Blogging will be rather sporadic as we are
selling the house and moving.
MORNING
Psalm
126
B1 What does this mean?
C1 We can’t but help to praise God when prayers are answered. Are
we thankful?
C2 Praising and thanking God also gives witness to His goodness.
C3 The laughter of the ransomed: — God's glorious deliverance
always seems too wonderful to be real. Even the apostle who finds his
fetters dropped off and his dungeon door swung open, is like unto
them that dream: "he wist not that it was true, but thought he
saw a vision." So in modern times, when Sir Thomas Fowell
Buxton, the abolitionist, heard that the long fight was at last
finished and every slave on British soil was a free man, he broke out
instinctively into the joyful verse: "Then was our mouth filled
with laughter and our tongue with singing." (T. H. Darlow.) as
found in Bible Illustrator—Old
Testament.
B2 How do I apply this to my life?
EVENING
John
14
B1 What does this mean?
C1 Jesus Comforts His Disciples
D1 Comfort is a character trait of God.
E1 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 BBE Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort;
Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to
give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with
which we ourselves are comforted by God.
E2 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 WPNT Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, and our God and Father, who loved us and gave us eternal
comfort and good hope, by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen
you in every good word and work.
D2 Verse 2 speaks of our citizenship in heaven and home
E1 Philippians 3:20 NKJV For our citizenship is in heaven, from
which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
E2 Home for our soul/spirit: 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 NKJV For we know
that if our earthly house, [this] tent, is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with
our habitation which is from heaven,
E3 Home, a specific place. Heaven is where God’s throne is. The New
Jerusalem comes from heaven. It is a special city. Revelation 21:2
ESV And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
C2 Jesus and the Father Are One
D1 God’s being one refers to His essence, the stuff that God is.
God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are of one
essence. They are three persons. Jesus is stating that He is God the
Son.
D2 Verse 12: Clarke comments: Perhaps the greater works refer to
the immense multitudes that were brought to God by the ministry of
the apostles. By the apostles was the doctrine of Christ spread far
and wide; while Christ confined his ministry chiefly to the precincts
of Judea. It is certainly the greatest miracle of Divine grace to
convert the obstinate, wicked heart of man from sin to holiness. This
was done in numberless cases by the disciples, who were endued with
power from on high, while proclaiming remission of sins through faith
in his blood.
D3 Verse 13, obviously not everything. If we ask to walk on water or
flap our arms to fly, it won’t happen. This verse is to be
understood the way the Apostle John did: 1 John 5:14 ESV And this
is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything
according to his will he hears us.
C3 The Promise of the Coming Comforter
D1 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.” We can either obey
God or our sinful passions.
D2 Comforter
E1 The Greek word has the idea of advocate, pleader, intercessor
(Abbot-Smith) but also so in Rabbinic lit., פְּרַקְלִיטָא),
"a friend of the accused person, called to speak to his
character, or otherwise enlist sympathy in his favour"
(Abbot-Smith)
E2 Also used in John 14:16; 26; 15:26; and 16:7.
D3 Note how Jesus gives strong promises of His return. It is soon.
Come, Lord Jesus.
D4 Verse 21 is one test for us if we are believers. No one is
sinless, except Jesus, but we can with the grace of the Holy Spirit
do God’s will as taught in the New Testament. Doing God’s will is
in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.
D5 Verse 26 primarily applies to the 12 Apostles of Christ. God does
help us also when He brings a verse to mind, etc.
B2 How do I apply this to my life? Lord, by your grace give all
believers comfort and wisdom.
I
hope
to have a devotional every day on John’s
Gospel starting with the last chapter of Luke’s Gospel.
This
is
the way I do my devotions. You may notice grammatical and spelling
errors. It is my hope you will also start or continue in your daily
reading and thinking about
the Scriptures. I do this Monday through Friday. It is a 3 year plan
of reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the Old Testament, which
takes 3 years, and reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the New
Testament once a year for a total of 3 times. So, I read through the
Old Testament 1 time and the New Testament 3 times over a period of 3
years. I
do this Monday through Friday and use Saturday and Sunday for other
devotions.
