This is Livin'

I saw pictures on a friend's myspace yesterday that skyrocketed me over the mountain of despair, doubt and unbelief. I've been a bit like Habbakuk recently crying, "How Long Lord?"

My friend's photo was titled: This Is Livin'. He and his father sat on a dock fishing together. It wasn't from the old days when he was a little boy, it was from a new day that has dawned in their life and oh, how I heard the angels rejoicing in the heavens! I can't overlook that the natural speaks of the supernatural! The photo seemed to declare the signs of the new age. God promised Malachi he would send the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their sons and the hearts of their sons to the fathers.

The words from two scriptures had been in my spirit/heart/mind all week:

Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me Lord, Lord yet do not do what I command?"

Matthew 16:13: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Who do you say that I am?"

After I wrote today's article my friend's photo reminded me of eternal life with God in Christ. Hence my title, This is Livin'. The two guys in the photo shine so brightly the love of a father and son and THE Father and Son I couldn't resist. Remember, what Jesus said in John 17:

"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

Do you claim Jesus is Lord in your life? Have you made this commitment to Him? Are you putting his word into practice? When we make false claims about His Lordship we will get quite the shock. Romans 6:5-18: Who or what is your master? When we truly live with Jesus as Lord of our lives we voluntarily become obedient from our hearts to a new master. Previously we were slaves to sin but Jesus took our sins upon the cross, buried them in the grave and rose again to show us new life in Him! Sin no longer rules over us in this new life for we are under God's grace since Jesus' death and resurrection. His blood washes away our sin, cleansing us and enabling us to approach God's throne of grace confidently. This new life we live is unto God from our hearts. Romans 6:11: "in the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God through Christ. Don't let sin rule in your body obeying its evil desires; don't offer parts of your body to sin, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who've been brought from death to life! Romans 6:23:

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ."

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Even in this age there are those demonstrating unusual power, who will experience great surprise in the last day if they have not submitted their lives completely to Christ. So be watchful, not judging, but careful who you align your lives with.

Matthew 16:13: "Who do people say the Son of Man is? But what about you? Who do you say that I am?"

Would God build his church upon Peter the person or his faith? How had this revelation come to him? Had he been asking for it? What we know is that Peter believed. He saw through the eyes of his heart the invitation Jesus offered to know God and be known by God. A sense/revelation came to him and he chose to believe. Jesus said, "you didn't get this from man, but from my Father in heaven." Peter didn't understand it all in that moment, but believed. Through personal experience with God Peter confessed Jesus is Lord. It's more than the words we speak, it's a transforming faith in which Jesus said he would build his church! Jesus said upon that rock he would build the church and the gates of hell would not overcome. He said he would give to Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

The church is God's visible Kingdom! It is to use the authority given it by Christ to represent His purity and holiness; to be extensions of His love and grace and even to stretch out our hands whereby His power can move to provide for those in need. Many in the world today decry unanswered prayers, war, poverty and lack- how is it that God allows this? His church is meant to be His visible Kingdom, yet people are not aligned, not in unity, or relationship with Him or with one another. Many have fallen asleep, become 'comfortably numb' and stopped being this visible Kingdom. But! Jesus asks once again: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Who do you say that I am?" Isn't it time to arise, come out from the grave like Lazarus and take off the grave clothes? Isn't it time to open our hearts, minds and spirits to the Spirit of God? Isn't it time to come alive in Christ?