Luk 22:25-32 KJV And he said unto them, The kings of the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon
them are called benefactors. (26) But ye shall not be so: but he
that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as
he that doth serve. (27) For whether is greater, he that
sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but
I am among you as he that serveth.
(28) Ye are they which have
continued with me in my temptations.
(29) And I appoint unto you a
kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
(30) That ye may eat and drink at
my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of
Israel. (31) And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: (32) But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Mat 6:9-13 KJV After this manner therefore pray ye: Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (10)
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12)
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (13)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Rom 6:11-14 KJV Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (12)
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof. (13) Neither yield ye your members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for
ye are not under the law, but under grace.
God has saved us from the devil's kingdom and put us into His
marvelous light.
-
He gave us agreat deliverance.
- But He left us in mortal.
- He left us in a world of satan's banishment from heaven.
- We are in flesh that contains sin and is such a pull on us towards
that which is wrong.
And in the midst of it all, God is seemingly reminding us and
reminding us in church meetings and prophets and apostles and preachers about
our victory.
Rev 1:5-6 KJV And from Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of
the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in
his own blood, (6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God
and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
We are kings and priests.
- There are those who mock this idea and cannto help but think
carnally of the world's kings, demanding us show them our position in the
country and our national leaders' appreciation for us if we are kings.
- But the bible says we are.
- The same blood that washed us from our sins has made us kings and
priests.
How convinced are we that he washed us from our sins?
- The bible teaches us that the same blood made us kings and priests
-- as past in tense of language as the truth of how we were washed from our
sins.
Now, all the while, God is recovering mankind from sin.
- Souls need salvation.
- But God is running us through one huge set of courses for
something mighty.
In order for there to be so much work being accomplished in our
lives along the line sof tribulations and lessons as to how to deal with demons
and sicknesses and a world full of atheists and false religions and SIN in our
own flesh, there must be a mightg huge work lying ahead of us in the ages to
come.
Someone said we're looking for a city with golden streets and
pearl gates.
- They claim Rev 21 and 22 is a photo or movie of heaven described
in John's words.
- Church, there is a universe God created out there that sweeps out
into infinity.
- He did not sprinkle stars throughout the outer space to simply
twinkle at night for a young couple holding hands.
- Whatever is out there was created by God.
- And the church, the greatest creation of God, Himself, is destined
to launch out there one day in a work for God in HIS KINGDOM.
A little city on planet earth?
- The earth itself is a speck in contrast to the awesomeness of what
extends out in the universe.
The trials we go through are getting us ready for it.
- The motivation we feel in rising up and dealing with sin and
demons when things get hot enough for us to want to do soemthing and make a
change in our lives, is preparing us in training for that great existence.
The bible speaks of doors clsing.
Luke 13:23-30 KJV Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few
that be saved? And he said unto them,
(24) Strive to enter in at the
strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able. (25) When once the master of the house is risen
up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at
the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto
you, I know you not whence ye are: (26) Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and
drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. (27)
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from
me, all ye workers of iniquity.
(28) There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the
prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (29)
And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from
the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of
God. (30) And, behold, there are last which shall be
first, and there are first which shall be last.
There are souls in heaven right now.
- They are redeemed and are with Jesus.
- Paul said that absence from the body is presence with the Lord.
- That means we actually leave this body at a point.
- That point is natural death.
- What do we do with the Lord?
- Not much is told in the Bible.
- But we do know we are freed from this flesh that contains sin.
- We are freed from this pull.
So why keep us saved in this world with such a pull of sin in our
flesh?
- Why not give us immortal bodies freed from sin when we're saved?
- It's all a great training ground.
We are told over and over to rely on the Lord.
- Seek His will to be done.
- Ask him for bread itself, to live.
He is urging us to dependence upon Him.
Heb 2:10 KJV For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to
make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
All is for God and by God.
- We're being led there by the mighty Leader, Jesus.
- He came down in flesh, Himself, and took the nature of Abraham.
- You have toi exist without something in order to stand and take
it.
- God came in flesh.
With all the great experiences we go through, God has something
huge for us.
No one is going to shake off your infatuation with flesh but you.
- God does not punish you.
- He lets you continue lukewarm and even cold.
- You have to simply shake yourself and do it.
-
This is telling us that God does not want people who are forced to
do His wil involved with Him in eternity.
- He wants people who motivated themselves to work for Him.
- He wants people of the sort of character and quality that they do
not need HIm to push them and snap the whip over every litle thing He needs
done.
- He gives us His word and gives us the key to depend upon Him, and
doesn't force us, because He wants us to simply receive a word from Him and get
the job done.
If devils are cast out, it's only because we stirred ourselves to
deal with some bondage he's given us authority against, and do something about
it.
God never forced Adam.
- He told him that if he waqlks away from God and obedience, he will
walk starighjt into death.
Pastors can ehip people and force them, but they are doijng a
great injustice for the people.
- People who cannot get hold of God for themselves will never be
useful to God in eternity!
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