Mon.8.31.15...Who is That Man?...John 7:12-52

As a kid when I saw the movie when it first came out in 1969, and I loved it. I grew up with cowboy hats and six guns.) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were likable, but famed outlaws, hunted by the law. The film was loosely based on two, true wild west train robbers. "Wanted" posters were put up everywhere of them. (Some people actually posed seeking to impersonate them. Who are those guys? :)

If you've seen the movie, you will remember a repeated line, "Who are those guys?" The lawmen riding in pursuit of them were unlike any men tracking them they had ever encountered. "Who are those guys?" As I read through our passage today, the response of the crowd to Jesus reminded me of the movie's repeated question, "Who are those guys?" In this case the question they raised was, "Who is that guy? Who is that man?" He was unlike any they had ever encountered. Some thought he was a good man, others believed he was a deceiver. Some believed he was their promised Messiah. Others saw him as an outlaw and wanted him dead. Others sought to have him arrested. Still others thought he was demon possessed. Then there were others who couldn't figure out what he was talking about. "Who is that man?" 

Since there is a longer amount of Scripture today, I'll keep my comments brief.
As you read our passage today, remember that after Jesus fed the 5,000 up by the Sea of Galilee, he then returned to the same temple in Jerusalem where last time the Jewish authorities were wanting to kill him for healing the invalid on the Sabbath (5:16-18). Many in the crowd didn't know that Jesus was speaking to those intermingled with them who were still seeking his death. 

1.- Read John 7:12-52 and share some of your thoughts that strike you from what you read.

Unlike Jesus, we need to study to learn the word, and I commend you for doing so. If you want to study further anything in today's passage, here's the link to David Guzik's commentary on John 7- 
http://ift.tt/1NLabBW
I would encourage you to bookmark the following link to all of his commentaries on the Bible- http://ift.tt/1JGo6TZ That site would be worth hundreds of dollars back in the day when I had to buy such books. So build your online library. Bookmark it! It may be free, but it is invaluable.

It's interesting to see how John weaves thoughts from one chapter into later chapters. For example, in ch.4 he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well about living water. Now in 7:37-39, he brings up the subject of living water again. (There we also see the promise of the Holy Spirit given to all who would believe.) In chapter 5, Jesus spoke of being the one who raises the dead. Later we will see Him raising Lazarus from the dead. 

(Speaking of the despised Samaritan woman, did you notice that she and the Samaritans of her town were really the examples to follow in John's gospel? The Jews were demanding miraculous works to believe. But the Samaritans simply believed Jesus' words. 4:39-42)

2.- "Who are those guys?" This time I'm talking about your wingmen. Contact them today and encourage them based on how they did on the scoreboard last week seen below.

Announcements
Evaluation...it's been called the breakfast of champions. Any athlete that is seeking to improve evaluates his performance. The next day after a game, football teams will watch their game to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Some people hate to look at their weaknesses. But here, reviewing your game is only meant to help you, not shame you. So honestly evaluate your score from last week. If you have been scoring under 25 points, evaluate where you will seek to improve. Many of you are doing very well. Others of you would improve your scores greatly just by taking a moment to put your points up each day. Others just need to become unstoppable. (Tomorrow I will show you how you did in being unstoppable for the month of August. Many of you are in beast mode. You are truly unstoppable.) Congrats to so many of your who scored 25 or more points last week. And top scoring honors to Squad 5 and Fire Team 1 within Squad 5. Yet several other fire teams did very well also. Way to go! 

may recall, your Squad leaders points are not included. Their focus is to help you improve just as a sports coach would. They are seeking to help you grow. All successful athletes have coaches. Be wise and ask them for their feedback. And certainly thank them for their suggestions for your greater success. You're wise for doing so. And when they call you, make sure you call them back promptly. That's the respectful and manly thing to do. Thanks!

			G	R	E	A	T	Totals
Squad 1									23.28
Eddie Morales	U	R5	5	5	35	10	5	60
Fire Team 1									30
William Dyckman	U	R1	6	5	15	0	1	27
Phil Raymond	U		8	15	8	5	0	36
Ismael Andrade		R2	5	2	11	5	0	23
James Schmidt			5	5	12	12	0	34
Fire Team 2									14.3
Gary Remson		R1	2	1	2	1	0	6
Luis Ortiz	U		4	0	3	4	1	12
Alex Dyckman	U		10	0	15	0	0	25
Squad 2									32
Sam Vargas	U	R3	20	1	15	5	20	61
Fire Team 1									38
Oscar Nunez	U		7	13	11	11	11	53
Lou Ojeda	U		4	0	16	2	1	23
Fire Team 2									28
Israel Fuentes	U	R1	13	0	9	9	1	32
Dave DeBoer	U		20	0	9	5	1	35
Tim Dearborn	U		7	0	4	5	1	17
Squad 3									24.66
Robert Roman	U	R1	32	0	20	6	0	58
Fire Team 1									19.25
Vince Diaz	U	R1	5	1	33	4	0	43
Nic Palhegyi	U	R1	3	0	3	4	1	11
Mike Dunn	U	2	8	1	1	0	0	10
Rich Petre			5	2	0	5	1	13
Fire Team 2									35.5
Osiris Alday	U		5	5	11	15	6	42
Ed Lake			5	0	6	17	1	29
Squad 4									23
George Rabiela	U	R1	22	7	30	26	26	111
Fire Team 1									21.3
Dave Heidekruger	U	R2	10	1	6	8	1	26
Michael Gonzalez			4	4	0	5	2	15
Chuy Cervantes			5	5	2	11	0	23
Fire Team 2									25.5
Rich Guardiola	U	R1	12	7	13	12	7	51
Mark Estrada			0	0	0	0	0	0
Horacio De La Torre	U		10	1	11	13	9	44
Squad 5									41
Jack Rogers	U	R4	48	1	40	7	5	101
Fire Team 1									51.6
Roger Vinlasaca	U	R1	45	0	24	7	0	76
Armando Hernandez	U		29	0	0	3	5	37
Jose Billegas	U		13	4	13	12	0	42
Fire Team 2									30.3
George Doherty	U	R1	10	0	18	5	0	33
Andre Vargas	U		10	0	12	11	0	33
Lemmy Lukudu	U		2	4	9	9	1	25
Kevin Long	New		1	0	0	0	0	New
Squad 6
Mike Berry	New		0	0	0	0	0	New

Fri.8.28.15...Oh Brothers!...John 7:1-14

Did you grow up with brothers and sisters? How did they treat you? My older sister and younger sister were always kind and encouraging to me. But as a kid, my older brother teased me a lot. I know others who have had it a whole lot worse, so I'm not asking for sympathy. I'm simply wanting us to enter into the pain Jesus must have felt when his own (half) brothers didn't believe in him. This comes out in our passage today, John 7:1-14. Yet his brothers had been with him earlier when he turned the water into wine (2:11-12). And they certainly heard of, if not saw, other miracles he was doing (7:3). How could they not believe, having grown up with such a good and godly brother? Ugh! (Fortunately, after his resurrection, we know for sure that at least two of his half brothers, James and Jude, became devoted believers. They even wrote two NT books, bearing their names.)

To set the stage for our story in 7:1-14, John tells us in 7:1, that Jesus was ministering in the region of Galilee where he grew up. Galilee is seen in the upper quarter of the map below. Find that now, please. Jesus' brothers tell him he ought to go to the Feast of Tabernacles which was held in Jerusalem in the region of Judea. Those locations are about a third up from the bottom of the map. Find those on the map too. That was about an 80 mile walk between Galilee and Jerusalem. 

John even gives us the time of year this story happened, during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sept.). This was a week long religious celebration, commemorating when God delivered the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and when they lived in tents (tabernacles) in the wilderness. Thus, they were to live in tents during that week. (Let's go camping!:) 

Interestingly, we are only a third of the way through the book, yet of the three and a half years of Jesus' ministry, John has already fast-forwarded us to the soon ending of Jesus' life concluding in Jerusalem. From this Feast of Tabernacles (Sept.), to the Passover (April), when Jesus is crucified, is only a period of about 7 months. Jesus will now stay in Jerusalem or its vicinity to the very end. Tension will continue to build in John's amazingly laid out story. 

It's helpful to remember what happened the last time Jesus was in Jerusalem (in John 5). He healed the invalid by the pool on the Sabbath, and claimed the right to do so as the Son of God (God the Son). For this "blasphemy" the Jewish authorities wanted to kill him (5:17-18). Remember in ch.1-4, we saw the presentation of the Son of God and how people were largely positive to Jesus as his ministry began. But since ch.5 and on through chapter 12, we will see the hostile opposition to the Son of God. Picture a hill ^. Chapters 1-5 presents Jesus going up in popularity, but ch.6-12 presents Jesus going downhill due to increasing opposition.

As we've said, it must have been painful to Jesus to have his own half brothers, not put their faith in him. But some think that Jesus deceived his brothers, then rethought his plans and followed their advice, going up to Jerusalem in secret for fear of the Jews. They are wrong on all counts.

Note the debate among the crowds as to who Jesus is. We will see more of such references right up to the end of his public appearances in ch.12. It's as if John wants his readers to decide who is right or wrong about Jesus. You will also note that John refers to "the Jews" three times in this short passage. Some wanted him dead, others thought he was a good man and were amazed at his teaching. The context (the surrounding words) of a word determines its meaning. 

1.- Read through John 7:1-15 and write down one or more questions you have about the passage.

2.- Now use the link below to the David Guzik commentary on John 7 to see if you can find an answer to your question and share it with us. If not, share one other insight you gleaned.
http://ift.tt/1NLabBW

Thanks for faithfully putting up your points on the board. I'll be working on your totals over the weekend. I look forward to honoring many of you in a new way on Monday. 

Wanna go for a walk? If you're free to join me tomorrow morning, we'll shove off from my house (9541 S. Oakley Ave, Chicago) at 8:00 for 50-60 minutes. Text me if you're coming. Thanks!

Th.8.27.15...The Bread of Life...John 6:22-71

Were you raised Catholic? Then you received holy communion many times. But a former Catholic priest by the name of Martin Luther and others of the Great Reformation in the 1500's strongly opposed the Catholic belief surrounding holy communion. What do Catholics believe about it? They get some of their unique views of it within our passage today.

We've already read about Jesus feeding the five thousand men and then walking on the water. Today we are going to cover his bread of life discourse (speech). It's long, so let's jump right into it. Then we'll discuss the Catholic view of communion, which they support from within our passage today.

1.- Read through passage John 6:22-71, and be on the lookout for repeated words and phrases Jesus uses. There are several. Here are the ones I observed- I tell you the truth, food/bread/loaves/manna, work vs. believe(s), life/eternal life/live forever, the Son of Man, the Father/my Father, he who sent me, I have come down from heaven, comes to me, I will raise him up at the last day, I am the bread of life, my flesh, blood, disciples. Pick one or more of these words or phrases and underline them in your Bible. Share some of your thoughts on a truth that strikes you from the passage.

Now let's deal with the popular but aberrant belief Catholics have regarding communion. Roman Catholics believe that Jesus was teaching in John 6:53-57 about their unique doctrine of transubstantiation. They believe that when the priest utters a certain prayer over the bread and the wine during mass, that they mysteriously turn into the actual blood and body of Christ. But Jesus was not inviting the those who found him in the synagogue to cannibalize him and he wasn't serving them bread to eat at the time. He was making a spiritual analogy as he clearly stated, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" 6:63. He links feeding on him with having eternal life in 6:54. We are dependent on food to sustain us physically. By way of illustration, Jesus is saying we are to be dependent on him to sustain us eternally. Notice that Jesus had already been teaching earlier in the chapter that eternal life is by simply believing in Him. This is the great theme throughout John and the NT. Nowhere else in this gospel or in the Bible is eternal life tied to receiving holy communion. Even the Roman Catholic Church didn't officially speak of transubstantiation until the the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. But if a Catholic should deny such now, he would be cutting himself off from the possibility of gaining eternal life, which they tie in part to receiving the sacraments. We know there is a big difference from receiving bread and juice and receiving Christ. But many Catholics think they are one and the same. One Catholic man who was being witnessed to on his death bed said, "I receive Christ every day." O Lord, open the eyes of the blind as you did for us.

2.- People need the good news that eternal life is a free gift through faith in Christ alone. I'm glad you are seeking opportunities to offer the gospel to others. Share a time recently that you got to give a Greatest Mini-movies card or present your testimony or witness to someone.

Speaking of Roman Catholics, Ricardo wrote, "I have recently had a conversation with my 2 oldest boys. My oldest was just more curious about what is the difference between a Catholic and a Christian, I showed him a video from a link I saved, "7 reasons why I'm not a Roman Catholic". My other son is a little more difficult, he feels if there is a God, why do bad things happen? I did share a few videos with him but he's still struggles."

Way to share Ricardo. Did he watch the Greatest Minimovies, "Good God? Evil World!" Let me know how I might be able to help. We are a band of brothers and all want our sons to follow the Lord too. "Lord, draw our sons all the more to follow you."

Announcements

I am happy to introduce a new teammate, Kevin Long. He lives in Missouri and was invited by Lemmy to join M3. (Lemmy, you hold the new record for recruiting someone the quickest after joining M3. Way to go!) I've enjoyed talking with Kevin and asked him to share a bit with us. Here is part of his testimony-  

"I'm married with no children, and have been calling Jesus my Lord and Savior for about 8 years.  I was raised and confirmed as a "sometimes" Catholic, but identified as atheist most of my life citing "logic, reason, science," and the like. 

God works in amazing ways: We began visiting a local church for "business contacts".  We happened into the church at the beginning of a week long Prophecy Conference and spent every night looking for "holes" in the Bible.  After not finding any, I continued studying and reading the Bible as well as listening to radio sermons (Bott Radio) all day, most days.  After several weeks, I finally realized that it takes way more faith to maintain the charade of modern science and reason than to believe what our hearts already know:  We were created by a loving and merciful but just and holy God who has given us the freedom to choose Him or the emptiness of isolation.  I finally understood I needed a relationship with the One who made me. That the Lamb of God I heard so much about growing up, actually paid the cost(s) for my hedonistic past and my eternal future in pain and blood.  All I had to do was repent, accept the Gift, and accept Him as my King." 

We're so glad you did Kevin. Welcome aboard! 

Wed.8.26.15...Walking on Water...John 6:16-21

Tues.8.25.15...Feeding the 5,000...John 6:1-15

It was such a powerful miracle that all four gospels record it. Let's dig into it now to discover what lessons it has for us. 

Some time after the healing of the invalid in John 5, Jesus traveled back up North to the area of the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a fresh water lake, about 21 miles long by 8 miles across at its widest part. It was also called the Sea of Tiberius in honor of the Roman emperor, Tiberius Caesar. Though Capernaum (in the upper center of the lake) was Jesus' base of operations, he traveled to Bethsaida (house of fish) where Philip, Andrew and Peter were from (John 1:44). Then he left for a lonely place with his disciples after news of the beheading of John the Baptist, but the crowds followed him. (Note: The storm at sea on the map below is a different one [Mt.8:23-27] than tomorrow's strong winds at sea story in John 6:16-21.) Alright, enough with the geography. The point is that these things happened in real places, with real people, not like the stories of some religions with their accounts of long, long ago, far, far away. You could ask the people then who lived around the Sea of Galilee and they would be able to tell you about the miracles of Jesus. Many would have eaten some of the multiplied fish and bread. Cool! The skeptic would have had thousands of people to interview regarding this and many other miracles Jesus performed around the Sea of Galilee.

Speaking of that miracle meal, please read that story found in John 6:1-15. You can find great insights from David Guzik's commentary if you wish. He covers the whole chapter, so just stop when you come to the end of v.15. http://ift.tt/1Jt1fLj

1.- What strikes you about this passage? Pick out one verse or phrase and share some of your good thoughts regarding it.

Here's one that grabbed me. After feeding the 5,000 men, plus the women and children that would certainly would have been there too, Jesus tells his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." Okay, I can imagine as a boy, my mom, who was raised in the depression, saying such. "Just think of all the hungry children in the world!" But why would John, writing this evangelistic book, bother to include this statement? The other gospel writers just say that the disciples gathered up the leftovers. Is John just giving us theological leverage for making our kids eat leftovers? Or is he trying to communicate something more to us than simply that Jesus doesn't want us to waste food?  Asking questions makes me dig for answers. So here's what I discovered as I did a word study. The NIV says, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." But the word wasted (apoletai) is also translated spoils in 6:27; perish in John 3:16; and lose or lost in 6:39. (See also 10:28; 17:12; 18:9) In all of these contexts it's dealing with perishing versus eternal life. Thus, 6:12 could also be translated: "Gather the pieces that are left. Let none be lost." Let none be lost. Isn't this the heart of John the evangelist and far more so the heart of our Savior? O Lord, may it be more and more my heart, that none should be lost. Thank you that you came to seek to save me, the lost sheep. It didn't matter that you had 99. You laid down your life to rescue and restore me. Thank you! Help me be a good shepherd to others. 

2.- As we think about letting none be lost, let's watch another one of our http://ift.tt/1NbCp6o that you haven't viewed yet. Share its title and a little bit of what it's about. Then be on the lookout to share this link or your mini-movies cards with others. Eddie, Sam and others gave out several cards at the Convoy of Hope prayer tent on Saturday. Way to go!

As you go from here to our scoreboard, be on the lookout for how your fireteam brothers are doing. If you don't see any of their points on the board for yesterday, then show your commitment to them and give them a call of encouragement. No man left behind. No man to fall behind. Udabest!   

3.-Optional: On our above map, you will see the names of Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum close together. As mentioned, Capernaum was Jesus' base of operations, and in those three towns, Jesus did most of his miracles. So you may be shocked to see what Jesus says in Mt. 11:20-24. Briefly summarize it.  

Mon.8.24.15...Witnesses Called to Testify...John 5:31-47

It ran from 1957-1966 and my parents loved watching it. So as a boy I watched Perry Mason with them too. I still like the dramatic theme song. Check out this brief snippet. My older friends will remember it (or those who watch it on MeTV:).

Whether it's a courtroom TV program or movie, often there is a scene where there are witnesses called in to testify on behalf of the accused. What's that got to do with our passage today in John 5:31-47? A lot!

Last time we read in 5:16-30 that Jesus "testified" before those seeking the death penalty that he was not blaspheming, but was indeed the Son of God (God the Son). Today, let the record show that Jesus uses the word testify or testimony nine times in the NIV. Please underline those words as you read through this case. You will also note that Jesus honored the court's rules regarding personal testimony. Under Jewish law, a man's sole testimony was not accepted. Though Jesus' testimony about himself was certainly true (8:14), he did not rest his case on that alone. He proved his case by calling various witnesses to the stand. For according to biblical jurisprudence, it is by the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter would be established (Mt.18:16).

1.- So as a legal eagle, study this legal brief before you in John 5:31-47 and list the witnesses that Jesus calls upon to testify. Put those also on your MP3 card as a reminder.

(2.- You'll find the instructions for #2. at the end of the announcements below. I didn't want you to miss seeing it all the way at the end.)

Hint: One of the character witnesses is the work his Father gave him to do (5:36). What's he talking about? He is referring back to 5:16-17. So name that character witness in your own words.

Yesterday, you underlined the word sent. Do that again today in this passage.

Note the incredibly high regard Jesus has and people need to have for the Scriptures, v.38-39, 45-47.
Note also the great theme of Scripture in v.39b.
Note also the great tragedy found in v.40.

Though the Jews were accusing Jesus of blasphemy (v.18) which was worthy of death, Jesus turned the case around on them, charging them as the ones to be accused. See v.45. Lest we forget, Jesus is still so evangelistic, even toward his accusers. See 5:33-34.

Announcements
Great scoring men! The majority of you scored 25 or more points and all fire teams were close to that target or above it. Once again, kudos to Squad 5 and also fire team 1 within Squad 5 for highest scoring. 

I just read a piece about Navy SEAL training and it talked about how they set daily goals to accomplish their training. Follow their lead. Set a goal each day to blog and to score 5 or more points daily. Then post your scores after you comment on the blog. That is how the men who are kickin' it are doin' it. Here's a simple suggestion. Look at your totals below and see where you are weak at. Then work on improving in that area. Is it Encouraging more of your teammates? Then Encourage a few of them on the blog daily and send your wingmen and others texts or calls. How about Attacking in prayer daily? Join me as I daily pray for you and that God would give you power HOUSE men to recruit (Hungry, Obedient, Unstoppable, Strong in the Lord, Encouraging). And pray with me that we would WAR well (Walking Worthy, Activating sidelined saints to join, Releasing the locked up lost as we share the good news).

(Speaking of prayer, I was ready to send out an email to our prayer warriors, but I noticed a number of you have yet to include their email addresses on our Contacts tab. Please do that this week. We will score you and your team on how many have done this by next Monday. Thank you.) 

2.- So what is one or more of the areas below for our GREAT God and our GREAT growth and impact that you will seek to improve in?

See a special note at the bottom.

			G	R	E	A	T	Totals
Squad 1									26.85
Eddie Morales	U	R5	5	2	17	7	1	32
Fire Team 1									29.75
William Dyckman	U	R1	7	3	22	1	0	33
Phil Raymond	U		6	6	7	5	1	25
Ismael Andrade	U	R2	9	0	14	2	0	25
James Schmidt	U		6	5	11	14	0	36
Fire Team 2									23
Gary Remson	U	R1	10	3	16	2	0	31
Luis Ortiz	U		7	1	2	3	0	13
Alex Dyckman	U		8	0	17	0	0	25
Fire Team 2									27.66
Sam Vargas	U	R3	20	2	15	5	20	62
Fire Team 1									37
Oscar Nunez	U		8	9	8	10	9	44
Lou Ojeda	U		4	1	23	1	1	30
Fire Team 2									23
Israel Fuentes	U	R1	12	0	9	8	0	29
Flo Juarez	U		2	0	9	0	2	13
Dave DeBoer	U		20	0	9	4	3	36
Tim Dearborn			7	0	1	5	1	14
Squad 3									27.8
Robert Roman	U	R1	10	2	35	6	0	53
Fire Team 1									22
Vince Diaz	U	R1	5	2	36	2	1	46
Nic Palhegyi	U	R1	6	0	2	3	1	12
Rich Petre			5	0	0	2	1	8
Fire Team 2									36.5
Osiris Alday	U		10	4	16	14	6	50
Ed Lake			4	1	3	15	0	23
Squad 4									28.83
George Rabiela	U	R1	8	2	22	17	15	64
Fire Team 1									23.66
Dave Heidekruger	U	R2	10	3	12	5	1	31
Michael Gonzalez			4	6	2	3	2	17
Chuy Cervantes	U		5	5	1	12	0	23
Fire Team 2									34
Rich Guardiola	U	R1	12	5	15	10	5	47
Mark Estrada			0	0	0	0	0	0
Horacio De La Torre	U		9	0	12	22	12	55
Squad 5									42.16
Jack Rogers	U	R4	40	4	34	9	2	89
Fire Team 1									58.66
Roger Vinlasaca	U	R1	45	0	20	5	0	70
Hernandez	U		43	0	7	3	7	60
Jose Billegas	U		8	8	14	14	2	46
Fire Team 2									25.66
George Doherty	U	R1	10	0	17	5	0	32
Andre Vargas	U		8	0	8	11	0	27
Lemmy Lukudu			5	2	6	4	1	18
Squad 6
Mike Berry	New

There was one miracle that Jesus performed that was so powerful that all four gospels record it. What was it? We'll bite into it tomorrow.

PS- Thank you Eddie and all you who volunteered and performed Acts of Kindness at Saturday's Convoy of Hope. I enjoyed some significant conversations, including witnessing to a young man named Alex. (You betcha I also gave him a greatestminimovies card :)