By André van Heerden
1. An Expedition to Find the Diaries of Jesus
Have you ever owned a diary? Or do you own one now? Somehow
it is therapeutic to sit and jot down all the events in a day that really
meant a lot to you. Have you ever discovered someone else's diary, and
fallen to the temptation to snoop through it? I'm sure it would reveal
a lot of secrets in the writer's life - successes and failures. Did you
know that there's a rumor going around Christian circles that Jesus kept
an extensive diary?Can you believe that? The
rumor came from a group of archeologists who said that they deciphered
a piece of parchment found in one of the caves above the Dead Sea in Palestine.
I want you to come along as we go and find out for ourselves if this rumor
is true. The diaries of Jesus are believed to contain
the secret of how Jesus lived the perfect life,
how He healed people of all their diseases, and how He raised up the dead.
Would you be interested in reading this diary? Well, a large group
of Christians from all around the world are meeting in Palestine
in a few days to go on an expedition to find these diaries. The group have
hired an archeologist to find the diaries, and a linguist to decipher them
on the spot after they are found. This large group of Christians
are people who are tired of battling to overcome their weaknesses and bad
habits. They are tired of being confused as to what it takes to live as
Jesus did . . . a life without sin, and a life that is totally tuned to
the will of God. This large group of Christians sense that
they aren't ready to be powerful witnesses for Jesus--the type of witnesses
that the disciples were at Pentecost, healing the sick and powerfully preaching
the gospel at every opportunity. They become easily discouraged and tend
to lose focus of what the most important aspects of their faith really
is. They have paid a high price to travel out to the Promised Land and
join this expedition. They are desperate to find the answers in the
diaries.
How do you feel today about your Christian life? - Are you overcoming specific sin and weaknesses in your life? Are you finding inner happiness and contentment amid the hardships and trials that you face from time to time? Are you confident of your relationship with God? Do you understand the Bible and enjoy productive study sessions? How regularly do you pray, and do you feel that your prayers are powerful, or do they bounce back at you from the ceiling? If you have any doubts about these questions, please take the trip with us.
On arriving in The Promised Land, we book into a rustic hotel, and get straight to bed. Before sunrise, we are all up, dressed and have all the expedition equipment ready. Everyone has had breakfast and are boarding the hired bus that will take us out to the Dead Sea. As the sun peeks over the dusty hills surrounding the Dead Sea, the bus finally comes to a stop. From here it is on foot. We all scramble out, and follow the archeologist and his assistant as they make their way toward the far side of the Sea where the steep hills start. After what seemed like hours, the archeologist stops and opens up his map. He points to an opening in the side of a cliff face, and slowly leads the procession toward the entrance. (See picture below:)
Now we slowly move into the dark opening, our flashlights sweeping across every section of the roof, walls and floor. It takes hours of persistent probing every possible place that might contain the hidden truth. Finally, there is a shout of joy. Someone has discovered a collection of clay jars. The strongest among us each pick up a jar, and we slowly make our way to the entrance. We ask the archeologist to open the jars on the edge of the mountainside, and have the linguist read the diaries of Jesus to us. We have tents and food, and are willing to stay for as long as it takes to find the answer. This large group of Christians insist on finding a spot outside the cave, on a level piece of land where everyone can be seated so that they can start the search for all their questions. The archeologist carefully opens up a jar and hands the ancient parchment to the linguist, and he starts reading to the group.
After some time of reading in the scrolls, we start recognizing
a lot of passages which we have read before. There on the dusty hills of
Palestine, we find out that Jesus was far too busy to write His own diaries,
and that four of His followers each wrote a diary of His life. Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John. Wow, we never realized that the secrets to our Savior's
power was right in our Bibles. We already have four diaries of Jesus right
here with us. So right there, we start searching for the answers.
2. A Day in the Life of Jesus
2.1 FIRSTLY - In our search to find where Jesus got His amazing power from, we want to see what a day in the life of Jesus looks like. Let's turn to the diary of Jesus written by Luke. The best example of a full day in the life of Jesus starts in Luke 6:12.
Here are the events of that day:
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(7:36f) : He dines at a Pharisee's house - anointed by Mary.
Jesus Just a Human - What a demanding
day! Jesus did so much for so many people. Can you believe that a human,
like us, can achieve all that? You do believe that Jesus was 100% human,
don't you? You do believe that He had no advantage above you and me? You
do believe that although He was 100% God that He didn't use any of His
divine power, don't you? So where did Jesus get the power from
to heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons and teach those profound
and precious truths? The answers all lie in the four diaries of Jesus.
This would bring us to the second thing we need to search for.
2.2 SECONDLY - In looking at a day in the life of Jesus, we see that He started the day spending time alone with His Father in prayer and meditation. This start to His day must be where He got His amazing power from. The reason I say this is because Jesus Himself said, in John 5:19, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." So, if Jesus can do nothing by Himself, it must have been the power He received from His Father at the beginning of every day that enabled Him to do the wonders that He did. The way Jesus tapped into His Father's power, was through prayer and meditation. Jesus became one with His Father. We need to analyze the prayers of Jesus for clues as how we can do the same.
3. Jesus' Strength Came From His Time in Prayer and
Meditation
We have concluded partially so far that the Secret of
Our Savior's Strength was found in the time He spent in Prayer and Meditation
with His Father. In order for us to glean the crucial components which
brought Him this unbelievable strength and power, let's look at two of
the prayers that Jesus prayed:
3.1 Jesus' Prayer in John 17:20-23
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them
may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am
in
you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that
they
may be one as we are one: I in them and you in
me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world
know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Being One with the Father - This prayer contains the secret as to why Jesus had the power to overcome and perform the awesome miracles that He did. He was one with His Father. The Father was IN Him and He was IN the Father. This is how we can have the same power as Jesus has: THE FATHER IN JESUS - AND JESUS IN US. (See verse 23). How does Jesus, with the power of the Father, live in us? If we go to Jesus' teaching on prayer, we will find the answer.
3.2 Jesus' Teaching on Prayer - Luke 11:3, 4
"Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
Give
us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we
also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into
temptation."
Without going into too much depth on the full meaning
of this sample prayer that Jesus gave us, I would like to just highlight
the two most important aspects of what it takes to be one with God.
3.2.1 The First Aspect to Be One With God - Eating
Daily Bread (Click
here for the full article)
Was He speaking of physical bread or spiritual bread?
Definitely spiritual bread, wouldn't you agree? What is the spiritual bread?
Here
are some clues.
The Miracle of Eating the Word
There is a miracle that takes place when a person, in
the spiritual sense, eats the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us
that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints
and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." and
1
Thessalonians 2:13 tells us that "When you received the word
of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of
men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who
believe." Christ's Object Lessons, by E.G. White, p. 42, says "The
education to be secured by searching the Scriptures is an experimental
knowledge of the plan of salvation. Such an education will restore the
image of God in the soul. It will strengthen and fortify the mind against
temptation, and fit the learner to become a co-worker with Christ in His
mission of mercy to the world. It will make him a member of the heavenly
family; and prepare him to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
(Click here to find out the importance of daily time alone in the word)
Deuteronomy 8:3 - "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
John 6:51 - "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever."
Amos 8:11, 12 - "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord,' when I will send a famine through the land -- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.'"
E.G. White, Great Controvercy, p. 598-599
"It is the first and highest duty of every rational
being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk
in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We should, day
by day, study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing
scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our opinions
for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God."
Jesus Relied on the Word for His Strength
Matthew chapter 4 gives the account of the temptations
of Jesus. What was every answer that Jesus used against Satan? "It is
written . . ."
E.G. White, Great Controvercy, p. 598-599
"Temptations often appear irresistible because, through
neglect of prayer and study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot
readily remember God's promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons.
But angels are round about those who are willing to be taught in divine
things; and in the time of great necessity they will bring to their remembrance
the very truths which are needed."
Eating the Word Daily
Yes, just as all humans need food daily for life, so
all humans need "The Bread of Life" daily for spiritual life and sustenance.
How many people rely on a weekly church service, and/or a prayer meeting
to give them the spiritual strength and vitality to conquer evil? In order
to have the Strength of Our Savior, we need to eat the "Bread of Life"
daily, just as the prayer of Jesus states.
3.2.2 The Second Aspect to Being One with God -
Forgiveness and Love
All through the life of Jesus He suffered rejection,
persecution and abuse. Nevertheless He loved and forgave everyone. Matthew
recorded the teaching of Jesus in his diary, stating in chapter 5:43,
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
sons of your Father in heaven." The result of loving and forgiving
our enemies is being a son of our Father in heaven. Loving and forgiving
must play a very important part in being one with the Father as Jesus Himself
loved and forgave the very people who crucified Him. Luke recorded Jesus'
words as He was being nailed onto the rough wood of the cross in chapter
23:34 of his diary, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing."
Unproductive Time Alone with God
Our quality time alone with God is disrupted when we
have unforgiven sin between us and God, and there are people whom we haven't
forgiven. The absence of forgiveness is a great big cloud that separates
us from God. Can you understand the Bible? Do you find practical benefit
from reading the Bible? Do you enjoy praying? Or has your personal time
with God disappeared from your life? The regularity and effectiveness of
your personal time alone with God is the thermometer of our spiritual lives.
If you don't have a personal time alone with God, think about whether there
is someone whom you haven't forgiven . . . is there someone in our past
life who has hurt you, and with whom you haven't been reconciled? God has
shown me that this "justified anger" against someone is a weapon of Satan
to envelope us in a cloud that separates us from oneness with God . . .
by not understanding His Word or breaking through to Him in prayer. [Click
here] to see how to be cleansed of all past hurt and bitterness, and how
to give and receive true forgiveness.
E.G. White, Great Controvercy, p. 518-520
"Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect
prayer and the searching of the Scriptures, will be overcome by
his attacks. Therefore, he invents every possible device to engross the
mind. There has ever been a class professing godliness, who, instead of
following on to know the truth, make it their religion to seek some
fault of character or error of faith in those with whom they do not agree.
Such are Satan's right-hand helpers. Accusers of the brethren are not few,
and they are always active when God is at work and His servants are rendering
Him true homage."
James 1:19, 20
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should
be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for
man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
Ephesians 4:26, 27, 31, 32
"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down
while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold . . . Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with
every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
4. Conclusion - The Large Group of Christians (One
with God)
Are we going to stay part of the large group of
Christians who are constantly seeking the Savior's strength by
spending time alone with Him daily? I would like to show you what will
happen if we do that.
Revelation 7:9-17
"After this I looked and there before me was a great
multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were
wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And
they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits
on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the
throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down
on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying: "Amen! Praise
and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to
our God for ever and ever, Amen!" Then one of the elders asked me, "These
in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered,
"Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.Therefore, they are before the throne
of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the
throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never
again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any
scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their
shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe
away ever tear from their eyes."
This Great Multitude (or Large Group of Christians)
This Great Multitude (or Large Group of Christians),
have found the secret to the Savior's Strength and Power. The secret is
being one with God. This passage in Revelation repeats the two aspects
in Jesus' teaching on prayer:
"Give us today our daily bread"
- is paralleled by -
"they are before the throne of God and serve him day
and night in his temple" and "Never again will they hunger and never again
will they thirst."
"Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who
sins against us"
- is paralleled by -
"they have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb"
E.G. White, Great Controvercy, p. 593-595
"Those who endeavour to obey all the commandments
of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order
to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as
revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception
of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with
them. None but those who have fortified their mind with the truths of the
Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every
soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The
decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of
God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defence of the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus?"
The Secrets of the Savior's Strength are revealed to us in a clear and indisputable manner. Becoming one with God daily through time alone in prayer, meditation, and study of the Word. Unconditionally giving and receiving forgiveness in love and appreciation for the forgiveness that God has so generously lavished on us. Could it be easier?