Thursday, May 31, 2007

-John 13-

John 13: 3 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”


The intense part of Jesus's ministry. I can almost feel his sadness, doubts (if I can call it that), anguish and pain of his impending death. At this part of his life, he must surely say what is close to his heart, the ministry, his church as we can see here. Throughout our Christian life, we're trying always to show people or god if we're a true disciple, that thought lingering, spinning in our heads constantly, wondering if we've done enough, serve enough. It never end. But here, god taught us the answer to all that question, "love one another, others will know you're my disciple". I could almost imagine him saying it to me this afternoon as I meditate on his words. "love one another zhiwei". This is what god want of us, not glamorous church services, not charismatic singing, not well-planned bible talk, not even how much you give, not a flamboyant church leader. All he wants is simple but surprising difficult, love one another and the world will know, reverberating in my mind over and over today.

John13: 36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”

37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”

38 Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

Simon Peter! the ROCK! Imagine Jesus calling you that, I will die for a pet name like that from my Lord. I can almost feel the power, that conviction coming out of Peter's mouth, rather.. this heart here that overflows from his love, admiration of Jesus. I'm willing to die!!

We often laugh at this story I thought, maybe go through it one too many time to be inspired or convicted. Today the spirit prompted me and I took one hard look at myself. Are you ready to die for god?

We all know Peter failed at FIRST, but that's not the point. The point is he said it with so much gusto and gut and bravery and most of all convicted. We'll failed sometimes to do what is we promised, just like Peter but as long as it's true, we'll learn from it and achieve it in the end. Maybe it will take just a second time to make it happen and we know Peter did.

Life can be so comfortable that I doubt if I can say it with as much o mph and power.. so I'm asking myself if I'm ready to die for Jesus today.. if not why?

Labels: Quiet Time

| dew fought for sanity @ 10:44 PM| >> and the world kept spinning |

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