Apicontent

1. See Isaiah 26:3.
2. See 1 John 4:4.
3. See John 1:12.
4. These lines are based on the first stanza of “The Church’s One Foundation,” written by Samuel J. Stone, 1866.
5. See 1 Corinthians 2:9.
6. See Isaiah 40:8.
7. See Matthew 24:35.
8. Romans 5:3-5.
9. Matthew 28:19.
10. See Philippians 4:4.
11. See Jude 1:24.
12. See Joshua 1:8.
13. See Matthew 5:23-24.
14. See Matthew 27:19.
15. See Leviticus 4:2,13; 5:17.
16. See Matthew 28:18.
17. See Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:7.
18. See 2 Corinthians 5:21.
19. See Exodus 20:12.
20. See Deuteronomy 17:6.
21. See Luke 24:13-35.
22. See Genesis 3:15.
23. See Psalm 22.
24. See Isaiah 53.
25. See Proverbs 18:10.
26. See Romans 8:1.
27. See Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11.
28. See Philippians 4:7.
29. See Matthew 5:16.
30. See John 6:1-13.
31. See Luke 22:31.
32. See Psalm 56:8.
33. See 2 Corinthians 1:4.
34. See Philippians 1:6.
35. See Romans 10:9.
36. See Revelation 21:4.

Today’s Reading: John 21:24-25

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

* * * * *

The disciple John was the one who wrote this Gospel. He always referred to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” He was very humble and self-effacing. He wanted Christ alone to be the central character of this book.

You can trust that every single word written in the Gospel of John is true. John himself was an eyewitness to all that he wrote. He saw firsthand what the Lord did. He heard personally what Jesus spoke. He was a faithful, orthodox Jew and committed to never bearing false witness.

Notice John used the word “we” in his testimony. He was not the only eyewitness who saw all Jesus did and said. There were the other disciples, and hundreds of others, who followed, heard the Lord’s teachings, and saw him alive after his death.

John concluded this book with the statement that Jesus had performed many other mighty works—so many that all the libraries of the world could not contain them all.

The Lord Jesus entered the world as a baby. He lived the perfect life no one could live. For 33 years, he obeyed perfectly all the righteous requirements of the law. Then he died on the cross, taking the wrath of his heavenly Father upon himself so you wouldn’t have to face it. Then Jesus was raised back to life, proving that sin and death have no power over the Father’s eternal grace.

All this was done so that you might inherit eternal life. It’s the greatest act of love the world has ever known. And remember: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.³⁵ That’s why the Word became flesh and dwelled among us. That’s why Jesus came.

Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, awaiting the command to return to earth. On that day, he will judge the living and the dead. Those who believe in him will have everlasting life. Those who don’t are doomed to everlasting punishment.

When Jesus returns, all wrongs will be made right. All hurts will be healed. Perfect justice will be enacted.

On that great day, Jesus Christ will make all things new. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. He will wipe away every tear from your eyes, and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.³⁶

Until he returns, be faithful. Be sober and expectant. Let the Lord find you doing all that he has commanded you to do. Know him intimately. Live in peace, untroubled by fear or harm. Grow daily. Share in his divine nature. Escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. Go into the world with the good news and work to advance Christ’s kingdom.

And trust Jesus with everything in your life.

He loves you.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 21:20-23

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’”

* * * * *

Jesus had just told Peter that one day he would be asked to give his life in martyrdom for him. Peter turned around and noticed John following along. He asked, “Lord, what about this man?” He wanted to know if John would suffer martyrdom as well.

But that was not Jesus’ plan for John. Yes, he would face persecution and pain, be arrested, and be exiled to the island of Patmos. Along with the Gospel of John, he would pen three letters to the churches. Plus he would reveal the insights Christ would give him into the end times in the book called Revelation.

Jesus would use John mightily. But John would not be martyred. He would die of old age after having faced his own trials.

Every person who follows Jesus goes through various trials. None of his disciples will be immune to them, though he is dealing with each one differently.

When you experience your trials, trust Jesus’ plan for your life. Don’t examine what he is doing with other people. Avoid the snare to compare. Only two things can happen when you do this, and both are bad. You’ll either become proud or jealous. The Lord uses all his followers according to his perfect will. His plan for others is not his plan for you, and vice versa.

In fact, if you knew what Jesus was doing in other people’s lives, you might stop making comparisons. You probably wouldn’t want to go through what they are experiencing. Jesus gives each person the grace that is needed to face each trial he must face.

In your trial, Jesus is conforming you to his image. That’s his will for you. As he lives in you, he wants you to become more and more like him. He desires that you be molded to his image, which is your hope of glory.

Jesus’ plan for you is perfect. He has things for you to do on earth that only you can do. He commands you to walk in love. Blessed are those who hear God’s Word and obey it without hesitation. Don’t be just a hearer of his Word, but be one who insists on doing what it says.

Be faithful to his calling. Press on toward what he has asked you to accomplish.

The Lord has begun a great work in you. And he will be faithful to complete it.³⁴

Christ is preparing you for eternity. He is burning off all your imperfections. He is making you pure, holy, and spotless through everything you experience in life. He is using everything that happens to you for

 He has a perfect plan for every single one of his followers. His plan for you is unique. No one else can do it but you. How he designs it to accomplish his will for you is up to him. Your job is to trust him no matter what. Believe that whatever is happening to you is exactly what you need so you can be conformed to his image.

Therefore, quit looking at what he is doing in others. Stop making comparisons.

What is that to you?

You follow him.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 21:18-19

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“ ‘When you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”

* * * * *

Jesus had an important truth he wanted Peter to understand. When Peter was younger, before being called by Jesus, he had complete freedom. He could go where he wanted and do whatever he desired. He could dress himself the way he wanted without concern or worry. He had total autonomy.

But that would all change because of his total devotion to the Lord. A time was coming when he would be forced to stretch out his hands. Jesus was referring to Peter’s future crucifixion. Someone would come and dress him to take him to his cross. He would be forced to go to a place where did didn’t want to go.

He would face martyrdom for following Jesus.

Legend suggests that Peter asked his executioners that he be crucified upside down. He didn’t think himself worthy to die in the same way his Lord had died. If true, it’s a lovely affirmation of Peter’s humility before he faced death.

Jesus then repeated to Peter what he had said when he first called Peter to be his disciple: “Follow me.” Once again, Peter was asked to put down his fishing nets and obey what Jesus was calling him to do.

Peter would go to where Jesus wanted him to go, and obey the Lord completely until the day he died.

Jesus’ call upon your life is equally total and compelling. He wants you to obey him no matter what the cost—even if it means death. You have decided to follow the Lord. You’ve chosen to love him more than anything else in this fallen world. There is no turning back.

Follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Go and make disciples of all the nations. Be his witness everywhere you go. Live as he tells you to live. Obey all that he commanded you to do. Joyful are those who obey him and search for him with all their hearts. When you obey him, you will remain in his love.

When you follow Jesus, he promises he will be with you always, even to the close of the age. He assures you that no weapon formed against you will prosper. He will stand beside you and be your protective shade. You will remain in eternal fellowship with him. He will always be at your right hand. You will not be shaken.

As you obey God and keep his covenant, you will find that you are his treasured possession. This should inspire you to be faithful to him until the end of your life, to always obey his command to walk in love.

For giving your life to him, your reward in heaven will be great. All your righteous deeds will be revealed. And you will hear the applause of heaven.

You will be greatly blessed and honored for all eternity.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 20:6-10

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”

* * * * *

When Mary Magdalene told Peter and John that the stone had been rolled away, they ran to the tomb. John arrived first and glanced inside. Peter then arrived. In deference to age and prominence, John let Peter enter first.

A couple things caught their attention in the tomb. They noticed the linen cloths without a body inside. Perhaps it seemed like Jesus’ body had been supernaturally removed, thus causing the linen cloths to collapse in an ordered heap.

They also noticed the facial napkin, used to keep a deceased person’s jaw shut. It was neatly folded in a place by itself. When Jesus left the tomb, he practiced good manners! He was concerned about the smallest, most appropriate details of life—including yours.

These observations led them to conclude and believe that the Lord was alive.

The heavenly Father was also careful to make sure that every detail of the Jewish law was covered with regard to testimonies given about evidence. There needed to be two male witnesses to corroborate a story.²⁰ Peter and John’s witness about Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled this aspect of God’s law.

It’s also quite remarkable that the first person to whom Jesus entrusted his resurrection message was a woman. Yes, Peter and John’s witness confirmed her story so the requirements of the Jewish law would be met. But Jesus gave the first responsibility to tell this good news to a woman. The Lord was setting the stage for a church that would see male and female as equal participants in his kingdom.

Notice that until this moment, Peter and John did not believe Jesus had risen. This proves they didn’t make up a fanciful story to give support to his predictions of a resurrection. It was only after they had been presented with the facts that they believed.

Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? The resurrection proves his divinity. As someone jokingly said, “You can’t keep a good God down.” If Jesus is God in human flesh, he cannot remain dead, lying in a tomb. He must come back to life.

Examine the evidence. Look at all the prophecies and stories in the Old Testament that point to him. When Jesus showed this evidence to two of his disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, it helped them believe.²¹ They observed the prophecy that he would crush the head of the serpent.²² They saw the specifics of how he had suffered on the cross.²³ They concluded he was the suffering servant who was to come and save Israel.²⁴ After examining these texts and many others, they believed that he indeed had been raised from the dead.

Believe in him as well.

When you do, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will live in you. He will be your strength and shield, your light and salvation. He will be your strong tower. You will be able to run to him and be safe.²⁵

And he will care for every detail of your life.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 20:11-14

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“As she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.”

* * * * *

Peter and John saw and believed. They ran from the tomb to tell the other disciples what they had seen. They were overcome with joy.

But Mary Magdalene remained behind, outside the tomb. She had not yet concluded that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

She looked into the tomb and saw two angels sitting on the stone slab where Jesus had once been laid. One was sitting where his head had been placed, the other where his feet once were. They were dressed in white, expressing their perfect, sinless, and brilliant purity.

The Father in heaven is often called “the Lord of hosts.” This means that he is the Lord of all the angelic armies. There are millions upon millions of these magnificent creatures who worship God continually. And they also serve as messengers sent forth from heaven to help God’s elect who will inherit salvation.

The Father sent two of these mighty messengers to the empty tomb to tell Mary Magdalene the good news that Jesus was alive. Amidst her grief, they gave her hope. Her mourning soon turned to joy.

The heavenly Father oversees all these angels. He wants his children to understand and use this underutilized spiritual power. They are available to you as they were to Mary Magdalene and all the saints through the ages.

If you are in distress today, ask your heavenly Father to send you his angels to help you. They do his bidding and obey his word. The Father commands them to carefully guard you in all your ways. They can go before you. They can be your rear guard. They can oversee your right and left flanks. They desire to minister to you.

And they are always on your side, fighting for you against all your enemies.

The Father who oversees the entire world oversees his angelic armies. Ask for them. They are available to you. If there’s a delay, persevere in prayer, believing they are coming to you. Trust that if you could see in the invisible, spiritual, and eternal world, there would be more angels than demons. They far outnumber the enemy forces that are against you—two of God’s angels for every demon (Revelation 12:4). That reality should cause you never to fear demonic hordes.

Nothing formed against you will stand.²⁶ The Father holds the entire world—and you—in his hands. He is faithful to all the promises he has made to you.

The Lord of hosts, the King over all the angelic armies, is ready to send them to you.

Are you ready to ask for them?

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 20:15-18

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’—and that he had said these things to her.”

* * * * *

Mary Magdalene had gone to Jesus’ tomb and found his body missing. When he asked her, “Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” she mistakenly thought that the person speaking to her was the gardener. She said that she was looking for Jesus’ body and if he would tell her where it was, then she would gladly take it away.

Jesus then called her name, saying, “Mary.” She recognized the way he affectionately addressed her. He’d done this many times before. She then realized who it was that was speaking to her, and that Jesus was alive.

Mary called out, “Rabboni!” This was an Aramaic expression denoting Jesus as a respected teacher. She reached out to hold him. But he told her she couldn’t. He had not yet ascended to his heavenly Father. This would occur later.²⁷

Don’t miss what Jesus said next to Mary. He told her to go to his disciples and tell them he was ascending to his Father and their Father. The disciples were now his brothers, and God was their Father. If you believe in Jesus, he is your big brother. And as big brothers do, he will protect you from those who desire to harm you.

And God is your personal, loving, kind, and caring Father. In the garden of Gethsemane, the night before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed to the Father and called him “Abba.” It was an intimate, colloquial Aramaic expression that is best translated “Daddy.” You can now know the heavenly Father in that way as well.

Perhaps you had an abusive, absent, or distant earthly father. Maybe you think if “God” is like your earthly father, you don’t want anything to do with him. But the heavenly Father’s original intent was for all children to have a loving and kind earthly daddy. Unfortunately, sin has corrupted everything in creation—even the family.

Jesus came from heaven to earth to reestablish the Father’s original intent. He came to redeem humanity and to make all things new. He especially came to help you know the true character of his Father, who is also your Father.

God is your daddy. He loves you. He has a plan for your life—one filled with a future and a hope. He wants you to use the gifts he has given to you for his glory. He wants you to be all that he has planned for you to be. He loves you and believes in you.

Your heavenly daddy is very gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in great love. He is good. His steadfast love endures forever. He loves to rejoice over you and quiet your soul with his endless love.

The Father in heaven empathizes with your pain. Like any kind daddy, he hurts when you hurt. He cradles you in his arms and assures you all will be well. He heals your broken heart. When afflictions come, he gives the sufficient grace you need to bear the burden you are experiencing. He preserves your life.

He is a good heavenly daddy who loves and cares for you.

As your big brother who cares deeply for you, Jesus would not lie to you about something as important as this.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 20:16-23

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you…As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you’… And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’”

* * * * *

Jesus suddenly appeared to his disciples. They were hiding behind locked doors—fearful that they might be arrested and crucified as he had been.

He said to them, “Peace be with you.” In fact, he said it twice. He wanted them to know that those who really believed that he had risen from the dead had no reason to fear anything. He wanted to give his followers a peace that conquers all fear. It’s a peace that surpasses all understanding.²⁸

Jesus also gave them a commission to go into the world. In doing so, he used the example of his own incarnation. In the same way the Father had sent him into the world, he was now sending his followers into the world.

Jesus does not want us to be removed from the world, being so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. Nor are we to be standing against the world, harshly judging all its sin from a distance.

Rather, we are to be in the world, lovingly influencing people so they can be transformed for God’s glory. We are to be lights on a hill, loving the world with many good works. These good works will give the world reason to praise the heavenly Father.²⁹

Jesus then breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Because the cross and the resurrection were now complete, the disciples could receive the gift of forgiveness. That was the reason Jesus had been sent from heaven to earth: for the forgiveness of sins.

Unless sins are forgiven, no human can see the face of God and live. The Father’s highest priority was a personal relationship with his creation. But this relationship could not occur without the forgiveness of sins. If you want to spend eternity with the Father, you must first receive the forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus then gave all his followers this commission: Preach the gospel of forgiveness to the world. As the gospel is proclaimed and people believe it, they will be forgiven. But if the gospel is withheld, people will not hear about the opportunity to be forgiven.

As you share the gospel, keep these things in mind:

First, you have Jesus’ presence with you, which also gives you his peace. This peace is not as the world gives it. The world’s peace is merely the absence of conflict. Jesus gives you his personal presence, which grants you his perfect peace no matter what you are facing.

Second, Jesus sends you into the world. You are to live among the lost and do good works. Make the world a different and better place because you are living for Jesus in its midst.

Third, Jesus wants you to share the message about the forgiveness of sins with whomever you can. If you don’t, how can people know about it? This commission is of eternal significance.

As the Father sent the Son into the world, now Jesus sends you into the world.

Your words and deeds will help transform it for his glory.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 20:24-31

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands, and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

* * * * *

This is Jesus’ second resurrection appearance in John’s Gospel. During the first one, Thomas was not present. The disciples told him of the first appearance. Thomas was incredulous and said that unless he placed his finger into the mark of the nails in Jesus’ hands, and in the place of the wound in his side, he would never believe.

So when Jesus appeared the second time, he invited Thomas to place his finger in his hands and side. He then lovingly exhorted Thomas not to doubt, but to believe. He wanted Thomas’s unbelief to be destroyed and his faith to be strong.

Thomas responded simply, “My Lord and my God!” He chose faith. He chose to worship Jesus.

Thomas’s response is a statement about Christ’s deity. He proclaimed Jesus Lord and his personal God. He worshiped him. And Jesus accepted that worship. Thomas’s conclusion was accurate. Jesus was his Lord and God. He was worthy of his worship.

Some people who try to disprove Jesus’ claims to deity have suggested that Thomas’s exclamation was simply one of astonishment. How unthinkable! If that were the case, then that means Thomas, a faithful Jew who knew the Ten Commandments, was using the Lord’s name in vain.

Moreover, that suggestion is inconsistent with the flow of the story. Thomas’s words were spoken to Jesus as a confession of faith in him as his resurrected Lord and personal God.

Jesus then adjured Thomas to walk by faith and not by sight. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Indeed, Jesus’ earthly followers who saw him alive and believed in him had a distinct advantage over those who have never seen, yet still believe. Because you believe without having seen Jesus, you are more blessed than they are. You understand fully what it means to walk by faith.

Walk by faith and not by sight. Trust that Jesus is who he says he is. Believe that his words do hold the key to eternal life.

Believe that Jesus is not only Lord and God over the universe, but he is also your personal Lord and God. He is closer than a brother. He is your intimate life companion.

His resurrection proves that he truly does rule over everything in the universe. Nothing is outside his dominion, power, and authority. All authority in heaven and on earth has been granted to him. Nothing happens to you that he doesn’t oversee.

That means you don’t need to worry about anything. The world is in his hands. Your day is in his hands. Don’t be concerned about tomorrow. It has enough worries of its own.

Jesus is the resurrected Lord and God of all—including you!

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]

Today’s Reading: John 21:1-3

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”

* * * * *

John wrote about Jesus’ third resurrection appearance in his Gospel. There were many others, but the three John presented were the ones he chose to emphasize.

The disciples had returned to Galilee, where, as Mark noted, Jesus had commanded them to go and wait for him. Jesus had promised that he would go before them. If you are his disciple, that should be encouraging news for you. There is no place to where you go that he is not already there waiting for you.

The disciples waited patiently to see if Jesus would appear to them again. Peter was especially discouraged. He was dealing with his guilt, grief, and shame over having denied Jesus three times. He was in great need of the Lord’s grace.

While the disciples waited, they started fishing again. That was natural for them to do. When someone is feeling uncertain about something in life, he often returns to what he knows he can do well. For some of the disciples, this meant their fishing business. That’s what they had devoted their lives to when Jesus called them to follow him.

The disciples went out in a boat at night, which was the preferred time to fish. It was cooler, so the fish weren’t swimming along the bottom. Also, when fish were caught at night, they could be sold quickly and easily in the market the next morning while still fresh. The disciples were skilled fishermen, and they knew what they were doing.

But this night, the disciples caught nothing. They repeatedly threw their nets over one side of the boat, then the other, but without success. They were completely shut out. Nothing worked for them.

At the time, the disciples didn’t realize this truth: Jesus oversees all “nothings.” This was all part of his perfect plan to help them receive his love and mission for them—especially Peter. As they saw Jesus make their nothing into something, their faith in him would increase.

In just a little bit, it would all make sense to them.

When nothing seems to be working for you, you need to trust that Jesus is the Lord of your nothings. When nothing seems to be happening in your life, trust him. It’s not a surprise to him. He oversees all— even when nothing seems to be happening.

Jesus is using your nothings for a larger purpose. Sometimes he wants to exhaust you of all your human strength so you’ll depend solely on him. Other times he doesn’t want you to depend on what you do really well, but depend completely on him.

If it seems like nothing is working for you right now, rejoice! Trust him. He knows what he is doing. Faith continues to trust God when nothing seems to be happening.

He is the Lord of your nothings.

[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]