December 4th 2022
We Know The New World Is Coming, Where We Can Eat From The Tree Of Life And Live With Jesus Forever.
Luke 23:43 (NIV)
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Okay, I know I’m skipping to the end of the accounts written about Jesus, and this is the season we celebrate His birth. However, without Jesus’ death and resurrection, His birth would not still be celebrated for the last over two thousand years. So, when it gets closer to Christmas, these commentaries will focus on those wonderful reports. Of course, the selected verse recorded Jesus’ response to one of the criminals who was hanging on another cross, and this man knew he would soon be dead. Jesus’ response to this man who is repenting of his sins he committed in his life, and thus, Jesus is granting him forgiveness of those sins. Have you repented of your sins to Jesus?
Since Jesus is the Son of God, He knew He was going back to the paradise of God, and He also knew His death was ushering in the forgiveness of the sins for all members of mankind who would repent of their sins and choose to follow Jesus Christ from this day forward until the end of this cursed world. So, when he said, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise," He knew His statement was true!
Most important to all of us sinners who are still living in this cursed world Jesus still makes that statement to His followers today. While Jesus was still on this cursed world He told us, His disciples, the same thing He promised to that criminal/sinner all those years ago. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:2-6).
I believe this promise Jesus made back then was true to those He addressed, and it is still true today to all those who choose to become followers of Jesus Christ. Thus, to me this means when we die to this life in this mortal cursed world, Jesus is going to come down into this cursed world, and take your immortal soul with Him to the paradise of God, where you will remain with Jesus, until the new world is ready for us to live on with Jesus the Christ forever. When we chose to become disciples it becomes possible for us to recognize sin, and to try and avoid sinning. We do this to bring glory to God. Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8).
During this Advent season it is important that we dwell on trying to avoid sinning to thus bring glory to God. The hustle and bustle of this season of shopping to buy those gifts for those we love can put pressure on us and open us up to being tempted by Satan. Peter wrote about always practicing self-control, but maybe especially during this season. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Paul wrote about becoming angry about something and how your anger can lead us into sinning. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27). James wrote about relying on God to help us avoid being coerced by Satan into not being in control of our Christian temperament. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7). With God’s help we can resist the devil and remain in control of our feelings during this season.
Now taking a positive look at this season of Advent we should be looking forward to this great new beginning for the world, which brought forgiveness into this world. We need to be looking forward to the award of salvation, starting with the birth of Jesus into this world. We must live in this world, but we are not to become held back by the problems we may experience. Jesus said, The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25). We need to always be looking beyond this world and its problems.
Jesus overcame this world by coming into it as the Savior of all who will accept His offer of salvation. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). We should be able to experience a peaceful attitude as we cling to the knowledge of our ability to also overcome this world. Knowing we can continue to work on becoming more Christ-like every day.
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. (1 John 4:17). Those who choose to follow Jesus will become more Christ-like and thus “in this world we are like him.” This world is a temporary place created for mankind as our dwelling place, but there is coming a better place for all those who believe and thus have Jesus Christ waiting to take us there when we leave this cursed world.
Eternal life awaits us, and it was all made possible starting with the birth of Jesus Christ into this cursed world. Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7). Jumping to the end of the story, so to speak, we know the new world is coming, where we can eat from the tree of life and live with Jesus forever.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Luke 23:43 (NIV)
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Okay, I know I’m skipping to the end of the accounts written about Jesus, and this is the season we celebrate His birth. However, without Jesus’ death and resurrection, His birth would not still be celebrated for the last over two thousand years. So, when it gets closer to Christmas, these commentaries will focus on those wonderful reports. Of course, the selected verse recorded Jesus’ response to one of the criminals who was hanging on another cross, and this man knew he would soon be dead. Jesus’ response to this man who is repenting of his sins he committed in his life, and thus, Jesus is granting him forgiveness of those sins. Have you repented of your sins to Jesus?
Since Jesus is the Son of God, He knew He was going back to the paradise of God, and He also knew His death was ushering in the forgiveness of the sins for all members of mankind who would repent of their sins and choose to follow Jesus Christ from this day forward until the end of this cursed world. So, when he said, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise," He knew His statement was true!
Most important to all of us sinners who are still living in this cursed world Jesus still makes that statement to His followers today. While Jesus was still on this cursed world He told us, His disciples, the same thing He promised to that criminal/sinner all those years ago. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:2-6).
I believe this promise Jesus made back then was true to those He addressed, and it is still true today to all those who choose to become followers of Jesus Christ. Thus, to me this means when we die to this life in this mortal cursed world, Jesus is going to come down into this cursed world, and take your immortal soul with Him to the paradise of God, where you will remain with Jesus, until the new world is ready for us to live on with Jesus the Christ forever. When we chose to become disciples it becomes possible for us to recognize sin, and to try and avoid sinning. We do this to bring glory to God. Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8).
During this Advent season it is important that we dwell on trying to avoid sinning to thus bring glory to God. The hustle and bustle of this season of shopping to buy those gifts for those we love can put pressure on us and open us up to being tempted by Satan. Peter wrote about always practicing self-control, but maybe especially during this season. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Paul wrote about becoming angry about something and how your anger can lead us into sinning. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27). James wrote about relying on God to help us avoid being coerced by Satan into not being in control of our Christian temperament. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7). With God’s help we can resist the devil and remain in control of our feelings during this season.
Now taking a positive look at this season of Advent we should be looking forward to this great new beginning for the world, which brought forgiveness into this world. We need to be looking forward to the award of salvation, starting with the birth of Jesus into this world. We must live in this world, but we are not to become held back by the problems we may experience. Jesus said, The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25). We need to always be looking beyond this world and its problems.
Jesus overcame this world by coming into it as the Savior of all who will accept His offer of salvation. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). We should be able to experience a peaceful attitude as we cling to the knowledge of our ability to also overcome this world. Knowing we can continue to work on becoming more Christ-like every day.
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. (1 John 4:17). Those who choose to follow Jesus will become more Christ-like and thus “in this world we are like him.” This world is a temporary place created for mankind as our dwelling place, but there is coming a better place for all those who believe and thus have Jesus Christ waiting to take us there when we leave this cursed world.
Eternal life awaits us, and it was all made possible starting with the birth of Jesus Christ into this cursed world. Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7). Jumping to the end of the story, so to speak, we know the new world is coming, where we can eat from the tree of life and live with Jesus forever.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak