“IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH…” – GENESIS 1:1

I watched a movie this weekend about a man who searched for his daughter for 25 years. He hired an investigator who finally tracked her down.  The father didn’t contact her first, but flew to the state she was living in and before introducing himself to her (stalked) followed her around for a few days.  He was too afraid to speak to her and goes back to the airport to head home.  While sitting at the gate waiting for his plane he sees a family reading a book together and regains his courage to go back to her.  This is what he has waited for.  He changes his mind about returning to his home and goes back to eventually introduce himself to her and (after she initially freaks out) she eventually opens up to talking to him.  Because of the distance between them, and since she enjoys writing, she would send hand written letters and mail them to his business and in return he would mail written letters back.

It was so sweet because they had so much enjoyment in the anticipation of receiving each other’s personal notes and getting to know each other.

All I could think was how the Creator of the heavens and the earth is our Father Who knows us intimately.  He’s calls us out and has known His children from before the foundations of the world.

“THEN GOD SAID, “LET US MAKE MANKIND IN OUR IMAGE, IN OUR LIKENESS…SO GOD CREATED MANKIND IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED THEM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.” – GENESIS 1:26-27

He knows exactly where we are and out of 100 would leave the 99 to rescue the one that went astray.  He knows the number of hairs on our head and is a discerner of thoughts and hearts (Hebrews 4:12).  Where could we ever find a love like that?  ‘He wrecks our plans before they wreck us.’  He already knew everything about us before we entered this world and knew Him at all (Jeremiah 1:5).  He wants a relationship with us and does everything to get our attention.

He pursues His children and has written us letters because He wants us to know Him, too.  He does not remain a mystery to those that choose to follow Him.  How special that the creator of the universe left a whole book filled with personalized letters.

We get to know His character and how He expects us to live.  He teaches us how to love, how to be a friend, and what to look for in friendships.  He tells us we will never be alone and He is with us each step of the way.  He’s given us an instruction book for life because He is life.  He tells us His plan of redemption and how He sent His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16 – KJV).  He has a chosen people and the only way to enter into His presence is by the blood of a spotless lamb.  He sent His perfect, blameless Son to be our redeemer.  He left Heaven and humbled Himself for us.  He paid the ultimate price just to have you and me (Isaiah 53 – KJV).

“IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.  THE SAME WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD.  ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANY THING MADE THAT WAS MADE.  IN HIM WAS LIFE; AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN.  AND THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS; AND THE DARKNESS COMPREHENDED IT NOT.” – JOHN 1:1-5

He tells us His plans for what we are to expect and do here on earth and then what is to come in eternity with Him.  He lets us know He is coming back for us and that we should be ready for His return (John 14:2-4 – KJV).  We don’t know the day or time, but we are just to be ready for our Beloved.  What better thing could there possibly be worth waiting for?

How excited do we get when we read something in His Word and think “man I really needed that”.  Or you’ve read something 100 times and the 101st time it’s as if the words are jumping off the pages like you’ve never read it before.  His word never gets boring.  It can’t because it is given by the Living God.  The Word is Alive because HE is ALIVE and it’s the power of God.  Why else would it be banned and ridiculed if people weren’t afraid of what’s in it?  If it was like any other book why is it so controversial if it’s filled with “contradictions and stupidity”?  Couldn’t they just leave us crazy people alone with our delusions if they had nothing to fear?

If you have a relationship with the one true God how could you not be excited what He left just for you.  He signed his name on each page and He reveals to us what’s in it.  It is not meant to be read intellectually, but by revelation of the Holy Spirit and those who have been baptized with HIS Spirit are given the wisdom to discern it in His time.  Because of this personal relationship we are not to be taught by man (1 John 2:27-KJV).  Why do we need a man to discern what the Holy Spirit Himself wants to tell us?  We are to have faith like a child and just sit in His lap and listen to what He wants to tell us in the secret place.

We don’t go to another man to discern what our earthly father wants us to do.  We go straight to our dad or he comes straight to us and tells us what he expects.  How much better is our heavenly father?  We have all been given a measure of faith and each given gifts.  No one will ever know the entirety until we enter eternity, but He reveals to us each in part thus forming the Body and can encourage and edify our brothers and sisters.  It is the most special family filled with peace and understanding.

He warns us that we will be persecuted for His name sake but know we are blessed in doing so.  He doesn’t leave us hanging or wondering if we are alone because He reassures us that He will never leave or forsake us and tells us over and over not to fear.

“BUT NOW THUS SAITH THE LORD THAT CREATED THEE, O JACOB, AND HE THAT FORMED THEE, O ISRAEL, FEAR NOT: FOR I HAVE REDEEMED THEE, I HAVE CALLED THEE BY THY NAME; THOU ART MINE.

WHEN THOU PASSEST THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL BE WITH THEE; AND THROUGH THE RIVERS, THEY SHALL NOT OVERFLOW THEE: WHEN THOU WALKEST THROUGH THE FIRE, THOU SHALT NOT BE BURNED; NEITHER SHALL THE FLAME KINDLE UPON THEE.” – ISAIAH 43:1-2

He lets us know how everything started and how it’s going to end.  He tells us never to worry because He will be with us along the way.  He is in control and we are simply along for the ride.  We don’t know what’s coming but we can trust He will be there and that He will work everything out for our good.

“BUT THE COMFORTER, WHICH IS THE HOLY GHOST, WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, AND BRING ALL THINGS TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE, WHATSOEVER I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU.” – JOHN 14:26

“BUT I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO AWAY; FOR IF I DO NOT GO AWAY, THE COMFORTER WILL NOT COME TO YOU; BUT IF I GO, I WILL SEND HIM TO YOU.  AND HE, WHEN HE COMES, WILL CONVICT THE WORLD CONCERNING SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT…” – JOHN 16:7-8

He’s given us a book filled with all kinds of letters and each one describing His plan of redemption and unfailing love for us.  It’s a book for the underdogs because He doesn’t come for the “heroes”.  (Matthew 23 – KJV Link)  He comes for the hurting, the broken, the ‘least of these’.  He comes for the ones who were lost, forgotten, and labeled unwanted.  He comes for the rejected, misfits, and nobodies.

“HAST THOU NOT KNOWN? HAST THOU NOT HEARD, THAT THE EVERLASTING GOD, THE LORD, THE CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, FAINTETH NOT, NEITHER IS WEARY? THERE IS NO SEARCHING OF HIS UNDERSTANDING.  HE GIVETH POWER TO THE FAINT; AND TO THEM THAT HAVE NO MIGHT HE INCREASETH STRENGTH.

EVEN THE YOUTHS SHALL FAINT AND BE WEARY, AND THE YOUNG MEN SHALL UTTERLY FALL: BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY; AND THEY SHALL WALK, AND NOT FAINT.” – ISAIAH 40:28-31

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but He takes our new heart and sees us blameless.  He forgets our past and washes it all away.  None of it matters because that old man is dead and the Spirit lives.  We have been given a brand new identity and clean slate.

Just like a butterfly can never go back to being a caterpillar we can never go back to the way we used to be and why would we want to?  Praise God for His grace and mercy.

The best part of this whole thing is that He has written His word in our hearts.

We will never be alone and will always know how loved we are.

What more could we want?

Phil Wickham – Heaven Song
“You wrote a letter and You signed your name.
I read every word of it page by page.
You said that You’d be coming, coming for me soon… Oh my God I’ll be ready for You.

I hear Your voice and I catch my breath ‘Well done my child, enter in and rest’
Tears of joy roll down my cheek. It’s beautiful beyond my wildest dreams …

I want to run on greener pastures… I want to dance on higher hills… I want to drink from sweeter waters In the misty morning chill.
And my soul is getting restless for the place where I belong.
I can’t wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song. “

“AND WHEN THEY WENT, I HEARD THE NOISE OF THEIR WINGS, LIKE THE NOISE OF GREAT WATERS, AS THE VOICE OF THE ALMIGHTY, THE VOICE OF SPEECH, AS THE NOISE OF AN HOST: WHEN THEY STOOD, THEY LET DOWN THEIR WINGS.  AND THERE WAS A VOICE FROM THE FIRMAMENT THAT WAS OVER THEIR HEADS, WHEN THEY STOOD, AND HAD LET DOWN THEIR WINGS.  AND ABOVE THE FIRMAMENT THAT WAS OVER THEIR HEADS WAS THE LIKENESS OF A THRONE, AS THE APPEARANCE OF A SAPPHIRE STONE: AND UPON THE LIKENESS OF THE THRONE WAS THE LIKENESS AS THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN ABOVE UPON IT.

AND I SAW AS THE COLOUR OF AMBER, AS THE APPEARANCE OF FIRE ROUND ABOUT WITHIN IT, FROM THE APPEARANCE OF HIS LOINS EVEN UPWARD, AND FROM THE APPEARANCE OF HIS LOINS EVEN DOWNWARD, I SAW AS IT WERE THE APPEARANCE OF FIRE, AND IT HAD BRIGHTNESS ROUND ABOUT.

AS THE APPEARANCE OF THE BOW THAT IS IN THE CLOUD IN THE DAY OF RAIN, SO WAS THE APPEARANCE OF THE BRIGHTNESS ROUND ABOUT. THIS WAS THE APPEARANCE OF THE LIKENESS OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD. AND WHEN I SAW IT, I FELL UPON MY FACE, AND I HEARD A VOICE OF ONE THAT SPAKE.” – EZEKIEL 1:24-28

IN THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON A THRONE, HIGH AND LIFTED UP; AND THE TRAIN OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE.  ABOVE HIM STOOD THE SERAPHIM. EACH HAD SIX WINGS: WITH TWO HE COVERED HIS FACE, AND WITH TWO HE COVERED HIS FEET, AND WITH TWO HE FLEW. AND ONE CALLED TO ANOTHER AND SAID:

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS;
THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!”
– ISAIAH 6:1-3

“AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, SEAL NOT THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND.  HE THAT IS UNJUST, LET HIM BE UNJUST STILL: AND HE WHICH IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE FILTHY STILL: AND HE THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM BE RIGHTEOUS STILL: AND HE THAT IS HOLY, LET HIM BE HOLY STILL.

AND, BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.

I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE FIRST AND THE LAST.

BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY MAY HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY.  FOR WITHOUT ARE DOGS, AND SORCERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND MURDERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND WHOSOEVER LOVETH AND MAKETH A LIE.

I JESUS HAVE SENT MINE ANGEL TO TESTIFY UNTO YOU THESE THINGS IN THE CHURCHES. I AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, AND THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.  AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME. AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY. FOR I TESTIFY UNTO EVERY MAN THAT HEARETH THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, IF ANY MAN SHALL ADD UNTO THESE THINGS, GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK:

AND IF ANY MAN SHALL TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS PART OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, AND OUT OF THE HOLY CITY, AND FROM THE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK.

HE WHICH TESTIFIETH THESE THINGS SAITH, SURELY I COME QUICKLY. AMEN.

EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS.

THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU ALL. AMEN.” – REVELATION 22:10-21