Friends,

Reading JOHN 2:13-25 there are some amazing faith lessons. But tonight the two that come to mind, stir my mind and convict my mind are the following -- the SECOND one is from this passage, and the FIRST one is from the story John tells just before this one in the beginning of JOHN 1.

FIRST … John began with Jesus doing a
MIRACLE OF CONVERSION – changing water
into wine at a wedding in Cana.

SECOND … John shows Jesus doing a WORK
OF CLEANSING – cleansing out the Temple
in Jerusalem. And gang, this is exactly how
Jesus always works in our lives … CONVERSION
comes first and then CLEANSING.

Jesus spent time with God the Father … talking with Him and getting His game plan. He didn’t go to Jerusalem just for PASSOVER. God had things He needed Jesus to do in Jerusalem – and going there for PASSOVER was just the first thing on the “To Do List”. And because of the time Jesus spent with God the Father, He was discerning in everything He did … and because He always discerned what God wanted Him to do, He was also courageous – even when that meant He had to swim up stream, and live differently than the people around Him.

Listen to me friends … if you’re just fitting in with the world, and living your life just like everybody else is, then let me break it to you … you’re not living a discerning, courageous life as a follower of Jesus Christ. But if your priorities are shifting to represent the priorities of Jesus Christ … if your affections are shifting to mirror the affections of Jesus Christ … if your commitments are going though a transformation process and they’re beginning to emulate the commitments of Jesus Christ … then the good news is that you’re becoming more like Jesus and less like the world.

Do you want to be more discerning and more courageous in how you live out your faith? Then spend more time with Jesus Christ. Let Him CONVERT you and then invite Him to begin to CLEANSE you. Godspeed.

read.think.pray.live.

Gregg