September 20th 2015
Are You Ready To Fly With Jesus?
John 17:25-26 (NIV)
"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Jesus prayed for all believers while He was still walking on this earth as a member of mankind. Notice in this prayer Jesus notes that His prayer is not limited to those who are with Him at the time, but for all those who will choose to follow Him in times to come. Yes, Jesus was also praying for us too.
Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, “that all of them may be one” and His prayer ends with “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
In the selected verses, Jesus prays “the world does not know you,” here Jesus is making clear that the people who are worldly do not know who God is, or that they may not even believe that a God exists. Only those who elect to believe that Jesus is who He claims to be will ever really know Jesus! Many people know about Jesus, but only very few know Jesus. Do you know Jesus? Jesus promises to make God known to all those who choose to follow Him, while they are still living in this world. “I (Jesus) – “will continue to make you known” – “the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Is Jesus “the Holy Spirit” residing in you? Are you allowing this Spirit to run your life for you, can you relinquish control enough to get an assist from this Spirit? Peter wrote about the fact that Jesus died for your sins, and thus, allows for you to be healed of the scars of this life, and the stain of your sinful nature. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24) Peter wrote about how we all are healed from our sinful nature through Jesus’ death on that cross, “by his wounds you have been healed.” All who follow Jesus can profess that we (you) have been healed!
The writer of Hebrews writes that we (you) can be confident and we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) When you have a time of need believe that you (we) “may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What a great promise this is.
Paul wrote to Timothy, and us, that our confidence is, or must be, based upon the fact that we are following the only Savior of the world. Jesus is our (your) mediator with God the Father! Jesus will be accompanying you to the throne of grace. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Please believe there is only one God and one mediator, who is Jesus Christ. No one else can allow salvation of your immortal soul! Those who follow any other human being will be lost! Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Paul wrote about the Rapture event to the church at Thessalonica, and for us who follow Jesus too. They were concerned that those who had died would left out of this expected transition from the earth to be in the sky with Jesus. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
Paul refers to those who have died as “those who have fallen asleep.” These people thought that Jesus was coming back before any of His followers died. Thus all believers would still be alive when Jesus returned. Paul is assuring them that all who died would also be included; in fact they would accompany Jesus, when He comes to claim the believers still alive at the time of the Rapture. No one knows when the Rapture event will occur, but do not worry, you will be included if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Are you ready to fly with Jesus?
Look to the sky expecting that glorious day when Jesus will return to claim all of His followers. Just be ready to fly at a moment’s notice, listen for the angelic trumpet call! Do not worry though, because Jesus knows you, and will gather you to Him. What a wonderful day that will be! Estimated time of arrival, unknown! Estimated time of the stay with Jesus is for all eternity! Now that is a flight worth waiting for with great anticipation! Jesus has your boarding pass already with Him!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 17:25-26 (NIV)
"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Jesus prayed for all believers while He was still walking on this earth as a member of mankind. Notice in this prayer Jesus notes that His prayer is not limited to those who are with Him at the time, but for all those who will choose to follow Him in times to come. Yes, Jesus was also praying for us too.
Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, “that all of them may be one” and His prayer ends with “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
In the selected verses, Jesus prays “the world does not know you,” here Jesus is making clear that the people who are worldly do not know who God is, or that they may not even believe that a God exists. Only those who elect to believe that Jesus is who He claims to be will ever really know Jesus! Many people know about Jesus, but only very few know Jesus. Do you know Jesus? Jesus promises to make God known to all those who choose to follow Him, while they are still living in this world. “I (Jesus) – “will continue to make you known” – “the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Is Jesus “the Holy Spirit” residing in you? Are you allowing this Spirit to run your life for you, can you relinquish control enough to get an assist from this Spirit? Peter wrote about the fact that Jesus died for your sins, and thus, allows for you to be healed of the scars of this life, and the stain of your sinful nature. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24) Peter wrote about how we all are healed from our sinful nature through Jesus’ death on that cross, “by his wounds you have been healed.” All who follow Jesus can profess that we (you) have been healed!
The writer of Hebrews writes that we (you) can be confident and we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) When you have a time of need believe that you (we) “may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What a great promise this is.
Paul wrote to Timothy, and us, that our confidence is, or must be, based upon the fact that we are following the only Savior of the world. Jesus is our (your) mediator with God the Father! Jesus will be accompanying you to the throne of grace. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Please believe there is only one God and one mediator, who is Jesus Christ. No one else can allow salvation of your immortal soul! Those who follow any other human being will be lost! Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Paul wrote about the Rapture event to the church at Thessalonica, and for us who follow Jesus too. They were concerned that those who had died would left out of this expected transition from the earth to be in the sky with Jesus. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
Paul refers to those who have died as “those who have fallen asleep.” These people thought that Jesus was coming back before any of His followers died. Thus all believers would still be alive when Jesus returned. Paul is assuring them that all who died would also be included; in fact they would accompany Jesus, when He comes to claim the believers still alive at the time of the Rapture. No one knows when the Rapture event will occur, but do not worry, you will be included if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Are you ready to fly with Jesus?
Look to the sky expecting that glorious day when Jesus will return to claim all of His followers. Just be ready to fly at a moment’s notice, listen for the angelic trumpet call! Do not worry though, because Jesus knows you, and will gather you to Him. What a wonderful day that will be! Estimated time of arrival, unknown! Estimated time of the stay with Jesus is for all eternity! Now that is a flight worth waiting for with great anticipation! Jesus has your boarding pass already with Him!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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