Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Lord

  • but you have withheld your love

    but you have withheld your love

    Dearly beloved, dear sister in the Lord,

    Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

    This is the urging of Paul and Timothy to Christ’s bride, His church at Corinth (therefore they speak in the plural to the brothers, who ought to instruct in the Lord their own Christian wife and children). Their urging is for all, yet I echo their heart by paraphrase and address it to you personally, rather than as my child in the faith as do Paul and Timothy. I speak to you as Christ’s bride singularly.

    For I am not your Pastor and you are a child of your own faith, following whoever you will in the ways of the Lord or in ways of your own choosing. I therefore appeal to you as ‘my beloved,’ for your dear soul is joined to my own by your vow and your word: Jesus is Lord.

    2 Corinthians 6

    Dearly beloved,

    I have spoken honestly with you, and my heart is open to you.  There is no lack of love on my part, but you have withheld your love from me. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own beloved wife. Open your heart to me!

    (You may see that my meaning is no different from the letter of scripture.) I will add some here.)

    Who are your friends? Are they of the same vow as you and me? Is Christ Jesus their Lord, as well?

    Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

    (Again, I will augment.)

    I understand. I have so few friends. Christian friends, too, are so involved and so far from community when I most need them. I understand. I am alone with broken heart without you.

    Yet I stand against the unbelievers where I work. They know and reject my witness. They stand against me at times. I would befriend them in times of my own need, yet again, ‘What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?’

    What have these revelers and lovers of their bold sin have to do with one who detests the wickedness of the world and the overwhelming deceit of the devil?

    I am a believer and your partner in the Lord. You are a believer and a partner in my love, a blessing in my life and a constant plea of my prayers.

    Dearly beloved, How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

    I appeal to you in the Name of Jesus: Be reconciled in love with me; with Christ and with the praying souls who intercede in love for you each day and each night.

    Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.

    Because we have these promises, [dearly beloved], let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

    Please open your heart to me.

    I said before that you are in my heart, and I live or die together with you.  I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

    Even Paul changes to the singular in 2 Corinthians 7:3, pointedly appealing to you as an individual to be part of the body of Christ and to have nothing to do with those who set the example of the hardheartedness of the devil (worshiping instead, idols of their choosing).

    2 Corinthians 7 King James Version (KJV)

    Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

    2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

    3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

    4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

    [Returning to my paraphrased appeal from the NLT:]

     I am not sorry that I send this severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it may be painful to you for a little while.

    9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.

    10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

    11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you!

    I know the true joy to which you would cling in your own heart. It is the hope and promise of Christ.

    Is your own promise to the Bridegroom so far from your heart that you do not keep a lamp lit for his return?

    Why is your answer silent to his gift?

    What is your answer to his love?

    Dare your heart keep so silent as stone?

    Has He not already forgiven your sin? Has our Lord not called out to you, dear sheep of His fold? Has He not already offered His love and humbled himself for the bride of his own promise? Will you not join Him once more, dear prodigal daughter?

    Dearly beloved, my betrothed blessing in the Lord,

    I forgive you and call out to your dear heart. Please forgive me and accept the gift of the Bridegroom, who was and is and is to come.

    Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

    Love,

    Roger

  • A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    Can you look in the mirror and see your soul?

    Neither can you look upon the Heavens or the earth and see the Holy Spirit.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24

    Acts 1

    3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

    4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

    The Ascension
    6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

    You cannot look into the mirror and see your soul – your spirit. And generally, though not always, you cannot look upon any spirit (for all are not holy) or any angel (even a fallen angel may pose as one not fallen). Angels and spirits and souls are unlike flesh and blood.

    As an image in the mirror is not reflection of your soul, an emotion of human thought is not a separate spirit of holiness.

    The Holy Spirit is much maligned by Christians, misrepresented by false christians and dismissed by non-Christians.

    Genesis 1

    The Creation of the World
    1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

    John 1

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    The Person of Jesus Christ IS the very Word of God! He personally spoke all things – all heavens and earth, all flesh and blood, every soul and all the angels and creatures of the heavens and the earth – into existence.

    “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

    You cannot look in the mirror and see your soul. You can, however, look upon the Word, Christ Jesus, and see the reflection of the Holy Spirit in every way. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, IS the perfect image of the Father. He IS the perfect image of God, the Holy Spirit.

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” –  John 1:49b 

    Jesus Christ suffered and died for your sins and for mine. He IS risen from the grave of hopeless and has redeemed our condemned souls from the just judgement of punishment. He has given our suffering soul and failing flesh not only the resurrection of new life, but the hand of help in the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God – the Person of the help He has promised.

     John 1: 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

    51 And he said to him [Nathanael], “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

    John 3: 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

     Acts 4:

    7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

    31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

     Acts 8:

    14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

    Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

    John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

    23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

    25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

    26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

    1 Thessalonians 1

    … our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers…

    Have you received the Holy Spirit?

    Is your soul in communion and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, that ‘in Christ you became an example to all the believers?’

    Look deeply into the mirror, into the heart within the cold glass which longs for the eternal – which would embrace the very love of God in Christ Jesus and the warm life-giving guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    You must be born again.

    Romans 5

     5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

    6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

    Beloved, our God is a personal God – our Lord, Jesus Christ, a personal Savior – our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, a personal guide.

    God’s love for your soul is a personal love by an eternal God and Lord for a personal relationship, His Spirit joined to your soul for life everlasting.

    May the Lord grant you the personal love of His Holy Spirit, the personal forgiveness of your every sin through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the eternal joy and hope of God our Father – a most personal God; beloved son, dear daughter, my brother, my sister.

    Amen.

  • A Personal God – Jesus

    A Personal God – Jesus

    Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. – Isaiah 26:4 ESV

    … and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10b

    “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

    Setting aside for a moment your personal preferences for worshiping God; whether ritualistic routine, overflowing emotion, singing, shouting, standing, sitting, hands held up, heads bowed low, knees on the floor or feet off the ground; on the scriptural presumption that Jesus and God are one, let us examine two things:

    The Person of Jesus and His personal mission for each of us.

    Before Christ became God in Person on this earth as the Son of Man, some worshiped God and some worshiped worship. Some worshiped the Law, some worshiped family and forefathers above the Living God. Though Moses stood in the Presence of the Living God, the people worshiped God only in the fear and emotion of the moment.

    Exodus 20:

    18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

    22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.

    Followers feared Moses only when he reflected the glory of God, yet would not obey the commands given to Moses by the God they feared.

    The Prophets spoke God’s word and demonstrated the truth of God’s refining exhortations. Generation after generation, God’s worshipers assumed a posture of disobedience and self-righteousness; for by their witness they forgot the fear of God. By their witness they failed to please the LORD with the same love and compassion the LORD had shown them from generation to generation.

    The worshipers of God would not listen to Moses. The worshipers of God would not listen to the Prophets.

    Therefore, God intervened in time in the Person of Christ Jesus to redeem a sinful world from the futility of death and the inevitability of judgment.

    Jesus Christ lived in Perfect righteousness on the earth. NO man of any religion on the earth has lived in the righteousness of Christ. Men of every era have lived agendas of purpose for the earthly agendas of man; not the will of God for a Heavenly Kingdom.

    Jesus did not come into the world for worship of holy mothers or ancient fathers. Jesus did not come into the world to win a war by peaceful protest or by sword. Jesus did not come into the world to work miracles to impress or heal men who will die.

    The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…

    1 Timothy 1:15a

    Jesus became the sacrifice to God for the redemption of sin – sins you and I have committed in God’s Holy presence.

    The gospels testify to the glory of Christ Jesus, the Word of His instruction and the Life of His own witness.

    Our God is a Personal God and He IS present in the Person of Jesus Christ.

    By the perfect and sinless example of Jesus Christ we have assurance of forgiveness for our many sins and eternal life for our soul, which does long for the embrace of God through the love of His perfection.

    Fear the God Who IS. Give thanks to the One who has formed your flesh and summons your soul.

    Jesus Christ was witnessed by the Apostles, including Paul who was blinded by His presence. Jesus Christ was witnessed by disciples who believed (as well as those who refused to follow Him).

    The Apostles stood and sat and ate in the presence of the Person of Jesus from day to day and after the resurrection of His crucified body. They are witness to the Person of God in Him.

    And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41

    Acts 9 (excerpt) … and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

    God and Jesus pursue sinners personally – sinners like you and me.

    Jesus taught us how to live as a perfect son (which I am not) and how to approach God as a perfect father (which I am not). We are neither perfect son nor father, perfect daughter nor mother; yet because Christ Jesus has taken our sin from us, He presents us to God the Father as blameless to do the will of our Father and Lord, as He would have done ‘on earth, as it is in Heaven.’

    Our Personal God and Father has sent Himself in His only Son, Christ Jesus, to us; as example for a personal obedience to His will on earth in this day and until the day He has appointed for our finished work, the witness of His love, to complete His purpose for our mortal life.

    In Christ Jesus, our Lord, my soul stands before God and man as witness to hope eternal and witness to eternal life daily.

    In you, our Lord has placed an eternal voice and temporal call to a personal relationship of love to fulfill His purpose for your mortal life on this earth.

    God has something He has sent your soul here to do in the flesh. The Person of God has a mission just for you.

    Will you do it?

    Will you listen to God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord?

    To be continued, God willing