Date of message: 12 January 2003
Subject: The Family Prayer - "Your Will
Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
Shalom, Boker-tov (good morning),
Before a person dies, he/ she would draft a will to instruct his/ her
loved ones on what they are to do with all the estate left behind. This
will is written and attested by a neutral witness who is not a party to
the inheritance. These are important preconditions in order that the will
be legal and free of encumbrances. As long as the person is alive, he/
she is entitled to change the mind and redraft a new will.
When Jesus was alive, one statement He made in John 6: 29 was most profound
and summed up His work on earth. One person from the crowd who came from
the town of Tiberias had just asked Him in verse 28 what they should be
doing to work the works of God. Jesus replied, "This is the work
of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." What God wanted everyone
on Earth to do is simply to believe in Jesus Whom God had sent.
Jesus came for one sole purpose - to show us the love of God the Father.
His love for us is so intense that He did not want to leave us in our
sinful state but that we would be saved. How can we be saved from the
penalty of sin? Since Adam sinned, we also sinned and the only way out
of our predicament is for us to die and pay the price demanded of us.
But then, what good is that to us if we have to die for ourselves? How
can we live after we have died? This is impossible and therefore there
is no solution.
In the Old Testament, God provided a temporary solution for the people
of Israel. They were to offer burnt sacrifices and sin sacrifices when
they came before the Lord in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. Whenever
the sacrifices were given, if God is satisfied with the sacrifices, they
would be atoned for one year until the next Day of Atonement came around
again.
And this practice went on for more than 1500 years and even during the
time when Jesus was still alive in Israel. As long as Jesus had not died
for us, the morning and evening sacrifices were continually made in the
Temple. The sins of the people were never removed but they were only covered
( atonement in Hebrew means "covering" ). But thanks be to Jesus.
When He died for us on the cross, He settled the price required of us
once and for all. A perfect Life died in the place of sinful men and the
price paid was an overpayment. The Law demanded that a life be offered
for the sin of the person making the offering. That required life was
the life of an innocent animal but when Jesus died, it was the Life of
God for the redemption of sinful man. All praise to the Lord Jesus for
what He had done for us at Calvary.
And so, the work of God is nothing more than just believing on Jesus and
what He did for us. The apostle John went further to declare in John 17:
3, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." When we pray the words,
'Your will be done', we are telling the Lord to continue to move the hearts
of the people, that they would believe that He died for their sins and
believing, they will have eternal life. It is a declaration we make to
the Lord that He moves in the lives of the people, creating opportunities
for them to respond to His love for them.
The Lord is patient, full of grace and mercy. Had he not been merciful,
a lot of people would have 'fried' in their shoes. I believe the reason
why the Lord had delayed in coming back to receive all those who believed
in Him is because He is gracious and merciful, not wanting man to perish
but that everyone would be given an opportunity to respond to His love.
As a result of our response to His love, we are now made children of the
Heavenly Father and joint-heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ. And because
of our position in the Lord, angels in heaven hearken to what we say and
hasten to carry out what we ask in Jesus' Name ( Hebrews 1: 14 ). The
choice is yours to make. You can ignore what Jesus did and continue to
live a life of struggle trying to obey all the requirements of the Law.
Or you can place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him into
your heart as your personal Lord and Savior.
Have you made the decision to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart
and start to enjoy His blessings for your life? Spend a couple of moments
and pray this prayer and invite Jesus into your hearts and your life will
be turned around.
Our Heavenly Father, thank you that You loved us so much that even when
we were still sinners, You sent Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
down into this world to die for all our sins and that when we believe
in Jesus, we can have eternal life.
Lord Jesus, thank you that You came, You loved us and You obeyed the Father
by volunteering to die for all on the cross. Thank you that You had conquered
death and You rose again on the third day. And now, because of Your death
and resurrection, we, who believe in You as our Lord and Savior, will
no longer have to die but we receive Your gift for us - eternal life.
Come into my heart, I pray, and make my heart Your home.
Thank you that because of what You have accomplished for us on the cross,
I am now a child of God the Father. I am eternally forgiven of all my
sins, greatly blessed as Your child, highly favored as a joint-heir with
Jesus, deeply loved because of my position in Jesus and completely protected
because of You, Lord Jesus and in Your precious Name I pray.
Amen.
If you have prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the Family
of the Father (and it is a very large universal family). It is important
that you are not alone facing your personal trials but that you can obtain
good help wherever you are. Why not take the time to find your own local
Christian family (local church) and worship the Father together? You will
be greatly encouraged when you meet together to worship the Father, for
fellowship and for the study of the Word of Christ.
The Lord blesses you and keeps you,
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all
your loved ones,
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.
Numbers 6: 24 - 26
Have a blessed week ahead, Shavrou-tov
Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee
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