Harmony of Grace

John 12:27-33 At various points in Jesus' ministry, he spoke about his coming death. The disciples often did not know what Jesus was talking about when Jesus predicted his literal death.  As we draw nearer to Easter, we prepare to mourn Jesus' death and begin to reflect on the implications of the cross on our lives today. I wonder what our response would have been if we were with Jesus and he predicted that he would be persecuted and killed for what he stood for? Would we too have denied Jesus' words or would we have had the courage to fall in line with Jesus and be persecuted with him for what he stood for and believed in? Would we perhaps have doubted the resurrection like Thomas; denied knowing him like Peter; or even betrayed him like Judas?  I am sure we would all claim that we would have stuck by Jesus until the end, but if we are honest with ourselves, we might not like what we discover.  As we prepare to reflect on Jesus' final days, let us consider if we are li...

John 12:23-26 The Bible is full of phrases that seem to contradict themselves. We are told that we see unseen things; we conquer by yielding; we reign by serving; we are exalted by being humble; we become wise by being fools for Christ's sake. Another stark contradiction is found in our Scripture reading for today: We live by dying . The kernel of wheat needs to die in order to produce many new seeds.  There are certain things in our lives that need to die in order for us to experience abundant life in Christ.  I could give you a list of things that could be causing you to pull away from Christ, but we all know what the things are in our lives that are preventing us from drawing near to God. It could be hatred, unforgiveness, busyness, fear, the list is endless.  We each have our own personal struggles. Until we are serious about letting these parts of our lives die, we will always struggle to experience new seeds of love, joy, peace, etc. Prayer: Lord God, I acknowledge ...