Sunday, August 01, 2010

Truth

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
John 14:6 (New Living Translation)

John 14:1-14
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

*****
OK, here's the scoop. You can ask for anything and Jesus will do it. Does that make Jesus my puppet? No. If I ask with love in my heart, overflowing love and all that and it is a righteous request, then sure, I can't see Jesus saying no to that, but if you are praying for someone to die in a bloody heap, don't count on it being a request granted. If you are praying to win the lottery, don't hold your breath. If you are praying for a particular person to come to God, well, there is free will, and God will not step in the way of what he has already given, however, if you pray for someone to enter a person's life to teach the person what a Christian is all about, God will totally grant that request.

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