Friday... Yes, there is an advantage.

John 16:7a (AMP), "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage."

Friday... Yes, there is an advantage.

It can be very difficult for us to really see an advantage when to us it is a disadvantage. Now here in John 16, Jesus is telling his twelve disciples that he was going to be leaving them and they were having real problems about it. I mean, they have been with him for three years. And he has been and was making such a difference in their lives but he was going to leave them.

For some of you, your child has grown up. They have been with you all of these years but here they have just graduated from high school and they are going to be leaving you and you are not sure they can handle it without you and for sure you know that you can't make it. And at least 11 of these disciples were having problems with Jesus leaving.

But Jesus said here in John 16;7a (AMP), "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage." But how can that be true?

Again these guys had been with Jesus almost everyday for three years and in no way could they make it without him but they had to. You see, Jesus' could not really do what God wanted him to do anymore because of his humanness. Jesus needed to be released. The human part was holding him back and to really make the difference with his being on earth he had to die, be resurrected and then to return to heaven.

Yes, Jesus had a tremendous impact while he was here on earth but he could only be in one place at a time. Yes, God the Father knew what he was doing.

Now the whole verse 7 says, "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]." Jesus knew that we really, really needed that to happen.

He goes on. Verse 8 says, "And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment."

We need to not only read about why Jesus came but we need to be reinforced of our need for why he came. Everyone of us need that.

Jesus says in verses 9-11 (NLT), "The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged."

So many times in life we can't understand the advantage of having someone out ahead of us and who sees all the problems and who can handle them. That is why we need someone in our life who sees the future, who sees the enemy, who has what it takes to handle what we are facing.

Yes, we need the Bible but we also need the Holy Spirit to reinforce what it says. Yes, the Holy Spirit is definitely an advantage. He definitely makes a difference in our lives. He knows. and has the power.

Verse 13 says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future." Yes, we definitely need that, don't we?

Yes, God knows what he is doing. He knows what we need. So believe in Jesus and seek after His Spirit. That is a great advantage to living this life that God has given us to live. Again, God knows what he is doing. And he knows what we need. He knows the advantage. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

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