May 11th 2014
Showing Yourselves To Be My Disciples!
John 15:7-9 (NIV)
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
What does it mean to be in Jesus, and Him to be in you? Do you ever think about such a question? If you offer your service to other people, then you will bring glory to your Father in heaven, and doing so you are, as Jesus said, “showing yourselves to be my disciples.” A better question may be, can we followers of Jesus, really put others before us in our world today? Of course, my world is living in the USA! Such thoughts of putting others needs before our own is not what the society in which I live teaches! What about you, can you really put others first, and be willing to be, or come in second, and be happy about it?
Does having someone jump in a line in front of you cause you any displeasure? Does having someone cut in front of you in traffic bother you at all? Have you ever participated in a blocking technique to stop people from going around you when traffic is stopped, because a lane is closed, or some other reason like road repairs? Big rig drivers often form such a blocking technique, and when I see it, I like what they are doing! Come on now, you know what I’m writing about here, and I suspect you either like it, or you are the people who are too important to wait in the line, and you are going around to beat the slow down!
So is this really the same thing as what Jesus was teaching His disciples about being willing to put yourselves in a second place type of mode? If everyone was a follower of Jesus, then none of the stuff this commentary is stating would actually occur! No, this statement is not true! Please remember, you are first sinners, and second you are followers of Jesus Christ. Can you really change your outlook and not be pushed into the at best second place, and still be happy? I think it is possible, because Jesus died and rose from the dead to allow His true followers to forget being first always in this life, because we know we are already first in the next life. In heaven everyone finishes the race in first place!
Paul wrote about a crown that all those who follow Jesus will get in the next life. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. (1Corinthians 9:25) Paul writes here about how it is in this life of striving to come-in first, or to be first, but not everyone will win the race. In this life only the winner gets the crown, but all the followers of Jesus have a crown reserved for them, and their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
All true followers of Jesus Christ will be the overcomers written about in the book of Revelation. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5) Is your name written in this book of life? If it is, has your attitude changed enough to allow you to be receptive to looking at being second as an acceptable position, because you can allow someone else to win, and be happy for them? No, me either, but then I’m still working on becoming more Christ-like every day! What about you are you still a work-in-progress too?
Paul wrote a letter to the church in Rome, about this concept of loving enough to put someone else before you. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:9-10) Yes, this is directed toward other believers, but the concept is the same for unbelievers too. If someone actually observes a loving attitude in a church of your choice, they will be attracted to you, and to such a church. Winning someone to Christ cannot be accomplished except through a genuine love, and such love can only come through a connection with Jesus. Is the Holy Spirit living in your heart?
In the selected verses, Jesus makes an outlandish promise. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Are you ready to ask Jesus for something outlandish? Can you imagine being happy with less than first place, because you love someone else through this Holy Spirit enough, to put them in front of you in a line that leads to heaven. It is sometimes called the narrow road or the narrow gate. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:12-14)
Are you striving to be one of the few who is seeking to find that narrow gate, which leads to a final reward that was gained for us by Jesus death on that cross and His resurrection from the dead? From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:16-17) Sometimes we need to think about the blessings that God has given to us, and too many times we take these blessing for granted. Today when you woke up, and realized you were still breathing, we should be thankful, as God is maintaining this earth, and He will continue to do so, until it is time for a new earth.
Let this commentary close with thoughts from Peter. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:11-14) You be trying to become more Christ-like, and thus, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 15:7-9 (NIV)
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
What does it mean to be in Jesus, and Him to be in you? Do you ever think about such a question? If you offer your service to other people, then you will bring glory to your Father in heaven, and doing so you are, as Jesus said, “showing yourselves to be my disciples.” A better question may be, can we followers of Jesus, really put others before us in our world today? Of course, my world is living in the USA! Such thoughts of putting others needs before our own is not what the society in which I live teaches! What about you, can you really put others first, and be willing to be, or come in second, and be happy about it?
Does having someone jump in a line in front of you cause you any displeasure? Does having someone cut in front of you in traffic bother you at all? Have you ever participated in a blocking technique to stop people from going around you when traffic is stopped, because a lane is closed, or some other reason like road repairs? Big rig drivers often form such a blocking technique, and when I see it, I like what they are doing! Come on now, you know what I’m writing about here, and I suspect you either like it, or you are the people who are too important to wait in the line, and you are going around to beat the slow down!
So is this really the same thing as what Jesus was teaching His disciples about being willing to put yourselves in a second place type of mode? If everyone was a follower of Jesus, then none of the stuff this commentary is stating would actually occur! No, this statement is not true! Please remember, you are first sinners, and second you are followers of Jesus Christ. Can you really change your outlook and not be pushed into the at best second place, and still be happy? I think it is possible, because Jesus died and rose from the dead to allow His true followers to forget being first always in this life, because we know we are already first in the next life. In heaven everyone finishes the race in first place!
Paul wrote about a crown that all those who follow Jesus will get in the next life. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. (1Corinthians 9:25) Paul writes here about how it is in this life of striving to come-in first, or to be first, but not everyone will win the race. In this life only the winner gets the crown, but all the followers of Jesus have a crown reserved for them, and their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
All true followers of Jesus Christ will be the overcomers written about in the book of Revelation. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:5) Is your name written in this book of life? If it is, has your attitude changed enough to allow you to be receptive to looking at being second as an acceptable position, because you can allow someone else to win, and be happy for them? No, me either, but then I’m still working on becoming more Christ-like every day! What about you are you still a work-in-progress too?
Paul wrote a letter to the church in Rome, about this concept of loving enough to put someone else before you. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:9-10) Yes, this is directed toward other believers, but the concept is the same for unbelievers too. If someone actually observes a loving attitude in a church of your choice, they will be attracted to you, and to such a church. Winning someone to Christ cannot be accomplished except through a genuine love, and such love can only come through a connection with Jesus. Is the Holy Spirit living in your heart?
In the selected verses, Jesus makes an outlandish promise. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Are you ready to ask Jesus for something outlandish? Can you imagine being happy with less than first place, because you love someone else through this Holy Spirit enough, to put them in front of you in a line that leads to heaven. It is sometimes called the narrow road or the narrow gate. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:12-14)
Are you striving to be one of the few who is seeking to find that narrow gate, which leads to a final reward that was gained for us by Jesus death on that cross and His resurrection from the dead? From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:16-17) Sometimes we need to think about the blessings that God has given to us, and too many times we take these blessing for granted. Today when you woke up, and realized you were still breathing, we should be thankful, as God is maintaining this earth, and He will continue to do so, until it is time for a new earth.
Let this commentary close with thoughts from Peter. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:11-14) You be trying to become more Christ-like, and thus, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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