"Believe and Receive!"

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12 KJV)

  "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessings from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." (Psalms 24:3-5 KJV)

  Maybe I should have said more, but to what point? There were so many different issues that could have been addressed, I think it is best to focus upon the positive and leave the negative issues up to the Lord! Besides, this way is even better; if you want to speak about goals, this is probably the most important way that goals are structured. I should know, since I spent at over twenty years of my life learning how to set and achieve goals; maybe even six decades, if you count planning and dreaming of ways to make things work out. But who is counting? 

  With that, there is a question here that we need to take into consideration: Is there a difference between those who just believe in Jesus Christ, and those that believe and receive Him? I don't want to pry, but it might be a lesson in character building, even if a person was to make just a little simple self-evaluation. First of all: Is this really a Biblical issue, To Receive Jesus Christ? Most Assuredly! Don't even try to think otherwise, because you must not only believe on Him, but you must receive the gift being offered! 

  I know, this is a topic of discussion that is best left alone; but there is a powerful point to what I believe is being said. I am reminded of the man at the pool of Bethesda, the one Jesus asked of: "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6) Without getting too far ahead of myself, let's just say that the man really didn't have a problem wanting to be healed, he just did not believe that it was ever gong to happen. Jesus changed his mind, by first changing his heart! 

  If you are going to receive what Christ has to offer, you must believe in Him first; the receiving part of the equation is the part where you receive the Gift! There is the part where you pick up your mat and start walking! Maybe it might require several times when you need that stupid mat again; but there is where your goals are measured and made useful. If you plan for serving and pray for strength, the mat becomes less important, and you start using a crutch or a cane whenever you start to stumble.

  The biggest point of this is made manifested in the second part of this, verse 13. But to be clear, if you do not start to walk, you will not realize that you are healed...

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:10-12 KJV)