Monthly Archives: December 2014

Eternal

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Endless, enduring, ceaseless, perpetual, having no beginning or end and everlasting; these are the parameters within the promises of God.  How does it feel to be impervious to the kidnapping grasp of false hosts, as it is said in the Word of God, John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  What confidence is bread in the deeper understanding of our eternality?  Is there any other freedom than that prescribed by the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus?  Can this world make me any promises that do not pale in comparison to eternal salvation?  What security may we as believers possess through faithful reliance upon these promises?  Where might I find additional encouragement in my quest to build faith in those promises?

John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

1 Peter 1:5
who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Isaiah 27:3
I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

Jeremiah 23:4
I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.

John 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 6:39
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

John 10:29
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

John 17:2
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

1 John 1:2
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

1 John 2:25
And this is what he promised us–eternal life.

1 John 5:11
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

I put my faith in the Rock of Ages.  Timeless expectations of an immutable God.  There is nothing else upon which I may similarly and justifiably depend, for all else changes, ebbs, flows, decays and transforms.  This must be taken with caveat that we must also begin to comprehend God’s judgment through this changeless qualities.  God must follow through with His Plan, His Will, His coming judgment as it is part and parcel of His endlessness, in that He is faithful to complete that which He began.  Do not sit precariously upon the double edged sword of God’s Love and His Promised Wrath.  He is Holy and we must begin to investigate this reverent perfection in order to comprehend His fairness, in justice and truth.  The Lord may not tolerate, excuse or overlook sin, for to do so would countermand all His promises and His timelessness.  There is only one way, which He has provided to be “washed clean” of the sin debt (death) to which we found ourselves aligned, that is repentance, belief and reliance upon the Life, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as propitiation for that debt.

That perfect sacrifice was sufficient to quiet God’s pending wrath for them who would believe and to those who will not accept Jesus they have willingly accepted His judgment.  This is the nature of a perfect God, for all things will be done judiciously, as He foretold through by the ministries of His prophets.  There will be no improperly tended judgment to those who are innocent, there will be no mistaken pardon, no punishment undeserved, for God wishes that “all would come to the saving knowledge of the truth”.  I fear God’s perfection in that it assures that I will get exactly what I deserve, but I am also humbled by His Saving Grace in that I will instead receive shared inheritance with Christ for my repentance, belief and faith.  This is the contradiction of man’s twisted thinking.  We believe that we may free ourselves of a pending judgment by the supposed works of our own lives or perhaps avoid God’s judgment by simply dismissing His existence.  These are both foolish positions demonstrating a lack of eternal understanding.  Until a man meets Christ He cannot understand eternity?  For in eternity we truly understand the implications of our belief, actions and commitment.  I sinned so I was eternally guilty, but praise be to our immutable God, that He has pardoned my eternal obligation through the blood of His sacrifice.  His forgiveness is my new eternity and for that I cannot begin to express my gratefulness through the words of mortal men.

Two-minute drill

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There are many who practice the ministry of satan, gradually leading believers and the lost away from the truth through incremental deception.  “You will not certainly die if you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will be like God”, should echo in our ears each time we are faced with convincing scientific or theoretical argument beckoning us away from Christ.  Science, rhetoric and analysis are wonderful tools to be used in our quest to better understand the world around us, but they should never be implied adequate at explaining, denying or rationally defining God.  Faith is faith, belief without proof, internal knowledge, given by the Holy Spirit telling us that no matter the background noise or attempts to convince us otherwise, God remains Sovereign upon His throne and that all things, including the enemy’s efforts, work together for the Good of His Will.

The efforts of the enemy are increasing in frequency, potency and breadth of intended audience.  We must remember that satan knows this battle has been lost and can only take some twisted satisfaction in taking as many humans down with him, especially those who counted themselves believers.  Oh Praise God that He loves us so much that He would consider it loss if any of us are separated from Him for eternity.  Let us not forget that God created satan even though He knew every action that satan would ever take.  That says something about the confidence of our Creator and should provide us the ammunition to remain faithful and mindful of who is in charge in the universe.  As the night approaches, our reverence for Almighty God should spark us to continual action.

The clock of God’s Plan is at five minutes to midnight, time is winding its way to exhaustion where the Lord will intervene to judge wickedness and eradicate sin.  That translates to the need of special vigilance on the part of teachers, disciples, believers and those who have been sitting upon the fence in indecision.  The time for demonstrative action and awareness is not just upon us dwindling toward finality.  It is not my job to dislike or judge humans it is my job to warn them how to escape sin’s incarceration, the disasters of tribulation and God’s inevitable/imminent judgment of wickedness.

Am I doing my job, am I effectively pleading with humanity to come to the knowledge of Christ?  Am I vigilante in my awareness, intention and action for the coming Kingdom of God?  Does the enemy wish I would go away, employing human and realm tactics to limit my efficacy?  Am I suffering for Christ as He suffered for me?  Do I have an active, open and authentic relationship with Christ, such that He would recognize me as His?  The time for participation has not yet passed but is decreasing in scope and possibility.  Will you answer the call that God has placed upon your heart, will you follow His Word which has been written upon it?  There is enough evidence for the existence of God to dispel each and every posed argument, yet this is not paramount.  It is impossible for us to please God without faith, so faith is what He requires.  Which do we believe is more effective in leading others to Christ; my effective oration and arguments for God or a life openly lived in kindness, love and steadfast dependence upon the truth of Christ in God?

Tolerance-the wedge of deception

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At what point in our national history did self-evidence fall to strangling grasp of epistemology?  Do we no longer believe that all men are created equal and that they have been endowed by that same Creator with certain unalienable rights?  This exercise in tolerance has contorted our culture to near breaking point.  To allow for the probability and expression of every minority view, we have set our selves on a foundation correcting course of revisionist history.  We can no longer believe what we believe if it does not give equal and sufficient voice to “every” perspective seated around the table.  All may say the pledge of allegiance to a flag, an ideal, a guiding principle if at the same time they learn and chant the mantras of even their enemy’s flag, concept and moral doctrine.

This commits our children to a permanent vacillation of self image by forcing them to embrace the facts that all men may not be created equal if their creator was evolutionary astronomical probability.  It detaches their thinking from reality to consider that maybe all fish, animals, microbes, heterogeneous mammals and ideas are equal before this nebulous commitment to a tolerance of every thought, however preposterous.  It begs them to question those rights we have traditionally fought to uphold that we are all free to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  It forces us to eventually turn against the historically conservative to solidify the authority of “tolerance” as the new dogma for proper thinking.  Eventually it commits us to conformity to the most charismatic speaker present in the global, media dynasty as entire populations follow the voice that most closely heralds the desire of the internal urges.  Thus the efficacy of radical Islam as they are handed the fuel to fire the angry inferno brewing in their own dissatisfaction with current economic and social dilemma.  Point in case the German population being captured in pursuit of that which we all abhor in those moments of reflection.  When we adhere to the self evident principles of Creator endowed equality we rarely go astray from righteous behavior, but when we depart from that foundation we fall into catastrophe, such as the misery of allowable enslavement of any race, creed or nation group.  This idea of tolerating, then embracing the views of the highest bidder, special interest or even the most abstract and minor, audacious religion or ideal is guaranteed collective destruction.  For we cannot depart from those ideals which have brought us good fortune, simply to acknowledge a politically correct imposition of the ridiculous without losing the benefits of that time tested and assured foundation.

Truth maintains the probability of effective national harvest.  As truth is tortured by the whims of opinion, dogma and abstract ideal, weeds, poisons, insects and the ravages of natural disaster damage the potential yield of collective productivity.  Once we have forgotten or willingly strayed from those things which we believed to be “self evident” then the foundation to which we collectively committed begins to crumble and eventually collapse.  This abstractly imposed, survey bound tolerance is the wedge being driven beneath moorings and pylons of our national edifice.  All men who believe that they have been endowed by the Creator with equality and unalienable rights must return to that same Creator in humility, repentance and re-commitment in order to forestall this deconstruction of that which was shaped in His expert Hand.

Follow Him

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Had I tasted victory, despair would be too sour to capture my taste.  Had I known peace through prayer, anger and the world’s molestation would own me not.  Had I dreamed in a glimpse of eternity, the past and present would make sense as a parts in the sum of the whole.  Had I known the truth, lies would have lost all adhesive quality in my heart.  Had I seen love, then my kind whispers would chase hate and fear to the darkness of their origin.  Had I seen the face of God, my joyous reward would be complete.  How then does a hypocrite profit when none of these inspiring influences have overwhelmed such that all else becomes dim?

It is not about religion, it is about following Jesus in truth, serving God in love, obedience and purpose.  It is not about the holiest man having been inserted between each of us and God for there are no barriers to majesty and no man who is free of sin but the Lord Jesus.  It is not about emulating the deacons, pastors and princes for each of them struggle alone in the dark asking God for guidance and forgiveness.  It is not about being alone because my vision of perfection somehow excludes those who are dirty, messy, poor, sick or confused.  It is about Love and only Love.  A Love so kind and deep that it overlooks imperfection, struggle and brokenness.  It is about following Jesus Christ, calling upon the Holy Spirit in power to sanctify each of us making us more like Christ then when we began.  It is about the walk, with purpose, truth and intention, demonstrating love for God as evidenced through action, not to win some prize but knowing the prize has already been given and works are a natural part of thankful joy.

I do not want to be like my pastor, I want follow God.  I do not want God’s power, I want to use it to the Good Will of His Glory, Majesty and Love for mankind.  I do not want to be congratulated for my prowess, gifts or faith, unless it is from the mouth of Jesus welcoming me home to His Presence.  There is no defeat now but not loving as God has directed.  I must have Love, the Love of God, nothing else matters.  Forgive me Father for pursuing any side road that does not lead directly to Your Righteousness.  May my heart, life and words always be true to my quest of following You.

Trumpets

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Repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and you will be given the Holy Spirit of God, sealing you for eternity and redeeming you to relationship with Almighty God.

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/player/jesus-christ-the-son-of-god-and-god-the-son-437710.html  This is one of those sermons all Christians should study.

So simple a thing so hard to accept.  They will accept that extra-terrestrials seeded Earth or somehow brought about the great flood and that vampires/werewolves freely walk among us, but they refuse outright the evidence of Sovereign God.  Is not God “extra” terrestrial, did He not reach His hand into humanity through fire, cloud, prophet, parted waters, brimstone and flood.  The difficulty is not in accepting something that is too difficult to understand but in making ourselves of secondary importance for worship.  I think therefore I am the center of the universe.  Pride is a powerful narcotic.

If I acknowledge God then I have to disobey God because I cannot possibly obey His commands which are entirely inconsistent with my self actualization.  Therefore I will do my best to deny His existence and persecute His people, thus nullify His authority and judgment.  This is standard practice in today’s society, commit sin then simply act like it didn’t occur repeating a practiced lie as frequently/loudly as you possibly can to countermand justice.  That certainly coincides with the definition of irrational thinking?

I cannot deny that my worldly Father exists to avoid the punishment he would most assuredly deliver for disobeying his house rules.  Nor can I simply forgive, explain away or dismiss the repercussion of nefarious or criminal action just because I do not wish to acknowledge the authority of the law to judge my actions.  This is man’s predicament with God.  To forgo His offer of salvation is guaranteed damnation, self prescribed separation from our Creator for eternity.  There is great danger in toying with the portents and purveyors of deception.  Pride is hypnotic.

Why are men going hungry, because me and friends refuse to care enough to go and share our food?  Why do children go orphaned when there are thousands of churches in each State, tasked by God to watch over them?  Well most certainly it is because we think ourselves above that command or perhaps we feel that God meant for someone else to do it when He was pointing directly at you and me.  Why do the lost go uneducated to things of God, having not known salvation because we are unwilling, too busy or frankly disinterested in sharing the Gospel message with which we have been entrusted?  What Ambassador would ever expect to keep his job having not even attempted to establish productive relations with the host country.  We are not citizens of the world, only ambassadors of God’s Kingdom sent to share invitation.  Do we understand the difference between a request and an order, or perhaps between a piece of wood upon the wall and the Sovereign King of the Universe?  Pride whispers, “he is not referring to me”.

I repent because I am bent, corrupted, poisoned and chained.  I run because I am in fear, of death being near, so I steer my wagon away from the chasm, in spasm I drive directly toward the abyss from which God has just relieved me.  Of what then is my courage made?  Will it simply fade when time for price and passion is paid?  Will my judgment be stayed, when my last breath is made and I haven’t done the work to make the grade?  Can I afford to look into the fiery eyes of the Lord knowing I kept my gifts stored for a season or reason that never came?  Is He then to blame for what I have ignored, forgotten or simply chosen to never do?  I cannot abide my denied pride for it opens me wide to all manner of hateful and disobedient sin.  Let’s be awake for majesty’s sake.  Jesus Christ my savior and my King.

http://www.insight.org/resources/devotionals/god-doesnt-have-to-explain.html  Chuck Swindoll on the sovereignty of God

Christ is Lord

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Almighty God, grant my prayers on this glorious day of our remembrance.  Give us hope, a hope built upon the permanent foundation stone of the universe.  Let us not waver in the winds and seas of this vacillating world, allow us a measure of your immutability.  Father, we are faltering as a nation, having lost our way pursuing the deceptive means of our hearts rather than following after your light.  Grant us humility, such that we may again seek Your face in petition, prayer and worship.  Heal our hearts so that we might approach each parlay with loving perspective.  Deliver us from  the wiles of our flesh and the enemy.  Let us think clearly, granted adequate discernment to forgo the deceptive sirens of worldly possession and senses.  Father protect the innocent from those who would ravage them without Your security.  Lead us to Your heart where we might never again wander from wisdom, prosperity and hope.

Father, there are so many suffering in this world, seemingly left to the effects of sinister, greedy or power hungry people, blind to their cries for mercy.  But their cries reach Your ears Father.  I understand that the perfect timing has not yet come for justice and judgment.  When Lord will You take back this planet and avenge the torture of the weak, sick and poor?  Your Wrath will be overwhelming and it will purify that which has become too corrupt to continue.  Grant Your Church faith enough to call the cleansing fires from heaven.  Father, open the eyes of Your faithful to that which must be done or can be done for the coming kingdom.  Let us be fulfilled in our achievement of Your gracious will for mankind.  Give us back the power of the spirit which has left the churches so that we might change this world for righteousness sake.  Grant us honor in that we stood in the face of the impossible, fully knowing that You would win the day.

Praise You Lord for making a way that we might find our way back to Your Love.  Let all who hear the story of Jesus Christ be stricken to the point of surrender.  Let them choose hope and everlasting life found only through belief and faith in You.  Thank you for blessing us with the flowers of life’s abundance, grace and mercy.  These are the salves which make battle bearable.  We love You and remember today what You did on our behalf.  Praise Your Holy Name, Jesus Christ is Lord.

Why Christ Came to Earth

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Glory Hallelujah, The Lamb of God came to take away the sins of the world.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  He loves us that much.

Romans 1:16 through 2:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.

 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)  This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Emmanuel

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http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/player/jesus-christ-the-son-of-god-and-god-the-son-437710.html

Growing up, I didn’t quite understand the relationship of God to Jesus.  The term Son of God, becoming flesh and being born of a woman never made that type of sense associated with an epiphany or resonating principle that I wrap my young mind around.  Even now I feel for those who struggle with the idea surrounding the Trinity, one God made of several different entities, The Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, making man in “our” image.  Although I have attenuated my understanding to the concepts with God’s Character that I am incapable of comprehending, I have found most of scripture relatively palpable to accept, believe and obey.  It was not until somewhere along the path of my walk with Jesus, after studying Isaiah, that He allowed me to be comfortable, frankly delighted with the idea of God becoming a human.  The idea of Emmanuel is why most men fear Jesus, because He is “God with us”.

My Catholic friends continue to struggle with this thought, as they wish to refer to Jesus as the Son of God, never fully comprehending the enormity of His visitation upon humanity.  You see the Trinity is not just a convenient ideal to explain something that we have neither the language nor the brain matter to fully comprehend it expresses that eternal God “the Father”, eternal creator/ruler “the Son” and the eternal activating/administering power “the Spirit” have been and will always be God.  And Isaiah put in such a manner that explained to everyone intent on understanding that God would become a man and be with us, Emmanuel-God with us.  You see the Son was always God, but chose to subject Himself to enormous ridicule, pain and humiliation to step away from His royal position as Creator/Ruler of the entire universe so that we might again be reacquainted to God.  Considering Him simply the Son of God does not place full gravity upon the idea that God was among us.

Do you think that if the Hebrew rulers knew Him as God they would have taken any chances at upsetting Him?  Do you think that the Romans would have toyed with Him if they knew Him as God?  Do you think that the common people would have chastised, mocked, followed and dishonored Him if they understood that He is God?  Of course not, that it why it is pivotal for us to comprehend what “God among us” truly portends.  The Sovereign Creator of the Universe gave a life that He can freely take up or give to defeat sin and death on our behalf, as we do not have this capacity to regain life or be born again in Spirit.  It was a thing entirely of God, our corruption of what He had made perfect was beyond our ability to undo.  They saw Him simply as a man, should we honesty make that same mistake and perish because of it?  Jesus is God and He is offering us life, but we must make the choice to repent, obey and follow His most gracious gift.  The entire Bible is the story of the plan for Jesus to do what He has completed, in freeing those whom He loves from the imminence of His judgment, which we certainly would have faced without salvation.

I don’t know when Jesus was born, as there is some discrepancy surrounding the exact date, but that doesn’t matter, for this December we will celebrate “God among us”.  I have been without God before I accepted Jesus as my savior and there is nothing anyone can say or do that would entice me to want to return to that miserable, lost state from which I was set free.  Where the enemy fell from Grace, God in Jesus, voluntarily put off Grace for a time to do what must be done to save those whom He loved.  I don’t know about you but I fully understand that God was among us, offering an end to War with Him.  The enormity of that idea overwhelms and humbles me.  How fortunate the few who saw Him in the flesh and understood their blessing.  How wonderful to be in the presence of Almighty God.  Wait, I have His Spirit living in me and I have access to His throne room in prayer and I have a relationship with Jesus Christ the King.  Oh praise God that He is, God with us.

Peaceful misunderstanding

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Peace on Earth and good will toward men.  The sixties era analysts and new age self-servants have had a hay day with this line from the Bible, thinking it evidence that Christ’s birth produced no lasting peace.  Even senior pastors of the faith continue to misconstrue the intention of “Peace on Earth” as delivered by the angels to shepherds on the night of Christ’s arrival.  I do not wish to question the anointed of God but how does peace on Earth jive with the fact that there has been little peace throughout the history of mankind, especially during those years following the time of Jesus?  This limited usage, or post-contextual usage of God’s Word lures the unbelieving world into a false sense of scriptural understanding.  It also allows improper translation by those who have not fully studied the Word and gone to the Holy Spirit in prayer confirmation of its full meaning.  Let us look at the scripture in question in the Gospel according to Luke.

Luke 2:13-14 – And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 

In this instance there is a qualifying statement of “men with whom He (God) is pleased.”  So it is also safe to conclude that for those with whom He is not pleased there will in fact be no peace among men.  Therefore we must understand “with whom He is pleased”, in order to launch any investigation into Christ’s birth on lasting peace.  These guidelines are answered in Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.   So, no one who is an unbeliever and possesses no faith can possibly please God and therefore will not know the peace and goodwill toward men associated with birth of Christ Jesus.

Additionally, what Peace did Christ’s birth bring into the world?  The peace brought in to the world with Christ was an end to the War with God, not the communal understanding of man’s peace which will not come until Christ rules and reigns.  Unbelievers are misled in their understanding of the Bible as they are approaching the birth of Christ with insufficient perspective as to the redemptive effect of Salvation ending our battle with God.

Just as in the line John 8, where we are given the context of “the truth setting us free”.   This scripture may not be quoted out of context while producing the same intended meaning.  The qualifying statement prior to this line of scripture Jesus sets the parameters for first learning the truth which closely defines the meaning of this passage.

John 8:31-32 – To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  vast proportion of believers fail to understand in the naivete of the Bible that there are several qualifying lines prior to being set free which set the requirements to achieve that end.  Accordingly, the Peace on Earth was signification that through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross that the War with God was over for them who believe.  This is that we have peace with God, if we choose salvation and once again may be redeemed, reconnected and placed in relationship with Almighty God and His Good Will toward men.

To those who would challenge the Deity of Christ by pointing to the absence of peace and goodwill throughout humanity I understand and sympathize with your struggle to make sense of an apparent inconsistency of scripture.  However, if you review the context of the entire passage with which you have an issue, I believe that you will find it in fact is sound, consistent and true, as is all of the Word of God.  Do not be led astray by the perpetrators of falsehood, reach out to Christ Himself and He will answer those with authentic interrogative.  For those who continue to utilize God’s word without the embedded context and dependent clauses necessary for complete understanding, you will never know the truth until you have become a disciple.  I empathize with your circumstance and have the exact salve necessary for eliminating your itching frustration; His Name is Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  If you will but open your heart and ask Him to come in a reside with You then and only then will you have knowledge of the truth which will set you free, indeed.

What If?

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What if this is perfect, this era, this political maelstrom, these events, wars, travesties and significant dilemma?  If you believe that God is in control as the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Almighty ruler of eternity, then perhaps it is a perspective you should seriously consider.  I am not saying that the horror and wickedness of man is perfect in its lust to bring forth and propagate every abnormal sin upon reality.  What I am saying is that what if, this is the only way we will again see the face of God?  What if our current administration is the exact embodiment of characters necessary to usher in the tragic sequences requisite to unveiling God’s Perfect Timing of Revelation.  Perhaps are they necessary in signifying God’s perfect timing for the rapture, tribulation, a return of hearts to God in Israel, the seals, the vials the bowls, the deed to the Earth, martyrs who shall never deny Christ, The Glorious Appearing, judgment and Almighty Reign of God forever and ever?

What if this misery I feel about the current state of humanity’s rigor is actually the driving force to turning our desperate hearts to God in fealty, faith, truth and sanctification?  What if the pain of our illness was never intended as punishment but as impetus to finding God?  What if lost love reminds us much God hurts as He is separated from the children He greatly cherishes and loves?  What if the compassion we feel at seeing the world’s suffering quickens us to God’s heart for humanity?  What if this scene has been repeated ten trillion times and each time we must go through this ridiculous rebellion when we could have had paradise from the outset?  What if we were meant to get it wrong because that is all we are ever capable of until we have suffered the terrible experience of having been so wicked, so polluted, demented and eventually saved by God Himself through Christ?  What if it is in our nature to mock the righteous because we lack the understanding of something so pure, having forgotten our relationship to God?  What if this Earth is the perfect learning ground to exercise our self-centered desire pursuance until we see our misshapen visage in the mirror of God’s law, and only then understand our plight?

I have to assume that since this is God’s unfolding plan, in God’s universe, with the Lord being the only being with foreknowledge outside of time, that this is the perfect way that we must be purified in order to live with God in eternity?  Could Adam and Eve have been obedient and provided an orderly progression of eternal humans, who needn’t be ashamed in the presence of Almighty God?  I don’t know, it seems odd and unlikely to my human understanding.  That is not the case, so such introspection may in fact be useless for anything other than attempting to understand this Amazing God, Our Father, who knew everything about us before the beginning of the universe that He Created, yet still chose to make us after His Image.  Can any of us say that if we knew beforehand the children that we eventually would rear would turn against our every tenet, that we would in fact choose to participate in the event of their conception?  This is enough to create reverence in my heart for the Lord God, as I could not have children that I knew would disobey me fully.

So what if this is perfect?  Shall I accept it and make the best of what I have been given in the light of my inadequacies, poverty, illness, stupidity or shame?  Absolutely.  Praise God for His Perfection and Infinite Glory and thank Him for loving us, which never ceases to amaze.  Thank you Jesus.