"The People of God" -2

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." (Hebrews 11:25 KJV)

  "This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserve it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:6-9 NLT)

 There are so many things that I can remember the Lord was doing during those first few years, after I asked Jesus into my heart. The most important one, was having me and my wife get married, as the church was not willing that we teach Sunday School, if we were not married. 

 When we first came together, we had both agreed not to be married; as it was, both of us were not that fond of any sort of institutional requirements, knowing that it didn't work out for many people we knew. My mother was married at least six times; and her mother was currently married to a man that spent more time with his mother than he did with his wife. 

 As for Moses, I can only imagine that he was drawn to his own people because they worshipped God, not the false gods that he grew up knowing. If you want to believe it, I say it was that God shaped hole, that caused him to ignore those false gods and seek after the God that the people he belonged to, always worshipped. 

 Whether or not you can understand it, if you have even the slightest glimpse of the real God, all other gods just don't make any sense, especially if they are animals or bugs, or any other thing created. Having experienced it myself, as I have shared before; when my school tried to tell me that man evolved from monkey's, there was no way that I was going to believe it, absolutely none! 

 I may have not known all that I should have known, but I did know the first part of the Bible, always believing it to be true. Even though we fellowshipped in a cult, they actually did believe in God. They might not have believed what they should have known about Jesus, but they most certainly believed in God and creation. 

 I am very concerned about many of the things that kids are taught in school, as they appear to be more and more focused on free-thinking and being what you want to be; totally ignoring the fact the way kids are, is the way they were created! Most children are aware of the things they should not do; they surely don't need teachers to tell them that it is perfectly fine to do whatever they want. 

 It all comes down to the Bible! Yes, it is the Bible that shows us what is right and wrong; taking the Bible out of the equation makes mankind start making their own rules; rules that sometimes make no sense, whatsoever! Anything that will make people ignore the God of creation...

"So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:16-18 NLT)   

"The People of God"

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." (Hebrews 11:25 KJV) 

  "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light: "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy, now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT) 

 First of all, I feel that God chooses those who are meant for His specific plans; actually, way before they are even born, He already knows from where they will come and who will be the ones that bring them into this world. Additionally, there is also something that is planted within them, a seed of longing to know the One who made them, and what they are meant to be.

 Basically, we all are born with this, so called, 'God shaped hole,' that is longing to be filled; yet many will try all sorts of things in order to fill it; but nothing will ever satisfy that longing, until we actually let God fill it! If you don't believe it, then I feel sorry for you; as that means you have settled for something else and think you are satisfied with what you have; or should I say, with what has you!

 I can recall a time when I felt totally satisfied in my condition, doing all sorts of drugs and living a life that was, shall we say, free-spirited. I really didn't care about anything, or anyone but myself; and even that wasn't true, because I challenged death in all sorts of different ways. 

 There was this one specific time, when we were at General Quarters; and my location was stationed in Port Steering; which, if you don't know what that means, the four of us that are down there, in that little hole, will be the last to leave a sinking ship. There are manual steering abilities we had down there; when and if, the rest of the crew is off the ship, we were to keep the ship moving in a 2-mile circle; letting someone know the location of everyone else. 

 Anywho; this one night when we were practicing maneuvers, I was laying on the floor with my headset on, waiting for orders. I started thinking about God and about what it might feel like if this was a real situation and actually started to talk to God in my head. When I really started to focus on my thoughts and who it was that I was talking to, a voice rang out in my head, saying, "It is me!" I knew right then that it wasn't God, but that it was the devil. 

 You have to know, there was something I started to understand, which I already knew, but didn't really care too much about; but it was devil that had me feeling as though I did not care. Yet, it really didn't bother me because I thought I was having fun. 

 This is real! And I totally and completely believe, if God has chosen you, then you will, one way or another, surrender to His will and ask Jesus to come into your heart! There was this thing I heard Pastor Jack say, which was regarding those who are called; that they came to the gates seeing the sign that says, 'The called'; but on the other side of the gates, the sign says, 'The chosen'...

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12 NLT) 

 

"Preparation"

 "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;" (Hebrews 11:24 KJV)

  "I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law, rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith." (Philippians 3:5-9 NLT)

 Okay, this is all about three 40-year periods, where God makes good on His promise to the dream that He gave to Abraham. As I said before, it was this dream that made Abraham see his descendants, feeling the love in his heart for them, because of their 400 years of slavery; and God's great deliverance that will brings them back into their own land. 

 Moses was treated with all sorts of pleasures and given standing among the leaders of Egypt; yet, when he turned 40 years old, God put it on his heart to care for his own people, the children of Israel. You have to know what this might have looked like, and why the children of Israel were not so willing to trust him or think he was given any right to tell them what to do, in their personal lives.

 If you really think about it, having him change is a lot like what happen to Saul, who became Paul; many of the followers of Christ, really didn't trust him or even forgive him, for quite some time. Forty years of living the dream, and then forty years of being a shepherd; tuning into forty years in the wilderness. All of it being governed by faith and God's will and purposes...

"You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail." (Proverbs 19:21 NLT)  

"The Faith of Moses"

  "It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the passive and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons." (Hebrews 11:24-28 NLT) 

  "And when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them; but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Will thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons." (Acts 7:23-29 KJV)

 As we all should know, Moses was a little scared that he might have been caught for killing the Egyptian, as he had thought that it wouldn't get out that he had done so; so, he fled from Egypt and became a sheepherder in the land of Midian. Amazingly, that is not really an accidental job that he just stumbled into; God was guiding and training him for that wilderness journey, where he would be the shepherd for the children of Israel! 

 This really is all God's specific plans; and He is extremely good at making everything work towards His will and purposes...

  "And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and judge? the same did God send to be ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush." (Acts 7:30-35 KJV) 

"God's Will"

 "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Hebrews 11:23 KJV)

  ""When a servant come in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me?' No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"" (Luke 17:7-10 NLT)

 This might be something we all should know, whether or not we have it has been shown to us or not; but this story about Moses and his parents was all God's plan, and His will and purposes are always carried out, one way or another. They saw a special child, because God put that into their hearts, because Moses was going to be the one to deliver His people out of bondage. 

 The thing about them not being afraid of the king's command, although they hid him for three months, they did everything they did by God's inspiration and plans; all the way to the Pharoh's daughter taking him in and making him her son. It was all God's plan, and His will, will get done!

 On a different note. When I was sitting next to me wife's hospital bed, one afternoon, Neil was on Fox News interviewing the family of Terri, who was pretty much in my wife's condition, and had been for 15 years. Having the opportunity to see that, was not by chance, but it was meant for me to see how what not to be, because Terri's husband wanted to have her starved to death, because he wanted to move on with his new family. 

 After seeing that and knowing it was almost very similar to aborting a baby in the mother's womb, I had made up my mind that I was not going to let anyone take Marianne's life; that it would be totally up to God when it was time for her to go. And He still has her here! She has never been administered back in a hospital since she was brought, by an ambulance, to our new home, in November of 2003. 

 There is quite a story about this new home; one that I continually share from time to time, as I trusted God would make it all happen. Due to the fact that I was spending more time at the hospital with my wife, then I was running my business, productivity was not doing so well, as all of my employees were concerned that I was going close my business.     

 By the end of the second month, our monthly income dropped by almost 50%, and bills were not getting paid as they should. Several of our suppliers started to send notices, and my credit report was starting to not look so good. 

 By the second week or so of October, the doctor told me that Marianne needs to be placed in a Care Facility, but there was none of them I liked, but one; and they said they couldn't take her, So I told the doctor I was going to take her home. The doctor said that was not possible, due to her condition; but I kept insisting and even started making the plans to find a home closer to the hospital and better suited for us staying in the same bedroom. 

 After trying to rent a home, three different times, and being turned down because of my credit report, I came into the office, tossed my keys down on the desk of one the four secretaries, and said, "Okay, this is how it's going to happen: The house God has for us is going to be without an application, but just signing a rental agreement!" 

 Two days later, that is exactly what happened! God is good! Not only was the house well suited for our needs, but the rent included pool service, yard maintenance, and monthly pest control. God also made a way for there to be a live-in Care provider, which moved in and started the first of January. Not only that, but one day, about 6 months into me paying for all Marianne's bills, a lady showed up from 'The Waiver Program' and took one look at Marianne and signed her up for that system.  

 These things I shared, because there is something special that happens to those who will be willing to take a chance and let God's will be done, no matter the cost! We are His servants and we are the ones who give the thanks! Give thanks with a grateful heart... 

 "I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let me stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm, and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." (PSALM 121 NLT) 

"Not Afraid!"

  "It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command." (Hebrews 11:23 NLT)

  "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." (Psalms 56:3-4 KJV)

 There are certain times when we are afraid over something we might not know how to deal with; and then there are times we are just scared about something that is just too overwhelming. To be perfectly honest, I feel that fear is totally normal and is actually something that makes us really focus on trusting God, even though have no strength or ability to overcome whatever might be causing us fear. Actually, those are the best times, because we have nothing left to do, but totally trust God and surrender to His will! 

 If you have ever been in a situation that is too overwhelming and you just don't know what to do, then that is the perfect time to just fall on your knees and cry out to God! Having been there, I fully know that He is more than faithful to give us the strength we need to overcome, whatever it is that we might fear, even if it is fear for someone else! 

 I know I have shared this before, but it is real and is something that needs to be repeated. Fear is said to be, False Evidence Appearing Real, but that isn't always the case, as you watch them take the love of your life out of surgery, and she is totally on life-support, with tubes pumping life into her body; that is truly real and is overwhelming! Fear doesn't even count, because the destruction has already accrued. 

 That night was more than I could deal with, and I was told to go home and rest, or I would be a patient too. It was almost midnight when I got home, and as soon as I did, I went into my office, feel on the floor, and cried out to God with every bit of strength that I had. After about twenty or thirty minutes, I suddenly felt a peace, as if God was assuring me that everything will be okay.

 When I finally went to bed, I fell into a very deep sleep, waking up in just a few hours and feeling refreshed; and headed back to the hospital at 4:00 that morning. I knelt down next my wife and began to pray for her and read Scriptures to her from my Bible. 

 The nurse who came in later that morning noticed that my wife's palms were pushing out away from her body, telling me that was a very bad sign of traumatic brain damage. That made me pray even more, asking God to ease her pain and relax her body. Two days later her hands were cupped and resting at her side.

 For three months she was in that hospital, and so many things became different in my life. However, I had no fear over anything, absolutely nothing! What else could matter, when you go through something so traumatic and catastrophic as that, nothing else really matters! 

 I know that doesn't seem to be something the word fear represents, but the False Evidence Appearing Real, although it was a really big deal, the True Evidence is that God is faithful, beyond anything that we can even imagine! Oh, I still have times when I cry about her condition, but I try very hard not to cry in her presence. It has happened a few times, and she gave me a look that made me think that she was wondering why I was crying. 

 Regardless of what you might think, even though God did not fully heal her, I know for a fact that she is going to be perfect some day; as will all that believe in our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus...

"I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalms 118:5-6 KJV)    

"Time-Place-Order"

"By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." (Hebrews 11:22 KJV)

  "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God, and that Spirit lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 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 3:16-23 NLT)

 If you really think about what I meant about holding onto the heal of Jesus, it basically is the fact that He has gone before us, making the way for us; taking our place and paying the price for our sins; all of that so we can be worthy to be in the presence of the Father! It really isn't that hard to understand, yet the majority of this world is unable to see it or believe it is real. 

 Besides that, Jacob also meant something else besides, "Heal-catcher," his name also meant "Supplanter", which actually means, 'someone or something taking the place of another, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like.' Whether you realize it or not, but basically all three of those things that are 'the like' were used in the process of making our salvation available: through force, because Jesus had to suffer and die for it to happen; by scheming, because it was mysterious and plotted out, even before the world was created; and by strategy, because it was complex and wasn't going to fail! 

 Whatever you might, think all of that, it was His doing; and yet, we are given the chance to reach out and grab hold of it, holding on for dear life! What's even greater than that, is that He is also holding onto us, in the process; and His grip is stronger!

 Anywho, this might seem strange, (like that doesn't happen,) but the title was meant to share about something totally different, something which talked about Isaac's timing, Jacob's placement, and Joseph orders; but then again, I think I covered all three anyways... 

"It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:7-9 NLT)  

"Superimposition"

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." (Hebrews 11:21 KJV)

  "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:20-25 NLT)

 I really don't know what or why I am doing this, but it was just something I felt that God wanted me to do, even though I have no clue, whatsoever, what it all means, or how to explain it! With that, let me try to explain what this title means, and maybe it will all come into focus. The word is, "superimposition," which is basically "the action of placing or laying one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident." 

 The first thing that came into my mind was Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons. How that even makes it relevant, I have not any clue, but whatever it is, it is something that was part of God's plan, otherwise Jacob would not have done it the way that he did. If you know the story, Jacob took hold of the younger son, to bless him first; but Joseph stepped in and put the older son in his place. Yet Jacob insisted on the younger son binging blessed first; basically, breaking tradition. 

 Maybe it had something to do with his own blessing he received from Isaac, which was meant to be for Esau, as he was technically the older, first out of the womb, son. But Jacob was also named what he named, because he held onto the ankle of his older brother, as his brother came out from the womb. 

 I really don't know why, but I do know that I too am a "heel-catcher," as so anyone else that is meant to go to Heaven! Jesus is the only way! And all of us are holding tightly unto His heel, in order to be there with Him...

"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness." (PSALM 145:1-7 NLT) 

"Things to Come" - Too

 "By faith Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau concerning things to come." (Hebrews 11:20 KJV)

  "Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room. My lover said to me, "Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!"" (SONG OF SONGS 2:8-13 NLT)

 Over these past few weeks, it has really been strange how I have heard several different Pastors share on certain things about the coming Rapture; which, if you are paying close attention, is getting closer and closer to the time when our Lover will come! We may not know the time and date, but I truly believe that we should know the season! I for one, believe the season is now! 

 As I was listing to Pastor Mike share the other day about Revelations 13, and the way the rise of the current technology is rising, somewhat quicker than anyone might have imagined, he mentioned the part in Scripture where it is talking about the force that takes control, so to speak; that is does not have life, but, it has breath, and it's breath moves swiftly. 

 As I was pondering that what that might actually look like, I remembered something I learned when I was in Fire Camp as a teenager, that fire does not actually have life, but it does have breath, and more breath that it has, the quicker it spreads. I also remembered that Thursday afternoon, during the Carr Fire, as I drove down Keswick Road, just to see how far away the fire was from my house. 

 When I was just a few more turns away from the dam, I pulled over at an area on the side of the road where there was an opening, got out and just stood there feeling as if there was something going to happen. It was very still, almost as if the wind had totally stop completely; it was very spooky and I really felt that I needed to get away. 

 If you want to know what I felt, it felt as if the fire was filling up with breath, preparing to breath! And breath it most certainly did! Around 3pm my power went out at the house, and I received a text from PG&E that the power would be restored in two weeks. So I started packing the RV and getting my wife ready to leave. Then, within about thirty minutes, power was restored; but I still worked on getting away. 

 It wasn't soon after, that I hear several helicopters leaving the staging area down the road, as well as the tanker trucks starting up and rolling out. So, I figure if they are leaving, so am I! I was overwhelmed at the traffic on the freeway, especially the long line of cars that were trying to get onto the freeway, to escape from the fire. The radio announcer that was sharing the progress of the fire was in a panic, saying that Cal Fire hasn't given any updates, because they really didn't know what was happening! The fire was making its own wind, like fire tornados, spinning out of control and randomly moving in all sorts of different directions! 

 Anywho, that is my take on this particular season that we are living in... 

"The Lord isn't being slow about his promise, as some people think, No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectantly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment." (2 Peter 3:9-10 NLT)  

"Things to Come"

 "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning thing to come." (Hebrews 11:20 KJV)

  "So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed! "From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed."" (Genesis 27:27-29 NLT)

 Whether we can understand it or not, there was really something important in this blessing that Isaac was giving to Jacob, even though he thought it was Esau. In this blessing, as well as in the way that Jacob was pretending to be his brother; Isaac's blessing painted a perfect picture of what was going to happen in the future, with Jacob's son, Joseph. 

 As we see, in the not-so-distant future, Joseph was having dreams abought all his brother's and even his father, Jacob, bowing down to him. Not only that, but when Joseph became the second in command of Egypt, all the other nation became his servants, as they gave up land and possessions, in order to have grain, to feed their families. 

 And to make things even more familiar with this story, when Joseph's brothers came for grain, they had no clue that he was their brother, as he did not even look the same to them. He also did become the master of his brother's; so much so, they begged him for mercy; especially when he asked them to go home and bring Bengamin, in order to prove who they really were; when actually he just wanted to see his brother. 

 Sometimes we see things are meant for certain reasons, and certain people have something in store for them, when it turns out that it was not them at all, but someone else that was actually close to them. The whole point is that God does not fail! His plans are going to happen, regardless, even if it is not the one that gets the blessing but is just the one that makes the blessing happen.  

 When I was given the opportunity to share this particular message, Isaac blessing to Jacob, I used this illustration of Jacob's reasoning to his mother, that it wasn't going to work. This is not easy to explain, as I tried, but most of the congregation didn't really get the massage. But I saw a similarity in the way Jacob doubted his mother's plan would work, as the problem some people have with God's plan that Jesus paid the penalty for their sins.

 It really isn't that hard to believe, unless you don't know who it was that hung on that cross! If you think that Jesus was someone else, less than God, then you're missing something that makes the truth undeniable; because it was God, it means that it totally and completely worked! 

 Even then, some might say, "Why would God need to come and die on a cross for us?" Well, if it takes a perfect sacrifice to do the job, only God is perfect! End of story...

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation., for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fulness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)  

  

"The Three"

  "It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left." (Hebrews 11:20-22 NLT)

  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 KJV)

 As I was saying, about those first two decades of my doubts, now and again about the Deity of Christ; it was pretty much this singular verse that sealed my heart, and made be totally and completely believe that Jesus Christ, was, is, and forever will be God! As a matter of fact, every translation of a Bible that I might look at or think to read, if this one verse, John 1:1, does not say what it should say, then I will refuse to read that translation, and I will warn anyone else that might be reading it to throw it away! 

 I determined that my lessons from growing up and being told that Jesus not God, had sometimes made me doubt, even though it was that exact point that made me stand, raising both hands, as the Preacher asked, "If you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart, raise your hand." When he preached the words, saying, "You see this watch? This watch tells me that somewhere out there, there is a Watch Maker. And you, me, and all that we see, tells me that there is a Creator! And have come here today, to tell you, that Creator is Jesus Christ!" 

 In just a flash, as soon as he said those words, I envisioned Jesus on the cross! I thought to myself, "My Creator died on a cross, to save me!" It really was overwhelming me; especially when he followed up reading several verses from the Bible that verified that what he said was true. You have got to know, we really never just read the Bible; we read the Scripture Studies, and verified them, by looking up certain Scriptures. 

 As a matter of fact, we were told, reading the Scripture Studies with the Bible, would bring us into the light; but if we set the Scripture Studies aside, and read the Bible alone, we would be in darkness. You really need to know, I was being raised in a cult! I was 23 when I got saved; and it took almost 20 years for me to be totally freed from that false teaching; even though it was that simple fact that brought me to the point of asking Jesus into my heart! 

 If that doesn't make sense to anyone, then I would simply say, you don't really remember what it was that caused you to give your life to Jesus! It is the thing that pulled the trigger that will be the thing the devil will use against you, time and time again. Sooner or later, you will figure it out! 

 I really love John's closing statement...

"This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:24-25 KJV) 

"The Reckoning!" - Too

 "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received in him a figure." (Hebrews 11:19 KJV)

  "But tell me this - since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God - for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world." (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NLT)

 If you really don't understand the term, "reckon," it isn't really that difficult to see Paul's reckoning of what might be if it was true that Christ didn't raise up from the grave; what pitiful life it would be for all of us that believe, if that was really the case. Thankfully, we are assured that He did, because it can be easily proven, if we clearly believe in the written Word of God!

 I really don't know how else to say this, except to say that somehow the believer's in God, from a very long time before Jesus came, actually believed that He was coming to save the world, and that He was going to be killed, and that God would raise Him back up from the dead. Other than that, why would Abraham even consider it possible, except for the fact that God said his son would have many children? 

 Here is the thing that made be sure, surer of who Jesus is, was, and always will be: By truly believing what the Bible says, from the beginning to the end, it is all very plain to see; if that is, you're willing to believe! I suppose that if God had made everything through His Son, which is the Word, then I also figure that He is also God! It is really undeniable to reckon that is true...

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Wood was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." (John 1:1-3 NLT) 

"The Reckoning!"

 "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:19 KJV)

  "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:19-21 NLT)

 As much as might think I know, there is always something that causes me to doubt, thinking that I know nothing at all; as strange as that might sound, it isn't hard for it to happen, even to someone that thinks they know everything. I reckon, those who think they know everything, don't even have a clue about God!

 When I was saved, back in 1981, there was something that I discovered that made me feel as though nothing else mattered but knowing and learning about God, especially about God's Son, Christ Jesus! I have shared this before, but during the first couple of weeks during my new life in Christ, I worked hard on making a crossword puzzle that listed all the Scriptures that showed or pointed to Jesus Christ being God. 

 Without going too far into the reason that was so important for me to do, let's just say I had been told that He was not God, in so many ways, that I needed to prove it to myself that He was, indeed, God! However, even after that, there would be times when I doubted it was true. For probably twenty years or so, now and then I would have this battle in my mind over the fact that Jesus is truly God, thinking what I have heard and read was wrong, and all of it was a lie. 

 Don't get thinking that I was messed up, because it really wasn't really what I believed: I absolutely did believe Jesus was who He said that He was; I just, now and again, doubted that it was true. If you think that isn't possible for someone that truly believes, then think again, because Peter once proclaimed that Jesus was God, but after He was arrested and being tried, he declared three times he didn't know Him! 

 Here is something that might sound weird or strange; but in a strange sort of way, Abraham actually felt as though Isaac had come back to life. Not to say that he had been killed, because God stopped it from happening. But you must realize what was going on in Abraham's heart and mind, as he was preparing to stick that knife in the chest of his, one and only son, the son of the promise!  

 I can only imagine the joy he felt, when God said, "Stop!" What a relief he must have felt, his son was saved; his life was spared! He had thought all along that God would do something, because He had promised that Isaac was the one; so, he even thought about him being brought back to life, if he had actually killed him. 

 When you truly think about it, I reckon God used this illustration to be the figure of His Son, Jesus Christ, the one that became a sacrifice for our sins! Even though He knew that He would rise again, the thought of what He would endure was overwhelming, so much so, that He sweat blood, praying that the Father would change His mind, and make it all stop! 

 Unlike Abraham's situation, even though God provided the sheep to take Isaac's place, our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, prepared Himself to be the Lamb, saying, "Not my will, but Thine be done"...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands." (Isaiah 53:10 NLT)

"The Seed" - To

 "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall they seed be called:" (Hebrews 11:18 KJV)

  "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:21-26 NLT)

 Having said all that stuff yesterday, it was primarily put out there for this post today. Not that it is not something we must always strive for, to bring everything to God before we do it; because I seriously doubt that anyone really does. Much like Abrham, who when told by his wife to take her handmaid, Hagar, to provide for the son God promised; I seriously doubt that Abraham prayed over that, asking God if that was His plan. 

 However! As I have said at least a hundred times: God knows beforehand and prepares the way for all the things that we do wrong, to be things which work for the good, in some form or fashion! We have really no idea what might happen based upon the wrong that we have done. Most of the things that are made to happen from what we do, either good or bad, will happen without us even knowing. 

 The other day I heard someone say that Rahab the harlot was not the same Rahab that was associated with King David's birth. I'm really not sure why, because she, and three other women which had, shall we say, strange sexual back grounds, are listed in the ancestor lines in Matthew. I truly believe that they are all listed there for a specific reason. 

 What's more, is that Ruth was a Moabite, from the land of Moab, which was the offspring of one of Lot's daughters, who had a sexual relation with her father, Lot, in order to keep the family line going. And then we have Tamar, who dressed as a harlot to get even with Judah, for not giving her his last son to wed. Even Bathsheba is mentioned, the mother of Solomon, the widow of Uriah! 

 The only other woman listed in Matthew's record of Jesus the Messiah's ancestors, is Mary; and she was a virgin, conceived before marriage, and have had to deal with the rumors of infidelity, even though she was pure...

"When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, "Who can know the LORD'S thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:13-16 NLT)    

"The Seed"

 "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:" (Hebrews 11:18 KJV)

  "Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children. For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."" (Romans 9:6-9 NLT)

 The thing that is important for us to realize, is that God is the one who makes the rules! As much as we think that we have the ability to make changes on our own, if we do anything without His approval, or His say-so, then we deal with whatever happens, down the road. I'm not saying this because I faithfully do pray for all that I do; but I am saying it because I know it is something I don't do, quite frequently! 

 I can say with all honesty that I don't even realize when I do not ask Him first before I decide to do certain things; mostly because they don't involve church or ministry. If I am buying a new truck, I will just buy a new truck, not even thinking about praying about it first, to get His approval. I know that doesn't sound like it is a really big deal, to some people; but everything we own or have belongs to God!

 Really, the things we plan and the things we do, always should be things that are prayed over first; yet there are things we might think are ours to do on our own, without even asking Him if we should. If it sounds as if it isn't really that important, the little things we do on our own, all add up; before you know it, you are stuck with a pile of garbage! 

 You have sung that song, at least you heard it: "He gives and takes away," He can do that because it is rightfully His! We really own nothing in this world; when we die, we leave just as we came, with nothing but a soul. And guess what, He owns that too...

"So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth." So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. 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 the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 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 whom he shows mercy, who are prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles." (Romans 9:16-24 NLT)