Tag: John 14

  • The Paraclete

    The Helper Who Softens Life’s Falls

    If you have read Gleanings for any length of time, you know that I have tried parachuting a couple of times. The last time I tried, I collided with a gopher hole on landing and broke one of my legs. I haven’t done it since, but I still get an adrenaline rush when I see skydivers.

    The concept of a parachute is older than you probably think, dating back to Leonardo da Vinci, who seemed to have borrowed the idea from someone else. He had sketches of a rigid-frame device.

    According to the Saturday Evening Post,

    “The first “modern” soft parachute, as well as the name for it, came from the work of Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard. Blanchard was obsessed with air travel. Not only did he invent the first soft, silk parachute, but he was also the first person to cross the English Channel by air … in a hot-air balloon. He was also the first person to successfully use his soft parachute during an emergency. According to him, at least: He claims that he used a parachute to escape an exploding hot air balloon, but no one else was around to verify it… Blanchard is credited with coining the word parachute in 1784, and his supposed emergency use of it was in 1793.”

    The word para – originates in Latin and means to prevent. The word chute stems from a French word meaning to fall. A parachute prevents or softens a fall.

    A similar word in Greek is also para, but it means to come alongside.

    The Greek combines para (alongside) and the word kaleó (to call) – paraclete. The paraclete is the one who comes alongside to comfort, help, advocate and more.

    Like a parachute helps control the falling skydiver, the paraclete is given to help us. Jesus promises we will have this helper.

     “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you John 14:15-17 ESV

    The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete. He indwells believers to advocate for us, comfort us, guide us, teach us, intercede on our behalf, and so much more.

    If you are tired, overwhelmed, lonely or in distress, you don’t stand alone. The promised Paraclete lives within you to help carry you through, soften life’s falls, and protect you. 

    What a blessing.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, the Helper Jesus promised, who comes alongside us. If we are tired, overwhelmed, lonely or in distress, we don’t stand alone.

    TAKEAWAY

    Like a parachute helps control a falling skydiver, the Paraclete is given to help you.

    The Holy Spirit is the Helper Jesus promised. He indwells believers to advocate for you, comfort you, guide you, teach you, and intercede on your behalf.

    If you are tired, overwhelmed, lonely or in distress, you don’t stand alone. The Paraclete lives within you to help carry you through, soften life’s falls, and protect you.

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  • Is Christianity Too Narrow? What critics miss about the gospel.

    A narrow uphill trail in the woods - Is Christianity Too Narrow? What critics miss about the gospel.

    We hiked up the mountain through the forest. The trail wasn’t very wide, at places almost non-existent.  We had two choices: use the path or scramble up where there was no path. We chose the narrow path.

    Now, if you have been a Christian for any length of time, that phrase narrow way reminded you of a Bible passage (perhaps in whole, or maybe just the idea).

    Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7:13

    In other places, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that the only way is through faith in Him. There is no other plan.

    Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:3

    That has led to charges that Christianity itself is very narrow. Those charges have merit; there is only one way, and it doesn’t get any narrower than that. That’s God’s plan. He created everything, and He gets to make the rules. There is a narrow path.

    There are some things that the complainers don’t recognize.

    Firstly, without Jesus, there is no way to be forgiven and reconciled to God at all. He would have been perfectly righteous and just to allow everyone to perish in their sins. That’s fair punishment for rebellion against the king.

    Jesus didn’t have to come to redeem us. He chose to, and that is incredible love and unmerited grace.

    Secondly. While some may claim that the way of Christ is exclusive by its one-way nature, it’s also the least exclusive club in the world.

    The way of Christ is open to people of any age, from any culture, of either gender, from all socio-economic backgrounds, and at any level of sin. You don’t have to be religious enough, righteous enough or good enough. You don’t need lots of money or education to enter through the narrow path.

    You can’t earn your way in by good works. You can’t buy your way in. You can’t be born in. It has one requirement, faith in Christ, and even the worst among us have an opportunity to choose that.

    Christians are not people who have their act together. They are flawed people who are being transformed into the image of Christ. They will let you down. They may be hypocritical. They might look very much like Jesus. Then again, neither do you.

    The difference is that they responded to Christ by faith and were redeemed.

    Churches are messy places, but God will clean them up. The world outside the church is equally flawed, but without Christ, it will never get better.

    Narrow? Absolutely!

    Exclusive? Hardly!

    God calls, and we have a choice to make. Will we respond, take the narrow path, and follow Him ,or will we reject Him?

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God) 

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    You might also like. “Enter through the narrow gate.”

    SUMMARY

    A narrow mountain trail becomes a vivid illustration of Jesus’ teaching about the narrow way to salvation — one path, one requirement, one Savior. Though Christianity is rightly called narrow, it is paradoxically the most inclusive invitation in the world.

    TAKEAWAY

    • The narrow way is real and intentional: Jesus is unambiguous that faith in Him is the only path to the Father, and God, as Creator, has the right to set that condition.
    • Narrow doesn’t mean exclusive: The way of Christ is open to every person regardless of age, background, culture, wealth, or depth of sin — the only requirement is faith.
    • Grace, not fairness, is the starting point: God owed humanity no rescue; that Jesus came to redeem us at all is an act of extraordinary love and unmerited grace.

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