MORNING MEDITATION

[Godbetheglory]

MORNING MEDITATION

Glean the Word: John 2:1-11

Glimpse of Glory: "This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him." (v. 11)

From the moment the Lord called His disciples to follow Him, they were invited on a lifelong journey to learn about Him. Each new day with Jesus was a day of new revelation and new understanding of the One they called Master and Lord. The Lord's greatest desire is for His followers to experience a life of deepening intimacy with Him. Each day should provide an opportunity for a new encounter with the Lord, as we study the Word of God, spend time in God's presence in prayer and worship, and in fellowship with other believers. We have been called to this incredible relationship with the Lord, one that cost Him His life, so that we can know personally and intimately the One we will spend eternity with. In every step of our journey the Lord wants to build a strong foundation of faith for His children to walk upon, so that we can walk boldly and confidently, steadfast and unwavering as we advance His kingdom in the world.

It was at a wedding feast at the beginning of His ministry that the disciples witnessed Jesus' first miracle and His glory; it was here that He began to lay the foundation of their faith. "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now. This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him" (vv. 10-11). It is significant that Jesus' first miracle was at a marriage feast, for it is an honorable covenant, and represents the consummation of all things when we will be joined together with Him, our Bridegroom, at the glorious wedding of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7). It will be a joyous celebration when we join Him when He lifts the cup of praise, and drinks from the fruit of the vine anew with us in His Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

Faith is our response to what the Lord has revealed in His Word. Jesus had instructed the servants to fill the pots with water, and then draw some out for the master of the banquet to taste. Jesus spoke, but they had to take Him at His word and do what He said. The Lord invites us to participate in His works and miracles. His divine sovereignty doesn't negate our human responsibility. Our faith is proved by our actions. The pots that were used for this miracle held water for washing and cleansing - and while they may not have understood it at the time - Jesus took the opportunity to demonstrate, from the onset of His ministry, that He came to clean the inside of the cup, when He turned the water into wine. May it be our prayer today that we would remain available to the Lord, like those clay pots, so He can fill us with the best of Himself and then pour us out for His special use that other may also experience the fullness of His joy which only He can provide.

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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word:
John 4:43-54

Glimpse of Glory: "He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave." (Psalm 107:20)

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. When He spoke, His words were filled with power, not prophecy. Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee for another divine appointment; the first was for a joyful celebration at a wedding feast, but this second visit was for a more desperate and hopeless case brought to Him by a royal official whose son was dying. The first seeds of faith were planted in Cana when Jesus performed His first miracle; however only His mother, His disciples, and the servants were witnesses to the great supply of wine. News spread about the great "miracle worker" who had done many miraculous signs, drawing crowds of people who only came to be amazed. When the nobleman came begging Jesus to come home with him before his child died, Jesus responded, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe" (v. 48). These words would become a test of the father's faith when Jesus' response to his plea was a simple instruction: "You may go. Your son will live." (v. 50).

The nobelman's faith stood on those seven words from the mouth of the Lord. And because he took Jesus at His word and departed as Jesus instructed, hope, healing, and salvation came to his entire household (v. 53). What blessings come to us and so many others when we are willing to take a simple step of faith. Today we have at our fingertips the entire Word of God that holds the answer to all our needs. Thousands of precepts, principles, and promises lay before us that we can claim for our very own. Hundreds of words of hope and encouragement are written on every precious page of God's Word. Countless keys are within our grasp that will unlock the doors to a life of victory and triumph. The Lord is waiting to activate the power of His Word in our lives if we will simply believe He is who He says He is and will do what He has promised He will do. Jesus isn't limited by time or space, what He spoke to the nobleman was accomplished the moment He said it, and Jesus took the opportunity to build upon the man's fragile faith, by showing him that He didn't have to come with him for His power to be displayed in the life of his dying child. "When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "You son will live" (vv. 52-53a).

May we take time this morning to pray and confess those times we believed God's Word for others, but didn't trust them for ourselves; and like the nobleman, who first believed that Jesus could only heal if He was present, after praying, we go so far as to prescribe the answer we expect to receive, rather than trust our Lord to perform in His perfect timing, His perfect will for our life. Let us praise the Lord that nothing is too hard for Him, and that His answer can come in an instant and with the greatest ease! "For nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: John 11:1-44

Glimpse of Glory: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (v. 40).

Jesus performed His greatest miracle in raising Lazarus from the dead, and used it as an opportunity to glorify the Father. "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (v. 4). It can be difficult to reconcile how God can allow suffering and pain in the lives of those He loves, but His love is a perfecting love; and He uses our circumstances to strengthen us in our faith and to bring glory to God. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our situation may at times seem discouraging, but it is not hopeless. The Lord is always at work supplying what we lack in our faith. The call of the believer is to walk by faith, and not by sight. True faith is demonstrated when we trust in God promises and are willing to obey Him despite our circumstances - it is then His power is released.

Our trials are for God's glory, and that knowledge should comfort us and carry us through the most desperate hours of our afflictions knowing that God is working out a far greater purpose than we could ever hope or imagine. In the case of Lazarus, the Lord could have healed His friend from a distance and prevented all the sorrow, suffering, and grief in the hearts of those He loved so dearly, but by resurrecting Lazarus after he had been dead for four days He displayed His power over the grave, and the glory of God was revealed, and many people came to believe in Him. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). Faith is a precious and sacred seed that God has planted in His children, and He is always at work growing and increasing it in our lives.

If we truly desire to see God's glory, then we have to let Him have His way to work His will in our life; and we must remember that this work He is doing will not happen overnight. So often in our suffering we tend to focus on the "What" or the "How" that our vision gets so clouded by our circumstances we can't see "Who" is at work in our lives. This morning, let us follow our Lord's example and lift our eyes to heaven and look upon our Sovereign God seated high upon the throne of grace, and ask Him to remove the stone that is blocking our view of His glory and making us think that our present situation is helpless and hopeless, so we can come forth from the tomb of unbelief and experience the fullness of His life. Prayer is the key that opens the treasure chest of omnipotence and releases an infinite supply of His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:13-15, 16b).
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[Godbetheglory]

Glimpse of Glory: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28)

When Jesus walked with His disciples and taught them about His kingdom, He declared to them that He was making all things new. Everything that they had been taught regarding the ancient Jewish religion was fulfilled in His coming and the old practices would no longer work in the new dispensation. "The time is coming, declares the LORD; when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...By calling this covenant "new," He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear" (Hebrews 8:8, 13). The old wineskin would not be able to hold the new spiritual life that Jesus was pouring out (Luke 5:37-39).

One area where Jesus challenged the authority of the Pharisees and scribes was in the observance of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given by God as a day for spiritual, mental, and physical restoration (Exodus 20:8-11), but the leaders had turned the blessing of God into a burden upon the people. Strict obedience to the Sabbath law was an important part of the Jewish faith, so when Jesus violated this law by allowing His followers to "harvest" wheat from the grainfields and then healing a man in the synagogue, the religious leaders became furious with Him. "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" (v. 9). The leaders where so shackled to their religious tradition that they missed meeting the real needs of the people. Jesus showed them that He is indeed the Lord of the Sabbath when He demonstrated His power over the Law by showing compassion to those who were in need. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27). Let us take time this morning to praise God for the true spiritual rest we have experienced in Christ Jesus. Let us also pray fervently for those who are weighed down by the heavy burdens of this life that they were never meant to carry on their own. May we make the most of every opportunity to lead them to Christ where they can find rest for their weary souls. "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word:
Mark 9:14-29

Glimpse of Glory: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

During His earthly ministry Jesus displayed His power over time, distance, nature, blindness, sickness, demons and death. The common denominator in all of His miracles was the power of God. "For nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). Jesus gave His twelve disciples authority and power to carry out His powerful work while He was with them (Matthew 10:1). "The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (v. 8). However when Jesus had departed with three of His disciples to the Mount of Transfiguration those that were left behind suffered a crisis of faith. "O unbelieving generation...how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?" (Mark 9:19). The disciples had taken for granted the power they had been given by God. They grew negligent in exercising and disciplining the spiritual resources the Lord had given them, and when crisis came they found themselves ill-equipped and unprepared to handle it. Their lack of faith brought criticism from the crowd, and, to add insult to injury, their example caused the desperate father to question the power of God. "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes" (v. 23).

Believer, God has given us everything we need to live a life of victory and success. We have been given the power of Christ's blood, the authority of Jesus' name, the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit, His Holy Word to instruct us, and unlimited access to His throne of grace through prayer (and our faithful Mediator who is always interceding for us there!). The power of faith doesn't come from us, we must depend on God. We lose necessary spiritual power when we neglect to cultivate our faith with prayer and fasting. What Jesus did simply by speaking a word, we can never expect to do if we neglect to feed on His Word. The power of faith is the gospel itself. Ours is a spiritual life, and we must feed that life within us with the only food that matters - the Word of God. It is essential that we give our utmost attention to cultivating spiritual power, love, and discipline in our lives, because we have been entrusted with ministering to a world in need - and what they need can only come from God, not from us. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Fasting empties us and puts us in a position to be filled with the power, presence, peace and provision of God, if we will discipline the flesh and give our attention to the Word of God and prayer moment by moment every day. The Lord provides these seasons of fasting so we will be equipped, empowered and prepared for the hour of trial and testing that is sure to come our way. May we have eyes to see the bountiful feast the Lord has spread before us, ears to hear His call to join Him at His table, and a responsive heart willing to receive the riches of His kingdom and the fullness of Himself He desires to share with us, so we will be thoroughly equipped to continue His kingdom work in this world. Let us pray that all of God's children would unlock the secret of all spiritual life and power found in a life of deepening intimacy with the Lord by fellowshipping with Him in His Word and in prayer each and every day.

[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Matthew 18:21-35

Glimpse of Glory: "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (v. 21b, 22)

Our Lord cares deeply about the inner life of His servants. He wants complete possession of His children so we can live a life of loving fellowship with the heavenly Father. This week our Master Gardener continues His tender cultivating work within our hearts to reveal the condition of our hearts and to see if the seed of His Word has taken root. "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants" (v. 23). The rule of God's kingdom is love. Our obedience to the law of His kingdom is demonstrated in our love for God and love for others. Whatever we have received from God we are to share with others, and at the top is His forgiveness. "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).

This parable of the kingdom not only shows how great our debt is, but also how great the compassion of God is. "The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go" (v. 27). Our sin-debt is an impossible debt that can never be repaid. Only the spotless, sinless, sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross could wash our sin away. His forgiveness is an act of mercy and love that we don't deserve. "Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace" (Luke 1:78-79). It is this depth of sacrifice the Lord is asking us to show our fellow man. The way the Lord has treated us is how He expects us to treat others. "Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" (v. 33). The way we respond when we've been mistreated reveals the true nature of our hearts. Because of Christ's forgiveness our hearts have been set free, but when we refuse to forgive our brother we put our hearts back in a prison, and we lose the liberty that the Lord gave to us and the joy and peace that accompanied our freedom. "This is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (v. 35). Freely we have received, and freely we should give to others. It is not up to us to determine who deserves the kindness and mercy of God, it is His alone to give; and if He has given it to us, we should be happy to share it with others. Let us take time today to praise God for the tender mercy He has shown us in pardoning our sin, and then spend time in repentance to loosen any bitter root that has taken hold of us from withholding His great mercy from another. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: John 15:1

Glimpse of Glory: "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." (Psalm 16:11)

In all that Jesus taught His disciples, His great desire was that they (and we) would understand that His highest priority for our lives is that of a life of deepening intimacy with God. He came into the world as "the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1:14a), to live as our example and die as our substitute, so that we, as believers, would become a holy sanctuary in which His Holy Spirit could dwell, and experience the joy and peace of living in continual, uninterrupted communion with the heavenly Father. This is the experience of the abiding life which Jesus spoke about when He declared, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener" (John 15:1). In this message the Lord painted a picture of the deeper spiritual life that He came to give to those who trust Him as Savior.

As the true vine, Jesus is the original support and supplier of His people, all others are counterfeits, who, unlike the vine which supplies and produces life in the branches, drain necessary life and power which cause the limbs to become weak and fall away from the Source of their life. The relationship of the true vine to its branches is one of perfect love and communion. The Father, as the heavenly Gardener, keeps a watchful eye over His vineyard, which is His Church, and gives all good things to it so that it will prosper as He has purposed. "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11:36). Jesus demonstrated His absolute dependence upon the Father every day that He walked on this earth. From His supreme example as the true vine, we, as the branches, must learn that we have been called to Him for one purpose: to leave ourselves entirely in God's hands. As we journey through this week let us take joy in the reminder that in Christ Jesus we have all that we need. This morning, may we take time to confess our complete and utter helplessness apart from Christ, and repent of our failure to leave every part of our lives in His capable and powerful hands. May we come to Him as He calls, and abide in Him, so we can find rest for our weary souls.
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: John 15:2-3

Glimpse of Glory: "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you." (v. 3)

The heavenly Father is the Vinedresser, the Master Gardener who tends to the Vine to make sure that it is producing much fruit to His glory. The most important work in the care of His vineyard is that of pruning. Of all the trees that He has planted in His garden that produce shade, or beauty, or fruit - that require fertilizing and watering for their care - the vine requires only one thing in order for it thrive and fulfill its purpose - pruning. Without pruning the vine cannot bear fruit. Pruning is unlike the care of a garden which requires the uprooting of weeds that come from outside to suffocate the plants; rather, pruning is a process of cutting off the long shoots that have grown from the previous year. It is the removal of life that has been produced from within the vine itself. These growing shoots may appear to be good, but they draw necessary life from the vine that could be put to better use producing higher quantities and quality of fruit. Our divine Husbandman will cut away what is good so that we can produce what is best for our lives. He will repeat the process year after year until He achieves the quantity and quality of the fruit He desires.

The pruning knife the Lord uses is His Word (Hebrews 4:12). "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you" (John 15:3). The Word of God is what He uses to purify and cleanse His people. "...just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25b-27). The more we abide with God the more we grow spiritually. It is important that that new growth be purified and refined so the fruit we produce is holy and divine. "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17). Let us pray and ask our heavenly Father for the added grace we need to endure those seasons of painful pruning; and while it hurts, it is helpful; not only for our spiritual growth, but also because it will yield a better crop that will bring glory to the Lord. May He enable us to let go of those "good" things that He has removed to make room for His "best" in our lives; and help us to patiently wait on Him as He heals our hurt and prepares us for the harvest that is to come.

[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word:
John 15:4-5

Glimpse of Glory: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." (v.5)

God has called us to Himself to live the life of a branch. He is the true Vine and all our life comes from Him. Without this vital living union with God we have nothing. We have no life apart from Christ; the life we have been given is meant to produce fruit. The branch life is one of fruit bearing. We cannot bear fruit on our on; it is the product of the abiding life. Abiding is not a work we do - it is God doing His work in us. It is the job of the Vine to hold us and to keep us; as the branch we are simply to rest in Him and let Him do His work. Fruit is the natural product of a quiet, restful life. All that is necessary to experience the productive branch life God has purposed for us is for us to be given completely over to the one work we have been called to do - bearing fruit.

The branch does not produce fruit for itself, it is meant for the nourishment of others. The branch life is a life lived entirely for God and others. It shows itself in love and obedience towards the Vine for the production of fruit that will bring refreshment and spiritual life to others. The blessings of Christ to the world depend upon our abiding in Him. The more we are given over to Christ, the more He will show us the power of His Spirit - the sap of His spiritual life which will flow freely through us and produce much fruit for the good of others and for glory to the Father. The branch life is a life of deepening intimacy with Christ. The key to experiencing the blessings and power of this deeply personal relationship is to simply abide in Christ. All our life comes from the Vine. He is the source of all our support and supply, and He will sustain us and satisfy us with His heavenly sap, and produce in us the fruit of a holy life that will bring His blessings to the world. This morning let us enter into the stillness and quietness of our prayer closet and fix our heart on Jesus and wait on Him to show us how absolutely dependent we are upon Him for His grace and power. May we be moved to deeper intercession for the spiritually starved and lost sinners of the world, and to unceasing prayer for the strengthening and equipping of the Body of Christ, so there will be an abundance of fruit to feed the multitudes. "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father..." (Colossians 1:10-12a).
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: John 15:7-8

Glimpse of Glory: "And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

One of the great blessings of the abiding life is a fruitful prayer life. The life of the branch is to remain in the vine and draw life-giving sap so that it can produce fruit - fruit that will nourish and bring His life to others. It is by prayer that we become the channel through which God dispenses His blessings upon the world. Our deep, abiding, union with Christ as the Vine and we as the branch protects that divine connection through which our prayers reach heaven and fall on the ears of omnipotence and we receive whatever we ask in His name. It is only in the abiding that we are properly positioned for the blessings of heaven to freely flow to the earth. "If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you" (John 15:7).

We cannot pray as we ought without the Word of God being deeply rooted in our hearts. For prayer and the Word are inseparable - the power of one is dependent upon the presence of the other. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). As the branch, we are to live entirely dependent upon the Vine. In obedience to His Word and in yielding to His Holy Spirit, we will receive wisdom and power to prevail in prayer and accomplish great things for His kingdom. Our heavenly Father is glorified when we become all that He has worked in us. "This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples" (John 15:8). All the skill and care of the Master Gardener should shine through us, and men should receive the benefit and blessing of His work being produced in us. May we repent that we have robbed God of the glory due His name because we have been neglectful in prayer, causing us to lose necessary spiritual power, and leading men to reject Him rather than be saved. May it be our fervent prayer to be a branch that bears as much fruit as possible so we can prove to the world that we are truly His disciples and reveal that we have His heart for the lost souls around us.
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: John 15:9-17

Glimpse of Glory: "But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:5-6)

Jesus, the heavenly Vine, calls us to experience the fullness of the abiding life of the branch, because He wants us to partake of His divine nature. Jesus took on our human nature and demonstrated how to walk a life of obedience and sacrifice, and now He wants us to take on His nature and walk as He walked. "If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed the Father's commands and remain in His love" (v. 10). The secret of the abiding life is obedience. Jesus modeled this for us, and if we give ourselves to Him in loving obedience, then He will keep us in His abiding love. He asks nothing of the branch other than to yield itself to the life of the Vine and allow the Vine to do all for the branch. He wants His nature to take completely over so that we will bear the fruit of the abiding life.

Jesus gave His life for us so that we might have His life in us. He wants to possess all of us. He wants our lives to be given fully over to Himself so that He can live in us and through us by His Holy Spirit. He chose us for the purpose of conforming us to His likeness (Romans 8:28-29). "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name" (John 15:16). The mark that we are truly His is shown in obedience to His will and walking in His love. As we daily learn to abide in Jesus, the Vine, the more we experience the joy and blessing found in intimate friendship with Him. One of the great proofs of our fellowship and friendship with the Lord is our desire to join our Mediator in His great work of intercession. The Father has given us the key to the storehouse of heaven through His Son, and we can ask for anything in Jesus' name because we have been given intimate access to God. May we use this heavenly privilege to lay hold of God's saving power to bless and heal the people around us.
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Luke 17:20-35

Glimpse of Glory: "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (vv. 20b, 21)

Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days following His resurrection to prepare them to carry on His kingdom work in the world. Today, our gracious Lord invites us to join Him at His table during these forty-day seasons of fasting and prayer, to be fed and nourished, so we too can be equipped and empowered to continue the work of His kingdom, as He takes us to deeper levels of dependence on God through His Word and in prayer. "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:9).

When Jesus began His earthly ministry the people expected Him to set up His kingdom and reign as their king. They expected to see a political kingdom established in an outward display of power, in the same manner in which earthly kingdoms are set up. They were busy looking around for some great sign of His power, instead of looking within where the real work of the kingdom was happening. The kingdom of God is not of this world; it is an invisible kingdom that is seen through spiritual eyes. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom; it is an internal kingdom that is discovered only through spiritual re-birth (John 3:1-8). Jesus came to set up His kingdom in the hearts of men, so that He could establish His throne there and live and reign in their lives, and make them humble and holy, like Himself. God has given us a kingdom to steward - within our hearts; but our neglect of the inner life has left us weak and feeble and has hindered our spiritual growth, making us unable to stand against the forces of evil that have been opposing the church from the very beginning. It is important that during these seasons of fastings we glean everything the Lord is showing us in His Word and bringing to the surface in our lives, so that our inner life can be purified and consecrated wholly to His purposes. We must expect that there will be seasons of interruption and disappointment as the work of the kingdom is still progressing; and though we may not see it without, we can trust that God is doing His greater kingdom work within, and is preparing His people for the work of harvesting His field. Let us praise the Lord this morning for His kingdom which He has entrusted to us, and ask for the endurance we need to wait on Him as He is continuing His work within.
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Luke 17:20-35

Glimpse of Glory: "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (vv. 20b, 21)

Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days following His resurrection to prepare them to carry on His kingdom work in the world. Today, our gracious Lord invites us to join Him at His table during these forty-day seasons of fasting and prayer, to be fed and nourished, so we too can be equipped and empowered to continue the work of His kingdom, as He takes us to deeper levels of dependence on God through His Word and in prayer. "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:9).

When Jesus began His earthly ministry the people expected Him to set up His kingdom and reign as their king. They expected to see a political kingdom established in an outward display of power, in the same manner in which earthly kingdoms are set up. They were busy looking around for some great sign of His power, instead of looking within where the real work of the kingdom was happening. The kingdom of God is not of this world; it is an invisible kingdom that is seen through spiritual eyes. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom; it is an internal kingdom that is discovered only through spiritual re-birth (John 3:1-8). Jesus came to set up His kingdom in the hearts of men, so that He could establish His throne there and live and reign in their lives, and make them humble and holy, like Himself. God has given us a kingdom to steward - within our hearts; but our neglect of the inner life has left us weak and feeble and has hindered our spiritual growth, making us unable to stand against the forces of evil that have been opposing the church from the very beginning. It is important that during these seasons of fastings we glean everything the Lord is showing us in His Word and bringing to the surface in our lives, so that our inner life can be purified and consecrated wholly to His purposes. We must expect that there will be seasons of interruption and disappointment as the work of the kingdom is still progressing; and though we may not see it without, we can trust that God is doing His greater kingdom work within, and is preparing His people for the work of harvesting His field. Let us praise the Lord this morning for His kingdom which He has entrusted to us, and ask for the endurance we need to wait on Him as He is continuing His work within.
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: 1 Corinthians 4:20-21

Glimpse of Glory: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." (v. 20).

One of the necessary inner workings of the kingdom of God is that of spiritual discipline. Our Good Shepherd calls His followers "sheep" because we are so prone to wander. In the tenderness and love of the Father, He is faithful to provide seasons of refining and refreshment to remind us of our utter dependence upon Him, and to bring us back to the truth where all our security and safety lies. "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul" (Psalm 23:1-3a). Over and over in the New Testament we are warned to be on the watch for false teachers who turn ears away from the truth and turn them aside to myths, which only "promote controversies rather than God's work" (2 Timothy 1:4; 4:4). Christians who are ignorant of the truths of the Word of God are easily led astray and taken captive by false teachers and false religions. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8)

The religious leaders of Jesus' day held strongly to their traditions and were very "religious" about protecting and promoting them. Their traditions were man-made, not God-given, and therefore lacked spiritual power. "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men' " (Matthew 15:7-9). Their traditions were nothing but an outward display of empty, powerless words coming from lips which tickled men's ears, but failed to reach into men's hearts with power, like the Word of God. The apostle Paul declared that "the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power," and all the pretenders would be shown for who they are, because their words hold no saving power or divine influence over the hearts of men. False teachers rob weak Christians of spiritual power and deprive them of the nourishment and sustaining power of the Word of God. However, God says He will remove their intelligence from their heads, because His Word is not hidden in their hearts. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19). Man's wisdom is weak, but God's Word is powerful. To mix the wisdom of man with the Word of God is to weaken the message of the gospel and to rob it of its power. "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" (v. 25). This morning let us pray for the hearts of all God's children to be deeply rooted in the Word of God and in the doctrines of the Christian faith so that our ears will be tuned to discern false teachings which is leading many believers astray. Let us pray fervently for our pastors and Bible teachers to hold firmly to the teachings of Christ and the full counsel of the Word of God, not adding or subtracting anything that would rob the gospel message of its power; and may God give them a spirit of love and meekness, so that the power of God can be displayed in the lives of men and many lost souls will be brought to Christ.

[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Matthew 11:1-15

Glimpse of Glory: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." (v.12)

From the days leading up to His crucifixion, to the forty days following His resurrection, Jesus prepared His disciples for how they should live and carry on His kingdom work when the time would come when He would not be with them in bodily form. They had been given power and authority to heal the sick, but Jesus was preparing them to perform the greatest miracle of all - the saving of souls. The way had been prepared for the coming of the Messiah through His forerunner, John the Baptist, and now Jesus was preparing the way for His disciples to walk. "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace" (Luke 1:76-79).

John's ministry drew many followers because he was a stable man who did not bend and turn like a reed blowing in the wind. His food was fasting and his clothes were mourning; he lived a life of humiliation and self-denial. In every way he exemplified the message he preached - repentance. John became less so that Christ could be all; he prepared the way, but then got out of the way so that he would not become a stumbling block or hinder anyone from finding their way to Christ. John the Baptist prepared the way for the kingdom of heaven, which, from the beginning was being "forcefully advanced," and could only be attained by those who were willing to labor with earnest desire until they received the blessing of God's promised salvation and peace. Entering the kingdom of God comes with great travail. It is a epic struggle against the external forces of the world fighting against us to blur our vision so we will not look upon holy God, and the internal forces of the flesh and self waging war within to cause us to stumble and to prevent us from fully surrendering to Christ. Jesus wants each of His followers to be a strong and stable force that He can use to advance His kingdom in the world and in the hearts of men. May we put on our spiritual armor each day and prepare ourselves in the Word and in prayer for the battles that are sure to come our way before we even step out of our front door today. May the witness of our lives, like John's, provide a strong, steady, and undiminished glow of the light of Christ, so that others will be brought out of the darkness and into God's wonderful light and life. "He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (John 1:7-9).

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