Paul the Apostle is always such an inspiring individual to me. To think today of someone being stoned to death and surviving, let alone to be beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned and so on, and survive with a positive attitude ...WOW!
II Corinthians 4:7-15 "7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."
The analogy of the clay pot here is perfect for what we go through as Christians who are seeking to grow closer to God. That lump of clay is softened by kneading it and mashing it and contorting it to get the air pockets out. All the empty spots are removed and filled in with dense body. Freshly harvested clay is pushed through screens to remove any small stones or other debris that might be in it. If they were to shape a clay pot and then cure it in the kiln any debris would heat up and cause cracks or even cause an explosion destroying the pot. A potter takes that clay and presses and contorts the vessel until it looks like what he wants or how he pictures that clay to be. Our heavenly Father puts us through tests and trials, molds us, makes us into what He envisions us to be. Like a true potter, He never sees the clay for the shapeless lump that it starts out to be. He sees us for what we will be in our final state, living in Glory with Him and covered in Jesus blood.
Verse 9 says "persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." He never leaves us just sitting on the table to dry out. He makes every effort to shape us into acontributing and usable vessel. What is it that shapes is? Trials and trouble are part of one of those things. Blessings are others. We often look at the trials and tribulations of life as the things that are shaping us but God often changes and molds us with blessings as well. Do we remember more of the negative experiences we go through or the positive ones? I am afraid that we often see more of the down side than the up side. Our blessings like children, sunsets, animal shpaes int he clouds, the first blooms of spring, a cool kiss on a warm forehead, a tender look, a genuine embrace, the gift of laughter, and even the twinkle of an eye are blessings we can see every day if we want to and they make us who we are.
Be flexible. Be moldable. Become a vessel.
Showing posts with label glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glory. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
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!
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!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Jesus Prayer For Us
John 17
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 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. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 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[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus is talking to His heavenly Father about the disciples in vs. 6-19.
He refers to the disciples as "those whom you gave me" and clarifies that they were God's property to give. Christ reminds his heavenly Father that He followed instructions by giving them the words God gave Christ and that not only did they accept what was told them but they also recognized who Christ was. Christ shows concern for His friends in the reality that persecution would definately befall them after His departure from this world. He asks the heavenly Father to protect them by the power of His name. My heart is warmed by this request. Even though Christ and His Father are one, he is compassionate and humble enough to request protection and to acknowledge the absolute divinity held by God the Father. A place that only God can hold and whom only God can be. How amazing an example and how humble a prayer. So reverent, so godly.
He states that the GLORY came to Christ from the disciples. (glory has come to me through them.) What an honor - a truly humble honor for them to have. Christ states that He protected the disciples while here with them and notes that He did not lose even one of them to persecution. The only individual who suffered any type of destruction was Satan while Christ was here on earth. This section is only talking about the disciples and not the world or entire body of believers. Christ references similarities between himself and the disciples as well when He says .."They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." These men were chosen men of God and to me it is amazing to see how their dedication to Christ allowed them the passage of santification, the honor of being able to provide Christ glory and an equality with the Saviour. Christ sanctifies himself so that the disciples may be sanctified. So for the sole purpose of wanting them to be "set apart" He set Himself apart. Another example of His selflessness etched in the permanence of God's Word. Christ was looking out for His followers and wanted them to not only be sanctified but TRULY sanctified.
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 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. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 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[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus is talking to His heavenly Father about the disciples in vs. 6-19.
He refers to the disciples as "those whom you gave me" and clarifies that they were God's property to give. Christ reminds his heavenly Father that He followed instructions by giving them the words God gave Christ and that not only did they accept what was told them but they also recognized who Christ was. Christ shows concern for His friends in the reality that persecution would definately befall them after His departure from this world. He asks the heavenly Father to protect them by the power of His name. My heart is warmed by this request. Even though Christ and His Father are one, he is compassionate and humble enough to request protection and to acknowledge the absolute divinity held by God the Father. A place that only God can hold and whom only God can be. How amazing an example and how humble a prayer. So reverent, so godly.
He states that the GLORY came to Christ from the disciples. (glory has come to me through them.) What an honor - a truly humble honor for them to have. Christ states that He protected the disciples while here with them and notes that He did not lose even one of them to persecution. The only individual who suffered any type of destruction was Satan while Christ was here on earth. This section is only talking about the disciples and not the world or entire body of believers. Christ references similarities between himself and the disciples as well when He says .."They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." These men were chosen men of God and to me it is amazing to see how their dedication to Christ allowed them the passage of santification, the honor of being able to provide Christ glory and an equality with the Saviour. Christ sanctifies himself so that the disciples may be sanctified. So for the sole purpose of wanting them to be "set apart" He set Himself apart. Another example of His selflessness etched in the permanence of God's Word. Christ was looking out for His followers and wanted them to not only be sanctified but TRULY sanctified.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunrise and Sunset
I am thinking about the night before Christ rose from the dead and the Resurrection Day. I wonder if the sunset of that evening prior to His resurrection is clipped in a scrapbook by God. What did the sky look like that evening? Was there a glorious mixture of purples for royalty, reds for the shed blood and sleek white clouds to show the upcoming pure cleansing which would then prevail from that day forward? Were the birds quiet that evening and the olive trees still against the sky? What did the sea of Galilee look like that evening? Were the tides low and the waves quiet ripples or were the seas crashing against the shore line in eager anticipation to feel Christs feet on their shores again?
And what of the sunrise on that glorious morning? The women had gone down to the tomb very early in the morning. ( Luke 24 ) I wonder if the sun had even come over the horizon yet. What time of the day did Christ rise from the dead? Was He out of the tomb as soon as the days had changed from one to the next or did He wait for a glimpse of daylight and the symphony of renewal that the Creation would pulse with upon His resurrection? How brightly did the sun shine that morning than it ever did before? The birds must have been singing, the insects and butterflies flitting around, the squirrels chittering, the fish leaping and the trees waving. No one must have noticed the change in nature that day as they tried to understand that Christ had done just what He had said He was going to do....Risen from the dead!
Review the story again with a new outlook. Put yourself in the shoes of the believers of that time and consider what you may have thought. This is a story that needs consideration every day of our Christian walks. Reminding us that He is the reason we have hope and joy!
Thank you Jesus for the new life you have given me and the day to celebrate each year your Resurrection!!
And what of the sunrise on that glorious morning? The women had gone down to the tomb very early in the morning. ( Luke 24 ) I wonder if the sun had even come over the horizon yet. What time of the day did Christ rise from the dead? Was He out of the tomb as soon as the days had changed from one to the next or did He wait for a glimpse of daylight and the symphony of renewal that the Creation would pulse with upon His resurrection? How brightly did the sun shine that morning than it ever did before? The birds must have been singing, the insects and butterflies flitting around, the squirrels chittering, the fish leaping and the trees waving. No one must have noticed the change in nature that day as they tried to understand that Christ had done just what He had said He was going to do....Risen from the dead!
Review the story again with a new outlook. Put yourself in the shoes of the believers of that time and consider what you may have thought. This is a story that needs consideration every day of our Christian walks. Reminding us that He is the reason we have hope and joy!
Thank you Jesus for the new life you have given me and the day to celebrate each year your Resurrection!!
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