Gleanings for March 29

Holy Spirit our COUNSELOR

John 14: 15 – 21 NLB: “If you love Me obey My commandments, and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor Who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, Who leads into all truth.

“The world at large cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you do because He lives with you now and later will be IN YOU. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. In just a little while the world will not see Me again, but you will, for I will live gain, and you will too.

“When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Those who obey My commandments are the ones who love me and because they love Me, My Father will love them, and I will love them, and I will reveal Myself to each one of them.”

These verses (I believe) are a good follow up to the declarations Jesus made about Himself when He said:

“I AM the Bread of Life; the Light of the World; the Door; the Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; I AM THE Vine.”

The promised blessings that the “I AM” statements offer will only be a reality for us as we make a commitment to obey the commands that Jesus gives. A powerful word of truth is given us in the Old Testament as well as in the New:

Deuteronomy 30: 19 & 20 NLB “Today I have given you the CHOICE between LIFE and death, between BLESSINGS and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice YOU MAKE. Oh, that you would CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your descendents might live!

“Choose to LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD and to OBEY HIM and COMMIT yourself TO HIM, for HE IS YOUR LIFE. Then you will LIVE LONG in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Notice the words “choice” “choose” “obey” and “commit” they are all “action verbs”. God has done His part in reaching out to all of us—the “ball” is now in our court—what will we do with it?

“For we are God’s masterpiece; He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we CAN DO the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2: 10

As we make the choice to OBEY His word, we will “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;” and we will be filled with all the FULLNESS OF GOD. See Ephesians 3: 19. When that INFILLING is in us, we can confess verses 20 & 21:

“Now to HIM WHO is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that works in us, TO HIM be glory in the church by CHRIST JESUS to ALL generations, FOREVER and EVER. Amen!”

“Looking to Jesus” helps us know what we need so we CAN make the right choices and commitments while we are here on earth. We also will know:

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENTH!!!