Fri.9.25.15...The Bridge to Life...John 14:1-14

Ready to discover some gold? John 14 begins with Jesus saying, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." Why would he say that? Well, you're a good Bible student. You know that chapter and verse divisions weren't added until centuries later. So I know what you would do. You would read the verses before, to get the context, and see that Jesus said, "Where I am going you cannot follow..." 13:36. That must have troubled their hearts, especially since Jesus already told them he would be sending them out. Now he is telling them that he will be leaving them as well. Ugh! Before when he sent them out two by two, he was there when they returned from their mission trip. Now he is leaving. Peter's heart must have really been troubled. Look at 13:37-38. So now in John 14, Jesus gives them words of comfort. 

If a team is going to function well, it needs to know some basics. Jesus gives us some kingdom team basics in our passage today. Will we make to home plate in the end? How can we know the way and help others know the way? How can we know the Father and help others to know him? How can we do great things to advance God's kingdom? As you're reading, I'm sure you're going to come across verses that raise added questions. Good, that proves you're carefully thinking as you're reading. So here's what I want you to do today.

1.- Read John 14:1-14 and write down just one question that arises from your reading. Then use your newest arsenal of multiple commentaries on a single verse- http://www.studylight.org/commentary/john/14.html See if you can find a satisfying answer to your question. Paste that answer from the commentary underneath the question you raised. Very good! (Don't feel obligated to read all the commentaries. Read until you find gold.)

2.- Yesterday I asked you to get in touch with your wingmen and pray for them. Who did you call? (Way to go teammate!)

3.- Perhaps this weekend you'll watch  a good movie. To get things rolling, enjoy watching a great minimoive. Go to our site-http://greatestminimovies.com/ and pick one video you haven't seen yet. Then as usual, just share its name and briefly what it was about. 

Be on the lookout to share our Greatestminimovies with others. We have been sent by the Lord to help people come to know the way and the truth and the life, Jesus. He is the bridge. He is the way to the Father, the truth about how to get to the Father, and the secret of eternal life that the Father offers.

Note: I always thought Prov.14:12 was a great lead in to John 14:6.

Remember how to draw and share the Bridge illustration, using just one verse- Rom.6:23? 

Announcements
Up for a hike? On Sat. Oct.3rd, we're rendezvousing at mi casa at 8:00 AM to go hiking at Indiana Dunes. Just bring lunch money for stopping on our way back. (Don't sit home when you could try something new :)

Th.9.24.15...Devotion and Betrayal, part 2...John 13:21-38

Yesterday we read about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. He set us an example to cleanse the dirt of sin from each other. This is essential for a couple, a family and a team to work together. While washing their feet, Jesus made a cryptic statement, "You are clean, but not all of you." Thankfully John deciphers it for us. "For he knew who was going to betray him, and that is why he said not every one was clean." 13:10-11. Let's jump right into our reading today about the betrayal- John 13:21-30. To get a running start, begin reading at 13:18 and continue for now through 13:30. You'll notice right off the bat, that the very heel of Judas which Jesus just washed, will be lifted up against him. But things were not getting out of control, as you might expect in a typical story of betrayal. This event was predicted in Ps.41:9 a thousand years earlier. Wow!

Are you done reading John 13:21-30? Did you notice how John ends that betrayal passage with Satan entering Judas? He ends it on a dark and ominous note- "And it was night." This is good literature! John wasn't obsessed with telling us what time of day things happened. He uses night as the backdrop for the evil plotted. John had earlier recorded, "Men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil" 3:19. At his arrest, Jesus declares, "This is your hour when darkness reigns" Luke 22:53. And at his crucifixion, darkness came over the land, Luke 23:44. 

In light of this dark hour (pun intended), Jesus now begins to train his 11 warriors for worldwide impact (Read John 13:31-38). He gives them a powerful command. But rather than calling them warriors, he calls them "My children" 13:33. Victory begins, not by amassing the most weapons, but by knowing you and I are dearly loved children. Children!? Children on the verge of a dark battle? Children are so helpless. There are so many things children can't do that soldiers can. But children can trust and children can love. I love the love and hugs of little children! Yes, of course they can be brats as well. But a loving child is wonderful and exerts a powerful influence on others. I heard one grandpa say when his little grandchild hugged him and patted his face, "Okay, what color of car do you want?" Yes, love is so influential. If we want to really influence the lost toward Christ, it will be by our love. Surprisingly, Jesus revealed that it not so much of our acclaimed love for him, but our love for one another that influences the world. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" 13:35. 

The early church took seriously this command to love one another. The pagans were apt to declare, "Behold, how they love one another." A Greek philosopher named Aristides wrote out his speech in 125 AD for the Roman emperor Hadrian about those loving Christians-  "...if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another,"

If we in M3 are going to make a significant impact on other men, it will be by our love for one another. Don't get me wrong, I think we have a great army of loving men. But as Paul said regarding showing love, "We urge you to do so more and more" 1 Th.4:10. Without love we are nothing (see 1 Cor.13). That is why we will continue to stress being devoted to one another in brotherly love (Rom.12:10). Your wingmen and squad members are a good test case of your brotherly love. So evaluate your love. Here's a couple ways to look at it- responsive love and initiating love. Responsive love is how you respond when someone reaches out to you. For example, how good are you at responding to a brothers call or text promptly?  To not do so is rude, especially in M3. That is part of our pledged code of conduct to one another. You owe your brother a sincere apology if you fail to return a call or text promptly in which he is asking for your response. 

Initiating love, unlike responsive love, is active, not passive. It's where I pick up the phone to call, rather than waiting for someone to call me. Here are examples in scripture of loving one another in this initiating manner (Such love is also a powerful weapon, like a spear against the enemy who seeks to divide us or overpower one of your brothers. So use your S.P.E.A.R!)

Serve Gal.5:13; Spur on to love Heb.10:24; Submit Eph.5:21; Speak scripture to one another Eph.5:19; Col.3:16

Pray for, confess and forgive one another- Ja.5:16; Col.3:13

Encourage 2 Cor.13:11; 1 Th.4:18; 5:11; Heb.3:13; 10:25. Eliminate evil thoughts toward one another Zech 7:10

Accept one another as Christ has accepted you- Rom.15:17. Admonish  one another- Col.3:16.

Regard one another with honor- 1 Th.5:13; Rom.12:10 

A number of these go right along with what we already do in M3. We share God's word with one another on the blog and via other means. We pray for each other. We encourage one another. We regard one another with honor, returning calls promptly and honoring those who serve God and others well.  

1.- In light of this supreme importance of being devoted to one another in brotherly love, write out the following verse on your MP3 card- "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" John 13:35. Then simply write Did it, when you did it. 

As always, be on the look out to share Scripture with others. 

2.- Share one thing that impressed you from the blog and/or our readings today.

3.- Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. So get in touch with your fire team brothers and find out how they are doing.  Also find out who they are seeking to recruit. Then pray for each other. (I'll ask you tomorrow who you called :)

Wed.9.23.15...Devotion and Betrayal...John 13:1-20

Welcome to Part 2 of John's gospel (ch.13-21). The first part (ch.1-12) focused on Jesus' messages and miracles to the crowds as he moved from place to place. This second part focuses on Jesus in Jerusalem. The first portion (ch.13-17), Jesus prepares his disciples to take over his mission after he is gone. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, he will send them. The events that follow (ch.18-20) also are set in Jerusalem. Only the conclusion (ch.21) is away from Jerusalem, back by the Sea of Galilee. Okay enough of the overview of part 2. Let's dive in. 

I hate to cut chapter 13 in two because the threads of betrayal tie it together. But for sake of your time, we will look at the second half of the chapter tomorrow. Hopefully you'll forgive me. Speaking of forgiveness, you'll see forgiveness enacted by Jesus as you read John 13:1-20. Foot washing was a common practice in Bible times when people walked with sandals on dusty paths. It would have been very rude not to have your servant wash the dusty feet of your guest, or at least offer him some water to do so (see Luke 7:44). Jesus makes it clear that the person who has bathed doesn't need a whole bath again, just his feet washed. Paul powerfully brings this to light when he exposes the filthy past of many of us, ending with such cleansing, good news- "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" 1 Cor.6:9-11. So was Jesus instituting foot washing as a church practice or something to bring about world peace? I don't think so. 

There are churches that occasionally will have a foot washing ceremony. I'm not saying the practice is outdated. I've led a few of those. But such occasions are so few and far between, involving so few people. I don't see how even those churches that do so can feel like they are really carrying out the practice of this passage. Do you really think if Jesus gives a command that we should feel good about obeying it if we do it only once in a blue moon? I think at the heart of what Jesus enacted is not about our feet, but about our hearts. Do I have the Lord's heart of love and forgiveness to wash off the dirt, the sins, of my brother's daily fallen walk with God and especially with me? Here's what Jesus said we should do when a brother sins against us- "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" Luke 17:4. Wow, that would be one rude dude to be so offensive in one day! But if he came back with his dirty feet, repenting, I am to wash his feet with forgiveness. Think how often each day the Lord washes our dirty feet. Our call is to be like Christ, to follow his example. Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" John 13:15. I think the example we are to follow is to wash off the dirt on others, to forgive those who wrong us or hurt our feelings. If we don't forgive from the heart, we are in deep weeds with God (Mt.18:21-35). On the other hand, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" John 13:17.  

You and I are to forgive each other, "just as in Christ, God has forgiven you" Eph.4:32. But what if the person has not come back to say, "I'm sorry, I repent. Would you please forgive me?" Some think they don't have to forgive until then. But that keeps such Christians full of bitterness and unforgiveness. Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" Mt.6:12. The word forgive has the idea of "sending away." If you don't send back the unwanted item, it stays with you. So get rid of it! Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself- the gift of freedom and peace within. It doesn't mean that an unsafe and unrepentant person needs to be invited over to eat. But forgiveness does mean that you begin with a heart of forgiveness, regardless of their response. If the person is dead or can't be located, forgive them too. Give yourself that gift. If you are having a really hard time forgiving someone, that's what we're here for. There's help and healing when we confess our struggles and sins and get prayer support- "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:16. 

1.- Read John 13:1-20. Is there anyone you need to forgive? Wash their dirty feet with God's forgiveness, which he has poured out so abundantly upon you. Without mentioning his or her name, write a brief prayer of forgiveness. It could be as simple as this- "Because Jesus has forgiven me so much, I choose to forgive X of his/her wrongs against me."  If you're good with everyone now, perhaps you could write a prayer of celebration of how God helped you forgive someone who had wronged you in the past or of his great forgiveness of you.

If the enemy keeps bringing the offence to mind, keep bringing what Jesus has done for you to mind. Replace hard thoughts with forgiving thoughts. Bless those that curse you. 

2.- Contact one or more of your wingmen and pray for them, especially if they need prayer regarding forgiving a person. Also find out how they are doing on their GREAT SMART goal they set Monday. 

One of my goals is to daily read God's word to my wife. I almost forgot yesterday. I remembered late last night, so I went up from my basement office to read to her in bed. Thankfully, she was still awake and appreciative ;) 

Remember I said, that this upper room discourse (ch.13-17) is Jesus' final training of his squad of manly men take over the mission upon his soon departure. For a team to succeed, it has to work well together. Yet we know that when people work together, there will inevitably be offenses and hurt feelings. Thus, Jesus didn't waste his time simply washing their feet. He was illustrating in an unforgettable way the great importance of forgiving, of cleansing the dirty feet of others. He certainly does that with us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9. 

3.- I commit to you, to forgive you, to wash away whatever sins you may commit against me. We will work through such. Will you do the same for me and for your teammates? 

We are not quitters, we are conquerors! 

Tues.9.22.15...Success?...John 12:37-50

Are you a success? 

I've read several books and thoughts on success. The above quote is definitely a key ingredient to a successful life. I'm glad you and I are on a team dedicated to inspiring others to mature and multiply their lives. Each day that you pursue GREAT things, you are inspiring others and carrying out Christ's great commission. 

Was Jesus' earthly ministry successful? He certainly has inspired and transformed more people than any other man, that's for sure. But during his earthly ministry, you might be surprised to discover what John reveals in our passage today. First, let me back up for a moment. Did Jesus’ messages and miracles lead many people to believe unto eternal life? Yes, many came to believe in Christ. Let’s review what John has said throughout his gospel:

"Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name" 2:23.

"Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony...and because of his words, many more became believers" 4:39,41.

"Many in the crowd put their faith in him" 7:31.

"Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him" 8:30.

When Jesus retreated to the place where John had been baptizing, crowds came to him and "many believed in Jesus" 10:42.

"Many of the Jews" who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead "put their faith in him" 11:45.

"Many even among the leaders believed in him" 12:42.

Yes, many believed, though many also were very shallow in their faith. But lest we think the majority of Jews got saved in Israel, John makes sure to point out that many more still opposed Jesus. He lets us know this right from the beginning of his gospel- "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him" 1:11. The leaders and the crowds were divided regarding Jesus throughout the story. Some didn't understand his teachings, others ignorantly didn't think he fulfilled Scripture to be their promised Messiah. Some said he was illegitimately born, a sinner, a madman or demon possessed. Others claimed he was a blasphemer and sought to stone him to death a few different times.

Despite Jesus' divine messages and the many miracles he performed in the presence of the people (John only records seven miracles of countless ones), still the people would not believe. This is what John underscores as he draws the first part of his “two in one” book to a close- "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." Then John supports his point by quoting from the great prophecy regarding Christ in Isaiah 53.

"Lord, who has believed our message (the majority did not believe Jesus' message)

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (to his own people he revealed God's miracles, yet they did not receive him.) 

That's certainly not a description of "success." Isaiah 49:4 even predicts how Christ would feel about such rejection of his outreach- "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing" What heartache! Thankfully, Isaiah goes on to reveal how the Father would yet turn things around for Christ- Is.49:4b-9.) 

You and I know there are eternal consequences to rejecting Christ. Some can start even before a hardened sinner dies. John now points this out in our passage today (John 12:37-50). Because they would not believe despite Jesus' amazing messages and miracles, therefore they could not believe. God came down and made the blind see, yet the people willfully closed their eyes and hardened their hearts. So God rightfully gave them what they wanted- blind eyes and a hardened heart. John quotes Isaiah 6:10 to back up his words-

"For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'”

Yet even as this first half of John's gospel draws to a close, still there is hope. To the very end, Jesus is inviting people to believe in him for eternal life. "Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light" And thankfully, "many even among the leaders believed in him" 12:42.

1.- Now read John 12:37-50 and share one verse or phrase and some of your thoughts regarding it. Feel free to use your many commentaries on just one verse at http://www.studylight.org/commentary/john/ (Remember, you just click on our chapter for today, 12. Then click on the verse of your choosing from our reading of John 12:37-50.)  

How are you doing on your new SMART goal? I've got my goal on a sticky note posted on my laptop. "By God's grace, I will read and pray with Diane everyday this week." Guess what we did before I started typing you this? Dat's right!

2.- Many of you did a great job writing a SMART goal yesterday. Some needed to make theirs Measurable. Go back now to yesterday's blog and see what I wrote about your goal. (You probably know you can click Ctrl and F at the same time to open up a search within the blog. Just type in your name and click it, and it will take you right to your name.) If I asked you questions about your goal, then please modify it there to make it measurable. Click "Reply" underneath my comments and post your updated SMART goal there. Then copy it down and review it daily. I will go back and read your modifications there. If you need any help with this, call me or another brother. We are here to help each other succeed.

Perhaps one of your goals is to post your points as soon as you finish on the blog. Then I guess you don't me to remind you, do you? :)

Christ poured into people who rejected him. Ugh! That doesn't sound like success. Did you ever pour into someone who turned away? That can be so discouraging. Christ has felt that pain too. Yet God ultimately and greatly rewarded him (Is.49:4-9). And he will reward you too. Take comfort in these words- "Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" 1 Cor.15:58. That is ultimate success!

Mon.9.21.15...John 12:20-36

Do you text and drive? Don't answer that! Have you ever heard a pastor or Bible teacher call a passage of Scripture a text? It's certainly not to be compared to a dull, school textbook, or a phone text. But just what does that word mean? The word "text" hearkens back to the ancient textile or clothing industry. So it refers to the fabric or weave of words. The Scriptures are so beautifully woven together. 

Today and over the next few days, we will look at the text or the woven fabric of John 12:20-50. Yes, I've included a few of the verses we looked at Friday because they are all tightly woven together. Because there are so many golden threads within, we will just focus on verses 20-36 today. 

1.- So read through that text now (John 12:20-36) and pick out one verse that especially grabs your attention. Then use the arsenal of commentaries you now have via http://www.studylight.org/commentary/john/ Remember, all you have to do is click on John 12 and then click on the verse that you want more info on. If you haven't bookmarked that link yet, please do so now.

Note: I like Dave Guzik's commentary on John, but occasionally he or another commentator might not cover in depth the very verse you want more info on. This new site should always give you plenty of info on any verse you pick.

Evaluation is the breakfast of champions. So look over your scoring below from last week and note where you did well and where you want to also improve. What is your manly, numerical goal for improvement in one area? (You might decide: This week I will shoot to score a weekly total of 10 in the Encouragement column. Or I will seek to Attack in prayer everyday (earning a 7), as I pray for myself and my fire team brothers by name.   

Setting a numerical goal is part of setting new, SMART goals. A lot of people set dumb goals. "I'm gonna try and lose a lot of weight fast." Ugh! Dumb goals aren't really goals at all. They're just wishful thinking. Let's set SMART goals-
Significant- Is this worthy of pursuing? In M3 we are a pursuing GREAT things in God's eyes.
Measurable- example: How many M3 men will you seek to encourage by next week?
Accountable- Who are you sharing this with to motivate you to succeed? In M3, it's your wingmen.
Reviewed- Will you look at your goals for the week, daily? If not, it will probably get sidelined.
Time bound- When will you achieve this by? Date it. For our purposes, it's next week.

Here are some examples of both: 
Dumb: I need to walk more.
SMART: This week, I will take 5 walks for at least 20 minutes.
Dumb: I need to do better in the Encouragement column.
SMART: I will encourage 2 brothers on the blog each day and call my wingmen twice each week. 
Dumb: I wanna do better at Recruiting
SMART: I will talk to at least one brother at church each week about M3 and give each one a follow up call by midweek.  
Dumb: I need to witness more.
SMART: I will give out 5 Greatest Minimovies cards a week. 

2.- After evaluating how you did below, write out one SMART goal for this week that you need to work on. If you have not been daily at putting up your points on the board, please make that your daily goal for this week.

Don't use the the words, "I'll try to..." Those are weak words, not manly words. Instead begin your SMART goal by stating, "By God's power, I will..."  Make sure you include a number of what you are aiming for so that it's measurable. Here's mine- "By God's power, I will read the word and pray with my wife all 7 days this week." Doing something daily has great power in it. Other things you will find are best accomplished by assigning a day or days to it. For example, you might set the following goal- "By God's power, every Sunday, I will talk to at least one brother about joining M3.  If you're ambitious, you can write out a second goal- M3 or non M3 related. 

3.- Write down your SMART goal on a card, sticky note, in your phone, or in your computer, wherever you can review it each day this week. When you have written it down on such, write, "Did it." ("Will do it" does not count:) 

Next Monday, we will see how you did. I believe you will be pleased at how well you will do as you follow this SMART approach to achieving in any area of life. If you need help with any of this, it's just a phone call away. Together Everyone Accomplishes More. Being on a GREAT TEAM has an added benefit. When you go public with a goal, you gain added internal motivation and external encouragement. Go for it! (Next Monday, we'll discover how to make even SMARTER goals:)

Yoda's counsel was right on...

Do, or do not. There is no try.

Congrats once again to Squad 5 and also to their Fire Team 1 for highest scores this week. Many of you have also done very well this past week. I can't wait to see how well you by next Monday in light of the goals you will be achieving. Watch out! 

			G	R	E	A	T	Tot.
Squad 1									28
Eddie Morales	U	R5	5	4	46	8	6	69
Fire Team 1									39.25
William Dyckman	U	R1	10	1	24	3	1	39
Phil Raymond	U	R1	16	5	24	7	2	54
Ismael Andrade		R2	5	6	15	3	1	30
James Schmidt	U		6	1	16	11	0	34
Fire Team 2									13
Gary Remson		R1	5	0	2	2	0	9
Luis Ortiz	U		5	0	7	5	0	17
Alex Dyckman	U		7	0	6	0	0	13
Squad 2									21.83
Sam Vargas	U	R3	20	2	11	15	5	53
Fire Team 1									32.5
Oscar Nunez	U		9	5	9	15	0	38
Lou Ojeda	U		5	1	17	4	0	27
Fire Team 2									16.5
Israel Fuentes		R1	5	0	5	9	0	19
Dave Ramirez			0	0	0	0	0	0
Dave DeBoer	U	R1	11	0	6	10	1	28
Tim Dearborn	U		8	3	2	5	1	19
Squad 3									28.66
Robert Roman	U	R1	10	0	15	7	2	34
Fire Team 1									25
Vince Diaz	U	R1	5	0	40	5	2	52
Nic Palhegyi	U	R1	5	0	8	4	1	18
Mike Dunn	U		10	0	0	3	0	13
Rich Petre			5	0	9	3	0	17
Fire Team 2									36
Osiris Alday	U	R1	8	7	12	12	4	43
Mark Lauber								New
Ed Lake			5	1	11	10	2	29
Squad 4									36
George Rabiela	U	R1	19	3	22	26	22	92
Fire Team 1									18.66
Dave Heidekruger	U	R2	10	0	10	8	2	30
Michael Gonzalez			0	0	0	0	0	0
Chuy Cervantes	U		5	4	1	16	0	26
Fire Team 2									53.3
Rich Guardiola	U	R1	15	4	15	13	3	50
Mark Estrada			10	12	4	19	3	48
Horacio De La Torre	U		15	9	11	17	10	62
Squad 5									42.42
Jack Rogers	U	R5	35	3	34	9	6	87
Fire Team 1									58
Roger Vinlasaca	U	R1	60	0	25	5	0	90
Armando Hernandez	U		29	0	8	5	0	42
Jose Billegas	U		17	3	16	6	0	42
Fire Team 2									30.75
George Doherty	U	R1	10	2	20	5	2	39
Andre Vargas	U		5	0	0	15	0	20
Lemmy Lukudu	U	R1	18	6	7	10	0	41
Kevin Long	U		7	0	5	11	0	23
Squad 6									19
Mike Berry	U		5	1	8	3	2	19