Recently I went on a mission trip with Eight Days of Hope. On this trip we worked with local churches and the city of Buffalo NY to revitalize and improve one of the districts in Buffalo. We were able to help over 300 families with home improvement projects or lawn care. We also shared the Gospel and over 20 people accepted Jesus Christ as Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have the honor to be on the devotions team that helps bring devotions every morning and evening for 8 days. The theme for the week was Jesus Said. We got to pick things that Jesus Said and share that with the hundreds of volunteers there to love and serve, Here is one of those devotionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus here in John 8 has been teaching a large group of Jewish people and they are starting to figure out who he really is and many believed in him. Then Jesus Said this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.\u201d\u2013 John 8:31\u201332 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What a great couple of verses. Jesus says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciple. Jesus tells these new believers that a mark of a disciple is that they abide in his word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How many of you are disciples of Jesus Christ? <\/p>\n\n\n\n So just think about that in your life. Are you abiding in the word of Jesus? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Old Testament book of Joshua God tells his followers to \u201cMeditate on my word day and night.\u201d A very similar idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That word Abide means to remain in or dwell in, to stay connected to something. Is abiding in God\u2019s Word a regular part of your life?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus then said, \u201cand you will know the truth<\/strong>.\u201d So As you abide in God\u2019s word, as a disciple, you will know the truth.\u201d Abiding in God\u2019s Word equals knowing the truth.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The word know is translated from a Greek verb that means \u201cto know experientially.\u201d to experience it and live it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding something with the mind, is called \u201chead knowledge,\u201d and that is very different than knowing something experientially. When you experience something you really know it. It goes from your head to your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we take Jesus at His word and practice and experience \u201cthe truth that comes from him,\u201d then we can \u201cthrow off our old sinful nature and our former way of life\u201d and \u201clet the Holy Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes\u201d so that the truth we live by sets us free \u201cto be like God\u2014truly righteous and holy\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus then says that the truth will set you free. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people think freedom means freedom to do whatever you want to do, but that\u2019s not freedom, not according to God in his word, God calls that slavery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s slavery to sin, slavery to ourselves, and Jesus came to give us freedom from sin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we abide in God\u2019s Word and God\u2019s Word gets into us, it leads us to the truth, Jesus is the Truth. Jesus said that I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s bring it all together. Why should we abide in the word of God? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because God loves you and He knows better than you do what is best for your life. He wants us to follow his ways and not our ways. He wants us to understand his truth, not our truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He wants us to be free and not a slave to sin or fear. The truth sets us free. Jesus sets us free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So meditate on God\u2019s word day and night, memorize His word, read His word, walk in His word, obey His word, do His word, live His word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we receive the message of the gospel and the teachings of Christ, and then we abide by them and live it out. That\u2019s being a disciple of Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who know the truth are born-again believers who live in fellowship with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Jesus said, \u201cYou will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,\u201d He was telling His followers that obedience to God is the only way to experience true liberation\u2014spiritual freedom from sin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The freedom Jesus offers is a restored relationship with the Father, who is the source of true life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life if we believe in him, and then as a disciple he wants us to abide in His Word.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe you are born again spiritually and are a disciple of Christ. I want to encourage you to keep going and keep growing. Stay in God\u2019s Word and keep living it out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t know that you are born again, you can do that right here, right now. By believing in Jesus, trusting in Him alone for your salvation and forgiveness. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently I went on a mission trip with Eight Days of Hope. On this trip we worked with local churches and the city of Buffalo NY to revitalize and improve one of the districts in Buffalo. We were able to help over 300 families with home improvement projects or lawn care. We also shared the … <\/p>\n