IF YOU ABIDE IN ME
As always I send greetings in the name of Jesus:
The longer I study the word of God the more I seem to be drawn back to the words and the teachings of Christ himself. As I look at the words that Jesus spoke in that disciples like John wrote down I am overwhelmed with the thought of just how much we try to keep control away from God's Holy Spirit in our lives. In John 14:1-14 the word tells us "do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would've told you. I'm going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I'm going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you really knew me you would know my father as well. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
I am always interested in these conversations between the disciples and Jesus because he was trying to let them know that they were in the direct presence of God when he was with them. Continuing on: "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 are not just my own. Rather it is the father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the father and the father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the sun may bring glory to the father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." It is important for us to realize that Jesus is the visible and the tangible image of the invisible God. He is the complete revelation of what God is like. Jesus explained to Philip who wanted to see the father, that to know Jesus is to know God. The search for God, for truth and reality, ends in Christ.
I hear a lot of different teachings that are taken from verses 12, 13, and 14 on the idea of the followers of Christ doing even more amazing miracles than Jesus himself did. Quite frankly I believe that raising someone from the dead is about as miraculous as you can do. I do not believe that Jesus was saying that his disciples would do more amazing miracles but rather that the disciples working in the power of God's Holy Spirit would carry the gospel of God's kingdom out of Palestine and into the whole world. Quite frankly I feel that we put way too much emphasis on our individual abilities to manipulate the Holy Spirit into putting us in the spotlight rather than giving glory to God. When Jesus says we can ask for anything we must remember that are asking must be in his name, but what that means is it must be according to God's character and God's will instead of our own will. This begins to be just another way for men to try to influence other men as they manipulate and use the Holy Spirit. God will not grant requests contrary to his nature or his will, and we cannot use his name is a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do his will, then our request will be in line with what God wants and when that happens God will grant those requests. If we are going to make any progress in being unified in God's spirit brothers and sisters in Christ we must be able to come together and like-minded, and like heart on these issues as well is on many other issues that we tend to allow to separate us from one another. In verse 15 it says "if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will asked the father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives within you and will be in the;. I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you." There are so many different ways that Jesus continues to tell us that if we abide in him, he will abide in us. The one thing that Jesus wanted more than anything else is for us to be one with one another as he is one with the father, and with us. May you richly bless God through your life in him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
The longer I study the word of God the more I seem to be drawn back to the words and the teachings of Christ himself. As I look at the words that Jesus spoke in that disciples like John wrote down I am overwhelmed with the thought of just how much we try to keep control away from God's Holy Spirit in our lives. In John 14:1-14 the word tells us "do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would've told you. I'm going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I'm going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you really knew me you would know my father as well. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
I am always interested in these conversations between the disciples and Jesus because he was trying to let them know that they were in the direct presence of God when he was with them. Continuing on: "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 are not just my own. Rather it is the father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the father and the father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the sun may bring glory to the father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." It is important for us to realize that Jesus is the visible and the tangible image of the invisible God. He is the complete revelation of what God is like. Jesus explained to Philip who wanted to see the father, that to know Jesus is to know God. The search for God, for truth and reality, ends in Christ.
I hear a lot of different teachings that are taken from verses 12, 13, and 14 on the idea of the followers of Christ doing even more amazing miracles than Jesus himself did. Quite frankly I believe that raising someone from the dead is about as miraculous as you can do. I do not believe that Jesus was saying that his disciples would do more amazing miracles but rather that the disciples working in the power of God's Holy Spirit would carry the gospel of God's kingdom out of Palestine and into the whole world. Quite frankly I feel that we put way too much emphasis on our individual abilities to manipulate the Holy Spirit into putting us in the spotlight rather than giving glory to God. When Jesus says we can ask for anything we must remember that are asking must be in his name, but what that means is it must be according to God's character and God's will instead of our own will. This begins to be just another way for men to try to influence other men as they manipulate and use the Holy Spirit. God will not grant requests contrary to his nature or his will, and we cannot use his name is a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires. If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do his will, then our request will be in line with what God wants and when that happens God will grant those requests. If we are going to make any progress in being unified in God's spirit brothers and sisters in Christ we must be able to come together and like-minded, and like heart on these issues as well is on many other issues that we tend to allow to separate us from one another. In verse 15 it says "if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will asked the father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives within you and will be in the;. I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you." There are so many different ways that Jesus continues to tell us that if we abide in him, he will abide in us. The one thing that Jesus wanted more than anything else is for us to be one with one another as he is one with the father, and with us. May you richly bless God through your life in him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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