A Thought a Day...
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. " John 14:11.
Miracles... I was watching TV last night and heard one television evangelist talk about his miracle water. Just drink it and your illnesses will be cured and your financial difficulties resolved. Or better yet, The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing anyone of being a charlatan, but I am skeptical most of the time. Christ is telling me here what the purpose of miracles is: that people may come to believe the He is Lord. Miracles do exist today. For the brethren that may be reading this we can all agree that the greatest miracle of all is the salvation that we receive through the cleansing of our sins by the blood of Christ. CS Lewis' book, Miracles talks about this great miracle which every believer becomes a part.
But to the disciples, the miracles of Christ were seen daily. Although the miraculous is important, what Christ has to say to me is more important. He says to Phillip, if you aren't convinced by what I'm saying, then look at the miracles. He says to me, you've already seen the miraculous, now pay attention to what I'm saying.
The importance of testimony is well understood. It's through testimony that justice is meted out. The advertising industry spends billions of dollars a year in having popular athletes and entertainment personalities to endorse their products. How many times have I bought a product because someone I trust told me how wonderful it is? So when the Creator of Universe gives testimony that Christ is "His beloved son, whom He loves"... Shouldn't that really be enough?
Father, I really need to listen more carefully to what you are saying. I need to be willing to talk with you more. I need to be sensitized to the miracles that you show me everyday. Let me keep that spirit of wonder. Let me be childlike in my devotion to you.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. " John 14:10.
The disciples had been with Christ for three years and now Christ is coming to the end of His time with them. He has been trying to share with them his last wishes, but it's been tough. He has been interrupted by Peter and Thomas, and now Phillip has engaged him in a side conversation by asking Him to show them the Father. Christ has answered him with "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." But then he makes a comment that makes me think a bit.
I can just see Christ looking at Phillip square in the eyes and asking him, "Don't you believe that I am who I say I am?" It's a question that hits me right in the heart... So many times I humanize the Christ so much that I forget about his divinity. I get so wrapped up in the events of the life of Christ that I forget who he really is. And that is sad. It's important for me to recognize the Christ was fully man, but it's even more important for me to realize that he is fully God as well.
I heard my brother Bill preach one time on the Holy Spirit and he was talking about the unity we have with the Holy Spirit with His indwelling. He told of an illustration that was used by the early Christians to demonstrate the point. Take a sword and place it in a fire until it glows red hot, Now ask the question is the sword in the fire or the fire in the sword? At first thought the answer is an easy one, the sword is in the fire. But take the sword out of the fire and touch it if you dare... I would bet it wouldn't take long to look at that sword. You might then argue that the fire was in the sword. Christ is saying that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. There is no difference between the two... And he is challenging Phillip (and me) to recognize that fact.
More importantly, he tells me that this isn't an earthly message, it's special delivery from God to me through His only son. I think I'd better start paying attention.
Father, it's easy to get so wrapped up in the history that we forget the Historian. It's easy to not pay attention to the message because of the importance of the messenger. Father, sensitize me that I might see you in the Christ. Motivate me to listen carefully to the message that you are sending to me.
