October 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Twenty-seven

“LO and BEHOLD”

(K)

“Omnipotence reigns!” [3]

              A life possessed by Jesus Christ is a MANIFESTATION OF OMNIPOTENCE! This is a statement of Truth! A life that is completely surrendered to his Creator, Savior, Lord and King is a life through which GOD CAN DO ALL THINGS! This is the purpose for which all men are born! Jesus Christ says ALL THINGS are created for God’s PLEASURE! (Rev 4:11) But do we fulfill that Divine Purpose by living only for ourselves?! If we wake up each morning with our heart fixed firmly on our natural agendas; and our attention focused squarely on our natural environment; and our affection first offered to our natural family- is our life an honorable vessel of God’s Pleasure? Consider these Words of Jesus Christ in Lk 12:32,

“IT IS YOUR FATHER’S GOOD PLEASURE
TO GIVE YOU THE KINGDOM (OF GOD)!”

But here is the million dollar question:

IS IT YOUR GOOD PLEASURE
TO RECEIVE THE KINGDOM?!

              To live in God’s Kingdom is to be the absolute subject of the Absolute Monarchy of the reigning King of kings! It is acknowledging and acquiescing to the only OMNIPOTENCE! It is recognizing and bowing low before the Supreme Sovereign: Creation’s Author and finisher! It is joyfully and willingly accepting our role as Sons of the Most High God! It is setting His spiritual agenda before all else; it is raising and centralizing our attention on His spiritual environment; it is offering our first and last affection to His spiritual family; and then, it is serving as His Love-link- and spiritual intermediaries to all men everywhere! Who could ask for anything more?
               Jesus promises all members of Divine Royalty: “If you have Faith undefiled by doubt... you will receive ALL things if you ask in prayer, believing it is done!” (Mt 21:21-22) “This is our confidence: if we ask ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, God hears us; and if we know He hears us, we know we already have whatever we ask of Him!!” (1 Jn 5:14-15) Jesus assures, “If you ask ANYTHING IN MY NAME (Gk 3686 “Nature, character, authority!”) I will do it!” (Jn 14:14) Also, “If you who are evil give good gifts to your children; how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him?!”(Mt 7:11) Jesus says, “If two of you on earth agree to ask for anything, it will be done for you by My heavenly Father!” (Mt 18:19)
               These invitations to make divine supplications are based on qualifications like: asking in faith devoid of doubt; asking in prayer and total belief; asking according to God’s Will; and lastly, asking in Jesus Christ’s Name- that is, in His Nature, Character and Authority! God decries those “Name it and Claim it” religious doctrines that pander to our lusts- basing them on verses like: “Ask and IT will be given to you; seek and you will find IT; knock and IT shall be opened to you!”
               (Mt 7:7) The question here is: what is “IT”? The answer is in the previous verse 6 which speaks of
               “HOLY THINGS- also called PEARLS”! Let us grow up, beloveds! Jesus Christ did not come to die on a Cross so our lusts could be indulged with carnal pleasures! Our God is no king of fools! Nor is He a super Santa Claus; neither is heaven a Super-Store for flesh men to pillage and loot!! The HOLY GOD sent His HOLY SON to awaken His HOLY SPIRIT in us; so He can teach us to OVERCOME OUR FLESHLY LUSTS and ASK FOR HOLY, SPIRITUAL THINGS!
               Consider Mt 6:6-8 when Jesus says, “As you pray, enter into your *closet!” [*Gk 5009 translates this in Mt 24:26 as “secret chambers”; and in Lk 12:24, “See how the ravens neither sow nor reap; they have no storehouse or barn!” This verse continues, “When you shut the door, pray to your Father Who is hidden; and your Father Who sees in secret shall reward you openly! But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions like unbelievers do; for they think they will be heard because of their many words! So do not be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you even ask Him!” (Selah! Pause and calmly think of that!) We don’t actually have to ask our Father for anything at all! He already knows all that we need; He just wants us to participate in the joy of KNOWING HOW MUCH HE LOVES US! Every time we receive what we asked for, we are assured of being in God’s Perfect Will; and children love to please their fathers! However it is imperative that we learn one great truth. God only hears and answers the prayers of spiritual men for He is a Spiritual Being; and “Natural man cannot receive the things of spirit!” (1 Co 2:14) So it is vain for carnal men to storm heaven with their lustful demands! Their false “prayers” only bounce off the firmament of heaven like a rubber ball flung against a wall! Only a man of spirit who humbles himself before His Lord and Majesty to ask for HOLY THINGS OF SPIRIT can expect to receive anything from Him! Does this mean that God is stingy? Or is He too destitute to meet all our needs? Let’s let our Sovereign Savior answer this for Himself:

“To Him that is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above and beyond all that we could ever ask or think, according to the power at work in US; to Him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen!” (Eph 3:20-21)

[TO BE CONTINUED]