Came Up With His Own

Primitive man lifted his eyes to the sky, trying to see beyond the boundaries of his existence, searching for meaning.  Not knowing God, he fashioned his own creations to explain creation, and these he declared to be good.

Not knowing the reason, he came up with his own, though it was as limited as his eyes and understanding.  He saw the light and did not comprehend it.

We Act

We act what we believe, unless we are putting on an act.

Convicted

In a court of unbelief would you be found guilty if accused of belief?  Could a case be made?  Do you have enough conviction to be convicted?  What would you say?

It Is Written

Did Jesus write anything other then in sand?  One might consider the heart.  He didn’t baptize with water, but did with the Spirit.  This definitely takes place in the heart.  Is there anything more personal or eternal?

Embodies

The Spirit of the Lord embodies the Bible, in its many translations and diversity of style.  He is displayed and rendered in the wonder of a person thus filled.  It is the Word Incarnate.

The Witness

The Spirit bears witness to ourselves and others of the reality of Christ.  It is undeniable, for denial is evidence of its absence.  It is more than real for it is Truth, the truth of God.  In the Spirit we are sealed in the promise of God and become one in His house.

This is our witness and joy.  To the Father belongs the glory, honor, and praise.

Do You Mind?

Romans 8:6 (New International Version)

⁶The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Look around you, those you encounter and the things you hear and see in the news.  Both states can be seen.
If you don't mind, be the one that reflects life and peace.  If you do mind, choose wisely.  If you are mindless, wake up!

Knowledge Of Good And Evil

It would have been better to just have knowledge of good things, those things pure and the of God.  Far from mindless automations or windup creatures, Adam and Eve lived freely, shamelessly and fully, all in the presence of God.  Now we find ourselves more automations of sin and prone to follow after that scent that leads to death, having been with that smell for so long.

We are now shackled by this mortal flesh in a fallen world, even as we long for something we can’t explain, perhaps even unaware of this longing.  Yet something whispers to us of who we really are.  Somehow we know.

Scholars Argue

Scholars argue, but Jesus saves.

Amen

2 Corinthians 1:20 (New International Version)

²⁰For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
The things of God are accomplished in Christ. Amen expresses that this is  sure and true, and we often end our prayers with this word.  This is the basis for our faith and trust in this One Who is faithful. This we believe, and it is true.
Amen

Mystery Of Mystery

How might a linear creature contemplate God, Who is not?  

By default faith is the answer.  There should be no surprise at the mystery of mystery.

One Story

The OT prepares the way for the NT.  It informs us and is part of the same story.  Otherwise the title “Lamb of God" would make little sense.  We would have no clue why He called Himself “Son of Man”.

BC And AD

The coming of Jesus is the pivotal point in history for the Christian.  Using the designation “Before Christian Era”(BCE) instead of  “Before Christ”(BC) reflects a distancing of the user from Jesus, the Son of God.  

He is the way, truth, and life

He was, is, and is to come

He Waits

As man makes progress in his knowledge, quite pleased with himself; God waits.

In Faith

Genesis 12:1 (New International Version)

¹ The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Our Father will bring us into His house.  There is room and a place for us.  In faith Abram left and in faith we will complete that journey.  His will and our destiny are accomplished.

Patterns And Images

Multiple presentations allow an image to coalesce into a multidimensional understanding of God.  Patterns in the Bible inform us of truth.  Repetition teaches and helps us remember.

We have not exhausted what the Bible reveals of God or of life.

Knowing The Difference

By our love they will know.

Just Saying...

The Lord did not say “welcome to your destination, hope you found the flight satisfactory and sorry for the bumps.”  He did say repent, believe and be saved.

Be Distinct

Malachi 3:16-18 NETBible
3:16 Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice.  A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. 3:17 “They will belong to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “in the day when I prepare my own special property.  I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 3:18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between  the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.


There is a difference.  There is a distinction, a setting apart, a consecration of holy  things for the glory and worship of God.
There are sheep and goats.  There are those who names are written in the book of life.

From There

The clatter of argument of whether God exists or what He means does not change His reality or truth.  Debate is endless. Dialog with someone other than the Holy Spirit has the same weight of gossip.  Dialog with the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart and spirit of man, even when words escape us, or maybe because of that.  Through that flame of truth we learn the things of God.

It is from there we live and worship our Lord and Creator.

Wisdom And Understanding

Job 28:28 (New King James Version)

 ²⁸ And to man He said,

      ‘ Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
      And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Cease

1 Corinthians 12:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
I do not do as you do, or think like you do, or act like you do, or say the things you say.  I am different, but of the same body.  This may not be a surprise to you, but it is surprisingly easy to judge others or yourself based on other people, or how you perceive others.  Cease.

Why?

Why is there such antagonism against God?  Why is it so necessary to belittle those who believe, or to justify unbelief?  Why is it easier or preferable to believe other things?

Becoming A Son

Job 25:6 (New International Version)

 ⁶ how much less man, who is but a maggot—
       a son of man, who is only a worm!"
We have no idea what it meant for Jesus to humble Himself to appear among us. We do know that that He referred to Himself as Son of Man, even though He is the Son of God.  He saw you and me as worthy of the sacrifice He made, and steadily walked to His death for the joy that lay beyond the cross.  We become that joy.  We become sons of God our Father.

When We Seek

Why is it that we are more prone to seek the Lord in times of trouble rather than of joy?

Does Rest

The wise one rests in His grace.

The Old Path

Job 22:15 (New International Version)

 ¹⁵ Will you keep to the old path
       that evil men have trod?
There is more than one path, but only one that leads to God.

This Day

For those on the edge

Of despair in all its forms

Find Your Peace this day

For those distracted

By the pleasures in passing

Find Your Joy this day

For those in prison

And those who do not suspect

Be made free this day

Close To The Bone

Matthew 7:24 (New International Version)

²⁴"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The bones of the church are the true doctrines revealed in the Bible.  If those bones become brittle or broken, the body of Christ becomes lame and crippled.  If we cannot stand on the rock, we will surely fall.

Being A Friend

James 4:4 (New International Version)

 ⁴You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Becoming any and all things to everyone, we befriend the world.  This might appear on the surface to be the "Christian" thing to do.  In doing so, we choose the world over Christ.  What is gained and lost is not fully understood or regarded.  In the end we will not be a friend to either.

Mystery Of Grace

1 John 3:5 (New International Version)

⁵But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Because of this, we appear to God the Father as sinless.  We put on Christ who lived sinless as a man, but died for every sin of man.  His death covered us with His righteousness and frees us to put to death our own lawlessness.  He is with us to make this possible.  He has begun a good work and it will be accomplished. Even though we sin, we do not sin because of what He is doing. It is the mystery of grace.

Lost And Found

Through the land of shadows

Dry earth meets each step

With destination taken on faith

Driven by needs unmet

Losing track of passing time

The miles all look the same

The places in the landscape

Only different in name

Two ways of living

But the second time around

Shows the difference between

Lost and found

There are some who laugh

And say it's a childish thing

Just another fairy tale

As real as a smoke ring

There are many points of view

That compete in the marketplace

Is it so hard to believe

The message that comes with grace

Two ways of living

But the second time around

Shows the difference between

Lost and found

Unified And Reconciled

There seems to me a vague parallel between the Tower of Babel and the effort for "unity" of churches.  It might be argued that the outcome of this effort will be a world religion, an alter using cut stones and fashioned by man.
It may be said that the Bride of Christ is unified at present by the one Holy Spirit.  That indwelling of the Holy Spirit ushers the believer into the body of Christ, which is the true church.  Because of this we are one, with Him and each other.

Blessing

To be blessed, be a blessing.

Living The Dream

Ecclesiastes 5:7 (New International Version)

⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

In living the dream

It may be that one is lost

Asleep at the wheel

In A Loud Voice

John 11:43 (New International Version)

 ⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

“Lazarus, come out”

Out of the darkness he came

Death is left behind

That voice will be heard again...

The Greatest Gift

1 Corinthians 13:8 (New International Version)

 ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Speaking in tongues is not confined to the narrow sense of a language spoken by man.  It can be heard in the music and voice of creation giving utterance to the glory of God.  It can be that still, small voice inside, or the Holy Spirit giving witness to our spirit, the peace beyond understanding.

The purest tongue is love.  Speaking and learning that language is God's greatest gift to us.

Made Complete

James 2:22 (New International Version)

²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
Acting on faith, which is the fruit of the Spirit, is the manifestation of that faith.  Nothing counts other than faith expressing itself through love.  Abraham is counted as a friend of God by what He did based on his belief, and was made complete.

A Mother's Love

Matthew 19:19 (New Living Translation)

¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.
On this day we remember the beauty of a mother's love.  She loves you for yourself.  May we rise to that love.

He Became The Light

In the beginning

He decreed “Let there be light”

He became the light

Difference

There is a difference between religion and Jesus.

A Very Humble Man

Acts 7:22 (New King James Version)

²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

Numbers 12:3 (New International Version)

 ³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
Interesting observations, for they are of the same man.  Immersed in the wisdom and power of the world was of no use to God.  Moses fled in weakness.  He changed into the man that would notice and be drawn to the burning bush, to Holy Ground.  Then he was ready to lead his people out of Egypt, for the Lord was his strength.


His story points to One that was to come.  Jesus humbled himself, even to die on the cross.  He will return to lead His people, but Almighty in words and deeds.  No longer just the Shepherd and the Lamb, but the King of Kings. 


The Old Testament got us ready for His first appearance.  The New Testament gets us ready for the next.    

Knowledge Of Choice

Genesis 3:7 (New International Version)

⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Knowledge of good and evil created and allows us to see our distance from God.  Our nakedness only appeared when disobedience found its way into the garden.  At that point spiritual death had already taken place.  The obedience of Jesus brings back that choice.  In the balance is life.

Breath Of Life

Job 33:4 (New International Version)

 ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me;
       the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
This breath of life is given, for God breathed. It is necessary for life.  How long can you hold your breath?  Likewise, how long can someone resist the Spirit before life is gone?  Why would you want to?

Each Man's Journey

Each man's journey is common enough to allow for shared experience with fellow man, yet unique enough to approach and find God, to know and be known.

His Table

Psalm 23:5 (New International Version)

 ⁵ You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies.
       You anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows.
He is our portion
The Bread of Life
Living water which overflows
We are sealed by the oil of His salvation
His Spirit is freely given
His table is where He is

For All

All that is proclaimed is not disclosed

All that is spoken is not heard

All that is given is not received

Yet it is for all 

   That He came...

Long To Look

The angels have wings
A mighty host that sings
But to us a heart is given
Angels long to look into these things