John 17  Part II

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.




24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

"Worship God"

Christ focuses only on God in His prayer.  He is consistently referring to how He and the Father are joined and how the Father has given Him this and that and reminding the Father of what has happened and asking for other things to occur so that God the Father might be glorified further.  What an example of submissive, focused prayer. 
Christ mentions that we are getting to know God through himself as well.  We cannot commune with or know God without the access granted through Christ.  He himself is beseeching God to allow us communion but only after we know Him.  The knowledge of God's love for His Son is a necessary component for Christ to live in us.  Without the knowledge of God's love, how can we realize how much He loves us and what a sacrifice it was for God to give His Son to pay for our sins.  Amazing!

Eye On the Sparrow

“His Eye is On the Sparrow” Don’t you ever wonder why Christ used some of the acronyms that He did? I love this song. What a wonderful interpretation of the verses in Matthew and Luke! The bird itself is a bit of a nuisance! They steal nests, hog the bird feeders, even kill the other birds babies! Maybe that’s the whole point. As I watch my feeder this morning, full of birds I don’t want to see, on of which is the Sparrow and the other the Grackle, I wonder.
That little English Sparrow. How many others fall into that same detestable and undesirable category and yet Christ loves us all just the same. Man and beast. The Sparrow, the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus and even Paul! Paul and what and who he was before he was awakened by the Holy Spirit! Amazing that God knew and cared about every hair on Paul’s head even while he was slaughtering believers! God was working a plan to take that passion that Paul had for killing Christians and turn it into a passion for spreading the word to further points of the region. In my own life, I am not any more worthy of Christs’ love and compassion and saving grace than Paul and yet I feel His arms supporting me when I am weak, His love empowering me, and His light shining through me to reach people I would never consider reaching out to. If His eye is on the Sparrow, how much more does He care about you and I whom He created for the solitary purpose of worshipping and glorifying Him?
Read Matthew 10:27-31 and Luke 12:3-7. Consider that these verses are referring to the reverent fear of god that we should develop if we don’t already have it. The blink of an eye…if He were a vengeful God He might snuff us out one by one for a mean thought or snide look let alone the entourage of despicable behavior we display daily. How hurtful it must be to such a perfect and loving God to see His creation turn their back on Him after all He has done for us. Remember, though, the wonderful and restoratative truth that He loves us unconditionally. No regrets. Rather He takes rpide in knowing everything about you. Your thoughts, your dreams, your heartaches and even when a hair falls from your head! Return the favor to someone today.

“Be kinder than necessary to everyone because everyone is fighting some kind of battle.” (unknown)