Keep Looking at What Jesus is Doing
John the Baptist sat in Herod's prison. Knowing that his life hung by a very thin thread, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Luke 7:20). What had happened to the mighty, fearless preacher who called his whole nation to repentance and accused the Pharisees of being a brood of vipers?
John was born to elderly parents—an incredible miracle. Growing up, he must have heard them say countless times, "You are the one the prophet Isaiah wrote about, the one who will come in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord." John had absolutely no doubt about his identity, and he knew how to answer those who asked if he was the Messiah. "I am not the Christ," he confessed. "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. . . . It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me" (John 1:20, 23, 27).
Shortly afterward, John publicly declared Jesus to be the Son of God and Israel's Messiah, proclaiming, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). This declaration testifies of the deep knowledge, revelation, conviction and understanding John had about God's purpose.
How did Jesus respond to John's confusion?
In prison, however, he wondered whether or not he had made a fatal mistake. John the Baptist—of whom Jesus testified that he was the greatest man born on earth—went through the worst confusion and doubt anyone can entertain: He questioned whether he'd failed his mission and misled his nation by declaring the wrong person to be the Messiah.
"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" - John 1:29
The reason for his confusion was that he expected Jesus to use His power to rescue him and set up His kingdom.
Amazingly, Jesus didn't condemn him. Neither did He say to John's disciples, "You mean John sent you to ask Me these questions? It shows that he has lost it completely. I never thought he would fall by the wayside like anyone else." Instead, Jesus responded with understanding and compassion. First, He healed many who were sick, blind and lame, and He delivered those afflicted with evil spirits.
Then He told John's disciples, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Luke 7:22–23).
What Jesus was saying to John was this: "John, it's all right. You are expecting Me to snap my fingers and get you out of prison and vindicate you. You are a righteous and wonderful individual, but that's not what I am going to do.
"When you serve Me, you will go through times of deep struggles. But if you keep looking at what I, the Lord, am doing, you will see that you have a part in all of it.
"John, don't forget that these blind people now see, the crippled walk and millions who were lost and bound for hell are turning to the Father. John, it's worth it."
How do we deal with others when they go through struggles?
When I was younger, I remember how aggressive, proud and absolutely certain I was about everything. I used to be so critical and judgmental toward other brothers and sisters who were going through difficult times full of doubt and confusion. Some of them wanted to quit the ministry. Instead of showing compassion for them, I would come up with Bible verses to preach at them.
Sometimes I did the same thing to my wife. One day, when I came home, her eyes were all red, and I asked her what was wrong. But before she could answer, I told her five Scripture references.
"Can you please stop preaching at me?" she asked. "I know all these Bible verses myself. The whole day I struggled with the kids and things at home. All I want is for you to understand what I am going through."
Let us learn from Jesus!
The next time we see our brother or sister discouraged and confused, let us not say with our mouth, "I will pray for you," while in our heart we are saying, "You creep, don't you know better?"
Instead, let us encourage them to keep looking at what Jesus is doing and see the difference that their lives are making for the kingdom of God.
And one more thing: When Jesus talked to the crowds about John, He never mentioned John's doubt and confusion. Instead, He made the most amazing statements about John's life and ministry.
Can we do the same with our brothers and sisters? Let us be willing to forget their problems and times of discouragement and see only the amazing things God has done in and through their lives. And then let us believe that He will do even greater things through them in the future.
Dr. K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President of Gospel for Asia
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Sin and redemption - from wikipedia on the Jesus prayer
The Eastern Orthodox Church holds a non-juridical view of sin, by contrast to the satisfaction view of atonement for sin as articulated in the West, firstly by Anselm of Canterbury (as debt of honor) and Thomas Aquinas (as a moral debt). The terms used in the East are less legalistic (grace, punishment), and more medical (sickness, healing) with less exacting precision. Sin, therefore, does not carry with it the guilt for breaking a rule, but rather the impetus to become something more than what men usually are. One repents not because one is or isn't virtuous, but because human nature can change. Repentance (Greek: μετάνοια, metanoia, "changing one's mind") isn't remorse, justification, or punishment, but a continual enactment of one's freedom, deriving from renewed choice and leading to restoration (the return to man's original state).[15] This is reflected in the Mystery of Confession for which, not being limited to a mere confession of sins and presupposing recommendations or penalties, it is primarily that the priest acts in his capacity of spiritual father.[7][16] The Mystery of Confession is linked to the spiritual development of the individual, and relates to the practice of choosing an elder to trust as his or her spiritual guide, turning to him for advice on the personal spiritual development, confessing sins, and asking advice.
As stated at the local Council of Constantinople in 1157, Christ brought his redemptive sacrifice not to the Father alone, but to the Trinity as a whole. In the Eastern Orthodox theology redemption isn't seen as ransom. It is the reconciliation of God with man, the manifestation of God’s love for humanity. Thus, it is not the anger of God the Father but His love that lies behind the sacrificial death of his son on the cross.[16]
The redemption of man is not considered to have taken place only in the past, but continues to this day through theosis. The initiative belongs to God, but presupposes man's active acceptance (not an action only, but an attitude), which is a way of perpetually receiving God.[15]
As stated at the local Council of Constantinople in 1157, Christ brought his redemptive sacrifice not to the Father alone, but to the Trinity as a whole. In the Eastern Orthodox theology redemption isn't seen as ransom. It is the reconciliation of God with man, the manifestation of God’s love for humanity. Thus, it is not the anger of God the Father but His love that lies behind the sacrificial death of his son on the cross.[16]
The redemption of man is not considered to have taken place only in the past, but continues to this day through theosis. The initiative belongs to God, but presupposes man's active acceptance (not an action only, but an attitude), which is a way of perpetually receiving God.[15]
Friday, August 28, 2009
Psalm 34 - refreshing and beautiful - another version/translation
Psalm 34 (New Living Translation)
1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12 Does anyone want to live a life
that is long and prosperous?
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies!
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help.
16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
he will erase their memory from the earth.
17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12 Does anyone want to live a life
that is long and prosperous?
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies!
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help.
16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
he will erase their memory from the earth.
17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
19 The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Another text from Jon Courson
But made himself of no reputation ...
Philippians 2:7
This phrase in Greek is ‘kenosis’, or, literally, ‘he emptied himself’. Jesus emptied Himself. Of what? Of His divinity? No. When Jesus came as a Man, He was still God. Then of what did He empty Himself? He emptied Himself of His Divine powers.
The implications of the doctrine of kenosis are huge because it means that everything Jesus did — the miracles He ministered, the prayers He prayed, the teachings He gave — were not done in His own power. Jesus healed and prayed and taught through the power of the Holy Spirit as He followed the Father’s directives.
Because I didn’t know this for probably 20+ years, when I read that Jesus walked on water, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He overcame temptation, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He spent the night in prayer, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus.’ Thus, the miracles and stories of the Gospels were irrelevant to me as far as they related to being an example or model for me.
I didn’t understand kenosis. I didn’t grasp Philippians 2. I didn’t comprehend that when Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of His Divine abilities — which means everything Jesus did, He did as a man just like me. Before He did anything, Jesus had to be obedient to the Father, to pray, to put Himself on the line, to be empowered by the Spirit — or nothing would happen. That’s why He said, ‘Of my own self, I can do nothing,’ (John 5:30) — and neither can you.
When a man who is serious about loving and serving God understands the kenosis of Philippians 2, he’ll never look at Jesus the same way. He’ll see that Jesus’ life is truly a model for anyone willing to be directed by the Father and empowered by the Spirit.
Philippians 2:7
This phrase in Greek is ‘kenosis’, or, literally, ‘he emptied himself’. Jesus emptied Himself. Of what? Of His divinity? No. When Jesus came as a Man, He was still God. Then of what did He empty Himself? He emptied Himself of His Divine powers.
The implications of the doctrine of kenosis are huge because it means that everything Jesus did — the miracles He ministered, the prayers He prayed, the teachings He gave — were not done in His own power. Jesus healed and prayed and taught through the power of the Holy Spirit as He followed the Father’s directives.
Because I didn’t know this for probably 20+ years, when I read that Jesus walked on water, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He overcame temptation, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He spent the night in prayer, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus.’ Thus, the miracles and stories of the Gospels were irrelevant to me as far as they related to being an example or model for me.
I didn’t understand kenosis. I didn’t grasp Philippians 2. I didn’t comprehend that when Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of His Divine abilities — which means everything Jesus did, He did as a man just like me. Before He did anything, Jesus had to be obedient to the Father, to pray, to put Himself on the line, to be empowered by the Spirit — or nothing would happen. That’s why He said, ‘Of my own self, I can do nothing,’ (John 5:30) — and neither can you.
When a man who is serious about loving and serving God understands the kenosis of Philippians 2, he’ll never look at Jesus the same way. He’ll see that Jesus’ life is truly a model for anyone willing to be directed by the Father and empowered by the Spirit.
Psalm 34 - most refreshing and beautiful
Psalm 34 (New International Version)
1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
This Devotional comes from Jon Courson
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Philippians 2:34
This is the key: let each one of you esteem others as being better than yourself. How does that happen? By simply realizing that every single person around you, that every single person you meet is better than you in some way or at some thing than you are. And once we look into their lives and explore who they are, we must conclude, ‘It’s a privilege to know you. I have no right to look down on you. You’re better than me.’
My natural, carnal mind doesn’t work this way. My carnal mind wants to find fault with the person next to me so I can feel better about myself. But Paul says just the opposite: Go around school tomorrow and look at every other student as being better than you — and treat them accordingly. And as you begin to develop the mindset that you’re privileged to be with everyone around you, the result will be joy. But it can’t be done apart from dependence upon the Lord day by day, moment by moment. It’s a challenge — and yet it’s something we can choose to do.
I believe verse 4 is really the key to verse 3. I will esteem others as better than myself to the degree that I listen to their stories and explore who they are — for if we knew the secret hurts and pains and suffering of even our chiefest enemy, we would find all of our animosity evaporating. If we looked into people instead of down on people, we would be filled with compassion for people.
This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Days Journey" by Pastor Jon. "A Days Journey" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testatment.
www.joncourson.com
Philippians 2:34
This is the key: let each one of you esteem others as being better than yourself. How does that happen? By simply realizing that every single person around you, that every single person you meet is better than you in some way or at some thing than you are. And once we look into their lives and explore who they are, we must conclude, ‘It’s a privilege to know you. I have no right to look down on you. You’re better than me.’
My natural, carnal mind doesn’t work this way. My carnal mind wants to find fault with the person next to me so I can feel better about myself. But Paul says just the opposite: Go around school tomorrow and look at every other student as being better than you — and treat them accordingly. And as you begin to develop the mindset that you’re privileged to be with everyone around you, the result will be joy. But it can’t be done apart from dependence upon the Lord day by day, moment by moment. It’s a challenge — and yet it’s something we can choose to do.
I believe verse 4 is really the key to verse 3. I will esteem others as better than myself to the degree that I listen to their stories and explore who they are — for if we knew the secret hurts and pains and suffering of even our chiefest enemy, we would find all of our animosity evaporating. If we looked into people instead of down on people, we would be filled with compassion for people.
This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Days Journey" by Pastor Jon. "A Days Journey" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testatment.
www.joncourson.com
Friday, August 21, 2009
http://lifehealingministries.com/?p=1111
Published by Jerry Baysinger on 21 Aug 2009 at 04:53 pm
WHATSOEVER YOU NEED, JUST ASK
The Lord Jesus spoke these words to His disciples in John 14:11-14, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
You might be thinking, Is it possible the Lord could have given us, His disciples, a blank check, to fill out and redeem as we have need? If so, then when I ask for something in prayer, why I don’t seem to get it? I think that’s a very fair question, and it deserves to be searched out for an answer, wouldn’t you say?
When the Lord Jesus said “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do”, He obviously meant exactly what He said, because He repeated it a second time. Oh, boy, I can see some eyes lighting up right now; “Let’s see, I want a new Ferrari, nice homes, lots of money, (you fill in the blank), and so I’m going shopping because Jesus promised He would give me whatsoever I ask.” There’s only one small catch……
The Lord Jesus was speaking to His disciples. But before you think He was only speaking to those twelve or so who were following Him that day, you have to define “disciple”. So let’s do that: A disciple is defined as one who is in the same way with the teacher; he or she is a pupil, one being taught and disciplined to become as the teacher. Knowing that, now it’s easy for you to ascertain if you are a disciple of Jesus. Are you letting the Word of God teach you to be like Jesus, are you taking on His traits and personality and His works? Are you of one mind with Him? Jesus spoke that His purpose and will was to please His heavenly Father, to be at one with Him in all things. Is that YOUR purpose will and in everything in your life? Are you learning to seek to please the heavenly Father in all you do and say? Notice I said “learning”, because you’re a pupil. You probably haven’t “arrived” yet, at least I haven’t. But if you can honestly answer “YES” to these questions, then without a doubt, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.
That means when you ask for something, your purpose for asking will be exactly the same as Jesus’ purpose was when He prayed; that is, He wanted to advance His Father’s Kingdom. He wasn’t asking for anything to promote His own agenda, after all, Jesus came here to seek and save the lost. He said in Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
So that means, when we ask the heavenly Father for something, it should be for the above purpose, because as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you shouldn’t have any other purpose in mind. Are you still with me? If so, you are beginning to see why so many prayers go unanswered, because we are not acting like disciples, and we have our own interests at heart. BUT AND IF we are asking according to the Father’s will, we are promised the Lord Jesus will give us those things. Now before you go getting goofy on me and getting into the ditch with questions like; Is it always God’s will to heal?, you must again look at the ministry of the Lord Jesus while He was upon the earth training His disciples for service. Was everyone healed that Jesus ministered to? Yes, because healing is the Father’s will, and Jesus clearly taught us that, by healing whoever came to Him with a need. And not only that, He taught His disciples (that’s you and me) to go and do likewise. He clearly demonstrated it was the Father’s will to meet our everyday needs, when He fed the 5,000 who were with Him one day when He was teaching. Even His first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding when the wine ran out, demonstrated his concern for a wedding celebration to go well for the young couple. Another thing, Jesus taught on giving, but He never said “Give to ME.” He said “Give to the poor.” There are those who SAY they are disciples of Jesus, who are greedy for gain, enticing people to give to them using various scriptures to manipulate them. But a tree is known by its fruit, and sooner or later their fruit will appear and give them away. The Lord knows those who are His own, and He will see to it that they are well taken care of, you can bank on that.
We often underestimate God’s compassion. So often we think the heavenly Father is like a stern, hard-to-please earthly father, whom we can never please no matter what we do. Many of us have or had parents like that, so it’s just natural for us to think our heavenly Father is like that, too. And with an attitude like that, it’s easy to believe in your heart that when you ask the Father for something, that the answer will most likely be “no” or “not now”. But that isn’t the Father’s attitude toward you at all. That’s why the Lord Jesus said in John 16:24, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receve, that your joy may be full. Apparently then, our heavenly Father doesn’t have a problem with us being full of joy. He isn’t an old fuddy-duddy, you know. He is a very loving, compassionate Father who wants us to really enjoy our relationship with Him.
Our job as disciples of the Lord Jesus is to point people to the Father’s love. And you won’t do that by telling people He’s out to send them to hell. Rather, we must make it clear to them that our heavenly Father took the necessary steps to deliver us from hell, and all the oppression of the devil, such as poverty and sickness. I have found through the years that, as the old proverb says, it’s easier to draw flies with honey than it is with vinegar. I think you know what I mean. Can someone look at your life, and the way you behave and want to know the heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus because of you? If so, you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ! If not, today is a real good time for YOU to become one!
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:32, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? So then, what’s the secret of receiving what you ask for from the Lord? Simple; ask according to the Father’s will. We can know the Father’s will by looking at what the Lord Jesus did, and then do likewise. When your purposes finally line up with the Father’s, ask what you will, and it will be done for you! Not because I said so, but because Jesus said so. And He would know!
The Lord knows you have physical needs that have to be met, and He doesn’t want you being worried about how those needs are going to be met. Instead, He wants you to focus your attention upon Him. Make the Kingdom of God your first priority, and let Him take care of the details. And to Him, they’re all details. NO WORRIES, MATE! Whatsoever you have need of, just ask Him. He wants your joy to be full.
WHATSOEVER YOU NEED, JUST ASK
The Lord Jesus spoke these words to His disciples in John 14:11-14, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
You might be thinking, Is it possible the Lord could have given us, His disciples, a blank check, to fill out and redeem as we have need? If so, then when I ask for something in prayer, why I don’t seem to get it? I think that’s a very fair question, and it deserves to be searched out for an answer, wouldn’t you say?
When the Lord Jesus said “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do”, He obviously meant exactly what He said, because He repeated it a second time. Oh, boy, I can see some eyes lighting up right now; “Let’s see, I want a new Ferrari, nice homes, lots of money, (you fill in the blank), and so I’m going shopping because Jesus promised He would give me whatsoever I ask.” There’s only one small catch……
The Lord Jesus was speaking to His disciples. But before you think He was only speaking to those twelve or so who were following Him that day, you have to define “disciple”. So let’s do that: A disciple is defined as one who is in the same way with the teacher; he or she is a pupil, one being taught and disciplined to become as the teacher. Knowing that, now it’s easy for you to ascertain if you are a disciple of Jesus. Are you letting the Word of God teach you to be like Jesus, are you taking on His traits and personality and His works? Are you of one mind with Him? Jesus spoke that His purpose and will was to please His heavenly Father, to be at one with Him in all things. Is that YOUR purpose will and in everything in your life? Are you learning to seek to please the heavenly Father in all you do and say? Notice I said “learning”, because you’re a pupil. You probably haven’t “arrived” yet, at least I haven’t. But if you can honestly answer “YES” to these questions, then without a doubt, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.
That means when you ask for something, your purpose for asking will be exactly the same as Jesus’ purpose was when He prayed; that is, He wanted to advance His Father’s Kingdom. He wasn’t asking for anything to promote His own agenda, after all, Jesus came here to seek and save the lost. He said in Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
So that means, when we ask the heavenly Father for something, it should be for the above purpose, because as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you shouldn’t have any other purpose in mind. Are you still with me? If so, you are beginning to see why so many prayers go unanswered, because we are not acting like disciples, and we have our own interests at heart. BUT AND IF we are asking according to the Father’s will, we are promised the Lord Jesus will give us those things. Now before you go getting goofy on me and getting into the ditch with questions like; Is it always God’s will to heal?, you must again look at the ministry of the Lord Jesus while He was upon the earth training His disciples for service. Was everyone healed that Jesus ministered to? Yes, because healing is the Father’s will, and Jesus clearly taught us that, by healing whoever came to Him with a need. And not only that, He taught His disciples (that’s you and me) to go and do likewise. He clearly demonstrated it was the Father’s will to meet our everyday needs, when He fed the 5,000 who were with Him one day when He was teaching. Even His first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding when the wine ran out, demonstrated his concern for a wedding celebration to go well for the young couple. Another thing, Jesus taught on giving, but He never said “Give to ME.” He said “Give to the poor.” There are those who SAY they are disciples of Jesus, who are greedy for gain, enticing people to give to them using various scriptures to manipulate them. But a tree is known by its fruit, and sooner or later their fruit will appear and give them away. The Lord knows those who are His own, and He will see to it that they are well taken care of, you can bank on that.
We often underestimate God’s compassion. So often we think the heavenly Father is like a stern, hard-to-please earthly father, whom we can never please no matter what we do. Many of us have or had parents like that, so it’s just natural for us to think our heavenly Father is like that, too. And with an attitude like that, it’s easy to believe in your heart that when you ask the Father for something, that the answer will most likely be “no” or “not now”. But that isn’t the Father’s attitude toward you at all. That’s why the Lord Jesus said in John 16:24, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receve, that your joy may be full. Apparently then, our heavenly Father doesn’t have a problem with us being full of joy. He isn’t an old fuddy-duddy, you know. He is a very loving, compassionate Father who wants us to really enjoy our relationship with Him.
Our job as disciples of the Lord Jesus is to point people to the Father’s love. And you won’t do that by telling people He’s out to send them to hell. Rather, we must make it clear to them that our heavenly Father took the necessary steps to deliver us from hell, and all the oppression of the devil, such as poverty and sickness. I have found through the years that, as the old proverb says, it’s easier to draw flies with honey than it is with vinegar. I think you know what I mean. Can someone look at your life, and the way you behave and want to know the heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus because of you? If so, you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ! If not, today is a real good time for YOU to become one!
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:32, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? So then, what’s the secret of receiving what you ask for from the Lord? Simple; ask according to the Father’s will. We can know the Father’s will by looking at what the Lord Jesus did, and then do likewise. When your purposes finally line up with the Father’s, ask what you will, and it will be done for you! Not because I said so, but because Jesus said so. And He would know!
The Lord knows you have physical needs that have to be met, and He doesn’t want you being worried about how those needs are going to be met. Instead, He wants you to focus your attention upon Him. Make the Kingdom of God your first priority, and let Him take care of the details. And to Him, they’re all details. NO WORRIES, MATE! Whatsoever you have need of, just ask Him. He wants your joy to be full.
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