We Will See Jesus - Part 2

  

Many people find God after the failure of all of their hopes and dreams, health and wealth, loss of family and friends, etc. How much better it is to come to Christ humbly, without any loss at all.

If we seek God for our own rewards, we have not found Him. We find a false Christ, the devil in disguise, and our works will burn up in the Day of Judgment like wood, hay and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12-13; Matthew 24:24).

If we resent the work we do for the Lord, it is clearly birthed from our human efforts and not by obedience to His Spirit. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and peace (2 Corinthians 3:17).

God has no fellowship with darkness (1 John 1:6); so, when we indulge in sin, we separate our self from His life-giving presence (Romans 3:11). Yet, God became man to reconcile us back to Himself (Romans 5:10).

God humbled Himself and became lower than the angels in order to unite us forever with Himself (Hebrews 2:7). Turning in repentance from our carnal ways and walking in obedience to God's Spirit is the guarantee that we will see Jesus (John 12:23).

In the disfiguring scourging, Christ no longer resembled a man. On the cross, He willingly gave His life for us all. Only in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ can we see the manifest essence of God (John 10:30).

Whatever we do, even as mundane as what we eat and drink, we do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). No illicit sexual relationship, no intoxicating drink and no unwholesome food enters our body, which is the temple of God's Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Our ultimate purpose in life is to glorify God and to enjoy His attention on a continual basis as we walk in obedience with our entire body, soul and spirit. We find fulfillment in no other pursuit on this earth.

Prayer:

Father God, unless we become as little children, with simple trust and adoration for You, we will not enter Your Kingdom (Matthew 18:3). Our relationship with You is not some mystical union, but real and tangible in our spirit and soul (1 Corinthians 6:17).

As sinners, we recognize our need for salvation, and that redemption and sanctification only come through the presence of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). Our powerful revelation of who You are stirs our heart with joy and our tongue with praise (Psalm 126:2).

Thought for the Day:

We achieve the most for God in acts of obedience, rather than sacrifice.

- Ecclesiastes 5:1; Ephesians 2:10 

To Apprehend Christ

 

Every person alive, no matter how good their behavior, deserves to go to hell. That may sound harsh, but it is our ultimate destination. Our load of sin is too heavy for us. We can never atone for it by ourself. That is why God became a man. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). He is our substitute, our sacrificial Lamb, who paid for the sin of the whole world.

Unfortunately, many people are too smart for their own good. They see no need for a substitute to die in our place. People cannot reconcile in their mind how Jesus can be God, and yet commune with the Father as a man all at the same time. Have you ever talked to yourself? Had a conversation with yourself, asked yourself a question or tried to give yourself some advice?

One man can be a son, a father and a grandfather – three persons in one man. Even so, the Trinity is made up of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, working together in three separate aspects of one Holy God. This holy God demands justice and restitution for sin. In the natural realm, we pay the penalty when we break the law. In the spiritual, Jesus wants to pay your penalty for breaking God’s law (James 2:10; Galatians 5:3).

If we die in unbelief, then we pay our own penalty in hell for eternity (John 3:16-18). Our body goes to the grave, but our soul – our thoughts , desires and feelings – goes to hell. However, if we surrender to Jesus, believing that he is the God in the flesh, then the angels will carry our soul to heaven with our Born Again Spirit.

Once Jesus returns to the earth, the soul of both Believers and unbelievers will unite with our own immortal body. Can you imagine eternal torment in a body that will never die? That is what happens to those who do not repent of their sin and trust Jesus for salvation. Those who do repent and surrender to Jesus will live with our immortal Trinity forever.

In the meantime, Jesus dwells in our Born Again spirit. If we are willing to walk after His Spirit instead of according to the depravity of our fleshly, carnal nature, He will not only atone for our sin, but also live His perfect life in and through us (Galatians 4:16,25). Jesus lived His own life for the glory and honor of His Father (John 4:34). Now, He lives His life through us for His glory, as we have faith in His faithfulness.

Prayer:

Father God, we are willing to perfectly trust in Jesus to not only pay the penalty of our sins, but also to live in and through us by Your Holy Spirit (Luke 22:42). We willingly lay down our self-life in order to live the life You prepared for us before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10). Thank You for loving us so much.

Thought for the Day:

Accept Christ in all of His fullness, and allow Him to live and move and have His being in you both now and forevermore. – Acts 17:28

Complete Trust

 

A man came to Jesus for healing; but knowing his human soul, he honestly admitted, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23-25). Trusting in a Being, which we cannot see, is a bit overwhelming, especially as a new Christian. The secret lies in realizing that Christ lives IN us, and we function through His faith, His desire and His ability (Galatians 2:20). God has a special calling for each of us (Ephesians 2:10).

Therefore, we imitate Christ and do the works, which He did (1 Corinthians 11:1).  Surrendered to God’s Spirit, we live in serenity even through life’s negative circumstances. Depending on Jesus for everything in our life, we trust Him to know what is best for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Our union with Christ eliminates the stress of life. Born Again Saints, who live in stress, are not living a surrendered life.

Like Christ, we receive our life from God. God reconciles us to Himself. Then, we surrender our life back to Him and walk in His resurrection power. God does not renew our life so that we can pursue our carnal dreams, but in order for us to live in His will (Ephesians 2:10). We are freed from the death of sin to surrender our life to God (2 Timothy 2:15). We have the life of Christ filling our entire being.

God perfects everything, which pertains to us (Psalm 138:8; Philippians 1:6). We can trust in His unchangable nature (Malichi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Like Jesus, we commune with our Father and we live in obedience to His Spirit’s guidance each moment of the day. We do this through the anointing of Christ IN us. As we enter into His rest, we abide in the perfect faith of Christ, completely trusing in God’s faithfulness (Hebrews 10:4: Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:

Father God, we have confidence in Your will for our life. We are not sufficient in ourselves to accomplish anything on our own. Our adequacy comes only from You. You make us competent ministers of Your gospel message, mercy, grace and truth. We do not minister by the letter of the law, because legalistic adherence kills; but Your Spirit gives us life (2 Corinthians 3:4-6).

Thought for the Day:

Trust in the Lord with every fiber of your  being, and do not rely on your own plans. - Proverbs 3:5-6

God in the Darkest Hour

Our human will drives us to retain control of our life and to live as we choose, rather than to live in submission to anyone else. We often feel the need to manage our own life, as well as the life of all those who have influence over our existence in any way. We do not want anyone to disturb the orderly peace we create in our sphere of reality. If anyone tries to disrupt our serenity, we fight them with our whole being.

In reality, we can never attain any amount of true peace through our own vigilance over the order of our life. Our only victory is in submission to God. He teaches us to respond in kindness to those who attempt to abuse us, because we rest in the fact that God will use all of our trials for His glory. When the situation is impossible to bear, we can remove our self from an unsafe or unsavory situation. There, we wait on God to work out everything for our benefit (Romans 8:28).

There is absolutely no reason to divorce another person, even for sexual infidelity. God allows divorce in this case because of uncleanness; but if possible, we simply move out in order to have some space and protection from the situation. God desires reconciliation in every case, where both parties submit to one another and do His will. However, if one person does not want to reconcile, God will always protect His Saints in their darkest hour.

God will influence the offender’s decisions, but He will never force His will on them. He has unconditional patience, giving the hardened person plenty of time to repent and to reconcile. Even Believers, who are imprisoned for their faith and unable to escape, find that He sustains them from the inside out. He gives us His supernatural comfort and joy in our darkest hour, which surpasses all of life's horrifying circumstances, which we are forced to experience (Philippians 4:6-8).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to submit to You rather than to attempt to control our own life. Help us to bear the unsavory circumstances we encounter in this life and to be a witness for You through it all. We will walk by Your Spirit on the narrow road to Heaven. Through Christ in us, help us to influence this generation, which is walking on a wide road that leads to destruction. Use us in our sphere of influence to point people to Jesus, so they will choose to end their life of abuse, addictions, divorce and devastation.

Thought for the Day:

Authentic Christians live in quietness and confidence, which is our strength; and we dwell in peace and safety forever, regardless of our circumstances. – Isaiah 30:15, 32:17-18

 

Saving Faith

Read: Romans 5:8-10

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:18

My ultimate joy as a human being is that I benefit from a personal relationship with the Living God on a daily basis; a relationship where I walk in intimate fellowship with Him every moment of every day. Sin can separate me from His cherished companionship, but restoration is only a humbled prayer away.

We start out in life as enemies of God. Then, we are reconciled to Him by believing in the saving grace of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross (Colossians 1:20). We are not only reconciled to God through Christ’s death, but we are also saved through His life! (Romans 5:10)

Even as Christians, we so often we get an idea in our mind and run with it. We go from one worldly pursuit to the next, collecting human accolades and storing up treasure on this earth. We eventually find our feet far from the path that Christ designed for our life. We are walking in disobedience and completely out of His will. Every sin spawns from one major offense ~ the sin of unbelief. Unbelief keeps us out of the Kingdom of God on earth and prevents us from enjoying eternity with God in Heaven (John 3:16-18).

We inherit an unbelieving heart from Adam and Eve, but we acquire saving faith from Jesus Christ. He presents us holy in His sight, without blemish and free from any accusation that would condemn us for eternity (Colossians 1:22). This assurance works in our hearts and transforms us from children of darkness into children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Then God launches us into the ministry of reconciliation, to bring this same Good News to all of those, which He places in our lives (2 Corinthians 5:18). Take a chance tomorrow...share the Good News with someone you know.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to share Your faith with those I meet each day. Give me Your courage, wisdom and words to lead souls to faith in You. Keep me on a straight path, because of my enemies (Psalm 27:11); and surround me with your angels, so that I will not stumble (Psalm 91:11).

Thought for the Day:

When we were enemies of God, Christ reconciled us to the Father through His death.

Unbelief and Reconciliation

Read: Romans 5:8-10

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:18

My ultimate joy as a human being is that I benefit from a personal relationship with the Living God of the Universe on a daily basis; a relationship where I walk in intimate fellowship with Him every moment of every day. Sin can separate me from His cherished companionship, but restoration is only a humbled prayer away.

We start out in life as enemies of God. Then, we are reconciled to Him by believing in the saving grace of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross (Colossians 1:20). We are not only reconciled to God through Christ’s death, but we are also saved through His life! (Romans 5:10)

After walking with God for a few years, we stop noticing his daily provision and protection on our life. We take Him for granted and find less time to spend time with Him or to seek His will. So often we get an idea in our mind and run with it. We go from one worldly pursuit to the next, collecting human accolades and storing up treasure on this earth. We listen to our heart and follow its lead, but the heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

We eventually find our feet far from the path that Christ designed for our life. We suddenly discover that we are walking in disobedience and completely out of His will. Every sin is spawned from one major offense - the sin of unbelief. Unbelief keeps us out of the Kingdom of God on earth and prevents us from enjoying eternity with God in Heaven (John 3:16-18). Humbling ourselves, repenting and returning to Him are the only way out of this dilemma (Isaiah 55:7). He is waiting to forgive you, because He loves you unconditionally.

Once we return to Him and believe in the truths of His Word, He restores us to fellowship with Him (Romans 10:17). We inherit an unbelieving heart from Adam and Eve, but we acquire saving faith through Jesus Christ. He presents us holy in His sight, without blemish and free from any accusation that would condemn us for eternity (Colossians 1:22). This assurance works in our hearts and transforms us from children of darkness into children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Then God launches us into the ministry of reconciliation, to bring this same Good News to all of those, which He places in our lives (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Prayer:

Lord, help me to share Your plan of salvation with everyone I meet each day. Give me Your courage, wisdom and words to lead souls to faith in You. Keep me on a straight path, because of my enemies (Psalm 27:11); and surround me with your angels, so that I will not stumble (Psalm 91:11).

Thought for the Day:

When we were enemies of God, Christ reconciled us to the Father through His death.

Liberating Forgiveness

Read: Matthew 18:26-33 

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

Over a lifetime, I collected an assortment of both pleasant and painful recollections. The positive memories warm my soul to the core and bring a smile to my face. I drink in their fragrance like little flowers scattered along the pathway of my life. I can enjoy them any time of the day or night. Milestones with children, kindnesses from grandchildren, thoughtful gesture by friends and family all sprinkle sunshine in my heart.

I usually only think about the negative memories when something or someone reminds me of the mental, physical or emotional damage inflicted upon me by some equally hurting soul. These people suffered at the hand of someone else and those internal wounds still fester in them from time to time, especially when we get too close to a sensitive area. Then they unload all of their pain on us, even if we are unsuspecting victims.

I have heard it said, that we only hurt the ones we love. This may be true in some cases. Some of my wounds came during the heat of raging emotions, some by another person trying to be humorous, and others hurt me quite unintentionally. I know you have similar stories to tell. These same people may continue to hurt us throughout the years. We may even try to reconcile with them to no avail.

Medical practitioners say that when we nurse grudges against these unfortunate people, we end up reaping the negative effects. Seething anger reduces the amount of blood, which the heart pumps to our body tissues. This may result in strokes and heart attacks. Unforgiveness also causes stomach and intestinal disorders, kidney problems, eating disorders, obesity, depression, addictions, insomnia, nightmares, and even self-destructive behaviors. Not a pretty picture.

Forgiveness is liberating. It enables the one who has wronged us to be liberated from their guilt, at the same time that it liberates us from negative emotions. Forgiveness allows us to live more fully and freely in the present, because it frees us from the past. When Jesus died on the cross He gave complete forgiveness, not only to those crucifying Him, but also to the whole of mankind both then and forever. He showed us by example how to love and to forgive others. Any pain, which others inflict upon us, is small when compared to the pain we inflict upon our Savior by our daily behavior and choices. Yet, God completely forgives us. Let us also forgive one another.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, with Your undeniable love You washed away the sins of the whole world. Thank You for forgiving us and making it possible for us to enjoy the glories of Heaven with You in the future. In the meantime, help us to shed a little heaven on earth for others to enjoy.

Thought for the Day:

We can share the gifts of love and complete forgiveness with everyone in our past, present and future.