2016-03-11
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We’ve been told in 1 COR 15: 4-8 that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, and to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me [Paul] also as to one abnormally born.” Having read this capsule version of the Gospel, one must realize the significance of this message and the proof of it’s voracity with all these witnesses. In addition, there is an urgency for us to share this message of salvation and peace with all who will listen and observe the example we set. Imagine how those hearing Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of heaven over forty days must have felt when He told them, in AC 1: 7 that they are not to know the times and dates the Father set for when “the kingdom of Israel will be restored.” As they shared a meal together, Christ had yet another message for them, the full impact of which this author doubts they truly comprehended. AC 1: 4b-5, 8, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth.”
Nothing here is accidental. It’s the Father’s plan being carried out exactly how and when He commands. This grand and unmatched design is to give us just enough to act as reconnaissance against the evil one and to allow God’s plan to play out. It’s just enough to cause us to be obediently faithful and feel the urgency to share the message of salvation and peace. AC 1: 9, “After he said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” This was Christ’s Ascension into heaven, His return to His Father’s side. It wasn’t until AC 2: 2-4, the day of Pentecost, that disciples were to really begin to understand the great gift that the Holy Spirit is. This gives new meaning to PS 86: 5, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You.” Anyone who has lived in the faith for any length of time knows that this expression of God’s love for us impacts us on a daily basis. PS 103: 11, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.” PS 106: 1-2, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise?” The words and notions of these Scriptures depict the attitude of humility before God we should have and acknowledges what He has done for us, That is why I include them here. We can hardly fully understand not only the great gift of the Holy Spirit, but also what Christ’s Atonement has done for us [JN 3: 26; RO 3: 24-25; HE 9: 11-12].
When two or more humans get together, our natural fleshly desires lead us to potential conflict. Once again, we are empowered to make a choice that the Holy Spirit would want, a choice we wouldn’t have had before Christ died on the cross for us. PHIL 2: 1-4, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Is this too much for the Lord to ask of us? I think not! I am blessed to be a member of a large congregation that is doing this, for the most part. I know this for many reasons, but one of them was a congregational meeting to which we were invited. Our sanctuary, which holds close to 800 people, was packed. The meeting was a presentation of our leadership’s plan to expand our congregation by establishing a third campus by 2017. All of us listened with eagerness to this plan and how it would be carried out. When the meeting was over, something powerful happened. Without any instruction to do so, everyone stood and sang “The Doxology.” All of us were moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us unified. I can’t say that all congregations could react this way, and I’ve been in some that were pretty dysfunctional in my time. But each of us was wholly blessed to be in this one.
I’m reminded that our commitment to be obediently faithful to God is a “walk unto death together with Christ, taking the path to eternal life,” as Kay Arthur writes. What she means is that when we came to faith in Christ and repented, we agreed to take on our Covenant Partner’s same enemies and same agenda. We did this knowing full well that we would have to suffer physical death, but that we could do as Christ did, and gain eternal life. Eternal life is sweet fellowship with the Lord for eternity in heaven. We are co-heirs to God’s Kingdom with Christ [RO 8: 17], and He is our Reality, Savior, and great Teacher!
PRAYER: O Lord, You have accepted us just as we are, disfigured from sinfulness. We acknowledge the unparalleled love You have shown us and are more than grateful for it. Our remaining imperfections after being forgiven for the original sin and our own sins up to that point, have motivated You to work with us in the sanctification process to perfect (purify) us. This task is underway, but, by no means completed. We are still sinners in need of Your intervention and direction. We accept that You are the Sovereign Lord of our lives, worthy of eternal praise and thanks. Our history with You hasn’t always been easy for us. There are times when revealing our sinfulness has been painful and embarrassing. Yet, You have given us the strength to continue working with You to reveal, confess, and expunge them. We are motivated to deal with our emotional and spiritual pain because of what we learn in 1 COR 10: 13 and 13: 12, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide you with a way out, so that you can stand up under it…Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then [once glorified] we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I will see fully, even as I’m fully known.” Your love for us makes it possible for us to have both the hope of the resurrection and what we learn in PS 17: 15, “And I—in righteousness I will see Your face; when I awake I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.” Yes, Dearest Abba, we will see You face to face once we are at Your side in heaven! What a great goal this is, a goal for moving us forward in willingness to meet the evil one’s temptation and endure its pain in faithfulness to You! No deity has ever reached down to believers as You have. We are a blessed people and acknowledge that before Your throne and in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We are nearing the end of this series of “Our Covenant” messages. I’m spurred on to continue discussing the Light which pierces darkness. Just Who the Holy Spirit is to us matters tremendously. So I will, at His behest, continue writing next week about that. Being spiritually invincible is quite a blessing. This wouldn’t be possible without the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. When we are under attack by the evil one, it’s hard to remember that Christ, Who had received this power to fend him off from the Father, has given it to us. EPH 1: 18-20, as I have written many times, reveals that we now have the same power that the Father used to raise Christ from death to eternal life, to battle the evil one to victory in Christ’s name. Does this mean we will come out unscathed? Of course not. But just as the devil was told by God in Job’s story that he could do whatever he wants, short of killing Job [JOB 1: 12], to try to get Job to abandon his faith. I’m here to tell you it didn’t work! Job held fast to his faith, even through there was the lack of understanding of His friends trying to make it all about reward and punishment. But God knows our hearts; nothing escapes His wisdom [HE 4: 13]. After all, He created all of us! JOB 2: 11-13 tells us that despite their lack of understanding, Job’s friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) met together and agreed to sympathize with him. When they saw how much Job was suffering, they mourned (tore their clothes and sprinkled themselves with ashes) and sat with him for seven days. You and I know the Holy Spirit gave them the hearts to do this for their friend, and none of this was lost on the Lord. Neither are our needs. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24 :15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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