It Can't Get Much Better!

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

When we have Sunday school we use no other book but the Bible. Why do we need any other book anyway? The scripture above shows us one of the greatest truths: the WORD was and is...Jesus...and the Book. We dissect scripture in Sunday school. It takes weeks to get through a book of the Bible. It's life. It's rich. It's true. And it happens to be the bulk of this blog! 

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

So, we're finishing up 1Timothy. And what we discussed in much detail in Sunday school today were these verses:

COMMAND those who are rich in this present age not to be HAUGHTY, nor to TRUST in uncertain riches BUT IN the living God, WHO GIVES US RICHLY all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be RICH in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves A GOOD FOUNDATION for the time to come, that they may lay hold on ETERNAL LIFE. (1Timothy 6:17-19)

There is nothing wrong, as we discussed, with having riches. Even the poorest in this country are rich compared to other countries. But, there's an even greater thing we can have that produces riches that far surpass the things in this world. Sooooo...as I pondered these words from 1Timothy, more came to me:

...NO OTHER foundation can anyone lay THAN THAT which is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. (1Corinthians 3:11) The Foundation (hah, FOUND-ation) that is Christ, the Word of God. The greatest Treasure to be FOUND.  Foundation: a body or ground on which other parts REST or are overlaid.  Strong's Concordance's definition of foundation in this verse: the foundations, beginnings, first principals; of institution or system of truth. Not only is He above all things but the solid ground beneath. And all things in between for those who desire Him. We are called to rest in Him. He holds the greatest system of truth being He is the Truth. Foundation - beginning (and the end) - first. It doesn't get much better. 

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; BUT lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For WHERE your treasure is, THERE your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

And there's a promise for anyone who seeks these better things:

I will give you the TREASURES of darkness and hidden RICHES of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. (Isaiah 45:3)

And there's even more! 

...as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the THINGS WHICH God HAS PREPARED for those who love Him. (1Corinthians 2:9)

                                                                          

His Spirit will let our spirits know the deeper things of God. These are the treasures we should seek. 

Thank You, my God, for trusting me with just a hint of those treasures! May my desire for more continue to grow. May nothing, absolutely nothing, take this desire away. No thing, no person, no trial. May this desire be met by You and revelation knowledge be passed on to me. I want to continually grow in Your wisdom and knowledge. 

Oh myyyyy...

Matthew 6:31-33 - Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Early in the Morning

Psalm 63:1 - O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. 

I've been drinking a lot more water these days. And that means getting up several times in the night! The other night I watched the full moon for signs of the total eclipse. I didn't know what time it would be. By 5:11 I saw it in its process. It was then I decided I was up for the day.

I marveled as I kept checking the windows at how the eclipse was playing slowly out. To think that the earth, sun and moon had to be in perfect alignment, as if I'd never given it a thought before, gave me pause yet again to think on God's marvelous creation. Nothing is by chance but by His order. He set the stars in the skies, knows each by name and He holds them there till it's time for them to fall.

It caused me to praise Him early. It caused me to worship Him for all that He is. Our pastor sent out a devotion earlier this week that spoke of God speaking to us early in the morning. I thought of Eli whom God was calling for in the middle of the night. I believe He quietly spoke as I contemplated the eclipse...and then some. And it seemed like the middle of the night!

The day before I received Christ I was told by my sister-in-law that she heard God speak. It instantly brought tears to my eyes and I emphatically said, I want that! These were words coming from someone who was pushing as hard as she could against giving herself to a Man who I was certain I already knew...in my head, but not my heart. Oh, gotta love the power of God! NO ONE IS IMMUNE. He can break through the toughest hearts. Beware! Or Be aware.

There is something so wonderful about starting the day with Him. Days go more smoothly. They can be more peaceful...and purposeful. His Word is alive. And He lives in Me. He can live in anyone who calls on His name for the salvation of their soul. And don't think that ain't necessary, this salvation of the soul. He will speak to anyone who wants this.

Funny...I read this final scripture and shared it (the entire chapter, actually) with a woman I had and email discourse with yesterday. God is speaking. I have a sign in our dining room: God still speaks to those who take the time to listen. Take the time...

Isaiah 26:9 - With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early...

What Do You Seek?

John 1:35-42

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"
They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"
He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

Again, there were many who knew of a coming Messiah. They anticipated His arrival, hoping for relief from Roman rule. While Jesus' whole baptism was not mentioned in the Book of John, it had occurred when John mentioned seeing the Spirit descending like a dove and remaining.

John again proclaims the words, "Behold the Lamb of God." Andrew and Simon Peter stood with John as he spoke the words. I can only imagine the awe they felt yet doubt if they fully understood the impact the next few moments would have.

Why the Lamb of God? Hebrew sacrifices meant offering up a blood sacrifice of some sort to atone for the people's sins. They may not have known it yet, but the Lamb of God were prophetic words for what Jesus was to become before the very eyes of many.

While these disciples said they found the Messiah, had they really found Him or had He walked into their lives, as He knew He would? Didn't He already know all things as they would happen? After all, He was God. He commanded a presence of some sort I'm sure and caused Andrew and Simon Peter to follow without hesitation.

We never find God. He reveals Himself to us and if we choose, we follow. When a person comes into relationship with Christ, something changes them, and others might notice and claim "they found God." But it's because "they" allowed God to touch their heart and allowed a transformation to take place.

Jesus chose Andrew and Simon Peter. This is mentioned in the other Gospel accounts. They were just willing individuals to let go of the lives they knew to follow One in whom they believed. We can do the same. If we are willing we see things differently, think differently, act differently and sometimes talk differently. Our interests change. Sometimes others like it, sometimes not. Sometimes we are rejected. We have a new family and new friends.  It's part of the process.

Jesus sees who we can be in Him. He saw it in Simon Peter. He already knew this impetuous man would lead His sheep some day. He knew that Peter would be the stone, or rock, having a firm foundation himself in Christ.

Jesus asked, What do you seek? They sought a political Messiah but would get much more than anticipated. I didn't seek God. I rejected Him until one day He touched my life and when I responded the seeking began. Now I wanted Him. But He sought me first and let me know it was He that I needed. In time I realized it wasn't about what was so familiar in my day to day life that I needed. It was He and what He offered that was necessary. What do you seek? He knows what you need.

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure. (Matthew 6:32-33, Isaiah 33:6)

Without the Lord

Joshua 24:7,8,10,11- ...He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them...I gave them into your hand...and I destroyed them from before you...So I delivered you out of his hand...I delivered them into your hand.

Joshua was old and about to end his life and leadership role with Israel. They had crossed over the Jordan to secure the land God had promised them. Joshua, like Moses, was reminding the of all God had done for them. What HE did for them. Joshua was also telling them that when they disobeyed God and began to worship other gods instead the LORD's anger would burn against them and they would perish from this land He had given them (Joshua 23). He was prophesying their future.

But for now they were right in God's eyes. He had protected them as they crossed over the Jordan and caused them to win battle after battle to secure their land by giving the enemy into their hands. Perhaps they were good battlers, perhaps not. It was only by God's hand that they won.

When we come to Christ, it is the same way. It is nothing that we do to secure His salvation. We can't be good enough or work hard enough. We come when we have come to the end of some battle in our lives and we allow the Lord to step in. That thing that has kept us from giving our hearts to God was given into His hand. And He has delivered us.

God has spiritually given us: a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. (Joshua 24:13) This is our spiritual promised land. We did not labor or build or plant. All we had to do was receive what the Lord offered.

And what does the Lord ask in return? Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! (Joshua 24:14) Serve the Lord!

For many this seems old fashioned, for those days, not today. It is not what today's society would believe to be necessary. Days are getting short and it's time to take the Lord seriously. It's time to listen to His words that are timeless. It's time to put two and two together and realize there will be a day when we will have nowhere else to turn but God.

I was watching some of the Boston bombing news. I began to weep for the people in general. For those lost and questioning why these senseless things occur and who would even want to do this. I pray that God intervenes in some miraculous way in the lives of many, if not all, the people injured and their families, and those who viewed the events of the morning. I pray that once again people will begin to look up and not just to man. God can cause good to come out of evil. He can cause people to turn to Him. As long as we turn our backs on God, however, our enemy will strike.

We've had it all too good over the past several decades. Our belief that nothing can happen to us has been damaged. It has changed our attitudes. We keep upping the determination to be stronger and more secure. Reliance on self or government has replaced reliance on God. When they disobeyed God and began to worship other gods instead the LORD's anger would burn against them. Could that be happening? Don't laugh. Our reliance on all the good things we've had can be erased in a moment's notice. Even lives. But if we have stored up the things of heaven we can be content with little more than just enough. If we seek Him first all other things...all other necessary things...will be given to us. But most important is what He provides through His Son Jesus: eternal life. What more could a person want?

Joshua prophesied what would transpire for Israel. It has happened to us too in our attempt to eliminate God and serve the gods of our own choosing.

Joshua 24:15 - And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.