His Ultimate Posession.

He will return in the clouds . . .

By: Ron Bouchard http://www.theburningheart.com

“The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” Psalm 24:1

The thought that you are God’s posession will do either one of two things: 1. Fill you with joy. or, 2. Fill you with anger.  I guess there could be a third response, which is the scariest of all; you could care less . . .

I read the above verse this morning, and the knowledge that everything is the Lord’s filled me with great joy and peace.  Knowing that I am a part of His eternal plan is a joyous thing indeed. Realizing that God created me to be in relationship with Him and knowing that I exist by and for His pleasure is a delight to me!

Don’t you agree?

If you don’t, it may be that you haven’t been properly introduced to your heavenly Father.  May I introduce you to Him through His Word?

“Lift up your heads, O all of you gates; and be all of you lift up, all of you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O all of you gates; even lift them up, all of you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.” Psalms 24:7-10

“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3

Grace & Peace, Ron

Giving Your Life Away . . .

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.”    John 12:24  (Jesus speaking)

Jesus had thirty three years on this planet.  The first few years were spent fleeing to Egypt and living in hiding there from the wrath of Herod.  The rest of his years, except for the last three, were spent at the hard labor of carpentry.  It  is indicated by scripture that he lost his earthly father at an early age and had to take over the responsibility of providing and caring for his family.  What I think about often is that he also had the inner knowledge of the shortness of his earthly life and what he must face at the end of that life.  A hard life and the cross at the end of it!

When he spoke of laying his life down for others, it wasn’t a play on words, it wasn’t symbolism, it wasn’t a parable, it was the truth of his life.  It was the reality that he chose because he loved you and because he loved me.

Now, getting back to that grain of wheat.  Jesus is saying to us, if we live our lives for ourselves, at the end of it we will have nothing.  If we give our lives away to be used by God for His glory and to bless others, at the end of it we will have a whole field full of the eternal fruit of our sacrifice.

He is comparing the life lived selfishly to a hard, dry kernel of wheat which in the end, produces no fruit.  He is contrasting that selfish life with a life that dies to self and lives for the Lord, for His Kingdom and for others, which ends with a new beginning: Eternal Life! 

When the grain of wheat (you and me!) choose the way of Jesus, the way of sharing God’s love, grace and mercy with others, a bountiful harvest is ahead!  It is our choice.  The outcome of those two choices couldn’t be more appallingly different.  Let’s commit together, today, to following Jesus.                     

His love and grace, Ron

HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US

I will not boast in anything,

No gift, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I can not give an answer

But this I know with all my heart,

His wounds have paid my ransom

Who am I? From Neil T. Anderson, The Bondage Breaker

I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13)
I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14)
I am a child of God (John 1:12)
I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life (John 15:1,5)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
I am a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
I am enslaved

to

God (Romans 6:22)
I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father (Rom. 8:14,15; Gal. 3:26, 4:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17)
I am a temple ‐‐ a dwelling place ‐‐ of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19)
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30)
I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18, 19)
I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal. 3:26, 28)
I am an heir of God since I am a son of God (Gal. 4:6,7)
I am a saint (Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2)
I am God’s workmanship ‐‐ His handiwork ‐‐ born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph. 2:10)

Later,

Pat.