This is the third book

The Power of our God

For a few moments I want to consider, as believers, what we have in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, the work we must do for Him and the power, that has put us into that position.The two verses of Scripture that are to be considered are in 2 Corinthians c4, v1 & 6, so here goes

First of all, the letter we are considering was not written for the exclusive company of Apostles, indeed at the very beginning of the book we are told that it was unto The church of God, which is at Corinth'.As we unders�tand that the Word of God is for all His people, so we all, as we believe, are in on this matter.This means that in the we' of verse one we are all included, included in what and for what?

In the first verse three points are mentioned, firstly that we all have work to do for our Lord, whatever our circumstances or position, then that we have this responsibility as we become Christians, or to use the words of the text we are considering, as we received mercy'.Finally we will have the energy to complete the work our Lord has called us to, if not, then there are other conclusions that must be drawn

In the ways of our Lord, as far as we humans are concerned, judgment comes first, then mercy, it can only be in this order.We are judged, because of our s

in, to death, that death being an eternal separation from God, whichis hell.Scripture records The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die', so death, an eternal separation from our Lord, is our portion because our wrong doings and an eternal death, without God, is hell.Now our Lord Jesus came into time some 2000 years ago, that the mercy of our God could be expressed to us.Jesus paid, on The Cross, the penalty for our sins, this being death as we have just noted, He came, as is recorded, not to break the law, but to fulfil it, He actually died on The Cross, our Lord. of his own accord, gave His life a ransom for many, but He did not go INTO death.Our Lord Jesus went through, as we are told in the 23rd Psalm, the words I now quote had a prophetical edge to them� as far as our Lord was concerned, He, Went through the valley of the shadow of death'.Then in reality our Lord Jesus Christ went through death on The Cross, conquering sin and death, to the wonder and glory of the resurrection on the third day and to complete the matter, He ascended and now sits, at this very moment as we understand the matter, at the right hand of The Father, crowned with resplendent glory, interceding for us and He is coming again

Our Lord Jesus, began His life in time, through the most remarkable miracle that has ever taken place, when

Time and eternity met,

Spirit and flesh combined,

Visible and invisible combined and

God and man were brought together

Our Lord Jesus was not begotten' of Joseph His foster father, but He was born of Mary, whose husband was Joseph, as we are told in the gospels.The Babe Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, had He been born of Joseph, through a sexual relatio�nship with Mary, He would not, He could not have been The Son of God.It was prophesied many years before the birth of our Lord in Bethlehem, we see it recorded in Isaiah, that He was to be The Prince of Peace', as the angels sang whilst shepherds watched their flocks by night, they sang PEACE ON EARTH', and that was so within a very short time

Now let us consider the end of our Lord Jesus on Planet Earth, he was not killed, our Lord was not murdered, His life was not taken, did He not say during His ministry before The Cross, He said, as recorded in John's Gospel regarding His life, I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it up again'.Now at The Cross itself we are told that our Lord Jesus Christ, Gave up the ghost', He did this taking the initiative Himself so that we might be redeemed, He GAVE His life, a ransom for many.As our Lord Jesus went to Jerusalem at the beginning of Passion Week, please note the words of the folk who sung, they uttered the words, PEACE IN HEAVEN AND GLORY I�N THE HIGHEST' within a few hours, The Prince of Peace was in heaven, having conquered sin and death

At the birth of our Lord, the angels sung so that shepherds heard and understood the words, what at event that must have been.At the giving of His life there was darkness over the land at the middle of the day, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and there was a quake that shook the whole area

So, this One who was born so long ago, was without any doubt at all, The Son of Highest, His birth, life, death and resurrection were so important.Jesus, our Lord and Saviour paid the price for our sins, the mercy of our Father God was and is expressed to us in our Lord Jesus and let us understand this clearly, so as we have received mercy, what do we do?

The answer to this question is that we have a ministry', a work to do for our Lord, who ever we might be, as we have received the mercy of our Father God, through our dear Lord Jesus and there is no ducking out of it at all.A�s we use the word 'ministry', we could be very narrow in our thinking, just considering a public platform or pulpit, now these two things are not mentioned in Scripture at all, so where do we stand?Whatever we do, in word or deed, for our Lord, doing it for the glory of our Lord Jesus, then that is ministry.It can be ministry at the kitchen sink, I understand this in the lives of others so much, showingkindnesses, in many directions to others, in the name of our Lord and in being like this the opportunity will come, without any doubt at all, to speak for our Lord, yes we all have a ministry

I know of someone whose mom died when he was quite young, the cards of sympathy that were received were a great help, but every week, the knock at the kitchen door, a Christian friend was there with another pile of ironing completed, what a ministry and that young man, from that home, has a �fine Bible Teaching Ministry.Now just read the following words with care, they are words of a song, not a hymn

At eve the fainting traveller

Sank down beside the door.

A cup of crystal water

to quench his thirst one bore.

And when refreshed and strengthened

The traveller went his way

And on the poor mansthreshold

A golden wheat sheaf lay

The next words in the verse we are considering are, We faint not'.The work we are involved with for our Lord, it is His work, not ours and He will give us the energy to fulfil the tasks He has given us.We are here in our lives, not for the glory of ourselves in any way, but for His.We have the words at the end of The Disciples Prayer, the words are, For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and even Amen'.As Daniel came out of that experience in the lions den, he first of all gave glory to God.Then as the same man came out of the fiery furnace, we are told that there was no smell of burning on him.This means that Daniel did not speak of the experience he had been through but considered His Saviour, do we not speak too much of what we have been through in life, we should speak far more freely of our Lord.The work we are involved with, our ministry is God given, it is His business and He will give the energy, the power for us to accomplish the tasks He has given us.As a work we are doing for our Lord comes to an end, then we will not have the energy, the Godly force to continue and must change track

The other thinking I want to dwell upon, it is raised in the sixth verse of the chapter we are considering, it reads as follows, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus', just consider those words again, to me they are a delight to the heart

However we understand the creation of the world,� it was all started by the power of our God and what mighty power there was and is within His hands.Now as we become sons and daughters of our Father God, it is by the power of our heavenly Father, through the work of our Lord Jesus, that we are put into this position.John's Gospel tells us that, As many as received Him, our Lord Jesus, to them He gave power to become the children of God'.We come to our Father God, not by any acts or works of ourselves in any way but through our Lord Jesus, this is clearly taught in the Scriptures.I do like the words that I picked up many moons ago, they read as follows

I cannot work my soul to save

For that my Lord has done.

But I will work like any slave,

For love of His dear Son'

So we are saved by the grace of our dear Lord Jesus, through the power of our Father God as exercised through the work of The Master, by His Spirit.This power that has made us sons and daughters of the living God, is the same power that was operative when the world was created, a�s that is what the text we are considering has stated, 'For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shone in our hearts', it is as clear as that.Now let me speak personally, to completely clear me of my sin, to separate my sins from me as far as the East is from the West, for them to be cleared from the mind of our Father God, so that He remembers them no more, by my sins being washed away by the life giving, the shed blood of our Lord Jesus with these points being taught in The Scriptures.Then to take me from a situation of eternal death, into an experience, that started as I put my trust in our Lord here in time, through the work of our Lord Jesus on Calvary and made me a son of God, it took Divine power, yes indeed it did for me and for you.Then as we believe we become sons and daughters of the living God, we become new creatures in Christ Jesus as taught in the Sacred Writings and being understood in our experience

Let us now consider the last few words of the verse from The ?Royal Oracles that we are considering.We are taught, with the use of only a few words, that the light that should shine in us is for a purpose, this is that we might understand more of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus

Now what is the glory of our God?I now quote a few words from Scripture, to me they are very special indeed, they are from Hebrews speaking of our blessed Lord.We are told that our Lord Jesus Christ, is the brightness of the Father's glory, the express image of His purpose, upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had, by Himself, purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of The Father.Now just for a few moments, romance about those words in a sanctified manner under the inspiration of His Spirit, which is holy

You see that in my life, in yours, there# should be something of the glory of our Lord shown, if not we are failing in our witness, we are told elsewhere that, we are changed from glory into glory'.To close I am going to quote some words from a rather special hymn, it will sum up so much

May the mind of Christ my Saviour

live in me from day to day,

by His love controlling

all I do or say

May the Word of God dwell richly

in my heart from hour to hour,

so that all might see I triumph

only through His power

May the peace of God my Father

rule my life in everything,

that I may be calm to comfort

sick and sorrowing

May the love of Jesus fill me

as the waters fill the sea,

Him exalting, self abasing,

this is victory

May I run the race before m,

strong and brave to face the foe,

looking only unto Jesus,

as I onward go

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This is the third book