Who can describe the beauty of Christ?
His person so lovely,
his nature so holy,
his heart so fond,
his spirit so gentle,
his look so winning,
his voice so soothing.

The enemy has already been defeated. Christ has thoroughly routed him by His sacrificial death, bodily resurrection, and ascension to power and glory. Satan’s condition, since the cross, is described as follows:

-He is ‘bound’: Mark 3:27; Luke 11:20; Revelation 20.
-His power is restricted and restrained: 2 Thessalonians 2:6.
-He has been rendered ‘powerless over believers’: Hebrews 2:14.

There is purpose behind each negative event that befalls an individual. The potential reason(s) depends upon one’s standing with God. Each person is either outside of Christ (unbeliever) or in Christ (believer). One’s actual standing determines which possibilities are viable.

Unbelievers

1. The Reality of This Existence - The Initial Judgment of God

Adam’s fall in Genesis is accompanied by a group of judgments from God. Bottom line - “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). One “gift” Adam passed to us all … is a body that cannot survive this environment. Sooner or later, some negative “thing” will kill us (See Lk 13:1-5). That is the reality of this existence.

When I go to the circus, I expect to find something unusual and innovative. When I go to the circus, I expect to find something novel and entertaining. I do not want to find these in the church. When the church is built upon that which unusual, innovative, novel and entertaining, it is safe to assume that the church has ceased to be the church.

If the church is to be the faithful witness of Christ and the gospel, we are bound to repeat what has been said before. We must not buckle to the demands to offer what no other church offers or develop an innovative and novel message. We must resist the urge to entertain an audience.

One of the most important questions a believer should asked themselves; Is God seeking me? The Bible says in John 4:19-24 that God is seeking true worshippers the ones that will worship Him in spirit and in truth. True worship takes place on the inside, in the heart and spirit of the worshipper.

Worship that is pleasing to God must be sincere, transparent and offered to God with a humble and pure heart. However, this is not enough. Worship “in truth” connects the heart and spirit of the worshipper with the truth about God and His work of redemption as revealed in Jesus Christ.

David understood the importance of worshipping “in truth” and the necessary connection between “truth” and the Word of God, when he wrote “Teach me your way O Lord and I will walk in your truth, give me an understanding heart that I may fear (worship) your name” (Psalms 86:11, 145:18). We see here that both the old and new testaments agree. The true worship of God is essentially internal a matter of the heart and spirit rooted in the knowledge of and obedience to the revealed Word of God.

Rosalyn Johnson
Rosalyn has a heart to see God’s people walk with Him, fulfilling their purpose reaching their destiny.She has a unique style of teaching and expounding God’s Word causing listeners to understand and apply biblical truths.