1 Corinthians 1: 18

John 5 verse 19 

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

For further study - John 5:1-22

Today, in our extended reading, we will read a bit more Scripture to look at the life of Christ, His miracles and the responsibility the Father places on Him. This is a record of Jesus being obedient to the Old Testament Scriptures and going up to Jerusalem on one of the "pilgrim feast days."

The “pilgrim feast days” were three of the seven feast days that Jews were required to go “up to Jerusalem” and the Temple to worship the Lord. The feast day in this passage was the first of the Fall Jewish feast days, “Rosh Hashana”, the Feast of Trumpets.

The day that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem is the feast day which by the “law of the Lord” was designated as a "Sabbath Day," Leviticus 23:23-25. It was not a Saturday, the weekly Sabbath, but the Jewish holy day of the Feast of Trumpets with the same requirements as a "Sabbath Day."

I give you this information because the Jews in Jerusalem used this day, a Sabbath Day and its requirements, to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. What those accusing Jews did not know was that Jesus brought into existence the Sabbath when after 6 days of much creative activity Jesus established the Sabbath, “the day of rest”, Genesis 2:1-3.

When approached, Jesus said, verse 17, that He and the Father were the same and were both responsible for the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. Then the Jews sought to kill Jesus for not only healing on the Sabbath, but making Himself equal with God.

There is another very profound announcement made by Jesus about what the Father assigned to Him. Verse 22 is the record of the Father designating Jesus, His Son, to be "Judge." In fact, God the Father commits all judgment to His son, Jesus.

This is the prophetic portion of this passage. Jesus will be the judge in the future. He will be the "judge" at the "Judgment Seat of Christ" when He will judge our works. It is not a time to judge lost or saved. The truth is that only saved people will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Jesus will also be the "judge" at the "Great White Throne Judgment," Revelation 20:11-15, when He sentences all of those to the "Lake of Fire" who have not been saved. Again, this judgment is not to decide if one is saved or lost. Only lost people will stand at this judgment.

Jesus is a God of love and mercy and our Savior, but also He is the coming “judge”.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to live, Lord, in light of the fact that You will be the judge that I stand in front of at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

John 13 vs19 

  Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

For further study - John 13:1-20

John records the account of the "Passover Seder" that took place the evening before Christ would be crucified the next afternoon. The "Passover Seder" was an annual event, a Jewish feast day, that the Lord gave to the Jewish people.

In fact, it was the first of the seven Jewish feast days as recorded in Leviticus 23. The Passover was to be celebrated on an annual basis from the time of the very first Passover that took place the night of the “Exodus”.
Exodus 12 records the first Passover and in that chapter the Lord tells, commands, the Jews to rehearse the story of the “Exodus” and to have the "Passover Seder" meal with the family every year, Exodus 12:14.
In this account of the "Passover Seder" the writer, John the Apostle, records the Lord washing the feet of the disciples. The Lord came to the Apostle Peter to wash His feet and Peter objected, verses 6-8.
There is a very interesting phrase used by Peter, verse 8. Peter tells the Lord that He, "shall never wash his feet." In essence Peter was saying, "not so Lord" which Peter would do three times in his life, Matthew 16:22, in this passage and when told to go to the Gentiles with the gospel message, Acts 10:14.
Peter said to the Lord three times, "Not so Lord." You know it is impossible to use that phrase, "Not so Lord." If indeed Jesus Christ is "Lord", you cannot say, "Not so". If you say, "Not so", then Jesus is not Lord.
Jesus was demonstrating to His disciples, who He had been training for three years, how to be humble and to lead, as a “servant”. The best kind of leader in the world and in the church is one who leads by serving.
This passage describes a very special evening that would remind those Jewish disciples at the table of the time of the Passover, that very first Passover almost 1,500 years before the meal Jesus had with His disciples that night.
The lamb that they ate at the meal represented the "Passover lamb" whose blood had been used to paint the "doorpost" of the homes in Egypt on the night of the first "Passover".
The next afternoon, about eighteen hours later, Jesus would become our "Passover lamb" when He would be sacrificed to provide for our salvation.
Please note one more item in this passage, verse 19. The Lord Jesus Christ tells His very worried disciples that He was telling them what was going to happen before it happened, so that when it did come to pass they would know, and believe, that He was who He said He was and would, and could do what He said He would do, as well.
This is the "essence of prophecy", we can rest assured that He is the Messiah because He has given us prophetic truth, and in fact, laid out a scenario of what will happen in the future. In current events we can see the "stage being set" for these prophecies to be fulfilled.
That's what Bible prophecy does, it gives us the evidence that He is the One who does what He says He can do, and will do, according to His prophetic Word. That also gives us assurance, a blessed assurance, of the reality of an all mighty, powerful, prophecy-fulfilling holy God.
Therefore, we should everyday be looking for Him to call us up into the heavenlies to be with Him forever more at the Rapture, which could happen today. Keep looking up.

Prayer Thot: Thank you Lord for being who You said You are and doing what You said You would do. And we look forward to the future and Your promises to be fulfilled, as well.

John 14 vs27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

For further study - John 14:1-31

As I was selecting the passage for our devotional reading today, I looked at John 14 and realized it was all so good, I decided to use the entire chapter for our extended reading.
There is such great truth in the whole chapter. In this devotional I'll share several highlights and I am sure you could add other great highlights, if you were writing the devotional.
Notice that our key verse and the first verse of John 14 both have the phrase, "Let not your heart be troubled." As you read these two verses you must remember the circumstances surrounding this chapter.
Jesus was with His disciples in an "upper room" and had been celebrating the "Passover Seder", the time when the Jews annually rehearse the story of the Exodus and would have a meal similar to the one their forefathers would have had on the first Passover Seder.
It was the meal of lamb, the "Passover Lamb", and "unleavened bread," along with "bitter herbs" the three ingredients called for in scripture. These foodstuffs were to remind the Jewish people of what took place some 1,500 years before that night recorded in John 14.
The next afternoon Jesus Christ would be crucified on Passover at 3:00 PM, in the last part of the Jewish day, which concluded at sundown. The disciples must have been having anxiety attacks not knowing what would, or could happen to them when Jesus was crucified.
The Lord comforts them with His words, "Let not your heart be troubled." Our key verse adds, "neither let it be afraid." This is, as well, the Lord's words of comfort for us even today when we face troublesome times.
The Lord also told them that when He went away, the Father would send the "Comforter", the Holy Spirit, verses 16 & 26. Jesus said the "Comforter" would not only comfort them but also teach them all things and bring all things to their remembrance that He had taught them.
This is another very practical promise for us today. The Lord began His comforting exhortation with the promise that He was going into theheavenlies to prepare a place for those of us who are a "prepared people," believers in Christ, Christians.
This promise also contained the promise of His coming back to get them, and us, and then to go with Him to that "prepared place." By the way, this passage is not talking about the Second Coming but instead it's the first mention of the Rapture.
At the Second Coming we return to Earth with Jesus, riding white horses, Revelation 19 & Zechariah 14, to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. This passage says, "I will come again and receive you unto Myself", verse 3. The passage is not describing the Second Coming, but is describing the Rapture, the time when we respond to His shout to enter theheavenlies to be with Him forevermore.
Remember, the disciples were very anxious that night, this new truth must have gone right over their heads. It would be around twenty-five years later before the Apostle Paul would make it very clear about the Rapture, I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
This is the first mention of the Rapture in scripture, and our Lord made the promise that it would happen, thus it will happen. The truth is that the Rapture could happen at any moment. There is not one prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture. All prophecies remaining to be fulfilled happen after the rapture.
Keep looking up ... it could be today.
Prayer Thot: Thank you Lord for the promise of the rapture, help me to be prepared, pure and productive until I hear Your shout to join You in the heavenlies.
John 16 vs13 - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. For further study - John 16:1-15

Today I have chosen a very practical portion of scripture for our devotional reading, a passage that is practical and prophetic.

John 16 takes place at the end of the "Passover Seder" that Jesus and His disciples were observing the night before Jesus would be crucified the next afternoon at 3:00pm on the day of "Passover".

Jesus was still teaching His disciples at the meal before His arrest, followed by the night of beating and Crucifixion the next day. He was also trying to comfort and encourage His disciples, these men who had traveled with Jesus for the last 3 1/2 years leading up to "Passion Week."

These men were very anxious not knowing what would happen to them.

Jesus had told them that He was going to be crucified. For the last six months before the Lord's death the disciples were aware of what would happen to Jesus but fearful of what might befall them.

Jesus told them that it was actually expedient that He must die, "go away", verse 7, because if He did not depart the earth the "Comforter" would not come to them. Using the term "Comforter" Jesus was referring to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, verse 8, would "reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment". Verses 12-14 give us much insight into the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which is somewhat different than what the world thinks that ministry is today.

Jesus said that He must depart so that then the Holy Spirit would be able to come. Don't misunderstand, the Holy Spirit is "omnipresent," He is always present, but the Lord was referring to the new, unique ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 13 says that the Holy Spirit. " shall not speak of Himself ". Any activity that would attract attention to the Holy Spirit is not of God, according to Jesus. Verse 14 says that the Holy Spirit's ministry is to glorify Jesus, "He should glorify Me."

No one should ever praise the Holy Spirit for what He, the Holy Spirit, has done. The Holy Spirit should not speak of Himself but only glorify Jesus. There is another ministry for the Holy Spirit according to Jesus. Jesus said, verse 12, that "He had many things to tell us but we may not be able to bare them."

Therefore, Jesus must go so He can send the Holy Spirit to "guide us into all truth", verse 13. And "to show us things to come".

I often tell those who hear me preach and say that I have given them so much information they don't know if they can assimilate it into their brain, I tell them that it's in their brain, having entered through their "ear gate" by listening to me, and that the Holy Spirit will teach them the prophetic truths of God's Word.

What a blessed thing that Jesus did for us, not only His death, burial and resurrection that gives us eternal life, but His sending of the Holy Spirit to teach us things to come.

Prayer Thot: Thank you Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit to teach us things to come. Allow the knowledge of these prophetic truths to help us live our lives as we await Your soon return.


John 17 vs.24 - Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

For further study - John 17:1-26

Today's portion of scripture from the Gospel of John is the record of the "Lord's Prayer". But you may say, I thought the prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven", Matthew 6:9-13, was the "Lord's Prayer".

Actually the Matthew passage is the "Disciple's Prayer", the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. It's the model prayer for all of our prayers.

The extended reading for our devotional today, John 17, is the "Lord's Prayer". It is the prayer that Jesus made to the Father on His way to the Garden of Gethsemane, right after the "Last Supper", the evening before Jesus would be crucified in Jerusalem the next afternoon.

It is a prayer worth reading over and over again. There are so many Biblical truths that we can glean from these twenty-six verses. As is the case always, I can only point out a few of these blessed truths or principles that we can, and must, appropriate for ourselves.

Verses 1-3 tell us that Jesus is the "way", the only way to "life eternal", the One that God the Father sent to give us this "life eternal".

On the evening just before He would be crucified, the next day, Jesus told the Father that He, the Son, had come to the point of the "finished work", He had been sent to do in this world, verse 4.

We also get a glimpse of the Lord's "intercessory ministry" as He prays to God for those of us who are His children, through salvation, verses 6-10.

The prayers of Jesus, to His Father, were for the Father to "keep us", in the world. This is a world we will live in until He calls us up to be with Him at the Rapture, or we die and go to be with Him, verses 11-12.

We are reminded that though "we are still in this world, we are not of this world", verses 15-16. The Lord's Prayer for us is that we be kept from evil, verse 15. Verse 17 tells us how we can be "set apart", sanctified, in this word through His Word which is truth.

We see that as the Father sent Jesus into this world on a mission, we are also sent, by Jesus, into the world on a mission. I love verse 24. The Lord's Prayer to the Father is that those of us who are saved will be with Jesus, where He is, at this time.

This is a prayer that will be answered at the Rapture of the Church when we who are Christians will be caught up to be with Him in answer to the Lord's Prayer. I don't know about you but I can hardly wait for that to happen.

The Rapture could happen today, the Lord's Prayers could be answered today. Keep looking up, it could well be today.

Prayer Thot: Thank you Lord for Your prayers on my behalf and for Your intercessory ministry today. I await the day that Your prayer for me to be where You are will be answered as well, maybe today.

John 21 vs25 - And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

For further study - John 21:12-25

To me this is an exciting passage of scripture for a number of reasons.

The time is after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the location is the shores of the Sea of Galilee which is one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Israel.

The disciples had been out fishing, verses 3-11, while the risen Saviour, Jesus Christ was on the shore actually cooking, preparing a meal for His disciples. I love His invitation to the disciples, "Come and dine", verse 12.

The opportunity to sit and have a meal with Jesus, the Messiah, would be such a blessing. One day we will join Him at the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb", what a day that will be for all of us who love Him.

There is a very interesting conversation that goes on between Jesus and Peter that gives us instructions for our own lives, if we appropriate this exhortation found in verses 15-17.

As we eavesdrop on the conversation we hear Jesus ask Peter three times if he, as a disciple of Christ, really loved Him. Each time Peter responded with, "Thou knowest I love thee".

The Lord's response to Peter was then for Him to "feed, My lambs", the ones that Jesus had given salvation. The exhortation from Jesus is, "If you love me, go work with those I have given eternal life". And as was the case with Peter, we will help them grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Another very interesting passage is the next part of the Lord's conversation with Peter, verses 18-24. In essence, Jesus says to Peter, that His trusted disciple, verse 18, would get old before he died.

Maybe at first glance you don't notice anything about this statement; however, as I thought about the fact that Jesus told Peter he would get old before he died meant that the Rapture could not have happened until after Peter's death.

A study of Acts reveals that Peter, along with the other disciples, believed that Jesus might come back to earth, after His ascension, at any moment. The truth be known, Jesus could not Rapture Peter out of this world, he was to die in old age.

What's exciting is that Peter worked as if the Lord could come at any moment and He went out with the other disciples and turned the world "upside down", Acts 17:6.

The personal application for us is that today, Jesus could call us at "any moment" to join Him in the air at the Rapture of the Church. We must follow Peter's example and go out and turn the world "right side up", it's already "upside down".

One more thought before we leave this passage, look at verse 25. All that Jesus did was not recorded for us to read in this book or any other book, only what He knew we needed to know.

The reason it was not written was that there is not a library, or even the world, that could contain all the books that should have been written about Jesus Christ, What a life Jesus lived.

Prayer Thot: Help me Lord to be faithful to read Your Word so I can "feed Your lambs" as I also feed myself and await Your shout to join You in the air.

Jonah 1 verses 1-2 - Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

For further study - Jonah 1: 1-17

Someone has said the book of Jonah is the greatest fish story they have ever read. It is true the prophet Jonah has an interesting relationship with a "great fish" but that is not the storyline that brings the meaning to this unique prophetic book among the books in Jewish history. The prophet Jonah lived near the hometown of Jesus - Nazareth and in fact was referred to, and thus vouched for by a very famous neighbor, none other than Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 12: 39-41).

Jonah was called to be a missionary - prophet, a Jewish missionary - prophet, to the very large Gentile city of Nineveh. As you read the narrative of Jonah's travels, at least the first of his journey, you will see that the prophet heads out in the opposite direction from where the Lord told Him to go.

Jonah went off to Joppa where he found a boat going to the west and he went on board, paid the fare and was on his way to Tarshish (most likely Spain of today). The problelm was that Tarshish was southwest from his hometown and Nineveh, where God told him to go, is northeast from Jonah's home.

Jonah went in the exact opposite direction from where God told him to go.

The shipmates of Jonah finally realized that the Hebrew prophet was the reason for the high winds and stormy conditions at sea which were about to destroy their boat. The only thing to do was have Jonah leave the boat. Now that is a real problem when you are out to sea.

They had the ship's crew throw Jonah overboard - to what they thought would be his certain death.

However, since God had a plan for Jonah to reach out to the Gentiles of Nineveh, the Lord would provide a "great fish" to care for Jonah, along the way to take care of the Lord's mission.

There are many great prophetic and practical issues in the four chapters of Jonah, some of which we will look at together in a future prophetic devotional. Let me at this time bring the prophetic book of Jonah up to our time as we see it reveal some important truths. Jonah helps us to learn we can run, but we can't hide, as we flee the direction God wants us to go. He has ways of bringing us back to the path we must follow.

One other thought is that God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, the biblical name of the area we know as Musul in northern Iraq today. God had a plan for Nineveh then and He has a plan for Nineveh and her sister city Babylon today.

These two biblical cities will both play a key role in Bible prophecy, evidence we are quickly approaching the endtime scenario found in His word for modern day Iraq.

We are in what the Bible refers to as "the last days". These are the days when Jesus could shout and call us to join Him in the heavenlies. Today could be that day, so let's keep looking up.......Until.

PRAYER THOT: As I live in these last days, help me to be obedient to your call on my life and make sure I go in the right direction.


Jonah 2 vs10 

And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

For further study - Jonah 2:1-10

The little book of Jonah is a very unique book of prophecy. It contains prophecy, miracles, repentance, revival, and even the account of Jewish-Gentile relations. Remember, Jonah was Jewish, the one God sent to a Gentile people there in Nineveh.
The last verse of Jonah 1 reveals to us that Jonah, having been cast overboard by the fishermen, would end up in the belly of a "great fish" for three days and three nights. That is where we catch Jonah, our rebellious Jewish prophet, in the belly of a great fish.
The narrative reveals that Jonah would suffer for his disobedience to the Lord. It makes it very clear that Jonah would actually die in the belly of this great fish. You might be thinking, "I've never heard that before." Okay then, let's look at the evidence for the death of Jonah while in rebellion.

In verse 2, Jonah says "out of the belly of hell" cried I. The Hebrew word for "hell" is "sheol." Sheol is, in the Old Testament, the place to which the dead go. Verse 4 says, "yet I will look again towards the Holy Temple." "The waters compassed me about even to the soul”, verse 5. It seems to indicate death had taken Jonah.

Notice verse 6, "yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption." Jonah had been brought up from the corruption of death. I believe that Jonah died in the belly of that great fish and God resurrected the rebellious prophet to do the ministry the Lord had given him to do - go to Nineveh and preach, chapter 3:2.

God did not preserve Jonah in the belly of the great fish, because Jonah died. The greater miracle than the preservation of Jonah in the great fish's belly, is the resurrection from the dead. This scenario would fit what Jesus said in Matthew 12:40.

Jesus compared Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the whale. He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The end result of Jesus in death in the earth is that he would resurrect from the dead. The parallel suggests that Jonah also was resurrected from the dead.

By the way, this passage helps us to understand the time of the crucifixion of Jesus as well. He had to be in the earth three days and three nights, not two days and two nights, which would indicate a Friday crucifixion. That discussion is for another time and another devotional.

If you ever wondered if Jonah was in the belly of a great fish, whale or not, for three days and three nights, Jesus confirms it with His statement in Matthew. The Bible is not made up of fairy tales but real literal events in history.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for an infallible, inerrant word from You, to me.