Page 70 - Back to Bethlehem 2-5-19

This is more than resignation. She’s not just accepting the north
wind. She’s inviting the north wind to blow. She desires
whatever will please him. The disposition is that it doesn’t
matter. If there’s no blowing, there’s no flowing. As the
indispensable condition is childlikeness, the indispensable
disposition is absolute surrender.

What is the goal of all of this? John 12:20&21, “Now there
were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship
at the feast; these therefore came to Philip, who was from
Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, ‘Sir, we
wish to see Jesus.’” First there’s childlikeness, then there’s
surrender and now is the redemptive part. The Greeks came to
Philip and said, “We want to see Jesus.” Was it curiosity? Why
did they come? Did they come to argue? We don’t know. Were
they really seeking the Lord? Perhaps. The only thing God
calls attention to is the response of Jesus. When you look at it
with our physical eyes it looks like He ignored them. He never
went out to talk to them. He only talked to the disciples. Jesus
explained to the disciples about redemptive living.

John 12:27&28, “’Now My soul has become troubled; and what
shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this
purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.’ There
came therefore a voice out of heaven, ‘I have both glorified it.
And will glorify it again.’” Jesus always talked about the cross
as His “hour”. He said that My hour has not yet come. He
always thought about the hour. But in this prayer He said, “My
soul is troubled. What shall I say? Deliver Me from this hour?
For this cause I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.”

Every hour in the life of Jesus He said, “Glorify Thy name.” I
choose verses every chance I get. I have a year verse and I have
a life verse and I have a birthday verse; every chance I get I get
a verse. This is my life verse. Something comes into my life,
a north wind or a south wind, what shall I say, “Deliver me from
this hour? For this cause I came to this hour. Father, glorify
Thy name.”