Tell Them I Love Them

While praying about the next God's Clay God's Way episode, in my spirit I heard the Lord say “Tell them I love them.” This is the first episode that followed.

The Lord God Almighty loves you and wants to spend eternity with you. He wants to take you through the brokenness of this world to a wonderful new life with Him. That new life begins the moment you're born again, then keeps going far beyond however many years you have left here.

The Lord Jesus is the only way out of this present mess...out of your mess... into total victory. His rescue is the ONLY rescue from final Judgement and eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 21:8)

There is absolutely no other rescue. None. You cannot fix your broken relationship with God without Jesus. He is your only hope. He offers the only way to be cleansed from guilt, shame, and heart rebellion against God. Jesus is the only way to be put in right relationship with God, the only way to be made pure in the eyes of God.

The sacrifice of Jesus changed everything. He wants you to trust Him, to surrender your whole life to Him, to be transformed and find your true destiny in Him. Romans 12:1-2.

Understand this: His rescue is about far more than being forgiven. His rescue is about far more than keeping you from God's Judgement Day wrath. The wonder and majesty of His rescue is beyond measure. It will go on and on, far beyond the bounds of life on this earth.

His rescue brings deep change. I'm reminded of a caterpillar in its cocoon, emerging as a beautiful butterfly.

Remember that you are a three part being: body, soul, and spirit. The physical body that you're currently occupying is NOT eternal. It will die. When it dies, your spirit and soul will go on living, either in Jesus' presence or away from His presence.

Gaining a born again spirit is an event, a singular moment-in-time event that purifies and connects your spirit to Jesus' spirit. I'll tell you more about that in a bit.

After your spirit is born again, your soul - your mind, will, and emotions - is still needs a lot of work. Whereas being born again is an event that happens in a moment, the transformation of your soul is more process than event. In this middle stage of salvation, putting yourself on His altar sets you apart for Him to fix what needs to be fixed and change what needs to be changed. This is where your understanding of the Bible, being in relationship with other Believers, and having a vivid prayer life plays a big part. 

Here's how to work with that process. Choose to put your imperfect self, just as you are, on His altar. Ask Him to help you do it. If you wait until you're perfect before taking that step, you'll never take it.

Jesus has good plans, really good plans, the very best plans. His plan for you is better than your plan for you. Even more, His plan is the reason you were made. His plan answers the question "Why am I here?" But walking out His plan is not automatic. The choice to trust Him and give yourself to Him in surrender and obedience is yours.

Jesus paid the price for all sin. He knows what He's doing. So, put your life on His altar. Trust Him to take you THROUGH this life, then TO the incredible future He has planned. Only He can get you there.

In John 14:6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He didn't say that to tell us ABOUT the way, ABOUT the truth, and ABOUT the life; No, He IS the Way, He IS the Truth, and He IS the Life. 

Belonging to Jesus is about far more than knowing the Gospel story. He wants to have a vibrant, living, and active relationship with you.

The evil, horror, and injustice that runs deep in this world is guaranteed not to last. Jesus wins. In the end, people who reject Him are only buying a ticket to hell.

God’s agenda involves taking as many transformed people as possible into heaven. That path of mercy and grace...forgiveness and transformation...is for whosoever will. Revelation22:17.

God gave people freedom of choice. He does not force Himself on anyone. Those who come to Him through Jesus...who sell out to Him through Jesus...do so in response to His love.

Being transformed into the image of Jesus, fully cleansed and conformed to His essence, enables you to be in heaven with Him (Romans 8:29-30). Without that, no one will be able to exist in His Presence. The very physics of His revealed glory won't allow anything less..

Getting you born again, forgiven and into heaven is just getting things started. Getting you into heaven is just the front door for the rest of God's Master Plan. There's much, much more in His heart for His transformed children.

His Master Plan walks out His desire to give love and to be loved. It’s as though He says to you, “Love me with all you've got, I’ll love you with all I've got, then we’ll walk down this path together.”

We will have to experience it to fully understand it. Matthew 25:21, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Ephesians 2:7-9 and Ephesians 3:20-21.

Jesus did more than pay your sin debt. He bought a glorious future for you. He has a customized, uniquely glorious plan for you (Ephesians 2:10).

There is a special place in His heart that is reserved just for you. He knows how to prepare you for that place. Surrender to His love and trust in His desires for you. After all, He is the ultimate Potter and you are His clay. He knows what He's doing.

So, what are the steps to being born again? This simple prayer covers them. This is not a formula and the exact words aren't important; it's the attitude of your heart that makes them work. God knows what's in your heart.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I need You. I open my heart to You. Thank You for dying on the cross in my place. I'm asking you to forgive my many sins. I know I can't earn what you've done for me. I give my life to You. Make me clean from the inside out. Change whatever You want. Reign and rule in me and through me. In Jesus' name, Amen.