Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
The disciples were afraid of the Jews. They locked themselves in a room in fear as the worldly people do in fear. Jesus appeared in their midst in that locked room. He greeted them with peace. We are also depressed in weird situations when we are confronted with unexpected happenings. We are troubled at heart. We are upset as to why such things happen. Then our faith disintegrates and unbelief does take over. Jesus loved His disciples and had taught them. As they had been with Him, He expected that they would be faithful witnesses after His sacrifice. He had to convince them that He had risen and to make them believe that they would do great things in the name of Jesus Christ. They had seen and heard what happened to Jesus Christ before His death. He was miserably treated, mocked, disrobed, and crowned with a crown of thorns and they called Him, “King, live!” They spit on Him, and struck Him with a rod. All these were known to them and naturally were afraid of what might happen to them. The risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared in their midst.
Dear Brother/ Sister, as they were disappointed with their expectation of Jesus Christ as the King of the Jews, you might also meet with failure and defeats in life. You may be in similar situations of unexpected deaths and sufferings. To confirm that He had resurrected, Jesus Christ appeared to them and revealed Himself to them in closed doors. He is the same yesterday today and forever. He will make great things in your boundary, in you and your children and make peace abound in you. Let us examine how He is in our midst today. Let us worship Him and have exaltation in life.
I. HOW IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN OUR MIDST?
1) He is Great
“Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!” Isaiah 12:6
The Bible teaches us how He is great.
(i) Greater than He that is in the World
“...because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
The Lord God is holy and wants us to be holy. The Holy Lord is in you and is greater than he that is in the world. Jesus Christ who said, “... for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30), He spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them on the cross. He will make us have victory over him. We should ever thank the Father for delivering us “from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” He performed miracles. He will help you to crush the head of the devil. This Jesus Christ is great in your midst to make you do that. As He is great, we can triumph over the wicked designs of the enemy to have a life of fullness of joy and peace. When He is with you, according to His might and power He will do great things in your life.
(ii) Great in Counsel
“Great in counsel, and mighty in work...” Jeremiah 32:19
In all the things that we do, we should exercise our intelligence and act. The Wise Counsellor Jesus Christ is with us. He will do great things and lead us to do great things.
Are you troubled that you have done something without applying your mind? The Lord God is great in all things. He will comfort with consoling words, establish and embolden you and make you regain what you have lost.
David was sored oppressed as he lost his wives and children and all their possessions. He wept. And those who were with him were so disturbed that they wanted to stone him. But David encouraged himself in the Lord God. He recovered all that he had lost and rescued his people. Through Jesus Christ who is a wise Counsellor, you can also regain all your strength, peace and happiness and wealth.
(iii) Greater than Solomon
“...and indeed something greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:42
The name Solomon suggests wisdom and one who loved the Lord. He loved the Lord and obeyed the commands of his father David. He offered abundant sacrifices. The Lord once appeared to him in a vision and asked him to ask Him anything he desired. Such was his life. His desire pleased the Lord very much. He did not ask for victory over his enemies, or for the wealth of this world, or for increased length of life. He sought only wisdom to judge His people. The Lord gave him not only wisdom and understanding but also riches and honour. James 1:5 tells us, “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..”
Dear child of God, the Lord God who is great in your midst would make you do great in all things. ‘But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.’ (1 Cor. 1:30). He will fill you with wisdom when you ask Him and exalt you as He exalted Daniel who was a captive. The Lord who exalted Joseph who guarded his holiness will make you great. He exalted Isaac by prospering in all that he did. He will exalt you and your children also by multiplying your blessings.
(iv) Greater than Jonah
“...because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12:41
In the Old Testament, the ministry of Jonah overshadows every other ministry. Jesus Christ preached the gospel of peace in a personal way to individuals and also did the same with a large crowd of 4000 or 5000 people. He also did miracles and signs to make them believe Him and in His words. His ministry is greater than that of Jonah. We know that Jonah made a whole town turn from its sinful ways to the Lord. He announced the caution of the Lord fully and made them turn to Him. This Jesus Christ was sent from heaven to earth to make the whole world turn to the Lord as He loved them. He is great in our midst.
Dear Brother/ Sister, you minister unto the Lord. The Lord God, who is able to make you greater than Jonah, is in your midst. You may be in a forsaken state with no one to help you. You may be lamenting over your state and shedding tears. Jesus Christ risen from death is in your midst to make you great. Do not despair. The Lord who says that He would strengthen and help you is alive. Those who stood against you and accused you will not be seen anywhere. The Lord who is in your midst will make you do great thing through you and bless you.
B) He will be with you to Protect you
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who worshipped the Lord were brought as captives to serve in the palace of the king. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon set up an image of gold whose height was 60 feet and width 6 feet in the plain of Dura. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They were told to fall before that idol and worship it when the music was sounded. If anyone failed to do so, he would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not do so. So, this was reported to the king. He was informed that these Jews who were over the affairs of Babylon had no regard for the king and they did not obey him or serve his god. They were accused of not worshipping the image set up by the king.
Today you may be in the midst of jealous people who may be accusing you and blaming you. In their midst, the Lord Jesus Christ will protect you as the apple of the eye and give you eternal life. The king enquired about it and gave them another chance to fall before it and worship it. He threatened them with the punishment of being thrown into the fiery furnace. He was boastful in saying, “. . . who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” But they were little afraid and replied him, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:17, 18).
Beloved in Christ, there was oneness of heart among them. In Christian life we need this oneness. Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” We should always have in our mind that “the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” They were not afraid of the burning furnace. The day we are transformed to live a holy life and when He calls us His own, we become possessions of Christ and we are blessed and protected by the Lord. We become worthy of His protection. As said in Isaiah 43, He will protect His own people from the ravages of the rivers and the fire. The king became furious and gave orders to increase the heat of the furnace 7 times. They were bound and thrown into the fire. Those who did it were burnt by the fire. But these three men were seen in the midst of the fire walking with no harm done to them. The Lord who said that He would be with us in danger and honour us is alive in our midst. Those who were bound and thrown were free without any bondage. The Son of God Jesus Christ stood with them in their midst. They were loitering in fire with no harm. The king observed that there was one more person seen with them. He was astonished. Four persons were seen walking freely. The fourth person looked like the Son of God. The king came near the fire and asked them to come out of the furnace. When they came out, he found that the fire had not harmed them. Even their hair was not singed, coats not burned and the smell of fire was not felt.
Dear children of God, when the Lord is in our midst, fire cannot harm us. Yes, the Lord who guards us as the apple of the eye is in our midst.
3) A Wall of Fire Around You
“For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ” Zechariah 2:5
The glory of the Lord will make us shine. The Lord Jesus Christ who is worthy of glory will glorify us too. The Lord who formed us and removed our sins as the clouds of the sky is alive. Miriam instructed the Israelites to sing of the Lord as One who “gloriously triumphed.” In 2 Sam. 7:26, we read: “So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You.” 1 Chr. 16:24 exhorts us, “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength.” (Psalm 96:6-7). “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:9). Heavens declare the glory of the Lord (Psalm 19:1).
HOW TO GLORIFY THE LORD?
i) Through Deliverance
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:15
To the glory of the Lord, He delivers us from our difficulties and struggles in life. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36). “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). Jesus Christ set us free from the fear of death also. He also delivers us from the clutches of the devil and blesses us with clarity of thought.
ii) Through Offerings of the First Fruit
“Honor the Lord with your possessions,and with the firstfruits of all your increase.” Proverbs 3:9
We should offer the firstfruits to the Lord. He will be honoured. As I began to give priority to the Lord, in all that I did, the name of the Lord was glorified. Through whatever we give, His name will be glorified and we will be blessed in return. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11). “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.” (Psalm 112:9). Let us give and be blessed.
iii) Though Praises and Thanksgiving
“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23
As His presence indwells in our midst when we praise and exalt Him, His fire would become our protection. As there is the wall of fire around us, no enemy can cause any harm to us. In the life of Job there was this hedge of protection around him. So, all his belongings were protected and multiplied. The devil could do no harm to him. Let us glorify the Lord and have His protection.
II.WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO MAKE THE LORD COME IN OUR MIDST?
1) Invite Him
“Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.” John 2:2
Jesus Christ was in the wedding house of Cana as He had been invited with His disciples. We should know that there might arise shortage even when He is with us. He will remedy the situation. We should approach Him for solutions in our difficulties and accept His counsel. Then we would have exaltation and joy.
2) Gather in the Name of Jesus Christ
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
When we gather in His name, He will be there. In our houses, churches, and fellowships, when we gather in His name, He will come in our midst and bless us. Where His disciples gathered with oneness of heart, He filled them with His presence. He decorated them with the gifts of the Spirit. When we gather as husband and wife with children and parents, or as sisters and brothers in the name of Jesus Christ, His presence will come in our midst. There would be joy, blessings and exaltation.
3) 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.” Revelation 3:20
To hear the voice of God, we must open our hearts to Him. His voice is powerful. It will make the hinds to calve. As His sheep we should follow the Shepherd. Let us not go away from Him. When we hear His voice and obey Him, we become His people. He will be your God. “‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God” (Jere. 11:4). We will be cleansed and would be blessed to hear His voice. In Isaiah 6:6-8, we read: “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” He could hear the voice of the Lord after he was cleansed.
Let us today be blessed to hear His voice. Let us open our hearts. He will be in our midst to make us live with peace, good health and strength.
May the Lord bless us so!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul