Jon Cash Ministries

John 14:6-11″Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

–In one of the most powerful verses in the Bible, Jesus Christ declares “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus is the way to heaven. There is no other way to get there. Please don’t allow the media, other religions, or “wise” people to deny or distort this central truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the truth. His Words are truth and this truth is found in the holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ is life. Nobody can have a blessed life on earth or have eternal life in heaven without having a personal relationship with Jesus. There is no wiggle room here. We take these Words at face value or we deny them by citing “translation problems” or a host of other excuses people use to not align themselves with God.

–Jesus then said “No one comes to the Father except through me.” This inclusive statement is narrow and defined. Jesus did not mince words and say there was “another” way to please God and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Jesus makes the connection between Himself and the Holy Father. Jesus and the Father always worked in unity. They were and are one in mind and spirit. God wants us to have the same walk with Him today. He wants us to be so connected to God through the Holy Spirit that we hear from Him on a constant basis. When He speaks, we immediately perk up and listen. This is called “walking in the Spirit” and it is the duty of every Christian to do so.

–Was Jesus God? Philip wanted to know the connection between the two and Jesus wants us to know too. Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus responded by saying, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” Wow! This verse is earth-shattering. Jesus is God. He is part of the God-head, the Trinity. Jesus then explains to His disciples that the miracles and evidence clearly demonstrates that the claims that He was making about Himself were indeed true. Jesus still is doing miracles today. Not just spiritual miracles, but physical healing and other miracles that prove that He is alive and well. Is He alive and well in your heart? If so, it is well with your soul.

John 13:34-38 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

— How can you tell who is a Christian and who is not? Simple. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love is the fulfillment of the law. Godly love is the proof of your salvation and the testimony for you and the world that you love Jesus Christ. You can not manufacture this type of love. It must be placed in you by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The reason many in churches today don’t have this love is because they do not have the Spirit of God inside their souls. If you don’t have the Spirit, you don’t have Jesus, and you don’t have eternal life.

–Though Jesus had informed His disciples on various occasions that He would lay down His life for them, they refused to believe it. Maybe they thought He was talking in circles or parables. Nevertheless, the plan for Jesus’ life was to die for the sins of the world. Without His death, we could not have life. Peter was certainly one of the most outgoing and intuitive of the disciples and yet He did not want to believe this could be the end. There are many truths in scripture that may be hard to swallow but we must take God at His word to follow Him effectively in truth and spirit.

–I’m sure Peter did believe at that moment that He would die for Jesus yet the Lord knew His heart better than he did. This pronouncement by Peter came from pride in his heart and the emotion of the moment. We must be careful to not allow raw emotion or pride to pave a course of disaster in our Christian walk. Jesus confronted Peter with the truth of his dark heart. When push came to shove, Peter did deny Jesus three times when he thought his life was in danger. Don’t make grand pronouncements to the world of your “great” and “holy” spiritual walk with Jesus. Instead, be humble and sober and ask God to take these thoughts away from your heart.

John 13: 3-9 “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

— What is the connection between Jesus having unlimited power, knowing that He came from God, and washing His diciples feet? Jesus knew that humility was the key ingredient to tapping into the unlimited power and resources of the God of the universe. He knew the spiritual law that states it’s better to give than receive. He knew the spiritual law that a servant attitude will create a King-like future. Do you know who you are? When you know who you are in Christ and His expectations of you and the laws of the spirit world that can bless you, you will naturally adopt these attitudes and laws into your life so that God can bless you beyond your wildest dreams.

–We don’t know how many of His disciple’s feet He washed before He got to Simon Peter. There is no record of what was said but one could guess that there was complete silence in the room as shock gripped these men. Only servents washed feet and yet Jesus, their Messiah, was washing their feet. It was too much for the impetious Peter to handle. Peter was focused on the natural world and their cultural traditions while Jesus was focused on the spiritual realm and doing the things that please the Father. God and religious tradition often lock heads. Do you want to be happy and blessed? Choose God and the Word over religious tradition.

–Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Once again, this is a spiritual truth that He was demostrating in the real world. If Jesus has not washed you, cleansed your sins,and forgiven you, then you can not be part of His family and go to heaven. Peter immediately humbles himself before the Lord by reacting to Jesus’ admonation by saying, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.” Peter made many mistakes and often stuck his foot in his mouth but would quickly repent of his faults and seek the Lord with all of his heart. God is not looking for perfect people, but rather, people who will admit their mistakes and want all of themselves washed by Jesus’ cleansing power.

John 12:42-46 “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

— Jesus was utterly amazing during His time on earth. We have seen the fight between Him and the Pharisees play out in the past several chapters of John. What is amazing is that even many of these Pharisees secretly believed in Him. Simple logic would say that Jesus was special, that His miracles were from God, and that His life was pure and holy. There was a great deal of religious politics happening at this time. The power brokers and most influential of this religious sect didn’t believe in Him because they had the most to lose. Sadly, power, fame, and money can lead to pride that keeps people from believing the truth and these religious leaders were no exception to the rule.

–Here is a great way to measure your spiritual condition and know how much you love the Lord. Do you value human praise more than God’s praise? It’s much easier to want human praise because the person can look you in the face, pat you on the back, and say wonderful things about you with others around. God does not operate this way. When you receive praise from God, He increases your peace and joy, gives you great influence in your ministry to touch souls, and gives you more power through the Holy Spirit to accomplish your mission on earth. Pray and ask God to help you in this area. We are, including me, need it!

–Everybody has a choice to make. We can live in the light, live in the darkness, or live in between the two at dusk. Darkness brings spiritual death. Darkness and sin bring temporary pleasure that quickly evaporates into pain and suffering. Darkness comes from the devil and can be intoxicating and addictive if played with too long. Jesus is in the light. The light brings truth to the soul, purpose to our lives, blessings from God, and eternity in heaven with Jesus. I have lived on both sides and can emphatically tell you the light is much better and much more rewarding! The dusk is for backsliders, for part time Christians, for lukewarm people. Jesus warns us to take sides. He tells us in Revelations for people living in the dusk that “He is about to spit them out of His mouth.”

John 12:24-26 “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

— There are some foundational truths of Christianity that must be grasped and lived out if one is to follow the Lord and be blessed from above. This is one of them. Death brings life. Nature shows us that a seed must fall from a plant and appear dead on the ground before life can sprout from it. Given time and the right conditions, that seed will sprout into a new plant and the circle of life will come full tilt. Jesus died so that we may live. Without His death on the cross, nobody can see eternal life. Since He lived a perfect life, the penalty for sin (physical and spiritual death) did not apply to Him. Therefore, when we place our faith and trust in Him, He takes the penalty for us and allows us to live forever.

–God wants us to produce many seeds for Him. This often means going through difficult times that feel like death so that we can have seeds of faith planted in us and others. God never promised us a perfect, easy life, but rather, a blessed life where we serve Him in truth and spirit and lead others to the cross. This often happens when death-like experiences come into our lives, be it physical, spiritual, or emotional. Stay the course and know that Jesus is up to something great for us and His kingdom. God will honor you if you serve Him and follow Him. Trust Him during these tough times and watch Him turn them into good!

–If you love your life on this earth, if you love the things of this dark world, if you place your interests and desires above God’s interests and desires, you will lose your spiritual life in heaven. The sign of a true born again Christian is found in an individual who places the interests of His Savior, Lord, and Master above theirs. God wants you to hate your life, or in other words, hate the things of the world, the sin of the world, the pleasures of this world that lead people astray, so that we can inherit eternal life with Him. Jesus “hated” His life on earth. He proved it by putting others before Himself and willingly choose to be executed an innocent man. There is no greater love than this: to be willing to die for your friends and your enemies.

John 12:1-11 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. ”

–Why did Mary pour this extremely expensive perfume on Jesus? This was her way of worshiping Him! This simple yet striking act of humility was the perfect way to show Jesus her love for Him. The most important thing that you can ever do for the Lord is to worship Him “in truth and spirit.” She was in awe of Him and she showed it by serving Him and adoring Him. Does this describe your feelings and attitude toward Jesus Christ? You can do great things in the church and be the talk of the town about your religious convictions but if you don’t have this simple but poignant love for Jesus, your spiritual foundation is built on sand.

–Money is always a lightning rod of controversy in church meetings across America. Churches will split over how to use it. Families will break up because of it. Some will even kill for it. Most wars fought throughout history have land and money at the center of the controversy. Notice Judas the traitor is the one who brings it up. Nobody but Jesus knew that he had been stealing money out of the offerings collected and nobody knew that He would be the man to betray Jesus for a couple dozen gold coins. In our families, churches, and in our government, we must be careful not to allow the love of money and materialism to “pierce us with many griefs.”

–Imagine that the Pope or a major Christian leader plotted murder. Now that would make headlines! The “chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well” is a stinging indictment of their mind frame and their lust for money and power. They were willing to kill a man healed by Jesus, an innocent man who had found His Messiah, so they could continue to lord over the Jews their polluted religious principles. Satan’s greatest weapons are used inside religious institutions to control people and lead them straight to hell. Don’t ever assume that the word “church’ on a sign means the people or leaders inside it follow God. Do your homework!!!

John 10:26-33 “but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

–If you are not one of His sheep, you will not believe what Jesus says. The turning point in a person’s life is when they humbly search for God and find His truths come alive in their hearts. You can’t cram truth into a mind and heart that can’t digest it. Pray fervently for your unsaved family and friends and gently lead them toward the Bible and the Savior. Listen to His voice that is found in scripture and maintain your intimacy with the Lord. Jesus said “I know them.” The word “know” is the same word found in Genesis where God said, “Adam knew his wife Eve, and they beget a son.” God wants an intimate relationship with each of us that has a stronger bond than a marriage bond on earth.

–A sheep must be guarded by a shepherd or it will get eaten by wolves. A Christian must be guarded by Jesus or they will be eaten by this world. A wolf or other outside demonic force can never snatch you from the protective care of Jesus. Yet, since you are a creature of free will, you have the ability and the right to walk away from God yourself. The Lord will protect you from yourself to a point, but if you continue to stray and push God away, He will oftentimes leave you alone for a season to show you what life is like without His protective covering. This season of life for a Christian is very difficult. God uses it as a teaching lesson to illustrate the difference between God’s blessings and God’s discipline. Which do you prefer?

–The Jewish leaders picked up stones to stone Jesus because He said, “I and the Father are one.” They considered it blasphemy. The truth is, God wants all of us spiritually minded to say that we are “one” with God. He wants every Christian to have the mind and heart of God and hear Him throughout our days. This is called “walking in the Spirit”. They responded “because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” They “assumed” that Jesus was a man. Their assumption was dead wrong and Jesus was constantly proving them wrong with the numerous miracles He performed. Have you made some assumptions about the Lord that may not be correct? If so, it can have a radically negative impact on your walk with God. You can keep this from happening by staying in the Word daily.

John 10:9-13 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

–Jesus specifically tells us that you must enter through Him to be saved and go to heaven. I recently met a young man who had high regards for the Bible but believed it should not be taken literally. Once I dug a bit further, I realized he didn’t believe any of it that did not fit into his world view even though he held it in “high regard.” Jesus means what He says and says what He means. Jesus was either a liar, lunatic, or Lord. Those are the only three logical choices. This young man I encountered also believed that there are many “translational errors over thousands of years” to the bible. My God is powerful enough to make sure that did not happen. Obviously, His was not that powerful.

–When a sheep finds pasture, they feel safe to go out and roam the hills. Do you feel safe in God’s arms? He wants you to! Satan wants to destroy your pasture or peace, He wants to kill you spiritually and render you useless for God’s kingdom, and He wants to destroy your Christian testimony by tempting you to sin and question God. Don’t let him do it! Jesus promises “life to the full”. He promises an abundant life of peace, joy, and purpose that can transform a worn heart into a warmed heart. Since Jesus laid down His life for you, what should your natural response be? To lay down your life for Him and do everything He instructs you to do. Then you will live the blessed life on earth and in heaven.

–Pastors are shepherds too. God places them as “sub-shepherds” over people on earth to help lead them closer to the real shepherd. Pastors out of the will of God are the “hired hand” in this verse. They care more for themselves than their people or sheep. When danger comes, they run away and abandon their people. They “care nothing for the sheep” because the love of God is not in their hearts. It is your job to know if you are in a bible-believing church with a shepherd who loves and cares for their sheep. Ask God to show you the truth and the pastor’s heart. Every Christian deserves to have a God-ordained shepherd or pastor and not an impostor from the enemy. Your Christian maturity level depends on it.

John 10:1-4 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

–The Pharisees had just thrown the man healed from blindness out of the synagogue. Knowing their evil intent and understanding their mistaken belief that membership in the synagogue was akin to a right standing before God, Jesus immediately explained to them that He, and not their religious institution, was the gateway to heaven and right standing before God. The sheep pen can be described as heaven or fellowship with God. The gate is the way into heaven and God’s good graces. Jesus clearly taught that He was the gateway to eternal life. The Pharisees believed otherwise and tried to find another way to heaven. Jesus called them thieves and robbers. They placed themselves as guardians over Old Testament truth and Jesus soundly rejected them.

–We are the sheep and Jesus is the good shepherd. He cares for us and wants the best for us. The religious hypocrites were bad shepherds who only cared about their own selfish needs and wants. It’s critical to get involved in a church where the pastor (shepherd) is God’s man and has a heart after God. While there are many good pastors in America today, there are also many bad ones who do not have the approval of God. All churches are not created equal! God loves each of us very much and does not want us to be yoked with shepherds or churches that do not have the best intentions for their congregations.

–If you are a Christian, the Bible teaches that you are a “sheep that listens to His voice.” Jesus has an intimate relationship with you and “calls his own sheep by name.” When Jesus is your Lord, Savior, and Shepherd, you allow Him to “lead you out.” Jesus has a special road for each of us to travel. Isn’t it a wonderful thought to know that He is walking ahead of you clearing the path of danger along the way? Do you know the voice of Jesus? The best way to know His voice is read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit of God to richly indwell you. There are many in church today who don’t know His voice and don’t have that relationship with the Shepherd. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to see the lost saved inside and outside the church walls.

John 9:35-41 “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. “

–After the Pharisees had kicked the healed blind man out, Jesus immediately searched for him to minister to his needs. When we go through tough times, Jesus always makes an attempt to speak to us to bring rest and healing to our soul. It’s our job to allow Him to do it through all the pain and suffering that we are experiencing. At this point, Jesus reveals to him that He is in fact, the Son of Man, that He is the promised Messiah of Israel. Though the religious hypocrites could not see this truth through their hard hearts, an uneducated “nobody” accepts Jesus for who He is.

–The man said, “Lord, I believe.” Immediately, the man worshiped Jesus. The natural result of a salvation experience is to worship Jesus. Jesus is searching the earth looking for people who will “worship Him in truth and spirit.” A sign of a true disciple of God is a person who worships Him in their hearts, minds, and spirits. It is impossible to please God without faith and worship being at the center of your religion. Religion is worthless if it is not accompanied by these signs of a changed life. Who were in the right with Jesus, the Pharisees or this man? Jesus came into the world to save the world and not judge it, yet He also came to make judgments of truth and falsehood so we could know the truth and it could set us free from sin and death.

–Jesus then turns His attention to the religious leaders. Those who think they know and see the truth with pride in their hearts are blinded by their ego, and those who admit they are blind and helpless without God will be shone the light and be given the opportunity to have their souls redeemed. Since the Pharisees were filled with man’s knowledge, a religious chip on their shoulder, and spiritual pride, Jesus declared to them that their guilt remains on them and their sins would not be forgiven because of spiritual pride. To be saved, one must humble themselves before a Holy God and admit their blindness, or need of a Savior. Without this honest heart attitude of humility, nobody can see the Kingdom of God.