August 26
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JESUS’ PRAYERS FOR HIS DISCIPLES
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
– John 17:1-12
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This prayer of Jesus to His Father is exemplary. I think that Jesus shared this prayer to His disciples openly so that they can follow it themselves. He wants to model to them what a true prayer is. In this prayer, we get a glimpse of how much love Jesus had for those who love Him. He was reminding His Father that it was Him who gave them to Him to teach and lead. He endorses His disciples’ faithfulness and belief in the Son, who came from the Father Himself.
Can you imagine, a true God Himself, prays on your behalf? How humble Jesus was to recognize that God the Father is still the source of everything when He Himself is a God?
The prayer is all about asking the Father to give these faithful followers what He has. In other words, He wants them to have all the blessings and privileges He has because they loved Him. Do we pray for our loved ones like Jesus did?
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REFLECTION
• How can we learn to pray like Jesus did?
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TAKE COURAGE FOR JESUS OVERCAME THE WORLD
August 25
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29 His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:29-33
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This declaration of the disciples to Jesus about believing that He came from God didn’t really convince Jesus. In verse 31, he asks them again if they really believe Him. Jesus gives them another warning that they will all be scattered and cannot be together as they used to be. In verse 32, Jesus predicts that they are not strong enough yet to face all the repercussions of His sacrifice on the cross will bring on their lives. Jesus prophesied that some of them will be so scared of the fact that the Jewish leaders have the power to crucify them as well since they were connected to Jesus.
We clearly see the deity of Christ when He declared what will happen before it actually happens. Because He is omniscient and omnipotent, He also knew their unbelief, their fear for their lives and their panic from having no one to lead them anymore. Jesus also acknowledges his humanity in verse 32 when He said that they will not be there for Him at all. He expected them to be there when He is going through the sacrifice on the cross. His dependence on God always prevails because He knows that the Father is always in Him and will never leave or forsake Him. He predicted his disciples would be scattered and hide because of their fear. He is teaching us all to depend on God who knows what is best for us. He doesn’t want us to rely on humans for help, because they will never really be able to provide what only God can grant us. Jesus reminds them that only in Him can they have courage and peace because the world is unable to give this peace to them. The world only brings suffering and pain. Jesus reassures them that the only way they can overcome these tribulations is through Him. He is the Prince of Peace.
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REFLECTION
• Why are we asked to pursue peace at all cost as Christians?
GRIEF TURNED TO JOY ILMA’S VLOG
August 23
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GRIEF TURNED TO JOY
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. – John 16:12-22
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In this account, John tells us what the Lord shared with His disciples before He fulfilled the promise of God to save mankind. He is appeasing their grief over what is going to happen to them when He is gone. He likens their grief to a woman in labor pains. A woman’s labor pain is excruciatingly unbearable; but the pain turns into joy when she gives birth to her child. The pain is replaced by the joy that comes from knowing that her baby has come to life.
Jesus tells His disciples that It may be painful to think that He is going to leave them soon, but the promise of a Helper is going to ease their pain. When He comes back again, there will be overwhelming joy to all those who love Him. It will make their pain of losing Him worthwhile.
When we go through grief, we can easily become discouraged or hopeless, but those who believe in Jesus will always have hope because He will never forsake those who love Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can your grief be turned to joy when you lose something or someone?
CONDITION TO BE FRIENDS OF GOD ILMA’S VLOG
August 20
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CONDITION TO BE FRIENDS OF GOD
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another. – John 15:12-17
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In this account, Jesus clearly explains the requirements and details of how one becomes included in God’s circle of friends. First and foremost, He is the one who chose all who belong to Him. He chose us first. He gave us the free will to receive His invitation to be His friend. We can either accept or reject Him. He will never force His will on us. One of the conditions He requires is for His follower to love one another as He has loved them. Jesus summed up all the laws in the commandment to love each other as He has loved us. According to Him, love means laying down one’s life for your friends. He calls us friends when we obey his command to love. Obedience to this command brings them to a new level of relationship with God: they are no longer slaves but they have become friends with Him. A slave doesn’t have full knowledge of what his master is doing but friends become privy to their friend’s concerns or affairs. In verse 15 Jesus says that all the things His Father told him will be passed on to those who obey His command, so that His friends can enjoy the same standing and the same privileges He has. Whom He chose, He also pre-destined to work for His kingdom and bear fruit. Thus, they are able to spread to the world his kingdom plan and His will can be fulfilled and He be glorified. As the friend of God continues to follow Jesus’ lead, they become fruitful and get another benefit: that they will be granted whatever they ask in His name. What wonderful promises Jesus gave to those who follow His commands. They are called His friends, they bear fruits, they become intimate with the Lord and have the benefit of being granted whatever they ask in His name. The world, on the other hand views friendship in a very different light. Friendship with the world means a “self-centered” based relationship, while friendship with God is a “selfless” focused relationship that obeys God’s commands.
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REFLECTION
• How can we maintain our position in Christ while we live in this corrupt world?
KEEP MY COMMAND AND YOU’LL ABIDE IN MY LOVE ILMA’S VLOG
August 19
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KEEP MY COMMAND AND YOU’LL ABIDE IN MY LOVE
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 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. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. – John 15:1-11
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In this verse, Jesus explains to his disciples and compares Himself as the true vine and the Father as the vinedresser. It is a picture of how the Father cares for all the branches of the vine and prunes each branch so it can bear fruit. I love gardening and as a gardener, we want to ensure growth of the plant or tree we sowed or planted so that it can bear fruits. Pruning is one of the most important things a gardener does because it is like disciplining the branch to propagate and train it to follow, which direction he wants the branches he will cut to grow. God is the gardener and Jesus is the main vine and we are the branches. He prunes all the dead twigs so that new growth may come out of the vine. He does this so we can bear fruits of the Spirit. There is a condition for bearing fruits mentioned in verse 7 and that is to abide in Jesus. He says that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we will be able to bear much fruit so it will glorify God. By abiding, He meant to obey his commandments and to stay in His truth which only comes from the word of God. Jesus is also called the word in John 1. Abiding in Him, means that we obey His word as well. It is the only guarantee to bear fruits. Without Jesus, we can’t produce any fruit at all.
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REFLECTION
• Why is obedience to God’s word essential to produce the Spirit’s fruits?
THE GREATEST TEACHER LIVING INSIDE YOU ILMA’S VLOG
August 18
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THE GREATEST TEACHER LIVING INSIDE YOU
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has
nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. – John 14:25-31
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In this discourse of Jesus with His disciples, He points to the role of the Holy Spirit who is going to be their Helper. During the three years that Jesus was with His disciples, He taught them many things. Jesus reassured His disciples that though He isn’t going to be there physically to teach them, the Holy Spirit will live inside each one of them and will be the greatest teacher living inside each one of them. The Holy Spirit will remind them of all the things that He has taught them already during the time He was with them. He will also bring to memory all the lessons that He already told them.
Jesus also commanded them to receive the peace that He is giving them. He told them to never allow fear or troubles defeat them but instead, they must choose the peace that only comes from Him. He said that the world can never be able to bring them such peace. He declares to them that obedience to His Father’s will is the gauge for the world to know that He loves His Father.
In this account, Jesus explains to His disciples some of the roles that the Holy Spirit is going to play in their lives once He is physically gone. The Spirit of God will be the one to bring to memory all that He has taught them and also teach them how to apply them in their lives. Peace was emphasized also in these last words from Jesus. He declares that only from Him will they be able to experience peace. The world will never be able to give it to them. Jesus prepared His followers what was going to happen even before it happened. Only the one true God can see what will happen and only He knows everything.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some Christians forget that the Holy Spirit is the only source of Truth and wisdom? Why isn’t it easy to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us?
THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH ILMA’S VLOG
August 17
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THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, who sent Me.– John 14:16-24
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These are some of the last words of Jesus during the upper room supper He had with His disciples before he was crucified. He was alleviating the fears of His disciple for He knows that He will soon go and they will feel deserted without Him. He told them that He will ask His Father to give them another Helper when He is not with them anymore. He calls the Helper as the Spirit of truth who can only be granted to those who belong to Him. Unbelievers and the world cannot have it because it only comes when one believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that they are inseparable. God is in Him and He is also in God. He reassures them in verse 18, that they will not be orphans because He will never really leave them. He explains to them in verse 19 that even though His body will be dead physically, He will still be with them in Spirit. It is also in this verse that He explains that His body will soon be resurrected again soon.
In verse 21, he gives them the pre-requisite to loving Him: to follow all His commandments. If they do so, He will live in them and His Father will love them as well. On the other hand, those who don’t keep His commands do not love him. Though He was God, Jesus does not claim God’s word as His. We have the perfect example of someone who knows how to exercise boundaries and respect for His Father who He acknowledges as greater than Him and the source of all things.
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REFLECTION
• Why can’t an unbeliever receive or accept truth?
IF YOU KNOW JESUS, YOU ALSO KNOW THE FATHER ILMA’S VLOG
August 16
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IF YOU KNOW JESUS, YOU ALSO KNOW THE FATHER
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
– John 14:7-14
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In this scene, Jesus is spending the last few days He has with his disciples, revealing to them many loving truths. We hear a discouraged Jesus when Philip began asking Him to show the Father to them. Despite the three years they did ministry with Jesus, they still didn’t get it. Jesus have been telling them that He and the Father are one and that He didn’t come on His own, but He was with the Father. Because of man’s limitations and inability to see the spiritual realm, Jesus’ disciples dared to ask Him to show them the Father. In verse 10, Jesus tested their belief and once again, they failed to comprehend what Jesus had been telling them all along.
By nature, we automatically respond in unbelief because our human reasoning kicks in. But if the Spirit of God dwells in us, we can believe that all things are possible with God. Unbelief is a sin that we must need to recognize, ask for forgiveness and repent. If we waver back and forth to believe or not to believe, we are only fooling ourselves because in James 1:6 says that we shouldn’t waver for a person who wavers is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. The hardest place to be is when one is confused, indecisive and haven’t made a choice whether they are going to serve God or not. Verses 13-14 promises us that asking in the name of Jesus has so much blessings, power and benefits. Why wouldn’t we want to access such grace and generosity showered to us?
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the disciples still wavered despite all the signs and wonders they witnessed Jesus did?
THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY ALSO BE ILMA’S VLOG
August 15
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THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY ALSO BE
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. – John 14:1-6
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Jesus’ words from these verses are so reassuring. He calms us down and tells us not to be troubled by anything but to have faith in Him instead. He describes the reward of those who believe in Him. In verse 2-3, He tells us that we have a place in His Father’s house which He himself will prepare. Jesus says that He himself will come back and welcome those who are faithful to believe in Him and follow Him. One of His disciples, Thomas asked Jesus where He was going and how to go there. Jesus answered that He is the way, the truth and the life.
These words of Jesus give us a picture of how much He loves those who trust and believe in Him. Can you imagine how your Master whom you are serving would go out of His way to prepare a place for you to come home to and spend eternity with Him? Doesn’t this make you feel so special? What a hopeful event it would be when your Lord and Master comes back for you one day and welcome you to enter heaven. Shouldn’t you live just to wait for this most special moment? Shouldn’t your life revolve around this promise? It is sad to watch many Christians live their lives for many other things and for others but not for the purpose of serving Jesus. If you are a true believer, you would follow Jesus because the only way to God the Father is through Him. There is no other path that goes straight to eternity but through Jesus Christ.
To know Jesus and follow Him is the only way towards heaven. When we compromise our lives by listening to what the world says instead of following the narrow path to heaven through Jesus. Jesus is full of mercy and compassion and steadfast love.
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REFLECTION
• How can we follow the way, the truth and the life and manifest it in our lives?
LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU ILMA’S VLOG
August 14
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LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. – John 13:31-38
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Right after Judas Iscariot left to do what was needed, Jesus declared how He is glorified and God as well. He probably was talking about how Jesus’ obedience to do God’s will to be the sacrifice to pacify God’s punishment for the evil in humans. Jesus was preparing His disciples for what was about to happen. This must have been excruciatingly difficult to tell those people he did ministry with in three years, that He must have to go and leave them shortly. We hear how much anxiety these were causing the disciples. They have left their families, and their work, to follow Jesus and now, they feel lost that their Master is going where they cannot follow. All these three years, that is the only thing they know: to follow Jesus wherever He goes.
Peter vehemently asked for the reason why He can’t follow. He is wallowing in the pain of separation from his Lord and Master, almost like a separation anxiety. He was clinging hard to Jesus and asking again and again why he can’t follow him anymore wherever He went. Peter was consumed by his future grief when they won’t see Jesus anymore. With Peter’s personality, he exaggeratedly said that He will lay down his life for Jesus. And Jesus exposed how Peter would deny him three times before the cock crows. There was reassurance from Jesus that eventually they will also follow later. It is such a consolation to know that they will see Jesus again later.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it easy to miss out the promises of Jesus when we cling so hard on things?