THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 396

The glorification of JESUS is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit even though it is important to note that the Holy Spirit was as yet not given because JESUS was as yet not glorified.

Prior to His ascension, JESUS tells His followers to stay at Jerusalem until they become endued with power. JESUS had breathed upon them saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit." Here, the Holy Spirit refers to the breath of JESUS and the power that JESUS spoke of resulting from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1 and 2 record the fulfillment.

Earlier, as we read in Genesis, God had breathed upon Adam. As a result, man became a living soul. Sort of short lived for Adam and Eve because they disobeyed God resulting in a soul that dies because of their sin. But the message does not end there. God in Christ provided obtainable redemption for all mankind at Calvary. It was there that God laid down His own life to negate the curse of sin.

Yes, God Himself allowed His sinless body to become cursed to secure redemption for you and I. Why did He do this? Because God is not willing that any one should perish. Indeed, God desires that all people are saved and that in the sacrifice of God’s body, men and women can now return to the very same conditional situation intended for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

This is why we - ALL of us - are offered redemption. It is also at this juncture that you must decide whether to grasp hold of redemption or not. In other words, you are now one at the crossroads. The Armageddon of life. The choice is whether you wish to continue as you are or return to the Lord who dearly loves you and desires to save you. The same God who loves you even more than His own life!

It is your call! Do not judge yourself unworthy of redemption. Rather, receive God's plan for your life. His plan is that you advance your being to things that are eternal moving into a new birth experience.

In this new place, you will learn that JESUS taught that we must be born again of water and of the Spirit in order to see the Kingdom of God. JESUS in the scriptures states that if we are not born again of water and of the Spirit, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God!

At the end of the day, it is immaterial what others may say concerning these matters for JESUS is the Word of God manifest in flesh. It is His Word that brings all things to fruition. The Holy Spirit through the mouths of JESUS' chosen apostles declared the message of JESUS to the audience of 3,000 in Acts 2. And toward the conclusion of this message, the audience became troubled in spirit, crying out to the men and brethren. "What must we do?"

The apostles said that they must repent and be baptized into the Name of JESUS the Christ for the remission of sin and upon their so doing they in turn would receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is the Promise of God. A promise not only to them but an enduring promise to their children and those that are afar off also. The Promise extending to all of us down through the ages who make a decision to gladly receive the Holy Spirit message of redemptive salvation!

This is why JESUS is NOW glorified and we of His Holy Spirit do all receive. It is why our soul is redeemed and why now God in Christ breathes upon His flock His Holy Spirit enabling us to worship JESUS the Christ in God. Yes, worship JESUS the Christ in God and not in the deadness of a form. Rather, worship in newness of spirit!

And no, we are not talking about religion or any other institutional obstacle that man creates. What we are saying is that when we come to God our Saviour there is no middle man or woman acting as an intermediary. There is only one that can save us from our sins. Call upon JESUS today. Stand in the offering plate!