LookingtoJesus

June 3

Bible Reading: Acts 2:1-13

Acts 2:1-2, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”

Few things are as precious and beautiful in this world as the birth of a newborn child.  Following months of anticipation, family members and friends rejoice in receiving the news of the baby’s entrance into the world, and rightly so, for life is a gift from God.  Nearly two thousand years ago, the church was born, and we’ve good reason to celebrate that!

God birthed the church in dramatic fashion.  It was in fulfillment of Jesus’ promises, for He had previously told His disciples of His plan to build His church (Matthew 16:18).  He had also repeatedly spoken of the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 25; 15:26; 16:7, 13; Acts 1:4, 8).  It was through the miraculous working of the Spirit that the church was born.

It was not by accident that hundreds of thousands of Jews and proselytes, “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5), were there on that day.  They had come from afar, from many nations, to celebrate Shavuot, a festival that happens exactly seven weeks after Passover (“Pentecost” is a Greek word meaning “fiftieth”).  The multinational audience would soon take the news of what happened to faraway places.

What happened on that day?  The Spirit came and filled the Apostles so that they could speak in other tongues, such that those hearing could hear in their own language. According to Acts 2:6-7, the crowd was “bewildered” and “amazed and astonished.”  The Apostles did not speak in gibberish, but in known languages, and they did not speak of mundane matters, but of “the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11).  “And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are all filled with new wine’ (Acts 2:12-13)?”

Thus, the Spirit worked to set the stage for Peter’s first sermon, in which Peter would boldly proclaim the truth regarding Christ.  Three thousand souls responded unto salvation, and thus the church was born.  And God has been working ever since to add to their number (Acts 2:47), just like He did with you.  That was also a work of the Spirit when He convicted you of your sins and opened your eyes to the glory of Jesus!  It was likewise a cause for great joy when you were “born of the Spirit with live above into God’s family divine.”  And made to be a dwelling place of Him (1 Corinthians 6:19)!

“When the great promise of the Spirit was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, it was fulfilled not in reference to the apostles only.” —Charles Hodge

HEAVEN CAME DOWN
O what a wonderful, wonderful day.
Day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away,
Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender compassionate friend,
He met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling, with joy i am telling
He made all the darkness depart.

Chorus:
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.
When at the cross my Savior made me whole.
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day.

Born of the spirit from life of above
Into God’s fam’ly divine,
Justified fully through calvary’s love,
O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made
When as a sinner i came,
Took of the offer of grace he did proffer-
He saved me, o praise his dear name! [Chorus]

Now, I’ve a hope that will surely endure
After the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure,
There in those mansions sublime.
And it’s because of that wonderful day
When at the cross i believed
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
From his precious hand I received. [Chorus]

May 31

Bible Reading: Acts 1:12-26

Acts 1:14, “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.”

Economic prosperity and spiritual decline characterized the 1850s.  Industries flourished and companies amassed incredible wealth. Materialism captivated people young and old.  Church attendance was in decline.  The Financial Panic of 1857 brought an abrupt change.  Banks failed and railroads went bankrupt.  Merchants and factories were closed, and vast numbers were out of work.

It was in that setting that Jeremiah Calvin Lanphier set out to enjoin businessmen in prayer for one hour at noon on Wednesdays at the North Dutch Church in New York City.  He printed some handbills announcing the prayer meetings with the title, “How Often Should I Pray?” The handbill stated, “As often as the language of prayer is in my heart; as often as I see my need of help; as often as I feel the power of temptation; as often as I am made sensible of any spiritual declension, or feel the aggression of a worldly, earthly spirit. In prayer, we leave the business of time for that of eternity and intercourse with God.”

They held the first prayer meeting in September 1857. The first person to join Lanphier was a half-hour late; several others came even later. The following week, twenty attended. On October 7, there were nearly forty. The meeting was so blessed it was decided to meet daily. One week later, there were over one hundred attending.  Within one month, pastors who had attended started morning prayer meetings in their own churches. 

By early February, a nearby Methodist Church, that had recently opened, overflowed. By March 19, a theater opened for prayer, and half an hour before it was time to begin, the organizers had to turn people away. By the end of March, over six thousand people met daily at prayer gatherings in New York City. Many churches added evening services for prayer. Soon, there were 150 united prayer meetings each day across Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Within three months, similar meetings had sprung up across America. Thousands began praying in these services and in their own homes.

The attendees of that first prayer meeting could not have imagined the fruit that would result from their prayer effort.  They sensed the need, so they prayed.  God did the rest.  In a similar way, the disciples and others, about 120 persons in all, “were devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:15).  They could not have imagined all that was soon to come, as the Spirit would work through the Apostles to birth Christ’s church and ultimately turn the “world upside down” (Acts 17:6).  God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask” (Ephesians 3:20), so it’s good for each one of us to devote ourselves to prayer.  Perhaps it will prove contagious, and manifold blessings will be the result.

There is no limit to how God might work when His people devote themselves to prayer!

REVIVE US, AGAIN
We praise thee, O God, for the Son of thy love,
for Jesus who died, and is now gone above.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory, hallelujah! Amen!
Hallelujah! Thine the glory, revive us again.

We praise thee, O God, for thy Spirit of light
who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night. [Refrain]

We praise thee, O God, for the joy thou hast giv’n
to thy saints in communion, these foretastes of heav’n. [Refrain]

Revive us again, fill each heart with thy love.
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above. [Refrain]

May 30

Bible Reading: Acts 1:6-11

Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus had previously spoken to his disciples of His plan to build His church (Matthew 16:18). Here, in a mere 37 words (in the NASB), we read of the simplicity of His plan.  There is no church growth strategy or elaborate organization or methodology.  Jesus spoke about a message and how His followers would proclaim it.  Ordinary men, supernaturally empowered, were to proclaim His extraordinary message.

Key to Christ’s plan was the promise that the disciples were to receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.  “Power” translates the Greek word “dunamis,” which refers to “strength, power, or ability.”  It is the root word of our English words: dynamite, dynamo, and dynamic.  Jesus was telling His disciples that they would soon receive the strength and ability, by the Spirit, to bear witness of Him.

Power was something which they previously lacked.  Keep in mind, when Jesus was arrested, they all fled.  And Peter, the soon-to-be chief spokesman in the church, denied Jesus three times.  Even following the resurrection, they hid out in fear behind locked doors.  They lacked, in themselves, the spiritual strength and ability to proclaim Jesus.  But behold the mighty change that occurred when the Spirit was poured out on them at Pentecost!  Cowardly Peter was made courageous and proclaimed Jesus before a crowd of thousands.  Peter and John stood boldly before the powerful religious Council and proclaimed Jesus to be the only means of salvation (Acts 4:12).  The Council took note: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished” (Acts 4:13).  In the midst of intense opposition, the church “continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).  And so on through the book of Acts—it was the Spirit who enabled Jesus’ followers to continue proclaiming the truth with supernatural strength and boldness.

We are prone to self-reliance, but the Apostles have set forth a good example to us with regards to our witnessing efforts.  It is by the Spirit we are made strong.  Paul himself acknowledged the temptation that exists to be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:8).  The Spirit is the only source of strength that enables us to overcome that struggle that we might boldly declare the truth. 

“Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him…that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.” – Hudson Taylor

LET IT BE SAID OF US
Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore every cross we were given;
That we fought the good fight, and we finished the course;
Knowing within us the power of the risen Lord.

Chorus:
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song!
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song!
Till the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us, we were marked by forgiveness;
We were known by our love and delighted in mercy;
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Author: Steve Fry
Copyright 1994 Maranatha! Music (ASCAP)/ASCAP) (admin. by Music Services).

May 29

Bible Reading: Acts 1:6-11

Acts 1:6-7, “So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.’”

When I was a student at Seminary, a newly published book caused quite a stir.  Edgar C. Whisenant, a former NASA engineer and Bible student, predicted that the rapture would occur in 1998.  He published a book entitled, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988.”  Bookstores eventually sold 4.5 million copies.  I joked that maybe the author should publish a sequel in 1989, “89 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1989,” though he’d have been unlikely to sell any copies.  There have been many attempts to set such dates, but it is not for us to know the times the Father has fixed by His own authority.

That the disciples asked Jesus about the Kingdom is no surprise.  Recall the disappointment of the Emmaus-bound disciples: “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21).”  The disciples were more-than-ready for the Risen-Jesus to restore Israel and deal with those despicable Romans.  Who doesn’t want a perfect ruler and the perfect peace and safety associated with living in a perfect kingdom?

Notable in Jesus’ response is one simple word, “but” (Acts 1:8).  It was not then the time for Jesus to restore the kingdom of Israel, He had a greater plan, in the building of His church, that would eventually work to encompass the entire world.  The plan involved spreading the good news of His death for sins and resurrection from the dead in “Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  We should be glad-hearted about such a plan, for “the end of the earth” is where we live.  And the mandate to spread the good news still stands.  The church on earth exists to bear witness of Jesus.  A heavenly kingdom lies in our future, but for now, we’ve got a life-saving message to share.

“What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?” – Malla Moe

JESUS SAVES!
We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to ev’ry land,
Climb the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward! ‘tis our Lord’s command;
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Waft it on the rolling tide:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell to sinners far and wide:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, ye islands of the sea;
Echo back, ye ocean caves;
Earth shall keep her jubilee:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing above the battle strife:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By His death and endless life:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing it softly through the gloom,
When the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Give the winds a mighty voice:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Let the nations now rejoice:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free,
Highest hills and deepest caves;
This our song of victory:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

May 28

Bible Reading: Acts 1:1-5

Acts 1:3, “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs.”

How would your life differ from what it now it if Christ had not risen from the dead?  To what extent is your hope founded on the truth of the resurrection?  What good news could you possibly share with others if Christ had not been raised?  The good news is, of course, that Christ has been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)!  And because of that we’ve a glorious gospel to believe in and proclaim!  

From Peter’s first sermon onward, the message of the resurrection of Jesus was front and center in the witness of Christ’s followers.  Peter emphatically proclaimed it in his first and second sermons (Acts 2:24-36; 3:15).  And he did not shrink back from declaring it when on trial before the religious Council (Acts 4:10).  The apostles, with great power, kept on giving witness to it (Acts 4:33, 5:29-30), and even to the Gentiles (Acts 10:40).  And that witness to the resurrection continues throughout the book. It is the sharing of that message of hope that worked to turn the “world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

So, it was important for the author, Luke, to establish the fact of the resurrection in the beginning of the book.  Jesus presented himself alive not by a few, but with many convincing proofs.  Luke used terminology that was used in the Greek world, in a legal context, of proof that was irrefutable and indisputable.  Peter and the other apostles and over 500 witnesses had firsthand evidence that Jesus was truly alive, and this evidence was not open to question (1 Corinthiasn 15:5-8).

The good news is “Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20).  And because of that, it is a risen Savior we serve, a living hope we possess, and a glorious message to share!

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith and the ‘fountain’ of our message.” – Anonymous

HE LIVES!
I serve a risen Savior, Hes in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
A-long lifes narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary, I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
A-long lifes narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, Rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so living, so good and kind.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
A-long lifes narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

May 27

Bible Reading: Acts 1:1-5

Acts 1:5, “For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

And so, we begin our study through a most extraordinary book, a book that tells the story of how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  It’ll help in our reading to have an outline.  One way you can do that is geographically: the gospel witness to Jerusalem (Acts 1-7); the gospel witness to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-9); the gospel witness to the ends of the earth (Acts 10-28).  Along the way, God worked in dramatic fashion to tear down centuries-old hostilities between Jews and Samaritans and then Gentiles in the spread of the gospel.

Another way to outline the book is biographically.  The first 9 chapters focus on the ministry of the Apostle Peter, while the remaining chapters speak of the three missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that Christ called both to their ministries despite their serious flaws.  Peter, who had previously denied Christ three times, was nevertheless called by Christ to be the church’s chief spokesman.  Miraculously, Christ saved and then commissioned Paul to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, although he had been previously working to destroy the church (Galatians 1:13). In his three missionary journeys, he preached the gospel to thousands upon thousands and crossed continents in establishing churches.

God chose those ordinary men, flawed men, to this most extraordinary work.  And of course, there are no others to choose from, for we are all ordinary and all flawed by sin.  Most Bibles, including my old NASB, entitle this book as “The Acts of the Apostles.”  But that title is not a part of the inspired text.  The Bible publisher needed a title, and that seemed appropriate.  In reality, however, the book tells the story of the Acts of the Spirit in working through the Apostles to accomplish what was done.  And that’s good news for us to keep in mind.  God has an extraordinary work for you too, and He in not depending on you to do it in your own strength.  Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit, and by the Spirit, God is able to do in us exceeding, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).  Remember that as you read through the book, for the church-building work started by Christ in the book of Acts continues to this day.  And you’ve a part, by the Spirit, to play in that!

“Is God’s Spirit writing the next chapter of the book of Acts in and through my life?” – Ray Stedman

WE’VE A STORY TO TELL THE NATIONS
We’ve a story to tell to the nations,
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy,
a story of peace and light,
a story of peace and light.

Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.

We’ve a song to be sung to the nations,
that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil,
and shatter the spear and sword,
and shatter the spear and sword. [Refrain]

We’ve a message to give to the nations,
that the Lord who reigneth above
has sent us His Son to save us,
and show us that God is love,
and show us that God is love. [Refrain]

We’ve a Savior to show to the nations,
who the path of sorrow has trod,
that all of the world’s great peoples
may come to the truth of God,
may come to the truth of God! [Refrain]

May 24

Bible Reading: John 21:24-25

John 21:24-25, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.  Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

We’ve come full circle in our devotional study through the gospel of John.  We began with a focus on John’s bold declaration: “The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory” (John 1:14).  The gospel account unveils to us the truth of what John and his fellow disciples witnessed.  They beheld the glory of Jesus—in His character, miracles, words, and death and resurrection!  John testified that Jesus’ works were so numerous that if every one of them were to be written, “the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).  John saw these things for himself and wrote His gospel that others might see and “and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30-31). 

John wrote, “and we know his testimony is true.”  The response of John and his friends to what they saw and heard in Jesus was to devote themselves to the faithful service of Jesus for the rest of their lives.  All but John suffered martyrdom, though John himself endured persecution (Revelation 1:9).  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they turned the world upside down through their fearless witness to Jesus Christ (Acts 17:6).  Jesus changes lives!

John recorded a mere fraction of all that Jesus did.  Written two millennia ago, God only knows how many have read John’s inspired account and believed unto salvation.  Jesus has the power to save and transform lives.  He did that in the lives of his apostles.  He has done that innumerable times since.  And He’s done that for you.  The Apostles beheld the glory of Jesus.  It is the Spirit who works through the Word to do the same for us.  The Scriptures declare the glory of Jesus!  We do well to read with our eyes wide open, so that by the Spirit we might behold that which John and his friends saw in the flesh. 

“The Bible is the portrait of Jesus Christ.” – John Stott

TO GOD BE THE GLORY
To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,
but purer and higher and greater will be
Our joy and our wonder, when Jesus we see. [Refrain]

May 23

Bible Reading: John 21:20-23

John 21:21, “When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’”

The pending death of a loved one sometimes raises questions about life’s inequities in the minds of a patient and their family.  Others have their health and are free to pursue their goals and dreams. Why not me?  Some grow old having not faced any kind of debilitating illness, others are not so fortunate.  Such thinking can then lead to resentment, which then works to steal away a person’s joy and gratitude and desire to make the best use of their remaining days.

When Jesus informed Peter that he was going to die a martyr for his faith, he then asked what would happen with his fellow disciple, John.  We can’t be certain regarding his motivation for asking, but Jesus’ answer to the question holds for us some important lessons.

Jesus was well aware of what was going to pass in the lives of both men.  Their futures were in his hands.  He, the “Shepherd and Overseer Guardian of (their) souls” (1 Peter 2:25), would walk with them each step of the way in their journeys, until it was time for Him to bring them safely home to His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18).  He holds the same knowledge and has the same plans for you.

Though their futures would vary, His love for each did not.  He loved them both with a love immeasurable and everlasting.  He used them both—in amazing and God-honoring fashion!  Both fulfilled the ministry that God had pre-ordained for them to do (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 4:7).

It’s best then to keep our focus on Jesus and not on the bloom or blight of others as we determine to do our best in serving Him.  As John A. Broadus has said: “It is not for a laborer in the vineyard to choose himself where he will work, but only to work where he is placed. We know not what awaits us, but if in simplicity and godly sincerity, in such calling and circumstances as providence assigns us, we do make it our aim to glorify God, then whatever crashes and falls around us, life will not be failure, but will show our love and glorify our Saviour!” – John A. Broadus

We can’t change the past or see the future, but we can do our best to serve Jesus in our present.

I KNOW NOT WHAT THE FUTURE HATH
I know not what the future hath
Of marvel or surprise,
Assured alone that life and death
God’s mercy underlies.

And if my heart and flesh are weak
To bear an untried pain,
The bruised reed He will not break
But strengthen and sustain.

And Thou, O Lord, by whom are seen
Thy creatures as they be,
Forgive me if too close I learn
My human heart on Thee.

And so beside the silent sea
I wait the muffled oar:
No harm from Him can come to me
On ocean or on shore.

I know not where His island lift
Their fronded palms in air;
I only know I cannot drift
Beyond His love and care.

May 22

Bible Reading: John 21:15-19

John 21:15-17, “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.”

Motivation matters.  Why do you do what you do as a Christian?  It’s not enough to do Christian things simply because that’s what other Christians do or because such things are demanded or expected of us.  Nor will it do for us to be motivated by the applause of men or hoping to receive some kind of financial advantage.  There is one right and virtuous motivation, which we do well to guard and nurture, and that is love for Jesus. 

Sandwiched between Peter’s bitter failure and his future role in the church’s founding was this interview of Peter by Jesus.  It was an interrogation of sorts, but not adversarial, for Jesus was working to lovingly restore Peter.  So, our all-knowing Lord had some questions for Peter.  Peter, like us, was incapable of rightly knowing and discerning his own heart, so Jesus worked to do that for him with questions regarding Peter’s love for Jesus.  A love which was not evidenced in Peter’s denials but would be essential in his future Apostolic ministry. 

In an English Bible, you cannot see this, but the discourse translates two different Greek terms as “love”.  “Agape” love is the highest form of love.  It is “God’s kind of love” and is sacrificial in nature (1 John 3:15).  “Phileo” represents “tender affection,” and speaks of the love between friends.  So, this is how it went. First question: Simon, son of John, do you (agapao) me more than these?  Peter’s response: Yes, Lord; you know that I (phileo) you.  Second question: Simon, son of John, do you (agapao) me?  Peter’s response: Yes, Lord; you know that I (phileo) you. Third question: Simon, son of John, do you (phileo) me?  Peter’s response: Yes, Lord: you know that I (phileo) you.  

Agape love is that love from the heart which is ready to sacrifice all for its object.  It’s the love that Jesus revealed in his sacrifice on the cross (1 John 3:16). Peter, having previously denied Jesus, was unwilling to confess that kind of love.  But Peter said he held a tender affection for Jesus, in that kind of love that exists between friends.  Painfully aware of his shortcomings and previous failure, Peter was not about to make another bold assertion, but Jesus knew his heart and was patient with Him, as He is with us all.  The Spirit was soon to work to overflow Peter’s heart with that kind of love that would work to motivate him to give his all in serving Jesus.  That kind of Spirit-borne love for Jesus is the only right impetus of the heart in all our Christian doings.

“If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and brokenhearted… but if our motive is to love of Christ, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellowmen.”—Oswald Chambers

LOVEST THOU ME
Hark, my soul! it is the Lord;
‘Tis thy Saviour, hear His word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee,
“Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me’

“I deliver’d thee when bound,
And when bleeding, heal’d thy wound;
Sought thee wandering, set thee right,
Turn’d thy darkness into light.

“Can a woman’s tender care
Cease towards the child she bare’
Yes, she may forgetful be,
Yet will I remember thee.

“Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above.
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.

“Thou shalt see my glory soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be;—
Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me?”

Lord, it is my chief complaint,
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee and adore,—
Oh! for grace to love Thee more!

May 21

Bible Reading: John 21:4-14

John 21:5-6, “Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.”

Since my youth, I’ve loved fishing.  I can still remember those boyhood fishing trips, with my dad leading the way on a path and me doing my best to keep my fishing pole untangled.  Dad took me fishing countless times in lots of different lakes and rivers, to fish for trout and salmon and steelhead.  Fresh out of high school, I commercially fished by myself out of Depoe Bay for salmon.  Since those days, I’ve been fishing more times than I can recall.  And, like those disciples, I had many occasions where I caught nothing, or in fishing lingo terms, I got “skunked.”

Success in fishing depends on many factors.  You need to fish in the right season for the right species and at the best time.  Water conditions, use of the right bait, and fishing at the right depth are all important.  It helps to have some experience.  A lot goes into being a successful fisherman.

Peter was an experienced fisherman.  And that’s what he was doing when Jesus first called him as a disciple.  He’d spent all night fishing, for that was the best time to fish since the fish were less likely to see their nets.  He and his friends had caught nothing, but then, at Jesus’ command, they headed back out and let down their nets.  They caught so many that their “nets were breaking” and their boats “began to sink” (Luke 5:6-7).  In a déjà vu experience, a similar thing happened when they met with the resurrected Jesus.  They’d caught no fish, but at His command they cast their net on the right side of the boat.  “They were not able to haul (in their net), because of the quantity of fish” (John 21:6).  The two fishing experiences, and the lessons they bore, seem very similar, but there is an important difference.  Peter’s utter failure in his three-fold denial worked, on the second occasion, to emphasize the fact that Peter couldn’t do a thing apart from Jesus. 

Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men, and He was working to restore Peter to that calling.  Not many weeks later, Peter would boldly proclaim the truth about Jesus before a crowd of thousands.  Three thousand souls would respond.  Then, following Peter’s second sermon, there would be another five thousand.  It did not happen because of Peter’s wisdom or planning or strength, but by the Spirit working through Peter and the disciples.  And that was the point.  It was all akin to what Jesus had previously taught: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Ministry was not him doing for Jesus, but Jesus working through him.  Anybody can catch fish, but it is only by the power of the Spirit (Jesus working in and through us) that we can do anything of worth in the spiritual realm!  In fact, through the working of the Spirit in us, God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20)!  And that’s a big catch!

“Service without Him and without His guidance is barren…But if we are…obedient to His words, and follow His directions, His own gracious power will accompany our toil.”—Arno C. Gaebelein

CHANNELS ONLY
How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.

Refrain:
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around,
To tell out Thy full salvation,
All Thy loving message sound. [Refrain]

Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command. [Refrain]

Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who bought me to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in. [Refrain]

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know,
That the streams of living water
From our inner man may flow. [Refrain]