Closing Reflection: The Gospel

‘keep yourselves in the love of God.’ 
(Jude 1:21)

Beloved, God’s grace and peace be with you, as I share this message of good news with you. With that, I now invite you into my HEART...

The man and the woman who comes to God through Jesus Christ the Lord, must come to this realization—That what is good is God and what is everything is also God.

Beloved, just this morning (being July 9, 2013 and two days after the initial writing of this entry) this very thought came to me as the Lord spoke: What qualifies a good person? From there such a great revelation came to me. Jesus was sharing the perspective of His life on earth with me and how He saw a good man to be. He showed me that one act of goodness or multiple acts of goodness doesn’t qualify you as a good person. He showed me that from a mans birth to his death, the recording of his entire life doing nothing but good, and not committing one sin against God either in the mind, in word or in deed, coupled with absolute faith and trust in God and His will for his life and not relying in his own strength qualifies him as good in which the human race has miserably failed.


I thought about all that He was showing me, and it was quite amazing. Yet, I also thought about His life and how it resembled every single facet that qualified one as good, so of course He alone is good. Right? Yet, Jesus also pointed out to me this fascinating perspective of His life that I have yet to see in anyone whether famous or lay: He was so lost in the Father’s heart He tells me, accomplishing His will for His life, that He never, not even for one moment thought of Himself as good and He made it a point to make that clear, that He isn’t good, but God the Father alone.

This perspective is not common, nor is it an inherent human trait. It is a trait that comes only from the kingdom of heaven. The humility to honor another regardless of what one would say is good about you. Jesus embodies this completely.

Anyone who reads the Gospels, the Book of Acts, The epistles or letters to the church from the apostles (12 disciples of Jesus Christ), as well as the Hebrew Bible (Old testament or Tanakh), will clearly see that Jesus is believed on and received as the Son of God, yet Jesus Himself, though God, spoke to His audience as thus: “Why do you call me good?” “No one is good—except God alone.”

Jesus shows me His heart in the above statement. He shows me that apart from God the Father, He couldn’t accomplish anything good, however He shows me another excellent thing, that once again embodies the environment of the kingdom of heaven as He speaks of Himself in the first person. “When He (I Jesus) had been baptized, Jesus (I) came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him (Me), and He (I) saw the Spirit of God (The Holy Spirit) descending like a dove and alighting upon Him (Me).” 

• The word alighting here means: To settle or stay after descending

Jesus has now revealed God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Himself), and God the Holy Spirit (the alighting Spirit of God from heaven). Jesus declares that His Father is good alone, showing a love, honor, respect and humility that comes from the kingdom of heaven and no place else. However, Jesus also shows me the human state He took up to accomplish His Father’s will, needing the very Spirit of God to accomplish it. The Spirit of God was the driving force behind His earthly ministry as we read following His baptism as once again Jesus shows me in the first person: “Immediately the Spirit drove Him (Me) into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12).

Beloved, in lieu of this great revelation (unveiling) of Jesus’ heart and attitude (His divine perspective) we ought to humble ourselves and give God thanks through Christ Jesus, that we too, by God’s Spirit can accomplish all that He wills. Amen!

To God apart from Him, the man or woman cannot accomplish His will. They are void of truth and love. What is truth? This the man and woman in Christ, come to know all too well— Truth is Jesus Christ the Lord. 

What is love? This the man and woman in Christ also come to know— Love is what is absolutely necessary and demanded. This necessity and demand is God’s love through Christ Jesus that we see unfold and expressed affectionately, unconditionally and sacrificially on the Cross.

You see, the Cross was never a torturous tool in God’s eyes but an everlasting message of redemption. Jesus dying on the Cross wasn’t the last act, it was the beginning of our revelation. 

This revelation, both men and women alike, if they were to take a long hard look at it, they would realize how great of a price God paid on the Cross, in order to love a people far away from Him.

People shrink back from such words as SIN, JUDGEMENT, PENALTY, DEATH, GRAVE and RESURRECTION, yet our reaction to such words should be thus: Stop, think and weigh all the options.

These big ugly words that frighten us, are actually BIG BEAUTIFUL words meant to excite us. 

Jesus took upon Himself all the worlds SIN. The JUDGEMENT of our sin was now upon Him. The PENALTY for our sin upon Him was DEATH. When Jesus’ body was placed in the GRAVE our sin was placed in their upon His dead mortal body forever. Jesus’ RESURRECTION three days later was God’s final act of love towards all the world in the most absolute display of affection that was both personal and intimate to Him as it should be to us!

When Jesus ASCENDED back to heaven, God was saying this affectionately to us: ‘If I did all that to show you that I absolutely love you, it also means where I am at, you too, will be at.’ Amen!

Beloved, and I say beloved, as I bring to you the Gospel message of love to you in this posting. The Gospel of Jesus Christ wasn’t some fable or misconstrued tale of a very “nice” man. It was God’s heart unfolding before us. His love being affectionately extended to us. His message of redemption, sacrifice and humility all rolled up in the Son of God... JESUS CHRIST the Lord. Amen.

Today, I pray for your salvation. God, allow your love to enter into their hearts. That they will also be where you are at. In Jesus name. Amen.

To that, I end as I began with the final words from Jude 1:21 that you may eagerly long for and embrace each and every day and forevermore, ‘looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.’ 

As always... YOU ARE LOVED.