“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

John 14:1-3… “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  (NKJV)

Jesus had just finished telling His disciples about having to go back to be with His Father in heaven…  And to comfort His disciples, Jesus told them they would have guaranteed reservations in His Fathers house in heaven, when they die…  I don’t know about you; but this scripture gives me confidence of eternal life face to face with the Lord, when He decides to call me home…

A little later on, Jesus tells His disciples how to pray, after He has gone to be with His Father in heaven, in…John 14:13-14… And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.  (NKJV)

I am quite sure; some people look at this scripture…and all kinds of stuff to make them happy pops into their mind…  But this scripture wasn’t about our praying for selfish desires…  Unbelievers seek stuff for their personal pleasure, not for the honor and glory of God…

The Apostle James (Jesus’ half brother), warns unbelievers about this, in…James 4:3… You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  (NKJV)

Later on, Jesus tells His disciples about impending His crucifixion…  Jesus explains that the world (Satan, and all those who wanted to see Jesus dead), would rejoice at His death…and that they (His disciples) would weep, in…John 16:20… Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  (NKJV)

This “joy” would be realized by Jesus’ disciples, after they saw the resurrected Christ… But Jesus also told His disciples earlier, about the joy they would experience, when the Holy Spirit was given to them by His Father (John 14:26); if they kept Jesus’ commandments…

John 15:9-11…  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  (NKJV)

Friends, please don’t miss the importance of this scripture…  “My joy” for the Christian, is Christ Himself (the Holy Spirit)… living with-in the heart, mind, and soul of the Christian…  But Jesus urges His disciples for the Holy Spirit to “remain” in them…  Jesus wasn’t suggesting that the Holy Spirit would leave a Christian, because the Christian is sealed for life with the Holy Spirit…Ephesians 1:13-14…  Here is a good link about being sealed with the Holy Spirit; written by John MacArthur, the author of my study Bible… http://www.gty.org/resources/bible-qna/BQ112910/sealed-with-the-holy-spirit

Jesus was telling His disciples (and us), to allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of the Christian’s life, in every way…   The Apostle Paul writes about being filled with the Holy Spirit, in…Ephesians 5:18-20…

I write about walking in the Spirit all of the time; with all of our sins confessed and repented of (1 John 1:9)… This sweet fellowship, that is found by abiding in the love of Christ (you will abide in My love),is what Jesus means…when He tells His disciples “that your joy may be full”…

This fullness of “joy”, because of the fullness of the Holy Spirit, or the fullness of Christ, or the fullness of God…is all the same; and it is based on abiding in the love of Christ…

I am reminded of this fundamental scripture about love and the Trinity, written by the Apostle Paul, in…Ephesians 3:16-19…   that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word would inspire all of Your children to seek the fullness of Christ, that Your Word so eloquently portrays in scripture written by You through Your disciples… I pray for the many blessings of joy, peace, and love that You promise to Your children who abide in Your Son’s love…  I pray for this fullness of “joy”, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills