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An encounter with the risen Savior changes everything. After Jesus rose from the dead, he purposefully and intentionally met with certain people to strengthen and encourage them in some way. Each one, having met their risen Savior, walked away from the encounter, forever changed. Have you encountered the risen Son of God? Have you been forever changed?
As Jesus drew closer to the cross, knowing all the suffering and anguish that awaited Him there, the Bible says that there was a joy for Him in enduring the cross. What kind of joy could Jesus possibly have found in such a horrific event, and what can we learn from this when facing struggles and suffering of our own?
When something monumental occurs in our life, it has the power to change us forever. Depending on the circumstance, we may want to erase that event from our memory, or intentionally remember how greatly we have been impacted by it. How important is Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to us? How often do we really focus on what He has done for us? (The last few minutes of this message were lost, but the heart of the message is still intact for you to listen to.)
For worship to be accepted by God, our heart must be right before Him. God knows every thought and intent of our heart. We cannot believe the lie that we can just do what we believe or feel to be the right thing and God will be pleased by it; just dropping some money in the offering plate or singing a song or praying a prayer are not accepted by God if our heart is not right. If we want our heart to be right before God, we must know what the bible says the heart is and how it can be right in His eyes.
To paraphrase Mark 7:6-7 & Matt. 15:8-9 Jesus says that people attempted to honor God with their lips but because their hearts did not belong to God their worship was in vain. They placed a high value on following their traditions that they had set in place, but the very traditions replaced the object of their worship; not intentionally I’m sure, but this is the case. There are two specific requirements that must be met for worship to be genuine, or true; Knowing God, and Falling Down before Him. If these two prerequisites are not met, worship of God is in vain. Do you know God? Have you fallen down before him?
A Spiritual Life requires Spiritual Food. As born again believers, we must nourish ourselves with Christ; He is the bread of life. Do you feel spiritually dry, or spiritually dead? Have you been eating at the table with Jesus; enjoying fellowship with Him? For the two on the road to Emmaus, it was once they sat down to fellowship with the stranger that they understood. Their eyes were opened when Jesus broke and shared the bread.
God has a plan and a purpose that He is bringing to pass. Through the ages, there are different degrees to which the world has experienced God; Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law. Living in the age of grace now, our experience with God is dependent upon our cooperation with the Spirit of God. We cannot gain true wisdom, knowledge, understanding, or counsel without the Holy Spirit. We must learn to trust Him over our own senses and understanding. We will only begin to trust Him over our own senses if we know who He is. We will only know who He is, when we choose to read His word, trusting His Spirit to reveal to us who He is.
In Luke 17 Jesus heals ten lepers but only one returns to gives thanks. Though Jesus did not command them to return and give thanks, he was surprised that only one did; and that he was a foreigner. What can we learn about being thankful from this? Was this man simply being respectful, or was there more? Why should we be thankful, and what does that mean?
Jesus washed the twelve disciples feet; it seems even the feet of Judas Iscariot. Jesus does however state that “not all of you are clean”, speaking of Judas. Even though Judas was one of the twelve, he was not counted clean by Jesus. Are you clean? If so, are you still clean? Jesus also spoke to Peter saying “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me”. Even though most of the twelve were already made clean, they needed a little washing to stay clean. Are you still clean?
“The Love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell.” These are lyrics to a hymn by F.M. Lehman which help us broaden our scope of understanding the measureless greatness of God’s love. To know and understand that His love for us is as intense today as it was the day Jesus’ willingly gave his life for ours. We have no need to doubt the depths of God’s love, we can knowingly trust that He will receive a repentant sinner.
Light radiates from a source, reflects off an object, and we observe the reflected light with our eyes. The very same principle is true for followers of Christ. We have observed God’s love in the face of Jesus Christ. A born again believer must radiate God’s love to the world around.
Do we have any right to withhold God’s Love from anyone?
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35
There is a half-built highway bridge in Cape Town, South Africa that comes to an abrupt end and hangs perilously in midair. If you were to drive on this road, you would think it was taking you somewhere, but you would soon plunge off the end to your demise. The same is true with salvation. Many people follow patterns and lifestyles they think will take them to heaven, but when they reach the end of life, they will plunge into a godless eternity. What are you trusting in to make you right with God and take you to heaven when you die? Make absolutely sure it is not one of the false hopes for eternity the Bible warns us about!
