Seventh Sunday in Easter

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Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Spirituality is our innate ability to feel the difference worldly or godly thinking makes to the way scripture translates to our daily life and relationships.

All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God. He is the complete revelation of God’s will of grace for salvation. Grace is the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life.

The Gospel of grace is: rather than trying to be more faithful to become faithful, we become faithful by feeling the Faith God already has for and in us.

The Strength of Christianity is Grace

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Another name for Jesus is "Grace". Another name for God is "Grace". We are saved by GRACE. "Love" is not Love if it is not grace. This is true for "Faith", "Hope", "Joy" and all other theological words of significance in the scripture.

Until someone experiences the grace gift in their lives, all other theological words have no real meaning. Why not begin to use the word "grace" in place of "Jesus", "God", "the Spirit", "Love" and so on? It might seem inappropriate to do so. However, until it is actually experienced it will make no sense at all.

That is what this year is all about. Grace, did you get it?

Grace brings good things to life.  The Resurrection is not only about the life of Jesus. It is about our life.

Literal Reading: read this prayer literally for its religious meaning.

“O God, send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us.”

Spiritual grace: quietly move into God's Presence and pray this prayer spiritually.

“O God, send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us.”

Can you feel the difference?

John 17:1-11 “You have given Him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him”

Here it is, the last Sunday in Easter and we finally have come to the point of where we started. It is about resurrection. Only this time it is not about His resurrection. It is about ours.

Any good story starts out with an introduction and a part of the plot but not all of it. We have to live with it for a while. It is only at the end that the final chapter discloses what it is really all about. The resurrection event is small compared with whether we are coming or going, “up and in” or “down and out”.

I have not had a lot of patience with “scholars” who write their opinions as if they were facts, especially when it is about Jesus and the resurrection. However, I am amazed the scholars who placed these Easter scriptures together would have such insight. They put this final chapter right where it needed to be. Easter is not only about the Resurrection of Jesus. If it were, all we would have to do is struggle with the empty tomb. Easter was, and is, always about our resurrection and eternal Life.

Here it is. Jesus has the authority to give eternal life to anyone He desires to give it to. Legalism thinks we must do something to get in His grace. He is a kind of Santa Claus; you better watch out, you better not cry. He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you are awake. He knows if you’ve been good or bad so be good for goodness sake. You better look busy when He comes. No pouting or crying I’m telling you why. He is coming!

Grace has a different perspective on what is eternal life. Eternal Life is not something we get later. It is something we already have. “In Him was life.” When we are in Him, He is in us and we have this life. Easter starts out with questions about His resurrection and now it ends here with questions about our resurrection. In the end, Easter is about our eternal life. Eternal life is not something that is coming. It is something that is already here. There is no one with a sound mind who has not experienced eternal life. It is the moment in the midst of turmoil that we find a Peace. It is a Peace most of us do not have at other times. Where did it come from? Who gave it to us? It is already here. All we need to do is get in touch with it. We can do it, but not rationally. It is not hard to touch this Peace rationally. It is impossible! We cannot see it physically. It is felt first and then it can be named. Once we can name it, we can then claim it.

It is like walking a labyrinth. The reason we walk it is to mess up our rational mind to such a degree that it gets tired. Then the conscious kicks in. There is a sense of Peace. The same issue we struggled with when we started the walk is still there. But now there is a Peace that passes our rational understanding. It is just there. There is also something else. It is a Wisdom we could never have when so upset and stressed out.

Jesus told Martha that He was the Resurrection and the Life. Literally, one would think He was talking about His Resurrection. But that does not make sense, even rationally! If He was talking about His Resurrection He would have said that I will be the Resurrection. Spiritually, we know He was talking about His being the Resurrection and the Life. It means we do not die. As He said, “Everyone who lives will never die.” That means us. Our body wears out but we do not die. We go on into His Glory, to abide with Him. What this means is we already have eternal life. It is already with us. We have already experienced it. It is grace given. Once we consciously can enter into it, we can experience the power of eternal Life, Resurrection and the empty tomb. All have a new meaning that only comes to us when we realize we already have it. Grace tells us to stop looking for it. He is standing right here in plain view.

Have you seen Jesus, my Lord? He is present! Take a look!

THE DISCIPLE-SHIFT: The Virtual Small Group: Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.