"No Longer Judged"

 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)

  "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT)

 Just in case you didn't understand the message, what Jesus went through on the cross was more than just a death and a punishment for our sins, because He could have stopped everything with just a word; but He endured everything that hurt and tore into His body, all the humiliation and the shame; He even withstood the insults, the mocking, and the judgment that was being placed upon Him. When, with each and every breath, He could have just said, "Enough!" and the whole thing would have stopped, immediately! 

 When we give our lives to Christ, we have entered into a covenant with God which cannot be undone! We don't get born again, just to satisfy the requirement of the Law; we are born again into the Kingdom of God! Jesus satisfied the requirements of the Law, by fulfilling them, and then paying the penalty for the Law that we could not satisfy on our own! 

 We cannot fulfill the requirements of the law, even if we wanted to; if we could, then Jesus would not have had to withstand all that He did, in order to take our place on that cross. But He did so because it was the Father's will for it to be done; it was what the Father wanted! If you really don't know what that means, it means that the Father was willing to put Jesus through all of that horrific punishment to save you and me from the penalty for our sins. After doing all of that, do you really think He will be judging anyone for their sins! 

 Those that will be judged and condemned, will not be judged for the sins they committed, as in breaking the Law; they will see those sins recorded in the books, but their judgment will be based upon the fact that they refused to accept God's free gift of forgiveness. So, they will be your own judge, that is, after they realize what they could have done, but refused to do it...

""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based upon this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.""  

"No Longer Judged"

 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)

  "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)

 It is no surprise that the message at church yesterday was very closely related to the post from yesterday morning; as it was, Pastor Rick shared about the fact that we have already been raised from the dead, because we were dead before we accepted Christ. He used the verses from John 11:25-26 to express the fact that we will never die, because our resurrected life has already begun. 

 "We were dead, but now we live in Christ, and He lives in us!" We must not only believe this, but we must also live it out and express it with all of our heart! The statement that Solomon is making in this verse is true and should be the reason we know that we needed Christ and the same reason we need to share what Christ has done. 

 There is really no other cause for this new life we have been given, then that we share it with others; otherwise, why are we here, except to tempted and continually asking for forgiveness? Which brings be to the point of this title, No Longer Judged. Pastor Rick completed his message by sharing this fact, that we are no longer judged!

 Plain and simple, those who have life in Christ, are not under the judgment that the lost will be under, because they have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life...

"Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"" (John 11:21-26 NLT) 

"Be the Miracle"

 "Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city." (Ecclesiastes 7:19 KJV)

  "We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace." (Colossians 1:3-6 NLT)

 This is the title that was going to be used yesterday, but I thought more applicable for today. When we can understand the new life that we have been given, it should change us, causing us to be a New Creature in Christ Jesus, because we have Christ living in us! 

 That is what makes us the miracle! We become the miracle, which is only possible my having New Life, being born again, made new in Christ, to live out these remaining days on this earth, showing off the miracle of our New Life in Him! 

 What degree of miracle are you currently living? Is it the kind that is based upon memories from the early days of your New Life? or have you just quit trying to be the miracle, hoping that New Life is still within you? 

 I know where I stand, because it is not where I truly want to be! The whole point of this journey is to be dependent upon Christ, not on our own strength; not only for the ability to love one another, which is what He has commanded us to do; but for the ability to be like Jesus wants us to be; which is a miracle in and of itself. 

 A couple of simple steps that I believe are critical and creatable for getting back into miraculous living, is to share the Good News often, pray for others in person, and simply, doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. That last step is very important, because there is where you experience the miracles that take place all around you. 

 Those first two steps, although they are guided and directed by the Spirit, are you saying you will do them when He tells you to! We forget that He is a gentleman and will not force you to do anything; you must be willing to do them, even though you might not think that you can! 

 That is a big part of the miracle...

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT)     

"More Than Just a Thought"

 "It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all." (Ecclesiastes 7:18 KJV)

  "For if you are trying to make yourself right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." (Galatians 5:4-6 NLT)

 I really had a whole different title for this, but that will be expressed in a different way. The main point that I wish to express, has more to do with what we truly believe, if we even believe enough to make a difference, or are we just barely holding on. 

 To get right down to it, Solomon is putting this into a box; the box being something that contains a gift, something that doesn't just come and go, but is contained within that box! What does this box look like? Well, whatever it is, you take hold of it and never let go! 

 Hopefully you have been walking with the Lord long enough to know that you sometimes do let go of the box; you might not actually think that you are, but when you do things which you know that you should not, then you have, without even knowing; or worse, without even caring, because you are so set on doing what you want.

 The box is not just the Lord, but it contains everything He has blessed you with, in the area of living righteously and in His love. You cannot just believe that the box is real, it must be opened and put to good use...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)

"Harmless as Doves" - Too

 "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17 KJV)

  "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." (James 1:19-21 NLT)

  Something special about this, is that it addresses life, meaning the 'dash' between the time of your birth and the time of your death. When I purchased the markers for our gravesites, and after they were placed, I meet with the superintendent of the cemetery to see that everything was as I requested. I noted right off that there was no dash after the date of birth on me and my wife's marker. I asked him why, and he simply said, "Because you are living in the dash." 

 There are so many different things to consider in that illustration; most importantly, is the fact that it is a dash! We only have a short time here on this earth, so we must make every day count, doing all that we can to make a difference. 

 As to the passage from James, it is no secret that I have some issues with anger, because I have shared this issue several times, in many different ways. The other day we had a discussion in my office about anger, as to whether it is justified or not. Human anger is different that godly anger, because human anger is towards the person, while godly anger is towards the sin. If you are angry towards someone, then you are producing hate in your heart towards them, which, as per the words of Jesus, "You have killed them in your heart." 

 Maybe that might sound extreme and over the top, but that truth in the matter is your heart can store up anger, which can make things build up in you, that can take you were you do not want to go. This is exactly what God told Cain, when he had anger against his brother: ""Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master."" (Genesis 4:6-7 NLT)

 We have a Helper to assist us in these emotional flaws in our lives! The Holy Spirit is willing and very gracious to help, if we will just allow Him to do so. The problem we might have, (might, being a word that really doesn't exist,) is our inability to have Him assist us with overcoming the filth and evil we still hold onto, from time to time. 

 As it were, among the birds of the air, none are more innocent than doves! When you are truly innocent of sin, then you can be free from judgment, as you count on and depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you govern your dash...  

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:17 NLT)  

"Harmless as Doves"

 "Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:17 KJV)

  ""Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me."" (Matthew 10:16-18 NLT)

 So, having already looked at the peacemaker and results of what that brings with those who are such, we see before us today the exact opposite; those that might stir things up, cause a revolt, or step in front of a bullet, just to prove a point. Matthew Henry relates this to Solomon expecting that there will be something of a revolt, once his reign is done, and someone else takes over, which is pretty much what actually happened. 

 A quick little sharing, of my own thoughts of stepping in front of bullets: I have imagined myself doing so, even placed myself in the exact position in church, where I can be ready, if need be, to distract or take down a would-be character with a gun. I don't really have to do anything, because it really isn't my job to do it; but I do feel that it would be my duty to at least try and do something. 

 I am not saying this is what Solomon is speaking about, because it's not; we are all on an appointed day and hour for when it is our time to go, God will take us when it is time, or He will keep us here as long as He wants to; but we should not do anything to hasten death or take our own lives. 

 The other day I heard someone call in to CSN, sharing how she wanted to know if it was a sin to refuse treatment for something that was going to take her life. She shared how the battle was for her during her last treatment, that it almost killed her, and she had to file for bankruptcy. She really didn't want to go through that again. 

 There are some who believe the reason that Jesus wept, before He raised Lazarus, was because he was going to have to die again, after having been risen from death. The whole point of that, is the thought of death being the door to eternal life, if that is your hope and what you have prepared for; who would ever want to come back from that?  

 There is something else, on a little different topic. I hear this commercial from time to time, I believe it is from the pro-life group that provides sonograms to unwed mothers. In this commercial I hear the person say, "God sees all that the child misses out on, from being aborted." Not to be judgmental, but that last I heard, God sees everything the way it will become; and besides that, He knows the child is with Him...

"For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We are knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:6-10 NLT) 

"Wise as Serpents" - 2

 "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16 KJV)

  "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind." (James 3:13-16 NLT)

 Believe it or not, but the Holy Spirit does call us out on our issues! Yes, He is a Gentleman and will not force us into anything; but He also is a Helper, making us aware of what we do that isn't right and the best way to do things, we otherwise don't realize we are doing. If you really want to know, I tend to go to the camp that feel this verse is a continuation of verse 15; as it just puts action into what the previous verse was speaking into. 

 The title of this post, "Wise as Serpents," was taken from the end of Matthew Henrey's commentary on this verse. As he puts this, concerning the saints and sinners: "Wisdom will be of use both for caution to saints in their way, and for a check to sinners in their way."  

 Basically, if it can be easier to understand, it is a bit like meddling in things that don't really concern you; or getting involved, thinking yourself to be wiser and more righteous, making judgment on others, even though you really should not even get involved. 

 Talk about calling me out on my issues! Lately I feel as though I have been living in "The Days of Our Lives", which, if it is still on the air, it would still be messing up lives. My mom would watch that show religiously, and I really didn't know why she did, because it did nothing but bring controversy into our family. 

 Really, why should you destroy yourself with garbage that isn't yours? Even if it is slightly in your space, your space needs to be that of a peacemaker, not that of bitterness and strife...

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18 NLT) 

"Wise as Serpents"

 "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why should thou destroy thyself?" (Ecclesiastes 7:16 KJV)

  "Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise: he knows they are worthless." So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you - whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." (1 Corinthians 3:18-23 NLT)

 There are several different opinions on this particular verse, as some might believe Solomon is speaking for an ungodly man, to which he answers the question in the following verse. This is something that is a question that I have struggled with from season to season, trying to figure out why I get so astounded by certain Scriptures, leading me into a 'rabbit-hole' and then leaving me feeling like a fool. 

 If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, I'm sure you understand what I am talking about. First of all, righteousness is not something that we can get on our own, for the Bible clearly says, "The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one." (Psalm 14:2-3 NLT)

 The problem we see, in several of those that think they are righteous or wise, is they are so full of themselves, they cannot clearly see the need that they have for salvation. One of the things we would say in jail, among our believing brothers, was, "One thing is sure, nobody needs to tell an inmate that he is a sinner!" If you are locked up for a crime that you are guilty of, you already know that you need to be forgiven; you just need to know the rest of the story...

""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:17-21 NLT) 

"Days of Vanity"

 "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness." (Ecclesiastes 7:15 KJV)

  "We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you." (PSALM 39:6-7 NLT)

 There are some days when we feel as though this life has nothing great to offer; and then, there are days when we feel as though we are being offered over to this life: spent, stepped on, and discarded like an old pair of socks. Believe it or not, that does not really upset me, because this is not really my home! 

 Does it mean that we have to live as though we have been stepped upon? No! Actually, if we really have hope in the promises of the Lord, we have everything we need, even if everything we might have has been stripped away. When it comes to God's promises, we must have confidence in everything He has said; regardless of what this life might put upon us, there is nothing greater than what we have been given in Christ Jesus. 

 Oddly enough, as I was thinking about this last night, and, for a brief moment I thought about what it might be like if there were no promises, that there was nothing after this life, and where would my life had been spent, doing what? Fortunately, that was a very brief moment! As I gazed upon my wife, I assured her that we have so much more to live than just this! 

 There is proof in the Scriptures! Absolute proof, that cannot be taken from us or pushed aside as if it all didn't happen. God has given us His word for this specific reason, that we would believe in everything He has said and done! The majority of people scoff at the Bible, thinking it is all just something to make us feel dependent upon a Creator: and guess what! They are not wrong! 

 The only problem they have is that they reject to believe it...

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (Romans 1:16-20 NLT)   

"The Limits of Human Wisdom"

  "I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Don't be a fool! Why die before you time? Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. 

 Don't eavesdrop on others - you may hear your servant curse you. For you know how often you yourself have cursed others. 

 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't work. Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

 I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

 "This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path."" (Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 NLT)

  "Is there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Philippians 2:1-4 KJV)

 According to Solomon, he searched, but did not find what he was looking for: I can truly relate to that!

There is so much more to know than what we think of or what we can see; nothing in this life is going to make sense, unless we can truly love one another...

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." (1 John 4:7 KJV)

"Comply with God's Will" - 2

 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14 KJV)

  "Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!"" (Haggai 1:3-6 NLT)

 Looking at this from a little different point of view, God's will for us is to trust Him, love Him, and be ready to show that we believe He is our LORD; especially in the times when things are not going well in our lives. It might be hard sometimes to do, but that's because we find it hard to surrender all to Him! 

 Once we realize that God is all that we have, we will find that He is really all that we need. The message above regarding God's house in ruins, is not just about a building, but can be applied to us, our lives, and our relationship with God. If we are not caring for, building up, and cleaning out this temple, which is the tent that we dwell within, then nothing else we might do or care about will seem to be fine. 

 As a matter of fact, even when things are not fine, if we are focused upon the spiritual life we can be living, those things will not be as bad as they could be; that is, if we are living closely with the Lord. Once we can get our relationship with the Lord squared away, everything else will fall into place...

"So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT)  

"Comply with God's Will"

 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14 KJV)

  "When I was prosperous, I said, "Nothing can stop me now!" Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, "What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can the dust praise you? Can I tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD." You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD, my God, I will give you thanks forever!" (PSALM 30:6-12 NLT)

 Having lived in this world, both in prosperity and in hardship, I do believe that there is something we must understand about God's hand upon our life, in both the good times and the bad times. Once we can come to the realization that this life will soon pass, and there are things that are more important than the things we live through in the world, we might be able to see God's handiwork is in storm, just as much, if not more, than the times of prosperity and comfort! 

 Regarding this section of Scripture from David, who was singing a song of the dedication of the Temple; David was sharing something that must be considered whenever we are in the dumps, (so to speak,) when we feel as though everything is coming against us. Hopefully we don't think that our life here is all about us, because the real truth in the matter, is that it is all about Him! 

 There is where we get our joy, not in the good times or the bad times, but in the relationship, we can have with the One that created us and that has given us eternal life with Him. In those times when we feel as though He might have abandoned us or turned away from us, just might be the times when He has us firmly help within His hand...

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I and the LORD, your God, the holy one of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Other were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are protected by me. You are honored, and I love you."" (Isaiah 43:1-4 NLT)

"God's Handiwork" - Too

 "Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?" (Ecclesiastes 7:13 KJV)

  "Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?" (Romans 9:19-21 NLT)

 Before we think that Adam had no choice in the matter, we must consider what it was that God knew was going to happen. God's plan of redemption was in preparation before He even made the foundation on this world; it was already known to God what would take place in the garden, long before Adam did it. 

 Yes, Adam had a choice, but his choice to do wrong was already something God knew would happen; He knows everything; He sees everything; there is nothing hidden or that happens which He does not know. With that little bit of information, we should know that He knows the sin we did last night, and He knows the sin we will do tomorrow, the next day, and all throughout our lives. But He still chose us and calls us His own! 

 We might not be perfect, but He sees us as we will be: Washed by the blood of His Son, and perfect as can be! We cannot fix ourselves, not even if we could try, it will not work! If we could, then Jesus would not have had to be crucified on the cross to save us...

"In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and the Gentiles." (Romans 9:22-24 NLT) 

"God's Handiwork"

 "Consider the work of God: for who can make straight, which he hath made crooked?" (Ecclesiastes 7:13 KJV)

  "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

 This could be looked at in several different ways; but to the way that best continues the previous verse, speaking towards the great gift that we have been given, this will make better sense with the likeness to 'misfit toys', than it will with anything else. Basically, we are broken people; even in this state of being born again and serving the Lord, we are not complete, and we will not be complete until we have been joined with our Lord in heaven. 

 Does that mean that God has made us broken? God created us in His image, giving us a mind that is set towards doing and thinking and planning, which, because it is such, also has the ability the make choices about what we want to do. This was God's plan all along, that we would not be programed to love Him, but that we would make the choice to love Him, because we know He loves us! 

 So, in a sense, yes! He created us to need to be fixed! Not that God ever needed to be fixed, because He has always been complete; He never changes, nor has the ability to make mistakes. When He created man, He did so to have fellowship with us; but there was one small issue: Man was not Holy like He is; so, He made a way, when there was no other way; knowing in the very beginning what mankind would become. 

 We have been down this road before. We must understand that Adam was not holy, as if God had made him into someone that could not sin. Adam did not have any sin until he sinned! When that might have taken place, we really don't know for sure; except that he acted upon his sin when he ate of the fruit that God told him not to eat. 

 Jesus clearly said, 'If you think about doing something that is wrong, it has already taken place in your heart, and you have sinned!' Why did God place a forbidden tree in the middle of the garden? Was it there to make Adam have the desire to partake of it? One thing is for sure: It was there to give Adam something to not do, because God said not to do it...  

""Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell the future before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east - a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it."" (Isaiah 46:8-11 NLT)

"Living Large" - To

 "For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV)

  "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" (PSALM 57:7 NLT)

 Just to be sure that we don't think this is about strength to take on our sinful nature, the strength that I was speaking of was about faith; to be strong enough to be willing to die for Christ, if that might need to be the case. Which, if things keep going as they currently are, that might be surer to happen. 

 The world "defence," is the idea of a shadow, more that something for battle or to take down the enemy; it is more about confidence and shelter; knowing that the best place to be is hidden under the wings of our merciful God! If you really want to get down to it, stronger actually speaks of boldness, where we have less care for what this world might do to us, and more care about how God will bless our testimony of the faith we have in Him.

 The other day I shared about the wedding feast, where the man was not wearing the proper wedding clothes. (Matthew 22:1-14) As you read this illustration, the idea is that the garments were given out to those invited in, as they were just random people that were called in from the streets. Which would be the reason for the king to be so upset with the man that didn't have on the proper clothes.  

 In that parable, Jesus is showing the difference between those who are protected and covered by the blood of Christ, and those that refuse to accept the free gift of the covering of Christ. We have the knowledge in us of what Christ has done, now we need to apply that knowledge into our lives! We are all going to be held accountable for what we have done with Christ's covering and protection. Did we put it on and wear it boldly? 

 That is what it means to be living large...

"Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hand on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God."" (Luke 9:23-27 NLT)