Scripture Text (NRSV)
John 14:23-29
14:23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and
my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home
with them.
14:24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word
that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
14:25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I
have said to you.
14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give
to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do
not let them be afraid.
14:28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to
you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the
Father, because the Father is greater than I.
14:29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that
when it does occur, you may believe.
Comments:
Jesus promises to send the Advocate to teach and remind us of all
Jesus taught. Under this Spirit's guidance, we shall gain a deepened
understanding of what Jesus has told us, and we shall experience
Jesus' gift of peace that overcomes fear.
This passage is part of what is called Jesus' "farewell discourse."
Jesus has already told his followers that he is going away and that
they cannot go with him (13.33). Here, Jesus is preparing his
disciples for life without him being present in the way they have
experienced and understood. Jesus comforts the disciples with the
promise that he knows and understands what is happening and that he
and God will be present. They will be comforted by peace and led by
truth.
Water attracts life. Water gives life. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
both cradled and gave life to the dawn of civilization. Rivers, lakes,
streams, and bodies of water have throughout time been the gathering
and settling points for communities. Look at a map; population density
increases near large bodies of water. Some native African religions
have declared sites near water to be sacred places for worship, focal
points for human interaction with the divine.
Such is the supposition in today's reading from Acts. Paul reports
that he and his companions on the Sabbath went "outside the gate by
the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer." Indeed,
this was a holy place as Lydia and her household were soon to be
baptized there.
The river of the water of life, "bright as crystal" according to the
Revelation to John, is not just any river. It comes, flowing through
the middle of the street of the city, surrounded by the
multiple-fruited tree of life, through which will come the healing of
the nations. "How can water do such great things?" we ask. We must
consider the source. This river flows "from the throne of God and the
Lamb."
"How can water do such great things?" asks Martin Luther in his Small
Catechism. "Clearly, water does not do it, but the Word of God, which
is with and alongside the water, and faith, which trusts this Word of
God in the water." The water carries the word and is a vehicle for the
promised Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to come to us with strength and
teaching.
The distinction between water and word becomes clear in our alternate
reading from John (5.1-9). The healing of the sick man happens by the
waters of Beth-zatha, but he never enters the water. It is the word of
Jesus beside the waters that brings healing and wholeness.
In this passage Jesus equate love and obedience together. Love is so
fuzzily abstract. (How can you measure your love to another?) But
obedience is so concrete; to either obey or you don't. Nothing in
between.
It is easy to say that "I love Jesus"! But Jesus made it clear, "If
you say so, then obey my words!"
Some may object, “Wait a minute, the text didn’t say ‘obey’ but
‘keep’! Can this just mean the preservation and guarding of the Word?”
(Only a few translations translated the Gk. ‘tereo’ into ‘obey’
instead of ‘keep’). Kittel’s word study is useful here, “In John,
Christian action is controlled by the divine love. Responsive love for
Christ cannot be limited to emotion. It finds expression rather in the
obedient walk of Christians: Jn.14:15” [v8,p142] The immediate context
of “my Father love them, and we will come to them and make our home
with them” demands more than just preservation of the word.
Some may get confused, "But what is exactly your word then? How do we
know that it's not the words of your disciple John? Or even the words
of the copyists a few centuries later then?” I don’t have an answer
for this. But even with new illuminations available from the Holy
Spirit; isn’t He supposed to also be consistent enough with the
existing strata from Jesus too: “the Spirit will teach you everything
and REMIND you of everything that I have said to you”?
Lord Jesus, help me to know your Word, so that I can fully obey and
indicate my love to you.
Coho, Midway City
My lectionary also has John 5:1-9. Is anyone else preaching on this?
Bill and Twyla's commentary (posted without attribution by an
anonymous poster)refers to this healing at the pool of Beth-zatha.
My NRSV commentary adds: "Movement [when the water was stirred
up]caused by an intermittent spring was attributed to divine action."
Waiting (or should I say wading)for your comments...
LF
This text of John presents the future work of the Spirit as a legal
Advocate who will "teach" and "remind" us of all that Jesus has said.
This is the substance of next line 'peace.' We have peace because we
are not alone. The promise is that the spirit will remain with us
after the physical Jesus is gone. These words are a reassurance to the
disciples prior to Jesus' death. John's concern is how the church will
live after Jesus. The point is that we are not alone, trying to make
our own way... we are not orphans. Our unity is not that we all share
the same beliefs, it is that we share the same presence of a guide who
will 1) teach, and 2) remember. Unlike Luke, who presents the Spirit
as power in Pentecost, this gentle Spirit of the Gospel of John, is
the great reminder-er of the gentle healer. This is where I am going
with this text on Sunday. Lot's of opportunities in life where we need
to be reminded of wwjd, er say, eh?
- Ted in Calif
Dear friends,
My heart has been weary this week noting division among churches. I
know that even as we UMs voted to leave General Conference unified we
are divided along the lines of the acceptableness of homosexuality.
Ours is not the only one divided. I am so weary I do not want to delve
back in to that especially here. But it begs the question if we are
all listening to the same spirit why are we getting so many diverse
and irreconcilable messages? Any help I could get on this one would be
greatly appreciated.
Grace and peace, Mike in Sunshine
Mike in Sunshine,
We are still human. I believe we imperfectly interpret the urgings of
the Spirit. I believe Martin Luther once said, "Sin boldly, but
believe more boldly still," and I agree. We should proclaim what we
believe to be true, even when others make claims just as boldly for
the opposite to be true. We must trust the grace of God to overcome
the wrong we do as a result of our misinterpretations, and pray for
our interpretations to be guided by the Spirit, for, as the Scriptures
say, no scripture is a matter for one's own interpretation alone.
After all (is said and done), we depend upon the grace of God in
Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Michelle
I am struggling with the temptation of lust at the moment, and I am
hanging in there by the Word of Jesus who asked me to keep His command
in today's text. Why can't we vote to accept pornography instead of
homosexuality instead ? That would help people like one out a lot. And
I could come up with good theology to back it up too.
Truth In Bitterness
Mike in Sunshine, I struggle with your question, too. Homosexual
issues aside, there are several points of theology where I stand at
near polar opposites with members of my congregation (the heaven/hell
images and the interpretation of the Book of Revelation are at the
head of our list of differences). I guess I have to admit these
"different believers" hear the Spirit of God through Scriptures too,
so I can't really condemn them for not knowing what they're talking
about. I think the Spirit does indeed speak to each of us differently,
and so we base our sacred cows upon what we understand to be the
truth. Perhaps this tension is what keeps God, Jesus and Spirit (not
to mention the Scriptures) in front of us all the time. If we all
agreed, we'd stop talking about our faith, stop seeking more from it,
stop trying to grow in it. We'd just all be rather blase about it, I
think; the "fire in our bellies" would be gone. Differences, honestly
held, may actually be a good thing on that level. Any good counselor
will tell you that tension is necessary for productive lives.
The problems come when we hold those differences over each others'
heads as threats - believe it my way or else (we'll split, you're
damned, the church will die, whatever) and we have an almost
Inquisition mentality. My way or death. A lot of our dogged insistence
that we are right about the issue du jour comes from fear of what
might happen if we let up a little and start to listen - really listen
- to the other side. They might have a good point or two, and that
would weaken our own case. If my case is weakened, then it must mean I
either don't love God completely enough, or I have weak faith that I
thought was set in concrete. It's concrete thinking that prevents the
Spirit to move us closer together.
Sorry to be so wordy, but this is indeed a question I have been trying
to figure out for a long time now. I sure haven't figured it out yet,
but I'm moving in the right direction, if jerkily.
Thanks for listening.
KHC
rookie contributor... I've been enjoying the discussion for weeks. I'm
struck with the "gift" image. "I do not give as the world gives." Good
gifts are given without strings attached. They are gven without
expectation. There is no indebtedness associated with the gift. For
the recipient of a good gift thankfulness is the appropriate response.
Can we learn to give gifts the way Jesus does? Can we receive the gift
of salvation (Holy Spirit, peace, healing, etc...)freely...recognizing
that the good works we do now are our thankful response to His
goodness to us?... MCE
Max Lucado's book "All You Ever Need" fits the concept of not giving
as the world gives. Blessings
11 MAY 04
If the Spirit is the helper/advocate of/for Jesus Christ and, given
the one image of legal representative, what message is the Advocate
trying to communicate on behalf of Jesus? What's the point that even
Jesus knew would not be crystal clear? On the one hand, it's the
"handing down of the verdict" which we have seen,in the cross (and via
dolorosa) is the verdict of clemency. Forgiveness. Life. The setting
aside of God's power as revealed in wrath, revenge or destruction.
It's a message of life and the invitation--vice "command"--to
discipleship, the invitation to participate in and be agents of
abundant life. Peter in WI
Here is my preliminary outline as of Tuesday:
Intro– story of me disobeying my dad– didn’t clean shop, plenty of
time (but no!), dad disappointed, I felt guilty, didn’t get as much
done as hoped– we both lost out
Part 1– obedience in disrepute today– ‘do your own thing’, fear of
control, the abuse in the Iraqi prison is the fruit of our disobedient
culture
Part 2– but Jesus calls those who love him to obey– has become a
problem in our day even in the church– my confirmation class an
example, but more poignantly telling is the rejection of scriptural
authority even among our theologians and leaders– the fruit of their
disobedience is the disrepute the church has come into among
unbelievers, who don’t know what the Christian message is any more!
Part 3– obedience to Jesus not just about control but about being who
(and whose!) you are truly meant to be– you have a job to do! As my
father’s son, if for no other reason , I should have taken seriously
the job he had left me with, but I goofed off and did what I wanted to
do
Part 4– and so, as God’s children, we obey– in obedience, the church
baptizes, in obedience, we gather together to worship, in obedience,
we reach out to touch other lives with the medicine that has brought
us healing, and in obeying we are surprised to find that we are made
whole
Conclusion– peace is the fruit of obedience– and in the end we long to
hear our master’s voice saying ‘well done, good and faithful servant’
Steve on the Cdn. Prairie
Steve,
Good outline so far, but perhaps it would be helpful to also look at
the angle of obedience as an expression of love in addition to getting
the job done. Also in point 2, be careful about citing bad example in
church on the pulpit; you also may want to flesh out a practical
respond to the theologians too.
Truth in Bitterness,
Apparently you are still consider the Word as authoritative to obey
it. I think the good position must blend both Truth and Love together.
The conservative side had too much Truth, and the liberal side had too
much Love.
Coho, Midway City
Michelle and Mike in Sunshine:
A new issue seems to be emerging in the PC(USA) that centers in the
"Lordship of Christ". It may be a refocusing of the homesexual issue,
taking it deeper into theology. Many are using this as a litmus test
for believers (a creedal view of God, if you read Harborough), but I
am starting to think that the Lordship of Christ is just that: Christ
is The Lord. The first thing that needs to be said, then, is, "I'm not
Lord": not the perfect judge of what a Christian looks and behaves
like; not the one burdened with the need to change someone else; and
certainly not the one who believes any wrong-headed person (including
myself) cannot be changed. Any other view, in my mind, would be saying
that Christ isn't The Lord.
If this is off-track, I apologize.
Steve in KS
Brother Steve on the Prairie,
Thank you for your post. You certainly seem to have a lot of righteous
anger about lack of obedience, as you see it in your confirmation
class and in other theologians. Do you see it in yourself, too? I
don't just mean in your boyhood, but your own current violations of
obedience. The great commandment is to "love one another" but from
your sermon outline, I'm not sensing a lot of love toward one another.
Anger, guilt, frustration, yes; love, no.
Neither you nor I is fulfilling the Law of Love perfectly. If you are
going to talk about the failings of those around you, you might
consider having the humility to talk about your own current failings
too.
My homiletics professor gave us a failing grade on every sermon that
was not at least 50% grace! Why? The rationale was this: People are
dying for lack of grace, good news, welcome relief - whatever you want
to call the good news in Jesus Christ. People get yelled at by
television, by their bosses, judged and criticized constantly. This
does not mean that you are not right in pointing out their failures in
obedience - you are. But your homiletical task is to give them
something to live for! A sense of God's unbounded grace! for example:
Did your father kick you out for not fulfilling the task? Or did he
love you anyway, despite his disappointment, and did his love and
disappointment motivate you to do better?
I think of peace not as the fruit of obedience - except for the very
dullest, timid, and most uninspiring form of "peace." I think of the
peace of Christ as a gift of the Spirit, not something we achieve by
obedience, nor denied to us by our lack of obedience.
Respectfully submitted, LF
For those of you who are looking for something on the presence of God
and Jesus in the life of the believer, saw this on the bruderhof.com
website, written by Eberhard Arnold in the book Innerland
"If the mission of Jesus is to be truly apprehended, the nature of the
sun and of fire has to be understood. Our sun is a central fire world
from which our planet gets its life. The sun’s force of attraction
gathers and holds together all the worlds that surround it. Its heat
keeps us from dying of cold. Its warmth awakens life in plants and
animals. Without its light, all life would perish in darkness. The
tiny fraction of light-energy our planet receives from the far distant
sun is enough to engender and maintain the boundless life we know on
the earth. Every manifestation of earth’s power, each breath of wind,
the water-vapor cycle, the movements of deep-sea fish, every beat of
our heart is the work of the sun. What bracing power it gives body and
soul! Without it we fall prey to death."
revgilmer in Texarkana
Just popped in the John discussion although I am preaching the
Revelation text.
Glad I did!
I am fascinated of Revelation's dream of a "no temple" future. This
breathes so much relief for me in our world that is divided by
religion and theology and doctrine. I see these as "temple symbols".
Revelation dreams of a day not just done away with sin and a bent to
sinning, but done away with the temple.
ahhhh... life is good!
Storyteller.
obey or keep? the word obey is more of a law word, keep is more of a
heart word ( at least to me.) Keeping something means treasuring,
taking care of, and using with care. There is almost a caressing of
it. Losing it makes the heart and soul weep.
Obeying seems to be more of a do it or there are consquences of
retribution.
Both are painful. Nancy-Wi
"They will come and make a home with us." - And I have all these
images flying in - What's it take to make a house a "home"? - What
kind of discussion takes place? - What color will the walls be? Will
we have regular meal hours? Bedtimes? Carpet? Waltons? Bradys? or
Osbornes? Why is it that God wants to abide within us and make "home"
with us? MrBill in MI
The image that keeps running through my mind about keeping a word is
that of Scrooge after the spirits of Christmas have visited him- and
he promises that he will "keep Christmas all the year; the spirits of
Christmas, past,present, future shall dwell within" and he cries out
"I say this on my knees, Jacob Marley, do you hear me- on my knees"
now is that keeping, or is it obedience, or both? In this chapter,
Jeus uses both as signs of love towards him. While they are not
synonyms, they do seem to reinforce each other- we obey in order to
keep the word, we keep the word as an act of obedience
revgilmer in Texarkana
MrBill in Mi--
I am also wrestling with the home imagery. It would seem to me that
Jesus is trying to tell the disciples--who gave up their homes for
Jesus--that they need not be worried about Jesus' departure. That a
home with Jesus is the only permenant, unchanging home we have.
It reminds me of the Billy Joel song, "You're my home." In the Church
we have such a fear of change and death because we see the Church as
(hopefully) unchanging in an ever-changing world. Perhaps if we
realized that God is our home, dwelling in us and us in him, we would
be more accepting and secure with earthly change.
Just some thoughts on home.
PBG in IL
that should be Jesus, not Jeus (one of these days, I'm going to learn
to do this in a word-processing program, so I can use the spell check,
which is a gift of God to terrible typists like myself)
revgilmer in texarkana
Our Lord departs, the Advocate has come, yet we behave as though we
are orphans "looking" at best for some proof of the Presence in our
midst, the home where the Trinity dwells within this earthen vessel of
self and church, yet we don't know one another, love is lacking. I
know we are human, but we are also disciples who have witnessed the
resurrection (yet for many it was a beautiful dream). Look at our
world, our inhumanity toward one another. Look at the church divided
on the issue of who is worthy or redemption? What really is clean and
unclean? How do we open ourselves, prepare ourselves, this time for
the Holy Spirit? I pray for a new breath, a new wind, a new opening of
my heart to the Gift which is also the Giver.
tom in ga
Does anyone remember (a ball park date) when the wedding vow was
changed and the promise to "obey" was dropped. Thought I might be able
to use it as an illustration
therevvv
therevvv asked about the change in the matrimonial vow.... in the
Episcopal Church the vow to "obey" (spoken only by the bride,
incidentally) was dropped in the 1928 revision of the Book of Common
Prayer. It was changed to be identical to the vow taken by the groom,
i.e., to "love" one's spouse.
Blessings, Eric in OH
Hi my friends,
Not preaching until next week but am enjoying the lively discussion. I
am chiming in just to let you know, as you have held my family in
prayer...We will be contacting Hospice next week to start working with
our family regarding my daughter. We discussed that option with her
today and she seems to really have found a sense of peace in it. I
know there will be some really rough days ahead, but today, a day I
thought would be tourture, I found comfort. Trust me, the Holy Spirit
is active! She will likely have several good months before getting
really sick, so we will pack each day with memories and grace! Thanks
for the continued prayers Tammy in Texas
Tammy in Texas--
May that same Comforter Spirit keep holding you up and carrying you
through these days to come. I've not suffered exactly what you face,
but I have known days where only grace kept me up, and I rejoice that
you know that gift.
Laura in TX
How are we going to relate this text to the Iraqi prisoners scandal
and Nick Berg's be heading? I would throw out what I had so far and go
for "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not
let them be afraid."
Coho, Midway City.
PBG in IL, Ahh, acceptance and security in a changing world. Who
wouldn't want a home like that? But I'm not sure about the stabiity of
an unchanging home. In an environment of hospitality where
transformation would include becoming more inviting and more inclusive
(celebrating diversity), I think we all, including God would be
smiling. In contrast, in an environment of hostility, where change is
often seen and expressed in the context of upheaval - the result is
often more hostility and more violence. So, it seems imperative to
"Take the name of Jesus with us" - and to take heart that He has
overcome the world - so that at the end of the day as promised - we
will be moving toward the hospitable drawing in, accepting and
bringing transformation to the hostile. MrBill in MI
I came across this illustration some years ago, I think I'll use it
this week:
"Two artists vied with each other to see which could produce a
painting that could depict the idea of peace. One painted a picture of
a quiet lake away up on a mountain. Not a breeze was stirring. Not a
bird was flying. Not a ripple disturbed the quiet waters. Initially
the first artist his scene was the truest picture of peace.
"However, the second artist painted a picture of a roaring waterfall,
with a mighty tree hanging over it. in the crotch of a limb bending
over the turbulent waters and almost within the reach of the rising
spray- he painted a tiny sparrow sitting calm and unperturbed upon her
little nest. In the midst of the mighty roar, surrounded by what
seemed to be frightful danger, the sparrow hadn't a worry in the
world: Her cozy little nest was snug in the crotch of a mighty oak-
her sanctuary.
"Afterward viewing the pictures, both artists agreed that the second
picture came closer to depicting the highest conception of peace."
In the second picture, there is an excellent portrayal of the peace
that Christ grants his people.
The peace of Christ is not inwardness or even-mindedness based on
otherworldly transcendence of the troubles of life. The peace of
Christ is not a peace which is found in some distant world of
"make-believe" but a peace found right here in the very midst of a
world of trial and trouble.
Pr. del in Ia
I am so struck with all of this weeks passages and how they all speak
of "home." I am awed over and over again when I realize that the
Trinity lives among us in community. To me, these passages speak of
radical hospitality! Pastor J
I am struggling with the "peace" element in this reading vis-a-vis the
current geo-political situation... (Thanks to Pr. del in IA for the
nested-bird image!) So I turned to the Revelation reading (a book from
which I seldom preach) and began looking at the "tree of life"
image... and in my research, I found this from Paul Tillich which ties
the two readings together:
"In the ancient world, great political leaders were called saviours.
They liberated nations and groups within them from misery,
enslavement, and war. This is another kind of healing, reminiscent of
the words of the last book of the Bible, which says in poetic language
that "the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the
nations." How can nations be healed? One may say: They can be
liberated from external conquerors or internal oppressors. But can
they be healed? Can they be saved? The prophets give the answer:
Nations are saved if there is a small minority, a group of people, who
represent what the nation is called to be. They may be defeated, but
their spirit will be a power of resistance against the evil spirits
who are detrimental to the nation. The question of saving power in the
nation is the question of whether there is a minority, even a small
one, which is willing to resist the anxiety produced by propaganda,
the conformity enforced by threat, the hatred stimulated by ignorance.
The future of this country and its spiritual values is not dependent
as much on atomic defense as on the influence such groups will have on
the spirit in which the nation will think and act." Paul Tillich, The
Eternal Now, Chapter 10 (1963).
It's a forty-year-old analysis, but pertinent as much to today as to
the era of the Cold War!
Blessings, Eric in OH
Hi all! This is the first time I have participated in the discussion
though I have read the contributions regularly since my seminary days.
This Sunday our interim pastor will be away so I will be the guest
preacher for my own congegation. Would appreciate your thoughts on my
thoughts!
My congregation is in the search process for another settled minister.
Some in the congregation are waiting ~ waiting to commit their time or
their money ~ waiting to see "who we get". In my work as a chaplain I
wait with many people for unknown outcomes. What do we do when we
wait? We tell the stories. Here we are in our church calendar waiting
again (advent, lent, good friday to easter being other periods of
waiting) ~ this time waiting for the promised coming of the Advocate.
So we tell the story of Jesus' last hours, of his instructions on how
we are to be together and his promise of the Spirit to teach and
remind us along the way. To live in in love and care and commitment
with each other ~ this is the way to the peace of Christ, the way to
the New Jerusalem of Revelation that is already (as the gift of the
resurrection) and not yet, because of our continued brokenness
together.
Your thoughts and guidance for this occassional preacher are much
appreciated. May peace overtake us all, Chaplain Cam
Occasionally the spirit can do better work when things are stirred up
a bit. If everything is all calm and smooth in our lives we don't much
feel like we need anything coming into them. If things are in turmoil
the spirit has something to work with. Peace in turmoil. Comfort in
sorrow. Power in fear. Grace in conflict.
Eric in Ohio: Thanks for the Tillich quote. I'm using this one.
When I returned from my stint in the service in 1971, the word "Peace"
was something radical in our nation. The symbol of peace, as you
remember, was used by those who were against the war in Vietnam-- they
were against the government, against the 'establishment', etc. Anyway,
I wanted to express my own desire for peace and I bought a peace
sticker and glued it to the inside of the sunvisor in my new orange
Super Beatle. I could lower the visor and display the symbol or raise
it and hide it, depending on where I was. I lived in the conservative
south and wanted it both ways, to be a radical peace lover but also to
be accepted by the establishment. It could be very dangerous in those
days to speak about peace. In more recent times this has also been
true. It has even been 'un-American' to speak out about peace. Of
course, we all know the issue is peace for both sides: peace that is
sought nationally through military power or the peace that is wanted
by those who seek another way; and there are always those who must do
the killing and the dying, all in the name of peace. I heard a
nationally known theologian, at a church conference, no less, say that
"fighting for peace is like *&%#ing for virginity". Pardon the french.
He said this was a quote from the Arab world in which he had labored
as a missionary for many years. I'm not using it tomorrow, but it does
a great job putting the finger on the issue, don't you think? Germany,
in the late 30's used the old term, 'Peace Offensive', to describe
what it was attempting to do in its plans to invade Poland. Aggression
on a national level and on an individual level is generally a
misguided attempt to find peace. Jesus gives peace, though, in a
radically different way. This is the distinction I hope to bring in
the sermon.
Peace,
Steve in KS
Dear Truth in Bitterness, I was concerned about your struggle with
lust and pornography, but more about your sense that you had good
theology to justify pornography. Think about this. Pornography is the
ultimate temptation to clergy. The people depicted can be anything to
us that we imagine, and they never are needy. They never ask us for
anything. They exist to fulfill our lust. But the sad thing is that
they are also not real, and therefore do nothing to bring love or
peace. Real people are not air brushed and probably are not usually
the product of plastic surgery either. They sometimes have halitosis
and body odor. They ask for and give love and commitment that can
deepen over the years. Porn gives as the world gives, and leaves
people hungrier than they were. There's no biblical "one anothering"
in porn. I don't object to porn because it shows naked people or
sexual acts, as there's nothing bad about either in the right context.
God invented those things. God's gift is much better than porn:
marriage! People who struggle with addictions know the acronym HALT:
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. We clergy are often all three, and
sitting ducks for whatever hits us at our weakest link. Our
congregations are right behind us too.
P
I like those words in v 27 'do not be afraid.' There is no guarantee
that the presence of the Spirit will eliminate our disagreements. But
it is vitally clear that if a Christian community is not wholey
governed by love through the work of the Spirit, there will be no
peace of the kind that Jesus gives and sent via the Spirit. And
precisely because of a) the conflicts raging in the world, and b) in
church debates, or c) in personal conflicts of hate, pornography, and
lonliness... the call for peace through community and the Spirit in
that community is very appropriate. Any fear that leads to selfishness
or hostility amidst disagreement among Christians is alien to the work
of the Holy Spirit in the community. Let's add a quote from the letter
of 1 John 4:18 - "Perfect love casts out fear." - Ted
want to do a fun word study? compare the two greeek words used here in
john 14. one for abode or home,mone, and the other for abide, menei,
which means to establish permanently jn 14, 7, 10 and jn 14: 2, 23
will make them dance off the page. Chrsiat makes a relationship of
constant contact- that's abiding, and he had a special place ofr this
action to take place, his abode, his home. wow hot dog peraise the
Lord for his contast uneneding presence for thoise who love him and
the security of a permnant dwelling place with him for those who also
love him, but be clear about this teaching. he is a perfect gentlemen
and never forces himnself on any one. we do not have to love him and
we can totally reject him and in our rejection we find the absolute
opposite-- hate and hell as a permanent characteristis of those who
reject him and hell as a permanent place for those outside of his
love. because that's what hell really is -- the love of God totally
gone from the presence of those who reject him. tulsa liturgical
baptist
