03/01 John 21:1-3
Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there — Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin ), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
JESUS
They didn’t understand. They thought that the new kingdom was like the Roman Kingdom and would prevail by earthly means. Their misconception had no impact on what God was planning. We need to get with the Lord. It takes time and persistence in prayer for us to grow in Christ. The Lord is willing. The question is do you want to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus?
03/02 John 21:4-5
At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.
JESUS
They didn’t recognize Jesus. They were frustrated, heart-broken and blind to spiritual reality. Jesus was alive and He was standing before them. He is standing before you right now. Ask Him into your life and let Jesus guide you today.
03/03 John 21:6
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
ACTIVE
God is active in our world. The Disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus nor did they know what He was going to do. The Lord was actively revealing Himself to them. Interesting point is so often today people think they can limit God’s activity. We cannot limit the activity of God. God is sovereign. Thankfully the Lord is always looking for us. Has He found you? Ask Him into your heart and He will come.
03/04 John 21:7
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore.
SEEING
Seeing is believing. Bless those that do not see and yet believe. Peter was anxious to see the Lord, He knew He had sinned and He was aching for forgiveness and restoration. He didn’t know how it would happen he just knew he needed it. We need forgiveness and restoration and we don’t know how it will happen we just know we need it. Jesus is Lord.
03/05 John 21:8-9
The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
LIFE
We experience our interaction with the Lord in the everyday events of our life. We may even have significant conversations with the Holy One when we are doing mundane things like preparing a meal, working at our job or relaxing from a hard day of work. The thing to REMEMBER is that the Lord wants to be involved in all that we do and will do what is necessary to get our attention. Our choice is whether we respond to the movement of the Lord in our life.
03/06 John 21:10-11
“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
JESUS
Nothing escapes the notice of the Lord. He knows everything. We are important to Him. Everything we do is noticed by Him. Spend time with Jesus and He will spend time with you.
03/07 John 21:12
“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it.
JESUS
You know what the Lord wants us to do. He is willing to give us what we need to do it. Let the Lord have your heart and mind. Focus your life on Jesus and you will do the things that you must do to accomplish His plan for your life. Obedience is necessary.
03/08 John 21:13-14
Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
REALITY
One or two people could control a lie. Here are the disciples meeting with Jesus for the third time. It would be hard for that many people to keep their story straight unless it was the truth. The truth is Jesus really died on the cross and was raised by the power of God and is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us right now. He is Lord of all things and everything and He loves you.
03/09 John 21:15
After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
RESPONSIBLE
We are responsible for the people the Lord puts us with. We are each responsible for the other making a redundant coverage of concern and care for each person. Who are you looking after? Are you actively seeking the good of those around you? Look at Jesus and do things the way He did.
03/10 John 21:16
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
ACTION
Love requires that we take action. We are to defend, assist, care for and other things as needed for those we live with in this world. We are our brother’s keeper. We must learn to sacrifice. The world can be a difficult place and we can make it less difficult by caring for those we know. Love isn’t a spectator sport and it isn’t about us. It’s all about Jesus.
03/11 John 21:17
Once more he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
FOCUS
What is the focus of our life? Is it the things of the Lord Jesus or are we focused on ourselves? How we act makes a difference. What we do day by day reveals who we love.
03/12 John 21:18-19
The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
FOLLOW ME
We follow Jesus. We don’t follow man’s ideas, we focus on the Word of God, filled with the Spirit of God we seek to follow the Son of God. We cannot follow Jesus if our hearts are not surrendered and we are focused on ourselves. The only way we can follow Jesus is as a servant.
03/13 John 21:20
Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them — the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who among us will betray you?”
WHO
This is an interesting idea and obviously was true. John was special in the eyes of Jesus. But the truth is that He loves each one of us as if there were no other of us. The Lord Jesus Christ died for sin that we might have real life. There is no great love than this. Jesus loves me.
03/14 John 21:21-22
Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.”
FOLLOW ME
Follow me is an imperative with individual implications that simply states that you, me, each one of us is called to follow Jesus. We do not follow Him based on a comparison with others. We are to follow Jesus based on His command: You follow Jesus at the level that is the best that you can follow. Follow Jesus.
03/15 John 21:23
So the rumor spread among the community of believers that that disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
MYSTERY
The mystery of Scripture is that Jesus would put His power and relevance in us. We are imbued with the power of God and therefore are called to serve Him to the best of our abilities all of the days of our life. Follow Him.
03/16 John 21:24-25
This is that disciple who saw these events and recorded them here. And we all know that his account of these things is accurate. And I suppose that if all the other things Jesus did were written down, the whole world could not contain the books.
JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything. Everything we need for the Christ like life is found in Jesus. He is able to take the person we are and make us the person He would have us to be. The victory is won now we are living as Jesus would have us to live so that the Lord might gain great honor and glory from our Christ like life. We cannot do it without Jesus and we don’t need anything other than Jesus to participate in His glorious victory.
03/17 Ephesians 1:1
This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. It is written to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
CHOSEN, HOLY
The Lord would that no one be lost. Yet a person has the choice of refusing God. Tragically many do. But you have not refused God and you have asked Christ into your heart. He is Lord and He will be Lord of you life. His gift of life is also a gift of His holiness making you holy. Jesus brings to us exactly what we need.
03/18 Ephesians 1:2
May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
GRACE, PEACE
God gives me what I need and cannot earn, His Grace, in an environment that He is in control of called Peace. I can know Him and know His direction. As I live under His control no matter what is happening around me I will be filled with His peace.
03/19 Ephesians 1:3
How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.
JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything. When we have Christ we have what we need to live a successful, victorious life. We can know what we should be doing and how to do it. As we actively do those things we can know that the Lord is on our side and therefore we have victory. Do not be discouraged. Jesus died on the cross for you and was raised from the dead by the Father and is this moment interceding for you with the Father. Alive in Christ dead to sin, we cannot fail for all things are possible through Christ.
03/20 Ephesians 1:4
Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
CHOSEN
I can choose Jesus. I can choose to follow Him. I can choose to let Him mold me and make me into Christ likeness. The Lord would that everyone be saved but He gives us the freedom of choice therefore we can ignore Him to our own peril or we can bend our knee in submission to Him and let Him live in us.
03/21 Ephesians 1:5-6
His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son.
JESUS
We belong to Jesus. When we come into the family of God we belong to a real person. Christ is and in Him we are. It is an eternal relationship that God has chosen us in His Son to be a part of His family.
03/22 Ephesians 1:7
He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven.
JESUS
Jesus is our righteousness. He is the ONE that brings us into the family of God. My freedom is a result of His shed blood. The cost of my forgiveness was paid by Jesus. He knew what I needed and could not earn therefore He paid the price for me. In Jesus I am forgiven.
03/23 Ephesians 1:8
He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
VALUE
When Christ brought us into the Family of God He gave us wisdom and understanding. We are filled with His grace and overflowing with His peace. Jesus makes us valuable. We have His victory in our life today.
03/24 Ephesians 1:9
God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure.
PLAN
YOU are God’s property. His plan in Christ uses us to accomplish His work here on Earth. He has reached into our fragile state and given us eternity. It was His free gift of forgiveness in Christ that gives us life and light.
03/25 Ephesians 1:10
And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth.
ONE DAY
One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Is that hard for you to believe? The truth is that Jesus is coming back and He is coming back for you and me. His life was given as a ransom for our restoration and forgiveness. He is our perfection. In Jesus we have all things for He is Lord.
03/26 Ephesians 1:11-12
Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God’s purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God.
BELONG
We belong to Jesus. We don’t see it but by faith we know it. We can praise the Father whatever our situation. Christ Jesus is Lord and we are part of His family.
03/27 Ephesians 1:13
And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
GOOD NEWS
Jesus gives us the Good News. He provides a free gift from the Father: salvation. We will no longer be slaves to sin and destruction. By faith we have come into the Family of God and He has given us the Holy Spirit who indwells us and gives us the presence of God. Rejoice in Jesus for He is the Holy ONE.
03/28 Ephesians 1:14
The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
PROMISED
God promised to bring us into His Family. He has made good on that promise in Jesus Christ who saves us from our sin and gives us eternal life. Now we walk by faith filled with the Holy Spirit of God who gives us God’s presence. The Father has given us His guarantee about life here and now and life eternal by giving us His Holy Spirit.
03/29 Ephesians 1:15-17
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
SPIRITUAL WISDOM
Spiritual wisdom comes from God. He equips use to live an abundant life and we cannot live that kind of life without wisdom from the Lord. To know Him we must rely on His revelation of spiritual wisdom to us so that we can grow in Him.
03/30 Ephesians 1:18-20
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
LIGHT
We serve a glorious, wondrous, loving God. He raised Jesus from the dead and has offered us His free gift of salvation. He beams His light upon us as we have need. Praise God in good and bad days. Praise God when the blessings have ceased. In all things praise the Lord.
03/31 Ephesians 1:21-23
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.
CHURCH
The church is the body of Christ active in our world. It is perfect in Christ and is His the primary instrument Jesus uses to bring His kingdom to life in the lives of the people who are members of the church. We do not have to worry whether or not Christ will conquer for the Lord has already ordained it and Jesus has already won the victory.
