TUESDAY, June 24th, 2008

Het teens! Thanks for staying faithful to the small group of you guys that are left right now! I know that there are several people out of town, so thankyou for staying persistent Keep it up!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Brooke: Your Devotions Yessterday were incredible! That is what this is all about! It was amazing how you said: "I got a problem I need to fix right now". Did everything go okay with that? You are so cool! I am excited about the trip this weekend!
Rob: Are we still getting together tonight? Call me and let me know!
Amy: I can't wait until you get back from the wilds! That will be great! Good job on the devos yesterday! That is why this is called: Do you devotions with Suncoast youth group! :) Very Smart!

John 8:48-59

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’
53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

This dialogue between Jesus and the Jews is just like many conversations that Jesus had with them. Jesus tries to explain who He is and they try to kill Him. What a life, think about that... what if every where you went whenever you introduce yourself, people just try to kill you!! And yet, Jesus Christ still paid the penalty for all of our sin with His life! Thank you Lord!

So this seems just like any other conversation that Jesus had, but I can think of a few outstanding moments in this conversation.

Verse 48: Can you believe they ask this: "So woud we be right if we said that you have a demon" In other words, they thought Jesus Crazy, and they even asked Him if He was possessed by a demon! (49-51 Jesus explains why He is not possessed)

Verse 52: Then they take it a step farther, by saying: "Now we know you are possessed"
Verse 53: The Jews literally say to Jesus: "Who do you think you are??"

Verse 54-56: Jesus explains what He is doing, and what Abraham thought of Him.

Verse 57: These guys are freaked out, they wonder... how can He know Abraham??? He is not even 50 years old yet!! (They really had no clue)

Then in verse 58 we see this thought provoking statement: "Before Abraham was, I am"

You dont have to be an english professor to know there is something going on with the verb tenses there. Why did He say that before abraham was, (Past tense) I am (present tense)?!?! Do you have any thoughts...

You kind of have to get a picture in your mind to understand it the best way possible! Here is the way I like to visualize it: You see the time line of life... All the way back from creation to that present moment in time... all the way to eternity.

Imagine that timeline of our existence on a paper, laying on a table, and Christ is standing up beside the table and He says: Before Abraham was... (as He points to the spot on the timeline) ... I Am! (As He looks up at you!)

Do you get it! He is outside of time, we are constrained by time, as if we are locked onto a sheet of paper, but Christ stands above that paper (outside of time) to show us that He is God in the flesh, He always has been, and He always will be!! How cool is that!

Well, the Jews did not like the truth, so they (once again) picked up stoned to kill Jesus. How do you respond when someone tells you the truth about something, even when you do not want to hear it??

LOVE YOU GUYS!!