Christian Reflection and Prayer

"His Terms or Ours?"
By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 6:35-44, 51-66.
"After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked
with Him" (John 6:66). 

Lenten Devotion- The crowds want Jesus to be their King so He can
provide for their daily lives. Jesus has so much more He wants to
give them. He shows this by talking about the manna God gave the
Israelites in the wilderness. Sure, the manna sustained them day by
day. However, it eventually failed them, and every one of them finally
died. Jesus wants to give something far greater than manna. He
wants to give us Himself -- the true Bread from heaven that allows a
person to eat and live forever.

That was more than the crowds were willing to accept. They were
offended when He said His flesh was that bread. Jesus knew they
were upset. Yet rather than backing off, He turned up the heat and
pushed even harder, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
" Many in the crowds rejected His terms, turned away and stopped
following Him.

What do you think Jesus did? Do you picture Him running after them,
calling them back? Not the King of Israel, He stands firm as the
multitudes walk away into the darkness. In time even more will
abandon Him. Soon He will hang alone on the cross in the darkness,
but He will stand firm to the end to save us.

Every human who encounters the King of kings through the Gospel
reaches this fork in the road. Repent and believe in Jesus and you
will live with Him in heaven forever. Turn away in unbelief and you will
die forever.

THE PRAYER:

 Holy Lord, empower me to set aside my hesitation and follow You
in faith. Amen.

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 6:22-27.
"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking
Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of
the loaves'" (John 6:26).  

Lenten Devotion- After the festival Jesus returned north to Galilee.
He spent a whole day preaching and then fed the huge crowd with
five loaves and two fish. That night after He sent them away, He
walked across the Sea of Galilee. Gathering again the next day,
the crowds walked around the lake to find Him.

At first those people sound like genuine followers of Jesus. But
our Lord knows better. They aren't really there for Him; they are
there for themselves. They want Jesus to be their king -- but only
on their terms. They aren't concerned with their deep eternal needs
like He is; they only want what Jesus can give them in the present.

We can be just as near-sighted as they. We are consumed with
today's needs and desires, but we don't see the more significant
eternal gifts Christ comes to bring. So we ask Him to help us
through our needs and problems, but we don't give a single thought
to His Kingdom and the part He would have us play in that Kingdom.

That is why coming to Christ in worship is so vital. Each week in
church He shows us the bigger picture -- the unending punishment
we deserve for our selfish, disobedient lives, as well as the
forgiveness and eternal future He gives us through His life, death and
resurrection. Yes, He knows and cares about all our earthly needs
and will provide for each of them just as He has provided for our
eternal needs.

THE PRAYER:

 Lord Jesus, when I get too wrapped up in this life and my daily needs,
lift my eyes to see the glorious future You have won for all of us by
Your life, death and resurrection. Amen.

"Just Asking for a Fight"
By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 5:1-24.
"This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him,
because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was
even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with
God" (John 5:18). 

Lenten Devotion- Jesus left Jerusalem when things got pretty
tense, but now with a Jewish festival at hand, He heads right
back down toward the temple again. And He turns the heat
back up by healing an invalid on the Sabbath.

Jesus' enemies protest to this breaking of their Sabbath rules.
His perfectly natural answer totally enrages them. He says,
"My Father is working until now, and I am working." Instead
of seeing the Light, they stand in the darkness protesting that
Jesus is making Himself equal to God. But protest as loud as
they will, Jesus knows who He is and refuses to back down.

The darkness of their thinking is amazing. They would have
kept a man trapped in his paralyzed body to keep their
Sabbath rules. Thankfully, Jesus saw it differently. And He
sees it differently for you and me too. He sees us trapped and
helpless in our sins. And just as Jesus stood up for a paralyzed
man and set him free on the Sabbath, so will He stand up to
any and all opposition to set us free -- even though it cost Him
His life on the cross.

In the coming days we will see Jesus turn up the noise even
louder and see His enemies respond with more hatred. But we
will also see Him sacrifice Himself for them. Hanging from the
cross He will answer their taunts with a plea: "Father, forgive
them, for they do not know what they are doing. ..."
(Luke 23:34a).

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You suffered and died to set me free. Fill me and
all Your children with joy and courage to share Your great story
of sacrifice and dedication to everyone. Amen.