John 14
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
Rise, let us go from here.
Amen.
This is my favorite picture of Jesus. Our God being with the people He loves. Rejoicing to be in life. As Jesus told us in John 14, 15 and 16.
This week is 'supposed' to rain here in the Houston area and aren't we grateful to God for rainfall. The road was so filled with pollen, recently, we thought yellow paint was being tested. And we will be washed and set right to enjoy the new leaf green. And in the Glory of Spring, we will remember with the clouds and the storm, this is Holy Week.
What was this week like for Jesus? Glory. Sorrow. Joy. New Covenant. Knowledge. Determination. Bravery.
The Nature of God - Jesus was bearing up so well His Disciples did not know what Jesus was holding up this week. The Salvation of the world. Not only for the first Century, but giving you and giving me a new Heaven and a new earth for 2 millenniums.
What has God provided me this beautiful spring day.
Time to spend with my family. A Birthday celebration week including Easter. The news of our oldest son coming home for the summer. The hope of recovery in a family pet, our nine year Jackson grand-dog. Rose blooms. Tiny little peaches in plenitude (photo doesn't show the inch plethora Peaches.) Hearing from friends. Exercising past a pulled back nerve. Improved eyesight for Edward. No sinus spring infection for me. The return of an old friend. Barbecue Ribs. Hearing from parents in our 5th decade. Sitting in my favorite chair and watching a silly movie. Everyone relaxed and casual. Enjoying my home and my people I love. What is better than time spent with those you love. My heart is filled with Gratitude for what God has given freely.
From the Good Friday Earthquake
Lord Jesus and in all my blessings. Making us realize - those first 5 dire Books of the Bible bless you and bless me. Father God has changed and blessed our earth from the scourges of millenniums ago. This is our Father taking away the un-blessing. Our God protecting us - Firmly. I know again how blessed I am to have what God has given me. This is the living remembrance of God's Sacrificial Week. And what I have is so far from the terror and trauma driving men not to come out and leaving multitudes of women to see our Jesus go to death.
We know Mary and Joseph named their sons all "J" names. James, Jude, Joses. And Jesus had sisters. God did not publish the names of the sisters, yet the truth is Acts 1. The Disciples and Jesus' Brothers and Mary prayed - for the first time daily. God had protected the sisters of Jesus. Just as God has provided us blessings and safety and for loved ones today. God is Father - our Protector. John 14 Jesus is answering our prayers with His Father.
Easter is not the bunny - Easter is our Lord God's Son - Jesus, our Lamb.
Our Jesus. Giving Himself His Love to us.
Abba, Father God,
Thank You for our Blessings.
Luke 5:26
And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Hebrews 12:28
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship,
with reverence and awe
John 1
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him."
34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Blessed be the Lord God on High. Blessed be His Son, Jesus. Blessed be our God for providing us Loved ones and loved days to be carried into eternity with God's Love. Blessed be the Nation who trusts in the Lord God. Blessed be the people of the world today and tomorrow to call Jesus our Lord God.Blessed be our God, He fulfills His Word.
Amen and amen.
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