I want to say a few words today about moments

I want to say a few words today about moments. We all have a lot of moments, obviously. The moments I would like to mention here are the really bad ones, the ones that can make us feel like we would rather not be in the world at all. Everyone has had those moments, and if anyone says that they haven't, they have either forgotten or they just aren't telling the truth. Not sure really how you forget moments like that however. I'm not just talking about a couple of seconds either. Some 'moments' like that can last a little while, depending on our level and determination of faith. Jesus gave us a particular saying about this in which there is both bad news and good news: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). The bad news of course is that in this life we will have 'tribulation,' even as Jesus said. The word tribulation comes from the Greek word 'thlipsis,' and is defined as follows: "a pressing, pressing together, pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits." Those are some pretty bad words there, and that is why Jesus wanted us to know ahead of time that our walk with him will sometimes be met with what feels like overwhelming opposition and challenge. But the GOOD NEWS is as he said, that he has overcome the world. Well, that's good news for him, but how does it apply to us? If we are literally 'in Christ,' then we become partakers of his death to sin, and his resurrection from the dead. As the apostle Paul said, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3,4).

Make no mistake, the passage cited above is NOT talking about water baptism. Water baptism puts NO ONE into Christ, but there is another baptism that does: "For BY ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into one body [of Christ], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the holy Ghost with its accompanying sign of speaking with other tongues, is the baptism that Jesus had to die and resurrect to administer; and it is without refute the baptism that puts us literally into Christ, meaning into his actual body (Acts 2:4; I Pet. 3:21). The same apostle goes even further with this reality of our being in Christ, in another place: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26,27). So what we have here is that by faith we are baptized BY JESUS with the holy Ghost, whereby we literally "put on Christ." To be certain that this verse is truly speaking of the Spirit baptism, and not water, we also have this: "Now the Lord is that Spirit" (II Cor. 3:17). Also it is this experience of faith in Christ that makes us the children of God. So if we have actually 'put on Christ,' it's certain that we become partakers of what he is. One thing he certainly is, is THE conqueror of sin and death; which makes him the conqueror of this sinful, dying world that we live in, even as he said he was. That is why him overcoming the world is such good news for us, because if we're in him then we have the power to overcome the world as well. That power just happens to be the same holy Ghost that we've been baptized with, even as Jesus said it would be: "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence... But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:" (Acts 1:5,8).

Keeping in mind the 'tribulation' that Jesus said we would encounter in this life, and our need to overcome it, let's go to the beloved apostle for more details: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (I Jn. 5:4,5) So it comes back around to our faith, and that would be the same faith that gets us baptized with the holy Ghost and puts us into Christ, and into his victory over everything this world can throw at us. Jesus rose from the dead physically after three days, and death is the ultimate enemy that we have in this life; so that means he certainly won the day against every other kind of tribulation in this life. After all, the worst thing that can happen to us in this life is that we die. By the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, we are able to overcome all tribulation in this life, though it may take some perseverance in prayer with a very heavy heart at times (I Pet. 3:18). It was even that way for Jesus, so we shouldn't expect that we get some easier route to victory: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared" (Heb. 5:7). Nevertheless, once we are in Christ, if we "keep [our] hearts with all diligence," we are able to be upheld by the same power of the holy Ghost that we receive initially upon getting into Christ (Prov. 4:23). It is by continued faith in the ultimate victory of Jesus that we are able to beat the odds against any challenge, regardless of how overwhelming it may feel or be. The scriptures says, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom. 11:29).

What that verse means is that once we are called to Christ, which is evidenced by our being baptized with the Spirit, he will NEVER change his mind about us! In fact his very death on the cross of Calvary showed once for all that he is absolutely FOR every human being in this world, because that is exactly who he died for! (Jn. 3:16; I Jn. 2:2) That is the will of the Father, and of Christ, for all men. The thing is that it takes having faith in Jesus, and in what he did for the world, to become a partaker of his victory over the world. That is why so many people live under the heavy burden of sin and all of its symptoms, because they haven't allowed themselves to believe and become a partaker of the grand victory of Christ. So my actual point with all of this is that Jesus and his victory over sin and death is FAR BIGGER than any moment of tribulation and anguish that we may experience. It is certain that we need to keep our faith built up, because there are some moments of pain and desolation that we can experience in this life that are very, very great indeed. That is why Jude gave us the following exhortation: "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jd. 1:20,21). The truth is that we can look for that mercy, and expect it, as long as we remain honest with ourselves and with the Lord. Jesus came here to die and resurrect from the dead, so that he could give the exact same resurrection from the dead to us; along with the power to overcome sin and all of its results in this world. His purpose and his plan for us is far greater than any moment of tribulation that we can encounter in this world.

Jesus told us in no uncertain terms just what his plan and his purpose is for us, and reminded us to not be discouraged by the hard times that we are faced with in this world: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (Jn. 14:1-3). He gave us a little more detail about that plan in another place: "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn. 6:39,40). If he is going to raise us from the dead, and give us a special home in glory, then it is certain that he is going to bring us through our darkest moments of despair that we may experience in this life. ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN!! These are things that we have to keep in mind so that we will be prepared for those kinds of moments, because they will come. As Solomon said, "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many" (Eccl. 11:7,8). The good news is that the light of the love of God in our lives is far brighter than anything that "the days of darkness" can throw at us. Yes indeed my friend, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is well defined as, 'Good News.' Amen.