Greetings,
The conclusion of Christ’s last recorded prayer after the final Passover provides us with powerful incentive and direction. A paraphrase might read: “Father, I know You will call others after these disciples and bring them into a reconciled relationship with Yourself. As You and I are one, they will become one with us as Your Spirit will empower them to glorify You. This unity of mind and Spirit will be a witness to the world of Your Fatherhood. You are the Father of a Spirit filled body of believers who see Me as the living Head and through Me they see You. As I return to You, my desire is that they be with us in the eternal family of God. They know this but the time is not yet. I have declared Your plan of salvation to them and this plan will be kept alive through those You will call. Please keep Your love alive in them as a united body – the body of Jesus Christ” (John 17:20-26).
As if to reinforce the power of these words, Christ then gave Himself as a sacrifice to make it all become possible. All of this has been declared to us. We know God’s plan of salvation and we know with great clarity the role that the Father plays in our spiritual journey. “Father” is not just a word — it is an entire organic relationship. It is a relationship that is spiritual in nature and requires a Spirit-led mind to fully appreciate.
This week we have been visiting members scattered around West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. Each member has their own particular circumstances that they have to deal with — from difficulties associated with age and health to complex family issues. For some, the physical body is simply breaking down and daily tasks have become difficult to impossible to perform. Yet their spirit is alive and focused. Their Father is a real Father and the relationship Christ prayed about is a reality. They are part of a loving family and their eyes are on the greater Family of God.
It is an honor and a privilege to know the Father and to experience the family relationship which flows from that. We are not alone wherever we are. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who share the same difficulties in this life but also share the greater focus of the God family. We all have the same Father. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:10-12).
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
