God is He who always is(Rev 4:8).
He is present everywhere(Ps 139:8), and
He is present in every moment.
Faith is acknowledging His presence, and
Faith life is returning to where one is supposed to be, even if it means death.
If a worldly man knows where he ought to be,
Whether a student, a worker or a soldier,
How much more important would it be for
My soul to be where it ought to be.
Forgetting such is misery - it is sin.
Deceived by the devil, who
Forgot his proper position and tried to be like God, and
Thus, was cast out of heaven(Is 14:12-15; Jude 1:6),
Adam sinned and was banished from the Garden(Ge 3:4-6, Ge 3:24).
Nevertheless, by responding to God's questioning of his whereabouts,
Adam was clothed in the garment of skin - a sign of future grace from God(Ge 3:21).
When God called,
The men of faith, such as Abraham and Moses,
Answered, "Here I am(Ge 22:1; Ex 3:4), for
They acknowledged God's presence, the fact that He was there.
The sanctuary where the name of the Lord God(Ex 3:13-14) was
Reminded the Israelites the presence of God,
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(Ex 3:6), who was
With Moses and brought them out of Egypt(Ex 3:12).
Yet, there were those who were in places that
Displeased God and thus were cursed:
Balaam who loved the wages of wickedness(Nu 22:34; 2Pe 2:15); and
Saul who went to seek a medium(1Sa 28:6-8).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-20), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would reveal the physical presence of God, for He is
The incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning(Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14),
He who was and is and is to come(Rev 4:8), and
He who is before Abraham was born(Jn 8:58)
Though those who met Jesus(Mk 4:36-41; Jn 4:7-10)
Did not understand Him at the time,
They were the luckiest men in history for in their brief lifetime,
They encountered God who is present.
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
1. Willingly lowered His position and lifted the Father up(Php 2:6-8);
2. Judged the devil who left his proper position(1Jn 3:8; Jude 1:6); and
3. Redeemed the sins of men and made a way for souls to return to the position where they ought to be(Mt 20:28).
Jesus rose and sat on the heavenly throne -
His eternal dwelling place(Jn 14:2).
The Holy Spirit comes to the souls who
Received the name Y'shua and
Lets them know where they ought to be:
The church while they are alive in the flesh(Mt 18:20);
Paradise after death; and
The Father's house after resurrection.
He also lets them repent for being with the worldly(Rev 2:12-16).
The men of the Spirit,
Therefore, participate in all gatherings, such as
The Lord's Day worship and home-group meetings,
Even if they are persecuted, they preach the gospel for
Where the name Y'shua is the presence of God,
Where their souls ought to be.
They hope to be taken up when the Lord returns and
Dwell in His presence forever(Jn 14:3).
O Lord,
Let us return to our first love, first zeal and first passion!
Let us kneel in the Garden of Gethsemane and
Preach even if we are called "Jesus freaks, because
That is where our souls ought to be, where our souls belong!
Amen.
