ORLANDO POTENTIAL

ORLANDO POTENTIAL

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

John [NLT] chapter 17 … Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

  … My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction [Judas], as the Scriptures foretold.

  Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

  I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

Romans [NLT] 12:1-3 [Paul exhorting] And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

  As a disciple of Christ every day requires the work of studying, seeing, considering, accepting, and applying God’s Word . . . ACTUALLY AUTHENTIC WORSHIP . . . and for this man then the additional responsibility to keyboard and/or vocalize His truth in the hope of eternal and present freedom.  Admittedly there are times I’d much rather not, but instead prefer cleaning the refrigerator et al.

  “Why Orlando?!!” is question heard loud and clear.

  I begin to answer with a memory from Mr. Hanley’s high school World History class, “Don’t ask ‘Why war?’ -- ask ‘Why peace?’”

  God’s Word answers the questions unequivocally:

·         Political leadership, general population, and a number of professing Christians don’t believe in evil, thinking evil happens. Fact is, none of us are good. We all naturally have ghastly potential ranging from jealous nasty attitude to murderous action. Jer.17:9; Mt.19:17; Mk.10:18; Rom.3:10-18; Jam.4:1-4.

·         There is ambient peace that can be had in this world, but it is fleeting at best, and rotten at worst. By and through trusting Jesus inner peace can be had presently and eternally regardless of surroundings; such peace counteracting, even negating our warring self. Gen.3:1-8; Jer.17:7-8; Jn.14:27; 16:33.

  As you’ve noticed, today I’ve not printed out Bible verses for your convenience. I’m leaving you to decide whether to clean the refrigerator or look up, read, consider, accept, and apply His truth that will free you of the shallow questions of those inclined otherwise.

EBB4