Not every
pulpit is in a church building. Not every preacher requires a built
pulpit to preach from. Jesus is The Word of God. Wherever He is, that
is where He preaches. His Word is anointed; for the power of God is
with Him. And the transforming conviction of The Holy Spirit is.
Even in
today's churches we say “when Jesus was” and “where Jesus
walked” and “what Jesus said”. Our God IS. The Word of God IS.
The Holy Spirit IS. Present. Present terminology is for current:
living-moving-breathing: TODAY.
The
born-again Christian has The Living Word of God in him or her. When
we share Jesus with someone, we are preaching the gospel of
salvation. When we explain The Word of God in terms each person can
understand, we are teaching the gospel of salvation. The Word of God
is current: alive, powerful, transformational.
Scriptures
say “TODAY is the day of salvation.” If you did not accept Christ
as your Lord and Savior yesterday, then God has blessed you with a
new day, a new opportunity to learn from your past (yesterday) and
live in your current (today) with the hope of eternal life (future)
to come.
God is not
lazy, or slack, concerning His promises in His Word: He is
longsuffering, meaning: extreme patience. His will for each of our
lives is that we believe on His promise of salvation, which is
through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God's Son died on the
cross and paid the death penalty for our sin, so that we would not be
eternally separated from God. If you die in your sin, without ever
believing on The Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no opportunity
after death for you to be saved. By then it will be too late. Your
soul will be eternally condemned to suffer. It will be too late to
learn from yesterday; there will be no tomorrow, no hope. Your then
current state for your soul will be eternal suffering and pain. That
is not my soul's destination. I have hope because I have Jesus.
I am thankful
to be here in this moment. Presently I am outdoors enjoying the
morning: the presence of God Who IS here with me; the sights and
sounds of day: sun's warmth, birdsong, airplane overhead, insects
buzzing or landing on my arm, traffic a few roads over and my cuppa
coffee.
I am thankful
for how far God has brought me: the past is to be remembered and
learned from: that is wisdom. The future is to be hoped for. But the
current—today--is to praise Him for. So, I am thankful that not
only did God create me but that He spoke my name; that He called me
to 'come out from among the darkness' and live in the light of His
Son, Jesus Christ. I am thankful that I answered and said, “Yes.
Yes, Lord, You are my God and I am Your servant.”
It came to
mind that not everything or everyone answers God's call when He
speaks their name. For God has created all things. Things that are
made are not created. Only God can created.
In science we
hear of dead stars and dead planets. God creates for His pleasure,
His purpose, His glory. Perhaps, when God called these stars,
these planets, by their names, they did not answer Him, and so they
died. I don't know. I was just wondering. Why? Because not everyone
whom God calls their name, answers God's call on their life.
Which brings
me to this morning. I am thankful that when God spoke my name, I said
yes. God Is. Present.
