John 16:29-33

John 16:29-33 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “You believe at last!” Jesus answered. “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ironically, the disciples retained doubts concerning Jesus after sitting at his feet, hearing him teach wondrous truths, perform marvelous miracles, and seeing a great crowd as they took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12) These same men had seen others believe from the beginning. They had witnessed while he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, [and] many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. Later, after Jesus' amazing interaction with the woman at the well, Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. . .And because of his words many more became believers. (John 4:39 &41) Jesus touched people in the highest places: Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. (John 12:42) Regardless of his disciples' persistent unbelief, Jesus still felt compassion for his chosen ones. Not only did He prepare them for his departure, He spoke honestly and convincingly of the realities of human existence: In this world you will have trouble. Every person who has ever existed experiences difficulties, trials, and problems in this world. Christians as well as unbelievers face hardships and troubles no matter how much they pray or how closely they walk with God. Jesus, the Son of God, clearly said: YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. Peter wrote: Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. (1 Peter 4:12) Through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul declared, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

The question for every believer remains not whether trials will come but how we will face these storms of life? Are we going to remain strong in our faith, praising God for his presence and strength or will we weaken and fall away as Jesus predicted for his disciples: You will leave me all alone? A strong commitment to Christ requires an informed belief in who we are and intentionality: we cannot wait until the floods comes to build our houses upon the rock Christ Jesus. We can't wait until gale force winds batter our ships of life to have Christ as the anchor for our souls. When we halt between two opinions, we are double-minded, inconsistent, lacking power in our lives. We all need to come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ. (Ephesians 4:13-15) On the cross, Jesus cried out: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) On the cross with the weight of the sin of all mankind, Jesus felt forsaken; yet we know God never left his side. Hear David's prophecy concerning Christ recounted: I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. . .Seeing what was ahead, he (David) spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. (Acts 2:25-28 & 31) We who are IN CHRIST experience doubts and fears, but we are not orphans: God is always with us no matter of the depth of our problems or the intensity of our doubts or fears.

Hardships and difficulties can drain a person. We sometimes look for support and do not find it from people we thought would help us: they let us down or fail to keep their promises. Unsaved friends and relatives might chose a rough time in our lives to point out that our Christianity does not seem to pay off: "Where is that God you serve: why isn't He coming to your aid? You cannot even save yourself from trouble: why tell us about your close relationship with God? How has He benefitted you? You claim God's presence, but you are mired in the same vicissitudes and trials of life that I am. When it floods, your house floods just as ours does. Where's the special benefit of serving your God?" The world deserves an answer. The Bible says we must always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15) And our hope is a blessed and glorious hope in a risen Savior who promised never to leave us or to forsake us. If you read all of the New Testament, you will find many scriptures on suffering and trials, and many scriptures on faith, hope, peace, and joy in the Lord. As Christ felt He was alone at the cross, we sometimes feel abandoned or alienated; however, when we stop to listen to the Holy Spirit, we know we are not alone. We know Christ paid the price so we would never have to be alone in the universe. Yet Jesus did have to experience the pain of separation, the pain of death for us HE WAS ALONE IN THE GRAVE, DEPENDENT UPON THE SPIRIT TO LIFT HIM UP IN VICTORY OVER SIN AND DEATH! But by faith, Jesus put his hope and trust in his Father God, Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. REGARDLESS OF HIS EMOTIONS, HIS STRESS, HIS TROUBLE; HE KNEW THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS WITH HIM AND WOULD NOT FORSAKE HIM. We have good news to share!

When Jesus was baptized in water by John as a sign to unbelievers, the Holy Spirit came upon him and was always with him, never left him. The same Holy Spirit never leaves us. The Spirit, the earnest of our inheritance, is the still small voice that leads us through every trial, every dark hour. In our greatest moment of despair, when our hearts are most desperate, He says, "My daughter, my son, listen to me, I am here. I am with you always: you are not alone. I will see you through to the end. Rejoice! The battle is over: rest in me." When the prospect of death faces us, his voice will lead us as we rise on eagle's wings, headed home to the father, never again to know pain, suffering or sorrow; no more tears, hurt, confusion, rejection, or anything else Satan throws our way. The Spirit will remind us our trip over Jordan is only the shadow of death, not death itself. Right now, we are pilgrims and strangers on a journey, rejoicing with great joy because we are bound for a heavenly city made by God for those who have their minds set upon arriving there. He will lead us where our flesh could never have gone without him, for we are clothed in his righteousness. This was the promise to Jesus and this is HIS PROMISE TO EACH OF US. The answer to serving God is that the resurrection morning is ours: some golden daybreak we will be filled with his presence, taken to the place prepared for us. Therefore, whether we struggle or not in this world, our hope is in Jesus Christ and his resurrection power, not in ourselves. Because He lives, we live also, now and forever. For sure, we know that we are never alone in our times of trouble, for He does not forsake his own. Even when we take our last breath on this earth, He will be there, for we are IN HIM AND HE IS IN US. GOD HIMSELF IS OUR PORTION, AND WE WILL NEVER BE ALONE. Amen!

John 16: 22-28

John 16: 22-28 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

In our previous breakfast, we saw Christ's compassion for his dear friends' present situation and for what was coming as He said, Now is your time of grief. Yet He went right on to say, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In today's verses, He wants them to understand in a deeper and fuller sense some of the wonderful realities of the new day his death and resurrection will achieve for all people. He wants them to have a glimpse of the power and authority they will have through his name. As long as Jesus was with his disciples, He served as an intermediator between them and God. He petitioned the Father not only for their concerns, but other people's as well. He touched, fed, and healed many; He significantly impacted the lives of thousands as He walked this Earth. As John said following his first miracle of turning the water into wine, This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (John 2:11) As they trusted him, He taught them about God and the kingdom of Heaven. Nonetheless, for the disciples to know anything about God, they had to ask Jesus; for He alone had been with the Father, knew the Father intimately. Jesus knew He must go away for the fullness of God's plan to come to fruition. Yet He also knew that even his disciples did not understand fully his relationship with God and the need for them to be able to have a new covenant with God, the power that He was going to provide for them through his death and resurrection.

Jesus repeatedly told his followers and the religious leaders who sought to defeat him that he came to do the will of the Father and did only what the Father told him to do, for He and the Father were one. We have heard Jesus say words such as these throughout our study: No one has seen the Father except the one [Jesus] who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (John 6:46) We have also seen Jesus' frustration with his disciples' lack of faith such as when He speaks of going to prepare a place for them and says, 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. Thomas says we don't know where you are going or how to get there, and Philip says if you would just show us the Father then we would believe. Jesus answers: 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 that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. (See John 14:1-11) Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, the disciples lacked understanding, lacked the ability to discern righty the words of Jesus even when He was in their presence.

Now when Jesus says, I have been speaking figuratively, [but] a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language, He is telling the disciples that when He returns after the resurrection, they will receive power through the Holy Spirit to petition the Father directly in his name. (See Acts 1:8) They will no longer need to ask Jesus in person for answers to their questions about God and spiritual concerns, for they will have authority in JESUS' NAME to go directly to the Father. The Spirit of God will be the interlocutor, the transmitter of this ongoing conversation between the Father and his beloved adopted children. All of this heavenly conversation will transpire through the name of Jesus, by HIS AUTHORITY, for He has won the victory for us. He alone has given us access to the Father. Jesus is the gate to the Father: there is no other way to right standing and fellowship with God the Father except through faith in Jesus Christ. We enter into that Gate through faith, knowing the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us and made us righteous, holy and completely acceptable to God. Our requests are always made in HIS NAME, the precious, lovely name: Jesus.

Christ alone gives us the right to call God our ABBA FATHER. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes so beautifully: And being found in appearance as a man, he [Jesus] humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-11) No other name, no other philosophy, no other theology, only faith in HIS SON pleases Father God. No other idea gives us access to The Beginning and The End, The Alpha and Omega. If we stray from the sheepfold of the Lamb of God, we lose access to the Father God. As blood-bought born again believers, beloved of God, we come confidently to the throne of grace with all that we are and all that we will ever be, saying, "Here I am, just as I am." We lay our petitions before God through Jesus our Savior, believing in his sacrifice, believing in his Word, giving all to him. He says: I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. As born again believers, we surrender all at the cross, and we rest in God's loving kindness and tender mercy, for we know Jesus said, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. Today, believe in your heart: the Father himself loves ME because I love Jesus and believe that He came from God for ME.

Breakfasts have been slow in coming and we pray our lives settle down a bit now. We appreciate those who have sent us encouraging words. Mom has had a lot of tests and appointments with specialists lately and some hard days as well as good days in the Lord. She is going to have an evaluation at the University of Washington for diagnosis of a possible neuromuscular disease. She rejoices every day in the strength of the Lord and appreciates your love and prayer support. Surely blessing He has blessed us and will bless each of you for your patience and kindness!

John 16:16-22

John 16:16-22 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Jesus continues teaching and preparing his beloved disciples, predicting his eminent departure and death followed by his joyful return. He has spoken of these events on numerous occasions, yet the disciples fail to understand his words or to comprehend his meaning. They view Jesus as Messiah sent from God, anointed with great power to heal the lame, give sight to blind eyes, control nature itself by calming stormy seas, even raise the dead. How could this same Jesus, the Christ, who says He knows the Father and does all in the name of his Father, face such an ignoble end and confess susceptibility to death at the hands of mere men? The disciples reveal mental and spiritual confusion because they are thinking on earthly things, not on heavenly things. Their minds have not been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit; therefore, they talk among themselves, not wanting to question him: What does he mean. . . What does he mean. . .? Jesus, knows they do not understand, always knew they did not understand throughout his ministry. His frustration comes forth immediately after the miracles of feeding the five thousand and the four thousand when He meets a group of Pharisees who demand: Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself. He sighs in deep anguish at such unbelief, refuses to give another sign, and gets back in the boat, warning the disciples: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Yet they are so clueless and unaware of what just happened, they think He refers to the fact they have no bread to eat in the boat. Jesus cries out what He must felt so often on the road to the cross as He obeys his Father's will that all might live and ever die: Why are you so worried about having no food? Won’t you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear? Don’t you remember anything at all? What about the five thousand men I fed with five loaves of bread? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward? Twelve,” they said. And when I fed the four thousand with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up? Seven,” they said. Don’t you understand even yet?” he asked them. (See Mark 8:11-21 NLT)

Jesus never lost sight of the goal set before him that He would drink the cup fully for the sins of all; yet his heart was now toward his disciples who would follow after him, taking the gospel message to the ends of the earth. By drinking the cup prepared for him, He would deliver the kingdom of God to all people for all time by bridging the terrible gulf that separated God from his creation. Through Christ's death on the cross, his shed blood and subsequent resurrection, God would birth a new people forever called the Redeemed, the Ransomed adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God, co-heirs with his Only Begotten Son. This newborn generation IN CHRIST, known as members of God's family, bought by the precious blood of Jesus, would possess eternal life with the Father. As a result, just as Christ listened to the Father and yielded to the Holy Spirit, so would the newly born in Christ after the Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. Realizing they were purchased through the death of Christ on a rugged cross, the newly born children of God would grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord; they would understand how greatly the Father loved them and be ready to go out as the army of the Lord with the same fervor as the early church when they faced persecution and hardship, accepting the Spirit's call regardless of life's circumstances. When Paul and Barnabas faced rejection and turned to the Gentile world, the Lord said, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. (Acts 13:47) Believing that, they made religious history. Later after extreme hardship upon hardship, Paul could say, Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58

Jesus knows his disciples will weep and mourn on the dark ominous day of his death; their disconsolate hearts will find no joy in his earthly demise. Even as He tries to explain events ahead of time, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, their natural minds cannot fully comprehend what is to come--his glorious resurrection from the dead with joy unspeakable and full of glory when their hearts and minds will open by the Spirit to a new kingdom of light, and they will see the birthing of sons and daughters to live forevermore with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. No longer will the sins of mankind require the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats to offer temporary sacrifices to placate the wrath of God. Because of Christ's work on the cross, all who call upon the name of Jesus will enter into the family of God and find acceptance by a holy and loving God. The blood of bulls and goats could not do this: Christ's blood alone cleanses and cleanses again. Therefore, his holiness becomes our holiness, his perfection becomes our perfection. No longer aliens or enemies of God, in Christ we belong to God, forever His children: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6) Nothing and no one can take away our joy, for we are even now at home with the Father, sitting in heavenly places because God lifted us up into the highest places of honor with Christ when He raised him from the grave and won the victory over death. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7) Brothers and sisters, God is for YOU; never against you; never turns his back on you. You are not alone in the universe. Jesus says, I will see you again and you will rejoice! Amen! Hallelujah!

John 16:12-15

John 16:12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

When Jesus declared, All that belongs to the Father is mine, he spoke truths beyond his followers' grasp. Sometimes we fail to understand that all that is in the Father is in Jesus. Jesus embodies the fulness of the triune God: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:9-10) When the Spirit reveals Jesus in us, He manifests the likeness of the Father to the world. The Bible says, No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us — even eternal life. (1 John 2:23-25) When we know Christ as Lord by accepting his grace and mercy, we know the Father. Consequently, we have power and influence with the FATHER, and we have eternal life now and forever because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to abide with us. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11) Because of Christ's redemptive work and the Spirit within us, we can declare today without hesitation: You have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4) Our finite minds think of heavenly streets of gold; yet we sometimes experience difficulty comprehending our adoption as sons and daughters of the Most High. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) We must walk in the this glorious freedom as a reality that we might be ambassadors of the gospel.

Jesus went on to say the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you, pointing to the final outcome of his sacrifice at Calvary, that God would literally welcome Christ's followers and all who would call upon the name of Jesus into his very family with all the rights of sons and daughters. When Paul explained this mystery, he said since we are no longer fearful slaves to sin, we are now led by the Spirit; therefore, we have received the Spirit of sonship. And by him

we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

(Romans 8:14-17) As part of God's family, we joyfully reveal Christ to the world. If our flesh dominates our lives, we frustrate the grace of God and prevent his perfect will from bringing forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness He has planned for each of us. We live beneath our privileges a members of a royal family with a heavenly mission and divine assignments. As adopted members of the family of God, we must be about our Father's business, doing as Jesus did, going about doing good, listening to that still small voice. Before his death Jesus said, But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. He was referring to his death on the cross, but He went on to say, When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees 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. (John 12: 32 &44-46) As sons and daughters we must flee darkness and walk in the freedom of Christ, spreading his light abroad!

The Bible is clear on discipleship and consistent service to the One who gave everything that we might walk in victory, free from sin and death. Christ's death made us able to breathe the sweet clean air of redemption and forgiveness; able to look to a city whose builder and maker is God; able to envision a better day where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more dying; only inexpressible JOY for all eternity, praising our Lord forevermore! Do we hear an AMEN? Can anyone shout HALLELUJAH? Walking in the Spirit does not come natural to the fleshly nature. If it did, we would not have much of the New Testament. The Holy Spirit would not have used Paul, Peter, John, and James to write all those letter of exhortation, encouragement, teaching, and yes a great deal of correction. And they were writing mostly to believers, and often to those who had walked and talked with Jesus. We learn by practicing the presence of Jesus, by walking in the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit. We can't do it alone: Paul told the church in Galatia: So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Then he described the harvest God seeks when we yield to the Spirit and trust totally in his sufficiency in us. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-18 &22-25) This is how we change our talk, improve our walk, love more, get angry less, let Jesus shine through more, and come out of the corner into the center of every room where we abide, sharing the good news that Jesus lives and wants to change the hearts of hurting people. All that belongs to the Father is ours! Glory to God in the highest!

John 16:5-11

John 16:5-11 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

The Spirit came to reveal Jesus Christ, God's plan of righteousness and forgiveness of sin for all people. For twenty centuries the Spirit has made Jesus the primary figure in world history, even our calendar reflects Christ's imprint on the world and the conscience of all people. The very name of Jesus convicts people of sin, but many use his name as a curse, even in non-Christian nations. The lovely name of Jesus pours from the mouths of millions every day as a curse, perfunctorily escaping people's lips without the individuals realizing their alliance with the dark side, the world of Satan and his demons who hate Christ and all He represents. On the other hand, millions who know Christ as Savior and Lord speak his name reverently and praise him because we know that name stands for our precious Lord who loved us and humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-11) Since Satan chose to exalt himself above God and thought himself higher than God, the forces of good and evil have contended for the souls of men and women, and a battle has raged in the spirit world; but Jesus viewed the prince of this world as already condemned. In Christ's mind as He spoke to his disciples, He had already won the victory over sin and death, already fought the battle, already drunk the mixture from the hyssop plant and said, “It is finished,” and in total submission, bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30) Regardless of the devil's battle against Christ's name, Jesus knew ahead of time He would not waver on the way to the cross, allowing his blood to flow freely from his riven side that forevermore whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:15-16)

Jesus tells the disciples the heart of his mission, the perfect plan of God for mankind: Don't despair, don't grieve unnecessarily over my death as awful as this appears to your troubled human hearts. I have a wonderful surprise for you. The mighty Counselor is coming to do amazing works such as you have never seen, and I will send him to you after I go to my Father! He wanted to stir their hearts with joy that He would make a way for "whosoever will" to attain free access into the presence of a holy God through the name of Jesus by his sacrifice on the cross and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that Jesus would trust to raise him from the dead. This is the Spirit of life, light, guidance and comfort we trust in today, the Spirit we read of in countless passages in God's Word that give us great confidence and hope for overcoming our fleshly sinful nature: You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)

The Spirit did not come merely to convince the world as a whole of sin and unrighteousness, but He came to help us in our personal lives as well. He is the indwelling Spirit of God: our ADVOCATE, HELPER, HEALER, ENCOURAGER, TEACHER, COMFORTER, COUNSELOR PAR EXCELLENCE! There is no one better, no not one. His indwelling presence separates us from the world and its anti-Christ spirit, wayward inclinations, and rebellious nature. He represents God's seal of approval, the down payment or the assurance of eternal life for each of us. If we read on in the Romans 8 passage, we find this hope and guidance. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (verses 13-17) Mom was sharing with a friend yesterday concerning a difficult problem, "We can do this. Nothing is too hard for God." That is what the Spirit says to us when we listen to the voice of God speaking faith to our inner ears.

The Spirit of God provides intimacy, personal communication, and direction as He speaks to each of us who has an ear to hear as if we have his undivided attention all of the time. The Holy Spirit cares about the smallest, most insignificant parts of our earthly walk: He is God's love revealed in a still small inner voice abiding within every believer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus spoke to crowds of people and to his disciples as a group; yet he talked directly to specific individuals He called forth. He knew the details of their lives, understood their weaknesses and their longings. He described Peter's last days on Earth. He revealed He had other plans for John. He knew Nathaniel's thoughts. He told a woman how many husbands she had and that she was not married to the one with whom she lived. Jesus met the needs of the individual as well as the group. God through his Spirit can be in many places at the same time. God the Holy Spirit ministers to the innermost parts of men and women where no one else can touch, heal, deliver, restore, set free, redeem, and bring the light and love of Jesus our Savior and Lord. Jesus expressed tremendous excitement over the prospect of sending such a gift to his beloved disciples and those who would come to him. Today Jesus looks to each one of us with great affection saying, "I love YOU! I made you: I know your name, who you are: who you mean to be and who you are when you fail. I am so pleased with you. I have enveloped you with my unconditional love. In my love you are perfect, lacking nothing. I make your home a garden of my love as you trust in me. I have sent you the Counselor. Listen to his voice and live in his joy today, listen and live!"

John 16:1-4

John 16:1-4 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

As Jesus continues the important work of preparing his disciples for his departure, He becomes more serious, telling them they will face trials and suffering for the sake of knowing him and serving God. Evil men who do not know God as Lord and who do not want to hear the gospel message will hate Christ's followers just as they have hated him. He tells them these events will happen because He wants them to be prepared: He does not want them to go astray because they are caught off guard. He wants them to remember his words and his precious promises, to retain the hope He has set before them again and again that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He wants them to know He is sending the Comforter to make this real to them that they might know and understand He will never leave them or forsake them, for He will be with them in Spirit and in truth. Unfortunately, many modern-day believers have not signed up for this type of fully committed Christianity. Our oldest son Jeff wrote a song where one of the lines says, "Sugar-coated Jesus, ain't that neat; being a Christian never tasted so sweet." We sometimes think following Christ means we just say a few words about him being Lord of our lives. Then we go on living pretty much as we did before we met him except that we might attend church, read the Bible occasionally, and pray when we have a need. As Paul warned Timothy, such a weak relationship with the Lord provides a form of godliness; but our sinful actions and choices are constantly denying its power, leaving us with little authority over sin and little evidence Christ is Lord of our lives. People searching for God want to see a difference between us and the world. If we hide our light under a bushel, we might appear really cool and with it to our unsaved friends, but they are not drawn to the Christ in us. Assuredly, if we fail to develop intimacy with Christ, we will not want to die for him: that is WAY TOO MUCH COMMITMENT.

This lukewarm attitude toward faith incapsulates Christianity for many American believers. We would rather read articles about Beyonce or Justin Bieber in "People Magazine" or wait with great anticipation for the winner on the latest talent show on TV than to pray for and try to help find answers for the starving children in Somalia. (Mom took those names off a magazine cover in the doctor's office this morning.) We want it all and we feel entitled. "Ease up old man and old lady--don't take life so seriously. The times they are a changing. Don't you know God loves us, and we are sinners saved by grace." Christianity and life eternal sounds like a good deal and it is. We give Jesus a cozy corner in our basket of goodies but no more than a corner. We will not give him everything and don't expect us to change too much or too fast, if at all. We will not surrender our lives at the cross of Christ because we want control of our destiny and our plans for the future. When we feel pressured by the vicissitudes and the hardships of life, we throw temper tantrums, carry on, curse, retreat, and quite often we blame God even though we have given him far less than our best. We place him close to last as a priority in life but rail against him first. "Where is this God who supposedly loves me? Why did He allow this awful thing to happen to me? God has failed me!" We shake our fists and pose faithless questions in times of trouble. What if we actually suffered without any hope of release as the sick, poor, and forsaken families, widows, and orphan children and babies are suffering right now in countries ravaged by war and destruction? What if we were thrown out in the streets naked and alone, exposed to unbelievable torment, and left for dead? Would Christ be expecting too much to ask us to endure to the end with only the promise of a future reward? He paid the price that we might take up the cross and follow him in glorious victory, rejoicing with great joy because we are washed in the blood of the Lamb and will reign with him forever, singing praises to the King of Kings for all eternity.

What a promise Jesus held out to the disciples: They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. How many of us would have remained when He said people will say your death will be a service to the one and only God. How many of us would have stepped back, saying, "I'm not sure there is much of a future in this Jesus movement: maybe I will just wait for another Messiah. Perhaps there is one who will promise a life of ease, who will answer every prayer instead of talking about deprivation and trials." None of us knows how we might have responded had we been in the circle surrounding Christ that day, but we do know that Jesus always did what the Father told him, always said what the Father told him to say. [Jesus] said, I tell you the truth, 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. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25) Today Mom is struggling with serious health issues, including probable back surgery, with potentially dire consequences. The devil does not like these breakfasts, seems to work overtime to curtail them. We are expecting a miracle; yet regardless of what happens in the natural: we are determined, committed, and will not be denied. As Mom says, "As long as there is breath, there is hope in the Lord! We may be weak in the natural, but we are strong in the Lord and the power of his might and nothing else really matters." He is our Messiah, our Strength, our Healer, our Provider, our Rock, our Joy, our Sufficiency, all we will ever need--Our Everything. We will continue to write until we can write no more. Nothing will persuade us otherwise, absolutely nothing. Jesus asked us to endure to the end, to fight the good fight, to live for him as long as He gives us life! He gave everything for us: how can we do less?

John 15:26-27

John 15:26-27 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

After confirming the truth He would be hated and rejected by those He came to save, Jesus goes on to repeat what He has been teaching in preparation for his departure, the coming of the Holy Spirit. By saying that when the Counselor came, the Spirit would come from the Father and the Spirit of truth goes out from the Father, Jesus revealed and confirmed basic truths about the Holy Spirit of God. First, Jesus was stating the Holy Spirit resides with the Father; consequently, He is an integral part of the Godhead. Secondly Jesus says, God planned to send the Holy Spirit to testify of the Son, to reveal the divine nature of Christ to us and through us. Thirdly, by testifying of Christ our hope of glory, the Holy Spirit provides divine insight into God's nature because Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. The Spirit's assignment is to reveal God to us by revealing the Son is God in human form. By knowing Jesus Christ, we know God and his love for us. Many scriptures testify to this reality such as the picture we see in Hebrews where we read the description of the Spirit of God coming upon the prophets of old; then in the fullness of time, God sends his Son, whom the Spirit raises from the grave to reign on high. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-5) The Holy Spirit is the one who makes these truths a reality in the hearts of all believers for all time.

The Spirit knows the resurrected Christ, the Holy One who is high and lifted up, whose train fills the temple. The disciples also knew Jesus, the Son of Man, who walked among them. They knew him as Master and Lord; they knew him as friend. They were willing to answer his call, to leave everything and to follow him: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-19) They knew Jesus' basic human nature and his acts of kindness: love for the poor, the needy, the sick, the hungry, and the distressed. They knew his desires, his habits, his way of life. They observed his dependence upon the Father, yet often said they did not understand his words or why He behaved as He did. But his charismatic personality and the Spirit burning within him attracted them, bound them to him, called them forward and onward. At times they faltered, but they did not turn back because they signed on to follow him regardless of the cost. But it was becoming hard for them now that He was talking about his death and sending them on a mission they did not expect. So He is telling them He will send the Holy Spirit with the mission to fulfill their beloved Lord in their lives. And we know, just as the Spirit's mission was to reveal Jesus as the Son of God to the disciples and all who would believe on Christ's name, He would soon tell the disciples: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Their mission was to share the good news of Jesus. The Christ they walked and talked with for over three years did not die and remain in a dark tomb. He won the victory through the power of the Holy Spirit. Emboldened by that mighty force, they traveled from place to place, telling the people of God's mercy and grace and a loving Jesus who gave everything that all might live. All but John accepted martyrdom for that cause--that's the love of the Father revealed through the Son by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of his sons and daughters.

Our privilege and responsibility today remains the great commission of Christ to go out into our world and to spread the news that Christ has come. The light has come and dispelled the darkness. Peace goodwill toward all men and women has come to Earth to reconcile a sinful and wayward people to a forgiving and merciful God who loves them with an everlasting and unfailing love. When we try to make our mission anything else, we err: we lose our way, and we fail miserably. If people know more about our own goodness and our life experiences than they know about God and his nature that He is slow to anger and quick to forgive, that He loves unconditionally and holds out his arms of love and waits for his lost sheep to return to his sheepfold, we have failed to honor his clear instructions. When we spend most of our time together talking about our successes and failures rather than about Jesus and his bountiful blessings and abundant supply, we miss the mark. When everyone knows more about our troubles, sicknesses, and concerns than about the magnificent love of God and his amazing delivering power from sin, we have lost track of the gospel message. When our exploits are magnified rather than Christ's total victory over sin and death, we have taken our eyes off Jesus the Bright Morning Star, the light of Heaven, Redeemer, Savior, Lord of All. Our human nature is constantly battling the will of the Father. God's will is to "hear ye him," not us. We are easily let astray by a fleshly will that wants attention, wants to be heard, needs affirmations, seeks acceptance. God wants to meet all those needs; and He will as we hide in him, yield to him completely. But we must hearken to the voice of the Holy Spirit. We must sit down beside Jesus of Nazareth, for He alone has hope and healing, peace and joy. He holds redemption and release in his hands; He alone can make life worth living. All the rest is just straw and stubble, grass that blows away in the wind and will not last for eternity. Listen carefully: the Spirit is testifying of Jesus, speaking directly in your ear. We who have tasted the sweet redeeming grace of God must share that sweet fruit with the world.

John 15:22-25

John 15:22-25 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

Jesus performed so many miraculous deeds that when John finishes his account of Christ's life, he writes: Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. He raised the dead, healed the lame, opened blind eyes, delivered demon oppressed, cleansed lepers, fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, and even controlled the environment; yet regardless of all of these marvelous deeds performed for all to see, the Jewish people in general would not believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Lamb of God. As Jesus declared early in his ministry after saying that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, He observed: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-19) Their final assessment of the One who came to offer himself as a sacrifice for sin resounds to this day: “Crucify him!” Pilate, desiring to find favor with the Jews, accommodated their hateful indictment, cleansed his hands of the matter, and allowed Jesus to die on a cross of shame. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:23-25) How foolish to think that such a simple act could wash away such shame, such sorrow and pain.

Earlier in his ministry, Jesus told a story about a beggar Lazarus who lay covered with sores at the gate of a rich man, longing to eat the crumbs that fell from his table. When both men died, the rich man went to hell where he was in torment while the angels carried Lazarus to the comfort of Abraham. In this well-known story, the rich man first looks up and sees Lazarus far away by Abraham's side and begs Abraham to let Lazarus come and touch his tongue with cool water. When he learns a great chasm as has been fixed and he is facing the results of the life his lived on Earth, he says, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." The rich man continues to argue, saying no, that is not enough: "If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Abraham's answer to the rich man in hell is the quintessential point Christ is making by telling this story: He [Abraham] said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (See Luke 16:21-31) Even if someone came from the dead to tell the rich man's five brothers of the terrible consequences of living a lavish, selfish lifestyle without any thought of others, his siblings would not listen to that resurrected man. They would think him a fool, a heretic, or a madman. In this tale, Jesus illustrated the mindset of a stiff-necked people, the hardness of heart of the unredeemed. He foretold the story of the Jewish people and their hatred of Jesus, the state of sinful man. Even though Christ was raised from the dead, the Jewish nation never turned towards Jesus as Lord and Savior. As Jesus quoted from their Law, "They hated me without reason."

Today, the hearts of unregenerate men and women remains much the same: They hated [Jesus] without reason. Our worldly conversations, the television programs, and the movies are full of curses and rants against the one who gave his all that all might live. The name above all names is disrespected, used in vain, and vilified so often that most people would not even notice anymore or think it strange. Jesus Christ as a curse comes out of the mouth so quickly, so easily: Satan must rejoice. The Father's heart must sorrow greatly. But our mission remains clearcut: Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mark 16:15) Messiah has come. As the angels proclaimed: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11) As awesome as miracles are, we do not need another miracle to believe or to have faith in God. Jesus is the Christ: He came from heaven to Earth to live as a human that He might be tempted in all ways, yet He lived a perfect life that He might offer himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. He willingly went to the cross and died a painful death. God sent the Holy Spirit to raise him victoriously from the grave in all power and authority to reign forevermore. He has won the victory for us now and for all eternity. We have a reason to live, a mission. Now hear this: Jesus lives. He lives in us and He wants to live in every man, woman, and child who will accept him into their lives. He alone has seen the Father. He alone knows the Father's heart of love towards us. He has the power through the Holy Spirit to change us into his perfect, holy children, by his sacrifice so that we might be present with him forevermore. Glory to God, Glory to God Forever!

John 15:18-21

John 15:18-21 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: "No servant is greater than his master." If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

People who do not know the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob sometimes treat committed Christians as aliens, worthy of scorn, isolation, and worse. Consequently, they might ignore, ridicule, or even physically attack a Christian without provocation simply because they despise the idea that believers love God and give their lives to him. Non-believers may tolerate Christians in their circle of friends as long as they do not feel threatened. However, if Christians become overly evangelistic, walls of separation, anger, and hostility often result because Satan does not want the Good News going forth to penetrate the darkness. Unsaved teenagers, for example, may gossip, lie, cheat, curse, bully, commit sexual immorality, and do all manner of evil; yet tolerance abounds in our modern society--kids will be kids. But if born-again students in a local high school start a Bible study during lunch or bow their heads over their meals or share their testimonies openly or write scriptures on friendship networking sites or include favorite Bible verses below their names in their yearbooks, suddenly there's an outcry. "These fanatics are forcing their religion on their friends. We demand separation of church and state. Don't you know faith is personal, and you should keep yours to yourself? How rude to make others feel uncomfortable by talking about God and that kind of stuff. What makes you so holy and righteous anyway: you're no better than anyone else? Who made you God?" Only they include a lot of vulgarity: filthy words that should embarrass them, language that belongs to their their god who would like to stamp out all faith so that scarcely will faith be found. Schools can teach every major religion including witchcraft and call it cultural studies, but sharing Christian faith is supposedly a dangerous threat to the peace and tranquility of a wayward people who do not want to be disturbed by those who belong to Jesus and the One who sent him.

The world will accept people who view Christ as a wise man or even a prophet, but they will not easily tolerate people following Jesus as Lord of their lives. Such a faith diametrically opposes the desires of the sinful flesh and provides a striking contrast--there is a difference between those who follow Christ and those who do not because believers yield control of their lives to the Lord. We surrender all. The world says: I will do it my way! As the prophet said: All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. But the Lord has laid on him [Jesus] the iniquities of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) The Bible clearly states that whether Jew or Gentile, we are all lost in sin: There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:10-18 NKJV also see Psalm 140) No rebellious soul wanted to hear those words when Paul reminded the church at Rome of these truths. If we stubbornly resist the voice of God today and harden our hearts, we will not want to hear these words either because they remain true. To believe in Christ as Lord means repenting of the old and saying yes to the new. For the fleshly man or woman this kind of teaching cannot be tolerated.

In all fairness, the attitudes and actions of believers can also provoke ill-will or animosity against the cause of Christ. Sometimes critical and judgmental individuals project a self-righteousness attitude that they are God's chosen ones who deserve the best of everything. We cause harm by our lack of concern for others, our hardheartedness or unforgiving attitudes, our bitterness and resentment toward people with opinions or ideas that differ from our own. We see ugly scenes on the news with Christians waving signs and shouting epithets against people or our elected officials when the Bible tells us to pray for others and to honor those who govern us. James reminded the church God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, saying, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10) If we want to make a difference in this world for Jesus, the world must see a difference in us. We can't spend all our time seeking things and expect to convince people we are "servants." Neither can we invest our passion into vitriolic fights with human weapons of warfare. Paul told the Corinthian church we do not live by the standards of this world: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthian 10:3-4) If you live exactly like the world, they will see every weakness you have, every opinionated statement and hypocritical act. They will look for you to fail, want you to fail. When you go out, go in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in your own power. They will still hate you because the love of Christ in you will expose the sin within them. They will not understand why you go the second mile or why you stop to help a Samaritan or pay for his hospital bills. But with Christ in you and the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Guide, you will not fail! The battle has been won! You won't fit in, and you may face some pain along the way. But you will know who sent you, you will know where you are going, you won't ever be alone, and you'll see lost sheep come home!

John 15: 9-17

John 15: 9-17 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

As Jesus teaches his disciples on love, He uses the now familiar technique of repetition we have seen throughout his ministry: Remain in my love; if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love; I remain in his [the Father's] love; Love each other as I have loved you; and there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. His admonitions on love remain at the core of his final interactions with his disciples. And just in case He has not made himself clear on this subject, He resoundingly states: This is my command: Love each other. Christ is not offering a few nice thoughts for their consideration or sharing some good ideas to ponder over lunch. Jesus did not say, when people treat you with proper respect, then you should do likewise or when others give you the honor you deserve, honor them in return or as others love you, you should love them. NO! That is loving others as the world loves, with conditions or strings attached. That is sharing your love with an expectation of receiving something in return. Many parents love their children with those expectations: I take care of you, and I expect you to honor me. I put a roof over your head, feed and clothe you; so it's my way or the highway. Human beings expect reciprocity. I'll scratch your back; and somewhere along the line, I expect you to scratch mine. We find it hard to love unreservedly, wholeheartedly, and unconditionally, expecting nothing in return. After the prodigal son squandered everything, the father was waiting for him, looking for him, and rejoiced when he saw him afar off, before he could say a word!

Faithful love seems lacking in our world. When love leaves the room, what remains is not a pretty sight. The human condition minus the love of God results in anger, bitterness, and strife. Friends, families, and co-workers so often do not treat each other as they want to be treated. We complain, gossip, find fault, spread rumors, tear down, build walls of separation--and the nations rage. Rather that find areas of agreement and pray for each other, we focus on each other's shortcomings, faults, mistakes, and weaknesses. Jesus said, By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. (John 13:35) When Christians lose sight of the love of God in Christ Jesus, we become dangerous, capable of great damage, and even perpetrate lasting harm because we hurt people who are looking for answers and seeking love that heals and satisfies the deepest longings of the human soul. We see in the Word how people in the early church sometimes quarreled and fought among themselves over little things: fleshly arguments required mending or egos got in the way of the advancement of the gospel. The Holy Spirit used Paul, Peter, James, and John to teach, correct, and admonish people just as we all need reminders today to listen to the Lord and to remain in his love, that we might live a life of love, just as Christ loved us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2) So often we can quote the scriptures, we have heard the sermons, but we have lost sight of the realities of God's tender mercies in our daily lives. Peter was not sharing a clever figure of speech when he warned believers the enemy searches the periphery of our lives, looking for holes in the fence, weak spots left unguarded because we have strayed from the safety of riches of the Lord's grace. We must remember it is for freedom Christ has made us free; therefore, through him we must choose to be self-controlled and alert. We can resist the devil even though he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (See Galatians 5:1, 1 Peter 5:8, & 1 John 4:4) Where is the harvest of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives? Where is love?

We have confidence in Christ because of what He has done and what we know to be true in his Word. In the Old Testament the psalmist wrote: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11) Now as Spirit-led Christians, full of the love of Jesus with his power motivating and sustaining us, that Word comes alive; and the enemy can no longer condemn us or cause us to condemn others. Christ fulfilled the old covenant that we could never keep and established a new and better way, that we might come boldly to receive his kindness and grace because God commended his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8 ASV) Before we could answer his call or do anything for him, Christ said, "Take advantage of me: I love you as the Father has loved me. I laid down my life for you and gave myself for you by paying the price for you in full." He told the thief on the cross, "Today, you will be with me in Paradise--not later after you have time to try to earn a place with me." That is the love the Father has lavished on us through the Son. We are on God's team, and He sealed the bargain with Christ's shed blood and the power of the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Jesus says, "Nothing you can ever do could make me love you less or more. You are mine: I am yours--FOREVER!" Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because, through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [every single one of us] free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2) How incredibly audacious that we should let anything keep us from accepting such a marvelous free gift or that we should think any wrong done against us great enough to hold against another human being when God has redeemed us and made us his very own! How can we not forgive as we have been forgiven? Such love, such wondrous love!

Dear Ones,

We just returned from an awesome time of fellowship with the Bursch Clan at a family reunion where we were so incredibly blessed to share in God's gracious outpouring of love! We just want to thank God for this opportunity. Mom (Jacqueline)