August 16
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IF YOU KNOW JESUS, YOU ALSO KNOW THE FATHER
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
– John 14:7-14
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In this scene, Jesus is spending the last few days He has with his disciples, revealing to them many loving truths. We hear a discouraged Jesus when Philip began asking Him to show the Father to them. Despite the three years they did ministry with Jesus, they still didn’t get it. Jesus have been telling them that He and the Father are one and that He didn’t come on His own, but He was with the Father. Because of man’s limitations and inability to see the spiritual realm, Jesus’ disciples dared to ask Him to show them the Father. In verse 10, Jesus tested their belief and once again, they failed to comprehend what Jesus had been telling them all along.
By nature, we automatically respond in unbelief because our human reasoning kicks in. But if the Spirit of God dwells in us, we can believe that all things are possible with God. Unbelief is a sin that we must need to recognize, ask for forgiveness and repent. If we waver back and forth to believe or not to believe, we are only fooling ourselves because in James 1:6 says that we shouldn’t waver for a person who wavers is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. The hardest place to be is when one is confused, indecisive and haven’t made a choice whether they are going to serve God or not. Verses 13-14 promises us that asking in the name of Jesus has so much blessings, power and benefits. Why wouldn’t we want to access such grace and generosity showered to us?
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the disciples still wavered despite all the signs and wonders they witnessed Jesus did?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY ALSO BE ILMA’S VLOG
August 15
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THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY ALSO BE
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. – John 14:1-6
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Jesus’ words from these verses are so reassuring. He calms us down and tells us not to be troubled by anything but to have faith in Him instead. He describes the reward of those who believe in Him. In verse 2-3, He tells us that we have a place in His Father’s house which He himself will prepare. Jesus says that He himself will come back and welcome those who are faithful to believe in Him and follow Him. One of His disciples, Thomas asked Jesus where He was going and how to go there. Jesus answered that He is the way, the truth and the life.
These words of Jesus give us a picture of how much He loves those who trust and believe in Him. Can you imagine how your Master whom you are serving would go out of His way to prepare a place for you to come home to and spend eternity with Him? Doesn’t this make you feel so special? What a hopeful event it would be when your Lord and Master comes back for you one day and welcome you to enter heaven. Shouldn’t you live just to wait for this most special moment? Shouldn’t your life revolve around this promise? It is sad to watch many Christians live their lives for many other things and for others but not for the purpose of serving Jesus. If you are a true believer, you would follow Jesus because the only way to God the Father is through Him. There is no other path that goes straight to eternity but through Jesus Christ.
To know Jesus and follow Him is the only way towards heaven. When we compromise our lives by listening to what the world says instead of following the narrow path to heaven through Jesus. Jesus is full of mercy and compassion and steadfast love.
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REFLECTION
• How can we follow the way, the truth and the life and manifest it in our lives?
LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU ILMA’S VLOG
August 14
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LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. – John 13:31-38
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Right after Judas Iscariot left to do what was needed, Jesus declared how He is glorified and God as well. He probably was talking about how Jesus’ obedience to do God’s will to be the sacrifice to pacify God’s punishment for the evil in humans. Jesus was preparing His disciples for what was about to happen. This must have been excruciatingly difficult to tell those people he did ministry with in three years, that He must have to go and leave them shortly. We hear how much anxiety these were causing the disciples. They have left their families, and their work, to follow Jesus and now, they feel lost that their Master is going where they cannot follow. All these three years, that is the only thing they know: to follow Jesus wherever He goes.
Peter vehemently asked for the reason why He can’t follow. He is wallowing in the pain of separation from his Lord and Master, almost like a separation anxiety. He was clinging hard to Jesus and asking again and again why he can’t follow him anymore wherever He went. Peter was consumed by his future grief when they won’t see Jesus anymore. With Peter’s personality, he exaggeratedly said that He will lay down his life for Jesus. And Jesus exposed how Peter would deny him three times before the cock crows. There was reassurance from Jesus that eventually they will also follow later. It is such a consolation to know that they will see Jesus again later.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it easy to miss out the promises of Jesus when we cling so hard on things?
DO AS I DID TO YOU ILMA’S VLOG
August 12
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DO AS I DID TO YOU
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”– John 13:12-20
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Just before Jesus was to die on the cross, He had His last supper with them. He explained to them the reason the behind the washing of their feet. He was their Lord and Teacher and yet He did the most menial task of washing their feet. He was showing them that leadership in God’s economy is not like the world system. He evidently gave them an example to emulate. In verse 16 he clearly identified that the slave cannot be greater than their Master nor He is greater than His Father who sent Him. What the world consider as great is to be served, but in God’s economy, it is the opposite. If you want to be first, you would have to serve others. He also stresses to them that He knows exactly who belongs to Him and if they are of Him, they would follow as he does. They have to serve others as He serves them.
How many believers really understand servant leadership that Jesus role modeled for all of his disciples? The world keeps messing up the humble act of serving. It generates the concept of being served rather than the opposite. It is a world that propagates pleasing oneself rather than serving God. Humans deal with a lot of distractions in their lives that they forget the real purposes of their lives. They only want to satisfy their wants and desires and ensure that they are in control. It becomes harder and harder to trust God and others.
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REFLECTION
• How can a believer fight the urge to follow the world system instead of pleasing God by serving others?
BELIEVE AND YOU WON’T STAY IN DARKNESS ILMA’S VLOG
August 10
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BELIEVE AND YOU WON’T STAY IN DARKNESS
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore, the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”– John 12:44-50
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In this account, we hear Jesus declares the formula for salvation: to believe in Him. He explains that He is the Light and if one believes in Him, they will not remain in darkness. Believing Jesus is faith in action. It is not only saying that you believe Him. He says in verse 47 that the gauge of a true believer is to do what Scripture says, not just hear it. James 1:22 says “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Some Christians think that faith is a passive act. They think that declaring Jesus as Lord and Savior is enough. Clearly, Jesus explains here that there is an active role that the believer needs to take part in so that the Holy Spirit can move into his heart and bring salvation into fruition in his life. Sanctification is the ability to live pure and holy life. It is the Holy Spirit who equips us in obedience and dependence on God. Following truth that comes only from God’s word is key in living a holy life, that chooses righteousness as a lifestyle. It negates lies and exposes the enemy’s tactics to keep us away from knowing God and bringing Him glory. In verse 48, Jesus states the consequence of rejecting Him: they will be judged not only by Him, but by His Father in heaven. We still hear how Jesus operates in unity with His Father when He said that He is following what His Father told Him to say. In verse 50, He declares that He never operates alone but only does what the Father tells Him. Can we say the same thing of our lives? Do we do only what our Lord and Master does? The whole theme of this gospel account is to live in the Light, which refers to Jesus. A life without the Light is total darkness. Believing is the first step, “doing His will” completes the process of salvation.
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REFLECTION
• How dark was your life before you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
BLINDED EYES AND HARDENED HEARTS ILMA’S VLOG
August 9
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BLINDED EYES AND HARDENED HEARTS
37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
– John 12:37-43
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In this account, the Jewish leaders still continued in their unbelief despite Jesus’ many signs and wonders. The writer, John quotes Isaiah’s prophecy in the book of Isaiah chapter 6. He was referring to the reason why these Jewish leaders reject Jesus’ deity. They have been blinded to see the revelations that the Lord had been doing because their hearts are hardened.
Isaiah vision is a revelation from the Lord. God spoke to the prophet and explained to him that these people kept on listening but do not perceive. They kept on looking but do not understand. The people are insensitive: their ears are dull and their eyes are dim. The Lord is warning the people through Isaiah that their inability to see and understand was because of their unbelief. This was exactly what was being fulfilled in this story about the Pharisees who kept on rejecting truth and not believing that Jesus is the Son of God. This was what exactly Isaiah was prophesying a long time ago before Jesus was even born.
It is so sad to watch unbelievers who reject the truth that Jesus is God. So many unbelievers are going to miss out on the promises that God gave to all those who believe that Christ is the Son of God, sent to us so we can all be free from sin. Unbelief leads to many other sins such as pride, rebellion, arrogance, wavering, doubt and many other. Blindness and hardened heart surely close the door to one’s salvation. The Pharisees continued to have unbelief because they were hanging on to human approval and losing their place in the synagogues. They weren’t concerned about God’s approval.
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REFLECTION
• Why do unbelievers become blind to truth?
SONS OF LIGHT ILMA’S VLOG
August 8
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SONS OF LIGHT
27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”– John 12:27-36
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In this account, Jesus thinks aloud to the crowd. He exhibits his humanity when He claims that he is troubled because He exactly knows what is about to happen to Him. Yet, part of His deity knows that it is the reason why He came here on earth in the first place. When He uttered “Father, glorify your name”, he was directly speaking to God the Father and a voice from heaven spoke back saying “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” It was only Jesus who clearly heard what God said. The crowd only heard thunder. Once again, Jesus tells them that it was for them that God spoke. Jesus foreshadows what was going to happen to Him, how He will die soon. In verse 31, he declares victory over the ruler of the world. His purpose for coming down on earth was to defeat Satan and to bring back all men to His Father. The people were unable to understand all things Jesus was saying. Jesus calls Himself the Light in this conversation with them. He warns them that the Light is still among them. He advises them to enjoy His presence while He is still alive and believe in Him so that they may become sons of Light. In other words, if you believe in Jesus, you get a part of His light and become light for Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can we continue to shine for Jesus? How is faith important for one to be called sons of Light?
HOSANNA TO THE KING OF ISRAEL ILMA’S VLOG
August 6
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HOSANNA TO THE KING OF ISRAEL
12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”– John 12:12-19
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In this story, we witness the crowd praising Jesus for raising Lazarus back to life and welcomed Him as he was coming in to Jerusalem. Jesus was sitting on a young donkey, which fulfills what was written in Scriptures. The disciples didn’t realize that it was a fulfilled prophecy until later. When they were shouting Hosanna, they eventually remembered. Those who witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb, continued to witness to Jesus. They have never seen anything like it.
Meanwhile, when all were busy to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem and they were all honoring His coming in, the Pharisees were at the height of their envy. They fear losing their power and control over the popularity and following that resulted from Jesus bringing to life the dead. They needed to put a stop to it or they will be in trouble.
What interesting reactions we get from varied people here. Many believed only because they witnessed the miracles that Jesus did. They focused on the works but not really on the person of Jesus, who is God as well. We often do this when we get attracted to the works of people who serve God or get into the details of other things. We fail to focus on God and His truth and get distracted by other stuff. We fail to recognize that evil can lurk behind miracles. There will be people who will feel insecure and threatened when they are exposed with the evil things they do.
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REFLECTION
• How can people flip-flop from belief and unbelief despite signs and wonders?
MARY ANOINTS JESUS WITH COSTLY PERFUME ILMA’S VLOG
August 5
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MARY ANOINTS JESUS WITH COSTLY PERFUME
Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. – John 12:1-11
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Lazarus was resurrected from death in this account. It was six days after Passover and Jesus passed by his friends’ house in Bethany. We see on some occasions in the bible that Jesus frequented the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. It establishes how close He was with these people. While having supper with Jesus and the disciples, Mary got her most expensive perfume and began to anoint Jesus’ feet with it and used her hair to wipe His feet with. It must have been very costly to use pure nard because it made Judas Iscariot cringed at the thought that he could have profited from the value of that perfume. It really shows his character. He wasn’t there for Jesus but to use Jesus so he can benefit personally from the funds. In verse 6, we see the true color of Judas, he was a thief who embezzled money from the funds of the group. Mary’s act of using the best perfume to anoint Jesus feet is exactly the opposite of Judas’ greed. She had to honor the Lord with all she has because He was her master.
How easily can we forget that everything we have comes from the Lord? Some people forget that Jesus must come first in all that we have and all that we do.
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REFLECTION
• Why did Mary anoint Jesus’ feet?
• What was the significance of such anointing?
JESUS’ POWER OVER DEATH ILMA’S VLOG
August 3
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JESUS’ POWER OVER DEATH
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.
– John 11:38-46
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This part of John’s gospel tells us the miracle of all miracles that Jesus did for the glory of His Father. He brought life to the dead. It took four days before Jesus came to Bethany when He heard of the death of his beloved friend, Lazarus. Why did it take Him that long? Because the longer his friend is dead, the greater the opportunity to witness the power of God in him who have been long dead. In verse 42, Jesus proclaims in His prayer to God that He already knows God hears Him all the time, but for the sake of those who are witnessing this work He was doing, it will be better in order for their unbelief to turn to belief. In those days, they wrap their dead in wrappings and anoint them with oil. They didn’t have a way to preserve them long enough to remove the stench from the decay. Can you imagine how it must have smelled with four days of decaying dead body?
When Jesus commanded Lazarus to rise up, everyone was probably expecting the smell that they will be confronted with. I don’t think he stunk as much as they think He would. I am sure, as soon as Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out, He also dealt with the stench of the smell coming from his dead body. Death was overpowered and even the smell that goes with death was removed. This miracle clearly illustrates the power of Jesus when He gives life to the dead: whether it is in the spirit or in the physical realm.
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REFLECTION
• What were you resurrected from when you made Jesus your Lord and Master?