Cross My Heart Ministry

As John 21 opens, it’s clear the disciples have followed the instructions of Jesus.  They are at the Sea of Galilee – about 75 miles from Jerusalem.  They have followed in obedience and gone where Jesus told them to go.

Loving Jesus by following where He sends is not an easy assignment.  In fact, sometimes it requires a great deal of inconvenience, a great deal of physical hardship, and even some emotional hurt and pain.  It’s all well and good to sit in a circle with our Bibles open, sipping coffee, and talking about loving Jesus.  But what does it look like to really follow Jesus?

Sometimes following is a physical moving — a putting of ourselves in a place where He has told us to go.  It happened here at the Sea of Galilee.  This trip is also recorded here in verse 16 of Matthew 28:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.”

And, of course, what comes next is the blessing of worshipping Jesus and receiving the Great Commission and the assurance from Him, “I am with you always.”

When we obey Jesus, he blesses us!

Are we following where He sends?

Are we obeying Him by going where He tells us to go?

Even if it’s awkward?

Even it’s hard?

Even if it takes time…or money….or effort?

If a woman goes to the altar to pray at your church on Sunday, and Jesus whispers in your heart, “Let’s go pray with her!” will you follow Him there? Get up from your seat and go forward, put your arm around a woman you might not even know well, and pray for her?

If God says, “Let’s use some of your tax refund money to support Kingdom work,” will you follow by writing that check – postponing your plans for new carpet?

If God says, “Let’s teach 3^rd– Grace Sunday School, let’s serve in AWANA, let’s stay in a hard marriage, let’s go out at 10:30 PM and give a friend a ride home from work, let’s pray for someone you don’t even like”…will you follow?  Loving Jesus sometimes is hard.  But the amazing thing is that He doesn’t just send us–He beckons is to follow.  He is with us with everything He asks of us.

And sometimes He doesn’t even tell us where we are going.  That’s what happened to Abram (who would later have his name stretched – maybe to match his stretched faith).  Genesis 12:1 says:

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’”

God didn’t give Abram a lot of details. Essentially, just told him to LEAVE and GO.

Leave.  Leave country, leave people, leave home.  Leave everything known and familiar and go to an as yet unnamed and unknown place described simply as “the land I will show you.” Leaving the known for the unknown could not be easy. But isn’t that the essence of following by faith?  Not totally blind faith because He’s following God. But it took FAITH to FOLLOW.

We read this about Abraham in Hebrews 11:

“By faith Abraham, when called to go …obeyed and went,  even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

May that be said of us! I want to look back and say, “I obeyed and went when Jesus called! I had no idea where we were going, but I knew we were going together.” I don’t want to miss one thing that he has for me!

We are doing a ride along — we get to go along for the journey. We get to be blown away by how He takes our pitiful little loaves and fishes and makes a feast! We get to see how He uses our small contribution of time, talent, and treasure…and does something incredible.  Something surprising. Something more than we thought. Something unexpected.  Something that has us praying like Paul:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly  above all that we ask or think, according to the  power that works in us, to Him be glory …”
Ephesians 3:20

Are you ready to love Jesus by FOLLOWING where He leads?

Are you ready to see Him do exceedingly abundantly great things in your life?

To do more that you could ever ask or imagine?

Are you ready to ask Him for an Ephesians 3:20 – exceedingly abundantly testimony?

What are you wiling to step up and do? Where are you willing to step out and follow – -knowing that you and Jesus are doing it together?

The woman of God follows where Jesus leads.

She may not know all the details, but she knows Him.  And He is enough.

Let’s ask God to give us courage to step out and follow where He leads…so that we can someday look back in peace and confidence knowing that, like Abraham, we obeyed and went.

Let’s live today knowing that like Paul, we can declare praise and glory to Him who has done exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.

Let’s live today knowing that like the disciples we went to the mountain where Jesus told us to go.

Where is He leading? And are you, woman of God, ready to follow?

The complete teaching lecture for John 21 can be found here:

John 21 Audio Teaching ~ Laura Macfarlan

Jesus asked this question of Peter not once, not twice, but three times in John 21 (see verses 15, 16, and 17).  Some scholars say one time for each of the three times Peter denied his Lord.

In John 21, Peter’s relationship with Jesus is restored. Without this passage, Peter’s key role in the early church and events recorded in Acts might not make sense.  John 21 documents Peter’s restoration and his commissioning for Kingdom work.

You and I perhaps relate to Peter more than any of the other disciples.  We, too, can be impulsive, passionate, and fearful. We too, have acted boldly, foolishly, and cowardly.  And we, too, have experienced the self-shame when we’ve let Him down … and the glorious cleansing that comes with forgiveness and restoration. (I John 1:9).

If Jesus were to look you in the eye today and ask, Do you Love me? I hope your answer would be, Yes, Lord, I love you. 

YES, LORD JESUS, I LOVE YOU!

If that is your response, then let’s explore what it means to LIVE like we really LOVE Jesus.

Let’s unpack some truth using the Disciples (and specifically Peter) as our example in John 21.

If we love Jesus we will….

1. Follow
2. Fish
3. Fixate

My next three blogs will explore each of these and their call to us to live like the loved, forgiven folks we are.

The complete teaching lecture for John 21 can be found here:

John 21 Audio Teaching ~ Laura Macfarlan

Photo attribution:  Cameron Baptist Church, www.cameronbaptist.com

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were,
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”  John 20:25

You know, if Thomas had been a resident of the United States, I think he would have wanted to live in Missouri, the Show-me state!

Thomas is a doubter. He refuses to believe until He sees and touches.

Jesus appears, accommodates Thomas’ request, and then says, “Stop doubting and
believe.” John 20:27

To doubt is to stiff-arm faith.

To doubt is to refuse to believe.

By its very definition, faith means we don’t know all the details. We just know the one who does. Faith means making choices today because of my confident hope about what comes tomorrow.

Oswald Chambers said, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows
the One who is leading.”

Do you love Him? Do you know Him? Then follow Him! Trust Him! Have faith in Him!

Allow His presence to transform your doubt to believing faith as it did for Thomas who finally declared, “My Lord and my God!”  John 20:28

Is that your declaration today? Is He your Lord and Your God? Has your life been transformed from living in doubt and discouragement to living by faith in the living God?!

The woman of God sees doubt transformed to FAITH!

How is faith being lived out in your life? What choices, attitudes, actions are different because you are choosing to walk by faith and not by sight?

There are those who tell you to follow your heart.  But God’s Word tells us the heart is deceitful.  Don’t follow your heart. Follow HIM. Give Him your heart – -and your mind and your to do list, your stack of bills, your medical report…and your fears and your hopes and your dreams!

Let’s join with the Apostle Paul in declaring, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20b

You can access the complete audio teaching for John 20 here: http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-of-john-chapter-20-lesson-20/

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked for fear of the Jews…” John 20:19

After the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were paralyzed by fear.  They locked themselves away to hide out from the Jews.

Maybe you’ve been there.  Maybe fear has a grip on you even now.

Fear marginalizes us.  It compromises us.  It keeps us immobilized and ineffective.

What are you afraid of?  Failure? Loss? Embarrassment?  Death?  Something else?

In II Timothy 1:7 we read:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

The spirit of fear does not come from God.  Therefore, it must come from the enemy.

With God, we have power, and love and a sound mind.

But when we allow the enemy to have his way and keep us paralyzed in fear – it leads to being powerless, being without love, and making poor decisions.

If we are following our fears, perhaps we are quenching the Spirit in our lives.  God wants us to live in freedom from fear – -to live lives characterized by power, and love and a sound mind – all which come from Him.

Jesus is transforming the disciples from cowards to courageous men of God. He is doing it first of all by His presence.  He comes to them.  His presence brings power to overcome.  This same Jesus promises in Matthew 28:20:

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

His presence drives out fear. 

And His presence also brings peace.  In fact, the first word Jesus says to His disciples when He comes to them is PEACE.

“Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”John 20:21

What comes to mind when you think of peace?

• 1960s-era protestors holding up two fingers?
• A treaty between warring nations?
• An argument-free family reunion?

Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It’s more than relationships between neighbors and nations. Ultimate peace is peace with God. Consciously or unconsciously, it’s the longing of every human heart. And it can only be found in Jesus–the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

Our sin separates us from God and puts us at war with God. But through Jesus, we have peace with God.

Romans 5: 1 says, “…we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What are the implications of having peace with God? Certainly, eternal security for then – the peace that provides salvation. But what about now? What does peace with God bring to the believer in this life?

Among other things, it brings joy, contentment, and satisfaction that can be found in nothing and no one else. Paul described it in Philippians 4:7 as the peace “which transcends all understanding.”

Anxiety, worry, and angst should have no place in our lives. If those are present, it’s time to draw near to God, to lean into Him and onto Him. A lack of peace might indicate our eyes are on our circumstances and not on our Lord. Because of Jesus, we can trade-up – -give God the worry and receive His peace.

Jesus gave us a heads up in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” But that trouble does not mean we have to respond with a troubled spirit. It doesn’t mean we take to our beds and pull up the covers and keep the blinds closed.  We don’t have to live filled with fear!

Peace with God allows us to face trouble with peace because we face trouble with Him.

The disciples had had Jesus WITH them for the last three years. Now Jesus will bring His Spirit ON them. In John 20:22, we read, “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus had been with them. Now He breathes the Holy Spirit on them.  And later they will be instructed to wait for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost to live in them.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to be courageous! It is the Power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live for Him.

Jesus gave them an assignment.  He said in verse 21, “As the Father has sent me,I am sending you.”

My friends, Jesus always equips for what He calls.  He doesn’t’ send them out without power. He doesn’t send them out to fail. He sends them out with the Holy Spirit! He sends them out with power, with authority, and sends them out for VICTORY!

Those cowards became courageous! They went out in power because they went out with the Holy Spirit!

Our identity in Christ over 2000 years later is living proof of their courageous obedience. They were faithful. Their faith trumped their fear!

The disciples were transformed from fear to courage.  They left their hidey hole.  They went forth and preached the gospel of peace and lives were transformed.  They were no longer afraid.  They went out with boldness and with joy. They walked in power and obedience.

And just like those disciples then, we can claim this truth for ourselves today:

The child of God sees fear transformed to COURAGE!

What would you step and do if you knew you could not fail because you knew and God were doing it together?

You can access the complete audio teaching for John 20 here: http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-of-john-chapter-20-lesson-20/

Photo attribution:  http://www.livingwateraffirmingministries.com/2014/02/13/be-courageous/

“…Mary stood outside the tomb crying…”
John 20:11

The Greek word translated crying is KLAIO.

It carries the meaning of not just crying softly with tears, but with every external expression of grief.

(My daughter Lydia has a self-made rule for life – -“cry like a winner – on the inside.” Her mother is much more demonstrative with her tears and, in fact, has been known to cry during previews as well as the movie!)

When it comes to tears, Mary would not be following my daughter’s mantra!  Mary is wailing.  Her grief cannot be contained.

The Lord she has loved and followed is gone.  She sees nothing but emptiness in her future.  She is lost and forlorn, without hope, and consumed with GRIEF.

She has a brief conversation with two men that scripture tells us are angels (although it doesn’t appear she knows that) and then she turns and sees someone there, but verse 14 says she doesn’t recognize Jesus immediately.  Some think He may have looked different in His resurrected form. I happen to agree with those who surmise that He was deliberately keeping her from recognizing Him immediately.

I think Jesus was enjoying this moment.  Just as we enjoy opportunities to  surprise and delight those we love, I think our Lord does as well.  And, after all, we were made in His image.

Jesus says, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Mary thinks he is the gardener and for the third time repeats the they-have-taken-him-away theory. And then Jesus says just one word. He says her name: Mary

And in that moment, her grief is transformed to JOY!

Her Lord is alive! She had witnessed His death.  She was there when He took His last breath.  She heard him say, “It is finished!” And now He stands before her alive!

Because Jesus is alive, Mary’s tears are gone.  Her despair becomes delight.  The resurrection changes everything!

Her grief is turned to JOY!

And because of the Resurrection:

The woman of God sees grief transformed to JOY!

Because of the resurrection, you and I can have JOY!

An awareness of our sin brings guilt and shame.  It brings a heaviness to our hearts, as we realize we are sinners and we cannot fix ourselves.

Sin brings darkness and death.  But because of Jesus – -because of the Resurrection – -darkness and death are transformed to light and life!

Our grief is turned to JOY!

Like the Sistine Chapel ceiling was transformed from somber to sensational, you and I can live joyful, colorful, vibrant lives because we live transformed by Jesus!

That transformation was evident on the day of our salvation, but it should also be a part of our sanctification – our daily choice to follow Him.  Our transformation was not just for that day – it’s for THIS day!

In His kindness, God continues to convict us. As we see sin in our lives – as we are convicted of getting it wrong, making those choices, saying those words that are inconsistent with the life of a woman of God — we grieve our sin.  But we grieve with hope of forgiveness.  And indeed, our burden of guilt is only a confession away.

Confess, receive his forgiveness and then see grief – -yet again – -transformed to JOY! We can live in a continual state of joy as we abide in Him!

The completeaudio teaching lecture for John 20 can be found here:

http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-of-john-chapter-20-lesson-20/

Photo attribution:  https://justsimplyinlove.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/tears/

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