The Gospel of John is my favorite Gospel. Today we read in John 17 for our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I LOVE it! Here is what JESUS prayed to the Father about His disciples! Verses 13-17:
13 And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]. 14 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
JESUS was imparting the Word into His disciples so that after they were filled with Holy Spirit (on the Day of Pentecost), HOLY SPIRIT could bring this Word back to their understanding and then HE could teach them what it meant to them, personally! That IS one of the responsibilities that Holy Spirit has! To bring back to our remembrance the Word that has been sown in our hearts! WE must give HIM something to work with! When we do that, then HE is able to teach us how to put it into practice on a uniquely personal level! AND, Holy Spirit NEVER lets up on the job! Let's make sure that we don't either! AMEN! JESUS went on to pray for OUR protection from evil and for our soul sanctification which comes through God's Word, which IS TRUTH!!! AMEN! Let's treasure His Word in our hearts (spirit/soul combination) and allow Holy Spirit to continue to work HIS perfect work in us daily! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Future Marches In":
Shalom in Him!
