| An Amazing Statement | A Meeting of the Church | Blessed are the Poor in Spirit |
| God and the Big Things | Rivers of Living Water | Enjoying the Lord |
| The Stewardship of My Grace | What IS The Church? | General Grace And Specific Grace |
| Some Things About The Kingdom Of God | For God So Loved | Blessed are the Meek
An Amazing Statement
by John Moreland
I never cease to be amazed at some of the statements made by our Lord Jesus. It seems that the Lord continues to make the Word new to me over and over again as I read it. One of the most amazing statements in all the Word was what He told the Disciples in John 14:13. Hear it with your heart.
(John 14:13 NASB) "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
Permit me to lay some foundation as we look at this amazing statement. To introduce this, I want us to look at two verses in Ephesians.
(Eph 3:17 NASB) "{17}.. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, {18} may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth..."
Both of these scripture quotations introduce us into an eternal realm in which we, as sons of light, are granted the ability to know and understand. I could give several others, but will confine our thinking to these.
I believe that faith is granted to us, by His grace, to do far more than "get us saved." Also, it is given to provide far more to us as Christians than simply to struggle through our trials and tribulations on a day to day basis, or even to fulfill our ministry. How sad that so few Christians see beyond this. Eph. 3:17-18 is evidently written that we might realize we have been given access to the whole realm of our heavenly Father - His wonder, His power, His Kingdom, His authority, His purpose, and underlying all, His love. How could one measure the breadth, length, height and depth except by faith. And yet, according to verse 18 this ability is given to all the saints to comprehend.
It is tragic in our experience as children of God, that we so often fail to recognize the majesty of faith and what it really affords us. We must ask God to grant us more and more knowledge and understanding to see into this eternal realm!
But I would take us back to John 14:13. Faith is ultimately given to glorify the Father. The key words in this verse would seem to be whatever, I will, ... that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
It has given me a new confidence and purpose in prayer. It has strengthened my faith, for it gives new understanding in the power of faith - to glorify the Father.
Recently I was meditating on the glory of God when the Lord took my attention to a very familiar verse in Romans 3. Romans 3:23 gives definition to something I had never seen before. It reads, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ..." I realized it did not say fall short of the righteousness of God, His holiness, His grace, His compassion, His love, His mercy nor anything else. It spoke of His glory. While I am certain these other attributes of God are included in what sinful man falls short of, the only mention is of His glory.
Then I began to understand that the ultimate purpose for mankind is to glorify God. I also realized that only those of His household, His family can ever manifest this on earth. This began to put a much greater meaning to John 14:13 for me.
Of course, there are restrictions here. For instance, I do not believe that we can pray for things which satisfy our personal greed, or for something which would injure or hurt another. If a prayer is going to glorify the heavenly Father it must do just that! The Word also says {Luke 12:15} "And He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.'"
I have been praying recently for the Lord to increase my faith. John 14:13 is in itself an answer to that prayer. I find that it is an encouragement to pray as well as a builder of my faith.
But, I think the most blessed, and I might add humbling thing is when Jesus gives an answer to prayer it is actually something that glorifies the heavenly Father. That's wonderful, astounding, marvelous, even beyond our understanding.
This brings to our heart another astounding revelation: Our Lord Jesus Christ delights in answering prayer.
Do we want to glorify the heavenly Father? Of course we do! John 14:13 is surely one way for us to enter into this. No wonder Jesus said in Mark 11:17, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? Can you imagine what glory would be further realized by the Father if His house really became that today!!! I am confident it will happen!
May the Lord use these few words to encourage us to pray and build our faith. And most of all may the Lord grant us this precious truth in our innermost spirit! In Jesus' Name. Amen
More Deep Thoughts by John Moreland
God and the Big Things
by John Moreland
Recently I have found myself in need of something that I have always thought of as a 'big thing' in my life. I found myself praying in a manner as if God had to 'work Himself up' to answer, as if somehow this would put some sort of cosmic strain on Him in order to grant my request. I also find myself secretly believing deep down in my heart that He may not answer because I really do not deserve what I pray for. It seemed to be a 'really big thing' for God to do.
I am beginning to realize that my mind and my heart need a spiritual overhaul regarding the truth about prayer and faith. I am in a place of rejoicing for the Lord has brought me to this place in my walk with Him. He is continuing to deal with me very much in the realm of prayer and faith.
Rediscovering the Word is a wonderful experience. We are cautioned in the Word, Hebrews 2:1 not to let things we have heard slip from our minds. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." The fact of the matter is that we do let pertinent things slip from us. But praise the Lord, He is also the Refresher.
There is a relevant passage in 2 Peter that I would bring to our attention.
(2 Pet 1:2-4 NASB) "{2} Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; {3} seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. {4} For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."
Just two phrases in this passage I would take for our consideration. First, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness" and second, "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises."
On an earthly level it could compare to having a staggering sum in a bank account on the one hand while living in abject poverty because we never draw from it on the other. Sound familiar to you? You see, God has already granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness and done this with His precious and magnificent promises.
Let's talk about faith for a moment. The Word says that every Christian, each Christian has been granted a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 reveals that "{3} ... as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." The issue then is not how much faith we have, for we each have a measure, but it is how much faith is released in each of us within that measure. The apostles asked the Lord Jesus to increase their faith.
But also, the measure of faith God has granted us is staggering. Hear Jesus' own words when He told the apostles (Luke 17:6 NASB) "And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you."
If you think this is something, hear Him again (Mat 17:20 NASB) "And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you." Do you see it? - nothing shall be impossible to you! That pretty well takes care of the big things, doesn't it? Hey! The Lord is talking about mustard seed faith here!
The issue here is not what God can do, or will do, or even wants to do, it is simply an issue of believing God.
Because of the process of growth in our Christian lives, God has to test our faith in order that it may increase.
As we come to know the Lord in greater measure we need to realize that He delights in answering prayer. Jesus said in John 14:13 that answered prayer glorifies the Father. We must live in the knowledge that His promises are precious and magnificent.
Do I deserve for God to answer my prayers. NO, I don't. But that is not the ground for answered prayer in the first place. He is our heavenly Father, the perfect, loving , gracious, bountiful heavenly Father. I may have rewarded my children with special things from time to time, but the basis of my giving to them was always because I loved them. Surely sin can effect answers to our prayers, but then God in His eternal love disciplines. It does not keep him from loving us and desiring to bless us.
Some things that we must conclude. (1) The big things are no harder for God to grant than the little things. (2) We must realize that our faith must never be attached to human reasoning, or common sense. While human reasoning may lead us to the point of faith, faith is never rewarded on this basis. While I may face a certain need in my life, faith will find the solution, even when it may seem impossible. (3) We must ask the heavenly Father to give us release from the tyranny of having to deserve something from Him before He will grant it.
Dear heavenly Father help us to grow more and more in the knowledge of You, that we may be a blessing to you as you continually to infinitely bless us. Amen.
More Deep Thoughts by John Moreland
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