The Dailiness of the Cross

For the last few weeks, I've been delving into the book of Luke in anticipation of then going on into the book of Acts. Were it not for the book of John in between the two books written by Luke, Luke and Acts could be one continuing saga. However, in my study as often happens, I get stuck on a verse. Perhaps it's because of the blog from last week that something caught my eye and for me that was a signal to “pull over and park awhile."

You like me memorized a lot of Scripture in our younger days. Perhaps this happened in Sunday school or Vacation Bible School but I learned a lot of verses I didn't understand at the time. Still it didn't hurt me to memorize them. Luke 9:23 is one of those verses I have known for years, but only came into meaning for me in my adult years. Let me share some thoughts with you about this wonderful verse step by step as I am learning from it.

And he (Jesus) said to them all,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself, and take up his cross

daily,

and follow me.

And he said to them all...

Some commentators believe Jesus was speaking to His disciples along with a group of people. I don't think so for two reasons. In verse 18, we find Jesus alone praying when His disciples approached and nothing is said about anyone else. Next, Peter makes a declaration that Jesus is the Christ and Jesus cautions the disciples to tell no one what was just said. If there had been a crowd there, the word would have spread like a prairie fire. Jesus was asking for confidentiality. He knew the timing of His ministry and for whatever reasons, wanted some things put on hold for the time being.

If any man will come after me...

There is one word I want to address here and will take care of the rest of the phrase later. The word is “if.” The rest of this verse hinges on that one little word “if.” Small words in Scripture are very important. I've made a habit of marking the words “all” and “but” in my Bible for years. This “if” is vital. If one isn't willing to accept Jesus and His leadership then she need read no further for the rest of the verse would be of no interest at all.

I also have to add here though that notice must be taken of the fact that this verse is obviously an open invitation to “any man.” This wasn't just for His disciples. It is for any man, woman or child old enough to know what they are doing and for the right reasons. This was not to be an exclusive club or secret organization. This was going to be a Kingdom thing.

Let him deny himself...

This is a biggie...for this is an area where most Christians struggle. Too many Christians in our day have been caught up in the culture of self-indulgence and entitlement. Our faith has come at great cost to God and His Son. Often His commands are regarded as inconvenient or just too much to endure. Self-denial has almost been erased from the vocabulary of our Christian culture. And yet, Jesus here uses it as a watermark of who we are to be. This self-denial may involve money or material things but not always. Sometimes our talents and time seem to be infringed upon and we can become frustrated beyond words. When was the last time I was asked in any way to take this step in my spiritual walk. Asking self to sit down and behave is a tough thing to do. We're taught to look out for #1. I'm grateful every day I'm allowed to live and breathe and that on that day of great price, Jesus didn't look out for #1. He looked out for us.

And take up his cross...

Let's not be mistaken. The moment we accepted Jesus as Savior, we became cross bearers. Jesus said we would go through suffering and even persecution just as He had. No escape...that's the way it would be. This taking up of the cross is already a given fact but it's Jesus, the Divine Burden Bearer who will strengthen and enable us to take the next step even when we are at an end. However the key to this phrase has to do with how we take it up. These five words almost have a casual ring to them, like it's just something expected without our having an attitude about it. It almost sounds voluntary without thought of cost. Even though a requirement, attitude makes all the difference.  Remember that a cross isn't usually two pieces of wood nailed together.  A cross may be a long term problem with finances, family difficulties or health issues.  Whatever it is, it will be a very personal thing, unlike a cross another person may be called upon to bear.

Daily...

There is that word again. Every morning you and I wake up and our feet hit the floor, whether we know it or not, the first thing we take up before putting clothes on is our cross. It never leaves us. It's propped up against the wall waiting for us. I don't mean for this to sound so dismal but bottom line is that bearing a cross is very daily. We don't decide which days to deal with it as it's ever present. If I have a health issue that is ongoing, then I wake up to that issue every morning. Through the day there may be medications I'm required to take, special orders from a doctor to see to, appointments to keep at certain times so I never get away from that health issue. Would I like for it to go away...certainly but then the Lord would allow another cross or challenge to be apart of my life. He isn't looking for troubles for us but God knows what is going to strengthen and mature us and nothing will do that like a cross that requires our needing His assistance 24/7. Crosses can be so daily!

And follow me.

When growing up, did you ever have anyone follow you around? It may have been a pesty sibling or even some person at school that really wanted to be your best friend but you weren't interested. With Jesus, that's never the case. He longs for us to follow Him, to dog His trail so to speak. But these three words come at the end of the verse. You see, following Him closely will always come at great price. Look what it cost Jesus to do the will of His Father...the cross. It wasn't just the physical death of the cross even though that was bad enough, but he took on your sin and mine and the sin of everyone else. To follow Him and be in right relationship with Him will mean our identifying with Him as fully as we can in our human state. In following Him, we'll do what He says, go where He wants and be who He has commanded us to be.
What a wonderful privilege, this relationship of ours, even though it is costly if it is done in accordance with His word. Following Him with all of it's benefits is so wonderfully daily. But just as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus bear His cross, so Jesus who can really relate to our cross bearing, comes along side and eases our burdens as no other can.  In it all, I'm just grateful that Jesus is so very daily in my life no matter what is going on.

Dear Jesus, I thank You for being my Savior, my burden bearer. You know what I need in my life to be the kind of follower You desire. I yield myself to Your divine will and at the same time plead for Your mercy and grace as I bear whatever is needful in bringing me ever closer to You. I love You. Amen.

Doin' the Dailies

Blessed be the Lord, who daily

loadeth us with benefits, even the God

of our salvation.

Psalm 68:19

Meeting Grace Rice McMullen was such an honor. She was the oldest daughter of Dr. John R. Rice a wonderful former pastor and evangelist. I believe she had four younger sisters, all stellar women of faith and service. Grace had spoken all across our country at women's events. I was rather new to Texas and to the Baptist church we had joined after our move. I had been asked to plan a Mother-Daughter event that particular Spring. Another friend who knew Grace well told me that she thought she could get Grace to come and speak. Grace lived with her husband a little north of the Dallas area. I couldn't see how that could happen but it did.

Having never met Grace and not having talked with her, I must admit that I didn't know quite what to expect. I did know on top of everything else in her life, she was in a life and death battle with cancer and the prospects at that time did not appear to be encouraging. On that special day, Grace walked down the aisle of the church auditorium just prior to the start of the program and I recognized her from pictures. She came right to me and introduced herself as if I were the honored one and she a mere spectator. Grace had a way of making me feel comfortable right away and like we had been friends for a long time. You know, I've noticed that about people I consider great. They minimize themselves and treat others like royalty. Anyway, from that very day began a deep friendship between Grace and me even though that friendship would be shorter in duration than I would have liked. She and I had a love for women in common and had worked with women, she longer than me. We had an immediate spiritual connection that happens when kindred spirits meet.

I was invited to her home and over the next several weeks, was a frequent visitor there. We planned to write a book together  on women's work that would be published perhaps by Zondervan. Her husband said to me privately that he doubted if there would be enough time for us to complete the book. I told him that if it gave Grace a sense of purpose, I wanted to help give her that for as long as possible. Our event had been held in May. Grace called me in August. She had just returned from her oncologist who told her that her cancer had invaded her liver and gave her only a few months to live. I continued my visits until her husband called me one late Fall day to tell me that Grace had gone to Heaven. Two funerals were held...one in Texas and the other in Tennessee. I was asked to play the organ for the Texas funeral, a last gift I could give Grace. 

I was so enriched by Grace and all of her spiritual input. I never viewed the Word of God the same again, even to this day from that first day of meeting Grace.   It was such a privilege of having her as my friend for ever so brief a time. There is one statement Grace made to me during one of my last visits with her, on a day when she was suffering more than usual. She said, “You know Glendarae, life is just so daily.” Okay, yes, daily...that made sense. It wasn't until my drive home that much of what she was saying in that one statement began to sink in.

Life IS very daily and because it is, we can find ourselves taking each day for granted. In fact, we can mess it up, ruin it, not appreciate it, lazy our way through it, get nothing accomplished during it, and thus, we can turn into good-for-nothings when it comes to valuing each 24 hour period of time. Grace and I spoke of this further at another visit. We agreed that women waste too much time. They claim to be busy, busy, busy but many get so little accomplished because for one thing, they don't organize their lives. Some simply waste more time than they realize, thus accomplishing little. It's easy for most of us to ignore “doin' the dailies.”

From our conversation, I selected for our women's ministry that year the theme, “Do the Dailies.” I made up a little date book, copied it to give to the ladies in our ministry to help them establish a daily schedule or routine in their lives. I know life is busy these days for wives, mom's and the working woman who often combines all three positions but the dailies can be done with efficiency and with less effort than usual. Organizing responsibilities through the days of our week will do so much to ease daily burdens. We have modern appliances that make cleaning, laundry and cooking so much more convenient than 50 years ago and yet we complain of having so little time to get things done.  Our lives can be orderly, well planned and efficient. When that happens, we are happier people and much easier to get along with.

May I make some suggestions, for in any of this, there must be a personal desire/decision to accomplish what you plan for your week. The little book I made for our ladies then was organized into three sections to be addressed each day and are as follows:

Daily with God...

Determine to have that time in the Word and prayer on a daily basis. I'm not suggesting a time. That must be your own decision. Decide that on Sunday, you will be in church and Sunday school and nothing will keep you from it unless it is an emergency of some kind. If you are a part of any spiritual activity...choir, ladies Bible study, teaching a Sunday school class...make that as much a part of your schedule as doing the washing or cooking a meal. Faithfulness in this area will encourage faithfulness to your other weekday responsibilities. Also be a person of praise every day without fail. Those times can get us through some difficult days.

So will I sing praise unto thy name forever,

that I may daily perform my vows.

Psalm 61:8

And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will

come after me, let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

Daily in the House...

List those things you must do weekly for the upkeep of your house....washing, ironing, dusting, dishes, cleaning bathrooms, etc. Parcel those things out over the days of the week so that a bunch of them don't have to be done in one day. Some of those things will be very daily but the big major things can be spread out over the week. Friends have teased me for years as they know what I do every Monday....wash clothes. That's the day for that. That's when my Mother washed clothes and I still do the same on Monday. When I had little ones, I washed more than once each week but Monday was always one of those days. I don't even have to think about it anymore as it comes automatically.

Daily in Relationships...

Daily time must be made with children and husband. At least one family sit down meal helps with this and it can be done..I don't care what people say...it can be done. Our family had sit down suppers and rarely did we miss that tradition. If children have too many outside activities to be involved with the family, then a part of their dailies should be re-evaluated and curbed. If we are honest, most over burdened children participating in everything from hopscotch tournaments to river rafting are involved primarily to feed parental egos.  Families are splintered because everyone is allowed to go their own direction. No wonder children are having nervous breakdowns. There's no down time for them because of all the activities that keep them away from the family home.

I wasn't as organized as I should have been, but after meeting Grace, I worked very hard at making my life more structured and organized. I knew I had to work harder at doing the dailies, the ordinaries of living to get more accomplished. I've learned to cut most phone calls short and to say no to all of the extra's people want me to do. We can get caught up in those things because we want people to pity us for being so busy and yet we want them to elevate us to grand positions of spiritual sainthood. Sorry, we are called to do the dailies. Even if you work outside the home, you can still do the dailies with planning. I have seen working moms often accomplish more than stay-at-home-moms because they live a more structured life.

In 1 Corinthians, I love the one little phrase the apostle Paul uses. He said at the end of 15:31, “I die daily.” There's a lot you and I need to die to...things of this world, always wanting our own way, keeping up with the Jone's, Smith's or Rockefellers and any things that can so easily frazzle us. How are your dailies doing? Despite the routine of life, I have to agree with my friend Grace...”Live is just so daily.” Enjoy the dailies of life and count them a privilege as we serve our families as well as outsiders, but mostly our Lord. 

I love our opening verse that our Lord daily loads us with benefits. I pray He will never consider doing away with that “daily” I have become so used to enjoying. I pray He will keep those daily loads of benefits coming my way. May we be faithful in our dailies as well.

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Father...Help me to be faithful to those daily things of life that benefit me, my family, others and for Your kingdom as well. May I realize that each “daily” You give me is a day I am to use to it's fullest, regarding another day of life a privilege. Thank You, Father for loading me up every day with Your blessings. I love you....Amen.

Remembering

Some trust in chariots,

and some in horses:

but we will remember the

name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20:7

I don't think you and I remember enough, at least about the good things, that have transpired in past days of our lives. If anything, we are quick to regurgitate all of the bad, ugly things of failures, mistakes and misfortunes of the past. For some reason, in the last several hours, I've been doing some remembering and it's been a delightful journey. No matter the difficult days we have faced, and everyone has faced any number of those, we should put forth an effort in simple gratitude to the Lord to remember His goodness to us whether in recalling the good things of our pasts or lessons learned in the negative times.

A few examples might be to remember the excitement/joy/happiness of:

• your first paycheck
• that first date
• vacations during childhood
• visit to a favorite relatives house
• high school graduation
• wedding/marriage
• first baby
• salvation
• answered prayers
• first car
• first apartment/house
• receiving your first Bible
  

The list could go on and on. For some, a few things on that list may not be applicable. However, we are blessed people both present and past. Anyone alive and breathing can think back to some blessed times in their lives despite times of great difficulty.

Scripture often refers to remembering. In Scripture, we find that God remembers. In the old Testament, so many times we read of God remembering His covenant with His people. This covenant was promised to Abraham, a man who knew very little about God. This covenant was handed down from Abraham through following generations. There were any number of times I'm sure God felt like wiping out the children of Israel but His promise, that covenant remained active and viable. God never forgot it and remembered often that covenant of the continuing preservation of His own children.

We are told in Scripture to remember some things as well.

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Remember the sabbath day,

to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:8

I realize we are no longer under the Law and that we don't even have a sabbath as such. However, it's sad to me that we have lost a certain respect for our day of worship. When a little girl, my grandmother would spend Sundays with us. She would never crochet, sew a ripped seam or go anywhere entertaining. It was the Lord's day to her and was for church and little activity. It would bother her if I went bike riding with friends...it was Sunday. As strict as that may sound, I look at what has happened to that day for most Christians. Some are doing well just getting to Sunday morning church, and forget attending Sunday night. After church, the day is for lots of activity with little thought for the Lord or even brief times for meditation. At the end of six days of creation, God reserved a day for rest. Why shouldn't that principle carry over to us now even if we aren't under the Law anymore.

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I remember the days of old; I

meditate on all thy works; I muse on

the works of thy hands.

Psalm 143:5

This verse really speaks for itself. How often do we look back to former days with the purpose of just thinking and meditating on the mighty works of God either in our lives or in our surroundings. I marvel everyday that I wake up, look out a window at beautiful mountains. They are His work, the work of His wonderful creative hands.

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Remember that Jesus Christ of

the seed of David was raised

from the dead, according to

my gospel...

II Timothy 2:8

As I write, we are just a week from having celebrated Easter Sunday. How often have we given the resurrection of Jesus a second or third thought since that Sunday? Hardly a day should pass but what we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, done for each of us in a very personal way.

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I, even I, am he that blotteth out

thy transgressions for mine own sake,

and will not remember thy sins.

Isaiah 43:25

This is a truth that is not just found here but in other areas of Scripture as well. I'm so grateful for this kind of forgiveness God extends to us. Sometimes in our humanity, with the least offense, there are those who would cross us out of their lives. I don't understand that but I rest in the fact that as I repent before God for my sin, His forgiveness is so unconditional that my sin is not remembered anymore by Him.

We are also given some cautions to remember as well.

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Remember Lot's wife.

Luke 17:32

It's just an ever so brief statement...a rather short verse....but for anyone who knows Scripture, the meaning behind this verse is obvious. In her escape with husband and family from their home town of debauchery, Lot's wife turned around and looked back. God had been very plain about that and to turn and look back was rebellion and disobedience. She paid the highest of prices for that momentary glance over her shoulder. We are cautioned by that small verse to remember how important obedience is to God and that a rebellious spirit can be very costly.

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Remember the former things of old:

for I am God, and there is none

else; I am God, and there is

none like me.

Isaiah 46:9

My, my...we could pull over and park here for awhile. God wants us to remember former things...learning from the negatives and so appreciating the positives. We can turn to every source of comfort, love and security but the bottom line is that HE is God and there is NONE like Him. Could almost have a happy fit just over the depth of this verse.

When little, my Mother would often emphasize something she told me by saying, “Don't you ever forget this.” I knew with that brief statement that what she had just said was more than important...it was probably necessary to my well-being. There is so much in Scripture with regard to remembering the best we can, the things of God...lapses in spiritual memory not allowed.

As I view the state of our nation, I read a verse in Habakkuk (3:2) that reminded me of where we are as a nation. It was Habakkuk's job as one of God's prophets to warn the people of God's wrath and future consequences for their unrepentant, sinful state. Perhaps this verse could also be a prayer of ours speaking as we view the sorry, spiritual condition we as a nation find ourselves in.

O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. Amen

Habakkuk 3:2

Now What?...P-R-A-I-S-E

But it is good for me to draw

near to God: I have put my

trust in the Lord God, that I

may declare all thy works.

Psalm 73:28

Well, Easter has come and gone. New Easter clothes have been worn and most mothers have enough colored boiled eggs to make egg salad for the next couple of weeks. Children are stuffed with jelly beans and many Easter baskets have been put up on a shelf somewhere. “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” has been sung in churches across our country and the anticipation of sunrise services and choir cantatas are now history. 

So now what? Is Easter finished and over with for another year? Is the message of Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning completed in some way? Do we ever give a thought to the Saturday in between those two days? This wonderful holiday gets treated much like Christmas in that those two precious times seem to be reserved for only two times each year while the messages of both times are messages that should for Christians, ring through every day of the year. Easter should give rise to songs and moments of praise in us all for our gratitude and appreciation to God for showering us with so much while we deserve so little. 

In the afterglow of a wonderful weekend of turning thoughts and grateful hearts toward God who sent His Son Jesus, and to Jesus for doing all He did, shouldn't we be persons of praise on an everyday basis and not just during holiday times. I'm not talking about praising the Lord as we might in a church service but praising Him in a very individual way for His goodness in our lives, a goodness God bestows that leaves me in wonder. 

Maybe the following acrostic can help us in taking a fresh view of praise that will encourage us in this area of our spiritual walk:

P - Pray

Just as my car gets me from my house to the grocery store, so prayer is the conversation vehicle that gets me from where I am to where God is. Prayer isn't just for us to ask things of God. If that's the only conversation my children ever wanted with me (asking for things), I'm afraid we wouldn't have been conversing very much and my children would have received very little. Prayer is the blessing of relationship. I can talk to God about anything, private things and concerns...yes, I can ask things of Him but I want my relationship with Him to be a balanced one. The one thing I can always do is praise God. He can't hear enough of that from His kids. Any of us like to be given compliments and praise when appropriate. God REALLY loves it from His children.

R - Relationship

Neighborhood children used to play in our yard a lot. We were usually the one house in the neighborhood that didn't have a fence around the backyard. When I would go to the back door and simply say, “Supper's ready” or some such statement, there were only three children that came into the house...Jennie, Beverly and Johnny. The rest either scattered or continued playing. Why did only three children pull up chairs to our supper table...relationship. They were our children...we fed them, clothed and protected them. We could talk with each other as a family. Well, I'm welcome at God's table anytime. As God's child, I'm welcome in His presence...I'm fed, loved and protected by Him because He's my Father. Because of that relationship, I have so many privileges in Him that should give rise to my being a person of praise.

A - Adore

“Oh come let us adore Him...Christ the Lord.”

Do we remember our first love? Adoration isn't a sufficient word to describe the adoration we felt. We could see no wrong in the person. That person was the best looking, most considerate, smartest, etc., etc., etc. Remember? Unfortunately, for many, reality eventually set in and some fault lines were discovered. Not with our God, our Savior. He never tarnishes, rusts or changes. We can justifiably adore Him, dote on Him because He is so worthy of it all.

I – Integrity

I could have put several words here but chose this one because I thought it important. We need to realize that we can fool people sometimes and they us. We can dish out phoney compliments and feed a general line to anyone at anytime. Those people may or may not believe us because people desire to be trusting of others. However, our approach to God has got to be with integrity, honesty and character. You see, we can't feed Him a line. We can't be insincere in our praise because God can read us like a book. God wants us to be honest with Him. We don't have to sugar coat anything...I can just be me in His presence. I've confessed being upset with a situation and even with Him for not fixing it. I'm not rude or ugly about it but confess my lack of understanding. He's not going to strike me with lightening. He knows and loves me. I often do think though that there must be times when He smiles a very knowing smile in my direction.

S - Sing

Why is it the only time we sing a hymn or chorus is when we're in church or a church meeting? I'm not talking about singing along with a CD in a car. I'm talking about singing to God minus any backup music. We don't have to make fools of ourselves in public but there are private times we can sing praise to God...in the shower, car, exercising, cooking dinner or just in the quiet of our homes when there's no one around. Even sincere humming can be more acceptable to God than insincere singing aloud. Make up your own song...put a verse from Psalms to some tune. No matter how lousy our voices may be, God our Father loves to hear us sing. Just as parents smile with pride as their child sings in a school program, so God delights when we, His children sing just for Him

O sing unto the Lord a new song;

for he hath done marvelous things...

Psalm 90:1

E - Exalt

Who do I have in place before God? Who do you? Be careful before answering that question. We have a lot of distractions in our lives. God has placed us in families and a family is a heavy responsibility with all the emergencies, quirks and unusual happenings. Perhaps you are called to a job outside the home. Such can be very demanding and at times can seemingly absorb every ounce of strength from you. Even church work can take much of our thinking and time. This area seems to be our best excuse for not putting God in His rightful place. After all, we're doing His work. When we exalt Him, we are taking everything else off of the pedestals of our lives and putting Him there...high and lifted up, holy and loved above all others, be they people or things. 

Thou art my God, and I will

praise thee: thou art my God,

I will exalt thee.

Psalm 118: 28

In writing this section, I must say this has been a very convicting section for me. We just finished building a house. I've often said that if you can build a house without killing a sub-contractor, you've had great victory in your life. Our children have had various concerns. I've had some health issues. We all have lots of things of great importance that come into our lives that can crowd God out.

In it all, we are to be people of praise...prayer, relationship, adoration, integrity, song and exaltation. Can we give God any less than that whether it be Easter Sunday or the day after.

Dear Father...We do praise you on this day and every day. I know it doesn't have to be a special holiday but praising You can be a part of my life from this time on. Thank You for all of Your goodness in my life. I love You more than anything or anyone. May it ever be so through the power and love You bring into my life. Amen!

Famous Last Words

I have fought a good fight,

I have finished my course,

I have kept the faith.

II Timothy 4:22

Paul's writings to Timothy were, as far as we know, his last words in writing to anyone at least from the standpoint of Scripture. Paul wasn't bragging when he made the above statement. To the best of his knowledge, as he faced martyrdom, he had been as faithful and true to the Lord Jesus as he knew to be. As I've heard some folks say, “No brag...just fact.”

I think the last words of famous people are quite interesting and came across a list of some of those statements. For instance:

John Barrymore: “Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.”

Ludwig van Beethoven: (According to his secretary) “Pity, pity...too late!”

Bing Crosby: “That was a great game of golf, fellers.”

Stonewall Jackson: “Let us pass over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.”

Sir Walter Raleigh: “I have a long journey to take, and must bid the company farewell.”

George Washington: “It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.”

Robert E. Lee: “Strike the tent.”

Bottom line is, last words are spoken by a dying person often indicate who that person really was in their last days of life. In our day, last words may be few with all of the heavy sedation that is used to keep patients comfortable, but in the days of the above gentlemen, that wasn't necessarily the case.

At this time of year, we usually go to certain portions of Scripture that have to do with Jesus' last days. He was with His disciples for over three years. They had been with Him in ministry and in every day living. On two occasions as recorded in the Gospels, Jesus did some lengthy teaching. This doesn't mean He didn't do lengthy teaching at other times but we're looking at what is recorded in Scripture. We know of the Sermon on the Mount that begins in Matthew 5. It is felt that this time of teaching was intended for the training of His newly called disciples but no doubt, it drew a crowd. The next lengthy teaching we see in the Gospels is when Jesus was with His disciples the night He was betrayed as recorded in John 14-17.

Jesus and His disciples had eaten together for the Passover. Judas left the group to complete his betrayal plan. Prior to going to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus shared His heart with the remaining eleven. During the course of ministry, Jesus had given His disciples every indication as to what the finality of His life would entail. Jesus also knew that the continuing of the ministry He started rested on the shoulders of these eleven men. He knew far more than they could know, all they would have to endure in coming days. Jesus spoke to them and others after His resurrection and prior to His ascension into Heaven but this was the disciples' private time with Him. 

The wonderful part of all of this is that these many years later, His last words to His disciples trickle down to you and me. It's Jesus speaking to us as clearly now as He spoke to those 11 men then. Some of the most familiar verses of Scripture are found in these last words to His dearly loved disciples just hours before He was to be delivered to soldiers after a kiss of betrayal from Judas.

All of the following and others from these famous last words, I have underlined in my Bible. I love them and at times in my life have hung onto them like a drowning person would hang onto a life preserver. As you read John 14-16, there are probably some different verses that through the years have warmed your heart as well. In these few verses, may we sense the heartbeat of Jesus as He spoke on that fateful night:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 14:1

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 14:6

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 14:13,14

If ye love me, keep my commandments. 14:15

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 14:27

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. 15:12

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 15:13

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Jesus then concluded this time with what has come to be known as His “high-priestly” prayer. This is a prayer He prayed for those men, a prayer to His Father that still rings down through the years right to where you and I are. Read John 17 sometime picturing Jesus praying that prayer for you as one of His children. It will warm your spirit in such a precious way. Jesus dearly loved His disciples, and knew what toll the rigors of ministry would take on each one of them. John, God's author of this book, would be one who would come to know the cost of standing for Jesus. In his senior years, he would be exiled to Patmos, a rocky horrible place of hard labor. It is in that setting that he penned through inspiration of the Holy Spirit the book of Revelation. I love the last two verses John pens...his famous last written words found at the end of our Bibles in the book of Revelation:

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

AMEN and AMEN!!!