Thursday, March 26, 2009

How Do I Abide in Jesus?

Worship the LORD in holy attire
Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:9
Let them praise your great and awesome name: Holy is God!
O
mighty king, lover of justice, you alone have established fairness; you have created just rule in Jacob.
Exalt the LORD, our God; bow down before his footstool; holy is God! Psalm 99: 3,5,9
Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 96: 6
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
But he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet.
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:10-14
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17

In this "New Age", independent, anti-ecclesiastical, instant gratification, "I know what's best for me" society, you will hear the following argument: "I can have a personal relationship with Jesus, what do I need a Church for?" This attitude makes God an mp3 file that you can download and listen at your convenience. But let's look at this logically, presumably one can acknowledge that God revealed Himself to man, first to Abraham, Moses, and all the Old Testament prophets, etc. In doing so He instructed them in rather precise terms how to worship Him. You cannot have a "personal relationship" with God unless you bow down and get on your knees and worship Him. "Oh that's the Old Testament", you say. Well, Let's see what Jesus said. How about "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me."and also"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never become hungry, and whoever believes in me will never become thirsty. The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I in him. You cannot abide in Jesus no matter how you desire to do so even on your convenient, pocket pal Jesus terms. That is why you need the Church, and for volumes and volumes of other reasons.

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