This blog entry was written by Dawn. I have known her for many years. I consider Dawn and her family as dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord. They are members of Mount Zion Road Church and most importantly, they are faithful followers of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful that she was willing to allow me to post this entry on my website. The devotion is both meaningful and encouraging. I pray that you find her words to be a blessing as you read. To God be the glory!
You know how you go to a get together and someone brought a food item that you really like. You go back for seconds, you tell people around you how much you enjoy it. And because you enjoy it so much, you need the recipe because you absolutely must make this dish so you can enjoy again! So you have to find out who made this dish so you can ask them for the recipe. It’s a compliment when people ask for your recipe—-you know someone enjoyed what you shared and it had a positive effect.
In Sunday School this past spring, we had a discussion that resulted in a comment about a recipe. I honestly can’t remember exactly what we were talking about. We often have good discussions in SS. But the essence of the comment is our lives should reflect our love for Christ, so much so that people want our recipe. They want to know what sets us apart, what ingredients we’re using. Life isn’t easy—we know it is full of hills and valleys. The beauty of traversing life is knowing who is leading us and how we can reflect Him during the hills and valleys. In our words. In our actions. Trusting when we don’t understand, worshipping when we feel sadness and disappointment, and crying and kneeling beside the knee of our Father. Praising because God is sovereign and good through it all. Confident that He will use our random ingredients to create a masterpiece.
What if our attempt at the recipe doesn’t turn out? We undercook it, overcook it, forget a seasoning. Do we give up? No, alot of times you might contact the person to ask them how they make their specialty. You go to the source. You ask questions and learn from your mistakes. The same is true in our faith journey. Some days our recipe will shine and many will want it. Other days, our recipe may be burnt or feel ruined, and it seems like no one wants it. How do we improve the dish? Practice and study. You study the ingredients and the instructions. You ask questions about what you don’t understand and you make the dish again.
Someday, our dish will be absolutely perfect. But until that day, keep studying the word, seeking God, and – as it says in 2 Peter 1 keep adding to your faith.
2 Peter 1:5-11 (NIRV)
So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith. To goodness, add knowledge. 6 To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness. 7 To godliness, add kindness for one another. And to kindness for one another, add love. 8 All these things should describe you more and more. They will make you useful and fruitful as you know our Lord Jesus Christ better. 9 But what if these things don’t describe someone at all? Then that person can’t see very well. In fact, they are blind. They have forgotten that their past sins have been washed away.
10 My brothers and sisters, try very hard to show that God has appointed you to be saved. Try hard to show that he has chosen you. If you do everything I have just said, you will never trip and fall. 11 You will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom that lasts forever. It is the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This blog entry is taken from a chapter in my book. My book is titled, For Valor: Defending the Faith for those of Worth. The book is available on my website corbyshuey.com. It is also available at Skywatchtv.com as a package along with Dr. Michael Lake’s book, The Kingdom Warrior. I pray that God may be glorified, as I seek only to do His will and exalt the Name of our King, Jesus.To God and to God only be the glory!
12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heartthat falls away from the living God.13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.
-Hebrews 3:12-14 NASB95
In the book of Exodus Moses comes down from Mt. Sinai and sees the people of God worshipping a golden calf. Because of the lackluster leadership of Aaron, the people fell victim to old patterns of behavior. Egypt was still alive and active in them. The voices of those who allowed corruption into their hearts overshadowed the voices of those who stood to defend the Name of God. The people, therefore, fell victim to weak leadership and a minority of aggressive individuals with loud voices. Sounds familiar to our ears, does it not? The Holy Word of God gives account of this event as follows:
19 It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.
21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25 Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” 28 So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today (Exodus 32:19-29 NASB95).
We find ourselves, as people of faith in the One True God, at this very juncture. The people are out of control due to the veracity of unrepentant sin. Egypt burns brightly in the desires of the hearts of mankind in our day. The sin nature has been allowed to go unchecked due to the lackluster leadership. The Word of God has been permitted to be criticized as mere fiction in the eyes of the deceived. We find ourselves, like Moses, looking upon a people who have gone out of control both in and out of the church. The Word of God tells us the response of Moses in verse twenty six. “Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” Moses called for those who were willing to defend the name of God to take a stand against the evil who had been allowed to run rampant in the camp. Unfortunately, only a few were willing to stand. Only the sons of Levi had the courage to stand in defense of the Lord. Because of this, God brought judgment upon those who refused to stand. My question to you then is this, will you stand? Will you defend the name of your Savior in a world that chases after the unbridled imaginings of the sin nature? Let me be clear, I in no way advocate violence in making these statements. In our defense of God, we can never act in violence toward another. What I do advocate for is that we become a people who are willing to pick up the Sword of the Word. We must place this Sword upon our mouths and speak truth over the people. We must place this Sword upon our hearts so that we can be guided by His Will, determined to preserve faith in God Almighty for those of worth. Will you, like the sons of Levi, fight for your King?
I leave this subject for now, as we will come back to it later. I know that what has been written thus far can feel overwhelming or portray a sense of foreboding when considering the scale of the fight of faith that we find ourselves laboring within. But I do not write with intent to frighten anyone. My intent is not to discourage, but to warn and encourage His church to walk in His authority. My intent in writing what has thus far been stated is in an attempt to expose the treachery of our enemy. Our common enemy works tirelessly to speak the enchantment of chaos over those who close their ears to the Word of Truth. I do not write to scare, but to warn. God is not surprised by any of this. God knows the plight that we suffer through to walk out our faith. God knows our struggles, both internally and externally, as we interact with the world. God knows. We are not alone. The Almighty God, the author of the universe, the Father of Salvation, fights for us. Fight therefore! Fight the good fight of faith with the Spirit of the Living God dwelling in your heart. Fight, for He is with you. Fight to be a true witness of the Gospel of Salvation in a world that so desperately needs hope. But especially, fight for those who come after you. Fight for those of worth. Fight for our children, for they are worthy. With these words we have come to the premise of this writing. Knowing the chaos that is unfolding before our very eyes, I ask, are you willing to fight? Is the next generation valuable enough to motivate you to stand in your God given authority and push back against the serpent who whispers lies? Do you love the Lord your God enough to respond when He calls forth: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me (Isaiah 6:8 NASB95)!” He is calling for you. He is calling for you to defend the faith. “12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end (Hebrews 13:12-14 NASB95).” Today is still called today! Hold fast to the hand of our Savior. He is our assurance and ever-present source of hope. Participate in your walk of faith for the promise of Christ.
Before closing this section, I want to give one final warning. I do not want to dwell on the difficulties we face regarding faith, but as I stated earlier, a herald who offers warning without the weight of evidence finds no listeners. The warning, without evidence, becomes an empty cry blown asunder by the wind of chaos. I, therefore, and we as the people of God must take our faith seriously. We cannot afford to simply wear the appearance of a Christian externally while disregarding the responsibility of internal submission to the will of the Father. Our faith must be internal resulting in transformation. Our faith is a choice we must make leading to the circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6). The Gospel of salvation is transformative. Especially in the times in which we live, we cannot afford to stagnate into complacent acceptance of a world that actively seeks to suppress truth (Romans 1:18). Our enemy seeks to destroy the knowledge of God. The enemy wants to quench the fire burning within those of faith so that we do not pass on the knowledge of God to those who come after. The enemy wants to distract us from passing the fire to our children. This vile creature wants to remove the Name of Salvation from the lips of our children. The serpent thirsts to deceive the pure of heart in an effort to control the masses. Hitler shared a similar opinion as he fought to bring about German totalitarianism. Hitler is quoted as stating, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”[1] The enemies of God’s family strive to gain the future through the destruction of the present. If you will not fight for your children, there is one who will. He stands as King of Mt. Zion waiting to return to in order to put an end to lies. I implore you therefore, to take your stand as God’s Kingdom Priest and defend the faith for the time is short. Hold your ground. Fight for faith. Fight for the next generation. Fight, because we bear the name of a King!
In the devotional book “My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers reminds us of our purpose. A devotional entry titled “Destined to be Holy,” Chambers wrote the following.
“We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.”[1]
Chambers was born in 1874 and died in 1917. Admittedly this was a dynamic time historically. This period in history finds itself in what is considered the industrial revolution. There were enormous innovations developed during this period that forever changed industry, education and culture. It is not surprising then to read Chamber’s warning of the distractions of everyday life.
I wonder what he may think if given the opportunity to view the world as we dwell in it this day. We live in a world that is almost nothing but distraction. We can be entertained by various forms of media twenty-four hours a day continually for the remainder of our lives, if we so choose. We are inundated both visually and auditorily with external stimulation being projected upon us. At no other point in history did the human race need to sort through the plethora of stimulation as we do today.
Not only is it disturbing to recognize the breadth of distraction we wade through on a daily basis, it is all the more disturbing if we consider the content of most of the distractions offered by the secular world. The world we live in celebrates depravity with unprecedented fervor. The warning offered by the prophet Isaiah made reality before our very eyes.
“20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight (Isaiah 5:20-21 NASB95)!”
It is this day that the words of Oswald Chambers are all the more vital for us to consider. He offers this encouragement as stated earlier. “The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.” Without a right relationship with our Almighty Creator, we are lost to a dismal existence. Apart from God we are condemned in a world of temporal pleasures that will never be fully satisfied as our sinful nature is never content with just enough. Therefore make an effort to be set apart. To be holy as our God is Holy. Our faith in Jesus as our Savior grants us access to a choice. Salvation sets us free from slavery to the sin nature. In this freedom, we are given a choice. We are destined to choose. Do you choose complacency with a world that is rife with evil and set to suffer the wrath of the Almighty or do you choose to step out of the desert and into the promise?
[1] Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest (Discovery House. Grand Rapids, MI 2015)
Integrity seems to be a condition of being that is becoming lost in our current culture. We appear to be slowly drifting away from walking as people who cling to integrity. Choosing rather to be guided by pride, greed, lust or selfish ambition. The exaltation of the self is the goal in a world that does not cherish the instruction found in God’s Holy Word.
The Lord calls us to be a people of integrity. The Lord encourages us in His Word,
“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them (Proverbs 11:1-3 NASB95).”
I have attached a Scriptural word study regarding the term integrity. It is in PDF format that can be downloaded and printed. I attached it for your use in the hope that it will be a blessing to those who work through the study. I pray that the Lord equips you to walk in faith with integrity as we humbly seek out His counsel. We need it, this is certain.
Please feel free to share the study as the Lord leads. Also take the time to visit my website corbyshuey.com for additional books and Bible studies. Lastly, I used the NASB95 translation of our Bible to write the study. Wording may have slight variation in other translations.
In the Name of our King and Savior, Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!
14 The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his. 15 The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps. 16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. 17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated. 18 The naive inherit foolishness, But the sensible are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:14-18 NASB95)
A few weeks ago I used the term entropy in a sermonto discuss a choice that we all must make in our walk of faith. I explained that entropy is a physics term that describes the regression of matter and energy toward disorder.[1] Over the course of time, both matter and energy trend toward disorder unless acted upon by a higher authority. I made this comparison to comment on the trend that is found in our fallen state as humanity. We can trend toward disorder if the sin nature is left unchecked. We as people who are free to function according to our sin nature will regress, perpetually toward disorder, chaos and sin. Progressively do we regress toward greater calamity. It is therefore vital that we press into God as the only source of immutable truth, order and encouragement. Faith in God will always build us up and establish us upon a firm foundation (Matt 7:24-26).
In the verses I quoted from the book of Proverbs, Solomon is talking about this natural trend toward disorder in humanity as we struggle against the influence of temptation and sin. Solomon makes a stark comparison between one who strives to seek God and one who allows entropy or the regression to be a predominant influence in their lives. Solomon speaks of the backslider in heart and the one who is naïve. The backslider in heart is one who should know better, yet they allow themselves to fall prey to regression and conformity with this world. The naïve is one who believes everything but takes no firm position on anything. In both cases they will be given the fill of themselves. Regression toward chaos in the exaltation of the self as the self becomes the source of personal authority. Entropy and disorder is received because the immutability of God’s Word is rejected. Foolishness and carelessness characterize those who fall victim to progressive regression.
Sin is regression. Sin is conformity. Sin is a passive choice. It is without effort that we allow ourselves to fall victim to sin because a natural trend in the fallen state of our nature as humanity resonates with sinfulness. Entropy, regression and falling away from the things of God are easy. It takes not effort to regress. Nothing is added, improved or enhanced in regression. There is only loss. Progressive regression is passive gravitation toward conformity. Regression toward conformity with a world that is choosing to run toward darkness, unreservedly. Progressive regression is conformity with the sin nature. Conformity with sin comes easily for those who reject the truth of God’s Word.
On the other hand, those who strive to seek God will walk with caution and turn from evil. They will be equipped with knowledge and determination to stand firmly planted upon the Word of truth. God will build up. He will impart to us discernment and knowledge leading us to be able to stand firmly on a foundation that will not be shaken. Those who choose to walk in faith with God will be in covenant with a King who has overcome.
Matter naturally regresses into chaos without the intervention of a higher authority. As matter regresses, so too can we (metaphorically) regress if we are not pressing into God. If we reject seeking out His righteousness, we can trend toward disorder. Faith is not a passive choice. To choose faith requires an active, determined choice to cling to the truth of His Word. Faith is then a choice that we must make. Faith is not found in passivity or conformity to the culture. Faith is not the product of progressive regression toward disorder. Faith is deliverance from chaos. Our Savior delivers us from sin. Therefore, I pray that you choose faith. I pray that you choose to be a disciple of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that you allow Him to equip you to actively follow your Messiah as He leads you according to His will. This is not passive, rather it is a faith that is alive and thriving. To God be the glory!
“42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:42-49 NASB).”
There is much to unpack in this passage of Scripture. I cannot elaborate on all that Paul talks about given the format of this letter. As I read these verses, there is one pronouncement that the Holy Spirit spoke, clearly to me through this exhortation by the Apostle Paul.
These verses, and really the entirety of 1 Corinthians 15, proclaim confidence in the Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus has the power to save. He is the first born of the dead; the last Adam, the only One in whom we can find life, eternal. He has the authority to bring hope to the perishable. He alone holds the capacity to raise the weak, making them strong. He gives honor to those who are dishonored, mercy to the meek. He pours out His love, unconditionally, to those cry out for a Savior. He gives His peace to the broken, offering them rest. He imparts upon us, His righteousness making us a people who bear His image. We are a testimony of His legacy of redemption and hope to a world that is suffering.
Have confidence, therefore, and know that He is our God (Psalm 46:10). He is with us! He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). He gives us this promise so that we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper, and I will not be afraid (Hebrews 13:6). “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).” Brothers and Sisters, we dwell in the pasture of a King reigning over an eternal Kingdom!
As the prophet Isaiah writes in this promise that is for now as well as for a time that is yet to come.
“15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest. 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field. 17 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever 18 Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places (Isaiah 32:15-18 NASB).”
This promise is for now because we are indwelt by His Spirit of Righteousness. He has set a place for us at His table and He offers us rest in our time of distress (Psalm 23). Yet this promise is also for a time to come as we look forward to the day when the King of Peace will crack the sky with a trumpet blast declaring final victory over the enemies of righteousness. Hallelujah, praise to our King! We are His now and forever! Have confidence and be at peace, because He is our God, AMEN!
“7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:14-19 NASB95).”
The title of this writing was inspired by a devotion written by Charles Spurgeon. In this devotion, Spurgeon makes the comment, Christians, meditate often on heaven. He makes this comment as he contemplates the temporal nature of this life and the eternal promises of the life to come. The exhortation to the reader being that of clinging to hope and expectation for the fullness of the Lord’s promises.
I find it fitting to be reminded of our eternal home. So often in this life we are bogged down with the trials of the everyday. We have tasks to accomplish and work to be done. The more we work to get the list of things done in the day seems to give way only to additions to the list of tasks yet to be finished. The repetition of the day can be draining.
The verses above taken from the book of 1 John serve as a reminder of where our faith should be. John encourages us to know that God is love. And in this love, Jesus came to us in order to Redeem us. John refers to us as beloved, and this we are. We are beloved children of an Almighty Father. As God loved us, so too should we love one another.
Abide in love and we abide in God. Let your mind dwell on His love for you. Abide in Him and by this, love is perfected. His love causes us to be lifted up in faith bringing confidence in His promises. Cling to the Salvation that He offers, because in love there is no fear. Our faith restores us into His hands of protection. Therefore Christians, meditate often on the things of heaven.
The title of the book, Deuteronomy, sounds foreign to the English speaking ear. The title of the book is based on a transliteration of a word originally taken from an early Greek rendering of our Bible. The original Greek title reads as follows, Deuteronomion. This term is made up of two Greek words: deutero, meaning second and nomos meaning law. The book was given this name by early Greek translators because they saw the book as a repetition of the instructions Moses gave earlier in Scripture.
While the title of the book Deuteronomy bears the marks of Greek influence, it was originally written in Hebrew. The actual, Hebrew title of the book is: דְּבָרִים (devarim). This Hebrew word simply means words. They referred to the book of Deuteronomy as devarim (words). They saw the book as instruction, inspiration and encouragement from a loving God, devarim. As I thought on the title devarim, I was inspired to ponder the miracle of words. The Lord inspired the following:
Devarim, “words,” sounds uttered through the vocal cords or lines configured in a discernable pattern often found suspended on the surface of paper. To convey meaning through the matrix of words seems so mundane. It is commonplace to speak or write our thoughts to another. More often than not we do not even take the time to recognize that we have the ability to convey meaning through words. Communicating is almost reduced to simply another natural body function that appears to happen as a result of life.
In this process of conveying meaning through words, we expect our message to be understood by our audience. Maybe the term expect is too strong a description, presuppose might be better. In our words, we presuppose that whomever our audience may be a general understanding of our message is comprehended. In our presupposition, the conveyance of meaning is assumed by the author of the words. Whether in written form or in speech, we utter decipherable bits of information that can be received and interpreted. Our words can be concrete, carrying a direct message. Our words can also be completely abstract allowing understanding to be left to context and emotion. Words can be powerful enough to drive men to achieve the apex of human greatness yet at the same time, those same words can drive men to perform the most heinous acts. Words can be heard and believed or they can be completely ignored as they fall upon those who choose to remain intentionally deaf.
What fleeting attention we give to our words. Like dust upon a breeze or a dandelion in the early spring releasing its seeds into the wind, words are scattered unreservedly. We rarely take the time to consider just what words are. We often fail to recognize the gift we have been given. In our words, we possess the ability to wield a complex messaging system. In both our speech and the written word, we have the capacity to encode and decode information. This not only in one language but many across the world. Many languages, each playing their own unique symphony of human intellect, a concert magnifying the beauty we can find in this life in which we have been blessed.
Our words are evidence of an intellect that is far beyond our own. Without an external, higher source of intelligence to draw from, where would such things as words originate? Why would the primordial man choose to take the time to talk? I imagine that in this secular view of early history prehistoric man was much more concerned about eating and being eaten rather than conveying meaning through words. The secular perspective of history paints such a picture of our beginnings. We began as an organism slightly more intelligent than an animal. And then throughout the course of millions of years we slowly developed the ability to communicate. This ability to communicate in written form only really coming to surface just over 3000 years ago, according to popular science.[1] What have we been doing with the time before we started to write? It is estimated from secular science that the first humans evolved some six million years ago. Other sources state that modern humanity evolved around 200,000 years ago.[2] If we are gracious and use the smaller number, that gives humanity roughly 197,000 years to develop the skill of communication. Not very productive track record. And even if we accept that communication evolved as we evolved in the view of secular science over this long period of time, one would assume that our ability to communicate would be more advanced than it is at present. Considering human development from this secular scientific viewpoint appears to me to be profoundly pessimistic. The glass is not half full, it is not even on the table and there is no water in sight. In my estimation, from this perspective, we are fortunate to be able to act with any sort of civility at all.
From the Christian perspective, we know that our ability to communicate did not develop over the course of millennia at a slower than molasses in winter pace. We know that we were endowed with the ability to communicate from the very moment God, our Creator, breathed life into the first man. “7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7 NASB).” The Lord God created the first human from the dust of the ground, breathing into him the breath of life. From the first moment on earth, humanity has been endowed with life given to us from the Father. We were and are created in His image bearing His attributes. We were created with the ability to think and reason as God gave humanity stewardship over the earth (Genesis 1:26-30). We have been created to communicate and to be in fellowship with God and with one another. Trial and error over the course of unfathomable lengths of time did not grant us the ability to communicate. The Word came to us in the beginning (John1:1) and in the Word there is life, abundant (John 10:10). Apart from this life there is only a pessimistic, desperate narrative of human suffering.
We are not pond scum that figured out how to talk. We are the images of an Almighty God who have been imparted the responsibility to represent His Eternal Kingdom (Genesis 1:27; Exodus 19:6; Revelation 1:6; Matthew 28:16-20). Because we walk on the earth to bear witness of the Almighty, we have been given His Word in what we call the Bible. This Word did not develop as a result of human evolution. We did not get our Bible because we figured out how to scratch lines onto a rock and then decide, corporately, to give those lines meaning. This Word was given to us by God, Himself (Deuteronomy 9:10-11) and through revelation of His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is almost beyond my comprehension that God would trust me, us, with His word. As I think on this even now, the thought of an All-Powerful God who can speak the vastness of creation into existence deemed it fitting to place His word in my hands and say I trust you child with the key to life and death. I trust you to carry My Name with integrity as you bear witness to My glory. What is more, a God who can design something so intangible and abstract as human consciousness blesses us with His characteristics. He gives us love, empathy, cognition, reason indiscriminately allowing humanity to use or abuse them at our own free-will. The grace poured out upon us is profound. What a blessing it is to be able to look upon His word with the eyes He has created for us. What a blessing to be able to page through His History with the fingers He has crafted for us. What an indescribable blessing it is to be able to think on the utterances of the One who holds all things within His grasp. A God who needs nothing from us, speaks directly to us in the intimacy of a devoted Father. Our limited human capacity to convey meaning through words fails to describe how amazing this truly is. What a wonder it is to be called a child of God. May we use our words to proclaim the good news of our King and Savior, Jesus!
“13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:13-18 ESV).”
To know God is to know love. As John tells us, “God is love (1 John 4:7).” Our faith in the Savior, restores a broken relationship, enabling us to become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. John instructs us in the reality that knowing God requires that we abide in Him. This means that we allow His Spirit to work through us, resulting in His presence being made known to those who do not know God. The manifestation of God’s love in the heart of His people is evidence of the presence of God abiding in them (1 John 4:13). He sent Jesus to be the propitiation (atonement) for sin. He did this because He loves us. Our response to this love, from God through the Son is part of the redemption story.
We are part of the redemption story. You are part of the expression of love from God for His creation. Because you said yes to the invitation of love from God resulting in the Salvation of your soul, you are part of the story. Because you called out in faith, because you have stretched out your hand to grab hold of His hand of Salvation, you have become part of the love story. Your willingness to turn to the Father, in love, makes love perfect. John tells us, “whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us (John 4:16-17).” Love poured out by God in sending us Messiah. Love embodied through the agony of the cross. Love triumphant at the dawn of Resurrection. Love perfected in the faith of His children as we are united with Love Eternal.
Let the love of God pour forth from your heart. Allow this love to be a vibrant testimony of hope. You are part of the love story. Have confidence, even as the world aligns itself with judgement. Have confidence because there is “no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). You are held in the hands of the Almighty. Whom shall you fear? Be His. Be an expression of His love for the hopeless. Be love, perfected in faith and upheld by our Savior, Jesus. To God be the glory, forever and ever and ever…Amen!
“9 This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:9-18 NASB95).”
The Light has come. The true Light. The Light of life and hope, peace and mercy. Jesus is the Light. He is the Light that enlivens the life of all who call Him Lord and Savior. He is the Light that enlightens every person who trusts in Him with the wisdom of God through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He has come into our world. He has come into our hearts. He has imparted upon us an everlasting hope in His truth through His appearing. He came to us because He loves us. He has given us the right, through faith, to be called the children of God, AMEN!!!
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 NASB95).” The Word became flesh, as the Apostle John described as He reflected on the first advent of our Messiah. The Word made flesh to impart an everlasting hope to the children of God. It is a hope that we are Redeemed by a God who knows us. He watches over us and He cares for us. We are not saved by a distant, unknowable deity. We are Saved by a God who made Himself known to us. Therefore we can have confidence in knowing the Name of Salvation, Jesus. King of King and Lord of Lords, our Savior came to this place to rescue us. To Him be glory, forever!
John described our God as he wrote, “No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:18 NASB95).” To know God is to know the Son. The Son being Jesus, the incarnation of the Almighty.The Word made flesh who walked among us, leading us along the path of righteousness. To God be the glory, for He is a God who saves!!!
It is during this time of the year that we remember the first advent or appearing of our Messiah, Jesus. He came to us in the innocence of a child (Luke 2:1-21). Born in a manger and under the shadow of the cross, Jesus the Word made flesh. The promises of God incarnate. The hope of resurrection fulfilled. The eternal King of glory, revealed. May you be filled with His Light of hope during this time. May you be reminded of the love He has for you, His child. May the grandeur of Salvation be made alive in your heart.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14 NIV).”
Corby Shuey 