Christian Living
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
"And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)
Easter is a favored time of the year. There are other times of the year that are favored by others, but Easter is my favorite. Easter is a time of renewal both for the physical world and more importantly for the spiritual world. It is at spring a renewal burst forth from the ground bringing new life, new color, and new fragrances into the air, and it is a time when the dreariness of winter blossoms into beauty. After Easter, the days become a pleasurable time filled with the energy of the spring. It is the glory of the power of God’s regeneration of nature that the earth once again gives forth its fruit that man can live in the abundance of nature’s blessing. This is the time of the year when we see the mystery of God’s creative power yielding forth from beneath the covering soil to explode above abounding that every one may pause and know that He is God.
Since the days of my early childhood dancing in the fields of the farmland and wooded forest caused me to pause. For me as uneducated as I am it will ever be a mystery the power that bust from the ground to which I someday shall rest these weary bones. And to those who study these things it still, even with the wealth of their knowledge, remains a mystery, for yet they do not fully know. It is not only in this time of spring but throughout the years as they endure seemingly onward that the earth replenishes without fail. Who could not pause to marvel at this majestic creation and not know a glimpse of the mighty Creator? I cannot in my heart believe that anyone could not know that we live in the love of a supreme deity we call God. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)
Mankind has tried in the past and failed, to rationalize how and when this world all came about into existence but there is no other way than for it to have been created. We can argue all the live long day which came first the chicken or the egg but neither could have come without the other. All came from the power of God’s Word. In the mind of man, or at least in my mind, it is the only logical way. In Genesis, we read “In the beginning God.” Nothing else, just God, and all came into being by His word. God saved His most treasured creation for last and loved it so much that He got His hands dirty creating it, man. He reached down and formed man from the clay of the earth and breathed His breath into Him and brought into being a life in His image.
Consider God’s Word, His Son Jesus, whom through all creation was spoken into being and all creation is maintained. "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17) The Word of God is the power of the universe and by His Word, all things came into being and by His Word, all things hold together. Without the Word of God, creation would have ended even before it was fully created. His love for His creation keeps it going on but God’s love for man is so strong that He sacrificed His Word that we might live with Him forever. In the beginning, God did not speak in trial and error, He did not speak in idle chit and chat, God always speaks in the context of His love and justice governed by the passion of His purpose. By what we can see from the result of His Word there is no greater power. "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
Somewhere back in the eternity before the creation, there was not a pile of material sitting around waiting to be employed. What do I believe there was? I believe there was God and only God. I believe He has always been and always will be. I also believe that God is the author of all that there is both in the physical world and the spiritual world and whatever other realms there may be. I believe nothing is impossible for God so who can say what is beyond this limited vision that we have here. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
In my thought process, I believe that God created by faith. He conceived in His Spirit what He wished to create and by His Word, He spoke it into being. "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) This is how faith works, God places vision into our spirit and we speak it into reality in our lives. This is how the Christian can understand how God created the whole of creation. "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3)
Jesus is the Word of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) Jesus is God and He came to dwell amongst men to teach, to save that which was lost, and to sacrifice Himself to pay the price of man’s rebellion against the Word of God. "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) As Jesus was teaching His disciples that they may carry on His ministry He gave the very clue that I made reference to about how faith works. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19) This is how faith works. God puts the vision into our spirits and by faith we live and speak it into reality.
When Jesus was teaching He was not just saying what He had been taught or what He thought to be true but spoke with the Authority of God for He was God. "For He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." (Matthew 7:29) The words that Jesus spoke were presented in a way that His disciples had never heard before. His words always had a profound effect on whoever had an ear to hear. To some, it angered and made them despise and reject Him and His teaching. For others, His words broke them and they became aware of the sin in their life. The Spirit of God convicted them of their sinful ways and they knew they needed to repent and seek His salvation. He made it clear that He was the only way to restore man’s fellowship with God. "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) Either way, when Jesus speaks an effect will occur, it will either cause a change in your life or a hardening of the heart. If the heart is open to the truth Jesus will reveal Himself to you. "Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." (John 4:26)
Only Jesus is worthy to forgive sins because only He was able to be the propitiation for sin. Jesus by His life and blood paid the price for the sin of the world. That is all sins of the past, present, and future. There is no excuse for any man to face the wrath of God as Jesus took it on their behalf. Yet many reject Him and will not accept His gift of salvation. They refuse to believe, they pass into the next world without hope, and they face an eternity separated from the love of God in a place reserved for the one who comes "only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) It is by faith in God’s Son Jesus that man can find forgiveness. "Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." (Luke 5:20)
Jesus is the power of God by His Word. Jesus had the power to raise the dead, (John 11:43) He has the power of the natural forces to calm the winds and the sea, (Matthew 8:26) by His word demons flee, (Matthew 8:32) and by the words of Jesus He can heal the sick. (Matthew 8:3) The words of Jesus are powerful, they are the power of the universe, as they created the universe and hold the universe together.
The Word of God, Jesus, can be found in the Holy Scriptures. These words are not a collection of verses compiled together by forty plus authors over 1500 years who just happen to be in perfect agreement. They are God’s Words. “In the beginning was God” therefore He is the only absolute truth for in the beginning there was only God. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) His Word is the only words that I can completely believe in, the only words that I can walk in faith with. God’s Word is the only word that is truth. "You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth." (Psalm 119:151)
Only by the Word of God are we freed from the bondage of our sinful past and have power over the temptations of a sinful future. "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32) By His Word, we can learn to live in faith as His Word produces faith. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) The Power of God’s Word is the power to judge our lives by, the power for right living, and the power to overcome the evil ways of the world. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) The Word of God is the weapon against the evil spiritual forces that are active in this world set upon our destruction in denying God that He loves, our souls. We should place the Word of God well into our hearts that we will be able to defeat Satan and all his deception. This is the very weapon that Jesus used when He was tempted by Satan. (Matthew 4:1-11)
Each and every Christian has been commissioned to go and make disciples unto every part of the earth. (Matthew 28:19-20) We do this because we have the Love of God living within us through the Spirit of Jesus living through us. We should go boldly, unafraid and unashamed sharing the Gospel message to all who will hear. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) This is why we must have the Word of God in our hearts. The world despised Him and rejected His message. Satan will do all in His power to prevent any from hearing the truth. We must know in our hearts the Gospel truth to win the battle for our Lord who will enable us to the victory through Him. "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3:4)
In sharing our personal testimony of what Jesus has meant and done for us we have two powerful weapons that we can use. We know that the Word of God will not go out and return to Him void of accomplishing its purpose. (Isaiah 55:8-9) We also know that the Gospel Message has the power to save men’s souls that they will not have to face the wrath of God and have the hope of a home in the Kingdom of God. The life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that through our belief and faith in Him we can have salvation and eternal life. All we do is share the good news that the Holy Spirit can do His work to convict, turn a wayward life around, and set them on the path to God’s Glory. With these two powerful weapons, we can continue the work of the Twelve Disciples for the glory of God. The Word of God and His Gospel message. This is the power of the universe and we should lift it up for all to see. "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (John 12:32)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
Durant Bible College, April 6, 2015
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR
This article has been read 391 times < Previous | Next >
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.