Skip to main content

Remember The Time...?

                  “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.  (John 17:6-12)

 

            The pendulum swings, and we are back to the issue of the partnership of the Father and the Son and the knowledge of that partnership among those the Father had given the Son being somehow paramount. Admittedly, this passage seems a little over the top to me. At the same time, how often do we participate in – or at least watch two or more people spending time together talking about their success in a recent project or “the gold old days”?

            “Remember when …?”

            “Oh yeah, and then there was the time….”

            We tend to think about what we know is about to happen, but could this be a little taste of “for the joy set before Him…”? Could it be a sort of victory celebration? Or, if neither of those, perhaps a little encouragement or a pep talk – Jesus talking to the Father about what has been accomplished in light of what He was about to face?

            No matter which alternative you believe, do you have these talks with God?  Years ago, I worked on a list of “If it hadn’t been for….” It might not be the same as Jesus’ celebratory list, but there are many things in my life that if X hadn’t happened, Y wouldn’t have happened, and I wouldn’t be where I am today. There has been much that I thanked God for in that list. I wish I could find it.

            Since we’re so close to Thanksgiving day, it’s time to turn our focus in that direction. I challenged us earlier to come up with 1000 in November, and I have done horribly. But over the next couple of days, take a few minutes to think about what God means to you, what He’s done in your life, and where you might be without Him (jump past the fact that you wouldn’t exist.) And if you can, celebrate.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more