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13
Apr '21
Fullness in Life through the Resurrection of Christ
13
Apr '21
What does fullness in life mean to us who are in Christ Jesus?
We are celebrating one of the most important events in Christianity today. This is the Sunday on which Jesus Christ rose again after sealing our salvation with His death: His resurrection.
And as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we reflect on what resurrection means to us. We evaluate its impact on our personal lives as Christians.
Let us ponder on the questions of Pastor Serge before we proceed,
“Are all of us living to the fact and to the truth that Jesus has resurrected from the dead? How does it play, how does it affect your daily living? Does it affect your daily decision? Most importantly, how does it affect every part of your life as far as resurrection of Jesus Christ is concerned?”
The Fullness of Life through the Resurrection of Christ
It is very important for Christians to believe in the resurrection. Jesus conquered death and proved that there is life after death. Nonetheless, are we living a life that believes in the resurrection through Christ Jesus?
If Jesus was indeed resurrected, we must also believe that we cannot find any of His remains here on earth. This, aside from believing that He is alive in heaven.
His disciples were not resurrected. Religious leaders were also not resurrected. Above all, it is only Jesus who claimed that He will be crucified, buried, and after 3 days be resurrected all throughout history. And it was fulfilled.
Think about this – the remains of the great people in history are still here with us… all except the remains of Jesus.
This being said, what is the relationship of His resurrection to us having the fullness of life?
As Pastor Serge has mentioned, “fullness of life is not only applicable here on earth but also in the afterlife.” We are able to live life to the fullest because deep down, we have the assurance that we belong to a risen Savior. We have the hope that we will have life after death (1 Cor 15:20).
The Implication of the Resurrection
In 1 Corinthians 15:19, Paul says “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
What does this mean to you? If our hope is only limited to this life we live right now, and if Jesus was not resurrected, then all that we do here is meaningless – it is in vain. Paul also said that “ If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”[d]
What we are doing now: attending church, helping others, going through persecution because of our faith, and even for those who died because of their faith; if Jesus wasn’t resurrected all these are worthless.
But Jesus didn’t remain dead. He rose from the dead! And with that, we have the beautiful hope in Him that we too shall rise from the dead in glorious bodies and spend eternity with him. With this truth, we have a deeper purpose of living our lives.
The Imperatives of the Resurrection
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:33-34, “33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”[a] 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.”
This is the time when there were people who started to believe the false teachings that there was no resurrection, thus no life after death for the believers. But Paul commanded them to stop entertaining these thoughts in their minds and hearts. It led them to commit immoral actions. Paul reminded them that knowing and believing in God is the right way of living.
We should live a life that shows we rose with him because we believe in the truth that Jesus was raised from the dead.
When we talk, think, or do things, it should be a reflection of a new life we have in Jesus: to live a life in obedience through the Gospel.
What are the things that we need to keep in mind?
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Bad company corrupts good character.”
DON’T BE DECEIVED!
Whether you like it or not, the people you surround yourself with have an influence on you. You have to be careful in choosing the company that you keep. You should remember that departure from your Christian beliefs is departing from your Christian behavior. What kind of company do you surround yourself with? Do they inspire you to be a better Christian or do they fill your heads with doubts about your faith and your salvation?
1 Corinthians 15:34 “Come back to your senses as you ought…”
WAKE UP!
You must not forget your true identity even when surrounded by unbelievers. You are who you are right now because of your identity in Christ. Our relationship with Him identifies who we are. We live in this dying world, and we sometimes commit mistakes or experience a lot of hardships, but we must remember that no matter what happens, our identity remains in Him. We are the sons and daughters of the living God. Do you still remember who you are?
1 Corinthians 15:34 “…stop sinning”
When you remember who you are in Christ, you choose to live your life in a righteous way. You are sons and daughters of the living God.
You may still stumble and sin, but through Jesus’ resurrection, you believe that there is an invisible power in you that can help you overcome the trials in life.
To live life to the fullest is to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. We may be living in a dying world, but we have the hope that we will rise again just like our risen Savior.
Should we keep this good news to ourselves? No!
Let us go in obedience and share the good news of life after death found only in Jesus!
Have anything to pray about? We’d love to pray with you. Message us at +1 (707) 600 – 6010 or leave us a message on our Jesus Reigns Ministries Facebook page or DM us on Instagram @jrmvallejo.
You can also read the 7 Last Words series:
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12
Apr '21
The Power of the Gospel – The Too-good-to-be-true News
12
Apr '21
At the culmination of it all, let us talk about the power of the gospel.
Do you know that the Greek word for gospel is euaggelion which means “too good to be true news”? Is the gospel too good to be true for you? Well, it really is – but IT IS TRUE!
Let’s look at why many of us will think it’s good to be true.
Salvation is a gift – not something you have to work for
A lot of us have been conditioned about conditional love. Ever since we were kids, we were given conditions. If we behave, we’ll get what we want but if we misbehave, we’ll be punished.
Even the old testament used that kind of discipline, where when the people sinned they have to sacrifice livestock to be forgiven. Some religions still do it until now. They consider the way of salvation to be good works.
Let us not confuse this. We need to do good – we are not discounting good deeds. It is the by-product of our salvation. But it is not the way to salvation.
Even the best people we know cannot be saved through good works alone. Why? Because no one is righteous. We all have fallen short of God’s glory and no one is righteous enough to be in the presence of God. (Romans 3:23)
We are all sinners; no one is blameless. Therefore, we could not have done it on our way. That is the very reason why God sent Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)
There is no other way to be saved but through believing that Jesus Christ died for me and you.
That is what we call grace. And as Paul said, this is all so that we cannot boast of our own good works but boast of our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:9).
Salvation is a gift. All we need to do is accept it and believe it. That’s the salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Concept of Grace and Unconditional Love
Another thing a lot of us are struggling with is the concept of unconditional grace and unconditional love.
We all have been used to judging and being judged. But Jesus Christ came to break these norms. This is the very reason why the Pharisees became furious of Him. Because Jesus was breaking the norms that the Pharisees were gaining from.
Jesus said himself that we should not judge so that we cannot be judged. And that whoever He forgives here will be forgiven in Heaven.
Furthermore, Paul explained that “everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:22).
What Paul meant here is that there is nothing that we will do that can separate us from God’s love. There is nothing that we can do that cannot be forgiven because Jesus Christ already did the act of salvation at the cross.
Therefore, if we are in Christ, we are forgiven, no matter what we will do. But does it mean that everything is beneficial? No! It is still up to us to decide if what we are doing will benefit us or destroy us.
Unconditional love – no matter what we do, God still loves us.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
(1 Corinthians 13: 1-7)
Above is God’s commandment of how we will know true love. And if God told us to do these, it is surely because He did it first. We love because He first love is.
This is God’s standard of love. That is how He is to you. He never keeps a record of the wrong things you’ve done.
The only sin that can separate us from God after we accepted Jesus Christ is when we “grieve the Holy Spirit” through unbelief.
Unconditional Grace – we are saved, not because we deserve it but because we need it
Here’s another pill that’s hard to swallow for many of us. The concept of unconditional grace.
First of all, we have to understand that NONE OF US IS WORTHY TO BE SAVED. NO ONE.
We all were sentenced to death from the moment that we were born in this world. Why? Because we are spiritually dead. We are born in a corrupt world – in corruptible bodies. For us, there is nowhere else to go but down.
We were never righteous, and we were never sinless. So, why in the world did God send salvation to us?
Two things – One, because loves us that He wants us to be with Him in Heaven forever. And two, because He knew that we are going to suffer and He looked upon us with grace. Therefore, He sent Jesus Christ as a sacrifice so that we can, once and for all, be saved.
No one else deserves the glory
So what do we do then? How should we respond?
The only thing we can do is to REPENT, BELIEVE and RECEIVE – that simple. That’s why it’s called the gospel – it’s too good to be true. BUT IT IS TRUE.
And in everything, no one else deserves all the glory but Jesus Christ alone. He alone deserves all the glory and honor, because of what He’s done for all of us.
It’s not about us anymore – it’s all about what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
Love is the culmination of it all
And to this we the answer to the question “Why should we do good”?
We do good because we love God and if we love Him, we will do His commandments. (John 14:15)
And what are God’s commandments?
“Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
Let’s make it simple.
If we love God, we wouldn’t want to disappoint, disrespect or grieve Him in any way. And if we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will always think of what is good and beneficial to them.
You would never want to hurt those you love, right? Not in any way.
And if you truly believe that Jesus Christ died for you, you would never want to disappoint Him by wasting your life on things that are not beneficial.
That is why we do good. This is the “too good to be true news”. And it is available for us all.
You will see that at the foot of the cross, you will find nothing else but love. It’s at the root of it all.
Are you ready to accept that LOVE today?
Pray with us. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and starting today, live your life in Him who loves you the most.
He is waiting for you. Come back to His embrace and accept this “too good to be true news” as your truth. It is the truth that will set you free and give you peace beyond all comprehension.
We’d love to pray with you. Message us at +1 (707) 600 – 6010 or leave us a message on our Jesus Reigns Ministries Facebook page or DM us on Instagram @jrmvallejo.
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12
Apr '21
The 7 Last Words of Jesus Christ – Complete Surrender
12
Apr '21
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. – Luke 23:46 – Complete surrender.
What does complete surrender look like?
It is when you know you have to let go and give yourself up to God who knows all things.
This is what Jesus Christ displayed at the last moment of His life. He knows that this is the end of His life on this earth and so, He surrendered His life completely.
The Spiritual Battle
Remember this though, this is not actually THE END. After this is a spiritual battle to win the spiritual victory over death. Jesus “descended to the lower parts of the earth before He ascended to heaven” (Ephesians 4: 8-9). As to what Jesus did there, no one really knows but can only speculate. Only Jesus and the Father really know.
Some scholars say that Jesus went there to take the “righteous dead”, the likes of David, Solomon, and the saints of the old testament. Some believe that He went there to suffer as the human soul would have before salvation and experience the Godlessness of Hell in order to save the dead. And other scholars believe that He went there to claim the “keys of death and of Hades” (Revelation 1:18).
No matter what Jesus did after He died, we can guarantee that His battle was not finished yet at that moment. And we know that the spiritual battle is even greater than the physical battles.
Jesus’ act of surrendering to the Father is trusting His battles and His next steps to God. Saying that He commits His spirit to the Father means that no matter where His Spirit is going, He is surrendering it to the Father.
Complete Surrender
In retrospect, let’s look at our own situations.
Are you facing any battles right now? What kinds of battles are you preparing for – physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual? How do you respond to it?
To many of us, the first response is to worry, then fight the battles head-on. But for Jesus, the response is to always commit to God, fall down on His knees in prayer, and follow the will of God.
If we are in Christ, then we should do just as Christ did. But many of us, even Christians, worry for the battles ahead. Why?
The question is, are you completely surrendered to God? Did you commit everything to God? If not, what’s stopping you?
To Surrender Completely is to Trust Fully
Like in everything else in our lives, we can only commit ourselves to someone who we totally trust.
Do you trust God enough to completely surrender and commit your Spirit to Him? Is your trust and faith enough for you to completely commit your battles, apprehensions, and worries to God?
Many say it is okay to doubt and question. But the truth is, doubt is an enemy of faith. If you have faith, there should not be any shadow of doubt in you.
Doubt is an insult to what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you.
Think about this. If God sent His one and only Son to die for you even though you didn’t know you needed salvation, what else can He not do for you?
Your finances, your physical pain, your emotional struggles, and your mental turmoil – they are nothing compared to what Jesus Christ has already done on the cross.
If we compare all those things to the miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is nothing.
So, what are you afraid of? Why do you doubt and why are you not able to commit fully to the Lord? Has He not proven enough how much He loves you?
The Power of Complete Surrender
Jesus is waiting for you to completely surrender your load to Him. He said
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11: 28-30.
He already suffered it all for you so you won’t have to suffer any longer. All He needs is for you to commit your life totally to Him and He will make the way for you.
Want us to pray for you and with you? We would love to. Message us at +1 (707) 600 – 6010 or leave us a message on our Jesus Reigns Ministries Facebook page or DM us on Instagram @jrmvallejo.
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12
Apr '21
The 7 Last Words of Jesus Christ – Patience in Waiting for the Fulfillment of Promise
12
Apr '21
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” – John 19:30 – Patience in waiting for the fulfillment of Promise.
Have you ever prayed for something and felt like God is not going to answer your prayer? Or have you been claiming God’s promises but feel like God is hesitating in fulfilling those promises?
Look nowhere else but at the cross. Jesus knows exactly how that feels and worse!
First of all, you will have to understand that “God made all things beautiful in His time” and that “there’s a season for everything”.
Jesus had to wait 30 years before His ministry began. He had to wait 3 more years to fulfill the promise and mission of salvation. And then, again, had to wait until everything that was written was fulfilled before He can give up His life, die, and ends the unimaginable suffering He went through.
Do you see the amount of patience it took for Him to walk in righteousness through all those years? And He was finally able to say, “It is finished!” at the very last moment.
That must have been the greatest moment for Him.
Look past the suffering to the reward
How did Jesus do it? In what way was He able to fulfill everything that was written no matter how long it took?
Paul answered that in Hebrews 12 saying,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Did you see that? Paul said “For the joy set before Him (Jesus), He endured the cross.
Jesus knew what was coming. He knew that He was going to suffer a great amount of torture, pain, and unimaginable suffering, yet, He did not hesitate. Why? Because He considers it joy to persevere knowing the reward He was going to receive.
And what reward is that?
It is our salvation. Being able to finally be with the Father in Heaven and sharing the salvation to the rest of God’s children, so that we can be with Him forever.
Patience in Waiting
Like many of us, Jesus Christ had to endure and wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promise in His life. He had to be stuck in human form and walk in this corruptible world with mean people because it is the perfect will of God.
Now, let’s look back at our situation.
What are you waiting for? Are there promises that you are waiting to be fulfilled? How are you waiting?
Whatever it is, consider it pure joy. Enjoy the journey towards the reward that God is going to give you. No matter what the situation is and the suffering that you are going through right now wait on Him patiently. Even if you feel like God is hesitating or not answering your prayers, wait on Him patiently.
God knows what’s best for us
He knows the right time, the right moment, the right people, and the right situation for you. He knows the perfect situation and perfect answers to your prayers.
God did not say that He will always give you what you “want” but He definitely will give you the best for yourself.
Let us model Jesus Christ in our patience in waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises to us.
Want us to pray for you and with you? We would love to. Message us at +1 (707) 600 – 6010 or leave us a message on our Jesus Reigns Ministries Facebook page or DM us on Instagram @jrmvallejo.
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12
Apr '21
The 7 Last Words of Jesus Christ – The Physical and Spiritual Dryness
12
Apr '21
“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” – John 19:28 – physical and spiritual dryness.
Are you experiencing drought in your life right now? Whether it be a physical and spiritual dryness, Jesus is the answer.
Let’s take a look into this 5th phrase in the last 7 phrases that Jesus Christ left us before His death on the cross.
I am thirsty
As Jesus Christ said this, what do you think exactly does He mean? Does He really mean that He’s physically thirsty? Or is this like one of His parables where He implies things?
Let’s look at the situation.
He said this after hours of hanging on the cross. With the persecution that He went through the whole day, plus the excessive amount of physical strain He experienced carrying the cross, His body is definitely starting to fail.
We must not forget that at this moment, Jesus Christ is still in a physical, corruptible, and human body. Therefore, whatever exhaustion we are feeling, He felt that too.
Thus, there’s a great possibility that this statement is not just a parable or a fulfillment of the scripture – it can also mean the physical suffering of Jesus Christ.
Let’s get to these points and possibilities one by one.
Fulfillment of the Scripture
Many scholars agree that this 5th parting word of Jesus Christ is a fulfillment of the scripture found in Psalms 69:21 which says, “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”
This, we can totally agree. One of the reasons why we believe that Jesus Christ is the one and true Messiah that God sent is because of His fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. So, definitely, this is a fulfillment of the scripture.
But is that all there is to that?
Physical Exhaustion
If we walk under the sun for more than an hour, like 12-noon sunlight in the tropics, you will definitely feel the parchedness of your throat, and if you continue that for hours, for sure, you’ll get dehydrated.
Now, put this in the picture. Jesus had to carry the cross, from morning until noontime, and right after that exhausting feat, He was nailed to the cross and hang there for more than 3 hours…without drinking anything.
As a man, it is impossible for Jesus Christ not to feel anything after all these.
You may ask, why not just give up? Why does He need to ask for water if He’s dying anyway?
Scholars say that this is because it’s not complete yet. Even before this happened, Jesus already knows what is going to happen and how everything will need to be done. So, He is waiting for the right moment. And this time is not yet the time for Him to give up. He still has some more things to fulfill.
Thus, His request for something to quench His thirst is just so that He can last a little bit longer.
Spiritual Dryness
Amidst the physical exhaustion, there’s also a spiritual dryness.
At this moment, God chose to hate Jesus Christ and turn away from Him to fulfill the sacrifice that He had to make for mankind. This is why God chose to leave Jesus and look at Him with wrath.
God placed His wrath and judgment for mankind to Jesus Christ so that He can claim salvation and redemption once and for all.
This is another dryness that Jesus felt. He has lost His connection to the Father and thus, He felt empty, alone, and dry.
Not only was He talking of physical thirst but also of spiritual. And thus, He cried out.
Are you suffering?
If you are suffering from physical or spiritual dryness right now, know that Jesus Christ was exactly in that situation. He suffered and felt physical suffering and spiritual dryness during the lowest point of His life here on earth.
We call on to you to pray and tell God, “I thirst”. He understands and He can help you.
Jesus loves you and He understands what you’re going through and where you are at this point of your life. Don’t hesitate to come and lay it all down at the foot of the cross.
Want us to pray for you and with you? We would love to. Message us at +1 (707) 600 – 6010 or leave us a message on our Jesus Reigns Ministries Facebook page or DM us on Instagram @jrmvallejo.
You can also read:
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