Trying to Corner the Market

As we push into the summer months, we can continue to look at God around us. As I sit here at 6:30 am on a quite Saturday morning. I look out the window and see green grass, the light green plums continuing to ripen on our plum tree, I see our dog, Nala, faithfully at my feet and think of the quiet that will be soon transitioned to a busy day of everyone in the family having breakfast, going to practice and doing what we do on Saturdays. I'm thankful for what God has provided and look forward to what He has in store for us in the years ahead. God's blessings are all around. It just sometimes takes those quiet waking moments to stop, listen and look.

Our next set of verses is John 3:25 to 36. It would be best if we read the set of verses and here I will highlight that "there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples", v. 25. The issue if you read the block of verses is...... the followers of John have an issue with Jesus baptising people. At first blush, I thought, "why in-the-heck did John's followers have an issue about Jesus baptising people??" But leave it to mankind to become so self-focused that they are missing the point of God's son, while He walks among them. Here is John's disciple's concern........If I put it in modern terms, John's followers felt that John had the patent or had the "market cornered" on baptising and this "Jesus guy" is taking OUR idea and getting too popular with it. At first you might think.."You've got to be kidding." But remember this is a very unstable time and Jesus and his forthright manner was creating much controversy in society. It was up to John to lead these folks in the right direction and keep them focused. The followers of John may have been taking enormous personal risks by following John and this "New Way". Risks were probably far beyond what we might think. I am talking about risk of one's family's safety or personal safety. The followers of John were also possibly influenced by those that were dug in on removing Jesus from society. These people could be their neighbors, their co-workers and even some of their family members. There was a lot of turmoil, stress and confusion, I am sure.

So leave it to a strong humble leader like John to tell his followers to focus and maintain their composure. Obviously, IF John followed his crowd's concern instead of following the Lord, the story would be much different. His followers were so short sighted and were focused on themselves. Baptism was not about them and the power structure being formed with John and his following. Baptism was not some "trademark" of John's teaching, it was God's plan. God used John and his followers to introduce His Son, Jesus! What an honor that is! But I guess those following John had their doubts and also started to focus on themselves as opposed to focusing on the greater cause Jesus was trying to get across.

John repeated to his followers "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent before Him." v 29. He is saying that if your focus is on me as your savior, you will be misguided. Then in v. 30 he makes a clear transition from leading his followers, to clearly shifting their focus to Jesus the Son of God...."He must increase, but I must decrease". This is a profound step, leading the crowd to humility and focus on Jesus. It is very clear in the remaining verses that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and our everlasting life is through Him.

John and Jesus were both teaching the crowds about love and transformation in humility in following God. What is interesting, is that Jesus wanted other folks to baptise others as well. Jesus or John were not intending to have the patent on baptism. They wanted other leaders in the faith to carry out the tradition of baptism. This tradition carries on today. When someone has made a personal commitment to follow Jesus, the public display of dying to sin and being raised with Christ is symbolized in a baptism.

This passage of John shows, as believers, where our focus should be...on Jesus. Even in the modern church that self focused spirit of CONTROL eeks out and we want ourselves to have control or look good. When really all that the church does is under God's ownership and available to all.

Lord God continue to have me focus on Jesus...how He lived, what He stood for and why He was here. Give me the wisdom and perseverance to continue to follow Jesus and apply His ways to my life. Amen.

Master Trainer

The Book of John now shifts from the dialog Jesus had with Nicodemus and continues to follow the steps of Jesus' public ministry. John 3:22 and 23 are are next verses to focus on....look at v.22 " After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent sometime with them, and baptized.."



I like how this verse shows Jesus, God's only begotten Son, focusing on a few (12 disciples) in order to carry on his message. Jesus personally selected his disciples. The disciples acted on faith from the invitation from Jesus to follow him, and now they are being trained and provided wisdom from THE greatest human being ever to walk on earth. Someone as great as Jesus was willing to spend time and pour resources into these twelve for them to have future success in their ministries. Their training with Christ was far more valuable than they would ever dream.



Sometimes when I am daydreaming, I think of running into someone ........say..... at the a sporting event. He stops me and asks me some questions. At first I think it is kind of weird that this guy has stopped me, but we continue to talk. Turns out he is Steven Speilberg, the famous movie producer. He tells me they are casting for a motion picture to showing the life of a Gladiator! Now I'm intrigued. (again just daydreaming here). Then he says you should really come up to the Dreamworks Campus in Los Angeles in two weeks to see if you have what we are looking for in the lead role. He said he would ensure that I get a chance. I say that I have no prior acting experience and I'd need to tone up to fit the role of a Gladiator. Plus I have a wife, kids and a dog. He ensures me, all will be taken care of.... if his casting team thinks I am it. So I start to think this would be a cool experience to go through, even if I don't get the job. So I show up two weeks later at the Dreamworks Campus. I meet with Mr. Speilberg and they have me in a pool of actors. The guy next to me is some dude named Russell Crowe. We go through the initial casting and I am selected. Then I can't believe it, Dreamworks wants me in this major motion picture. I find out the pay is beyond what I would imagine, my family can go on location with me and they would put a full staff around me to ensure I have the skills and look needed when shooting of the movie begins. Yah, just a fantasy, but what if.....what if .... someone or a large corporation or someone with a lot of power just saw promise in me and wanted to pour their resources into me to make me successful beyond my dreams.

Well, you can see the tie into the verse above. Jesus, the only Begotten Son of God, God in human form choose to impart his wisdom and resources in 12 imperfect men, to spread his gospel and be part of the greatest spiritual revival in human history. A revival that has been studied and is on-going since Jesus walked the earth. What happened to the 12 disciples while Jesus trained them is far more powerful and exciting than my daydream above. I was going to be trained by a great movie producer and his company. The 12 disciples get to be trained by the Master Trainer...the creator of the universe in human form, Jesus! It is beyond a dream!!

But think about it....this training is available to us. How awesome is that?! If we choose to follow, Jesus will open doors for us, He will impart his wisdom to us, He will train us in righteousness and provide a life full of purpose. This is far better than being approached by a major movie producer, you are being approached by the Lord God Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth. What a blessing!!


Lord, the training you offer us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit far exceeds any training we can get from the greatest teachers here on earth. We praise you for your wisdom and pray that we have the faith and lifestyle that allows us to seek the next level of training with You. Amen.

Follow the Light

The next set of verses to look at is John 3: 17 to 21 and focus on v. 20 and 21 :"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

When Jesus walked the earth exposing the evil and corruption in the Hebrew culture, He did it by just being there. His plan was to draw people to Him so that they may understand the truth about living and turn from the evil norms of society. Jesus was the light and the truth. Some seeking truth followed him. Others, deep into evil ways and darkness, were exposed by the light and Jesus' presence. These folks simply wanted Jesus to go away or be done away with so they could go on with their evil ways.

Think of it like this. There is a miner working on a crew deep beneath the earth's surface with a dimly lit lantern working all day. The crew around him started to make their way out of the mine at the end of a long day of work. He was slow in following them, as he finished his work. As he walked down the long tunnels in the mine making his way back to the outside, he got lost. None of his coworkers were now in sight and hours go by. His dimly lit lantern starts to go dark and he starts to fear that he will be there all night or even days, as this mine's tunnels are a labyrinth for miles on end. His thoughts go deeper into despair as the hours linger on. Then in view down the long tunnel is a dimly lit light, it becomes closer and brighter. It is his coworkers with a fresh lantern looking for him. The lost miner could move toward the light and follow it to safety or he could stay in his darkness and despair.

In some respects we are in a mine with long tunnels of life here on earth. Darkness abounds in our society. Jesus is the light. Jesus is the way out. But if we are enjoying the darkness and we are not willing to be exposed to the light, then we may choose not to follow the light as these verses say in John. Jesus is the Way and the Truth! He will lead us to safety and abundant living.

Heavenly Father, let me follow Jesus' light everyday and lead me to safety. Amen!