He Ever Lives to Make Intercession For Us

Do you ever think about eternity?

The Bible tells us we should.
Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:2

One thing that I’ve been thinking about is, in eternity, what truth that I would know/see would have made me live differently if I had truly embraced that truth while on earth?

As I thought about it: I was reminded of this verse: Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Would I have had any anxious thoughts knowing that Jesus was always interceding on my behalf? 

Would I have focused so much on the here and now if I knew that Jesus was interceding for me every moment of every day?

Would I have spent so much time on things that had no eternal value if I had considered the truth of His interceding?

Would I have been more full of joy if I had truly embraced that truth?

Jesus urges us in Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I don’t want to waste my life. 

I don’t want to fill my life with regrets. 

God has given us His Word. Let’s read it, study it, hide the words in our heart, embrace the truths it teaches and do what He commands.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John 13:17

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Hebrews 4:14

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Jesus Only

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. 

One subject I’ve been particularly wrestling with is how we can so quickly over value and over emphasize our personal experiences. 

Now don’t get me wrong. I think it is important and even encouraging when we share with others what God has done/is doing in our lives, but if that becomes the focal point of our salvation we are missing the point. 

Let’s take a look at some of the conversion experiences in the book of Acts: 

Paul has a pretty spectacular one. A light appears from heaven. He falls to the ground and hears the voice of Jesus saying “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?” He then experiences three days of blindness. God then appears to Ananias in a vision and tells him to go to Paul. Ananias speaks to Paul. The scales fall from his eyes. He receives His sight back, gets up and is baptized. He then goes to the synagogues and preaches that Jesus is the Son of God. (Acts 9:1-20) 

The Ethiopian Eunuch also had an interesting experience. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship but had not found the answers he was looking for. The Spirit directs Philip to the road where the Eunuch was traveling on and then tells Phillip to join himself to the chariot of the Eunuch. Philip runs to join up with him and hears him read from the prophet Isaiah. “Understandest thou what thou readest?” He asks him. The Eunuch responds by saying “How can I, except some man should guide me?” Philip then Opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. After hearing what Philip has to say the Eunuch asks if he can be baptized. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Philip then disappears from sight and the Eunuch goes on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:26-39 

Lydia’s story in Acts 16:14 is much shorter and simpler. It says she worshiped God. God opened her heart. And she attended unto the things which were spoken of by Paul. 

The people listening to a sermon where Peter points them to Jesus gladly received the word and were baptized. Three thousand souls were added to the church that day. Acts 2:41 

Do we ever hear Paul say, “Only my conversion experience is true because I literally saw a light and heard the voice of Jesus speaking to me?” No. 

Do we ever hear the Eunuch say, “Only my conversion experience is true because God’s Spirit actually directed Philip to me, and then made him disappear? That was truly a miracle, so that proves what I experienced must have been the real thing!” 

It says about Lydia that God opened her heart. God opens the heart of all those who believe in Jesus, but it doesn’t make for the best, most exciting story does it? How can you explain that and turn it into something tangible? 

The people listening to Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 don’t have that much of a story to tell either. “We were listening to this man Peter, who pointed us to Jesus and we gladly received the word and we were baptized.” 

That’s it? 

Yes. 

But their belief in Jesus was just as real as the others, for it says that three thousand souls were added to the church that day. 

So what we can learn from these different conversion experiences was that their commonality was not in their experiences, but in their believing in Jesus, the Son of God. 

Does God work in different ways? Obviously. 

Is one way better than another? No. 

William Cowper says: “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;” 

Some people God stops in their tracks with a light from heaven, while others like Timothy were believers from childhood. 

What God uses to draw us and direct us to Jesus shouldn’t be the focal point of our salvation, however. 

Jesus is. 

When we focus on our own experiences, or other people’s spiritual experiences our focus is off-center. All our focus for our salvation must be on Jesus. 

Anytime I look at myself too long I quickly become discouraged and filled with self-doubt, and for good reason too. 

Paul says: O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24 

It also can cause others to stumble and doubt if they feel their experiences don’t measure up to other people's experiences. 

Also, our emotions/feelings/perceptions are constantly changing and can’t be trusted. We quickly start to wonder, Was that experience real? Or did I imagine it? Was it big enough? That other person’s experience sounds way more powerful than mine, so maybe mine wasn’t real. 

We need to stop looking at ourselves! 

Instead let’s keep our eyes focused on Jesus. 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Hebrews 12:2 

Jesus the unchanging one. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus. 

The Beloved Son of God. 

The Holy One. 

The Sinless One. 

The Perfect One. 

Our Saviour. 

Our Mediator.

Our only Comfort.

Our only Hope.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29b 

The only way we can be saved is through Him! 

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9 

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:29-31

The Most Important Question

What’s the most important question you could ever ask and what is the answer?  

What must I do to be saved? Acts 16:30b 

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16: 31 

It’s not about how much faith you have, but about WHO you have faith in. 

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24 

It’s not about the strength of our convictions, or if we fully grasp how miserable and lost we really are. It’s not about what experiences God uses for us to see our need of a Savior. Salvation is all about Jesus. It’s about who He is and what He has done. 

He is our only Hope. 

Our only Comfort in life and death. 

We’ve got no one else to turn to and nothing left to lose. 

Come to Him. 

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Jesus) Matthew 11:28-29 

All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev 22:17 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:14-16 

Jesus paid it all. 

He willingly offered Himself up for us. 

The perfect, holy, beloved Son of God. 

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (God) Matthew 3:17 

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 

This Jesus, 
Who was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 

This Jesus, 
Who was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: Isaiah 53:3 

This Jesus, 
Who hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Isaiah 53:4 

It’s all about Him. 

We so quickly want to make it about us. 

Our convictions. 

Our tears. 

Our experiences. 

But God's Word says: I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: Phil 3:8b 

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags; Isaiah 64:6a 

It’s not about us. 

It’s all about Him. 

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Phil 2:10 

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29b

Annual Garage Sale/Plant Sale/BBQ/Car Wash

Dear family and friends,
You're invited to our annual Mission Garage sale / Plant sale / BBQ / Car Wash Fundraiser to support our work with Hungry for Life! - Bring a friend.

Saturday, May 13

8 AM - 2 PM

Chilliwack Free Reformed

Church 45471 Yale Road,

Chilliwack, BC

If you have items you would like to donate they can be dropped off at the church the day before. If you cannot attend but would still like to make a tax deductible donation, you can do so online by clicking here or email us at jkrul@hungryforlife.org. Thanks for helping us make this another successful event and hope to see you there!