Transcendent Praise

John 14: 6 – 7 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

What are you to make of this new relationship?  You have been adopted into God’s family. Now what?  Well, the focus of your activities will be to get to know the Father and the Son in an intimate way. And in this case the process is clearly laid out. Know the Son and by knowing the Son you will see the Father’s heart demonstrated in the conduct of the Son.

When Jesus walked the earth, he chose 12 men as disciples. He called them away from their ordinary everyday lives and said “Follow me.” And they did. For three and a half years they went with him from village to village on foot and crossed rivers in boats. They listened to him and they watched how he lived and how he interacted with people. They saw him exercise authority over demons and diseases alike and over death itself. And they marveled at how he dealt with the establishment, never caring whom he offended because he knew they would have no power over his life, until God the Father allowed it.  Fearless, kind, compassionate, forgiving, loving and full of purpose, determined to do his Father’s will every time.

In the Bible, the full account of Jesus’ life on earth is recorded in what is referred to as the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  You can read them in that order or begin with Mark. Put on your sneakers and follow Jesus and his disciples from place to place. You too will marvel and come to the conclusion that: “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” (John 7:46) By the time you get to the book of John, you will want to be sitting at Jesus’ feet, transfixed by the love he will pour into your heart and life and you will begin to know the Father as well.

John 6: 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

This is a personal promise to you from Christ himself. His arms are opened wide to receive you. So shake off the old life, run to him and begin again. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When you surrender, the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit becomes a part of your being giving you new life, new perspectives, new hope in God and creates a hunger to know him. You gain the supreme privilege of a relationship with God. You are now his child. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8: 16 – 17). Your new life brings a new identity. You have become a Christ follower or Christian. And the Holy Spirit explained it to me this way:

“A new name signifies identification with the owner of the name. Therefore those who identify with Christ must be willing to accept his name. There is no point in wanting to be part of God’s family and not having anything to do with the name of his Son Christ Jesus. It is a badge you must wear with pride and be willing to accept all it implies.”

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Ever since childhood, I have heard it preached that the Lord Jesus was born a baby, lived a righteous life on earth, was crucified on a cross to reconcile man to God, was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day. He ascended to heaven and now sits at God’s right hand as our Intercessor. Some day he will appear in the sky to take up those who believe in him and then bring judgment on those on the earth who do not believe in Him. I believed it as a child and I believe it even more today because I have had an amazing relationship with God as a result. It seems so simple to me! God made me, God loves me so much he sacrificed his Son for me and wants me to listen to his voice and do what he desires. In return, he guides my steps, helps me to live up to my full potential and gives me peace even in the craziest life situation. In short, he gives me eternal life, beginning from now. “And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

“Aha!” you say, “but what about my will, what about what I want to do with my life?” That’s just it! You don’t have a life! You did not make yourself. If you are not a believer, life is not making any sense so far, is it? Remember, it is the breath of God that is in you. No breath, no life! “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (See Acts 17:28). So you have a decision to make. Will you acknowledge the God who made you and believe in his Son Jesus and the sacrifice he made to make it possible for you to know God in a personal way?   If so, open your mouth, speak to God. Open up your heart and life to him, surrender your will and ask him to forgive you and give you a fresh start, new life in Christ Jesus. You will never be the same! And you just “prayed”!

Genesis 3: 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve is called The Fall of Man. When anyone or anything falls, the result is damage, brokenness or death.  And death in its finality is separation from a love that is of inestimable value and benefit.  In this case pain was felt on both sides. But only God had a remedy. Fig leaves (our vain attempts to cover our sin and shame) didn’t work then and they still will not work in God’s eyes.  “For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19).

When Adam sinned, God in righteousness administered punishment by withdrawing privileges. He put them out of the garden and put it under lockdown. He introduced Eve to labor pains, Adam to hard labor to feed himself and he cursed the serpent for time and eternity. But he also shed the blood of animals and clothed Adam and Eve with coats of skin in place of their fig leaves, thereby demonstrating that  he alone determines what is acceptable to him and that “… without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22 refers).

God was never at a loss as to how to bring man back into fellowship with himself.  “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”  (Hebrews 1: 1 – 2).  Believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he alone was good and pure and holy enough to satisfy God’s standard of righteousness is the only way for you to get back into relationship with God.  By his obedience to his Father, Jesus took upon himself the punishment that we deserve.  “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36). Once when I read about the crucifixion in Matthew 27: 45 – 46, this is what the Holy Spirit said to me:

“I visited the earth then [at the crucifixion] to demonstrate that I was there with my Son in his agony. It was no small thing for me to step back and watch men crucify my son. But I did it in order to settle once and for all that I love mankind in the extreme. I gave my utmost and so I now make it possible for all men to come to me. My Son’s righteousness covers all sin so now it us up to each person to bow down and worship my Son. That is all that I require that my Son be honored and adored. Think not therefore that I will not avenge those who refuse to do so. No greater love exists than that I gave my Son to redeem mankind.”

Genesis 2: 16 – 17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

In Chapters 2 and 3 of Genesis we read that God planted a garden he called Eden. He created the beasts of the field and birds of the air from the ground.  He gave Adam the pleasure of naming every living creature and then made him a wife named Eve. He provided for their food and physical comfort and gave them responsibility for the care of everything in their surroundings.

God set a single boundary for their conduct.  Of the fruit of one tree the Lord had said do not eat:  “For when you eat of it, you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17). Ninety-nine percent freedom, one percent obedience required!  But when challenged by the serpent (Satan) – another creature which asked:  “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”  (See Genesis 3:1) they chose to listen to the wrong voice and disobeyed God. They knew ahead what the consequence would be, but the serpent’s take on this was: “You will not surely die,”  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: 4 – 5). The truth is they were already “like” God because he had made them in his image and he had given them access to pure pleasure with none of the responsibility for evil. They were precious to him.

This act of disobedience destroyed the relationship God wanted to have with man so the next time God came to walk with them in the garden they went into hiding. And we have been hiding ever since.  We are children of Adam and have his nature – so we are born rebellious, defiant and unbelieving. This is called the “sin nature”. The verdict is: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) and “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). There is no wiggle room here. We each have to own up to this failure to come to a point where we can be restored to a right relationship with God.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him,  male and female he created them.

The first book of the Bible which is called Genesis paints a picture of the Supreme Being we call God. He is greater than everyone and in charge of everything. He is the Creator, God Almighty, and The Lord. Genesis is all about beginnings.  It answers two most frequently asked questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here?

God exists in three persons who we refer to as the Trinity or Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). In Genesis 1 and 2 we read about God’s work as Creator. He spoke everything into existence. He named it and it appeared – light, night and day, water, sky, land, plants, the sun, the moon and the stars and so on.  Then God decided to make a masterpiece greater than anything he had made thus far.  So fantastic was this idea he spoke it aloud to his son Jesus. In verse 26 of Genesis 1 God said: “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” and give them dominion over everything. Verse 27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Verse 7 of Genesis 2 tells us: “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”  God named the man Adam and his wife Eve.    I am struck by God’s intentionality and care from the very beginning.  When God fashioned someone to be like himself, he did so lovingly with his hands and breathed his life into this crown jewel of his creation.

Your mother and father were participants in your physical birth. Yes, they were the vessels.  Vessels are important and necessary, deserving of recognition but the content of any vessel is the prize – you are the prize! God has vested in you his breath – the Spirit of life from God is what makes you a living soul. Having made you with such care, he also has purpose for you. He made you so he could have a relationship with you. What parent does not want a relationship with his/her child?

God is like that – He wants a relationship with you … today.

This site contains  a Bible-based blog using mainly the New International Version and the portions of Scripture recommended will be substantial at times in order to help you spend time in the Word. It is intended for those who are desperately seeking a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, or for those who already have that relationship and want to learn and grow. For you to benefit from this blog requires at the very least that you believe that God exists, and will reward your pursuit of him. (Hebrews 11:6 refers). From time to time, I will include any special inspiration that the Holy Spirit provides. That text will appear in italics.