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Life of David Part 11: Being Friends with God, Knowing Him, and Wanting What God Wants

8/27/2016

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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
​Today, we continue to read about the life of David and continue to learn what it means to be men and women after God’s own heart. In Acts 13:22 Paul said that being a man after God’s heart meant that David did all God’s will. Doing all of God’s will means we know His will. To know His will we have to know Him. That means reading His Word, spending lots of time with Him, and abiding in Him. It means being God’s friend. David knew God’s will because He knew God.
2 Samuel 4 tells the story of how after hearing of Abner’s death Ish-bosheth became very afraid. He knew deep down, he wasn’t supposed to be king. He knew deep down David the rightful king had the right to usurp him or worse. But David had made a covenant with Saul that all his household and descendants would be safe from harm from David (1 Samuel 24:21-22). But not every citizen of Judah was faithful to King David. Some sought their own power and glory by doing what they imagined would please the king instead of knowing who the king was and doing what would please him.
This was the case with brothers Baanah, and Rechab. They decided it was time to kill King Ish-bosheth. The Beerothite brothers snuck into Ish-bosheth’s house while he was taking a noon time nap to steal wheat. But when they saw the king asleep in his bed they stabbed him in the stomach and cut off his head! They brought the head to David in Hebron, excited about the rewards they imagined the king would bestow on them. But since they didn’t know who the king was, the response they got was not the one they assumed they would get. Verses 9-12 read,
But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Had they bothered knowing their king at all, they would have known what happened to those who had killed Saul and his other sons, they would have known that killing his last son was not David’s will and in fact was against his will. David knew God and knew that He could and would use the circumstances of the earth including the evil and hate which was against His will to bring about His purposes. God is Sovereign over all of us. He does not want the bad, He does not will the bad, but He will use the bad for His will and the good of those of us who are called to know Him. Romans 8:28-30 says it this way,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
 
2 Samuel 5 continues the story of David’s life and describes how God’s promise and call was finally manifested after many turbulent years. Verses 1-5 read,
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
 
The world believes the lies they’ve heard about God, they believe the propaganda not the truth. How often do we fall for the lies too instead of just turning to God? Cities, nations, and people came against Israel often. They didn’t know David and they didn’t know the LORD was with Him. They ignored David’s reputation and chose to believe lies about him instead of the truth. Verses 6-10 describes one such people.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.”7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
 
Instead of believing the song sung of David, “Saul has struck down his thousands,  and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7, 21:11, 29:5) they chose to believe that even the lame and blind could defeat him. They ignored the truth that the LORD was with David and prospered him in his endeavors. They ignored the history of what David had done. They refused to believe that David was made perfect in God because of faith. You too have been made complete because of faith lived out in the work of God you manifest. James 2:22-23 says,
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”
 
David was a man after God’s own heart because he was a friend to God. He knew God’s will and plans and trusted God to carry His plans out. In John 15:14-17 Jesus described it this way,
You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
 
The Jebusites couldn’t defeat Israel because David was their king. David was complete in the LORD and the Jebusites were incomplete, blind to God and the truth and lame in their ability to please Him. They wanted to overcome His friend David; it is not God’s will to overcome or harm His chosen children. God wants good for His children. Jeremiah 29:11-14 says,
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
David was perfect, blameless in the LORD but he was still human and so imperfect until the Day of Resurrection. He took more wives against God’s will (Verses13-15), but God forgave him his imperfections. He was God’s friend, a man after God’s heart. God made sure David knew his throne had finally been established over Israel as some kings recognized David’s kingship and saw the glory of God in him. Verses 11-12 read,
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
 
You are either a friend of God or his enemy. You either care about God’s desires and make them your own or you care about your own desires. James 4:1-10 reads,
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
 
Whoever it was that came against David, he checked with God first for His will. David acted in accordance with what God wanted because he trusted God’s plans more than his own desires. Even when the Philistines came against David, he inquired of God first before acting. Verses 18-20 read,
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.”
David didn’t assume that God would automatically bless his every action, he checked in with God again and again. Verses 22-25 read,
And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
 
How careful are you about doing what God wills over what you assume He wills? Do you ask God first, seek God first, and listen to God first? Or do you assume that God wants you to do something because it seems right? It seemed that the king would want his enemy King Ish-bosheth dead, but Baanah, and Rechab didn’t know David enough to know that it was not his will. Had they inquired of their king first, they would have been saved from death.
Believer, I encourage to be God’s friend. Hang out with Him, talk to Him honestly and sincerely listen to what He says. Seek to know him more and more and to love Him more and more. Read His Word, delight yourself in His Word, and abide in Him. Be God’s friend, His child with His nature and Spirit. Do what pleases the Lord and not yourself. He will soon enough make what pleases Him into what delights you!
Proverbs 37:3-6 says it this way,
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

 
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Genesis 18 Intimate Friendship With God

6/20/2016

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Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me Revelation 3:20
​Genesis 18
When we are in a relationship with God, it can become as intimate as we choose it to be. God is close and He will be as close to us as we are willing to let Him be.  That closeness, that deep familiarity and mutual affection we call fellowship or friendship is not always easy. It is fueled by faith and strong faith is not attained by an easy life.
Abraham had that kind of intimacy with God. His faith likely began when his father Terah raised him to follow the Lord. I am struck by the fact that Terah was seventy years old when he became a father to Abraham (Genesis 11:26). He had waited a long time for his sons and he had three. I think it is clear from who both Abraham and Lot became, that Terah raised his sons to follow God. His faith had grown from the time he first obeyed God and traveled from his home in Ur to Canaan. It grew more as he obeyed the Lord time and again over the years and it grew as He believed God’s covenant, God’s word to him about his future. Abraham’s road was not easy, his faith was massive, and his relationship with God was as close as any relationship could be. They were friends. The Lord enjoyed spending time with His friend so one day, He came by for a visit. (Remember He did not yet dwell in His people). Verses 1-5 read,
And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”
The relationship is initiated by God but it is not forced. God showed up and let Abraham decide if he would spend some time with Him. There were three men, The Lord didn’t need Abraham’s company, He has Himself for community. He wasn’t lonely. He wanted Abraham’s company so He offered the chance for a little time together. Abraham took the chance and asked the Lord to stay and rest and take a little food. So, they, The Lord said, “Do as you have said.” Did God need a rest? Was He hungry? No. He chose to relate to Abraham on a level Abraham could understand.
What would your reaction be to having the Lord God come and agree to have a bite with you? I think that depends on where you are on your walk with Jesus. Would you cower in fear, would you be all formal and speak to Him in flowery words to keep distance between you? Would you fall at His feet, hug him, or give Him a high five? I doubt any of us can answer that question with complete objectivity. We tend to answer how we hope it would go down. One day, we will see Him face to face and since we will have been made into the perfect image of Christ, our response will be perfect love and worship. But for now, believers know Him just a bit, partially and even that is bigger than most of us can grasp (1 Corinthians 13:12). By the way, God has offered you the chance to fellowship. In Revelation 3:20-21 Jesus says,
 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Abraham’s reaction showed his friendship with God as the LORD. He worshipped and invited Him to spend time with him. Then he rushed off to prepare the water and the morsel of bread. Verses 6-8 read,
And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
Abraham didn’t bring back a bowl of water and a morsel of bread. He had a feast prepared. He wasn’t doing this for the neighbor down the road, he was doing this for The LORD God Almighty. What difference does it make to you, when you are doing something for me and something for God? Do you do your best for God, do you give Him you best? Keep in mind that we are to do everything from washing a dish to serving a king as if we were doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Remember that whatever we do for even the seemingly most seemingly insignificant of people, we are doing for the Lord. (Mathew 25:40).
A seah of flower was a little under seven and half liters of flour, more than enough for three little cakes of bread, but Abraham had Sarah use a seah each for the three. Then he went and had a calf killed and prepared with curds and milk. (Had this happened in the days of Levitical law, he would have prepared the Lord a non-kosher dish). How long do you imagine that takes? Does it take a few minutes or is it many hours? He was giving the Lord more than a morsel of bread, He was giving him a feast and as long as it took to prepare it, he got to spend that time with God. As long as it took God to enjoy it, he got to spend that time with Him too.
Don’t imagine that the only time you can spend with your Lord is while you are at church or in service or in a carved out quiet time. What about the time you are preparing for those times? What about the times when you are working, concentrating on a task, or relating to the people in your life? If you allow the Lord to be in those times as well as the others, you can enjoy all that time with Him as well.
Abraham was not the only person present. Sarah was there too. She knew the Lord was right outside her door. She had made Him cakes and she could hear the conversation. She chose to remain outside of that fellowship. She chose to stay by the tent door listening. The Lord knew she was there and He invited her into the conversation. He wanted her to enjoy the same closeness that Abraham was enjoying. Verses 9-12 read,
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
Although the Lord spoke to Abraham, He addressed Sarah. His words were for her benefit and for her faith. She laughed, scoffed at the idea of having a child when she had not had her menses for such a long time. She wasn’t in menopause, she was long past it.  She had desired a child for so long and had accepted the fact that she would not have one, even in the face of God’s promise to her and her husband. She had been through many of the same things her husband had been through, yet her faith was not as strong as his. What was the difference? Abraham chose to have a relationship right up close with God and spoke to and listened to Him directly. Sarah chose to listen from afar and let Abraham speak to and for God for her.
I’ve been where she was. I have laughed at the idea of God fulfilling my desires because science and logic say it can’t happen. How did God respond to His precious daughter’s derision? Verses 13-15 read,
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Once again the Lord spoke to Abraham but addressed Sarah and this time Sarah answered the Lord and let Him speak to her directly. This passage doesn’t say what Sarah’s response was. But we know that the Lord didn’t change His mind about the child. A year later Isaac was born. And God didn’t choose to remember Sarah for her doubt or her sins. He chose to remember her faith and her righteousness. Hebrews 11:11 is a testimonial memorial to Sarah.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised
Intimacy with God, friendship with Him also lets us in on His plans. How many of us go through life wondering what God’s will is for us? How many times have you asked your friend what her prayer is and she has said, “I just want to know what God’s will is.” When you are friends with Him, He lets’ you in on it. Verses 16-22 read,
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
 
The Lord wanted to share His will with Abraham. He wanted Abraham to be included in His work. God doesn’t work in mysterious ways. He is open with us about His will and His plan and He lets us participate. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), but His work, acts, and plans are not mysterious. Jesus said it this way in John 15:14-15,
You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
 
Letting us into His plans gives us to join in His work. Amos 3:7-8 reads,
“For the Lord God does nothing
    without revealing his secret
    to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
    who can but prophesy?”

 
God’s Word tells us His will and if we are in an intimate relationship with Him we’ll act. (BTW, God’s will is for the whole world to be saved, for your sanctification, a relationship with you and His glory 1 Timothy 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 43:7).
Abraham responded to the news that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed for their wickedness by intervening to try and save them. The evil of these two cities was more than simple homosexuality as some would make us believe. It was ramped depravity, debauchery, and sexual immorality. It was hedonism to such a degree that the residents only care was their own pleasure. But Abraham had hope for them, because he had faith. He also knew his nephew Lot and was a righteous man living in Sodom with his family. Abraham stood his ground and spoke to the Lord as only a loving friend can. Verses 22-26 read,
So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
 
Can you imagine? He stood in the way of the Lord without letting Him continue onto His plan until He knew more and could convince God to save the wicked cities for the sake of the righteous men within their gates. He knew that the Lord was on His way, the two men went on to the cities but Abraham also knew God is sovereign and powerful. He wouldn’t have any trouble communicating with them.
He then had the boldness to go further. Verses 27-33 in The Message read,
Abraham came back, “Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?”
He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”
29 Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find forty?”
“Neither will I destroy it if for forty.”
30 He said, “Master, don’t be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?”
“No, I won’t do it if I find thirty.”
31 He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?”
“I won’t destroy it for twenty.”
32 He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?”
“For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.”
33 When God finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home.
 
God already knew exactly how many righteous men dwelled in those two cities, one man, Lot and tomorrow we’ll read about what happened.
How close are you to the Lord? Do you visit with Him, talk with Him, and give Him your best? Are you His friend who He can share His plans with? Are you still waiting at the tent door afraid that God will see your doubt? God knows your heart completely whether you choose to be aloof or not. Let Him make you into who you are meant to be, the sanctified righteous image of Jesus Christ. Go ahead join Him for supper, hang out with Him and walk with Him.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
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2 Peter 1 The Joy of an Intimate Relationship with God

5/28/2016

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No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
​2 Peter 1
I am overwhelmed by this relationship with God, His love astounds me. The longer I walk with Him the more intimacy He gives me. I have come to see there is no end to the depth of closeness, understanding and friendship with The Lord. One day believers will be completely and perfectly united with Him in New Jerusalem, but now we enjoy and ever growing relationship. As we grow closer to Him, we become more and more like Him.
Do you know how much God loves you? If you say yes, you may understand that He loves you deeply, but I don’t know that any of us can truly fathom the profundity of His love while we are still on this earth. I know that day by day I am amazed at just how intensely and greatly He cares. Peter was writing to dispersed Christians and he wanted them to understand that being so close to God meant something special. Verses 1-2 are the greeting to the letter.
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
 
He told them that even though he was an apostle and a leader of the church, their faith gave them equal standing in the Lord. They were all declared righteous through Jesus Christ. He prayed that grace and peace would be multiplied to them as they came to know God more and more. And that is what happens, the more we come to know who God is, the more we come to realize His great grace. The more we know God, the easier it is to trust Him and have peace so great, the world can’t grasp it.
This relationship means amazing things for us. Verses 3-4 read,
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
 
God’s power has given us every gift, blessing, and understanding that has to do with living in the Spirit, a God-pleasing life that points to Jesus. God’s promises are not like ours. He didn’t promise us the ridiculousness of rainbows and unicorns that and He didn’t promise us mere ice cream with sprinkles. No, He promised eternal life. He promised salvation. He promised Himself to us. He said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). It is through those wonderful promises that we are able to experience a closeness with God that can only be described as a union of our soul to His; He gave us His Spirit. He lets us partake, that is share, experience, and join in His nature, His character! Jesus last words before His ascension and after He promised the Holy Spirit and gave the great commission to the Apostles were, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
Sharing in God’s nature, having His Spirit indwelled in us means we can live out the great commission to Go out and train everyone far and near in this way of life, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and instruct them in the practice of all Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Living out our faith means living and behaving as Jesus would, showing His goodness and salvation to the world. It means we are not the same people we used to be and we ought to live as new creations and not like our old selves. Who would want to come to know a god who doesn’t put his power behind His words? God’s power is His Word, it is real, and we are able to live that power through our lives since God has granted us all things pertaining to life and godliness. Verses 5-11 in The Message read,
So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
10-11 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 
The Christian striving to walk in the Spirit knows it is no easy thing to always choose virtue, patience, kindness, self-control, and love. But she knows that faith in God makes it possible because she joins in His Spirit and not her flesh. The longer she walks in the Spirit, the easier each attribute comes, but it is a constant and continuous endeavor that will be completed only on the day we are taken up to be with Jesus as His Bride.
If we give up, if we decide that we are going to wait for some instant magical change we won’t be exercising faith in God by choosing His way over ours. The people who do not know Jesus will not see Him in us and we will be ineffectual for the Kingdom of Heaven. Giving in to the sins of our past and the desires of the flesh quenches the Spirit. He goes from being a hot and purifying fire within us who speaks to the world by the changes He makes in us to an ember who won’t make changes in us we are not willing to allow. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-24 says it like this,
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
 
But when we choose to let The Spirit purify our old nature, when we choose to partake of God’s nature rather than our old nature, God burns passionately in us. We know Him on an ever deepening level and we know His heart. It is truly miraculous. Such a close relationship with God, one where He shares His secrets, His desire, and His power with us is not exclusive to a few Christians. It is not just for the top echelon. Peter said through faith we have obtained equal standing before God. That intimacy is for all of us who want it. And Peter was in the very top tier of people who could have claimed a higher rank. He was an apostle and He was among the three who Jesus took into His inner circle. Peter, John Paul and James, the brother of Christ were the undisputed leaders of the early church. Peter had seen things with Jesus that only someone in an intimate relationship could be shown. When he preached the gospel to people, he didn’t have to say something he had learned second or third hand. He spoke from his experience. When he declared Christ as the Son of God, he said it because he had been there when God declared it. Verses 16-18 read,
 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
 
Peter didn’t have to memorize a special program for evangelism. He spoke from experience, he spoke from his friendship with Jesus. Guess what! We too know God, we too are His friends and we can speak from our experience and knowledge of God. We have God living inside us, His Spirit is sewn to ours. When we share the Gospel, it is first hand because we are sharing how Jesus saved us and how He has made us new. We are able to speak His words because He is friends enough to tell us His plans. In John 15:14-15 Jesus said,
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
 
Speaking God’s heart, speaking God’s Word is called prophecy. It is a privilege to hear God’s Word and a greater privilege to speak it. It is one we as believers all have. Verses 19-21 describes it.
 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
 
Our closeness with the Lord has several outcomes. We grow closer and closer to Him as Jesus, the Bright and morning Star rises in our hearts. We become more like Him as we choose to let Him conform us to His image. We live out our faith because we share in His nature. We speak His Word by His will, power and understanding and so point the world to Jesus.
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You are Never Alone

10/29/2015

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Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
I’m not sure about you but there are times when I feel very alone. I feel the need to talk to someone and can’t think of a solitary person to call. It is a lie, that I am alone. It is an attack the enemy tries on me time and again. But I know the truth. Believer, I hope you know the truth too. You are not alone. Is the enemy telling you that you have no friends. He’s a liar,  
In John 15:14-16 Jesus said,
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
Consider that! Jesus Christ, The Lord of Heaven and Earth, the One True god and King of kings not only calls you a friend, but He chose you to be His friend. And God is always with you. No matter what you go through or what you do, God will never abandon you. You may walk away from Him, but He won’t give up on you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 records that promise.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
God is holding onto you. You are safe in His Hands. And there is nothing and no one that can force you away from Him. In John 10:27-30, Jesus said,
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
You can talk to Him anytime.  God is always there for you. He wants you to talk to Him. He understands and He wants to help. In Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus is described as our High Priest, those verses say,
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God is with you, not just close to you, not only near to you but actually in you! John 14:15-20 reads
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
That is amazing! Believer, you do not have to feel alone, God is with you. He is in you and you can talk to Him anytime about anything.
I am not knocking the importance of friends or fellowship. The Bible has a lot to say about that as well. You are an important part of the Body of Christ, the church. You have Sisters and Brothers all over the world. We are commanded to love one another, (John 13:34-35), hangout with one another, praise God together, go to church together, (Hebrews 10:24-25), help each other (Galatians 6:2), and be united in mind and Spirit. (1 Peter 3:8).
If you do not have a church family, you are missing out on a huge part of your Christian walk. I encourage you to find a church and become a part of them. My church family are some of the most important people in my life. We don’t just meet once or twice a week for “church”, we enjoy life together. They are my friends, my brothers and sisters, they are people who I could not live without.
Don’t give into the lie of loneliness, when the fact is, as a child of God, you are NEVER alone. And if you are not content with having The Lord of Lords as your friend, you will never be content with anything. This is a beautiful promise, and truth. Praise God for His friendship.
 
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Leviticus 24:1-9 The Lampstand and the Bread of the Tabernacle

5/15/2015

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PictureThe Lampstand made of one solid piece of pure Gold
Leviticus Chapter 24 Verses 1-9

The Lord made laws even for His Tabernacle. And like every other statute there was a purpose and a glimpse of who He is in the rules. Verses 1-4 read,

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.”

The lamps were to burn always. They had to be attended to. The wicks were trimmed every day and the oil that burned was pure olive oil. The work that went into making the oil for the lamps was arduous. But only pure olive oil cold light the lamps of God’s lampstand. Once in Canaan there was an abundance of olive trees (The Garden at Gethsemane was actual an olive orchard with an olive press) but on the 40 year trek through the wilderness, olives were obtained as Israel came to them and then trodden into oil for the lamps. Once in Canaan, Israel used olive mills to make the oil. Olive oil burns without smoking and produces a bright flame.

The lampstand was exquisite it is described in Exodus 25:31-40. It was hammered out of one piece of pure gold weighing a talent (about 70 pounds). It had six branches and one center bowl shaped like almond blossoms with knobs beneath them. It was kept just outside the holy of holies and it provided the light for the sanctuary.

It represented the light of God, eternal, holy, and pure. His light is all we need. And in Christ we become lights as well. If we attend to our wicks (our relationship and communion) which maintains the anointing of the Holy Spirit within us, we burn brightly without smoke. Adding impurities causes smoke and dulls the flame. Jesus, the Son of God is the Light of the world, and we like our God are lights to the world. The flame beckons people to God, it reveals God to people. God will keep it burning if we keep the fuel pure. The fuel is the fruit of the olive tree. The fruit of the Spirit which expresses itself in our behavior as we are made like Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is Love which manifests as joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God is Love and we demonstrate Him as lights in the world.

Also in the tabernacle was the bread, called the bread of presence or showbread. Verses 5-9 read,

“You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. 6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold] before the Lord. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord's food offerings, a perpetual due.”

Two piles of 6 large loaves of bread stood on the table in the tabernacle, they were replaced each week and the old bread was eaten by the priests in fellowship with the Lord. The bread, one loaf for each tribe represented God’s fellowship with His people. It was His invitation to friendship with Him. We can look back and see that the bread represents Jesus, He is the Bread of Life and his invitation to friendship with God is open until The Day of Judgement. Only the priests could eat that holy bread under the Old Covenant. And likewise only the saved, the Royal Priesthood may have communion with Our Lord God, The Bread of Life today. Our friendship with God is a holy privilege of being His children. We are not slaves to law and ritual. We are not children of the father of lies. We are children of the Most High, royal priests, sanctified and holy, anointed and sealed. We are friends and sons of God.

We are the temple of God. He is always with us. We are the lampstands. He is the flame who burns brightly to make us lights. We are the table of the showbread. He is the bread of Life who gives us life, provision, the sustenance of His Word, and an intimate relationship with Him to enjoy all He gives.


Picture
The Showbread and table
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The Beatitudes Part 3: Blessed are Those Who Mourn

12/30/2014

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PictureI took this picture on a trip to Panama in 2011.





Matthew 5:4 reads,

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”










The second beatitude seems almost backwardly confusing. How can someone who mourns be happy? Mourning is expressing sorrow and grief. The Greek word translated to mourn in this verse is pentheó. Strong’s concordance defines it as “to grieve over a death or a personal hope (relationship) that comes to divine closure. It is manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid.” (Strong's). Blessed means happy and to be envied. (Strong).

How can lamenting that intense be something that give you happiness or a reason to be envied? Because they will be comforted. They won’t be comforted with clichés or empty words. They will be comforted by truth and love. They are comforted by God Himself.

What was your reaction when you realized the depth of your sin compared to God’s holiness? What was your response when you grasped what Jesus had done for you? If you are like me, even now, when you consider your sin there is a deep heaviness of your soul for a moment, a sadness so deep that it should overwhelm you. But the Comforter reminds you that Jesus loves you so completely that your sinful soul was healed by the wounds of His crucifixion and that because of that you are called a Friend of God and a child of our Awesome Father. He repeats to you, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). He tells you again who Jesus is and what He has done. Isaiah 61:1-4 reads,

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.”

That is not only a reason to be happy but to be overjoyed, jubilant, and celebrate. It is reason enough to praise God for eternity.

And though we sometimes feel like all hope is gone, though we ache and strain for those we’ve lost and miss, though we sometimes think we cannot endure one more struggle, He reminds us of we do have hope. Eternity is waiting for us and with us now. Some of our loved ones have died and we miss them horribly, but this life on earth is not the end. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reads,

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The lost cannot be comforted by that truth. They do not have the hope of Jesus. There are no words that can comfort them. Only Jesus can bring them the consolation and succor they desperately need. But until they acknowledge it, feel it and express it, He will wait.


References:
Strong. (n.d.). 3701. makarios. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance:  http://biblehub.com/greek/3107.htm

Strong's. (n.d.). 3996. pentheó. Retrieved from Strong's Concordance:  http://biblehub.com/greek/3996.htm


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John 16:23-27 God Wants You to be Happy.

12/29/2014

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John Chapter 16 Verses 23-27

Yesterday we read about how Jesus turns our sorrow to joy through the crucifixion and resurrection, and that the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to experience joy regardless of our circumstance. We have joy because we are saved. We have joy because we understand God’s plans and purposes, and even when we don’t understand them, we know He has reasons.

Today, we will continue reading as Jesus expounded on God’s relationship with us. Verses 23-24 read,

“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

We don’t ask things of Jesus, He taught us to pray to the Father. Before the crucifixion the disciples didn’t ask in His name because He was with them. But when He returned to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit they became His representatives on earth, just as you and I are His representatives. So we ask in Jesus’ name.

Jesus said many times whatever we ask in His name, the Father would give it to us. He said it again here with the addition “that your joy may be full.” What does that mean? It means that our friendship and partnership with God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit would be complete and comprehensive. The joy of that relationship is bigger than we can explain to someone who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit to help him grasp it. In that friendship, God allows us in on His plans. (John 15:15). He wants us to know Him and to be glad. He wants joy to radiate from us and emanate every area of our lives. We can ask the Father anything, as Jesus’ delegates on earth and the Father will give it because He wants that joy for us.

God wants you to be happy. He doesn’t want you to trudge through your life. He made it possible for you to be jubilant even through the most difficult times. You have hope. You know your future. You have promises. You have a relationship with God. That camaraderie and alliance with the LORD is absolutely a reason to celebrate no matter what. And the Father wants to prove it to you. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Verses 26-27 read,

“In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”

When you pray, you are not asking a priest or prophet to pray for you, and you are not waiting for a third party to tell you God’s response. You are not even asking Jesus to pray for you. You, yourself are going directly to Almighty God and asking. And He is listening because you are covered by Jesus’ blood. You are righteous and holy and you can talk to Holy Awesome God. You get to call Him Father. How amazing is that? Who are we? Yet, we get to enter into His presence anytime we want and enjoy fellowship with Him. And He loves us! He loves us a lot. He wants to bless us, give us gifts, and give us what we ask for!

Do you have children? Do you want them to be happy? Do you want them to succeed in life? Do you want them to meet the potential you see in them? Yes, of course you do. You are human, imagine how much deeper the perfect love of Love Himself is then. Luke 11:9-13 describes it like this,

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

You are more than God’s child, as if that isn’t enough. You are His friend, his partner. He adores you. He has so much He wants to give you. Just ask Him. Go ahead. If you aren’t sure if what you ask is wise or in His will, ask anyway. God knows His will. He won’t give you something outside His plans.

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John 15:12-17 Friendship with God

12/24/2014

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John Chapter 15 Verses 12-17

It was the night Jesus would be arrested, the day before He would lay down His life for the salvation of the world. He was teaching the disciples on the last evening as their Rabbi. Verses 12-13 read,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Earlier in the evening, before the Seder, Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, told them that the servant wasn’t greater than the master and so they should also be humble and serve. They should wash one another’s feet as He had washed theirs. He then gave this same commandment, “love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34). He gave them the commandment again after supper but instead of talking about servants and masters, He spoke about friendship. His words had to bring back the memory of Jesus, their rabbi, bending down with only a towel on His waist doing the most humble of acts and calling it love.

But now Jesus followed it up by saying, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed His love for the disciples by washing their feet, and act of great humility, then told them to love one another as He loved them. Now He told them again to love one another as He loved them but this time He told them the greatest display of love was in laying down one’s life for his friends. He was getting ready to do just that.

The disciples knew that Jesus life was in danger. He had not been able to teach and speak publicly in Jerusalem because the Sanhedrin had decided they wanted Him dead. Jesus had told them He was going to return to the Father. They knew His death was a real possibility but they also still thought He would somehow overthrow the Roman Empire and free Israel. He certainly was about to begin His royal kingdom and free many people from bondage. But it wasn’t going to be the way they imagined. Jesus was preparing them for His death, but they wouldn’t grasp all His words and comfort until afterward.

So Jesus continued to teach, He told them about the unique friendship He offered. Friendship with God. Verses 14-15 say,

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

In the old covenant, Israel served God. He had plans and purposes that He didn’t always tell His servants. The faithful served God and sometimes He called them Friend, as in the cases of Abraham and David. Those servants who not only obeyed God but sought a relationship with Him were His friends.

But in the new covenant, Jesus extends friendship to everyone who will accept it. Being in a relationship with God, being friends with Him, God trusts us with the secrets of His Kingdom, He lets us in in the plan, and we partner with Him in it. We serve people to show them God’s love. We serve one another. We work to bring the lost to a relationship with God.

That is awesome. You are God’s friend! You don’t get to choose your family. You are born to them. You love them and they love you and it is a special relationship. But unless you were adopted, your mother and father didn’t choose you. Servants are chosen but there is distance between the master and servant. The servant has no choice in obeying the master if he wants to maintain that relationship. But friendship is special. It is different. You choose your friends. You choose to begin that relationship and maintain it. Friends become partners in life by election. Here is the thing about your friendship with God. He chose you! He said, “I want to be your friend.” Almighty Awesome Holy God picked you to be His friend.

He loves you. He adores you! He appreciates you, and enjoys you. His love is perfect, it is tangible, and it is awesome. Verses 16-17 read,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

He chose you and expects you to live up to that high calling. He makes it possible because He is with you. You abide in Christ and Christ abides in you. That is how you can bear fruit. You live out the love of Christ in you and His Spirit allows you to work with God to fulfill the Father’s plans. He said you are His friend and all you have to do is ask the Father as Jesus’ representative to the world and He would give it you!

Does He give you what you ask because you are good, because you deserve it, or because you asked in just the right way? No, He gives it to you because He loves you, you are His friend and partner, and because you are loving people as He loves you.

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John 14:18-24 You are not alone. God is with you.

12/21/2014

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John Chapter 14 Verses 18-24

Jesus continued to teach the disciples at their Passover Seder in the hours before His arrest and crucifixion. Verses 18-21 read,

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

The words Jesus spoke hold great joy and hope. But the disciples couldn’t understand it all because they didn’t realize He was about to sacrifice His life and they didn’t completely understand the resurrection that would take place after. You and I have the benefit of knowing what was about to happen and we have the Holy Spirit, who reveals the truths to us.

Jesus was going to die, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The disciples wouldn’t be without Him. The lost world would think Jesus was gone and that was that. But even after His death, resurrection and ascension, those who followed and loved Jesus would know He is still with them. Do you now that Jesus is with you? Do you know God is always with you? What a wonderful comfort.

Jesus reminded the disciples again that it is by obeying His commandments that we prove our love. In demonstrating our love for God by demonstrating His love for humanity we get to know Jesus more. The Son is in the Father, and you are in Him and He is in you. Meditate on the awesomeness of that. Truly consider it. You are in God and God is in you, and Jesus makes Himself known to you. Then follow that thought and realize that Jesus is the exact image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and if He is making Himself known to you, He is making the Father known to you.

The disciples didn’t understand but wanted to. They had been with Jesus as His closest friends, students, and followers for a couple of years but without the Holy Spirit they couldn’t grasp the depth of the mystery that Jesus revealed. Verses 22-24 read,

“Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”

Notice, that Jesus repeated what He has said several times, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” But look what else He says, “and my Father will love him.” He doesn’t mean the Father doesn’t love people who do not love Jesus. He means that the Father has a relationship with those who love Jesus. His love becomes an active relational love in which He interacts and communes with us. Do you get what a big deal it is that you can have a friendship with God? It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. It’s better than being friends with Billy Graham or the President. You can be intimate friends the Creator, the Lord God of Hosts.

And God makes His Home with you. The Father’s house has many rooms. Jesus went to the Father to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2-3). And that place, that home is with you! Believer, God is with you. You are not alone. You are never alone. Jesus didn’t walk the earth, then sacrifice Himself, resurrect and ascend to leave you alone. He did all that so that you could always be with Him. There is no long bridge from here to Heaven. There is no need for a staircase. Jesus brought eternity to you. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). God (Father, Son and Spirit) are with you here and now. There is no need to be anxious, worried, or afraid. God is with you and within you. Jesus did a marvelous thing for you. He gave His life so that you could live in a relationship with God.

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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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