CHAPTER 7
PART 3
He becomes your Lord
“For
what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…”(2
Corinthians 4:5).
*
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| 40 YEARS |
Forty years seems like a long time to be
in the wilderness, but sometimes it takes people a long time to see their own sinful
condition in the holy light of God’s truth. Some of you have walked with God
for years and still participate in a life of secret sin.
Many who lay claim to being God’s people
have not truly turned from their wicked ways. “…If My people which are called by My name
shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked
ways,…” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV). God loves you and died to free you from sin, not
to pacify them. God accepts you as you are, but his acceptance does include or mollycoddle
your ongoing sinful lifestyle.
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| JESUS IS LORD, NOT YOU |
Lordship encourages you to humble
yourself under God’s commands and put away pride and rebellion from your heart.
Lordship exalts God and demotes self when you are obedient to his commands.
Lordship clearly exposes what is in your heart to others, and to God and to
yourself.
When trials come, if the heart is not
right, along comes unbelief, adultery, rebellion, pride, stubbornness,
selfishness and other sins. “For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies...” (Matthew 15:19 KJV).
You gave your heart to God, but you won’t
keep all his commandments (Deuteronomy 5:27). We are to “count it all joy…” when we go through
things, because when Jesus is Lord we know the “… trying of [our]… faith worketh patience. But let
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing (James 1:2-6 KJV).
When
Jesus is Lord, “…he
knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold”
(Job 23:10 KJV). Because of the Lordship of Jesus “….the proof of your faith, being more precious than
gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:”
1 Peter 1:7 ASV).
We all go through things that make
no sense and often feel God has abandoned us in our situations and
circumstances of life. “…In the world ye have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ASV). We
pray, believe, depend on Jesus just like the bible says and the situation seems
to get worse, not better.
Satan would have you believe
trusting God makes things worse. It’s not true. Sometimes our tribulations
tempt us to believe the distress and suffering means God is not with you, but
no matter what, remember God said, “..I
have overcome…” (John 6:33 KJV). If
Jesus said “I have overcome” then you
have too! You win!!!
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| ROMANS 11:33-34 |
In addition, remember you can’t
always understand God’s supernatural, loving, and divine ways “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his
counsellor?” (Romans 11:33-34 KJV).
God does things from a holy
perspective and not human one. Many things God does makes no sense to you, me,
or others. In the story of Lazarus and the
little girl in John 11 and Mark 5, respectively, it seems Jesus didn’t come to
the situation “on time.”
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| ON TIME |
At least that was the opinion of
those in the biblical context. We feel that way too when someone dies anyway,
gets sick anyway, leaves anyway, or a marriage breaks up anyway and especially after
all we did to stand in faith! What is the point of trusting Jesus if the
situation or circumstance ends badly or gets worst ANYWAY?
Even as we read these two biblical
stories, it boggles the mind that Jesus did not come visually to these
situations until death had occurred. It’s over
and the situation is a bust, so why is Jesus showing up now? Jesus did
this for a reason. However, this is the place many “give up” or accuse Jesus of
not working things out the way they wanted them to work out.
One of Lazarus’ sisters said, “… as
soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, … Lord, if thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died…
” (John 11:20-22
KJV). Don’t GIVE UP. Martha accused Jesus of not being there and implied it was
TOO LATE, so she told him “… Lord, by
this time, he stinketh: for he hath been dead for four days …”(John 11:39
KJV). In the other story they thought he was TOO LATE too and “…they laughed him to scorn… “ (Mark 5:40 KJV).
Who is your Lord and Savior? JESUS.
The same Jesus in these two stories
showed up on the scene, in his timing, with the purpose of giving them a GREATER
outcome!!! While Martha and Mary were being comforted about Lazarus and weeping
and wailing was going on over the little girl Jesus had something better in
mind. (John 11:17-22, Mark 5:38-39).
Even when the situation looks dead,
“…only
believe” (Mark 5:36 KJV).
Jesus is not limited to ANYTHING!! “And
he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his
face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let
him go..”
(John 11:43-44 KJV). And in the other story, “And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi;
which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.”
(Mark 5:41 KJV).
Let go of your
limitations and trust in God’s unlimited abilities. Jesus goes BEYOND what you
can see or comprehend. Nothing is dead until Jesus says it’s dead!!
A relationship with God will always
take you BEYOND human understanding. God does not want his relationship with
you to be limited by human, finite abilities. The bible says, “ Trust in the Lord with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
(Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).
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| EPHESIANS 3:20 |
When God makes
no “human” sense Jesus says, “….. be
not afraid, only believe”
(Mark 5:36 KJV). When God answers you, often your human understanding or
ability will limit or hinder you from moving beyond where you are. Praise God who is able “… to do far more abundantly beyond
all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us”
(Ephesians 3:20 NASB). “…Only
believe” (Mark 5:36 KJV). And
accept “…his ways[are]…
past finding out…” (Romans 11:33-34 KJV).
EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER
"HE BECOMES YOUR LORD" FROM THE
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