For Americans, July 4th is a big day. It's the day we celebrate our independence from the mother land, England. We have been a free nation for the last 237 years. The day is usually spent with family & friends, and centered around BBQ's where we eat too much food, games, swimming & fireworks. Regardless of all her faults & issues, I am thankful to be an American and to have the freedoms I have. Because I'm traveling, I'm not able to celebrate this day in the typical American way, however I am celebrating a different kind of freedom.
Recently, I've had a new revelation of how ridiculously cool Jesus is. You ever have those times where you read through a passage of scripture and there's nothing particularly amazing about it, then you read it another day and all of the sudden it's amazing and life-changing? This happened to me yesterday. Struggling through some issues, and desperately waiting on God for an answer to them, I was reading through the book of John. He didn't answer the questions I was waiting on, but ended up speaking to me on an entirely different matter that made those other questions not so important after all.
I was reading through John chapters 14, 15, 16 & 17. There is some good stuff in there, let me tell ya. This is a portion of John that, in my Bible, is all red-letter. That means Jesus said it. So I figure it's good to pay extra attention to that bit. So I'm reading through it and God just begins highlighting to me verse after verse about how he is FOR me. You always hear about how God loves you, has good plans for you, blah blah blah. Sometimes you hear things so much it doesn't really mean anything because you're just so used to hearing it. But all of the sudden, I was having revelation about how Jesus, God of the universe, is for me, wants good things for me, wants to see my success, wants me to have a good, joy & love filled life. What the?! How is that possible?
If for some reason you are questioning this, allow me to share what I'm talking about:
- As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you... John 15:9 (the same quality of love that the Father has for Jesus, his son, is the same quality of love that Jesus has for us...it cannot be more or less, it's just that good.)
-...but I have called you friends...John 15:15b (Jesus calls me his friend, what the?!)
-...but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit (being healthy & successful) and that your fruit should abide, so whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 (He wants us to do well!)
-...I have said all these things to keep you from falling away. John 16:1 (He's watching out for my future well-being.)
-...that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11 (Not only does he want me to have the fullness of joy, it's HIS joy!)
-...that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26 (He wants us to be in the Father's good, full love...that same love that He has for Jesus.)
-...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
- Whoever has my commandments & keeps them, he it 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. Jonn 14:21 (Um, hello, a promise of his love and that he'll show up to us.)
-For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. Hebrew 6:10 (He sees us and what we are doing does not go unnoticed.)
-...he is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 (He is always interceding on our behalf! That's a fancy way of saying he's always going before the Father in our behalf.)
I'm sure there are many other verses that say similar things, but these are the ones I came across yesterday. There is incredible freedom in knowing that Jesus, and the Father, are FOR you. They are not just there waiting to reprimand you, waiting for you to fail, to fall. They want what is best for you. They want you to succeed. When you bear fruit, it glorifies them. Jesus said he came that you would have life, and not just life, an abundant life. He wants you to know and rest in the Father's love, and he wants you to be filled with his joy. Do you know how amazing it is that the God of the universe wants what's best for you? He wants you to walk in freedom and wholeness, love and joy. God is FOR you.
Think on that for a bit, and enjoy the freedom of it. Happy indendence day.
Recently, I've had a new revelation of how ridiculously cool Jesus is. You ever have those times where you read through a passage of scripture and there's nothing particularly amazing about it, then you read it another day and all of the sudden it's amazing and life-changing? This happened to me yesterday. Struggling through some issues, and desperately waiting on God for an answer to them, I was reading through the book of John. He didn't answer the questions I was waiting on, but ended up speaking to me on an entirely different matter that made those other questions not so important after all.
I was reading through John chapters 14, 15, 16 & 17. There is some good stuff in there, let me tell ya. This is a portion of John that, in my Bible, is all red-letter. That means Jesus said it. So I figure it's good to pay extra attention to that bit. So I'm reading through it and God just begins highlighting to me verse after verse about how he is FOR me. You always hear about how God loves you, has good plans for you, blah blah blah. Sometimes you hear things so much it doesn't really mean anything because you're just so used to hearing it. But all of the sudden, I was having revelation about how Jesus, God of the universe, is for me, wants good things for me, wants to see my success, wants me to have a good, joy & love filled life. What the?! How is that possible?
If for some reason you are questioning this, allow me to share what I'm talking about:
- As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you... John 15:9 (the same quality of love that the Father has for Jesus, his son, is the same quality of love that Jesus has for us...it cannot be more or less, it's just that good.)
-...but I have called you friends...John 15:15b (Jesus calls me his friend, what the?!)
-...but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit (being healthy & successful) and that your fruit should abide, so whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 (He wants us to do well!)
-...I have said all these things to keep you from falling away. John 16:1 (He's watching out for my future well-being.)
-...that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11 (Not only does he want me to have the fullness of joy, it's HIS joy!)
-...that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26 (He wants us to be in the Father's good, full love...that same love that He has for Jesus.)
-...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
- Whoever has my commandments & keeps them, he it 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. Jonn 14:21 (Um, hello, a promise of his love and that he'll show up to us.)
-For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. Hebrew 6:10 (He sees us and what we are doing does not go unnoticed.)
-...he is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 (He is always interceding on our behalf! That's a fancy way of saying he's always going before the Father in our behalf.)
I'm sure there are many other verses that say similar things, but these are the ones I came across yesterday. There is incredible freedom in knowing that Jesus, and the Father, are FOR you. They are not just there waiting to reprimand you, waiting for you to fail, to fall. They want what is best for you. They want you to succeed. When you bear fruit, it glorifies them. Jesus said he came that you would have life, and not just life, an abundant life. He wants you to know and rest in the Father's love, and he wants you to be filled with his joy. Do you know how amazing it is that the God of the universe wants what's best for you? He wants you to walk in freedom and wholeness, love and joy. God is FOR you.
Think on that for a bit, and enjoy the freedom of it. Happy indendence day.
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