John 7:30-36~Another Perspective
30So they were seeking to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come. 31But many out of the crowd believed [or, trusted] in Him and said, “When the Christ shall come, He will not do more signs [than] these which this One did, will He?” 32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the Chief Priests sent attendants so that they should take Him.
33Therefore Jesus said, “Yet a little time I am with, and I am going away to the One having sent Me. 34Will seek Me and will not find, and where I am, are not able to be coming.” 35Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where is this One about to be going that we will not find Him? He is not about to be going to the Dispersion (Jews scattered among the Greeks) and to be teaching the Greeks, is He? 36What is this word which He said, ‘Will seek Me and will not find, and where I am, are not able to come?’”
Good Day Child of God! "Father? Your Will Be Done!" There are times that when it comes to the point that the words are to begin being typed on the page that there is a hesitation. This is one of those times. I am not sure what the Father has in mind for the lesson and message, He gave me a glimpse, but with so much going on around me I thought I would share with you the difficulty there is at times to getting the Father's Words to you.
Each day that passes as we travel through the Gospel of John is another day that is within the Holiday time that is being celebrated. Most of the references coming from Jesus are because He is teaching in the Temple. As we read it is obvious that Jesus is coming to the end of His time both teaching this long lesson, and doing so within the Temple walls.
Today's easy lesson: By and large there is one significant problem Christians have that is so significant, so large, that it is the proverbial elephant in the room. It is an identity, and I will call it what it is; crisis. Maybe some of you have been in a place of learning where you have had the pleasure to witness a particularly keen teacher. At some point, usually at the beginning of the lecture, he or she will ask this series of questions: "Who among you feel that you are as good to God as any other person in this room?" In most cases, because people don't want embarrass themselves very few will raise a hand. The instructor, if adept at this sort of teaching, will finally get nearly everyone to raise their hand, if not all. Then the next question. "How many of you feel you are as good to God as your Pastor or Priest?" Now it gets serious. No one wants to put themselves above their Pastor or Priest but again, with some explanation, the lecturer will get people to raise their hands, but not all. Then goes the next question: "How many of you feel that you are as good as, oh for the different Christians in the room, say Billy Graham or the Pope?" Wow! Billy Graham or the Pope, most will think "I am not even 'Catholic' and I am not as good to God as the Pope!" Yet it doesn't stop there, because the instructor brings out one more question. "How many of you think you are as important to God as Jesus?" Now you hear the room make a collective shocking "Oh-h-h, in a low hum. The lesson is this. Your Father sees you as important to Him even as His own Son, even though we are as one adopted, as the Apostle Paul declares in the Epistle to the Galatians. His first writing.
How does this affect your walk with your Father? Again I will state that most if not all Christians have an identity crisis. They think of themselves as just poor sinners, trying to humble no doubt. Others say they are squeezing through by the skin of their teeth, or recovered drug addicts, drunks, and whatever misery they put themselves through and find it necessary to hold onto that moniker. Yet others are much more upbeat. They will tell you they are doctors, lawyers, successful, no, sorry, very successful salesmen or businessmen, or some important executive. What do you think God thinks about who they think they are? He thinks they have a problem. The Truth is each and every one of them that Trust in the Finished Work of Jesus, follow the Father, are His Children, of which there is no higher place a human being can go. Have you noticed however if asked we all tend to forget that part of our Life? Me too! Why do we do that? Because we don't know who we are talking to. If we know that they are a Christian, we may let loose and enjoy a Brother or Sister and have a wonderful, loving conversation. This is natural, you are not condemned for this manipulated forgetfulness, but on the other hand, how wonderful it would be, if we could all just walk around with a snap in our step, a smile on our face, and greet people with genuine kindness, and when they ask, "What makes you so happy today?" You can tell them, "I am a Child of God, and it doesn't get any better than that." Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete New Testament Grace Studies link: http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
30So they were seeking to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come. 31But many out of the crowd believed [or, trusted] in Him and said, “When the Christ shall come, He will not do more signs [than] these which this One did, will He?” 32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the Chief Priests sent attendants so that they should take Him.
33Therefore Jesus said, “Yet a little time I am with, and I am going away to the One having sent Me. 34Will seek Me and will not find, and where I am, are not able to be coming.” 35Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where is this One about to be going that we will not find Him? He is not about to be going to the Dispersion (Jews scattered among the Greeks) and to be teaching the Greeks, is He? 36What is this word which He said, ‘Will seek Me and will not find, and where I am, are not able to come?’”
Good Day Child of God! "Father? Your Will Be Done!" There are times that when it comes to the point that the words are to begin being typed on the page that there is a hesitation. This is one of those times. I am not sure what the Father has in mind for the lesson and message, He gave me a glimpse, but with so much going on around me I thought I would share with you the difficulty there is at times to getting the Father's Words to you.
Each day that passes as we travel through the Gospel of John is another day that is within the Holiday time that is being celebrated. Most of the references coming from Jesus are because He is teaching in the Temple. As we read it is obvious that Jesus is coming to the end of His time both teaching this long lesson, and doing so within the Temple walls.
Today's easy lesson: By and large there is one significant problem Christians have that is so significant, so large, that it is the proverbial elephant in the room. It is an identity, and I will call it what it is; crisis. Maybe some of you have been in a place of learning where you have had the pleasure to witness a particularly keen teacher. At some point, usually at the beginning of the lecture, he or she will ask this series of questions: "Who among you feel that you are as good to God as any other person in this room?" In most cases, because people don't want embarrass themselves very few will raise a hand. The instructor, if adept at this sort of teaching, will finally get nearly everyone to raise their hand, if not all. Then the next question. "How many of you feel you are as good to God as your Pastor or Priest?" Now it gets serious. No one wants to put themselves above their Pastor or Priest but again, with some explanation, the lecturer will get people to raise their hands, but not all. Then goes the next question: "How many of you feel that you are as good as, oh for the different Christians in the room, say Billy Graham or the Pope?" Wow! Billy Graham or the Pope, most will think "I am not even 'Catholic' and I am not as good to God as the Pope!" Yet it doesn't stop there, because the instructor brings out one more question. "How many of you think you are as important to God as Jesus?" Now you hear the room make a collective shocking "Oh-h-h, in a low hum. The lesson is this. Your Father sees you as important to Him even as His own Son, even though we are as one adopted, as the Apostle Paul declares in the Epistle to the Galatians. His first writing.
How does this affect your walk with your Father? Again I will state that most if not all Christians have an identity crisis. They think of themselves as just poor sinners, trying to humble no doubt. Others say they are squeezing through by the skin of their teeth, or recovered drug addicts, drunks, and whatever misery they put themselves through and find it necessary to hold onto that moniker. Yet others are much more upbeat. They will tell you they are doctors, lawyers, successful, no, sorry, very successful salesmen or businessmen, or some important executive. What do you think God thinks about who they think they are? He thinks they have a problem. The Truth is each and every one of them that Trust in the Finished Work of Jesus, follow the Father, are His Children, of which there is no higher place a human being can go. Have you noticed however if asked we all tend to forget that part of our Life? Me too! Why do we do that? Because we don't know who we are talking to. If we know that they are a Christian, we may let loose and enjoy a Brother or Sister and have a wonderful, loving conversation. This is natural, you are not condemned for this manipulated forgetfulness, but on the other hand, how wonderful it would be, if we could all just walk around with a snap in our step, a smile on our face, and greet people with genuine kindness, and when they ask, "What makes you so happy today?" You can tell them, "I am a Child of God, and it doesn't get any better than that." Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete New Testament Grace Studies link: http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
