As many come together this season to remember the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us not forget that…
Jesus is Coming Back Again!!!
God’s grace is still transforming lives all around the world. The Lord has given us the time to seek Him while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV)
He has poured out His Spirit on All flesh (Joel 2:28-31 NKJV) and made Himself available to ANYONE willing to enter into His kingdom and learn of Him to find His Rest from the cares of life. If we call upon the name of the Lord, we shall be saved.
(Joel 2:28-32, John 3:16, Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4: 9-10 NKJV)
“And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
(Galatians 6:9 NKJV)
To anyone who does not know the good news of Jesus Christ, it is my pleasure to share it with you. Especially since this is the foundational truth of this blog site.
I’m honored to be the one to tell you that God is Real (with All the power and privilege that comes with the title of being God), He is Holy (Separate, unrivaled, and unequaled in Truth and Righteousness), and He is Love (The author and manifestation of the truest and purest love) among so many other wonderful things.
He has created man in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26 NKJV). Through sin, man was separated from harmonious communion with God through disobedience due to deception from our adversary. The first man’s name was Adam and his wife, he named Eve.
(Genesis 3:20 NKJV)
This foe (Satan) was cast down from heaven to the earth because he was proud and wanted the glory that only belonged to God.
(Genesis 2:6-7, 3:1-6, Rev.12:7-11 NKJV)
As a result, mankind had been enslaved under the dominion of a sinful nature. Adam and Eve were also cast out of the place of familial intimacy with God the Father. (Genesis Chapter 3)
In other words, it is really easy to sin, unachievable to resist it indefinitely, and impossible to atone for sin on our own. For example, have you ever wondered why it’s so easy to tell a lie? Have you ever been tempted to cheat on a test during finals week? If we tell ourselves the truth, sin can even be enjoyable when it’s convenient for us.
It’s funny among popular belief that lying and cheating on tests are usually measured as ‘small sins’, and should be omitted when compared to the ‘big ones’ like murder or human trafficking. The truth is that ALL sins are measured out the same to God; they ALL separate us from His rest. He doesn’t judge sin against sin. He judges our obedience to HIM!
So why is “Sin” such a big deal?
As I have previously mentioned, sin separated us (mankind) from God.
But first, let us be clear on what is considered “sin” to God according to the Bible or what is also affectionately known among believers as God’s Word (John 1:1 NKJV) :
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry(Putting anything above or before God), sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions (Discord), heresies, envy, murderers, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.”
(Galatians 5:19-20 NKJV)
All of the above, just to name a few, are in stark contrast to the character that pleases God, which can only be attained with accuracy and consistency by His Holy Spirit :
“ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: Against such there is no law.”
(Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV)
What does all of this have to do with the “End of the story?” you may ask. Don’t worry, I’m getting there.
Through many, many generations of sinfulness, debauchery, idolatry, and judgment, much later, God chose a man named Abram who would obey, trust, and follow him. God befriended him, promised him an innumerable amount of descendants and wealth as an inheritance, changed his and his wife’s names, and blessed them with a miracle child in their old age to be his heir. The child’s name was Issac.
Isaac went on to father twin boys, Esau and Jacob. With the help of his mother Rebecca, Jacob stole the birthright of his brother through guess what? DECEPTION! This caused Esau to hate his brother and to pursue him. Needless to say, Jacob ran away. Do you see how sin can just keep regenerating itself like an endless cycle even under different circumstances, destroying everything in its wake?
Jacob had an encounter with the Lord God after many years of toiling, trials, and getting a big dose of his own medicine from his family members whose home he fled to. Along his journey a man, who was no ordinary man, appeared to him and Jacob was so desperate for a change that he wrestled with him and would not let him go.
“Then the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
(Read Genesis 32: 24-28 NIV)
Although Jacob got a broken hip in the fight, he also received a blessing of favor that helped him to face his past (his brother Esau) and his name changed to Israel. As promised Israel became a great nation with many kings, priests, and prophets, who have demonstrated and witnessed many signs, miracles, and wonders among them. These great men and women were brought through slavery, the wilderness, sickness, wars, famine, etc. by the mighty hand of God throughout history.
Unfortunately, there was one nagging thing that was a constant threat to true communion with God even with all of their wealth, prosperity, and favor from God. Yep, you guessed it, that annoying sin nature. It’s so natural it seems like the only way to get through life. What we can glean from Israel is God’s patience and desire to restore us to Himself. An invitation to come back home by a loving father.
Even with yearly sacrifices of various kinds of young animals without spots or wrinkles; from generation to generation, remaining true to God was like an uphill battle for most. God wanted true worshippers, with true repentant hearts.
Eventually, God found one. The youngest son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah (One of Israel’s twelve sons). His name was David. He was far from perfect. David sinned many times but was a man of true repentance and trusted his life to God. He was even called “A man after my own heart” by God Himself. (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22 NKJV)
After many years of trials and tribulations, God made David king over Judah and Israel uniting the nation. Making a covenant with him and promising him that he would build his house and that he would always have a king from his line on the throne of Israel. God promised a messiah. The Chosen One. One who would restore Israel to Father God and true worship to Him. Not Just Israel, but people from other nations from all over the world would come as a result of His light shining upon His remnant. (Isaiah 55:5 NIV)
Now that we know why God sent his son to redeem us from sin, I want to quickly share with you how his coming was a fulfillment of what was foretold. It was prophesied in the scriptures many times. One of the scriptures states that a sign of his coming would be a “virgin would conceive and give birth to a son”. (Isaiah 7:14 NKJV) This was over 700 years before Jesus was born. Jesus died on the cross and was mocked and scorned.
Prophecy after prophecy would come forth throughout the nation of Israel describing an anointed one who would suffer. He was:
3.“…despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all
(Isaiah 53:3-6 KJV)
If you can remember I mentioned a few times that sin separated us from God. God’s throne is in heaven and the earth is his footstool. (Isaiah 66:1) This is a small glimpse into the perspective of God concerning God’s independence from the earth and its resources. It’s the earth and those of us on it that need Him.
God is Holy and He requires us to “ Make every effort to live in peace with all men and be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
( Hebrews 12: 14-15 NIV).
The enemy that I mentioned earlier introduced sin into the world and successfully tempted mankind to follow his rebellious example. What many don’t know is he has a guaranteed, non-negotiable portion in the lake of fire in hell for all eternity. A place of unquenchable fire, gnashing of teeth, where there is torment and the worm never dies. No relief, no time-outs, no vacations, no time off for good behavior, bathroom breaks… nothing, period. Forever and ever and ever.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand too much humidity in 75-degree weather on a summer day. Lord knows I need a breeze. What am I gonna do in hell? Nope, not for me! Can you think of any fleshly pleasure that’s worth not having God to call on in times of trouble? No, thank you!
To follow the devil is to follow death, torment, and eternal separation from God.
Understand that the enemy can NEVER walk in communion with God as one of His beloved children, but we can. Jesus came to die being the ultimate sacrifice without spot or wrinkle to atone for our sins. He, being the Son of God, is the only one who could bridge the astronomical chasm of the breach that our sins caused that separated us from God. We, being the inhabitants of the earth, are naturally far away from his presence.
Jesus came to reveal the love of the Father to us and by the power and presence of the Spirit of the Lord, we can live and have sweet communion with God by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you want to receive this grace which is given to you freely and want to know the Lord for yourself, you can simply invite him in by praying:
Father God in the name of Jesus. I repent of my sins and I accept You as both my Lord and Savior. I’m choosing to believe You and follow You. Please teach me your ways through Your word and help me to be the light You designed me to be. Help me to walk in Your love and fulfill my purpose in You. I receive your forgiveness and I thank You for it now in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Right now my brother and sister you are born again. You are redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Share your faith with others. If you don’t want The Lord to be ashamed of you before the Father, don’t be ashamed of him before man. Never stop seeking and growing in Jesus by reading His word. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV) Trust the Lord even when you don’t understand what he’s doing right away. This is a journey. Take one step at a time and let the spirit of the Lord, who will never leave you, guide you.
My prayer over every one of you is that God directs you to a church ministry that teaches the pure word of God from the Bible. A church that preaches the Good News of Jesus Christ. One that won’t compromise to please the world, but only seeks to please God. I pray that your thirst for him is unquenchable. For God said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 NKJV) That you see the blessings and manifestation of His presence and glory over your life. Any depression, torment, low self-esteem, shame, and disappointment leave you right now in the name of Jesus. I pray for the healing of all of your wounds. Every source of offense, fear, regret, and unforgiveness will be destroyed in the name of Jesus. That you will walk in freedom, peace, and joy in Jesus’ name. I pray that you become a part of a community that will nurture your gifts and talents and feed your spirit as you grow closer to the Lord. I pray that you will shine your light so brightly with confidence in the place that God has placed you in so those who so desperately need to see it, will. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
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While I’m “HERE”!