"Encountered"

 "That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?" (Ecclesiastes 7:24 KJV)

  ""This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?' It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring in to us so we can hear it and obey?' No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it."" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NLT)

 Finally, a moment that will hopefully inspire and give some clarity to this very deep sermon! The true wisdom that is from God, does not just happen to show up in us, just because we ask Him to give us wisdom; we must first see the need for Him to save us, confessing our fallen nature, and accepting His great love and forgiveness. Sometimes, it needs to be repeated, again and again! 

 There is this noticeable verse in Hebrews that makes some people hesitant to do that, as if they are trying to start over again, thinking as if that first acceptance of Christ did not count. Well, if that is what you think, you need to think again, because you are still going to sin, again and again! As a matter of fact, we simply are still living in these fleshly bodies, which still want what they desire; and sometimes, they just seem to get their way. 

 But Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit, which is our helper to do those things that are right, to help us be overcomers to the desires of the flesh; but we still need to obey! What on earth are we supposed to do? We don't have the strength to overrule all the sinful desires; just thinking about them is enough to be judged a sin. There must be something else we should do that will make it all make sense! 

 You must understand this one thing: If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you have become a new creation in Christ! There is nothing that can take away the encounter that has taken place in you, because you have been given new life; eternal life in Christ Jesus, that cannot be removed or taken back! He owns you now, and He is not letting go!

 Therefore, do not give up, even if you might feel unworthy...

"For Moses writes that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth). And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)." In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the vey message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you are saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved."" (Romans 10:5-13 NLT)