John 17 Capture the Unity & Depth

John 17 Capture the Unity & Depth                                 by Kelly Durant 3-22-26  

 

John 17 (Whole Chapter)  

2. Today you and I will take into account Jesus' longest prayer before he goes on to his death and resurrection. He will challenge our epistemology! His prayer makes no sense to the unbeliever. You know “Our Father” is less than a minute long but prayers have more to do with the quality of content than they do with how long they are! Let’s explore the importance of Jesus prayer, glory, power and connection to the Father, and how that relates to those of us who believe Him.

 

Before anything, I think we all love puzzles, right? With every statement someone makes, we discover, like an onion, there are many layers behind the statement. For example, if someone says, “My toes are black and blue because of my wife”, the biggest problem we have is that most listeners just form an opinion and believe what’s in their own mind about the matter and this is what creates disunity and communications problems! The average unwise reasoning person is not guided by truth, or God, or the Holy Spirit, but by their own imaginations which almost infallibly are false impressions! When someone is “assuming” something, please correct them! Discernment and reasoning gifts are necessary!

 

The statement above could mean that the wife dropped the iron on the toes or she stepped on them and they are bruised, or it could even mean the man kicked the wife and bruised his toes in the process! It could imply an accident, or something malicious, but you do not know until you learn more by asking questions, and by also taking into account the persons past record. It could even mean that she painted his toenails with black and blue nail polish as a joke! Do you see how no statement should go past you without a deeper inquiry to learn the truth! We have already witnessed that some people leave the church because they only listen to their own minds and not to what is actually being said!

 

3. Here is something I want you to learn, when reading the Bible, together with praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you, learn to capture the depth of the inferences of what was set up in the past, and what is deeper between the lines.  

John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. For one, why is Jesus asking His Father to glorify Him? Hasn’t He already been glorified in his birth, in his baptism, in the miracles, and in everything up until this point? So why does He ask to be glorified? This is the question?

 

God inspires answers. I see it like this, if a person trains to win a competition, this person could win on the state and the national levels, but despite the victories and accomplishments this competitor is not content because the focus is on the final prize of winning the Gold medal to be the best in the world! What Jesus is inferring is this, He has already been glorified but not totally yet, He is aware He still has to endure more: the death on the cross, and then return in an ultimate glory never witnessed before, the glory of being in His resurrected body! 

 

4. 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

What is understood here? It is inferred that Jesus is confirming that God is delegating His authority of the future fate of all humans to Jesus so that after being glorified, He will then have total power to decide whether a human spirit after death can have access to heaven through eternal life or not: Eternal life that is tangent upon the acceptance of Himself (Jesus). It was only He that broke the curse of death and He was sent by God to break it and the glory is… He did it! 

 

It is confirmed in scripture many times that Jesus is the one (only one) who gives eternal life. How did Jesus gain this ability? He was the chosen one, but He also did not fail in “His obedience and by the things He suffered”. Hebrews 5:8

When you review the Old Testament you discover that none of God’s men, His prophets, or chosen ones (Moses, David, etc.) were perfect enough to come back to life, granting them the power to control this eternal life power by being the first one to dominate it. Death was brought in as a curse, and many of you know about curses, but it was undone by Jesus, so only He has the authority and control! Only He decides who gets eternal life and who not! You and I love Jesus but we also must fear Jesus’ authority as He has access to heaven and hell!

  

5. Jesus accomplished what no one had ever done before, and neither has anyone ever since Him ever gotten close to resurrecting like Him! Some people, however, believe they are gods but they are far from it and like the bumper sticker that says, "The next time you think you are perfect, try walking on water!" 

It resonates true that none of us, not one of us of the human race will ever be so perfect, so close to God that we will do miracles or have power over eternal life in the way that Jesus did! 

 

Divine yet human Jesus, by living obediently, righteously, and Holy, having the ability to do miracles, by his suffering, death, and resurrection, gained the status of being God’s right hand ruler and this means that He is over all humanity: Every person is subject to Him! No preacher, no wealthy star, no president, no dictator should ever be honored because all honor is due to Jesus!  Philippians 2:10

 

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” The name Jesus is synonymous to His power of resurrection and it is the proof that He revealed His Father’s glory to the world.

 

6.  John 17:4 “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”  First Jesus asks to be glorified, then he is claiming to have finished the work already, what does this mean? 

Jesus is talking in past tense, in other words, He is inferring He completed everything up to this point and the next step He counts as if it is done already. He has so much faith he is counting on the future as if it were past! Time is His!

 

That is confidence and strength! All of us have trials and tribulations but imagine if God revealed to you that you will die a horrible death, as He did with Jesus, would you still have faith and unquestionable obedience to God despite your fear and anguish and say to God, “Not my will, but yours be done?” 

 

7. 5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was”. So think about what this infers. Jesus was around before our world was! It was His design with God to create our world and it was full of glory! There still is an amazing harmony of glory out there when you discover the vast amazing things in macro space, and then observe the vast complexity of the creation design in the DNA micro space. God’s glory revealed in the physical, measured with our modern instruments, proves He made and keeps maintaining a harmonious perfection in life & energy, a perfection that is quadrillions of light years beyond our creative capacities and understanding! 

What we must assume from Jesus statement is that God’s Kingdom (of another world) is perfect and full of glory and that it existed before our world did.  It is instilled in our nature to know that there is a spirit world that is glorious and never ending, and we conclude that each one of us are existing in a temporary world that is broken, full of life but also full of death and suffering. 

 

One can only appropriately assume that a certain glory has been lost in creation as we know it. Obviously in heaven with God on the throne, no glory has been lost in that realm, but here on our earth there has been a lost glory of the original creation because sin and death came into the world by disobedience. Jesus came to erase this sin and to undo the curse of death so God’s glory could be restored but it is only for those who believe and accept it through Him.

 

8.  The obvious pretention of Jesus is to restore glory to the souls of everyone! 

John 17:12 13

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

 

Verse 12 refers to Satan himself. In other words, anyone, anyone can be saved except Satan who went too far because he brought death into the world so He has to be punished with his own curse, so he will never obtain salvation: but anyone else can! Jesus came not to condemn but to save whosoever will!

Verse 13 mentions that we will have joy and it is true, we have great joy in Jesus in this life because He forgave our sins, gave us peace, and filled our hearts with love! But in reality our joy will not be complete until we join Him in heaven!

 

9. John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

If you are following Jesus, then you are being rejected by those of the world like He was! We can’t do anything about living in this evil world, we are here and we have to interact with all kinds of people all the time, usually with people devoid of understanding, but the good thing is, if you and I stay close to Jesus, He will protect us from the world’s evil, keeping us strong in faith! 

 

What is established here is most people in the world are blind and evil, while we are other-worldly and heavenly. Our relationship will always be as oil and vinegar.  

 

10. John 16:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As Salvationists we believe in sanctification, which is the lifelong process of becoming cleaned through the Holy Spirit, and the He speaks to you and me through the Word of God, which is the only absolute truth! Knowing Jesus as truth is the greatest blessing we can ever have in life because the majority of people are (2 Timothy 3:7) ‘Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth’.

 

You and I have to be careful because “lies” can appear to be “truth” because they come disguised in many ways. I reflect on my own personal mistakes: I believed I was gaining holiness, truth, life, and happiness at one time through the teachings of gurus. But there always comes a time when you will have to wake up and experience the real “truth”. No spiritual teacher (angelic or demonic), no politician, no person of glamour or power has any meaningful words at all compared to those of Jesus! Those who accept Jesus and are obedient to Him, who pray through Him, have a power that no human or demon can stop!   

 

You and I are similar to dumb sheep and we can easily be tempted by words of teachers or persons in power who entice us to become “enlightened”, and to gain a secret “wisdom” that only a few elect can have. How egocentric! But if you investigate deeper the rituals, the processes, and the false promises offered, they do not hold up under the light of truth which reveals their deceitful shallowness. 

 

11. History has taught us that no human can ever produce teachings that will bring you to a higher truth, or power above the truth and power of Jesus! But sadly today people get misguided very easily by indoctrinators in certain cults or religions, by political propagandists, and by professors in ‘so called’ prestigious colleges fueling the mindless ‘endless trains of faithless’. 

 

21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

What a tragedy that innocent people suffer consequences due to our society being severely divided by those who absorb and repeat lies instilling inconvenient immoral policies with no critical thinking applied. But Jesus expects his saved ones to apply analysis and critical thinking to fully absorb deeper truths so they will be preserved as one in Him until the end rejecting lies. The herds of the shallow misguided apply no depth of research to understand any consequences of what it is they live out and promote. 

 

Those without Jesus’ truth do not do any personal introspection (or if they did they would conclude that they are evil) as to why they defend popularized trends and positions. They become puppets of those with manipulative agendas intent on destructions! But true Christians have a “one-ness’ of thought, purpose, and mission and the “truth has set them free!”

 

12. John 17:22 “And the glory which Thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Jesus prayer covers many more points than what we don’t have time for here but the main point in the end is that each of us learn to be One with Him, Jesus, believing in Him as sent from the Father. He is one with the Father being in part divine and human, and knowing Him provokes a desire to imitate His heart, mind and soul! 

 

The ultimate truth is we will never have unity with those of the world, but we must have it amongst ourselves because Jesus prayed for us to have it! The world is made up of 2 breeds, the sheep of Jesus, and the goats of those who “do as they please.” Those of us who have Jesus understand and walk in truth and see all lies for what they are, but the deceived ones, who are entrapped and slaves to their own passions, never make any sense of life or of anything! Confusion=hell.

 

So what did you learn from this? That applying reasoning and questions is imperative to knowing truth! And that only Jesus has power over eternal life! We learned that worldly people haven’t learned anything in life at all: they are shallow by ignorance and choice lacking in depth for rejecting Jesus! And without Jesus as truth leading you and me into deep insights one exists purposeless, sad, and confused, not just for now but forever! Absorb all of Jesus, study well His prayers and He will change and enlighten you!

St. Francis And William Booth’s Effective Practices

St. Francis And William Booth’s Effective Practices                  by Kelly Durant   

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

2. How many of you like non-conformists? These are people with fresh new ideas, leaders who having experienced the ineffective old established systems and in frustration decided to be strong enough to expose the dysfunctions by doing something about them? What do iconic figures do that leaves an impression so deep it lasts for centuries?  For one, they do not accept the routine broken system that has no inspiration or life in it but instead they create new means and methods. Then they went out to start a new wave of enthusiasm! True revolutionaries of God motivate their followers to win souls to Christ as a means to bring about a positive change in the debauched, corrupted institutions and authorities in the community! 

Jesus took on the status quo! Jesus’ impact, His life, death, and resurrection put into effect a radical change in society so much so that after a few hundred years Rome’s corruption and false worship of gods collapsed under Christianity. Jesus first message, the Sermon on the Mount, is a radical guide on how to live out God’s values which are diametrically opposite to the values of proud hypocritical abusive average people following the authorities in power.

When you and I love Jesus, I think we also love all the other radical men of God who bring about positive changes as He did, don’t you agree? Jesus is my and your first love, and all of us who have accepted Him will always recall our first impressions of learning His Word and experiencing the internal change of heart and mind and attitude. But despite our internal change, each of us need to see how Jesus’ love works through the lives of leaders who were effective to better understand how to put into practice what He taught.

3. Before I became enthusiastic about William Booth (I studied about his life), I was an admirer of historical iconoclasts such as Martin Luther, and St Francis of Assisi. Since Francis is recognized by the Catholic Church it may seem strange that this admiration would come from me being an evangelical, right? But I think all of us should remain open to honor those to whom honor is due regardless of their affiliation. After all, there was no Salvation Army in the 1100’s! Francis was The Salvation Army for those of his day!

The Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose his identity in St. Francis and his influence was of modest austerity; a ‘Francis Effect’. Considering multimillions were influenced by him, it is important to tune into what others are being influenced by.  It is important that every Christian become more educated by what influences are taking place in all groups with power and influence.

In his time period, Francis of Assisi was considered an unpopular crazy revolutionary by the Catholic Church and considered a nobody outcast, but when they started losing a lot of followers to him, they had to reconsider his effect. Very soon the church wised up and quickly included him as a saint so that the common people would think good of the church for their acceptance of him because he defended the plight of the poor.   

4. After I studied about the life of St. Francis of Assis about 40 years ago, his life’s accomplishments helped me realize how my service in Christianity could be improved with even more self-sacrifice and giving to the poor. The more I learned about him the more I realized that joy and happiness comes from being a real Christian that serves the poorest of the poor and the worst of the worst.

My wife knows we spent many hours and years of our lives on the phone asking for food and clothing donations in South America and then we would go in a taxi and pick them up. For example, a 50-pound bag of something (noodles, rice, etc.) we would deliver it to a local orphanage as we did a little show with our kid’s singing songs plus doing a devotional. What motivated us to spend our time on these things? It is because Jesus changed our lives! 

Everyone to keep the change alive and real needs to be active, serving, loving, praying, encouraging, and being a channel for the Lord’s work of love and salvation to flow!

5. Does anyone recall the old movie of the life of Jesus, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ by Franco Zeffirelli? The same producer also made a movie that was a hit in Bolivia (and around the world) called, ‘Brother Sun and Sister Moon’ about the life of St. Francis, did any of you see that movie?

Francis returns wounded and disillusioned from a Crusade battle and while healing in bed and outdoors he discovers God’s beauty in nature and the need to serve the suffering people and decides to dedicate his life in service as a monk. His father, being a wealthy man running a sweat shop of several hundred people who dyed clothing, did not want any part of his spiritual awakening and he had raging fits over his son’s strange new dedication to God and not to making money in his business.

The day came that Francis knew he had to leave town and start a work with the poor. His father was cruel to mock him so in front of the town’s people one day he gave away all the material, the clothes of the store of his father, since his father was rich by exploiting the poor. He then shockingly took off all of his clothes and returned them to his father and said, here take back what is yours that you lent to me! He began his devotion to help the poor outside the city and he rebuilt an abandoned church and it quickly filled up with followers much like a homeless shelter today. He was loved by all!

6. Why did Francis have such an impact? Because he rescued the Church system from totally collapsing! Scandals had plagued the Catholic Church in the 11th Century including despicable sexual activity along with the exploitation of the poor by phony doctrines and indulgences which permitted the clergy leaders to fleece others, no matter how poor, so they could live shamefully lavish lifestyles.

Compassion and love for the poor was absent so for Francis to give the example of taking from the rich, as he did from his father, and giving to the poor was an example of what would resonate with the people and become an improved model for Christianity; one of including the ministries of showing mercy on the poor. Jesus commanded to “do unto others” so, how is it the church neglected it? The first Christians shared as every man had need in Acts 2:44-45

Christian leaders in his day had perverted the religion of Christianity into a corrupt business and they sold so called antique relics and indulgences so you could pay for a prayer for a family member’s soul to get out of hell?  Corruption, power, and politics, were manipulated in order for a person to secure their salvation. The church, not Jesus, determined who was saved?!

These postures led people to distrust the church, and by association, the gospel itself!  In response, Francis began a movement that restored people’s love for the person and message of Jesus Christ. This gave people reason to trust the church again, bringing a revival in to Europe which lasted more than 500 years. In a not so old ‘Time Magazine’ Pope Francis even ranked 9th on the list of the most important influential people of the last millennia! However, controversial being liberal against church precepts, in my opinion, does not equate to greatness of influence.  

7. What do I bring up the past? Because corruption is exponentially multiplying today in the church and within all authorities in power! God’s formula is always the same: Christians must live out the example of the life of Jesus Christ in order to bring a reverse change converting others to Him. Take note of these 5 points that were practiced by Francis de Assisi and General William Booth which serve as an example to us today. How much do you practice them?

1. Extravagant Love for the Poor

Their followers were renowned for doing something radical to alleviate the suffering of the poor. They were willing to step into their world of suffering and serve and help them. This simple mission disturbingly silenced the critics. After all, the higher ups did not want to get dirty doing the job of ministering to the poor, derelicts, homeless, and alcoholics.

When it comes to materialistic lifestyles, Christians and non-Christians live about the same these days (in the USA), yet some have become extreme in their wealth. Jesus said in Matthew 8:20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest. Francis said, “It is faster to get to heaven from a hut than a palace.” Booth with his Salvation Army usually lived right there in the same poor neighborhoods where they ministered, and this system continues in most places in the entire world today! 

8. 2. Peacemaking

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

General William Booth preached an all-inclusive love that brought in peace between the rich and the poor, between the haves and the have-nots and between ideologies.  It seems ironic but declaring war on sin and marching into battle to free souls from hell brings the results of peace and well-being to the average person in the community. It is the Holy Spirit’s work in the hearts of men and where God’s presence is, there peace multiplies.

Francis taught non-violence. He traveled to Egypt hoping to forge a truce between the Christian Crusaders and the Muslims. Francis refused to bear arms and it was a condition for obtaining membership in his Order. If peace is taught and expected, then peace results are the outcome.

You and I do want the gospel heard in a culture that is increasingly cynical towards it, so we must always approach others in peace.  We must make peacemaking a priority at home and practice it with everyone we come in contact with.

9. 3. Love for Creation

I am not sure if you can imagine the smelly muddy streets of East London in the 1800’s but practically the entire city was a depressing hell hole! Several sections of our U.S. cities have become like this as well. It was a time where drunken sailors, prostitutes, and Jack-the-Ripper types roamed the tunnels and streets day and night. This is why Booth suggested that some of his followers move to farm colonies where the countryside nature could refresh them. In other words, those that love God, want time with his beautiful creation in His nature!

We hear many wild stories about St. Francis’ personal interactions while out in nature. He would preach to the birds, and he befriended wolves. Whether these stories are exaggerated or not, they reveal that he had a fame for having love for animals and all creation.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Being God’s child, we all should love and respect His nature and do our part to not be cruel, wasteful, or destructive because taking care of God’s earth is a part of our heritage.

10. 4. Contemplative Prayers

A person’s prayers can be spoken out loud, but prayers also are frequently internal, and not always vocal. Prayer should include not just a speaking to our Lord, but also a time of listening, of meditating, of taking a moment of silence to let God come through. In the ancient time, this silence was known as contemplative praying. Francis rekindled this practice.

Booth listened to God for all decisions or he would not have succeeded as he did in establishing such a huge work in such a short time! I have read how he did a daily devotions, and then he prayed, listened to God and then acted.

Francis promoted contemplation. This practice of meditative silence allows God to speak to your spirit. Consider these Psalms which teach us to meditate or contemplate.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Psalm 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Psalm 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

11. 5. The Rebuilding of God’s Church

When William Booth brought the homeless and drunks into the stale church of his day, but the comfortable folks did not want them there.  So, God inspired him to start a new church, to rebuild a compassionate church, to start a new revolution of taking the gospel to the streets. His first churches were established by converting the very same pubs and drinking places, used for debauchery, into places of worship.  How is that for taking back the enemies territory!

St Francis of Assisi’s ministry began when he heard Jesus say to him, “Francis, rebuild my church, don’t you see it’s in disrepair?”  This message agrees with Jesus’ gospel which continues on today. Too many churches in our world are uncaring, self-serving, rich and comfortable. People need to see an example of a new type of people in Christ that are “others” serving!

We are living in a time when our culture is facing many of the same challenges St Francis and William Booth faced in their eras, one of acute decadence in the church and society. To prevent our own spiritual decline, it is time we must start doing the time proven practices of the ones before us of helping the poor, being peacemakers, loving creation, meditating on God in prayer time, and to start the rebuilding of church the way God wants it by being ‘others’ serving! The Church, or “ecclesia” in the Greek means nothing more than the “called out people”, and they (we) must be ones who are loving God and others with words and with deeds effectively.  

12. Francis, Booth, and countless others truly inspire us to sacrifice more, to love more, and most of all to preach Jesus more! Contemplate on this powerful prayer…

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.