22nd Feb 2011

Please note I will not me updated this blog for two weeks whilst I am away in Europe.

17th Feb 2011

John 8:1-11 – Jesus at the Mount of Olives.

• “Darkness and Light – a warning to leaders! part 2”
• We can learn a similar lesson today to that of yesterdays.
• Jesus’ enemies try to trap him.
• They bring a woman caught in adultery and essentially give Jesus two options.
• First; agree with the law that she should be stoned. This would get him in trouble with the Roman authorizes because they did not allow the Jews to carry out the death sentence.
• Secondly; disagree that she should be stoned and thereby appear to be breaking God’s law.
• Jesus, as per usual points to a third way.
• But the lesson I learn from today is that not only can we as leaders lie by hiding the full truth in order to promote our particular angle on things and do it in the guise of protecting the flock [see yesterdays blog] but…
• We can lie by hiding the full facts of a situation we are presiding over.
• The law actually stated that stoning was only commissioned if the woman was a betrothed virgin and both parties had to be stoned – the man and the woman.
• For some reason the man and therefore his story were not presented.
• When dealing with sensitive issues there are of course times when we should not share all the facts at it might damage people for no reason and restrict restoration.
• BUT
• Sometimes we do it for political reasons. We are tempted to hide the fullness of what we did or they did in order to present our case.
• Again – faith in Jesus means we should become more transparent in our actions.
• As we are candid we allow God to deal with us more fully.
• A simple reminder today that God is a God of light not darkness.
• Praying I will allow God to shine a light on my life and truth Him with the consequences of that.

16th Feb 2011

John 7:45-53 – Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders.

• “Warts and all – a warning to leaders!”
• The Temple guards return but not with Jesus.
• This angers the Pharisees who sent them out for that express reason.
• On their return they chide the guards and their pride leads them to point out two things. One is certainly false and both are possibly untrue.
• Firstly, in the form of a question they infer than none of them [the religious leaders of Israel] had put their faith in Jesus. As well as being a prideful statement it was possibly untrue; Nicodemus had at least put enough Faith in Jesus wisdom to pursue him at night. Had he done more than that?
• Secondly and more importantly; they seem to lie to the guards about the fact that no prophet had come out of Galilee.
• That was not true; Jonah was from Galilee.
• Even the Talmud, the Jewish set of rabbinical teachings agrees that this is untrue;
• “There was not a tribe in Israel that did not produce ptrophets”. Recorded statement by Rabbi Eli’ezer in Sukkah 72b.
• The greek text means that they could have been saying that no prophet will in the future come out of Galilee – but this seems unlikely as it is a mute point. Not all prophets were prophesied about.
• The Leaders were falling into a trap that Christian leaders must always avoid!
• They were lying by hiding the full truth.
• And they were doing it to promote there particular point of view.
• But in the guise of protecting their flock from heresy.
• It happens more often that we like to admit.
• If we have faith in the word of God we should not need to do this.
• Transparency allows the Bible to work its magic rather than us to work our manipulation.
• Teaching truth is not the only important thing… teaching truth truthfully is!
• The Bible is full of difficulties, problems, questions, conflicts, paradox and our translations have human interpretation all over them.
• My old Pastor; Harry Letson used to say that the great thing about the Bible is it comes ‘warts and all’ – referring to an old historic character who, when he had his portrait commissioned, told the painter not to effectively airbrush him but to include all his odd characteristics….”warts and all”.
• I’ve sat under Harry’s preaching and many others. Not all have been as honest as he was and so I still thank God for Harry – he made a point of pointing out other perspectives. Something that I hope I can learn from.
• Thanking God today for Harry.

15th Feb 2011

John 7:25-44 – Jesus goes to the festival of tabernacles.

• “Easy Answers? – a Challenge”
• Today I will change the way I write my journal for a day. I get lots of interaction with others on my devotionals and so I will make the most of it.
• In today’s passage Jesus stands up and essential says I am the answer to everything that is going on right now!
• I want to challenge those reading this to answer why?
• Can you see any of at least 10 things Jesus is fulfilling at this moment?
• Any of the 10 or so prophesies or symbols that are being celebrated that point to him?
• Please put your answers in the Facebook Comment under this post?
• As the discussion goes on I will add my thoughts.
• Looking for easy answers or would you rather participate in the answer?

14th Feb 2011

John 7:14-24 – Jesus teaches at the festival.

• “The Key to Understanding”
• Today I discovered that what I had surmised was correct.
• Jesus explicitly says something that I have always believed He inferred many times.
• Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was once asked to summarize Christianity in one word. Her answer…
• “Choice”.
• She may have been an unusual person to ask and her answer may seem odd but I totally agree with her.
• After the last two passages being all about people who failed to understand Jesus message, Jesus tells us the key to understanding;

• Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

• You can only understand Jesus if you enter the conversation with a heart that chooses to do His will.
• This is why the Pharisees and many of the wider circle of disciples could not understand Him. They were not listening to find out how best to suit God’s will but to find out how God’s will could best suit them.
• The key to multiplication according to Jesus in His parable of the sower or the four soils is; understanding.
• But how do we know if our hearts are choosing to do God’s will?
• Jesus goes on to present a din-torah, a legal ruling.
• One of the issues that often came up in religious law [and still does] is which of God’s laws should I choose when one conflicts with another?
• I have covered this before – but here is a specific situation.
• The Jews had made a halakhic decision between two laws; Do not work on the Sabbath; circumcise a child on their 8^th day of their life.
• Circumcision was done by professionals with special tools and therefore this was considered work.
• The Jews of Jesus’ day had decided that circumcision trumped Shabbat.
• Jesus uses their ruling to do two things;
1. First he defends His working of miracle. He refers to a ruling in the Talmud, tractate Shabbat in doing so. He uses the argument technique of Kal v’chomer [light and heavy] made popular by Hillel – usually expressed in the phrase “how much more then”. His din-torah influenced Rabbinic teaching and was later copied by Rabbi El’azar who lived a couple of generations later. [Yoma 85b]
2. Secondly and more key to today’s point; He uses it to confront them on the real issue… the issue of the choice of their hearts.
• Jesus was always going straight for the heart of the matter.
• He often ignored the pretense of the religious leaders and knew what they were thinking.
• He always pointed to the elephant that was given room in their hearts.
• The Pharisees had chosen in their hearts that appearances and their religion were more important than Gods work. Appearances and religion suited them.
• But to understand Jesus we need to choose to stop judging by appearances that make us look good and instead judge correctly by searching for God’s heart on the matter.
• Praying for a heart that can gain me understanding.

10th Feb 2011

John 7:1-13 – Jesus goes to the festival of tabernacles.

• “Does perfection take advise?”
• I’m a bit frustrated by this passage today.
• There is apparently a textual question where it reports that Jesus says; “I am not going up”.
• The preferred reading is ouk – I am not going up
• Some manuscripts have oupo – I am not going yet
• Another says that the tense of the word ouk can mean – I am not going at present
• The main problem that has led to this questioning of Jesus’ meaning is because shortly after saying He would not go… He did.
• My personal belief after reading the arguments is that the first word is correct. The main word used ouk meaning “I am not going”.
• The reason is because of the context and what happens in tomorrows passage.
• I think Jesus perhaps initially intended to stay away but after advice decided to go.
• I really could be wrong here though.
• I just struggle with my initial denial of this. I could not believe that Jesus was swayed by his brothers.
• But then I am wondering; can Jesus not take advice? Does being without sin mean you know exactly what to do every moment. The Holy Spirit led Jesus biut sometimes he needed to go and pray before making major decisions. Maybe He also needed to take advise from time to time?
• Like I say – I could be wrong.
• But for me at least – a leader who never takes advice is actually less than perfect.
• Anyway… something to think about for me today.

9th Feb 2011

John 6:60-70 – Many Disciples Desert Jesus.

• “Multiculturalism… an Oxymoron?”
• Late night CNN ran a story about David Cameron, the Prime Minister of England.
• He apparently declared that ‘State Multiculturalism’ was a failure.
• I think Jesus might have told him that.
• In our passage today we realize that Jesus is not collecting hangers on or even followers. It goes beyond that. He is creating a new kind of person who will make up and advance His Kingdom.
• In order to get a group of people who were “once not a people” into a movement that will change the world, you have to create a culture in which that movement can grow.
• Culture not control.
• Control stifles growth but culture provides its nutrients.
• But there is an element of control that goes into building culture. Certain things are required. Laws do not create a culture but common values do. Such as;

o   A common language

o   A common purpose

o   A common dream

o   A common ethos

• On Pais we hope to have all of these. You can tell someone who has been on Pais for a while because we all start using the same language. I can say one word in a Pais environment and many things are communicated because we all understand what that concept means. An outsider will just hear the word and often not understand its meaning.
• Culture is always exclusive in that you have to choose to be part of it.
• Jesus in this passage is sifting out those who want to bring their own agenda into His. But in Jesus’ culture there can be no other culture than a Kingdom culture.
• Fortunately Kingdom culture can be adopted by anybody of any gender, race or age. We can bring into it our skills and background, our national identity and our accent.
1. But we cannot say with our lips He is Lord and then gossip.
2. We cannot seek first the Kingdom… second.
3. We cannot sit at his right hand without drinking from the cup He drank from.
4. We cannot take the communion of grace but drink it in an unworthy manner.
• Cameron maybe right, Jesus certain is; “Kingdom Multiculturalism” has failed.
• It’s an oxymoron.
• Praying today for hope.

8th Feb 2011

John 6:25-59 – Jesus the Bread of Life.

• “Why not doing a miracle brings the greatest faith ”
• As this is connected to tomorrow’s passage I will say only a little here.
• What is odd here is Jesus’ unwillingness to help certain members of his audience understand; especially when it seems His teaching was all about encouraging insight.
• The more they could not understand the more their discomfort grew with what He said.
1. grumbling v42
2. disputing v52
3. refusal v60
4. rejection v66
•  I wonder if it was that He did not want them to understand because of the conclusion they would still come to?
• Their demand for a greater miracle than the one they had just seen Him do and their incorrect praise of Moses as the miracle worker reminds me of children who play one parent off against another to try and get a better present.
• It is as though they are asking Jesus to impress them and if He does better than Moses they will believe him.
• There is no point passing on understanding if our hearts are bad.
• In fact for understanding to take root it is planted in our minds but has to take root in our hearts.
• Instead it seems Jesus decides to allow their discontent to grow because what comes next teaches us an even greater lesson.
• The Bible teaches that God hardens people hearts in various places in the Bible. Doing so leads to either their near destruction and therefore a desperation to turn to him or it leads to others learning from their mistake.
• Either way it glorifies Him.
• In other words; sometimes not doing a miracle brings the greater glory to God.
• Playing for a good heart.

7h Feb 2011

• 1 Corinthians 13:7 - Love
• “Egypt”
• Wanted to take a quick break from the passages today to reflect of the whole crisis in Egypt.
• I tweeted and Facebooked the following last night;

• “Christians in #Egypt protect Muslims while they pray. Christians in the West protest Muslims building a place to pray. Which will win the heart of Muslims?”
• It was a thought inspired by the constant retweets of those interacting with the young people who were tweeting yesterday from Tahir Square.
• The original tweet that was retweeted was this: “Christians in Egypt protect Muslims while they pray. Christians in the USA protest Muslims building a place to pray.”
• One person really struggled with this idea – believing that Muslims are our enemies because their religion tells them they have to be. And that if they are our enemies they cannot be saved by our actions only by God.
• I disagree with both of those thoughts.
• But rather than answering in my own words I want to quote other people’s thoughts that were posted later on my FB status.
• Love always hopes, always perseveres, always wins, doesn't know how to give up or when it is beaten, simply put LOVE NEVER FAILS, no weapon that is formed against love will prevail.
• Jesus was once asked "Who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus told the story of the Good Pakistani...sorry Samaritan! :)
• Do good unto them...pray for them that....bless them that curse you. Love your enemies. Let me know if you need more. Love will conquer our fear.
• One of the many questions that this discussion poses it this; do we see Muslims as our enemies or are they people to show God’s love to.
• Another question is; when the Muslim people were crying out to God for help… did God hear them?
• And if He does hear them, does He want to respond using His people?
• And if He wants to respond using His people, then what would How exactly would He go about that?
• Praying today that I will not battle against flesh and blood but spiritual principalities and powers.

7th Feb 2011

New Book Video

For More Details go to www.facebook.com/thecloudandtheline

4th Feb 2011

John 6:16-24 – Jesus walks on water..

• “Funny what you miss”
• Oddly – I have very little that occurs to me about this passage.
• The thing I most noticed is what I have previously missed.
• There are two miracles it seems in this passage.
• Jesus walks on water.
• Then the boat immediately arrives at its destination.
• I had never noticed this second thing until today.
• I suppose there is even a simply lesson here.
• Sometimes God’s miracles outshine the others so we don’t even notice them.
• We notice the miracle that frightened the disciples but the one that actually helped them and kept them safe we don’t notice.
• It’s a bit like the difference between these two scenarios.
1. A Plane loses two engines, the pilot tells the passengers. They panic, pray, scream and when he lands the plane safely heap all kinds of praise on him.
2. A Plane loses two engines, the pilot does not tell the passengers. So no-one panics, no-one prays, no-one screams and no-one says anything as they get off the plane.

• The passengers were in equal danger and yet their praise and admiration for their pilot was completely affected by what they did or did not notice.
• Funny what I miss.
• I expect I only see the very dramatic and only thank God for the recues from the dangers I see myself in. I wonder how often he rescues me and I never notice.
• Something for me to think about today.

3rd Feb 2011

John 6:1-15 – Jesus feeds the Five Thousand.

• “So near yet so far”
• The size of the crowds in this story are particularly amazing when you consider where he was.
• The North Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee puts the crowds near Bethsaida.
• The Orthodox Triangle of Bethsaida, Korazin and Capernaum probably had significantly less than ten thousand people between them and so for five thousand to be gathered here shows Jesus’ popularity in that region and their expectation that He was The Prophet.
• Jesus turns to Peter because Peter was from Bethsaida. There’s almost a sense of Jesus communicating to the disciples that they have a responsibility not just to teach and attract a crowd but to show them common hospitality.
• Again Jesus shows His normal practice of honoring the customs and beliefs of the people by demanding that the food be gathered up.
• Halakha commanded that no left over food be destroyed.
• The Mishna [b'rakhot 52b] states the religious guideline that no piece of food larger than an olive be left but should be gathered up.
• Jesus it seemed in many ways fulfilled the peoples hopes of being the Messiah,
• He could attract the crowds
• He did miracles
• He honored their customs.
• Yet at the end of today’s passage He withdrew from their attempts to crown Him their King.
• So near yet so far!
• Many others were to be similarly disappointed.
• Here’s an unedited except from my first book;
• The Zealots hoped for a militaristic leader to set up a new world order by first over throwing the Romans...but were disappointed by a Jesus who taught His disciples to carry their enemy’s backpack an extra mile.
• The Sadducees would have loved a Rabbi who preached the extra mile sermon and would not rock the boat...but were threatened by a man who preached a new kind of kingdom.
• The Essenes’ philosophy of sharing and community, plus their commitment to a less materialistic life style, had obviously influenced Jesus…but they were confused by a Messiah who engaged a city that they rejected.
• The Pharisees thought they had hit the jackpot when Jesus told his Talmidin to do what they taught…, but were forever disgruntled when He forbid them to do as they did.
• It is not good enough simply to be a leader, we have to be a leader the ways God has designed us to lead.
• This relates to yesterdays passage; God’s leader seek God’s ordination not mans.
• Praying that I will be a Godly leader.

2nd Feb 2011

John 5:16-30 – Testimonies about Jesus.

• “Holy Scriptures”
• Jesus speaks to those who diligently study scriptures but cannot believe in Him.
• There is a problem for some of us.
• God is three in one.
• Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Not
• Father, Son and Holy Scriptures.
• I love the Bible but the Bible is not God. You can study the Bible until you are blue in the face but it does not guarantee you will discover God.
• Jesus gives three reasons why some study but do not find.
• They study but do not seek – they seek instead the praise of men, in fact that is probably why they study. Preferring the praise of men to the praise of God will always create a spiritual blindfold within us. It automatically makes it much harder for us to see Him. It is interesting how the most insecure people on the planet – performers – tend to have a great deal of award ceremonies. They need that constant affirmation.
• They study but it does not stay – the Jewish New Testament compiled by believers translate “dwell” as stay. This fits into the third part of the thinking process in the Jewish mind “daat”. This is where what is understood stays within us and becomes part of us. It is where we do certain things to help what we have understood become part of who we are. We act upon what we understand, we meditate upon it etc.
• They study but do not love – I believe to truly find God we have to be prepared to love what He loves. Just loving Him for what He does for us I at least believe again limits our view of Him. I think Jesus sees this in them. They will only love based on what they get from God and so His love is hidden from them.
• The Bible testifies about Jesus. All the way through it the Word points to Him. But we need to pray for the right heart to hear it, understand it and allow it to stay in our hearts.
• Praying for that today.

1st Feb 2011

• John 5:16-30 - The Authority of the Son.
• “My Father”
• Lots of different doctrinal and theological issues that I could look at here from the interesting Jewish concept of six millennia being work days and the seventh being a millennia of Sabbath to salvation itself.
• But I’ll stick to the main theme of authority.
• Jesus’ authority comes from His relationship to the father.
• The Jews were open to call God ‘Our’ Father but what creates the huge issue is the term ‘My’ Father. With this Jesus equates Himself to God.
• It is Jesus’ position that gives Him authority here; He is in submission to the Father and this gives Him authority on earth.
• The idea that Jesus is not God but just a good man would make Him far more palatable to far more people but as CS Lewis points out; He was Mad, Bad or God. Take your pick but because of what He said about Himself He does not allow us the flexibility to just call Him good.
• What gave Jesus His sense of authority to heal, forgive, judge and going against the grain was His sense of place. He knew Who He was, where He was going and Who He was in relationship to the  Father.
• Many people have become independent spokesman for Jesus. There's no such thing.
• They just do the ministry that they like to do but have opted out from the equation.
• It always has a limited impact and often ends in disaster.
• But in the Kingdom of God submission gives us authority.
• Satan took himself out of the equation. He was a leader and angels followed him. But he grasped the opportunity.
• I don’t want to be a leader like the devil.
• I want to be a leader in God’s equation.