As we celebrate the cross of Christ as well as His resurrection, we also need to realize as part of His body, bone of His bone, we also celebrate because He died, we have died and because He rose, we rise in Him…..
It is all about Him and then all about us living through Him. So how do we perceive Him as our Lord…. Savior and King!? Paul’ s life is a great example of how we are to live this adventure in Christ today!
Paul, the apostle, is a great example in the workings of the Spirit of God in men. The Holy Spirit of grace opens our spiritual sight and ears to the realm or kingdom of God. He anoints us with Himself…. Paul was Saul of Tarsus. He was a staunch Pharisee. He was a leader in the Mosaic law and form of the doctrine of the temple…. but he was deaf and blind to the way of Christ. He persecuted the ones that followed the way of Christ….. until…..
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.
So he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do You want me to do? Then the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.
And the men journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes had opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. So the Lord said to him, arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his vision, ( Acts 9:3-12).
Paul received his sight as well as his spiritual sight of the Lord…. He saw the Lord Jesus in His glorified state….. He knew there was a spiritual sight that now was opened…. He would probably speak to us today, and say he was blind and now he could see ….. see the Lord…… as the Lord, King Jesus Christ…… Son of God….. He calls this the vision of the Lord…. He delighted to reveal His Son in me as Paul wrote in Galatians….. When we have received the vision of the Lord, our spiritual eyes and ears and heart now learn to know the King as we become His vessel of light. He then becomes our only reality, the only true reality……
Christ’s body today has the same heavenly vision as Paul did….. The command has not stopped: to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that the may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me ( Jesus Christ), ( Acts 26:18).
We have the Spirit of the Light of the world within to illumine the Lord before the world….. We walk in the Light as He is the Light. In Him there is no darkness, so as we abide in the Lord, we live in light of the Spirit…..
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may manifested I our mortal body, ( 2 Corinthians 4:7-11)
He shows us all things to come: He shows us what is being planned in the dark from darkness and what the Lord has planned for us and is coming…..We work the life of Christ out in our lives as we are His body….. As He is, so are we….. What He went through from His creation, we also receive so that Christ may make Himself large in us. As we die in Him, we live in Him and He reigns through us in greater measure…… What cost, when we have Him as our Great Reward!
Look up for our redemption draws nigh-
Look up and see what the Lord has for you and me…
It is tremendous and free if you believe.
All things are possible, do you dare to believe?
The King is here for you and me …
Calling us out and up to be His light for all to break free…
Don’t turn away from the gentle Voice calling you to come out, come up to Him and see….
Look what has the King’s desire, who has His eye?
Alas, it is His bride shining…..
Behold, she reflects His great love in brilliant array…
She is His and His alone in His holy way….
He watches with such strong intent….
His eye will hold her in safety until His day of return……
For He sees His reflection in her beauty…..
He receives His travail of His soul in her gaze toward Her Only Love….
His reward is in Her eyes which are for Him alone….
He sees she is of Him adorned and crowned with His Name….
In the clean and pure white wedding garment of His Spirit upon her…..
See He is watching and waiting for the fullness of time…..
His beloved city, His bride, laid down her life….
For His sake, His fame, His glory, for all will know His Name….
She overcomes by His blood and His word and by His love….
Behold the King, behold His great love…….
Behold the bride who is adorned for Her King…..
Come and see what He has planned for you and me… Selah….
The ancient doors are opened as the trumpet calls,
Come up here to see and hear….
He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people: gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me of sacrifice, ( Psalm 50:4).
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things God has prepared for those who love Him, ( 1 Corinthians 2:9).
Beloved, we need our spiritual sight and spiritual ears to understand and live the purpose of our King and our Heavenly Father…. so we may be about the Godhead’s business and not ours…… See His intent and strength in His purpose towards His beloved….. We are His and He is ours…. See His travail of His soul, us. See how He bled for her, called us to His own heart….. Let us let Him have His way….
Lord, thou be our vision, in the waking and in the night….. in peace and in the fight…..For all our adversities are none compared to Yours, we bear Your reproach, though it be night, we live by Your Light…. Keep us strong in the battle and in the calm…..For You are Sword and Shield. You have made us new and clean…..So Your glory will be seen.
We are Yours and we will go wherever You lead us… for we are Your sheep and You are our Shepherd….. We are Yours, we hear and obey and see You reveal Yourself within us….. Lord, only You….. We have eyes for only You and You alone….. You are the Lord of our hearts….. We rest in Your strength and Your power for all our days and nights until the day we awaken and will be in Your likeness. Awake us, O Lord, awaken us in Your mercy.
Praise be to You for ever and ever….. O King of glory, O Lamb of God….. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed us and keeps us safe from terror…. Thank You for Your sacrifice…. May we now make our lives a living sacrifice as Your bride….. holy and acceptable to You which is our reasonable service, but we want to be more than that for our love for You will not stop looking and watching for You…. Dying daily to the world and living unto You by the power of Spirit. O Lord, You are the Audience of One…. We die to live for You above all….In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This theme of coming to the Lord starts in Genesis and continues through the whole Bible…. Genesis 35:2, And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him. Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
Let us hear and see with a heart to obey the Lord today! Come within Holy Spirit and do Your work of fire….. burn away the chaff as the seed of love for our King will grow abundant fruit for His pleasure and desire…… The reward for His travail will be found in the love for Him and Him alone by His saints.
Grant us our request, O Mighty One….O King of Glory!
Selah!
