Created Good

 Created Good

A Word On Fallen Man and God's Creation 

 

The Bible plainly states that God created everything Good. (Genesis Chapter 1)

This is a foundational statement that sets the rules for our universe. I'm not talking morals only. I'm talking everything. It's purpose is for Good.

The Bible speaks of Reaping and Sowing. It's a natural law that applies to everything. We reap what we sow. (Gal 6:7-9, Gen 8:22)

Now, remember. God created everything Good. So, in a good world with good people, the rule of reaping and sowing would bring more good things to the people, because good people sow good seed. That's a lot of good. God is good and He loves us. That was His original intent. There was no disease or poverty in the Garden.You wanna know what God's will is? Look at the Garden.

BUT!

We are fallen. Because of the fall of man, we have a corrupted nature. So, we no longer do good. As a matter of fact. We do evil continuously. We reap what we sow. (Genesis 6:5, Romans chapter 1)

God did not design His Good creation for evil people. This is why humans do not seem to fit into creation. We are corrupted. We were created to live in relationship with God and the creation. We were created to protect and keep it. But we are corrupted.

After the Fall, Death came into the world with all the things that go with it. The Plague of Sin, came and corrupted Man. 

Then, in order to help Mankind. God laid the Curse, to get humans to turn back to Him and be saved.

So, when we wonder what's going on in the world, we can come to some conclusions. Are we reaping what we sow, as individuals and nations?

Is it our corrupted nature and fear of death? Is it our twisted DNA, and the Sin that infects us?

Remember, we also have an enemy who stole dominion of this world from humans when we fell. Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

He literally has massive influence on human actions and the things that go on with our planet.

Everything he does seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. It seeks to enslave us and force us to worship him as God.

The temptations that cause us to sow evil when we fail, comes back to destroy us and enslave us.

The temptations that cause us to hurt people or the creation when we fail, comes back to more hurt and more laws. 

These temptations from the enemy when we fail, gets us to destroy ourselves and others. We plant seeds for harvests of evil to come. 

God seeks to save us. He wants to free us, and give us a good life. He desires to break the chains that bind us and drive out the strongman and strongholds of evil in our lives.

But we gotta turn to Him. He have to surrender ourselves to Him. We must confess that Jesus is the Lord, and ask Him to save us. (Romans 10:9-10)

He is our only Hope.

-----

It's Not Too Hard For You

 It's Not Too Hard For You

So, why can't we obey? 

 

 

 In Deuteronomy God says that His laws are not too hard for us.(Deut. 30:11-15)

 "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;"

Why does He say this? 

Because He wants us to see that there is something wrong with us. We have a corrupted nature from Adam. God did not create us this way. We have fallen. (Gen. Chapter 3, Romans 1:16-32, Romans 3:10-31)

He tells us truth. "It is not hidden from you or far off."

God says we can keep His law. It's not hard. He knows our capabilities. He created us. He did not make His law impossible.

But we do not do it.

Why?

Because after the Fall, we became corrupt, and NOW His law is impossible for us. Because we are fallen.

We changed. Not His law. His law is eternal, it changes not. Just like God doesn't change.

The Apostle Paul cries out "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans Chapter 7)

We have to come to the conclusion on our own that we cannot obey God's Law. We cannot please Him. We can't do it. This is us realizing we are sinners, and need God.

 

We try to do right. We fail. Our lives are in shambles and we cannot please God or anyone. Then, we say "I can't do it! I quit!" Then the Holy Spirit comes and speaks to our heart. "Maybe God can help? Maybe God can save you and fix you?" 

That is when we have that "Aha!" moment and realize the truth of the Word given to us, and turn to God for His salvation and help. This is Grace and Faith. We put our trust in Him, and He accepts us because we received it in Faith and Truth.

We must come to this conclusion. This helps us to realize that we need Him. We have three choices. We can keep trying to obey the laws and rules under our own power, even though we can't. (Religion) Or we can throw in the towel, and quit. Turning away from God. (Rebellion) Or we can turn to Him and let Him save us and grow us. (Submission and Relationship)

We hear His call and turn to Him. We must awaken in Him. We come to life in Him. We die to sin and come to life in Christ. (Romans Chapter 6-7)

God knew we would fail to keep His laws. That's why He set up a sacrificial system to take care of us, when we fail. Why say "It's not too hard..." but yet give us a means to fix it when we fail?

Because He knows we will fail. It's part of the law He designed. The entire thing is designed to cause us to fail, wake up, turn to Him, and let Him save us,  cleanse us and grow us. This is the relationship. This is knowing Him, and being known of Him.

The sacrifices in the law are a picture of Jesus Christ, coming to save us and cleanse us of all sin. He is our savior.

The law shows us that we fail, and need a savior.

We turn to Him and He saves us and grows us.

The law becomes dead to us because we die with Christ, then come to life again in Him. The eternal consequences of sin do not impact us. Notice I said "Eternal". We are often impacted in this life by the things we do. But, it is not held against us in eternity, we are saved.

We now live to love God and others. But, we do this by His Holy Spirit. Not our own. Our flesh cannot do it. 

It's not too hard for us, because God Himself does it for us. It's not too far from us, because Jesus Christ brought it down for us.

That's His Grace and Love. We just need to abide and have a relationship with Him.

If we are saved, the laws and rules, now exist to help us have a better life and to know what to confess to the Lord for cleansing. We are free from the eternal consequences of the law.

Jesus paid the price.

 

It is finished!

-----

Photo by pexels/edited by author 

The Burden Of Prayer

 The Burden Of Prayer

God calls us to pray 

 

I’m not a very good Christian. I’m just not.

If you followed me around everyday with a camera. You’d be like,

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

God saves us despite our sinfulness. He works to change us.

Trust me. I’m better than I used to be.

I say this because I don’t want you to think I’m some perfect person. I’m not.

No one is. But, God uses us in our sin and failure anyway.

I say this again because I want you to realize that if we wait till we are perfect, we will never get busy serving God.

We are perfect because God washed us in the Blood of Christ, if you are saved. Not because we act perfect.

We grow in the Lord by serving Him. By working with Him. By confessing our sins to Him and building the relationship with Him.

Henry Blackaby used to say, “Find where God is working and join Him.”

A burden is a call from God to join Him.

So, what is a “burden”?

A burden is when you can’t get rid of a feeling or thought. It has weight. It burdens you. You perceive that there’s more to it than just some passing thought. Because it doesn’t pass. It stays with you. It keeps coming to your mind.

Now, a burden can be for anything, but let’s start with simple things.

You’re laying in bed and you wake up and someone is on your mind.

Pray for them.

Usually a burden will not leave you alone. It just keeps bugging you until you take care of it. Keep praying. As your mind runs wild, keep praying for what comes, or about what comes.

Sometimes, it’s a burden to pray. Sometimes it’s a burden to contact this person and just say “hi” and see what’s up. (Of course not at 2am)

You’ve been thinking about Uncle Joe all day. That’s a burden. Pray for him. Reach out.

You saw the woman sitting by the road with a sign. You’ve thought about her the whole time you’re in the store. That’s a burden. Pray for her and help her.

Sometimes a burden can be something you know about. You have no excuse.

Your friend’s spouse just died, and you feel a burden to reach out.

Do it.

You hear someone in need and feel a burden to help.

Do it.

Let’s get back to prayer, because no matter what the burden is, it needs to be answered firstly, by talking with God.

Nehemiah used to say short quick prayers under his breath when needed. (The Book of Nehemiah)

It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Just pray until the burden is lifted or you know what to do. Just talk to God.

I will often whisper prayers to God that no one sees. Even while I’m surrounded by people. God hears. You do not need to make a big show of prayer. Actually it’s best you don’t.

Sometimes, you won’t know what the burden is about. Just go. God will be there.

Sometimes you won’t know what to pray for. Pray what I call “Blanket Prayers”

You are throwing a blanket of prayer power over a person, place or situation.

Pray for salvation. Pray for protection. Pray that the people will draw closer to God. Pray for healing. Pray for help.

You are covering them in prayer.

You don’t need to know specifics. God will reveal those as He sees fit. Sometimes, it comes by contacting the person to see how they are doing.

The Holy Spirit guides us, and He can take our generic prayer and translate it into something specific. Even if we have no clue and are in agony, groaning for someone or ourselves, the Holy Spirit can understand. (Romans 8:26-27)

That brings us back to trying to be perfect. You can’t be. You already are perfect, in Christ.

The devil will get you to wallow in your own doubt and fear in order to keep you from serving. Just get up and do it.

Go, and let God guide you. it’s hard. You might fail. But, you went. And that’s really all we are called to do. (Eze. 3:17-22)

As we go, we listen for God’s guidance. The more we do it, the better we are at hearing Him.

As Saints, we are called to fight the enemy, help people, and spread the Gospel. We gather together in churches to do that work and help each other. This life is hard and we are often under attack. Our fellow Christians are supposed to pray for us and help us with our burdens and our troubles so we can fight the good fight of faith, and help them as well.

It all starts with prayer and often a burden to pray.

---

Photo by pexels

All Things Work Together

 All Things Work Together

 He is with us in all of it.

 

I got “saved” when I was young.

I had no idea what that actually meant. But, God did. And that’s all that matters. I turned to Him and He came running.

No one who gets saved, knows the Bible. They do not know anything. We cannot say “I won’t sin anymore”, because we do not even know what that is.

We just hear His call and turn to Him.

That’s it, and that’s all that’s needed. If we really heard and turned.

It’s all on Him. He takes care of it.

According to some people, when you get saved you instantly become this person who never sins. That was not my experience.

I turned into a violent drunk who destroyed everyone and everything.

But, God was with me. I know He was.

And as I sowed evil into my life and into the world, all of it worked together to break me.

Because God and His promises are not based upon my ability but on His.

I’m a failure. He is not.

When we read in Deuteronomy Chapter 28, we see the blessings that come when we obey God, and the curses that come when we don’t.

This is not about eternal salvation. That’s settled when you turn to Christ.

This is about reaping what we sow in this world. It’s is about being blessed or corrected. It is about being broken.

God designed His creation to respond to reaping and sowing and harvest. Whether physically or spiritually. (Galatians 6:7-9)

He created it this way when we were still in the Garden, before the Fall. So, we were not doing evil. We were not corrupted. We sowed and reaped goodness. But, when we fell, evil came and now we sow and reap evil.

 So as I lived my evil life. The harvest of my evil actions was growing, and God was merciful. He gave me grace and protected me. But, eventually that harvest came upon me.

I was cursed and destroyed in every way. I lost everything.

Just like it says in Deuteronomy Chapter 28. That is “Rock Bottom”. That is reaping what we sow.

Now, I had a choice. I could have gotten mad at God and rejected Him. I could have become bitter. And I would continued to face “Rock Bottom” and correction, in various ways.

Or I could let it break me, and turn to Him, and learn from Him and grow in Him.

I chose Him, because He chose me. (1 John 4:19)

People forget brokenness as a spiritual discipline. The act of utter destruction in order to be rebuilt by God.

So many churches are built on a false belief of perfect obedience, because they have never been broken. They have never experienced God destroying their life, in order to rebuild it. They grew up in church and never left. They have never been corrected, because they have never really known Him. They just obey the rules.

But, ALL things work together for our good, when He calls us, and we love Him. (Romans 8:28)

I can look back at my life and see His movements and know that He was with me in my destruction. His hand was on the temperature gauge of my burning. And it’s ok. I trust Him. I trust Him because He has brought me through.

This is my testimony. It is between Him and me. By our testimony we shall over come the enemy. Because we can see and say the great things God has done for us. (Rev. 12:11, Luke 8:39)

I no longer care about peoples religion or their dead beliefs. I know the Lord. I have a relationship with Him.

It came because of my failure and my brokenness. All things work together. His grace is sufficient for me.

When we sin we turn to Him, and confess to Him and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we pretend like we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and Jesus is not in us. When we say we don’t sin, we make God out to be a liar. Because He came to die for our sins, not our failures. Not our mistakes. Not our misunderstandings. But, for our sin. (1 John 1)

All things in this life work together for our goodness when we are with Him. Good or bad. If we do good we get blessed. We reap goodness because we sow goodness.

And when we sow evil we reap correction into our lives. We reap destruction and brokenness into our lives. And it works to grow us. It changes us, if we turn to Him. The trouble and brokenness works as fertilizer for growth.

And as we confess our sin and turn to Him, and grow. As we are broken and corrected through our life. As we face tribulation, and sin and failure, and turn to Him over and over and over again.

We change. We grow. We bear fruit.

I have changed.

My mind has been renewed to what God created it to be before it was ruined by my corrupted nature and my own sinful deeds. (Romans 12:2)

Not by my works or efforts but by Him, breaking me and saving me.

That is how the Holy Spirit develops the Fruit in us. Patience comes by a life time of trusting and waiting upon the Lord, as He molds you and shapes you. Love comes by facing the unlovable. Peace comes by facing chaos. Joy comes by misery. Self-control comes through correction and brokenness. That is meekness. All of it comes by constantly turning to Him, confessing, praying, and letting Him work.

 That is the relationship.

I no longer struggle to obey God.

I just obey, or get corrected and both are fine. Because I trust Him.

He fixes it. He changes me.

I find myself, sinning less.

I’m not perfect in myself. In my flesh.

But, I am perfect in Him. He no longer sees my sin. According to Him, I am in Christ and do not sin at all. (1 John)

I am washed in the Blood. I am clean. I am white as snow. My sins are as far from me as the East is from the West. They are in the deepest sea, and I am hid in the cleft of the Rock of Christ. I am on the Ark. I might be a termite on the Ark. But, I’m there because of what Jesus did, not what I do.

When you hear Him call and turn to Him. His Holy Spirit comes into you and teaches you to love Him and know Him. And you realize that God is with you and will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)

And you will see that ALL things work together for your good.

Because of Him and His promises. Not you and your obedience or failure.

He does it because of who He is, not because of who you are, or what you do.

Turn to Him and trust Him.

--- 

 (Cover photo by pexels/Gary Barnes)

Steal, Kill And Destroy

 Steal, Kill And Destroy

The Enemy attacks us. 

 

Jesus said that the thief or Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy. What does this mean? (John 10:9-10, John 8:43-44)

Well the very first thing. Is our soul. The enemy does everything in his power to keep people from salvation. He fights to keep people from hearing the call. From knowing God. From having a relationship with Him. ( Matt. Chapter 13, verses 4, 19)

But, once God has broken through into our lives and we have heard Him, believed Him and accepted Him. He saves us.

Even after salvation, the enemy still attacks us. He still seeks to steal, kill and destroy.

He gets us to waste our money on things that won’t bless others, or survive the fire.

He gets us to focus on things that don’t matter, stealing our time and our life, and our finances.

He gets us to see only this world, instead of storing up treasures for the next.

Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matt 6:19-21)

Overcome evil with good. Turn everything over to God. Surrender it all and use all of it for His glory. That redeems our waste. That turns uselessness into value. (Romans 12:21)

That enemy seeks to destroy our health, and to murder us. He gets us to worry about the belly. What we shall eat and what we shall wear. He gets us addicted to this life, and the filth of it. Feeding us garbage to make us sick, to destroy our health and make us doubt God. Our sickness from the garbage of this world, gets us to focus on our bodies, instead of the things of the Spirit. (Matthew 6:24-34, )

We eat like kings, and gain all the diseases that come with it. And the enemy uses it to turn our minds from the things that matter. 

He sends us to early graves, because we seek the things of the flesh.

All things are lawful, but not all things bring us closer to God. (1 Cor. 6:10, 10:23)

Our spirit matters more than the body, but the body can be used to distract us from the spirit. We need to try to prevent that. Like a soldier shoring up a weak position. Our health, both spiritual and physical matters.

That enemy wants to destroy our service to God, and others. He distracts us into things that doesn’t matter. He does things to make us look evil to others. He throws monkeywrenches into our work, and leads us to do things that cause people to not listen to us, when we preach the Gospel or share truth.

He destroys our families. Our lives. Our hopes and dreams. He gets us to blame God and run from Him. Which allows more destruction, death and loss.

Like a lion going around seeking whom he may devour, he makes a loud roar. And the fear, causes the weak, young, foolish, and sick to run. And the lion can find you away from the shepherd. (1 Peter 5:8)

The enemy destroys us by getting us to leave the presence of the shepherd. 

He makes us feel that God is mad at us. That God is hurting us. That God is deceiving us or tricking us. He tells us that we are too far gone. That we have lost our salvation, or given it away. (Gen. Chapter 3)

He does everything in his power to keep us from our only savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord Almighty. (Matthew Chapter 13)

The Parable of the Sower shows that the enemy tries to steal the Word from our heart, while trouble and temptations come to draw us into the distractions of this life and get us to ignore God or hate God. These troubles cause us to fear, and doubt and forget. (Matt. Chapter 13)

The soil of the heart can only become good when we turn to God, get saved and let Him work in our lives. Even then we have attacks of the enemy. The heart never fully turns good. It is deceitful and wicked. Do not trust it. Trust God. (Jer. 17:7-12)

The answer for everything is to turn to God. Confess to Him. Grow in Him. Trust Him.

No matter what it is. Turn to God, and let Him work. Have faith that he loves you. Have faith that He is working, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb. 11:6)

Turn to God. Always.

Our protection stands in God. When we get saved we are in Christ.

But, the question must be. If trouble comes, where do you turn? A person who knows God and trusts God and has put everything in God turns to Him. We trust His promises in His Word. We trust the relationship He has shown us that we have with Him.

A person who never really knew God or never really accepted Him does not turn to Him.

People do not lose their salvation. They never had it.

Of course we question things. That is the enemy putting doubt into our hearts. That is a temptation.

But, what do we do with it?

Do we reject Satan and turn to God? Or do we reject God, who is our only Hope?

God wants us to seek Him and question Him in these times. It helps build the relationship. He shows us His love and power and we grow in Faith. Even Jesus in the Garden had questions and concerns. (Matt. 26:36-46)

A person who really knows God, turns to God. This is abiding. (John 14:6, John Chapter 15)

Some believers, will act as though we should not concern ourselves with the enemy. But, that is the exact opposite of what the Word teaches.

We have an enemy. We are at war. We need to understand his devices and wage war. Our protection lies in Christ, not our own works. But, we are called to serve in this war. (2 Cor, 2:10-11)

We are called to abide in Him. We are called to endure. (2 Tim. 2:3, Matt. 24:13)

We endure and abide by knowing Him and trusting Him. By turning to Him always, confessing to Him, and building that relationship.

Not by works. But, by His Grace in Him.

Tough times are coming. The Flood is coming.

Is your faith in Him built on the Rock of Christ?

Or is it built on the shifting sands of your own efforts, and worldly things? (Matt. 7:24-29)

---

Photos by the pexels/edited by author

Sharing Burdens

 Sharing Burdens

A Word on Charity

 

As believers we are called to share each other’s burdens. (Romans 12:1-21) Yet, I have seen where churches fail miserably in this department. They will search high and low for someone to save, and then once they are “saved”, they will leave them to their own devices.        

      Often times, we will blanket an area that is low income with flyers, asking them to come to church, or to some event. But, churches are really not prepared or often willing to help with the needs of the people they are reaching out to.
      
     People of lower income, who are not “Well Churched” will often come to a church and get saved or start attending regularly. Then the members of the church start finding out the vast amount of needs the person or family has. They see the huge differences between someone who has never been to church, and some who grew up in the church. This often causes church going people to judge, and drive people away, because they cannot figure out why the person or family can’t get right, or do what church people think they should do.
      
     Poor folks often don’t have cars, or they have broken down vehicles. They don’t have licenses. They can’t pay bills. They have been to jail, or prison. They have no child care. They often have no real income, or they work jobs that are considered servile. They do not always have internet or cable. They don’t have access to things we take for granted. When people fall on tough times, or are the products of generational poverty, the hurdles that must be overcome are often beyond the understanding of your average church member.
      
     It’s not always so easy to just pull yourself up by the boot straps. There are things that must be overcome. There are rules that must be followed, that often lead to more rules and more hurdles. There are generational curses, and personal curses. There are mental issues, and demonic entities to overcome. There is often sin that a person must conquer before they can start advancing. Not to mention addictions. Just saying “Go get a job” is not always as simple as we might think, nor is it the easy answer. I have lived through this mess, and it takes time, and God to overcome. It also takes help from people who are willing to share the burdens.
    
      First off, is the person able to fill out an application well enough to get hired? Does the person have a criminal record that could keep them from work? Do they have a valid Driver’s license? Do they have health or mental issues? When you consider these things, the difficult task of living life in this society becomes unreal. How can a poor person take a driver’s test without a decent reliable vehicle to take the test in? Every person they know has a junker car. The DMV refuses such vehicles. What if they can’t read or have no real work history? What if their only real personal reference, that is not family, is Jimmy the crack dealer?
      
     Does the person have an address? Applications of all kinds require an address. Do they have a phone? Do they have internet access? Most applications are online anymore. Can they get to a place where there is internet access? These are things that are needed to “get a job’.
      
     Who will give the rides to interviews? Do they have clean clothes? Can they afford the work clothes required? Do they have child care? Can the person behave in a manner that will help them convince an employer to hire them? Oftentimes people from rough backgrounds have rough manners. It’s often things they do not even see in themselves.
     
      If they get the job, how do they get back and forth to work? How do they get food, clothes, hygiene items, or pay bills until the first pay check comes in? Then, remember that businesses often keep the first paycheck. So, you are talking about 2 weeks to a month before the first payday.
      
     What I have said here does not even begin to cover what a person could need to get up on their feet, or be an average member of society. There might be legal issues, like court dates or fines that must be resolved or paid. There might be health or mental issues. There could be family troubles, like divorce, teen pregnancy, or families practicing “tough love” and refusing to help other members because they are tired of them. But, this person still needs help.
      
     The point is that churches must take these things into consideration with their outreach programs. We bring people to get saved, but do nothing to help their needs, or do just enough to feel good about it. This leads to failure, and driving the person away from Christ even more.
      
     The Bible tells us how to do it. We share burdens. The Holy Spirit comes along side us and helps us. He teaches us, and he grows us. We should do the same with those around us in our churches that have needs. There should be no one in your church who has to go around every week begging for assistance. There should be no one in your church who pulls up on Sunday in an old beater car, while the entire church family drives Cadillac’s or new cars. Often, at church we do things we do not realize. We have youth events where all the kids must buy a $25.00 dollar t-shirt. Or we send kids to camp for $300 or more. We go out to eat, and the cost of the meal is $20 a person. To a poor family, these costs are insurmountable, and it’s insulting to them when the church members offer to pay these costs. Why not help these families get on their feet so they can pay it themselves.
      
     Wouldn’t it be better, and more Christian, to talk to people? To get to know the people in our churches, and to come along side them, like the Holy Spirit does us. To help the people get up on their feet, no matter how hard, or how much they fail. Doesn’t God do the same for us? This isn’t charity that is insulting, this is helping people to stand up, and be free. This is showing people real love, not telling them to come kneel at my footstool. (James 2:1-26)
      
     We need to make friends, and tell them about Jesus. We need to be honest with them and get to know them. Not as our latest charity cause, or another notch on our spiritual belt, but as someone of value. Sharing burdens is part of this. Give rides. Pay bills. Watch kids. Over look failures. Be the person they come to when they have a need. We are called to burn ourselves out for Christ. We are to die for others. (John 15:13) We have our jobs and our incomes for the purpose of helping others. Often times, the cost of a meal at the local restaurant would pay bills, for a family in need. Yet, we won’t give it to them. These people come to our churches, and become our brothers and sisters in Christ, while we watch them struggle with things that we could easily help them resolve; if we would just share the burden. 

 

      Jesus plainly states in Matthew 25, " Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

 

     Churches are full of people who are not saved.  They tend to run churches and do nothing for the Kingdom. They waste money and efforts on worldly things. When the Lord returns we will be judged on what we did for the poor, and downtrodden, because our efforts of love could lead them to Christ.

     When you read Matthew 25, the Lord says nothing about attending church, or fixing buildings or worship services, or bible studies, or whether you said cuss words, or even committed sexual immorality. 

     He asks what you did for those in need. Because when we show love, we can tell them about Jesus.

     I'm not talking about being saved by works. I'm saying that when we know Jesus and have a relationship with Him, we cannot help but do what we can for the downtrodden.

     Sharing people's burden's is a way to do that.

-----

photo by Author 

The Lamb Slain

 

The Lamb Slain

A Word on God's Eternal Plan

I do not believe in Dispensationalism. I believe that God is all knowing and does not change. I believe that we should look at history according to what we can understand about God's power, goodness and character.

Dispensationalism is the basic belief that God has treated mankind differently, at different times in history. It also puts forth the idea that God's treatment of mankind was different before Christ died, and before the Holy Spirit came. 

I disagree.

My view of these things comes from the Bible, and biblical concepts. The foundational view is the all powerfulness of God, and the fact that He changes not.(Mal. 3:6)

He does not change, therefore His treatment of man has not changed, despite what we see or believe. In Malachi chapter 3 referenced above He plainly states that His promises and His workings do not change. We change. We suffer consequences or blessings but His plan does not change.

The scriptures imply that God is a master builder. That means that He has a blue print of what He is building. But, unlike a human builder, the structure is already completed in heaven. It is already done in God's eyes.

Things have occurred "in the fullness of time" on this Earth. You cannot have a roof until the foundation is built. That is a process. This is what dispensationalists see. The process. But, by faith and the power of God, it is already "finished". (Eph. 1:10) Nothing can stop it. Ephesians chapter 1 explains this.

It's like your salvation. When you got saved, you are so saved that according to God, you are already seated in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)

History is like that. It's already done. The kingdom is already built. But, it is coming to pass in the flesh, which shall pass away.

Pray on this verse.

" ...book of life of the lamb slain at the foundation of the Earth" (Rev. 13:8)

In the last days the Anti-Christ will make war against the Saints. The saints are the true believers in The Book of Life. 

The next section says "the Lamb SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH."

That means Jesus was killed as our sacrifice in the eyes and plans of God, before He created the Earth. (Gen.1:1) as Ephesians chapter one explains, in regards to our salvation.

So, what does that mean?

It means that God has been working the same plan from the beginning. This can be seen in Cain slaying Able. That is a picture of the Jews slaying Christ. Brother killing brother. When we see Cain slaying Able, Cain is then sent to wander. Just like Israel was sent to wander in the Diaspora which began in 70 AD. after Christ was slain.

So, from the point that Death and Sin entered the world, God already had the problem solved.

It means that every person who has turned to God by faith, since time began are saved the same way we are today.

As Paul and James said, "it was imputed righteousness unto Abraham  that He believed God."( Romans chapter 4, James 2:23) (James does not preach works, despite what some would have you believe. The works he speaks of are belief, confession, baptism, communion, and service, among other things. Confessing Jesus is the Lord, is a work. See Romans 10:9-10))

When Abraham believed the word given to him, God put him in Christ, the lamb slain from the foundation of the Earth. He was written in the Lambs Book of Life.

How does the book work?

When we are born, we are in the book. Babies do not go to hell. This is explained in Romans chapter 5. When Paul says " For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law." (Romans 5:13) Babies have no understanding of right and wrong. Therefore, the guilt of sin is not imputed upon them till they have an understanding. Do babies sin? Well, if you watch babies you can clearly see deception, by how they hide things they do wrong, or selfishness in how they claim things as their own, and hold it. (I'm referring to toddlers.). This is a reflection of our corrupt nature, but that sin is not imputed on them, until they understand. 

There comes a point in our lives when God has determined that we understand enough. Then, we are tempted and if we choose to sin, then guilt is imputed upon us. We are covered in Sin and facing the consequences. We know in our heart that whatever it is is wrong. Our conscience warns us. Something tells us. Do not steal that thing. Do not have that sexual action. Do not hurt that person.  Whatever it is. We know it's wrong, and we do it anyway.  Boom. We die spiritually. This moment is the same as Adam and Eve at the Fall.

When we sin the first time, knowing it's a sin, we are blotted out of the Book of Life.. We then abide in Eternal Death, which is separation. We are headed to hell when we die because we are not washed in the Blood of Jesus to be cleaned. We cannot enter Paradise, or else heaven would be tainted with Sin forever.  Think of a quarantine, and a virus. The Blood of Jesus washes us clean of it.

When we hear God's call and turn to Him, with faith, believing in Him and confessing Jesus as our Lord, we are saved. (Rom. 10:9-10)

We receive a new name and are written in the Book of Life, never to be removed again. (Rev. 2:17)

Just like Abraham. All the saints from Adam till the last one are saved the same way. Because it was already finished at the Foundation.

The Holy Spirit, comes to live in a clean vessel, washed in the Blood. There is nothing that says this changed from days of old. There is nothing in the Word that says Abraham or David, did not have the Holy Spirit. The verses used to try to teach that the Holy Spirit only abides with New Testament believers, is not really proven. We see the Holy Spirit came upon people in the days of old, as He does today. God changes not. 

Jesus tells us that when He leaves, the Comforter comes to be with us and in us. He doesn't say that this is different from the past. The Holy Spirit has worked with and dwelt in people from the beginning, when they are saved.

That's why the scriptures are "God Breathed". By inspiration. The scriptures tell the life of Saints. If they didn't have the Spirit then how could their lives be special enough to put in the Word? It's not just the words, it is the person's life and events described in the Word. Their lives were Spirit-led, in order to show what God wanted us to see.

The Holy Spirit has always dwelt with the Saints. Sometimes there's a greater infilling, but He is there, from the Foundation of the Earth.

Paradise is heaven. That is where saved people go when they die to be with Christ. Paradise will come down to Earth. The City of God which is in Paradise will come to Earth when God creates a New Sky (heaven) and New Earth, after it is cleansed. (Luke 23:43, 2 Cor. 12:4, Rev. 2:7, Revelation Chapter 21)

The Saints of Old are in Paradise along with saints who die today, and have been since they died. 

God technically defeated Death, Sin and Satan, before anything was created. We are just watching the building being built. We are seeing it come to pass in this world. Can anything stop what God has decreed?

It was already finished. Long before.

 

Remember, a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and thousand years as a day. It has only been 6 days since God created, and 2 days since the Lord went to Paradise. (Jude 1:14-15, 2 Pet. 3:8)

 

Remember, He comes soon, and we will be with Him. 

 

-----

picture by the author.