The Glorious Christian Life - Part 2

Welcome to our broadcast.  Join us now for Part 2 of The Glorious Christian Life.

We have everlasting life.  Praise God!!  And through that everlasting life, we have all kinds of benefits including healing.  I myself was miraculously healed, back in 1990, from chronic asthma that caused me so much time from school, that caused me so much burden, that caused me so much pain. I came close to death several times, but the Lord healed me miraculously in 1990 when somebody prayed for me and told me, “Look at Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 19, it says
That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
This other brother prayed for me back in May of 1990; I had this disease for 11 years, Chronic Asthma, getting worse and worse.  And my life, I felt, was just sapped away, I couldn't do anything, constantly on medication, constantly afraid that I will lose the medication.  But Jesus came in and He healed me by His Stripes and I praise God for that.  That was one of the benefits of the salvation. 

But the most glorious thing is, to end with God and as it says in Peter, to have an abundant entry with God when we go to heaven, that all the angels will come to us and give us a glorious eternal entry into heaven.  See these things are all given in scripture and God is wanting tonight, dear friends, for all of us to have that glory in our lives.  The life should be so strong, so intense that we don't need to even speak many times.  People will know that this person is different.  Even if I don't wear a cross, even if they don't see me hold the Bible, they'll know there's something emanating from this life that is far different from the rest.  This life is innocent, this life is holy, this life is godly, this life is the life of love, this life doesn't take vengeance.  This is Jesus living in us. 

The Lord says, I come into you if you have received me.  But now let me abide with you and what a wonderful thing God does.  He says, ‘I won't force myself into you, I won't force myself to remain with you, though I love you with everything that I have.  You have a choice.  Will you love Me? Will you love Me back? Will you walk with Me? Will you be my Bride? The Lord says, Out of your own will, I want you to love Me.  Then that is true love. 

And this is how we know we show the love for God when we don't love the world.  It says do not love this world. What is it again in the King James: the lust of the flesh - all that my body desires, everything you can think of that is wrong.  See there are genuine and legitimate desires that God has placed within a man and a woman, in a boy and a girl.  God has given certain desires, certain propensities that must be satisfied.  He created us, he designed us, but for every desire that we have He has a proper and a Holy Purpose and a righteous way to fulfill that. 

It is our duty and joy to discover from the Word of God, as we read it every day, and I hope you do have a copy of the Bible with you wherever you go.  Because it's not just to carry as a good luck charm as you know, but to say Lord I value Your word, I love Your word.  Many years ago, I used to want to carry the Bible, but I was ashamed.  You know as many, many years ago, as a person struggling in the world and struggling in the church, so to speak.  And I used to think, well, if I carry this Bible it's going to bulge out of my pocket and if I carry someone may see it, what will they think of me? 

But when I surrendered my life truly to the Lord and I said, “Lord, I love more than anything else in my life. I'm proud to be Your child. 
Lord, I love Your word, therefore, I value it.”  How many of us will leave our homes without our cell phones.  We say, of course, I cannot leave my home without a cell phone. I need to be in communication with who, my loved ones. 

How do I communicate with God? Through prayer, but also I hear His communication through the Word and through the Spirit, but primarily, through the Word of God.  So, if I value the Word of God, should I not take it with me wherever I go? And every spare opportunity I would say, Father I love and I show of my love to You by loving Your Word.  Oh, how I love Thy Law.  It is my meditation all the day long. 

Be radical for Christ!  Be radical for Christ!  Let Him and His glory flow through you.  Then He will use you as salt and light in this world.  Even in your families, even in your societies, at your workplace, we don't need to work it up, the fruit will manifest as we yield to God.  Praise God! So, the things that we see, the things that we crave for in our body, and the pride of life, all these worldly things must be put to death. 

In Romans 6, 7, & 8
6.For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin
7.because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8.Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

 It says this, the old life is everyday struggling to manifest itself.  God says you must put it to death.  You see beloved, if we belong to Jesus and we know Him, God says, “I'm giving you a duty, I'm charging you with a sacred duty.”  Our battle in our whole life in one sense is singular, you know what it is? It is the fight against sin.  Sin contaminates everything.  Every relationship, every work we do, everything we long for, all our dreams, our passions, sin comes in and corrupts everything.  The Lord came and He took that sin away with His Own Precious Blood.  The Lord says, “make sure you don't let it come back into your life.”  Praise God! 

This is why Paul the Apostle says in Acts Chapter 24 Verse 16, "and herein do I exercise myself, (see it takes effort) to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men."This is the Christian life! Our glory is not that, "Oh, it is so hard, it's so difficult." It is, “With God all things are possible, through God I'll be triumphant always in Christ.”  “Lord, I want to live for Your Glory and let Your Glory shine through me.”  The glory of God is in knowing Him, believing His word, receiving the benefits, even healing.  It all comes by faith in the Living God. 

The foundation is beginning with Jesus Christ.  “Lord, You must not only be my savior, but You must be my Lord!” And this is why many people unfortunately have defeated lives.  They know about God, they may read the scriptures even, but they have no victory.  The victory comes when we say to God, “I will put to death those things that Lord you died to get rid of in my life.” What are those things?  The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Whatever we do must be for the glory of God and we must always have a divine perspective that these things are temporal.  They will perish. 

Once I used to live for me.  It was always me, myself, and I.  How can I be happy? How can I be comfortable? How can people love me? How can I look good?  All of that is to put to death, slain on the cross of Jesus Christ.  Now, it is how can I glorify my loving heavenly Father. 

And Praise God, when we glorify God, God never leaves us and does not honor us.  God says, “Them that honor me I will honor.”  God loves it.  Jesus said that it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Again, God has given us all things richly to enjoy.  The only thing is, make sure the cross of Jesus is in your life. 

That cross means that I will first deny myself, then take up the cross, the mission, the calling God has for me, the glorious calling, and then follow Him all the way.  Praise the Lord! So, God has this glorious life for us and you know in the midst of the walk God wants us to be strong, not weak.  Abraham, it's written of him, was not weak in faith, but strong.   At one time, he told half-lies, he was afraid for his safety, he did some carnal things.  But did God write him off?  He did not.  Praise God, our God is long-suffering.  He is a very gracious and compassionate God.  All of us have made mistakes in our lives, the grace of God comes and covers our life and said I forgive you when you genuinely come to me and repent. 

Abraham did not stay where he was, neither must you or I.  You may say, “Lord, there are things in my life that need to be cleaned up”.  Hebrews Chapter 12 Verse 1 says this:   Therefore, see, we are headed somewhere, aren't we? We are headed towards heaven.  Our life is geared towards meeting God.  If God is not the chief desire of your life, I would say examine your Christian life.  It's not just Sunday, not just even prayer meeting; it is, “Lord, every single day I love you because you loved me first.  Lord, I want to see what you have for me this day.  I praise you and magnify you Lord.  Use me as an instrument to touch other people's lives.”  

Hebrews Chapter 12 it says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith. See, there are many people who have gone to heaven before us.  They lived an outstanding life of faith. They finished well, we want to finish well. Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  This is what God wants.  He wants a victorious life, a glorious life. 

Satan may bring a storm as we said at the beginning.  He may bring other things.  The world may come and jeer and laugh at me.  Here comes the Christian, You're always carrying the Bible, always praying, why can't you keep that private? We don't want to hear it.  With all due respect and love, we must have an answer ready for them. We must say, "How can I?  How can I turn my back on My Savior, who bled on the cross for my sins? He loved me with an everlasting life.  He lives today so that I may live also.”  And you become bold.  Very often I have seen this in my life, and others have told me, the very people who mocked you even in your workplace, when you shine the light for Jesus and you live an obedient life, a holy life, not just talk but the walk, you're walking with Christ, they'll be drawn like magnets to the light. 

When we come to see ourselves for who we really are. God's Word is a mirror as we said, it shows us who we are.  But having gone through that and now shining the light for others to see.  We say, “Lord I want to finish well and what a glorious thing. 

I finish with this verse in Revelation 3, Lord Jesus says, Verse 20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches." 

Praise the Lord! The victorious glorious life, there is nothing to match it.  Can you tell me or can I come up with anything that I can think of,  in all our human imagination, whether fantasy or literal and real that can compare with sitting with Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe on His Throne forever with Him. 

This is exactly what it says here; so I trust that you would take the Word of God and you would treat it with the greatest respect and everyday you will read, not simply to read but to say “Lord, Show me your glory. Lord Jesus transform me, make me a power house for Jesus Christ.  I don't want to be a dimly lit light on the corner somewhere.  I want to be burning brightly for you with all the luminosity and intensity of the glory of Jesus Christ.”  That is the glorious Christian life.  Praise the Lord!

Shall we pray?
We praise You, Oh God.  Heavenly Father! We know Lord that this time on earth, Lord is a gift from You.  Oh God, our days are numbered Lord, You said that in the scriptures. Heavenly Father, Lord when we turn to you, when we examine ourselves, when we say, Oh Lord, I cannot do these things on my own, and we hear you say, I know my child, that is why I am here to help you with the power of the Holy Spirit. God let each one of us come as little children, as little children, oh Father, and say Jesus not my will, but your will be done.  Lord, I want to have that peace Oh God.  The more I do, the more I travel, Lord the more things I possess, the more achievements, it seems that this peace is elusive. God, the success I'm looking for does not bring peace after all, God how can I be a true success in Your Eyes?  Heavenly Father, I pray that, You by Your Holy Spirit will burn that question in the hearts of Your people and they will find that satisfying life in You and that glorious Christian Life that will culminate one day in seeing Your face. Oh God, in seeing Your beautiful face Oh God and being accepted in Your kingdom to finally live with You forever.   We thank you in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ.

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May the Lord richly bless you until next time!!