Overflowing Joy

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
John 15:9-11 NLT

Most people in our secular societies pursue happiness in hedonistic ways. Through holidays or days out. Through evenings spent with friends. Through the darker ways of alcohol, drugs or sex. But happiness isn’t joy, at least in the way Jesus meant. Jesus told us of the relationship between being obedient to His commandments and with the experience of joy. In the book of Acts we read about the enigma of Paul and Silas in a Philippian jail, backs bruised, feet in the stocks, but able to praise God full of joy because their punishment had come from the obedience of doing God’s will. We can read this story in Acts 16. No happiness there but unlimited joy.

There is an old song based on Isaiah 35:10, “Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness”. The Jewish nation went through many trials in Old Testament times and here we have a picture of the joy, everlasting joy, that would result when God’s people were restored to Jerusalem. And we remember the prophecy of the events of the first Palm Sunday, from Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt“. Joy in the Old Testament accompanied a national event that elevated the people above their circumstance and fulfilled their dreams and hopes. Their subsistence and hard way of life was still there, but joy was always there as well, although often just out of reach and only a dream.

We pilgrims read what Jesus said to His disciples about being obedient to His commandments and remaining in His love, and wonder what that means for us in our 21st Century societies. It is hard going the Jesus way, being obedient to His commands, particularly as so many of them are counter-cultural, in the extreme in some cases. What a difference it would make to world peace if everyone prayed for their enemies, rather than step up their “defence” spending. What a difference it would make if marriage vows were totally honoured until death parted a husband and wife. What would the media report on if there was no crime? But as we stay close to Jesus and keep His commands, we are in fact helping to hold back the forces of darkness and, in the process, experiencing the joy that can only come from Him.

Dear God of Joy. We worship and thank You today. Amen.

Anything?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15:7-8 NLT

‭‭What did Jesus really mean when He said, “you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”?Superficially this might be interpreted as making Jesus out as some form of cosmic vending machine, dispensing all sorts of goodies to His followers. But nothing could be further from the truth. Imagine the chaos that would result from two believers in Jesus both asking for opposing weather patterns in the same area at the same time. Mutual exclusives would be irreconcilable. But in the context of these verses, Jesus was speaking about remaining or abiding in Him, the production of fruit, and the consequences for not doing so. 

As we remain in Jesus, keeping in close fellowship with Him, listening to His voice through the Holy Spirit within us, being obedient to His teachings, and working out in our lives the intimacy of a relationship with Him, then we will produce fruit. Spiritual fruit, as we read in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” So, surely Jesus saying that we can ask for anything we want, can only apply to this fruit of the Spirit.

We perhaps also get more light from the previous chapter in John, where Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:12-14). The important words are “in my name” and Jesus emphasised this phrase by repeating it twice. “In my name” implies a close and intimate relationship with Jesus such that we will know and understand what His will is, not ours. In our secular world, a policeman will make an arrest “in the name of the law. The name of the person or authority carries weight and influence in our society. Using the name of Jesus in the same way implies that we are acting on His behalf. Jesus went around His part of the world healing the sick, raising the dead and performing miraculous signs, all in the physical realm populated by human beings. As we follow in the Master’s footsteps, such opportunities will come our way as well. We too can do all the things that Jesus did. But I have a suspicion that the “greater works” that Jesus referred to encompass the spiritual realm as well. Perhaps the greatest “work” performed in His name is seeing a person entering the Kingdom of God, a person who has finally decided to believe in Jesus and start his journey of faith.

So we pilgrims need to be careful in asking for anything with the caveat “in His name”. In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” We cannot ask until we know what God’s will is for us, and that is then the source of the fruit that brings glory to God.

Dear Heavenly Father. We use the name of Jesus from a position of knowledge and revelation about His will for what we are doing. We know that we will not always get things right. We mess up and get things wrong. But we keep trying to do Your will in our daily lives. Please help us, we pray. Amen.

‭‭

Useless Branches

Posted on by korgrocker

“Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”
John 15:6 NLT

In the natural woods around me, I do not have to walk far before I find a tree branch that has fallen off, and lies mouldering amongst the leaf litter and the plants present on the forest floor. If I look up at the tree from which it fell, I can perhaps see the cause of the schism. Disease or damage has cut off the flow of the nutrient-rich sap, and the branch has withered and rotted until it no longer had the strength to resist the gales, falling to the ground often with a great crash. Skilled gardeners will examine their trees and shrubs, looking for signs of disease, and if they find any, out will come the pruning devices, to remove the offending shoots and branches before they affect the whole plant. 

In Jesus’ spiritual example, He compared Himself as the Source of the life-giving “sap” so necessary for human beings to produce the fruit required of them. Some believers think that this verse, “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned”, means that salvation can be lost. They surmise that anyone, believers who once believed in Jesus and followed Him, but who then turn their back on Him and cut themselves off from His life, can fall into the category of being a “useless branch” and are in danger of hell fire. Such a belief seems logical enough, if this verse is taken in isolation, but others believe that salvation cannot be lost, quoting Scriptures such as John 10:27-28, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me“, providing an assurance of eternal salvation regardless, or so they think. Another text supporting this position is John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life“. The problem is that some Bible translations interpret the Greek text in this and other similar verses as a once for all event, instead of what was intended, the continuous present tense. As an example, and looking at John 3:16, the text, “everyone who believes in Him” should perhaps be better read as, “everyone who [goes on believing] in Him”. But we are delving rather deeply here. To me the logical situation is as we read in Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame“. Do such people become the “useless branch”Jesus was talking about? I’m sure everyone will have their own view on this.

But we pilgrims are firm believers, remaining in Jesus, feeding on the life-giving spiritual food that has only one Source. And the fruit we produce quietly grows slow and strong, on the only Vine that really matters, Jesus Himself. Yes, we will occasional feel Father God’s sharp knife cutting away the bits of us that are fruitless, but, amazingly, we grow stronger for that. And instead of being in a bonfire of “useless branches” we will instead find ourselves in a much better place one day.

Dear Master Gardener, we don’t like to be pruned but we know it’s necessary as we continue on our journey. We know we are not on our own and we than You for being with us. Amen.

Much Fruit

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 
When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
John 15:5, 8 NLT

It sounds so simple. We only have to stay wired into Jesus, remaining in Him, and He will remain in us. The problem is that we are human, and behave in ways that are not always Jesus-friendly. Paul wrote about this dilemma in Romans 7:21-23, where he wrote, “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me”. He then went on to write in the following verse, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” But then we have the climax in Romans 7:25-8:2, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death“.

It is because of the power of the Holy Spirit within us that we are able to remain in Jesus, and have the potential to “produce much fruit”. But what is the fruit referred to by Jesus? We must turn to Galatians 5:22-23 to find out, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”‭‭ We notice that Paul referred to fruit, not fruits. We have one fruit with nine flavours, and the Holy Spirit grows each within us, in every passing day. 

Jesus also taught about fruit in His Sermon on the Mount, as we can read what He said in Matthew 7:15-20. He finished by saying, “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions“. Many years ago I attended a church business meeting, where the pastor’s remuneration was discussed. As a new Christian, I looked up to the people I had become acquainted with through the Sunday services, with their lofty prayers and knowledge of the Bible, their friendliness and gracious platitudes, but at the business meeting several of them behaved in ways I did not expect. They were angry, abusive, disagreeable and disrespectful. I was left disillusioned and it was only through a gracious and wise pastor that I continued my journey in the faith. Bad fruit? There’s a danger in behaving in that way, as Jesus said in Matthew 7:19, “So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire”.

But we all stumble and fall at times. Thankfully, God is gracious and kind and forgives all repentant sinners. He picks us up, dusts us down, and puts us back on the road to Glory. And the fruit continues to grow. 

Dear Patient and Loving Father. Through Jesus You know all our human frailties and help us in our times of need. Thank You. Amen.

The Grapevine

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
John 15:1-4 NLT

These are well known verses, much referred to in the early days of the charismatic renewal. I can still remember a conference sermon based on these verses and preached in 1979 or thereabouts, where the speaker lambasted the charismatic audience for producing lots of leaves but no fruit. But Jesus’ illustration was clear. He described Himself as being like a grapevine from which many branches emanated, and there are as many branches as there are believers. The grapevine has always been of great spiritual significance to the Jews. For example we read about a vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7, about how God planted it with great care but instead of producing a harvest of sweet grapes, its fruit was bitter. And Isaiah finished with, “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence” (Isaiah 5:7). ‭So, when Jesus described Himself as the Grapevine, the people of His land would know what He meant. 

To a Christian, a true, born-again, believer in Jesus, His presence in our lives is indispensable. We cannot survive for long without Jesus’ life-giving spiritual nourishment sustaining us and providing the resources we need for our daily life and pilgrimage. Sadly, some try to live without Jesus. They will read their Bibles. They will do all the right things, singing all the hymns and saying all the prayers, following their denominational liturgies to a fault, but in reality they have been cut off from the true Grapevine. Their hope is that if they dig in and don’t do anything they shouldn’t, then they will get into Heaven. But Jesus went on to talk about fruit. Which brings around to the thought – what fruit are we pilgrims producing? 

Jesus’ analogy was that He was the Grapevine but His Father was the Gardener. The thing about a vine is that it can’t just be left year after year, in the hope that the crop of grapes will never end. It has to be pruned. Dead and unfruitful branches must be cut off. The farmer and his staff therefore, and with great skill, know exactly where to prune to maximise the return on their investment. Some parts of the vine will stop producing the sort of grapes that are required, so those branches have to go. Other parts only produce small grapes – they are no good either. And so by careful husbandry, the vine is cleaned and fruitful. In a spiritual setting, the Master Vinedresser, Father God Himself, carefully does His pruning, and by doing do He allows even more spiritual fruit to be realised. What are we doing that we shouldn’t be doing? Can we feel the secateurs starting to cut? Are we producing fruit that is bitter and sour? Cut, cut. And so the process continues day by day, through God’s careful pruning. 

Thankfully, the Master Gardener is very patient. In Luke 13:6-9 we read, “Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”” God is in no hurry to lop off unfruitful branches but
in the end, fruitless branches are finally cut off and burned, and there is no way that they can be re-attached without repentance at the foot of the Cross. Thankfully, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, will never reject a repentant sinner. 

Father God, the Wonderful Master Gardener, we praise and thank You today. Amen.

Ruler of the World

Posted on by korgrocker

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.”
John 14:30-31 NLT

Our world is an evil and wicked place. There are wars and strife. Diseases and famine. Nations up against each other. Individuals trampling on others to better themselves. Corruption and political chaos. There seems to be no end to the problems in this world. But one thing is for sure, this is not God’s Kingdom. When Jesus referred to the “ruler of this world”, He was of course using one of the names or phrases given to the devil, the fallen angel cast out of Heaven. We read in Isaiah 14:12-14, “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High’”‭‭. The devil was cast out of Heaven due to his pride and rebellion against God, and the only place left for him was Planet Earth. But he doesn’t have unlimited power and can only be the “ruler of this world” within boundaries set by God. As Jesus said, “he has no power over me”.

Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We pilgrims need to be aware of a devil who hates Christians and everything we consider sacred. He will probe and prod, trying to find a weak link in our armour. Speaking of which, Paul wrote about how we should defend ourselves in Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places“. There was Paul, chained between two Roman soldiers wearing their armour in his jail cell, and looking at what each of those defensive items were for. He wrote about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith to stop fiery arrows, and the helmet of salvation. These were all defensive items, but Paul also wrote about an offensive weapon against which the devil has no defence – the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Five items for defence and one for offence.

Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days in the Palestinian wilderness, and three times Jesus replied using Scripture. We read what happened next in Luke 4:13, “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came“. And afterwards we read, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power” (Luke 4:14a). We pilgrims can stand firm and fend off the devil’s attacks. But we need to be alert, covering our weak spots through God’s grace. The ruler of the world had no power over Jesus, who defeated him at Calvary. And the devil only has the power over us that we allow. God has given us all the solutions to the problem of the ruler of the world. In Ephesians 6:13, we read, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm“.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all the resources we need to stand firm against the attacks of the devil. Please help us in our hours of need. In Jesus’ name.Amen.


Going and Coming

Posted on by korgrocker

“Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”
John 14:28-29 NLT

Once again Jesus reminded His disciples that He was about to go away. Earlier in John 13:33, Jesus said to His friends, “Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going”. And we remember what followed, “Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you””(John 13:36-37). The disciples were aware that something terrible was about to happen to their Lord and Master, but Jesus then went on to say, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1). But after He said he was going away, Jesus then said He was coming back again. Were the disciples confused? Of course, but they had trust in Jesus and His Father in Heaven, who had all under control. Imagine what the disciples might have been saying though, “But Lord, …”

With the benefit of hindsight, we pilgrims know what was going to happen. We know all about Jesus’ death and resurrection. After all, the events that were about to happen in Jerusalem were going to be pivotal, not only in our lives, but in society and history ever since. Jesus also reminded the disciples of their love for Him, something that would see beyond the immediate pain and grief, and even rejoice that He was going home to be with His Father. Yes, they were going to feel a sense of loss – their humanity was still with them. After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into Heaven. Perhaps at that point, the disciples remembered what he had said to them earlier in John 14:2. We read, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” I wonder what the disciples thought about their coming Heavenly home? What do we pilgrims expect? One thing is for sure – it will be far better than anything we can imagine.

Jesus seemed to accept that informing His disciples that “I am going away, but I will come back to you again” might have been difficult to take in, but He followed this with the words, “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe“. If they had any doubts or confusion beforehand, these would definitely be dispelled as they watched events pan out on that fateful weekend. But their faith and trust in their Master would carry them through.

We pilgrims know that Jesus came and left, leaving us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. But we still need much faith in God, because there is our own going just over the horizon. Then we will come into Heaven, to be with Jesus for ever. Jesus is not physically present on Planet Earth, but he will come again. Not as a baby in a manger, but as a victorious King. His last words were recorded in Revelation 22:20, “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”. We echo that today and every day.

Dear Lord Jesus. We do indeed say to You “Come”. We look forward to Your return, bring peace and hope to this troubled world. Amen.


Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27 NLT

There is much in the Bible about “Peace”. The Jewish word, “Shalom”, meaning “peace”, amongst other things, is well known and adopted by many as a greeting, along with a hug, kiss, or handshake, according to the culture. Paul started off his letter to the Ephesians with, “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace” (Ephesians 1:2). Jude included such an introduction in his short letter, “May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love” (Jude 1:2). Letter writing convention today sometimes concludes with a blessing of peace.

In a world of wars and chaos, people desperate for an oasis of peace somewhere try to find it by visiting churches and monasteries, or joining a pilgrimage to a place previously associated with a move of God or where a particular saint or other holy person used to live. But much searching after peace is destined for disappointment because a worldly solution cannot be found for the yearnings for peace within. Everywhere we look there is a deficit of peace, a deficit that extends from a national and international level all the way down to family relationships. The impact of sin and devil-induced wickedness seems never-ending. 

But in it all there is a ray of hope. Jesus was not referring to a worldly peace. Even with an absence of such a peace, there is still the inner turmoil and strife that can afflict all people facing the worries and anxieties of life. At the end of a war there is jubilation and relief, now that the conflict has ended. But soon such feelings are replaced by the reality of living with the economic and societal consequences and realities of life, an external lack of war replaced by the internal wars in people’s souls. 

Jesus reassured His disciples that they would never have to feel again the chaos of a lack of peace within them. He told them that He was leaving them with a gift of “peace of mind and heart”. Kingdom peace is nothing like worldly peace, which never lasts very long. Jesus’ gift of peace was to be a permanent presence in the lives of believers for ever. The disciples experienced it and so can we pilgrims. There is no war and strife in God’s Kingdom. Instead there is a positive environment of love, joy, righteousness, and all the wonderful spiritual attributes we find in God’s presence. So the world around us will be dissolving into a chaotic panic while we calmly continue to trust in God who has the solution. Jesus came to this world to bring peace to mankind, as prophesised many years before, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Through His gift of forgiveness of sins, Jesus, by His death, introduced an opportunity for the salvation of people everywhere, people otherwise riven by a lack of peace, and His gift continues to be available today. 

Paul, an Apostle treated so badly by the world around him, could write, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Paul understood the same and eternal peace that is available to us as well, that peace promised as a gift by Jesus, “peace of mind and heart”. Fellow pilgrims, are you in a storm of chaos and a lack of peace just now? If so, there is a gift awaiting for you that will provide a remedy. It won’t necessarily take away the worldly situation you are facing, but God’s peace will somehow provide the strength and positivity to carry on, step by step, towards our Heavenly goal. 

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise and worship You today with thankful hearts. Your peace floods over us in strife-ridden times. Amen.

The Aide-Memoir

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:25-26 NLT

One thing that gets worse with age is our memories. Memory loss is gradual and it affects some people more than others. As we get older we forget people’s names, for example, but then remember them  after a few minutes or later in the day. We can also forget appointments so we mitigate the effects by putting in place a system of reminders. Other people put their faith in “to do” lists, with phone or tablet apps or a paper and pencil providing the means. As many a preacher will know, asking a congregation about what he or she preached on the previous week can be demoralising, although many skilled orators will limit the amount of information and will use repetition to help audience retention. Buzz words and techniques such as catchy and related titles and sub-titles will also assist a congregation’s recall capacity. 

Jesus told His disciples that when He returns to His Heavenly home, He will send His representative, the Holy Spirit, who will have two main functions, teaching and reminding. I wonder what those early disciples were expecting? A physical presence sitting on their shoulders and whispering in their ears? Today we could perhaps imagine an “Alexa” or a “Siri” performing in the same way; after all smart phones seem to be ubiquitous. But the Holy Spirit was and is nothing like any man-made aid. Instead He is a gift from God, given to us through His grace and mercy and to fulfil the John 14:26 promise made by Jesus.

Another feature of the Holy Spirit is that non-believers do not have any knowledge of His presence at all. In John 14:17, Jesus said, “ …  The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you“. Not for the world are the benefits of believing in Jesus – the Holy Spirit is a special Person who comes to live within us to teach us all about the way to our ultimate spiritual home and to remind us of all the things that Jesus taught about. The first disciples had received three years or so of teaching from Jesus, teaching that was both by word, such as the parables favoured by the Master Preacher, but also through the day to day experiences, as they followed their Lord and God. It was, to them, all life-changing “stuff” but probably difficult to make sense of at the time. 

We pilgrims have the benefits of the written down words of the New Testament, but before we think that we don’t therefore need an aide-memoire, the teaching contained in the Scripture has to be applied to our daily lives. The Holy Spirit does favour an academic exercise or philosophical debate. We read in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is life changing and transformational. We transition from being a world-follower to being a God-follower and there is literally a “world” of a difference. Someone I know feels very inadequate because they cannot remember Scripture very well, but the amazing thing is that they find what they need in the recesses of their mind when an opportunity arises and requires it. Watching the Holy Spirit at work in another believer is a thing of joy. The Holy Spirit, a teaching aid and a memory aid. What an amazing God we serve and follow!

Dear Father God. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, allowing Your presence to be with us for ever. Amen.

Last Moments

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.”
John 14:23-25 NLT

A person’s last words carry much weight and importance. Many a film has included a cameo of an old or very sick person lying in a bed during their last hours, with friends or relatives hanging onto their every word, especially if these are few and far between, and their inheritance is at stake. But this scenario didn’t apply with Jesus. In His last hours He was fit and well, and He had much to say to His disciples. The shadow of the Cross was becoming shorter and He must have been feeling many emotions. Of course, the ever present thought of the pain and humiliation ahead of Him must have been uppermost in His mind.  Jesus would also have been looking forward to the joy of returning to His Heavenly home and being with His Father once again. But His primary concerns were for His disciples. How would they cope without Him? And it is true that they would have had no chance except for the Gift coming their way, the Holy Spirit. But in this interlude bounded by the Last Supper, and a few hours later, His arrest, Jesus had much to say to His friends. As we have already read, Jesus reassured them, “No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live” (John 14:18-19). 

As a preface, Jesus told His disciples that the information He was making available to them was not something He was arbitrarily making up – His words originated with Father God Himself. In other words, what He was telling them could not have been more important. And He emphasised the significance of love and obedience, primary requirements in their relationship with Jesus that would underpin their future life without Him. 

We pilgrims are modern day disciples of Jesus; His teachings still apply today and will continue to do so until the end of time. So everything we are about, doing and thinking, must be conformant with the need to love Jesus and diligently be obedient to all His commands. But this is not a legalistic demand. There is no law or rule about loving God that can be quantified and applied. Such love comes out of a relationship with Jesus that motivates and guides us through all we do and say. And that love will define our obedience to His commands. Paul taught in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy“. Love and obedience to Jesus can only come from a new birth experience.

Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. Without Him and His truthful guidance, we would be incapable of living in the way Jesus demands. In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“. Living the Jesus way, infiltrated with love and obedience, somehow puts us into a zone of Kingdom compliance that is surprisingly not nearly as hard as some make out. In Acts 26:14b, we read what Jesus said to Paul on the Damascus Road,“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will“. Paul had to come to the point where he totally abandoned his old self and way of living, and instead became a true believer living in the way of love and obedience to Jesus. And so it must be with us pilgrims, as we once again consider the last words of Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus. We celebrate, because You are alive today. Thank You for Your love. Amen.