Praise the Lord, Grace and Peace, great people of our “Great God” JESUS!

As I began to think about how blessed I am to have such a beautiful relationship with my Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST, I thought of the word Privilege, which is defined as: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. I remember a song we would often sing when I was under the pastorate of my father, Papa Claude Allen Sr., in the gospel. The song lyrics went something like this:  “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grieves to bear, What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer; Ohwhat peace we often forfeit, of what needless pain we bear; All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer; Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere; If we have don’t be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer” This did something to me this morning while drinking coffee and eating my protein bar.

Hence, for this Golden Nugget, I would like to provoke the thought “My Privileges In Jesus Christ.” My premise scriptures to provoke further gospel provocations are as follows:

 Luk 15:31-32 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  (32)  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

We have two things here describing the word “privilege”. First, “Son, thou art ever with me,” contingent upon unbroken fellowship with thy Father, is thy portion. Second, “All that I have is thine,” which validates that all that God can bestow upon His children is theirs.

Jesus, our Father states, “Thou art ever with me;” I am always near you, and you can dwell every hour of your life in My presence, and all I have is for you. I am a father with a loving father’s heart. I will withhold no good thing from you. In these promises, we have the rich privilege of God’s heritage. We have, in the first place, unbroken fellowship with Him. Any father in his right mind never sends his children away with the thought that he does not care about them, knowing he loves them, especially when he has to chastise them. The father longs to have his child believe that they have the light of their father’s countenance upon them all day, and knowing that, if he sends the child away to school, or anywhere that necessity compels, it is with a sense that they know that sacrifices have been made, i.e., financially, emotionally, and spiritually, etc.  Saints of God, if it be so with an earthly father, what do you think of our heavenly father, JESUS? Does He not want every child of His to know that they are constantly living in the light of His countenance? This is the meaning of that word, “Son, thou art ever with me.”

That was the privilege afforded God’s people in Old Testament times. We are told the following in Gen.5:24, that “Enoch walked with God.” Gen. 28:15 God’s promise to Jacob was: “Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” And God promised Israel in Exo. 33:14-16 to Moses was, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” And Moses’ response to that promise was, “For wherein shall it be known that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? Is it not that Thou goest with us; so shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” 

Saints, the presence of God with Israel was the mark and favor of their separation from other people. This truth is taught in all the Old Testament, and if so, how much more should we perpetuate this in the New Testament? Hence, we find our Savior promising to those who love Him and keep His word, that the Father also will love them, and will come and make his abode with them. GOLDEN NUGGET!

My brothers and sisters, please allow this to permeate into your hearts, that the child of God is called to this blessed privilege; to live every moment of our lives in fellowship with God. We are called to enjoy the full light of His countenance. I presume there are many of the Saints of God, who seem to confine the work of the Holy Spirit only to conviction and conversion, without emphasis that He came to dwell in our hearts, to reveal more of God to us. That’s right, my brothers and sisters, He came not just to dwell near us, but to dwell in us, that we might be totally filled with His indwelling for fellowship. We are commanded to be “filled with the Spirit,” because the Holy Spirit makes God’s presence manifest to us. That is the whole teaching of the epistle to the Hebrews: that the veil was rent in twain, which is now the flesh of Jesus Christ, and we now have access into the holiest of all, by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can now, by faith, come into the very presence of God, so that we can live with that presence resting in us and upon us. My brothers and sister, His presence is with us wheresoever we go. Especially when various kinds of trouble arise, we have undisturbed repose and peace. Notice my brothers and sisters, what it says, “Son, thou art ever with me.” Glory be to God! Thank You, Jesus!  As a Pastor, I know that one has to experience this to walk in this peace!

There are some people who seem to think that God, by some unintelligible sovereignty, withdraws His face. But I know that God loves His people too much to withhold His fellowship from them who fervently desire fellowship with Him. The reason for the absence of God not manifest in us is found in our unrepentant sins and unbelief! If the child of God is walking in faith and obedience, God’s divine presence will be enjoyed.

Notice my brothers and sisters, the next blessed privilege: “All that I have is thine.” Thank God, He has given us His own Son; and in giving Him, He has given us all things that are in Him, He has given us life through Jesus, His love, His Spirit, and His glory. “All things are yours; and ye are Christ’s.” All the riches found in JESUS, our everlasting King, God has bestowed upon every one of His children. “Son, thou art ever with me; and all that I have is thine.” Isn’t that the meaning of all those wonderful promises given in connection with prayer, as noted in John? 14:13-14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Yes, there it is. This is the life of the children of God, as He has pictured for us.

But isn’t it ironic that, in contrast to all the high privileges we have, we emphasize the valley experiences in our lives. If you notice in this chapter where our premises are derived, the younger son left, gave up on the promises of the Father, and cashed them in on secular and Socratic endeavors. He eventually came to his senses; therefore his father welcome him back with open arms, but younger son lost out on some of the privileges afforded him…mean while the elder son remained living with his father and served him, but notice the statement he makes “these many years,” and he complains that his father never gave him a kid, while he gave his prodigal brother the fated calf. Why was this?  I truly believe my brothers and sisters, it was simply because he did not ask for it. He did not believe he would get it, so he never asked for it and therefore never enjoyed it. He continued to live with his father while murmuring and dissatisfied.

Saints, please observe the elder’s son’s wretched mindset, as it is furnished in what he said. “His father gave him everything”, yet he never enjoyed it, and he throws the whole blame on his loving and kind father. O my beloved brothers and sisters, is not this the life of so many saints that you and I have come in contact with? So many speak and act in this way! Every Saint has the promise of unbroken fellowship with God, yet they say, “I have not enjoyed it; I have tried hard and done my best, and I have prayed for the blessing, but I believe that God does not see fit to grant it.” But why not? One says it is God’s sovereignty that withholds the blessing. The father withheld not his gifts from the elder brother; neither does our Heavenly Father withhold any good thing from them that show that they LOVE Him. He does not make any such variance between His children. “He is able to make all grace abound towards you” was a promise made equally to all in the Corinthian church, even though they continued to walk in carnality and in their own mindset, which caused fragmented fellowship with Jesus Christ.  GOLDEN NUGGET!

Some think these rich blessings are not for them, but for those who devote more time to the word of God and prayer; they know these rich blessings and privileges are for them! Our Bible speaks of a joy that is “unspeakable and full of glory” as the fruit of believing; a “love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us.” Do we desire it? Why not get it? Have we asked for it? Do we think that we are not worthy of the blessing, or that we are not good enough, and hence, God has not given it? There are more among us than we know of, or are willing to admit, who throw the blame of their darkness and their wanderings on others and God! As a pastor, I say, “Take care! Take care! Take care!”  Stop wasting your precious time, drowning in a Socratic mindset, and embrace the fullness of your privileges in God! Can I please get a  GOLDEN NUGGET AMEN!

Saints, so what about that other promise? The Father says, “All I have is thine.” Are you rejoicing in the treasures of Christ? Are you conscious of having an abundant supply of everything you need for your spiritual life every day? God has all these for you in abundance. “Thou never gavest me a kid!” The answer is, “All that I have is thine. I gave it to thee in Christ.”

My brothers and sisters, we have developed such erroneous thought patterns about God. What is God like? I know no imagery more beautiful and expressive than when the sun is shining, and the sky is filled with a transparency of blue! The sun is never weary of shining, as it pours out its rays upon both the good and the evil. You might close up the windows with blinds or bricks, yet the sun shines upon them all the same; though we may choose to sit in darkness or utter darkness, the sun shines just the same. God’s sun shines on every leaf; on every flower; on every blade of grass; on everything that springs out of the ground. All receive this wealth of sunshine until they grow to perfection and bear fruit. Would He who made that sun, be less willing to pour out His love and life into you and I? Saints lets us strive to walk in our privileges so that we can continue to bear fruit. Note the following parable as it points to the privilege to serve:

Mat 25:14-30  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained the other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time, the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  He also, who had received two talents, came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, therethou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.“

My brothers and sisters, what moral have I invited you to draw from, based on my premise? Simply this, communion with God is our ultimate privilege! How often have we displayed zeal in impressing others or institutions that we know God, while our own souls are barren and void of any personal communion with Jesus Christ? How often, like the two disciples who were on the road going to Emmaus, who walked and talked much about the things concerning Jesus Christ, that, when He did join us and draw near, would not know it was Him. That’s why it is such a privilege to enjoy Jesus in the Communion Supper, in prayer, in the ministry of His Word, and in Christian fellowship with our brothers and sisters.

Saints, I reiterate, let us continue to seek and realize the person of Christ Jesus. Let us continue to endeavor to enjoy Him, in prayer, in the breaking of bread, in the ministry of the Word, and in the fellowship of His suffering, as we encourage one another. Let us perpetually render offerings of prayer and praise. For if we embrace these privileges, we will never mistake happiness in material things for our happiness in God, because you and I never want to negate ” My Privileges In Jesus Christ.” Please strive to have a “JESUS DAY.”