In Paradise with God

© 06-12 Colin Melbourne

Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Holy Bible Lk. 23:42 KJV

By the skin of your teeth

Deathbed conversions are bittersweet, tragic, joyful events. Heaven but a mere breath away, leaving an empty life wasted in sin.

Don't wait until the last minute like the crook on the cross will you? Get right with God now, and He will endow your time on earth with eternal value.

But we are grateful for the dying thief's testimony because it brought from The LORD's bloodied lips this stunning reply.

Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Holy Bible, Lk. 23:43 KJV

Savour each word in the Holy Spirit and you will receive one of the most blessed revelations of the New Covenant.

It's raw faith, a pain-wracked prophetic utterance by the King of kings reigning on his earthly throne. The one you and I nailed Him to whilst spitting in His face.

He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

We mocked, as He was doing precisely that.

We rebelled: He submitted to God's Word.

The other criminal rebuked us,

Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Lk. 23:40-41 KJV

Almighty God, our Creator, became a Son of Man, lived three decades in this squalor, yet never sinned once. Then offered His sinless life to redeem His worst enemies. Me and you.

The only difference between the two thieves on the cross was faith in the One between them: It opened the door of Paradise for the repentant sinner.

Today you will be with me in Paradise

Understand that, like all prophecy, it has meanings on many levels.

For the dying man, it sustained his final few hours, filling them with peace until his spirit left his body, and he was with Jesus in Paradise, that day.

Heaven is timeless, so don't baulk at the chronology. Jesus had to endure a period in Hell before arising on the third day. But when a person dies they step out of time into eternity. A day is like a thousand years to God, and a thousand years, as a day.

Focus on this fact: That same precious word of God will nourish all who 'die' in Christ today and live with Him in Paradise on earth.

The Paradise of His Presence

Believer! You have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20), He put away your sin, so that you can walk in His Presence today.

God shed His Blood for the remission of your sins. He dealt with the sin problem once and for all, and poured in His righteousness the instant you received Him as Saviour.

You don't have to wait until you die physically to begin enjoying Paradise. If you are born again, the Kingdom of God is not near to you, it is in you, Alleluia!

When Christ is enthroned in your heart, the things of this earth fade into distant perspective.

Isn't that the truth?

You won't get it from religion, but it is the living reality of God's indwelling Spirit under the New Blood Covenant.

Paul's Preview of Our Inheritance

We'll come back to this, but let's also remember God took Paul to Paradise. In the Spirit or in the body, he wasn't sure, it was that real.

...such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise... (See 2. Co. 12:1-4)

God took him for a trip through Heaven to strengthen and prepare him for his apostolic ministry. Paul didn't ask for the experience, so don't you, otherwise you'll open yourself to occult counterfeits like the, 'out of body experiences' the New Age crowd get deluded by.

<< Essential: The first thing a new believer needs to understand is that they have been totally redeemed, and sadly few Christians even know what the word means.

God had a unique ministry for Paul, so he needed a special Spiritual 'field-trip'. After which, God allowed a demon to dog Paul's every move, so he'd keep humble and depending on Jesus.

Paul's Thorn was an evil spirit, a messenger of Satan, not a sickness. It stirred up riots wherever he ministered.

That brief visit to Paradise carried Paul for the remainder of his stay on earth, until his head was hacked off in Rome for preaching Christ. Then he went home forever.

Sinner or Saint?

Paul's revelation of the Good News, as enunciated in the Epistles to the Churches, goes far beyond the four Gospels.

Many Christians are stuck in a rut between Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

They labour through life calling themselves 'sinners saved by grace' and think they are being ever so humble. It's not humility, but plain ignorance of God's Word, and the power of the Blood Covenant.

They've never set foot in the light Jesus prefaced to the first disciples, and later announced through Paul,

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Jn. 16:12 KJV

He was talking about the Pauline revelation of redemption and righteousness through faith in Christ. The first twelve hadn't an inkling of this at that time.

They couldn't take it, but you can.

They had to wait for the Holy Spirit to be sent. You don't. He came at Pentecost in Acts 2, and has been here ever since.

When you receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit you'll understand much more of what Jesus has done for you.

You will know that He has made you a saint of God, bearing the spotless righteousness of Christ, with power over sin and all the works of the enemy.

The Word of God will come alive in you. The Bible will no longer be letters, phrases, and doctrine, but rhema, the Spirit anointed Word of God.

Not a bland instruction manual, but your living authority and victorious weapon to overcome all the power of the enemy.

The Living Bread of Heaven upon which man truly lives.

Have you been to a Bible study in Paradise yet?

God's Bible school is like nothing on earth.

In the Shadow of the Most High

Rest in the secret place of the Most High and The Teacher will be with you today. (See Psalm 91)

All around may be chaos, death, and destruction, but you will be shielded by His faithfulness.

You will walk with Him like Adam before Paradise was lost.

That flesh man is crucified, dead, and buried with Christ. (Rom. Ch. 6, Col. Ch.2, Gal. 2:20)

By the Spirit of God ruling in your heart, and soul, you will overcome all obstacles. God's kingdom will be extended through you.

Walk in the flesh and you will fail, walk in the Spirit and you will succeed.

But remember; it took nails before the sinner-man heard...

To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The result was Paradise found.

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