Good News-Eternity Assured

Have you considered the fleetingness of life? We look around and nothing seems to stay the same and is all so temporary. Seasons come and go and people are born and die. When we compare this to the eternalness of God and His kingdom we see a different picture. 1 Peter 1:23-25 gives a comparison for us to consider and examine.

“since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

Promise: God promises that my new life in Christ comes from a living, eternal Savior and His Word will never fail or fade but will stand for ever.

Unlike our temporal body, our spiritual body in Christ is eternal. Even though we die, we will live on with Him as our soul, the spirit God gave us is imperishable. It will abide just as God will abide forever and we will be with Him. The comparison that Peter uses about withering grass and flowers is poetic language that comes from Isaiah 40: 6,8. Peter wants us to know that even though the world around us withers and dies, we will remain with God forever. God’s Word and His promises from His Word are eternal. Peter desires that we believe this about our future and see this as good news. The Good News that Jesus has to offer from His suffering on the cross and His resurrection brings a saving faith to each of us. Through Christ we can see the true nature of who we are in Christ, for we are His eternality.

What we can know from these verses: Newbirth comes from God through Christ, God and His Word are eternal, Christ is the living word of God, things on earth are temporal, knowing Jesus brings good news to everyone who believes.

Lenten Reflections: Do I have this eternal life or am I still on the fence deciding if Jesus is right? If this is your question consider these verses in Romans 3:10-12, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9. After praying and confessing, ask Jesus to come into your life and then rejoice as He lives within you! Read these passages to confirm your new faith. John 1:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Knowing Jesus changes our lives and gives us an eternal perspective on life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can trust in the eternality of God, His Word and my place with Him forever. Thank you Jesus for your assurances and the hope that they bring.

Linda

Related Verses: Romans 6:4, Psalm 90:1-2, Psalm 119:89, 160, Ephesians 2:5, 1 Peter 1:12, 2 Timothy 4:17-19, Ephesians 1:3 and 2:6.

Prayer Has Power! Pray! Second Sunday of Lent

The first Sunday of Lent we looked at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in verses15-17. Lent is a time of prayer and reflection. Looking at how Paul prayed for his friends and coworkers gives us insights and ideas on how we to can pray for others. In Ephesians 1:18-21 Paul continues adding to what he desires for his friends in Christ so they will be ready, equipped and empowered to live God directed lives.

18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Paul prayed for: **their hearts to be filled with God’s light so they could fully understand the hope and inheritance they have in Jesus. God sees us as holy through the power of Christ and what He gives us is glorious and rich beyond measure. Paul wanted the Ephesians, and us, too to grasp more clearly what marvelous things we have in Christ.

**them to have complete understanding and knowledge of the actual power they had in their lives because of Christ. This is the power of God that raised Christ from the dead. Power to conquer sin and defeat death.

**for them to know and be assured that Christ has risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father. His power and authority is greater than any other on earth and above any power past, present or future. He is above all!

What about you? Do you understand the full measure of what it means to be saved? We will spend eternity with Christ and He gives us power to live our lives in a way that is holy and pleasing to Him. This power we have is resurrection powered and available to us through faith in Jesus. Through Christ we are conquerors as Romans 8:37 tells us “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Life or death and in all things we can be victorious through Christ. Have you ever wondered where Christ is now? In Luke 22:69 Jesus said, “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” He may be seated there but He is not idle. His Holy Spirit is guiding, counseling, comforting and as Romans 8:26-27 tells us  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are always with us, watching over us and caring for us.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, the power of the risen Christ lives within us and empowers us to live godly lives for Him. Therefore our prayers can be powerful and effective. 1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Keep on praying!! It works.

Linda

Is Jesus Personal to You?

Psalm 118 28Who is God to you?  To King David He was a personal God, one who saved, loved, protected, helped, restored,cared for and directed him throughout his life.  In Psalm 118:28-29 David desires to give thanks to his God.

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;  you are my God; I will extol you.     Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;  for his steadfast love endures forever!

David had a personal relationship with God and knew who He was and how he could depend upon Him.  I too have a relationship with God that was made available to me through Jesus.  Knowing Jesus as my savior opened the door to having God’s indwelling Spirit within me.  Jesus put it this way in John 14:23 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.”  Jesus told Martha in John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”  I don’t have ‘religion’;  I have a relationship with God.  I am His daughter.   Paul described our new relationship with God in Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”    Is God your Father?  Do you claim your status as an adopted son or daughter of God through Jesus?

personal godMake God personal today and move into a relationship with Him.   1 John 1:9 tells us how to know Jesus-  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   Make this your first Thanksgiving with Him- ask for His forgiveness for the sins you’ve committed.  You know the words you’ve used to hurt others, your selfishness, your unkind actions… the list for all of us goes on and on as this is the sin nature we were born with.  Put a stop to this circle of sinning and invite Jesus into your life.  Like David, you will have a personal relationship with God.  That relationship is worthy of all our thanks and praise to Jesus who made it possible.  Knowing Jesus will change your life!  Praise and thank Him this Thanksgiving for this new life.  If you know Jesus, thank Him today for His marvelous grace and forgiveness.

1peter3 15Share your thanks with someone else this year.  1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to share our hope in Jesus with gentleness and kindness, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”  Jesus is the good news of life to a dying world.  Be bold and share Him with others.  You will be blessed.

Linda