We have another of my favorite verses in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today! Hebrews 13:8:
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. KJV
I LOVE meditating and studying the Word of God, with the Holy Spirit as my Teacher! I learn something new every time I open up the Word! This verse is very well known and often repeated. Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One and His Anointing, will NEVER change! THAT is TRUTH! But on another level, when I looked up the word "same", I found an even deeper meaning! This is the Greek word "autos". ONE of the meanings or uses for this word is "self". Jesus is, and always will be, HIMSELF! Jesus never had to go away and "find himself"! He IS Who He IS! Do you remember when Moses asked God what Name he should give when people asked him? God said this in Exodus 3:14:
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you. KJV
The Amplified Bible says this:
14 And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you! AMP
Then we see this, from Jesus, in John 8:58:
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. KJV
See John 5:18 to see how the religious Jews reacted to Jesus knowing Who HE was! And then read Philippians 2:6 to see that Jesus knew EXACTLY Who He was! Now we can better understand the prayer of Jesus for US in John 17:17-23:
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. KJV
Do you want know to something REALLY exciting about that? Look at 1 John 4:17:
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. KJV
SO, because the Spirit of God, Who is ONE with the Father and the Son, lives IN us, WE also are one with THEM! We are to BE HIS representatives in the earth! We are to look, speak and act the way that Jesus did! How did He look at people? He looked at them through the eyes of LOVE! Non-judgmental LOVE (John 3:17)! How did He speak? He spoke only what He heard the Father say (John 12:49-50)! How did He act? He went about doing GOOD and HEALING (Acts 10:38)! What are WE to do? We our to be OURSELVES! Our God-inside-minded selves! Jesus said it best in John 14:12:
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes 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. KJV
Now am I saying that WE are GOD? NO! Jesus WAS and IS God, but on the earth He did NOT operate as God! We are NOT God, BUT, because God lives IN us, we CAN and SHOULD operate just as Jesus did, HIMSELF, on the earth! So get out there and BE yourself! Be who you really are! Be who God intends for you to be! BE the first JESUS that some people have ever seen! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with the result of our being who we are! "Lost Are Found":
Shalom in Him!
