John 12 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B

John 12
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. 3Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar F54 of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples—the one who would betray him—said, 5"That perfume was worth a small fortune. F55 It should have been sold and the money given to the poor." 6Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples' funds, and he often took some for his own use.
7Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. 8You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer."
9When all the people F56 heard of Jesus' arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A huge crowd of Passover visitors 13took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
"Praise God! F57 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!" F58
14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
15 "Don't be afraid, people of Israel. F59 Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt." F60
16His disciples didn't realize at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered that these Scriptures had come true before their eyes.
17Those in the crowd who had seen Jesus call Lazarus back to life were telling others all about it. 18That was the main reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this mighty miracle. 19Then the Pharisees said to each other, "We've lost. Look, the whole world has gone after him!"
Jesus Predicts His Death
20Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to attend the Passover 21paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus." 22Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
23Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone—a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them. 27Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from what lies ahead'? But that is the very reason why I came! 28Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought it glory, and I will do it again." 29When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
30Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31The time of judgment for the world has come, when the prince of this world F61 will be cast out. 32And when I am lifted up on the cross, F62 I will draw everyone to myself." 33He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
34"Die?" asked the crowd. "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. Why are you saying the Son of Man will die? Who is this Son of Man you are talking about?"
35Jesus replied, "My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in it while you can, so you will not stumble when the darkness falls. If you walk in the darkness, you cannot see where you are going. 36Believe in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light." After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
The Unbelief of the People
37But despite all the miraculous signs he had done, most of the people did not believe in him. 38This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
"Lord, who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power?" F63
39But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah also said,
40 "The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them." F64
41Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, because he was given a vision of the Messiah's glory. 42Many people, including some of the Jewish leaders, believed in him. But they wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
44Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are really trusting God who sent me. 45For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness. 47If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge—for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. 50And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say!"

FOOTNOTES:
F54: Greek took 1 litra [327 grams].
F55: Greek 300 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a full day's wage.
F56: Greek Jewish people; also in 12:11.
F57: Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means "save now."
F58: Ps 118:25-26; Zeph 3:15.
F59: Greek daughter of Zion.
F60: Zech 9:9.
F61: The prince of this world is a name for Satan.
F62: Greek lifted up from the earth.
F63: Isa 53:1.
F64: Isa 6:10.

Lena Journals to John 12 Today

Ever heard of the god of mammon? Though it is lower than God Most High, and is only a “god” and not The God of the whole universe, he is highly exalted. He is not highly exalted by God Most High, but by men, who seek its wealth, power, allure, prestige, titles, value system, fame etc. Even the poorest person can be lured towards it and live their whole life to seek after it.
Jesus said the love of money is the root system of all evil, He also said the two greatest commandments are, Love God with everything you are and have, and then turn and love people the same way God loves you and you love Him in return.
When someone loves money and gives in to its call to service, they do not like people very much. They do not love God Most High enough to try to or learn to love people. People are a bother. People get in the way, people matter less than things do.
These are symptoms of being drawn to the love of money or serving the god of mammon.
Judas obviously exemplified for us, this fault, this weakness.
A humble heart can learn of another’s mistake without repeating the same pattern of it.
A yielded heart will look at the symptoms of the possibility of loving money more than God Most High, and willingly says, wow, that looks like what I’ve been doing, I’ve been being irritated by people easily, feeling they get in my way, always protecting things at the expense of relationships, etc, and that yielded teachable person will use seeing this as a tool for change!
It appears even the religious leaders were under a certain sway and allure of mammon.
Mammon kills, Jesus brings life!
In the triumphal entry, people laid their cloaks down for the donkey Jesus rode upon to walk on. It was like they were using each individual cloak to join other cloaks in unity to make a “red carpet” for Jesus’ pass through. Anytime in the Bible that people take off a cloak, or robe, or a covering, if they strip, or disrobe anything of what they are presently wearing, it shows surrender, It shows yielding of who I am, no matter how high in life or how low I am in position with others. It shows I’m willing to give who or what I presently am, what names I may have made for myself, positions I’ve gained, and titles I’ve earned, I willingly call them nothing in comparison to who He is.
These were willing to strip off their titles to grant Him His, as their personally professed Lord and Savior. That would mean such titles as, Business owner, millionaire, jack of all trades, professor, politician, teacher, leader or whatever else, would be willingly laid down for a donkey to walk on!
That type of giving up of what identifies who I feel I am in life, is a sign of a true covenanted faith filled relationship based on revelation of resurrection life that comes from willing death of self.
This deliberate behavioral action, comes and stands up against the god of mammon in one’s life. It takes that god right off of the throne of one’s heart, and allows God Most High to sit on the seat of my heart and rule.
To allow Jesus to really be Lord of me is not automatic! I make Him Lord of me by my deliberate decisive actions. I decide daily who I will serve, who I will bow to and lay my own red carpet out for. If He is to remain Lord of me, I have to displace all others who want His throne in my life. I’m a keeper of my own gates, a watcher on my own walls.
Certain gates and entryways that need guarded daily by His words of Life instructing me what is truth and what is a lie, are my ears, eyes, thoughts, heart. I keep these or I don’t. God doesn’t protect these areas for me, I do.
I keep my own heart from loving mammon, or being enticed by it. I myself, take mammon worship down in my own life, as it tries to exalt itself, I bring it down, as I choose to lift Jesus higher.
This might sound silly, but I’ll share an experience I had while on a trip to California, my home state. I was visiting family there. I flew into the LA area and drove to Orange County. I was there to help my Aunt who was 42/7 being w/ my Gma and she needed a vacation. A friend of mine came down from the Santa Barbara area where we used to live by one another. We visited at the home of my family member who really lives very simply. I used to live there in their home when I was in Middle school. The home was simple, the lifestyle in the home simple, loving and family oriented. They’d had the home for some 30 plus years and all around them the community had changed, orange groves were now homes, condo’s and businesses. Though the world around was moving very quickly, they almost seemed on pause with it. They were in but not of it.
My friend’s and my moms were visiting together and said they’d be w/ Gma if we wanted to go shop or whatever. We decided to go to the mall together. Driving through the community was neat. I noticed I liked everything I saw. I liked the fast pace, I liked buildings everywhere, with greenery for the most part (except for the orchards!). I loved all the choices of stores, restraunts, entertainment, how easy it was to go anywhere, like the beach was 25 minutes away and the mountains were 45 minutes away, acres of orchards were within 30 minutes, (where they grew the Valencia oranges). Man I miss this place I used to call home.
We arrive at the Brea Mall, wow! What a mall, I knew my girls would LOVE it, so I start looking through their eyes, or trying to, so I can get them something, while there. We ate at a nice place I’ve never been to yet, here in FL, and enjoyed one another’s company….
I realized there were voices, in the form of offers being made me that day. Offers like, “Hey look at this, isn’t THIS what you’ve always wanted in life? Isn’t this how you want to look? Isn’t this the place you could be important? Isn’t this the place you could have more fun, make more money, be in the fast pace….? Ya know, there’s a lot to offer YOU here?”
As I walked the Mall I felt this allure, as I drove the streets I felt the invitation. The thing is I knew it, I recognized what it was/is. I became tuned in to what IS important as I heard this “voice” calling out to invite me. I wondered how many do not recognize it as a “voice” of invitation, as an offer given them, each day? How many become its servants, how many are in and of this world? I knew it was not for me. (Now I’m not saying I can’t live IN California and not be OF the world and its ways, but for me that was where the specific allure was offered to me. If I did live there I’d be on a heightened alert system for a time, till I overcame what I recognized trying to snare me there).
To someone else that “offer” could come in the form of being called to live all alone in the country, to own land, set up a personal or family business, and be and stay alone. Both could be sort of building a “kingdom” unto one’s self, the country living could be the way to get away from it all and not have to “deal” with people and their “stuff”.
The point - who’s kingdom are we a part of establishing, where?
Ours or His?
We cannot serve both God Most High and mammon, we’ll hate one and love the other. There is NO middle road. His kingdom is the one we establish His way if we’re all in.
Those who love their (own) life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their (own ways of living-) life in this world will keep it for eternal life. All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me,
Those who laid their cloaks down, were decisively doing this!
Those who stand on the outside looking observing, not participating, not striping themselves…..
…..they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
We’ve got to love His life most of all, enough to demonstrate it, by not bowing to who we could become in this life, or how much we can make. The important thing is, does Jesus get who and what He died for? Does He get help getting it, through us? Do we help Him invite others into His kingdom and to also be trained as kingdom workers?
Do we serve others? Do we give our lives for someone else’s vision? Do we plant our desires into someone else’s kingdom work, unifying with a leader who has seen something to do for God? Or are we independently spirited, knowing what God wants for ourselves? Submission of any thought or idea is a demonstration of a kingdom practice. Serving, loving, and Not doing things our own way first are all evidences of the Kings praise in one’s life. I’ve heard church goers say, ”Oh I’m not doing this or that with you guys because I have my own ministry!” All the while the church they go to needs workers in the field of harvest God has called that specific church body to. The laborers are few, those willing to follow men and unify with one vision. It is always the easy road out when a person does their own thing (ministry). Why do people come to churches anyway? Not just to be fed, but to become a participator, wholeheartedly I another man’s work. Not to express one’s self, but to die to self and express Him.
I heard a scripture lately, how can they hear unless there is a preacher? And how can there be a preacher unless one is sent? In other words, if you go out uncovered in a ministry birthed out of your own ideas, and you are uncommitted, not submitted to a local body, local spiritual leaders in one place, and not in participation with a leader in your church’s vision. If you do not go through specified training another’s way, how do we expect to really be heard? We may preach, or share or even gather, but the words are cheap and people may not really hear them, they are not as powerful as words that come through submitted accountable unified vessels. God turns up the power of words earned the right to speak, by those who willingly pay the price through discipleship and submission. He who seeks to save his own life, will lose it, but he who seeks to give it up, will reap in this and in eternal life…..