“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” Luke 11:23

                                                             Dearly beloved in Christ, I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is your life with the Lord? Or is it with the people of this world? If you are not with Christ, He says that you are against Him. The Bible says, ‘“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us”’ (Matthew 1:23). In the Bible we read about Judas Iscariot who was one of the chosen apostles by Jesus Christ to be with Him, but he went to his enemies and accepted the offer to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver. Why this backsliding? Because Satan entered him (Luke 22:3). Today we find so many people who are with Christ, but very often want to be with this world. It is the work of the devil. That is why they are involved in worldly things.

WHO WILL BE WITH JESUS CHRIST? 

1. Those Delivered from the Clutches of Satan 

“Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.” Luke 8:38 

                   There are many people involved in evil activities. In all of these activities there would be some evil spirits associated. Some speak lies which appear to be real but have no truth associated with it. In the Bible we read about the lying spirit: “So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.’ “Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.” (2 Chron. 18:21,22). Further, it is the act of the devil in the lives of so many people that spoils the happiness in the family, in buying a house, in employment and in such activities by producing false certificates. Some act against their friends by these spirits. Some days back a sister told me that she had to incur heavy loss as a result of lying. Her eldest daughter was a qualified nurse working in a private hospital. She applied for a nursing post online in response to an advertisement calling for application for a job at the Trichy airport. In some days she was asked to appear for an online interview on a particular date. She prepared well for that and took part in it. The happy news of her selection came. She was asked to pay an advance of Rs. 50,000. She was poor and yet she somehow paid it. As the appointment was said to be at the airport in Trichy, she was so happy and went and approached the airport officials. To her disappointment she was informed that there was no such appointment there. She came for prayer in agony. There are so many people telling lies to earn easy money. People arrange marriages telling falsehood. They seek parents who are worried that their child is not yet married. They marry telling falsehood. A man posed himself as a doctor, and got married. Only after marriage they found that he was not qualified but had worked under a doctor. He was cheating people with the knowledge of a few drugs. Such people making others shed tears are innumerable. At the background of all such incidents, there would be evil spirits operating. In the lives of some, these spirits have dominion over them. Their activities would be quite different from those of others in a community. In Luke 8:27 we read about a man possessed by devils called legion. He was not clothed. He was wandering about, but he came to Jesus Christ. There are several people half dressed for money and for celebrity calling it liberty. In them is the spirit of harlotry. That makes them go astray. Such acts are seen everywhere. Once while praying for a sister, she started to disrobe herself and run into the crowd. They began to tie her hands with a rope and to cover her with a cloth. The whole family was put to shame. This is the way the man with the legion devils was affected. He lost his senses. He did not remain at home but was loitering about. “And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:5). Those afflicted by the devils are so. They argue that they are right. They plan to commit suicide. When this possessed man was delivered, he dressed himself. He was in his senses seated at the feet of Jesus Christ. When delivered he wanted to be with Jesus Christ. Only when delivered one can decide the right course of action.  In Luke 15:17, we read about the man who did not want to be with his father or brother but went away from the family to live as he liked. But he came to his senses, and realized his mistake. He went back to his father. Those who experience this true deliverance through Jesus Christ would like to commit their life to be with Him 

2. Those Who Want to Know Jesus Christ 

“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Luke 19:5 

Zacchaeus sought to see who Jesus was but could not do so as he was short of stature and there was a crowd around Jesus. So he enquired the way He would go, went ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him. Jesus coming there looked up and saw him. He called him by name and told him that he wanted to stay at his house.  He took Him to his house. He was thought to be a sinful man. When Jesus came to him, he was convicted of his sins and said that he would set right everything. Jesus then said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.” Dear Brother/ Sister, do you pray to Jesus Christ with a picture? Do not do that. He will reveal Himself when you seek Him in spirit and truth. We should not give ourselves to tradition and seek Him in traditional practices. “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.” (Acts: 17:29). As you seek truly, He will reveal Himself and comfort you and bless you. He responds to your requests. Seek like Zacchaeus, and He will do a miracle. 

3. Those Who Hear His Voice and Open The Door

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” Rev. 3:20 

The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. It makes the deer give birth. It is a small still voice. The Lord who has this voice is knocking at the door of your heart. Would you not open your door to Him? He would like to reside in you and bless you. Do you hear His voice? He seeks you: “I suffered for you. I offered myself on the cross for you. I shed my blood for your sake. I died, but rose again on the third day. I live forever.” Do you hear His voice? If you listen to Him, He will come into you and make His abode with you. He will sup with you; you with Him. Do not be like those people who angered Him in the desert. You have heard His voice. Open your heart to Him. You can be with Him forever and be blessed.

4. He will be with you as He was with Moses

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you” Joshua 1:5

 The Lord assures Joshua that He would be with him as He was with Moses. Dear child of God, Moses did all that the Lord had told him to do. He went to the presence of Pharaoh and told him all the words of the Lord. All the plagues were sent at his word. He was great in the midst of the people of Egypt. He chose “to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25). The Lord liked him as he chose to suffer with His people. Today people are after titles and status. They do all sorts of things to obtain them. They resort to devious practices. They subject themselves to lust and fight with one another. But Moses sacrificed his interests. He “was humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” So the Lord God was with him. Beloved in Christ, today he would make you a shining fire and use you. 

5. Those Specially Chosen by the Lord 

“Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach...” Mark 3:14 

Jesus Christ chooses some to be with Him always. It is His design to make them preach, teach, cast out devils, to heal people, to be with Him and to pray with Him. Today you should know your calling to do the ministry without stumbling. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27,28). But today many want to show themselves to be wise and learned. Even though they work for the Lord, they want to appear learned. So they attach degrees and qualifications to their names. The most important qualification for His ministry is only B.A. (Born Again) experience. Once while ministering in Cyprus, a minister from Australia invited me for dinner. He invited me to be early, but it got late. So he took me straight to the dining table. He asked me to say grace. In prayer, I prayed for relieving pain in his 5th ribs and cartilage and for healing, and then I wanted to say grace. But they started weeping. They asked how I knew about the pain in his body. They asked how the Lord spoke to me, whether it was told in my ears. I told them the way the Lord speaks and spent two hours in teaching them the truths of the Bible. He was highly educated. He had completed Ph. D. He tore up all his degrees. He committed himself to learn this way and to do the ministry. The Lord sets apart for Himself him who is godly (Psalm 4:3). What is being godly? Bible says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27). It is a life of holiness and love. The Lord seeks such people.

II. BLESSINGS OF BEING WITH THE LORD 

1. Honour 

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15

The Lord not only remains with us and delivers us but also honours. When we accept Him as the Lord we become His children. He says, “You are mine.” Thus He claims ownership. “Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4). We should commit ourselves to Him. Not only that, we should become pure and holy unto Him. A man who makes himself holy, both inwardly and outwardly, becomes a useful vessel pleasing to the Lord, a vessel that is prepared for good works and honour. Some worldly people make advertisements of themselves seeking honour. Haman was asked what should be done to a man whom the king wanted to honour. He said that he should be clothed in the dress of the King and crowned with the king’s crown and should be taken around on his horses. Thus the king honoured Mordecai who sat at the gates of the king’s palace. 

2. Needs Met 

“Jesus said to them, ”Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, ”Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. ” John 2:7,8 

Jesus Christ had been invited to the wedding in Cana. His mother also had been invited, besides his disciples. There was shortage of wine. Jesus Christ did not listen to the words of His mother. Knowing that, she simply asked them to obey His words. He asked the servants to fill up all the six jars with water. Then He asked them to take it to those who served. It became tasteful wine. The shortage was made up and the bridegroom was also honoured. Dear Brother/ Sister, are you suffering because of shortage of anything? Do not be disturbed. Look up to Jesus Christ. Invite Him into your life and get His counsel. All your needs would be met and you would be honoured. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5). He will give you wisdom and transform you into a vessel of the Lord. You would have joy as well.

3. Storms in Life Quelled 

“And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.” (Luke 8:24). 

Today we experience turmoil in various areas of life. We have to go through them. Psalm 38:8 talks about the turmoil of heart: “I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.” Because of that we lament, and shed tears. Not knowing what to do, we look up to people for help. There is mental torture. In the days of Jesus, the disciples found fault with Him. They said that they were getting drowned. But Jesus rebuked the storm and quelled it. Thus the Lord who makes all crooked situations straight is still alive. Psalm 107:29 says, “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.” Then people are happy. He leads them to the harbour. Psalm 46:6 says, “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” Even today we can observe nations raging. The Lord roars and quells the raging. In Isaiah 37:29, we observe: “Because your rage against Me and your tumult have come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came.” Sennacherib spoke against the Lord God of Israel and spoke high of his prowess. Then the angel of the Lord went out and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. So he went back. When he went to worship his own god, his own sons killed him. When you are with the Lord, He will quell all such storms and bring about peace in your boundary. He will take you to a safe zone of peace and happiness. 

4. Defeat Turned to Success 

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.” Luke 5:6 

Jesus Christ came at a time of failure. He got into the boat and preached. After completing his message, He asked Peter to take the boat to the deep waters and cast the net. He had laboured all night and got nothing. But according to His word they cast their nets. He then turned their failure into success. If the Lord Jesus Christ is with you, He will turn your failure into success through His counselling. When you act according to His word, all your failures and accompanying disappointments and sorrows will be wiped out. You would taste success and joy. Today invite Jesus Christ into your life and keep Him with you. 

                       May the Lord bless you! 

                   In the service of Christ Jesus, 

                      Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.