Wednesday, May 01, 2013


2011

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

Let’s cover the chapters for the week.

John 13-15.

Jesus sits with the 12 disciples and gives them an example- he washes their feet and tells them that he- as their Lord- is a servant.

He shares the meal with them- he tells them it is his broken Body- his death experiences- that are going to give life to them.

In chapter 14 he talks about coming to them- that first he must leave them- and they are sad about it.

The bible says that ‘he knew that his time had come that he should depart out of this world’.

THIS WORLD- he spent just enough time in his present location- with the guys he was working with- and he knew this period of time had come to an end.

And the bible says ‘sorrow filled their hearts’.

His men were upset- they were really his friends- remember the accusation the religious leaders made against Jesus?

THE FRIEND OF SINNERS.

He talks about the Spirit of Truth.

I find this interesting- the way he will reveal himself after he leaves them Bodily [in death] is by sending the Spirit of Truth [the Holy Spirit].

In chapter 14 the disciples are confused;

‘How will you show yourself to us- and not to the world’?

He says if a man loves him- he will KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS- and he and the Father [God] will come and manifest themselves unto those who do the will of God.


But the world- those who do not keep the word of God- Jesus will not manifest himself to them.

A key requirement of having God reveal himself to us- is we must keep his commands.


A few weeks back I had an interesting experience.

Today is the first day of May- and I can tell all my friends- I have been clean all year.

Clean?

I told someone the other day- not in a boasting way- but I was ‘pissed off’ as they say [yeah- that’s the only sin I have committed in 5 months- I sill get mad.]

I told them ‘you know- I have been more ‘sin-less’ in the past 5 months than in the last 25 years!’

And yet- it seemed like my prayers were still getting about the same results [now- I’m a person who for whatever reason- prays for hours on end. As God is my witness- I got up today at 3 am- prayed for just under 2 hours- that’s normal for me- no bragging- that’s just my thing].

So- for someone who has been doing this for years- I always thought ‘geez- if I ever get clean- God’s gonna answer all these prayers’.

Yet it seemed like nothing really changed [by the way- I was wrong!].


So- maybe a good month or so now- one day I was doing the normal ministry routine- getting with the guys- dealing with those who ‘relapsed’ not being judgmental at all.

But I realized- some of my friends who are clean from some stuff- they are still messing up in other areas.

Honest?

Lots of my friends think staying off the booze is the goal- and they sleep around- all the time.


Look- I told them I think that’s worse- and it destroys your ‘soul’.

But- I don’t judge- just saying.

And maybe some are on pills and stuff- things I just wont do.


So- after a few months of being in the mix- it hit me one day- that I was trying to show them some new things I was learning- new experiences with God.

And they just couldn’t get it- not that they did not want to- but as long as they ‘walked in the dark’ they were never going to walk this part of the road with me.


Then it hit me- Jesus is saying ‘the Spirit of Truth’.

Many of the guys were just not being honest- lots of the stuff I spoke about this last month or so- yeah- tough stuff- not easy to discuss- but I felt I had to be up-front- honest.


Then in chapter 15 [John’s gospel] Jesus says every branch that is not bearing fruit is cut off- taken away.


Jesus spent 3 years with his men- he taught them stuff- he modeled it for them- and he was brutally honest with them.


He was going to die- that was a fact.

He was going to leave them.


But- those who remembered what he said- and DID GODS WILL- they got real with themselves and others.

To these he would ‘come back’ [by the Holy Spirit- Comforter] and would walk with them again.

In a way that others- who did not choose to do God's commands- would not be able to experience.


Yeah- I liked these chapters- it was like Jesus was speaking in code- he was dropping hints that some would see- others would not.


As I walk this new journey this year- new in a way that I have not experienced in a long time.

At times I see stuff- thru the Word- in daily experiences- things that I want to share with my friends.

But if I see them have a slip- you know- when they slip- they slip [Crack- meth- etc.]

I realize they have disqualified themselves from ‘seeing’ what I’m ‘seeing’ at that point of the journey.


It’s like the Spirit of Truth can only reveal things to those who are walking in truth.

If we lie- live a lie- to ourselves or others- God is still merciful- he still is patient.

But he can not manifest himself to us at that point- until we get real.


Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Face  book] - I have posted lots.





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