"More Than Information"

"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me." Psalm 40:7 

The Bible is not just a book of information. It is a book of revelation. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. From cover to cover- from Genesis to Revelation- Jesus is its grand subject. 

 

Every account, every story, every chapter and practically every verse we read points to Jesus.

He is seen before the foundation of the world was ever laid. 

 

We see Him in the creation of all things-- for by Him all things we made and without Him nothing was made that is made. 

 

We see Him at the fall in the Garden of Eden. He is the Promised One who would come and crush the head of the serpent. 

 

We see Him in the ram that was caught in the thicket for Abraham. We see Him in the blood that was applied to the doorpost for the Israelites as protection their last night in Egypt, and the Passover Lamb. He was the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He was the fourth man in the fiery furnace. He is revealed through the stone in David's sling shot that brought down the giant. He was the rock that followed Israel in the wilderness from which water flowed, and the manna that came from heaven to provide their need. He was revealed in Ruth as the Kinsman redeemer. 

 

We see Him as God's great redemption plan of man. He was the suffering Savior. He was the One in Whom the Godhead resided bodily. He is the One who was dead but is now alive.  He was the One who revealed the Father and showed us His Father's great love by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. 

 

He is the One who is coming back again, only this time He is not coming wrapped in sinful flesh. He will not come as the dying Christ. He will not come as a man. The Bible reveals that He will be coming the second time in great power and glory. He will have a vesture that reads The Word of God, and upon His thigh is written King of kings and Lord of lords. He will put down His foes once and for all. He will establish His Kingdom on earth, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. 

 

As you read His Word, don't just gain more "Bible" knowledge. Don't just memorize another scripture so you can add it to your list. Read the person of Jesus in its words. Learn of Him. Discover who He is in its pages. Read it to discover the "Living Word".

 

Have a great day. The Bible is not just a book of information. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

 

For further reading:

Revelation 13:8; 19:12-16

John 1:3; 3:16

Colossians 1:16,17; 2:9

Genesis 3:15

"There Are Consequences"

"Only rebel not ye against the Lord..." Numbers 14:9a 

When the children of Israel would not go into the promised land because of the giants that were in the land, they then had to wander around in the wilderness for forty years. It was their unbelief that caused them to rebel against God and not do what He had told them to do. 

 

This may be an Old Testament story, but it is no different today. Rebellion against God brought consequences then and it still does now. They let fear from what they saw and heard cause them to not believe what God had said. God told them they were going to enter; their own senses told them it was impossible, and they would be killed. Therefore, they rebelled and would not let God take them in. 

 

If you are rebelling against what God has told you to do-- whether it is through unbelief, whether it is because you are letting someone else talk you out of it, even if it is because of your own feelings of inadequacy, or because of fear, or any number of other reasons-- the fact remains, there will be consequences for you to face. The Israelites faced them- they stayed in the wilderness for forty years. Jonah faced them- he got thrown overboard and swallowed up by a fish. You will face them too.

 

Is this you this morning? Are you rebelling against God and His Word? They rebelled by not going when God told them to go. Sometimes rebellion is in other areas. We rebel against God when we break the commandments by living in adultery or when we dishonor our parents. We rebel against God when we hold on to the tithes instead of giving them to Him. There are many ways and many reasons for our rebellion/disobedience to God. But regardless of what we are doing or not doing, and regardless of what our reason is we will still face some consequences because of it.

 

Have a great day. You can't rebel against God and His Word and not expect to face the consequences.

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 10:6,11

Hebrews 4:11

"Consider The Lilies"

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin." Matthew 6:28

I woke up with another song on my heart this morning. I know it is a word specifically for someone this morning. Believe it and receive it. 

 

We have a heavenly father above with eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low.  Consider the lilies and then you will know.

 

We have a heavenly Father who sits high but looks low and sees where we are. He loves us with an everlasting- not fleeting- love. He loves us unconditionally, not with limitations and conditions. His love is so great that the depth and breathe and length and height of it can't be measured. 

 

He loves you this morning. Just because you are going through trials and difficulties does not mean He doesn't love you, knows where you are or doesn't care about you. Go outside and look at the flowers. He created them. Do they work? Do they struggle for what they have? Are they beautiful or ugly? Who created them? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created them, He dressed them, He watches over them, He takes care of them, and He knows when one dies. 

 

Go outside and watch the birds. Listen to them chirp. Watch them gracefully fly through the air. Watch them build their nests. They don't work for their meal-- they simple pick up what the Heavenly Father has provided for them. They don't struggle to make ends meet. Look at how beautiful they are. Who created them? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created them, He gives them wings, He teaches them how to fly, He watches over them, He takes care of them, and He knows when one of them falls to the earth and dies.

 

Who created you? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created you; He dresses you; He watches over you, He provides for you, He takes care of you, He knows when you are in trouble, and He knows when you die. He knows your beginning; He knows your end and He knows everything in between. 

 

You are of much more value to the heavenly Father than the flowers of the field. And if He takes such good care of a flower that only blooms once- it is here today and gone tomorrow- can't He and won't He take care of you also?

 

Have a great day. If you ever have any doubt that God cares about you, consider the lilies and you will know that He does.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:25-34

"Feeling At Home"

"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." Luke 19:5

"I must abide at thy house." Is Jesus abiding at your house? Does He have residence in your "heart" house? Have you invited Him in to live in your life? While others hated Zacchaeus, despised him, were bitter toward him, looked down upon him, viewed him as nothing, unworthy and worthless, Jesus desired to abide with him. 

 

Jesus desires to abide with you no matter how unworthy you feel that you are, or others make you feel. Your opinion of yourself, and other's opinion of you, doesn't stop His love for you and His desire to live in your life. 

 

Now that we have talked about your "spiritual house"- your life- let's talk about your "physical house"- where you dwell. Is your house a place where Jesus feels comfortable? Does He have free course and liberty to every room in your house? Or are there conditions and limitations as to where He can go? Is He kept out of certain rooms because you watch pornography on your computer there? Does He feel comfortable sitting in your family room with you while you watch television? Or are the shows something that He doesn't approve of because they are filled with violence, cursing, adultery and immorality? Does He feel lonely in your "prayer closet" because He goes there by Himself because you are too busy doing other things to take time to enjoy that place with Him? Would He "blush" at the conversations you have with your family at the dinner table, or would He be able to join in freely? 

 

They say that "home is where the heart is". Is Jesus at home in your heart? Is He at home in your house because His heart is there in every room?

 

Have a great day. Is your heart a home for Jesus? And does He feel right at home in your house?

 

For further reading:

Luke 19:5-7

"His Perfectly Timed Answer"

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24 

God always answers our prayers, even though there are times when we feel as if He doesn't. When He answers them, He answers them on His own timetable-- not ours. There are three timings that the Lord answers in: before, during and at the end. 

 

He answers before.  There are times when He will speak a word to us before we even need a word or answer. When Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat to go to the other side of the lake, He was telling them that they would get to the other side, even before a storm came that they thought would drown them. 

He answers during. When the three Hebrews were faced with threats of being thrown into the fiery furnace, they didn't receive their answer before they were thrown in. They were thrown into the furnace and while they were in there the king looked in and saw four men instead three. He declared that the fourth man looked like the Son of God. They received their answer during the situation.

 

He answers at the end. When Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him to the Lord, Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the offering was. God didn't answer with a lamb at the base of the mountain, or during the climb up the mountain. He didn't answer while Abraham was building the altar. Nor did He answer when Abraham was binding his son to the altar. He answered when Abraham had the knife drawn and was about to slay him. His answer came at the end of his trial. 

 

God answers according to His time based on His Sovereignty. Whether He gives us a word before the trial comes, during it or at the end His timing is perfect. He doesn't always give it to us when we want it. Our timing is not perfect. Our timing is not based on all and perfect knowledge. But God's timing is perfect and has passed through the all-knowing counsel of His own will. 

 

God always answers us, though not always when we want Him to. But His answer will come at the perfect time.

 

Have a great day. God doesn't always answer according to our timing but when He answers, it is perfectly timed. 

 

For further reading:

Genesis 22:7-12

Daniel 3:20-25

Ephesians 1:11