Bloggin through the BOOK

OK, I admit it! I'm a busy Bible Blogger!

When I finally settle in to read the Word of God online, I want to write about it!

I'm a journalist - so watch for quick, sometimes grammatically butchered (Forgive me, English majors) blogs on the best guidebook around!

Let's READ and WRITE about God and His Love Letter to us. We may be busy, but never too busy for bloggin through the BOOK! -- Laurie


"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light
for my path." -- Psalm 119:105







Tuesday, July 15, 2014

John Chapter 8: Silence is Golden - How to Communicate

I read John 8 last night and was blown away by the message! I am loving the speedy, sharp message of journalist John (my new name for the disciple!)

Did you know they think John wrote Revelation also ? He and his brother James were the sons of Zebedee and were some of the first called on the Sea of Galilee. These boys were later called , "The sons of thunder"!
John was the only disciple present at the cross when Jesus died. Remember? Jesus basically told John to take care of His mother.

Maybe that is why John is so succinct in telling us Jesus is God. As an eye-witness to Jesus suffering and death and also as the disciple so close to Jesus he refers to himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" -- God would give him keen insight and sharp understanding.

He sure is sharpening my understanding!

Read John 8 .

In John 7, Jesus got everybody all riled up in the temple, where the pharisees try to arrest Him...but...He disappears!

John 8 talks about Jesus spending the night at the Mount of Olives.  I'm picturing  a quiet place (we see Him there praying before His death). Jesus has again spent time AWAY from others, talking to God, I am sure!

By morning, Jesus is back to face the challenges!

Just a thought...Do we take time to regroup with God before we throw ourselves into challenges?

Hmmmm... most of the time, I just make my list and plunge right in there.  YIKES! that's not too smart ! Take time to pray, Laurie !!!!

At the beginning of John 8, Jesus comes back to the temple. There, the bureaucrats have a new trap for him.
They drag this adulterous woman to him and stand there waiting to stone her . They look to Jesus.

What will Jesus say?

NOTHING.

WHAT?

NOTHING.

Jesus bends down and draws in the sand with his finger! -- Don't you think, by that time, the pharisees are leaning closer, trying to figure out what Jesus is going to say?

-- Nothing like silence to promote interest!

This tells me something the Bible has already told me long ago: Be slow to speak and quick to listen (I think that's somewhere in Proverbs!)

Most of the time -- I let my mouth move with my feelings. Not good.

Here's what Laurie would have done:

I would have yelled, "CUT THAT OUT ! Stop mistreating her! What did she do? Who do you guys think you ARE?"

With those words, I would have lost a teaching moment (Sorry, girls, for the times I have lost the teaching moment!)

JESUS -- what a guy -- gets His message out without hitting the folks on the head.

I AM AMAZED!

Here's the rest of the story -- It is so beautiful and so very very simple:

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, 
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

WOW ! I'm glad to be reminded of this exchange again.

Jesus is the MASTER and the MASTER communicator. I need to remember His method of communication!

There is so much more in this chapter -- Let's talk about rest of John 8  Friday!

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