Boost Six

Jesus Wants to Give You a More

Abundant Life, Now and Forever

Christ wants to lift You up, to give You a Boost into a better life, an Eternal life. He wants a closer relationship with You. He is eager to give You the “abundant life” that He often offered to His followers. To get it, You must become a part of the Family of God. Right now, Jesus is knocking on the door of Your heart. He is saying to You...

...I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

(NLT The Revelation 3:20)

Why not let Jesus in? He wants to be involved in every aspect of Your life, even in the routine activities, like the breaking of bread. Think about it. The very One who spoke the world into existence wants to spend time with You. He made You. He loves You. He wants to dwell in You. Surely, You would be thrilled to meet and shake the hand of the President of the United States. How much more breathtaking would it be to have the omnipotent Lord come into Your heart to stay?

The Second Birth

Christ is urging You to be “born again”, not physically, but spiritually. Long ago, one night in Jerusalem, Jesus met with a fine gentleman who was attracted to Him by His Miracles and His Message. Even though Nicodemus was a prominent religious leader among the Jews, he sought guidance from Jesus. He wondered, “How does one get in to Heaven?” He was convinced that Jesus came from God, so he brought his question to Him. He got the answer in a surprising dialog detailed by the Apostle John...

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [the natural birth that is accompanied by a gush of water] and of the Spirit [an awakening of one’s spirit by the Holy Spirit], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the water birth]; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit [the second, spiritual birth]. [Nicodemus was quite surprised by Jesus’ words. He wondered how one could be “born again”. Jesus continued...] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth [rests], and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (KJV John 3:5-8)

If You are “born again”, the Holy Spirit will become Your inner light, Your counselor, and Your guide. You will stop acting in the way the world expects You to act and thinking as the world expects You to think. Your world-view will change, dramatically. To the worldly, You will seem to be as unpredictable as the wind.

The thought of living as directed by the Holy Spirit may worry You as You consider becoming a Christian. To say, “Jesus is the Lord of my life” is to acknowledge that He has the right to lead You where He chooses. The Lord will be Your “boss”. You will be His follower. But, keep in mind that You will be surrendering Yourself to the kindest Person in the Universe. He is infinitely kind. He is Your Biggest Booster. Jesus wants You to have an “abundant life”. You will find that it is delightful to follow Him.

We wonder how Nicodemus reasoned as he pondered what Jesus had said. He was well-established. He was a “ruler” of the Jews. Perhaps, these thoughts raced through his mind: “What if the Spirit tells me to resign my prestigious post in Jerusalem and move to a small village and serve as a rabbi in a rural synagogue? Must I go? Well, yes. There may be a certain little boy in that village who needs the education I could provide to him. This change would baffle my wife and my children and all the elite of Jerusalem.” Well, we know that Nicodemus did surrender his life to Christ, but the Lord kept him in Jerusalem. He stood up for Jesus when the other rulers urged that Jesus be put to death. And, he and another believer, Joseph of Arimathaea, were the men who took Jesus’ body from the Cross and laid Him in His tomb.

Jesus wants You to become a “baby” Christian. He wants You to grow up in the Family of God. In our present reality, that Family is found in the Church.

If You choose to honor Jesus’ wish, You will become a child of God and inherit the treasures stored up in Heaven. As the Apostle Paul put it...

...all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves [to a worldly life-style]. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory... (NLT Romans 8:14-17)

People often envy those who inherit riches here on Earth, but the grandest bequest looks trivial when compared to the glorious array of treasures awaiting the saved in Heaven. The Apostle Paul taught...

...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (NLT I Corinthians 2:9)

What will it be like to step into Heaven? Some have compared it to a former caterpillar breaking out of its cocoon to soar above the meadows and trees as a beautiful butterfly. I think it will be even more glorious than that, because none of us can imagine how wonderful it will be. From the Scriptures, we know we will be using our much improved voices to sing praises to God. We will be smarter, better looking, free from fear, surrounded by delightful friends and relatives, walking through a paradise of flowers and trees, drinking from streams of crystal-clear water, and eating delicious fruits from the flora of Heaven, as we are bedazzled by the fountains and the golden streets and by the jeweled structures we will inhabit. But, obviously, these enticing glimpses of Glory are just a small part of the whole story. I hope You want to be there as much as I do.

The Indwelling Holy Spirit

As a down-payment on the spectacular, future inheritance You will receive if You are “born again”, the Holy Spirit will take up residence within You. When Jesus walked on Earth, He was a great comfort to His apostolic team. They knew they were with God when they were with Him. When He was about to return to Heaven, He promised to send another “Comforter” to abide with His followers in His absence. The Apostle John recorded His pledge...

...I will pray [to] the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world [the unredeemed citizens of Earth] cannot receive, because it [they] seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (KJV John 14:16-17)

If You receive the Holy Spirit, He will comfort You when stress comes Your way. And, since He is the “Spirit of Truth”, He will open unto You the meaning of the Scriptures. The Apostle John, captured these words of Jesus...

...when...the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears [spoken by the members of the Godhead in the celestial courtroom], and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

(NIV John 16:13-14)

This prediction was richly fulfilled. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, some of the Apostles who heard Him make this prophecy and other early Christians, wrote the New Testament. Therein, they expressed many teachings given to them by the Holy Spirit. And, they explained many Old Testament prophecies. They even added many new prophecies to the Holy Book. Also, note the amazing point made by Jesus: the Holy Spirit will participate in conversations with the Father and the Son while He is guiding You on Earth.

The Apostle Paul informed us that You and I are a composite of a body, a soul, and a spirit...

...I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(KJV I Thessalonians 5:23)

We comprehend the “body” more easily than the other

components of our beings. It is visible and substantial, while the spirit and soul are invisible and ethereal. I believe the “soul” is what we call “personality”, and the “spirit” refers to what we call “conscience”. Now, these are not precise definitions, because we do not really know

how to separate these three components. But, I believe the soul animates the body, while the spirit offers counsel to the “body and soul” combination. Our ability to be exact while discussing these entities is further complicated by

the informal way the New Testament writers referred to them. At times, in Scripture, “soul” and “spirit” are used to refer to both of these invisible components of our beings.

If You become a Christian, You will add a fourth component to Yourself, the presence of the Holy Spirit. “He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you”, as we learned earlier. He will comfort You as You face life’s troubles and supply divine counsel to the other three parts of Your being.

So, Christians have 4 components in their beings. In contrast, unbelievers have either 3 or 2. Let me explain. Of course, every babe begins life with a body, a soul, and a spirit. But, the Apostle Peter warned us to...

...abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul... (KJV I Peter 2:11)

As babes mature, they are attracted to fleshly lusts, and these can damage the spirit within them. Paul indicated that this “war” can go so far as to kill the spirit. Writing to Christians, he said...

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil — the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (NLT Ephesians 2:1-2)

So, most adults are spiritually “dead”. Their composite beings are reduced to 2 components. Ordinarily, the spirit may be revived by the Holy Spirit, and the unbeliever may be restored to believer status, with 4 components. However, the Scriptures do speak of a class of individuals who have resisted Christ so resolutely that they can never be redeemed. The Apostle John quoted Jesus, saying...

[God has]...blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (KJV John 12:40)

These miserable mortals have been permanently reduced to 2 components. They are “spiritless zombies”, living only to satisfy their flesh and their personalities (souls). They have been judged already. They have no hope of reaching Heaven.

In stark contrast to these “spiritless zombies”, if You ask Jesus into Your heart, He will turn You into a temple of God, a residence of the Holy Spirit. Here is what the Apostle Paul said as he was scolding the Corinthian Christians for exhibiting some shameful behaviors...

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (KJV I Corinthians 3:16-17)

What a great privilege awaits You. You may have God’s Spirit dwelling in You.

Blessed Assurance

If You accept Jesus as Your Lord, You will have the blessed assurance that You are saved and Heaven-bound. You will know that Jesus is protecting You, even holding You in the palm of His mighty hand. Nothing will be able to pull You out of the Savior’s grasp. The Apostle John noted Jesus’ memorable words on this matter...

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them [to] me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (KJV John 10:27-29)

You may rest assured that Your salvation is certain. Notice that Jesus indicated that if we are in His hand, we are in the Father’s hand. The Father and Son are One. And, once You join the flock, You are “in”, forever. You “shall never perish”. No force can remove You from the grasp of the Almighty.

Also, the writer of Hebrews encouraged his Christian readers with this assertion from Jesus...

...“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we [Christians may] say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (NIV Hebrews 13:5-6)

If You become a child of God, You will never be separated from Jesus.

A Life of Prayer

Prayer will become a central part of Your daily activities, if You become a believer. It will be Your opportunity to discuss Your day with Jesus. You will thank Him for the many blessings of the day, and ask Him for help with Your problems and burdens. The very One who put the “curses” of Eden, Babel, and the Flood on our civilization, knows that You will need His help in walking through this world of woes. Just before He went to the Cross, Jesus gave a final Message to His Apostles. In it He said...

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (NIV John 16:33)

The key phrase in this verse is “in me”. When You become a Christian, You are part of the “Body of Christ”. You are “in Christ”. There, You will find peace in a troubled world.

Christ wants to help You with Your burdens. If You bring them to Him in prayer, He will help You. He proclaimed...

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV Matthew 11:28-30)

Here, Christ promised that if You put Your energy into His work, here and now, if You accept His yoke and become a member of His team, He will give rest to Your soul. Your burdens will be lifted. But, how do You go to work for Jesus? Well, You find like-minded believers, and together You organize efforts to take Christ’s Message to the world. Oxen grazing in a field will not get any work done till they are organized by yokes and reins into a team. Then, they can do amazing work. So, believers must be organized into teams. This is done in well-run Churches. You need to locate a strong Church body. There You will learn all about Christ through its teaching services and other activities and by reading many useful books written by Christian authors. How wonderful it is to grasp that the One who hung the stars in space has a “meek and lowly” attitude in His heart and that He wants to lighten Your burdens! You will delight in working within His team.

What about temptations? The world, the flesh and the Devil will not go mute and weak, if You become a Christian. But, if You take Your temptations to Christ in prayer, You will have the Lord and His angels watching over You. The Apostle Paul put it this way...

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV I Corinthians 10:13)

For sure, temptations are defeated by prayer. The Holy Spirit within and the Father and Son above will guide You as You escape temptations.

When tough times come and You are very sad, if You become a Christian, You will know that all things are working together for Your good. Through prayer, You will gain the strength You need to deal with Your problems. Satan will urge You to complain to God and, if possible, to get You to blame God for Your woes. But, the Scriptures assure us that God is always watching over us. He will be working for Your good, even when You feel dispossessed. The Apostle Paul addressed this truth in his letter to the Church at Rome...

...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called...If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(KJV Romans 8:28-39)

The Holy Spirit aspect of the Godhead will be in You, forever, once You are “born again”, so how could You be separated from God. We all face troubles here on Earth. We are not in Heaven, yet, but, someday, all our heartaches will be behind us. Till then, we must face our problems bravely, keeping our focus on our future rewards.

Still, You should pray for relief from the tribulations You encounter. Jesus taught us to do so. He said...

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

(NIV Matthew 7:7-11)

Even so, we should not presume that God is a magic genie under our control. He knows how to deliver the “abundant life” to You. He knows the consequences of giving You what You seek. Being the Loving Father, He will not give You that which will prove ruinous to You.

Suppose You are at a circus with Your little children. They have already consumed some buttery popcorn and a sugary drink. Now, they begin to lobby for cotton candy. Here, You draw the line. You say, “I know you’re hungry, but the show is nearly over, and we will get some healthy food on the way home.” Just so, God considers our requests. We may pray for one thing and get another, and that other will be better.

If You receive the Holy Spirit, Your prayers will have a miraculous dimension. Since the Spirit will be in You and advising You, You will pray remarkably well. The Spirit will mold Your prayers into beautiful utterances prepared for the Father’s ears. The Apostle Paul gave us this information...

...the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (NLT Romans 8:26-27)

So, that stammering prayer for an aged parent near death’s door, when we know not if it is best to urge God to heal or to take our loved one into Eternity, that prayer is molded by the Spirit to fit the will of God. Whatever we pray is re-phrased by the Holy Spirit to be in exact harmony with God’s benevolent will.

It's Up to You

Become a believer. Then, You will feel Christ’s guiding presence. You will look back and realize that Christ has been guarding You and guiding You every step of Your journey through this world. He knew You were His before You knew. King David wrote a song expressing this sentiment...

O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. (NLT Psalm 71:5-8)

You will have the comfort of knowing that Jesus’ mighty angels are employed in guarding You...

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him [God], and he delivers them.

(NIV Psalm 34:7)

From the womb to the tomb, the Good Shepherd leads. In the oft-quoted 23^rd Psalm, King David gave his perspective on life in the “Here and Now”. He portrayed himself as a fragile lamb, led by a beneficent Shepherd...

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV Psalm 23)

It is comforting to know that the Great Shepherd of the Universe is leading You though the tough times of life and that He will, someday, solve all Your problems by taking You to His House where You will dwell forever, free from all fears.

Jesus wants You to be “born again” and become...

...a new creature...[for whom]...old things are passed away...[and] all things are ...new...and all things are of God...

(KJV I Corinthians 5:17-18)

You will begin a lifelong process of improvement. Having the Holy Spirit within, You will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit listed by the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Galatia...

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV Galatians 5:22-23)

Your conversation will change, if You accept Jesus as Your Lord. As the Spirit leads You into more truth, You will want to share Your ideas with others. The Apostle John, in his Gospel, quoted these words of Jesus...

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (NIV John 7:38)

Sparked by the Spirit within, You will take a stand for Jesus, just as He urged believers to do...

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (KJV Matthew 5:16)

Christ wants You on His team. There, You will experience the “abundant life” He loved to mention...

...I am come that they [believers] might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV John 10:10)

You ought to give Your heart to Jesus. If You do, then the beautiful prayer, written by the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus will wrap its blessings around You. Paul expressed his wish for all believers, that...

...from his glorious, unlimited resources he [God] will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (NLT Ephesians 3:16-20)

Give Your all to Jesus. Then, we can worship Him together. King David urged us to do so with these precious words...

Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!

(NLT Psalm 95:1-7)

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