Our response to God’s word has impact in heaven. The Bible tells us that when God wanted Jonah to prophesy to the city of Nineveh, he did everything he could to do the opposite. Nineveh was an ungodly city and Jonah would have been quite content if God destroyed it, yet God prevailed and he reluctantly went to deliver the Lord’s warnings.
God was about to punish Nineveh for its sinful ways, and the city was given forty days to repent. They believed Jonah and took God’s warning seriously, and from the king down to the peasants, they dressed in sackcloth and ashes and fasted as a sign of their deep sorrow over their sins. Then they urgently called out to God. And they repented of their sinful practices.
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10. God wasn’t moved from anger to compassion by what was said, but rather by what was done. God does not respond to lip service but to the sincerity in our hearts and actions. This is what Jesus meant when he chastised the Pharisees by saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Mathew 15:8.
God held nothing back when he redeemed us. As much as it must have grieved him to do it, he permitted his one and only son to be crucified at the hands of the Romans as an atonement for our sins. Once and for all, a sacrifice that fully paid for the sins of mankind. Jesus willingly offered himself on our behalf as a sacrifice for sin. Since nothing was held back for us, why do we hold back from God? God knew he needed to lay it all on the table to win the battle. What is holding us back from doing the same?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God did what he did because of love. He loves us. Do we love him? We may serve him but do we love him? Jesus gave us two commands and said that all of the Law and the Prophets hung on them. Love God with all your heart and all your mind and all of your soul and love each other as you love yourself (Mathew 22:37-40).
As Christians, we must cry out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Our cries need to touch the heart of God. Our petitions to the Lord must come from a place deep within us in all sincerity. “What is this living water you speak of Jesus?” We must beg to ask Christ the question, “What must I do to be saved?” What is the assurance of our salvation? What do we do in our lives that furthers the kingdom of God? What do we do in our lives that spreads the love of God?
Our hearts were made to be alive and on fire for Jesus. We were designed to yearn for a relationship with the living God. When you truly believe and have the indwelling Holy Spirit awakening your spirit, you are changed from the inside and your heart is set ablaze for the Lord. When your relationship with Jesus is the focal point of your life, it becomes an intentional experience of seeking to know Christ better and to draw nearer to him through prayer and worship each day, sharing your passion for Jesus with others, serving others and meditating on God’s word always. Your life will become love in action.
We must be intentional in setting our hearts, minds and souls on Christ. To bask in the love and the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. To feel the Holy Spirit in you welling up like springs of living water that satisfy your thirst for God so that you will never thirst again. Let the fire of Christ burn within you. Fire is consuming, bright and hot, it refines and purifies. Feed the fire with Bible study and fellowship with other believers. Allow yourself to be overwhelmed by passion and love for God, allow the Holy Spirit to wrap you up in joy and peace that transcends all human understanding. Allow yourself to be so full of the Holy Spirit that you cannot contain it.
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Emanuel who is God with us. He is the way and the truth and the life. The Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor, the Almighty God. Jesus is the Word and the Truth, he is the culmination of all of God’s promises, perfect yet humble. “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17.
When we contemplate what Christ has done for us we ultimately fall short of adequately describing his love for us. When we try to appreciate God, we inevitably fall short. He is beyond our comprehension, he is undefinable yet approachable, he is unsearchable yet knowable, his grace is remarkable, his strength is insurmountable, he is the conqueror of sin, our redeemer and warrior, the Lamb of God, welcoming and inviting. Jesus is the light of the world and he is worthy. Bless his name forevermore.
Live for him! Love for him! Serve Christ Jesus with unbridled passion, as an expression of deep heartfelt gratitude for his sacrifice and atonement on the cross at Calvary. Don’t let life pass you by and leave you unsure of your eternal destiny, but rather, finish the game leaving everything on the field, exhausted and satisfied knowing you gave it your all. Then, when you enter heaven, you will hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Each of us has a conscience provided by God and built into our soul, that guides us and gives a sense of right and wrong. Even those who deny the existence of God are equipped this way. Sin is still sin whether you understand what it is through God’s law or if you have never heard of God’s laws. Those who suppress the truth by doing what is evil and intentionally betraying their conscience are just as guilty of sin as those who know and practice God’s laws and break them. Paul says, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.” Romans 2:12.
Those who welcome the Spirit into their heart and do by nature the things required by the law, …show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.” Romans 2:15.
Repentance requires full submission to the Holy Spirit. Being born again requires full submission to following Christ. Paul demonstrated this by completely changing who he was and what he stood for. Our obedience to God, even though it is imperfect, is made possible through Christ changing our unbelieving and rebellious heart into a heart that longs to please him and delights in serving him. Once we are saved, it is difficult to contain our love and compassion for others and we are highly motivated to share the gospel so that love will spread. We want others to benefit from the saving and transforming power of Christ. We become like Jesus’ disciples when he said, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:40.
Each of us is created with a purpose. When we hear the call of the Lord and heed to it, amazing things happen, and our lives can realize potential we would never attain on our own. Living with purpose and intent can make all the difference in the world, providing energy, hope, happiness and conviction to go the extra mile, put in that extra hour or climb to the next level. What is God calling you to do? Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone to answer God’s call?
It is so important to fully surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit and give your life to Christ. Jesus never held anything back when he died for us. We are called to imitate him by going all in. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mathew 16:24.
The time is short! We are living in the age of Elijah. Listen for the sound of approaching hoof beats! Every promise of God will soon be fulfilled. Put on the full armor of God and stand firm in the faith! The hour of testing is almost upon us. Prepare for the battle ahead. Satan will bring that battle to each of us and lay it at our very feet. Be ready!
It is my sincere prayer that you will seek the Lord with all of your heart and all of your mind and all of your soul. That you will pursue Christ, holding nothing back as he held nothing back for you. That as you live your life you will stand faithful knowing that you are a child of the Most-High God, The Almighty. That you be filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed with peace in the knowledge that there is absolutely nothing in heaven or on earth that can pluck you from the Father’s hand. I pray that you allow the spark of Christ to ignite in you an eternal flame deep within your soul, that each time a new door opens that the flame is fanned and continues to burn bright and hot. That you will become a city on a hill, giving light to the darkness that surrounds you. May your faith be strong like a lion and as gentle as a lamb. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26. So be it!!!
