GIVE GOD TIME
Prayer and Praise
Jesus said, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” Matthew 26:40,
so we start our journey of giving God time to work in us, by praying along with this hymn…
‘Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus…’
A WORD IN YOUR EAR
John 14:15-31 If you love me, you will keep my commands;
15-16 “If you love me, you will keep my commands; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever.
Obedience is a theme of Jesus. He said that we would obey Him if we truly loved Him. Then He would ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit.
17 The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know Him because he is staying with you and will be united with you. 18 I will not leave you orphans — I am coming to you. 19 In just a little while, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live. 20 When that day comes, you will know that I am united with my Father, and you with me, and I with you.
When we have the Holy Spirit, we will KNOW that Jesus and God the Father are One.
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
God’s love is conditional… based on obedience. Jesus loves those who keep His commandments.
22 Y’hudah (Judas), not the one from K’riot (Iscariot), said to him, “What has happened, Lord, that you are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
Judas – NOT Iscariot – gets distracted – (like Peter’s habit.)
23 Yeshua answered him, “If someone 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 Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.
Obedience, obedience, obedience…
‘I treasure your Word in my heart so that I won’t sin against you.’ Psalm 119:11
25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, (the Holy Spirit), whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Note that it is the Holy who Spirit replaces Jesus on earth, (NOT Popes, priests or vicars.)
27 “What I am leaving with you is shalom (peace) — I am giving you my shalom (peace). I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened.
We are given “SHALOM” – which is the kind of complete PEACE that comes from God.
28 You heard me tell you, ‘I am leaving, and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would have been glad that I am going to the Father; because the Father is greater than I.
Jesus leaves but is with us by His Holy Spirit.
29 “Also, I have said it to you now, before it happens; so that when it does happen, you will trust.
They will understand when the time comes.
30a “I won’t be talking with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me; 31 rather, this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me.
There are only two sides. Whose side are we on?
30b “Get up! Let’s get going!
Time’s up.
—-Summary
Jesus replied, 23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Today’s Verse…
‘Who is Jesus?’
‘On that day you will realize that I am in my Father’. v.20
Today’s Challenge
Jesus replied, 23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
“If you love me, you will keep my commands”
Prayer and Worship
“… He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Matthew 14:23.
Jesus taught His disciples what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’; (Luke 11).
Listen here to Albert Malotte’s ‘The Lord’s Prayer’.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever;- Amen.
Prayer suggestions;-
- The world. (ie ‘For those in authority.’)
- The ‘suffering church.’https://barnabasfund.org/nz/pray/daily-prayer/#previous-dates
- Your own situation. (Suggest ‘needs’ rather than ‘wants’.)
Second Reading – John 14:15-31 NIV
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas, (not Judas Iscariot), said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied,
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me…
‘Come now; let us leave …
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