'FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME.' (John 12:28) May this prayer accompany my very breath from this day September 1, 2021, onward -- 24/7, 365/365... forEVERmore. AMEN!
CHRIST JESUS: “The Hour has come for The SON of Man to be GLORIFIED and EXALTED. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, UNLESS a grain of wheat falls into the earth and DIES, it REMAINS ALONE -- just one grain, never more. BUT IF it DIES, it produces MUCH grain and yields a harvest. The one who LOVES his life eventually loses it through Death, but the one who hates his life in THIS world -- and is concerned with pleasing GOD -- will KEEP it for Life ETERNAL. IF anyone serves Me, he must continue to faithfully FOLLOW Me -- without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, IF need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of FAITH IN Me -- and wherever I AM in Heaven’s GLORY, there will My servant be ALSO. IF anyone serves Me, The FATHER will honor him" (John 12:23-26, Amplified).
“Now My soul is TROUBLED and DEEPLY DISTRESSED -- what shall I say? ‘FATHER, SAVE Me from THIS Hour of trial and agony’? BUT it is for THIS very Purpose that I have come to THIS Hour -- THIS time and place. Rather, I will say, ‘FATHER, GLORIFY -- honor, extol -- YOUR NAME!’” Then a VOICE came from Heaven saying, “I have both GLORIFIED It, and will GLORIFY It AGAIN” (John 12:27-28, Amplified)
(The following are notes and/or excerpts from C.H. Spurgeon's sermon, "A Golden PRAYER" -- a MUCH NEEDED message for ALL who are IN CHRIST -- Born-Again Believers of The LORD JESUS, Heaven-bound Pilgrims who are NOT of THIS world, who are presently experiencing MUCH suffering in this fallen, darkened, sin-FULL world.)
"The Death of CHRIST was a very PECULIAR one -- and in FACT, it stands by itself ALONE. HIS DEATH was the VINDICATION of Justice. It was the DEATH of The Sin-BEARER. It was a SACRIFICIAL, SUBSTITUTIONARY, EXPIATORY Death. HE was MADE a Curse for us that we may be BLESSED IN HIM" (C.H. Spurgeon).
When JESUS said in public 'Now My soul is troubled and deeply
distressed' (John 12:27a) -- it was a public rehearsal of that MENTAL
Battle, that INNER Conflict, that SOULful Anguish in the Garden of
Gethsemane, where He expressed -- 'My Soul is EXCEEDINGLY SORROWFUL,
even to DEATH' (for in His Humanity, JESUS experienced powerful emotions of "horror,
anxiety, agitation. JESUS' contemplation of taking on The WRATH of GOD
for the SINs of the world caused REVULSION in the Sinless SAVIOR" -- John
MacArthur's commentary on John 12:27). And The SON asked The FATHER thrice, 'O
My FATHER, IF it is possible, LET this Cup pass from Me -- nevertheless,
NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL' (Matthew 26:38a,39b). JESUS' depth of
distress was such that 'being in AGONY, He prayed more earnestly.
Then His SWEAT became like great drops of BLOOD falling down to the
ground' (Luke 22:44). Yet He was VICTORious at Gethsemane. He RESOLUTELY
'SET His Face like flint' -- and RESOLVED to accomplish ALL for His
FATHER's GLORY.
When JESUS proclaimed in a loud voice -- 'FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!' amidst a great multitude who were in Jerusalem that Palm Sunday -- in effect, was what He said later in Gethsemane, 'FATHER, NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL' -- GLORIFY YOUR NAME IN MY DEATH. And when JESUS cried out 'IT IS FINISHED!' on The CROSS at Calvary -- The FATHER of GLORY WAS GLORIFIED IN DEED by The LORD of GLORY.
When the Twice-Born Child of GOD feels overwhelmed, near total despair in his/her personal sorrow -- grieving unconsoleably over the loss of a loved one, feeling helpless against ongoing illness, suffering deep mental depression, utterly distraught after a disaster has taken away every physical comfort and future security -- WHAT can he ask of GOD his FATHER, of GOD his LORD and SAVIOR, of GOD The SPIRIT his Comforter and Helper? May our own prayer be -- HOLY FATHER, in my sorrow, GLORIFY YOUR NAME! LORD JESUS, in my illness, GLORIFY YOUR NAME! LORD SPIRIT, in my losing all my possessions, GLORIFY YOUR NAME! My GOD IN CHRIST, even in my death -- GLORIFY YOURSELF IN me! AMEN
When the GLORY-Bound Child of GOD is deeply troubled and doesn't know what to say, but will pray from the depth of his soul -- "FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME! -- he has said the RIGHT thing. When this prayer rises from his innermost heart -- the conflict is over. NO outward fright nor inward fear remains. He can cast aside all gloomy forebodings, and he can thoughtfully and passively pursue the way into the UNknown TOmorrow."
When the BLOOD-Bought Child of GOD can truly pray, 'FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!' -- he means, "LORD, do what YOU Will with me. i will make NO stipulations, but leave ALL to YOU. Do not spare me... GLORIFY YOUR NAME in me by ANY means and by ALL means. i am willing to be made NOthing of, so that YOUR WILL may be done. i am willing to be as one dead and buried, forgotten and UNknown if YOU may be magnified. i am ready to be buried and sown because i believe that this is the way that i shall grow and bring forth Fruit to YOUR PRAISE."
This self-renouncing SURRENDER includes OBEDIENT service. Our LORD JESUS said, 'IF anyone serves Me -- let him FOLLOW Me' (John 12:26). The totally surrendered, fully committed Follower of CHRIST will pray, "FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR Name IN me. i am the recipient of SO MUCH Mercy -- get some GLORY out of me, i pray!"
"The man who REALLY lives is the man who has learned to live for Others and for GOD. IF any man is living for himSELF, he will be UNloveable. IF you will even act under the ambition to be loved -- you will miss the mark. But IF you will LOVE for LOVE's sake, IF you seek to be CHRIST-like, IF you will lay yourself out to GLORIFY GOD and increase HIS Kingdom and BLESS your fellow men -- you will live in the highest and noblest sense. Seek NOT your OWN greatness, but labor to make JESUS great and you will live."
"CHRISTians -- LIVE BY DYING. Kill SELF -- and CHRIST SHALL LIVE IN you, and SO shall you yourself MOST TRULY LIVE. The way to TRUE Life and Honor is to go downward in SELF-humiliation. Renounce ALL -- and you shall be RICH. Have NOthing -- and you shall have ALL things. Try to be SOMEthing -- and you shall be NOthing. BE NOthing -- and you shall LIVE. That is the GREAT lesson that JESUS would teach us, but are SLOW to learn."
"We IN CHRIST desire The LORD to GLORIFY that NAME in ourselves by preventing our IMpatience in suffering, in keeping us from faintness in labor. We beseech our Heavenly FATHER to destroy our SELFishness, to cast out our PRIDE, to overcome EVERY evil propensity that prevent His getting GLORY out of us. Fling ALL away that will not turn into YOUR GLORY, but use ALL that can be used. To the UTMOST -- GLORIFY YOUR NAME."
Let us pray -- "FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME YOURSELF. In YOUR Providence,
so arrange my position and condition as to GLORIFY YOUR NAME. By YOUR
GRACE, so sustain me and sanctify me that i may GLORIFY YOU. IF you can
pray this way, your confidence will come back to you. IF you have been
greatly distracted, calm PEACE will visit you again."
Let us pray, "i will bear The LORD's Will and will be content therewith. i can't quarrel with my Master's dealings anymore, for i have asked Him to GLORIFY HIS NAME, and as i KNOW that HE is doing it, i cannot murmur. How can i struggle with that which is REALLY GLORIFYING my FATHER? My heart will stop to question and quake, and nestle down beneath the ETERNAL Wings in PEACE. Filled with patience, i will take the Cup which had stood UNtasted, and grasp it with willingness. It is to GLORIFY GOD! Every drop of this Cup is for HIS GLORY."
"THAT which most thoroughly yields itself to GOD, THAT which most completely annihilates itself to the Eternal ALL is MOST GLORIFYING to HIM. May GOD in His INfinite Mercy bring us to this SELF-annihilation and THIS care for His GLORY ONLY. Strive after it, beloved, by the POWER of The Holy SPIRIT."
"IF i find Him, IF i follow -- what reward is here? Many a labor, many a sorrow, many a tear. JESUS Himself said, 'UNLESS a man take up his cross daily and FOLLOW Me, he cannot be My disciple.' But mark you, those who were willing to suffer for CHRIST will be counted to be the ONLY SANE persons who ever lived. And those who looked to the main chance, and cared only for SELF, and DISregarded GOD and Faith IN CHRIST and Love for their fellow men will be regarded as having been mere IDIOTS and DRIVELS."
"A Golden PRAYER" -- sermon by C.H. Spurgeon, on December 30, 1877. ALL of us can enCOURAGEd by the Prince of Preachers -- Charles H. Spurgeon -- and be STRENGTHened by The Holy SPIRIT withIN applying this MUCH-NEEDED message to each and every Child of GOD whose soul is suffering, who is under extreme duress, who is feeling utterly helpless with his/her ongoing plight -- whether spiritual, mental, physical or material loss. Click on link for other GOD-glorifying, JESUS-pointing, SPIRIT-anointed sermons by C.H. Spurgeon.
