In the 17th chapter of John, there is a prayer of Jesus that He prays just before He is arrested. There are three really cool things that stand out to me.
When Jesus prays He gives us a definition of eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3 NKJV) Isn't it interesting that when Jesus describes eternal life the element of time is not in the equation? From God's point of view eternal life is not about duration but relationship, a relationship with us. Imagine, the Creator of the universe, the God of miracles, and the all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present God wants to have a relationship with us. It goes without saying it is a forever relationship.
The second awesome lesson from John 17 is this: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3 NKJV) Jesus makes a point that I have never though of before and I don't exactly know why but it makes me feel good. As a christian I can trace my getting saved to the testimony of one of the original Disciples! For me it is one more reason to believe in the security of my salvation.
And lastly, doesn't it make us feel good knowing that in the chapter we have the recorded prayer that Jesus prayed for us. I know that the savior who died for me was thinking about me just a few hours before He was arrested and put on trial for my sins. Jesus Himself prayed for us!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Good News
As I have been praying about the direction of Eastside Assembly of God for the next year, I believe that God is pointing me towards a focus on the good news. After all the gospel is literally the "good news"! All we have to do is look at our world to know that it seems that things are not going too well. Everytime I turn on the news or read a newspaper I hear or see bad news. Our economy is weak, it seems that the moral fiber of our world is on the decline, well, I don't have to recount all the terrible things that are happening right now. But for us who are believers we have hope to hang our hat on -- Jesus!
That's right, while the world around us is falling apart, we know that there is good news! Believe or not God is in control! And we have the "good news"! There is a God in heaven who is working on our behalf. We also have the hope that any day now Jesus will return for His church and we will have the ultimate victory!
So with that in mind, it is my intention to make 2012 a year of "good news". At Eastside Assembly of God, we have much to be thankful for and so this next year my goal is to focus on the "good news".
Here is what we are going to do:
Always remember that the Gospel message is a positive message.
Continue finding ways for us to connect believers with each other and with God.
Be there to support and encourage those who are going through a time of testing or trouble.
Preach and teach the "Good News"!
Continue with the healing & miracle services once a month (first Sunday).
I believe that 2012 has all the makings of being a great year for us! One more thing, ask God to help you become more positive about your life, your church, and your faith. That is a prayer I know God will answer!
That's right, while the world around us is falling apart, we know that there is good news! Believe or not God is in control! And we have the "good news"! There is a God in heaven who is working on our behalf. We also have the hope that any day now Jesus will return for His church and we will have the ultimate victory!
So with that in mind, it is my intention to make 2012 a year of "good news". At Eastside Assembly of God, we have much to be thankful for and so this next year my goal is to focus on the "good news".
Here is what we are going to do:
Always remember that the Gospel message is a positive message.
Continue finding ways for us to connect believers with each other and with God.
Be there to support and encourage those who are going through a time of testing or trouble.
Preach and teach the "Good News"!
Continue with the healing & miracle services once a month (first Sunday).
I believe that 2012 has all the makings of being a great year for us! One more thing, ask God to help you become more positive about your life, your church, and your faith. That is a prayer I know God will answer!
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