“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14: 12-14)

The first great need of any man who has a troubled heart or his Christian life isn’t lived to its full potential is to believe, to get back to the place of believing. This sounds too simple. Yet it is what Christ told His disciples before His death, resurrection and ascension. If you believe in Me, essentially He told them “you will do the works I have been doing.” Belief also opens up the door to faith and the effects of faith in our life.

The disciples who walked with Jesus witnessed that He had rebuked a demon which had caused a sickness in a boy who was then healed instantly. Conversely, having trouble achieving similar results in their ministry, they asked Him: “Why could we not cast it out?” to which He responded, “Because of your little faith” (Matthew 17: 18-20 ESV)

After His resurrection, our focal scripture indicated that Jesus promised His disciples that they would be able to do what they cannot do now, and what He used to do for them. By His resurrection and ascension, He works in them by the power of the Spirit – to effectively bring the power of the Spirit into their action, after He has departed.

Our Lord’s departure from the world is not the conclusion of His activity in the world amidst personal, political and ideological problems that humanity faces today. He is present in our ministries to our beloved Christian friends, and to those who likewise believe and those faltering in their belief. He is continuing together with us in His redemptive work to reach out to find those struggling with a profound understanding and a lack of objective effectiveness in their particular mode of faith – whatever the culture.

He is not absent in our lives individually nor from the ministration of common grace to the countless millions of men and women worldwide who have, who will and yes to those who may come to believe on His name for salvation.

He still is an ever-present power, and though He has passed through death on our behalf, and been removed from our physical sense perception, He still operates upon the things around us and moves events to coincide with His providences according to His will in our lives. Christ is all-powerful and ever-presently working in our lives! The continuous influence of His life continues. It is a present power in all ages.

Belief in Christ as our Redeemer and faith in His active life in us via His Spirit is necessary for a vibrant and joyous Christian experience. If you are lonely, He brings companionship to the solitary. He offers calmness in calamity, gives peace while weighing the complications of our faith and our weaknesses. We must grasp that the living Christ is working in us for His Father’s glory and outreaching to each of us, forth-putting His powers of influence and ministerial energy in His church today.

Before His ascension Jesus said: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15 NIV) In Mark’s narrative, we read that “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God” (vs. 19) As He worked with the disciples, He will work with us as we minister His word to others sharing the Gospel. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it” (vs. 20) At the end of our Lord’s life on earth, there were one hundred and twenty disciples in Jerusalem and five hundred in Galilee. He told the disciples greater things you will do – the greater meaning the expansion of His kingdom on earth through the promulgation of the Gospel.

Now that we understand the need for believing on His name, and on having faith to do His works of expanding His kingdom, we need also a life of prayer which confess our complete dependence on Him. I go back to our main verse: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

In my name, means, not a rote prayer as we often may do, finalizing it with repeated words ‘in Jesus name, Amen.’ Rather it means in His character, in His same faith in His Father and our total dependent connection to Him. This unity with our Lord is exactly what we need to sense His power working in our lives with all whom we connect. Jesus prayed for His disciples and you and I, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21 ESV) This is the secret to the continuum of believing in His work on earth — to be One with Jesus Christ via His indwelling Spirit. The parable of abiding in the vine teaches this truth: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:15 ESV)

Believe in His operative work in you by faith; connect to the living Christ just as He depended on His Father for guidance and success in His walk on earth and for our eternal future in His redemptive work of salvation.

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a man who is a glutton and a [heavy] wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]” (Luke 7:34 AMP)

In the world but not of it. Being sociable does not necessarily equate to being a friend whom you relate to as a brother or sister in Christ. We must be kind, and a friend — friendly to those we associate with — in extended family circles, in business, and in civil life in general — a sign of possessing influential character.

Jesus befriended Mathew, an infamous tax collector; immoral women, even one caught in adultery about to be stoned to death by the “religious” mob. He also was open to hearing a Roman centurion’s request to heal his servant (see Luke 7:34-50). All of these “sinners” religiously condemned by the Pharisees, and teachers of the law in Israel (the leadership) were not influenced to love God.

Nevertheless, they were moved by the non-partisan love of Jesus, who perceived their potential faith in Him and forgave their sin. Jesus noted that his disciples had a mission that must be carried out in a sinful world.

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified”. (John 17:16-19 NIV)

Association in ministry differs from collaborating with unbelievers as intimate friends, or marrying another with whom you would have children. The Apostle Paul was always sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. Many became Christian brothers and sisters in Christ through his efforts. God’s purpose is that the Gospel must intergenerationally influence family members from the parents and grandparents, and fellowship amongst true believers for a continuance of His kingdom on earth.

Others like Paul and Christ’s disciples were called to separate themselves unto the calling to go out into the whole world — yes, among blatant sinners — and preach that they too have hope if they place their faith in Jesus — the hope of eternal life in Christ. Read the conversation that Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well. He knew she was living in sin, yet he activated her faith with discretion and kindness. He perceived her as a child of God in the making. She perceived Him as a prophet in her awakening. The gentle patience of Christ opened her mind to hear Him tell her that He was the Messiah whom she awaited! She proclaimed Him to others in her town who all rushed out to see the Lord (see John chapter 4).

Paul spent time ministering to people in prison and to Greeks in Athens who had many false ideas about God. The encouragement and power of the indwelling Spirit must accommodate sharing the Word of God, as Satan will try to twist its meaning:

“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Mathew 4:2-4 NIV)

Be friendly in the context of sharing the Good News Convincing someone else that your godly ideas are good comes from association and discussion in the context of witnessing for Jesus while trusting the Holy Spirit to open the heart to God’s influence.

Christians meet at the Cross Guard against the mob mentality that “only my church owns the right doctrine”. Basing your viewpoints on the Word of God, use the logical mind, not the emotional mind to weigh the motives of men or women you would befriend. The war between the British Protestants and Catholic Irish in Northern Ireland would never have subsided without association and negotiation. When we truly meet Jesus, in our heart, in our mind’s eye, all unreasonable prejudice is removed. Together we all realize that He came to redeem all men who would see the grace offered at the foot of the Cross.

“Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” (Jeremiah 42:3 ESV)

The people of Judah came to the prophet Jeremiah asking for his prophetic guidance to know if they should go down to Egypt to avoid King Nebucannezar of Babylon and his armies.

“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.” Ten days later Jeremiah gets the answer from the Lord:

“…hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die..not one of them will survive” (Vss 16-17)

Often we feel that we have the right intention to do a certain thing, go somewhere, advise someone, begin a new job, leave a spouse, and some go as far as to seek the Lord’s will as the people of Judah did. Notice that Jeremiah, speaking God’s word said “‘If you are determined to go to”, and they were determined to go, and to disobey.

The people had even said: “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.” (Vss 5-6)

They quickly asserted their own determination, contrary to the Lord’s revealed will — and clearly though it was unfavourable to follow the Lord’s will: “all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there’.” (Jeremiah 43:2)

Consider your own actions, prayers, and self-determined will. How do you behave when the revealed will of God is clear in His Word — do your own plans ever get altered or reconfigured to line up with the Word of God? The danger is this: Self-will can avoid acting on the revealed will of God.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NIV)

In our current culture, we have seen a huge shift away from biblical values – a shift which we are witnessing as the laws of the land rapidly change in Canada and the USA, as determined by the courts making decisions based on relativism offering more choices to groups who demand change. Often these changes begin in the USA and are soon seen in Canada.

The definition of a Relativist: Someone who holds that nothing is simply good, but only good for someone or from a distinct point of view, holds a relativist view of goodness. Concise Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

In the early days of the church after Christ was resurrected, Peter declared to the spiritual leaders “We must obey God rather than men” despite strict orders from the Jewish Council. They said, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” (vs. 39)

I began reading the late Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer in the late 70s and found his Christian philosophy encouraging. History is repeating itself as Francis A. Schaeffer contended. We are moving deeper into biblical lawlessness. Philosophy has separated the influence of divine revelation, as found in the Bible, from man-made relativism. Schaeffer used Raphael’s painting of “The School of Athens” (c. 1510), a copy of which hangs in my home, to illustrate the separation.

Symbolically the painting depicts two viewpoints, one looking upward toward God, the other viewing the lower academic sources as guidance developed by man. In Europe, this gravitation toward one or the other direction took divergent paths – the Reformation (God) and the Renaissance (man). Schaeffer traced moral relativism back to the Roman Empire. Pilate caved into the Jewish leaders when they accused Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar. Of the Christians Schaeffer wrote:

They worshiped Jesus as God, and they worshiped the infinite-personal God only. The Caesars would not tolerate this worshiping of the one God only. It was counted as treason. Thus, their worship became a threat to the unity of the state during the third century and during the reign of Diocletian (284– 305), when people of the higher classes began to become Christians in larger numbers. ¹

We see this occurring in society now when Christian views are advocated, if they either are opposing or disagreeing with the choices of any relative practice of a group condoned by the courts and widely popular with the masses.

As Christians, we need to be cautious not to be seduced into the world’s viewpoint which is a distinctly opposite philosophy of life. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition” (Colossians 2:8) Behind the worldview lies a philosophy contrary to the laws of God and Jesus Christ.

The Loss of Christian Principles
Christian principles are based on laws which are based on the love of God. We have seen many of them ruined, as the courts have now taken away the collective inalienable right to the freedoms the people have had. The court’s rulings bypass any legislative basis of wider representation of the people. In the courts and in North America, the once cherished principles are evidently lost perhaps forever in many areas, replaced by these:

• Prayerlessness in the public schools
• Abortion
• Gay marriage
• Assisted suicide

The above stated new rights are based on the deceptive principles of the world and are not biblical. Isn’t it hypocritical that the US courts disallow prayer in the school when the founding fathers’ reverent practice of opening Congress with prayer is still carried on with a presiding Christian minister?

Here is a quote from an academic address to American students. You will see that religion is viewed as unacademic, despite the fact that the many great universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England began as Christian schools with a theological Christian focus.

This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America, one of its three central values — E pluribus unum, “from many, one.” And this school will be guided by America ‘s values. This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness. ²

Apostle Paul noted regarding those not led by the Spirit of God: “When we were children, we were slaves to the principles of this world” (Galatians 4:3) Peter warned that that this conflict will continue: “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:2) Peter warns of the impending judgement of God based on rampant lawlessness:

“…if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. (2 Peter 2:6-10 NIV)

In Sodom before this judgement, sexual immorality abounded. “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion”. (Jude 1:7) The lawless townsmen thought they could knock down Lots’ door to bring his guests out to gang rape (sodomize) them in the town square. Does this sound like something you might hear in the news today? The judgment began right there. The angels confronted them. They were all blinded, and the angels led Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before the rain of fire that destroyed the towns. Jesus warned us that just before His second advent the state of man’s lawlessness will be similar:

“Just as it happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17: 29-29)

Schaeffer contended that Christians are to blame for not speaking up when the issues were developing. This may or may not be true in part. What is true today, is that all Christians need to be aware of relative humanism as the most profound catalyst in a society moving man to the Final Judgement, which will occur at the second advent of Jesus Christ in power and great glory.

We are witnessing more animosity from the relativists. Jesus warned of this: “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” (John 15:19-21 NLT) The apostle Paul’s warning makes sense today: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy…”

^{1 Schaeffer, Francis A. How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture (Crossway)}

^{2 A Speech every American High School Principal should give. (Dennis Prager)}