Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Choices - Good or Bad


John 3: 31-36

“He who comes from above is above all.  He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.  Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.  For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.  The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

In my business travels I’ve been to a few places that my wife has not been, places like Egypt, and I came back with pictures and stories, but what if she had said I do not believe you were there?   That is very similar to what happened to our Lord, he came with all authority and power; He raised the dead, He took five barley loaves and two fish and fed five thousand, He gave the blind sight, He healed the sick, and He made the lame walk, but many who saw and heard would not believe.

The great news is found in, Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.”  The NIV Bible says it in this manner; “The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.”  Does my life certify that God is truthful, or do I live my life in such a way that others will say, “He acts like Jesus tells the truth?”  And what is meant when it says, “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.”  Jesus invites everyone to enter into a personal relationship with Him, and the very moment one accepts Jesus, they get all of the Spirit they will ever get.  A great example of this is your brain, it is not your mind, it is an organ, and it has the ability to learn and do much, but the average person uses very little of it.  If you do not understand what was given you when you entered into Christ’s time-line, you must read 2 Peter 1: 3-4.

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he writes in more detail about the preeminence of Christ.  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17)

 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” And it all comes down to a choice, everyone has to choose, do I believe and receive, or do I choose to be in charge of my life and reject this gift of life in the full now?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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