We worship Jesus Christ because of who He is. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb. He is ascended and exalted in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father.
What an encouragement to suffering Christians, to know that their Saviour has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from the throne. He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory.
The Apostle John describes an awesome worship around the throne in Revelation 5. It begins when Jesus the Lamb of God takes the book (scroll) from his Father's hand, because only He is worthy.
Revelation 5:11-13 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders . . . Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Athletes stretch to develop muscles, enduring the pain. Consider the spiritual aspect of stretching your faith. It comes in many different forms.
We stretch our faith when we allow Christ to save us, follow Him in baptism, have a daily Bible study -- just us and God -- and also committing to tithes and offerings. Here's how Peter stretched his faith.
Matthew 14:28,29 . . . Lord, if it be thee, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Its time for us to stretch our faith and get out of the boat like Peter did. It's time to get out of our comfort zone and abandon our security blanket.
Though Peter began to sink, Jesus rescused him and used him on the day of Pentecost to preach a powerful message. Over 3,000 souls were saved. Our faith must be exercised. Jesus wants to use us for His glory. Afraid of failure, we may be reluctant to get out of the boat.
What is it that Jesus has put in your life, but you won't get out of the boat?
Jesus is out of the boat. That's where you face your doubts and fears. You will develop more faith than you ever imagined when you get out of the boat.
Thursday morning I just happened to be awake in the deer stand and a doe came by at 9:20. An hour later she is gutted, loaded on the 4-wheeler, and we are headed back to camp. I have her skinned in pretty short order.
I start taking her apart, beginning with the shoulders. Those come right off, just hardly touching them with the knife. My normal routine is to remove the hind quarters, then the tenderlions, and then the back straps. But for some reason I decide to go for the tenderlions.
As I'm reaching in to retrieve those little jewels, the deer, of course, is spinning, and, with my mind still on the election I guess, I slide my surgically sharp knife right across the top of my hand. Had it not scraped the bare bone, I may have never felt it.
Now I'm leaving my own blood trail to the seat of my truck where I thought I had an extra towel, but it was not there. I strip down to my tee-shirt and get it off. That is my pressure rag.
So here I am, about 6 miles away from the house, all by myself at camp with a deer partially quartered and a cut -- I don't quite know how bad yet, but I know it is to the bone. And, I have given no thought to carry a first aid kit. (Lesson learned).
I take the shirt off my hand, and I am relieved to see there is no gushing of blood, just a good ooze when I make a fist. Sure enough, there is my white knuckle bone. So what do I do? Do I call for help? Do I drive off, leaving the deer hanging? Who do I call? Only a few people know how to get to me.
I decide, after some time had passed with the pressure applied, that I could just wrap my hand good and tight with the tee-shirt I have now cut in half, and finish the deer.
With my wrapped hand, I manage to get the deer finished. I don't call my wife until now, because I know she would freak out and demand I leave the deer and everything and get home. I call and tell her the situation and ask her to go buy some ice before I get there to put on the deer meat. I tell her to call the doc's office, because I will definitely need to be sewed up. Thank God we did not have to spend the day in the ER. The doc sewed it up in no time, and we had time left over to eat out.
It could have been a lot worse. Six stiches later my hand looks like a baseball.
Things can happen out of nowhere. Be careful.
Sitting at the Passover meal with His disciples, Judas knew exactly what he was about to do and so did Jesus.
That same night just after Jesus' agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas led a huge mob to capture Him. Some of them carried swards, some staves, and some clubs. Why such a large mob to arrest one man?
Judas had been with Jesus long enough to know what kind of power He had. Didn't he also know that Jesus could've called ten thousand angels to slew the lot of them? They didn't capture Jesus, He went willingly.
The traitor identified Christ with a kiss. How appalling! And Jesus even called him "friend". Later Judas returned the blood money and then killed himself.
You can sit in a pew week after week and be accepted into the fellowship, but if you have not been born again -- accepted Jesus as your personal Savour -- you will not go to heaven no matter how good you are.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
When you stand before God, He will not ask what you did, but what you did with His son.
There is, for our universe, only one sun, and it is the center and the source of life. There is also but one God who is the center of all and the source of all life.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
To follow The Lord Jesus means to believe on Him, to trust Him; and the results are life and light. The unsaved are walking in darkness because they love darkness.
One of the major messages of the Godpel is that spiritual light is now shining, but people cannot comprehend it -- they try to put it out. But they need The Lord. Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world, pointing unbelievers to Him.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
