[Faith-talk] Fwd: Morning Thoughts for Wednesday, June 8, 2011

[Amy Ragain]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Smith <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Date: June 8, 2011 7:18:09 AM CDT
> To: Morning Thoughts 1 <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Wednesday, June 8, 2011
> 
> John 14:7-15 (NASB)
> Oneness with the Father
> [7] “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
> [8]  Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” [9] Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? [10] “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. [11] “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. [12] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [13] “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
> [15] “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
> 
> John 14:16-27 (NASB)
> Role of the Spirit
> [16] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [17] that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
> [18] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. [20] “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. [21] “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” [22] Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” [23] Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. [24] “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
> [25] “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. [26] “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. [27] “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
> 
> Good morning blessed family!!  Some mornings I just need to re-read these passages to gather strength and to focus.  Maybe you do too.  For me, the stressors of the day are sufficient to derail my journey in life.  I cannot travel on under my own strength, and especially not along the path God has set for me.  I am too weak and my focus is too blurred by the attractions on the right and on the left.  It helps me a lot if I just return to the basics of this life, and re-read the Owner's Manual.  But, like most men, reading the manual is the last thing on my agenda, the last resort when I cannot figure out the answer on my own.
> 
> Before GPS, my wife would have to repeatedly ask me to stop and ask directions as I tried to navigate through the back streets of a foreign town. "Just stop and ask directions." But no, I was too proud.  It was not the "male" thing to do.  Finally though, I would succumb, and ask, and we would be on our way again.  Then came GPS!!  Now, a map is laid out in front of my eyes and turn-by-turn directions are given by an audible voice.  It's the same with God.  His Holy Spirit is a little bit like the GPS, but a whole lot more capable!!
> 
> Not only does the Holy Spirit give turn-by-turn directions, along God's path, he also does EVERYTHING else to guarantee the successful completion of that journey.  But the Holy Spirit is much more than a device, He is the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Trinity!!  In Him, there can be no error, for He has all truth, all wisdom, and far better vision and focus than I could ever imagine.  He is the actual Spirit of God, and has testified of God the Father and Jesus Christ, my Savior, through the inspiration placed into the minds of selected men, to write a complete journal of God's Will for our lives - His Holy Bible - His Word of Life - His Owner's Manual.
> 
> Refresh yourselves today, rejuvenate your lives, remember the reason you live.  Take a little time and read a bit of God's Journal.  Double-check your GPS and follow the arrow God has laid in front of your eyes.  See you at the finish line, if not before.  Here, There, or In The Air!!
> 
> With great love, lots of hope, and a growing faith,
> 
> <3Steve:-))