Being Written

Being Written

Essentially we are, are we not, often guilty of wanting to edit our life story rather than trust God to edit it as only He is able to do it and do it well. The final heavenly everlasting edition will be most glorious when we submit to Jesus who IS the AUTHOR and the FINISHER of our faith. I want to look good in the mirror. It is there that I fix myself up so others will not find me laughable or ugly. But what does God see IN me. He looks on my heart, He seeks truth there. He seeks an entrance into my heart that He may commune and ever dwell with me there. And He looks on all who trust in His Son as one body, as many individuals forever membered to Him as His One Body and Bride. Jesus is the one building His church and we need to let Him build it. Yes, we are called into His fellowship and partnership, but God establishes the rules. He does not allow us to put our square pegs into His round holes. As sinners our desires, lusts and prideful things are square pegs that do not fit into His Holy desires for our contentment, self control and humility. It is us, as persons and as His Kingdom citizens who must abandon everything unfit, everything that cannot fit what God is putting in place, building together.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim [Jerusalem], coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. [and I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, `Lo, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them--their God, (Rev 21:3 YLT)] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away." Then the One sitting on the throne said, "Look! I am making everything new!" Also he said, "Write, 'These words are true and trustworthy!' " And he said to me, "It is done! I am the 'A' and the 'Z,' the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1-7 CJB)

There are things that simply do not fit into the holy city, New Jerusalem. They are found in the next verse:

But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death." (Revelation 21:8 CJB)

We must face this reality. What God will not allow in the city of eternal Life where He will dwell with us, are those evil things which still exist in this world we live in but do not love, those things are from satan. He will steal, kill and aim to destroy any and all people… and how? By satan making them cowardly, untrustworthy, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, occultists, drug dealers and users, idol-worshippers, and liars.

We must allow God to edit out what ever evil characters satan has (if he has) managed to install in our hearts. God wants to be the only One (Three in One) writing on our hearts characters of Love. That is how He makes us like Jesus, and we must see and endeavor always to see Jesus, for then we will be like Him!

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1John 3:2 KJVR)

We do not see it all now as it will be always, but we seek that even as we journey Home to our Father. And by God’s grace we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter now as we live in the world.

If we will pursue Life in Christ along the Spirit drawn holy guidelines we will be attract the attention of those who should be saved. We will also attract the attention of those who in and still of the world may or may not ever be saved. And we may attract the attention and presence of angels ! Faithfully following our Savior and Lord will expose us in ways we might not want to be were we to know in of it in advance. But church history and the Bible show the “possibilities” and the probabilities and even the guaranteed consequences of pursuing a godly life. See please: John 15:18-25; John 17:14-26 and 2Timothy 3:12.

Peter and Paul and their apostolic teams were well acquainted with and the consequences of following Jesus as His ambassadors of the gospel of God in Christ as the servants of the word of reconciliation.   

And indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted, (2Timothy 3:12 CJB)

Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2Timothy 3:12 CEV)

Am I willing to suffer for simply wanting to live as Jesus lived? If we really belong to Jesus and want to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength then we will encounter opposition from others. If we want to obey the greatest commandment we will also want to obey the second greatest which is so very much like the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus was not crucified by those who loved Him.

Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, "Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness is in control."

(Luke 22:52-53 CEV)

Darkness in others will cause them to wittingly or unwittingly hate Christ in us and even seek to harm us.

When we obey God, we are sure that we know him. But if we claim to know him and don't obey him, we are lying and the truth isn't in our hearts. We truly love God only when we obey him as we should, and then we know that we belong to him. If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ. (1John 2:3-6 CEV)

But if we are willing to love God with all we have and are, we will love our neighbor enough so they would also know our Lord and God, Father, Son and Spirit. We will be joined in the Messiah with all His servants who carry the Word of reconciliation to those yet to be reconciled.

Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message [word KJV] of reconciliation. (2Corinthians 5:17-19 CJB)

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Php 3:14 KJVR)

… we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. (2Co 12:19 KJVR)

God, does He not, does want to make of us LIVING LETTERS of His Love and Good News in Jesus the Messiah and Savior of all who believe Him. Let God edit your life. Give the Holy Spirit access to your wheelhouse, the control room, to the seat of your soul’s own government. God governs men and women better, better than they can govern them selves. Our sins and the struggles we have to stop sinning show how flawed is our own ability to govern our lives. Or are we content to be sinners? Or do we rejoice to be sinners?

Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? (2Corinthians 13:5 AMP)

Am I one of Jesus’ own brothers?

But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person. For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; For He says, I will declare Your [the Father's] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. [Ps. 22:22.] (Hebrews 2:9-12 AMP)

Even amongst the unsaved brotherhood causes many to fierce loyalties. How much more should we, being offered brotherhood with Jesus our Maker and the Author and Finisher of our faith, respond with zealous desire and requite the Love and Loyalty of God, God WHO IS our Father, our Brother and our Holy Breath of Life and Love.