I Would Have Told You

John 14:2-3

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.

Notice here the Lord's words, "I would have told you" "if it were not so." So often we get caught up on the many mansions. How often we want the glitz and the glammor of the Hollywood, Bollywood, Indie, pop, K dramas or otherwise of the world as life gets in the way. I can hear the astonished gasp now, 'well I would never.' Sure, you might not betray the Lord. Yet how many are guilty of taking the Lord away so that you know not where he has been laid. See, in all things Christ is central. It is his rightful place, right where he was meant to be. That is why he calls it two things: his and his Father's. I have a feeling if that were not so he would have told somebody that as well. Is it not comforting how there is joint possession seen in the unity. I know some couples that have to do everything together. Sometimes they scarcely come to anything alone. At no time has Jesus ever been separate from the Father, save for his apparent forsaking while on the cross.

Some of you who have been brought up in church know that both he and his Father are one. Yet is that not just what Jesus is saying to his followers here. I can almost hear him now 'where I go you cannot come now.' But if he goes therein remains the promise of his coming again. So, follow what is being said here. "In my Father's house," I know what I am talking about. "In my Father's house" I have authority. "In my Father's house" no man dares stone me. "In my Father's house" I am not comsidered crazy. "In my Father's house," I am the Lord. Now, the Father's house has come down to be done here on earth along with his will. How often do we say "your kingdom come your will be done" but do we ever really, truly mean it. Else would not the Lord have said, 'Heaven is way up there and the earth passes away; so just don't worry about it okay.' The very thought sure is blasphemous, is it not.

See, you ought to violently dispel the notion that God has called you to be just like everyone else. He is not calling a generation of lookalikes, copycats, and ne'er-do-wells unto himself. He is looking for his so-called peculiar people. Now, you can take that word any way you please, for some of his people in that house sure are strange. But to get into the Fathers house, you must first meet Jesus. So now that we have seen the possession of his house let us see the entering in. Here, the earth becomes the lowly entrance unto Heaven; for to him it is his footstool. Perhaps it is time you agreed with the Lord: 'I ain't sick no more, I ain't broke no more, and by the grace of God I sure ain't downtrodden no more.' For I am walking in the will of Heaven. Else would the gospel writer not have said how he might serve God acceptably with reverence and fear because of the "consuming fire" of our God.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Here, we see the shift. In order to serve God acceptably, some of us must first dispel that other pesky notion that we should sit down on a fluffy white cloud and float on off to glory when we die. A famous preacher once said the mosquito better bite him and fly away singing of the power in the blood. But I say that if you are not serving the Lord more today than you did yesterday, oh my friends. Something, somewhere is dreadfully wrong. So, the question remains what then of the taking away. Hidden within the promise of coming again is the keeping power of God. "Faithful is" the One that called to also do what he said. Not only can he be taken at his word, but he also can be trusted to lose none. For all those left are at the last received again unto himself. Yet still, in the waiting there is preparing going on. See, God works to make us a place. So also do we until he comes. So that when he appears the crown of life remains for what place has already been given, the journey only just begun.

How beautiful it is to rest in the place given us in the house of the Lord. But there remains one more matter, that of the separation from him. For so it has been since the beginning of time. Man no longer walked with God, and those that did were subject to terms of withholding. Yet one day we will no more know him in part. Then will we too learn to say with the Lord that we too commend our spirits, our lives, and our future to him to be placed in his hands. Somebody better give God his praise right quick. I am not afraid to shout out 'he's putting all things under my feet.' Herein lies the answer to the what has been done of Cain's time. Herein rests the hope of the ages. How nice it is to know that the God of all our sorrows is also the God of all our tomorrows as well.

"In my Father's house are many mansions;" if not, "I would have told you." It might be delayed but it has never been denied. See, what God promised will he not also complete until the day of his Son. It has been slightly changed from the rendering of the original text. In its' place is that little word fulfill which also is the exact same as I would have told you. In essence God is saying, 'how much do you trust me.' how often would you have thrown away the pen and lost the pages. How often would man have shut the book. How often would Satan have wrote it is finished. Yet here stands Father God, arms wide open waiting for his children.

How often would he have gathered you even as a mother hen her own. How often might you have fallen were it not for the God who promised. See, I would not have my testimony, I would nothave my hope, and I would not have my ministry were it not for the Lord. Those of you familiar with my testimony know I would not be had it not been for the Lord. Some of you need to just let go and let God just a little bit more. I can hear you saying now 'I oughta wait until I see; he said for sure.' no, dear believer. Say it, see it, walk in it now. God said today not later. Tomorrow might be forever too late. When you get this, there is always the temptation to think I did it. Know the say so of God. Once the pages is over and the story is done, there remains the told you so of God. Yet how many know the say so of God today.