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Category Archives: John

My God is…the Truth John 14:6

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Are you Askew?

Are you truthful?

When we’re being truthful, we don’t use any falsehoods. I’m pretty sure I can hardly tell the truth. I know that’s shocking to my friends and family who probably consider me pretty honest, and by most measurements, that’s probably correct. But Truth is so much more than just being correct. It’s being the only way. The actual way. The perfect way. When I speak about myself, my family or others, everything I say is tainted by my own experience. Earlier in my life I thought that my mom considered my sister smarter than me. Now I know I’m smarter. (Hee Hee – couldn’t help it). Actually the truth lies somewhere in between. My sister and I are both smart, and sometimes we’re both not so smart (Sorry Gail).

The truth lies somewhere in between

For most of us our perception of life is tainted by our perspective. We think one thing, while someone else thinks something completely different, but we both think we’re telling the truth. You see it a lot during election time. People say things they’ve heard and swear it is the truth, but in all honesty the facts aren’t always so clear.

Witnesses sometimes disagree

Maybe you have been to a retreat, class or a camp where they have done an activity to show the reality of truth. They’ll stage a robbery in front of you, and have you write down what you saw. They may ask you to put down as much detail as possible. When all of the “witness” statements are collected, you’ll find all sorts of inconsistencies. Was he wearing shoes? What color was his shirt? How tall was he? Oh, wait…he is a she? She was wearing flip-flops? I thought she was barefoot. She had on a tank top? I thought she was wearing a t-shirt. Sometimes when we’re excited or something unexpected happens, we can get our facts turned around. But when they bring the “perpetrator” back into the room we can see the truth.

Christian witnesses sometimes disagree

Sometimes we hear and see things from Christians that make us wonder about what they believe. Sometimes they even do evil in the name of the Lord. But we don’t worship Christians, we worship Christ. He is our truth even when Christians get it wrong. We don’t live our life by what Christians say, but what our Lord says to us through His Word, Jesus Christ.

We can see the Truth

Jesus is the Truth. When we see Him represented in scripture, we see the Truth about our Lord. We see what He wants from us and for us. He has given us a perfect example of how to live, serve the Father in heaven and each other.

When builders build, they work hard to make sure the lines of the building are true. That they are not askew. That they will stand up straight, not falter and be strong. Our God is true. He is the line against which all of the other pieces of our lives must line up. If we do not align our lives with our God who is true, we will find ourselves askew. And anyone who has built something knows if you don’t start in line and true, you will be all out of whack when you get further on.

Being Rebuilt

Sometimes we do get askew. We lose our focus and start to take our eyes off of what is True. We take our focus off our Lord, and our priorities get rearranged. We get confused, distracted and manipulated by things that want to draw us away from Christian living. We think about our want for fun, money, sex, pleasure and lose sight of the only true way to have satisfaction forever. We must believe in God and trust in the Truth so that we might live forever with Him in paradise. John 14 is an amazing book of comfort. Reading it you’ll find a lot of amazing promises from our Lord. Truths that you can count on. Truths that come from the Truth – Jesus Christ. Lets start rebuilding our lives based on the Truth, so our lives may not go askew.

Is your life built on Truth?

My God is…The Way John 14:6 (again)

22 May

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except

Think you’re getting in?

through me.”

I don’t think I’ve done this since I started writing my blog, but today I’m going to revisit a verse. I prayed that God would tell me what I should write about, and this is what came to my mind. Forgive me if it feels repetitive.

I want to get in

I’ve been standing in line for over two hours. The line in front of this night club is going nowhere slowly. I want to get in and see what it’s like. I want to sit on the fancy couches, spotting famous celebrities. I’m sure once I’m in, they will all realize how awesome I am and welcome me into their fold.

Lights Start Flashing

It’s clear that someone important has just arrived. The paparazzi are gathered around, lights flashing and some are pushing and shoving just to get a better shot. I stand on my tiptoes. I try to see who it is, and if I’m lucky, catch their attention so they will let me go in with them.

Turned away

With his entourage in tow, the famous man walks up to the bouncer. It’s clear he’s got the clout to be in a place like this. It’s even more clear to me that I don’t. What was I thinking? How did I ever think I was going to get into a place as awesome as this. As the Celebrity spoke to the bouncer, you could see his face turning red. His voice began to escalate. He was being refused entrance. He wasn’t going to get in. He pulled out his wallet, and tried to give the bouncer a wad of cash. Embarrassed and confused, the celebrity restrained himself from hitting the bouncer, perhaps only because the paparazzi were there. He got back into the limo and drove off.

I can get you in

From somewhere behind me I heard someone whisper in my ear, “I can get you in.” I turned around and saw a man standing there. He told me that he was the son of the owner of the nightclub. All he had to do was to tell His dad that I was with him. That’s it. Now, to look at this guy you wouldn’t think he was something special. He wasn’t bad-looking, but he wasn’t flashy or dressed to impress. He was normal. I didn’t know what to think. I had been in line for hours. If I got out of line now, I might not ever get into the club. If this guy was lying, I was going to be up a creek.

No one’s getting in

You could hear the bouncer telling the crowd that no one was getting in unless they were on the list. I knew I was doomed. I looked at the man behind me and said. Please, let me meet your father. He smiled and led me to the front of the line. Out from the door came a white-haired man. He gave the man with me a hug and pat on the back. He looked at me and said, Jill, we’ve been waiting for you. I’ve got a special spot just for you. Follow me.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is our only way to get into heaven. No matter how beautiful, rich or influential we are here on earth, without believing in Jesus Christ, we’re never getting into heaven.

Are you getting in?

My God is…the Gate John 10: 7-10

17 May

John 10:7-10 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come

I am the Gate

before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Have you ever locked yourself out?

There is nothing as precious as getting into your home when you’re locked out. It may start like this. You walk up to the door thinking your spouse is home. You reach for the door, it’s locked. You realize the other car is gone. You jiggle the handle again. No problem, you think, I have a key here somewhere. No luck. Your pockets seem deeper than ever as you practically pull down your pants trying to dig the non-existent key from your pocket. Unfortunately you have always felt keeping a key hidden outside was a security risk, so you don’t have a back up. You have not made friends with your neighbors, so none of them have a key either.

You start to strategize. You think, if I were a burglar, how would I get in. I’m not breaking into my own home. I’ll call my husband. He doesn’t answer. Normally this alone would send you into a rant, but right now you have bigger issues than him not answering the phone. You try all the windows, hoping your husband has not diligently locked them all. But of course, his efficiency has doomed you. You’re desperate to get in.

Have you ever locked yourself out?

Sometimes we lock ourselves out from heaven. We’re desperate to get in. We want eternal life. We want there to be something after death, but we want to be free to do whatever we want. We want to be open-minded. We want to believe that people of all religions go to heaven. Sadly that thinking locks us out of heaven. The only way to heaven is through the gate. Through Jesus Christ. All are welcome, but only those who believe that Jesus died and rose again to save them from their sins and strengthen their faith will be able to walk through that gate.

God doesn’t lock the gate

God is always there. He never locks the gate. He never keeps you from entering heaven. That’s why he sent Jesus, so that no matter what religion you were before, no matter what sins you’ve committed and no matter how pretty you are, you can enter heaven through the gate, Jesus Christ.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

Whoever. Some people say that Christians are bad because they say their the only ones going to heaven. The truth is we’re the only religion where you going to heaven isn’t somehow reliant on your own actions. Everyone is allowed in, if they come through the gate, Jesus Christ. Whoever enters through Jesus will be saved. We will not be saved by being good, giving away money, going to church or anything else. We go to heaven only because Jesus died for us.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

God wants what’s best for us. When we believe and know where we’re going when we die, we are given freedom in grace that allows us to live fully. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow, because our future is planned out for us. We are going to heaven. In response to His great love, we may very well do the things I listed above, but not to gain entrance to heaven, but as a reflection of the love He has given to us. We are free to do what we want, but if we believe in Christ, our wants will change to match His.

Are you able to live life to the full?

My God is…The Way John 14:6

15 May

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

GPS Tracking Disaster

I can hardly live without my GPS. I use the GPS on my iPhone nearly every day. I type in the location I want, and then it gives the directions I need. Most of the time, my GPS is right. Sometimes it’s not very clear in the directions it gives. Though my GPS hasn’t failed me totally, there are those who have been completely led astray. Some have followed the GPS instructions into lakes, the middle of nowhere or even the Pacific ocean.

Looking for clear directions

We don’t like to be lost. We want to know what is the fastest, shortest and safest way to where we’re going. We don’t want to hit construction, traffic or dead ends. It’s the same way in our Spiritual life. There are a lot of “systems” out there that promise to get you where you want to go, but only one can be trusted to get you there.

The directions are clear

In the verse from John above, we see Jesus clearing up the directions to heaven. He doesn’t want to leave any room for confusion. Jesus says, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So how do you get to Heaven? How do you get where the Father is? Through your faith in Jesus Christ. He is the way. The only way. His way is available to everyone, but sometimes people get set on the wrong path. They get told a different direction is better. Jesus promises He is the Way. Following other directions will likely make you end up in the lake.

GPS – God Positioning System

As we go through life, sometimes we get off path. We get distracted by the things of this world; money, sex, success and selfishness. We don’t keep our eyes on the Way, Jesus Christ. God has given us a GPS (God Positioning System) to help keep us on our path toward Jesus Christ. The Bible is our GPS. It points us always towards Jesus, and through the word and the Holy Spirit, the GPS will lead us to our salvation through the acts of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross so we might spend eternity with Him in heaven.

What is your destination?

Where are you going? Do you know? Do you want to be in heaven after you die? How are you going to get there? Not all paths lead to heaven, but we know of one that does, Jesus Christ. With faith in Christ Jesus, you can be confident of where you’re going. You know the path, and He makes your way straight.

2 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on May 15, 2012 in John, My God is the Way

Tags: Christ Jesus, god is the way, GPS, holy spirit, I am the way, Jesus, Jesus Christ

My God is…the Vine John 15:5

27 Mar

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

I am the Vine

Out here in Oregon, there are a lot of vineyards. It makes for some fantastic wines in the area. Quite a few years ago (the 60’s?) someone figured out that the soil in Western Oregon was good for producing Pinot Noir. Since that time this area has been booming with vineyards.

In the verse above, Jesus compares himself to the vine, and us to the branches. If Jesus is the vine, what was His soil? I think it’s God the Father. Jesus was always making sure his behaviors pointed back to the Father, and always wanted to do His will.

Nutrition is important

How do you get your nutrients? The branches on the vine get all the nutrients they need from the vine. When they’re separated from the vine, they wither and die. What you put into yourself is important. What do you nourish yourself with? Maybe you eat really well, and don’t have any of the struggles with weight and eating that I’ve had, but let’s think of a different kind of nourishment. What are you feeding your soul? Do you listen to the lies of the devil as he tells you you’re not worthy of forgiveness. The truth is we’re not. And that’s ok, because Jesus, our Vine, is, and has taken your place so even if we don’t deserve it, we’re given salvation. Why? Because He wants us to have everlasting life with Him. Because of that amazing love He has for us, we’re able to be changed and grow. He provides everything we need to produce fruit. He changes us. He gives us the nutrients that each of us needs individually. He meets our Spiritual needs.

A bit malnourished

This week I’ve been feeling a bit malnourished. I’ve been focusing on myself. Worrying about something the Lord has proven over and over again that he’ll take care of…Money. Funny thing is, I don’t even know if it’s a problem or not yet. My husband and I still need to let the dust settle and see if we’re able to make a go of it on his salary alone. While I love that idea, I have not been enjoying the possibility. Instead I’ve been worrying about the money. How is it going to stretch? How are we going to pay the bills at the right time. I’m not opposed to working, but would love to find something as flexible as I have had up to now. During all this fretting, I turned to the Lord at every turn. HA! No I didn’t. If I had turned to God every time I was concerned, He would have provided me with comfort and direction, but for some reason, instead I find myself lingering in the problem instead of the solution, Christ Jesus.

A New Diet

So feeling a bit malnourished, because I haven’t “remained in Him”, I need to start on a new diet plan. A plan that refocuses me on my Lord. I need to spend more time with Him through His word and His people. I need to allow the Lord to meet my needs, and not fret. Will that be through a new job opportunity or the opportunity to stay home, I don’t know, but I know that my nourishment will be found in Jesus, so I need to get healthier with Him.

Apart from me you can do nothing.

Instead of continuing to try to cling to my own ways, focusing on the negative, I need to find the blessings from the Lord in my family, His word and the life He has given me. I have big plans for myself. I want to be a writer and speaker, but apart from God I can do nothing. I must trust in Him to give me the strength, sanity and opportunity. Time to spend some time in His word and in prayer.

Are you malnourished?

2 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on March 27, 2012 in John, My God is the Vine

Tags: faith, god, I am the vine, malnourished, my god is, nutrients, religion, you are the branches

My God is … The Good Shepherd John 10:14

21 Mar

John 10:14 – I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

He knows me

So being called a sheep may not be the most flattering thing in the world. They’re not the brightest animal on the farm, and I’m not super in love with their smells either. I am grateful for the wool, and there’s almost nothing as sweet as seeing little lamb-i-kins bouncing across the British Countryside (Right Rachel?). But when being a sheep means that Jesus is your ~~Shepherd~~ Good Shepherd, everything changes.

Not the brightest animal on the farm

We may not always make great decisions, say the right thing, or do the right thing, but like a Shepherd, God is watching over us, herding us back to safer ground. Ground filled with blessings and closeness to Him. When I’m in the midst of bad behavior (insert sin of choice here), I find myself lost, confused and unsure of myself. It’s in weakness and insecurity that I’m no longer stubborn and going my own direction. I start looking around for a way out, a safe place to go, and I realize my Shepherd has been near by at all times, ready to lead me home.

Going my own direction

Have you ever made a wrong turn? You were sure you knew your way, but still ended up someplace other than where you wanted to be? In the song “The Good Shepherd” By Dave Horn (find it here #23 on the list), Dave sings about the Good Shepherd from the devil’s perspective. The devil says everything the Good Shepherd does; knowing their name and carrying their blame, shows how he, the devil, has lost this game. That’s a comforting thought.

God knows my name and carries me and my blame

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for His sheep. We are not in a relationship with a God who sets things in motion and then leaves us there floundering. He is there to help guide us out of trouble. He’s come to keep me from being separated from Him for eternity because of my sin. He’s laid down his life so that I can be free from blame. When we are weak, we find Him when no one else cares about us anymore. When we have burned all our bridges, Jesus became the Bridge to God the Father, allowing us a way to salvation, when all we deserve is utter destruction. Not only does he keep us from harm, keeping away the devil, but he also leads us towards His Father, while drawing us closer to Him. He seeks us out when we’re straying away from Him.

Embracing my Sheepishness

I said it earlier, I don’t think the description of us as sheep is very flattering, but it is accurate. I do make mistakes and end up taking the wrong path. Sometimes I don’t listen to my God and I end up in deep do-do. I find myself floundering, having separated myself from my support system, and ignoring the warnings of friends and family. I hear the devil trying to lie to me, telling me I’m not worthy of being used by the God I love, but like the Good Shepherd that He is, Jesus is right there to guide me back to safety in His arms, His word and His church.

Are you Sheepish?

4 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on March 21, 2012 in God is my Shepherd, John

Tags: dave horn, good shepherd, goth the father, Jesus, Sheepish, sheepishness

My God is a Miracle Worker – John 21:25

25 Jan

John 21:25 – Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Isn’t that the truth. I think about my own life and the amazing things the Lord has done for me, and I’m pretty sure my book of God’s Miracles would be pretty long too – even if all I did was list them. Sometimes when I’m going through something I feel like the Lord isn’t there, and it becomes hard for me to believe that Jesus would perform a miracle for little old me. Sometimes I’m too busy controlling the situation to hand it over to God and let His will be done. But when I have, amazing things have happened.

My son was born with Tetralogy of Fallot

When my son was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, we had never heard of it. The Doctor explained to us that our newborn would have to have open heart bi-pass surgery within the first year of his life. We were shocked. In the office we took the news calmly, but when we got home I broke down. I was really freaking out. Around 9 months old he had the surgery. The thing I remember most is handing him over to the surgical team. They stood there with a mask to administer something to put him to sleep. Five of them looking at me, one with his arms outstretched to take my baby from me. They were going to cut his heart open. I had been calm the whole day leading up to the surgery, but in that moment, I new I had to surrender his care to the doctors and to God, because I truly couldn’t fix this problem for him.

Years later, during a choir rehearsal at church, a man stood up to give a devotion. He began telling the story of how his son had Tetralogy of Fallot. But his story was different. His son had to have multiple surgeries. He was twelve at the time and had over 5 surgeries already. I started to cry. I was overwhelmed knowing how the Lord had given our son a full recovery. The doctors had said he would never have to have heart surgery for Tetralogy again. That was when I knew the fullness of the miracle that had occurred. My son was healthy and amazed all the heart doctors he has seen since.

God has healed my heart

Another miraculous event in my life has happened more recently. I have an amazing husband. He has always been kind and considerate, but sometimes I still felt I wanted more love from him. I felt needy, and I could tell he felt I was needy too. We didn’t fight often, but when we did – watch out! I felt like he thought, I told you I love you, and that’s the truth until further notice, and that he didn’t really need to tell me again, unless something changed. Well, I’m a girl, and this was hard for me. I didn’t know how to make it better. There really wasn’t much to complain about, and when I did, I couldn’t put my finger on the real problem.

I had heard about a book called, “Love and Respect” on the radio. It talked about how women need love and men need respect. It was surprising to me, and I was pretty sure wrong. I thought, my husband needs love more than respect. I decided to find out. When my husband came downstairs, I asked him which was more important to him, love or respect, and without another breath he said, “Respect!”. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. I could see I hadn’t been approaching him with that in mind, and I ordered the book (actually I accidentally ordered the second one, but that works too). I read through about half of it and got distracted. Then a few months ago, my counselor recommended it to me. I said I had already read most of it.

When I got home, I talked to my husband and he agreed to read it with me. This is when the miracle happened. By reading Ephesians 5:33 : “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” and the book, he realized that God made me to need love. It’s not that I’m needy because of some personal deficiency, but that God intended it that way. He got it.

How has life changed because of this miracle?

We’re not finished reading the book, but already things are so much better. Remember, I said I had a good marriage before, but this is truly wonderful. Now my husband, of his own doing is showing me love in all the ways I had hoped he would. When we’re at a function, he crosses the room to talk to me. He’ll compliment me in front of others. He tells me its a joy to see my smile. These things are not that different from what he did before, but it’s also the attitude behind it. He assumes I want to bless him with respect, and I assume the things that used to annoy me are not things he’s doing to irritate me. We have more patience with each other, and are really enjoying a new lease on life. My counselor said she thought it was a very powerful book, and I have to agree. It get’s its power by being focused on the truths in God’s word.

Do you need love, or respect?

2 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on January 25, 2012 in God is a Miracle Worker, John

Tags: ephesians 5 33, god, john 21 25, love, love and respect, miracle, Miracle worker, my god is, respect

My God is…The Bread of Life John 6:35

17 Nov

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

Jesus is the Bread of Life!

When I was a preteen, my friend and I were talking in her kitchen. As tweens do, our insecurities about our bodies came up and she said she wanted to have a bigger booty. She had a solution. Eating Bread. She knew what she was talking about. Since I love eating pretty much anything, I was game. So we began eating bread. I don’t know how long we kept that goal up, but I’ve succeeded in getting that bigger booty. Not sure if she has!

We had a need we tried to fill with bread

We wanted to look better. We wanted to get boys to notice us. We had a need. We tried to fill it with bread, but even though we got what we “wanted” (a bigger booty), we didn’t really feed the true need of a better self-esteem.

What is your bread?

For some of us we’re still stuffing ourselves with bread. Maybe that bread isn’t really bread, but gambling, sex, drugs or alcohol. Maybe it’s less obvious and shows itself as control or manipulation of others. We keep using these things to make us feel better, change our lives or numb us to the realities of this cruel world.

You Never have to go hungry

Jesus is the bread of life. He is the only thing that satisfies me for any length of time. The devil wants me to try to stuff myself with other distractions so I’ll take my focus off of God. But in John 6:35, Jesus promises that when I feed myself with His truths, I won’t be hungry anymore. When I believe Him, I won’t be thirsty anymore. I won’t ache with hunger pains for something more.

You have to eat!

Physically I have to eat to sustain my life, and it’s no different spiritually. If I want to sustain my relationship with the Lord and be healthy in mind, body and soul, I need to eat of the bread of life. I need to come to his table through His word (the Bible) and sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Letting His word fill me up inside so I can release some of the other things I stuff in trying to stop the hunger pains.

What are you stuffing yourself with? Are you hungry later?

2 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on November 17, 2011 in God is The Bread of Life, John

Tags: bread of life, hungry, John 6:35, spiritually, sustain my life

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