Reading John

As I've mentioned recently, I'm reading and re-reading the book of John right now as I seek to know God in a deeper way. And, just like I've written before, its amazing!! I was on the plane this morning and instead of working, I decided to pick up in John 6 where I finished a couple of days ago. So . . . I get my Bible out and a little over an hour later, the pilot comes on to tell us its time to land ... I read the entire flight!

Its really weird, its as if God is speaking to me in a brand new way right now through this book in the Bible. I'm seeing Jesus more clearly. I'm understanding the disciples ... I see myself both in His followers, and the others as they hear Him say these great things. His message is amazing.

I must say, that I totally understand why the religious people of His day wanted Him dead. Just read John 6-9 for yourself. Read it in one sitting. Try and relate to the feelings of the people who were hearing these words firsthand. Can you imagine being a Pastor today and having someone from an unknown place show up and say you are from the devil? And say it where the people in your church could hear him? Can you imagine being a religious leader and having a guy like Jesus end up near your community, take a blind guy that everyone knows has been blind from birth — and give him sight? Wow. Or — what it must have been like when Jesus handled the lady caught in adultery the way He did. I am sure the news of that story spread like wildfire and the people wanted to follow a man who was filled with grace and truth! I am sure the secret church meetings happened all over town after that little experience. Man I would love to have talked to the first guy who walked away from that scene!

I am loving this time in John. I highly recommend reading the Bible. :) Can't wait for the next experience.

AW Tozer Once Said

“Any motion toward God is a forward motion. Even repentance is not a retreat toward the past but a decided march into a more glorious future. Restitution is not a return to yesterday but a step into a blessed tomorrow. There is such a thing as going backward in the spiritual life. There is such a thing as a retreat from a spiritual position once held by us as individual Christians. And there is such a thing as denominations and missionary societies making a wholesale withdrawal from ground once won at tremendous cost. If we find that we have gone back, then we should immediately reverse the direction and again go forward.”