50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room

Day 37 – Thursday, March 22, 2018

 

Today’s Assignment – Read John 17:1-5 and answer the following questions.

 

1. Who is Jesus talking to and what is His first request?

 

 

 

2. How does Jesus describe eternal life?

 

 

 

 

3. How does this change your view of eternal life?

 

 

 

 

4. What does Jesus say about the work He was given to do?

 

 

 

5. What does Jesus mean by “the glory which I have with You”

 

 

Today’s Quote :“We now come to what is known as the High-Priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus. In this prayer, He made intercession for His own. It is a picture of His present ministry in heaven where He prays for His people ” – Dr. William McDonald

 

This Week’s Memory Verse – I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. – John 17:15

 

So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…

“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,” but He knows how long, and like a true goldsmith He stops the fires the moment He sees His image in the glowing metal.

In Judges 12:1-7 an interesting scenario develops (See full text below). The Ephraimites, decendants of Joseph and one of the 12 tribes of Israel were offended with Jephthah’s victory over the Ammonites. (v.1) The root of their bitterness is perhaps their despising of Jepthah or his people the Gileadites. They threaten to burn his house down for not calling on them to fight against the Ammonites whom Jephthah and his army routed handily (v.1).

It is very likely that the Ephraimites were upset that they didn’t get to share in the spoils, the reward for the victor. In this case the 20 cities the LORD gave Jephthah would yield a large amount of spoils (see 11:33) and make for a lot to brag about and some amazing war stories.

Sadly, the Ephraimites are like so many Christians I have met and like me sometimes. They wanted the rewards of victory without the battle, without the risk, without the wounds of war. They wanted to shout “we did it”when in reality they “watched it” waiting to see the results. If Jephthah had lost they’d be second guessing he and his army of misfits up and down the land of Israel.

They had in fact been asked to help. They had been invited to fight under the banner of the LORD their God but they had passed. Maybe they ignored the text. Maybe the email got lost in their spam but regardless they didn’t come running to help. They left Jephthah who sought to avoid war to fend for himself so he took matters into He and the LORD’s hands. Mightily the LORD won the battle for him (vs. 2-3).

The Ephraimites were now seeking to be opportunists. Jephthah ‘s army was no doubt exhausted from their battles with the Ammonites. The men of Ephraim now stand poised to fight with their large army against Jephthah and take what the LORD had given him. They thought there would be little resistence but Jephthah wouldn’t be bullied. The Ephraimites were also defeated badly. They lost 42000 men of their army and went home with more casualties than if they had actually fought with Jephthah against the Ammonites (see v. 6)

So…..I can’t share in the rewards of victory if I don’t join the battle and if I won’t join the battle I may in fact suffer greater losses than if I did.

I can’t celebrate a victory for a game I didn’t play.

JUDGES 12: 1-7 – The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.”2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3 And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.”5 And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,”the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”When he said, “No,”6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,”and he said, “Sibboleth,”for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell. 7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room

Day 36 – Wednesday, March 21, 2018

 

Today’s Assignment – Read John 17 and do the following:

 

1. Write a three or four sentence summary of the chapter.

 

 

 

2. Give the whole chapter a title.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Give each section below a one or two word title.

 

John 17:1-5 – __________________________

 

John 17:6-10 -__________________________

 

John 17:11-15 – _________________________

 

John 17:16-19 -_________________________

 

John 17: 20-26 – ________________________

Quote of the Day : “Although Matt. 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 have become known popularly as the “Lord’s Prayer,” that prayer was actually a prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus as a pattern for their prayers. The prayer recorded here is truly the Lord’s Prayer, exhibiting the face to face communion the Son had with the Father.” – Dr. John MacArthur

 

This Week’s Memory Verse – I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. – John 17:15

 

So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…

“Remember that something we do that may make us famous has an equal possibility of making us infamous as well. “

Okay, I admit it. I’ve made some pledges /promises to the Lord, vows if you will, over the years that I have regretted. Reading and thinking about the Biblical account of Jephthah’s vow in Judges 11:29-40 (the full text is below for your convenience) has been very instructional for me. There is a powerful lesson here regarding vows or commitments that we make to the Lord that we can miss if we focus only on the controversy over whether or not Jephthah offered his daughter as a human sacrifice (By the way, I don’t believe he did. I believe he offered her to the Lord in a life of celibacy and thus childlessness – See Jephthah’s words in v.31 – “shall be the Lord’s, his daughters words in v. 37, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions”, the commentary on her in v.39, “She had never known a man” and the fact that Jephthah is in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:32). This story provides me with 5 simple principles for evaluating whether or not to make a certain vow or pledge/promise to the Lord.

1. If I am making a pledge/promise to the Lord as an attempt to bribe the Lord or to get Him to do something for me like defeat the Ammonites (v.30) or get a promotion, I shouldn’t do it. Jephthah’s vow didn’t get him favor with God and the victory that was won. God can’t be bribed. I shouldn’t insult the great God of the universe by acting like He can be.
2. If I am making a pledge/promise in haste because of my emotions and or because of other’s around me, my peers (evidently others heard Jephthah’s vow v.36) than I should stop myself from making it. Rash decisions rarely work out and aren’t pleasing to the Lord.
3. If there is a possibility I will regret this pledge/promise later than I shouldn’t make it either. “Will I be willing and able to fulfill my pledge/promise on another day?’ might be a good question to ask. Jephthah didn’t think through the consequences and thus lost his joy in his victory because he would have no heirs having committed his daughter to a life of celibacy (v.35)
4. If my pledge/ promise will affect others negatively or positively I shouldn’t make the pledge or vow. If I take the time to consult them and if I allow them to freely opt in or out of my insanity then I might be all right. In our story Jephthah wound up imposing his rash vow on his daughter who was stuck with his foolish words (v.37-38).
5. If my pledge/promise has the possibility of being epic for good or bad, if it has the chance to make a blog 3000 years after I’ve done it or at least the gossip around the office or neighborhood it would be a good idea to refrain from that pledge or vow. Jephthah’s vow and its ramifications were commemorated by the Jewish woman for years afterwards (v.40) and are inscribed in Holy writ for us today. Remember that something we do that may make us famous has an equal possibility of making us infamous as well.

When it comes to vows in general the advice of Solomon in Ecclesiastes is wise and is to be heeded. He says in Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. ⁵ It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”

The words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the matter are as always highly instructional. He says in Matthew 5:34–37 “But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

The vow of Paul and its subsequent issues in Acts 21:21-24 provides another example for the need of caution regarding our pledges/promises to God

Finally, as a New Testament follower of Christ I am wise to remember that there is no compulsion for me to vow, pledge or promise. I am free to do so if I want to but I’d be wise to follow the Biblical principles we’ve outlined lest I really regret doing so.

Judges 11:29–40 – Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. ³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, ³¹ then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” ³² So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. ³³ And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

³⁴ Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.” ³⁶ And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” ³⁷ So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” ³⁸ So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. ³⁹ And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel ⁴⁰ that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room

Day 35 – Tuesday, March 20, 2018

 

Today’s Assignment – Re-read John 16:1-33 and write down what you have learned from this chapter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day : “Peace. He closes with peace. The child of God can have peace in this life because peace is found in Christ and in no other place. You won’t find peace in the church. You won’t find peace in Christian service. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ.” – Dr. J. Vernon McGee

 

This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

– John 16:33

 

So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…

50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room

Day 34 – Monday, March 19, 2018

 

Today’s Assignment – Please read John 16:25-33 and answer the following questions.

 

1. How does Jesus describe His language to His disciples?

 

 

 

2. How does Jesus describe the disciples’ relationship with the Father?

 

 

 

3. What does Jesus predict will happen to the disciples?

 

 

4. What is your and my normal response to persecution?

 

 

5. In spite of persecution what disposition are we commanded to possess?

 

 

 

Today’s Quote –“ Even in the hour of his greatest suffering he had an unshakable confidence in the victorious purpose of God. Jesus did not overlook the trial that would affect them as well as himself, for that was inevitable in a world alienated from God. He did proclaim victory over it.” Dr. Merrill Tenney

 

This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

 

So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…

In Judges 11:12-28 (see the full text below) the King of the Ammonites and Israel’s Judge, Jephthah have a negotiation in order to avoid war (v. 12) The Ammonite King’s beef was that the nation of Israel occupied land that was, in his view, rightfully the Ammonites (v. 13). Jephthah proceeds to give a history lesson to the king with the end being “God gave it to us, we ain’t giving it back!”(vs. 23-25).

In the spiritual battles of lives our God gives us territory along the way as He wins the battle for us. Those territories have names like “a clean conscience”, “a whole heart”, “a free from addiction body”, or “a clear mind”. The enemy is in a constant struggle to get these arenas back from us. You can almost hear he and his minions whisper “quit fighting” or “give in just a little and I’ll leave you alone”. Learn a lesson from Jephthah, you and the Lord won that territory fair and square. Never, I mean never, give back to the enemy the land that the Lord has given to you in the spiritual battles of life in order to avoid further confrontation or to gain a temporary peace.

Your mind may have been the the flesh’s playground. God saved and changed you. Don’t give that land back! Your family may have been in this world’s pocket, living for and looking like the mess that the world is. God turned things around. It was tough. Don’t you dare give that land back. Your work life may have been where you most “gave place to the devil”. Jesus changed all that. Please, keep that land. Never, I mean never, give back to the enemy the land that the Lord has given to you in the spiritual battles of life in order to avoid further confrontation or to gain a temporary peace.

How do you keep the territory? Do what Jephthah did. Go to war. Put on the whole armor of God, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10-20) and go at it but never give back to the enemy the land that the Lord has given to you in the spiritual battles of life in order to avoid further confrontation or to gain a temporary peace.

Judges 11:12–28 (ESV)

¹² Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” ¹³ And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.” ¹⁴ Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites ¹⁵ and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, ¹⁶ but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. ¹⁷ Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.

¹⁸ “Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. ¹⁹ Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our country,’ ²⁰ but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. ²¹ And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. ²² And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. ²³ So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? ²⁴ Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. ²⁵ Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? ²⁶ While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? ²⁷ I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” ²⁸ But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

 

50 Days with Jesus in the Upper Room

Day 33 – Sunday, March 18, 2018

 

Today’s Assignment – Please read John 16:17-24 and answer the following questions.

 

1. What didn’t the disciples understand?

 

 

2. How did Jesus respond to them and their refusal to ask their question?

 

 

3. What will be the response of the world and of the disciples at His departure.?

 

 

4. What image does Jesus use to illustrate their future joy?

 

 

 

5. What do we learn about joy in these verses?

 

 

 

Today’s Quote: “The words in My name are not a magical formula which enable the user to get his will done; instead those words tied the requests to the work of the Son in doing the Father’s will (See “in My name” in 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:24, 26).”

– Dr. Edwin Blum

 

This Week’s Memory Verse – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

 

So?…..What’s it to me? – As a result of today’s study I will…