See Jesus in Your Life
Recently I've been studying the teachings of Jesus, and I've been so struck again by His amazing clarity. I was just telling a friend yesterday that one of the greatest revelations I've received is that the Bible means what it says. I don't know how I got that revelation, honestly, but I've always know that to be true. It has also helped that God has put me under teachers who preach absolute trust in God's Word.
When I read Jesus' teachings I constantly see how simple He makes it. Sometimes I think most Christians specialize in making the Bible confusing. It's not confusing, it's clear. It's only hard to understand if you start thinking it means something other than what it specifically says. So don't do that. Open your Bible today with the unwavering belief that it means what it says, that the very throne of God is behind the truth of its Words, and that you're going to live in line with its actual text. Now that we've got that settled, let's turn to some very clear Scriptures and see the results they will produce if we apply them to our lives.
"If you love me, keep my commandments . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:15,21,23)
Let's be honest, can it get any clearer than that? Jesus says that if you love Him you will keep His commandments. If you ask God whether I love Jesus, He looks at one thing alone, the extent to which I keep Jesus' commandments. It's just that simple. If I'm not keeping Jesus' commandments then God could easily say that I don't love Jesus. And how could I argue? My beloved friends, the extent of your obedience to the commandments of Jesus, in your heart as well as in your flesh, shows the measure of your love for Him. AND, for those who do love Jesus, who do keep His commandments, such a wonderful reality awaits - God will love them, and Jesus will love them, and Jesus will manifest Himself to them. WOW!
The word "manifest" in the original Greek means to exhibit, to disclose, to appear, to show. The origin of that word is a compound that basically means "to lighten, or shine light on, one's position." Isn't that awesome? When you demonstrate your love to Jesus by obeying His commandments, Jesus is going to shine light on His position in your life. He is going to reveal Himself to you.
Are you constantly asking where is God in your situation? Are you constantly waiting for God to make Himself real to you? Well this is how it's done. This didn't take any difficult theological study or intense debate. Here it is, plain and simple, how to see God in your life. Did you see that movie Kingdom of Heaven? At one point the main character is in Israel and wants God to show up. Well it doesn't matter if you're in Jerusalem or Jersey, this is how you get God to appear in your life.
If you love Jesus you will keep His words, and God and Jesus will come to you and make their abode with you. "Abode" means dwelling place. Can it get any simpler? I know God and Jesus are with us in our hearts if we are saved. I know that Jesus will never leave us even when we stumble. But don't get so deep that you miss the reality of these teachings. Obey the commandments of Jesus and He and God will come to you and abide with you. Yes, they are in my heart. BUT I NEED THEM IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY EARTHLY LIFE! Don't you?
We are going after the closest possible relationship with all Three Parts of the Trinity. If Jesus says this is how to see Him manifest Himself, then that's good enough for me. If Jesus says this is how to get Him and God to make their abode with me, then that's good enough for me.
Now people could start making it difficult. So what are the commandments of Jesus? Are they the Ten Commandments? Is it the Whole Bible? Is it simply to love your neighbor? Well people could make arguments for all those, but I'm not getting into that. I'm keeping it simple. In my Bible every Word of Jesus is in red. So I'm going to start there. Yes, I do believe they are all founded upon the two commandments of loving God correctly and loving others as Jesus loves you. But I believe all of Jesus' other commandments in red are further explanation and direction for those. I'm going through all the red, and I'm going to study and apply them to my life. You can't keep the commandments if you don't have them first. Yes, Jesus also speaks through prophets (like Paul) and His Spirit. We'll get to those too. But we must start somewhere, and the red seems good to me.
So receive this Word today and keep it simple when you read the Bible. You don't need to get too deep with it to realize its amazing realities. Just take it easy. Believe the Bible and do what it says. Get Jesus' commandments into your heart and mind, then obey them. Jesus will manifest Himself in your life and God and Jesus will dwell with you.
And don't forget, "with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38) If you receive Jesus' teachings and apply them, the more you do so the more you will see Jesus' promised results. So don't just put small measure to this, incorporate it into the very foundation and composition of your life. You will never again wonder where Jesus is. You will never find yourself asking where is God. They will be with you, and you will clearly see them in your life.
When I read Jesus' teachings I constantly see how simple He makes it. Sometimes I think most Christians specialize in making the Bible confusing. It's not confusing, it's clear. It's only hard to understand if you start thinking it means something other than what it specifically says. So don't do that. Open your Bible today with the unwavering belief that it means what it says, that the very throne of God is behind the truth of its Words, and that you're going to live in line with its actual text. Now that we've got that settled, let's turn to some very clear Scriptures and see the results they will produce if we apply them to our lives.
"If you love me, keep my commandments . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:15,21,23)
Let's be honest, can it get any clearer than that? Jesus says that if you love Him you will keep His commandments. If you ask God whether I love Jesus, He looks at one thing alone, the extent to which I keep Jesus' commandments. It's just that simple. If I'm not keeping Jesus' commandments then God could easily say that I don't love Jesus. And how could I argue? My beloved friends, the extent of your obedience to the commandments of Jesus, in your heart as well as in your flesh, shows the measure of your love for Him. AND, for those who do love Jesus, who do keep His commandments, such a wonderful reality awaits - God will love them, and Jesus will love them, and Jesus will manifest Himself to them. WOW!
The word "manifest" in the original Greek means to exhibit, to disclose, to appear, to show. The origin of that word is a compound that basically means "to lighten, or shine light on, one's position." Isn't that awesome? When you demonstrate your love to Jesus by obeying His commandments, Jesus is going to shine light on His position in your life. He is going to reveal Himself to you.
Are you constantly asking where is God in your situation? Are you constantly waiting for God to make Himself real to you? Well this is how it's done. This didn't take any difficult theological study or intense debate. Here it is, plain and simple, how to see God in your life. Did you see that movie Kingdom of Heaven? At one point the main character is in Israel and wants God to show up. Well it doesn't matter if you're in Jerusalem or Jersey, this is how you get God to appear in your life.
If you love Jesus you will keep His words, and God and Jesus will come to you and make their abode with you. "Abode" means dwelling place. Can it get any simpler? I know God and Jesus are with us in our hearts if we are saved. I know that Jesus will never leave us even when we stumble. But don't get so deep that you miss the reality of these teachings. Obey the commandments of Jesus and He and God will come to you and abide with you. Yes, they are in my heart. BUT I NEED THEM IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY EARTHLY LIFE! Don't you?
We are going after the closest possible relationship with all Three Parts of the Trinity. If Jesus says this is how to see Him manifest Himself, then that's good enough for me. If Jesus says this is how to get Him and God to make their abode with me, then that's good enough for me.
Now people could start making it difficult. So what are the commandments of Jesus? Are they the Ten Commandments? Is it the Whole Bible? Is it simply to love your neighbor? Well people could make arguments for all those, but I'm not getting into that. I'm keeping it simple. In my Bible every Word of Jesus is in red. So I'm going to start there. Yes, I do believe they are all founded upon the two commandments of loving God correctly and loving others as Jesus loves you. But I believe all of Jesus' other commandments in red are further explanation and direction for those. I'm going through all the red, and I'm going to study and apply them to my life. You can't keep the commandments if you don't have them first. Yes, Jesus also speaks through prophets (like Paul) and His Spirit. We'll get to those too. But we must start somewhere, and the red seems good to me.
So receive this Word today and keep it simple when you read the Bible. You don't need to get too deep with it to realize its amazing realities. Just take it easy. Believe the Bible and do what it says. Get Jesus' commandments into your heart and mind, then obey them. Jesus will manifest Himself in your life and God and Jesus will dwell with you.
And don't forget, "with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38) If you receive Jesus' teachings and apply them, the more you do so the more you will see Jesus' promised results. So don't just put small measure to this, incorporate it into the very foundation and composition of your life. You will never again wonder where Jesus is. You will never find yourself asking where is God. They will be with you, and you will clearly see them in your life.
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