Be and Become

Jesus is not finished yet

• Francois Carr

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SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Be and Become Podcast, featuring Francois Carr, a Party for Life and Collective Life Ministry. Francois's International Ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be. Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.

SPEAKER_01

Hello everyone, a warm welcome to our weekly devotion. We have just celebrated the day that Jesus finished his time on the earth and ascend to heaven to be with his father. We know that Jesus has come to the earth to glorify and to reveal the nature and the character of his father, to deliver his word and to finish the work and assignments given to him by his father. In John chapter 17 we can read about that. But there's great news for you and for I, just as we celebrated what Jesus has done for us, he is not finished yet. He is still working on our behalf and also at work in your life and also in my life. While he was still on earth, he gave the disciples and us several promises. Now some of them have already been fulfilled, and others will still be fulfilled and take place even in the future. What is some of those promises? First of all, that he will send us the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples, he told them, I will not leave you as orphans, but will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit in John chapter 14 verses 18. Now the Holy Spirit is the reason why we as Christian people today can experience the new birth which is available in Jesus Christ in John chapter 3, verses 3 to 5, and that we can have and experience an intimate relationship with Him today. But secondly, Jesus said, and He promises to hear and to answer every prayer that we pray in His name so that His Father may be glorified. In John chapter 14, verses 13 through 14. Just imagine that while we pray, that Jesus is listening, is hearing what we are saying to him, and he answers every prayer that we pray in his name, so that his Father in heaven may be glorified. Thirdly, that Jesus is going away to prepare a place in heaven for all of his followers in John chapter 14. So at this very moment Jesus is working in preparing a place for you and for I. And fourthly, Jesus promises that he will return one day and take us to be with him forever and forever. In John chapter 14, verses three. Also in the Revelation chapter 19, verse 10, we can read about that. And even as the disciples were standing in Jerusalem looking to the heavens as Jesus was ascending, two men appeared unto them in Acts chapter 1, verses eleven and said, The same Jesus is the one that will return just as he has left. When he returned, every eye will see him in Revelation chapter 1, verse 7. And fifthly, Jesus promised that he will raise them and us from the dead in the last days, especially those who were given to him. You can read about that in John chapter 6, verses 39 to 40. And lastly, Jesus will come again, and then he will come and to judge the world. The Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 12, verses 36 to 37, John chapter 5, verse 22, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, verse 10, and John chapter 12 verses 47 to 49 as that Jesus will come again, but this time that he will come as a judge over the world. And so Jesus finished his assignments in his work and time upon the earth. He continued to teach and help his disciples to grow while he was with them for forty days. He gave some promises to them that he will return. But then before he left he gave specific promises that I mentioned to you today, that he will send us the Holy Spirit, that he promises to hear and to answer every prayer that we pray in his name, that he is preparing a place for us in heaven, and that he will return one day to take us to be with him forever and forever. And that he will raise us up in the last day, especially when we die and finish our time here upon the earth. And lastly, is that Jesus will come again one day and then he will judge the world. And so the question today is do you experience the power and the activity and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life in this moment? Do you experience the answering of prayer as you cry out to the Lord and ask him to hear you and answer your prayer that you pray in the name of the Lord Jesus? And as we await his returning, the question is: are you eagerly waiting for his return, expecting it? And are you ready for that moment that Jesus would appear once again, just as he promised? May you experience more and more of the wonder and the glory of the Lord Jesus in these coming days, knowingly that Jesus is not finished yet. He is still working on your behalf and also on my behalf. God bless you.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr. For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com. We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.