Do Not Leave Jesus Christ Behind

When we ask people today what is the center of their religion, they will offer various good sounding subjects. Things like living right or serving the church. These are good but they should not be the main thing in our life. Jesus Christ, our crucified and resurrected Lord is the absolute need of our life. We know this because His Spirit came back to earth specifically to live in the body of a Christian. When we allow our focus to be on anything, other than Christ, we run the risk of leaving Jesus out of our daily life. Many Christians have drifted away from the fold while dedicating their time to some good work. They have forgotten that their own life depends on Jesus living in them. We must stay in Christ continually. Our Church today is sometimes called the Laodicean Church because of what Jesus said about them:  I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! Rev 3:15 (NLT) The only way for us to stay “Hot” is to allow Jesus to control us. It is every Christian’s job to stay alert and with the help of Jesus we will not become lukewarm.

The world around us will go to great lengths to distract Christians from their focus on Jesus. Remember that Satan attempts to deceive every Christian with something worldly. When Paul was in prison he wrote this: I want you to know how much I have agonized for you (Colossians) and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. Col 2:1 (NLT) Why did Paul agonize for the Laodiceans and those of us that never met him? He was worried that we would leave Jesus behind by mistake. This can happen if we become involved with the worldly church today. Here is his warning: Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Col 2:8 (NLT) Paul gives us two things that will delude our dedication to Jesus and make us lukewarm. These are our natural reasoning and the spiritual powers that are not of God. These two things are very devious and deceitful. Many times people who are captured by them are not even aware of it.

Our natural reasoning will never work in the plan of God. Paul mentions more than once that our old nature is no good and that we are to reckon it as dead, after we are living in Christ. This is why he condemns the empty philosophies of natural men. Sometimes their words may sound as if they are leading toward God but it is an illusion that misleads people who do not stay in Jesus continually. Christians have been raised above all human thinking just as surely as Jesus was raised up out of death. All the spiritual powers that are against God tried to keep Jesus in the grave but could not. Many religious experts in the church will attempt to take away our freedom in Jesus. Paul said: So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Col 2:16-17 (NLT) Many times in our history, religious leaders have tried to substitute rules in place of Jesus living in us. Today there are people who rely on church teachings to take them to Heaven.

Paul warns Christians about another subject that has drawn many people away from placing Jesus as the center of their life. It may sound a little odd at first but here is what he said: Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Col 2:18 (NLT) This is the worship of “fallen” angels and today we call it mysticism. Today people can develop their own spirituality while ignoring Christ. There may be more female spiritualist because of their extra sensitivity to the spirit-world. This spiritually can include the zodiac studies and anything that does not focus on Jesus to fulfill our spiritual needs. A male, on the other hand, is more likely to dedicate himself to pious self-denial. There are many kinds of so called “holy men” in the world who believe that they deserve Heaven because they have denied some things of the world. Some men in our churches today will deny themselves a TV for example and think they deserve Heaven. This can be a mild form of self-denial. Whether we use celestial exaltation or self-denial the answer is the same. Jesus must be the center of our life if we want to please God.  

Only as we yield every moment of our life to Jesus will we be pleasing to our Lord. When we allow anything to distract us from our new life in Christ, trouble will follow. Our own pride will always show its ugly head without Jesus. Paul finished his warning about these things by saying: sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. Col 2:18-19 (NLT) Our pride in any form will separate us from God. We have all seen what pride will do to the body of Christ; it tears it all apart.  So every Christian must humble themselves in order to take their place in the body. By putting all our attention on Jesus, the things that please God will come naturally to our new life. We must guard against philosophies, false spirituality, or various religious rules being brought into our churches. Any spiritual powers that draw us away from making Jesus central in our life automatically becomes a sin that is fatal to us. It is vital that we do not leave Jesus behind as we travel life’s road.

 

Amazing Grace

Learning about the Grace of God is a wonderful experience. One great painting in Rome shows the hand of God reaching down for the hand of humanity. It is difficult for us to understand how our most Holy, Holy, Holy, God can connect with such sinful beings as ourselves. If it were not for His amazing Grace, no human could understand anything about our Creator. We would all live in the darkness of sin for eternity. Thankfully, we do have a Holy God who is reaching down to us in love. This is showing His Grace, which means favor for us. Grace takes different forms here on earth but “favor” all begins with our God. This is mentioned by Peter; The God of all grace(favor), who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus 1 Peter 5:10 (KJV) God has always extended grace to humans but when the rules of His Law could not be kept by human powers, our God sent His Son to die and be resurrected. This was the greatest act of favor toward us that has ever been done. For 2000 years, humans have had the unparalleled opportunity to become a child of God simply by faith in the Savior. This is the “age” of Grace.

Paul tells us he was given the understanding of God’s favor: ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: …this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Eph 3:2-8 (KJV) God’s favor through Jesus Christ is the New Covenant in a nutshell. However, there is another side to God’s grace. When the Holy Spirit of God was sent to live in Christians it became possible for us to return some grace back to God through our worship of Him. This includes our faith, any of our righteousness and our new life entirely. We were created to return favor back to our Creator.  Serving God is out of our reverence: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb 12:28 (KJV) There were times Paul would say “thanks be to God” which in Greek would be “favor be to God”. Sometimes we can feel our “favor” for God rising inside of us. A song or a sermon can cause this feeling. How can we help but feel favor toward God?

The favor we return to God should also be expressed in our service to other people. In other words, the Grace that God gives us should be returned in two directions; first upward to God and then outward to other people. A good example of this is shown in Paul’s letters to Timothy. I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 2 Tim 1:5-6 (NLT) In the original language it says “grace-gift” or “favor-gift. If our faith is strong and healthy, the favor-gift that God has given us can be used to aid other people. This of course is under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The word “favor” in English does not tell the whole story of Grace. Grace includes a power given to us by God and it lives inside of a Christian. This power flows into us at conversion and will remain with us our whole life. The power of Grace is what enables us to live a godly life. Someday it will also carry us to Heaven. No wonder the Christian life is full of joy. The amazing grace of God raises us from our old natural life into a wondrous new life.

Sharing the Divine Nature of God

THE ORIGINAL POST WAS MADE ON OCTOBER 31, 2014.  THE FOLLOWING ADDENDUM WAS MADE NOVEMBER 4, 2014 DUE TO RESPONSES REGARDING THE ORIGINAL POST.

ADDENDUM

Friends of the author have correctly pointed out that our old nature is never in a “coma.” The old nature is to be reckoned as dead after our salvation:  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:11 (KJV). As long as we are living in Jesus Christ we should count our sin nature as dead. However, as humans we still struggle with our old nature almost every day. Paul said it this way: I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Romans 7:21-23 (NLT). Therefore, our old nature is always alive but by faith in Jesus we are to consider it as dead in our spiritual life. I am sorry I said it was in a coma in the original post…because the sin nature is not in a coma. At times, when we are serving God, we may forget about our old nature for a while.

Thank you for your feedback. 

ORIGINAL POST

When we claim to be born-again into the church of Jesus Christ it means that our old nature must be placed in a coma so our new life can actively begin to share the nature of God. Every real Christian is a very different person from the natural worldly people living around them. They change because they have been infused with the Spirit who is Divine. Our old nature will go into a coma the very instant that the Holy Spirit comes into us and begins to direct our life. Every Christian must repent of their old natural ways and ask Christ to save them from their sin. Then Jesus can be the Lord of their life. Some people in the church have failed to do this and they will miss-out on the promises of God. It only makes sense, that if we fail to comply with the ways of God we are not welcome in His family. Peter was the Christian writer who said it this way: God has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT) In order to share God’s nature we must escape our natural corruption.

There are many promises given to Christians in the Bible. However, the most important promises are the ones that enable us to share the divine nature. Our Savior has always been the most important promise to humans: The Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Gal 3:22 (NLT) Jesus is the one who made it all possible. We all know by experience that unless our sin is being overcome by the power of the Savior we will never share in the promise of freedom from our sinful nature. It was a fantastic day when God promised to send His own Son to earth with the purpose of conquering sin for humans. The only requirement on our part is to accept it by faith. However, this type of faith will always cause us to dedicate our entire life God. Another almost un-believable promise is: Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Gal 3:14 This promise of the Holy Spirit living in us is what makes our new live possible.

The possibility of this new life is wonderful news but we must make every effort to respond to these promises in the proper way. Because the Law has been superseded we now need the direction of the Spirit in our life. For example, we must live a moral life. This requires the knowledge of good and evil so we can do what is right. In order to exercise our self-control the old nature must be kept in its coma. During our lifetime we must have a lot of endurance or we can become impatient and possibly give up the fight. Peter is encouraging us to share the divine nature when he says: In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, 2 Peter 1:5-6 (NLT) He is talking about the battle every Christian has with their old nature. It should be obvious that our old nature must be kept in a coma. If it is not, our old sins will certainly interfere with the new life God has for us.

Some people have asked how they can know that their life is pleasing God. This answer is easy because it is about our actions and not our thinking. When our daily actions are Godly, anybody can tell because they are completely different from worldly people. Along with our Godly actions we will love our church brothers and have a general love to see the salvation of the unsaved. Peter said it like this: With godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:6-8 (NLT) We see that the purpose of our growing into the divine nature is to use our maturity for the benefit of others. Christianity is never to be a selfish life style. My friends, we are able to make great plans in order to gain worldly positions. It only makes sense that we would find the plans that God has for our life and work to accomplish them. Working for God is an eternal investment.

Reinforcing the call to gain a divine nature, Paul said it differently: We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Col 1:9-10 (NLT) Although he does not mention our new divine nature he does pray for our knowledge of the Lord to grow. Our knowledge will please God when we produce the right kind of fruit. When Paul says “as we learn to know God better” he is talking about the growth of our new divine nature. In another passage Paul says: Through him(Jesus), God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 1:5-7 (NLT) Having what we need for our new life should give us a feeling of confidence.

Christians are only able to carry the responsibility of a divine nature because the Spirit of God fully supports us in our faith. Therefore, any godly fruit in our life is actually produced by the Spirit. It will take the wisdom of maturity to really understand what God wants to accomplish in our life. It seems almost as if by knowing God better we become wiser and our lives will automatically produce better fruit. Maybe we should not expect better fruit but it is certain that every life that belongs to God will produce some kind of fruit. If we are a Christian and have produced no fruit we have an emergency. This requires more time spent with God. We must find out from God what we need to do in order to get back on the straight and narrow. How long will our shame last, if we neglect what God has for us?

Personal Lighthouse

Every human will have a time in their life when personal darkness is overwhelming. A few pitiful souls will continue in this condition until death comes for them. However, most people want to be delivered into the light. The best way out of the darkness is to search the horizon for a lighthouse. These tall towers have a powerful light on the top that continually sends its beams of light into the distance. The smallest of distant lights can eventually deliver someone out of a terrible darkness. The local church is the greatest personal lighthouse that was ever created. For example, a few years ago there was a 30 year old woman who had been raised in the home of devil worshipers. She lived a cold hard life, getting by the best she could. But one Sunday morning she and her 3 year old son walked two blocks to a small church on the corner. This local Lighthouse led her to the Lord that day and she spent her life directing others to that Light. Many people point out that the corner church is a place for gossipers. Thank the Lord, there are other people in churches who care for the light of the Gospel and have helped many people out of their darkness or distress.

The powerful light that shines out from the local church is the Spirit of God. If the light on top of the tower is not shining then the lighthouse is useless. Likewise, if the Spirit is not dwelling in the church then the church is spiritually worthless. Of course, the church building may contain other good activities but they are of no use to God’s Kingdom without the Spirit. The Bible says: “the body without the spirit is dead” James 2:26 (KJV) The Church must contain the Spirit just as our body must have a spirit in order to exist. For 2000 years the light of the Church has continued to shine out because of the powerful Spirit. Anyone may enter a godly local church and find the help of the Spirit. This sounds simple enough but the Devil always tries to ruin every good thing. Somehow he has convinced many believers that the Spirit of God is strange and frightening. What a lie! The Spirit is gentle and loving. To be frightened of the Spirit is to be afraid of Jesus or God. Because the Spirit is the central power of a real church the Devil tries in every way possible to keep people out of spiritual churches.

The Church was addressed by Jesus several times during His ministry. And just before He left earth we were given our work. The Church is responsible to carry-out this command: Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. Matt 28:19-20 (NLT) As long as there is one sinner needing salvation or one new convert needing to know how to follow Jesus, the Church still has work to do. This is a big job and many hands are needed to do all the work of God. As with any work, the job is much more pleasant when people work together.  Of course, our work is only possible with the power of the Spirit. The Bible also says we have that power: Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-22 (NLT) We must live and breathe the Holy Spirit in order to be part of the lighthouse.

In addition to working with other people to accomplish the work of God, there is another unseen factor. Jesus tells us another mystery in this verse: “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matt 18:19-20 (NLT) There is a special visitation from the Spirit of Christ when Christians get together in the name of Jesus. Because the Spirit is invisible to humans we sometimes doubt His presence. But real people of faith know that Jesus is with the group and some Christians can even feel His extra presence. This is beyond the presence of the Holy Spirit that lives in every Christian. This is the Spirit of unity that links believers together in the great family of God. It is clear that our humility is very important. It is very difficult to have unity between individuals when they refuse to become humble before their brothers and sisters. The Lord says: Younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 (NLT)

The Church is much better than a lighthouse. It can save us from disaster but it also has a plan for a wonderful life. God’s plan for us includes the enthusiasm provided by the Spirit of our new life. This allows us to enjoy our work for God and there is no shortage of power for those who have faith. God is always among Christians when we gather in His name. Paul even added another benefit in this passage: And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Eph 1:10-11 (NLT) Maybe we could say that God’s plan includes a good retirement after we leave this earth. Notice that it says “because we are united”. This gives all the things that God has for us, available to others. Our personal lighthouse is the local Church that contains the Holy Spirit. Lord, help us to make it a place that brings meaning to many other lives!

Our 'Amen' Ascends to God

Some people have wondered why their peace and quiet during Church is interrupted by the loud “Amens” of others. This may sound rather harsh, but the time for our silence at Church is when they place us out in the Church yard. Their does not seem to be any Scriptural reason given for people that believe in the Savior to keep quiet. The faith of a Christian must become vocal at some point in order to let the world know we are identifying with Jesus the Savior. One good Scripture to encourage us to “Amen” is: For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 2 Cor 1:20 (NLT) We need to remember that every “Amen” through Christ is for the Glory of our beloved Father. However, it is only the surface meaning of this verse that we use to encourage the people of God in a Church service. As with most Scriptures there is usually a deeper meaning.

For example, many modern day believers will say to every situation in their life “may God’s will be done.” Could this mean that they do not want to stand up in faith and tell people what God has said about their situation?  In other words, if they have any faith they are not willing to broadcast it openly to other possibly weaker Christians or the unsaved. Notice in the last verse that it says; “all God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ.” We are saying “Amen” to everything that Jesus has made possible for us. At this point in the discussion some people want to point to the prayer of Jesus that says; “May your will be done on earth”. Matt 6:10 (NLT) We should remember that the earth is a sinful place but that God is still in control of it and the Devil. But when we “verbally” believe that everything is possible through the Savior, we are learning to take a Christian stand for God and it is always against this world. The world cannot possibly take a stand for God because they hate Him. Our “Amen” is a testimony to the world around us that we believe everything God has said.

Our purpose on earth is to find God and then spend our life glorifying Him. The way to begin glorifying is to learn to “Amen” the things of God. It was by the way of faith that Jesus saved us and in the same faith we find our “Amen” to be possible only in Him. In fact, Jesus is called the “Amen” of God: This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation. Rev 3:14 (NLT) This is a great way for us celebrate the new creature that we have become. How wonderful that the “Amen” of God is our salvation. He is also our sanctifier, He is our healer, He is our Priest and He is everything to us. It is a real privilege to live the “Amen” life through Jesus our Lord. My Christian friends, please let us all begin to trust God completely and live the “Amen” life to the best of our ability.

Transformation: A Reality

Webster says metamorphosis is the next change in the life history of a living organism. We can easily see it in the life of a caterpillar as he becomes a butterfly. But Webster continues this explanation and tells us that it includes the character and circumstances of the life form. The Bible tells us that a Christian is being transformed into a higher life form. (The Greek work for transformed is metamorphosis. See Strong’s number 3339.) The Christian metamorphosis begins with a cocoon “of character changes” caused by the Spirit. This enables the subject to enter a life that contains entirely different circumstances than that of a normal life. Of course, we will not receive our new “butterfly” body until Jesus returns for us someday. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven… … First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess 4:16-17 (NLT) First we change into virtuous and later we become eternal.

Character changes are rare in this world. Usually people have their character formed as children and are never able to change their ways. As the twig is bent, etc. The exception is a Christian because their character always changes for the better. If it does not then they were never born again. Paul talked about our metamorphosis in this famous passage; Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT) Many people do not see two little words “but let” standing in front of our transformation. We must yield our desires to God and accept His transforming ways into our everyday life. Christians cannot be changed until they want to have this unique life that is being dedicated to the Almighty. The Bible tells us we can share in God’s glory. The metamorphosis we are talking about is to make us into a virtuous person.

Power is necessary for this great change in people. In this world we believe our eyes when we see the power of a nuclear bomb being exploded. For some reason we don’t see the power involved when a person’s life is being changed. The Scriptures tell us about a time when three men saw the transformation and were very impressed. Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.  Matt 17:1-4 (NLT) The word here in Greek is also metamorphosis. We do not yet shine like Jesus or can we talk with the old prophets but we will someday. In that day people will see the power that is transforming us and will be very impressed.

This power can only change our lives when we invite the Spirit to live in us and lead us in the ways of our God. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Cor 3:17-18 (NLT) This verse tells us that we can observe the glory of God when the Spirit removes the religious veil from our eyes. Whatever our spiritual ideas are before the yielding of our life to the power of the Spirit, these religious ideas are the veil that must be destroyed. Then we will begin to reflect the power of God as our transformation into the image of Jesus continues. 

Many Christians keep their spiritually inside of themselves and are not able to be the example to other people that Jesus wants them to be. Representing Jesus to the world will help us grow into a maturity that will be rewarded in Heaven someday. Christians must continually ask the Spirit to bring the needed power into their life. If we keep our spirituality within us it becomes a very selfish thing. Every example given in the Bible shows a person whose spirituality is lived out toward others with love. The goal of our metamorphosis is to be like Jesus who spent every part of His life in service to others. The same power that filled the life of Jesus and took him into eternal glory can live inside of us if we will ask for it. Our change will be visual, virtuous and eternal.

 

Looking at God's Splendor

If some form of transportation could carry us to visit God and we beheld His majesty, upon our return we would become an extremely zealous Christian. The Almighty God and His world are so splendid and brilliant that we would never be the same in this life. When Paul saw heaven he said there were; things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. 2 Cor 12:4 (NLT) Even earlier, when Paul saw the brilliance of Christ on the Damascus road he went blind. And many years ago when Moses saw the brilliance of the burning bush, we read: Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look. Acts 7:32 There was also the time when three disciples went to pray with Jesus and: As he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Luke 9:29 The fact is, that part of the unchanging essence of God is His dazzling majesty and the radiant glory that surrounds everything He does. Apparently, this condition is the result of God’s holiness and infinite perfection. In other words, it is a result of His fantastic value.

Looking up in faith should be every human’s response to God. Unfortunately, most people are busy looking down at this fallen world. The job of a Christian is to encourage people to look up and behold God. On the day that Jesus was transformed and Peter was attempting to honor Him the Bible says: But even as he (Peter) spoke, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” Matt 17:5 (NLT) A great brilliance accompanies the voice of God when He speaks. Unlike God, fallen humans do not have any natural splendor. The Bible says: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23 (KJV) We see here that our sin robs us of glory. However, when Jesus became human He had the brightness of a righteous character. His righteousness made many people uncomfortable and they eventually killed Him. We cannot physically gaze upon God but we can perceive Him in our soul after salvation. In fact, there are some people who have served God until at times their face will shine.

The Son of God was gazed upon by His disciples for three years but they still had some trouble believing who He was. One day they asked to see the Father and Jesus said; Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! John 14:9 (NLT) The only way any human can ever see God is to know His son intimately. Truly gazing at God and His Son will certainly change our lives. The day after John baptized Jesus he told his disciples who Jesus was: As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” John 1:36 (NLT) Understanding the splendor of God always begins by looking at the things His Son has done and is doing for us. When we look up at God’s glory we will begin to walk a whole different life. Having a clear view of God will cause us to keep our heart pure. Of course, this is only possible through the cleansing of Christ blood and our repeated repentance. Some people ask what faith is. It is the continual redirecting of our downward gaze, upward to Him.

The purpose of gazing is to perceive and to contemplate something. We are in an eternal life or death struggle that people must consider while gazing at the Savior hanging on the cross. Here is an example the Lord gave us about looking up to Him. When Israel was dying from deadly snake bites in the desert all they had to do was look up to be saved: And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who (looks upon) believes in him will have eternal life. John 3:14-15 (NLT) Everyone must gaze up at the cross and make the right decision about what happened there 2000 years ago. This is the only hope of ever seeing the full splendor of God. After becoming “a person of faith” we are able to see many other different attributes of God. The Psalmist says: All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory (splendor) of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. Psalms 145:10-11 (NLT) Israel’s salvation was not about an evil snake; it was about looking up to God in obedience.

The saving relationship is about our obedience to the plan God has prepared for us. Some people struggle to understand faith. It has been said that it is far better to simply “have” a saving faith, than to understand it. It is the greatest feeling in the world to apprehend and know that we are a part of the splendor of God. Meditating on God’s Word every day is the best way of seeing God’s splendor.  Of course, the Psalms are full of wonderful expressions about the splendor of the Almighty. This one declares that God is the King of Splendor: Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. Psalms 24:9-10 (NLT)  These are the last days of this age and we will soon see Heaven’s Armies and will be overwhelmed by the Glory of our coming King. Here is another great thing about our faith in the splendor of God. It is free and available anywhere in the world. There is no place on the earth where God is unavailable to us and at any time we can be overwhelmed by His Glory.

We can behold His greatness anywhere and at any time.  This will certainly be obvious when our last day on earth comes: But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. 1 Cor 15:51-52 (NLT) The splendor of this special day will probably be talked about for eternity. In the mean time, while we wait for Jesus, it is for our daily strength that we look to the splendor of our Savior. One Bible writer said: The Son radiates God’s own glory (splendor) and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Heb 1:3 (NLT) How can a Christian ever have the blues? Our God is the most exciting thing that His creation will ever encounter. May God be praised forever!

Yielding Our Will

In reality we may choose to follow any decision of our own. This privilege was gained when the first two humans ate of the tree of knowledge. Along with the knowledge of good and evil came our privilege of choosing which one we wanted to follow. We normally choose whichever suits our circumstances at the time. The problem is that every choice not made with God’s approval is evil and is in violation of the righteousness of God. Most of us have learned that Jesus came to earth in order to save us from our bad decisions. The obvious question is “How does this happen?” The decision behind our choice is called our volition. The way Jesus saves us is to gain control of our decisions after we yield our spirit to Him.

We have been taught for years that one decision is all we need for salvation. This is not understood by many people. The “one” choice of Salvation is to yield all our decisions. Paul says that YOU are slaves to sin, which leads to death, OR to obedience, which leads to righteousness. Rom 6:16 Here is the same old question again. Who will control our choices as we walk through this life? When we received the right to make our choices, we did not receive the power to make all our choices good ones. This leaves us with only one choice that can save us from ourselves. We must yield our volition to someone who can always make the right decisions for us.

No one wants to be a slave. Unhappily, we have all been born a slave because oddly enough it is the price for our free choices. As seen in the verse above, our eternal choice is to live a life leading to death or a life which leads to righteousness. This is very frustrating to many people. They want to choose a life of fun and parties because a godly life seems to dull to them. However, the righteous life is necessary if we want to live with God. Paul also said that we must know that our old self was crucified with Him. (Rom 6:6)  We accept this fact into our life by faith and live every day doing our best to make this truth real.

Church people like to say, “We believe, therefore we will live with God”.  Many of these same people do not want to say, “We believe, therefore we have died to this world”. One of these statements is just as true as the other. The scripture says it this way, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him”.( Rom 6:8) These two beliefs do not stand alone; they are part of each other. We must accept them both or the Spirit cannot lead in our new life. Our baptism was a public statement of these very things. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that…we too may live a new life. (Rom 6:4)

The fact that we are dead to sin only applies when we are living in Christ. When we fail to yield our decisions to the Spirit and make our own choices, we are no longer dead to sin. The remedy is to immediately confess our sin and Jesus will forgive us because we are repentant. Remember that the old life is nothing like the new life. Making our own choices is being buried in the old life but yielding to the choices of the Spirit is being resurrected into life. We must learn to say “no” to people around us. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.( Rom 6:12) There will always be temptations but we can beat them by asking the Spirit to show us the righteous way to go.

So many believers are struggling to live for God. The truth is that when we are doing it correctly it is very easy. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Gal 5:1) For several reasons the Church will begin to place burdens upon a believer. Some have said that it is necessary to give work to people in order to keep them from wandering back into the world. Instead, we should be teaching people to rely on the Spirit rather than the Church. The Spirit will remind people when they wander. Jesus said that his burden is light. When the Spirit is motivating a person to fulfill a task it is done with joy and gratitude which makes it a light job.

Trusting God is the secret to a successful Christian life. All things work together for good to those who love God. (Rom 8:28) This verse does not apply to the general public that claims to love God. This only applies to those that are walking in the light by yielding their volition to the Spirit. People that give their life to the Savior have placed all their eggs in one basket we might say. We make only the decisions that He gives us. Our Lord does not want us to have a back-up plan. Give everything in our life over to Him no matter how much it hurts to do it. The sooner we get started trusting Jesus with our entire life the sooner we will enjoy the rest of God.

Adam

One day a long time ago, God came into the Garden of Eden to visit with His good friend Adam. God was disappointed that Adam and his wife were not there to greet Him in their happy and loving way. So God began to call out for them. This is the actual account: The man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Gen 3:8-9 (NLT) We know the story, how that the first two people had decided to disobey God and now they were aware of their nakedness. Adam and Eve were hiding because of the awareness that they were now sinners. Every person since that time, who develops to a certain point, will suddenly realize that they are also disobedient. At first we don’t understand our guilty feelings but we know something is not right. Some people will try to deny this truth but their sin is impossible to hide from God. After all these years of history; God is still calling out to the sinners who think they are hiding from Him. He is saying, “My lost souls, where art thou?”

Sin is a bad thing but our greatest tragedy is the broken fellowship with God. How wonderful it is when some soul cries out to God, “here I am!” This sounds easy enough but we always have our hang-ups. When people take a good look at themselves and the creation around them, they are aware that someone has created us. Unfortunately, they begin to think for themselves: Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:21 (NLT) Confusion is a condition that is difficult to overcome because we just can’t think straight. No matter how intelligent people are, confusion can easily keep them in the dark. Many people believe they are hid from God because of their confusion but there are other terrible conditions. Some people in America are living in their belligerence toward God. They are not hiding but are actually foolish enough to get in God’s face.

This brings up the fact that everyone in this world is living in exile. When Adam disobeyed God we all had to be put out of the garden of fellowship. This is the Scripture: So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. Gen 3:23 (NLT) We live “outside the Garden” while we are on this earth. It means that people’s behavior will always become very ungodly. Humans are not capable of any other life. Paul described it for us: People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. 2 Tim 3:2-5 (NLT) This is the way it has become in the world today. It is obvious that we need to call out to God for His help.

Church people always say “that is a description of people outside the Church”. They may be right but consider some things that this world is doing to people in the Church. For example, we all try to “keep up with the Jones'”. When we don’t possess the same things as everyone else, we will be considered losers. If we don’t make enough money then how can we acquire what everybody else enjoys? So we end-up spending most of our time struggling for money and success. Of course, we never get enough but in the meantime we do not spent time in fellowship with God. Others of us just want to improve ourselves. We are not good enough outside the Garden so we attempt a list of self- improvements. We could make a long list here but you know it. Once again, no matter how much time we spend bettering ourselves, it is never enough. God is continually calling for us to fellowship with Him. Even when we don’t have all these worldly activities, there is still another problem. We all want this life be about us and our problems. What great lengths people will go to in order to be the center of attention. We don’t like to admit it but we all have wasted time trying to get the world admire us.

No matter how good we are, we still stand in need of a new relationship with God. To please God by becoming a member of His family we must call out for help. We cannot continue to hide from the things God has for us. Failing to yield ourselves to him will lead to our eternal death. When God takes us into His family we become a new person. A new relationship will give us our identity and life will have great purpose. We were created to have a relationship that always worships God. The most natural thing in the world is to submit to our great God to happily and freely worship Him. Scripture says: But joyful are those who have God… as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. Psalms 146:5-8 (NLT) It is wonderful to have a relationship with the Creator of everything.

Because we were made in the image of God it is possible for us to please Him greatly. The purpose of our life should be to reflect the image of God back to Him. That is what really pleases Him. This kind of behavior requires us to be “in tune” with His life. The way we treat other members of the church is how we reflect the image of God. He is even building a special home for the people that serve others. The Bible says: For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Heb 6:10-11 (NLT) My friends, please come “out of hiding” and ask God to teach us His ways. Say to the Lord, here I am, use me as part of your plan. Then we will not hear Him say “Where art Thou?”

Ringing the Bell

When we hear the church bells ringing, we usually remember something from the past. God has given us the ability of mental recall. We can remember people, good or bad circumstances and even possessions. Some people have argued that memory is the most important of all man’s abilities. The Bible says there are many important things that the Church is responsible to remind God’s people of.  In the past, most churches had a table that stood in front of the preacher on which was written “Remember Me”.  Jesus is the center of our religion or we are wasting our time at church. This is the number one thing that people are supposed to remember. Our sin is the thing that has always separated us from God. Jesus came to live and die on this sinful earth in order to give us the opportunity to get right with the Almighty. People become so involved with everyday living that many times we will forget that our eternity depends on Jesus Christ. The ringing of the church bell is a reminder that Jesus died for us.

Hearing the bell or entering the church door should cause each person to mentally see the words “Remember Me”. The official time for this memorial is the communion service. The last time that Jesus was gathered with his disciples this ceremony was given to the Church. The actual words of Jesus were: Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 1 Cor 11:24-26 (NLT) We are instructed to remind everyone that the death of Christ did away with the sin that keeps us away from God. The local church as well as the individual Christian is to rejoice that Jesus died to pay our ransom. It is interesting that as we remember how Jesus dealt with our sin, God is “not” remembering our sin: “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” Heb 10:17 (NLT) How can we not want to tell un-saved people about “the way”?

There are other things that the Scriptures tell us to remember. Of course, they are related one way or another to the fact that the sins of a Christian have been blotted out forever. We must remember to pray for other people. This can be either saved or un-saved people as the Spirit directs us. Also the original church said to Paul; Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. Gal 2:10 (KJV) Over the years many people have suffered at the hands of the world because they proclaim the Savior. This means that their help must come from the Church. We should give jobs to Christians today so they can take care of their families. In return a Christian should work hard at their job and do their best. The Church must remember to pray for all spiritual people, rich or poor. Paul was a great example: God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Romans 1:9 (NLT) We can see here that he prayed for the people AND also their needs.

Another area that the church bells remind us of is the teaching of God’s word to us. Many of us went to Sunday School and learned the Bible stories. These wonderful old stories were our introduction to the doctrines of God. Paul reminds us to pray for our teachers: I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. 1 Cor 11:2 (NLT) We must “remember” the teachings of the Bible if we ever hope to live a pleasing life for the Lord. We know the Church has been teaching people for 2000 years because of an unbroken chain of individual teachers. Peter was one of the first: For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. 2 Peter 1:14-15 (NLT) After a life of ups and downs with God, Peter wanted the Christians that learned from him to always remember the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is never about our thinking. It is always about remembering exactly what the Spirit of God says in the Bible.

Christians can also find encouragement by remembering the faith of people in the past who loved God with all their heart. Hebrew eleven is the “Faith hall of Fame” and it can strengthen us simply by reading about these saints from the past. Each of us has our own heroes of the faith but the point is that our memory can be a lot of help at times. At Easter we remember the resurrection because it is a memorial to our new life in Jesus Christ. Our life is about the victory over death that Jesus won that Sunday morning. Paul made this statement: Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 2 Tim 2:8 (NLT) It is important to remember that we have been raised to a new life in Jesus Christ. The Lord always helps us: But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. John 14:25-27 (NLT) Remembering these things is what gives the Church its peace! Thank you Lord.

God's Secret

The whole universe saw the creation of our blue planet called earth. It must have been an exciting time in eternity. The population of the heavens, beyond our vision, was probably horrified when Adam and Eve fell from the grace of the Almighty. However, our God had a mysterious plan of redemption just waiting for the right time. This plan was put into place on earth through several years of our history but Paul claimed to have the final revelation. This is how he explained it in one of his letters:  I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Eph 3:9-11 (NLT) The purpose of God’s mysterious plan, was to reveal His wisdom through a church which is the body of Christ. Our original reaction to this fact may be to question it. It’s true…we reveal God’s wisdom as part of His church.  

Many people today look at the local church and all they see is a mess made by all the people who are trying to run things their own way. But that’s not what God is looking at. The Almighty sees His Son, the redeemer, and the price Jesus paid for His family. The Bible says:  For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. 1 Peter 1:18-20 (NLT) Peter explains to us that Christ our savior has been revealed and what a huge price He has paid for His body the Church. When we walk up to our local church, the cross should remind us of the enormous price paid by Jesus. Whatever has happened to us because of other believers does not alter the price that was paid 2000 years ago for our freedom. It is our duty not to allow the people who mess-up to diminish our love for the body of Jesus.

 Because of this great price we are expected to behave as a servant of our Lord. This might seem difficult to us, except that there is another part of God’s secret. Paul explains in this passage: God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Col 1:25-27 (NLT) How amazing.  Not only did Christ pay the price to redeem His Church but now He lives in us to show us the path to Heaven. Righteousness is the path to Heaven and with Christ in us the Church is getting ready to advance to the next world. Like Paul, we have the responsibility of serving the Lord’s Church in righteousness. None of us is going to Heaven alone. We all go as a group and serving the Church is the same as serving Jesus Christ. The local church that serves Jesus is a part of the body of Christ.

The fact is we need a good local church. We want to live with the body of Christ forever and it is time we learn to care for our brothers and sisters. God does not have a collection of bodies, families, temples or churches. He only owns one Church and here is a description of it: You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:19-22 (NLT) It is important that we understand that only “together” are we the body of Christ. Someday Jesus will come for His Church and both the dead and the living Christians will rise to meet Him. Every single member of the Church, from the first to the last Christian on earth, will leave together. There is a silly old story about the person who was not ready to go with the Lord so they tell Jesus they will wait for the next group to go. This is ridiculous because there is just one group.

God has one secret plan and it is all centered on Jesus Christ. Because we have the Bible available today like no other time in history we should all know this great secret of God. Every Church member should have a desire to bring others into the family. The rewards for serving God cannot be described. In spite of our weakness the Lord really wants us to join with Him. Paul gives us this wonderful look at God’s motivation: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Eph 1:4-5 (NLT) The Church gives God great pleasure. This is something that every believer should want to be part of. Through Jesus Christ we all have a chance for Holy immortality. Let us seek to be the best part of the body and to live a wonderful eternity with our Savior. Remember all of Heaven is watching the church in order to observe the wisdom of the Almighty.

Building a Temple

God is a great builder. If we look around at nature we can observe the enormous amount of detail that He put into creation. Even the human body is a real marvel. However, today God is still building His temple after many years. We are told:  And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) All the creating of the universe was simply the ground-work for the greatest building of all time. This great temple will last forever and God absolutely loves it. It is going to be unparalleled by anything else in eternity. We can say this because God dwells in every small piece of it. When someone builds great high walls with stones it is necessary to fit each stone into place as the wall grows higher. The Bible says we are the stones in this temple. It is very important that we fit into our place so that the building will continue in the plan of God. Remember that the failure of a stone to conform to its place in the wall will cause that stone to be rejected by the builder.

It is difficult for humans to understand the motives of God. To resolve this shortfall our loving God simply teaches and leads us during our everyday walk of faith. The Lord has instructed us to gather together and help each other the best we can. We are the priests of God but we don’t have a ridged schedule to follow. Maybe this allows us to help other stones to fit into place? Our spiritual growth is individual although its purpose is always for the building-up of others. This ties us together. The new temple has a good foundation: And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:20-22 (NLT) We are a family that must advance spiritually together. Internal support for one another is one of the primary needs of this temple. It’s important for the leaders to seek God because growth always has a price to it. We must learn patience as God slowly builds His great temple. We should use the slow times for prayer and to purify our lives.

God’s temple is a place where we can hear, see and feel things that are not available any other place on earth. Musicians tell us that the sound qualities in some stone temples cannot be duplicated. We can hear some things that we will never hear anywhere else. Some great stone buildings can have a grandeur that takes away our breath. Sometimes the splendor contained in a great building makes us feel insignificant. My friends, this is our only chance to be built into something that will have greatness forever. We are the materials that God is building with and we have a certain responsibility as part of this great temple. The Bible says: Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Cor 3:16-17 (NLT) The reason we are able to be part of something so great is because the Spirit of God lives in each of us. Our responsibility is to be the kind of righteous stone that will add to the building of God’s holy temple. All the stones must work together.

The local church is the way God gathers His stones together. This is where the stones are prepared to be part of the great building. Paul said this about the church leaders: Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Eph 4:12-13 (NLT) A stone is not able to prepare itself individually to be a fitting part of God’s great temple. To reach the complete standard of Christ we must interact with other members of the church. There is no way for us to describe what it is that each stone will gain from being a member of God’s family. This makes it difficult to convince some people of their need for the Family but it is necessary for every person wanting to have a complete relationship with God. It would certainly be difficult to live with someone forever that we refuse to even tolerate here on earth. May the Lord grant us love for others in the church!

We should remember that by faith everything is possible. Becoming a loving member of the local church may be the final test of our devotion to God. We are never alone when we walk daily with Jesus. Paul reassures us: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:19-21 (NLT) If we want to bring glory to God we do it through the church family. Being a “lone ranger” will certainly bring glory to ourselves but that is all it will ever amount to. The Bible says we are being built into a habitation for our God. Our purpose, as part of this new temple, must match that of the Creator and thank the Lord; He only wants the best for His family. It’s wonderful that we are part of eternity. Every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. Heb 3:4

Barabbas - Part Three

Part Three - Story of the Overflowing Spirit


(Barabbas is an old man living in Bethlehem)

 

My grandson is sitting on the ground looking up at me. I want to impress into his little mind what Jesus had done for me. My spirit is simply overflowing with the goodness of God. How much of my story can I tell him? Looking back over my life is like seeing two different people. The first half of my life as a no-good robber was just miserable. But the second half as a born again Christian I have enjoyed like I never thought possible. I never want to let my Savior down. Paul wrote in the letter; And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own.  4:30 It is very easy to grieve the Spirit of Jesus because He is living in me. I pray He will help me now as I explain what is in my scroll to my grandson.

The afternoon that Jesus died on the cross for me is literally the most vivid memory that I have. Why would I ever hurt Him or bring shame to His name? If there were only some way to tell my little admirer that nothing in this life compares with a life in Jesus Christ. Paul’s letter talks about this when he says; Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  6:18 I know it doesn’t seem like much when you read it but after experiencing it, you can see it in large letters. The fact that I talk all day long to the Spirit inside of me sounds a little odd but it works. This is why I know my grandson Benjamin will understand what I tell him.

After our visit, Benjamin gives me a hug and runs after his pet lamb. Looking toward heaven I begin to think about the new life that Jesus has given me. During the last few years the friends in my life know very well that I am now a righteous guy. All these people will vouch for me. Some of them even identify with me because they were also rescued from a terrible life of one kind or another. I am sensitive to the Spirit of Jesus and have experienced what Paul wrote about when he said; For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth  5:9 It took me a while to learn that if I do not cooperate with the Spirit He cannot produce the righteousness that God wants to see in my life. I started life without a father but I want to keep this one who really cares for me.

Thinking back to my old robber days I remember that drinking was sometimes a problem. Even if I were sober, which was seldom, it was still very difficult to convince my helpers to keep control of themselves. You see it is usually easy for the law to catch drunks because our decisions are faulty. I only mention this because I understand why Paul said; Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. 5:18 Everything is about who or what controls our life. It is obvious that when we give our life to Jesus his Spirit should be in control. Drink is not the only thing that robs us of a dedicated life. Avoid anything that wants to rule your life.

There is a Shepherd bringing his sheep in for the night and I think of the freedom that he enjoys. I have spiritual freedom in my life because of the power of the Spirit in my daily life. Some people ask how to do this. I simply ask for God to lead me and I quit trying to help. The Spirit suggests the actions I should follow and I do exactly what He advises. If you are thinking this will take a totally new and different attitude you are right. I am continually learning about this new life from my copy of the letter. Paul recommends that we;  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  6:17  I stand up and lift my scroll over head. I know that this sword will carry me to victory until my time comes to an end. 

I am aware that some of you do not want to believe that I was ever saved at all. But if my name Barabbas bothers you then just take it out and replace it with your own. Don’t tell me you would not like to be the child of our God and Almighty Father.

                                                THE END

Barabbas - Part Two

Part Two - The Story of the Letter

(Barabbas is now middle aged and owns a successful caravan business.)

 

Let me explain that the entire Jerusalem church was supportive of my new life as a Christian and some of them helped me start my business. By working hard and being honest I was now able to support the church which had some hard times because of the religious Jews. It is a real joy to support the ones who have forgiven me and are the family I never had before. The Lord even gave me a wonderful wife and one son. My son now lives in Bethlehem with his new wife. I have time to tell you these things because I am on a ship returning from a trip to Ephesus.

It was a joyous trip and I now possess a copy of a letter written by Paul. Many times I have listened to stories about this godly man named Paul. I have not met him but his letters are revolutionizing the Christian community. A friend of mine lives in Ephesus and he insisted that I come to visit him. I did not feel I had the time until he promised I could make my own copy of a letter Paul has written to the Church at Ephesus. I am standing at the railing with my new scroll and thinking of the change in my life since I sat beneath the cross. It still seems unreal to me that this old robber has changed so much and that Bar-abbas is really a son of our Father in Heaven.

I had a great time visiting the church in Ephesus and I read my new scroll all the way back to Jerusalem. Along with the writings of my friend John this letter is my most precious possession. Paul’s letter is more than I had hoped for. It explains what happened to me on the day 120 of us had the Spirit of Jesus enter our body’s while the flames danced above us. For example the letter says; when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit.  1:13  I now know that when Jesus died that afternoon on the cross He paid the price for my soul and I belong to Him. And I learned that when His Spirit came down 50 days afterward it was to live inside me. This odd story has become the most real thing in my life.

I could hardly wait to arrive home and tell the Jerusalem church about my trip and encourage them in the Lord. You know the original Barabbas had been a dumb thief. But today I understand so many things about life that I can hardly believe it. As I read my copy of the letter again I notice that another great gift was given to me. It says; I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom 1:16 How can any believer think that they understand God if the Spirit of Jesus in not giving them wisdom? Oh how I love to read about what God has done for His children.

When I arrived home and was allowed to address the Church I felt very important. I told them that I had  never spoken to Jesus but that He had told the Disciples He “must” leave this earth so that 50 days after His death, His spirit could come back to earth and live inside of people. This is important because; Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit  2:18 Yes, now each of us can approach the Almighty Father through the Spirit of Jesus. In the old times of the Priests no one ever thought it would be possible that individuals could have access to the great “I am”. Believe it or not, we have continual, 24/7, access to the Almighty so that we are never without Him.

The church listened as I told that when John found me sitting in the dark at the foot of the cross, there was not one person in the world that I could trust. Boy how things have changed. I can trust every friend in my church today. One time while reading the letter I noticed this line; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 2:22  This must mean that every Christian person is being shaped as a part of something much greater. We are all part of the great body of Christ. And today the temple of God is completely godly which certainly makes every member of Christ trustworthy and full of honor. I am not just an individual.

On the way home from church I passed an old religious man on the street. He made me remember how the old Barabbas used to laugh at the silly routines that religious people were following. But now I only feel sorry for them because they do not have the Spirit of Jesus to show them the way. The letter from Paul explains it this way; As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it.  3:3-5 The apostles writings reveal the plan of God because the Spirit of Jesus lives in us and interprets everything to believers. I love being a Christian.

After I first became a believer there were times when I did not think I would have the mental or moral strength to live as a Christian. Later I learned that it did not require my strength at all. The secret was to trust God; I pray that from his ( the Father) glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  3:16-17 As an ex-criminal there were many times that I almost went back to my old deeds but the Lord always sent something along to remind me that His power was in me.
 

When Paul wrote this letter I wonder if he had any idea how many times it would be read? Anyway, even as different as we all are with many different failings in our past life, the Spirit continues to try and unite us into one family. Our part is to be willing; Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  4:3 When I was a robber there was no way I would bind myself to any other. It was every man for himself but now that I am a Christian everything has been reversed. I am glad that the letter says a lot about how we have become part of a great family.