Apicontent

Today’s Reading: John 18:12-18

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.”

* * * * *

All the other disciples had fled except two—Peter, and another one who was unnamed. He was John, the author of this Gospel. Once again he was deferential about revealing his identity, and because of this, we know who he was.

Peter and John followed Jesus to “the court of the high priest,” an enclosed space with no roof, meaning one could look up and see the sky. Peter stayed outside the gate, while John entered. He was known to the high priest and was able to enter.

There was a servant girl guarding the courtyard. John went to her and vouched for Peter, and she allowed him to enter.

Peter and John’s courage should be noted. All the other disciples had fled. By contrast, John and Peter desired to be faithful to the Lord. They had followed the entourage that had arrested him because they feared something awful might happen to him.

In the face of enormous adversity, they chose to follow Jesus. They were very courageous.

What is courage? It is not being ignorant about the future and yet still moving forward. Rather, true courage is clearly knowing what awaits you but still choosing to move ahead. It’s unflinchingly staring the enemy in the face while not knowing what the eventual outcome may be.

Jesus is always looking for courageous followers—disciples who might not know what’s awaiting them but are still willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. He needs people who will be unabashed witnesses for him—both in word and deed. He needs fearless helpers who will act to advance the Father’s kingdom on earth.

Yes, Peter would go on to deny the Lord. But at least he was in the courtyard. At least he hadn’t run away as the others had. John and Peter resisted cowardice. They went inside the courtyard. They knew doing this was dangerous, but still they followed their Master.

Emulate Peter and John. Be strong and courageous for Jesus. Do not panic or be afraid of those who may criticize or threaten you. What can they do to you? Jesus will guard you from all sides. He won’t fail or abandon you. He will fight for you and give you victory.

Jesus will arm you with his strength. He will go ahead of you in the battle. The battle belongs to him. In fact, he has already won the battle!

Jesus knows you by name. You are his. Knowing these truths should give you enormous confidence. You can be very bold.

He will make your way perfect. He is your sun and your shield. He is your shelter and refuge. He is your strong tower. He watches over every area of your life. He will protect you from danger.

Why should you tremble?

Trust him with all your heart.

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

Today’s Reading: John 18:1-11

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given to me?’”

* * * * *

Simon Peter was incensed that Jesus was being arrested. Earlier, Peter had promised that he would die for the Lord. True to his word, he took action to defend Jesus.

Peter removed a short sword that was hidden under his garment. This kind of sword was used for stabbing, not slicing. A quick jab rightly aimed at a vital organ would cause immediate death.

Peter drew his sword and attacked Malchus, the high priest’s servant. He aimed for his head, but instead, cut off the servant’s ear. Jesus immediately healed Malchus’s ear. He wanted to teach his followers that if they lived by the sword, they would die by the sword.

Jesus also used this moment to teach the disciples another important truth about his mission on earth. He wanted them to know what it meant for him to drink the cup the Father had given to him.

The “cup” was a metaphor for God’s judgment. Throughout the Old Testament, it was always used as a symbol of the Father’s coming wrath. The Father gave it to the Son to drink from for the forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus’ greatest agony on earth was not the physical pain of the crucifixion. Though excruciating, it could not begin to compare with the spiritual agony he faced while he was on the cross. There, he took the Father’s wrath upon himself. He bore the sins of all humankind when he drank from this cup. He was separated from his Father in heaven when he absorbed all our sins upon his body.

This was why, when Jesus prayed earlier in the garden of Gethsemane, he asked the Father if there was a way other than the cross. After all, his greatest joy was being one in a perfect relationship with the Father. But when Jesus became a substitute for our sins, their unity was torn apart. The Father could not have fellowship with Jesus because he had taken upon himself all the sins of the world. The Father forsook his Son.

The cross was always the Father’s will for the Son. His heart of love for you demanded that Jesus drink of the cup of his wrath so you wouldn’t have to. Jesus gladly submitted to the Father’s will because he knew it would allow you the forgiveness of your sins and a right relationship with them forever.

Do you believe this? Do you believe that the Father’s anger was poured out on Jesus instead of you? Do you believe the Father is ready to forgive you if you just ask him to?

It is true. Through Jesus, your sins are forever forgiven—as far as the east is from the west. Regarding your sins, the Father is an eternal amnesiac. They are remembered no more, blotted out for Christ’s sake. Though like scarlet, he has made them white as snow.

And you can now know the joy of his salvation and a clean heart and a renewed spirit.

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

Today’s Reading: John 16:26-33

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

* * * * *

The hour had come for the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 13:7. The sheep were scattered, and the shepherd left alone. But Jesus knew he could face this ordeal because his Father in heaven was with him.

Jesus, based on his own experiences, was able to assure that you’d have peace—the abiding feeling that all is well with your soul—regardless of the circumstances surrounding you.

He told his disciples that in this world, they would experience tribulation. Not one is immune. There are no exemptions.

Jesus doesn’t want anyone to think that if they follow him they will never experience trials, conflicts, difficulties, or challenges. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. His followers must share in his sufferings.

In fact, you are warned that trials will increase when you follow Jesus. How can this be?

First, because you are a follower, the enemy will target you more viciously. You are a threat to the enemy’s kingdom of darkness. He will increase and intensify his temptations and attacks upon your soul.

Second, the world will hate you. It hated Jesus; it will hate you as well. Your kingdom values now stand contrary to what the world holds dear. The world despises Jesus’ message. Consequently, it will try to hurt the messenger.

Third, you will experience more intense battles with your flesh. The flesh is your fallen human nature. It yearns for self to be exalted above all. When the Spirit resides in you, the flesh and Spirit are contrary to one another. The more influential the Spirit becomes, the greater the pushback from the flesh. The crucifixion of your flesh becomes a daily battle where you must choose who sits on the throne of your heart: flesh or the Spirit.

But don’t forget: Jesus said he has overcome the world. You can too. So take heart. Be filled with courage. The Spirit in you is greater than he who lives in the world.

Jesus stands victorious over all the powers of the world, the flesh, and the devil. All have been defeated by his resurrection. And as a believer, that power now lives in you. His strength in you will enable you to overcome all things.

Because he lives, you can face anything. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because he was victorious, you can be too. Your present, temporary troubles are light and small in comparison to the glory that awaits you. It will greatly outweigh what you’ve gone through. Plus, it will last forever.

You are now more than a conqueror through him who loves you.

Live today in that victorious and conquering power.

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

Today’s Reading: John 17:1-5

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

* * * * *

This is the beginning of Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples. Prayer wasn’t an afterthought for him. It was his lifeline to the Father. It’s what gave him strength and power. It should be the same with you.

The hour had arrived for the Son to accomplish the work for which he’d been sent: To die for the forgiveness of our sins and give us eternal life.

Jesus knew the Father would be glorified by his death on the cross. God’s perfect love and justice are intermixed. His holiness was satisfied by his wrath being poured out on Jesus, and not you. His love was shown by the free gift of the forgiveness of your sins.

Note that Jesus asked the Father to glorify him in his presence. How was this done? It happened when, after Jesus’ death on the cross, where for a while he was separated from his sinless Father because all our sin rested on him, both the Father and the Son were restored to perfect union in heaven—a union that existed in all eternity before Jesus came to earth.

Your greatest need is now met: The forgiveness of your sins. You now possess the gift of eternal life. You know the one true God through the one the Father sent to you to give you the gift of eternal life—Jesus. What Adam lost in the Garden of Eden, Jesus restored. Humanity has union life with God.

The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the work the Father sent him to do. When he cried out on the cross with his last breath, “It is finished,” his work was done. He obeyed perfectly the righteous requirements of the moral law, the Ten Commandments.

Where you failed, Jesus succeeded. Your disobedience brought you judgment. His obedience brought you forgiveness.

The judgment due you fell upon him. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin so that you might become the righteousness of God. If you have accepted Christ as Savior, the Father now accepts you. He sees only his forgiveness and his righteousness in your heart.

Jesus is now with the Father again. It’s the place where he preexisted with him before the world was ever created. Today Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, waiting for the time when the Father tells him to return and judge the living and the dead. His glorification is complete.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with an unfailing love. He forgives every kind of sin and rebellion. He lavishes love to the thousandth generation for those who love him. He redeems you from death and crowns you with his tender mercies.

How great is the Father’s love for you, that he would make you his child. Abide in his love. It’s the most powerful force in the universe.

It’s what brought Jesus from heaven to earth to you.

It’s what will take you home one day.

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

Today’s Reading: John 17:6-10

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.”

* * * * *

Here, Jesus gives you a powerful promise from his heart to yours. It should give you great comfort and hope.

What is that promise? He is praying for you and your needs right now.

This is not a promise for those who don’t believe in him and don’t claim the power of his name. He is not praying for them.

But for those who know him and have received his gift of forgiveness, he is constantly praying for them before the Father. What you ask, in his name, he takes to the Father. He hears every one of your prayers and responds according to his perfect will. He knows every single need you have even before you present it to him.

What should you do if you don’t know how to pray and what to ask for? The Spirit understands your heart. He will rightly interpret your needs.

He will then express your needs to the Father. Indeed, the Spirit and the Son are both making intercession for you. That should lift your heart when you feel overwhelmed and don’t know how to pray.

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t fear. Don’t fret over evildoers. Don’t be anxious about anything. Can your worries add even a single moment to your life? Can they add an inch to your height? Worry dominates the lives of those who don’t believe in the Lord.

Rather, take courage. There is something you can do to address your problems.

What is it? Come to Jesus in prayer. He already knows all your needs. Make your requests known to him and sprinkle them with thanksgiving. Be thankful for all he has given to you. Remember and be thankful for previously answered prayers. Make a list if you need to.

Give all your cares to the Lord, for he cares about you. Let him carry them. He is able to do so. Experience the peace that passes understanding. It’s given to you through Jesus—the one who is carrying your load, the one who takes your prayers to the Father.

He might answer yes. Or maybe you’ll need to wait. Perhaps God has a better plan. What appears to be a no is God’s perfect, sovereign care for you.

But he will respond. He hears and answers every request made to him.

Trust him.

Know that the response will be enveloped in perfect love.

And one day, you will understand his perfect answer.

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

Today’s Reading: John 17:15-16

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

* * * * *

Here, Jesus continues in his prayers for his disciples—and this includes you.

His prayer is that you will never withdraw from the fallen world in which you live. At times, you may want to. But it is better that you don’t.

God’s will for your life is that you remain in the world. You are to try to influence it for good. You are to point people to Jesus and advance his kingdom on earth.

You are salt and light in the world. Salt is effective only if it’s out of the saltshaker. When placed in meat, it gives taste and serves as a preservative. Likewise, light is effective only when it’s shone into darkness. Then it can show people the next steps by which they can move forward.

Jesus’ call for you to remain in the world will be challenging. There will be times when the world hates you. It hated him as well. Even so, the Father needed to send his Son. He couldn’t do the work he wanted to do in this world unless Jesus entered a stable in Bethlehem. Likewise, you cannot do the work Jesus calls you to do unless you are in the world.

As you do Jesus’ work in the world, he is praying that you will be kept from the evil one. Satan hates you just as he hated Jesus. He wants to kill, steal, and destroy. Learn about his wiles and resist them. Stand firmly against him. When you do, he will flee.

Don’t allow the world to conform you to its pernicious priorities. You are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom. You are dead to the gods of this world. Live by the Lord’s standards. Your old life has passed away. A new one has come. Your heart’s desire should be to glorify Jesus.

You are in the world, but not of the world.

As salt, you make people thirsty to know the Lord. As light, you enable people to walk in truth toward him.

Today, live for Jesus in the world.

Walk closely with him and carefully for him. Work willingly and with enthusiasm at whatever you do. The Lord is your boss, not people. You are serving him. Show love to everyone you meet.

Ask people about their needs. Write them down and pray for them. If possible, let them know you’re praying for them. If answers come, see them marvel on God’s gracious responses.

Be a funnel of God’s grace and mercy to all with whom you come in contact. Your mission field is wherever you are, caring for the people around you at that moment. Wherever you may be affords you a grand opportunity to serve the Lord.

Be generous in all you give. You are like a farmer sowing seeds into the world. If you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly. But if you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. You will experience a generous crop.

Be in the world. Be faithful as you work in the world. Be generous in all you give.

Do this, and one day you will hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

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

Today’s Reading: John 17:17-19

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

* * * * *

One of Jesus’ ongoing prayers to the Father is that you will be sanctified. This is a lifelong process. Over time, you are being conformed to Jesus’ image. He is working in you daily to make you holy in the same way that his Father in heaven is holy.

This process begins when you are born of the Holy Spirit. Notice he is “holy.” When he invades your heart and takes up residence, the process of being separated from the world and its evil influences begins. You start to grow in godliness, morality, and holiness.

As this takes place, you are being conformed to Jesus’ image. Your attitudes and actions start to look like his. You are more like him than you were yesterday, but probably not as much as you will be tomorrow. It is a daily, grueling, grinding, and lifelong process. Only in heaven will you be fully sanctified.

The main way sanctification occurs in you is by learning truth. There is objective, moral truth in this world. The world teaches differently— that all truth is relative. It says that truth is only as you perceive it—even if it’s contrary to another person’s view of truth.

That view is a postmodern lie. It reflects the darkness of the world. It allows everyone to do what is right in his own eyes. It’s a very dangerous place for any individual and culture to be.

Truth is found in the Word of God. It is his eternal, inerrant truth. He wrote it. He breathed it. It’s never conformed to the world’s standards. Everything in this world must be measured, tested by, and compared to God’s Word, which is ultimate truth.

Your personal holiness will grow when you study, ingest, and obey God’s Word. It reveals the world’s lies. And it shows you the Lord’s true ways—the ways in which you should walk.

You should meditate on God’s Word day and night, as opportunities come your way. As you do so, you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.¹²

As you follow the truths in his Word, sanctification occurs. His Word teaches, corrects, reproves, and trains you toward holiness and right living. Its truths make you live, look, and act more and more like Jesus every day. It rids you of all the filth and evil in you. It sets you free to be who God desires you to be. And God’s Word remains forever.

The Lord’s will for you is not to make you happy, but holy.

It’s not to make you comfortable, but to conform you to Jesus’ image.

That happens as you study and obey his Word. There’s no shortcut. But blessed are all who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.

God’s Word is true.

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

Today’s Reading: John 17:20-26

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.”

* * * * *

When Jesus came to the Father in prayer in John 17, he not only

prayed for the disciples who were with him, but also for all who will ever believe in him. That includes you right now—if you believe in him.

Jesus’ prayer for you has one specific concern: He wants all his followers to be unified. He wants them to be one in the same way that he and his Father are one. He is perfectly in the Father, and the Father in him.

When you receive Christ as Savior, he enters you. And if the Father and the Son are perfectly one, that means they both indwell you. That’s an example of the unity they desire among all believers. When the world sees this unity being lived out, it will believe that the Father sent the Son to forgive their sins.

The Father and the Son desire all believers to remain unified. United we stand against the enemy, divided we fall. A kingdom divided internally cannot stand. We need one another to advance the Lord’s kingdom.

A sports team cannot succeed if divided. Nor can a business organization. Nor can a marriage. There must be unity. Conversely, individual fingers can cause little harm—giving only a painless poke. But balled together, the fingers can become a fist, and a powerful force.

The devil’s name means “the divider.” He wants to divide friendships, marriages, and churches. He knows the power of unity. He knows defeat is difficult when believers stand together. That’s why he desires division and uses every available tool in his hellish arsenal to separate believers.

That’s why Jesus instructs you to pursue unity with all your energy.

If you’ve hurt one of his followers, before you attend another worship service, drop everything and go reconcile yourself with that person.¹³ If you don’t, then your worship will make a mockery of God’s forgiveness freely given to you. He wants unity.

If someone has hurt you, pray for him to be blessed by the Lord. It’s impossible to feel bitterness while you are praying for someone to receive God’s blessings. Forgive. Be freed from bitterness. If possible, make every effort to be at peace with others. Jesus wants unity.

If your marriage is being threatened by divorce, fight hard to stay married. Your children will be hurt the most if you break apart. For the rest of their lives, they will carry around the scars of mom and dad separating. Plus, it’s a terrible witness for Christ before a watching world. He wants unity.

Make every effort to guard your unity—in your friendships, marriages, and the church.

There’s great power in unity, as the Father and the Son well know.

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

Today’s Reading: John 16:16-24

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world…Ask, you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

* * * * *

Jesus knew that after the cross, his followers would be forlorn, weep, and lament. Conversely, the world would rejoice over his demise.

But Jesus also knew that his followers’ sadness wouldn’t last forever. He wanted them to know their sorrow would eventually change to joy.

Jesus used contrasts to teach us. How can we know joy without sadness? Or how can we know happiness without heartache? It’s one way he is able to take that which is evil and use it for good.

Jesus then gave his disciples an illustration to make his point—he referred to an event that happens daily. He asked them to remember what happens in childbirth.

When a mother is delivering her baby, the pain is excruciating. It increases with each contraction as the hour of delivery approaches. Her sorrow becomes increasingly greater.

But after the baby is delivered and is placed on her chest, the pain is forgotten and she is overcome with joy.

That was what happened with the disciples. They knew great pain after the cross and thought they had no hope. Their sorrow increased with every passing hour.

Jesus then appeared to them in his resurrection body. When they realized he was alive, their sorrow was immediately transformed into joy. New life and hope pulsated in their veins. Their joy became their strength.

You may think that your present situation is hopeless. The mountain before you appears too steep to be climbed. Sorrow fills your heart as you face the seemingly impossible.

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t give up. The Father is able to make lemonade out of your lemons. He can take your dramas and give daylight. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you could ever hope for or imagine. During your time of discouragement, remember a mother giving birth to her child. Your child is coming. Your deliverance is just around the corner.

Persevere in your prayers. Remember how Jesus has answered you in the past. When you ask and you receive an answer, joy fills your heart. Sorrow is immediately turned to joy. In him your heart rejoices, for you trust in his name. You may plant in tears, but your harvest will come with shouts of joy. You may weep as you plant the seed, but you will sing as you return with the harvest. Therefore, be overwhelmed with joy in the Lord your God. Rejoice in the Lord always. Let me say it again: Rejoice!¹⁰

He will keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.¹¹

Jesus’ plans for you are good. He will use your sorrow for good.

It’s always darkest before dawn.

Your joy will come in the morning.

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

Today’s Reading: John 14:1-7

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?…I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

* * * * *

When difficulties come your way, don’t let your heart be troubled. It’s your choice whether to worry about a problem or not. You can choose to focus on either the size of your problems or the size of your God.

How can you stop worrying? Choose to believe in the Father. It’s a command. He created and controls all. There’s nothing he doesn’t oversee. Everything you’re worried about is under the heavenly Father’s control and care. So why worry?

Believe also in the Son. Believe that he came from heaven to earth to die for your sins. Believe death is not the end for you. Believe that heaven is your home. Believe that nothing can separate you from Jesus’ love. Believe he is stronger than your problems.

In the Father’s house are many dwelling places, where you’ll live forever. Jesus is now there, preparing a place for you. If this weren’t true, why would he have told you? No falsehood can be uttered from his lips. You can trust what he says.

Jesus is the way to the Father. He alone grants access to him. There is no other name in heaven and on earth by which you can be saved.

Jesus is the truth. His teachings are true—including what he promised about eternal life. Unlike the enemy, who is the father of lies, Jesus cannot lie. Every word he speaks is truth because he is the truth.

Jesus is the life. Only he can confer eternal life on those who believe in him. It happens the moment you are birthed into his kingdom. He also gives you abundant life now.

Here is another of Jesus’ “I am” statements in John’s Gospel. Once again, he gives a clear claim to deity. It may be his most significant “I am” statement of all. It claims exclusivity for salvation.

Yes, that claim is offensive to some. But when people object to it, don’t become defensive. Simply point them back to Jesus himself. It wasn’t your idea. He made the claim, not you. They are offended with him, not you.

Difficulties will come. But don’t let your heart be troubled. Rest peacefully in the Lord. He is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge and fortress in times of trouble. Though troubles come, the Lord will rescue you each time. He is your hiding place; he is your strong arm each and every day you live. He is close to those who trust him.

Choose to have faith in the heavenly Father and the Son. Believe that your earthly troubles won’t last very long and are producing a heavenly glory that far outweighs anything you are facing today.

With Jesus’ help, you can persevere. And you can be certain your heavenly home is secure.

Jesus wouldn’t lie to you about something so important.

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