Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

June 4
Wednesday


ROOM AND
BOARD

READ:
John 14:1-11
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I go to prepare a place
for you. __John 14:2
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On a recent trip to England, my wife and I visited Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon. The house is more than 400 years old, and it was the childhood and family home of William Shakespeare's wife.

The tour guide drew our attention to a table made with wide boards. One side was used for eating meals and the other for chopping food. In English life, different expressions grew from this usage as the word board became associated with food, housing, honesty, and authority. An inn would offer "room and board"__that is, sleeping and eating accommodations. In taverns where customers played cards, they were told to keep their hands "above board" to make sure they weren't cheating. And in the home, the father was given a special chair at the head of the table where he was called "chairman of the board."

As I reflected on this, I thought about how Jesus is our "room and board." He is our source of spiritual nourishment (John 6:35,54); He empowers us to live a life of integrity (14:21); He is our loving Master (Phil. 2:11); and He is even now preparing our eternal home. He promised: "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2; see also 14:1-4,23). His grace
has provided our everlasting room and board. __Dennis Fisher

`````````````````````Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,```````````````````
``````````````````Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,````````````````
`````````````````Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow__```````````````
``````````````Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. __Chisholm````````````
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Christ meets our needs now and for eternity.

*******************Today's Bible Reading __ John 14:1-11**********************

1 "Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in
God, believe also in Me. 2 In
My Father's house are many
mansions; if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come
again and receive you to
Myself; that where I am,
there you may be also. 4 And
where I go you know, and
the way you know."

5 Thomas said to Him,
"Lord, we do not know
where You are going, and
how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus said to him, "I am
the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.

7 If you had known Me, you
would have known My
Father also; and from now
on you know Him and have
seen Him."

8 Philip said to Him, "Lord,
show us the Father, and it is
sufficient for us."

9 Jesus said to him, "Have I
been with you so long, and
yet you have not known Me,
Philip? He who has seen me
has seen the Father; so how
can you say, 'Show us the
Father'? 10 Do you not
believe that I am in the
Father, and the Father in
Me? The words that I speak
to you I do not speak on My
own authority; but the Father
who dwells in me does the
works. 11 Believe Me that I
am in the Father and the
Father in Me, or else believe
Me for the sake of the works
themselves."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
John 13-17 records Jesus' "farewell" speech, His last words to His
disciples just hours before His crucifixion. Jesus spoke of humble
and living service (ch.13), of heaven (ch.14), of what it takes to be
His disciple (ch.15), and of the Holy Spirit (ch.14,16). His speech
culminated in a prayer for His disciple (ch.17).