Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Podcast series of chronologicalness to bring you special news:  Jesus rose from the dead.  Crazy news. Critical news.  Without this message our faith would be in vain.

Everybody gets their own moment with the resurrection.  We all get "Easter-Eyes".  Let's do the best we can with these EYES and our SOULS.

We will look at the resurrection with the fresh eyes of the FIRST EYES to see it:  Mary Magdalene.  Mary of Magdala. I cannot WAIT to have lunch with her in heaven.  She is the real deal.  You'll see. If you have an extra seven minutes listen to me being AMAZED by Mary of Mag in S1-Episode #54, one of my favorites of all time.

There is unbelief, or at least not-quite-yet-belief.  There are angels and almost arguing.  There is speaking with angels which is under any other circumstances, the highlight of the story.  Then there is the appearance of the gardener, I mean Jesus.  You just gotta love the details of this story.  Then Jesus calls her by name.  That part just kills me.  Then there is a hug perhaps and Jesus reveals an ascension.  Yet another precious precious truth given solely to a woman.  She was then to share it with her declaration of what she believed with her eyes, "I have seen the Lord!"

Today you too will see the Lord through her eyes.  Let's be a quick believer.  Happy Easter.  He rose! Whew! Please share this podcast with all your family today. The Apple Podcast QR code is the image above.  Just point your phone camera at it...

Spiritual MAPLE SYRUP. Yum! John 15:4 (S3- Episode #19)
Last night, I had MAPLE SYRUP from land that I know, from hands that I know, and from a tree that I know.  It was delicious.  Plate-licking delicious.  

What exactly is maple syrup?  It is the concentrated, alive, part of a tree that is just beneath the surface.  It is the internal river that runs from the branches to the main tree to the roots.  When we stand and look at a tree, there are some structural connections that we see from all those parts.  But this is the life.  This is the critical element .  This is ABIDING.  This is the best picture of ABIDE IN THE VINE that I can think of.  I TASTED it last night.

He wants believers to "Abide in me and I in you."  I get the first part.  Who wouldn't want to stay connected to an amazing God?  "I'm with HIM", says I.  What gives me a little wonder is that He wants to stay connected with little ol' me.  He wants our rivers of Xylem and Phloem to connect for fruitfulness.

Hey, I KNOW this tree. I can TASTE IT.  Listen and see if you can taste it too.  Then share this with someone who might have a dry waffle.

We are a messy people.  Troubled. Anxious.  At war without.  At war within.  Facing difficulties.  Mired by temptations.  HE KNOWS.

With all of this in OUR minds, we should actually REJOICE that Jesus is going away.  WHAT? CRAZY podcaster? 
No, CRAZY God! CRAZY Bible!

Follow me here.  He goes through horrible betrayal, death, suffering, bloody covenant, conquering sin and death.  We rejoice.(!)  That's what it says, because of the positional and practical advantages it leaves us with.  Today, it is HIS PEACE.  He leaves it.  He gives it.  Let not your hearts be TROUBLED or AFRAID.

Got temptations? Get Peace
Got anxiety about the future? Get Peace.
Got sickness and death? Get Peace
Got worry about your people? Get Peace.
Got money concerns? Get Peace.
Got shame from the past? Get Peace.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Let not your hearts be afraid.  My peace I leave you.  My peace I give you.  Listen and please share with someone you know to not be at peace.

Helen of Troy's face, and perhaps the rest of her, "launched a 1000 ships" said Marlowe.  Actually, it was 1186 ships.  She must have been SOMETHING! 

But what about you?  Didn't your face launch the most expensive rescue mission in eternity?  Have you forgotten your beauty and your value to God? Have you FORGOTTEN WHO YOU ARE? Do you need to REMEMBER who you ARE?  Well, God has a special remedy for that.  It is a Person, an indwelling, active reminding Person: the Holy Spirit.  You are gonna need some help.  Good news:  He's a HELPER, and specifically in this area.

Today we are introduced to two aspects of the newly revealed Holy Spirit.  
He's a TEACHER:  what might I need to know.  Well, just about EVERYTHING since you are starting from scratch.  What is His name? characteristics, my relationship, my future...

He's a REMINDER.  Well, what might I have FORGOTTEN?  The Holy Spirit dwells with you; is in you; you can know God; God is alive; Father is in me; Jesus loves me; Jesus manifests Himself to me; He allows me to converse and ASK.  These are all just from page 1481 in my Bible.  What have I forgotten about what's on page 283, or 982, or 1561?

Remember who you are.  Then listen and share this podcast with someone who has forgotten who they are.  [email protected] is this podcast's email. 

Like the RONCO knife commercial tag line, "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...!" John 14 just piles on the benefits of this new Covenant that Jesus makes before His crucifixion.   Episode #15 talks a lot about the BENEFITS.  Today I was struck by the CONDITIONS.

Except I think that is not the best word:  I think a better concept is not that those benefits are conditional, but they are more so RELATIONAL.   That is: pursue, plan, enjoy and walk a relationship with Jesus, Father, and Spirit and good stuff follows.

So what do I gotta DO to have the Godhead ROBUSTLY interact inside of me?

• keep my commandments
• KNOW that I (Jesus) and in the Father
• demonstrate LOVE for me
• KEEP my word
• TRUST that I did all the things I said (have faith)

But wait, did I know that there was MORE? More than the pretty darn awesome coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit?  A Father and Jesus who come to me.  A Father and Jesus who MAKE THEIR HOME with me.

We often aim for awe in this podcast.  Occasionally we hit it.  Today, this concept for me is jaw-dropping, put my hand over my mouth, can't hardly talk about it AWE-STONISHMENT .  Deal with it. Subscribe on apple podcasts or whatever so when this happens again tomorrow you are ready for it.

In addition to what Jesus reveals about the mostly unknown Holy Spirit, He's got a whole revelation of what the Father and Himself are up to.  

• He will come to me
• I'll be loved by the Father
• I'll be loved by Jesus
• I will have Jesus Manifest Himself to me
• The Father and Jesus will come to me
• The Father and Jesus will make their home with me

So let me get this straight:  the Holy Spirit will dwell in me and will be in me AND the Father/Jesus are coming to MAKE THEIR HOME with me?  Why didn't anyone tell me about this?  So many questions come from this.

You mean to tell me that the "correct" Christian answer to this question:
Q:  Who lives inside the believing Christian
A: the Holy Spirit
is WRONG? or at least INCOMPLETE?  Doesn't John 14:23 say that a better answer is: the Holy Spirit, AND the FATHER , and JESUS?!?!?!?  Listen and prepare to be amazed.  Then share this podcast.  Everybody should know this stuff.  I should know this stuff.

What is your greatest need?  What is your most NEEDFUL THING?

• if only I had a help
• if only I wasn't so alone
• if only I knew what was right and wrong
• if only I could fill this "God shaped hole in my heart"
• if only I could know and be known
• if only I could be attached by blood to some special people
• if only I had a God near and not far
• if only I had someone who would fight for me
• if only I had a God who would be with me and stay with me

Before today's passage, the entire world, for all of history, wondered and ached for all these needful things too.  But afterwards, EVERYTHING CHANGES.  ..."if only..." becomes:  I have an ANSWER for that.  I have a REMEDY for that.  I SENT a PERSON for that.  I WILL KEEP eternally your ACCESS to Him.  Listen and have your jaw hit the floor as to the introduction to the Holy Spirit.  See if we hit AWE today.  

Then please share this podcast.  Who doesn't know someone who has a needful thing?

Our understanding about God COMPLETELY changes with what is in Jesus' teaching today.  It has been anticipated for THOUSANDS of years.  It changes EVERYTHING.  It affects every moment of our Christian experience from here on out.  It is an announcement of an eternity.  What is announced will never go away.

Simply, it is the Holy Spirit.  It is the 3rd Person of the Godhead.   This is Jesus' introduction.

Now I know that the Holy Spirit existed forever in eternity past and reared His Spirity Head occasionally in the Old Testament.  I know He was active in the lives of certain individuals: ...the Spirit of the Lord WAS UPON...or CLOTHED an individual...or RUSHED upon somebody.  But of all the people of the OT, you can count them on your fingers and toes.  Then there is the special intimacy that the Spirit had with David.  But these basically are special, unique, temporary, and sometimes even  tenuous.

Until now:  today we are introduced to the Holy Spirit by Jesus.  It is like, "Here is my best Friend that I have known forever.  Here are some basics that you will want to know about Him."  What Jesus describes changes everything.  It was worth the1481 page wait. Listen.  

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If you could ask God for anything...

Of course I am all about me and my interests and my people and my church in my prayers.  But wait, there's MORE!  In today's passage hints at the underlying key to our success in prayer.  

Guess what?  It is not about me.  It is WAY above my pay grade.

It is that God is a hearer.
It is that God is an answerer.
It is that God and Son and Spirit are having a fellowship Trinity-party where each one accurately assesses the terrific-ness of each other
It is that within this party that my puny requests are offered with the full force of One of the Trinity to another
It is that Jesus WENT AWAY.
It is that Jesus went away to INTERCEED.  He LIVES for it.
It is that The Holy Spirit is going to be seriously involved in the forthcoming passages.

So here is my impact today.  Am I all about God's GLORY? His unfettered being, existence, His I AM, and His identity?

If I could ask God for anything, would it be for HIS GLORY?  Listen and wonder with me.  Then share this podcast.

Do you desire to see God?  It is an interesting question.  I think a legitimate answer can be NO. I DO NOT want to see God.  I could be afraid of what I might see.  Probably, this reveals our sinfulness and humanity and limitations.  Probably the "right" answer is YES, I do want to see God.  To know HIM is to LOVE Him.  What is there not to like abut God?

Phillip asks Jesus to just "show us the Father and it is enough".  He's right.  If we could really see God, it would be a great day's experience.  Jesus then explains that the Father dwells in the Son, works in the Son, and His Words are in the Son.  It is Jesus that makes the Father known.

So we ask for access.  Show us Yourself Father.  Help us desire this revelation.  Help us to want to see You.  Grow our desire to be satisfied in our vision of You.  And then, of course, in the light of the teaching of this passage, give us an unfettered education by Jesus.  May we obtain our new yearning by knowing Jesus' works, words, and ways.  

Please consider with me today whether you desire to see God.  Share this podcast.