Living With God

"...they have now compassed us in our steps ..." - Psalm 17:11

The Psalmist, King David of the Bible, faced difficulties, but he faced them with the assurance he did not face them alone. His enemies weren't surrounding just him, they were surrounding him and God, and God always wins.

Jesus said

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." - John 14:23

If you have submitted your life to Christ and are following him by reading his word, the Bible, and obeying to the best of your ability and understanding, those who fight you have a monumental task because God doesn't lose, and everything He allows He uses for your good.

- fritz

Abraham's Blessing - God's Country!

"Christ hath redeemed us ... That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ" - Galatians 3:13a, 14a

Abraham's blessing, thousands of years ago, has unique meaning for participants in Christ.¹

That blessing, found in Genesis 12, includes six (6) things, the first and primary - ownership of a place in God's Country (and it's not Texas)!

"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee ..." Genesis 12:1

God calls us, like Abraham,² to abandon our old ways and follow Christ to a land that he, himself, will reveal - to his kingdom on earth now, the Church, and ultimately to heaven prepared especially for us.

"I go to prepare a place for you ... And ... I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." - Jesus (John 14:2-3)

If there were no other blessings, no other promises, this would be enough!

Ah! But there is more!

- fritz

^{1 - Blog Post - November 8th, "Abraham's Blessing Like a Football"
2 - Blog Post - November 7th, "Abraham's Call - A Prototype"}

Not an insurance policy

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)

The Gospel is not a life insurance policy and Jesus is not the insurance agent we call only to renew or check our coverage.

Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins not so we can get heaven but to remove the barrier (our sins) between us and God so we can live, work, and walk with Him now and forever; heaven is the by-product

This has always been God's desire.

[Adam and Eve] heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: ... And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? - Genesis 3:8a, 9 (KJV)

Walking with God in the garden each day was a common occurrence, unfortunately interrupted by sin.

God's desire never changed.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? - Mica 6:8 (KJV)

Jesus' parting promise to his disciples was NOT heaven, but living with God; the place may change but the company doesn't!

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (Jesus - John 14:23 KJV)

Question: How would my living be different if my goal was to live, work, and walk with God now and forever?

"We" will come and Live with Him...

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings..." - Jesus (John 14:23-24a KJV)

Oh! How wonderful if would have been to have walked, heard, and lived with Jesus those three years in Galilee! Better it is, however, for Jesus to walk, speak, and live with me now!

In 1993, standing in Red Square late one night, a native Russian told my friend and I his problems. When we offered to pray he gasped, "You mean you can talk to God?!" I then realized how amazing that must seem, if it is really believed.

It is not arrogance, but a promise and a great privilege to have Jesus live with you. He promised to do that with everyone who loved him; promised both he and his Father (GOD) would not just visit but make a home there.

Awsome!

Fritz

How to encourage a Father's love...

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings..." - Jesus (John 14:23-24a KJV)

My heart is particularly touched when someone loves my child.

I know, firsthand, that observing genuine love for my child from someone I hardly know instantly changes my feelings. I may not have liked that person before, but I do now! The opposite is also true; no one who mistreats my children is ever friends with me!

I think this is a small taste of what Jesus meant. He said if a person will love him his Father (GOD) will return that love.

Fritz

Litmus test for Loving Jesus...

"If a man love me, he will keep my words... He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings..." - Jesus (John 14:23a & 24a KJV)

According to Jesus, a simple test of love is whether or not his words are kept.

Regardless of education, intelligence, morality, outlook, political correctness, or ecclesiastical position, if a person keeps (learns, believes, appreciates and obeys) Jesus' words that person loves Jesus.

The opposite is also true; if Christ's words are not kept the Love of Christ is NOT there no matter how good the arguments.

Jesus doesn't mean just the red letters of the Bible, a few short verses later he told his disciples,

"if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too." - John 15:20c (KJV)

Rev. Crepon, a pastor friend long ago when I was a young college student, told me, "Hold fast the the Bible, it will get you out of any jam it gets you into!"

Fritz

Rules for Eavesdropping...

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. - John 14:14 (KJV)

Strictly speaking, if you are going to eavesdrop on a conversation you can't, realistically, say a promise made to a participant is a promise made to you.

You can say if one meets similar conditions as the participants it could, possibly, apply at the discretion of the promisor, but you can't think the speaker a liar because what was promised to someone else wasn't done for you, a bystander.

Just because I tack on the "...in Jesus Name!" to my prayers doesn't mean I should expect, magically, get what I ask for, no matter how much I want it.

On the plus side, however, Jesus made some wonderful promises we can claim with certainty. Note the "He that..." and the "If a man..."

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. - John 14:21 (KJV)

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. - John 14:23 (KJV)

Eavesdropping on Christ's conversations is well worth the effort, you just have to apply common sense eavesdropping rules.
- fritz