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Christian Short StoriesTake Your Seat, Please Michael writes: I've written for over 30 years as I believe I'm given an inspiring word to share. Presently I'm working on my Masters in Biblical Studies and have been accepted into the Theology Doctoral Program. My desire is to share my writings in hopes of encouraging others in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. My desire when I finish my graduate work is to write Bible Curriculum. I Pray these stories/articles have blessed you and they may touch the lives of those you know." www.mikecochran.org
None of us deserved it and none of us could ever be worthy of it, but because of the wealth of God's grace and kindness toward us, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. We now have the opportunity and privilege to sit with Christ at God's right hand - the place of heavenly authority and power. We are there because our God loved us and chose us long before he created the world, that we should be included in his family through Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13. And, we can occupy that seat because we have responded to His love and received His lavish forgiveness and cleansing through His Son. Ephesians 2:13. What an awesome privilege! Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father-the place of authority-and we're seated with Him. We died with Christ, and we were raised with Him. Church, we need to get it in our spirit that this isn't something God is going to do in the future; He has already done it! His resurrection and ascension and exaltation to God's right hand is already an accomplished fact and if you are in Him, then it is an accomplished fact for you as well. The Resurrection was opposed by Satan and all the powers of darkness, but they were confused and defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection when he "spoiled principalities and powers, he [Christ] made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:15. Yes, you and I have to live out some days in this earthly frame, but the far greater truth is that we are already seated with Christ at the Father's right hand. The source of our authority is found in this resurrection and seating of Jesus Christ when God set Christ "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named..." Ephesians 1:21. Sadly, the truth of the authority of the believer is overlooked by many Christians and most churches don't even know the believer has any authority. It can not be understood with your intellect; you must get a spiritual revelation of it and believe it by faith. We are living in two dimensions at one and the same time and what matters most and determines our ability to live as an overcomer down here, is how much weight and importance and significance you and I give to the greater eternal reality of our heavenly position. And, living our lives from the heavenly, rather than the earthly perspective is what enables us to live with confidence rather than confusion, with trust rather than turmoil, and with faith rather than with fear. When you and I are living our lives in the greater awareness of our heavenly citizenship than our earthly existence, then nothing can shake , nothing can cause us to fear, and nothing can rattle our confidence or our knowledge of our worth. So, when unexpected things take place in our lives, shaking our very existence, before we react out of our gut to what we see or hear. We need to take our heavenly seat and ask our Father to let us see what's really going on from up there. When we realize that the same authority that belongs to Christ is available to us, then His power and glory will be manifested in our lives and through us to a hurting and dying world. Fulfilling the words of Jesus when he said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." John 14:12. (© 2011 Michael Cochran – All rights reserved. Written material may not be duplicated without permission.) |
