This Is Who Jesus Christ Is to Me – An Easter Reflection for All Year

What is it like to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? 

I’m not talking about merely knowing a lot facts about Jesus.

The point of this article is WHO Jesus is to Me, not merely what.

The HOW of Jesus is the Gospel story, but the WHO is the untold reward.

Greater than the gift is the love that gave the gift, but the Giver is greater still.

You can know Jesus, and He abides IN the hearts of all who put their trust in Him.

I will fail to tell all that Jesus is.

But I will make an attempt to share ,as best I can, just who Jesus is to me.

———————-

Jesus Christ is my best thought, my most cherished possession, He is God and man, Savior and Creator, and to know Him more is my greatest ambition.

Oh the height, depth, and breadth of all that Jesus is!

He is the only way , the only truth, the meaning and purpose of life, and the only hope for eternity.

He is the author of the language of the information of life we call DNA, and the undesigned-Designer, eternal and ever-existing, who orchestrated the fine-tuned Big Bang so that our universe could sustain life.

He is the wonder in nature and science, each reflecting His infinite beauty, order, and intelligibility.

His courage to face a grievous death and torture was driven by a boundless love for everyone.
He endured rejection so we could be accepted.

He has borne our shame and by His stripes we are healed.

He died so we could live.

He defeated death for us and rose from the grave victorious.

He hears our most distant thoughts and our most earnest prayers.

He longs for us to know and love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength and all that is in us.

Christ’s love is stronger than sin and death, and mightier than any bonds known to ensnare the hearts and minds of mankind.

Only Christ’s Spirit and love can evoke love so strong in the hearts of sinners that it burns away all other passions.

Jesus is hope when all else is hopeless.  He is love when all around us is hate.  He is the reason to live when faith in all else is gone.

Nothing can drive Him away from any who truly trust Him.
He will never leave us or forsake us.

No desire, temptation, or affection can compare to knowing Christ; and anyone who truly knows Him would never choose to leave His presence – for nothing else compares to knowing Jesus Christ who is God and who is Love.

Though I walk through the Valley Of The Shadow Of Death I will fear no evil, for He is with me.

He so loved us that He came down from His glorious throne and became one of us.
He left majesty to live in humility.

 He humbly worked as one of us with the same hands that formed the universe,

all to save us, even before we knew Him.

He is all powerful, yet for the joy before Him, He endured death on a cross for those who loved Him and those who hated Him.

After three days He opened the tomb they laid Him in and rose from death.
Even now He opens His arms to beckon to all who labor and are heavy laden to give us life and rest.

My heart is bound and accountable to Christ’s heart who gave His blood to cleanse my soul of sin.

Duty as motivation is not worthy of comparison to the intimate resolve to love Christ.
Christ’s love, when realized, goes beyond motivation, discipline, and dedication.

Christ’s love is limitless and the one who knows such love is confident in trials and courageous in tribulation.

The human mind may seek in vain to grasp the full scope of God’s love, but we should continually endeavor to do so.

Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and everything in between.

His promises are sure and are anchored in His great love, which He publicly demonstrated on the cross for you and me.

And, believe me, when I say this; words can’t even begin to express to others this inexpressible love Christ is in the hearts of those who know Him.

Jesus is the Most Sacred Flame, the Light of the World, inextinguishable and inexhaustible, burning in the hearts of all who trust Him as Savior.

The totality of who Jesus is to all who know Him cannot be fully expressed because He transcends measure, time, and space.

He alone is worthy of our eternal praise.

 

They Gave Christ a Cross, Not Guessing that He Would Make it a Throne

“He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it.”

~James Stewart~

———————————

“It is a glorious phrase of the New Testament, that ‘he led captivity captive.’ 

The very triumphs of His foes, it means, he used for their defeat. He compelled their dark achievements to sub-serve his end, not theirs.

They nailed him to the tree, not knowing that by that very act they were bringing the world to his feet.

They gave him a cross, not guessing that he would make it a throne.

They flung him outside the gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up all the gates of the universe, to let the King of Glory come in.

They thought to root out his doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.

They thought they had defeated God with His back the wall, pinned and helpless and defeated: they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down.

He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it.”

James Stewart (1896–1990) was a minister of the Church of Scotland

—————-

” And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

He has made alive together with Him,

having forgiven you all trespasses,

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us,

which was contrary to us.

And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 Having disarmed principalities and powers,

He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

(Colossians 2:13-15)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

(John 3:16)

Why C.H.Spurgeon is Called The Prince of Preachers

C. H. Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“A sermon without Christ as its beginning, middle, and end is a mistake in conception and a crime in execution” -C.H.Spurgeon

“Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Revelation 22

A sermon may be three points or even five points, but if Jesus isn’t the whole point we are missing the point.

Related articles

• Never Ashamed (Spurgeon’s Faith’s Checkbook) (forhisgloryandpraise.wordpress.com)
• Quotes: Charles Spurgeon on Humility in the Pulpit (revivalandreformation.wordpress.com)
• Quotes: Charles Spurgeon on Humility in the Pulpit (defendingcontending.com)
• Friday, September 21, 2012. This Morning’s Meditation – C.H. Spurgeon (brokenheartedboldness.wordpress.com)
• Spurgeon on the Folly of Regeneration Preceding Faith (arminiantheologyblog.wordpress.com)

Come to Jesus and Obtain the Fullness of Love and of Grace

“The best way to come to Christ is to come meaning to get everything, and to obtain all the plenitude of grace, which he has laid up in store, and promised freely to give. Some poor souls who come to Jesus Christ seem as if they wanted a little relief from fear, a hope that they may just get saved, and a fair chance of going to heaven when they die. Pray do not come in that way, my dear friend. Come intending to obtain the fullness of love, the uttermost of grace.” C.H.Spurgeon

Ephesians 1:13,14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

“Give Me Jesus” – Fernando Ortega – Ruth Graham Tribute” Video – 4 min.

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” 

~Jesus ~ (Luke 9:25 NKJV)

“…you can have the whole world, give me Jesus….”

To say this tribute video to the life and faith of Ruth Graham, the wife of the famous Christian evangelist Billy Graham, is  moving is an understatement. 

This is one of my favorite Christian songs if not my absolute favorite .

Click the link below.the 

“Perhaps you could know Him today? ” ~Billy Graham ~

16″ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” 

(John 3:16-21 NKJV)         Jesus is waiting now.  Only believe and ask Him. He hears you. 

The NEW Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept that you can do anything, Courage to believe I can do all things through Christ, And wisdom to believe it is so.”– God Came Down

“The Spirit which rests upon Jesus must anoint us also, or the measure of faith will not be enlarged.”
Breathe then the prayer to God, my brother, “Increase my faith:” this will be a far wiser course than to resolve in your own strength, “I will believe more,” for, perhaps, in rebuke of your pride you will fall into a decaying state, and even believe less. After having made so vainglorious a resolution, you may fall into grievous despondency: do not therefore say, “I will accumulate more faith,” but pray “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Herein is your wisdom.”– C.H.Spurgeon —

The Sum Total of C.H. Spurgeon’s Theology

“My entire theology can be condensed into 4 words: ‘Jesus died for me.'” – C.H. Spurgeon —

No doubt that is the main reason Spurgeon is known as ,”The Prince of Preachers”.

This great preacher always pointed others to our Great Savior, Jesus Christ.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

(Galatians 2:20)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Revisiting the Trinity

Isaiah 9:6 ” For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

” Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”Isaiah 7:14
This verse is repeated and explained in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus Christ.

” The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him, “Immanuel”,( which means, “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

These cannot be explained any other way, the child was the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father.

We are called to child like faith,
That is because God can do anything,
He created all the laws of the universe, yet He only lived under those laws when He came to rescue us.
Because He loved us.
The rest of the time He lives above the laws of the universe, where time does not even exist, for He created time.

I also maintain a domain as a hub for my WordPress blog.
http://www.godcamedown.com

Here is how I see the trinity, (I use the flower known as the Trillium to illustrate.) Followed by this brief explanation.

People often struggle with the idea of the trinity. How can God be a man and a Spirit and God all at the same time?
The answer is easier when we remember He is God. Nothing is too hard for God. He fills all of the universe at the same time, knows all of our thoughts continually, sees perfectly in total darkness. Still His power is no less.
When God had a son he did not create another God. God inhabited flesh and bones. Why? Because He is Holy and Just. A man would have to atone for the sins of mankind. But no man was the perfect offering required for sacrifice. God loved us so much that He personally came to endure the hardships of life and still be able to love His enemies. He allowed them to kill Him on a Roman cross. He bore our punishment and endured our shame because He loved us. Then three days later He overcame the grave to prove He can do the same thing for all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

If we refuse to accept Christ as Savior because none of this makes sence then we have misunderstood what faith is. God lives above reason and can do anything,… including all that we would call absurd.

Reason is not how we come to know God, but by faith. Romans 1:17 “The just shall walk by faith.”

Let me leave you with this final word from Hebrews 4:2 of the Bible. It helped transform my life from being unable to rest on what the Bible says by reason and illustrates the necessity of faith,
and speaks of those who perished outside the promised land for lack of faith.

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Hebrews 4:2

God bless you on your journey for truth, May you take God at His word by faith find rest and peace in Him.

The Key to Loving God With All Your Heart

God is love, and He created us for a relationship with Him.
He also made us the reason for the greatest expression of love that has or will ever take place.
God came down from heaven in the personage of Jesus Christ to save us Himself from eternal separation from Him and eternal suffering in Hell.

It all began when Satan tried to over throw God and take His throne for himself.
God banished Satan to Earth from heaven and created Hell as a place of eternal suffering for Satan and the legions of angels that he led away with him in his rebellion to God. Isaiah 14:12-17

Then , perhaps to try to get back at God, Satan tempted Eve in the garden of Eden to do what God had forbidden.
Satan used the same thing against mankind that was his own weakness, Pride!

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”Genesis 3:5
Satan wanted to be ,”like God”, and he temped Eve to sin with the notion that she could be ,”like God”.

God could no longer dwell with His creation. Mankind was banished from the paradise that was Eden and the presence of God.
God also promised that He would restore mankind to Himself and gave a clue as to how He would accomplish our redemption.

“He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

When Christ, the promised Messiah came to save us, he suffered, died , was buried and rose again to defeat death.

He died our death and then defeated death in order to give life to all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior.
Satan was defeated and eternal death was defeated.

Now Jesus offers eternal life to all who believe in Him as savior and ask Him to come into their heart.

For with the mouth confession is made and with the heart man believes and is saved.”Romans10:9-10

He loved us before we ever knew Him. John 4:10,14

His love is infinite and as we experience His presence in us, our hearts will expand and grow to become more like Christ and less about ourselves.

No matter how much we currently love God, we can always grow to love Him more.

Jesus revealed what is probably the best way to set a direction for continuous growth in love for Him when He told this story to a dinner host. The story is found in Luke 7:40-47.

The story has three characters.

A master and two people who both owed the master more than they could pay.

One owed slightly more than he could pay.

The other owed the master a great deal more than he could pay.

Jesus said the master forgave each his debt.

“Which do you suppose loved the master more?”

The dinner host responded, “The one whom was forgiveness the greater debt.”

“Rightly so.”, answered Jesus.

He continues to tell His host that those who have been forgiven much love much and,”He who has been forgiven Little loves little.”

We know the characters in the story represent the dinner host, the former prostitute who washed Jesus’s feet with her tears and wiped then with her hair, and Jesus himself.

But the key truth contained in this story that Jesus wants us all to get is the one that sets our hearts on fire and burns away all competing passions.

This happens when we realize that no one could pay what was owed and all faced the same fate, and the Master’s grace was all that made the difference.

We are also in this story by application. We all owe to God what we can’t pay and Jesus paid it for us.
Only believe He did that for you and receive His gift of eternal life.

One perceived his indebtedness more, the other one perceived his sin less, and they loved in proportion to their perception of themselves. But God is the standard of true perfection.

Here is the answer;”There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:22-23

Whether by little or much, we are all imperfect.
None of us are worthy to dwell with our Perfect Creator God after we leave this life unless we receive the sacrifice of Jesus the Perfect One as our own and we put our faith in Him as our Savior.

When we realize He died for all our sin, not just some of our sin, we will be free to love God with all our heart, not just some of our heart.

He that has been forgiven much loves much.

We all owe everything to God.

Our perceived need is little or much , but the reality is there is no difference.
All fall short.

But this needs to be said also,
We don’t all believe Once Saved Always Saved.

If you currently think you have to maintain a certain measure of works to feel secure in your salvation, you may not be fully trusting Christ’s sacrifice alone as the means to pay for your sins.

You have been forgiven little, and no matter how much you love God, you will always be able to love Him more if you trust Him for all of what He did for you that you were unworthy to do for yourself.

When you FULLY believe and know Jesus paid ALL your sin debt, then you can begin to love God with ALL your heart.

And when you trust God with ALL your life, then you will have tapped into the source of all faith.

Whether little or much, He alone is worthy to settle our debt.

Remember, there is no difference, we all fall short.

All have been forgiven much, and all can love God much.