Showing posts with label Philippians 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippians 3. Show all posts

3/18/2012

Passover Meditation #26 for the Lenten Season 2012



~  ~  ~  The Door of the Cross ~  ~  ~

And everyone
living and believing into ME+
shall not ever die,
forever.
Do you believe this ?
John 11:26 Green's Greek Interlinear

WHAT ?  

We all know Christians who have died and have seen their lifeless body of clay at a funeral. We have witnessed those lifeless forms, so dearly beloved, being lowered into the ground and buried.

Didn't they die ?

NO.

NOT IF THEY WERE TRUE CHRISTIANS.

They simply left this location, leaving behind their vessels of clay which had CONTAINED and limited them to this earth, just like JESUS left HIS+ tired Body on the Cross.  A company of angels escorted them (Luke 16:22) through this demon-infested atmosphere and into the Presence of The LORD in the Heavenlies.

NO.
They didn't die.

They merely shed their lifeless, under-the-curse Adamic, earthly form .... but only for a season... just like JESUS left His+ Adamic Body for a short season.  Of course, their season is longer than 3 days and 3 nights, but nonetheless, it is only for a season ... if they did not die in their sins, without JESUS, without hope. 

Then, BEHOLD! Their earthly body will come forth out of the grave --- be it in ocean, earth, or ashes, it matters not to The LORD of Creation --- INTACT, HEALTHY, STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, and GLORIFIED like unto His+ Body !  

For our citizenship
is in Heaven,
from where
we also wait
for a SAVIOR+,
The LORD JESUS CHRIST,
WHO+ will transform
our body of humiliation,
for it to be conformed 
 to His+  Glorious Body,
according to the working
of His+ Power,
even to subject all things
to HIMSELF+.
Philippians 3: 20, 21 

When does this glorious event occur ?

As HE+ is returning to earth
with His+ Heavenly Armies
... and...
with the Company of Saints in Heaven,
the Saints' glorified bodies
will suddenly arise,
uniting
with their living spirits and souls. 

BLINK !

In a moment, a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet... this change will occur.

After that --- also in a moment -- we who are "alive" yet upon this earth will be transformed and join the resurrected Saints and Our LORD ,
meeting HIM+ in the air as HE+ is returning to reclaim this earth from satan.

HE+ will destroy the darkness that covers the earth with the brightness of His+ Appearing.

What manner of CHRISTIANS then ought we to be ?

3/08/2008

LENTEN MEDITATION 32 To Train for the Fight

Lenten Meditation 32 ~ ~ ~ Train for the Fight

Through circumstances I could not control, I got involved in watching a ROCKY movie... the prize-fighter. Of great interest was Rocky's massive training program. It was intense. He pushed his muscles and endurance literally to the limit. I winced.
I could hardly take the boxing ring scenes. I watched in horror as Rocky received a brutal beating, blow after blow. He got up from each knock-down and lunged full force into the fight. Why?
Rocky endured both the rigorous, unrelenting stringencies of his training so that he could WIN THE FIGHT. Getting beat up during the fight was simply a by-product, a minor hindrance (as Rocky saw it), to the process of WINNING.
Now why would I, a slight bit of a person, need to see that movie? I thought. I'm certainly NOT interested in training for the arena... or any fight.
So... that is when The LORD started speaking to my heart about it... about training for the fight.
HE+ pointed up the intensity of Rocky's training. Massive, enduring, all-consuming training. Rocky did nothing and ate nothing except what was conducive to building up his boxing skills... his boxing strength... his endurance in the arena. All fluff was removed from his life while he CONCENTRATED 100 % on his training. He focused on one thing and one thing only: THE BIG FIGHT. Rocky was single of eye.
"Now," The LORD said, "that's what I want you to do."
I became instantly sobered and ... gulped. I am not a fighter. This kind of fight entails putting to death the Self, big-time. No more petting myself. No more allowing myself treats. If Rocky could do this for his prize, why cannot I do this for mine?
The Apostle Paul did it. We have the same HOLY SPIRIT. We have the same LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. We have the same amount of victory allotted for us as the Apostles and other martyrs and confessors had.
There simply is no excuse. We do not want to fight the biggest battle, the biggest hurdle in walking with CHRIST JESUS... ourselves.
Let us fight the GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. Let us join our hearts with the Apostle Paul and learn to live this out:
But what things were gain to me,
those I counted loss for CHRIST.
Yea, doubtless, and I count all things loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS my LORD:
for Whom+ I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them dung,
that I may win CHRIST,
and be found in HIM+,....
That I may know HIM+,
and the power of His+ resurrection,
and the fellowship of His+ sufferings,
being made conformable unto His+ death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Philippians 3: 7-11, excerpts