What then shall we say to a Sovereign God?

Love me and I will set you free, follow me and you will see your lives transformed, believe and you shall live with me in eternity.  What a simple concept this offer given by God to every man and woman.  As practical people, skeptics or even those with a “show me” attitude, this idea is largely un-testable.  For how may any man believe without believing?  That is the elusive quantity of faith, that it cannot be experienced without a personal decision to follow its hopefulness.  That is why Christians, who have chosen to live a visible, audit-able life walked with Jesus are essential to God’s offer of salvation.  Without physical evidence of those willing to live by faith, faith remains in its conceptual, theoretical form.  Therefore each of us, as Christians, serves an essential role/purpose in God’s Plan simply by walking in the light of Jesus.

Could God decide to reveal Himself to every man and woman, removing the veil that shrouds their current understanding?  Absolutely.  Will He choose to enlighten every one to His presence and sovereignty?  Absolutely.  Though these answers are in the affirmative, the component or variable that matters most in life has been extracted from the positive answer, time.  Time does not matter to God for He is outside of its constraining impact, but He uses time to demonstrate His patience, His love and His sovereignty.  God has told each of us what we must know in order to make a belief decision, but each of us has also been granted the time to come to that decision.  That is the nature of love, patience and the consequence of judgment, in that each of us gets to make a personal choice within the impending confines of time.  Many chastise or mock God because of time, misunderstanding that because He has not yet enacted judgment against all wickedness and unbelief, believing falsely that He will continue to hold back His Hand of Sovereign Righteous Judgment.  God’s patience is demonstrative of His Grace and Love for His creation.  We as Christians must have the character to warn those who incorrectly define this patience as an excuse to remain in sin or take a posture of mediocrity, for each of these lead to eternal separation from God.

God has revealed Himself to creation in methods that are indisputable so that each of us has no excuse when choosing to believe or ignore His graceful offer.  Equally every Christian has “no excuse” when choosing to ignore God’s direction and purpose for our lives.  Our judgment will be in giving explanation to Almighty God for our inaction or missed stewardship of the time, talents and power we have been given for His Glory.  Isn’t it amazing that love, time and choice are intertwined.  We cannot love without choice, we cannot demonstrate love without time and we cannot choose to believe without love for God.  A love and a choice that He made outside of time to offer each of us the salvation we crave desperately.  Jesus came into time, accepting the cup of God’s role, choosing to love us more that His own life, fulfilling His part in God’s plan for humanity.  What would have happened to each of us Christians if He had chosen otherwise?  Aren’t you glad that He chose to love us enough to die for all creation in the time that He had here on Earth?

May we as Christians choose not to serve?  Absolutely.  For love requires choice, and each of us must make our own.  The question is not focused upon the quality and efficacy of our excuses, but rather on the quality and the measure of our belief in the  devotion and Love of God.  For He loved us absolutely, we cannot therefore offer any excuse acceptable to dismissing us from  the responsibility of telling every one we know of His Love for the World.  We are simply left with God’s gift of a choice, made in time based on love for they are inseparable.  Will you choose in the timing allotted to serve God’s Love for your life by pointing others to the Salvation found only through belief in Jesus?  Will you walk in the light and truth of Christianity, such that everyone coming in to contact with you shall see the benefits of belief?  Will you show the truth of faith by telling people our time is running short for the night is coming when the opportunity for choice will run out.  What will you say to a Sovereign God when you meet Him?  I hope there will be no need for excuse.  In the Mighty Name of Jesus I pray for your conviction and strength.

Devotion

The Pregnancy, The Purpose and The Person of our devotion.

The word devotion is pregnant with meaning, filled deeply with historical and practical guidance for the Christian life.  Devotion, has been described as a feeling, a pledge, a spiritual duty of fealty and those descriptions don’t even touch upon this word’s implications regarding loyalty, steadfastness and love.  It is a noun that may be used as adjective or utilized describe the rich, strong roots of a man’s dedication to work, family and Father God.  What then are we to think of this word as it passes by our minds in brief inspection?

Think on this.  What is the difference in comparison between commitment and dedication?  Can you effectively describe the veiled nuances that discriminate their use?  Is one used for duty and the other for prayer or are they simply interchangeable in their meaning, tone, use and timing?  How does Christian devotion differ from that of any single man who does not know God?  Does it bother us that each Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Wicken and agnostic follow their own daily devotions, each believing themselves a bit more worthy after practiced prayer and ritualistic murmur?  What then establishes Christian devotion as unique, resembling none other in its content, shape, practice and purpose?  Why, that uniqueness is found clearly, simply, unmistakably in the “object” of our devotion the Lord Jesus Christ.  For see it is the not the quality, quantity, consistency or content of our devotions, that make them precious but the fact that our God is worthy to be praised.

Why then is God so worthy of our unrequited devotion, our steadfast love, our undiminished dedication to service in the completion of His Will?  Perhaps we may for a moment think on the etymology of its inspiration, where did the word devotion arise?  Some say 12th century, some say 4th, but the Jewish People or those who have studied God’s Word know much better.  Just as God’s Word is filled with seemingly infinite layers of meaning, symbolism and personal conviction, as is customary of the Holy Spirit inspired thought, the Jewish word, Hesed, provides ample content for investigation.  See we often take things for granted in our own lives and miss the opportunity to truly peel back the layers of complexity, even with regard to our children, our spouses and our interactions with the Almighty and His Creation.  Hesed is not one of those words that may not be simply defined in a single word, or even phrase, but it best describes God’s Loyalty to the Jewish People.  It represents a loyalty to someone that has nothing to do with their actions, disobedience, rejection, kindness or dedication.  God has always been loyal to the Jewish Nation, because He committed to do so.  That type of loyalty is not easily described, just as in the word devotion, God’s Love for Israel transcends the simple classification of noun, verb or modifying adjective, it is an action, a thing, a way of living and a complex love.

Why then do we not contemplate God’s Loyalty with such commitment or devotion?  Are we to mimic this loyalty, of course, that is the challenge of God’s Christian, as set forth by Jesus in Matthew 22:34-39 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  This is the level of devotion to which we have each been called and unconditional devotion to God above all things and to love in the way that He has loved us even when we but sinners.  We should also praise Him for His steadfast loyalty to Israel, even when they openly disobeyed and challenged Him He has never once been unfaithful.  That my friends is devotion.

What then of the purpose for our devotion?

Is devotion a thing to be turned to ritual, calling us to rote prayer,  proclaiming us worthy by works of piety?  Of course not, the devotion we are meant to express may be described in a graph of a line over time.  Imagine the X and Y axis with the horizontal line being a time, running from left to right and the vertical line being level of devotion.  Each man’s devotion, not unlike sanctification may only be a thing measured over time.  Just as God’s Loyalty to the Jews was only visible through steadfast demonstration of the millennia, our loyalty must be demonstrated and grown as a slope of the line, a function over time.  No one may know if a man is loyal unless that man demonstrates that quality over time.  The center line of the graph is Jesus, and after we meet we either increase in devotion stay flat or decrease.  We all hope to be thought as entirely dependable and trustworthy, but each of knows that our lines probably goes up, down then up again all the way until we reach that day when we meet Jesus.  Is devotion a reasonable measure for the character of man?  I think so, perhaps you agree?

Can we remain fully devoted to Jesus Christ the King by standing still in our Christian walk?  Is our any increase of devotion dependent on faith, sanctification and continue walking with the Lord?  If this is established truth then isn’t devotion one of the characteristics that we must attend regularly in our marriages, our work relations, our friendships, prayer and worship?  Can we practically consider that we shall ever resemble God’s Loyalty without intentional focus upon the building blocks of fealty?  Can we make up our minds to be devoted, increase our devotion, build our devotion or is increased devotion similar to forgiving an enemy, so difficult that we must have the Holy Spirit’s assistance to accomplish the task?  I think that devotion is so deep in its meaning, so rare in its importance, so desirous to every Christian man that we should take the steps and know that God is “Loyal” to complete the work that He first began in each of us.

What then makes this task so easy?  It is that the object of our devotion is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Do you know Him?  Do you comprehend to whom you have sworn your undying loyalty?  Ephesians 1:15-23 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.  Are you seeing the hope of His calling, are you seeing the reason for the practicality of your devotion, that Christ deserves our 100% devotion, our very best, our “all”, the last drop of our sweat, blood and treasure,  because that is what He gives us, “always”.  Christ has never sinned against us, yet He gives us unmeasured loyalty, grace and forgiveness because He chooses to do so.  Shouldn’t our “reasonable” act of service to Him first include a dedication, pledge and action plan to remain devoted in our relationships as a visible commitment to reflect His type of devotion.

Praise God in the Mighty, Faithful and merciful name of Jesus Christ the King.

 

The voice like unto a trumpet

They have seen, Father, they have heard Your call.  There will be a great multitude who see and accept the Gospel of Truth.  Even now, though the dust rises and the smoke spreads, we shall not be overcome, for Your Kingdom will prevail, welcoming all who believe to eternity.  Let us show them peace, love, kindness, patience and joy, even in the face of suffering, sharing in that suffering as did our Lord Jesus.  Let us be known for our likeness to God, enjoying our resemblance as a symbol of our Creator’s Love for the Work of His Hands.  Let us buckle down, tighten up, fast, rededicate and pray, interceding for mankind as ambassadors of Christ.  For this is the purpose of our making, to demonstrate His Glory in the moment of our approaching trials.  In that knowledge we may find structure, confidence, resolve and peace, that this is not man’s manipulation but a thing of God’s Sovereign Plan.

Even now the lies, duplicities and stories fray, such that even the faithful in sin question their dedication.  While unbelievers see the elect and wonder if they could perhaps belong.  We are the Family of God, let us demonstrate that manner of love He first demonstrated for our redemption.  Father, so much of this is beyond my abilities to control, sometimes even to tolerate, with my limited mortal tolerances.  But with the indwelling of Your Divine, Holy, Guiding and Faithful Spirit, I can withstand the seven fold increased fires of this crucible.  Walk with me in peace and faith.  Let me understand my freedom from sin and death.  Let me truly comprehend your Grace and tell all who will listen of that enormous, overflowing gift, meant for “ALL” men.  Let them see Jesus Father and know tears of joy, the tears that streaked the faces of each humbled saint.  Give us pause in this moment of Your Approaching Glory.  Let us wait with peace in our hearts and courage stretching the limits of our minds.  Give us faith to stand when it counts.  In Jesus’ Holy, Mighty and Glorious Name.

Must happen

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.

 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.  At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,  and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,  but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 24:4-14

What more may I say that the Lord Jesus has not already clearly stated?  Please listen and make preparations in your heart and mind to stand in faith and courage.  Who knows the day or the hour but the Father Himself?  Could it be tonight, and if so, are you and your family ready for judgment, tribulation or rapture?  Have you discussed the ramifications of all that God has said must come?  Do they understand war, plague, famines, earthquakes and the loss or terror of men’s love turned cold?  Who will withstand the hate of humanity if not sheltered by the mighty wings of God?

Comforts

Love and pray for those who persecute or do you wrong.  Obey the things written upon your heart and conscience by belief in God and a study of His Word, because God told you this is the right way to live your life.  Keep yourself pure from the tainted and distracting wants of the world.  Live a life that demonstrates an understanding that we cannot save ourselves, that no amount of effort will ever gain entry into heaven, it is a thing solely completed by repentance, belief and faith in the redemptive work upon the cross of Christ.  Build upon the small amount of faith each of us is given to an eventual reliance upon God’s direction, provision and decision via the Holy Spirit.  Deny fear, speak the truth of God’s Word and remember that God alone is in charge of all creation.  Remain vigilant, seek wisdom and avoid prideful miscalculation in conscious understanding that each of us may be led astray when we drop our guard.  Learn to love through relationship with God that teaches each of us how He first loved us unconditionally so that we might love others in like manner.  Remember to keep your eyes upon Jesus so that the path ahead remains clear and well illuminated in full understanding that even a minor deviation may lead us into temptation, frustration and eventual despair.  Live for eternity doing those things in this life indicative of such perspective.  Be assured of God’s Faithfulness, that He will never leave or lie to you.  Remember that humans are not your enemy, that it is the evil and influential spirits behind them which should be your true prayerful contemplation.  Do not forsake the work set before you, pray always, love always, tell others about Jesus and leave the outcomes to God.  Praise His name acknowledging Him and bringing glory to His Name in everything that you do in this life.  Remember How much He loves You and that Jesus is praying for each of us.

Decision before wisdom

Since, as Solomon elaborated in God-given wisdom, “There is nothing new under the sun”, why then should we be expected to chase every “new age idea” as some life-giving epiphany?  Conversely, since there are no new ideas, should we be consumed by regurgitation of the eloquent few, those having been gifted by God to reduce complex thought to palatable content?  Is there a choice that allows all to feel free to ponder, build upon and embrace trans-formative ideals while remaining adherent to well-established, foundations of philosophical contemplation?  Absolutely, it has simply been obfuscated, confused and concealed in riddles, ironies and falsehood by an enemy who must avoid clarity as the only hope to success.  The answer, and if it bristles your sensibilities then you may wish to investigate the level of your misunderstood rebellion, the infinite knowledge of creation provided in the inerrant, infallible, Sovereign Word of God, the Bible.

There is no wisdom but that which comes from God.  Certainly, usurpers, copycats and hybrid thinkers have always attempted to claim that they have invented an idea, concept or science, which has not been previously documented in the Word of God.  The enemy has but one option, to convince everyone through misdirection, LIES or egoistic benefit that they have perhaps come up with the next big answer.  However, close investigation and review will always demonstrate that any idea may be traced, documented and directly accounted for in the writings of Holy Spirit inspired scripture.  Why then won’t scholars do the work of disproving this reality?  It is simply that to do so would in fact clearly establish the existence, sovereignty and correctness of the Word of God, thus disrobing their emperor’s house of all self-created and perpetuated cloaks of decadence and falsehood, revealing their sandy foundations.  Why subject ourselves to the untenable position of maintaining our own illusion, when the real foundation of the Rock of Ages is there to support us even in the world of temblors?  Pride alone is the answer, thus it is the root of all sin and humility the beginning to every salvation.

Just as this discussion of wisdom began with Solomon, we will end with another elaboration from those august books he penned at the behest of Spirit.  The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.  This idea has been confused, misused, avoided and prostituted by so many because it is a concept, which when understood, provides direct connection with the mind of Christ.  The Lord is the holder of all wisdom, He invented it for our edification, therefore He is the repository of every cogent and good idea.  Without the reverent fear associated with humble understanding of one’s created position, we cannot go to God in authentic request for dispensation of discriminative ability.  I must approach the throne room of God with reverent fear by first accepting that I do not make the rules of a universe which I neither created nor sustain.  God has said that the only path to His relationship is through the door of Christ, through belief in what He declares to be “absolute truth”.  We all understand the power of condition, the “if/then” statements of reasoning, yet we refuse to comply with God’s conditions for salvation, peace and acquisition of wisdom.  Try reading proverbs 2 and you will see that the Lord gives us the recipe for discernment, yet we neglect, refuse or deny this ready access because it requires “humility and surrender”, two concepts that are entirely foreign to the fallen rulers of the planet.

Lord, Your Name be Blessed as it should be above every name.  Jesus, the King of Kings.

Happy to serve

Where there is pain there is opportunity for healing and peace.  In hope lies the belief that cure exists.  This life is not misery as many paint it, but rather the opportunity to win and lose so that we may become refined through passion, pain, recuperation and time.  The fire quickens, the Holy Fire baptizes and the eternal fire displays constancy as a reminder of what must be done before the last breath of Earth.  So much pain that my eyes cannot consume it fast enough to keep up with the flowing tears.  I look away, not to hide my fear or shame but so that I may recover my courage to look again and see the pain of reality tainted by sin.  Evil may not be avoided, escaped or ignored, it requires resistance, acquiescence or allegiance.  There is evil in the heavenly realm that surpasses our human capacity, a priori glorificado, we were subject to fearful control, now we may exercise courageous knowledge of complete and completed victory.

This world is the place in which God wants me to serve His Will, a vessel, a conduit, a willing participant in the experiment of man’s struggle to rekindle relationship with God.  That is the mystical pondering, it is not whither God exists, but do I have the gumption to call Him Lord, Father, Friend?  Oh, passionate misery spent in desirous escape of God’s ever present Spirit.  This is foolishness, yet we who see, respect, fear and obey truth are soundly ridiculed for disliking flux.  Firmer foundations may neither be found, secured or acquired through clever trade.  This thing is beyond man and that strikes the chimes and sirens of fear in our controlling hearts.  But it is entirely about man, which puzzles, infuriates and confuses most.  For a love of someone undeserving that love we have been given all for the price of simple acceptance.  Glorious bounty and abundance given timely and mercifully without ransom.  Knowing fully that what we comprehend is simplistic imagery, contemplated as a child wonders about the sky, vacuums, sun and weather.  Service is easy, taming the raging egoist seated at the helm, entitled in his pride, utterly unimaginable in its complexity.  It is only through reminding myself of Him who I am meant to reflect that I may overcome this berserker and at His hand I am made again in peace, thankfulness and calm.  All for the love of Christ, just as He gave all for me.

Fear not the kings, criminals, seas, storms or calamities of pestilence and war.  For we have been given a savior who commands all these things and bids them to be silent.  It is for His coming that we wait, not for some episodic relief, but for coronation of eternal King.  Peace for a thousand years is only the beginning, the first steps in coming Kingdom.  Is poverty a death sentence, is infirmity a complete loss, is imprisonment the end, is hunger final, when all shall be rectified by the first moment of sanctified glory in His presence.  None of this matters except you.  For it is you that God loves.  If this world gets to be too much for you to bear, look to the heavens and call out loud the mighty name of Jesus, victory is assured.  If I may be of any encouragement, consider me your servant.

The way through

It may have happened hundreds of years ago, but the Christian population does not currently pursue inquisition, forced conversion or sweeping military movements to force “submission” to our faith.  Yes, historically, powerful men, seeking complete power, utilized, hijacked or controlled a peaceful message, spoken by God, into a dogma that justified their misuse of Holy ideals to garner, capture or ensure their continued grasp on territorial, national or global interests.  Yet, even though these obeisances and egregious hijackings of Christianity were centuries if not thousands of years in the past we are still pursued, hated, maligned and labeled as “intolerant”.  And conversely those political, religious and national entities that are “currently” killing, torturing, pursuing, raping and forcing innocent people into forced conversion at threat to life are being allowed to continue their rampage without the same labels.  Alternative lifestyles may face scrutiny and disapproval in God’s Word but they are met with slaughter by the rabid, radical and absolutely “intolerant” laws and actions currently spreading across a wide swath of global topography.  Which would you prefer, a group that loves you yet disapproves with your lifestyle choices or a group that hates you for your lifestyle choices and threatens or actually carries out on threats to kill you for those actions?

When tyrants rule the nation cries out in misery and terror.  This is the history of humanity, and I use that word loosely for we have never learned or evolved into something other than avarice, brutality and intimidation to capture wealth and power.  That was the intention of America, to create a nation that would forever be free of the strangling threat of rule by tyrants.  A nation, blessed by God intent on living by tested ideals, principles and morals, proven to foster the continued health of any nation.  A nation, born of free people, with the intention of seeing a world free from tyranny, accepting those intent on escaping its grasp.

You may see recent revisions, encroachments and intentional erosion of these freedoms as simply harmless, but those of us who understand our founding principles see them as an organized strategy to usurp the power of the people and transform this nation to tyrannical rule.  What then is worth fighting for if not for the freedom of people to make their own decisions regarding sin and redemption, freedom to speak their minds, even when their ideas are unpopular or perhaps considered ridiculous, freedom to live free of the unmerciful hands of tyrannical rule?  If we have become convinced that tyranny will simply vanish if we are pleasant and offer them convincing discussion, then we have become blind to the nature of tyranny having forgotten the cost of blood to free us from its consuming grasp.  I say these things to call us to prayer for this nation, as God alone may free us from this current movement and returned health, direction and prosperity to our faltering path.  Depend on God, Christians and Jews alike, humble yourselves and cry out to God through prayer and He shall hear our voices from heaven and heal our land.

Can you see a storm on the horizon and if so what will you do to ride it out or avoid its powerful passage?  Will you perhaps hide, hoping beyond logic that somehow you will spared?  How do you know that you will certainly not perish in the storm, who knows that you were born for such a time as this?  Would you rather possibly perish in hiding or perhaps help others to survive by taking an active stance, leading others to safety, away from thirst and hunger into peace?  We cherish stories of people who helped the threatened escape tyranny, defiantly resisting, doing the right thing when to do so would potentially cost them life, liberty or station.  Our heroes are those who stood by their God given principles and did what was right in the face of certain, absolute self destruction.

How then now have we transformed to worshiping those embracing violence, those embracing avoidance or those who through self-absorption, remain disengaged to the advances and wicked influences of tyrants?  The power of our freedom lies in the voluntary decision to potentially sacrifice our own comfort to defend the right of others to live in freedom.  This is the story of our Lord Jesus Christ who modeled for us sacrificial love, giving all for others that they might see God.  Will we emulate, emancipate, cooperate to stand for these ideals, no matter what the cost, leaving the outcome to God?  I shall not speak of the alternative for this is a story of victory beyond circumstance, where defeat is impossible.  All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me?  There is victory in Jesus.  Begin to comprehend the power of God to defend, strengthen, overcome and deliver, for this is the power of Spirit living within you.  Praise God in Jesus’ Holy and Mighty Name.

We knew

I would love to sing uplifting, encouraging music about our dedication and sacrifice for each other, forgetting ourselves for the benefit of our love for Christ.  However, to do so I would have to overlook a generally indifferent, self-concerned, non committal, lethargic at best group of believers awaiting harvest.  It is not sufficient for me to point my finger at others performance, comparing and declaring it lackluster when held in comparison to my own.  We all must turn a blind eye to our own shortcomings, just as Romans 1 declares that unbelievers will do when ignoring the truth of God.  Shall we compile and construct a house of cards, erected with the delusions and self-fulfilling deceptions we have orchestrated so that we may exonerate, justify or explain away our own unwillingness to disciple, feed or help the poor, fatherless and ill?  Can we honestly say that we are doing what Christ asked of us, nay commanded us?  I must say that I have and continue to fall way short of even the minimal mark.

What would Jeremiah say to and about our beloved nation?  Would he commend us for our generosity, our vigor for life, our commitment to fostering the next new technology?  What would he say after having attended a service full of joyous believers, dancing from the catharsis provided by the ear splitting rock-like worship music.  Would he applaud our palsied attempts at supporting orphans, widows, the homeless, imprisoned or gravely ill.  Would he see us volunteering at hospice, hospitals, orphanages, widow’s homes or down at the soup kitchen nightly sharing the gospel with those to be fed?  Would he be surprised at the millions of dollars spent upon air conditioned churches, with expensive carpeting, exercise facilities and child care wings rivaling the local elementary schools?  Would he condone and support the sales of DVD, CD’s, Pictures, books and memorabilia in the atrium of our churches or like Christ over turn some tables?  What would he say to our leadership, considering themselves saviors of our society, thinking themselves knights of the modern age?  Or would he declare us in danger of judgment, warning us to repent as a nation and be saved or face the coming wrath of Almighty God?  For that matter what would any of God’s prophets say to us as American’s after viewing our daily behavior and rituals?  If this doesn’t stand the hair up on your neck regarding a resounding fear of the Lord, then you should be very afraid for you are either too arrogant to see or have been turned over to your own decadence long ago.

The Lord’s Word says what it says for entirely understandable reasons, as this world was created by God not any one or group of us.  It is His plan, His world, His created beings and those who have been saved owe a special allegiance to Him for having been provided a method by which to be cleansed of sin and escape deserved and certain judgment.  That is not to say that there is a payment due beyond belief, but it ought to cause a change in people’s hearts, knowing that God cared that much to sacrifice Himself for our redemption.  In fact there all other ideals in this lifetime pale in comparison.  We must wake up or risk the slumber of an unconscious and lost generation of worldly Christians, having forgotten diligence, having forgotten the great commission, having determined that everything else in life is more important then the work God has given us.

True Nature

The central point of indecision, confusion and argument surrounds the inability, unwillingness or conversely the acceptance of the fact that Jesus is God.  You see if He was just a man, as the secularists would have Him portrayed, then we may dismiss His commands, direction, correction and Prophetic Word as simply the uncannily wise recommendations of a theorist.  Or if He is merely portrayed as the Son of God, as many revisionist religions teach, then He may be included in the segment of “many” saints or prophets sent to demonstrate God’s efforts to convince man of His Sovereignty.  Accepting Him as God requires a complete transformation of our path through this life.  You see, when God came to Earth, as a man, born of a virgin, He committed the ultimate sacrifice for His creation, while showing them how to overcome sin, death and tragedies past mistake.  God revealed Himself for man’s edification, familiarity and hope.  God showed us through example how we are redeemed to relationship with Him and the “only” way to prepare ourselves for an afterlife spent with a Holy, Righteous, Sovereign and Loving, God.  Only in understanding that Jesus said clearly that He is God, brings to light the anger with which He was received by a hypocritical clergy and the righteous wrath with which all men will confront if they do not accept His Truth.  For since He is God, He may not be ignored, making His call to repentance and belief a necessity for eternity, rather than just a recommendation of simply one more man in the midst of man’s historical philosophers.

Further complications associated with misunderstanding God’s Triune nature may be avoided by accepting that not only is Jesus, God but the Holy Spirit is also God.  This complexity baffles humanity allowing argumentalists to insert this misunderstanding as proof of Christian foolishness.  Let us not look to strengthen their quest by accepting their bait and involving ourselves in a mobius argument, fulfilling their desire to obfuscate the issue at true consideration.  For none of us may effectively comprehend God’s complexity for we are just men.  Faith is born in the acceptance of what God says as Truth.  When we accept that old testament prophecy said that God would come, then Jesus came, born of a virgin fulfilling those prophecies, we are then confronted by the absolute truth that we must choose to either obey, follow and believe or deny, disobey and turn away from salvation and relationship.  Jesus is the only way to eternal life with God, because He is God.  Therefore, everything He told us which must be done was explained to us, by God, declaring it unavoidable in man’s quest to find, know and be with God.  This also raises the soul shaking principle that we may not ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction, correction and guidance in this worldly existence because we are then once again disobeying and dare I boldly postulate, perhaps blaspheming, God Himself?

Search the scripture.  Analyze it as Jesus told us to do.  Don’t just go get a book on the regurgitated perspective of some notable religious scholar.  Read what God said about His nature.  Read the first few paragraphs of the Old Testament and you will see that the Father, God, the Spirit, God and the Word (Jesus), God were present at the founding of the world. Read Jesus’ Revelation and find that at the end we will reside with the Father, Son and Spirit, just as the Bible began it continues past the remaking of this world.  Do not fall for misdirection thrown out there as bait to lure you away from the central question.

Will we accept the Word of God as truth, committing ourselves to repentance, belief and reliance upon Jesus or will we be led astray by whatever convenient distraction the enemies of God utilize to keep us from making the only necessary decision that must be made in the timeline of our mortality?  Jesus is alive awaiting our arrival through acceptance of the path He provided for us to be redeemed to God’s Grace.  That central concept becomes acceptable, understandable and viable only by faith in the truth of His Word.  That is why as the Bible states, in Hebrews 11:6, “without faith it is impossible to please God”.  For since, we are incapable of fully comprehending God’s complexity, we are left with the choice of either accepting His truth as fact through faith or denying it wholly/partially in and endless discussion that shall never be resolved in this life.  Do not take the devil’s bait of deception and endless argument, simply believe that Jesus is God and uncannily all falls right into place.  Peace and God’s Grace to you this day that we have been given.  Keep your eyes elevated to heaven.  For in focus upon Him all truth is revealed and all deception eliminated.  Praise God in His Sovereign, Divine and Infinite nature, in the name of Jesus Christ the King of Everything.