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Good morning friends;
For the past several years I’ve asked God to help me develop a Daily Scripture reading plan for the 100 Days of Summer. Most all of you have been part of that at one time or another.
Recently several dear friends have asked if I’d do an extended one for Summer 2019. So, with the leading of the Holy Spirit… HERE is 150 Days of Summer 2019, beginning today and lasting till September 30th.
This journey will trace what happened after Jesus returned to heaven, following His resurrection. The book of Acts, and the journey’s of Paul and his letters, chronologically. Let’s strap on our sandals, and walk the journey together.
I hope to write a brief daily “Digging Deeper” which I’ll send in email form just like this each morning, after I read the chapter myself, and hope to point you to few things the Holy Spirit points me to. Your insights back to me will always be welcome!
For some of you this email is anticipated since you asked me to do this, for others, it’s an unexpected email, and a new email address which I created when Dawn and I helped with the Church Plant here in Florida this past year.
So here we go. . .today is JOHN 21:
In the weeks following Jesus’ resurrection each time Jesus ‘appeared’ it seems to be a surprise to those who saw and interacted with Him. No warning. Suddenly, there He is!
Question: When is the last time Jesus suddenly stepped into your world? You know…something happened that others would call a coincidence, but you knew it was a ‘fingerprint’ of God, a reach of God from heaven to you, personally?
We don’t know exactly when in the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension John 21 took place, but we know where… the familiar Lake Galilee, home region to Peter & Andrew, James & John, Nathaniel and Philip and maybe others. A whole night of fishing with empty nets was also frustratingly familiar (Luke 5). But, of course, the empty nets provided the ‘platform’ for Jesus to do a miracle! Grasp that my friends… our frustrating situations often provide Jesus the miracle platform in our lives too, right!?
Don’t you love how Jesus greets them? “Friends”.
May I encourage you to let Jesus greet you that way this morning! He’s been up all night working on the other side of the world, and watching you sleep, keeping your heart beating and lungs breathing… let Jesus welcome you into this day. HE wants to walk with you, where-ever your steps take you today, as FRIENDS!
In fact, may I urge all of us to own the questions Jesus asked Peter on the beach in John 21…“Do you love Me more than these”? (each of us can fill in the blank of what ‘these’ is for us) “Do you love Me”?
You’ve heard the messages… Agape, Phileo love. What love can you say you have for Jesus today, 10 days after Easter 2019?
And finally, we all do it… we all compare ourselves to others in so many ways. Peter did it, as he and Jesus were evidently walking along the beach together, just the two of them in a private conversation, and John “the Disciple Jesus Loved” was evidently walking along, following Jesus some distance behind. “What about him?”
Let’s not do that today, or any more. The relationship Jesus wants with YOU my friend is personal, you and Him. He loves you deeply and wants to walk a personal, private journey with you today and the rest of your life which is unique to you! Oh it will include in some ways your spouse or kids or grand-kids or friends… but let’s not be distracted, let’s focus on refreshing and renewing and building the unique, miraculous relationship Jesus wants to nurture with each of us INDIVIDUALLY. And then from the overflow of that relationship, let’s spill out Jesus’ love to others.
Thank you for joining me on the journey!
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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