Good day dear friends. Many of us have been praying for Annabell Ferrell, granddaughter of Chad Neff, and he tells us there is a website to monitor her progress: http://www.annabellferrell.com/. Daily updates by the mom will be posted. Continue to hold her in prayer as she was born prematurely and is holding her own.
We continue to shout, "Jesus is alive!" and here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Please study again the passage from John 14 in which Jesus tried to prepare His disciples for His death. Underline those words of hope and promise that He shares that speak about life beyond this life. Read the entire chapter and let it be a blessing of hope and promise for your life.
Here is that chapter from RSV: "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.
This program does not let me underline sentences or verses that I find especially hopeful in this chapter, but if I could I would underline the whole chapter. Spoken as words to prepare the disciples for His coming death, Jesus shares comfort ahead of time to the disciples that did not know what was coming their way. Read again those first verses: (To paraphrase) "Don't be troubled, have faith in God and in me. In my Father's house are many rooms, enough for you, and I'm preparing room for you. Where I am, there you will be also... etc."
To summarize it all, Jesus is saying death is not the end. Death is that passage from this life into the Father's house. Ours is a God of life, who loves us enough to want us to be with Him. Of what should we be afraid?
Read the chapter again! Let it speak to your heart.
PRAYER: God of life, speak to me those words I need to hear. Let me move beyond fear into fullness. Let me live my life as a sermon for others to hear that You love us all. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
