There are so many things that have happened in the last 120 days let alone the last 6,000 years. In summary of those 6,000, I hereby provide all the best information that anyone who would like to get world history down in a 10 minute read. In addition, by the end, you will know what you should do in the future. Enjoy.
Once upon a time, there was a King. He was very strong, very kind, and was even approachable. He was the Lord over a few people. After many years, those people had children, and so this Lord was above all of those people as well. Eventually, He became Lord over many many thousand upon thousands of people. He loved those people. Every single person was loved by this Lord even though many of those same people didn't acknowledge this Lord or even know Him personally. This King was also very good, and because of this the people had a standard to meet. If they didn't meet this standard, they had to be punished or the King wouldn't have been a fair and just King. He decided to do something for the people. He had a Son.
Now, the King didn't live with the people. In fact, not one of the people could find a house or address for this King, but some just knew He existed. When the King's Son was born, the boy lived with the people. The King even told the people that this was His Son. Some of the people were accepting of this, and some didn't believe it. After all, they couldn't prove anything! This boy grew, and was a good Son. He acted just like the King would have acted if He were there Himself. Once, the King spoke outloud to the people while His Son was with the people so that the people would really know that this was His Son.
The King said He was proud of His Son.
By this time, there were so many people because of marriages and childbirth, that some of these children were taught things about this Son, and some were not. The King knew this would happen. In fact, He planned it this way.
Eventually, the Son got old enough to get a job and earn a living. Oddly when the Son was middle aged, he didn't work much, but went around telling people that He was the King's Son. Many people got mad. Several times, they were going to stone Him right there in the street because they didn't like Him or what He said.
The King did not intervene to protect His boy.
One day, the Son was with His friends. There was a group of them that hung around the Son all the time. Everyone was having a good time. Not everyone from the group was there though. Some were with Him, and others were sleeping. Either way, everything was going according to plan.
Then some people came up with a friend from the group. This friend came up to the Son, and kissed Him. All the other friends from the group thought that was a very nice thing to do. Immediately after this, the other people came out from the shadows and arrested the Son of the King.
The King was watching, and still did nothing.
The people who turned out to be soldiers dragged the Son into a trial. They blamed Him for many things. This Son of the King was all alone. All of his friends had left Him. Yes, the entire group. No one was defending Him. These people that had been so rude to Him, and so hating towards him had ganged up and put Him on trial at night so that anyone who might side with the Son would, miss the trial. Even some people that had been so nice to Him were now angry with Him, and lying about some things He said. Many spit in His face, and made fun of Him. Then, one leader of the people stood up, and asked the Son, "So, you say you are the Son of the King?" "Yes, I am." he answered. People screamed with anger. They yelled out to kill the Son. The leader said "You say you are the same as the King?" The Son sad, "Yes. I am." Many people tore their clothes, and cried aloud for His punishment to be slow and severe. When all seemed lost for the Son of the King, the Son did nothing.
The King did the same.
They quickly voted against this "Son." They treated Him like a criminal. More and more people were siding with the people and against the Son. He didn't see any of his friends anymore, or even His mother. They seemed to have vanished. The one friend that had kissed Him was also gone. This Son of the King never even winced.
The people needed a higher approval to carry out their sentence of death over this criminal. So, they gathered up an angry mob, and dragged the Son to the leader of the leaders. This other leader said, "What do you wish?" The mob said, "Kill Him! Kill Him! We want Him DEAD! DEAD!" The leader was surprised. This Son seemed to be a nice Son. He wasn't angry. He wasn't yelling back. Even though He was in much pain, he didn't even ask for mercy. After looking up the record on the Son, and finding it clean, The leader said, "Are you sure?" The mob screamed, "Kill Him. Kill him now!" The leader of the people added, "If you don't let us kill him, then we will have your job." Not wanting this, the superior leader said, "Very well then. Do as you wish."
"Great." The other leader said. Then the people screamed. They jumped for the elation they felt to be rid of this Son. He never did anything anyway. He just talked. He just kept saying things like "love your enemies" "pray for those who take advantage of you" "love your neighbor as yourself." People didn't like to hear that. Those things were too hard. When Son told them that He was the King, they gnashed their teeth in anger.
The punishment was death. As they took the Son to the place of death, they mocked Him. They beat Him. They scorned Him. They even made Him carry His own death device.
The King still did nothing. He didn't even speak from the sky as He did once before.
The Son never wondered why not.
As they nailed Him to the wood, the Son never cried out. They drove metal spikes into his hands and feet.
The people that believed that this was the Son of the King were crying. They thought the King's plan was going to fail. They didn't understand how the Son could be killed. And not like this!!
As the Son hung on His cross, He asked the King not to charge the people for killing Him. He told a friend of His to take care of His mother, and at the darkest part in the history of the world that the King created, the King had to turn His back on His only Son. The Son knew it. The Son had never been separated from the King before.
At the time appointed, the Son gave up His spirit, and gave it to the King. He was dead.
The people who loved the Son were heartbroken, and very sorrowful. Many were sad and without hope.
They helped bury His body.
The King didn't intervene.
On Sunday, the grave was empty. The Son was missing. For many days the Son walked around and appeared to some people to prove to them that He was still alive. He had risen from the dead. Some still didn't believe until they put their hands in his wounds.
One day, the Son was with his friends. It was time to go. As He blessed the friends of His, he began to arise from the earth and into the sky. His friends didn't know what to do. He kept on rising. It was a miracle, and they worshiped Him for it. The Son was going to be with the King, but He said, "I will come back for you. Tell others about Me and what I have done. Tell them about the King. Never ever stop. Wait for me to return."
We are still waiting.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Ephesians Chapter 2
There are many verses that talk about what Christ has done for those He has saved. These verses really speak to me clearly, and help put my heart and soul where it needs to be.
I would like to focus on verses 1-9.
The more I think about what these verses really mean, the more speechless I become. I think God intends for us to be that way, and far too often, we shoot back our "intelligent" response based on logic, and earthly wisdom all laced with fact as we see it. God is unsearchable and unfathomable (Rom 11:33-34), and therefore my response should be one of speechlessness.
When I confront others about sports, insurance, investments, etc, I come with a logical argument all worked out, and feel as though I have no weak spots in my argument. I counter think all my points, and seek to prove inside and out whatever it is that I seek to debate and thus, prove. When someone thinks this way, and approaches God, he is speechless for he doesn't know what to say. God surrounds him in splendor and majesty and blows his mind and his speech away from him. God is that powerful and that awesome. The day that I learn how powerful He really is, I won't be here anymore. When I get there, I will be speechless.
In preparation for this meeting, God gave us Ephesians chapter 2.
God says in verse one "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God,"
I have to stop here. What a horrible, disgusting sin filled creature I was. I was dead! When things are dead, they can't come to life right? Can anything that is dead change into something that is better? Can anything that is dead move? Can anything that is dead decide anything for itself? Don't dead things get buried and/or thrown out? I formerly walked according to the course of this world? According to the prince of the power of the air? Isn't that Satan? I walked like a worldly person just like Satan would? Isn't that the archrival, nemesis of God? I was on Satan's side? It was Satan and me versus God? I pleased myself in all I did, didn't bother with anything else. Satan was my buddy, companion, co-conspirator, and hero. I liked it, and knew nothing else. What a wretched condition!
Then comes verse 4. But God......
Let me just say that no matter what is it that you are involved in, tied to, linked to, married to, filled with sin in, when God purposes to intervene, nothing in the previous paragraph matters anymore. Even though I was his enemy in league with His most disloyal former friend-Satan- God tore me away from Satan while I clasped on to Satan as long as I could, and held on to him while God took me from my comfort.
But God. Perhaps the best part of this passage. Nothing else matters but God.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Stop.
God stopped Satan dead in his tracks, and pulled me away from Satan's clasp. I was dead the entire time towards God, and had no desire to be pulled to Him. He made me alive.
What?
He turned me from something dead to something that is alive. How did this happen? Everything that has died on my hobby farm here in Lawton, even though many times I wanted life to come back, there was nothing I could do to impart life from my own power to the life of the being. I am powerless regarding the life of things I own, and according to Ephesians, I am powerless over my own life. It is God who gives life and takes it away.
Then, after this (as if this isn't amazing enough, and overly loving and kind), he seats me with him in the heavenly places? If He gave me life, shouldn't it be enough to have me sit in the bleacher seats? Maybe be a servant who takes the trash out, but at least I'm alive, and can be thankful that he brought me there? No. Not enough for my God. He lays out His best for me, and it is not that I did anything to deserve it according to Ephesians. He does all this in response to my being dead, not my coming to Him first.
To continue: verse 7: So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Why did He do this? So that in the ages to come, He would do something. In my words it says, so that forever and ever and ever God could display His never ending, all encompassing, rich in love grace toward me because of what Christ Jesus His Son did on the cross for me. Because of this grace, I was saved. It wasn't because I responded to Him first. He snatched me from the pits of hell as I walked and skipped happily with Satan down to the firey furnace. I was so dead to Christ that I never noticed the fire, the heat, the screaming or my hair being singed. God did all this for me, and planned in from the beginning of the world. Actually, before the beginning of the world (Rev 13:8).
In summary: God's grace towards me is never ending. He saved me from hell and Satan when I didn't even know anything about God. He treats me like His only Son who died for me, and lets me sit with Him in glory so that He can show me how complete His grace is. If not for God intercepting me and taking me from Satan, I would have continued to walk with Satan happily to hell and torment forever.
Father, you amaze me with what you tell me. I don't understand how complete your grace is. I don't feel deserving, but I long to accept everything You have for me now and forever. I long to be with You so I can know everything about You and worship You face to face. I feel as Moses did so long ago. Show me Your glory. Let me bask in Your glory, and live a life apart from You now as if I had seen Your face and lived.
I would like to focus on verses 1-9.
The more I think about what these verses really mean, the more speechless I become. I think God intends for us to be that way, and far too often, we shoot back our "intelligent" response based on logic, and earthly wisdom all laced with fact as we see it. God is unsearchable and unfathomable (Rom 11:33-34), and therefore my response should be one of speechlessness.
When I confront others about sports, insurance, investments, etc, I come with a logical argument all worked out, and feel as though I have no weak spots in my argument. I counter think all my points, and seek to prove inside and out whatever it is that I seek to debate and thus, prove. When someone thinks this way, and approaches God, he is speechless for he doesn't know what to say. God surrounds him in splendor and majesty and blows his mind and his speech away from him. God is that powerful and that awesome. The day that I learn how powerful He really is, I won't be here anymore. When I get there, I will be speechless.
In preparation for this meeting, God gave us Ephesians chapter 2.
God says in verse one "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God,"
I have to stop here. What a horrible, disgusting sin filled creature I was. I was dead! When things are dead, they can't come to life right? Can anything that is dead change into something that is better? Can anything that is dead move? Can anything that is dead decide anything for itself? Don't dead things get buried and/or thrown out? I formerly walked according to the course of this world? According to the prince of the power of the air? Isn't that Satan? I walked like a worldly person just like Satan would? Isn't that the archrival, nemesis of God? I was on Satan's side? It was Satan and me versus God? I pleased myself in all I did, didn't bother with anything else. Satan was my buddy, companion, co-conspirator, and hero. I liked it, and knew nothing else. What a wretched condition!
Then comes verse 4. But God......
Let me just say that no matter what is it that you are involved in, tied to, linked to, married to, filled with sin in, when God purposes to intervene, nothing in the previous paragraph matters anymore. Even though I was his enemy in league with His most disloyal former friend-Satan- God tore me away from Satan while I clasped on to Satan as long as I could, and held on to him while God took me from my comfort.
But God. Perhaps the best part of this passage. Nothing else matters but God.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Stop.
God stopped Satan dead in his tracks, and pulled me away from Satan's clasp. I was dead the entire time towards God, and had no desire to be pulled to Him. He made me alive.
What?
He turned me from something dead to something that is alive. How did this happen? Everything that has died on my hobby farm here in Lawton, even though many times I wanted life to come back, there was nothing I could do to impart life from my own power to the life of the being. I am powerless regarding the life of things I own, and according to Ephesians, I am powerless over my own life. It is God who gives life and takes it away.
Then, after this (as if this isn't amazing enough, and overly loving and kind), he seats me with him in the heavenly places? If He gave me life, shouldn't it be enough to have me sit in the bleacher seats? Maybe be a servant who takes the trash out, but at least I'm alive, and can be thankful that he brought me there? No. Not enough for my God. He lays out His best for me, and it is not that I did anything to deserve it according to Ephesians. He does all this in response to my being dead, not my coming to Him first.
To continue: verse 7: So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Why did He do this? So that in the ages to come, He would do something. In my words it says, so that forever and ever and ever God could display His never ending, all encompassing, rich in love grace toward me because of what Christ Jesus His Son did on the cross for me. Because of this grace, I was saved. It wasn't because I responded to Him first. He snatched me from the pits of hell as I walked and skipped happily with Satan down to the firey furnace. I was so dead to Christ that I never noticed the fire, the heat, the screaming or my hair being singed. God did all this for me, and planned in from the beginning of the world. Actually, before the beginning of the world (Rev 13:8).
In summary: God's grace towards me is never ending. He saved me from hell and Satan when I didn't even know anything about God. He treats me like His only Son who died for me, and lets me sit with Him in glory so that He can show me how complete His grace is. If not for God intercepting me and taking me from Satan, I would have continued to walk with Satan happily to hell and torment forever.
Father, you amaze me with what you tell me. I don't understand how complete your grace is. I don't feel deserving, but I long to accept everything You have for me now and forever. I long to be with You so I can know everything about You and worship You face to face. I feel as Moses did so long ago. Show me Your glory. Let me bask in Your glory, and live a life apart from You now as if I had seen Your face and lived.
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