A Crucified Life - - Reveals The Revealer

 

    Romans 10:20

And Isaiah boldly says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me: I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 

Revealed: manifest, visible

From the Greek word 'emphanés' (pronounced em-fan-ace'): comprehended. God giving proof of His saving grace.

    Isaiah 65:1 

“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’"

The Bread

    In Matthew 15:21-28 we read of the Canaanite woman living in that area of Tyre and Sidon who came to Jesus begging for her daughter to be healed of demon possession. The woman asked twice, but not until she came worshiping and asked a third time did Jesus relent and heal her daughter. 

    It is just before He grants her request that we see Jesus telling her He is the Bread of Israel (v26). She responds with the desire to be fed just a crumb of this Bread. To Jesus this is great faith and so her request is granted. That's grace.

    Jesus came to the sons of Abraham, to Israel, to bring them the Bread of heaven. But they would have it not since this Bread did come to them in the way they expected Him to come: victorious, triumphant and kingly. 

    So Jesus is given to the seed of Abraham, to the children of the faith of Abraham, who 'believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness' (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; James 2:23). 

    The Bread of Life is broken and given out to whosoever will take of It and receive It into themselves. (John 6:48, 51; 1 Corinthians 11:24). 

The Shepherd

    In Psalm 23:1 David writes that "The Lord is My Shepherd." And in John 10:11, Jesus states that He is the Good Shepherd Who has come to die for His sheep: "I am The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." 

    All of the sheep, not just the sheep of Israel. For this Good Shepherd has come to seek and to save the lost, of which I was one. (Ezekiel 34:12; Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15). 

    The hymnist writes, "I once was lost but now I'm found" in the classic Amazing Grace. Look not on the foibles of the man who wrote it, but look on the grace which God laid on him when He found him where He found him. 

    For God finds us that we may be saved by Him from that which will surely destroy us if we refuse such Grace and Salvation from Him! Hear the Word of The Lord: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17). That's saving grace. 

I'M FOUND

I Found God - Ben Laine

My Portion - Isla Vista

Shepherd of My Soul - Rivers & Robots

Made For Jesus - John Mark Pantana

Amazing Grace - Alan Jackson

Belong To You - Here Be Lions

    

Revealed To Few

 

John 14:22

Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”

Acts 10:39-41

We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,

God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—

not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

Why do only the ones chosen by God see the risen Christ? Because He is seen with the eyes of Faith. They who do not believe cannot see Him until they do believe. We who believe, believe by Faith in the Son of God: He Is who He says He is. His Word is Faithful and True. 

Our Faith is not the denomination of the church we belong to: Faith is conditional on Belief and Confession. Romans10:17 Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

And that's who Jesus reveals Himself to: the believer. He reveals Himself to me daily, little by little, until someday I will see Him fully. That perfect day. Until then I will love Him, seek Him and serve Him more every day. I'm a believer.

 

Christ Reveals Himself to Us

 

John 14:21

Whoever has My commandments and keeps (guards) them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I will love him and reveal Myself to him.

Exodus 33:18

Then Moses said, "Please show me Your glory."

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.

Seeking God early in our life is the best way to live God's Word. But when we fail to do that, then each new day becomes an opportunity to begin again, to start over, early in the morning. 

Wake up. Thank God for waking us up and keeping us through the night. Morning stretches. Thank God for the ability to move and breathe. 

Get out of bed. Stand up. Praise God continuously. Read your Bible or daily devotional or both. Thank God for the ability to read. And thank God for the Spirit who reveals God in God's Word, who reveals Jesus Christ to us; who reveals the mystery of God through the gospel of salvation which God planned from the beginning. 

Genesis 3:15 God tells the serpent his fate for his part in the deception of Adam and Eve: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Romans 16:20 further enhances Genesis 3:15 - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.

1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd. 'He will lead them to springs of Living Water,' and 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

Rejoice! early. Praise God early! Seek God's face early! Rise up from your deathbed and glorify God early! Now is the time of your salvation! Now is the day of your redemption!