February 17, 2000
Compiled by: Tammy Rudstrom
JOHN 14:1-4, 6
Let
not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it
were not so I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I AM, there
you may be also.
And where I go you
know, and the way you know…
I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.
JOHN 17:24
Father, I will
that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I AM.
He
that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the
Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Please notice in the above scriptures
written in bold type, in John 14:3, the place where Jesus was when He spoke
those words: “That where I AM
there you may be also.”
Then notice in John 17:24 (in Jesus’ prayer for us to His
Heavenly Father): “Father, I will that they also,
whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I AM.”
Notice also the place He prepared for us is mentioned in
Psalm 91:1-2 as being “In the secret place of the Most High…under the
shadow of the Almighty…my refuge and my fortress: my God.”
It is very important to note where Jesus was at the time that He said the words recorded in the book of John in the 14th chapter and when He prayed His prayer to His Father regarding us in 17th chapter. It is clear that He was on earth speaking to His disciples on the one occasion and that He also was on earth praying to His Father in Heaven on the other occasion. Yet He was referring to a place where He was and still is, in the Kingdom of Heaven.
While Jesus walked this earth He was also walking in the Kingdom of God. He told His disciples not to look here and there for the Kingdom of God but that they would find the Kingdom of God within themselves. They were to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and they did. They did preach this gospel both before and after the day of Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection.
From the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost until now, I believe His little flock have been walking in the Kingdom of God while walking in the Spirit of God. Jesus said in John 14:4;” And where I go you know, and the way you know” Thomas replied in v. 5 that they did not know where Jesus was going and they did not know the way. But Jesus said they knew. By their obedience to leave everything behind to follow His commands, Jesus knew they were already following him who is the Way the truth and the life. That is why He could say they knew where He walked and that they knew the way.
But to walk as Jesus walked even as the word says we ought to (I John 2:6), He had to go and prepare a place for them. That meant He had to go the way of the cross and carry our sins upon Himself so that He could give us His righteousness. It meant He had to become the Lamb that was slain before the foundations of the world to make an atonement for our sins, to be a scapegoat for our sins.
ISAIAH 53
To prepare a place for us meant He would be willing to become so marred that no one would desire Him. He would be despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: We would hide our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not. While He was bearing our grief and carrying our sorrows we esteemed Him stricken and smitten of God, and afflicted.
V.V.5-12, But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not
His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for
the transgression of my people was He stricken.
And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich
in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His
mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him: He hath put Him to
grief:
Why, oh why Lord would it please you to do this to Your Beloved
Son? The answer comes: Because God’s love compels Him to give His
best, His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for us, to die in our place, to be
cursed on the tree for our sake, to be smitten, chastised for our peace,
afflicted, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and to
receive those stripes for our healing.
He sent His Beloved Son to redeem us unto Himself because we ALL
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned EVERY ONE to his own way;
and the LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
When Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, AND SHALL BE SATISFIED: BY HIS KNOWLEDGE SHALL MY RIGHTEOUS SERVANT (JESUS) JUSTIFY MANY; FOR HE SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES.
THEREFORE WILL I DIVIDE HIM A PORTION WITH THE GREAT, AND HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG; BECAUSE HE HATH POURED OUT HIS SOUL UNTO DEATH: AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSERS; AND HE BARE THE SIN OF MANY, AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS.
Halleluiah, Father. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name! Bless You, Father for so great a love for us ALL. Bless You Jesus for so great a love for us ALL. And Bless You Father that Jesus will see the travail of His soul and be satisfied, justifying many, and making us heirs with Him because He poured out His soul unto death, being numbered with us, Your transgressors, baring our sins, making intercession for us, Your transgressors.
How can we thank You enough? What can we do for You in return? I give You my soul to love You throughout Eternity, to worship You. I give You all that I am, spirit, soul and body, all that is within me to bless You throughout Eternity. Possess me fully that my will be in perfect harmony with Your will for my life and ministry to others
In Your house are many mansions. Every revelation of the knowledge of You by Your Blessed Holy Spirit to me opens up to a greater mansion above. My greatest desire is to know You and to know You is to love You. And to seek to know You more will open my capacity to love You even more. I believe I will, throughout all eternity, gain greater knowledge of Your love and, with it, a greater capacity to love You and worship You more and more, without end.
To know You is to love the lost like Jesus loved the lost. The Fire of the Holy Spirit burns within me. It is Your love burning within me for the lost and dying, for the lost sheep and for the lost sheep of Israel. Let Christ be formed in me. Let Christ be formed in His whole Body. God arise in us and let our enemies be scattered. Let death be swallowed up in victory. Let mortality be swallowed up of life. We are His house.