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WHAT SHOULD OUR PRIORITIES BE FOR 2008 ?

In John 17 we have Jesus Christ's High Priestly prayer and we can note there the Saviour’s spiritual priorities.  

* There are many things in life which really matter to us, but what really mattered to Him ?
* There are many things about our work and witness that we give priority to, but what were the things that He gave priority to ?

In John 17, Jesus in His High Priestly prayer mentions at least four things that concerned Him and four things which ought to concern us as far as our ministry for the Lord is concerned. The first priority is -

1. THE GLORY OF THE FATHER 

Jesus says in John 17:1 -Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. There can be no doubt that He was thinking of His approaching death and all that such a death would entail. The hour had now come and Calvary was much upon the Saviour's mind, but Jesus was thinking of much more than that. He was thinking not only of His death but of the completion of His ministry and of the fact that soon He would rise from the dead - ascend back to Heaven and be reunited with His Father. The Saviour's work on earth would soon be finished and what concerned Him most was that God the Father might be glorified in everything that would take place in the consummation of His ministry. And even as Jesus prays that He Himself might be glorified, that prayer is made only with the Father's glory in view. He wanted that the Father would be glorified in His life, and now also in His death.

This year - let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.The second spiritual priority is - 

2. THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH

In John 17:20-23 the Lord Jesus Christ emphasised the need for His people to be one. He is concerned about the unity of all believers. He wants that His people resemble that union which exists eternally between the Father and the Son, after all when we think about the trinity, the Father, Son and Spirit are one in essence. And it is on the basis of that, that believers should be one in Christ. Whatever the differences that exist theologically and whatever the diversity in background, gifts or whatever, believers should be one in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When believers are united together in faith and when they present a united front to the world outside, their witness is much more effective, but when they are divided and there is strife in their ranks and there is dissension, it hinders their witness and it brings dishonour to the name of Christ. The third priority is -  

3. THE SANCTITY OF THE CHURCH

Jesus prays this in v 17 - Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth.The word sanctify comes from the same root word as we derive the word holy and what Jesus is asking is that we who are His should not only be separated from the world, but set apart unto God and live lives of holiness unto Him. As Spurgeon says - holiness is the visible side of salvation.

What God wanted for His people of old He still wants for His people today -  Be ye holy, for I am holy. The fourth priority is -

4. THE REACHING OF A LOST WORLD

The Lord Jesus Christ prays in v 18 - As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.The reaching of a lost world was something that lay dear to the Saviour's heart, and we can understand that, because it is something that lies dear to the heart of God. Just as the Father had sent the Son into the world to bear witness to the truth, so the Son in turn sends His disciples into that same sinful world to bear witness to that same truth. Therefore - Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

John Taylor
January 2008
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KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GOAL.

Sometimes as we look at life in general and as we look at all that is happening around us in the world in which we live, we can lose our way. Life with all its changing circumstances can cause us to get our eyes of the Lord and when we do that we lose our sense of direction and we lose our focus on the things that really matter.

As far as the Christian life is concerned, and as far as our Christian service is concerned, we need to get things into perspective and we need to refocus on those things which really matter in the light of eternity. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the Christians at Philippi by way of encouragement in Philippians 3: 20+21.

For our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.

Paul in these closing verses of Philippians 3 has been drawing a contrast between those who were the enemies of the Cross and those who are genuinely the children of God. The enemies of the Cross are bound for a lost eternity, while the children of God are bound for Heaven. The children of God have a heavenly calling and a wonderful destiny and that is why we need to keep our eyes on the goal.

Paul says to these Christians - for our citizenship is in Heaven. He is making them aware of their true standing in Grace and how that they were different from those whom Paul has already described as enemies of the Cross. They were different in position - they were different in nature and they were different in outlook. Even though they lived in a Roman colony and they were governed by Roman rules and customs they were subjects in another realm, for they were citizens of Heaven and they were subject to God.

As the citizens of Heaven they were waiting on the coming of their King. Paul says they were looking for their Saviour and he is speaking of an attitude of intense yearning. As citizens of Heaven, they were awaiting the arrival of the Saviour.

And not only that, they anticipated that day when the believer would be changed. Paul speaks about the day when for the believer, these mortal bodies of ours will become immortal.

Now when Paul speaks about our vile bodies he uses a word which literally means low estate. These bodies of ours have death in them, for sin has ruined them and they are decaying and one day they will die. However, a wonderful change has already taken place in that we have been saved. We are not what we used to be for we have been made alive in Christ and now we are clothed in perfect righteousness and accepted in the well beloved. That makes us fit for God's presence just now, but an even greater change will take place.

There is going to be a total transformation, for these vile bodies of ours are going to be changed, and they are going to be fashioned unto a glorious body like Christ's. We are going to be fitted with a body for Heaven and not only will we be changed, we are going to be perfect.

It may be difficult at times, and for many in the family of God today life can be so discouraging, but keep looking up and keep looking on to the end. Keep your eyes on the goal, for our citizenship is in Heaven. Our king is soon coming and despite all that we face down here, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

John Taylor

February 2007