The Leper and the Lamb(Sinners Need a Robe-Part 2)

In the Law we read how the leper was treated, the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. (Lev 13:45, 46) A leper was told to dress down as a sign to others. He would tear his clothes and was not to cover his head at all except a cloth over his mouth. The leper could never go to a house of worship. However, today...we have many Lepers of Sin in our churches.

Many sinners today dress better than saints which can fool people into thinking they are righteous. God can look at the soul of a person and see their sin plainly as we see the corrupted skin of a disease. The point is made that there are always sinners in the church but they should be expected to confess their sins and become saved. It must have been wonderful to watch the change in the life of a person after they were healed from leprosy and went through the process of being restored to society. This is so much like a person being saved from sin that a comparison is easy to see.

How thrilled the healed leper was as he looked for someone to go up and set-up a meeting between the priest and himself. His helper must have known something about the Law as many did in those days. This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and behold if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper .(Lev 14:2,3) The leper was required to let the priest inspect his body and declare him healed after his disease had dried up. However, this leper still needed the desire to be cleansed spiritually because it was a tedious and expensive process. The leper was not considered a part of God's people and he was required to live in a place outside the camp. However, it was mandatory that the priest meet with the leper, if the leper asked for the cleansing ceremony. God is still answering the call of unclean people when they ask for His help. Salvation has been provided as the remedy for those who call on God to change their life. We must be finished with sin and show our interest in God's ceremony.

The stream of water that isolated the Jewish camp from the leper colony must have seemed very inviting on the morning the priest came to visit. As the representative of God approached, he saw the hopeful leper with his little box of birds and other items required for the ceremony. What a feeling rushed over them both when the words "you are healed" were spoken and the sounds of running water surrounded them. Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. (Lev 14:4) This prelude to the main ceremony was an overview of what the Savior would do for mankind. Everything here was done out in the field reminding us that the Lord seeks to save those, in any condition, who are lost. The many hidden meanings in this passage are fantastic, for example, the clay bowl symbolized the humanity of Jesus. Only a man of flesh (created from dirt) would be allowed to redeem humanity.

We don't know what was in the leper's mind as he cut the neck of that little bird and let the blood run into a bowl the priest was holding but he was following God by faith and obedience. The death of this animal was taking place beside the stream so they were able to perform it over the moving water. The Bible teaches us that running water is symbolic of the Spirit of God who provides the living power to fulfill the plan of salvation.

The overture is extended with the seven sprinklings which refer to the complete workings of the Holy Spirit. The wood symbolized the use of the cross, some scarlet for the blood Jesus gave, and the hyssop for the suffering of Christ. One man was killed so that many other people could be set free from their sin. We can see the power of the perfect blood of Christ as these old Laws have been replaced by his death. No one can be saved by following the Old Testament rules but the ancient pictures and patterns do show us how God thinks and what he expects from mankind. We don't even need money to buy sacrifices anymore because Jesus has sacrificed himself. What a beautiful symbol of freedom as the other bird was set free, after being dipped in the blood, just as we can be released into the freedom of a holy heaven someday. If only people could feel the way the leper did on the day he was pronounced free of leprosy.

There will be a building of our confidence as we comprehend these beautiful pictures from the Old Testament and then read what the author of Hebrews said about them; For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (Heb 10:1) We can clearly see now that Jesus is the image which was being foreshadowed in the Law and how important it is to find His Robe of Righteousness. The pictures are also to highlight the fact that man is separated from God and needs a perfect sacrifice if he is ever going to live with God. A man living during the Old Testament times was to obey the law but he could not go to heaven until Jesus came and provided the Way. Ancient people of God simply went to a holding place and waited for the Savior to come to earth. Today a servant of God has the privilege of going directly to be with Jesus when they die and this belief is the secret of our hope.

The Leper and the Lamb-(Sinners Need a Robe-Part 1)

Long ago, in the first garden on Earth, a man and woman struggled to cover their naked bodies. The couple had disobeyed their Creator and they were in need of a covering. When God came to visit, they hid themselves because they had been unsuccessful covering themselves with tree foliage. Then God killed the first sacrifice and made coats of animal skins to cover the naked people. We have the same problem today and God will make a robe for each of us if we come to Him in the proper way.

The robe is not given to us in an indiscriminate way because it is made of the righteousness that was paid for by the blood of Christ. A great prophet of God once told of his joy at receiving the beautiful robe of righteousness, my soul shall be joyful in my god; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments (Is 61:10) Isaiah went on to prophesy that the gentiles would someday have the opportunity to own a robe. This robe is very important because we are all spiritually naked. The robe is to cover our bad nature because no one is born pure. Our sins must also be forgiven by the Savior. Anyone wanting to live with God must have this robe of righteousness to cover their fallen nature.

In this discourse, our fallen nature is compared to a person with leprosy. If a child was born to a leprous parent it would have the disease, similar to how all our children are born in sin. We must all be recreated in the image of God or perish and this is why Jesus said we need a second birth. The first man had fallen away from the image of God and now all his descendants need to be made over again.

Many people want to be in the image of God but they make a fatal mistake when they do no obey God completely. Adam obeyed God for a time but one day because of circumstances he felt the need to disobey a command of the Almighty. Disobedience is called "sin" by God and will always separate us from Him. Paul tells us that we may be recreated when the Spirit of Christ lives in us and brings "life because of (the robe of) righteousness." See Romans 8:10b

The prescription for the healing of our fatal disease (we are Lepers of Sin) is contained in the scriptures but it is a mystery to people using normal logic. Jesus explained this to his followers when he said Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables. (Mk 4:11) God does not allow sinful people to understand the mystery of salvation because He is looking for people of faith who want only to trust Him. God is looking for real followers. He is not interested in saving people who are just looking for "fire insurance" so they may live their life anyway they desire. The Creator allows only real seekers to understand the way to eternal life. Everyone must desire a life different from our natural walk or we will never find salvation. The Lord is very clear when he tells us the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Rev 21:8) Death will come to everyone and we must decide now what is to be our final destination. We should be seeking help with all our strength because people, in their own power, cannot live a life that is acceptable to God. Let us seek Christ and wear his robe of righteousness to cover ourselves.

The leper was required to cleanse both his soul (need the robe) and also his body (need forgiveness). At least one law has been broken by each of us and we are therefore guilty of a sin that needs forgiveness. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10) We must understand that to break one law makes us a sinner because only perfection counts in God's world. Terror should grip any heart when it realizes we are living with a fatal disease. We all face the horrible penalty of incarceration in the eternal Lake of Fire which rages for eternity, to carry out the punishment of mankind. There is no chance for our redemption until we are gripped by a conviction of each sin and we admit our need of cleansing. Jesus Christ will cleanse us from our sins and save us if we come to Him in faith and follow Him forever.

The Leper and the Lamb (Lepers of Sin - Part 2)

God the creator has the intrinsic right to specify what sort of people will become his children. Thousands of years ago when God decided to create mankind, His purpose was to have a righteous people who desired to be like Him. During man's long history, God has given continual warnings that we must conform to His likeness if we are to live eternally with Him. Still people insist on living their lives to satisfy a lust for pleasure and to exercise their right to do as they please.

When Israel came out of Egypt to the Mountain of the Law, Moses wrote down everything God told him about living a righteous life. We call these books the Law of Moses but they are actually the Law of God. Before the new slave nation entered the Promised Land, Moses gave them a second set of laws that had the potential to make them successful with God. The wilderness generation of Israelites had not obeyed when God asked them to enter the land of giants. As a result, God let them die in the desert along with their unbelief.

The Almighty has always given mankind directions but most people continue to ignore God because they do not love Him with all their heart. The instructions that God gave 3500 years ago established principles that are still good for us today. For this reason we can look at the regulations for the cleansing of a leper contained in Leviticus and see how God cleans up a sinner today.

Rituals from very old cultures normally have little bearing on enlightened people. The surprising fact is that the ceremonial procedures for the cleansing of a leper, as given to Moses, contain every fundamental Christian tenet needed for the salvation of our soul. This symbolic ritual will reveal some rules of God that many of us have forgotten or failed to follow. In the series of The Leper and the Lamb, you will see many hidden truths of the Three Lamb ceremony that was specifically for a leper in Israel. All the meanings are spiritual and apply to both the ancient and contemporary person. The ceremony could not be initiated until a leper was somehow physically healed and then he would request this special ceremony in order to be obedient to God.

May we learn spiritual lessons from Israel's Law, in spite of the fact that it is not usually taught in our churches. One time when Jesus had healed ten lepers only one came back to talk with Him while the other nine just went on their way. (Luke 17:12) Today there are just as many who ignore the Savior and go their own way. Just as it took time and effort for a leper to complete this ritual, a sinner today must follow a similar path to find the Almighty. Unfortunately, it is not only non-believers who are Lepers of Sin, but also believers who are not living in Jesus Christ.

The Creator has seen us as lepers of sin from the time that Satan enticed Adam to fall in disobedience. People who lived long ago were saved by faith and obedience, which is the same for us today. "Saved by faith alone" does not mean we are to be without obedience. Somehow we must learn that obeying God is not works but our whole Christian life. James says, "faith alone is dead." It has never been optional to obey God, but for some reason obedience is confused with works. We must realize that our obedience is not only about our works but is the way God accomplishes His will through us. As we will see in later posts, the commands that were given for the cleansing of the leper will illustrate both faith and obedience.

Realizing that we are Lepers of Sin should cause us to be very sincere in our contemplation of the Almighty.

The Leper and the Lamb (Lepers of Sin - Part 1)

In the next several posts, I will be addressing topic of sin as compared to a leper and I pray that these words will penetrate your soul and the Spirit will enlighten you to a new perspective.

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There seems to be no practical need for God in this ultra-modern civilization as people struggle to control each tiny part of life. Humanity has devised plans to meet every problem that arises including savings, insurance, government programs and a campaign to utilize the church for man's goals. Large churches have become so well organized that they accomplish great deeds without God's help and it seems that people who trust in God alone, are becoming fewer every day. The mega church of today has a large membership roll but many "believers" attend for a business purpose or for entertainment. In times of emergency, there is a call for God's help but He is actually a stranger to many church people. Americans have a formality that includes God when a loved one is buried or when people feel that God should be called upon at the beginning of some special occasion. This is a sad state of affairs.

The truth is that we are all sinners who need God desperately. Society's hard work and great accomplishments only complicate the fact of our need for salvation. This situation is critical because the "good times" are directing our attention away from God. The information we need to live in heaven forever is available like no other time in history. Unfortunately, this contemporary society cannot see itself as a sinner and has no real desire for the Savior. Knowing we have a problem, let us consider the pitiful leper and examine the old laws for his cleansing. The value of this ceremony is applicable today because the Creator considers us "Lepers of Sin." The Lord will only cleanse and heal us when we realize our need and seek Him.

Most people know leprosy is an infectious disease that has been around since history began. They may not know that there are close to one million people in the world today with leprosy and another million and a half who are cured of the disease. Although they are well, some of the lepers are permanently disabled.

The disease is caused by a bacteria that deteriorates the human body. Children are the most susceptible and they must receive treatment quickly because the disease is progressive and can cause a disability. Because man is a "leper of sin", we must heed the warning of leprosy about our children. Our children may not be receiving the treatment they need to halt the sin disease that will destroy their soul.

We must train our children in the ways of God. This dangerous bacteria also thickens the nerves so that pain cannot be felt and is responsible for many accidents which result in physical deformity. People are are falling into Hell today because they do not feel the pain of sin and are not paying attention to their sickness.

The Cajuns in southwest Louisiana have a long history with leprosy although South America has the most cases, probably because the disease thrives in a tropical climate. Although we understand many things about the leper, there is still a fear of this sickness. Not only does the disease kill people but also it makes them outcast.

In Biblical days, leprosy was considered unclean and immoral because other diseases, including syphilis, were also called leprosy. The people of old knew how syphilis was spread and because it was contracted through immoral activities they concluded that immorality caused death. The Church in this country used to teach that immorality would kill but today we hardly ever warn people because it is offensive. People were occasionally healed of leprosy but because of their disfigurement, it was thought that only a miracle from God could restore them to a whole person. When we know how dangerous our sin is, there should be some urgency to seeking help and reaching out to others.

In the future, God will have a judgment day and every person who does not follow Jesus will be an outcast from heaven just like the leper is an outcast from our society. God has given us the remedy in the Scriptures but the fatal outcome of our sin problem has not been widely acknowledged. Jesus can heal the body or save the soul with equal ease. Now is certainly not the time to ignore the cure for our sin because, in addition to the occurrence of our normal death at any time, we may fail to participate in the sudden return of Jesus Christ to remove all Christians from the earth. We all have similarities with leprosy and our solution must be to seek God for restoration from the damage done to us by sin. Our disease of sin will kill us in eternity unless the Savior restores our health.

Presenting Yourself to God

A man walks onto a football field and declares that he is the fastest and strongest of all the men in the game. After running one play the coach asks the man why he just stood and watched the other men. The man tells the coach that being new in America this is the first time he has ever seen a football. This man will never make the team until he has been trained.

Many church people today have not trained themselves to be godly but they insist they are in the game. They have declared their Christianity but they are not living life the way God has instructed. It is necessary to present ourselves to His service without reserving anything to our control.

This presenting is to involve ourselves in activities we have been granted by God. We must adhere to His perfect way of life no matter how inept our efforts may seem. A Christian must remember that anything we do is valid only when motivated and directed by the Spirit of Christ living in us.

God has communicated his ideas to us in the Bible and we must devote ourselves to learning the rules of His gospel. After we have trained ourselves in the basics of Christianity we must then enter the "game" and strive to win. The way a follower of Christ does this is by forgiving and loving the people around them. The most important task is to tell them the good news of the Savior. This must either be spoken or written in a way that will convey the love of God.

Another witness of God is to serve people in a way which will glorify our Lord and spark their interest in salvation. The bottom line is that we must dedicate ourselves to working for our Savior and everything must be done in love or it doesn't count. Paul said, "be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Tim 4:12)

Something Greater

Let's just cut to the chase today...

Our God is not small nor is He doing anything unimportant. Therefore, the reason our Christianity is small or misdirected is because we have made it that way.

God has wonderful things for us in a proper relationship that will last forever. What are these things and why is the Church ignoring them? To start with, our society worships itself and all the worldly things that are available. During much of our previous history, people knew that it was important to worship God because He has the power over life and death. Today, very foolishly, we think of God as something that we pray to when things go wrong. God is not just to be thought of occasionally. Where is the respect that God deserves? God is the all powerful creator of everything and we are required (as His creation) to worship Him every day as the most important part of our life. Worship God in spirit and in truth today!

If we fall on our face and worship God appropriately, we will find that God has something greater for His people. The first word used for worship of our Creator and Savior is "to adore". We mentioned the worship of people in history and it is true that they worshiped out of fear. Maybe people lost their fear when Jesus came and provided salvation for the poor souls on earth. However, God has not changed and our cavalier attitude is carrying many deceived people into Hell. The proper way to worship our heavenly father is with fear and adoration. God has something greater than the life we earn and buy in this world if we will give it up for Him. When people have already made their own plans they cannot find God's will.

This is what we will say if we are serious about serving God:

we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 2 Cor 5:9

For many years the Church has been taught that the most important thing in our religion is salvation. This is a very selfish understanding of the Scriptures. If we really believe that God is greater than ourselves then the needs of the greater must certainly outweigh the lesser. Maybe if we understood how great God is we would be compelled to put His will first. If every believer worshiped the Lord with the zeal and devotion that He deserves, it would shake the world.

To serve God wholeheartedly will also change our life and we will find that the Lord has something greater for us than we ever dreamed. As we selfishly spend our life worrying about being good enough to enter Heaven, God's work here on earth is left undone. We are not just saved alone, we are saved for a purpose.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness. Rom 6:22

My Soul Thirsts for God

The hand of God wonderfully makes us. There is no other creature on earth that has a soul but a human. The Psalmist said our soul cries out for God.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1,2

The American lifestyle does not have time for the most natural of human cries. That is the cry of a soul for its maker. When a disaster strikes us we call out very quickly. We must find time for the natural reaching of our soul toward the Creator. God has much more life for us that simply waits for our asking.

Some people say "that's nice, but I don't have time." They have forgotten the very first command Jesus gave us, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37,38

It is so much nicer to place your soul in a position of "panting" for God than to live in an attitude that fails to keep the command.

The reason so many people do not have time for God, is their work or trying to get ahead. Jesus asked a question that people should consider, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26 There was a man who gave up his soul and then told people he wasn't using it. In the flesh, it might be true for some people but the flesh cannot go into the next world. All humans will live in their soul forever. Jesus told His followers, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." Matthew 10:28

We have been given a chance to make this life really count. Please give God all the time you can. Then you will say, my soul thirsts for God.

Again I say, Rejoice!

The Church has many problems and writers have done a good job defining them. Troubles are stacked like cord wood beside a country door. We carry them into our religious conversations and let them burn with a fanned flame. The difference is that the wood disappears but our troubles only become greater.

What if we take the whole stack of church problems at one time and seek a common solution. This is a strange thing to say but the solution might be to ignite our troubles with the flame of rejoicing. Obviously, problems do not cause rejoicing but we could rejoice if there were some overriding force involved.

Consider the word "rejoice". To gladden, to glory, and to delight are feelings caused by some outside source. Of course, we know that God is the source of our rejoicing but we need to word it in a personal way. Look at it this way, rejoicing is "the spirit" of our union with God. Wow, our merger with God produces a characteristic of rejoicing that can overide our troubles.

Everything in this world is being shaken along with the Church. The element of fear is growing because no one can handle our problems. Many people have given up watching the news reports because it makes them feel badly. The uncertainty of our future really bothers Americans. We worry about our family, our job, our church and all kinds of things in this world. However, something exciting is happening in the haze of our crises that causes believers to be different.

These few people sleep in perfect peace at night and are happy during the day. They have merged with God and have developed a characteristic of rejoicing.

Fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phil 4:4

This is not a command because rejoicing is a response of something pleasing. It must be a reminder for us to value "the spirit" of our union with God. Humans are very forgetful creatures so we must try to remember the good things God has placed in our lives.

Mission Possible (Part 2)

Christians are being taught today that it is alright to participate in worldly activities if we simply dedicate them to God. This is dead wrong. Worldly activities always lead us away from God. This is the reason there is so much apathy in church people today.

The scriptures tell us that we have been crucified with Jesus. A Christian is not part of this world. Read what Paul said about a Christian life,

For we who are alive (born again) are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 2 Cor 4:11

This death in Jesus really upsets some believers who would like to serve God better but they cannot understand why death is important. However, the scripture does explain the two biggest reasons that we should die, our sin and the law.

We must first accept that our old self must die to make room for the new life brought into us by the Spirit. To explain the first part of our death we look at Romans chapter six.

We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Rom 6:2-4

To put our sins in the proper place we must become involved with the new life that is available to a Christian. When we are active with the things of God we have no time for sin or our old lifestyle. Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Rom 6:11 This works until we begin to run our new life in Jesus with a set of rules that we feel make us righteous. This will cause us to become self-righteous.

When a believer realizes they have become self-righteous it is time for the second part of our death. Romans chapter seven goes into great detail about how we must now die to the Law. Most people easily understand the need to die from sin but it is harder to recognize the need to die from the Law, because it is righteous.

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead. Rom 7:4

Note that this verse says "also died" meaning that this is in addition to our death to sin. When we live by any Law we become self-righteous because we feel that we are strong. Our strength is not good enough so the answer is to live in Jesus who must be Lord of our life. The wonder of our total freedom is a problem for humans. Of course, many people abuse this freedom by thinking their freedom is to be used any way they see fit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our freedom is what we offer to God to be used as HE SEES FIT.

Now we understand Romans chapter eight, which spells out the final answer for us.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:1-2

Here is our new Law that is brought into our life when we yield to the Spirit of God. In other words, a servant of Christ must come out from under the Law of Sin (by death) and from under the Law (by death) in order to live under the Law of the Spirit. It takes humility to live this new life directed by the Spirit of Love. Humility for a Christian is yielding to the ways of God. It is offensive to God when we live our new life with our own power. Learning to trust the Spirit to guide our lives is a full time job. However, this is the only way to reach God because He is great and we are so small.

Yield to the Spirit of Christ today and begin your life in His victory.

Mission Possible (Part 1)

It can be said that the fight to live a Godly life is so difficult that no one will ever be saved. Living a life that pleases God is really a mission impossible for human beings. It should be obvious that we need the help of a higher power every day if we are to find success.

We have thousands of reasons why the average person can never reach the life that leads to Heaven. One issue is the wealth that people possess in America or dream of possessing. It is a fact that poor people have a better chance for salvation because they do not have as much to give up for the cause of the gospel.

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:5

Many of our churches even teach their people to ask God for material things. This is going the wrong direction if we want to go toward Heaven.

Remember a few years ago when the owner of Huster magazine publicly declared his conversion to Christianity? A few weeks later he publicly denounced his belief in the Savior. Someone had noticed that his life was the same as it had always been and informed him that he could not be saved with his lifestyle. He claimed that no one had previously told him he must give up anything, but all he had to do was believe in the Savior.

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.Matt 6:24

Many Americans have been told all they had to do was believe in the Savior. The truth is that they must also serve Him with their life. Jesus was talking to a rich man one day and he told him to give away his money. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt 19:22

Death to this world is the most overlooked truth in the Bible.

Walking in the Spirit

When Jesus walked the earth he tried to convey to his followers how we could obtain the ability to behave in a righteous manner after his ascension. He promised that after returning to his throne in heaven he would send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. We must understand that the Spirit can live inside people and give them the power necessary to fulfill their part of God's covenant. How wonderful that the grace of God even supplies the faith we must have to please him.

Jesus said that the Spirit will "not speak of Himself." (John 16:13) but that all His activity is on behalf of the Son who now dwells in heaven. This self-effacing is the reason we do not normally see the Holy Spirit but we, instead, see Jesus himself. It is still true that everything our Lord has for us will come through the Spirit, "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 6:14) The purpose of the Spirit is to make Jesus real on earth through our lives.

The modern day Christian should be totally involved in the work of God, and the Holy Spirit is the invisible power which enables us to accomplish every good deed in our life. What a great idea it is to have the Holy Spirit living inside us where He is ideally located to teach everything we need to be a Christian. This also makes it possible to fulfill another scripture which Jesus revealed just before He left earth, "And ye also shall bear witness." (John 15:27)

After what the Lord has done for us it is our privilege to be a witness. The world will observe the life of a Christian to learn the mystery of life after death. This gives us an opportunity to glorify the Father with our behavior and tell people the good news. We should be completely absorbed into our life with the Spirit in order to represent God correctly.

We Press On

The Christian way of life is difficult and this world certainly does not give us any respect or support to make our life easier. There are people who have quit trying and make no creditable attempt to serve God. However, today's blog is concerning the servant of God who continues to press on no matter what troubles slow their path. Why? They probably realize that there is something wrong with this life and deep down in their heart they seek a better life.

According to the Scriptures, there is another life waiting for overcomers. This life is invisible to us right now but someday we will see it better than the earth around us. We believe the new world has wonders and riches that cannot be fathomed at this time. Sometimes we cannot be motivated by thinking of the next world. The Spirit of God who lives in us is able to toughen our resolve so that we press on even when we don't feel like it.

For thousands of years men have been trying to reach the new world directly from this world. It is not possible. This physical world cannot exist in the new spirit world. Some people realize this impossibility and say "well, let's just live it up" and they try not to think about what will happen at death. Chrsitians try to tell people that the creator is well aware of our impasse and has made a way for us to escape. We are talking about the Savior who came to earth 2000 years ago to provide the one and only possibility for us to break away from this world that is racing toward eternal damnation. There are many reasons that people do not want to become a servant of Jesus. If only they could see how foolish it is to sacrifice eternity with God for ANY reason. A true believer will always press on in order to gain this Kingdom.

Anyone that yields themselves to a life for God, very quickly feels the opposing forces that want us to be part of this evil world. These forces come from many sources but Christians must resist them. Of course, we all will turn back to our old ways unless God gives us the spiritual strength to press on.

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints. Eph 3:17,18

Many times people think that the power in the Scriptures is about great miracles. However, if a Christian does not believe they have God's power in their everyday walk, they can never live the life we need to please God. Paul prayed in this passage that God would grant the power needed simply to love other people. This is part of pressing on in Christianity.

The Bag Lady

The bag lady died and everyone finds out that she had several million dollars hidden away. This woman passed away without reckoning that she was rich and therefore she never enjoyed the benefits of a millionaire.

In this life there are two possessions available to everyone who has made preparation to receive them. They seem odd to the natural person but they are:
death to this world AND life in heaven.

Both of these positions have secret values which are realized after a person has reckoned them as their own. Most people will never take the time to account these riches to themselves and they will be lost forever.

The fact is that Christ has accomplished them both and is making them available to us at this time in history. From His throne in heaven, Jesus sent a representative to earth with the power to insure our part in God's plan. Our problem as a Christian is not only reckoning these two spiritual facts into our minds but in making them real in our earthly walk. In simple language, when a person reckons these two facts into their life a dramatic change will take place. This change alters every single action and thought in your life.

Unlike the bag lady, there is still time for you to enjoy the benefits of the life which God can supply.

The Miracle on Your Street

At this moment in time, there exists one eternal family who can perform a miracle anywhere in the universe. They live together in selfless love and share everything with one another. A great palace is home and it is billions of miles from earth. We can find their names in the Bible.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13:14

Although there are three individuals their will and purpose are exactly the same at all times. In fact, they are so close the Scriptures describe them as one.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. Deut 6:4

God's original family is very important to humans. Our future is completely dependent on the truth that is contained in the original family of God. Every human is doomed to an eternal burning death unless the Triune God intervenes with a miracle for each new member of His family. This is not a quick miracle like Jesus did for an earthly need. God must give us a miracle that will grow for a lifetime.

Each new human member of God's family can find comfort in one special fact. It has always been the goal or purpose of the original family to include many new human members into a new enlarged family.

God made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment. Eph. 1:9,10

If our soul desires to live forever in God's family we must apply for the miracle. Remember that this family lives in perfect harmony, love and righteousness. Don't you think that it will take a miracle to make you ready for this family?

This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Jesus. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Heb 2:3,4

Salvation is the name of our miracle.

What a Wonderful Life

People need the secret of rejoicing as part of their life of faith. One day when Jesus was rejoicing He gave us this revelation:

"Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Luke 10:21

The revealing of hidden things is one good reason for the rejoicing of a born-again believer. People in this world have no idea of the beauty that comes with the life we now enjoy with our God. There are certainly reasons to rejoice...simply having a personal rapport with our Creator and knowledge of the future world we will enjoy. People of faith make unbelievers crazy because we see the world so differently. This world depends on logic and reasoning which only hinder a person of faith. This is why we do not have a normal fear of this world's uncertain future.

A real believer knows that worldly circumstances will pass away and they rejoice in the reality of a perfect eternity. In fact, a born again person knows from experience that God will use circumstances to form a rock solid relationship with us. Paul writes,

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:16

This is not something Paul had to work at because it just sprang up from inside him. Christians know that everything in our future, no matter how bad, God will use to make us stronger. This is a wonderful reason to rejoice as a child of faith. We know this unusual plan was invented by God long ago because nothing is accidental that God does. When a person really loves God, their happy heart will suddenly find it is rejoicing for no reason at all.

What a wonderful life!