"God's Choice!"

 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." (Hebrews 11:8 KJV)

  "Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones." (PSALM 105:1-6 NLT)

 There is a very special reason I shared what I did yesterday, because the main reason Abraham did what he did, is pretty much like everyone else does: We have doubts! I'm not saying that Abraham didn't have faith, because for the most part he tried to do what God said, even though he sometimes made wrong choices!

 And with that, everything that Abraham did, that was wrong, God used it for good, in one way or another! There are so many examples of this, more than I think we can ever know: as I believe it also works with all of us, that try to serve the Lord in every way we know how, but from time to time we make mistakes and give God a reason to use those mistakes for good; most of which we will never see in our lifetime! 

 Some simple examples are seen in the things we don't see, like the little things that become a really big deal, once they take place. Take Lot for instance, as it was Abraham's choice to bring his nephew Lot on his journey, even though God's call to him only involved his immediate family. Yet, it was one of Lot's daughters that had a son she named Moab, which centuries later brought Ruth into the picture, who was the grandmother of king David. 

 All that I am trying to say, is that this was God's choice to call Abraham, with all his faults and all his wrong choices, God choose him because He had a plan that could not fail, because in was His choice! What He chooses to do, it gets done, one way or another...

"He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by his covenant - the commitment he made to a thousand generations. This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel and a never-ending covenant: "I will give you the land of Cannan as your special possession."" (PSALM 105:7-11 NLT)   

"The Faith of Abraham"

   "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith - for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10 NLT)

  "Now the LORD said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from the kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3 KJV)

 Having realized how hard it is to trust in the promises of God, we must understand that trust is a product of faith; without faith, there is no way that we can trust and believe in the promises of God, no matter how good they might sound, if we don't have the faith to believe, we will struggle to have trust in what God has promised. Yes, Abram left home as he was told, but the journey was not without failure to trust that God was protecting him and was going to fulfill the promise. 

 A little example of what that looks like, was when he went to Abram went to Egypt, telling his wife to pretend to be his sister, so that no one would try to kill him, as they might want to take her...

"And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee." (Genesis 12:11-13 KJV)

"Noah's Commission"

 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Hebrews 11:7 KJV)

  ""No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house."" (Luke 11:33 NLT)

  We can only imagine what it might have been like for Noah's struggle, with not only building the ark, but dealing with those who were arguing against what he was doing. Some scholarly estimates say it was 50 to 75 years that it took for Noah to build that Ark; while others say it could have been 120 years. Yet, the general belief is placing it around 100; as it is believed that Noah was 500 years old when God told him to build it, and he was 600 years old when God sealed him in it and flooded the earth. 

 Whatever it was, there must have been challenges that caused him to take so long; most likely, he himself may have had doubts from time to time, as to what he was doing. For whatever reason, a hundred years is a pretty long lifetime for anyone in this current age; one can only imagine the ups and downs anyone might go through in the amount of time. 

 This is one of the main reasons that many of us believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, not only Enoch's departure, but that God protected and sealed Noah inside the ark, saving him from the judgement that was about to take place on the whole earth. There are so many reasons for us to believe that the rapture will come; more and more, we see this earth is getting closer and closer; just when we think it has gotten better, it goes seriously worse and out of control. 

 Noah had been given a commission to not only build the ark, but to also save his family; something we all should try and do, because they need us to shine the Light! And right now, in this time we are living in, that Light needs to shine brightly...

"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."" (Romans 1:16-17 NLT)   

"Noah's Big Boat"

 "It is by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith." (Hebrews 11:7 NLT)

  "And it came to pass at end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came to me saying, Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezekiel 3:16-19 KJV)

 If you didn't know this, almost every continent on this earth has some version of great flood, and the boat that Noah built to save the animals and his family. This was a really big deal to God; something that He was grieved over, but He had to do it, even though it grieved His heart. 

 It is said that it took Noah almost 100 years to build the Ark, and he was 600 years old when he and his family entered the Ark. You really can't imagine what it was like for him, as those around him, mocked him and made fun of him, because he prepared for the way to be saved from the flood.

 It had never rained before, so just him warning them about what was going to happen, was something that they could not believe; let alone, their lack of fear that they had for God! Genesis 6:5 says, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." 

 Yesterday, we had Pastor Mike share at our church service. He also spoke at our Men's Conference on Saturday, when he made references to the fact that these United States will not be the same place it once was, very soon; because of the wickedness that is taking over, in almost every way, and in every form. This is something that I have noticed too but was hoping that President Trump could slow down the wickedness; at least a little!

 Unfortunately, the wickedness is rising up underground, almost as if it isn't really noticed by many people. We that know the truth, know that the prince of this earth is the devil; and that he is the one that is causing all this, so called wickedness; of which, more and more of our citizens don't think that it is really that wicked! 

 Pastor Mike is making sure that he doesn't remain silent, because he knows that he will be held accountable, if he remains silent. Surprisingly, yet not so much, many of those who are believers, will hear is words and mock him, thinking he is just making it up. That is a lot like Noah's warnings that the earth was going to flood; yet no one listened or believed him...

"Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he was warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezekiel 3:20-21 KJV)    

"The Historical Challenge!" - Again

 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

  "As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced," Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"" (Romans 10:11-15 NLT)

 Maybe there is something more that needs to be addressed in this; something that requires us to pause and think hard about what it is that we are meant to do, even though we may not want to do it. Why are we here on this earth, if we have been saved and this is no longer our home? One of the things which Pastor Mike said yesterday really caused me to take a good look at my life, realizing that my ability to stop and take some time to let God use me, is taking over by me rushing from place to place, all day long! 

 When I pray in the mornings, I try to make it my privilege to ask God to do His will in my life, as if it is a request that I am willing to always fulfill. But how do we know what His will is, if we don't have time to be interrupted, because of the busyness that we put first in our lives? When it comes to serving the Lord, we must be prepared for interruptions and be able to stop for things that are more important than this worldly life! 

 The instance that was set forth as a challenge, was to prepare ourselves to be interrupted, because that is how God gets us to share the most, by placing someone in front of us, that needs us to speak or pray for them. This is something I really focused on when I first got saved; as a matter of fact, I usually expected to have encounters, knowing and believing that God had given me a purpose! 

 Life seems to take over in those times, unless we stay focused on what God wants, and less focused upon what we might think that we need. It is really not difficult to be distracted in this world, not able to trust God's purposes and will for our lives. Just a few months of setting into our own plans, is enough to cause us to change our priorities: which also leads to losing faith in God's calling upon our lives. 

 Within this verse, from Hebrews 11:6, there three very particular reasons that the writer has placed this verse where is has been placed. The first of which is faith, that we must always keep believing, no matter what might be happening in our lives, it our responsibility as a believer to trust that God is good, no matter what! Secondly that HE IS! That might not seem any different from the first, but we must not forget that He doesn't change! If He called you and choose you, He knew you inside and out, from before you were even born, until the time you leave this earth! 

 We are all bound to mess up, from time to time; but anything that happens in our lives, God has already known, even before you have done it; yet He does not change His mind! You were adopted and place withing His family, and He is not going to throw you away! We must always keep believing that we are still His, even though we might not feel as though we deserve it, because in reality, we never did! It was a gift from God that we received, we could never earn it! 

 And thirdly, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him! What an amazing God we serve! The thing that should give us the most hope, is that He is the one who pays the wages! As the Bible clearly says, "The wage of sin is death," yet He promises life to us, and life abundantly! And it is because we believe in Him and have made Him the LORD of our lives!

 Does that always mean that we are perfect and never make mistakes; absolutely not! But God never does, and He is the one that chooses us to be His children; and that is why we diligently seek Him. Not that we don't already know Him, but that we need to know Him more and more! His love is always bigger than we can ever imagine...

"My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises will all my heart. Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, LORD, among all the people. I will sing of your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth." (PSALM 108:1-5 NLT) 

"The Historical Challenge!" - Too

 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

"For if you are trying to make yourselves 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. You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom." (Galatians 5:4-8 NLT)

 Just so you know, I had not tried to compare myself with Jonah; I was simply showing how God takes certain steps to make us listen and know that He is the One that has control! As we shall see in just about every single saint listed in the Hall of Faith, it is God that calls them and leads their lives; anything that they might do wrong, He has already prepared something for His will and purposes. 

 Not to keep repeating myself, but when I was going to court for my last conviction, I was reading the Family Bible one morning, trying to search for a way to correct my life and get a place for my wife and son. We were living with my mother at the time, because we were kicked out of our apartment, for being arrested for selling drugs. My wife and my mother really weren't getting along, and it was really not a very pleasant situation. 

 When I finally arrived at the facility that I sentenced to, I noticed that they had a church on the property; and I tried very hard to avoid going near it. I had one of those small New Testament Bibles, and that alone was all I felt I needed; as it was, I really didn't want to be part of any religion, I just wanted to believe in God and be left alone. 

 And then God decided differently; and arranged for someone to see me give money to my wife during a visit; which then led to me getting jumped for money, that I had already given away. It was not really that big of a deal to me, I wasn't really harmed too much, so I just moved on. But then, (so I believe,) God arranged for another inmate to go to the office and tell them what had happened. I was called up to the office over the loudspeaker, (another act of God,) and when I got to the office, they told me that I was being sent to another place, because those who jumped me, might think that I told on them, because I was called to the office.

 You just can't make this stuff up! On top of all of that, when I got to the new place, there was no church on the property. The way I see it, I let my guard down, not feeling threatened by anyone trying to make me change my ways. 

 And then one Sunday morning, God arranged for someone to announce something, again, over the loudspeaker! Again, with the loudspeaker! It was the loudspeaker that got me to where I was; and it was the loudspeaker that called to where I needed to be! That is the day that I got saved!

 There is really no other way I can say this, but God makes a way to get His Way...

"Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them - both men and women - back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go to the city, and you will be told what you must do."" (Acts 9:1-6 NLT) 

"The Historical Challenge!"

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

  "Later Jesus said to them again, "I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sins. You cannot come where I am going." The people asked, "Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, 'You cannot come where I am going?" Jesus continued, "You are from below, I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins."" (John 8:21-24 NLT)

 Without a real belief in God, there is hardly any chance to diligently seek Him; to make matters worse, just living in this world, which has so many things that cause us to not seek Him, it is only by His will and purpose that He reveals Himself to us, that we are even given a chance! And even then, we still must be able to believe that it is He! 

 As I have said, several times already, I have believed in God as far back as I can remember. The earliest time I recall, was when I was five years old, being in Sunday School, and drawing pictures about God and His rainbow. That would have been around 1963, which is about the time things started to get wicked and anti-God in these United States. I believe it started with the Supreme Court ruling that state-sponsored prayer in public schools was unconstitutional, on June 25, 1962.

 From that point on, things were sliding deeper and deeper into many anti-God teachings is public schools, all throughout the United States. As I remember back, I believe it was the first day of school, in 1968, which was when the Beetles released, "The White Album", as I remember the poster on the wall in class. The teacher also had a poster above the chalkboard of Life Magazine's illustration of the Evolution of Man. As soon as I saw that poster, I was totally offended and spoke out against it. As I remember, the teacher had a globe on his desk that was placed in a holder, and I walked up to his desk and turned the globe upside-down.  

 Having said all of that, I still believed in God when I rebelled against Him, not much latter than when I took that stand; I think it was within the next 2 years or so. It was when I determined that I could not keep His commandments, which was when I just accepted that I was destined to hell. Once you get to that phase in life, you still know God is watching, but you just don't care. 

 Fortunately for me, God never gave up on me, and He came to my rescue...

"Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once. The sailors were awestruck by the LORD'S great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now, the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights." (Johah 1:15-17 NLT)  

"Enoch's Fellowship"

 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5 KJV)

  "When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him." (Genesis 5:21-24 NLT)

 There is something we should try to understand about Enoch's departure from this earth, the same way that we will be changed during the Rapture, is the same way the God took Enoch; he was transformed from this earthy form, into that which is eternal and a heavenly form. This is a result of Enoch's walk and fellowship that he had with God.

 It is the belief of many, that this time in Enoch's life, which was only 365 years, yet since the time of Creation, his departure was probably 1,200 years or more, and the world was already beginning to draw away from God and start to worship other things. Imagine what it looked like, seeing the difference 250 years of the life of the United States can make; from the time it started until now, there is already many different things that are taking over and changing what was established in the forming of this Nation.

 Having fellowship with God is what our faith is all about! This is what Jesus came and died on the cross was meant to do, to allow us to enter into fellowship with our Heavenly Father! This fellowship can only happen because we have been cleansed from sin and made right with God!

 As I was thinking about this last night, it reminded me of the great picture that God is painting, one which is where we all live and die; yet we can never really see what it is that He is painting, because we are part of the picture! All that we can do, is to trust in Him and believe in Him; knowing that He loves us and paid a very big price to have fellowship with us...

"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. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. 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. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins." (Isaiah 53:6-11 NLT)  

"Enoch's Walk"

  "It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying - he disappeared, because God took him. For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:5-6 NLT) 

  "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15 KJV) 

 If you don't know anything about Enoch, he was probably the only one that was really seeking God in the time that he was taken from this earth. There was something God was planning to do, and because Enoch pleased God, He took him up because he was pleased with his walk upon a very wicked world. 

 It isn't surprising that this is recorded in the Bible as it is, because this is one of those illustrations of God removing those who are His off the earth before judgment of the earth will take place; much like it will be before the Tribulation, when Jesus comes for His bride, before the disaster that will take place upon the earth. 

 They say that the earth would have had billions of people in those days, which were not that far away from the time of the flood; so it really isn't a big surprised that God would take someone that pleased Him, before He was about to do something that would kill him. Besides that, the quote that Jude is sharing from the Book of Enoch, is more in line with that of the Tribulation, than that of the flood, which in and of itself should be something we all should be aware of.

 There is a Book of Enoch, which was not allowed into our modern-day Bibles, probably because of the ungodly details of what was going on about the time Enoch was taken up...

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which were not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection. implacable, unmerciful: Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:28-32 KJV)    

"Abel's Righteousness"

 "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice that Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Hebrews 11:4 KJV)

  "Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, "With the LORD'S help I have produced a man!" Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Able became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift - the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected." (Genesis 4:1-5 NLT) 

 First of all, let's look at Abel's sacrifice. As I was saying yesterday, the fruits and vegetables that were offered by Cain represented his works being offered, which as we saw, 'our works are filthy rags to God'; especially when we are working to gain righteousness or favor in God's sight. I know that there are many who have a different point of view, because I grew up in a life that practiced a religion that counted on works to gain their righteousness. 

 Additionally, there is also a spirit involved in that religion, (as well as many others,) which causes those who are offended by the truth, (meaning the truth of Christ,) to become hateful and aggressive in the way they might treat anyone that opposes their belief. This is especially what happens within families, which might have serious disregard for anyone in the family who doesn't follow their religion.

 The most lethal they that anyone in the family can do, is to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! As crazy as that might sound, it is absolutely true. There is a spirit that controls them, which many refer to as, the spirit of the antichrist, that denies the Christ Jesus and everything He represents. This is not a joke, I have seen it and know that they cannot control it, because they either get violent or start losing their composure; as if it is we who have a demon, and they feel that they need to get away. 

 All that said, Abel was sacrificing an innocent Lamb, which represented something that pleased God, making what he did being a righteous act, because it was that which God was planning to do already! Yes, that's the big difference between the gift of Cain and Abel: One was for admonishment, while the other was for forgiveness, by the blood of a lamb! 

 When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, it is His death of the cross that makes us free from sin, nothing else works, not even going door to door passing out the magazines that they paid for, that is really all for nothing; especially if Christ isn't in it and they are not representing the Real Him...     

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:10-14 NLT) 

"Abel's Offering"

  "It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith." (Hebrews 11:4 NLT) 

  "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John 3:11-12 KJV)

 Before I get too carried away, let me clarify the significance of why Cain's offering was not accepted by God, in the first place, for those who might not understand the issue. As the it says in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." What Cain was offering as his sacrifice was his works, as he was one that had a garden and took the fruits of his labor, sacrificing them to God on an altar.  

 I have heard it said that the Mormon Temple in Hawaii has a moral that has an altar which has fruits and vegetables on it, with a lamb beside the alter laying contently on the ground. I have not seen it, but I can understand what it represents and why it would be something they might believe and practice. To certain religions, works are what they count on for being righteous, not the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

 There is nothing else that can remove the stain of sin in our lives, but the blood of Jesus Christ...

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein we he hath made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:6-7 KJV) 

"The Real Truth!" - 3

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again." But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about." (Luke 18:31-34 NLT)

 If you know the truth, then the truth will set you free! Imagine for a moment what that meant to those who loved Jesus, seeing Him crucified, and then seeing Him again, alive and well! This was not just a real truth to them, as if there was no proof left behind for us to be sure that it really happened. Those who search for the truth will find it! Plain and simple: If you really want to know the truth, the truth will be revealed to you; and it will be made perfectly clear! 

 Every one of those who saw Jesus alive never wavered or denied that it happened; many of them were killed for their testimony, because they knew the truth and believed who He was and why He came; so there was no way that they were going to deny the truth. Not only did they not deny that He was alive, but they were sure to spread the Good News of what it meant and why to believe in Him, to receive eternal life, just as He said they could receive it! 

 That makes all the difference in the world: There is nothing more important than for us to be saved and knowing that He has given us eternal life, and that we will be with Him; absolutely nothing! He is risen indeed...

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word 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. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:1-5 NLT) 

"The Real Truth!" -2

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "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 be 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 1:17-20 NLT)

 Most of us know by now that the science of how old this planet is, according to them, does not make any sense, whatsoever! Actually, from the time I was just a child until now, our planet has grown from millions of years to billions of years; all because the discoveries have become more and more complex, so they need more time in order to explain how everything came to be. 

 To truly understand how God made everything as it is, we must believe that He made everything the way that it is; in other words, just as Adam was formed as a man, so everything else was made complete and mature; totally ready to function and work just as He made it to be! It is really not rocket-science, it is about believing that God is the Creator of all things: End of story; there is really nothing else to argue about, because nothing else makes any sense!

 By the way, reading Paul's message about there being no excuse for not knowing God, those who are the ones that study nature, (pretty much anything that involves life,) have a hard time leaving God out of the equation. Even though they can't explain certain things, which are totally unexplainable, they are still not capable of putting God into the picture; even though most of them might actually see the truth! 

 Why would they not tell the truth, if they see it? There have been some that have, and they lost their credentials and standing in the public arena; something the Paul made very clear in his message: "they have no excuse for not knowing God". They really have no excuse, except to not believe in God, even though He has His fingerprints in everything that they find or discover.

 This might be something that makes no sense, but we must understand that this world is not what God made it to be; yet, at the same, it was what He knew it would be; which is why Jesus was destined to be hung of the cross, ever since the world was created...

"And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." 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 his as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days."   

"The Real Truth!"

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1 NLT)

 This is by far the most important thing we need to know and believe, that God created the heavens and the earth! If we can't get past this understanding and believe that it is so, then most of everything else we read will be hard to believe also. You would be surprised how many people that say they believe in God, also find it hard to believe that God created the heavens and this earth, whether it be seven days or seven thousand years, they still find it hard to believe that is how it all came into existence.

 Personally, I believe it was actually six days, meaning that there were six 24-hour periods, and then God took a rest on the seventh day! If our God is able to recreate the heavens and the earth in a flash, as if it was a scroll that He rolls away, and rolls back again, imagine what an Awesome Powerful God we serve! 

 Here is the thing that we must believe, if we want the kind of faith that truly believes God is real and His word is really true: THAT GOD IS REAL AND HIS WORD IS REALLY TRUE! If we can't believe that truth, then how can we believe that Jesus is who He says He is...

"The people retorted, "You Samaritan devil! Didn't we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?" "No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father - and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die." The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!"" (John 8:48-58 NLT)

"Real Witness"

 "For by it the elders obtained a good report." (Hebrews 11:2 KJV)

  "Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)

 Before I make a fool of myself, trying to explain something that I do not really understand, let me try to complete yesterday's post, because I didn't really finish something that is really important. With all my heart I know that God is real; I have known it and believed in Him ever since I was a child. To be clear, my knowledge of Him was very obscure and incomplete; something like that song, "Spirit in the Sky," which I listened to back when I was twelve years old. 

 That said, the whole thought of the theory that everything evolved from whatever and into something else, is something I could never believe in, no matter how many times it was taught and no matter what kind of proof they might have conjured up; it wasn't going to change my mind. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know; but I know that God is real, and that is enough! 

 More than just knowing that God is real, we must understand what He has done and why He has done it! This is the part of the journey that becomes the adventure...

""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)