[Biblemat] S) JUST IMAGINE!

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
recent files.  Use to the glory of God.

JUST IMAGINE!

     We live in an amazing age.  As I write these words, I am
working on a computer that governs everything I do.  Just 15
years ago, I used a typewriter.  Now, my sermons, my bills,
my messages, even my Bible is on this computer.  I could
never have imagined that I would be so computer dependent
only a few years ago.

     Our world is changing rapidly.  From cell phones and text
messages, to the computers that run our cars, to the comput-
ers that fly our planes.  Few could have imagined all this.  And, it makes us 
think, what new things will be coming that 
we have not even considered?  Our children and grandchild-
ren will live in a whole new society with incredible technology
and amazing medical treatment and so on.

     The good news for those of us who seek God, is that the
Lord has some surprises in store for people as well.  Notice
a prayer from teh apostle Paul.  "For this reason, I bow my
knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven
and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, accor-
ding to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power
through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the
saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.  Now to
Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:14-21).  In these
verses Paul tells us remarkable things.  He helps every person come to 
understand God and God's glorious plan to
save man.  Paul wants to tap into our imaginations, opening
our minds to the God of the universe.  As he prays for the 
Christians of the first century, Paul is teaching all of us, be-
lievers and non believers alike, that we can only imagine what
God can do.

Just Imagine...Knowing The Creator: -- Did you know that 80% of all Americans 
believe God created the universe?  Al-
though many, if not most, of those do not follow the Lord, still, they look 
at the creation and decide there is a Creator.
When we look at the intricacies of our world, of DNA, of life
and weather and so on, we are amazed at the awesome wis-
dom and power of God.  Clearly, the Being Who created all
that we see and experience is far beyond us.

     Yet, this Great God wants to call each of us His child.  We
derive our name, our heritage, our being from Him.  This over-
whelming God does not want to stand at a distance, keeping
us at arms length from Him.  He wants us to come to know
Him, not just as Creator, but as Father.  That is, God wants
us to have a personal relationship with Him.

     You see, God is not interested in just showing off His pow-
er through His amazing works.  He is more interested in you,
in loving you, saving you and changing you.  In spite of the
great power and majesty He demonstrates in creation, what
matters most to God is you.  The God of creation wants you
to draw close to Him.

Just Imagine...God In Your Heart: -- Paul tells us that Jesus,
the Son of God, can live in our hearts, by faith.  The God of
all creation, of all wisdom and knowledge, of all power and
glory, wants to dwell in your heart.  He wants to strengthen
us through His Spirit in our inner being.  This huge, indescrib-
able, overwhelming God, wants to live in your heart!

     God is superior to each of us.  He is above us in wisdom
and power.  He is beyond our comprehension in His knowled-
ge and His creative power.  Yet, He wants to be close to us,
so close, that He lives and rules inside each of us.  "For you
have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but
you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we
cry out, 'Abba!  Father!'" (Rom. 8:15).  God tells us we can
call on Him, not as some distant potentate who may or may
not have time for us, but as a loving gentle father ("Abba")
who has made us His own children.

     Never think that God wants to keep away from you.  Yes,
He is holy and will not stay in the presence of sin.  But God
has done wonderful things to take away your sin and allow
you to come home, to be part of His family.  "But God demon-
strates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sin-
ners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of
God through Him" (Rom. 5:8,9).  God has reached out to you
by sending His Son to die for you.  He did this while you were
unworthy, living in sin.  God didn't do this because He had 
to, He reachied out to you because He cares for you.  Which
leads us to the next stretch of imagination.

Just Imagine...Unconditional Love: -- Paul describes the love
of God in soaring terms.  He describes its width, how broad
and open it is.  He describes its length, how it lasts and endur-es .  He 
describes its height, that is tall enough to cover any-
one and everyone.  He describes it depth, that is how there is
no bottom, no limit to His love.  It just keeps going.

     Then, the Scripture says the most amazing thing.  God
wants us to come to know the love that surpasses our know-
ledge.  That is, He wants us to come to experience the love
that is beyond our comprehension.

     This may seem strange, but the fact is, we see that love
around us all the time.  When you see a mother, hugging and
cuddling a baby that has just thrown up, you see this kind of
love.  That mom loves her child much more than she worries
about the mess the baby makes.  Oh, the mess is gross, dis-
gusting, and has to be cleaned up.  But, mom loves that baby
anyway.  If earthly parents love like that, how much more will
the God of love care for you and me?

     Do you recall what happened in the story of the prodigal
son?  Notice how the father in that story reacted to his mess-
ed-up son when he came home.  "And he got up and came
to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father
saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced
him, and kissed him" (Lk. 15:20).  That is how God reacts 
when you come to Him, no matter how much of a mess you 
have made of your life.  Like a mom who cuddles a sick baby,
so God will embrace you when you come home to be His
child.

Just Imagine...The Unimaginable!: -- After describing God's 
love, Paul tells us that God can do more than we ask or imag-
ine.  No matter what we think up, God can do more.  No mat-
ter what visions we have of our future, or of the future of the
church, God can do more.

     So, what can you imagine?  A few years ago, few of us
would have imagined the Berlin wall and iron curtain coming
down.  But they did.  Few of us could have imagined landing
on the moon, but we did.  The point is, God can do even more
than our feeble minds can grasp or think up.

     What can you imagine?  Can you imagine a loved one final-
ly turning his or her life over to the Lord?  Maybe it has been
years and he or she has been cold or resistant.  God can change that heart.  
Can you imagine your church baptizing
dozens of people each year?  God can do more.  Can you
imagine having the money you need in your life or in your
congregation?  God can do more.

     Paul wants us to see that God's power is not limited by our weakenesses. 
 Yes, we are sinners, and we are weak in
our ability to do all God asks.  Yet, God has power beyond
our imagination to accomplish all He has planned.  We need
to rely on His power, His love, His desire to save souls, and
watch His plans unfold.

So: Invite Jesus Into Your Heart: -- God wants to dwell within
your heart.  You need to trust in His Son and do what Jesus
asks.  Then, He will live in you.  "And He said to them, 'Go into all the 
world and preach the gospel to all creation.  He
who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but
he who has disbelieved shall be condemned'" (Mk. 16:15,16).
Jesus tells you how to invite Him into your life.  You must be-
lieve in Him and be baptized into Him.  Then you will be saved, that is, you 
have the Lord living in your heart.

So: Enjoy The Glory Of The Body: -- Paul finishes this passa-ge with a 
remarkable statement.  God finds His glory in His
Son, and in the church!  That is, what God finds glorious is
the saved people who have been called from sin and live for
God.  It is the church, the body of Christ, that reflects the glory of God.

     You look at a typical church, it may not seem glorious.  But that is 
looking at the outside, not the inside.  Inside, these are people whose hearts 
are filled with the Son of God.
They live differently, powerfully and lovingly.  In their choices
their values and their actions they reflect that God lives with-
in them.  God finds that to be glorious.

     You see, the church is full of sinners, but those sinners
have been forgiven.  You need the company of these people.
You need to be part of God's family.  Again, you can be born
into this group by being baptized.  When you invite the Lord
to rule in your life, you will experience the glory of the body
of Christ.    ----- David Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56,
No. 13, Mar. 30, 2007.   </HTML>
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