"Love Manifested"

 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24 KJV)

  "For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT)

 If you have ever wondered why God has specified that we come by our own free will, and why He made us to have free will, to make our own choice; then you might have thought about what it means to love Him, because He loved us first. We are meant to respond by loving Him, because we know how much He loves us! 

 When we see things through the power of love, it makes perfect sense that free will was the only way to allow us to love, even remotely, as He loves us! This is probably the closest thing I can think of to compare with what Jesus is asking of the Father. The word, "will," that Jesus uses to express His desire, it is the same as if to say, "to love," as in, "I would love to see this happen." 

 We must understand where Jesus was in this moment, as He just finished sweating blood, pleading for the Father to have some other way; then coming to the understanding, that there was no other way, and that this was His way to manifest the love of the Father. As He had told 'Nic at Night', "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son!" 

 I am sure that there's other ways to look at this, but from the perspective of love, this is about laying down our life, as Christ was preparing to do, that love might be manifested though Him. If you want to get really technical, you cannot know what it looks like, unless you have been there yourself...

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. That makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NLT) 

"Love Perfected"

 "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17:23 KJV)

  "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." (1 John 4:11-12 NLT)

 The more I think about this, the more I can clearly see my need to love more than I currently think that I love. We might think we know love, but once we realize how much we should love one another, we see just how much more we should love, dying to ourselves, and putting the needs of others, before the cares of ourselves! 

 Sometimes I think I might be using my wife as an excuse to get out of volunteering for certain needs within the church. Not that I don't need to be here for her, because she really can't do anything on her own. But I do have other resources and people that can assist me; I just feel like sometimes I could try harder to make the effort to work things out. 

 For your information, God does not need our money, nor our work. If we won't do something that God has put upon our heart, then He has many more that will step up and get it done; but we will lose out on a blessing; if not, a great chance to experience the way to be a servant of God. Those that are truly servants, look for the chance to serve; waiting for the pricking in their hearts, as soon as the chance to serve is mentioned, they step up to the plate, hoping to hit a homerun.

 There is no greater feeling than the way you feel helping others; especially when you aren't looking for anything in return, but the satisfaction of doing your part and serving God! We should never feel as though we earned anything; we don't serve to earn; we serve to give away! 

 Anywho; apart from that, this is about love! Love does not keep record of what it is spent on; and it surely doesn't keep a record of what its absorbed from being wronged. To that, I have been found lacking and in need of repenting for my foolishness. Forgiveness requires the ability to forget; but we are sometimes incapable of forgetting, and we just add more coals to a fire that has to be put out!

 There might be a way, put it requires that we can truly die to ourselves...

 "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:16-19 NLT)  

"Special Honor"

 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22 KJV)

  ""If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me."" (John 15:18-21 NLT)

 First off, let's get something straight: The disciples will have a special place in Heaven, as they will be seated in a place of honor, as twelve of the twenty-four elders, that are in the Heaven saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy," with gold crowns upon their heads, seated on thrones. So, it is clear, these have a special place in Heaven, and they are given special honor, as the Lord's 12 Apostles. 

 That said, the main point of what Jesus is saying, has to do with future glory, which will be given them by suffering on this earth, just as Jesus suffered. His suffering was glorious, as gruesome as it was, it was something planned out from the beginning of creation, to be for the glory of God's love for this world; a world that He created, loved, and needed to save, because we could have never been saved otherwise! 

 The simplest way to look at this, is that which they have in common. No matter what their differences might be, they are all going to suffer persecution for being the Lord's disciples. It will be the mark that will be placed on them, like a badge of honor; something that each of them will do, willingly and with a joyful heart, following in the footsteps of Jesus.

 I heard a message the other day, as John's death was talked about, how they had tried to kill him, in several different ways, but he just wouldn't die. He might have suffered some pain and agony, but they couldn't even kill him by placing him in boiling oil! So, they banished him to an island, but he even lived through that. 

 The greatest part of his ministry was towards the end, when he almost 100 years old. It is said that he had only three words to say to the congregations, to which he spoke: "Love One Another." Not sure if most people see that as important, but it was his way of signifying the unity of suffering for Christ. Having to be the last of those, called the Twelve Apostles of Christ, it was the greatest thing he still had to recall their unity towards one another. 

 We might not fully understand what that might look like, unless you have lived through a war where you lost people you cared about in battle; as John's brother James was the first one to be killed. Just a little something to think about, the next time you don't feel like forgiving another brother or sister...

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:7-10 NLT) 

"Their Future Glory"

  ""I have given the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

 "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."" (John 17:22-26 NLT) 

  "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he shall have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 55:7-8 KJV)

 Just when I was about to start typing this, actually, the verses 10 & 11, I spilt my whole cup of coffee over everything! I think it was to get me to start with 7 & 8, which is the whole point of what this message is meant to convey: God is for you! He wants you to do what is right, so that He can make you right! 

 Crazy as it might sound, but He has made the way easy; but we are always trying to make it hard by trying to do it ourselves. You give your life to Him, and He gives you life! Not the kind of life that has destruction and suffering, as we have in this world; but the kind of life that is eternal, a life that waits in Heaven, where there is no more pain and death; only light and love...

 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:9-11 KJV) 

"We Are One!"

 "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17:21 KJV)

  ""They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me."" (Jeremiah 32:38-40 NLT)

 Not that we are changing the conversation, because we can't, not without forgetting that our children are meant to be with us in Heaven! Yes, it's true, you are expected to train your children up to know the Lord, to desire to follow His commands, and to pass on to their children, all that you have passed on to them. It is most important that you do not ignore to show them your ability to ask for forgiveness! Both from anyone you might have done wrong to, and especially from God! They must truly understand that we need to forgive, in order to be forgiven; if we do not forgiven others, we are not honoring the Lord, nor are we showing love to one another. 

 Moving on; it is not all that difficult to understand that we are all one body, as Christ is the head, we are all members of His Body! Whether or not you get along, you only hurt yourself if you don't, but you will nurture and heal yourself, if you can make it your goal to get along with everyone that is a believer! Not to be weird, but it is a lot like a being married: if you tear down your spouse, you are only tearing down yourself in the prosses, because you have been united as one. 

 This might be one of the hardest things for us to get right, to simply get along! We really don't have to agree on every little thing, but we must never forget we are family first and foremost, no matter what we might argue about, we still stick together! I have experienced too much of this, firsthand. And it hurts me to say this, but the ones who get hurt the most are the ones that refuse to forgive! Their children are the ones who seem to get sifted like wheat, having seen their parents turn on those they should have loved. 

 Anywho, that's my two cents worth, for whatever it's worth...

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some of us are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NLT) 

"On This Account"

 "Neither pray I for these alone, but them also which shall believe on me through their word;" (John 17:20 KJV)

  "Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27 NLT)

 You know, there are certain things that can be prevented, and there are certain things which cannot be stopped; the continuing of God's word going forth into all the world, that my friends, cannot be stopped! Even during the Tribulation, God's word will continue to be delivered, if not from men, then from Angels that declare it from the sky! 

 Taking note of what Jesus says, He totally and completely understands that the word will spread and reach out across the world; it is for certain! So, the prayer is based upon the multitude that will come from the preaching of the Word, because God's Word's is alive and does not go out from Him void of doing that which it is intended to do; Isaiah 55:10-11. 

 There is also something else I have seen lately that some might like to pay attention to, that there are a lot of younger children taking an interest in church. It might be because of the darkness they have been exposed to in school; seeing that which is wrong, being made to be right. It really doesn't take much to awaken the reality of wickedness and evil, when it is being forced upon you.

 I can recall in, I believe it was maybe 5th or 6th grade, coming into class after summer vacation, and seeing an image of the evolution of man on the wall, as if this was some sort of new reality. I was torn in my spirit, immediately! This isn't true, I thought to myself. And then I went to the teacher's deck and turned his globe upside down! 

 The children know more than we might give them credit for; they absolutely know when there is a lie, because lies and lying are easy for them to comprehend. It is one of the first things they learn on their own, as they have ability to not tell the truth, right from the start. Therefore, they also have the ability to see things that are more plainly visible, that are truth. 

 I'm not a child expert of anything, but I do believe what Jesus said, and everything He says is Truth...

"Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."" (Matthew 18:2-4 NLT) 

 

"Truly Sanctified!"

 "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." (John 17:19 KJV)

  "So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of the created world. With his own blood - not the blood of goats and calves - he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all time and secured our redemption forever." (Hebrews 9:11-12 NLT)

 Interestingly, there is something afoot in this world, something of a strange twist to the normal way of seeing things, as if the deception and twisting of the Scriptures has started to unwind, and there are more and more people that are starting to doubt the fact the Jesus is the only way! It is not that it isn't old news, but that the challenge to the truth is starting to rise up, as if to prepare for something new, some new way to stretch the truth. 

 The thing we must understand is that the devil will do all that he can to make Jesus less important, and the work that was done on the cross more meaningless. If there could have been another way, then Jesus would have not completed the assignment He was given! He begged the Father, "If there is any other way, take this cup from me!" But there was none! 

 In His flesh, Jesus was wanting to forgo the cross and find some other way; but the Spirit of God in Him pressed on, saying, "Not my will, but Thine be done!" To this, I was thinking about the second part of Isaiah 61:2, "the day of vengeance of our God," as it is believed to be a reference to His second coming, when He actually puts His foot upon the earth. 

 There might be a second point to that, something that speaks of the moment when Jesus was weak, but took vengeance upon that weakness of the flesh, to overcome the flesh, as Adam should have done, way back in the Garden of Eden! The only reason I say this, is the end of that verse says, "to comfort all that mourn." All creation mourns over the fall, even still to this day; but there is a work that has been done already, to change that mourning into gladness! 

 Oh, that we might see the power that was demonstrated by what Jesus did, how He overcame the will of the flesh, and put everything He had aside to do the will of the Father...

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believe him and accepted him, he gave the right to become the children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us." (John 1:10-18 NLT)

"Free To Be!"

 "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (John 17:18 KJV)

  "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." (Ephesians 3:7 KJV) 

 There are certain times we are given to be used, not because we are able or gifted in some sort of ability, but because God has a certain purpose for our lives; most of which we simply don't fully understand, but we are given the power to trust Him, by His Spirit. We really don't need to know the reason, because His ways are always greater than ours, our plans can never reach the magnitude of what He has planned, as His plans are eternal! 

 I really don't know how else to put this, because it really isn't a matter of us knowing what God intends to do, but that we just do and go where He leads us, one day at a time, moment by moment. That is what the meaning of the title is meant for; because we have something to do, not based upon what we have plans for doing, but based upon God's will and purpose for our lives. 

 When it is God's hand that is guiding us, everything works together towards the good; even those things that are something we might not have done right, God uses them for His plan to do good! If you need some examples, there are many; all throughout the Bible, we see men of God that do things wrong, somehow or someway, God turns them back into something that is meant for good. 

 You know what I mean, you just might not fully see it! Abraham is a really good example, as it was his big mistake in have his, so-called first son, born from Sarah's servant; yet it was the offsprings of that child that ended up saving the children of Israel, by taking Joseph to Egypt to be sold as a slave. If they had not come along when they did, his brothers would have killed him, leaving him to that pit. 

 Many refer to that as Abraham's fleshly mistake, while the birth of Issac was born from the Spirit. But God can use both, and He does it masterfully! Even David's biggest blunder, God used it for good! If you doubt that is true, then take a good look at yourself, asking, "How many people have I ever hated?" I you have hated anyone; in your heart you have murdered them! 

 Yesterday I heard a message about Peter, as he was sharing in his epistle how we must be vigilant and aware of what is going on around us; yet in the Lord's worst moments, he kept sleeping and falling asleep. Even after the Lord asked him, saying, "Can't you just pray for one hour?" he went right back to sleep. 

 We can't see what God might do with certain things all around us, but we can be aware of what is going on! God has given us spiritual awareness, if we are willing to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is telling us. We really don't need to discern the outcome of anything, that is God's thing; but we do need to be willing to live in the moment, letting God work in and through us...

 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV)     

"Free From the Guilt of Sin"

 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17 KJV)

  "Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." (2 Corinthians 3:12-18 NLT)

 Just a different day, that's all I am going to say about that! As the Scriptures say: "It is the LORD'S mercies that are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." (Lamentations 3:22-24 KJV)

 As long as I believe in what the Lord has done in me, I will continue to be upright and free from the guilt of sin, (though sin still lurks and torments me, from time and time again,) because the LORD's mercies are not consumed! He paid the price for it all, and there is nothing there to haunt me, but what I make to be my burden! 

 This is what we do, keep bring us old reelects of things gone by, making the things of the past be the things of the present, causing the present things to be muffled and clouded out by those things have no more power over us, but what we allow! Just give it all to the Lord and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit! Feed on the Spirit, not on the flesh! 

 Paul makes this part of something we must do, to overcome the guilt, as it tends to haunt us, even though we know that we have been forgiven. As he is made humble by the remembrance of the things he has done, but using that humility to rely more and more upon the power of the cross, and the work that is ahead; which is not only more important, but far more glorious...

 "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:12-16 NLT) 

"Belonging to Jesus!" - 2

 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16 KJV)

  "For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:18-21 NLT)

 Maybe I should rephrase the statement I said yesterday, to, 'Having loved this world, I spend way too much time thinking about the things of this world; therefore, I need to get a grip!' As it is, I probably do spend more time than I should thinking about taking care of life; so much so, that I feel that life is being strangled out of me, almost as if I have no more desire to remain here anymore. 

 Just being honest, because this life has way too many things to take care of, I can hardly take care of myself anymore. That said, I feel as though we all need to start focusing more on the Lord and the church, and less upon work and the things that are distracting us from reconciling the world back to God. 

 As I was typing the Scripture from Philippians, I couldn't help but think of myself as the example of Paul's choice of words, "enemies of the cross of Christ." Don't get me wrong, I seriously don't think I am like that; but I also know that I don't live a perfect life! The business I run, mostly runs me; I spend way more time than I should working to paying bills, then I spend with my wife! 

 And the part where he says, "Their god is their appetite," makes me think about how much time I spend thinking about my next meal; as I drive around towards the end of the day, thinking about what I want to eat, be it Chinese, Mexican, or whatever else I might be craving. I mostly eat alone, but when I can, I invite my in-laws, to mostly just have pleasant conversation. 

 "They are headed for destruction," is sometimes how I see myself, as the guy who winds up in heaven, still smoldering from being scorched by fire...

 "But on the judgement day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLT) 

"Belonging to Jesus!"

 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16 KJV)

  "See how much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know him. Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure." (1 John 3:1-3 NLT)

 Having been purchased by His blood, I can say with certainty that I am a child of God! It has been as if I have been adopted into the family of God, which comes with certain rights, rights that have not been given to those that might have inherited the same standing, by natural birth. That might seem strange to some; but the difference between the two, is that one is born into the family, while the other is adopted in, which means that they been chosen to be part of the family, and now it is God's obligation to keep them! 

 That will all make better sense when we get to heaven, where we belong! As for now, we must do our very best to keep ourselves pure! Well, that hasn't gone all that well, so far as I can tell! If I was the one to judge myself, I would consider the purity thing was broken, like maybe the first week of my rebirth; maybe even sooner! So then, how is it possible to remain pure in this world? 

 If you have ever read the book, "Sit, Walk, Stand," then you probably know that is based upon the Book of Ephesians, and the whole premise of the book is about Abiding in Christ. If you consider yourself to be someone that is not capable of walking on you own, let alone being able to stand, then you are the kind of person that requires a wheelchair to move from one place to another. 

 In the same instance, if you want to remain pure, you must have assistance, other than yourself; as it is, you yourself have no ability to be pure on your own! You must abide in Christ, for He is pure, not you by yourself! If you abide in Christ, then you are made pure, as He is pure; making it possible to walk out your life in Christ! This is all His doing, not your own! 

 Therefore, if you attempt to stand, you will fail, unless you have been abiding in Christ and have been able to walk by the power that He has given you walk, you cannot stand on your own! This is the point of Sanctification; even though we have been Justified in Christ, before we can be Glorified, we must be Sanctified. Even the thief on the cross was Sanctified in Christ, when he died upon his own cross! He was Justified when Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise!" He was Sanctified when he died on his cross; and Glorified, when he was with Jesus in Heaven! 

 Anywho, what say you? Do you belong to Christ? If so, then you must remain pure! We can only remain pure by abiding in Christ Jesus, because He alone is pure...

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boost about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT) 

"Well Protected"

 "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." (John 17:15 KJV)

  "I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you be day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." (PSALM 121 NLT)

 Well, we made it home, safe and sound! I did pretty good time, about 9 hours, with about 1 hour of stopping for gas and tending to Marianne's needs; other than that, I think I did pretty good, driving a 40ft moving house down the road. Although, I am pretty sure we had some help, as I know that the Lord was with us, every bit of the way! 

 The whole purpose of Jesus coming, was to reconcile the world back to God! Therefore, His request to the Father, "not the He should take them out of the world," was because He had great plans for each one of them, as well as for all those that would come from their ministries. When God has something planned for us, He puts protection around us, and makes our way safe and secure. Whatever might befall us, is for the purpose that He has intended, much like Paul and the shipwreck, being stranded, on Malta, and then bit by a poisonous snake. 

 No harm can come to those who are sent by God, unless God intends for that to happen; and when it does, there is a reason for it, because: "we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT)

 Additionally, Jesus prays for them to be kept from the evil; not because they will not face evil, because they will! There will be trials and tribulations, some of which will be from the evil one, trying to stop the ministry from spreading. No, this is to protect them from being influenced by the evil in the world; mostly the things that the world places before us, to cause even the strongest Christian to be swept into something that they don't see coming. 

 Probably the worst thing we can do, as it is happening quite frequently and without any warning, is to keep something tempting us to ourselves, as if it is something we can handle on our own. We must not pretend we are strong enough to overcome being tempted; because when we think that we are strong, we soon find out just how weak we truly are! 

 That was the whole point of Jesus asking for this, because we are weak without God's help and His protection! If you don't know what I mean, there are barrier's that God will place in our way, to stop us from doing something that we should not do. It is best, to realize what is happening, and trust the Lord for what He is doing, knowing that it is because of your weakness. 

 Whatever you do, don't try to climb the fence that God has placed in front of you; or if there is a locked door, don't look for a key to try and open it! Believe that God is keeping you protected, because you are not strong enough to overcome whatever you are getting yourself into...

 "Yet true godliness and contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLT) 

"Detestable"

 "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14 KJV)

  "So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2 NLT)

 Now, we have a slightly different challenge, or opportunity, depending upon your point of view! For some, it will be a form of suffering, and for others, they will wear it as a badge of honor; but in the end, each will be given the same reward, for believing that they are loved by God! 

 To be short, (as it is time for me to get my wife back to her normal bed, and her normal surroundings,) I must share the hope I feel in knowing what is at the end of this life, regardless of whether we feel we suffered, or feel we have been honored. There is nothing we can have happen to us, that could compare to the suffering that Christ endured on that cross!

 And, without the shame that He took upon Himself, it really wouldn't have been the same. He took shame and was despised, as no other person could have ever known; so, there is absolutely no way to compare our suffering in this world to His, because He was the Creator of this world, made detestable for all to see and shame Him! 

 If you think you might have it tuff, think again, because you have no power within you to help yourself out in times of suffering; while Jesus did, but He refused to use His power, on our behalf, and to please His Father! He knew full well the love of the Father towards Him, yet it pleased the Father to see Him crucified on that cross, because the world needed to be saved! 

 It was the only way that it could happen; and because it was, Jesus too had both points of view: He counted it as suffering, as well, as wearing it as a badge of honor; He did it for our sakes, and His love for the Father! No matter which way you must look at it, do not forget how much God loves you...

 ""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."" (John 3:16-17 NLT)

"Our Strength" - Two

 "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13 KJV)

  "Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith." (Philippians 3:1 NLT)

 We should all know this by now, but it always needs to be something that we keep checking ourselves with: Is Jesus the Lord of your life? It really isn't hard to answer that question, because that is not one of the questions that you cannot answer! It is something you know, without a doubt, because you have done your best to allow Him to take control of your life.

 That might seem rather ambiguous, because there should be a little wiggle-room within that statement; but there is no way we can deny what we know, that He knows, because He is Lord! In Paul's letter to Philippi, he takes great care to express the need to be joyful, even in suffering, because that is when joy does the most work! When people see that you are suffering, yet joyful, they begin to wonder from what or where does your joy come from. 

 As I have previously shared, there are days when I break down and cry, sometimes uncontrollably; but it is usually just between me and God, because I really don't want to act as though I need sympathy or help. The last time I was at Wednesday night service, I was planning to leave early, so I stayed back in the, 'Cry Room,' and I cried! It wasn't because I was sad, because I really just felt the Lord was showing me how much He loved me, and realized that I sometimes didn't show it, as I should. 

 It really doesn't take too much little things to set me off, because they are easy to overcome; but you hand me something of great importance, and it goes straight to the throne of God, without even thinking twice about it! We must be careful about those little things, because those are the things, we can easily express, in front of those that see us the most. 

 Having said all of that, I earnestly pray for the strength to not let the little things mass me up. And it mostly appears that might be the thorn in my side, that the Lord keeps me from getting rid of; or maybe that is my excuse to keep letting it happen! Be that as it may, the joy of the Lord comes from being at peace with God! When you have peace with God, joy comes naturally...

 "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT) 

"Our Strength"

 "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13 KJV)

  "And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"" (Nehemiah 8:10 NLT)

 They called this place, "The Happiest Place on Earth," and growing up as a kid, I thought it was true. I guess it depends how much you like hanging around in crowded places and 55-minute waits to ride on something that will last 5-minutes, if that. There was only at 6 rides that Marianne could get on, and the one I took her on before, the Farris-Wheel, standing in the sun for 30 minutes, did not seem like such a good idea. 

 One thing for sure, hanging out with family is the best part of the whole adventure. We need to spend as much time with our families as we can afford, because time is short, and before you know it, the little ones are grown and living lives of their own. 

 Last night was not all that pleasant; testing my patience, would be a better way to put it. Marianne had to be suctioned almost every 10 minutes; no sooner than I would suction her, she would start building up more secretions again, and it would be time to suction, again and again. After several hours, like up to 2am in the morning, I cried out for help and begged for her to stop. She stopped, but then I had a hard time going to sleep, wondering if she was still with us! 

 So, I thanked God for His rich mercy, begging Him to forgive my outburst, and suddenly I felt joy in my heart, having peace with whatever might happen! This morning, I woke up the latest I have for many years; I don't even remember hearing my 4am alarm; but I must have shut it off, because it wasn't displaying anything when I woke up at 6am! 

 We need to understand something that is very important: The joy that we must share, is not joy that is brought on by the lives we live in this world; it is the joy of Lord, of what He has done and how He has given us life eternal, beyond this world! That is where we have strength to overcome whatever might come against us; nothing on this earth can take away joy that is of the Lord! 

 If we go any length of time without repenting from sin or communicating with the Lord, joy will seem harder and harder to be present in our lives. Taking a closer look at what Jesus is praying, to the Father, we see that there are three main things we should see in this: First of which, is He speaks in the world, which is a reference to all that is going to take place, most of which, will devastate any joy that His disciples might have, having shared three and a third years with Him. 

 Secondly, His joy! That His joy might be fulfilled in them, which He has already explained to them, but they most likely didn't understand why He even said it. And thirdly, without fellowship together, we perish! Iron sharpens iron! We need to share the joy of the Lord amongst each other, for our strength to be in the joy of the Lord, and not based upon ourselves and the individual experience's will go through in this world. 

 When I go without fellowship with by brothers and sisters in Christ, I feel as though there is a severing in my soul; as if there is a part of me that is thirsty, and all dried up! Yes, it is about the 'third-person-principle', where Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20) 

 Be very aware of one thing: the enemy will try to keep you from fellowship with other believers. As I have been told, over and over again, the lone sheep is the perfect target for the wolf to eat...

"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up." (Romans 14:17-19 NLT)

 

"The Disciples in the World"

  ""Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."" (John 17:13-21 NLT)

 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV)

 Oddly enough, there is more to this than meets the eye! We are pilgrims on the planet, but we are to be busy, doing all that God might put upon our hearts, while we are able. There are all sorts of ways we can see our way around here, between two totally different ways to plan your way. One, is the person that gets the assignment, and then heads out to get it done, while the other sits patiently waiting for God to provide the means and the way to accomplish whatever it is he must do. 

 Taking a look at how Jesus prays to the Father, one might think He is speaking in way to inform the Father, as if the Father needs to know all that He has done. I hardly think that is the case; rather this is simply the way that we acknowledge the work we might do, whatever it might be, it should be God's will and purpose for our lives. Therefore, we are to put it in that line of reference, as we pray that it be done, as the Father would have it be done. 

 As to the portion of Scripture through Ecclesiastes, it might seem like Solomon had lost touch with God, or that he had been living to much in the world, thereby becoming worldly. But I feel he has been placed in God's Love Letter, as it is just that, to show the Secular Humanist point of view, up against, the view that a Believer must adhere to, day by day! 

 Whether or not you feel the same way, that is totally up to you. But, if you would like to see things a little differently, there are two totally different points of view. One is that view that is under the sun, which basically means that you are a world dweller, that is considering all things under the sun. The other is that of a child of God, who sees all things under the Son, because you are no longer of this world, but a citizen of Heaven.

 For example, the very next portion of Scripture, makes the case for those who set out to do what God places upon their heart, without nothing being provided for them. They go forth, expecting that God will guide them, and whether it is good or bad, it is God's hand that will accomplish whatever it might be. 

 In other words, there is a time to sit and wait, and there is a time to get busy! If God is guiding your life, some will see it as chance, but you will know it is God doing what He does, and you are just His vessel...

"I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time." (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NLT) 

"Preserve and Protect"

 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." (John 17:12 KJV)

  "They say, "Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial. When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins. Let his years be few; let someone else take his position."" (Psalm 109:6-8 NLT)

 Just in case you didn't understand what that was all about yesterday, it involves the lost people, that you thy might be lost, wicked, or under a spell; they should never be counted as condemned. We have no clue as to who God will call or choose; anyone can be saved, even the worst of sinners. Those that you might see, in whatever condition, or in whatever place, they have the same opportunity as you had; because God does not show favoritism when it comes to salvation!  

 As it is, I have friends and acquaintances that are Mormons, J.W.s, and even real worldly in nature; but I still love them, even though I might not like where they are or what they might be. Looking at myself, I can hardly like the man that I once was, but, for the grace of God, my heart has been changed; and still needs more changing, even much more, the closer I get towards the end of this life!  

 As to the Scripture today, my heart is touched a bit over this; as it is, Jesus called this, so called, "son of perdition," yet he was lost. It is not that he was thrown aside, because Jesus did give him plenty of opportunities to change his heart. But if the Scriptures have you tagged a certain way, it appears that you really don't have a choice. 

 This much I know, if you cannot love others, or you refuse to try to do what is right towards a brother or sister, then you really need to check yourself or you might wreck yourself! You have a choice! No matter what you might think or how much you might feel you are good enough; if you hate your fellowman, then you are the same as this, "son of perdition." 

 It might not seem fair, but this really isn't a contest to outdo anyone; it is about you leaning how to love and care for one another, because we are all one! Yesterday I messed up, three times! If I could take it back, I would; but I lost my temper in Disneyland, being shuffled around, while pushing my wife in her wheelchair. 

 The first time was because of the parade, which I didn't care about all that much, because it was all about magic and witchcraft; but I was trying to keep my wife out of the sun, and they kept telling me I couldn't stay here, or I must move over there; everywhere put where she would be safe and secure. If I needed to get her out of the sun, I needed to go into a shop and buy something. 

 The second time was after the parade, as it was dispersed, the crowds were being moved from one side to the other. As it was, just in normal traffic I found it hard to navigate between people, and almost found it impossible to stay walking in a straight line. Imagine what it was like to be forced into a crowd where there was no space between people. I almost wished we were still under the old covid laws, six feet between people! 

 The third time, I gave up, leaving the park and heading out, hating Disneyland all together! I kept on thinking about how we were treated, and how they really didn't have any respect for the disabled. Then I started to think, maybe they just don't care because I took it upon myself to bring her into a place where she didn't belong; after all, there is only two rides she can get on; and even those, you need tell them a certain time you will be ridding them. 

 However, that all changed as I was pushing her back to the RV Park. When we went over the bridge, at the 5 Freeway, the sun was setting, and I stopped to enjoy the beautiful sky, just my wife and me. It reminded me of being with the one that I loved, thinking about how much I missed doing things that we once did. Then I noticed she was moving her head from side to side, trying to keep track of the cars below. I felt a peace and a certain joy, I had been missing, for quite some time. 

 Pray for me, if you think about us. I know God has something special in all of this, I just don't really know what it is! But I do know this: I am never going to stop taking care of her; one of us either has to die first, or Jesus is going to snatch us both off of this earth...

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body, one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all." (Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT)

"Raise a Glass"

 "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." (John 17:11 KJV)

  "May God, who give this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6 NLT)

 Taking a good look at this verse, there at least three things that need to be focused upon, if not, six or seven! First of all, Jesus is speaking to the Father as if He has already departed this world, which in a sense, is quite fitting because He has now, in a manner of speaking, become the Lamb, waiting to be sacrificed. 

 The ministry days are just about over, one more miracle will be done before His death; other than that, He is now being led to the slaughter! From the time He gets arrested, there is no more to do, but just be led like a Lamb, from one point to another; each one making Him less and less of this world. 

 Secondly, speaking of His disciples, knowing full well what they would go through, and how they would all be persecuted and badly treated, He pleads with His Father. Take that in for a few moments, as you think about those you care about, especially those who you would hope to see with you in heaven. Are they worth pleading for? 

 In this case, Jesus already knew who would make it, and who would not; yet He still pleads for their protection; but more than that, He pleads that they would be one! There really is quite a lot to take from this, as it was the one voice of the people building the Tower of Babel, causing God to say, "If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech." (Genesis 11:6-7)

 The third thing is that They are One! The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One God: Three in One! Which reminds me of something I saw yesterday, as I was walking down Downtown Disney to make reservations for dinner tonight; there was a large display of J.W. magazines and flyers, right there in Downtown Disney. Several J.W.s were sitting there, and as I looked over at them, they all gazed at me, as I walked by. 

 That might not register to some, because it basically means that they gazed at me because they knew who I was, a follower of Jesus! I was kidding with a friend of mine the other day, saying, "I always wanted to go a sit in a Kingdom Hall, while they were passing communion, just so I can partake of the bread and wine, as it is passed around, while nobody partakes!" 

 If you don't understand, don't worry about it, it really doesn't matter. But the spirit of the Antichrist is already here, and those that have that spirit, know who is against them. Which reminds me of a little encounter I had early on, in my first year of being a Christian. I visited a porn shop in a quest to try and satisfy an old habit; and as soon as I walked into the store, everyone gazed at me, as if I had just entered their den, and I instantly felt like an intruder. 

 That was the same gaze I received yesterday. There really is an association between both groups of people...

"If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose - to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.'"" (Romans 14:10-11 NLT)

"Safe & Secure"

 "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." (John 17:10 KJV)

  "Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Colossians 2:8-10 NLT)

 I know that the things I say sometimes are strange, but I only say what I feel the Lord is showing me; and most of what is seen, as crazy as it might sound, are just shadows and glimpses of what is really being revealed. In other words, I can't see the full picture; as far as that goes, I'm pretty sure that I am not alone when it comes to decerning the things of God. As Paul says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

 Now, regarding this title and why "Safe & Secure" is assured by what Jesus is praying. The key to that is the part that says, "and I am glorified in them." As with Paul's word in Colossians, there are many ways to try are portray how salvation works; most of the wrong ways, show how you must do this or that, in some sort of work or fashion, in order to maintain your salvation or, shall we say, prove that you are really saved and abiding in Christ. 

 As Paul tries to show, when we are saved, we are made complete in Christ, which basically means, you really don't need to do anything else, but abide in the saving power of Christ Jesus. If you died today, even though you haven't had a chance to do anything for the Lord, you would still be saved and have the eternal life the Christ has given you. 

 I heard a massage from Pastor Jon, several years ago, where he had shown how heaven will have a Temple, as fashioned like the original Temple, where there is a Holy place, and the Holy of Holies. One will be where those that served themselves will be serving others; while the other will be where those that served others will be serving and standing before God. 

 Not quite sure that will be the case; but regardless, I will be more than happy to just be in the Temple of God, no matter what I will be, or be doing: a fly on the wall, will suit me quite nice! As I shared several years ago, about a vision I had while reading Isaiah 6:1, where it says, "He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple." 

 The way it happened; was that I am meditating upon that train of His robe, and it looked as though it was the train of a bride's dress, with the webbing and patterns of delicate stitching's. As I looked closer and closer, I could see that there were people who made up the robe's fabric. So, I started to stare more closely, and I suddenly saw myself within the fabric of the robe! 

 I will be okay with that, also...

"You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." And, "He is the stone that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them." (1 Peter 2:4-8 NLT)

"Fortified"

 "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." (John 17:9 KJV) 

  "There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf." (Hebrews 7:23-25 NLT)

 I would like to take this morning's post as a dedication to my wife as today is the 20th anniversary of her surgery that put her into the condition, she currently is in. God allows us to go through certain things, even if it might be something that breaks our heart, He knows what we can endure, even though we don't think we can, He gives us strength, one day at a time! 

 The reason I am bringing this up, besides what day it is, is because of what I believe Jesus is saying, and we it is that He says, "I pray not for the world." If you can, please try are follow the point I am trying to make, because one slight distraction, and you might not understand the true meaning. 

 First of all, I do not believe Jesus doesn't care about the world, because it was for the sake of the world that He came; for the sake of this world, He will be giving up His life on the cross! No, it is really not the world that He is talking about, but the life we endure here on this world, as God's children. 

 To put it another way, we are no longer of this world, the moment we are born again, we become a child of God. As Paul writes in Galatians 6:14, "Because of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died." 

 Therefore, the things that pertain to this world, such as, death and dying, they have no hold on us, we are no longer citizens of this world; we are immune to death, and it no longer is something to be feared. And, in regard to certain trials, tribulations, and circumstances, each and everything, no matter how tragic or brutal it might seem, we are protected! Even if it kills us, we are not touched by the loose of this mortal body. 

 If that might not make sense, let me place it in a little different light: We have a life that is living in the flesh, which is living in this world, there is no doubt about that; but that life here is really no longer attached to this world, we basically are just hanging around, waiting to go home to be with the Lord! Additionally, we have a life, eternal, that is placed in Heaven, waiting for time to pass here, as that life is not associated with time anymore. 

 I hope I didn't lose you, because it is pretty for out there! Basically, what I am trying to say, is that our life in Christ is secure, no matter what might happen here, on this temporary earth. And I know that 20 years is a long time for someone to be hanging around in a Persistent Vegetative State; believe me, I weep quite often for God to heal her or take her, like anytime soon! But she is still hanging around, so it is my duty to keep taking care of her, the best that I can.  

 One day at a time, God still keeps speaking, He still keeps working, He still keeps giving me, one more day. The day will soon come, sooner than we might think, when one more day will be a thing of the past...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT) 

"True, Indeed!" - To

"For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." (John 17:8 KJV)

 "Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you - unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place." (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NLT)

 The title of this post was taken from the meaning of the word, "Surely," which, like the world, "Truly," is an adverb, which is to show certainty in the statement, as if there is no doubt. Having doubt is not a deal-killer, but it is something that needs to be settled and eliminated within our hearts and minds; we must not let it remain or dwell on it, but must take it down and destroy it: (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) 

 As to the discussion yesterday about our role in salvation: if it was up to us, none of us would have been saved! Without God's hand in the matter, we would have remained lost! He is the one that calls us to His Son, the Son knocks upon our hearts, while the Holy Spirit convicts us, making our hearts soft enough to overcome the flesh, if but just for a moment; a critical moment, at that! In that moment, we believe, seeing the Truth, understanding our need, and opening our hearts to receive God's free gift of Salvation! 

 What is your doing, is already done for you, you just need to grab hold of what God has given you; the rest is something new and exciting, that should cause a change in your life. The Holy Spirit now lives in you, so you are now a child of God! If any of that does not agree with you, then it might be time for you to go look back and examine what it was you actually believed, and if it might be something that was not the Truth. 

 That is my take on the matter, other than that, I still believe that everyone is responsible for their own salvation, as to whether or not it is real and what you believe is true. Being part of a non-denominational church, I have learned that there are hundreds of different doctrines and beliefs within the church body; the bigger the body, the more beliefs you will encounter. 

 The higher you get in leadership, the more you will be trained in the doctrines pertaining to that particular body. Back in the day, there were things called Bulletins, that were handed out at the door. Inside of each Bulletin was a brief overview of what the church believed. Other than that, you had to ask, or request a visit with the Pastor to understand where that church stood. 

 Now, we go to the church wed site and look for: "What We Believe," reading for yourself the list of things that they base their belief upon. Usually, it is 10 or 12 bullet points, that don't go into much detail, but enough to show that what they believe is in line with who they are affiliated with. 

 Anywho, that was kind of weird and boring! However, this should not be boring; this is something exciting and hard to resist! If you believe, like I do, that we are living in the last days, hold on tight and enjoy the ride...

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:

 

"True, Indeed!"

 "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." (John 17:8 KJV)

  "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:14 NLT)

 Good morning! Today I chose to be focused on Jesus, not the world; because this crazy life is starting to bring me down: so, I instead, make it my passion to look up, thanking the Lord for all of His wonderful blessing and the grace He continues to give, even though I really don't deserve it! 

 The verse before, John 1:14, is one that there has been some disagreement on, within the church. It was brought to my attention back in the early 90's, as I was sharing something that I received, but was cut short from presenting it, because it was not well received. It somewhat goes hand-in-hand with the message from the other day, regarding the portion of Scripture from Isaiah 53:1, "Who has believed our report? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" 

 The verse that I am talking about says, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13 KJV) The assumption is, man's will, and whether or not we have that ability to cause any sort of change, just by our obedience, and, or, by changing our mind, heart, or desires. In other words: When we are born again, did we have any sort of power to make it happen? 

 I have heard it said, "If someone can talk you into accepting Christ as your Savior, then someone else can talk you out of it." That may be the closest thing I can think of that makes sense of the statement by which I was cut short from sharing! It is God that changes our hearts; we have no desire to do any such thing, nor can we pretend to do so! You might think that you can, by fooling yourself, practicing the art of kindness and composure; but the first time you are seriously tested, you going to fail and be discouraged; thinking God's power didn't work! 

 This is something that must be realized as God's work, not ours. When we believe that God has done it all, then we can accept the failure to comply is 100% ours alone, God's work is never undone! That's what makes it possible for our salvation to be sure, because we had nothing to do with getting it, therefore, we have nothing to do with losing it: free means that it was freely given! 

 It might seem inconceivable, but the point is very clear: We just need to believe that it is True, then God takes care of the rest! By the way, we actually don't enter into His rest, until we are resting in His powerful arm! The world cannot understand it, nor receive it; the "Who" is you, and once you believe, you are made into the "Whom"...

"I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. I have seen the wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows. And this is all meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they are wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 8:9-14 NLT) 

"The Source"

 "Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee." (John 17:7 KJV)

  "Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny." (Ecclesiastes 6:10 NLT)

 Not sure how to explain this, because there are several different ways to interpret what Jesus is saying. If the most obvious way is correct, then the power He has to do all of His miracles is from the Father. On the other hand, if the source of His power is because He is the Son of God, then it would be given Him due to His deity, as the Son. Either way, the source is linked and connected with the Father! 

  As for the verse from, "The Preacher," I found it to be interesting how Jesus acknowledged all the things that were done or happened, "so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled." In just about every circumstance, there was something already written about, in one way or another, saying who or why it would happen. 

 In this case, there is another direction to look at this, which is the prelude to the Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." As I have previously said, it is believed by many that the first 18 verses of John's Gospel message is a prelude to prepare the reader for what is going to be said about Jesus' ministry here on earth. 

 More than that, it is thought by some, that John added the first 18 verses after he had written all the rest, with the exception of verse 21:25, which says, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." 

 There is something to say about the power of God's Word! No pun intended! When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, He said, "God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24 KJV) What is truth? To start, Truth is a noun, which places it in the category of a person, a place, or a thing; which would make it something tangible, or as defined: 'A body of real things, events, and facts.' 

 You really can't make this up, because what has been declared, will happen; no matter what anyone says or does, it is already done and settled. Which reminds me of something I was thinking about last night as I fell asleep. As far as wicked people go, Manasseh was Judah's longest raining king, but he was also considered to be the most wicked king of all. Yet, he repented at the end of his life; finally realizing the LORD alone is God, encouraged the people to worship the LORD, and prayed to God himself; and God listened... 

"The LORD says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes."" (Isaiah 65:1-2 NLT) 

"The Chosen Ones" - Too

 "I have manifested the name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." (John 17:6 KJV)

  "Yet you brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust you at my mother's breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born." (Psalm 22:9-10 NLT)

 If you don't know this by now, you should begin a little study in the Scriptures and see for yourself; God knew who you are and what you would be, long before you were born! We have a Father in Heaven that not only knows us, but He watches over us; even when we are doing wrong and wicked things; He will correct us, chastise us, and always love us, because He knows the plans, He has made for us! 

 All my life I have believed in God; even though there were times when I knew not who He was or how I needed to have any sort of real relationship, I still would call out and pray to Him; especially, every time I felt alone and afraid. Looking back, I can see that His hand was upon my life, protecting me, rescuing me, and placing me in areas where I would, somehow, gain a little more information about His love. 

 There are some that try to say that God does not speak to the wicked, therefore, if you have not yet been saved, God does not speak to you. I say, Hogwash to that! If you are going to be God's children, then you have always been God's children. Each and every one of us that have answered the call and accepted Jesus into our hearts, were waiting for that moment, without knowing what we were actually waiting for, to say. "Yes," to His free offer of eternal life. 

 This is not about us having no free will to choose on our own, because we must make the choice; but God is well aware of those who will embrace Him and those who will not. We, on the other hand don't have the slightest idea; neither does anyone else! You are chosen, so you must accept that and believe that He chose you for something good and is doing a work in you. 

 Once you can honestly and totally accept that, then you will have a better chance of being able to trust Him, even when you might think you have disappointed Him. This is nothing you can do that He did not already know you would do; and He chooses you anyways... 

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT) 

"The Chosen Ones"

 "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." (John 17:6 KJV)

  "O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?" (Psalm 71:17-19 NLT)

 "Knock, knock! Who's there?" - "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" If you wonder what that might mean, then it might be time to start paying attention. As I woke up this morning at 3:05, I pushed the remote to bring a little light into the room, only to witness Steve and Brian engaged in a little fight over what the D.O.J. is requesting that the court does with any information the Trump Team might be presenting in their defense: "Do not let anything get released to the public!" 

 Wow, what kind of government is this? This is going too far, too fast, and we will soon be watching the rights we once held close and had protection under, be swiftly and completely taken away! If you don't believe it, it is only a matter of interpretation, as in, "Is what you say, causing others to be offended." If what you say might offend someone, on the left, then it's not right, and you will be persecuted for having said it! 

 Go ahead and ignore it, if you want to; but, when they come to your church and arrest your Pastor for saying that God created man and woman, then you might start paying attention! It's only a matter of time, because at this stage in the game, the time has come for God to be proclaimed loud and clear! The more He is lifted up, the more the darkness will be exposed: Shout it from the mountaintop; shout it from the sea! 

 Nevertheless, I have been thinking about this verse, as Jesus uses something of a twist of words, saying, "and thou gavest them me," as if He goes from saying, "the men which thou gavest me," to the opposite thought, "thou gavest them me." That might not appear to be anything of importance; but as a matter of fact, it absolutely is! If Christ does not dwell in your heart, then you have no real connection to Him! 

 Thinking back to that little book, "My Heart, Christ's Home", it reminded me that when we accept Christ into our hearts, we are on a journey to allow Christ to own everything and to clean out anything that might offend Him or make Him less important in our hearts. I say that it is a journey because it is not won and done! You will go through cycles of life and living, where you will stray off course, no matter how hard you try not to, it is just bound to happen. 

 As Jerry was teaching, (preaching,) yesterday, the question of the opening verse in Isaiah 53, which says, "Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?"; it has to be considered by those who receive the message, because that is who the message is meant for! 

 Do you believe that you have been cleansed from all your sins? Most likely you have heard that it is so, so you accept that it is true; but do you still allow sin to come into your life? and if so, do you ask the Lord to remove it? Most of us, if we are sincere about our relationship with the Lord, will gladly ask Him to take it away; but some will try to find a way to hide it away, for convenience sack, for a rainy day or when we get bored.

 Which reminds me of something I heard the other day, regarding Adam's punishment to sinning against God: Work! Something to keep him occupied and busy, to avoid dwelling on things that he shouldn't...

"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." (Romans 14:17-23 NLT) 

 

"Glory Assured"

 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (John 17:5 KJV)

  "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)

 Here is what we need to know about the Son and the Father: They are One! As it is, those that do not believe that Jesus is God, have a really hard time believing that there is a Holy Trinity; it is just too hard for them to comprehend, so they don't even try to believe it. There is nothing that was created that was not created through the Son; and, if God has always existed and was not created by anything, then there had to be the Son with the Father, from the very beginning! 

 Now that we have settled that, we can deal with the title of this post. In my opinion, Jesus did not need to ask the Father to be glorified but was doing so for the sake of His disciples. In other words, the glory that He had before, is the same glory He will have after, it doesn't change; if anything, He just gains more and more glory! Throughout the Scriptures we see this manifested, as the Conquering King, the LORD of LORDS, and the KING of KINGS; the Christ, who gave it all, in order to redeem the world, to be able to take back that which was stollen! 

 There are so many examples of how He is glorified, over and over again; but in this case, the task He was about to allow, (and I mean that with all sincerity, He allowed himself to be punished for our sins,) would be the crowning moment, that the Father would glorify the Son, while the Son glorifies the Father, as the plan from the beginning of time is done! 

 There was no doubt in the glory to come, because that was the plan all along. Which is something that God has put upon my heart this morning, how we need to pray for everything, especially those things which we know and understand to be God's will! When we are doing anything that involves the work of the Lord, we need to present ourselves as His servant, acknowledge the fact that He is in control, and believe, by confession, that He is going to use all that we do for His glory. 

 Simply said, we are to trust and believe! We must trust that He will be with us, and that no matter what, we will be with Him, even though death, we believe that it will be so...

"For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God pain a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days." (1 Peter 1:16-20 NLT)   

"The Consummation"

 "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou hast gavest me to do." (John 17:4 KJV)

  "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me, but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT)

 Looking at this verse, it is not really that hard to understand what Jesus means when He says that He has finished the work; the rest of what needs to be done, will be worked out by those who will punish Him and crucify Him on the cross! It's all downhill from here! 

 That was pretty much Paul's same conclusion, in his final letter! There really was nothing left to do, except just allow what was coming next to happen; let them chop off his head! Crazy, I know; but the most important thing that Paul tells Timothy, is that he was going to receive a crown! In other words, he would still have his head, completely restored. He wouldn't be standing there in heaven holding his head, as the proof of his service to the Lord.

 Without getting too weird, it is much like a woman who remains pure all the way up to her wedding day. All her life she has remained faithful and obedient to her commitment to remain pure. When that day comes, she will freely give herself to her husband... 

""Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you."" (Isaiah 60:1-2 NLT) 

  

"This is Life Eternal!"

 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3 KJV)

  ""Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."" (Hosea 6:1-3 NLT)

 Just so you might know, I am not alone on this thought about the new charges on President Trump; there are many people that see this as answered prayer for the proof that is stacked up, lots of it, that nobody would let see the light of day, and no court would allow to be presented; which now has a possible chance to be presented as evidence for all to see. As Steve Bannon said yesterday morning, "This isn't us being on defense, we are on offense in this matter." 

 Anywho, it is all about the ones who might make the loudest noise; the ones that are usually against the truth, are almost always the loudest. I am beginning to see a little push back from those who want to live in a normal world, one where what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong! Some people are just sick and tired of the stupidity and the arrogancy of the powers that be. Apparently, Covid might be coming back, so everyone should stock up on masks, just in case you want to leave your home! Wash your hands and stay six feet apart; don't gather together or have church services; and by all means, don't shake hands with anyone! 

 Just so you know, I usually shake hands with at least six to twelve people a day; sometimes, even give hugs! We must never forsake fellowship and gathering together! This is what the church does, we come together! They do it in some countries, even at the risk of being killed! So be it! This is not my home, and death is not my end! 

 Alright, I got some of that off my chest, because it felt good to do so. I heard Pastor Mike letting go of some steam yesterday, as he opened the show; he was really fired up and had some things to say. Even Franklin Graham spoke out and shared his heart on the matter. There is just so much people will take, until they say, "Enough is enough!" 

 I apologize for being a little off my rocker today; but we sometimes need to stand up and speak out to the truth and the things that are wrong; otherwise, the other side will think that nobody cares. Maybe that might be true, because some don't care what happens in this world, and some don't care to speak out, just because they don't want to get in trouble or be challenged. 

 This is life eternal: That we believe we have been given Eternal Life...

"Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"" (John 11:25-26 NLT) 

"This is Life Eternal!"

 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3 KJV)

  "We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life." (1 John 5:18-20 NLT)

 First off, I need to express my concern, or prayer, over what is happening today in Washington D.C.; and how it is that a citizen who wins the Presidency by election, is ridiculed and fought for the duration of his term; then has his reelection taken from him; and then, when he tries to run again to gain back that which was taken, he is taken on by the current administration. You do know what his means, don't you? The current government of these United States has become corrupt, and they have the media on their side.

 That said, the powers to be, are not those who are holding office; the ruler of this world is who makes these things happen. But, with great anticipation, I sincerely believe that he might have crossed the line, which really isn't too hard to believe, because anyone who wants to challenge God, really can't be all that smart! This new list of charges might give way for this case to go all the way to the Supreme Court; which means that something they were not willing or able to litigate before, might be able to be proven in court!  

 That's my two-cents worth of that! Now on to the stuff that really matters, Eternal Life! The first thing we must remember, religiously, is that this is not our world any longer; we are pilgrims here, waiting for the Lord to take us home, where we belong! Keeping that in mind, we still need to be vigilant and praying for those around us, those within our lives, and those who are governing over us. 

 Yes, we are no longer of the world, nor do we put anything of this world between us and the Lord. But we must not forget what we are here for: To declare the Good News of Eternal Life in Christ! Everything else is going to pass away and be destroyed by fire; but what we have been given, freely, is going to never be destroyed, but will last for all eternity! 

 I really hope that you get that settled deep within your heart, because the world will fight you over what you truly believe...

"He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished be his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:9-12 NLT)