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 God's Kingdom is the only kingdom that is full of light, life, peace and glory. It is being fulfilled by the revelation of His Son. Has His Kingdom been revealed and birthed in you? “For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” I Thessalonians 1:9-10. We grow up believing fulfillment is found in many things and experiences yet we are deceived.
Things such as cars, homes, materials, money, power, popularity, sex, beauty, success, achievement, knowledge, religion, good deeds, marriage and children. These often become the very things we worship. This lack of fulfillment often brings one to masking the pain with ambition, busyness, hobbies, pills, drugs and alcohol. We even hide the truth of our condition in guilt, shame, worry, anxiety, loneliness and denial. The world and kingdom which we exist operates in deception, vanity and darkness. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
There are two kingdom's. One kingdom is full of godliness, the other kingdom is full of worldiness; one kingdom is light, the other dark; one kingdom truth, the other deception; one kingdom life; the other death; one kingdom is full of the glory of God, the other the glory of men; one kingdom freedom, the other bondage; one kingdom giving, love and mercy, the other greed, envy and predujice; one kingdom humility, the other pride and arrogance; one kingdom grace, the other wrath; one kingdom is eternal the other temporal. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” Colossians 1:13 Have you been delivered? Which kingdom are you seeking? Which kingdom describes the affections and desires of your heart? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21
You must have truth, light and a way out of darkness to be delivered. Until you embrace truth, your search for fulfillment and for life will end up disappointing you every time. ”I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Ecclesiastes 1:14 Your fellowship with God is broken and the only link back to God is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, " I am the way, the Truth and Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." John 14:6. You don't go to God to be fulfilled and made happy. He came to us, sought us and desires us more than we do Him. He first loved us! "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. Jesus was sent to seek out and save that which was lost, bring light to a dark world and reveal truth in a world wrought in confusion, deception and emptiness. "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10
Jesus Christ is Truth and Life. The Bible says, “In Him was life and the life was the light of men." John 1:4 We are separated from God and remain in darkness until we realize we need forgiveness for our rebellion to God and must be reconciled to God. Your problem is not with man, it is with God. When you are lost and unaware of where you are going, it leaves an unfulfilled, insecure, empty feeling. One thing is certain, you will die and without Jesus Christ you will be fearful, insecure and afraid of this reality. The fear of death deep in your soul reveals that you know will be judged by God Almighty. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27
You may ask why we are separated from God? In a word, sin. Sin is disobedience or rebellion to God and His Commands. It was born into the human race when our ancestors, Adam and Eve, gave in to Satan’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. It broke their fellowship with God and has plagued the human race ever since. The greatest sin is not one against man but a failure to worship the God who created us with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. That is why we worship so many false idols, namely ourselves. Satan is a deceiver and wants us to believe we control our own destiny. Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." The simple proof that you are a sinner is that you will die. "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4
Sin transgresses(breaks) God’s divine laws. Just like we inherit our parents attributes, sin is a “genetic” curse of disobeying God. It is choosing our way instead of His. Sin is the ultimate brutal reality of how we are brought into this world with a selfish nature that willfully disobeys and follows temptations of the evil one. God did not send Jesus to merely fill a void in our life. He sent Jesus to displace and crucify the darkness, evil and deceit within our heart which keeps us from submitting to God and His way. Darkness is manifested in pride, arrogance and high mindedness; jealousy, self righteousness, fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, lust, malice, bitterness, loneliness, guilt, shame, prejudice, envy, drunkeness, lying, self glory and hatred. Darkness is a desire of anything excluding honoring God, giving Him glory and walking in His truth. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. God knows your heart and it is naked before Him. It stands in rebellion to Him until you repent or turn from rebellion to the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our sin is the very thing that separates us from God, leads us to death and places God's wrath upon us at death (judgment). Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Although God is just and holy, He is also full of mercy, love and grace. God made provision for you to live forever and be reconciled with Him. He provides a way and desires for us to know Him so much so He has made a way for us to escape the judgment, justice and wrath we deserve. It’s through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He provides light for us to come out of the darkness and a way to know where we are heading. The Light overcomes the darkness within and testifies against it. “In Him was life and the life was the light of men." John 1:4
Jesus Christ is the only one able to do so. Sin requires justice. According to God, the penalty of sin is death so He sent Jesus to fulfill the righteous and just requirement of which to satisfy His wrath. Jesus was the only one who had never sinned for He was brought forth of the Spirit of God Himself. Due to our rebellion and disobedience, God justified the wrath we rightfully deserve and placed it upon His Son Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Our sins and punishment were placed on Jesus at the Cross and His righteousness is exchanged or imputed to us if we believe in Him. It is called grace. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 That is "Good News". You understand you need to be forgiven, reconciled and accept what God did for you in offering Jesus Christ. The best news you will ever know is understanding the wrath and condemnation of God is no longer upon your soul.
But Jesus' death on the cross is only half the story. The tomb is empty because Jesus rose from the dead. I Corinthians 15:4 “And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures”. Jesus conquered sin and death by rising from the dead to prove He eliminated the curse born from our original ancestors Adam and Eve. The same power that raised Him will live in you if you trust Jesus. The Bible calls it being born again. The Holy Spirit charges you of your lost condition and need of deliverance from God's wrath. “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8
It reveals your rebellion to God exposing the truth about your condition. This is confirmed by God speaking to your conscience and ensuring there is no peace between you and God. Death is a mortal fear because without Jesus Christ, you are condemned. Repentance means God brings you from death to life, from lies to truth, from hell to heaven, from Satan to Jesus. You are turned from darkness to light. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light." 1 Peter 2:9 Peace with God is possible believing Jesus Christ. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." When God speaks and you believe, you are actually born again, with a new Spirit, a new heart (desire) and nature. Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh" Not of stone(hardened) but of flesh(sensitive to God's Spirit and direction). 1 Peter 1:23 - "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." Walking in darkness, your rebellious nature encourages a desire to be self indulgent, fulfill what appeals to you and walk according to the pleasures of your mind. Because the devil is a deceiver, he makes you believe you control your own life and destiny filling up your mind with empty promises. Our natural seed follows his advice. These vanities of life become the empty lie humanity believes. Sins seasonal pleasures reap harsh consequences leaving you empty, in pain and darkness. John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." The darkness of your heart will be exposed when the light of Jesus comes in and reveals it within you. Darkness and evil within are revealed in pride, self righteousness and lusts (any desire that is no born in Christ). When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, your new desire (heart) and nature compels you to seek truth, to give, to have a hunger for righteousness and holiness. It provides you the ability to admit your faults openly and freely. The love that comes to you flows through you. The world, its idols and deceptions become less appealing. You can ask yourself, what do I hunger for and what am I motivated by? What are my desires? Are they driven to glorify God and purposed in Christ or do they seek what pleases and glorifies me? That is a good indicator of your spiritual condition. Righteousness is only possessed by being in Christ. Is Jesus Christ driving my ambition and pursuit in life? Pride is rooted in believing you are a good person and can place yourself before a Holy God. There must be an understanding of the wickedness and rebellion from within. The Light of Jesus reveals the darkness of your heart. I must be humbled and honest. Don't compare yourself with other people, compare yourself to Jesus Christ. He never rebelled against God, never. "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 There are no amount of good works you can attain to accomplish the righteous standard that is only found in Jesus Christ. It is a work of God's grace you either accept or reject. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
When you have been reconciled back to God, the inner presence of God’s Spirit provides you peace with Him. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:7 Jesus Christ is the only way to accomplish this. He also provides joy, comfort, strength and eternal life. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." John 6:35 He removes the guilt, shame and pain of our sinful past. The wrath and condemnation God held against you is removed. Grace has real meaning to your soul. Peace is a reality between you and God. “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:20 You have never felt love until the revelation of God's saving grace is imparted into your life through Jesus Christ. He loves you and were worth dying for. "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." II Corinthians 5:18. He provides us the way to be forgiven, reconciled back to Himself and works through us to do the same. As you grow and mature in grace, the witness of Jesus Christ enables you to overcome fear, doubt, anxiety and temptation even unto death. You begin to look at the world from an eternal perspective. Death loses its sting, for the wrath and condemnation of God no longer rests on you as you are accepted into the beloved family of God through Jesus Christ. You will begin to have the capacity to do as He did, laying down your life and interests for others, seeking to meet others needs before your own and have joy doing so. You will be an ambassador of the "Good News" and have the capacity to worship God in spirit and truth. God is glorified by destroying the works of the devil and it is accomplished through Jesus Christ. Satan looms in darkness and he must depart when exposed in the light. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. I John 3:8
When you look at the cross, you are the one who should be there but God needed a perfect sacrifice and you have far from glorified, submitted and honored God perfectly your entire life. The only hope you have is pleading mercy in the name of Jesus, turning from sin and placing faith in Jesus Christ alone. He seeks to know you, save you and deliver you! Your whole life, future and destiny hinges on this. John 3:17-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Why? verse 19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." Has the Light of Jesus Christ revealed your rebellion to God? You must answer this question truthfully before God. The consequences are deliverance or damnation. It is an eternal question with an eternal consequence.
In Revelation 1:18 – Jesus said, "I am the living One. I was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore and have the keys of hell and of death." Which is your destiny? Peace or Wrath... Life or Death... Heaven or Hell? If His Kingdom has not entered, you will face the wrath of God.
So when Jesus said, ““I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He was not being vague or mystical. He was addressing the human condition and offering escape from judgment, providing pardon, forgiveness, peace with God and life eternally. That's what Jesus' words mean for you. John 3:36"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." God is seeking true worshippers at this very moment. Choose this day who you serve. The time is at hand. Receive the light of Christ and walk in Him. John 4:23-24 says "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him."
If you realize your need for a personal relationship with God through Jesus, read on.
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