Believing God for the " Miraculous" MIRACLES
"You See You Are In Need Of A Miracle."
I have entitled this message: "You see you are in need of a miracle." As we proceed you will find your answer is found in the Holy Scriptures that few people chose to experience personally. Simply because the conditions seem to have an overwhelming or an appearance of impossibility. "The cost as it is presented seems to be weighty or difficult to be paid. However, the cost to follow God and to do his will is really a nominal sacrifice in light of the supreme sacrifice our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ paid for us." It is my conviction you are here by divine appointment to respond to the call of God. This day God has placed before you a clear word so that you maybe able to: "Walk, to Serve and to Live for him in a way that would confirm you as a disciple of Jesus Christ, Learning and Seeking to learn on a daily basis the: "The Lifestyle of the Miraculous."
Let’s pray; "Our God, Oh Father God, In your Sons name. In Jesus we stand before you. We adore you Oh God. We extol you, We exalt you in holiness. Now we come to this theme Oh God: "The Lifestyle, to live in the Miraculous." Anoint our hearing, change our minds by your Spirit, Transform our hearts to do and to obey you: Your will and pleasure." Make us learners, teachable, today and each day forward to enter into the "Lifestyle of Jesus."
Surprisingly I’ll be using primarily three scripture texts. Our theme will be built as we open up these three texts and yield our lives in obedience to God the Holy Spirit. Lets look now at: I John 3:20-22. "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
Now if you would, please turn to the very next chapter. We will be looking at the text: I John 4:10-12. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." Ok lets now go clear over to the Minor Prophets to the little yet powerful book of Micah, Chapter six. We will find our text in verse 8. (Micah 6:8) "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
When I said surprisingly we will be using only these three texts I was serious. God has laid on my heart using these three texts to unfold this hard pressed message. That he has been using in my life to cut away, shape, carve and change my life from day to day. I might add; It is a ongoing day to day process of his transforming power. This is my personal experience. I have experiencially discovered through the interwoven theme found in this message: "A Lifestyle Transformed into the Daily Miraculous." A lifestyle with Jesus living through me as I am fully yielded to his impulse and will. I do say it is a daily experience of continuous learning. "...To walk humbly with thy God." Is to be totally dependent upon his willings and movements. Not as I would but as he so desires. Right here we can trip up with a form of legalism and follow him in some sort of regimented law that we devise. However, as we draw upon "His love we than begin to walk in his love. It is an on going love relationship of his love.
Now their maybe in a group this size several new Christians and you want to get right into the meat of the Word. My Dear friend. I understand. I honor your zeal, your hunger and enthusiasm. As I mentioned at the beginning in these three texts we need to draw upon the body of what is before us. As you would fine tune a machine, or adjust the lens of a high powered telescope. We need to focus closely the object at hand. Ok?
Let us zoom in on the word "Propitiation." It is a fancy word that doctrinally amplifies: "The Finished Work of Calvary, Salvation by Grace. Christ Jesus Dying on the Old Rugged Cross as the Substitute for All Humanity Individually." To be a Propitiation the person known as the Propitiator becomes solely responsible assuming full complete responsibility for all debts, due previously, present and to come. Thus wiping clean the slate of all record. Thus the case involving the sins of the whole world it would deem impossible. However, Our Lord and Saviour the Lord of Lords: King of kings humbled himself and paid the ultimate price. His life, his soul, his body, his spirit and precious blood." Thus he could be called: "propitiation for the sins of the whole world." This sacrifice was measured out to you, to me and to each other person of humanity with equal full measure of the fullness of God’s love." To say that this measure would be measured out more to one than to any other would by effect lesson the measurement of this propitiation of God’ love." The debt of Adam’s race needed to be satisfied. Thus Christ our Redeemer took on himself the sins of the whole world. "The Propitiation for our sins." When someone comes to me asking about this word, wanting an explanation I simply narrow it down in a nutshell. It means: "The Supreme Sacrifice. Christ, Our Substitute. Dying on the Cross. Canceling the Sin Debt. Justifying the Debtor."
Old time preachers in plain words would make it as simple as possible. The late J. Vernon McGee continually said that it should be as simple as placing cookies on the bottom shelf so being easily reached without any difficulty. My dear believer friend in Jesus Christ the sin debt has been canceled!
With good news like this what should be our response in devotion, adoration, and heart felt service to honor and please him who had assumed our place of execution: "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through or Lord Jesus Christ."
As we enter into this rest, knowing God’s love toward us we can love one another and "his love shall be perfected in us." As we mature, develop and abide in God’s love in the stature of perfection our will, will be in a state of affirmation..."Our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." It is a steady growing relationship with Jesus, "God dwelling in us."
In God’s good favor and grace our good pleasure is to serve and please him..."Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,(and naturally): because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
Here we will begin to bring our study to its climax.
Jesus is "the propitiation for our sins, we are justified: Declared righteous in him before God the Father ""Through him alone." Our sin debt is canceled we have been born again thus able to now live in right standing before God the condemnation for sins and its penalty has been canceled. We can now live as sons of God, priests of God through our Great High Priest Christ Jesus.
Placing our attention on this text found in I John 3:22 "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him." Now you are left with the bewilderment, I’ve asked for this particular item and God has not answered. My friend, either he has answered, and then we are not fully understanding his answer or we are not asking in accordance to his will.
I do get criticism for this statement I am about to make, however it is Gods purposes and plan. WE ARE NOT TO EXPECT GOD TO CATOR TO OUR EVERY WHIM AND DESIRE. Our will should be brimming over to do his will. To live holy, to live sober, to live righteous or we could say: "Justly."
Turn now to the book of Micah chapter 6 verse 8 and we will read: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee,"
We will camp right here for a moment. The part here where it says..."What doth the Lord require of thee." Do you realize what God is saying to you and to me here?
"If you will tune up your spiritual ears to this and set this as a benchmark in your life and relationship with Jesus Christ and as a son of God the Father you will enter into the transforming power of the miraculous lifestyle."
In the Latin Vulgate, or in the Spanish translation of the Bible it is found stated in more clearer words: "What the Lord is asking of us." My brother and sister in Christ if you did not remember anything else tonight after you leave here. "Please, Please take this with you and put it to work in your life!
He asked us to be just, love mercy, walk humbly, then in other scriptures told to be holy as I am holy. "Ask of me for wisdom..." It goes on to say as well "Follow Me."
I would like to close with these illustrations; First found in the sacred hymn written by the Rev. Isaac Watts.
HE LOVES ME
Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my sov-‘reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do.
Chorus D.S.
He gave Himself to die for me, Because He loved me so.
He loved me, He loved me, He loved me, This I know, I know.
Again, this is my personal experience. Please come with me as I conclude with this last illustration. The scriptures make it clear about the two men Joshua and Caleb found in the references and more as we seek Gods Word: Numbers 32:12, Deuteronomy 1:36, Joshua 10:12-14. Briefly it is said: "They Followed their God with their whole heart." Then it is mentioned how Joshua made supplication unto God in his hour of crisis That the Sun and the Moon would stand in their place until he had finished with the battle as they were fighting, With the Amorites. As God has molded, shaped and folded these principles into my life it has been experiencially a personal reality to be able to pray even as Joshua during the roughest hours. Those times you would think it was of no more time. God would whisper in my spirit: "Pray over this period even as Joshua did and I will make it to stand still...I will stay this thing until it passes, and you shall obtain your miracle." The conditions are found in our love and devotion to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Bro. Roberto L. Choleva
