Eden's Landing Seventh Day Adventist Youth

Hanging out with: Eden's Landing Seventh Day Adventist Youth

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

YWOP - Meeting 5 - I am the way, the truth and the life

I was relieved to be able to receive rather than five the reading tonight. Jake took us through the book of John 14-17 and broke down john 14:6 in particular.

It's a strange concept for a person to say that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We have been conditioned to think of these things as intangible, but the words that Jesus utters, indicate that he is "the", not "a" Way, Truth and the Life. We find the Way, Truth and Life by looking to him? Jake explained how "the way" infers mainly two things. 1. Direction and 2. The How-to. The first hints at a journey, which will require everything needed for a journey. You will assume that he knows where he's going, you will need to follow, and there is a final destination where you will eventually arrive. The second surmise is the "I will show you the way to do it", the how-to. Not only are we going on this journey, we are being shown how to walk this journey. In other words we're not left on our own to work it out for ourselves.

The Truth -Jake read a story about of a Mother's seemingly harmless act (of calling in a "sickie" to work, when she wasn't really) had influenced her young son to reciprocate a similar behaviour to his teacher at school. Encouragingly, this lead her to feel guilty and explain to her son that what she did was wrong, and her son encouraged her Mum to pray for forgiveness. They did, and healing took place immediately. The reading touched suggested there can be no forgiveness when there is no confession. How does one forgive another when the offender shows no sign, or speaks no word of remorse for their offense. The Truth is, God will forgive because he loves us, and will love us no matter what the circumstance is. If you're a parent, do you hate your child after he's/she's broken your favourte vase? Of course your upset, your child needs to acknowledge their responsibility, and discipline should be administered to avoid a "next-time", but do you stop loving them? God forbid! The Truth is we need to confess and be repentant of our failures and short comings because God our Father loves us this very minute, even if you haven't acknowledged that truth.........yet.

In the bible John 10:10, Jesus says, "I will give you life, and life abundantly.". These words mean more than we really realise. We often wake up every morning without one thought as to why our heart is beating, and our respitory system is functioning. According to that text, our life only exists because he allows it! WHOA! This deserves further investigation. But he doesn't stop there he says, I'll give you life abundantly. The life that we live here on earth doesn't need to be the "groundhog" -"day in to day out the same old thinking", life is not about trudging through just so we can grow old and die. Jake gave us an acronym and it goes like this:

J -Jesus: the source of where we can find fullness of life

O -Others: Loving others makes for a whole new perspective in life

Y -Yourself: Knowing that you are loved no matter what, is the life.

I encourage you to read the past blogs, if you haven't already, and even better go to the readings themselves at http:// gcy.bigfoottech.com/MediaPublications/ YouthWeekOfPrayer/tabid/100/ Default.aspx

I truly enjoyed the service from songs to o Jakes talk, prayer group sessions, and closing with our theme song "You are my all in all". This can't be further from the Way, the Truth and the Life, Jesus Christ is mine, and your "all in all". Will you accept the Way, Truth and the Life?

Shalom,

Dave

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