Still time to get in! : By James Lantz
I have good news for those who desire to receive more of God’s glory and grace! There is still time to receive of God’s manifested goodness and power before the trumpet sounds! God does not want one person to miss heaven and end up in hell. Like wise God will not withhold any good thing from those who love him and seek his will. Ps. 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ receives God’s mercy and his grace! Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
God has always been the initiator of bringing blessing to his man, and he so greatly desires to bless and share the glory that he gave Jesus, with us. (John 17:22) Salvation through Jesus Christ is way more than we could have asked for or even thought of. God pursued us by His Holy Spirit, revealing the truth of redemption to bring us back to himself. When we accepted God’s offer of redemption through His Son, we became a child of his. Now that we are born again God expects us to learn to function in the ways of the kingdom of God. This includes obeying Jesus, our new Lord, putting off the old man and putting on the new, walking by faith and not by sight, and becoming skillful in representing our Heavenly Father while here on earth. There is a little added responsibility that we are given upon becoming a child of God. God expects us to come to Him to have our needs met now that we have received salvation. God has given us
It is our responsibility to stay close to Jesus and hear his voice!
his word to read and obey just as if He were speaking to us face to face. We also are to obey those he has set over us in the Lord. John 13:20 Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. The ones that Jesus has sent to us are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to teach us how to do the work of the ministry. (Eph. 4:11&12) Heb. 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Leaders are not to force us to obey God, but to bring God’s word to us so we can willingly and joyfully serve God together and impact our communities for Christ.
God’s greatest desire is to tabernacle with (live with) his people! Just as God came into the garden of Eden to walk and talk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day he continually visited his man. God told Moses to go and sanctify the people, have them wash their clothes, and refrain from coming at their wives because he was coming to see them from mount Sinai on the third day. Ex. 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. After the tabernacle was built God told Moses to have the people prepare because He was going to manifest his glory to them again. Lev. 9:6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you. Lev. 9:23&24 . . . and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. God is manifesting his glory in the earth today and will continue until the whole earth is full of his glory! The glory of God is his manifested presence, his manifested goodness, and his manifested power. The glory includes, salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing of your body, miracles, protection, provision (supernatural debt removal), and every good thing.
Just as we saw God had a certain protocol for his people to come close and see his glory in the old covenant so He still does not allow any sin in his presence. We are to boldly come into the holiest by the blood of Jesus knowing that our sins have been remitted. Heb. 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. It was by faith that we were justified before God and it is by faith that we maintain our right standing and confidence with God. Jesus warns us not to let our love for God grow cold. We live in a day in which many are lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, with out natural affection, covenant breakers, false accusers, without self control, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the miracle working power of God. We are not to associate with people who live like this because it will get on you. 1 Cor. 15:33 AMPC Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. Drawing back from God and our commitment to God will bring
Loss and destruction come to the one who pulls back!
destruction. Heb. 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Jesus said we are to take up our cross daily and follow him. This speaks of dying to self so we can put God and his things first and prefer our brother next. The growing cold and drawing back happens automatically if we take our foot off of the gas. In order to experience the glory of God in our lives we must stay engaged in seeking first the kingdom of God. God gives additional grace to all his children who humble themselves and submit to him. James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. The empowerment to resist the devil comes after we submit to God’s will for our life. Notice that the Holy Spirit through James calls christians, who refuse to put God’s things first, sinners. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Perhaps you need to make some adjustments like putting your car into drive and applying the power so you can experience the glory of God. Don’t hold back because the reward is so much greater than the cost. God’s glory and grace are available to you right now! I pray that God will show you the steps to accelerate faster for his glory!
