The Personal Touch

Sometimes I like to relive the little snippets God revealed to me in the past and make it fresh and new in my mind and heart once again. Tonight I got a whole three verses into my Bible study before I felt the need to write just a bit on one of the things I find so cool about my Amazing God. Let’s see if you catch it.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

Throughout the creation story, God spoke all things into existence. But when it came time to create man, a creature He was creating for Himself, a creature He wanted to have a personal relationship with, God got down and dirty. God could have just said “Let there be man”, but instead, he knelt down the earth he had created only three days before and formed man with His own two hands.

But don’t be fooled in thinking that God ONLY formed Adam and Eve with His very own Hands. Psalm 139:13 says “For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb”. Isaiah proclaims God forming us in the womb at least three times and then again in Jeremiah. God formed you too.

Oh how I love the personal touch of my Savior. I think He touches us every day. We may not always feel it, but He does. Today was probably one of the most beautiful days outside I’d seen here in Ohio for quite some time. The sun was out, the air was warm, the breeze was cool. You know, I love the wind. I picture that it’s very likely that the breeze that touches your face and warms your heart is the hand of your Maker telling you He loves you.

Much like a child I long to feel the arms of my Father. Many a time, I have prayed to God and we’ve talked about that. In heaven, I’m sure I’ll love to look upon the streets of gold and all the glitter and glitz. I’m sure I’ll be happy to see fellow saints of God as we can truly be neighbors, but what I long for the most isn’t a room of my own that God’s preparing for me, but to feel the personal touch of my Saviour when He wraps His arms wrapped around me. Now THAT will be heaven.

Old / New Testament

A few years ago I wrote a response for a friend of mine (love you!) who asked me why we needed the New Testament when we already had the Old Testament. Today another friend and co-worker requested that I post my response to her here on my blog, so... here you go! :)

There are several reasons why the new testament was written, but first let me explain why the OLD testament was written:

The Old Testament

1. The Old Testament is a historical account and description of man's sin problem. We need to understand that God created us to have a relationship with him. In Genesis, God said "Let us make man in OUR image". This implies that God is tertiary, much the same way that we are. God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man was created in the same manner. We have a Mind, Body and Soul (or Spirit). Man rebelled against God's will. Through this disobedience, sin and decay entered into man and the world. Sin is a literal term. It comes from Archery. If the Archer missed the bull's-eye, then they said "sin" meaning that they missed the mark. The penalty for sin (singular... not plural) is death. Death didn't mean just physical death, although when you look through Genesis, you begin to see the slow decay of man physically as they began to live shorter and short lives, but it really represents a spiritual death. This is a separation from God our creator who made us for a relationship with Him.

2. The Old Testament detailed what would be necessary for man to re-establish that relationship with God. Unfortunately, that is perfection. Since the bull's-eye is perfection, you can see that all of us miss the mark. Understanding that God is Holy God, he cannot be in the presence of sin. This means that if we have sin in our lives that is not paid for, then we cannot enter into a close relationship with Him. The law was given by God through Moses to show how IMPOSSIBLE it is for man to keep the law and attain this perfection on our own apart from God.

3. The Old Testament foretells / prophesies the coming of a perfect sacrifice that would not just cover sin (as the priests were doing with the blood of their sacrifices), but would completely remove the sins and restore the relationship God originally intended. A good illustration is crayon marks on the walls. The Mosaic law required animal sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. This would be like putting a fresh coat of paint over the crayon marks on the walls. The crayon is still there, but you can't see it. Jesus came as a perfect sacrifice. His sacrifice wouldn't just cover their sins but would Remove them. That was like taking... let's say... a "Magic Eraser" pad and cleaning the crayon from the walls. It's not covered... it's gone.

The New Testament

1. The New Testament is the account of the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant and the establishment of the New Testament covenant. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies given in the Old Testament. I love this. Jesus Christ fulfilled 60 major Old Testament prophecies that were made over 400 years before His birth. He fulfilled 29 in ONE DAY. The statistical probability of one man fulfilling just eight of these prophesies are 1 in 10 to the 17th power. I love this so I have to share it.... This would be the same as taking 100,000,000,000,000,000 quadrillion silver dollars and spreading them across the state of Texas, they would fill the entire state of Texas two feet deep. Then take one silver dollar and mark it with an X and toss it in the pile and stir the whole pile thoroughly... then blindfolded, walk the entire width and length of the state stooping down only once to pick up one silver dollar along the way and finding that THAT was the one with the X on it. That's just 8 prophesies fulfilled not the 60 that Jesus did.

2. The New Testament covenant requires the acceptance of the gift of salvation already given to everyone, by Jesus's sacrifice, but not accepted by every one. It's much like an unopened gift. Christ gave the gift of salvation for all, but in order to have it, it has to be accepted. I use an illustration with the youth like this. I take out a $5 bill and ask them if they believe that it is a $5. Obviously it is. I then present it to a teen and say that I am giving the $5 to them as a gift. Before they have a chance to take it, I ask them... does ____ have my gift of $5? No, because they haven't taken it from me. It doesn't make it less real or less of a gift, but it's not theirs yet. It's not until they accept the gift that they can benefit from it.

3. The New Testament foretells the completion of God's original plan which was to have a relationship with His beloved creation. Through Christ, the payment for our sin has been paid. Those that have taken part in the New Testament covenant (since a covenant has two parties... us and God) through the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice have a relationship with Him here on earth and a promise of heaven where we will have uncorrupted relationship with Him.

4. The New Testaments give believers in Christ a mission which is to tell other's about God's gift.
It was weird. The same day that I was asked this question, I got something in the mail and it had this on the back of a bookmark in it:

The New Testament is CONTAINED in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is EXPLAINED in the New Testament
The New Testament is CONCEALED in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is REVEALED in the New Testament
The New Testament AUTHENTICATES the Old Testament
The Old Testament ANTICIPATES the New Testament
The New Testament LIES HIDDEN in the Old Testament
The Old Testament LIES OPEN in the New Testament
The Old Testament PREDICTS a Person
The New Testament PRESENTS that Person

God's SO cool!

Thirsty anyone?

What is the most essential element of life? Ask any scientist and they’ll probably say water. I have to say, I think I agree…

As I sat down to do my Bible study tonight, I felt God say “Start over”. That’s seems to be a theme with God and me lately. Where do I go next Lord? Go back to the beginning and start over! So… off to Genesis I turned. It’s funny, I didn’t get 2 verses into the first chapter before God captured my mind.

I read the first verse, and found my highlights and notes scribbled to the side

Verse 1: “In the beginning God (my notes highlighting God = Elohim, meaning God in plural of majesty or intestiy) created the heavens and the earth.”

But then, there it was. I know I’d read it a million times. I’ve even made note of it in my thoughts once or twice and marveled, but I never really REALLY thought about it.

Verse 2: “Now the earth was formless and empty (my scribbled notes highlighting the earth was in “chaos”), darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

Water! God started with water! So many times we just think God started with open space. But that’s not what the Bible says. God started with WATER! Why would that be so important? My mind is just reeling! I started to write it down and realized I can’t write that fast. Thank God I can TYPE fast!

Oh, how precious water is! The earth is 2/3 water. Our bodies are 2/3 water. Water is the essence of LIFE. Nothing on this earth can exist without it. It’s essential for survival. Food, we can go days maybe even weeks without, but water? No, it’s far more essential. Even the air we breathe has water in it. Anyone living in Ohio right now knows sometimes it has a LOT of water in it lol. Quite simply, water is the basis of life.

The bible is full of stories about water. In Genesis, creation tells of God starting with water, separating the sky from the waters, separating the dry land from the waters and even filling the waters with life. The Bible gives details on the waters flowing through the Garden of Eden. Later in Genesis we see God use water to cleanse the earth through the great flood. Water saved a baby from being murdered (Moses), saved a people from annihilation (God parting the Red Sea), found Isaac a wife, and that’s barely scratching the surface, not to mention it’s not even past the second book of the Bible!

On the banks of the Jordan River, Jesus was baptized, setting the example to those of us who would follow Him in His death, burial and resurrection. “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Oh I hope He is pleased with me! Wash me and cleanse me in Your Sprit Lord! You are my desire. How I so desire just to make You smile!

Jesus turned water into wine, walked on water, oh, and He asked for water to drink. “Will you give me a drink” Jesus asked the woman at the well. He asked this of the woman who drew her water during the hottest part of the day so as to avoid the other women of the town. The woman who was a Samaritan, a people hated by the Jews, yet Jesus spoke to her. In return He offered her Himself, the “Living Water”. Water that would well up in her as a spring of eternal life. Oh that Living Water! Revelation tells us that the Living Water will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the broad street. On it’s banks will be the Tree of Life whose leaves will heal the nations and there will no longer be the curse. Praise God!

But I cannot forget one of my favorite passages with water at its core. When the Savior of the world, my God and King, wrapped a towel around his waist, knelt down before His disciples and performed the most humiliating of tasks by washing their dirty, bruised, and blistered feet. Oh what a Savior! Oh to have a servants heart!

So much more can be said about water. I haven’t even SCRATCHED the surface. It is the essential of life, and the Living Water is the essential of eternal life. There are no others. He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly.

You’d be hard pressed to convince me that God doesn’t have a sense of humor. I find it comical, as I have typed this, I found myself thirsty. I mean, who wouldn't with all this water talk. I turn to my bedside and grab the bottle of water there to take a drink and find these words written on the label “Pure Life”. Amen! Well Lord, this message was brought to You by the one who thirsts for water, both liquid and eternal.

FYI - Fruit... grows

A dear friend of mine (Terri... you know who you are) and I used to amuse ourselves about how life taught us one thing concerning prayer... we won't pray for patience. Why you say? Well, I wrote the following for my friend John when he asked me why. Of course today, Gabi said the hardest fruit of the Spirit for her is patience, and I promised her this mini-lesson to her. Enjoy and Smile!

The definition of Patience is in and of itself enduring or waiting. It's willful and deliberate, and doesn't just happen. Patience is mentioned several times in the Bible, but in no case is it ever simply granted, at least that I can find.

Colossians 1:11 says "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; ..." Patience therefore is attained, not just bestowed. Based on this scripture, I would say it's far better to pray for strength than for patience :) Later in Colossians (3:12) it states that we should "put on" patience. Again an action with purpose.

Patience is listed as a fruit of the Spirit, along with Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness and Faithfulness. The very nature of fruit is that it's produced. It grows, and is a sign of health. Love grows, Joy grows, Peace grows, etc... They grow as a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit within each believer. All these fruit are characteristics that must grow, they are not inherent and are not gifted to us. We learn to be loving, we learn to be kind, we learn to be faithful. They are not part of our inherent nature.

So... this is why I don't pray for patience, because it is learned and it is grown... in order for it to grow, God will put me in situations where patience is required and thus... I learn to be patient. I figure that in life, I've got lots of life lessons that teach me patience without adding a few for good measure!