[Faith-talk] Fwd: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, April 21, 2011

[Amy Ragain]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Smith <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Date: April 21, 2011 6:56:44 AM CDT
> To: Morning Thoughts 1 <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, April 21, 2011
> 
> Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
> (1 Chronicles 29:11, NIV)
> 
> - From Bible Promises for iPhone
> http://biblepromises.reigndesign.com/
> 
> John 16:16-28 (NASB)
> Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold
> [16] “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” [17] Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” [18] So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” [19] Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? [20] “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. [21] “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. [22] “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
> Prayer Promises
> [23] “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. [24] “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
> [25] “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. [26] “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; [27] for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. [28] “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
> 
> How absolutely mind boggling, how awesome, how incredible!!  the God of all Glory, all Power, all Authority, all Creation would send His only Son to Earth for the purpose of saving man from his own sin, iniquity, pride, lusts, from the very grip of Satan, confusion and chaos.  While we reflect, perhaps only for a moment, on the Last Supper, the communion of Jesus Christ with His disciples, the explanation of His purpose on earth and the hope that lay ahead for them, how magnificent He stands!!  In the clarity of history, made so only by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can understand God's very purpose in sending His Son into our world, to change our lives forever - for all eternity!!  
> 
> Reflect frequently on these few days in history, and the power of one so filled with God's Love, that He changed mankind for all time, in spite of our own wickedness, rebellion, sin, and shame.   Spend a little time today, tomorrow, and Saturday reading the accounts of Jesus Christ during those final days before He sacrificed Himself for us.  Commune with Him!!
> 
> <3Steve:-))