Prayer Request: Before I get into the Word this morning, I would like to solicit your prayers. My mother-in-love (Isabella’s Mom) and brother-in-love (Isabella’s brother) live on the island of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe was in the middle of Hurricane Maria last night. We got off the phone with my mother-in-love after midnight. The winds were blowing terribly. Isabella has another brother on the island of Dominica, where she is from. Dominica was hit hard yesterday by this Hurricane. The Prime Minister of Dominica had to be evacuated after the roof of his home was blown away. We have not talked to Isabella’s brother since the storm started. We are believing God to talk to him today. I am asking you to pray for the Hurricane to disband and dissipate. Let’s release the power of God. Many islands are still in its path. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic (where my family is), Turks and Caicos, and other islands are on the path. Powerful things happen when believers pray. Let’s pray. Let’s believe God!
Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. We have been looking at John 17, to go along with it, for two weeks. Let’s go back to both passages again this morning.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 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.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17:20-23)
“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”
I will, once again, focus in on the words: “I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- If there are going to be more believers, it is going to be because of you. You are called to be light and salt. You are called to RE-Present Jesus in this world.
- I am sure there are rare cases where someone comes to Jesus through a supernatural encounter with God, like Saul of Tarsus had when God knocked him off his high horse (literally) and blinded him with a light that came down from heaven. But in the vast majority of cases, people are drawn to God through other people. Chances are high that you came to God because you encountered God in, with and through someone else. This is exactly what Jesus was referring to when He said that other followers would come to Him because of the teaching of those who were present with Him. He was looking at a group of followers and praying for them and ALL who would come to Him BECAUSE of them! See, you coming to God is the first step. But you must graduate to the point where others come to God BECAUSE OF YOU! That is the goal.
- You may be the only Jesus someone will ever see. But you will never be that, if you fail to see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world.” If you don’t even see yourself as Jesus is, then how will others ever see Jesus in you?
- God loved you enough to send people your way, to interact with you. These were people who had Jesus IN them; people who were living in such a way that they allowed Jesus to be seen THROUGH them. He now sends you out to do the same for others. God wants to use you to draw others to Him, just like He used others to draw you.
- God loves you so much that He is willing to use you despite your failures, faults and flaws. He is willing to live IN you. He is willing to come THROUGH you. He is willing to use you (yes, you), as a human conduit of the divine. He is willing to use you to draw the lost to Him. That is both a blessing and an awesome responsibility.
- Here is a quick guide to being used of God:
- a) Recognize that God Himself has taken up residence inside of you (if you are Born-Again). You are the container, He is the content. You are the jar, He is the glory IN the jar!
- b) Give up the life you created on your own, for the life God planned for you before the world began. Die to self.
- c) See yourself as Jesus is. You are, because He is. Everything He is, is who you are!
- d) Allow God to be seen in you. If you yield, He will flow. If you die, He will live. If you allow yourself to be concealed in Jesus, then Jesus will be revealed in you!
I will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You took up residence INSIDE of me the day I made Jesus, Your Son, my Lord. I now die to the life I created on my own, so the life You planned for me can be manifested. I die to me, so You can live through me. Living this way, the world can see Jesus IN me. I came to You because of others. Now others come to You because of me. Because I live with this mentality: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
