“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). God created every human with an immortal soul. Immortality is an undying spiritual condition causing it to live somewhere forever. That human soul will live forever in Eternity, which is not just a long time, but a change of dimension. When the godly depart this life, they enter into the presence of God. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2Corinthians 5:8). The ungodly will find themselves separated and absent from God’s presence. “And in hell [Greek, hādes, grave, death] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23). The value of a human soul is it will live forever with God — “in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11) — or, it will dwell forever apart from God — “cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). Human choice will separate the godly from the ungodly. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2Corinthians 7:10). Father, grant Your elect a willing heart. “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever” (1Chronicles 28:9). Lord Jesus, return for us quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Willing Heart
Heart Opened By God
God opens hearts. “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” (Acts 16:14 KJV). We may not know the intricacies of your particular situation, but God opening a human heart — including our own — is able to transform any situation. We need to give God the opportunity to do what He is capable of doing. When our hearts are in a good place, He can teach us. “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). We may prefer a more dramatic miracle, but a heart opened to the LORD can accomplish all that is needed. We were made to walk with God and obey Him. Father, may Your Spirit fill us and reveal to us Jesus that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Do all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
What Is A Christian?
Willingness to obey Christ is to be a Christian. “If any man [Greek, tis, anyone] will do His will, he shall know” (John 7:17 KJV). Anyone who is willing to do God’s will, that is the key to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we like it or not, we possess the status of being in the image of God by virtue of His creating us that way, but we can only possess Christlikeness through our willingness to do His will. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). His desire for us has always been we would desire Him as much as He desires us. The Holy Spirit was given by Christ to cause us to be willing. For us, believing (Acts 16:31), repenting (Acts 3:19), confessing Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9), giving up everything (Luke 14:33), being baptized as a loyalty oath (Acts 2:38) are certainly necessary, but a willing heart is our greatest gift to Him and His chief enjoyment of us. LORD, make it so. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Repurposing the Messiah
Jehovah gave His Messiah to Israel for the same reason He gave the Spirit of Christ to the New Covenant Church. “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 KJV). The intention of the LORD has always been to create a willing heart in His people. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Psalm 110:3 KJV). It has always been about His children giving their heart to Yahweh. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26 KJV). It has not been simply to build a nation or church but to join Himself to His people. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV).
We Need A Miracle 