewise says: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?”  Even after his resurrection, Jesus directed his disciples back to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies to encourage their faith (Luke 24:25-27).  The fulfillment of prophecy testifies to the truth that Jesus is who He declared and revealed Himself to be (John 20:30-31).

So, if the odds of winning the $1.3 billion dollar lottery were one in 292 million, what would have been the odds that any anonymous person would fulfill all the prophecies regarding the Christ? Professor Peter W. Stoner states that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 x 10 17th. That is 100,000,000,000,000,000! It has been illustrated like this: If you took 1 x 10¹⁷ silver dollars and placed them over Texas (the second largest US state), you would not only cover all of Texas but would have a coin pile two feet deep. If you blindfolded yourself, took one of the coins and threw it back into the pile, and walked from the beginning of Texas, stopping only once to find that coin, that is the chance that one person would fulfill only eight of these prophecies.

Bottom line?  Jesus is the Messiah of whom the Old Testament spoke.  He came as promised, fulfilling every prophecy to the letter.  He is the Divine Son of God, and salvation is to those who place their trust in Him (John 20:30-31).  And by the way, there are plenty of prophecies that speak of His second coming!  They’ll be fulfilled to the letter also.  And that, my friends, is our blessed hope!

Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament Messianic prophecies related to His first coming! He will likewise fulfill all those that speak of His second!

O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE
O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth, unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky,
we praise Thee for the radiance
that from the hallowed page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.

The church from her dear Master
received the gift divine,
and still that light she lifteth
o’er all the earth to shine.
It is the golden casket,
where gems of truth are stored;
it is the heav’n-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.

It floateth like a banner
before God’s host unfurled;
it shineth like a beacon
above the darkling world.
It is the chart and compass
that o’er life’s surging sea,
‘mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
still guides, O Christ, to Thee.

O make Thy Church, dear Savior,
a lamp of burnished gold,
to bear before the nations
Thy true light as of old.
O teach Thy wand’ring pilgrims
by this, their path to trace,
‘til, clouds and darkness ended,
they see Thee face to face.

May 7

Bible Reading: John 19:17-22

John 19:19-20 “Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.”

I have often referred to the thief on the cross as my “hospice hero.”  Though he was a robber, and had done nothing to earn or merit salvation, God mercifully worked to save him mere hours before his death, as he responded to the truth about Jesus.

The sign displayed the truth about Jesus and was written in three languages—Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.   Many read what the sign had to say.  The religious leaders had argued that Pilate should write instead, “This man said, I am King of the Jews,” but Pilate refused to alter what he had written (John 19:21-22).  Thus, the sign thus bore testimony to the truth about Jesus.

The two thieves crucified with Jesus no doubt saw the sign.  Jesus being crucified alongside two thieves was not accidental; it was foretold in the prophecy that He would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Luke 22:37).  They would both serve, by their varied responses, to illustrate the two disparaged destinies of those who believe and those who don’t. In the start of things, both were mocking Jesus—along with just about everybody else (Matthew 27:29, 39, 42-44).  Both robbers saw the same things.  They both saw the bitter abuse directed at Jesus.  Both heard Him utter those surprising words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 22:34).  Both saw the sign above His head which testified to the truth regarding Jesus’ identity. 

Both witnessed the same things, but the heart of one underwent a miraculous transformation.  “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:39-41).”  The one robber came to understand the truth about Jesus and himself.  How precious is the Spirit of God’s convicting work (John 16:8-11)!  With believing eyes, he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).  Simply put, the robber believed the truth of the sign above Jesus’ head and thereby received salvation (Luke 23:43).  He received God’s merciful forgiveness through no merit of his own (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

The sign at Calvary has long since rotted away, but the truth revealed on that day still stands.  “Christ Jesus came into the world save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).  He alone can save (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  All men have no choice but to fall in behind one thief or the other (John 3:36).  The truth of that sign cries out “believe!” Some do and some don’t.  On which side of the cross do you stand (1 John 5:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10)?

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”—John 3:36

THE PENITENT THIEF
Come see the power of Christ our King
When on the cross the Savior hung,
His grace a dying thief did bring,
To own him with his heart and tongue.

One malefactor scorned Christ’s name,
The other did his sin reprove;
Then said by faith to God’s dear Lamb,
“Remember me O Lord above.”

What noble faith in him appeared,
That he could trust a dying Lord!
He soon the blessed Jesus heard
Pronounce this sweet reviving word;

“Amen, this day thy soul shall be
With me in Paradise above.”
This made the dying prisoner free;
These words were full of boundless love.

What comfort did this speech convey,
To his poor guilty wretched mind!
When thus he heard the Savior say,
Great peace the criminal did find.

Thus Jesus Christ forgave the thief,
And showed great mercy to the man;
So in the midst of woe and grief,
His joy and happiness began.

O how he sings the Savior’s praise,
Who took him at the very last,
When he his youthful strength and days
In Satan’s cause had spent and past!

Now he adores God’s holy name,
And stands before the Savior’s face;
And will eternally proclaim
The boundless riches of his grace!

May 6

Bible Reading: John 19:1-16

John 19:2, “And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.”

Close to 30 million viewers watched the coronation of King Charles in May 2023.  The crown he wore that day was St. Edward’s Crown (commissioned for King Charles II in 1661) and was made of solid gold and studded with 444 stones (including rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topaz, and tourmalines).  It had an estimated value of almost $60 million.  Jesus, the King of the Jews, wore no such crown as He made His way to the cross.  A group of anonymous Roman soldiers designed and crafted His crown with thorns instead of gold and jewels.

Rome spared no cruelty in their torment of criminals.  Pilate had Jesus scourged by his soldiers.  They did this with a whip that had iron and nails embedded.  Sometimes the scourging would continue until it reached the point of exposing bones.  After torturing Him in that way, the Roman soldiers mocked Him.  They had heard the accusation of the claim He was the King of the Jews, so they fashioned a crown of thorns.  Thorns are plentiful in that land, so it didn’t take long for them to gather them and weave them into a crown.  They pressed that instrument of torture into his forehead until more pain and bleeding ensued, and then mocked the One who was soon to bear their sins.

Thorns came into existence after the fall of Adam and Eve and are emblems of the curse of sin (Genesis 3:18).  Crowns symbolize one’s right to rule or supremacy over some sphere of influence.  Unknowingly, those callous soldiers declared, with their crude crown, Jesus to be the supreme curse bearer.  Let’s not forget that as the soldiers wove that crown of thorns, every detail of this passion account was woven ahead of time by God Himself (Acts 2:23).  It was the divine Son of God, in full subjection to the Father, who allowed Himself to be adorned in such a humble array.  And He did that out of love for you and me.

“What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinner’s gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain!”—Bernard of Clairvaux

O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED
O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
look on me with Thy favor,
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for Thee.

Be near when I am dying,
O show Thy cross to me!
And, for my succor flying,
come, Lord, to set me free:
these eyes, new faith receiving,
from Thee shall never move;
for he who dies believing
dies safely in Thy love.

May 3

Bible Reading: John 18:33-40

John 18:39-40, “’But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ They cried out again, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a robber.”

Barabbas was a robber.  He committed the crime, underwent trial, and received a sentence.  The penalty in those days was death by crucifixion.  Two fellow robbers would soon meet that same fate.  He was on death row, awaiting punishment, but divine providence was leaning in his direction.  What must have been his thoughts, as his last minutes on earth slipped away?  But the frenzied mob of deranged bargainers opted to make a trade.  Given the opportunity to release their King, who had done no wrong, they chose instead to cry out for the release of Barabbas, who was a robber.

Nothing was of happenstance in the events leading up to the cross.  All took place as prophesied and according “to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).  And so it was with the release of Barabbas.  The sinless Son of God took the place of the guilty and condemned thief. What took place physically on that day has been the experience spiritually ever since for those who have trusted in Jesus! As a believer, you stand acquitted as the direct result of a divine exchange made possible only through His sacrifice.

Donald Grey Barnhouse has commented on this: “Now Barabbas was the only man in the world who could say that Jesus Christ took his physical place. But I can say that Jesus Christ took my spiritual place. For it is I who deserved to die. It was I who deserved the wrath of God should be poured upon me. I deserved the eternal punishment of the lake of fire. He was delivered up for my offenses. He was handed over to judgment because of my sins. This is why we speak of the substitutionary atonement. Christ was my substitute. He was satisfying the debt of divine justice and holiness. That is why I say that Christianity can be expressed in three phases: I deserved Hell; Jesus took my Hell; there is nothing left for me but His Heaven.”

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”—2 Corinthians 5:21

AT THE CROSS
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree! [Refrain]

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin. [Refrain]

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears. [Refrain]

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do. [Refrain]

May 2

Bible Reading: John 18:25-32

John 18:37-38, “Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’”

We live in a world where many deny the existence of an absolute truth.  They claim that truth is whatever you believe to be “truth for you” and whatever I believe is “truth for me.”  Conflicting truth claims make for a chaotic world, as is evidenced in our society today. 

“What is truth?”  Pilate raised that question when Jesus stood trial before him.  Gazing at He who embodied the incarnate truth, he could not discern it, and balked at Jesus’ truth claims.  But there is an absolute truth, the truth Jesus came into the world to bear witness to.  When Jesus was put on trial, they also put the truth on trial because Jesus embodies the truth.

Truth is that which conforms with reality.  It is genuineness or actuality.  Theologically, truth is that which is consistent to the person of God, for He is the ultimate reality.  Truth is God’s self-disclosure, and when Jesus was born into the world, the truth was unveiled in Him (John 1:14, 17-18).  Because Jesus is beautiful, the truth is too!

Truth suppression has ever been the spirit of this world (Romans 1:18), but Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.  There are countless voices in this world expressing their scattered opinions and vying for attention, but those who are “of the truth” have ears tuned to hear and heed the voice of Jesus.  And there is beauty in that, no matter what the skeptics say!

“Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself.” – Augustine

MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE
My faith has found a resting place,
from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One,
his wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that he died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul, I come to him,
he’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]

My heart is leaning on the Word,
the written Word of God,
salvation by my Savior’s name,
salvation thro’ his blood. [Refrain]

My great Physician heals the sick,
the lost he came to save;
for me his precious blood he shed,
for me his life he gave. [Refrain]

May 1

Bible Reading: John 18:12-24

John 18:19, “The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.”

In his excellent book, “A Grace Disguised,” Jerry Sittser shares of his personal experience in the aftermath of the tragedy that took the lives of his mom, wife, and daughter.  A drunk driver, traveling at a high rate of speed, crossed out of his lane and smashed into Jerry’s vehicle.  Obviously, that horrific accident led to much sorrow and many questions.  Shockingly, the trial resulted in the drunk driver being acquitted of charges.  Sometimes life can be so unfair.  It was exceptionally so in the trial of Jesus.    

The trial of Jesus was a sham.  Jewish law set forth certain legal requirements for such trials: no trials were to be conducted at night; they did not allow for the admission of conflicting testimonies; using false witnesses was not permissible; witnesses were to be interviewed separately; charges were to be based on a plurality of corroborating witnesses; the judges were to act impartially.  But in a frenzied passion of hate-inspired rage, the Counsel abandoned all judicial restraint.  The truth was irrelevant and would not deter them.  Jesus’ crime was that He had committed no crime.  The light of His righteous nature had exposed the darkness of their evil hearts.  The only solution, as far as they were concerned, was to put Jesus to death.

That Jesus willingly subjected Himself to such injustice is a matter of profound wonder.  He, who had received nothing but eternal praise from an angelic host, endured the taunts and false accusations of a murderous mob.  The Lawgiver was indicted by the lawless for imagined crimes.  He who would judge all subjected himself to interrogation.  God was on trial, and He made no defense!  Jesus willingly subjected Himself to it all.  1 Peter 2:23 describes His response: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

Life is not fair; you can count on that sad reality (Ecclesiastes 9:11).  But in best managing your response to unfair treatment, you’ll find no better example than Jesus: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).  Jesus kept entrusting himself to him who judges justly, and we do well to do the same.  God will have the final say in all that transpires on this planet.  And we can trust Him to strengthen by His grace and justly settle all accounts in due time.

Life is not fair, but God judges justly, and we can trust Him always.

HAVE FAITH IN GOD
Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Refrain:
Have faith in God, He’s on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.

Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God. He’ll answer yet. [Refrain]

Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
His heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there. [Refrain]

Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne. [Refrain]

April 30

Bible Reading: John 18:7-11

John 18:10-11, “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

You’ve heard the expression, “he brought a knife to a gunfight.” In Peter’s case, it was far worse than that, for he brought a knife to an epic spiritual battle of unrivaled proportion.  And his knife was no help in that battle. 

Despite Jesus’ forewarning regarding the events that were then coming to pass, Peter was without understanding.  His response to Jesus’ arrest?  “He drew (his sword) and struck the priest’s servant and cut off his right ear” (John 18:10).  What was his plan?  Defeat the enemies of Christ “one ear at a time?”  Matthew’s gospel includes the rest of Jesus’ response to Peter’s ill-advised effort: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place.  For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so” (Matthew 26:52-54)?  While we might admire Peter for his courage, he was fighting in the wrong way with the wrong weapons.

As followers of Jesus, our King and His kingdom are “not of this world” (John 18:36).  We are called to “fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), but earthly weapons will not prove helpful.  Instead, God has provisioned us with an arsenal that has “divine power to destroy strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).  Included in that weaponry are the same things Jesus utilized, the Word of God and prayer (1 John 2:14; Ephesians 6:18).  We can only properly employ either to the extent that we are led and empowered by the Spirit.  Otherwise, we might find ourselves, like Peter, fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons in pursuit of the wrong objective.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11

STANDING ON THE PROMISES
Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]