Day 143 Bible Readings – John 13: 34-35 (ESV)

1 Samuel 12-13, 1 Samuel 14: 1-23, John 13: 18-38, Psalm 84: 1-7

John 13: 34-35 (ESV)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

During the Last Supper Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment which we read in verses 34 and 35 from John 13. Jesus told his disciples that they need to love each other as Jesus loved them. Jesus gave himself as the example for how he wanted his disciples to love each other. Jesus had demonstrated to his disciples his compassion and service and unconditional love for people. Jesus wanted his disciples and his followers to choose to love each other and be unified, and to act in the best interest of each other. Jesus knew that if people of faith acted like this, their actions would serve as a testimony to how the belief in Jesus can transform a person’s life. I love this new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples because he tells people of faith that if we treat fellow believers in the way Jesus treated us, then we will stand out in the world for unity and love towards each other. How we treat each other can become a recruiting tool for non-believers to start to believe in how Jesus can

Day 142 Bible Readings – John 12: 44-46 (ESV)

1 Samuel 10-11, John 12: 27-50, John 13: 1-17, Psalm 83

John 12: 44-46 (ESV)

“And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

Verses 44 through 46 from John 12, Jesus again tells the crowd of his unity with God the father. Jesus says if you believe in him, believes in God the Father who sent him. Then Jesus says if you see him, you are seeing God the Father. Whoever believes in Jesus will experience a journey from spiritual darkness into light, because the teachings of Jesus encourage us to live in truth and love in our daily actions and decisions. Jesus tells the crowd that whoever believes in him will not remain in spiritual darkness and ignorance sin, and separation from God. Jesus tells us his mission is to rescue us from darkness. I love that the followers of Jesus during his life were interacting with the physical manifestation of God the Father on earth. I envy the crowds and disciples during the time of Jesus, but I don’t think they really realized they were interacting with God the Father until long after the death and resurrection of Jesus. I think it is so often the case that we as humans do not recognize an experience of God the father in our lives until after the experience. I pray for myself that through my own discernment and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that when miracles are happening in my life that I recognize and celebrate them in the moment and not afterwards.

Day 141 Bible Readings – John 12: 25 (ESV)

1 Samuel 8 & 9, John 12: 1-26, Psalm 82

John 12: 25 (ESV)

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

In verse 25 from John 12, Jesus said this famous verse to the Greeks who had come to see for Passover in Jerusalem and the crowds. Jesus told them if you love your life, you will lose it because if you cling to your worldly life of pleasure it will lead to spiritual loss. But if prioritize our spiritual life and values over the cultural values of our earthly life, you will gain eternal life with God now and after your death. To follow Jesus you must prioritize your spiritual life and following God’s will over your worldly life. I know that sometimes prioritizing God’s will and laws over our personal desires seem hard, but from personal experience I can assure that doing this brings greater satisfaction. Before I became born again, I pursued so many personal desires which only lead to the feeling of never feeling satisfied. For sure the satisfaction of fulfilling your personal desires does last for a bit, but it doesn’t last. I’ve found that in my life, I have only experienced long lasting peace and satisfaction when I follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Day 140 Bible Readings – 1 Samuel 5: 4-6 (ESV

1 Samuel 5-7, John 11: 45-57, Psalm 81: 8-16

1 Samuel 5: 4-6 (ESV)

“But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.”

In verses 4 through 6 from 1 Samuel 5 we read about the power of the Ark of the Lord or Covenant. When the Philistines took the Ark of the Lord, they brought into the house of their God called Dagon. On the second day when they went into the house of Dagon, the face of Dagon had fallen on the ground and both of its hands were lying cut off on the threshold of the building. Then God afflicted the people of Ashdod with tumors. I love these verses because they show how powerful Father-God is and what he does to the gods of his enemies. If we are afraid of letting go of the false idols in our life, we have evidence in the Bible that no false idol can stand against our Father-God. If Father-God in the Old Testament can take destroy a stone idol, then he can destroy the false idols of our minds. I also love the supernatural nature of Father-God’s power when he afflicted the people of Ashdod with tumors. There are so many other stories of Father-God’s power not only in how he destroys enemies, but also in the supernatural nature of miracles. I have been a witness to these supernatural acts.  I cannot unsee these miracles and they have served to  strengthen my faith in Father-God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.