“She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:11 NKJV
RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
Do you want to know truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was once a hot mess of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. But I was lost and when I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choses. When I found Jesus, and truth – I found peace and deliverance from those things.
If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and God will reveal truth to you. It becomes the two way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth, because he is our only way to the Father.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen
BIBLE READING:
Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Today’s reading we will pick back up in the Gospel of John, chapter 8 verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).
Jesus the Light of the World
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now [a]early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, [b]this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now [c]Moses, in the law, commanded us [d]that such should be stoned. But what do You [e]say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, [f]as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He [g]raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being[h] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up [i]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers [j]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go [k]and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:1-12 NKJV
MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:
“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21 KJV
BIBLE DISCUSSION:
Why did the men who split up the Bible into chapter and verse, split the chapters where they did? Who starts a chapter with the word BUT? Verse one of chapter 8 really belongs in chapter 7, and I always forget to grab it and put it there when studying chapter 7. I have made a note in my Bible, but I also do not look at my notes as I am trying to read and study it fresh to hear what the Lord might be saying to me in this season. So let me now grab the last verse from chapter 7 and add it to today’s study so it is understood.
“53And everyone went to his own house. 81 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.”
And there we have it. During this feast week, Jesus snuck into the city away from His brothers and disciples and was teaching in the temple and causing a stir and getting the leaders more angry. After yesterday’s reading, they all went to their homes, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. It is possible that Jesus and the disciples were camping there. It is possible He went their alone to pray.
So now, let’s see what happened the next day, in today’s reading:
“2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,”
Let me describe this scene, because it is one that used to confuse me. Jesus is in the temple and there is a group listening to his teachings. Let’s call them Group A. Group B and the women comes in causes a commotion, and then one by one Group B all leaves except for the woman, while Group A is still there watching this all happen. I always forgot Group A was still there and that was what confused me.
“4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.”
So they must have been in the temple in the outer porches where women were permitted. But stoning a person should happen OUTSIDE the city, far from the temple. And I am sure you have noticed, the man she was ‘in the act’ with is NOT dragged there with her. There is a lot not right here.
To me, Jesus knelt and drew on the ground to give Him time to hear from The Father, what He should do. This is obviously a trap and it does look like a no win situation.
I do enjoy the speculation and creative ideas preachers come up with of what Jesus could have been writing. A list of their sins? Writing out the 10 commandments? Maybe even the notes of where He left off teaching Group A so he could go back and pick back up where He left off after this whole thing.
“7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.”
Jesus was NOT known for theatrics – so this scene, being very dramatic and theatrical has intrigued readers and artists throughout history. Talk about perfecting the dramatic pause!
“9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.”
The oldest was indeed the wisest, and left. The younger were wise also to follow their example. It is interesting that it is noted that they left according to their age, and wisdom. Often times it takes years to be humble enough to know your own sins. To know that even after ALL the years of work you and God have done on you, you are still a hot mess. And we often see the young folks who have not confronted themselves honestly being filled with the blind pride of being right.
In our modern world – more and more of every age are blind to the trust of our human frailty and depravity. Pride and being the only one who is right is becoming a pandemic. And when no one will validate their opinions of themselves – it seems to reinforce their pride. They slowly become isolated as the last correct person on earth. Yes entitlement is pride.
“10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
Now, see why I was confused? It says He was alone with her and He saw no one except her. I thought Group A left too! BUT they were still there, quiet and probably with big eyes and their jaws on the ground!
“11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Jesus believes we can be sinless – we can go and sin no more. He speaks of the basic sins, yes. However, as you grow in Christ and are consecrated for His work, we learn that things that did not used to be sins are now sins to us. And as Paul points out in a life time we continue to grow and fight the battle against sin, but we can do this battle sinlessly!! We can go and sin no more and when a new sin is exposed, overcome it instantly and go and sin no more! I think we rely on grace too much, I know I did when I first started shedding my sins. I did not go and sin no more. I went and kept sinning until God dealt with me more firmly.
When forgiven or delivered it is URGENT and IMPORTANT that we obey this command to go and sin no more. Whenever we see a phase or symbol used repeatedly in the Bible we know it is important. This is one of those critically important phrases. If we do continue in sin, not only does grace abound against God’s wishes (putting us outside of the will of God) – but it opens doors for the enemy to come in a steal, kill, and destroy. All the promises of God stolen right out of your grasp – because of willful sin.
So this lady walks away to sin no more and Jesus starts to speak again – to Group A, who is probably shocked at what just happened in the temple. These things should NOT happen in the temple!
“12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
This last verse belong here AND in the passage for Monday.
Jesus, the Light exposed the sins of everyone in Group B who accused her. I am sure many in Group A also saw their own sins revealed to them, but they were not accusing the woman so they did not leave. That is what the Light does – the Light exposes and reveals darkness within us. Have you noticed more and more sanctuaries becoming dark? What does darkness have to do with Light?
I mean if there is light, there IS NO DARKNESS.
This concept has been hitting me very strongly lately. I have been contemplating getting rid of all my black clothing. I already make and sell very few black pieces and when I do I often do a pay on darkness and light. It is probably just my own call to be consecrated, and not something God is calling the entire Body to, and I realize that. But we see the shaking and the separating.
Like Jesus we often quote the Old Testament verse in part, enough that we all know what we are referring to… however, many do not know the Old Testament verse:
“17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.” Ezekiel 34:17 NKJV
While Jesus spoke on the Mount of Olives about the final judgement of sheep nations and goat nations – we are in the time of false prophets where God will gather His sheep from his sheep (go ahead and read the entire passage). Then take a look at the modern church, did we not read in the Bible and foresaw, based on His words, that there would be a great shaking and everything that could be shaken would? Keep hanging on to the horns of the altar, because this last little shake will have aftershocks and in the midst of it another shaking will come! This is not me waxing prophetic – we have read it in the word over and over lately. And in Ezekiel 34.
You see, NO DARKNESS can or will hide from God in this hour. Be good at repenting and be unshakable. Own your own crap and bring it to the light before the enemy drags it out with Him and embarrasses you.
Do not join “Sides” this is not a time to join sides and no one but you cares what your thoughts on it are anyway. I know that sounds hard – but it is true and it will prevent you from additional shaking not meant for you. You worry about your calling, your walk, your job, your condition of your heart and THEN – go out and reach new people. Do not worry about what other believers are doing or what God is doing in our midst to the others. Look too long and you’ll be next.
It is better to shed the darkness and run into the light.
Please join us this weekend for some wisdom reading without discussion and come back on Monday as we continue to study and meditate on the Book of John.
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I also wanted to remind and inform all of you, that instead of writing a book on fasting (since it is the topic I get asked the most about) I have created a Facebook group that is designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fast, and how to fast. In the group are specialist to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). The group is new and other experts are invited, I am hopeful they will join. So let’s join the group and see what we will learn about prayer and fasting. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862
Thank you for reading in 2023 – a Year of Grace and Provision
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace. Walk in wisdom.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
If Not For Grace 