Father – Page 6 – Praying Pint

18.w. “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

1 Peter 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

The life of Jesus was a manifestation of God’s glory, and the disciples beheld this glory (John 1:14).

Jesus only ever sought the glory of His Father (John 7:18, 8:50).

God the Son seeks to glorify God the Father (John 12:28).

God the Father glorifies God the Son (John 13:31-32).

Jesus could not truthfully or sanely pray this if He were not Yahweh Himself, equal with God the Father. In Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11, Yahweh proclaimed that He shares His glory with no one. If God the Father and God the Son share their glory, they must both be Yahweh.

“He had one main petition: that the Father would receive him back to the glory he had relinquished to accomplish his task. This petition for a return to his pristine glory implies unmistakably his preexistence and equality with the Father. It confirms his claim that he and the Father are one (John 10:30).” (Tenney)

18.v. “For he will speak peace to his people”

John 16:31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalms 85:8-11    Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Micah 5:5   And he shall be their peace.

Ephesians 2:14-17    For he himself is our peace

Philippians 4:7    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 3:16     Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Jesus relied upon His close relationship with God all the way to the cross, and even upon it. In the loneliest moments imaginable, He understood that the Father was with Him. (Guzik)

“I remember that passage about Abraham going with Isaac to mount Moriah, where Isaac was to be offered up. It is written, ‘So they went both of them together.’ So did the Eternal Father and his Well- beloved Son when God was about to give up his own Son to death. There was no divided purpose; they went both of them together.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus offered His disciples peace. He made the offer in the most unlikely circumstances. At that very minute, Judas met with Jesus’ enemies to plot His arrest. Jesus knew that He would be arrested, forsaken, rejected, mocked, humiliated, tortured and executed before the next day was over. We think that the disciples should have comforted Him – yet Jesus had peace, and enough to give to others. Jesus did not promise peace; He offered it. He said, “you may have peace.” People may follow Jesus yet deny themselves this peace. We gain the peace Jesus offered by finding it in Him. Jesus said, “that in Me you may have peace.” We won’t find real peace anywhere else other than in Jesus. This word of peace is especially meaningful set in the context of conflict – tribulation and overcome both speak of battles to fight. “He promises a peace which co-exists with tribulation and disturbances, a peace which is realized in and through conflict and struggle.” (Maclaren)

Jesus also made the promise of tribulation. Peace is offered to us, but tribulation is promised. Understanding this removes a false hope. Struggling Christians often hope for the day when they will laugh at temptation and there will be one effortless victory after another. We are promised struggle as long as we are in this world; yet there is peace in Jesus.

18.u. “Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.”

John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

John 7:39    Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 14:16-17   And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  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.

John 14:26    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.

John 15:26    “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Sin is the truth about man, righteousness is the truth about God, judgment is the inevitable combination of these two truths. (Guzik)

“Each man’s conscience has some glimmering of light on each of these; some consciousness of guilt, some sense of right, some power of judgment of what is transitory and worthless; but all these are unreal and unpractical, till the convicting work of the Spirit has wrought in him.” (Alford)

The ancient Greek work translated convict has a broader range of meaning than simply our word convict, especially as it is understood in a legal sense. It also carries the ideas to expose, to refute, and to convince (Bruce). This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and in individual hearts; to convince and convict of these truths. It is a serious thing to resist and reject this work of the Holy Spirit, which is especially prominent and powerful in seasons of great spiritual advance. “The Spirit does not merely accuse men of sin, he brings to them an inescapable sense of guilt so that they realize their shame and helplessness before God.” (Tenney)

“The Spirit is the ‘advocate’ or helper of those who believe in Jesus, their counsel for the defence. But in relation to unbelievers, to the godless world, he acts as counsel for the prosecution.” (Bruce) It’s important to have the Spirit of God to defend rather than to convict.

In the great awakening of 1860-61 in Great Britain, a high-ranking army officer described the conviction of sin in his Scottish town: “Those of you who are ease have little conception of how terrifying a sight it is when the Holy Spirit is pleased to open a man’s eyes to see the real state of heart. Men who were thought to be, and who thought themselves to be good, religious people… have been led to search into the foundation upon which they were resting, and have found all rotten, that they were self-satisfied, resting on their own goodness, and not upon Christ. Many turned from open sin to lives of holiness, some weeping for joy for sins forgiven.” (J. Edwin Orr, The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain)

It is unbelief, the rejection of Jesus, which ultimately proves one to be guilty. The Holy Spirit will tell the world of the importance of trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Jesus to avoid this sin. “The essence of sin is unbelief, which is not simply a casual skepticism nor a difference of opinion; rather, it is a total rejection of God’s messenger and message.” (Tenney) It is a vague kind of skepticism which is one of the most common spiritual diseases in man.

18.s. ““I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.”

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

Luke 24:49    And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you

Matthew 13:21    yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

1 Peter 2:8     and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Jesus said; “When the Helper (Holy Spirit) comes.” He did not say “if”, He said, “when”. The gift of and sending of the Holy Spirit was and is promised. Through this gift, those who believe receive truth and display various gifts of this truth; wisdom, power, courage, strength, love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, grace, mercy, unity, harmony, generosity, humbleness, patience…. These gifts all bear witness to the truth of love, grace, and mercy in and through Jesus Christ. If we were left on our own without the helper, certainly we would be void. All of our wisdom would be worldly foolishness. Our power, courage, and strength would be a worldly weakness. All love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, grace, mercy, unity, harmony, generosity, humbleness, and patience would be self-centered, selfish, and self-reliant. Certainly, we would fail and fall short of bringing any honor and glory to Jesus Christ.

We can surrender and yield and seek and desire to be led by the Holy Spirit of truth or we can deny and reject, and harden our hearts and minds making us deaf and blind to the things of the Holy Spirit. Every moment of every day we will make a choice to surrender and yield and seek and desire to be led by the Holy Spirit or not. In this surrender and yielding and seeking and desiring we will glorify and honor Jesus Christ. Without desire and seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit we are surrendering and yielding to self and things of this world. None of which brings honor and glory to Christ.

Make an intentional choice every morning to be led by and through the Holy Spirit. Spend time in His word seeking that which will bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. Listen for those quiet whispers of the Holy Spirits leading and be obedient.

18.r. “And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: They hated me without a cause.’

Ezekiel 2:5    And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Romans 1:20    For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Acts 17:30    The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Ezekiel 33:31-33  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.  When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

2 Corinthians 2:14-16   But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Luke 12:46    the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

Because Jesus did come to and speak to the world, they knew something of God that they did not know before. This made them without excuse for hating and rejecting Jesus and His Father in heaven. Jesus did among them the works which no one else did, and they still hated and rejected Him. (Guzik)

People will say and do many things in their lives, some good, some bad, and some irrelevant. Live has a way of drawing us into things of this world and I guess rightly so. The hard part is, while in this world, not to be blinded by its offers of peace, joy, happiness, and purpose. They are lies. While we may be part of this world, we live in it, we should not allow it to distract us from humble service, honor, glory, obedience, trust, and reliance in and to Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is a heavenly scent to those who believe and to those who do not it is either unnoticed or it is a stench to them. Those that reject the heavenly fragrance from God’s Word reject Him. Those that reject Him are guilty of sin. Those that reject Jesus Christ, reject God and are guilty of sin. Those that reject the heavenly fragrance of the Holy Spirit’s leading to salvation, reject the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God. They are guilty of sin. “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” “ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

With all that is going on right now in the world our prayer should be for the heavenly fragrance of God’s Word be ever so powerful in our lives and also in the lives of those who do not know Him.

18.n. “For apart from me you can do nothing”

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Of the many pictures of the relationship between God and His people, the vine and branch picture emphasizes complete dependence and the need for constant connection. The branch depends on the vine even more than the sheep depends on the shepherd or the child depends on the father. As Jesus was about to depart from His disciples, this was important encouragement. He would remain united to them and they to Him as truly as branches are connected to the main vine. (Guzik)

“Left to itself a vine will produce a good deal of unproductive growth. For maximum fruitfulness extensive pruning is essential.” (Morris)

“Deadwood is worse than fruitlessness, for dead wood can harbor disease and decay…God removes the deadwood from his church and disciplines the life of the believer so that it is directed into fruitful activity.” (Tenney)

“And if it is painful to bleed, it is worse to wither. Better be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.” (Trapp)

I’m intrigued by – “that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples”. What fruit is in your life that proves you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? What do you say, think, and do that proves you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Too many times people have determined to use what they say, think, and do as a means to be good enough before God. They perform acts they think will make them good enough. They seem to keep a mental ledger book of both the good and bad they do in hope that the goodwill outweighs the bad and thereby justifies them before God. This vine bears no fruit and if it does the fruit that is yielded is rotten. A true caretaker of these vines will try to prune them and develop new growth that will produce good fruit. What has been cut off will be cast into a fire. At some point, the caretaker will no longer give care to this vine. He will dig it up and burn it all.

A true vine will produce fruit that proves they are disciples of Jesus Christ. The works (fruit) they do honors and glorifies Jesus Christ. The good works they do is not about being good enough but rather out of love and reverence for Jesus Christ. There is no seeking to be good enough. They know their redemption is not found in being good enough but rather in faith and reliance on Jesus Christ. They humbly surrender to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ and cast off all self-worth and self-reliance. By their fruit, they show they are His disciples.

18.m. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you”

John 14:27 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. 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. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 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.

Isaiah 32:15-17     until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.  Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.  And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

Romans 8:6    For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Philippians 4:7   And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace this world has to offer is often based on deliberate blind and deafness, half-truths and lies, and a host of other shiny bright distractions or false alternatives. The peace which the world offers us is the peace of escape, the peace which comes from the avoidance of trouble and from refusing to face things.” (Barclay) Jesus offers a better peace, a real peace, a peace that passes all understanding.

When Jesus is our refuge, hope, rock, courage, and strength we find peace. This does not mean freedom from trouble but rather Peace of Mind. We are definitely living in troubling times. Good is called bad, bad is called good, and lies and half-truths fill media news. Fear is being sold at every opportunity and the problem is that way too many Christians are buying it, cowering to it, and even proclaiming it. Love, faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ casts out all fear. The arrows of fear never strike. The arrows of fear pass us by as we stand on the Rock of our salvation. David said; “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge”

“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”

Peace comes at a price. That price is total surrender to the author and finisher, alpha and omega, creator, and all-powerful heavenly Father. Too often we think that the more we are in control the better it will be, the more peace we will find. Only when we surrender all we have and all we are to Jesus Christ will we find the peace that passes all understanding.

18.l. “You are not your own”

John 14:25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13   Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

2 Timothy 1:14    By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

1 Corinthians 6:19   Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Ephesians 4:30    And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Acts 7:51    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

The Holy Spirit is given by God to those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation, redemption, and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is given to us by God to lead us, to help us understand, to help us remember, and to teach us. The Holy Spirit of God indwells those who believe and this is why Paul says to be mindful that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you. In this simple statement Paul is saying; would you expose or allow into the temple to hate, greed, and anger when the temple is to be a place of love, joy, and generosity? Would you expose or allow into the temple pornography, lust, and adultery when it is to be a place of purity, holiness, and righteousness? Would you expose the temple to pride, self-reliance, and self-worth when it is to be a place of humbleness, surrender, and reliance in Jesus Christ alone? Would you expose or allow into the temple drunkenness when it is to be a place of sober-minded holiness? Would you expose or allow into the temple homosexuality and abortion when it is to be a place of purity and protector of life?

When you imagine allowing these into the temple surely you see this is more than foolish it is a direct rejection of God’s plan for the temple. We were redeemed at a great price. God’s only Son suffered and died so that he could redeem us from eternal hell. He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within each believer, making each of our bodies a temple of the Holy Spirit. How then must we think, do, and act? Should we not protect this temple from invaders, robbers, liars, haters, and false promises?

The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth but surely we must spend time in holy reverence cultivating God’s Word and deeply desire and seek this leading.

18.k. “Not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Luke 22:44 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Psalms 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know the exact day and time that you were going to die an agonizing death with immense pain and suffering? As the day approaches every waking moment is consumed with what is coming. Wouldn’t you do everything within your power to advert this from happening? Wouldn’t you seek help and intervention from your family and close friends? What makes the willing surrender of Jesus to suffer immensely and die on the cross so amazing is that He did not say no. He certainly did not want to go through this but out of His love for us He willingly obeyed, willingly submitted, willingly suffered, willingly listened to the mocking, and willingly died. He willingly paid the price for OUR sin

Prayer is not about bending God’s will to get what we want. The purpose of prayer is to seek God’s will and then align our desires with His. Alignment with God’s will. Do you ever wonder how this happens? How do we know God’s will? Jesus said “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do”. Some may say this verse confirms Jesus’ will because He said to ask and He will do. Do you ever wonder how many prayers seek personal will over the will of God?

When next you dwell in imagination upon the delights of some favorite sin, think of its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in the garden of Gethsemane, and desire, by the help of God, deeply to hate and to forsake that enemy, to ransom sinners from whom the Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled. (Matthew Henry)

18.j. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do”

John 14:4 And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 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’? 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. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.“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.

“Thus we notice how they speak to him with a natural, easy familiarity; and he talks to them in full sympathy with their weakness, teaching them little by little as they are able to learn. They ask just such questions as a boy might ask of his father. Often they show their ignorance but never do they seem timid in his presence, or ashamed to let him see how shallow and hard of understanding they are.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus didn’t say that He would show us a way; He said that He is the way. He didn’t promise to teach us the truth; He said that He is the truth. Jesus didn’t offer us the secrets to life; He said that He is the life. (Guzik)

“Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow; the truth in which thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope.” (a’ Kempis, cited by Bruce)

Jesus explained why He was the only way to God; because He was and is the perfect representation of God. To know Jesus is to know God. (Guzik)

Thomas asked a simple but deep theological question and Philip made a deep theological request. How can we know the way? And Show us the Father. They had both been with Jesus for over 3 years. They had witnessed miracles, wonders, and signs. They heard the words of truth He spoke, and yet, it is as though the dots were not connecting. Do you ever wonder if we are any different? How many prayers have been answered and yet we still harbor room for doubt? How many blessings have been graciously given and we leave room for unthankfulness? How many times have we been protected from Satan’s attacks and yet we leave room for the question, is Jesus near?

I usually say to make sure you stay in His Word every day, but I am consciously thinking that it is understood you must believe (rely on, cling too, and trust in) Jesus and you must exercise heart, mind, and soul-deep faith in line with what you are reading. We can believe in what we read but if it has no root in our heart then it is meaningless to our soul. Just imagine what impact God’s Word would have on and in our lives if we truly desired it to change our lives every single day.