Gloriously enhanced!
Unbelieving Thomas (John 20:24-25) had made up his mind. His mind was fixed and he was determined in his unbelief. BUT – when he saw the nail-pierced risen Jesus standing before him, he spoke those timeless words of recognition (John 20:28) “my Lord and my God.” Let yourself feel the power and the glory of that victorious revelation which was overwhelming Thomas. Can you sense his awesome wonder as Thomas looked at his Creator, the Creator (Revelation 4:11) of all things? When Thomas recognized the risen Jesus as indeed very God, that revelation brought to him transforming power. God’s transforming power sent Thomas to India where he died as a martyr, suffering willingly for that glorious One Who was and always will be his Lord and his God.
Satan used Peter’s human viewpoint in an attempt to separate Jesus from His Cross. When Jesus spoke of His coming death, Peter said (Matthew 16:22) God forbid! This must never happen to You.
But then listen to this same Peter and to what he says in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. He declared plainly that Jesus was crucified (Acts 2:23) according to the fulfilled purpose and foreknowledge of God. Peter was the same man who denied (John 13:38) Jesus before Pentecost but some years later, after he was filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s transforming power, he was hung upside down on a cross and crucified because he determinedly refused to deny Jesus. Take note of your own life and your own ambitions. Peter was not made by Jesus to be the world’s greatest fisherman. To fully appreciate the first 12 verses of the Book of James, we need to be aware of what conditions were like for believers back then. At that time, (Dr. Swindoll) reminds us that James was not writing to Jewish Christians who put their faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah. The other Jews, who were by far the largest majority, considered them as despised outcasts and cruelly persecuted them. Their children were thrown out of the schools, their businesses were boycotted, their homes were confiscated. Rome enforced emperor worship and had no use for Christians and considered them enemies of the Roman government.
The Christians experienced brutal harsh treatment from both the Jews and from Roman authorities. James does not say (James 1:12) IF but WHEN one has stood the test. Troubles are inevitable for Christians. Some troubles come and go, some come and stay. Many, if not all, of those widely scattered believers, who received the letter from James and were faithful, will wear the victor’s crown in God’s hall of fame. Their love for God and their loyalty to Jesus was greater than the pain of their suffering because they had been powerfully transformed. Is there some hurtful thing in your life at the present time which you wish wasn’t there? Thank God for it and use it to train up, to hone, to increase your supreme devotion to the Lord Jesus. The word WISH (Dr. Tozer) “is not in the Christian vocabulary”. My personal prayer and desire for myself is for the greatest thing in my life that comes from deep within me will always be my growing love for the Triune God and my steadfast loyalty to Jesus.
There was a man named Stephen, an ordinary human being like you and me. But - - he knew the transforming power of God the Holy Spirit. Stephen heard the hate-filled screams of the violent mob as they (Acts 7:58) dragged him out to stone him.
He felt the cutting impact of the stones, which were furiously hurled at him. Stephen did not look at his enemies (Acts 6:12-14, Acts 7:54-60) he looked up and saw Jesus but Jesus was not sitting on His throne, He was standing up. Why? See, hear and hold this scene close to your heart. Jesus, the King (1 Timothy 1:17) of eternity, got up from His throne, Jesus was standing and eagerly waiting to welcome Stephen Home. When Stephen fell he did not fall in death, he fell at the feet of Jesus. Jesus is (Isaiah 28:5) a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to those who are truly His own. I can’t even imagine the love and joy that exploded in Stephen’s heart when Jesus reached out His arms and embraced him.
The Christian life (Ephesians 6:11-18) is a battle. The Christian life (Galatians 2:20) is a crucified life. Hear Peter’s wise and timely words (Acts 5:29) we must obey God rather than men in all circumstances. He said this shortly after being imprisoned and flogged. The Christian life is impossible unless (Ephesians 5:18) we are constantly filled and being filled with, the transforming power of God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus takes us up on the mountain (Mark 9:2-9). He takes us up in order to bring us down to where we can lift others up. Our high moments on the mountain top with God (Oswald Chambers) “are not for teaching but to build godly character”. The high moments prepare us for the devil-possessed valley where we live our everyday lives, the very place where we are to lift up others and bring them to our risen Saviour. As with Moses (Exodus 33:18-19) God shows us His glory for a purpose. When we are UP on the mountain top with God, we see His glory and we see that we have everything we need for when we come DOWN into the valley to live for the glory of God. When I am on the mountain top with God and see His glory in His Word, it is not a glory to be selfishly hoarded for myself. It is to be a – to me – through me – glory. That is the glory the Lord will express through me down in the valley of this fallen world. That is where I live and where God has placed me for His purpose so that I will lift up others to see His glory. I sat on my prayer chair in my prayer corner and was just about to begin praying for the Persecuted Church. Right then, the Lord said something to me with an urge to write it down so that you could hear it too. Listen - - our loving heavenly Father, in His lavish grace thinks that there is nothing (James 1:17) too good or too perfect for His obedient children. So everything He sends or allows in our lives, comes with His glorious, maturing, enriching purpose for us and many highly beneficial blessings. Far beyond human comprehension, far exceeding human ability to describe in words - - is the crowning glory, the fragrant beauty and the compelling mystery of our Transcendent yet Imminent Triune God. The reverential fear and worship of the Lord (Isaiah 33:6) is our treasure – AND HIS!