John 8:28-59, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: AN HONEST HEART

In Acts 1:8 Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”  We are God’s witnesses.  And we are to speak truthfully.  God loves the truth and God hates deceit.  But Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things.” How do we explain our dishonesty?

Well, for one thing, we don’t like the truth because the truth isn’t always fun.  The wages of deceit is death.  Not death of the body, perhaps, but death of a marriage, a conscience, a career, or faith.  But perhaps the most tragic death that occurs from deceit is our witness. Examine your heart.  Do you tell the truth…always?  If not, start today.  Be just like Jesus.  Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Read more Just Like Jesus

John 8:28-59

They still didn’t get it, didn’t realize that he was referring to the Father. So Jesus tried again. “When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am—that I’m not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me. The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn’t abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him.”

30 When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe.

31-32 Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”

33 Surprised, they said, “But we’re descendants of Abraham. We’ve never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, ‘The truth will free you’?”

34-38 Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn’t yet penetrated your thick skulls. I’m talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father.”

39-41 They were indignant. “Our father is Abraham!”

Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would have been doing the things Abraham did. And yet here you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth he got straight from God! Abraham never did that sort of thing. You persist in repeating the works of your father.”

They said, “We’re not bastards. We have a legitimate father: the one and only God.”

42-47 “If God were your father,” said Jesus, “you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me. Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening—because you’re not on God’s side.”

48 The Jews then said, “That clinches it. We were right all along when we called you a Samaritan and said you were crazy—demon-possessed!”

49-51 Jesus said, “I’m not crazy. I simply honor my Father, while you dishonor me. I am not trying to get anything for myself. God intends something gloriously grand here and is making the decisions that will bring it about. I say this with absolute confidence. If you practice what I’m telling you, you’ll never have to look death in the face.”

52-53 At this point the Jews said, “Now we know you’re crazy. Abraham died. The prophets died. And you show up saying, ‘If you practice what I’m telling you, you’ll never have to face death, not even a taste.’ Are you greater than Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you think you are!”

54-56 Jesus said, “If I turned the spotlight on myself, it wouldn’t amount to anything. But my Father, the same One you say is your Father, put me here at this time and place of splendor. You haven’t recognized him in this. But I have. If I, in false modesty, said I didn’t know what was going on, I would be as much of a liar as you are. But I do know, and I am doing what he says. Abraham—your ‘father’—with jubilant faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming. He saw it and cheered.”

57 The Jews said, “You’re not even fifty years old—and Abraham saw you?”

58 “Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything.”

59 That did it—pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him. But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Friday, February 22, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 41:8-13

“But you, Israel, are my servant.
    You’re Jacob, my first choice,
    descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
    called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side.
    I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’
Don’t panic. I’m with you.
    There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
    I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

11-13 “Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you
    will end up out in the cold—
    real losers.
Those who worked against you
    will end up empty-handed—
    nothing to show for their lives.
When you go out looking for your old adversaries
    you won’t find them—
Not a trace of your old enemies,
    not even a memory.
That’s right. Because I, your God,
    have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go.
I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic.
    I’m right here to help you.’

Insight
God assures the Israelites they are “the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). Privileged to be “chosen . . . to be his people, his treasured possession” (7:6), He gave them the title of honor—“my servant”—just as He did their revered lawgiver, Moses (Malachi 4:4) and their beloved king, David (1 Chronicles 17:7). By physical offspring, they were the “descendants of Abraham my friend” (Isaiah 41:8). Abraham was one of only two people called God’s friend in the Old Testament; the other person is Moses, for God spoke to him “as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). The patriarch Job wished he had an advocate and intercessor who would plead with God “as one pleads for a friend” (Job 16:21). Today we have such a Friend—our Lord Jesus (John 15:13–15). We have a “new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:11 nlt). By: K. T. Sim

He Holds Our Hand
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The little girl who navigated the stairway one Sunday at church was cute, spunky, and independent. One by one the child—who appeared to be not much older than two years—took the steps down to the lower level. Descending the stairs was her mission and she accomplished it. I smiled to myself as I pondered the daring independence of this courageous toddler. The child wasn’t afraid because she knew her caring mother’s watchful eye was always on her and her loving hand was extended to help her. This aptly pictures the Lord’s readiness to help His children as they make their way through life with its varied uncertainties.

Today’s Scripture includes two “hand” references. After cautioning His ancient people not to fear or be dismayed, the Lord told them, “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Many anxious and fearful children have been steadied by the strength of a parent. Here God’s power comes into view. In the second “hand” reference, once again it’s the Lord who acted to secure the safety of His own. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand” (v. 13). While life situations and times have changed, the Lord hasn’t. We need not despair (v. 10) because the Lord still assures us with the promise of His support and with the words we desperately need to hear: “Do not fear” (vv. 10, 13). By Arthur Jackson

Today's Reflection
Father, thank You for always watching over me.

For help, read Navigating the Storms of Life at discoveryseries.org/hp061.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, February 22, 2019
The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance
Be still, and know that I am God… —Psalm 46:10

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for— love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men— will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, “because you have kept My command to persevere…” (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried.  He Shall Glorify Me, 494 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, February 22, 2019
Why Your Failure Doesn't Have To Be Final - #8380

We're not horse racing fans, but I happened to stumble onto a horse race on TV when I was looking for the evening news. It was a few years ago. It was The Preakness; the second race in that three-race series they call the Triple Crown. Those races are, in essence, horse racing's World Series. The first race in 2005 had been won by a horse whose odds of winning were 50 to 1, beating the odds-on favorite, Afleet Alex. Then came that second race, The Preakness. As the race passed the halfway point, Afleet Alex made his move. He quickly caught up with another horse who had been in the lead – who, for some reason, swerved unexpectedly right into his path, and both horses started to collide and stumble. Well, Afleet Alex's jockey ended up hanging onto his horse's neck, fully expecting to go down in a potentially deadly fall where they could all be trampled. But amazingly, Afleet Alex somehow managed to regain his balance, surge into the lead, and win the race in a dramatic finish. The headline the next day said it all: "From stumble to stunning finish."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have "A Word With You" today about "Why Your Failure Doesn't Have To Be Final."

That headline could be autobiographical for someone who's listening right now. You've stumbled spiritually, and you could go down and stay down. Or you could – because of the kind of Savior Jesus is – get up and go on to a stunning finish.

You wouldn't be the first one. Take Jesus' disciple, Peter, for example. He stumbled big-time. In the hours just before Jesus was arrested, tortured, and executed, Simon Peter pledged that he would follow his Lord to prison and to death. Jesus said, in essence, "No, you won't. You will deny me three times in the next few hours before the rooster crows." Sadly, that's exactly what Peter did right when Jesus needed him most. This man who had made such bold promises about his commitment to Jesus wouldn't even admit to a little girl that he even knew Jesus.

The Bible says that Jesus was led through the place where Peter was going down spiritually and "the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter." That rooster crowed and Peter "went outside and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:62). It was over – so it looked. He had stumbled majorly.

Fast forward only a few weeks later to the streets of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. In our word for today from the Word of God in Acts 2, beginning with verse 14, the Bible says, "Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd... 'Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ'" (verse 36). Man, talk about boldness! That day God used Peter's sermon to move 3,000 people to come to Jesus. Peter went on to run an amazing race for Jesus, all the way to his martyr's death for his Lord.

That same Jesus wants to pick you up from your fall and enable you to run an amazing race for Him. The devil's lie, of course, is that it's over; you failed and it's no use trying to go on with Jesus. But Peter's comeback is living proof that your failure doesn't have to be final if you'll do what he did. Realize how much your sin is hurting your Savior and repent of what you've done with all your heart. Let your sin break your heart.

Then, accept the forgiveness that He died to give you for that sin. And surrender to Jesus for whatever He wants you to do for Him, opening yourself up to a total Holy Spirit takeover. Let your stumble lead to surrender – not surrender to your failure but to your Savior. And let that surrender give birth to a holy determination to take some serious spiritual revenge on that devil by making him sorry he ever tried to bring you down.

A stumble can lead to a tragic and even permanent fall. Or it can set the stage for a stunning victory. Get up, get back into that race, and go on to an even more glorious victory!