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God’s Heart to meet with Man: Jesus to Us · First15 Devotional

• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we continue our week on God's heart to meet with man, today we'll look at the best example I can think of.
• 0:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Many of us doubt the love of God due to all kinds of circumstances.
• 0:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I pray today you become even a little bit more convinced and sure of his pursuit and unconditional love for you specifically.
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Open your heart today and allow God to give you a renewed sense of how much you mean to him.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew chapter 1, verse 23, Scripture says, behold the virgin shall conceive and bear us on and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is no more powerful depiction of God's love for us than Jesus stepping off his throne to humble himself, take on flesh and dwell among men.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus coming down to us perfectly demonstrated God's grace and desire to meet with man.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Imagine for a minute the sacrifice of Jesus.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: prior to coming down to us, he was Spirit, like God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: He dwelt everywhere in every point of time.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was in perfect communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus gave up the very nature of His existence that we might walk in restored relationship with God.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He sacrificed being spirit that we might simply know God's love.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus was the heart of God, perfectly personified.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: In everything he did, he clearly displayed God's heart for mercy, grace, justice, redemption, and empowerment for his people.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is the center of all history.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: All of creation looks to him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Isaiah 96 tells us, for to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of Peace.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: We serve the only king who had laid down his own life for his undeserving, rebellious subjects.
• 3:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: We serve the only god who would step down off his throne and humble himself before us, even to the point of death.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: We serve the god of perfect love who can do nothing that isn't completely drenched with his affection for us.
• 3:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and know without a shadow of a doubt that God longs to meet with you.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: If Jesus would come to earth, that you might receive redemption and restored relationship with your heavenly Father, there is no doubt that He will meet you exactly where you are right now.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus' sacrifice was so powerful that it set you free to live in true communion with God.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ephesians 2 verses 4 through 7 says, but God being a rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses,
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: May you discover what it truly means to be seated in the heavenly places with Christ.
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: May you pursue all the fullness of relationship afforded to you by the powerful sacrifice of Jesus.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: May His coming to earth demonstrate its power in your life.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Take time to fellowship with God today, the way Jesus did, walk as He walked.
• 5:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: An experience today, the fullness of life that only comes by meeting with your heavenly father, by his grace and love.
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: May God speak to you and bless you as you enter God at prayer.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, meditate on God's desire to meet with you, as demonstrated by Jesus coming to Earth.
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ask God to show you His glory today through the outlandish love of His Son.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: John chapter 1 verse 14 says, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
• 7:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And next, where do you have doubt about experiencing the presence of God?
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you feel like it is impossible or difficult to encounter your Heavenly Father?
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: John 3 16 says, for God's so love the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And last, align your perspective with the truth of Scripture.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Allow Jesus coming to fill you with faith and expectation to experience all that he came and died to give you.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Take time to press into the heart of God and encounter the deaths of his love today.
• 9:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: We, as modern day believers, often grow content with so much less than what's available to us in Christ.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: We grow content with programs, sermons, worship, and Bible study that's void of God's presence.
• 9:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: We believe that the Christian life is one solely marked by discipline and moral living,
• 9:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: pursue the greater things today.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Press into the heart of your creator that you might know how truly near he is.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Seek him and discover the wealth of his presence and love that has been available to you all along.
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Instead of programs about him, may your life be marked by meeting directly with your good and loving father.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to today's podcast.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First 15.
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're looking for a book to learn more about the availability of God's presence, in an example of what it could look like to dwell in his presence all day, I would really recommend Brother Lawrence's, the practice of the presence of God.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Every time I read it, it deeply encourages me, and I pray it does the same for you.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day today, and may God bless you as you seek Him.