…that they all may be one, as
You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us… —John
17:21
{CHAMBERS} “If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly
all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are—
because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are
you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your
life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to
be. God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers,
but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one
prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “…that they may
be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as
that? God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go
through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He
allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are
either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making
us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The
things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending
entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will
pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we
will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working
according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best.”
{ELGIN} Do you think of yourself as a disciple or are you “merely” a
Christian. In my mind, there is a difference. I will explain. If you read the Gospels you see that there
was a large crowd that follow Jesus, initially.
But, as He got nearer to the cross ..
fewer followed. The life that
Jesus represented was appealing to the crowds so long as there was something in
it for them. Food .. healing … being
known as a Jesus follower. But when the cross
was on the horizon, even those closest to Jesus were tested in their commitment
to following Him .. to being identified with Him. I don’t presume to understand everything .. many
things are a mystery to me. For example …
at what point did the disciples find salvation in Jesus? Was it by faith before the cross? Or, was it after the cross? The Bible doesn’t tell us. I am thinking the former … I do know that
Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit .. which means that with Jesus
ascended, they needed supernatural power to live and do. Before they had it in Jesus. After the cross, they needed it from the
Spirit. And so, by the way, do we. So back to the question. Are you a disciple or “just” a
Christian. We must all answer it. In fact we all have. Our level of dedication to Jesus is displayed
every day by the way we live and love. Like
the parable of the talents .. have you buried the reality of your faith in the
ground intending to dig it up when Jesus returns or you join Him in heaven? Or are you multiplying your faith by loving God
more than you love the world … showing Jesus to the people you meet? It is important that we reflect on our life
in Christ. The cares of this world are
like barnacles on the hull of a ship. If
you don’t deal with them early and often, they will multiple and soon obscure
who you are in Christ. Your God-purposed
life will be made impotent. You will be
lulled into a sense of satisfaction that you are living the Christian-life as
it was intended. That is until you come face
to face with Jesus.
I have wondered, often, about
why I write the things I do in this BLOG.
I sense that I am like a lighthouse warning the sailors that there are
dangers to avoid. I certainly am not
judging anyone … but I am, instead, encouraging you to be on your guard .. to consider
who you are in Christ and where you are in your faith walk. To be alert to the dangers of embracing this
world and your culture. (Proverbs 14:12) “There is a way that
seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” My role is to raise an awareness, frankly, what you do about it is between you and the Holy Spirit. God Bless You!
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