DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I come into your Holy presence and declare there is no one like you, Thank you Jesus my saviour and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Truly you are the one and living God, I prise you and worship you and say Holy holy holy are you Lord God almighty. I thank that your heart is full of grace and mercy, I ask you today to show me mercy and cleanse me from all sin and unrighteousness. May your face shine on me this day so that my life can glorify you and live out a life that please you. 

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 112:1 

"Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said Jesus shall take the highest honour (Chris Bowater)   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MinbJJ9Oi-c

Jesus shall take the highest honour

Jesus shall take the highest praise

Let all earth join heaven in exalting

The Name which is above all other Names

Let's bow the knee in humble Adoration

For at His Name every knee must bow

Let every tongue confess He is Christ God's only Son, 

Sovereign Lord, we give You glory now

For all honour and blessing and power

Belongs to You belongs to You

All honour and blessing and power
Belongs to You, belongs to You

Lord Jesus Christ Son of the Living God.

God’s Word for Today: John 14:1-14

1 Do not let your hearts be troubled.” You believe in God; believe also in me.” 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.” No one comes to the Father except through me.” 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.” Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” 14  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Devotion/Study: (Part 2) 

In John 14:1 "You believe in God; believe also in me.” as your unseen Lord, I want you to believe in me. These words You believe in God; believe also in me are important to us because believing in Jesus, is believing and living according to His teaching and everything He said about Himself. Believing in Jesus is believing He is the image of the invisible God, the exact visible representation of God who existed eternally with the Father without beginning or end, the one who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. (Colossians 1:15 John 1:1) Jesus calls the disciples to believe, not only in God, but also in himself. He was calling them and us to keep on believing in God and Jesus. 

These words "You believe in God; believe also in me.” are important to us because in these days because the church is under a lot of pressure to believe and accept principles and values of the age, we live in.  There are so many ungodly things in this world that have become acceptable and many people, including professing Christians have been conned into believing and accepting a way of thinking that is against the teaching of scripture. 

Because of the pressure form humanistic and secular philosophy, we must remain strong and believe in who God is and the teachings of our Lord and saviour Jesus and make a conscious effort through the power of the Holy Spirit "not to conform to the pattern of the world.” Romans 12:2. 

As followers of Jesus, we are to be Christ like and not world-like. It raises a question for all of us, do we look and live like Jesus or do we look like the world? For those who are live Christ-like and reject the way of the world and choose to live godly lives will experience persecution and hostility. When Paul was writing to Timothy, he said in 2 Timothy 3:12 "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

The disciples are probably still feeling low after hearing all the bad news; however, Jesus gives them some good news. He informs them that He was going to His father’s house and will prepare a place for them and will return to collect them so they can be with him forever. He ends this promise with words of assurance: "You know the way to where I am going" v4. "Thomas was first to respond and says Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" v5

This question gives Jesus another opportunity to make makes another I am statement. He says "I am the way and the truth and the life.” No one comes to the Father except through me.” Wow what an amazing statement that is, first of all we notice the two words Jesus uses "I am" were used in Exodus 3:14 where God revealed His name to Moses as I AM. In John 8:56-59 Jesus was debating with the Jews they asked Him a question "Who do you think you are?" 

In response Jesus said in John 8:56–59 "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

The violent response of the Jews to Jesus’ statement I AM shows that they knew He was identifying Himself as the eternal God and equating Himself with the I AM what an amazing statement that is, Jesus has already said I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48, 51) 

I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)

I am the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7, 9) 

I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) 

I am the Resurrection, and the Life (John 11:25)

Jesus is claiming that He is the only way, the only true path that leads to eternal life with God and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus is not implying that He is one of the many ways to God. He is saying He is the only way to God the Father. 

Years later Peter made a statement that in today’s society would make many people angry. Peter said in Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Now Thomas wanted to know the way, because he still hadn’t understood who Jesus was. So, in v7 Jesus says "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 

Jesus is trying to explain to Thomas and His disciples something quite amazing that he is the visible manifestation of the Father and therefore to know Him was to know the Father. Jesus had said in John 1:18 "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” 

It was later at the end of John’s Gospel; Thomas finally realizes who Jesus is and says to him in John 20:28 "My Lord and my God!" It was after the resurrection they began to understand and know that Jesus is God. John who wrote this gospel said those amazing words in John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He was with God in the beginning.” After speaking to Thomas and telling him to know Him is to know God. Phillip now enters into this conversation and says in v8 "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 

At this point I sense there was hint of sadness in Jesus voice. He directly says to Philip in v9-10 "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’ don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?"  And then in v11 he speaks to all of His disciples and says in v11 "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”  Earlier in John 10 Jesus shocks His listeners by saying in v30 "I and the Father are one.” 

This made the Jewish leaders really angry and they say to Him in v33 "We are not stoning you for any good work, they replied, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” I wonder what the disciple were thinking at this time, they may have struggled to understand How could this messiah be God in human form. When Jesus said "believe me" in v11 this is a reminder for us that we are not only called to believe in Jesus but also to believe everything he says about Himself and all that he taught.

This belief and trust in Jesus have helped and enabled His followers to live a godly life, even when going through, troubles, trials and persecution. Life for many of us may be difficult but let always remember that Peter said in 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him." 

One of the reasons why persecuted Christians even through the most difficult times of, suffering and poverty remain strong is, because they keep on believing in Jesus, and His promises. Something I loved watching in my younger days was a tv series called Mission Impossible this was about a small team of secret agents known as the Impossible Missions task Force. Their mission was to save people and the world from dictators, evil organizations and crime lords. 

I believe in these days of confusion, chaos, we have the opportunity to be the Impossible Missions Force and our task is to call people to believe in Jesus, and put their trust in Him and commit their lives to Him and acknowledge Him as Lord and saviour. Although for some it may be hard to share the gospel Jesus promises to be with us through the power of the Holy Spirt, to work in and through us to accomplish his purposes in the world as we share the gospel. Today people are looking to the government and Science, doctors and medicine and all kinds of religions to help them overcome their troubled hearts and fears and find purpose and meaning to their lives.

There are many religions around the world, and we can learn many good things from them, but there is only one way to God. Jesus is the way for He is the one who will bring peace, hope and rest for the troubled heart. 

I know that in these times life has been extremely difficult, many people have lost their loved ones, and experienced all kinds of difficulties. When we truly know who God is and His plan and purpose for our lives it lifts us from the depths of despair to a place of peace and praise even when things look dark.

Brothers and sisters, no matter what our circumstance, the safest place to be is always with God. For He is our hiding place "He is the eternal God who is our refuge, and his everlasting arms are under us.” Deuteronomy 33:27

I recognise the reality of suffering and pain is very real in these days, it’s in these times we need to remember despite the troubles we are facing and will face in the future, we are loved by God. I believe as followers of Jesus, if we rest in Christ, seeking loving and trusting in Him, we will discover more of His love, purpose and plan for our lives and His world. 

The disciples were in crisis, filled with anxiety and fear and Jesus told them not be troubled but to believe in Him. Those words are for us today to believe and hold on to Jesus’s promises; for he is He is the Great I AM, the One and true living God Father Son and Holy spirit. 

Personal Prayers: