Congratulations!

Congratulations for reading through the gospels! Tomorrow we will go back to the top and start over with the book of Matthew. You might want to read through this time in a different translation. In a day or two I'll post a new survey to record your translation choice. If the translation you are going to read in is not on the current list, please send the translation name to me ASAP so I can add it to the survey--it's impossible to edit the survey after I post it. I'll be using the New King James Version this time around.

As you've noticed I will not post on every chapter. Please feel free to comment "off topic" if you wish. I will also be naming posts topically from now on. Have fun reading! Scott

John 11

After waiting two days before heading out to Judea to see Lazarus, Jesus' disciples were concerned that it was too dangerous to travel there. Evidently when he initially decided to NOT go to Judea, the disciples were in agreement--however for a different reason. Jesus delayed because of God's timing. The disciples delayed to protect their lives! To answer their concerns Jesus said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world." (John 11:9) Look at J. Vernon McGee's comment on this verse:

There are twelve hours in the day, and you can’t change that. Because the Father has given the Son a work to do, nothing can stop Him. There is a great principle here. God has given to each man a lifework. You can’t extend that for one day any more than you can keep the sun from going down in the afternoon. But, thank God, you are absolutely invulnerable until your work is done. Nobody, not even Satan, can thwart God’s purpose in your life if you are following Him. To fail to follow Him is dangerous. (McGee)

Jesus went to Judea when the time was right. While we don't have Jesus' insight into perfect timing, we do have Scripture and the Spirit of God to give us direction. Are we listening? SWC

John 10

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:29 (ESV)

Isn't this verse awesome? We call it eternal security. Once saved, always saved. We can't jump out of his hand and no one can take us out! Romans 8:38-39 is also a great passage, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." SWC

John 9

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. John 8:1-3 (ESV)

I watched a movie recently that was filmed in Seattle. I bet you can guess the local landmark that was highlighted multiple times in the film...the Space needle. The landmark draws our attention to the city.

God designs events and then uses these events in our lives to draw attention to Him. Some of these events are fun (A blind man receives his sight) and some are not so fun (A man who sees becomes blind). But either way it is a good habit for us to always ask, "What is God doing?" and, "How does He want me to respond?" We either join Him, like the blind man in John 9, or we resist Him like the Pharisees. SWC