"The Who"

 "Then they said unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?" (John 1:22 KJV)

  "So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in the land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days pestilence in the land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man." (2 Samuel 24:13-14 KJV)

  "Who art thou?" is a very curious question; one that is good for each and every one of us to consider asking ourselves, from time to time. Not that is changes anything, because it is God's view of us that matters the most; much like David, as in God's eye, "David was a man after God's own heart!" 

  This is something of a conundrum; as they who are pressing for an answer, in this particular moment, are most likely more curious for an answer then those that had sent them to ask in the first place. Not that I have any sort of proof to back that up, because it is purely speculation. But this much I know: if these men had any motivation before they meet John, there is now a serious change in their position; almost as if they don't want to be blamed for being there, pressing him for an answer. 

  You might see that in Gad's question to David, as if he is reminding the King, 'This isn't me asking you to make the choice, this is God asking me to ask you what choice you want.' Now, if you are a man or woman that might have half a heart to care what God might want to know, how would your reaction be, and what would be your answer? 

  Things always will look different when we give them over to God! No matter what your situation or how difficult your circumstance might be; once you surrender whatever it is, no matter how hard your choices might be, if you allow God to do His will, (which in itself is a conundrum,) then you will simply fall into the hands of your loving Father! 

  However, this is not what is happening alone the banks of the Jordan River! These men were not sent by God seeking answers; they were sent by men that wanted to act as if they represented God, even thou they were far off from seeing God's hand in anything that was happening. If they had known who John might have been, then they would have either ask for him to come to them, or they would have taken themselves out to him. 

  If you want to know the answer to who you are, you need to go to God for the answer; don't try to get the answer from anyone else! If you are really really needing to know, and I mean, you really need an answer, then pretend that Gad is asking you three choices of affliction, and then pick one; or just leave it up to God and see for yourself...

"You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's commands: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." 

  No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Able.

 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 12:18-25 NLT)

 

"The Why"

 "And then they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No." (John 1:21 KJV)

  "Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.'" (Deuteronomy 18:15-16 NLT)

  Concerning John's ministry, Moses and John the Baptist had one very similar characteristic in common: meekness! Please do not confuse meekness with weakness, because the only thing that they have in common is the ness, which is just the part that makes it a thing. If you were to look up the definition of meek, the first thing that pops up, is, "enduring injury with patience and without resentment." In my opinion, that takes amazing restraint and strength! 

  So, what is up with this issue the children of Israel had with God's voice and Holy Fire? If you have some time, the Book of Hebrews will shine a little light on that subject; but for now, I would like to try and see what is behind the heart's of these Pharisees, and why they press so hard to get an answer. There are three specific things that Matthew Henry brings to the table: "To satisfy their curiosity," or, "To show their authority," or, "To suppress him and silence him." 

  Personally, I think it is a little bit of all three, but motivated by one spectacular four letter word: "Envy." Something that is thicker that both blood or water, because it is motivated by the flesh; that which is the thing we protect and guard from change, because change brings alteration; which, if you are looking for any sort of excuse to avoid direct contact with God, being altered is at the top of the list! 

  Basically, that is the whole point of the matter. We don't like change; whether you are at the top or the bottom, if you are comfortable in your way of life, you do not want that comfort messed with. The real motivation is that they saw a threat to their way of life! Now, imagine what it looks like to be meek in that type of situation; how is change going to work in your life...

"He hath shown his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endures for ever." (Psalms 111:6-10 KJV) 

"Peeling the Onion"

 "And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ." (John 1:20 KJV)

  "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV)

  As I was awoken this morning, around 1:30, I was given a portion of a Scripture, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." In a quest to find the truth, I had several different versions of that verse to choose from, all of which never moved from the meaning: "Fear." In the Old Testament writings there are 41 times the word is used as fear, and 4 times it is used as something even worse, like dreadful. In the way that it is expressed, as far as our understanding with God goes, we don't try to get away with anything with God, because we know that He is always watching! 

  There is nothing we can do or say that makes any more sense than that; it is what it is, so we must learn to live with it and understand what it is that makes us fear Him: We do not get away with anything! Now, if you wanted to know what this might have to do with anything about John 1:20, it is the simple truth of the matter at hand: Confession! If you want to have a good record, (no pun intended,) then you must, confess whatever, and deny not anything! 

  Just to be clear, the Ten Commandments were given to show us the bar: how high we needed to jump, and how far we come from achieving them, no matter how much we might practice. And, if you have some sort of weird illusion of have kept all ten of them, then you most likely have broken the first one without even knowing it, because only God is righteous and holy! 

  This is about John's record, as someone that did not try to lift himself up, or be someone that he was not; and especially not pretend that he was meant to be someone better than anyone else. He knew what he was and why he was called to do what he was doing: and he fearfully did what he was called to do! Which just so happens to be another way we can begin to understand what it means to fear the LORD: because like cheerfully shows we are glad to do something, fearfully shows we are blessed to do it! 

  As to the title, as odd as it might seem; we are not to be, or need to be afraid of our Heavenly Father: He is so madly in love with us, there is nothing we can ever do to cause Him to stop loving us! But, with a heavy heart, we must confess; every single layer of this onion hurts...

"Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, and in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant." (Psalms 111:1-5 KJV)

"The Question"

 "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?" (John 1:19 KJV)

  "See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:1 NLT)

  Today we come together to recognize The Messiah; whom those that should have known, did not know the time of His coming; even though they had all the records and the prophecies, their hearts were not ready to receive Him! Interesting bit of knowledge, is that they should have understood who John the Baptist was, as he was also foretold of; and as the forerunner to Christ, he prepared the way by calling people to, "the baptism of repentance." 

  Whether we realize it or not, if we cannot see the truth, it is because our heart is not prepared to be opened to receive the truth; no matter how hard we might try to find it, or how we go around looking for answers, even when the right answer is presented to us, it will be rejected by our heart! This is the case of these Pharisees that we see today: they should, by their knowledge, know the truth when it is standing right before them; put because of the condition of their hearts, they are totally and completely blind to what should be, otherwise, totally clear and obvious. 

  An interesting matter of discussion, if you are looking for something to talk about before or after church: Who art Thou? is the same question ask by Pilate to Jesus! Do you think his heart was ready to receive the right answer? Something to think about, because he was about as close as anyone could be to wanting to know the Truth. What do you think might have prevented him from knowing? 

  To be perfectly clear, if we do not think that we need salvation, then our heart is not going to be soft enough to receive any sort of message that might offer a way to be saved. If you can see what this might represent, the basic principle at work is fear! Yes, that word we seldom think about, mostly because we want to pretend that it no longer exist; at least not for those of us that have already been saved. 

  When our hearts get hard, for whatever reason, the very most relevant condition that is present is a lack of fear! Not fear for ourselves, because that is not what we are talking about. This is about our fear of God, which is not about our fear for ourselves, because when it comes to fear of God, this self thing goes right out the window! Self is what represents the human heart; but those that are born again have been given a new heart, one that is filled with the Holy Spirit. 

  Speaking of hard, those rocks that Jesus pointed to are pretty interesting to talk about! If you want something wake up the dead, then lift up the name of Jesus...

""Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!" He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation."" (Luke 19:38-44 NLT)

  

"The Testimony of John the Baptist"

"This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, "Who are you?" He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah." "Well then, who are you? they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No," he replied. "Are you the Prophet we are expecting?" "No." "Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?" John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the LORD'S coming!'" Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, "If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?" John told them, "I baptize with water, but right here in this crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal." This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing." (John 1:19-28 NLT)

    "Like a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them." (Psalms 103:13-18 KJV)

 

  Maybe it might take something really powerful to grab our attention; but if it makes any difference, dare I say, what we have been witnessing over this last year is some pretty powerful stuff! Did anyone catch the the attitude of some in the Senate this last week? I would not have believed it, if I did not hear the words for myself. Lines in the sand!  

  Speaking of, "Foot," in the portion of Scripture that we are looking at, John the Baptist has made a reference to the LORD's coming, and then, "the straps of his sandal." If I am not mistaken, this is another reference to a foot, right? Did you know that "Heal-Catcher" was a pretty good illustration of what we are as a believer in Christ? It might take a little thought to get that to grab your attention! 

  When John the Baptist came upon the scene, that was his ministry and purpose, to grab the people's attention and to prepare their hearts for the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees could see the purpose of his ministry, which is why they were so concerned about what he was doing: he was making the people aware of their sins! If you don't think that you are sick, then you don't need a doctor! 

  The way we must look at this, (if you can pretend for a moment that you have God's perspective,) is to imagine if your children were as that shown in the Psalm above; they have lost sight of the fear that they need to remember your commands, and they need someone to grab their attention. Basically, they needed to be reminded of their sin! John's task, if you might not know, was to be a judge; which is not what Jesus came to do: Jesus Christ came to save! 

  Please, with everything that is within you, do not forsake being the Church! We must come together and celebrate what Christ has done! They were able to stop this from happening last year; let's not let it happen again...

"And so dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT)

"The Truth Unfolded!"

 "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18 KJV)

  "Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the alter day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all the time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet." (Hebrews 10:11-13 NLT)

  Then again, Jesus has told us, in more ways than one, that He and the Father are One! To imagine for a minute what was accomplished by His death on the cross; it was manifested complete by His resurrection from the dead; and as death was the curse, that curse was broken! In a single act, God's sacrifice took away all sins, for anyone and everyone that wants to be saved; and by His resurrection from the dead, He gave new life to these bodies, that allow then to continue beyond that grave, to corrupt no more! 

  This is not something that we can or could have ever accomplished, even if could have, somehow, been cleansed from our own sins, these mortal bodies would have remained the same. Paul illustrates this in his letter to Corinth, saying, "For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless." (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 NLT) 

  As I was thinking about this title, I was reminded about how Jesus had folded up that napkin that had covered His face, and had laid it down, folded within the tomb. It was as if He had just closed the book that He had opened; the manifestation of Him unfolding the truth, as He declared God to man, now man himself can come to know God! Fellowship restored! Matthew Henry says it like this: "This was the grace and truth which came by Christ, the knowledge of God and an acquaintance with him." 

  It is a lot like when Jesus open the book of Isaiah, read that portion of Scripture, and then closed the book up again, giving it back to the minister. (Luke 4:17-20) There is another Book that is to be opened, that book which has the seven seals; which many believe to be the deed to earth. To be clear, if anyone out there needs to know who God is, then He has been revealed to us already; there is no need for you to wait until you stand before Him, to be awakened to who He is; you can find out now, while your book is still opened...

"For by that offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, "This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds." And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer more sacrifices." (Hebrews 10:14-18 NLT) 

  

"True Grace and Truth!" -2

 "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18 KJV)

  "The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over." (Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT)

  Okay, so you have seen what this issue is, as if there is something that might change anyone's mind. This is not an issue of what someone might think or not think; this is a spiritual issue of the heart, and it will not be broken or changed by anything but the Holy Spirit! And yes, the "Backside," so to speak, was a glimpse of God's foot, as He was almost completely out of Moses' view, that was the last part of Him that could be viewed. 

  Anywho: Who are the righteous? and who are the wicked? That is not a trick question; it is totally and completely based upon the truth! If you believe the Truth, then you are, "the righteous." If you do not believe the Truth, then you are, "the wicked." It is something you can put your foot down on! Like a line drawn upon the sand, those that do, and those that do not! 

  Don't try to argue this point with anyone, because it will not get you anywhere, but frustrated. If there is someone in your life that needs the Truth, prayer is pretty much the only way you will have any chance to reach them. And, it might not even be you doing the reaching, but they will be reached! Just don't give up on them, no mater how lost you might think that they are; once you bring then onto the battlefield, you are somewhat their sponsor into the spiritual battle! (FYI) 

  Believe it or not, feet are pretty important to God...

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't loose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:20-27 NLT)  

"True Grace and Truth!"

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18 KJV)

  "Behold, the LORD GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work is before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:10-11 KJV)

  Believe it or not, but this day was meant to be easy; at least that was the plan! If you have ever been there, then you know what I am talking about. You see the path before you, it looks as if you know all the turns, the pit falls, and everything you know you want to say: and then you get blocked! Just like that, you are thrown off the path, and you really don't know where you are meant to get back on, if it is even the right path at all. 

  See how easy that was? It is really not that hard to notice or admit when you don't have an easy answer; yet, the more I try to put trust in those that say they know the truth, the more I am made aware that we all are still searching for the easy answer! Just teach God's Word! And if you don't know what the meaning is of what you are reading, then just read the words, as written, and let the Holy Spirit do the work! 

  Here we have a very obvious issue that gets pushed in way of almost every opportunity to make a point to the fact, Jesus Christ is God! Eight little words, none of which are over four letters long: "No man hath seen God at any time." Well, if you really want to get technical, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

  I know that might sound a little harsh, but in the obvious state of confusion of what might be said, or not said, it is just the easiest way to explain, the FOOT! What in the word is that? Where does that come from, and why is it even mentioned? Well, it just so happens that we can find this mentioned in a couple of very interesting places, in the Garden (Genesis chapter 3), in the name of Jacob (Genesis 25:26), and then...

"And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts; but my face shall not be seen." (Exodus 33:20-23 KJV)  

"Grace and Truth!"

 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 KJV)

  "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:11-14 KJV)

 Looking at this from a little different angle, it pretty much still looks the same, but with a little more focus upon the grace, which is the Truth! Let me explain what that means, before you might start thinking that it is something else. First of all, Moses gave us something that was given to condemn us; to show us that which we could not hold to for life, as it was: it did not give life or offer hope, because it showed us the list of things that we all fall short of doing. 

  The first four laws that God presented us, were those that deal with our relationship with Him; all of which are almost impossible to live out; honestly, if you see your life as God sees, which is the heart, then you might come to realize that you are stuck just trying to accomplish the first: "Thou shalt have no other God before me." Define for me what it is that God represents and why, "before," is a position? I can recall a teaching I received a long to ago, it was based upon a triangle; actually, I think the real illustration was that of a traffic cone, the orange ones that have a whole in the top; small hole at the top, big hole at the bottom, with a square base. (A dunce cap will also work!) 

  Anywho, I think you might see a little bit of where this is going: if you really want the right angle to look at anything, it is always best to start by looking up! The same word, "came," that is used here, saying how grace and truth appeared, is the same word used in verse 3, which speaks of Christ making all things. What that represents is the amazing power of Christ Jesus, the Creator of all things, grace and truth, included in the list! This amazing power, displayed throughout all of creation, was made and brought into existence by something spectacular and yet horrifying, all in the same time.

  I know, it is not as easy as it might appear, but there is a reason that He made it appear that way! Long story short, because He is God! God in His weakest state, will always be stronger than you or I...

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV) 

"The Remedial Law!" -Too

 "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 KJV)

  "He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:10-12 NLT)

  If you are willing to accept it, God is more than willing to pure out His grace, beyond anything you can ever imagine or deserve; if you are willing to accept it! The word, "Remedial," is a somewhat simple word to understand; but it might not be the cure that everyone looks for, nor do they always appreciate what it stands for or represents. It might sometimes give the wrong message, one that places the recipient into a category of someone that has special needs or requires help with living or caring for themselves.

 That might be one of those reasons that we must fear God, because we must be helped! The simple answer to our problem might offend some people, those that might feel as if they don't need or require any help; especially when the One who provides the help, is the same One that knows every single thing about them! Oh, I forgot to mention that; the fear factor has just stepped up a notch or two. Do you want to go any further? "Go big, or stay at home." that's what my mom would always say. 

 You know what, I think I finally realize what that meant. All this time, I thought it meant to do something extraordinary or else just don't do anything; but in reality, it means to cut the strings and freefall into life on your own! It's like that when we put our trust in God, we cannot keep holding on to anything else that might save us; it is His way only, all the way! That might get a little scary sometimes, because His way does not always advise you of what might happen next; but one thing is sure: It guarantees the result! 

 Please forgive me if I might seem a little over the top; my note taking could not keep up with Pastor Bryan's teaching yesterday, and I might have skipped a few of the important points to the message. But the part I did not miss, was the point that we all are called to serve! Everyone serves somebody, in one way or another; that is the fact of life! Some people serve themselves; some, without knowing, serve the devil; some might serve money or fame; some, however sad, just simply serve anyone else.

  When I was in jail for those 6 months, I realized what was the problem with many of the repeat offenders; those are the ones that get out, and are usually right back in. They are those that cannot stand not being told what to do; they are unable to make their lives work without structure or some sort of continuity. At least when they are in jail, they have no worries about food or shelter. Do you think that saying might imply, "Go big, or stay at home"? I guess it depends what home represents...

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God though Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (Galatians 4:7-9 KJV) 

"The Remedial Law!"

 "For the law was given be Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 KJV) 

  "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant." (1 Kings 8:56 KJV)

  To be perfectly clear about something I might have not explained correctly: peace and joy are very important, when they of the Lord's; again, something that is given to us, that is of Him! But, if that is all we come looking for, it will not be enough to carry us onward: we have peace and joy when we fix our eyes on Christ's finished work of Redemption; which is that hope we hold dearly in our hearts! If we have not that hope within us, then peace and joy are only temporary pleasures; trials and tribulations will make them the things we hope for, not the Redemption, which counts the most. I'm just sayin! 

  In all practical purposes, the law that was given by Moses was absolutely wonderful to try to live by; if you are the least bit interested in being obedient to God and His rules, then those Ten Commandment were the list of things that were needed to fulfill your interest. However, they were not liberating, to say the least! If you study the Jewish law, hundreds, if not thousands, of sub-law requirements were added, to what should have been a perfect law; if that is, we were perfect people! 

  I know this might seem like a lot to take away from a 15 word verse; but this is more about a new law, a law that is based more like to law of gravity, then the previous law, which was more like the law of flight or flying. The law of gravity says, you jump from a certain height, and based upon that law, you will fall to your death. The law of flight says, you cannot fly! No matter how hard you flap your arms, your going to go down, so why even try! 

  Thank God for the making the way for us to fly! We can sore higher than the eagle! This is what Jesus Christ has done for us, as crazy as that law thing might appear, gravity is now our friend! When we are in Christ, we have defeated death, because He has defeated death; we are made perfect in Him, so that old way of, cannot fly, is over, because Christ has given us wings to fly! There is where peace and joy are discovered, you cannot lose; even if you lose, you are good to go...

"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves of the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to cry out, "Abba, Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir." (Galatians 4:1-7 NLT) 

  

"The Fulfilling!" -2

 "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16 KJV)

 "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." (Romans 12:6-8 KJV)

  Anywho; these are, "talents," if you will, barrowed or loaned out, or placed upon or within; each and every one of which are the ingredients added to the life of a believer that are to be increased and added to by serving our KING! Needless to say, we are given a gift; dare I say, the gift we have been given, although it is absolutely freely given, it does have a price! 

  I know, it might sound as if this is a rubber-band being stretched, which is sure enough going to break; but if you are no longer a citizen of this world, then what have you become? Yes, you might have guessed it! Did you know that Christian was started in Ephesus as a derogatory term to put down those that were following Jesus? It was intended to belittle them, as a term that meant, Little Christ, or Christ Like; which basically means, relating to Christ.

  The funny thing is, the Christian brand, if you will, was a brand that those following Christ really liked; so they used it and wore it like a badge! When asked by some, 'Are you a Christian?' They answered by saying, 'Yes!' and it was sometimes their very last words spoken on this earth! Not such a funny thing to talk about, but in the real world, of which we are all just passing through, it is the fastest way to get where you want to go; no joke! 

  We do not deserve it; we could not afford it; and we surely cannot bottle it up and sell it: We must, however, live it! How, pray tell, does that happen? Long story short: You give your life away! You want to live your life like Christ, then you will fulfill that task by dying to yourself and living for Jesus! He lived to please the Father, now we must live to please Him!

  After all, who will be our judge? Not the Father, because the Great White Throne Judgment involves all of those that are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life; but there is a judgment for those who had the, "fulness," which basically means that we are given filling to fulfill our calling and our mission! Maybe you don't think that is your responsibility, that it is not your thing, or that you are just called to be you and being yourself is good enough to get by? 

  Do not be fooled: when Christ Jesus will judge, His judgment seat is to hand out awards: each one of His followers, which are in a sense, fellow servants, we be awarded for their service. Some will gets great rewards, some will be awarded that which they deserve. I hope I am found to deserve nothing! 

 Believe it or not, but verse 16 is actually a continuation of 14; verse 15 is just showing again that John's testimony of Jesus was to claim He was God; John shows this by his illustration of Christ's eternal existence. But, as we must see, and I hope it becomes clear, "grace and truth," will come out of everything that is talked about, whether here or there, or in the air! 

  THE KING IS COMING; prepare the way for the KING...

"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 KJV)  

"The Fulfilling!"

 "And of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16 KJV)

  "Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" "Don't you know?" the angel asked. "No, my lord," I replied. Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: 'May God bless it! May God bless it!' "" (Zechariah 4:4-7 NLT)

  Sometimes I get a little discouraged, thinking this is all just a waste of time; but then I get a little nudge from the Holy Spirit, who simply reminds me that this is nothing about pleasing man, it is all about what God wants to do that matters! Don't you get that from this also? Isn't that the meaning of it all! There are only a few things in this life that really matter, I mean, that really really matter: Pleasing God is the one thing that matters the most of all! 

  I was reminded of this yesterday, as I heard at least two messages about a confirmation to the message I was given yesterday morning. The first of which was the answer Jesus gave to the people after He spoke about not laboring for meat that perishes, but meat that endures unto everlasting life: to which they asked Him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus replied: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:26-29) 

  The second message was spoken by a an ex-special forces man, as he illustrated what it was like to honor a fellow fallen soldier, saying, "To live your life like his death mattered." Then he bumped it up to his spiritual life, referring to how we should honor the Lord: "By living our lives like His death mattered!" 

  So you can see how that whole barrowed thing comes into play...

""To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 'We played wedding songs, and you didn't dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn't mourn.' For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results."" (Matthew 11:16-19 NLT) 

"The Manifestation!"

"From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us." (John 1:16-18 NLT)

  "One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead." "Please come with us," someone suggested. "I will," he said. So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. "Oh, sir!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!" "Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at the spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. "Grab it," Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it." (2 Kings 6:1-7 NLT)

  No, I'm not letting go of that! because I truly believe that there is a reason this is written into the Bible, besides for the fact that Elisha caused an ax head to float! So, we have something here that needs some investigation; besides the whole ax head thing, this is about a manifestation of something we did not expect to see; and it involves something that must be received, in order to hold unto to it. If you do not reach out and grab it, you cannot hold unto it; and if you cannot hold onto it, then you will need to pay for it, even if it was not your own! 

  Anywho! Moving on to this simple illustration here in John's writings, we can clearly see by the way the Translator's have shown us their interpretation, it clearly says, "But the unique One, who is himself God." Which is not just some more proof, but is a factual statement! I mean, you could deny that it is so, if that is your opinion; but in so doing, you are making a claim that you will not be able to back up. 

  As silly as that appear, there are more people who will deny who Jesus is, then there are people that will receive the testimony of what has been written; even if they did receive it, they truly don't believe it, because the never really grabbed hold of it with all of their might! Do not be fooled by the facts of the peace and joy, as if that were the, "one gracious blessings after another," because nothing that is added to your life here, is going to make a whole lot of difference, once you are gone. 

  It is all barrowed time, but it will also, always cost you...

""Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, 'Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back."" (Matthew 25:24-25 NLT)

"Came Upon the Stage!"

 "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me." (John 1:15) 

  "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

  There is really no better way to explain what this means, than to check out what is being said, and then believe that it means what it says! Basically, John, the writer of this illustration, is given the account of what John, the one that came in the Spirit and power of Elijah, testified about Jesus the Christ! As if we might have understanding in such matters; because without the Holy Spirit affirming this within us, we simply cannot see or understand the Truth of God! 

  That said, there are some very serious misconceptions about who Jesus was, how He came, and what exactly He performed when He left. We all know that His mission was to be crucified upon the cross; He spoke frequently about what was going to happen; as does the Scriptures, some of which are almost so detailed, there are some that doubt their authenticity. Make no mistake, John's witness is not of man: this man was on fire for the Lord, and he had something that needed to be said, by the Holy Spirit! 

  Matthew Henry gives this observation with a question: "This proves two natures in Christ. Christ, as man, came after John as to his public appearance; Christ as God, was before him; and how could he otherwise be before him but by an eternal existence?" We cannot try and put it any other way; doing so, would simply challenge the eternal existence that is purely evident! But then again, if someone can fall for the evolutionary theory about the world making itself, then they might fall for anything! 

  The title today was taken from one of the meanings from the Greek translation for the word, "preferred." I know, right? It's pretty amazing how that might even work, and why it is even part of the equation. But if you stop and think about it, this is something Jesus made a reference to when He questioned the people's observation of what was going on with John's witness...

"And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way for thee."" (Mathew 11:7-10 KJV) 

"The Affirmation"

 "John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'" (John 1:15 NLT)

  "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2 KJV)

  Having been bewitched by this world, is probably the reason I am so passionate about this understanding of who Jesus Christ was when He shed His blood upon that cross. After you experience the shock of knowing the truth, it is pretty hard to reconsider what was before, because you have witnessed the proof that is shown throughout the Scriptures. These are things that are discovered and brought to life; which is the complete reason for us all to search the Scriptures on our own, it becomes personal! 

  This is the interesting concept that John the Baptist is trying to put out there for others to notice; which is the whole reason the John, the writer of this Gospel, brings it out into the open for all to see. Jesus, the Man, was born into this world after John the Baptist; yet, Jesus as God, existed long before John the Baptist ever was thought of or conceived. Make of that what you will, but in my book, that is a pretty good size nugget to show what John the Baptist knew about who Jesus actually was, and always has been.

  This is really not something you can be taught or learn about, but it must be shown and bought to life within your heart. The whole point of having a personal relationship, is not that you learn about who Jesus is, but that you experience who is, because He is alive within you! As you open up the Scriptures, you are experiencing the affirmation of what is known in your heart; it is not learned, but affirmed and recognized as the Truth! 

  The entire result of being born again, is that you are now living in the Spirit; the Holy Spirit has been introduced into you life, which is just like John the Baptist, shouting out affirmations about who Jesus is and why it really matters, WHO HE IS!  This also creates a check, commonly referred to as, A check in our spirit; which is a little prick in our hearts when that Truth we know so convincingly, is talked wrong about. If it does not line up, it should not be accepted as something you affirm as the Truth! 

  We can all make mistakes, so this shouldn't be something that causes divisions or casting stones; but it is something that needs to be your own responsibility to know! You will have no excuse for not knowing the Truth; if the Truth lives within you, then you are held responsible for what comes out! Be that as it may, maybe we need to dig down below the surface and see where this goes...

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." (Proverbs 8:17-22 KJV) 

"So the Word became Human" - 2.0

 "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 1:14 NLT)

  "Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and the needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight." (Psalms 72:11-14 KJV)

  I cannot explain well enough what power and strength was demonstrated upon that cross. I doubt any human being could even pretend to explain what really took place; because what was demonstrated on earth is just a ripple of what was taking place in heaven! We must remember something that is remarkable and very important: DO NOT MAKE LIGHTLY OF GOD'S SACRIFICE! 

  Is it really such a big deal, as to whether or not Jesus Christ was God? Wow, let me think about that, and let me see if I can think of something relative to that question. Oh, I know: Is it a big deal for this planet to be kept a safe distance from the sun? Maybe not good enough! How about the difference between a man dying on that cross, and God taking our punishment? Could a man's death upon the cross make all that much of a difference? 

  At some time or another we need to get serious about what we are trying to say! How serious was God to save us? The Bible says that He planned this before the foundations of the world were even in place; so I can imagine that He put quite a bit of thought into what He was going to do. What could you do differently, if you were planning to save thousands of thousands of souls? What kind of sacrifice could be compared to that which God provided? 

  I know for a fact that I cannot convince anyone that is not willing to accept the truth; this is not only proven to be so, but it is also written within the Scriptures: "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments." (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT) This is a spiritual matter, that must be taken on with the Spirit! 

  There was a pretty interesting message I heard the other day, it was about the fact that there are only two kingdoms: the kingdom of Light, and the kingdom of darkness. As I thought about how that might be so, I was challenged to consider the difference between those that are heavenly minded, and those that are worldly, or earthly minded. It is really hard to comprehend what difference that might make, unless we are talking about the spiritual aspect of what really matters.

  Just so you know, if you cannot see the truth, then there is a solution...

"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God."" (John 3:3 NLT) 

"So the Word became Human"

 "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 1:14 NLT)

  "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest upon his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen." (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT)

  Don't you just love day-light saving; it gives a whole new meaning to chaos and disorder! Hopefully our churches will be prepared for this morning; if not, we are blessed to have Zoom and YouTube to keep up with the time change. 

  As I was gathering my thoughts and thinking about this mornings post, it dawned on me that I was not mindful of my routine introduction to the Text, as I usually would start out with this version first, and then break it down using the KJV. Well, as it turned out, I feel it was maybe not all my idea or doing after all; that this might have actually worked out for the good, because this version packs a little harder punch.

  If you really want to know, there was no other way for God to save us from our sins, then to become one of us, live among us; to suffer and die for our sins, even though He Himself remained sinless! It was the only way for mankind to be saved, because there was never going to be anyone or anything more Holy than God; and this sacrifice that was placed upon that cross needed to be perfect! 

  I have used this portion of Scripture from Isaiah, pretty much from the very beginning, as a tool to show that Jesus was, and is, God Almighty! I have spoken it out load and with boldness, and have watched as those who might have not agreed, were taken back, out of breath, or even had to run off of my porch and try to hide from the Truth. A couple that came to debate me, seriously had to quickly turn away from my door; I even thought that the man, who was being held up by my neighbor's tree, was actually having a heart attack.

  There is nothing in all of creation that is more powerful than the Word of God; absolutely nothing! When Jesus was arrested in the garden, they asked if He was Jesus the Nazarene, He said: "I AM he," and they all drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:5-6) It was by the Word of God that all things were made that are made: and yet, it was God's hands that formed man from the ground, like a pot of clay! 

  Call me crazy, but it might appear as though man's creation was a little bit more involved than the rest of creation; a little more Hands-On if you will, and little more personal and formed to a particular image. If I didn't know any better, I would think that this entire universe was made made for us: but the Word of God says something entirely different...

"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 fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)  

"And Tabernacled Among Us" -2

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 KJV)

  "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11 KJV)

  At this point of the conversation, it is really not needed for me to say much of anything else; but then again, the simple fact that there are some who are shut-off to the truth, I must, according to due diligence, show at least an effort to make the case for what I believe and know to be true; even at the risk of being mocked, laughed at, or thrown under the bus! That said, let's see if we can cause some noise! 

  There is a common belief that, when you die, your body is sunk back into the dust, by which you came: as God said unto Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." (Genesis 3:19 KJV) This is what we can refer to as being earthly: made from the earth, and to return back into the earth. Don't laugh, but try and understand that it was not the way God made man to remain: God breathed His Spirit into man, and man became a living soul; an eternal living soul! (Genesis 2:7)

  Herein we have a situation; this eternal soul is void of the Spirit, due to the sin of one man, Adam! We really did not have a choice in the matter, but because we came into existence though Adam, we were born into this earth, as earthly vessels without God's Spirit; void of the Spirit, the body remains as part of the earth, but the soul, which is eternal, belongs to God, from which the soul received its being. 

  Now I know that all of this is thought of as speculation; but if you believe what is written in the Bible is true, then the theory becomes reality and speculation must be laid aside to consider the Truth! If your soul belongs to God, then you have nothing to say about where you go to after leaving this earth. The body, this earthen vessel, which you think you have full control over, is going to die and return to the earth; there is nothing to speculate over that, because that is pretty much proven. 

  But here is the thing that makes it all better: to correct the wrong that was done by the one man, Adam, God needed to put on this earthen vessel, in order to give our own earthen vessels a chance to redeem our eternal souls. Just as Adam had a choice to obey or disobey, now we too have a choice to make things right for our eternal soul. This wonderful opportunity is only made possible because Jesus took on the penalty for sin; settling the debt, if you will, releasing us from an eternal prison, and once again giving us the Spirit of God!

  I know, you might be unconvinced and still question the motives of why this is even something of great importance: but, if you want to take the chance, even based upon speculation, take just a moment and think about that eternal soul within you; asking yourself, Can I afford to not take this chance? "To be or not to be," is really more than a question, it is about your eternity...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son."" (John 3:16-18 NLT) 

  

"And Tabernacled Among Us"

 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 KJV)

  "Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:23-27 NLT)

  "To be or not to be," that is the question! Did He become like one of us? And if He surely did, for what purpose? Yesterday, I was listening to Pastor Richard, as he spoke about himself as being such a jerk. It could have been his last message, as he was proclaiming his disqualifications as being their Pastor, saying things like, "I think I know what is going on inside of you, but I don't have a clue; yet I pretend that I have you all figured out!" 

  If you have any knowledge of the Tabernacle that Moses was instructed to build, then you might have realized that it was not a structure that was made to stay in one place: it was made to be moved, as the children of Israel moved, so it was too. Rolled up, packed up, and carried about; the Tabernacle was moved about and taken wherever they went; east, west, north, or south; though the valleys, over the hills; through and around the mountains. 

  It could be said as this: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth." If you might need to be better informed, the simplest way to see the real meaning, is to separate the part that specifies His glory; as if the Word being made flesh might cheapen it! Truth be told, nobody that lives and suffers though this life, trying to be holy, hoping to be accepted by God, can ever, never ever claim, that God does not know what they are going through! He lived as one of us! 

 If you really wanted to get right down to it: His life was not all that great! He was born a bastard, treated poorly and hardly received any respect. His adult life was not lived in a house that could be called His own; He seriously lived like a vagabond, with no place to call home, except that place from which He came! You name it, if there is something you might ask God to help you with, He has all of the experience and knowledge. He was even buried in a barrowed tomb! 

  Oh, I know what you might be thinking: What about sin? He does not feel what I feel when it comes to sin, does He? Well, let's see what it might feel like to take on everyone's sin, all at once! Could you possibly imagine it? What a heavy burden to bare; who could possible carry such a heavy burden, without falling apart? Can God make a rock so big, that even He could not move it? Not hardly! 

  If you are looking for some proof as to whether Jesus is God, then stick around for a little bit, and witness the proof...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT)  

"This is a God Thing!" -Too

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13 KJV)

  "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of 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." (Galatians 6:13-15 KJV)

  Just in case you might not have noticed, I placed a period at the end of verse 12 on that second post; to be clear, it was not originally intentional, but after I did, I decided to keep it there as a chance to use the colon which should have been there as a witness. The verse above is an expression of the thought put forth in verse 12, which expresses what happens to those who receive Christ, and who believe upon His name. To which, we are not reborn of blood, nor by strength, nor by might, but by God's Spirit! 

  This might not make sense to some, but it is the power of God that saves us, not anything we do or do not do. Having been raised in the kind of belief system that I was, I have somewhat become familiar with what it is that religion does, and what it does not do. What it does, is give you a set of rules and make you feel as though you are working towards some particular end; what it does not do, is guarantee that no matter what, you saved by grace, and grace alone! 

  I am fully persuaded that the most important thing we must focus upon is the fact that we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. This is not about what we can do, as if we are required to prove something to God; this is about us believing with all of our heart, that He has made the way for us, and now we are allowed to simply walk in the power He has given us; free from the law, but based upon the love that was demonstrated on that cross! 

  But, you might say, I feel so disqualified at times: there must be something I must do to make myself more worthy? Try all you might, you are not worthy enough to earn any part of what Jesus did for you on that cross! He is God! He placed Himself upon that cross to die a painful and humiliating death for your sins; what in the world could you possibly do, that you might add to that? LOVE HIM!!! 

  Easier said than done, but nonetheless, it is what we are required to do! But, it is also, sad to say, not something that we can do, by our own strength, with our mind, or even within our own heart! It will only be by His Spirit that we can have enough love within us, to love as we should love...

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us his Spirit." (1 John 4:10-13 KJV)

"This is a God Thing!"

"Which were born, not of flesh and blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13 KJV)

  "For the love of God constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet know henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are became new." (2 Corinthians 5:14-17) 

  Getting down to brass tacks, the essential message that is put forth, whether you can accept it or not, is that you had no part in this miracle transformation! Now I know that this might throw some for a loop, but if you really really want to believe in God's Sovereignty, then you absolutely need to understand that we hand no hand in this: you did not find God, you were not looking for God; and you sure as heck did not decide to start following after God on your own; God's Spirit within you, allows you to do that! 

  Truth be told, you were dead! The dead cannot do; unlike what is commonly shown in those strange Zombie movies and never-ending episodes. That does not mean you do not react, because if it were not for the Holy Spirit prompting you to move, you would still be lost in your sins! We are only alive in Christ because of God's rich mercy that reached out and took those Spirit charged paddles, and recharged our heart. It might have been just a jolt, but the jolt was enough to let His Word in and bring a dead spirit to life! 

  Some people will make this about the birth of Jesus, as if He, being born of a virgin, did not and was not conceived as you and I might have been; that His life was not planned by Mary and Joseph, but that it was God that manifested Himself inside of Mary. One little issue might come out of the theory, Mary, who most likely gave birth to Him! I am pretty sure, after watching my wife give birth, the child inside of her did not just pull himself out! I saw veins on my wife's face that I had never known were there before; so I know for a fact that she was focused and seriously working something out of her.

  Not that Joseph did have anything to do with the conception, because Mary was a virgin! If you can accept that, then you can also begin to understand that Mary was also His mother, which means that she is the one that gave birth to Him, in the flesh. I am not saying that this does not mean we cannot make a choice: but Mary also did not actually have a choice in this miracle conception; because Gabriel just showed up and told her, the what and why, of this thing that was going to happen. 

  This is our choice: When God awakens the spirit inside of us, with His Spirit, we can either accept what is happening or we can reject it. There is nothing unusual about that! Not everyone that gets the paddles in the hospital will come back to life; but that does not mean that the hospital staff will not try to revive them...

  "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 7:24 - 8:1 KJV)

"Believe and Receive! " -TO

 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12 KJV)

  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

  Just in case you might have not been paying attention, this is not about anything we can do, because we can never do anything to earn our salvation. This is about walking in that which we have been made: we are made sons of God by the power of Christ Jesus! We are adopted into the family of God by the life-changing blood of Jesus Christ; the transformation has been complete, the moment that we received Christ into our hearts, He preformed a spiritual metamorphose within us, and we which were spiritually dead, became alive with His Spirit! 

  As to the walk, and whether or not it is important: we must move, as the dry bones grew skin and came to life in Ezekiel 37; where life is manifested in God, there is the breath of Life! Matthew Henry shows us two actions that take place in the mighty work of God, which is the result of those that believe on His name: 

  "First, To be a Christian indeed is to believe on Christ's name; it is to assent to the gospel discovery, and consent to the gospel proposal, concerning him." This is the result of the Holy Spirit revealing His true nature, power, and authority over our lives. Something that the Holy Spirit will do, as He is witness to that change which has come over us, He becomes our Helper. 

 "Secondly, Believing in Christ's name is receiving him as a gift from God. We must receive his doctrine as true and good; receive his law as just and holy; receive his offers as kind and advantageous; and we must receive the image of his grace, and impressions of his love, as the governing principle of our affections and actions." These are those goals, if you will, that I was referring to: they are goals because they are put into work, not because they are something we try and achieve.

  This is not about works, as if we must work to achieve favor with God: this is about living governed by and for the LORD! There is a new life that is manifested, and this new life must live because it is alive in us! Believing is receiving, when your belief is real and changes you from the inside out! Did it? Does it? Will it always? You had better believe it! You are a new creature in Christ; not that you hope to become one: you are one! 

  To the point of what is grace: Grace is God giving you what you do not deserve! This is so important as we try and figure out our standing with God, especially when we might not be standing at all. This is when we must not count upon anything else but the saving blood of Christ, because it is only by His blood that we are saved! When you might feel strange, like a rebel, and disconnected from God, cling to the cross and believe: receive His washing with all your might! 

  He will never ever refuse your plea for mercy, because His grace is never-ending...

"But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Romans 5:8-11 KJV) 

"Believe and Receive!"

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12 KJV)

  "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessings from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." (Psalms 24:3-5 KJV)

  Maybe I should have said more, but to what point? There were so many different issues that could have been addressed, I think it is best to focus upon the positive and leave the negative issues up to the Lord! Besides, this way is even better; if you want to speak about goals, this is probably the most important way that goals are structured. I should know, since I spent at over twenty years of my life learning how to set and achieve goals; maybe even six decades, if you count planning and dreaming of ways to make things work out. But who is counting? 

  With that, there is a question here that we need to take into consideration: Is there a difference between those who just believe in Jesus Christ, and those that believe and receive Him? I don't want to pry, but it might be a lesson in character building, even if a person was to make just a little simple self-evaluation. First of all: Is this really a Biblical issue, To Receive Jesus Christ? Most Assuredly! Don't even try to think otherwise, because you must not only believe on Him, but you must receive the gift being offered! 

  I know, this is a topic of discussion that is best left alone; but there is a powerful point to what I believe is being said. I am reminded of the man at the pool of Bethesda, the one Jesus asked of: "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6) Without getting too far ahead of myself, let's just say that the man really didn't have a problem wanting to be healed, he just did not believe that it was ever gong to happen. Jesus changed his mind, by first changing his heart! 

  If you are going to receive what Christ has to offer, you must believe in Him first; the receiving part of the equation is the part where you receive the Gift! There is the part where you pick up your mat and start walking! Maybe it might require several times when you need that stupid mat again; but there is where your goals are measured and made useful. If you plan for serving and pray for strength, the mat becomes less important, and you start using a crutch or a cane whenever you start to stumble.

  The biggest point of this is made manifested in the second part of this, verse 13. But to be clear, if you do not start to walk, you will not realize that you are healed...

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:10-12 KJV) 

  

"Despised and Rejected"

 "He came onto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11 KJV)

  "A sign was fastened above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against him. It read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Look at him now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!"" (Matthew 27:37-40 NLT)

  I have always wondered what I might have said, if it were me that witnessed this spectacular event; it would have most likely been something stupid and insulting, as if to be part of the crowd. But then again, I really never tried to insult or make fun of people that I felt were trying to share God or care about other's eternal soul. That does not mean that I would listen to what they had to say, I just wouldn't waste my time trying to accept what they were selling. 

  This is something that is entirely on a whole different level! Besides the fact that Jesus was a Jew, He was the one that they were looking for to come, and He came! What part of the prophecy did they not understand? Better yet, why could they not fully understand why they despised and rejected Him the way that they did? This is pretty much the same as Peter's denial of Jesus, as predicted! And he denied Him three times, just as Jesus said that he would. 

  You would think that someone would have gotten some sort of clue; but this was not about knowing, because the message is not about them knowing, it is about them rejecting Him with spite! Interesting think about what Jesus said of them from the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34 KJV) The know we are talking about means that of computing or reckoning; which require someone to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together and to sort things out. 

  To be perfectly clear and to the point: Jesus referred to those who taught as those who see, yet do not see; yet if they were blind, they might have a better chance at being able to actually see, (John 9:41). It was not a matter of the knowledge they had, but the hardness of their hearts. They could not compute any truth, beyond what they wanted to believe. I hope this is never something that might happen to me; because if it might happen, it will require a change of heart! 

  Speaking about changing hearts, both of these word, despised and rejected, are words that have very little to do with knowledge or learning; they are mostly base upon feelings and emotions. As I was listening to a message yesterday, I believe it  was on, "Heart Talk Radio," they were explaining how the root cause of rebellion is based upon preconceived goals. I thought this was rather interesting, since the topic I was sharing on that morning was about, "covet," and what it means to covet.

  Not to charge the subject of what we should be talking about, but something is very special about the heart and the energy that is generated by passion and desire. At times, based upon my experience, the mind is somewhat shut off to almost anything else, once the hearts wants what it wants; especially when the mind might find objection; that heart will almost always win...

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)  

"Put to Shame" -2

 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." (John 1:10 KJV)

  "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)

  Interesting enough, that thing about Ezekiel and the whole exile thing, it gets more and more closer to this picture, the more I think about it. The best way to see what I am talking about, is to look at Isaiah 53:1 and examine the word, "revealed." The Hebrew word is, 'Galah,' which is a word that speaks of to bare, strip, unveil; but it also speaks of, to evacuate a country, and to go into exile. More importantly, it is a word that has the principle idea: To make naked; "which in many passages it has the connotation of  "to shame." Editor's note: "It is ironic that God was forced to evict His people from the very land which He had promised them!" 

  I cannot begin to describe what it is that all this ties together, except to say that Jesus was downgraded quite a bit, when He stepped down from glory to become one of us; and in that state of vulnerability He became subject to humiliation and rejection, the likes of which the world had not seen in quite some time. To be more accurate and to the point, the one sin that man seems to be most unable to confess or even recognize is the one that Paul confessed to be his downfall: To Covet! 

  Have you ever wondered why Adam and Eve realized that they were naked after eating the forbidden fruit? The way that Paul explained his realization, was that the Law said, "Thou shalt not covet," which, had the Law not said what it said, he would not have known it was a thing to be reckoned with at all. And having know it was a thing, he witnessed the sin in his own life; prior to that, he had not known sin! It was not until he had studied the Law, that he had been shown the sin in his life, the sin of covetousness, which is a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another.

  Anywho; this might be more mysterious than what we can easily see; but the truth of the matter, if that is what we came to see, is that our natural reaction to change, of almost any sort, is to imagine it being towards anyone else. Is that also a form of covetousness? Simple and logical answer is, that we are to examine the heart of the matter: What makes man turn towards one another? "Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?" (James 4:5 KJV) 

  There is only so much that one can know about God from God's creation...

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:18-21 KJV

"Put to Shame"

 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." (John 1:10 KJV)

  "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of the world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Corinthians 1:18-21 KJV) 

  Telling people that do not believe, how salvation is offered by Christ coming and dying for their sins, is like the people that witnessed Ezekiel's little skits, knowing all that God was planning to do to them. More importantly, that they might know why He was doing it, and how they might believe that they will benefit from what He was about to do! 

  This is amazingly the most misunderstood thing that causes so many people to stumble and to walk away from following the Lord: they do not understand God's love! We see things so much more differently than God: He sees the eternal aspect of real life, life that is forever; we, on the other hand, only see that which is temporal, a life that is full of death and suffering. 

  If you can imagine what Christ was subject to, it was something that most likely amazed all the angels in heaven; and it surely overwhelmed all the demons of hell! That the Creator of this world would put on flesh, to expose Himself to the humiliation, ridicule, vulnerability, and suffering of this world; be put to shame, tortured, and nail upon a cross; all to be the Creator of the way for us to be reconciled to the Father: it seems amazingly clear to us that believe, but totally foolish to those that do not. 

  Besides all of that, we have them who not only do not believe the Gospel, they pretend that there is no God; as if the world created itself and transformed itself from nothing into something! It is pretty apparent to even the simplest minds, you cannot ignore the fact that there is a Creator; there is absolutely no way that things just fell into place. Everything is too complex for there to not have been a Designer of the entire universe, let alone, all the complexities of the world! 

  Imagine, if you will, how the simple fact that Jesus was put to shame, is very much the same as the illustration of Ezekiel acting out his people's deportation. On a much bigger scale, but in the same manner, we must be exiled from this life, as it where, just as Christ was exiled from heaven to set us free. If the Master was put to shame, for us, how can we not expect the same shame, for serving Him? 

  That said, truth be told: the greater shame will be felt by those that refuse the message of the cross...

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:22-25 KJV) 

"Unrecognizable"

"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 in 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." (John 1:10-13 NLT)

  "Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected -a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care." (Isaiah 53:1-3 NLT)

  Maybe one of the most misunderstood portions of Scriptures in the Bible; not because they are some sort of a mystery or have too complex of a message, but because they speak of something we cannot fully know or understand, without having first received that which He gives: His Spirit! It is not that we can't visualize the concept of what is being said, because most people can understand the words and the way that message is delivered; but the spiritual concept of the change, that is something that is not easily held onto, because it is unrecognizable! 

  Even the most loyal follower, can be subject to misunderstanding, as was John the Baptist while he was in prison. Yes, the one who introduced Jesus to the word, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29 KJV) Even he had a moment of disenlightenment, when he had to question whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, or were they waiting for someone else to come and deliver them. 

  To make this something else, we can easily try and pretend it only is speaking about the physical appearance and the lack of knowledge people might have had of who Jesus really was. If that were the case, John the Baptist would have not have had to ask Him who He was, or have even doubted if He was who He said that He was: because John was the first to recognize Him as the Son of God! 

  I think the best example of what is beings said, can be illustrated by when Elijah went and hid at Mount Horeb, even after that he witnessed and took part is such a mighty display of God's amazing power and presence. It is really all about a matter of proper perspective...

"Again a message came to me from the LORD: "Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. "So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels. Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands. Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it. As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel."" (Ezekiel 12:1-6 NLT)  

"To Render Evident" -Too

 "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9 KJV)

  "For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without the law shall perish without the law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and there thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Romans 2:11-16 KJV)

  As I have said before, there will be no excuses before God, at the day of judgment! The absolute best thing that we can do now, is to make no excuses before God right now, before it is too late: plead our case now, because there will be no chance to plead and beg for mercy on the day of judgment! Another great example of why it is so important to grab hold of the Free Gift that God has to offer. Do it now, why you still can, because there may not be another opportunity offered; just saying! 

  In the beginning, there was a Flaming Sword that was placed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden; it was placed there to guard the Tree of Life. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is what caused man to fall, not because there was some sort of enlightenment given by that fruit; but because the Light of God had been taken away from Adam and Eve because of there sin. It was the fact of the fruit having been forbidden by God to eat: that in eating it, their sin, trespass, and iniquity had all been performed in one single act of rebellion against God's command. 

  The amazing fact is, that David's sin with Bathsheba accomplished that same result: all three of those levels of sin were brought forth in his one little fling. The difference between Adam and David was what they did when they were exposed: Adam made excuses, David pleaded for mercy! I know it is something of a mystery, but God is a God of Mercy! 

  There is Good News for all that come to God asking for mercy! That is the Gospel that Paul is referring to in Romans 2:16; because in the day of judgment, all will be judged for there sins, both known and unknown! Except, there is a Clause! There will be a vast amount of people which will have no sins! All their sins will be gone and will have been washed away! But, that is only made possible if you can lose those sins now, because after death, is judgment...

"When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he lain his right hand upon me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look -I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."" (Revelation 1:12-18 NLT)   

"To Render Evident"

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9 KJV)

  "This is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:5-8 KJV)

  The truth is for setting us free; which is a message I heard the other day and was waiting for today in order to share this message along side of it. The concept of religion is that of one that is bound to a certain belief; which is not a bad thing in and of itself, except for the fact the Christ Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of the law! God did not give us the law to place us in bondage: He gave us the law in order to show us our great need to be set free! 

  If you could imagine what it might feel like to be trapped in a pit of darkness, and then be exposed to the Light of freedom: this is the concept of what we are trying to look upon today; and it works both ways! The Light is rendered evident because it effects change; those that are given or receive the Light are rendered evident because they are changed, and they know it! 

  Oddly enough, it is sometimes sad to say, every man or woman is effected by the Light, whether they even know it or not. When you have an encounter with Christ, He knocks upon your heart to offer you a chance to be set free from sin. When you accept this offer being made, you are not only set free from your sins, but you are set free from the bondage of the law that made you a sinner. When you refuse to open that door to Christ, you are hardened to the Light that was offered, making yourself offended to the Light, because you prefer darkness instead. 

  In other words, your rejection of the Light is not going to work to your benefit, as if to give you the freedom you might think that it will, but because you have been exposed to the Light, your sins have been made evident, and your heart is made harder to overcome what you now know. But do not be without hope, if you feel that might be you: even the hardest heart can be broken! 

  I remember something we would kid about in jail, those of us that had been set free: that we did not need anyone to tell us we were sinners, because the crimes we were doing time for bear us witness, we were sinners indeed! As a matter of fact, until about five minutes before I started this post, my title was going to be just that: "Indeed!" 

  You know how I know that my salvation is real, because Jesus shows me it is real, by His Word...

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 KJV)