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Fisher of Men
John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.
This verse of scripture introduces us to the One True
God's purpose in sending His only begotten son. It's an astounding
revelation to our hearts that being a Christian is not a path of self
denial, but a way of abundance!
God made this promise, and He is not a
man that He should lie. He fulfills His promises!
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness
and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance?
Despite religious pounding to the opposite, it is the
goodness of God that leads us to repentance. What makes us want God is
not to have an fire escape from hellfire and brimstone, but to have
God's goodness.
All of us want our lives filled with the goodness of
God, and He delivers! He delivers answered prayers, signs and wonders,
the directing of our paths, and sweet fellowship with God and other
believers. The goodness of God is greater than all the badness of the
devil. Although there may be trials and tribulations -- opportunities to believe
God in our lives -- the goodness of God far, far outweighs the bad.
I John 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is
of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is
love. In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that
he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins.
God is Love. This love is not a passive love; not a
"touchy feely" love. It is an active love. God so loved that
He gave. God so loved that He sent.
His purpose in sending was to give
us life everlasting through His son, Jesus Christ. His Love enables us
to overcome all the bitterness and disappointment of this world, to
overcome all the scars and hurts, all the bummers and the pain. He gave
first – so that all we have to do is to Believe to Receive.
I John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that
God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in
God, and God in him.
Certainly we know the love of God. Think of all your
blessings. When beginning to count our blessings, we soon lose
count. Just think about all the years, all the times, all the
many, many people who have blessed us.
Seeing is believing. We have seen
God's Love in our own lives -- some more than others -- therefore we
believe in God's Love.
I John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
His Love caused us to love. How could we ever do what
we've done without God's Love? We love ("him" is
omitted in most Greek texts), because He first loved us.
He made us. He gave
us the ability to love. He gave us the confidence to love. Love is what
puts a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, "over the top." Love
can give us meaning; it gives us purpose, confidence to be the people that
we've always wanted to be, always could be.
1 Corinthians 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption:
True wisdom teaches us that no status symbol, no material thing, will
ever give us lasting happiness. And certainly not righteousness. Western
culture -- American culture -- is too much into things. Our
never ending pursuit of things blinds us to our eternal need for
truth.
Man
needs eternal Truth. Man need righteousness. Well, now we
can see it. Now we have it! We have all been made the
righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. How comforting to know; how
edifying.
What a truly more than abundant life in Christ Jesus! As sons and
daughters of God we have been granted the rights of righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Who could have ever
imagined this level of greatness in our more than abundant life?
Romans 8:15-17
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together.
No more fear for this believer. Do you remember how
much fear you once had in your life? Well, no more! Put it far from
you. Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you!
We
do not have a spirit of fear, but a spirit of sonship. A spirit of
power, of sound minds, of the ability to have whole thoughts. Now
we are Sons of God! Now we had the God-given ability to walk with
power!
We aren't vagabond children; we are heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ. If that doesn't put a charge in your battery, I
don't know what will. We are heirs of God, joint-heirs with the Lord
Jesus Christ – AND – we will be glorified in the heavenlies one day.
What a life! What a blessing! What a truly more than abundant life we
are living.
Galatians 4:6-7
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
We're not servants. We're not strangers to God. We're
not beggars. We are sons of God, sons with purpose and power! We have
direct access to God; He is our Father. We don’t come to God
like He doesn't know us, or won’t like us, or won't care for us; we
come to God with boldness and confidence knowing that we
are His children and His heirs. Knowing that He loves us!
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I John 3:1-2
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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.
What's your name? Well, now it's something like
"Chuck, Son of God." That's your true last name. Sure, we go
by other names for now, but in God's eyes that's your real last name.
We are
sons of God now, and we are also going to be changed at the
second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though we are not perfect now,
we will be perfection then.
Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Our conversation – our citizenship – is in
heaven. In our hearts we chose to believe, thereby leaving this world
behind. Our hearts are to be focused on heavenly things,
spiritual matters, the things of God.
What do we look for?
We look in
hope for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He shall return! We
shall all be changed! This life we are living is wonderful, but the best
is yet to come!
Now we only see through a glass darkly, but then we
shall see face to face. Now we know only in part, but then shall
we know all, even as we are known by God.
Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory:
How astounding, and yet how unknown or unbelieved in
the Christian world. It's Christ in you, Christ in you, Christ in you!
"What power we've got – if we only knew?" NO!
We know it now! It's ours! It's Christ in
us, the hope of glory! We’re now
capable of fully living a more than abundant live through Christ Jesus
who loves us!
I John 1:3
That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Our more than abundant life has fellowship with the
Father and His son, plus fellowship with each other in a family of God.
There is no better life out there, there is no better situation, and
there is no better lifestyle or purpose of life: THE BEST is fellowship
with God and like-minded believers standing strong on God's Word,
together, united in body, soul and spirit.
I John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
A thorough knowledge of God's Word, the Will of God,
is an abundant blessing to all because it provides all of the spiritual
light necessary for a meaningful personal fellowship with God. As we
walk in God’s light, in fellowship based upon our accurate knowledge
of God’s Word, we have good fellowship with God, and one with another.
We have freedom from sin.
Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure.
This has not been a "hodge podge" effort on
God’s part. This has been a continual working of God in our
lives. Being born again, God will direct who you marry, where you live,
what kind of work you do, when to turn right, when to go left, when to
park, when to drive on, etc. You just have to go to Him and ask! There
is no matter too large for Him to handle, or too small for Him to help
you with.
Why would God direct your paths in such everyday matters? Because He
loves us! So that all will work according to His plans to bless
each of you, and through all of us He can bless all of God’s children.
If you let Him, God put you into a place where
you can do good to all men, but especially those who are of the
household of faith.
All the teachings, fellowships, manifestations,
counseling, and prayers – all done because God worked within you
both to will and to do of His good pleasure. What is that good
pleasure?
That we love God with all our heart, all our mind, all of our
soul, all of our strength, and that we love our neighbors as ourselves.
The thread that weaves throughout our lives has been the thread of God
working in us to will, and to do, His love.
Ephesians 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us,
What better or more fitting conclusion? God has done, is doing, and
will continue to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
He raises us out of hurtful worldly situations, and set us on high in
the heavenly places. He has bought our lives back from destruction, and
placed into our lives His wholeness and love. Christ Jesus paid the
price for our redemption!
God gives us knowledge of Him through His
Word, His will. He has already blessed us with all
spiritual blessings.
What a Great Big Wonderful God! What a more than
abundant life we are living!
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