The Gospel of John 14:1-2 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1-2 KJV).

After the Lord Jesus revealed the betrayal by Judas Iscariot and Peter's upcoming denial, fearful signs of trouble are building up in the minds of the disciples. And the Lord Jesus in the shadows of His imminent death, assures them not to be troubled. He calls on them to be brave to face up that which about to unfold. It is important for them and to us too, now reflecting on these passages, to believe in God and in Him - our Lord Jesus Christ, in the face of our troubles. The Psalmist declared: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1 NIV).

The Lord Jesus continues His comforting declaration, that as He goes to His Father's house of many mansions, He is going to prepare a place for them - His disciples, and for us, too, who now believe and are born again. This promise was affirmed by Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Thessalonians and to us who rest in the Lord's grace by faith in Christ Jesus. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.

 

The Gospel of John 13:37-38 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.” (John 13:37-38 KJV)

With emotional bravado getting the best of him, Apostle Peter - like many of us at times, overstepped his ability to deliver what he declared to do. The Lord Jesus, like what He did in earlier incident when Peter refused to have his feet washed, corrected him again. There's nothing hidden from the Lord, as He is Omniscient. He knows the secrets in our deepest being. Our life is laid bare in His eyes (Hebrews 4:13).

Hence, with absolute certainty the Lord declared Amen, Amen to Peter that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows. Saying so, the Lord Jesus coveys the message that what He says is the absolute, personal and incontrovertible truth. This is a lesson for us not to boast of our ability and capability to do things on our own self effort. The truth is we can't! Lord Jesus says: "... for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5).

Hence, Apostle Paul exhorts us with these words of truth: it is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus - “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias

PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.

The Gospel of John 13:36 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” (John 13:36 KJV).

One can't help but imagine Apostle Peter in deep thought after the Lord Jesus said: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33 NIV). With these words churning in his mind, he may not have really heard the Lord's discourse about the new command He gives them. Well, that's how it looks. Considering his heartfelt yet somewhat off the flow query: "Lord, where are you going?" Apostle Peter is one true specimen for humanity. Real and authentic, Peter does not wear masks of pretenses. His questions and statements are unrehearsed out flows of what he has in his heart. He is human just like you and I, who believes and rests in the abounding grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord's response to Peter is a climactic revelation to us all who believes. The place of the cross, the Lord was headed to in that moment in time, was a place where only the Lord Jesus Christ was qualified to go. The cross required a spotless Lamb whose blood was unblemished by sin. The Lord Jesus was the only qualified Savior to pay our ransom by His blood on that rugged tree. They and all of us can't follow Him to the cross. But, after the cross the Lord Jesus gave us the assurance: 'thou shalt follow me afterwards.' We, too, can follow to go and come into His grace and rest! This, the Lord Jesus Christ affirmed after He has risen. The angel said to the women in the empty tomb: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”” (Mark 16:7 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.

The Gospel of John 13:34-35 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35 KJV).

Reflecting on these passages through the lens of our Lord's true gospel of grace and truth, by being in the know that love is God and God is love, we'll know we are now under a new covenant with God. In the old covenant of the law, the command to love was based on man's self effort - "love your neighbor as yourself." Now, we are to love by His love: "That ye love one another; as I have loved you,". The Lord Jesus raised the bar of this command to the highest level that only He can fulfill. That, considering that the command of the law to love our neighbor as we love ourselves no one has ever done and will ever do, as scriptures say: all have sinned (Romans 3:23). No one was made righteous by the law (Galatians 2:16a NLT). The law was given to increase sin (Romans 5:20a).

Now, the Lord Jesus Christ gives a new command, raised to the highest standard - His love! How can we, you and I, ever do this? The answer is: we can't! We can only manifest this love by totally surrendering to our Lord's grace by believing on Him. We must rest in His grace! And as God is love, we are to let Him love us by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We must let Him love us and declare "I am the beloved of Christ Jesus my Lord." It is all and only through abiding in Christ Jesus by our confession of faith, as the Scriptures say: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:15-17 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.

The Gospel of John 13:33 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” (John 13:33 KJV).

The Lord Jesus in a pivotal moment sets a strong bond with His disciples, addressing them with endearment as 'little children'. He is giving His beloved young disciples a heads up that His time with them in the flesh is getting short. The hour is heading fast towards His impending arrest by the religious authorities orchestrated by Judas, the traitor. Literally, in few hours, He will be taken in front of their very eyes like a criminal, though He committed nothing to warrant as such.

He warned them, like He said to the religious leadership of the Jews, that where He is going, they (too) can't come. He is referring to his imminent crucifixion, death, burial and rise from the grave. This is a mission He is sent for, that no one else can do. There is none among humans who's spotless to shed their blood to cleanse us and restore our life to the place of oneness with our Creator and heavenly Father. Yes, it is only - “The precious blood of Christ, being the Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Scriptures affirm, as it is written: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:12 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.

The Gospel of John 13:31-32 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.” (John 13:31-32 KJV).

These passages reveal that when Judas was gone to accomplish his betrayal on his Master, the stage for the Lord our Savior to be glorified was set. The cross was fixed to bring glory both to God the Father and God the Son. It calls on us to bring God glory through our faith and total dependence on His grace resting on the finished work on the cross.

Apostle Paul, whom the risen Lord Jesus chose to reveal the fulness of His gospel of grace, exhorts with these words his fellow Jews and us too, the gentile nations, to reflect on: “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:15-16 NIV).

It is amazing how the denominational religions of this present age cling to their doctrines of trying hard in self effort to observe the law. Consider this, the resurrected Lord, further declared through Apostle Paul saying: “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”” (Galatians 2:21 NIV).

Our hope of glory is, therefore, by glorifying our Father through our believing in our Lord Jesus Christ, totally dependent on Him through His grace. Yes, not by works of religion or by any human efforts, but by faith. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477

Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.