John 16:24

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

😇 We need to be in the habit of asking God to provide joy and peace in our lives and give us the wisdom to recognize it.

 

🙏🏼 Lord, God…I need some real joy and peace in my life. Your Son, Jesus told me to ask you and you would provide it. So, I’m asking; give me what You know I need…and help me recognize it as your gift, Amen. 

 John 16:16

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me…So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

😇 Life can be very difficult and we sometimes wish Jesus would come back and sort things out for us. He will. When that happens, everything thing will be perfect again. Jesus says it’s like a woman giving birth; it’s very painful but…when that beautiful baby arrives, her joy erases all the pain.  Look up!

🙏🏼 Lord, I miss you. I thank you for your Holy Spirit but, I long for the day we can walk and talk together in the flesh. Thank you for the promise of your return, Amen. 

John 16:13-15

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

😇 The next most amazing thing, after Jesus’ death and resurrection (to pay the penalty for our sin), is the assurance that we can understand it all. God sent His Spirit to live in us and teach us everything He wants us to know. Imagine this; when we submit our life to Christ and trust He erased all our sin,  when our conscience speaks it is the very voice of God! Listen! It explains the ancient phrase “ask Jesus into your heart”…conveying the idea that Jesus literally lives in us through the Holy Spirit. It also explains the importance of studying the Bible; we need to be sure the voice we hear is God’s voice…not our own. 

🙏🏼 Lord, I’m amazed and thankful that you have given me a personal direct connection with you. Help me listen with gratitude and carefully obey, Amen.

 John 16:5-11

“Now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

😇 I often wonder if I would be a stronger Christian if I could walk and talk with Jesus (God in the flesh) like the disciples did. Jesus tells us we have something even better…when Jesus left, God sent His Holy Spirit to live in us, not with us. This is difficult to comprehend; God lives “in” me if I’m a believer. He has joined our human spirit to teach us everything we will ever need to know about following Christ. Jesus also calls the Holy Spirit a comforter (14:26), who will care for us when we are discouraged or hurt. If we listen carefully to that voice inside, we will hear God. 

🙏🏼 Father, God…thank you for giving you Spirit to live in me. Help me to humbly listen and obey. When I do that, I can know I am being exactly the person you want me to be, Amen.

 John 16:1-4

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.”

😇 Told us, what? 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5)

“If you do not remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (15:7)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (15:12, 13)

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”(15:16)

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (15:18-25)

 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. 

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 

A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. 

If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 

They will treat you this way because of my name

Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.

‘They hated me without reason.’ 

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning (15:26, 27)

Told us this…why? So we won’t quit when trouble comes…because it will.

🙏 Lord, your Son died so I may live…my life is yours. It is a secure choice but not an easy path. Even today, faithful believers are being killed for nothing more than uttering your name. But, it’s worth it if some believe in you and receive eternal life. Give us the strength and conviction to boldly profess our faith regardless of the threat, Amen.

 John 15:26, 27

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

😇 It’s not our own brilliance that allows us to accept the claims of Jesus;  it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We should be very humble with our faith and…speak it to others so the Holy Spirit can witness to them as well. 

🙏🏼 Lord, thank you for the Holy Spirit that makes your claims true in my life. Help me listen carefully and respond appropriately. Amen. 

John 15:18, 19

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

😇 Today, college professors spit on a person handing out bibles on their campus. It sounds crazy but, the world hates Christians…unless we keep our faith to ourselves. Well, that’s exactly the opposite of what Christ commands. So, who do we want to love us? A hateful world or a loving Savior?

🙏🏼 Lord, I’m so often tempted to seek the world’s approval, by the things I do and say and approve. It’s a fool’s game. Help me be firm today…living for you and loving the lost. Amen.