HIS FAITHFULNESS

        There are many depictions and declarations of God as Faithful in Scripture -

• 1 Corinthians 1:9, 10:13;
• 2 Corinthians 1:18;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:24;
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3;
• Hebrews 2:17, 3:2, 3:6, 10:23;
• 1 Peter 4:19;
• 1 John 1:9; and
• Revelation 1:5, 3:14 and 19:11.

        Even with all the testimonies, proclamations and my own observations of God's hand in my life, sometimes I doubt God's faithfulness. Not that He is incapable of being faithful anymore, but that He is fed up with my antics and chooses to withdraw His faithfulness.

        However, His faithfulness does not depend upon our belief or trust in His variety of consistent provisions in our lives. This kind of thinking borders on viewing God as a genie, appearing to take our wish for a more pleasant life experience anytime we have need of him.

        God's faithfulness is to His Word concerning what He promised about anything. His faithfulness is solely connected to Himself. If God is not faithful to and about Himself then He and everything that exists has no meaning.

        When I come from my limited perspective, not His all-knowing view and when I have to have it now, not trusting in His timing, then I surrender any physical, mental, spiritual or character development that God had in store for me. God's faithfulness is on His own schedule with His own purpose, not according to the imprisonment of my/our definition and parameters. 

        The story of Job is a wonderful example of our lack of Godly vision/perspective and the possible withdraw of faithfulness in his life because of the amount and severity of his trials. But God's faithfulness was always there and Job persevered to experience God's blessings many times over. 

        Jesus said about the topic of worrying and I believe He also was speaking about the faithfulness of God -  "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" - Matthew 6:26 

        Christians, how much are you trusting and appreciating God's consistent steadfastness, especially during the times we can't witness and return thanks? Again, God's faithfulness is God's faithfulness not that which we ascribe to Him. Read His Word and you will discover His plan for you and humanity and reveal the promises that will prove in your life and others His Faithfulness. 

        

HOME

             Where do you call home? Now-a-days, I witness many individuals and families that are very nomadic. For a variety of reasons - financial, family, weather or other - they move often enough to make you wonder - where do they really call home?     

        Then there are those who seldom to never move from the area they were born in and end up living to their dying day there. We can name without a shadow of a doubt the home of these individuals and families. 

        However, there is a home that is spoken of that I have never known, visited or even seen from a distance. One might interject that I speak of Heaven here and while the location is correct, that is not what 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 declares as our forever Home with the Lord. Here is what the passage states - 

         "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

        Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

        

        For the Christian, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 describes this age, these years we have been in since the ascension of Christ as a life by faith, not by sight. However, this same passage speaks to a future time when Home will be a more personal, intimate, visible manifestation of God's presence in a Heavenly prepared place for us, within a glorified body. God is perfect, His Heaven is perfect and His presence is perfect which demands a perfected Home or glorified body or temple - Believers!

        Revelation 21:3 depicts this future time of perfect unification and/or dwelling with us in the New Jerusalem.

        "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'"

        Home to me is where you hang your hat. Home is where you unwind, relax, especially enjoying company, food and laughter. Home is a place of relationship and so this passage by Paul informs us that the believer's body will one day be that Home, that perfect relationship with God. Home will be wherever God is and God is everywhere, but He will especially make His residence within those there. The status of things will be fact not faith.

        Until that moment, while we are in this tent, building or body - the deeds of the believers are very important. Christians are separated from the full experience of Christ through the fallen, sinful body and mind. But Christ Jesus changes believers from glory to glory daily as they surrender to Him and will one day ultimately make them the perfect Home.

ROOT OF IT ALL

        

        Why can't we all just get along? That has been a question asked throughout the ages. But this question goes beyond just mere difference of opinion. All of us, from the first human beings, have varying opinions on things, but the choice of how we act on those opinions is what matters. Throughout most of our history we think and/or allow emotions to drive violence to the forefront of our responses.

        The nature of this beast can be detected in a toddler as selfish behavior. The "I" statements are plentiful at this age. And unfortunately, sometimes, some individuals do not outgrow this stage. However, the beginning of this nature or programming can be found all the way back in The Garden of Eden.

        The root of it all is three-fold - (1) a deceiver, (2) the deception and (3) the deceived. The Deceiver being Satan, deceived the parents of humanity, Adam and Eve, with the deception - the lie that they would be like God if they ate of a particular fruit tree. The fact of the matter is that God said - "Do not..." and Satan said "Do, because...". Due to the acceptance of Satan's reasoning, humanity's programming was altered, in fact, it was corrupted. Sin or the act of disobedience now became the dominant nature of our being.

        When you marry lying with disobedience your offspring are pride and violence. Adam and Eve were lied to, they lied to each other and they lied to God about their situation. Adam and Eve embraced their disobedience and the consequences are meted out with pride still getting in our way and violence, unfortunately, being a first choice rather than last resort.

        The birthing and manifestation of pride and violence came when Cain's pride was hurt concerning his offering to The Lord as compared to his brother Abel's offering. With Cain, violence, to the point of death was the result of the corrupted programming; of the terrible mix of untruth and defiance. This act rocketed humanity into an evil mindset. Humanity's thoughts were so depraved all the time that God was about to hit the reset button. But up-rightness and honesty or integrity was found in Noah, enough to save humanity but not enough to get rid of the sinful nature that even plagued Noah and his family. This proved that you could be a great person, but you still had a disease, you still needed a cure.

        Now that we know the cause of humanity's issues, especially unto conflicts, how is this stopped, reprogrammed or at least slowed down? That is a topic for another day. But until then at least we have got to The Root of It All.

THE PERSON, THE PROVISION AND THE PRESENCE

        1 Chronicles 16:11 says, "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." (NIV) In one verse, Christians have a directive and reminder to engage our personal God. 

        Before you arrive at the "and" in this verse, the strong encouragement is to "Look to the Lord". Notice above and in front of all other meetings with anybody else about any situation, God desires you to seek Him out. This is echoed in the New Testament as well. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus is recorded as saying, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." So, look or seek out The Lord, the person first, as your source for anything and everything and you will have started out on the right foot.

        Directly after the "and" word in this 1 Chronicles 16:11 verse is an example of God our Provider. However, here Scripture is specific as to what we are to seek - God's strength. Life cannot be done alone, especially the Christian life and will need not only physical strength but mental and spiritual strength for our journey as well. In the New Testament, Paul makes a strong, confident statement when he says, "I can do all this through Christ who strengthens me." (NIV) I pray that every Christian be this assured and dependent upon God our Provider, God our Strength.

        Finally, there is the charge for believers to "seek His face always." Notice two things here - first, His face is what is being sought, not His hand because you have already sought and acquired the needed strength. Secondly, God does not desire part-time seekers. God loves for you to be all up in His face seeking Him, just abiding and resting in His Presence - "always".

        In one verse, believers are challenged, encouraged and reminded that our God is a person that desires to be first in our lives. If we comply with making Him first, then we have unlimited resources from Him to manage our lives, but especially His strength. However, nothing compares to after making Him first and gaining His strength - being able to relax and enjoy His presence. So let us all - "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." - The Person, The Provision and The Presence.