MONDAY, June 30th, 2008

Today is Monday, the first day of another week of summer! What will you do with your week this week? I hope that you will do something different from last week; something profitable and something that will help you grow in the Lord!

A Few Announcements:
The Wilds is coming up very soon! I want all of you to go with us! Please call me if you have any questions or concerns about anything regarding camp!

This week is going to be very busy: I mean after all, it is my birthday, so you have to do all of your shopping! You can follow this link to my wish list!

http://www.sea-doo.com/en-US/Products/Watercraft/Musclecraft/RXT-X/

Dont forget about The Freedom Swim and the Firewoks at Lashley Park!! It is going to be so much fun!! We will give you more details on Wednesday Night! BE THERE!

On to the devotions:

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.
20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”
21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Well, I cannot speak for you, but I must say: I HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE!!!!! These guys hear Jesus speak and once again, they are divided about what He says. Some say that He is demon possessed and others say that Jesus could not do such great miracles if He were possessed by demons.

All to often we do the same thing: We try to justify what we want to believe, or what we dont want to believe. These men are trying to convince themselves that this cannot be the Savior, because they knew that if He was, then they would have a lot of changing to do in their personal life. It would be easier for them to just reject this "man" named Jesus as their savior, than it would be to change their wicked, hypocritical attitude.

We all do what we wnat to do, I understand that: but the truth is, Gods word is clear and we have no right trying to justify what we want based on what we think that God "should" do.

Why did these people get so upset? Well, Because of the amazing claims that Christ made: God chose to lay down His life for you and me!!! How phenomenal is that! I am so thankful that He lai down His life for me! By His own free will, Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself for ME!! Thank you Lord!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

hello everyone! i am back from mass. arent you all glad!and now that i am back i can surly buy you an awesome present!

today the passage talks about how more people are disagreeing about jesus.so some of these people think that jesus is possessed by a demon and the others say that this is impossible they say,could someone who is demon possessed make the blind see again?

but what reaches out to me is a simple question: do we qustion God or do we always obey his commands? the answer to that question for some of us would probably be that we do question his works,his love,his grace and his ability to help you through the thick and thin, and we shouldnt.

oh and i heard that the trip was awesome! i wish i could have been there too!

Gaby said...

Jesus tries to explain that he is going to die for them and its his own choice to die and he is not being forced. But the people dont understand so some of them think Jesus is crazy and demon possessed but the others said that he he couldnt be demon possesed because of all works he's done. Im glad jesus died for us because without him i wouldnt be a very happy person and id be going to hell.

Kacey! said...

In this passage Jesus explains that He is willingly giving His life for us. No one can take it from Him. He can lay it down and take it up as He pleases. So He makes that very clear. And because He said that, the Jews are split. Some of them think that He has demons in Him, and others don't think so. They are saying that if someone has demons in them, then they would not be able to give sight to the blind.

Anonymous said...

I agree w/what u say EXACTLY PL...the BK slogan is not 4 us-lol-(have it ur way)

VERSE 18...He basically sayin i can take my own life(willingly die 4 u guys) & then give it back...(come back 2life[resurection])

I agree that they're tryin 2 justify themselves & sayin he's NOT Christ cuz then as PL said...they just don't wanna change...its EASIER 2 say he's not Christ...i've said this b4 in a previous devo...

In NO way can we justify our wrong doings...they're WRONG...like i said yesterday...u gotta lay it ALL down on the line....

&if u think 4 even just a MICRO-SECOND that it MIGHT b wrong, & ur on the edge as 2wether it is or isnt...than it IS wrong...if u couldn't do it infront of CHRIST...than just don't do it...live like he's standin there next 2 if knowin he's watchin isn't enough...

WWJD...that's all

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PL...I WOULD call u but my home phone is bein all WACKED...so unless u wanna call me after 9(free min on cell) than ill call u as soon as the phone works...(i have NO idea when that'll b)

i feel weird 4 JUST NOW doin devo's but i woke up@about noon & ive been tryin 2 fix the phone...i had a late night last night(bein w/amanda & christ) so yeah=]

*yawn*im gonna go take care of neighbors dogs...go back 2sleep & check my email later so i can figure out how 2fix the phone(i emailed comcast)

LATER TATERS

Anonymous said...

I like the new Youth Group name !!

What this passage is saying to me is that Jesus decided to give His life for us ! And that He can lay it down and take it back up again whenever He wants to . Only He has the power to do that . No one can take His life from him . But some people didn't want to believe it .
Most jews said that that He has a demon in Him , so why would people want to listen to Him . people doubted Him for who He was . And that wasn't right at all !
-Grace

Aznricerunr[PN] said...

Jesus starts talking to the Jews and right away they go and say that hes possessed by a demon and that would even be possible because he does such great miracles and if he was a demon would he just try to kill everybody like demons do not save them. But the jews were to ignorant to even think they just want to rebel and not accept Jesus as the king. Jesus would kill himself just for us a bunch of dumb sheep because he loves us so much and he cares about were we spend the rest of our lifes WOW!

weird high school kid said...

??? Is jesus talking about how he is about to be crucified? I mean like I think he is saying how he is giving his life, but nobody is taking it and that he will get his life back again. The whole reason why tough is because he loves us all and that his father told him to. So then all the lower and higher I.Q. people begin talking about how if he has a demon or not which obviously is not. If only those people thought in a logical mannner they would be able to understand how a man performing miracles for god in gods name would not be demon possessed. In fact don't demons run from jesus and flea in fear of even mentioning gods name. Therefore jesus wouldn't be demon possessed and he is still the loving dude that died on the cross for our sins that we have commited. Thats why we should love him and give him our all, and live out our lives for his glory.

Oh and pastor lee I love and respect you and want to give you an awesome birthday present, but I am currently too poor and without a job to get you a siper-duper fantastical hip far out stellar uberly cool jetski like that. Besides you don't even have a truck and trailer to pull it.

Marvin said...

I think this talks about people think that jesus is really in control of a demon but they say how could a demon open the eyes of someone who can't see.

Anonymous said...

This passage is yet another example of how ignorant some people are becausedemons are evil and none of the miracles that Jesus did were evil in any way. Jesus explained that He would die for them and they doubt Him. I don't o about you, but I'm not the type of person who take such a bold statement lightly. This is also why you can only be saved by true because any doubt at all would throw it all out the window.

Anonymous said...

Ok so Jesus is saying that the reason God loves him is because Jesus went to the cross willingly and Even though Jesus had the power to not have to go throught that but he did anyway and then these dumb people start saying well Jesus must be a demon i mean thats ridiculous and how in the world could Jesus be a demon if he is doing miracles for people and helping them that doesnt make any sences.

Jessica M said...

I have missed sooo many devotions it feels weird!!! :(

Thank-you AGIAIN Pastor Lee, Katie and baby Will :) for coming to the hospital for us!!! You guys didn't have to do that! We love you guys!!! :)

OKAY...So the passage talk about how Jesus willingly gave up HIS life for this evil, undeserving, world. Not only was this a command from HIS Father and HE wanted always to please HIS Father, but also Jesus loved the world so much that HE knew this had to be done. Than these Jews are saying two different things. Some are saying that He is a demon and is crazy and some are saying that He couldn't possibly bee a demon because of all the great miracles He has done.

good day :)

Tylermon33 said...

well this is saying that Jesus said the He would lay down His life for us and He would come back, and the people thought that He was possessed because of what He was saying but others said that He couldn't be possessed because He healed a blind man. if it were me and everything i know now then i would believe Jesus that He would lay down His life for me, but if it were me back in that day and someone calling himself Jesus said that he would sacrafice his life for me then i would probably think he is crazy. but we need to believe in everything that Jesus does because He does it for a reason. believe in Jesus!!!

Amy :) said...

Wow! this is a really good devotion. Yeah if my dad told me to lay my life down for everyone in the world and in the future I would be very surprised and i probably would'nt do it. But God told His Son Jesus to die for each and every person on the earth and in the future and He did. And He had a purpose for everything that was going to happen.

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