Comfort-Coffee/Chocolate/Credit Cards or Christ?

Scripture

John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

Jesus the Way to the Father
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.

Observation
Jesus is preparing to be betrayed. He is telling the disciples what life will look like after he leaves. So he is telling me how I can react to this out-of-control world. Let's take a look.

Application
What brings me comfort? In Puyallup there is a "Comfort Food Cafe", which might bring me comfort. There's chocolate, coffee, a fat juicy steak, a book, a quiet time in front fireplace, spending money on a credit card, a vacation, a long walk, sitting on top of a mountain by myself; what is it for you? When I look at my list here's what I see. Some things that are pleasurable to me, but they are things which will end. I'll finish my coffee, eat through the chocolate, the fire will go out, I'll finish the book, I'll have to climb down from the mountain top and return home, so after all these things are finished will I still have comfort or will I need more of something else to give me another level of comfort? If I follow the darken world's ways, I will need to keep "reloading" to get a false comfort for a fleeting moment. But Jesus is telling me about a lasting comfort; God living in me through his Holy Spirit. He tells me that God will never run out of giving me comfort. I will never be a Comfort Orphan. He has revealed himself to me, I obey his word, God knows me, He lives in me and He will not leave me. Jesus goes on to say in verse 23 that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit will make THEIR home in ME.

Verse 1-Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. How do I do that? In the Christian world that is a phrase thrown around like a football from Brett Favre to Laveranues Coles. "Just Trust, it will be OK". But all the while life is spinning, and spinning and spinning around you.
Verse 6-I am the way and the truth and the life. Jesus is the answer, and the directional compass I need.
Verse 15/16/17-If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. Jesus has told me that he is the way. That is the truth of the matter, but now there is something I must do. I must OBEY his truth, his ways, his words, his commands.
Verse 17/18 for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. God the Holy Spirit is living in me. Jesus told me he will not leave me alone.

So the decision I have to make is this: Do I live a life of Faith or Folly? God in/through Jesus told me that they will live in me, make me the home. Do you get comfort going home? I do. So when I need comfort from the spinning world, I need to come home to the Holy Spirit and enjoy the sweetness of His embrace, I need to come home to Jesus and listen for the words of Life to be spoken to me, I need to come sit in the comfort of my Fathers lap and share my troubles and let him put His arms around me to guide me. Trouble will come, but I am not on my own, I am not an Orphan who is lost. I have the God of the Universe seeking me, and caring for me and residing in me so His kingdom will be glorified. Or do I think that I can make it through because I don't want to be like those TV Christians and live a life of folly? It is clear to me what decision I need to make: The Warren Plan has trouble in it before it even begins, but the God in Warren Plan will bring me comfort in troubled times.

Prayer
Father, You came in the beginning to have a relationship with me. I broke that relationship by sinning against you, but you have provided to me a way back to you. You have not only done that, but you have crossed back over to me to come live with and in me. Thank you for loving me and caring for me, for allowing me to Trust in you, to keep me from trouble. I ask that you would help me turn to your comfort each time I see trouble, and not turn to things which bring only temporary comfort. You are the only comfort I need. I thank you that I am not an Orphan in this world, but you have, again, provided a home where we all can live together. I welcome you into this house, and ask that you design it for your glory. Amen.