In The World, Not Of The World!

“For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You.

Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17: 8-21 NKJV).

The true Lord's Prayer--the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden just before He was arrested, says all that needs to be said about those living "in this world, but are not of this world."

Be encouraged to stay in the faith and walk in God's Truth (His Word), no matter what people of the world may say or do. When we have a relationship with God, we know we have His Truth and nothing the world does can persuade us to think otherwise.

Have a wonderful season celebrating the birth of our Savior and it is--all about Him!