John 16:25-31

v. 25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

v. 29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

31 “You believe at last!” Jesus answered.

I wonder what they would have done if after they said, “now you are speaking clearly,” Jesus would have said, “you think this is clear? You ain’t seen nothin yet!”

Just as Jesus didn’t need people to ask Him questions to draw out the truth that was in Him, the Holy Spirit is going to be in these guys to guide and help them and teach them before they ask the questions. In Jewish culture, the way to learn and gain understanding was to ask question after question, leading you down a path of discovering and realizing the answers as you asked questions. Jesus doesn’t have to do that because He can see what is in people’s hearts to address their questions and needs before they ask.

How much more-so shall our joy be complete when we ask the Father and pray to the Father?! He knows what we need before we ask; He knows the words we speak before we speak them. THAT is how our joy becomes complete. When we ask God and see that He answers we have His perfect joy.

That word “complete” as in “that your joy may be complete” is the same word pleroo which is used for a stuffed net, filled up cup, full, stuffed, packed. I have some friends that I’m not sure would credit God with any event. Amazing displays of luck or chance are treated as random as mishaps or tragedy. I have noticed that as I ask for things from God, boldly and in detail, He shows off to me and my family by fitting into the box we put Him in. My joy gets stuffed when I see that God does answer our prayers and show off in our lives.

My call from Fire & Rain for an interview came after we prayed at lunch one day “Please God, make F&R call while we’re eating lunch today and call me in for an interview.” After lunch I sat down on the couch, kinda bummed and wondering where the money was going to come from. That instant the phone rang and the guy said, “I’m sorry to do this to you, but can you be here in 10 minutes for an interview?”

One 2-hour interview later he gave me the job.

If you look at Isaiah’s quote of God in Isaiah 29:13-14

[13] And the Lord said:

“Because this people draw near with their mouth

and honor me with their lips,

while their hearts are far from me,

and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

[14] therefore, behold, I will again

do wonderful things with this people,

with wonder upon wonder;

and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,

and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

(Isaiah 29:13-14 ESV)

It looks like the main thing God wants is for people’s hearts to be close to Him. THAT is what it means to pray in Jesus’ name, to have your heart close to God.

for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. John 16:27

God LOVES it when we LOVE what HE LOVES! HE loves it so much that He responds and rewards and treats and almost teases us to ask for and LOVE MORE! When we love Jesus, we love God, and we follow His lead in reversing the wrongs done in Eden. Jesus’ life was the defining and deciding event in reversing the effects of the fall in Eden, and when we show love to God we show that reversal’s momentum in our lives.


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