Apicontent

Today’s Reading: John 14:8-14

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

* * * * *

Jesus told his disciples that he is in the Father, and the Father is in him. This is an astounding claim, a spiritual mystery. The finite human mind cannot grasp it. But it’s true.

There is a mutual indwelling presence of the Father in the Son, and vice versa. They are in union with one another. It’s a perfect love relationship. Yet along with the Holy Spirit, they are three distinct personalities. They comprise one God in three persons—a blessed Trinity.

You aren’t expected to understand this. Thoughtful, intelligent people through the ages have tried to explain the Trinity. But they can’t. All human attempts are inadequate. Would you want to trust a God whom you could easily explain?

Jesus then told his disciples that if they struggled to believe what he said, they could look at his works and amazing miracles. Who else but God could do such signs and wonders?

Finally, Jesus told them that they would be able to accomplish greater works than these.

What does this mean? When the Holy Spirit came upon them, his presence indwelt them permanently. Jesus’ word, works, and power would no longer be limited to his physical presence in a specific place. Rather, his followers everywhere would be able to do evangelism, teach about his kingdom, do deeds of compassion, pray for the sick, and see healings occur and the demonic flee.

Through the centuries, the number of Jesus’ followers has grown and their influence continues to expand. Lives, cultures, and societies are being transformed. His kingdom is advancing around the globe— all for his glory.

Have you done any of his works today? Have you shown his forgiveness to anyone? Have you shared his eternal truths? Have you prayed for someone and seen his miraculous power? Have you been an instrument for changing someone’s eternal trajectory? Have you offered a compassionate hand to a hurting person?

Those are among the reasons why Jesus created you. He wants you to be an instrument of his peace. He wants his power to flow through you to a dying world. He desires for you to invest your life in other people’s lives.

Open your heart, and let him fill you with his love. Then go to where he tells you to go, and give his love away. Work with enthusiasm, as though you are working for the Lord and not for people. He will reward you for all the good you do.

And he will do greater works through you than you could ever possibly imagine.

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

Today’s Reading: John 14:15-17

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”

* * * * *

True love always manifests itself in willing obedience. If you love your spouse, you will serve him or her. A marriage in which the spouse expresses love but never does what is right in marriage is living a lie.

And what is love? Love is not only an emotion; it’s emotion in motion. It’s a verb. It acts, gives, shares, and cares.

Jesus said that if you love him, you will obey his commandments. Obedience proves your love for him. It’s a very simple teaching.

While Jesus was with his disciples, he made an extraordinary promise for all his followers, including you. He said that he would ask the Father to send them “another Helper.” This “Helper” is the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus’ very presence.

Jesus promised the Spirit because he knew you would need every heavenly power, assistance, and resource available to face your daily trials. Inwardly, he will encourage you, and give you comfort, and help keep you moving forward in life.

The Helper will always encourage you. He will always remind you of your identity in Christ, and that your sins are forgiven. He is your defense attorney and he will refute any bogus charges and accusations made against you by the enemy.

The Helper is Jesus’ divine presence with and in you. He is with you always—even to the close of the age. He will give you the power to be Christ’s witness both locally and globally. He who lives in you is greater than the enemy who lives in the world.

Don’t fear when you are speaking to another person about Jesus— whether a peasant or a prince, a commoner or a king. The Helper will give you the words to speak when you need to speak them. Even if you are brought before people who are hostile toward him, you will never need to worry about what to say or how to defend yourself. The Helper will teach you at that time what to say.

When you believe, the Holy Spirit is placed within you so that you will be able to obey God’s decrees. He will teach you what is true. And he will empower you to face any mountain and see it dissolve into the depths of the sea.

Don’t be afraid, for the Lord is with you. God’s personal, powerful presence through the Holy Spirit will allow you not to fear, for he is your God. He will strengthen you and uphold you with his righteous right hand.

Even though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he will be with you.

The Lord of hosts, the one who commands all the angel armies, is by your side.

And always remember: Jesus plus you equals all the powers in heaven are now at your disposal.

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

Today’s Reading: John 14:18-24

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.’”

* * * * *

Once again, we see Jesus saying that if you love him, you will respond by obeying his commandments. He said that obedience to him will bring a personal manifestation of his presence to you.

Jesus’ half brother, Jude, asked why the Lord would manifest himself to the disciples and not the world. The answer was simple. He couldn’t. This manifestation was for those who loved and obeyed him. This obedience proves love for him. The world doesn’t desire this. It’s anathema to the spiritual skeptic.

When you love and obey Jesus, both the Father and the Son come to make a home with you. And though they live in your heart, there are times when they feel as if they aren’t welcome. There are things in your heart that are inconsistent with their presence in you.

Is your heart truly their home? Do you give them total access to every one of your life’s rooms? Are there any rooms you won’t allow them to enter?

Is your life’s den littered with unholy literature and waste? Are there programs on your television, computer, or social media that would cause you to be embarrassed if they watched them with you? Why would you watch anything that you knew Jesus and the Father wouldn’t want you to watch?

Will you allow them to oversee your kitchen—watching your diet to make sure you eat correctly so your body remains healthy? To make sure you drink lots of water and not ingest too much alcohol, sugar, and bad carbohydrates?

How about the exercise room? Will you meet them there to exercise your body? If you remain sedentary, it will affect your spirit and soul. They are undeniably connected. If one part is neglected, other parts will be as well. Do you manage your body well, remembering the Holy Spirit indwells it?

How about your bedroom? The one sleeping with you is your spouse to whom you’re committed forever in marriage, correct? You do know that’s God’s original design and will, don’t you? Also, are you getting enough sleep to remain healthy? Are you burning the candle at both ends? If so, you are not as bright as you think you are. Physically healthy people need sleep. And they know that during their sleep the Lord will oversee them, give them his peace, and renew their bodies and spirits.

The Father and the Son will feel welcome in your heart when you love and obey their words.

And if you love them, you will give them complete access to every room. No part of your heart is denied access.

Your heart will be their home.

Has this happened?

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

Today’s Reading: John 14:25-26

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

* * * * *

The teachings Jesus gave to his disciples in John 13–17 comprise what is commonly called the Upper Room Discourse. They are among the most intimate insights he shared with them. He wanted these truths to be indelibly etched in their minds.

Here, Jesus promised them again that the Helper, the third person of the Godhead, would be sent to them in his name. He would ask the Helper to come, and the Helper would respond without hesitation.

Note that Jesus called the Helper “he.” That’s because he is a person. When he indwells you, you have a personal, living, and dynamic relationship with him. Because the Helper lives in you, his very nature is within you.

But don’t miss the great work the Holy Spirit did through his disciples in the writings of the New Testament—God’s Word. Jesus said that the Helper would bring to their minds all his teachings. Their written words about his life in the Gospels and instructions to the churches about right doctrine and practice would be his very words written through them.

This work of the Holy Spirit allows us to have confidence in the words of the New Testament. The words written by the disciples were supernatural— their words were actually God’s words. Their insights were actually God’s insights.

What the disciples wrote down was not guesswork. It wasn’t from human hearts. All the words of the New Testament are God-breathed. The disciples’ written words were Jesus’ words. That makes them reliable, authoritative, and accurate.

You can trust the Bible. It’s not mere human opinion. It’s not from a group of people who wrote down mere subjective thoughts. It’s God’s authoritative Word.

Through the ages, the Helper guided prophets and apostles to write down exactly what the Father willed them to say. They were not mere spiritual stenographers, but real men, in real times, listening to and being led by the Helper to pen the Father’s heart.

The fact they were chosen by the Father to write down his words gives those words complete authority. The Helper guided them in this work.

The Bible is God’s Word—guided and overseen by the Helper, the Holy Spirit, the silent sovereign, and the third person of the Trinity.

Read the Word with confidence. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God stands forever.⁶ Heaven and earth will disappear, but Jesus’ words will never disappear.⁷ It gives hope and encouragement. It prospers wherever it is sent, read, believed, and obeyed.

Believe that its promises are true.

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

Today’s Reading: John 14:27-31

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives to you…For the Father is greater than I.”

* * * * *

Jesus wants to give you the gift of his peace. The Hebrew word translated “peace” is shalom. It’s a much richer word than the English word peace.

The English word suggests an absence of conflict, turmoil, and trials. By contrast, shalom means positive blessing—especially in terms of a relationship with the Father. It’s the sense that all is well. Everything in your life is working as designed.

That’s the kind of peace Jesus wants you to experience. You are able to rejoice because you know the Father is working through the trials you face. You know that tribulation is bringing about perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and proven character hope. This hope never disappoints because it knows the Holy Spirit is pouring out God’s love inside your heart.⁸

Shalom is what Jesus desires to give to you. The world can’t give it. It tries to give peace—the absence of conflict—but has never been successful. There are always hot spots around the globe that cause tensions. There always will be until Jesus returns.

Jesus’ peace is his personal, abiding presence—no matter what is surrounding you.

Jesus also said that the Father is greater than him. That does not mean that he has more power and authority. It does not mean that Jesus is inferior to the Father in any way.

Rather, it means that Jesus willingly submitted his power and authority to the Father’s request that he come to earth and die on a cross to save the lost. During the Savior’s thirty-plus years on earth, he gladly and willingly submitted his will to the Father’s.

Jesus did not think of equality with the Father as something to be grasped. He put on human flesh in the form of a servant. He humbled myself in obedience to the point of death on the cross. While on earth, he submitted to the Father’s authority. It was his joy to do so.

The Son did all this for love. He gave up his power and position in heaven to save you. He wanted to show you the nature of the Father. In the Old Testament, people heard about him. In the New Testament, they saw him. The Old Testament is like radio. The New Testament is like television.

At one time, people only heard about the Father. But through Jesus, they could see the Father face to face.

Jesus came to give you shalom. Receive it today. It’s what will allow you to lie down and sleep peacefully, knowing the Lord will keep you safe. His peace brings quietness and confidence of soul. It flows like a gentle river, and guards your heart and mind as you rest in him.

This peace is available to all God’s children. It eliminates fear. It causes trouble to melt before it. It surpasses all understanding.

The world can’t give it to you.

His presence will.

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

Today’s Reading: John 15:1-11

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit…I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

* * * * *

This is the last of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel. Once again, it points to his deity.

He said, “I am the true vine.” The word “true” contrasts him with Israel. The term “vine,” or “vineyard,” was used in Old Testament nomenclature as a symbol of Israel. But Israel failed to produce fruit for the Father and be a light to the nations.

That is why Jesus is the true vine. As his followers abide in him, they will succeed where Israel failed. Through them, the gospel will spread throughout the world.

The Father in heaven is the vinedresser. His work in you ensures fruitfulness. This happens when he connects you, the branches, with Jesus, the vine. What connects you is your faith. That’s why the Lord desires great faith. When you are solidly one with him, his life will easily flow to you. Who he is becomes who you are. And with him, you can do anything.

As the vinedresser, the Father sometimes must prune branches. It can be painful, but it’s very purposeful. He does this so you will bear more fruit.

The Father prunes you. He sees certain things in your life that are preventing full fruitfulness and must be removed. Thus, the painful process of pruning begins.

Perhaps you are experiencing that right now. Something in your life has been removed that you thought was important. You’re wondering what the Father is doing.

As this pruning takes place, try to look at it from the Father’s perspective. He knows you well. He realizes what is keeping your full growth in him from happening. Trust him in the pruning. Though it’s painful, remember that he is an expert vinedresser. He knows what he’s doing.

And remain solidly connected to Jesus. Then the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in your character: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then who you are will be reproduced in the lives of others. Remember: You reproduce who you are and not what you do. This brings much glory and praise to God.

The Lord created you to bear great fruit for him—both inwardly and outwardly. You should be like a tree on a riverbank, bearing fruit each season for him. Even in old age, you are to remain vital for the Lord and produce fruit for his glory. That’s why you were placed on this planet: For his life to be in you and to flow through you so that you bear much fruit for him.

Don’t be dismayed when pruning takes place. The Father is removing some good and bad fruit so you can produce more and better fruit. Just make sure you remain connected to the vine.

You were created to bear great fruit for God.

Jesus is the true vine. Remain in him.

Apart from him, you can do nothing.

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

Today’s Reading: John 15:12-17

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full…Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends…No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends. You did not choose me, but I chose you.”

* * * * *

Jesus wants you to have his complete joy. It comes by abiding in him. When your life is rooted in him, his joy will be in you. This reality can’t be forced or mandated. It naturally flows from him to you when you abide and remain in him.

The Savior wants you to know he loves you. The proof is that he laid down his life for you. It’s the greatest example of selfless love the world has ever seen. He laid down his life for his friends.

You are his friend. Moses and Abraham were also called his friends. Yes, before you gave your life to the Lord, you were a rebel and an enemy. But now, through Jesus’ death, you are a close friend. He will never betray or desert you. You are friends forever.

What a friend you have in Jesus! He bears all your sins and grief. You have the privilege of coming to him daily in prayer. You forfeit a lot of peace and bear much needless pain because you don’t go to him in prayer. So carry everything to him in prayer. After all, he is your friend.

Here is another insight about your relationship with Jesus. You are no longer merely a servant. Humanly speaking, servants have no rights or relationship with their master. They are second-class citizens. Their job description is simply to obey the master.

But as a believer, you are an adopted child of the King of the universe. All he owns is now yours. Royal blood pulsates through your veins. The Father yearns to spend time with you.

Yes, you still obey him—as a servant does. But there is a major shift in motivation. You obey because you want to, not because you have to. You obey because of your close relationship with him. Joy increases as you willingly obey what he tells you to do.

You are Jesus’ personal friend, and a chosen member of his heavenly family. He wants to spend time with you every day, as any good friend wants to do. He is closer than a brother. Your friendship with him will never be broken. He died so you could be friends. Could there be greater love? What more could he give to you?

Live today in the reality of that close, personal relationship.

It should bring joy to your heart. And make his joy in you complete.

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

Today’s Reading: John 15:18-25

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you…I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…Whoever hates me hates my Father also.”

* * * * *

If you are a faithful follower of Jesus, the world will hate you. Don’t be surprised when that happens. It first hated him.

Why does the world hate him? There are several reasons.

First, Jesus’ life exposes human pride. It shows how we trust in our own insights and ways. It shows self-exaltation and worship of self. It proves we want the world to revolve around us so that we get all the fame and glory. By contrast, his followers want only God to receive the glory.

Second, we want to control our own life. We want to oversee all the shots and yield control to no one. But the Lord calls us to yield control of our life and trust him. He tells us that if we try to save our life, we will lose it. But if we give up our life for his sake and the sake of the gospel, we will gain it.

Third, we want to earn our own salvation. We think we are good enough to enter heaven, but we aren’t. Jesus says that all fall far short of the glory of God. We need a Savior who will save us by grace, not our works. Only he can make this possible. We are offended when we hear that salvation is by his grace alone.

Jesus chose you out of the world to follow him. That means you are to reject the world’s values. You now belong to him and possess his kingdom values. They are completely different than the world’s values. The way you live for Jesus should remind people of their rebellion against him. As you live for him, the world will hate you as it hated him.

The servant is not greater than the master, nor is the pupil greater than the teacher, nor is the disciple greater than the mentor. If it happened to Jesus, it will happen to you. If people hate the word of truth, the world will hate it when you speak and live it.

When people hate you, don’t retaliate or seek revenge. Leave those individuals to heaven. The Lord will rightly deal with them when the time is right.

You may feel lonely at times. Don’t despair. Jesus will be with you wherever you may go. Even when you go through deep waters, he will be there with you. Don’t ever be shaken. Call upon the Lord and he will whisper to you, “I am right here.”

Yes, Jesus chose you from the world. Nevertheless, he calls you back into the world. You are to be in the world, but not of it.

You are Jesus’ light in a dark world. Shine brightly for his glory!

You are Jesus’ salt in a decaying world. Be very salty!

You are Jesus’ ambassador to the world. Represent him well!

And don’t be surprised when the hatred comes.

It shows you’re being effective for your Lord.

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

Today’s Reading: John 15:26-27

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

* * * * *

Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them. He would infuse in them a power from heaven. His life would live in and through them.

The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bear witness to Jesus. He wants no public attention or acclaim for himself. He is the silent sovereign.

Note the concept of the Trinity here in John 15:26-27. Though the term Trinity never appears in the Bible, the idea is clearly seen. The Holy Spirit flows from the Father, at Jesus’ command, to bear witness to the Son. There is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are not three gods in Christian orthodoxy.

The Trinity is a profound mystery. It can’t be explained by human logic. But it’s clearly taught and seen in the Word. For example, Jesus told his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.⁹

The Holy Spirit wants to bear witness to Jesus. He desires that his name be exalted above all other names.

When the Spirit enters your life, you desire to yield to his guidance. His heart becomes your heart and you are motivated to bear witness for Jesus as well.

At Pentecost, that’s exactly what happened. When the Holy Spirit filled the 120 who were gathered in the Upper Room, they were consumed with a desire to witness to those who had gathered in Jerusalem from many nations. They flooded the streets to share the good news. They were so joyful that some observers thought them to be intoxicated in the early morning hours.

Jesus told the disciples that when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they’d be his witnesses—both locally and globally. A major evidence of the infilling of the Spirit in your life is your bold and confident witness about the Lord—both locally and globally.

Do you desire to witness for Jesus? Or are you still trying to please people? Are you more concerned about your reputation than his? Are you concerned your name will be rejected rather than his name exalted?

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be Jesus’ follower and say you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and not be a bold witness for him. In fact, the word “witness,” in the original Greek text, is martus—the word from which we get the English word martyr.

If you are a witness for Jesus, you are willing to give your life for the Lord’s cause. You are faithful until the end of this life. You cannot deny the reality of what Jesus has done in you. You know he has begun a good work in you and you’re certain he will be faithful to complete it, even if you are called to be a martyr.

Is this you?

Are you a faithful witness?

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

Today’s Reading: John 16:1-11

Hearing God’s Voice for Today:

“When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

* * * * *

Here, Jesus has much to say to us about the promised Helper. When he comes, he will do three necessary works that will point people toward faith in him. What are they?

First, he will convict people of their sin. This is the important first step that’s necessary for someone to come to faith. Most people believe they are basically good and occasionally do bad things. The opposite is true. They are basically selfish and occasionally do good things. And they need to realize that the wages of sin is death. The Helper will convict them of this essential truth and their need for a Savior.

Second, he will convict people of their unrighteousness. Perfect obedience to God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments, is God’s standard for salvation. Yet no one can ever achieve it. No one is righteous, not one. All people fall far short of God’s glory. Once this conviction occurs from the Helper, they will realize their need for a Savior.

Third, he will convict people of the reality of the final judgment. This teaching is unpopular. People prefer to believe that life is only about eating, drinking, and being merry—for tomorrow you may die. They think that God is an eternal granddaddy who, after death, will merely wink at them, pat them on the head, and say, “There, there, it’ll all be okay.”

The Helper will contradict this lie. He will convict people that one day they will face their Maker and be held accountable for how they lived. He will remind them that a future, eternal judgment is coming. Jesus will be the Judge of the living and the dead. By revealing this truth, the Helper will show people their need for a Savior.

No one will come to Jesus for salvation unless they are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin, unrighteousness, and the reality of a final judgment. People will love him in direct proportion to how great a sinner they know they are. Until the Helper convicts them of these realities, they will never feel a need for a Savior. No one will move toward faith.

But if you have not received Jesus as your Savior, you are a sinner who has missed God’s mark for your life. You are a rebel who has fought against his kingdom rule. You are ungodly, seeking your own selfish way. You deserve eternal separation from him, with hell being your eternal destiny.

Has the Helper convicted your heart of these awful realities? If so, here is some good news.

Jesus personally carried your sins in his body on the cross so that you can be dead to sin and live for what is right. Once you’ve confessed your sins to him, he will forgive you of all unrighteousness and you will possess a personal relationship with him. Your eternal trajectory will have changed.

Heaven is your eternal home.

And you now know how amazing God’s grace truly is.

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