Exploring God's Colossal Promises
Miracles are messy and controversial. In John 9, after Jesus heals a blind beggar, the poor guy gets into hot water with the Religion Police. Will we avoid miracles, or will we seek what Jesus is doing today without concern that His miracles will rock the boat?
When Jesus invites us to walk with Him, it’s not for a stroll in the park but a march of endurance. Yet He promises we “will never walk in darkness,” and “the truth will set us free.” (John 8:12 & 32) Jesus teaches us how to find the strength for the journey in John 8.
When faced with ethical choices, some people ask: “What would Jesus do?” But when Jesus was in such circumstances, what question did He ask? In John 8:1-11, the enemies of Jesus drag before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Hefting rocks, they throw a hard question at Jesus, “Moses said to stone this disgraceful woman. But what do you say, Jesus?” In John 8:28-29 Jesus says that He does nothing without the initiative of God the Father. So, in this ethical dilemma, what does the Father show Jesus to say and do?
How accurate is your enemy detector? One positive byproduct of pushback is that we discern who are God’s friends and who are God’s enemies. Who is opposing you right now? On the surface, do they appear to be God’s friends or God’s enemies? Below the surface, which are they? Will we stand up to them or back down? Which did Jesus do?
Do you have a game plan for your life? Will you follow God’s path or limit yourself to human wisdom? In John 7:1-10, Jesus addresses this issue. No matter the threats and danger, Jesus never backs down. He refuses to be less than who He really is — the Son of God sent to do and say only what the Father shows Him. How about us? Which game plan will we seek to follow?
Are you a Christian or a disciple? Is there a difference? Discipleship is Relationship! Discipleship is Rabbi Jesus walking with us through every event of our lives. Are you all in?
Was Jesus in charge of His life, exercising His super powers as He saw fit? Did He make a To Do List every morning and just do it? In John 5, Jesus says He was not a lone wolf. Instead, someone else was calling the shots. Who?
On the 4th of July, do you want to sing and pray for the USA? Try my Dad’s lyrics, inspired by the old spiritual “There Is a Balm in Gilead.”
In a play a foreshadowed character is mentioned in Act 1 but does not appear until the last Act. When he finally arrives, he powerfully impacts the outcome of the drama. In the Bible, the major foreshadowed character is Jesus, the Messiah. But then Jesus foreshadows the coming of another major character, someone so important that he is one of the 10 building blocks of life in Christ. Who is he? The short video explains.
Collision Course. John 3 is a collision of ideas expressed by Jesus and Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish High Council. Reading the Bible is exciting as we detect the building blocks of life in Christ and allow them to collide with any false beliefs that are stunting our growth in Christ. www.philbickel.com/bb-john3/
In John 2, by means of a wedding, a whip, and the promise of a whopper miracle Jesus models how to live life to the max. Will we stretch our faith to accept God’s colossal blessings, or will we shrink His promises to the size of our tiny faith? Fullness or fraction?
At lift off, a space shuttle spews a lot of fire and fury. To us whose knowledge of rocket science is limited to 4th of July fireworks, it seems as though the craft is rising very slowly. Our search in the Gospel of John for the 10 building blocks of life in Christ has a similar gradual-but-steady beginning. Read how the voyage begins in John 1.