Testimony... One with God: January 2020

When I read God's Word, I hear Him speak

Since 1998, I have been reading God's Word nearly daily. Through my time with Him, I hear God speak to me. It's not audible. God just makes His Word evident to me. Those lessons are many times reinforced by messages delivered by teaching pastors and sharing with others who study God's Word. I used to write the messages in the margins of my Bible. Needless to say, my Bible is filling up with messages. In 2006, I started to be more intentional about writing God's lessons to me in a journal. Because God is just sharing so much with me, I feel the burning need to share with others. (Jeremiah 20:9) I am hoping that through this blog, folks will join me as we read, hear God and discuss what we've learned. This isn't so we can simply increase our knowledge about God or to spout off Scripture to impress people. This is so we can really come to know God, and get a greater meaning of His truths so we can go out and live them. God said that if we love Him, then we will obey His commands. (John 4:23-24) And James said don't just listen to (or read) the Word and think that's good enough; you're just deceiving yourself. Live the Word. (Rose's paraphrase of James 1:22) It's similar to this great quote people are passing around now... Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. So, join me as we learn from God and what He wants us to do. Then let's encourage one another to live it as a testimony to God so that people know He is who He says He is.

Monday, January 6, 2020

God in a Bod

God's plan was and is to:

Create the universe and the world, and everything in it.

Create mankind in His triune image of body, soul, spirit.

Subject all creation within the world to mankind's governance.

Fully loving mankind even knowing we would reject God in our lives, separating ourselves from Him.

Watching mankind sadly fall away from Him.

Loving mankind so much that He acts on the pre-creation plan to save all of mankind Himself, knowing we are incapable of saving ourselves.

Causes Himself to be born human in order to relate to mankind.

Chooses His human family to be of no earthly worth, no influence, and no significance.

Chooses to be born into a life that would be persecuted and questioned without end.

Live a completely human life, with all of its mental and physical challenges, while living it as a perfect example of "Love God, Love Others".

Die a painful, humiliating, human death, both physically and emotionally, separated from God the Father to fulfill His plan. Meanwhile God the Father, watches His human self sacrifice His life completely, while God the Father forces Himself not to interfere so, His plan of redemption can be fulfilled.

Descending to Sheol to release those human souls who believed in God and lived a life in anticipation of God's intervention; as He proclaims that the time of God's restoration has been ushered in.

Accepting the sacrificial payment of His human self, to pay the un-payable debt for all of mankind, to restore the familial relationship between God and mankind, and mankind to one another.

Loving His human self and His human creation so very much that He exerted power to bring His human self back to life.

Providing that power to all mankind through His Spirit to live within us, those who accept God as who He says He is.

Ascending into His heavenly realms where all creation, both in the physical and in the spiritual, are seen and known.

Placing all of creation back under the governing authority of a human... Jesus. God in a bod.

"Behold; I am making all things new." Revelation 21:5