"The Word Lives!"

 "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," (Hebrews 1:1 KJV)

  ""The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."" (Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT)

 One of the first things I learned about in my New Life with Christ, was how to express the fact that Jesus has always been, from the very beginning! We discover this clearly in the Revelation 22:12, as Jesus testifies to the eternity of His existence, saying, "Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." 

 Whether you can accept it or not, it is written without there being a question of who; if there be any question, the only one would be how? There are people that question the existence of Jesus before He was born in Bethlehem, that glorious morning as if His birth was His beginning; but we know from the Holy Scriptures that He is the eternal God, who's beginning was always the Word! When God spoke, the Word existed; therefore, we have no need to wonder how, but only to believe that it is so. 

 Secondly, there are some that believe Jesus did not actually come in the flesh, as if He was some sort of fathom or just a spirit that did not actually have a birth, but manifested. This might seem hard to believe, but Mary was a virgin, and Jesus was formed in her womb, just as any normal baby; except His life was produced by the Holy Spirit. 

 Imagine why this was very important! Man needed to be redeemed by a Man, but not just any Man, but one that was born of the Spirit...

 "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here." (1 John 4:1-3 NLT) 

"Jesus Christ is God's Son"

   "Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to his Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names." (Hebrews 1:1-4 NLT)

 As I tried to explain yesterday, there are certain parts of the book which I have come to believe that they have the character and manner of all three men, Paul, Luke, and Mark. The interesting thing is, that there is also stipulation written that leans towards all three having been the author; yet not in the manner I see, but as one or the other. 

 You that have been with me for any amount of time, should know that I believe Mark was someone that had a role in a couple of places within the Gospel that he wrote. When he went with Paul and Barnabas, when he was younger, he left them, (maybe because he was scared,) Paul was very disappointed and refused to have him go with them again. The opposition between Paul and Barnabas was so strong regarding Mark, that the two of them parted ways.

 The thing that shows up in this, although it doesn't actually say, is that Barnabas knew something about Mark that made him stand up for him, even though there was great opposition from Paul. It is believed that both Mark and Barnabas were Levites; and Mark was the son of Mary, who's house was where there were many meetings, both while Jesus was here, and during the beginning of the church. 

 Barnabas was the first of those who sold his land and gave the money to the church. Something I believe he was prompted to do, because of his nephew, John Mark. We can make a case for why Mark would be in the garden while Jesus was arrested, as he writes about himself in Mark 14:51-52; but why Paul would change his mind about Mark, asking Timothy to send him to Rome, I believe it was for a reason.

 I really don't want to make a big deal of this, but I do want to illustrate the point of the unity of brothers and what takes place when they share and talk about the wonders of God...

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20 KJV) 

"HEBREWS"

 "After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!" (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT)

 After praying about this, (what would I do next,) it was put upon my heart to share from this wonderful letter written to the church in Jerusalem; so named, "Hebrews." There is many different opinions on who wrote this Book; the strongest opinion goes towards the Apostle Paul, who would have had it written in Hebrew. There is also some indication the Luke and/or someone else translated it into Greek.

 Personally, I believe that the three of them, (Paul, Mark, and Luke,) wrote it together, as they all put the entire complex picture together, as they sat together, making all these things come to life, with the power of the Holy Spirit speaking through their conversations. Why I believe this, is only because I experienced myself. Only weeks after I was saved, two brothers and I were sitting out under stars, sharing about the things God had been placing upon our hearts. 

 It isn't really hard to picture the three of them sharing together for hours, as they fellowshipped together where Paul was being held, whether it was a cell or under house-arrest, we know that at one point all three of them were together during Paul's detention. I imagined being a fly on the wall, as they started going through all of the things God performed and made happen; as well as those things still to come.

 Anywho, it really doesn't matter, (but, then again, I think it does,) who wrote this Book; what really matter is to whom it was written and why! I have said it before, and I say it again: The whole history of Israel, all of their issues and all of their falling away, it is all a reflection of the church. 

 We really don't have any advantage over Israel, as some might try to say; we are the ones that get to be grafted into the people of Israel, not the other way around...

"For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy - just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root." (Romans 11:15-18 NLT)   

"The Light Will Shine!"

 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14 KJV)

  "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:16-19 NLT)

 Having saved this for last, Solomon is closing this book with boldness, whether we are those who are truly committed to God, those who are totally rejecting God, or those that are sitting on the fence; there is going to be a day when everything will be revealed, both the good and the evil. It might seem as though it will not involve us, those that have been cleansed from sin; but as I have said before, all the books will be opened; everything will be brought out into the open.

 The only thing which will really matter, will be that we have our names written in The Lamb's Book of Life! We will be totally and completely spotless in the eyes of the Father, because we have been washed in the blood of His Son. Yet, there will be a testimony that is shown to all those who rejected the free gift of God's salvation, which will be their judgment. 

 Not sure that everyone truly understands how that works, because there really is only one way that any one of us gets saved! I have dealt with things that have made me feel unworthy, no matter how hard I try to forgive myself, it just doesn't seem to work; but if I am putting my trust in what Jesus did on that cross, I have given everything to Him: and I have no fear about judgment.

 Does that mean that I still don't feel sorry for some things I have done? No, I have grown accustomed to the pain that memories bring; but when they come to life, it reminds me of God's wonderful grace! He loves us so much; it is almost impossible to love as we should! But we will, that much I truly believe! It is those memories that show us who actually crucified Jesus on the cross: It was us...

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:23-26 NLT) 

"Let It Shine!"

 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV)

  "One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."" (Mark 12:28-31 NLT)

 When it comes to following and keeping God's commandments, we seriously fall short of keeping just about every one of them. Even the ones that seem simple, like, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," which seems easy enough to avoid, unless you count the thoughts and wicked dreams that take place in our minds. Another that might seem easy, for some, "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy," is not just a day that is not meant for work! Oh, how I messed that day up! You would be surprised by the stupid things we might do, when we are bored and think we are all alone. 

 We have a very special gift that we have been given, if that is, we would just practice making it real and making a difference. The whole meaning of abundant life does not speak to having lots of stuff and many children, it is about being filled with love for God and others! The more you love, the more abundant your life seems to be. But the less you love, the least abundant life you seem to have, no matter how much you have or how many children. 

 If you don't feel as though you have what it takes, then pray for what it takes to happen! But when you do, be prepared for God to give you someone to hate! Sometimes we need to be broken before we can be fixed and shine as we should...

 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT) 

"This Little Heart of Mine"

"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh." (Ecclesiastes 12:12 KJV)

  "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (1 Peter 1:18-23 NLT)

 When I first looked at this verse, I placed it in a negative setting, as if there was something here that was talking about the body being broken down from writing many books; or in my case, from continually doing this blog, day after day, without missing a single day. (What was I thinking!) We must not make light of what we do not know or understand, because this is really about those ripples that get washed up on the shores. 

 Let me try to put it into something easy to understand: Continuing on from the previous verse, this is like a "therefore," where we most pause for a brief moment, thinking, 'What is it there for?' In this case, as in the example of the ripples caused by waves, these "goads," as Solomon calls them, do not go away; they are continually used again and again, because they are administered to and through everyone that speaks of them, through one Shepherd. 

 "And further, by these, my son, be admonished," is like passing the torch or shinning your light, the Light that is discovered in sharing and putting forth the word of God! That is what this word, "admonished," is talking about: to warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining; and to be taught! Every time I sit down each morning to share, I am also being taught. Whenever I deliver a massage in a church, the one who gains the most from my message is usually me. 

 "Of making many books there is no end," is the byproduct of what happens when things get written, they are written without end, as if there always a chance that they might get looked upon, one way or another. If you really want to look at it a little different way, you can imagine God's perspective, which is that of eternity and beyond: When He reads it, it will surely never end! 

 "And much study is a weariness of the flesh," can be looked at in several ways, primarily that of breaking down or fatigue, as you would do to your body if you worked too much and slept too little. Which I can really relate to, as it real and happens over and over again. However, this specific word occurs only one time in the Scripture, and we are looking at it right now. 

 Basically, it also means labour, which is feminine noun, which is the way it works towards the flesh, which is that thing we must always be trying to crucify and not try to satisfy with the things of this world...    

"Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him." (Romans 6:5-8 NLT) 

"Take It to Heart" - Too

 "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assembles, which are given from one shepherd." (Ecclesiastes 12:11 KJV)

  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8 NLT)

 Instead of judging what might be wrong, look to see that which is worthy of praise and of a good report. Remember, we are meant to do onto others, as we would have them do unto us, which is easier to think of doing when we judge ourselves, first. 

 As to Solomon's life, he was blessed and was known to be the richest man, not because he wanted to be, but because God made it so. He asked for wisdom to rule God's people; God blessed him with great wisdom, and then blessed him with great fame and riches, more than he could handle, wisely. 

 It seems a little like he spun out of control; but he still belonged to God! The rest of these last few verses are easier to deal with than this one between the words or truth and final conclusion. Besides that, there is really nothing we can do that God doesn't already know about, no matter how hard you might fall, if you are His child, He will catch you!

 I really hope we can take that to heart, because He is always ready to forgive us, no matter what...

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT)