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GOOD NEWS Letters & SERIES Teachings>
WE CAN ALL SEE GOD! By: Pastor Abraham Bascon
WE CAN ALL SEE GOD! By: Pastor Abraham Bascon
Word of God Church, Brockton, MA. 02302
www.wordofgodchurch.net
HEBREWS 12:14 - Tells us to pursue PEACE with ALL people and HOLINESS. "Pursue peace with all people, and HOLINESS, without which NO ONE will SEE the LORD:..."
To PURSUE: meaning: to capture, to overtake. It does NOT mean to "TRY" to pursue HOLINESS. But to PURSUE HOLINESS! Just as the hungry lion who had a very important appointment. However, as he entered a nearby restaurant, he told the waiter that he had to order something 'quick and easy.'
The waiter answers: "How about some lamb chops?" The hungry lion says: "Okey, that sounds good!" Then the waiter continues on and tells the hungry lion: "Well, you are going to have to go out and catch your own dinner out in the pasture." So the lion goes out, and heads toward the pasture, where he sees a flock of sheep. From a far distance, he observes every move the sheep make. When he finally gets every move down, he plans his attack!
All the sheep begin to move toward the east; except for one.
"Wow! this is it!" thought the lion. "I'm going to attack and capture my dinner!"
He tactfully observed, attacked and captured the prize that he was out to get!
WE need to OBSERVE HOLINESS. WE need to UNDERSTAND HOLINESS; and, WHERE it comes from! In short, WE need to INVESTIGATE it! So that we can recognize it even at a far distance! WE need to know well the ACTIONS that WE take to implement our pursuit of HOLINESS; and, eventually WE WILL be able to capture it! WE need to INVESTIGATE it to be able to KNOW the SOURCE! HOLINESS is a characteristic of God! God Himself has proclaimed:
My Name is HOLY! He is NOT only a HOLY God; but, His NAME is HOLY! There is NO OTHER like HIM! HE ALONE is HOLY! HE ALONE INHABITS ETERNITY! Praise HIM!
NONE can compare, HIS majestic splendor, HIS awesome beauty! HE has to be the SOURCE OF HOLINESS!! In order to PURSUE HOLINESS, where do WE go? We go to GOD, THE SOURCE of HOLINESS!!
There are THREE aspects of HOLINESS:
1. POSITIONAL HOLINESS-When do we receive POSITIONAL HOLINESS?
We receive POSITIONAL HOLINESS when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior and Lord. Upon receving Christ, the Holy Spirit 'sanctifies' us, 'sets us apart' and makes us to be 'saints' of the Lord. He not only redeemed us; but he sanctified us!
2. EXPERIENTIAL HOLINESS-Can best be explained by ROMANS 12:1-
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." This is a Christian's reasonable service. Something that we experience on a daily or even hourly basis.
To work toward HOLINESS, is our responsibility as 'saints' of the Lord.
3. ULTIMATE HOLINESS - is what we will experience when we are finally with the Lord. Holy and blameless before God. No more work to do concerning our holiness!God is the Giver of Holiness.
He gives us HOLINESS experience so that we may GROW from HOLINESS to HOLINESS. Experiential things that we need to experience to help us to become HOLY.
One might ask: How do we receive from God? God's Word tells us in HEBREWS 4:16-"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." What is the proper way to ask?
Answer: Ask BELIEVING, and doubt NOT. For Jesus tells us in MATTHEW 18:19-20 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it WILL be done for them by My Father in heaven."(Anything that is NOT contrary to God's Word of course!)For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
We call out for God's mercy at the time of our need.
And still, there are times when we find ourselves in the same situation that has been troubling us for some time. Again, you call out for help, and help does not come. Often times, we can develop an attitude towards God like a two year old child who takes a tantrum when a mother tells the child: "No."
Some Christians even have that kind of an attitude towards God. Does that make the situation any better? Of course not!
Apostle Paul cried out to God three times! Not once, or twice; but, three times for deliverance from a 'thorn in the flesh.' Did God answer him with: "Okay Paul, I'll take care of it." No God did not! God answered:
"My grace(Divine enablement) is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2COR.12:9) Paul endured much for Christ. But, he was just a man like you and me. And, there are limits to what we can take. Paul cried out three times! He didn't have a tantrum though! Paul tried in his own power to remove the thorn; but, he failed. But, look at what God told him:
"My grace (divine enablement) is sufficient for you. When you are weak I am strong." (The word "grace" in this context does not mean unmerited favor; it means: divine enablement.)
When we call out to God one, two, three or more times in a bad situation, instead of becoming frustrated or getting angry, learn to receive. Perhaps this tribulation will help you experientially, to be HOLY! What you do when you recognize tribulation, is not from God; but, God will allow you to experience tribulation!
He says: Be of good cheer! In Christ, we shall have peace!
We will all experience tribulation, but we will be able to endure during it!
Greater is He that is in US, than he that is in the world!
When you have prayed and prayed, and the problem is still there;
perhaps God is allowing it to help you to grow! JAMES 1:2-Tells us to: "Count it all joy WHEN divers trials come upon us..." (Not 'if' but 'when!') You need to have more patience.
God wants us to PURSUE HOLINESS so we will be able to "SEE" Him!
Once you recognize it, count it all joy! Just tell the Lord:
"Okay Lord,now I recognize that this is just Your way of helping
me to PURSUE HOLINESS!" God is GOOD ALL the time!
HEBREWS 12:10 - Tells us: "For they (referring to our earthly parents) indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He(Our heavenly Father)for OUR profit, that we may be partakers of His HOLINESS."
God allows chastening for OUR PROFIT! He is the One who calls us into HOLINESS and helps us to experience HOLINESS! He can make a curse into a BLESSING!
You may ask: "What is the blessing part of it?"
Answer: The blessing is when this problem or tribulation is finally over; you will look back and say: "Wow! That was quite an emotional and painful experience! But, now that I am out of it, it certainly has made me to be holier!" God chastens us for our own BENEFIT! So, that we may become partakers of His HOLINESS! So that we may GROW from HOLINESS to HOLINESS!
We all would like to be seen as God's child.
2 COR.6:16 - We are the temple of a living God -- He is HOLY, and He is NOT going to dwell in an unholy temple! God tells us: To come out from them! Do not touch what is unclean! Be My sons and daughters! We want to be received by God as His children! We need to be partakers of His HOLINESS!
REVELATION tells us that God's servants SHALL SEE God's face! They SHALL live and dwell with God in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem forever! Only these will enter the HOLY City! Sinners cannot! We must experience the three aspects of God's HOLINESS! A HOLY God is the One who puts us into this HOLY place.
We must NOT "try" to PURSUE HOLINESS; or, "try" to be HOLY or
"try" to cleanse our own selves. As long as you are in the
"trying" mode, you will NOT succeed. You need to JUST DO IT!
We must PERSUE HOLINESS!
We have a HOLY God! We must approach God as our HOLY Father! His very Name is HOLY! DO NOT take Him for granted!
Do you think that God is a mere man? No way! His Name is HOLY! DO NOT profane His HOLY Name!He is exclusively, impeccably HOLY!
If we saw Him in His present Glory, we would drop dead!!
Have reverence for God! He is God Almighty! He is NOT just another man! He is a HOLY God and He has GREAT reverence and respect for HOLINESS! DO NOT treat God like a mere man.
He is HOLY and He deserves ALL of our respect!
Much more than what we would give to any man.
Back in Hawaii, as well as other places in the world, when you
would enter any home, no matter how elaborate or modest, you
would have respect for the people and their home by taking off your shoes and placing them aside. It is a show of respect!
Even if the house is unkept, you would still remove your shoes to show respect! When Moses approached the burning bush, God said: "Take off your shoes! You are standing on HOLY ground!"
May we ALL show the Lord the respect that is due Him! And may we
ALL reverence Him with ALL that is within us! For God's HOLY Word tells us, that His HOLY servants will 'SEE' His HOLY face!
PURSUE HOLINESS! For we ALL want to live with God in the HOLY City! We all want to "SEE" God's HOLY face!!
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