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Determined

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“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.”  1 Cor. 15:58 

How do we remain steadfast in our faith when our lives seem to fall apart? Sitting in church, surrounded by people of like faith, singing songs of worship to God and listening to the encouraging words of other believers, our faith seems reasonable and steadfast. Yes, we proclaim, we will overcome and be victorious. Glory to God! 

But then, later in the day or perhaps the following day, our problems begin to creep back in and slowly weaken that victory we proclaimed. What will I do? Where is God in the midst of all this? 

Deeper and deeper we fall, grasping for a handhold that speaks of God and His promises to provide and care for us in every situation. Where is the light at the end of this very dark tunnel? There must be an answer. 

There is. The answers are all waiting for us in the Bible. Unfortunately, when we focus on the problems mounting all around, our feelings take over and guide us down a path of discontent, fear, insecurity, doubt and frustration. We want God to give us a break and solve the problems— even though we may be the cause. 

Perhaps living in a time when everything seems possible, every want seems likely to be fulfilled and every person seems promised to have it all, confuses and derails our faith in Christ. However, the Bible has warned us that our lives will have suffering, trials, and enemies for the sake of our faith in Christ.  

2 Peter 3:13  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. 

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

If we had joined a group of people dedicated to protecting our city against enemy foes who promised to destroy all of us, we would prepare for the impending battle. There would be classes teaching everyone how to stand firm against the foes. We would be prepared to possibly give our lives for the cause. We would take it seriously, keeping an eye to the horizon, ever-watchful, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.   

The fact is, we are in spiritual warfare, facing the enemy of our soul, Satan, who desires to destroy everything good. Without our faith intact, we are defenseless to defeat our greatest arch-enemy. Since he cannot take away our promise of eternal life, he can make us useless with fear, discouragement and despair. This is war and we are in the fight of our lives. Even so, God is now and will always be victorious over Satan. 

Isaiah 41:10  Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. 

As followers of Christ, that should be our attitude no matter the circumstance.  With Jesus as our Leader and Savior, we should not back down, allow fear to rule, feel inferior or hopeless. “He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind”-1 Timothy  1:7. 

Jesus, Himself, as he was facing certain torture and death, prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” ~Luke 22:42

Life After Death

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December 3, 2022


“He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” ~Jesus

Two men were discussing what happens after death here on earth and one of them said that since they were both Christians, it was certain that they would not really die but pass from this life into the next, living forever with God. However, the second man expressed doubts about that, saying he sure hoped it was true.
                Are you a Christian? Have you expressed faith in Jesus Christ? If so, the Bible promises that you will spend eternity with God. The following are Bible verses that give all Christians assurance of eternal life with God.
                John 11:25-26  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
                John 10:27-30  “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for my Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
                John 6:35-40  Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. . .For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me. . . And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given Me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
                John 6:47  “I assure you, anyone who believes in Me already has eternal life. Yes, I am the Bread of Life!”
                Romans 8:38  “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
                It is by faith that we are saved and our sins forgiven. It is by that same faith that we believe in eternal life with our Heavenly Father…without exception.

As Jesus was about to die on the cross, one of the thieves said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” To which Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” ~Luke 23:42-43 

Shortly thereafter, both Jesus and the thief “died.” But did they? What about Jesus’ promise? Both men “gave up the ghost” as the old saying goes, which means their spirits left their bodies. Those bodies were now decaying, they no longer contained real life. Because of his faith, the thief awoke in paradise with the Lord, as Jesus promised. All Christians, after our final breath on earth, will awake in the presence of the Lord.

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”  ~Revelation 1:18

His resurrection is a complete victory over death because not only will He never die again, He also now holds the keys to death and hades as Master and King over it.Those  in Christ have no fear because death is swallowed up in His victory ~1 Cor.15:54

Peace and Mercy

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Peace and Mercy 

November 19, 2022 

“Lord, how great is your mercy”  Psalm 119:156 

So many Christians struggle with past sins which dilutes their potential joy and peace in Christ Jesus. God’s word tells us that He will give us peace, a peace that passes human understanding. But we must walk in it. We must take hold of it and allow His peace, forgiveness and mercy to bathe us from head to toe, canceling out the past. God’s promises are stronger than our feeble feelings…if we allow them to be! 

Romans 15:13  “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Psalm 103:12  “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Isaiah 38:17  “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In Your [God] love you kept me  from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” 

Hebrews 9:14  “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” 

Colossians 3:5-10  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

Philippians 4:6-7  “Don’t worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.”

John 14:27  “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” 

Colossians 3:15  “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” 

Ephesians 2:3-5  “All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” 

In a way, our walk with Christ is similar to a skydiver. Before the flight, he checks all his gear, tests the straps, chutes and helmet. As they climb to diving altitude he mentally checks one more time, confident that everything is in place and in working order. 

Standing at the door, he is given the green light—time to jump. And now the heart-pumping thrill of free fall, plummeting toward the earth knowing that when he is ready, he can pull the cord and release his chute, the life-saving device that will prevent a crushing death. 

If he does not pull the cord, all his preparations would not matter. His brand new chute would not be released to spare his life and guide him safely to the earth. He would smash into the earth. He would die. 

In this analogy, God is our ripcord in the form of his forgiveness, mercy and peace. He has done everything necessary for us to live a life of peace, joy and mercy. He sent Jesus and then He gave us His Holy Spirit. He gave us all the gear we need for a safe and wonderful dive. It’s up to us to pull the cord! 

Capitalism & Democracy

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Capitalism and Democracy 

October 22, 2022

“…But she, out of her poverty, put in everything…” Mark 12:44 

Do the words capitalism and democracy have any relationship to Christianity? Do any of the Christian tenets align themselves with these words? No. Jesus Christ did not take his last breath (before His resurrection) on Calvary’s cross so we in this country could demand our individual rights and live in materialism. For true followers of Jesus, capitalism and democracy are polar opposites of how we should live. 

When we say something like, “God has really blessed us (our church, family, business)”, what do we usually mean? Most often we are referring to numbers in attendance, material possessions, or special favor. 

Until we realize capitalism and democracy have nothing to do with God’s Word, our understanding will be off center, warped. We must stop viewing the Scriptures through the filter that sees success as monetary gain or employment recognition (raise, promotion). 

As long as we continue viewing the Bible through capitalistic/democratic glasses, our spiritual vision will be skewed in favor of what’s best for us. Self-satisfaction. Remember, the Bible was not written in America. 

Mark 12:41-44  “As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had–she gave all she had to live on.” 

Philippians 4:11-13  “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” 

1 Timothy 6:6-10  “Well, religion does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have. What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing! So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires which pull them down to ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.”   

Hebrews 13:5  “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 

Matthew 6:19-21, 24  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 

 24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 

Matthew 5:42  “When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to him.” 

Luke 6:34-35  “And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked.” 

Now that we’ve read these verses and are left staring off into space, wondering how we got so far astray from God’s direction for our lives, we must make a choice. Do we give up our worldly goals and desires to be refined by our Lord and inherit the true rewards of eternal life or do we settle in for a reasonable life here on earth. After all, I do give some of my money each month…well, most months. 

James 4:4-8 “You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Or do you suppose that scripture is meaningless? Doesn’t God long for our faithfulness in the life he has given to us? But he gives us more grace. This is why it says, God stands against the proud, but favors the humble.  Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.  Come near to God, and he will come near to you.”  

Armor of God!

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Ephesians 6:10-18

New Living Translation

The Whole Armor of God
Our lives are involved in a daily battle, fought not against people who may aggravate and challenge us but rather spiritual battles fought against unseen demonic foes whose assignment is to fill us with fear, anger and frustration. On our own, we cannot defeat these powerful foes. However. protected by the armor of God, we are victorious. Our faith in God brings victory.

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 8:26-27)

7 Steps To A Changed Life!

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Bucharest Romania 1991

7 Steps To A Changed Life

August 6, 2022

“So be careful how you live” ~Ephesians 5:15

We’ve all seen the book titles; 7 Easy Steps To A Satisfied, Successful Life; 10 Steps To Financial Prosperity, and so on. But what if I could tell you there are “7 Steps To A Changed Life” and they can be found in the Bible? It’s true. Absolutely. Because, through faith in Christ, the power of God in our lives is the supernatural catalyst that propels us onward and upward in a cleansing stream of forgiveness and renewal which leads, ultimately, to eternal life with the King of Kings.

     Unlike other 7 Steps to Success plans, this one is not connected to a cost of hundreds of dollars, conferences and frustrating schemes that most of us cannot seem to grasp. These powerful steps are found in the Book of Ephesians, chapter five, verses 15-21 which follow:

  1. Be careful how you live. 
  2. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
  3. Make the  most of every opportunity in these evil days.
  4. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
  5. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
  6. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
  7. Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

     “But wait,” you say, “This is a fraud, just like all the other 7 Steps to something schemes. I’ve tried to be better, to trust God more, to be thankful for everything. And guess what, in a week or two, I’m right back where I was but with more guilt for failing again.”

     I fully understand  because we all have the same “tried to be better but failed” story. So why is that? How can I be a failure if God says I’m not? And how can I use these 7 Steps without the dreaded guilt of another failure in my life as a Christian?

     The answer comes in two parts. Part One is. . .you can’t! Why do you think we all fail at living better with 7 Steps of change? Because we are weak and addicted to sinful desires. 

     Part Two is. . .our faith in God has equipped us with all we need to overcome those destructive desires that lead to failure and discouragement. And, a list of rules or 7 Steps will never lead to spiritual success by themselves which is what the Law was all about. But Christ fulfilled the Law and brought with Him Grace and Mercy. Look at 2 Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 4-6:

     “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”  

     There it is. Simple? Yes. Easy? No! God has provided the only plausible, effective, victorious answer in that He’s given us His Holy Spirit who communicates directly with our Heavenly Father. Life is a daily endeavor. The past is gone. The future has not arrived. Unlike any other 7 Steps to Success book, the Bible can revolutionize our lives and bring personal victory as we sail through the treacherous waters of life with the Holy Spirit as our Captain because He receives our daily sailing orders from God Himself.

Galatians 3:2-3 

“Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? No! You received the Spirit because you heard the Good News and believed it. You began your life in Christ by the Spirit. Now do you try to continue it by your own power? That is foolish.” 

Time To Come Out

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Time To Come Out 

January 3, 2022 

“Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord”  2 Cor. 6:17 

            While reading an article, extolling the virtues of a famous person recently, I was amazed by his accomplishments and honors. Wondering how he had come to such a life I was struck by how easily I could admire someone whose life was deeply embedded in the world and its charms. And then I wondered if I had come out? 

            To come out is not a phrase unique to the 21st century and needn’t be limited to one’s sexual preferences, instead it is a command of God for His followers…you and I, to come out from the world. To be separate from the world. Have I? Or am I blended like homogenized milk, an equal part of the world with my faith? Does my lifestyle illuminate the darkness in the world or have I reduced the flame to an ember so as not to offend? Have I come out? 

            2 Corinthians 6:14-18  Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

            In case you are wondering how God sees our coming out from the world, it is important that we understand what He is NOT saying as found in 1 Corinthians. 

            1 Corinthians 5:9-12  “In the letter that I wrote you I told you not to associate with immoral people.10 Now I did not mean pagans who are immoral or greedy or are thieves, or who worship idols. To avoid them you would have to get out of the world completely.11 What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a believer but is immoral or greedy or worships idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person. 12-13 After all, it is none of my business to judge outsiders. God will judge them. But should you not judge the members of your own fellowship? As the scripture says, Remove the evil person from your group.” 

            Ephesians 5:1-3  “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.”

                Often, when faced with a life change, we naturally seek a set of rules to help lay the groundwork, light the path or make the change easier. However, we seek for them in vain since God has made it clear it is what doctors might describe as, “a heart condition.” Coming out for us requires our effort, our diligent effort. But if that were all, then the most disciplined person among us could proudly proclaim their success and right-standing with God. 

            Coming out from the world is a result of our faith at work (Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith; Heb. 12:2). Reading the Bible, praying, choosing to call upon the Lord when we are weak, admitting to Him we are incapable in ourselves and praising and worshiping our Savior. Contrary to the world, God uses our weakness and dependance on Him to accomplish what is humanly impossible. 

            1 Corinthians 1:27-31  “God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.28 He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.”

            Coming out from the world is not a thing I do, it is a life I live, through the grace of God.

God’s Will

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God’s Will

November 13, 2021

 “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” ~Mark 3:35 

Many Christians spend countless hours on their knees, begging God for an idea as to His will for their lives. Thousands of sermons have been preached, books written and website columns produced, advising believers of the 10 best steps to finding His will (often there is a fee for the book or website subscription).  

Considering the extreme measure God has taken for our forgiveness and eternal salvation, is it reasonable to think He would hide His will for our lives? Would God take a perverse pleasure in watching us grovel around begging Him to reveal His purpose and direction instead of happily and joyfully directing our lives to follow a path He alone has created just for us? No secret password needed fellow Christians, God reveals aspects of His will sprinkled throughout the Bible—His love letter to us.  

Just as a building needs a foundation for support, God has provided the necessary spiritual support to guide us into understanding His will. He gave us the Holy Spirit! 

John 14:16-17, 26  ~And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.  

John 14:26  ~But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

1 John 2:27  ~You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 

Romans 12:1-2  ~And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  ~Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Colossians 1:9-10  ~So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. 

So you see, God has provided everything we need to hear His voice, and live according to His will. The Book of Romans establishes steps that open the door for the realization of His will in our lives: 1. Give our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice which is true worship. 2. Don’t copy the world (be separate). 3. Let God transform our thoughts which gives birth to the understanding of His good and pleasing and perfect will for our lives. 

I call out to God, “Oh God, show me your perfect will for my life.” 

God replies, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances!” 

Ephesians, Part 4

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coffee cup in hand (2013_06_21 16_53_37 UTC)

“Put on your new nature and be renewed” Colossians 3:10

Ephesians Chapter 1

4 “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.”

Talk about a mind bender! How do we wrap our human minds around this simple verse? “Before He made the world, God loved us?” How can that be, we ask? First we struggle with the idea of whether or not God made everything in six literal days and now— we read that God loved us before we existed; prior to making any of the heavens or the earth. This is a stunning concept truly beyond human comprehension.

Of course it is beyond human comprehension, we are His creation and He is the Creator. Can you remember back to a time in school when you began a new class and your mind was in utter confusion, struggling to understand the necessary concepts? I can recall a class in which I was completely in the dark, ready to give up. As I shared my confusion with the professor one day he said, “Oh I know how hard it is to grasp this concept but don’t give up. I can tell that you are just about to break through. Don’t give up!” Fortunately I listened to his advice. Within that very week, the understanding exploded into  my mind. I was so joyful. I had faith in the professor’s observation.

In a way, attempting to understand all of God’s mysterious Scriptures while we are still living on earth is similar. But the complete revelation of God’s truths is yet to come. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Cor. 13:12

The first verse of the first book in the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 Do we understand what this means? Can we imagine this act of creation? Absolutely not. We understand the words and the idea but not literally. We are totally dumbfounded. It is beyond human comprehension. And so is the idea that verse 4, above,  expresses. Before God made our world He loved us. God loved me personally before he created the world! Then surely I owe my allegiance to Him.

Not only has God loved us before He made everything, He “chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” Holy and without fault? Will everyone who feels holy and without fault please raise your hand! We shrink back from the very idea. If you only knew me, we think. Holy and without fault? Far from it. And yet, through the filter of Christ’s blood, God does see us as holy and without fault. Not only that, before He created the world He saw us in this way.

God says to you, “I love you and have loved you before I created anything!”