Christ is in Heaven on our Behalf

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. (Heb 9:24 ESV, underscoring added)

It is helpful to ponder the truth that Christ is in Heaven right now, representing and upholding all believers. He is our Advocate! (1 Joh 2)

. . . that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²²And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church . . . (Eph 1:20-22 ESV) Jesus Christ is the head of the church. He is the Lamb of God who has poured out His blood on the mercy seat–for us. (Joh 1:36; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 7:14; 22:1)

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mk 16:19 NKJV) Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. (Isa 59:16) Jesus is our intercessor in heaven. He is our agent in heavenly realms.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus . . . (1 Tim 2:5) Jesus is both God and man. He is the only mediator between God and men. A mediator is a peacemaker, and Jesus has brought about peace between God the Father and all who are born-again.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 Joh 2:1) Jesus Christ, the righteous One of God, is our Advocate with the Father. In Heaven Jesus pleads our case, and works to effect reconciliation between us and Father God. He also, as our Savior and Redeemer, affirms that He has purchased all of salvation’s blessings for us, and thanks to Him, we are entitled to them.

Jesus is your champion and crusader! Stand and give thanks and praise to the Lord today, brothers and sisters!

The Path of Life

Do you understand that Jesus makes known to us the path of life? In other words, there is a path that leads to spiritual life, energy and excitement.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps 16:11) God shows us—continuously—the path of life. We’re talking about abundant life (Joh 10:10) in the here and now, as well as eternal life. (Mt 19:29; Joh 3:15) Jesus reveals this path to us.

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. (Pro 12:28) We who have accepted Christ are made righteous in Him, therefore the path that we walk is the path of righteousness. In our path, there is no death of any kind, but only the life that is in Christ Jesus.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (Joh 5:24) All believers have passed from death into life: abundant life now and eternal life when we vacate our earthly bodies. We move from life to life after accepting Christ!

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Rom 6:13) We are alive to God and alive to righteousness. (1 Pet 2:24)

. . . but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . . . (2 Tim 1:10) This passage affirms the fact that following Jesus puts us on the path of life.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1 Joh 3:14) One fruit of our salvation that grows along the path of life is that we learn to love our neighbors. (Mt 19:19)

We have spiritually, and in actuality, passed from death to life in accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Praise God!

Lead Me in Truth, Lord

How can we be led in truth? Because we are believers, we understand that there are unseen, invisible realms as well as unseen forces. The power of God resides in His Word and we turn to His Word in order to learn about our topic.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. (Ps 25:5) We, like the psalmist, can pray and expect God to lead us in His truth.

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. (Ps 43:3) God’s ways are filled with light and with truth. They will always lead us to Him and to His throne.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Joh 8:31-32) As we familiarize ourselves with Scriptures, and live in obedience to them, we are abiding in God’s Word. The Gospel of Jesus Christ sets us free from all bondage. Jesus is the Living Word who sets us free.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (Joh 14:6) Jesus said of Himself, “I am . . . the truth . . . “ Jesus is the only One who has given mankind an example of complete obedience to God, and He will lead us if we will yield to Him and follow. He desires to lead us and guide us.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (Joh 16:13) The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into ALL truth. Keep your spiritual ears open, and recognize that the Spirit will always speak in agreement and harmony with the Word of God. He will speak the Truth.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (Eph 4:20-21 NIV) There is truth in Jesus, according to this verse. Believe Him and trust Him.

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 Joh 2:27) God has anointed all believers, and all we need to do is to follow Jesus.

In order to be led or guided by the Lord, we must be eager and willing to follow. All sheep follow and keep an eye on their shepherd. Every believer should joyfully follow the steps of Jesus because He is the Truth who leads us.

He will lead us into the glory of eternity! Hallelujah!

God Will Be Exalted

God’s decrees and declarations in the Bible are unchangeable, inevitable and unstoppable. A clear declaration that God makes often in the Word is that He WILL BE exalted. No matter what wicked human beings, evil despots, or demon adversaries want or expect. God cannot be denied. His power cannot be stopped. His will cannot be successfully opposed.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10) It’s good for us to realize that we are expected to exalt our Lord and Savior. It’s an honor and a privilege to conform to this expectation.

“Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezek 38:23) God says that He will magnify Himself—make His own power large and obvious for all to see. He does this to establish that He is the Only God—the Creator of all.

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day . . . (Isa 2:17) No human conceit shall stand before the Lord. Only God shall be revered and praised. All beings shall bow to the God most High.

But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness. (Isa 5:16) The holy God, whom we serve, shall be recognized as glorious and grand in all of His judgments [decrees, decisions, verdicts].

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! ⁴Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.” (Rev 15:3-4) This is a beautiful example of how to exalt, glorify, and praise the Lord our God.

As believers, it is our honor to form the pleasant habit of praising and extolling God daily for His goodness, mercy, and love. I urge you to develop this habit as soon as you can.

We Are God’s Possession

How exciting to understand that we belong to God—we are His possession! This means that He has custody of us, or control of us.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9 ESV, underlining added)

Of course, the Lord will not control us against our will. He created us with free will, and God does not violate that. However, when we submit to Him and to His Lordship, we joyfully desire His leadership and guidance in our lives. We actually invite Him to lead and guide us.

To say that the Lord has custody of us is a good thing! It means that we are in His safekeeping, and that He watches over us. He is our Guardian as well as our Savior and Lord.

“. . . because you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord chose to make you his precious possession from among all the nations of the earth.” (Deu 14:2 ISV)

We are God’s PRECIOUS possession, greatly loved and cherished by Him.

And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Cor 3:23 NKJV) The Word reminds us that we belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to God. As the Bible so clearly states:

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:3 NKJV) Praise God!

Guard Your Fellowship

What is fellowship? Genuine fellowship indicates a communion or spiritual union between like-minded and like-hearted people. For a believer, our deepest fellowship can only take place with Christians who are as committed to the Lord and as mature in their walk of faith as we are. How can light ever cooperate with darkness?

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Cor 6:14 NIV)

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jas 4:4) Don’t be so committed to friendships with unbelievers that you become lukewarm in your faith. Don’t learn to love the world’s ways.

Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, ¹⁰in whose hands is a sinister scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes. (Ps 26:9-10) Unbelievers may want to engage in behavior or activities in which no Christian would take part.

But they mingled with the Gentiles [nations] and learned their works . . . (Ps 106:35) Associating with unbelievers can teach us habits which are not pleasing to the Lord, or may even lead us into an area of temptation.

I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts. (Ps 119:63) Rather, it is far better for us and for our friends if we are both Christians and brothers/sisters in the Lord. Because we believe God’s Word and we choose to obey His Word and His Spirit, we can encourage one another in faith and in good works.

This article is not teaching against evangelism by any means. If you develop a friendship with someone in order to share your testimony with them, then you have embarked upon a holy purpose. But if the person doesn’t accept the Lord as their Savior, then one might consider changing the status of that relationship to an acquaintance. It would be appropriate to continue, in a spirit of love, to share unfolding testimonies with the person, or to invite them to church-related events where they would be exposed to other believers and opportunities to hear the Gospel.

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. ²⁰That, however, is not the way of life you learned. (Eph 4:17-20 NIV) The fact is that unsaved people, no matter how nice they are or how much fun they may be, have no sensitivity to the spiritual realm or to the Spirit of God. They are darkened in their understanding of spiritual things because spiritual things are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

True fellowship walks in the light as He is in the light. (1 Joh 1:5-7)

God Satisfies Us with Good Things

. . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Ps 107:9 NIV)

Psalm 107 is a song of praise to God for His many blessings. He gives food and drink to the hungry and thirsty. Praise God!

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Ps 34:10)

When we focus upon the Lord and upon His promises to us, and ask Him to provide what we need, believers will receive answers to prayer.

. . . who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. . . (Ps 146:7) The Lord feeds and delivers all those who trust in Him.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Mt 5:6) Those who crave God’s spiritual blessings shall be filled or overwhelmed with them thanks to the salvation that God has supplied through Jesus.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. (Lk 1:53) We can trust that when we are hungry or needy for God’s help and deliverance, He will faithfully meet all of our needs through our Savior and Lord, Jesus.

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. (Ps 103:5) By God’s generous hand, believers can retain youthful vitality like the eagles.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Ps 84:11) This verse insists upon the goodness of God by stating—unequivocally—that there is NO GOOD THING that God will deny to or withhold from the upright.

If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, then you are justified by the blood of Jesus and you qualify as “upright”!! These precious and reliable promises are for you. Hallelujah!

Preparation for Glory

One of the purposes of our lives here on earth, aside from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is to prepare us believers for future glory. At times, our preparation will seem very difficult to bear up under.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. . . (2 Cor 4:17)

The apostle and his fellow sufferers compared their current light suffering with the reward that, by faith, they knew awaited them in heaven. They considered the heavenly crown awaiting them to be far more significant than their current afflictions.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18)

According to the verse above, our earthly problems will seem mild and temporary when we view them from the safe haven of eternity with Jesus. At times, it will help us to endure when we focus upon unseen realities that exist in the spiritual realm.

. . . knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Jas 1:3-4)

When our faith is put to the test, the Word reminds us to patiently endure—or to cling to the truth of God’s Word. Remaining steadfast in faith through a time of suffering will result in our faith becoming more mature, deep and strong. When we live in this way, we are following Christ’s example.

. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Heb 5:8)

This verse is referring to Jesus Christ, our Savior. This passage reminds us that our Savior learned, through suffering, all about the unique obedience needed to qualify Him as our High Priest. (See Commentary on Hebrews 5 by A. R. Fausset, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown)

The point of this article is to meditate upon the fact that Jesus—the Savior of mankind—endured great suffering for our sake. He didn’t grumble about it but focused upon His love for His Father and the end result of His obedience which was the reconciliation of mankind to God the Father. At the cross, Jesus could say, “It is finished.”

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . . (Jas 1:2)

Yield to the Lord

The Lord reminds us to “submit to Him” which means to relinquish or hand over control of our lives to Him. This can be a real challenge for us to do while we live on this earth.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pro 3:5-6 NIV, underscoring added)

Let’s look at several more passages from the Bible in order to get a clearer picture.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Pro 16:3 NIV) When we commit our actions to the Lord, we place them in His hands and trust Him to:

Bless these actions;,
Bring Himself glory through them; and
Uphold our plans.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. (Isa 30:21) This passage reminds us that the Lord leads us and guides us by the voice of His Spirit. He will bless us and prosper us as we yield to Him, and obey His voice..

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” (Isa 48:17) The Lord wishes us to defer to His leading and guidance; and as we do, He will cause us to prosper.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31) In accepting God’s will for our lives by being obedient to His leading, we will actually bring Him glory and honor. This is the goal to which we have been called.

A believer who will bow down in humility before the Lord, responding with submission and yieldedness to His guidance, will be blessed greatly by the Lord.

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk 11:28, underscoring added – see also Jas 1:25) Our obedience to God is blessed.

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You are the Deciding Vote! In your life, you can make decisions that will help you and bless you.

Month: July 2019