I wanted to touch a little bit on ONENESS, especially when Jesus spoke of us in His prayer to the Father, about us all being made one.
(update: Mon. Aug. 24...You have got to read the full comment that Dan Storie wrote on this here...it really says a lot of what has been on my heart about the subject and is excellent reading...you WILL be blessed!)
I feel like prefacing this, though, with this verse from John 10:16 which says:
But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPHERD.
You and I as believers come in on verse 20 of John chapter 17:
v20-I pray not only for these, but also for THOSE who believe in Me through their message.
v21-May they all be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be ONE in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.
v22-I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be ONE as WE are one.
v23-I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made COMPLETELY ONE, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.
This is just part of the prayer but I wanted to focus on this awesome oneness.
I truly believe that if we as believers in Christ would embrace those things that unite us, a lot more of the world will believe, just as He mentioned above, that the Father sent Him. Jesus equates this being made one with "so the world may believe You sent Me."...and mentions it twice within four verses, AND in just three verses he says "be made one" FOUR times!
Verse 22 says "I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY YOU HAVE GIVEN ME"...wow!...the GLORY? That's what I read.
The more we work and operate and love TOGETHER, THEN the world will see more of His glory that is in us as a body, as ONE, and believe that the Father sent Jesus.
His desire, will, and intention is that ALL THE WORLD might have a change of heart and mind(repentance), and believe that Jesus is the One sent by the Father.
I'm trying to get my head around some of this because it is so deep, profound and wonderful.
I mean, "being one AS GOD IS ONE"(v22)
or
"You have loved them AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME"(v23)
Wow, Father, You love us as You love Your Son?...hear the thanks and praise from our hearts when we can't find the words.
Jesus Messiah. It's dark for a few seconds but it will begin. Enjoy worshiping!
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Ex 33:11 (NKJV) “So the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible to think that Moses was so close to God, that God considered him a friend. The children of Israel also thought this was incredible too but instead of wanting to imitate Moses and develop a personal friendship with God themselves, they were intimidated by God and admired Moses as someone with powers and abilities beyond the average person. The oneness that God desired with His people, at that time, only existed with Moses.
God was to the children of Israel a mysterious pillar of cloud, it is hard for people to become friends with someone they cannot see, touch or hear. So God, the creator of all things, and the King of the universe, humbled Himself and became a human, an infant, a helpless child. He did this so that He could understand us, and we could understand Him. If God wanted to prove that he desired to be our friend, He could not have done more. He demonstrated his desire to have oneness with us by becoming one of us, Emanuel, “God with us.” He became a man so that we could know Him and understand Him and want to be His friend. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3 (KJV).
The oneness that Christ desires with us is so deep He described it this way, that “they (His followers) all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” John 17:21 (KJV). The closeness of relationship that exist between Jesus and His Father is to be the same depth of relationship Christ desires with us, and at the same time, the same depth of relationship believers have with one another, “that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” John 17:22-23 (KJV). Amazing, we as a Church are truly not as close as Jesus intends for us to be. But then beyond that, Jesus tells us that when the world sees the oneness we have as Christians, people of this world will be drawn to us. They are desperately looking for a real connection with people who care, our oneness has a purpose, to draw the world to Christ. In this way, our love will prove to the world that God loves them too. And by this “the world will know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23 (KJV)
The biggest problem with Christianity today is it’s tunnel vision, we are perfectly content to have a personal relationship with Jesus and then stop there, perfectly satisfied with moderation. We complain and are dissatisfied with the fact that the Church doesn’t seem caring and it is so impersonal, and we accept it as the status quo. We cannot look to the “church” to change the status quo, because I am the church – you are the church, change starts with me not with “them.” You may say what can I do? I am just one person, the problem is with the church not with me? But a fire starts with just one little spark and a storm begins with just one drop of rain. Oneness in the church begins with one drop of rain – me; and soon there is a puddle – us; then a river – the congregation; then ponds – multiple congregations; and lakes – countries; and eventually oceans – the whole world: filled with the oneness of Christ and one with one another. Jesus said, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.” John 10:16 (NIV). Sure, just watch the rivers sweep those other sheep into the flood till the world is consumed. It is a divine strategy, but it is also a plan that Satan hates, and will do everything in his power to stop, and prevent us from having the oneness that Christ wants us to have.
By God's power we will overcome the Devil, and the Churches oneness will be the key to spread the Gospel to the entire world.
This recent contribution of yours, I believe, is huge...so on point as to what every believer should hear and "get."
ReplyDeleteSo much of what was on my heart to write about this subject you have written for me...for us...thank you. I believe the Spirit is all over this!
First, the "beginning to know" part, as God and man get better acquainted in Christ.
(beautiful)...The closeness of relationship that exist between Jesus and His Father is to be the same depth of relationship Christ desires with us, and at the same time, the same depth of relationship believers have with one another.
Loved the drop of rain to oceans analogy!...oceans –the whole world: filled with the oneness of Christ and one with one another.
I personally think that this is the glory that Jesus said He has given us in John 17:22 -"I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one."
This is the glory that will cover the whole earth.
May the whole earth be filled with His glory, as the waters cover the sea...cover the earth!
...and because we know that the Father hears and answers Jesus' prayers, then we know His petition is granted and will be manifest...WE WILL BE MADE COMPLETELY ONE and THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE FATHER SENT HIM and LOVES THEM THE SAME!
Hallelujah!
I meant to begin my last comment with..."Dan!!!"
ReplyDeleteI just posted Dan's comment along with my response over at www.bloginthenow.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete...that was today's (Aug. 24) I have also contributed some other writings there yesterday and recently. Other bloggers had some really good stuff to read there yesterday, too.(Aug. 23)
Please remember Natasha in prayer for her to have a great day and week and favor in her school planning sessions where she will be teaching part-time Spanish and Latin. Thanks!
Yes, we are all one. From the standpoint of our perception of ourselves as believers, the first place to love and encompass all as one is in our own minds and hearts.
ReplyDeleteThat is not affected by one thing anyone else does. The experience of all creation, all created beings as one family, loving ourselves and others with the same depth as we love God, has nothing to do with what others do, say, or believe.
To the extent we believe Jesus, is the extent we change ourselves first. Our change affects those we come into contact with. When we see the speck in another’s eye, that tells us we have a log in our own which has to be dealt with first.
Erik...amen...love and encompassing all must first be conceived in the heart!
ReplyDelete