Aches and Praise Five Hundred & Forty

January 14, 2022
 
 
Dear friends,
 

In the past few weeks, we have looked at four assurances that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His disciples: the assurance that those who repent of their sins and trust Christ as their Saviour will live forever with Him in heaven, the assurance that believers in Christ know the Father right now, the assurance that children of God have the privilege of prayer, and the assurance that believers have the Holy Spirit. A fifth assurance is that believers in Christ enjoy the Father’s love. In his study of the Lord Jesus’ teaching in John 14, Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes: “Orphans feel unwanted and unloved, but our Father shares His love with us. Jesus explained a threefold manifestation of God’s love.

There was a past manifestation to the disciples (verses 19-20) – John 14:19 focuses on His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances to His disciples and other believers. The last time the world saw Jesus was when Joseph and Nicodemus took Him from the cross and buried Him. The next time the world sees Him, He will come in power and great glory to judge lost sinners.

John 14:20 centers especially on the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost and the oneness of the believers with their Lord. Jesus returned to heaven as the exalted Head of the church (Eph. 1:19-23). Then He sent the Spirit so that members of the body would be joined to their Head in a living union…

There is a present manifestation of Himself in believers (verses 21 and 23-24) – Note the repetition of the word love. If we treasure His Word and obey it, then the Father and the Son will share Their love with us and make Their home in us…

There will be a future manifestation when Jesus Christ returns (v. 19) – Judas (not Iscariot) recalled that Jesus had said He would not manifest Himself to the world (v. 22)… Jesus had been rejected by His own people, so He could not manifest Himself to them. In fact, it was an act of mercy that He did not manifest Himself to the world, because that would have meant judgment. He has revealed Himself to His church and left the church in the world to be a witness of God’s love. He is patiently waiting, still giving lost sinners opportunity to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:1-10). One day He will return (Rev. 1:7), and the world will behold Him.”

As we near the middle of January, I am reminded of something I read in one of Pastor Charles Swindoll’s books: the month of January was named after the Roman god Janus, who had two faces: one looking forward and one looking back. To find out more about this, please visit: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/26/january-is-named-after-janus-the-god-with-two-faces-one-looking-onwards-and-the-other-one-backwards/?chrome=1. In looking on the Internet this morning, I learned that Charles Swindoll was born on January 1, the same day as one of our grandchildren.

Are you looking forward to what 2022 will hold? Watching the news on television is making many people fearful, but the Word of God is full of tremendous promises about God’s care for His children. Don’t waste your time regretting mistakes and poor choices in 2021; look to the Lord for His guidance and ask Him to help you follow Him each day in 2022, should He tarry. 

Scripture for the weekend: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                                       

Thought for the weekend: “Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means that heaven comes to us!” –  Warren W. Wiersbe (from “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary,” published by David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 
By His grace,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Steve

^