Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1-2.

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” John 14:8-9 NIV.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 45: The Captain of our salvation. Joshua 5:14-15: He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my Lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. And, Hebrews 2:10: For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

This morning in our Friday Zoom Retreat, we talked about Jesus’ talk with His disciples at their Last Supper together, John 14:1-31. Imagine where they are! They have lived with and have been taught by Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, and He is preparing them for what is about to happen to Him, and by extension, to them. Jesus told them not to let their hearts be troubled, to believe in God and to believe also in Him. To be glad He is returning to the Father; and they know the way where He is going – that He is the way and the truth and the life that is the way to the Father. And Philip then asks Jesus to show them the Father, and that will be enough for them. A direct question. Jesus answers him directly – Philip, don’t you know Me? Jesus had already told them and had been stoned by the Jews for it, I and the Father are one. John 10:30. The most sacred prayer of all – Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is One. And Jesus will not leave us as orphans, but will send another Helper, the Spirit of Truth. And Judas, not Iscariot, asks a question we all ask, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Such a good question we, who are learning and experiencing just how much God loves us all, as Jesus demonstrated so beautifully while He was here with us, have yet to fully understand in this life. And Jesus’ answer? “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. 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. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 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. 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.”

I was so struck by that, show us the Father…and the Father replying, do you not know Me?

In the world is the expression “seeing is believing”. Is it true? Back to John 10. As the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, He asked them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?…If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” I think that saying is the other way around. Believing is seeing. The Captain of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, the Author of our salvation, in bringing many sons to glory was perfected through sufferings. How can we think we will be any less perfected by our own personal sufferings we experience in our world of us? His sufferings were undertaken for all of us that we could know Him – Father, Son, Spirit. And in knowing Him, we find renewing and refreshing in our mind and heart and spirit – what it is to be transformed by the renewing of our mind!

We meet together in our small Zoom group because we don’t have the answers that are so important to the questions we have. The disciples didn’t either completely. But we love exploring and learning together knowing that Creator God is right here with us guiding us. Our world is so vast and the complexities of the problems are overwhelming and so many don’t even consider what is beyond this our world now. Oh, but when we do, how humbled we become. For in subjecting all things to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to Him. But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.” Hebrews 2:8-13. We can read these glorious words. To understand we need Him. Believe in Him and He will help us see!