"Peace With God!"

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalms 139:14)

  As many times in my life that I have heard this, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," this might be the first time in my life that it has taken on a new meaning; that it goes beyond the majestic and complex, and into the infinite and the spiritual. Oh, these bodies are amazing, no doubt God is all about making things wonderfully and with the greatest of detail; but this, taken in the context of all that we know, is getting into the realm of our personal relationship with our Creator, as in, we know what we are created for, and we know why we need to praise Him! The verse that pops up in my mind as I think of this is what Paul says at the end of his letter to the Galatians: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (Galatians 6:14-17) It might not say it all, but it says enough! This is a personal journey which involves others, but is primarily between us and the God that made us, both physically and spiritually. No one can tell you whether or not you have been saved but yourself! It is something that must be settled in your own heart; and when you know that it is true, do not let go of it, no matter what! If you have any doubt about your own salvation, then you need to set that right with God, not with anyone else but God. That might be something some spiritual leaders might not agree with; but when it comes to us having a spiritual leader to guide us, it must be Christ alone that we follow, not anyone else. This might be a little controversial among some, but Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 11:1 is greatly taken out of context, because when Paul says, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ," he is not comparing himself with Christ, but is stating what we must do: 'If you see me doing as Christ did, then follow my example,' is what Paul is saying, because he has flaws just like you and I. There are many people that have been led astray by following a man who they thought was not capable of going astray, when truth be told, we are all in the same boat! I like what Pastor Jack finished with on Sunday, because it pretty much sums this up: Know Jesus, and you will know God's plan...

"For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands." (Psalms 92:4)