The statements I made in previous ‘Links’ are describing the relationship that a true believer in Jesus Christ has with Him and through Him with His/our heavenly Father, forever. So, I wonder how many Christians, being born of God, (John 1: 13), born of the Spirit. (John 3: 8) are aware of this oneness and enjoy this unity sealed by the Holy Spirit! In His prayer, which may be the only one Jesus ever prayed aloud, for He made sure that his disciples heard it, to establish in their hearts, how important it was for them to know that they are one with Him forever and through Him with His and their Father. Years later, the apostle John was led to write it, so that every Christian to this day could also know it, and enjoy it! To be ignorant of this fact, the privilege and joy of his true oneness is missed! What a tragedy!

This is so obvious, for Jesus did not only pray for the eleven apostles, as I have stated, but He prayed for all the disciples that believed on Him. All those present in Jerusalem for this special feast of the Passover, and for those who, for whatever reason, could not be there, many of them women, at the time He prayed this amazing prayer. It is possible that in the Upper Room Jesus had with Him only the eleven apostles, but it is clear, as we read the chapter to the very end, that they were not mainly the subjects of His prayer, but that Jesus also prayed for all those who were present in the city, all those over the land of Palestine, and those, that would believe in Him till the end of the age. 

It is written that Jesus said: ‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ (John 17: 20-21) Such oneness cannot be the work of men getting together to find a common ground. This kind of mentality is an offense to the Holy Spirit, for He alone can do it, and He does it by the preaching of the words that God gave to Jesus originally. It is written that: ‘It has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save those that believe. Not that preaching the Gospel is foolishness, for by it the power of God draws to Christ those that will believe it, it is thee world that think it is To this very day there is no substitute to the anointed preaching of the gospel!

I love to read and meditate on this portion of the Word of God. I feel that on occasions we are so taken up with what is written, that we forget that whoever was the writer of these eventful days, whether it be, Matthew, Marc, Luke, or John, these men and apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the gospels centuries ago, which were since translated in hundreds of languages, so that we can read to this very day all that Jesus taught and did! They did not just write what they felt, or wanted to, but they wrote what the Holy Spirit led them to write, and by inspiration brought these words back to their memory years after the facts! As says the apostle Peter: ‘Men spoke from God as they were carried along (moved- made to) by the holy Spirit.’ (2 Peter 1: 21) The good example is when a secretary uses, what is called ‘shorthand’, and after, copies exactly word for word what she/he was told to type. 

God has added His stamp to His word, for as it is written that He: ‘Confirmed His word, preached by His apostles, by the signs that accompanied it.’ (Marc 16: 20) They were manifestations of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.’ It adds a lot of weight to what we read, for we read what God wanted to bring into light, concerning the full content of the Christian heritage, for all those that would believe in Jesus Christ. Part of their precious heritage is the written word, the Bible, it is always a treasure to every believer, revealed in the New Testament (Covenant) to enjoy it while He/she pilgrims on earth. It is by the power of the word that he/she has been saved, and the written word will not change just as God does not change!