Close Encounter of the God Kind

Genesis 22:6-9 (NIV)

⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

Abraham obeyed God even to the point of taking Isaac to die.  Abraham believed the Lord would provide a sacrifice.  Abraham was just a human like us, who obeyed God’s instructions without question.   We need to obey the Lord, just like Abraham did.

Abraham made a covenant with the Lord.  God keeps His promises, always.  God’s promise was to make a great nation from Abraham’s line.  If Isaac died, who’d carry on?  So, Abraham trusted God to provide a sacrifice, not his son.

We need to trust God!

We don’t have a true partnership with God; He takes on both parts.  We are not faithful, but God is.  His promise, His covenant, and His sacrifice to us takes on the punishment that was ours.

Isaiah 53:8 (NIV)

⁸ By oppression and judgment He was taken away.  Yet who of His generation protested?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;  for the transgression of my people he was punished.

We are too safe.  Don’t play it safe, risk it all for Jesus.  Playing it safe limits our impact, stunts our growth, shrivels our hearts, and shrinks our faith.

Step out in faith!

What God promises, He will do.  You go and He goes with you.  He supports us in fulfilling His promises to us if we obey.  God will work hand in hand with us.  Three times Paul asked God to remove the thorn in his flesh and each time God said no; because God perfected his weakness.

Sometimes we can only do one step at a time.  God won’t lie to us.  He keeps His promises.  He renews our strength.  We will be given the ability to soar, dance, run, walk, etc.

We need to change and grow.  Change is inevitable.  We have to change even when we are uncomfortable.  God loves us too much to leave us where we are.  He helps us when we become His.  We can’t do it alone.  God is enough.  We need Him to wrap us in His arms and help us bring Him greater glory.

Don’t follow the world, follow Jesus.  He died for us and brings eternal life.

When we surrender control to Jesus, the results are far better than our own attempts.  We need to see ourselves as God sees us.  We get our strength from God and a Spirit of discipline.  Seek God first for answers and directions.  He knows the outcome, so why not ask Him about it before you start?

Stand for what is right in God’s eyes, not the worlds.

Temptation

Genesis 3:17-24 (NIV)

¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.”

²⁰ Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

²¹ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ²² And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side^[c] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 1 through 3 explains the world.  It gives the historical account of creation; paradise and paradise lost.  No evil, death, pain or sorrow was Eden and we wrecked it all.

Upon disobeying God’s one rule, our eyes were opened.  We are naked and ashamed.  We are now aware of the evils of the world.  We have a new conscience.  Disobedience to God led to sin and our desire to be in control of our own lives.  We became vulnerable when our sins showed.  We’re all afraid of being exposed, especially our sins.

We were made to be known and we were made to be loved because of it.  Our hope, in Jesus, who’s eyes see us completely, loves us and we can stand before Him without fear.  However; our desire to be our own masters is us disguising ourselves from others.  We hide ourselves so no one can see our true selves.  We have shame, guilty and sin.  We disguise our fears, sin nature, vision, views, etc. from others.

Jesus who sees our sins, accepts us and loves us despite it.  Deep down we have shame and guilt for our nature.  WE:

1. blame others
2. hide from view
3. over work
4. are perfectionists
5. cover up with clothes or make-up
6. display a tough exterior

Lay it all down!!!  That’s right, lay it all down at the feet of Jesus.  Jesus is the only one who can truly cover us with His love, mercy and grace.  We are made to know Him and serve Him.  He’s the only one we can’t hide from.  Let your guard down and embrace Him.  He loves you so much!

Because we decided to be our own masters, even the animals know we have lost our relationship with God.  Through Adam, we face death; but through Jesus, we have life!  Adam = obey and live = fail.  Jesus = God Man = obey and die = eternal life.  Seems and easy choice to me.

Jesus had to destroy death.  Why didn’t God just recreate “new life”?  Because He had to deconstruct death in order for us to receive life again.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV) The Resurrection of Christ

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Because of Christ we have life and we have it abundantly.  This is the good news.  We are saved. We are free.  However; freedom doesn’t mean free to do whatever we want; but free to do what we were made to be.

Jesus is the answer!

❤

Jesus is the only way

Matthew 7:13 (NIV) The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Jesus teaches love and compassion.  He tells us to even love our enemies and pray for them.  Jesus is tolerant and He loves us.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

The world says all religion is relevant.  Jesus says “No.”  He is the only way.

Christianity is not natural anymore; because of the fall.  Christianity is an act of will on our part to reach out to Jesus and take His hand, without which, a relationship cannot begin.  One road, one way, only way!

The alternative?  Hell.  In both Daniel and Revelation, we see that Hell is eternal damnation.  It is not some mystical place made up to scare us; but a place where eternal torment will be suffered by those who reside there.  If we are not in Christ, we are not going to heaven, either.

Only an intimate relationship with Christ will get you into heaven.  You may cast out demons, heal the sick, preach the gospel; but if you don’t have that intimate relationship with Jesus, you’re not going to heaven.  Of course, the absence of these traits doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian; but having them won’t mean you are.

In Eden, the “Tree of Life” became the tree of death.  However; Jesus resurrects the dead tree, making it once again the Tree of Life.

We are not in control.  God is.  So why not give it all over to God?  Grace is given by the Father.  Intimacy and obedience to God’s will is a relationship worth having.  We all have the ability to survive and some give up.  We all have a mission.  By being within God’s will, He leads us to an accomplish the mission through Him.

Sin leads us on a false mission.  We sit and judge God because of the lie of sin.  We judge and we expect God to explain Himself to us.  This is a lie of the enemy and is in our DNA since the fall.  When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, our relationship with God was broken and couldn’t be repaired.  That is UNTIL Jesus came and conquered death.

In a world full of sin and hatred, turn to the One who is Love Himself.  The One who loves us without end.  Our hearts are restless until we find rest in Jesus.  Our mission is to know and serve God the Father through God the Son (Jesus) with the help of God the Spirit (The Holy Spirit). By having an intimate relationship with Jesus, we hold the key to life everlasting.

Now isn’t that good news?

❤

Grace

Grace – unmerited favor of God; giving and receiving something that is needed, but not deserved.

There are so many stories about God’s grace in the bible.  The prodigal son is about grace given to the son who was lost and found his way home.

The Samaritan story is about grace given by a stranger to his enemy without expectation of repayment.

The sermon on the mount is about loving your enemies, giving them what they need and your prayers.

The adulterous woman was supposed to be stoned to death in accordance with the law; but she was given grace and lived to sin no more.

Jesus wants us to give grace to others and make it a dominating principle in our lives.

Jonah found grace hard to accept.  Jonah was a prophet whom God sent to warn the people of Nineveh about their debauchery and sin; but instead Jonah ran in the opposite direction from the task.  What happened?  He ended up in the belly of a great fish.

Jonah, knowing God was a gracious Father, didn’t want to tell Nineveh they were doomed because he knew if they repented, God’s grace would save them.  When Jonah finally showed up and preached; the repented and spared.  Then Jonah pouted.

Remember, Nineveh was pure evil!  The Hebrews hated them for their cruelty.  However; when push came to shove, the people repented and turned back to God.  Jonah wanted them destroyed; but God loved them, just like He loves us.

By running from God, Jonah was running from his own sin against God, rather than facing up to his own grace from God.  Because we have free will, God won’t stop us from sin.  We will face the consequences of our sin.  We can run; but we can’t hide.  Even though Jonah tried to leave the Lord, the Lord never left Jonah. It is the same with us. Obedience to God is the only way.

We have to walk out in faith.

By seeking God and the kingdom of heaven first, we make Him a priority and we get our best life.  Start your day by asking God what to do.  We have no idea what each day will bring; but He does, so why not ask the One who knows it all?

New day, new you!  Seek God first.  We all have worldly issues.  However; we’re to be in the world, not of the world.  We will have struggles, we will have challenges, we will have bad days. What we do to incorporate faith into our daily lives is the key.  Faith is a daily challenge we face when living in this fallen world.  If we’re not following God, who are we following?  Ourselves?  satan?

Because we always have freedom of choice, we can choose to follow God or ourselves.  By following God, we change our “normal” to “Better”.  We can’t be who He has made us to be if we don’t follow His instructions.  Speak to Him.  Have a conversation with Him, He’s waiting to hear from you.

Faith is seeking Him first and speaking with Him daily, throughout the day, so you can keep walking out His plan.  Remember, His plans are always the best plans.  He gives His best to His children.

Jeremiah 1:5  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God is our best option in a fallen world.  He’s for us.

God is good, all the time.

❤

Salt & Light

Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV) Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.  ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Covid-19 has given us the perfect platform to reach the lost, fearful and hurting.  In a time of such uncertainty, we need to look to God for our peace, our strength and our future.  In times of struggle, I turn to God, the author of the universe and the one who holds me in His hands.

Salt is used to flavor food and can make or break a meal.  Light is used to remove the darkness.  Together, they bring flavor and goodness.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I believe that God is calling us to help mold this new, post Covid world and the changes that are coming down the line.  We are to show the world that God is good, that He has a plan that will bring about goodness and light.

As a Christian, I will share God’s light with all who will listen to me.  I will use my gifts and talents to help others.  I will salt the world with His flavor and I will show His light to the world.

The world corona means “crown” in Latin.  So, it is appropriate that this virus is the “crown” of the earth, where satan has his domain.  Oh, the crown prince of hell will soon face the rage of our Father and forever suffer in the lake of fire.  You see, the only power he has here is for lying, destroying and killing.  He works in darkness; but our Father is the Father of Light, in Him no darkness is seen.

Personally, I’d rather go toward the light, which is life giving and sustaining than to let even a spot of darkness consume me.  God never changes, He is the same past, present and future.

Stay humble and obedient to the Lord.  Refocus yourself toward Him.  Don’t let the world dictate to you; be in it; but not of it.

God can’t use our silence, so speak out of His great love and plan for us!  Others are watching us to see how we act during this pandemic, be His light.  This is a battle between good and evil, so speak up, be seen and spread the salt and light of God to the world.  Be ready for this new day.

God gives peace, security and strength.  Embrace it!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

God doesn’t allow the bad things without making something good come out of it.  God is a way maker.  When we don’t see it, He does.  He is not in time, like we are.  He sees the beginning and the end.  All we need to do is endure, by using His strength and He will bring it back around with you, victorious.  That is the God I serve.

I remember a Pastor who told me that you can’t “out give God”.  Skeptical, I tried it.  It’s true.  The more I give to God and His projects, the more I receive.  It’s amazing!

As we begin to venture back into the world after this forced lock down, I look forward to seeing how God has changed the world and the people in it.

God is good, all the time.

❤