John, chapter 14 (3)

LORD God of heaven and earth, You alone are God. We worship You ancient of days and say may Your name be lifted and magnified over all the ends of the earth in the name of Jesus. Thank you for renewing our minds in understanding as we set our minds on the things above where Christ is, sitting at Your right hand God in the name of Jesus, Amen. Thank you LORD.

In this chapter, Jesus is sharing a Word with His disciples before His death on the cross. He tell them He is going to heaven, to prepare a place for them for in His Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2). On that note, Jesus reminds them in John 14:1 (NKJV), "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."

Jesus also encourages His disciples and all who believe in Him that He would never leave them alone, yet alone as orphans (John 14:18) for He would send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who is also known as the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit is part of the Holy Trinity which is God the Father, God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit. Jesus is introducing us to a fellowship that He personally has with God as His Father and the Holy Spirit. In John chapter 14, Jesus is introducing this fellowship to His disciples and to the church through the Person of the Holy Spirit. Today, Jesus is the head of the church who is also His bride (Ephesians 5:23) and the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:3).

As a church, we fellowship with each other in gathering together (Hebrews 10:25) as we also fellowship with Christ through our faith in Him, worshipping God, showing acts of kindness and love to each other and partaking of bread that represents His body broken for you and drinking of the cup which cup represents the new covenant of His blood that was shed for you (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). As we fellowship with each other and with Christ, we are in turn fellowshipping with God and the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of truth (John 14:17) whose major assignment I believe is to reveal truth, seen in the love of God when He sent His Beloved Son to die for the sins of the world so that all who would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). In God's love, the power of sin and death is broken off your life.

The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul continues to remind us of the importance of beholding the risen Christ because Christ's resurrection is the foundation of our life of faith. 1 Corinthians 15:16 (NKJV) says, And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! As a child who is born of God, it is important to behold the death of Christ on the cross as well as His resurrection from the dead for in Christ's resurrection is where your hope and victory is found. Since Jesus conquered sin, death, hell and the grave so will you whose faith is in Him. When it comes to death, the first death that took place was a spiritual death that came as a result of sin that was introduced by the enemy when he tempted Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a tree whose fruit God had instructed Adam to not eat from (Genesis 2:17). This reiterates the truth found in John 3:16 that God sent Jesus to give us life, "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22).

God loves people, a lot and salvation is the awareness of God's lovingkindness to man's understanding so that he/she is able to receive God's love for them found in Christ. This truth revealed tells us that the love of God cannot be deserved or earned for none of us would be able to measure up in our natural abilities or human efforts. When the enemy caused man to fall in the garden of Eden, sin came into the world causing spiritual death and a separation between man and God.

On the other hand, God in His love made a decision where man would not earn or work in order to obtain their salvation. Salvation is a free gift from God to man (Ephesians 2:9). When God sent Jesus, He did not just send anybody. For Jesus is God's Beloved Son who paid the price for sin in His body on our behalf and was raised from the dead by the power of God to become our righteousness so that you and I could be reconciled to God in right relationship and communion with Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) without condemnation, blame, guilt and shame from past sins.

2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) encourages us, "but grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever, Amen." Truth in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is only found in the Word of God which is also one of the best ways to fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 (NKJV) says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." AMEN.

I'll end with the LORD's promise found in Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Prayer: Thank you LORD God for we are growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the eyes of our understanding are enlightened to know the hope of our calling as Your workmanship created for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Invitation to salvation: If you would like to receive eternal life and be born again into God's Kingdom, that is saved and have a personal relationship with God as Your Father and you as His child by receiving His Beloved Son, Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to say this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

GLORY TO GOD, You are now a new creation in Christ Jesus! In case you have not already, please prayerfully consider becoming a member of a church and get WATER BAPTIZED!

If you have not already, I encourage you to read chapters 1-14 of John's Gospel! GOD BLESS YOU