May 21th 2017
You can choose to enjoy this worldly life!
John 15:7-8 (NIV)
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Most of us who claim to be disciples of Jesus, never dare to proclaim such a thing to strangers. Do you believe that your testimony could ever convince a non-believer to begin to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Do you believe that you can tap into the power of Jesus while you still walk on this earth? Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory” when one of His disciple’s risks “showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Does anyone ever know that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ? Today in the USA most people do not want to be informed that Jesus is willing to indwell them! Do you believe this previous statement? Many people use drugs and alcohol to give them a temporary good feeling about themselves that they have not been able to get through self-esteem training, which is offered at public schools, and is sadly also offered by many churches.
If it feels good, do it! Is an outdated adage, but is still practiced today by many who cannot depend upon belief in Jesus Christ in any way? This commentary is not being written to guide you in evangelizing, but instead is meant to direct your thoughts toward enjoying your life now, because you have included Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you have taken control of your life, and everything seems to be going well, then it is time to assess to whom do you depend upon for it to stay on course! Life is not controllable as situations can occur that are out of our control sometimes referred to as stormy weather. Jesus offers to support us in such times by being available and willing to share our load.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). Here Jesus is telling us to not go-it-alone, but to share both our good times, and our bad times with Him. When you do as Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” He is saying He will share in your current burden. When oxen were yoked to each other they could pull the load together, thus making it easier to do the work. Humility is required for you to believe you need Jesus’ help, especially when things are going well for you.
God’s perfect will is a term most people cannot accept as being true! Many people turn away from the Christian faith, because they refuse to accept that God’s will is perfect. They dwell on death as some type of evidence that a loving God would not allow death, because they do not accept death as a consequence of mankind’s sin. Many professing Christians do not believe there was a perfect world created, and then death came to be because of the first sin. A literal Adam and Eve are required for this Biblical account to be true. Many modern theologians are turning away from this belief, as they are turning to theistic evolution as being correct, that is that God used evolution to create mankind. Thus, mankind was not a special creation, as the Bible plainly teaches, which relegates mankind to just another animal. What you believe on this issue, as it is critical in accepting that God’s will is perfect!
Paul wrote a warning to the early churches about this conforming our thinking about God to what the common man believes, or is willing to accept as the truth. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2). Has becoming a follower of Jesus caused you to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This transformation will allow you to understand that death is not really a penalty, but a blessing. God sent His Son to this earth, as the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins, and if we accept this sacrifice, all our sins are forgiven, when we die and leave this earth. This action then makes us candidates for eternal peaceful living with God in heaven, and eventually to living on the new earth with Jesus/God for all eternity. That sounds like a blessing to me, what about you, does death still seem like a penalty?
Paul wrote about this perfect will of God again, and tried to link it to your everyday life in this fallen world. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1Thessalonians 5:16-18). Paul wrote, “Be joyful always, and “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” So, the will of God for us who follow Jesus is that we can be joyful always, even in bad times, because we know we have eternity to spend with God, because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. No, I did not skip it, Paul also wrote for us to “pray continually.” Remember what Jesus said in the selected verse of this VOW, “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Ask in prayer and our wish will be granted! Unlike a Genie there is no limit of three wishes, Jesus grants are unlimited! However, His rewards are not limited to the attainment of riches in this world!
You can choose to enjoy this worldly life! This is true because this is not really the end! It is just the beginning. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1). God created everything, but sin came into this perfect world, and death was the blessing from God to release us from this sinful place. Then God planned for a new earth like the one before sin brought in a curse of death and suffering. God’s plan calls for a new and wonderful earth to replace this cursed one. Now that is really Good News!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 15:7-8 (NIV)
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Most of us who claim to be disciples of Jesus, never dare to proclaim such a thing to strangers. Do you believe that your testimony could ever convince a non-believer to begin to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Do you believe that you can tap into the power of Jesus while you still walk on this earth? Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory” when one of His disciple’s risks “showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Does anyone ever know that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ? Today in the USA most people do not want to be informed that Jesus is willing to indwell them! Do you believe this previous statement? Many people use drugs and alcohol to give them a temporary good feeling about themselves that they have not been able to get through self-esteem training, which is offered at public schools, and is sadly also offered by many churches.
If it feels good, do it! Is an outdated adage, but is still practiced today by many who cannot depend upon belief in Jesus Christ in any way? This commentary is not being written to guide you in evangelizing, but instead is meant to direct your thoughts toward enjoying your life now, because you have included Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you have taken control of your life, and everything seems to be going well, then it is time to assess to whom do you depend upon for it to stay on course! Life is not controllable as situations can occur that are out of our control sometimes referred to as stormy weather. Jesus offers to support us in such times by being available and willing to share our load.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). Here Jesus is telling us to not go-it-alone, but to share both our good times, and our bad times with Him. When you do as Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” He is saying He will share in your current burden. When oxen were yoked to each other they could pull the load together, thus making it easier to do the work. Humility is required for you to believe you need Jesus’ help, especially when things are going well for you.
God’s perfect will is a term most people cannot accept as being true! Many people turn away from the Christian faith, because they refuse to accept that God’s will is perfect. They dwell on death as some type of evidence that a loving God would not allow death, because they do not accept death as a consequence of mankind’s sin. Many professing Christians do not believe there was a perfect world created, and then death came to be because of the first sin. A literal Adam and Eve are required for this Biblical account to be true. Many modern theologians are turning away from this belief, as they are turning to theistic evolution as being correct, that is that God used evolution to create mankind. Thus, mankind was not a special creation, as the Bible plainly teaches, which relegates mankind to just another animal. What you believe on this issue, as it is critical in accepting that God’s will is perfect!
Paul wrote a warning to the early churches about this conforming our thinking about God to what the common man believes, or is willing to accept as the truth. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2). Has becoming a follower of Jesus caused you to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This transformation will allow you to understand that death is not really a penalty, but a blessing. God sent His Son to this earth, as the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins, and if we accept this sacrifice, all our sins are forgiven, when we die and leave this earth. This action then makes us candidates for eternal peaceful living with God in heaven, and eventually to living on the new earth with Jesus/God for all eternity. That sounds like a blessing to me, what about you, does death still seem like a penalty?
Paul wrote about this perfect will of God again, and tried to link it to your everyday life in this fallen world. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1Thessalonians 5:16-18). Paul wrote, “Be joyful always, and “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” So, the will of God for us who follow Jesus is that we can be joyful always, even in bad times, because we know we have eternity to spend with God, because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. No, I did not skip it, Paul also wrote for us to “pray continually.” Remember what Jesus said in the selected verse of this VOW, “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Ask in prayer and our wish will be granted! Unlike a Genie there is no limit of three wishes, Jesus grants are unlimited! However, His rewards are not limited to the attainment of riches in this world!
You can choose to enjoy this worldly life! This is true because this is not really the end! It is just the beginning. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1). God created everything, but sin came into this perfect world, and death was the blessing from God to release us from this sinful place. Then God planned for a new earth like the one before sin brought in a curse of death and suffering. God’s plan calls for a new and wonderful earth to replace this cursed one. Now that is really Good News!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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