Radical Life Support

Fulfillment means the achievement of something desired, promised, predicted, required, pledged, or expected. In this podcast, we will talk about God fulfilling His promises, the fullness of Jesus Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and filling the emptiness we have in our hearts.

We can be assured that God fulfills all of His promises. The scriptures must be fulfilled is a common statement. You can trust that when God makes a promise He will bring it to fulfillment. He makes faithful promises to the Israelites, the church, and He makes personal promises to us.

[Jos 23:14] “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”

[Ps 57:2] “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.”

[Ecc 5:5] “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” God fulfills His promises but we aren’t as faithful to Him or to each other.

Jesus fulfilled all prophecy. There are 400 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled every single one of them. There were calculations made to figure out the odds that one individual could fulfill just 8 of the prophecies and the odds were 1 in 1027, that is 10 with 27 zeros. All throughout the New Testament is says, “this was done to fulfill prophecy.”

[Col 2:9-10] “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” NIV commentary says the very essence of deity was present in totality in Jesus’ human body.

[II Chron 7:1] After Solomon build temple, it said, “the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” God’s presence was there. We are now the temple of God and believers can be filled with the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

[Eph 5:18] “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” NIV commentary says the Greek present tense is used to indicate that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. Repeatedly, as the occasion requires, the Spirit empowers for worship, service and testimony. There is a contrast here between wine and the Spirit. Each will affect you in some way. You need to choose whether to be under the influence of wine or the Spirit.

[Matt 5:6] “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This is a promise.

Heart longs for fulfillment. God promises to fill us with hope, joy, and peace. He can fill every need that you have. Every person has a need for love, purpose, identity, security, and relationship. [Rom 15:13] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as your trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

We are designed with a great capacity for God. God has placed a deep-down desire in our hearts on purpose. We have a heart-shaped vacuum that can only be filled by Jesus. When our hearts ache to be filled, we tend to fill it with things to dull the ache. Things like alcohol, drugs, immoral fantasies, food, relationship, work, shopping, money and busyness. We can also fill it with worry, anxiety, depression, fear, anger, greed, malice, and other unhealthy emotions. These things only give a temporary satisfaction because they don’t fit the space. The bible says to guard your heart and be careful what you let in. If you fill it with negative things, then there is no room for the positive. You need to open up space in your heart and ask Jesus in.

Jesus is enough and is the only one who can fill that empty space in your heart. And the beautiful thing is that He can fill it to overflowing, He uses the word abundant. He can satisfy any longing and meet your deepest need. All you have to do is ask Him to come in and fill it.

Robin has been thinking about children who do not get to be born. Children whose lives are taken. The children who are ripped apart. Her main attitude over the years has been one of resolution that abortion is wrong. She never remembers crying over the children before but lately the issue has brought her to tears. She heard on a prophetic word that we need to speak up for the children. We need to save the children.

Robin listen to a man from the Catholic church who talked about the baby’s bodies being torn apart. Their blood is shed on their mothers and the hands of the nurses and doctors. And it made Robin really sad. She thought of the story of Cain and Able and God saying to Cain that the blood of your brother is crying out to me. Why would the blood be crying out? God hears the blood? Then, Robin read some verses that talked about the life-blood inside of us. We all have that life-blood. She looked up in the internal that the blood vessels and blood cells start to develop in a fetus within 15-18 days. A single blood cell would be enough to be life-blood for a child. Their blood is crying out and the Lord says He hears the cries of the innocent.

Women who miscarry wanted their baby more than anything. They grief the loss of the child and grieving is healthy and important. But those who have aborted their children probably many haven’t grieved or taken the time to think about that the life of the baby is gone. Robin’s sadness included those women too who have had abortions. Racheal’s vineyard is a Catholic retreat for those who have had abortions. You can name your children, have a funeral for them, say good-by to them, and you can find peace in your heart for the loss of your child. There are places where you can go and properly grieve.

Rick recalls a story after he was a youth pastor, he had taken a driving instructor position to make some extra money. Out of the blue, his young gal student asked him if God could forgive murder? She was probably 15 years old. He said, of course God does forgive anything. But he asked her if she was talking about abortion. She said that she had an abortion. Then he asked her to pull over the car because she started to cry. He began to minister to her the words of God. He spoke about in Revelation how one day God will wipe every tear away. She was deeply affected by this, carrying the pain and guilt. He told her of the love and forgiveness of God. That she needed to confess her sins to God.

Without trusting in the Lord, how can you really get through anything in life. Ps 72:122, “For He (the Messiah) will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death, He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in His sight.” We know that our Savior shed His blood for us. If it wasn’t for the blood of Jesus there would have been no forgiveness of sins. Maybe you have shed innocent blood; but Jesus shed His blood for you to forgive you, to take away your sin and make you clean and whole. He is there to walk you through the aftermath of decisions of regret. When you come to Him and accept Him in your heart and ask for forgiveness, He will renew your life and you can trust Him and move forward.

Rick remembers when he was first old enough to vote. He looked at all the candidates and what they believed and what they stood for. It all came down to one thing. He was going to vote for the people who are pro-life. We need to vote to save the children. It makes it so simple. When this election rolls around. If they are pro-choice, then they aren’t even to be considered. You have to vote for people who will fight and stand for the unborn.

Rick and Robin don’t believe this is about politics. It is about life and death, right and wrong. What is right to do in the eyes of God.

Longsuffering means patient endurance and steadfastness under provocation, offense, hardship, suffering, abuse, insult, mistreatment, and in the face of adversity. The word is made up of two Greek words meaning long and temper so long-tempered. God has a long fuse when He is stirred to anger. God is patient with sinners and He uses tremendous self-restraint. He does not fly off the handle and immediately retaliates based solely on emotions and without forethought. We should never think of God as succumbing to or being reckless in His anger. God’s attributes of mercy and love are an intertwining part of God’s longsuffering nature.

[Ex 34:6] The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. NIV says many verses like this with similar wording are the great self-characterization of God which runs like a golden thread through the OT.

[II Peter 3:8-9] “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Because God lives in eternity, He waits patiently. His delay is not because He doesn’t care or is indifferent. Quite the contrary, verse 15 says, “bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation.”

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Here James is using creation, farming in particular to show how we should patiently wait for the Lord’s return.

Jesus definitely demonstrated longsuffering. He was persecuted, mocked, insulted, scorned, blasphemed, rejected, betrayed, attacked, arrested, falsely accused, beaten, and murdered. Why did it have to be that way? Why did He have to suffer so to bring us salvation. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked the Father if there was another way, he know nothing was impossible with God. But He said not my will but yours. That is a longsuffering statement. Heb 2:9, He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. He endured it all gracefully, without retaliation, for you and for me. And on that cross after all the mistreatment, He said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. I Pt says, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.

Rom 5:3-4 – More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. It is a process and an order. It appears that character is produced after suffering and endurance takes place. We want to just skip to good character and not go through the prior.

Longsuffering and patience are fruits of the Holy Spirit. He wants it so much produced in you. They are His qualities. There is a famous funny saying that goes: God, I want patience and I want it right now! But fruit is not grown over night. To have the fruit of patience you must learn it through experiences and exercise it through situations and circumstances. It is like a muscle you use to become stronger; it takes time.

God is Keeper. In Hebrew shamar means to keep, to guard, to watch. When keeper is used as a noun in the bible it is mainly to describe an occupation, for example, you can say shepherd or a keeper of sheep.

A king in the OT was one appointed by God to be keeper of God’s people, Israel. It wasn’t to be just a position to reign over but God set it up so that they should keep, guard, and watch over His people. Much more personal. God wanted to occupy that position over His people but they demanded a king. Unfortunately, no human king would truly keep His people as God wanted to keep His people. They rejected His care over them.

Prov 24:12 – The Keeper of my soul is He who knoweth. Is 27:3 – I, Jehovah, am [my people’s] Keeper, every moment I water it, lest any lay a charge against it, night and day I keep it. Ps 121:7-8 “The Lord will KEEP you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over (and guard) your coming and going both now and forevermore. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.”

When God says that He will keep your soul, that is a promise. God is a Promise Keeper. [II Chron 6:14] “O Lord, God of Israel...you who KEEP your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way.” There are literally thousands of promises like this in the bible and God keeps every single one of them without fail.

When you feel weak, the bible says [II Chron 16:9] His eyes look to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. When you feel alone, you can count on God for He says He will never leave you. When you are afraid, God says He will fight for you. When you cannot manage, God says I will supply all your needs. When you feel you are not smart enough, His word says I generously give wisdom, just ask. When you confess your sins, God promises to forgive every time. When you cannot figure life out, God promises to direct your steps. When you feel temptation at your door, He will provide a way of escape. When you are weary, He promises to give you rest. When you think you cannot go on, God says you can do all things through Him. When you feel no one loves you, God says I love you more than you know. He never fails in keeping His promises.

God is described as the Shepherd or Keeper of Sheep. Is 40:11, “He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. God's followers are described as the sheep and His flock.

The shepherd would build a corral. The shepherd would then guard over the flock and the corral would be a hedge of protection around them. They hear it and follow Him. They won’t listen to or follow a stranger’s voice. The Shepherd knows them and they know Him.

Matt 25:32 – But when He [Jesus] saw all the people, He was moved with pity for them, because they were troubled and wandering like sheep without a keeper/shepherd. Jesus came to seek and save what was lost. Jesus told a parable where a shepherd left 99 sheep in open country to go and find one lost sheep. Jesus says, “in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Allow God to be your Keeper because that is what Jesus did. In John 15:1 – Jesus says, I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vineyard Keeper. He yielded to the Vineyard Keeper to do the pruning and maintaining so the branches would be more fruitful. God wants to keep us all our days if we let Him, but always through Jesus. I Cor 1:8 - God will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ’s return.

Here is a blessing from Num 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and KEEP you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

A.W. Tozer says, God’s goodness is not the same as His holiness or righteousness. Because of His goodness, He is kind, cordial, benevolent, tenderhearted, quick to sympathize, and full of good will toward men. God’s goodness is a foundation stone for all sound thought about God. The cause of His goodness is in Himself. Divine goodness, as one of God’s attributes, is self-caused, infinite, perfect, and eternal. Since God is immutable (never changes) He never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness. He has never been kinder than He now is, nor will He ever be less kind. Your life will be changed if your view of the God of Heaven includes the understanding that the unmerited, spontaneous goodness of God is underneath all His acts.

That God is good is taught or implied on every page of the bible. I Chron 16:34 – O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving -kindness endure forever. God’s name is good; what God does is good; He satisfies your desires with good things; His will is good, perfect, and pleasing; He gives good gifts; and no one is good except God alone.

Gen 1:31 – “God saw all that He had made, and it was not just good but very good.” Eph 2:10 – “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” His purpose for us is to honor Him as a good God and to do good works.

Life is not neutral and God is not neutral. There is good and evil. God is one or the other, not good sometimes and not evil ever. He gives us daily blessings because of His goodness. The recipients of His goodness don’t deserve His goodness and we can’t pay Him back for His goodness.

The gospel means Good News. Luke 2:10-11 – The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

John 10:14 - Jesus said I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father. One reason Christ walked with men on earth was to show them what God is like and make known the true nature of God.

What things get in the way of you seeing God as He truly is? One thing is our expectations. We have expectations regarding how we believe a good God acts. Do you anticipate significant good things to happen from God, maybe mild or mediocre things to happen from God, or maybe no action from God. Where are you on that scale?

Sometimes we dictate to God how He should perform in a given situation. There is no flexibility to allow God to do it His way in our expectations. God does not have to perform out of our expectations of Him. He performs out of who He is. And He is good. He will do what is best for you and those around you and what will bring Him glory. Rom 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Working out things for my good may mean I come out stronger, more mature, and better prepared to take the next step.

Can you dare to believe that all His ways are good? Trust that He is good and will lead you in the path He has prepared for you. God’s purpose in a hardship is plainly stated in Rom 8:29, God’s good work in you is to conform us into the likeness of His Son. He cares about that more than anything else on our prayer list. We can worship Him because He has a good purpose for us and He promises to be with us in it and work it for our good.

God does not ask you to say the situation is good; but you know you have a right view of God when you can say He is good regardless of the circumstance. Thank God for His goodness every day and you will see His goodness in every area of your life. God’s goodness should be the basis of our expectation of Him. Expect to see God’s goodness.