July 20
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HE WHO IS OF GOD HEARS THE WORDS OF GOD
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” – John 8:39-47
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Once again, the Jews exhibit their hypocrisy in verse 41 claiming that God is their Father. Jesus vehemently claims that if they were really Abraham’s children, they will never seek to kill Him. He tells them that if God is their Father, they will love and accept Him, but they have continuously rejected Him. It is strong language when Jesus tells them that they are children of the devil and explains to them the nature of their father. He is a murderer and cannot stand the truth. He is a liar and the father of lies. Jesus tells them that the reason why they cannot stand the truth that He reveals to them is because they thrive in lies. He exposes the reason why they cannot hear what He is saying. They do not hear His words because they do not belong to God.
It is interesting to watch how some Christians I know do not want the truth either. It is sad to witness these people think that they are followers of Jesus when they do not even want to know the truth. They may read the bible, but they never really reflect, follow and live the truth that comes from God’s word. They choose to live in lies and sin. They have no qualms in continually serving their own selves. They cannot belong to God if they are concerned only with their own desires and cravings.
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REFLECTION
• How is hearing the Word of God a clear indication that you belong to God?
Monthly Archives: July 2020
THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE ILMA’S VLOG
July 19
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THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore, you also do the things which you heard from your father.” – John 8:31-38
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In this account Jesus tells them the pre-requisite of being His disciples. They must continue in His word so they can know the truth so they will be free. The Jews didn’t understand what Jesus was saying about being free. As far as they were concerned, none of them were slaves. Jesus was speaking to them about spiritual slavery. When they commit sins, they are slaves of sin. And those who are enslaved by sin will not enter God’s kingdom. Jesus claims his power as the Son of God when He said that if He makes them free, they will be free forever. He confronts them about their claim as Abraham’s descendants because they were seeking to kill Him. In verse 38, Jesus separates Himself from those who do not belong to His Father, insinuating that their father must be the devil because they do not speak of what His Father says.
We get another glimpse of the character of those who do not belong to God’s kingdom. The Jews constantly defy whatever Jesus reveals to them. They reject it and won’t have anything to do with truth. They were relentless in putting a stop to these truth Jesus were telling them. They are so arrogant to claim that they were Abraham’s descendants, yet they do not have the faith like Abraham had. Jesus hates sin and hypocrisy. He confronts them openly and so should all believers do. Sadly, like the Jews, many people do not want to confront sin and truth. They like to stay slaves of sins and lies. When they are faced with these things, they defend themselves and reject the chance to be saved. What a shame when we knowingly choose lies than truth or sin than righteousness.
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REFLECTION
• Why are some people afraid to face truth?
I DO NOTHING ON MY OWN BUT WHAT PLEASES MY FATHER
July 18
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I DO NOTHING ON MY OWN BUT WHAT PLEASES MY FATHER
21 Then He said again to them, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” 25 So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 27 They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.– John 8:21-30
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Jesus have been revealing many truths to the Jews in this account. He has told them that He was going somewhere they cannot come for He is from above and they are below. It is interesting that many of us, including some believers, think God is like humans. We unknowingly do this when we manipulate God to follow our wishes and wants. We place human attributes to God. We are made in His image, not Him in ours. We are the creatures not the Creator.
The most important revelation from Jesus in this account is that He doesn’t do anything on His own initiative. Everything He does and say are from the Father. How many Christians operate this way? Too often, we don’t consult God on any decisions, small or big. We don’t read, study, meditate or obey His word, so how can we be in sync with His will. How can we do what is pleasing to God when we don’t even know what is true which we can only find in Scriptures? If we constantly want to satisfy our own cravings and desires, how can we honestly say that we are doing and saying what is pleasing to God? We need to depend on God and consult His word. We need to die to our own desires which naturally wants to please the self. We need to abide in Him so we can live.
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REFLECTION
• How is reading and meditating on Scriptures a starting point in pleasing God?
IF YOU KNEW ME, YOU WOULD KNOW MY FATHER ILMA’S VLOG
July 17
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IF YOU KNEW ME, YOU WOULD KNOW MY FATHER
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.– John 8:12-20
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The Pharisees were relentless in contradicting Jesus’ claim about being the Light of the world. They were constantly contesting how his testimony cannot be true because He is alone. They didn’t believe that Jesus was sent by God the Father and that He isn’t alone. Jesus reminded them that in their law, the testimony of two men were crucial for a testimony to be true. Yet, they could not accept what Jesus was saying. They still couldn’t fathom who His Father was. Once again Jesus tells them that they do not know where He is from or where He is going. He proclaims his deity to them when He said that if they knew Him, meaning if they believe in Him, they would also know His Father.
In this gospel account, Jesus declares that He is the light of the world. In other words, He is the only source of light here on earth. Without Him, darkness will prevail. He also invites us all to follow Him so that we will have the light of Life. Light and life go together. Darkness and death come as a package. Those who believe in Jesus will be given the light which will make them thrive in this dark and corrupt world. The Pharisees ignored the invitation to believe Him, instead, they raised another legalistic question about where Jesus could have possibly come from. They couldn’t get over the fact that someone who have never studied is much wiser than them. Jesus was a threat to their status and honor.
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REFLECTION
• How can unbelief hinder one from knowing Jesus and God the Father?
JESUS EXPOSES THE PHARISEES ILMA’S VLOG
July 16
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JESUS EXPOSES THE PHARISEES
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
– John 8:1-11
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Once again, the Pharisees and scribes prove their schemes to bring down Jesus in this account. They brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery and they wanted to trick and test how Jesus would respond to the law of stoning caught in such sin. Did you ever wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground that stopped them from stoning the adulterous woman? One interesting theory is that Jesus wrote the name of each “stone-holding accuser” from the oldest to the youngest. They were so amazed at His supernatural knowledge that they dropped their ammunition, stunned and silenced. All accusers departed, from the oldest to the youngest. During those times, when someone was caught in adultery, both man and woman would be brought to the temple gates and accused. If there were witnesses to confirm the adultery, there will be a ceremony to bring judgment. However, in this instance they only brought the woman. This was a violation of the Oral Law of God. The priest was required to stoop down and write the law that was broken and the accused in the dust of the floor of the Temple which the Pharisees and Scribes didn’t do. Jesus did, so they were actually breaking the law.
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REFLECTION
• Why are the Pharisees relentless in proving that Jesus was an impostor?
DIVISION ABOUT JESUS’ IDENTITY
July 15
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DIVISION ABOUT JESUS’ IDENTITY
40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” 47 The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you? 48 No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, 51 “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” 53 Everyone went to his home. – John 7:40-53
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During these teachings of Jesus at the Feast, many people were amazed, baffled, confused and angered about His identity. They began arguing and reasoning with each other about who this man was and why did He have so much wisdom? I couldn’t help but remember Jesus’ words In Luke 12:51 when he said “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” This clearly depicts what happened in this account. Each of these people were divided because some believed and others didn’t. In verse 43, Luke 12:51 is repeated. Why would Jesus cause such commotion? Since many people who belong to this world serve themselves and their own gods, being confronted by truth Himself would pose so much resistance. They have to protect their idols which is themselves, their love for power and control. They rely on their own reasons and the law in order to ensure that they protect their reputation. Those who believe in Jesus are separated from the world because it is Jesus Himself who protects them from the corruption of these unbelievers. We ought to be thankful to the Lord that He ensures that those who love Him will be protected from the darkness that is so prevalent in this world.
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REFLECTION
• How has God separated you from others who don’t know the truth?
RIVERS OF LIVING WATER ILMA’S VLOG
July 14
________________________________________RIVERS OF LIVING WATER
33 Therefore Jesus said, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” 35 The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? 36 What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?” 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
– John 7:33-39
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We clearly see that Jesus was not understood by the Jews. He was declaring to them what will happen next. They will be looking for Him but they won’t find Him. He is most likely talking about his coming crucifixion and resurrection. History tells us that after Jesus’ death, the Jewish leaders were all still scared of what might happen.
Matthew 27 accounts for these events :62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
Even after Jesus’ death, the Jewish leaders and priests were so insecure and wanted to ensure that Jesus was really an impostor. Jesus spoke to them and told them that those who will believe in Him will experience rivers of living water. Verse 39 was explaining to them the role of the Holy Spirit who will dwell in those who believe and through His Spirit, they will have all that they need and will have life. Jesus was referring to the Spirit power that will bring life to all those who believe in Him.
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REFLECTION
• Share experiences in your born again life that testifies to the rivers of living water?
THE PHARISEES’ UNCONTROLLABLE ENVY
July 13
________________________________________ THE PHARISEES’ UNCONTROLLABLE ENVY
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?” 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.– John 7:30-32
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After Jesus told the Pharisees that He is the Son of God and that He was sent by the One true God, they were also confronted about the fact that they do not know God, the leaders jumped in on this statement Jesus made. They have been waiting to catch Jesus in the act of breaking the law. Because they didn’t believe that He was the Messiah, they naturally think that He was blaspheming. Jesus was also a threat to their status and they were so insecure with Jesus’ wisdom. Deep inside, they knew that this man was from God and yet they didn’t listen to that inner voice. Their power-hungry hearts spoke louder than anything. They needed to prove that they are right and Jesus was wrong. Their reputation was so much at stake, so they needed to persecute Him so those among the crowd who were believing Jesus would be proven wrong. They were out to kill Jesus and anyone who would pose a threat to their power and control. We see another character trait of these religious unbelievers in verse 32. They couldn’t confront Jesus but had to send an officer to seize Jesus. What cowards!
This is a lesson for all of us to see how power, envy and self-idolatry can consume us all. When we have unbelief, it is very easy to fall prey on all these sins. The only way we can have victory over the enemy’s tactics is when we come to Jesus and accept Him as our Savior. All of these sins that the Pharisees exhibit are the consequences of the original sin we inherited from Adam and Eve. Without Christ, we will always be possessed by greed and lust. We must only run to Jesus and turn our backs on sin so we can have the eternal life that was promised to those who love the Lord. Uncontrollable envy will open the wide gates to hell. It makes us compare ourselves with others and feel entitled to have more than what others have. It makes us plot to kill or slander others who will get in our way. It will make us insecure and would want to dominate others to compensate for what we lack. It can deceive us from believing our true identity and make us question God’s sovereignty.
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REFLECTION
• How has envy crept in your life? How did you deal with it?
HE WHO SENT ME IS TRUE ILMA’S VLOG
July 12
________________________________________HE WHO SENT ME IS TRUE
25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? 27 However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from.” 28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”– John 7:25-29
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In this account, some of the people of Jerusalem exhibit more wisdom than the Jewish leaders. They were wondering why the leaders didn’t recognize the Christ. They were also intrigued why the leaders were allowing Jesus to speak publicly if they didn’t think he was the Prophet. It is interesting to hear the leaders think out loud what Scriptures says in verse 27, that whenever the Christ comes, they won’t know where he is from. They didn’t know that they didn’t have control over their actions because they fit God’s plan to fulfill what was written in Scriptures. The leaders were unable to stop Jesus from publicly teaching because they saw how much following He had. They were afraid of the power of the people who were believing Jesus. In those days, capital punishment was standard in Rome. The Romans built prisons mainly to hold the accused awaiting trial. Executions were public, and the means of execution were deliberately agonizing for the condemned and frequently entertaining for the bystanders. Execution scenes were even used for household decoration. Despite this, Rome set the standard for Western civilizations of governing by written law rather than the whims of the current ruler. This is why the Jewish leaders carefully acted so that they can expose a breaking of the law by Jesus. They were catching Him in the act of defiance or non compliance to the law. In verse 28-29, Jesus declares that He is from God. This must have prompted them to persecute Jesus, but in the following verses after these one, we know that they weren’t able to take action. It wasn’t time yet. God only allows things to happen according to the timing in His plan.
Jesus exposes once again their blindness to see that He is the Son of God. He openly exposes their unbelief which blinds them to see the truth right before their very own eyes. They fail to recognize Him because they didn’t believe. They didn’t realize that they were only players acting out their roles in the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation.
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REFLECTION
• How do we know if someone is from the One true God?
JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY ILMA’S VLOG
July 11
________________________________________JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY
19 “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. 22 For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”– John 7:19-24
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In this gospel account of John, we get a deeper glimpse of “legalism” binding the hearts and minds of the Jewish leaders. They were hounding Jesus because He healed on a Sabbath which was prohibited in the Mosaic Laws. They thought that Jesus had a demon in Him. How blinded these Jews are! Because they are so concerned with the strict adherence to the laws, they couldn’t recognize that Jesus was the real Son of God and that He isn’t covered by such laws because He is God himself. Unbelief covered their minds and heart and they were unable to see truth. Jesus pointed out to them the hierarchy of intentions. Is fulfillment of the law through rituals higher than ending the suffering of a man? Jesus role-modeled compassion in this story which is more important than doing rituals. He exhibits perfect wisdom in this conversation and warns them not to judge only by what they see but to dig deeper into what may be hidden like motives or intentions. Only God can see people’s hearts, not man as 1 Samuel 16:7 states.
We tend to instantly judge others by what we see but sometimes we fail to recognize the intentions and reasons why someone did what they did. Jesus wanted to end the long years of suffering to this man and healed him. He set someone free from their condition. His intention was borne out of love and compassion. A lot of times we do things out of rituals and habits and fail to remember that if we claim we are believers, we ought to operate in love and not just ritualistic and habitual acts. We also should take caution in judging others because we can’t see people’s heart. We don’t have all the facts. We need to focus more on exercising compassion. We shouldn’t be quick to judge, but quick to understand instead. We need to judge according to truth and love, not on what we see.
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REFLECTION
• How can a believer develop a compassionate heart and avoid quick judgments?