It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Archive for July, 2023

God’s Relationship with Humanity “Pre” Life of Jesus Christ” in the Old Testament

It is important to discern and recognize the times and dispensation of the divine order of God’s affairs that are in operation when we read God’s word. We must recognize thetwo major timelines that distinguish how God interacted with mankind and operated on the earth. The Old Testament, which was before Christ was born as the Son of Man, where sins were only covered for a while with blood of animals. The New Testament is “post” or after the Life and death of Christ, with Him being born as the Son of God and He gave His life as total payment for our sins.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJ

In the Old Testament God dealt with humanity as Creator, a Holy and Righteous Judge over all His creation. Though God in His love was longsuffering and patient with mankind, their sins were only covered by the blood of animals. When their sins became so great and could no longer be atoned for or be covered with the blood of lambs or bulls, God the Righteous Judge and Holy and Just God had to execute judgement againstthe sins of mankind. 

Numbers 32:23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. 

To some it may seem confusing and heartless when they see in the Old Testament, God requiring the total execution and destruction of a nation, of every person and beast. It is the Holiness of God that cannot tolerate sin, it is the Righteousness Judge that requires payment for sin. It is the love and compassion that God has for mankind that He would totally destroy the workers of Satan to keep them from corrupting humanity and the people of God. 

God by not allowing the wicked and ruthless behavior of those who followed after the evilness of Satan to be seen by others, that they in time may not start copying those atrocities and sins. Too often we have seen those who were inexperienced, naive and trusting being caught in a web of evilness and deceit causing them to be trapped in evilness and confusion.  Had they only been shield and kept from such darkness they could have evaded many hardships and troubles. 

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,  but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,  lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.

Every person has a will, which gives them the ability to choose whom they will serve, whether it is God in righteousness, orSatan and themselves in the sins of their flesh. “Pre” life of Christ, God gave His commandments and method of operation to Israel so they would be a light in this dark world to show humanity the way to God. God called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob out to make them a nation who would be a testament and show the world how to live a life before a Just God and their Creator. 

Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. NIV

God gave them many rules and regulations for them to follow,because sinful man could not approach a Holy and Righteous God in their own way. The wage of sin is death and there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.  All have sinned; therefore, the blood of animals could only covered the sins of mankind for a season and this was required before the priest could enter into the holy presence of God on their behalf. 

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ NKJ

God created mankind in His image for Himself, so that the glory of God would be seen throughout the earth. God is jealous for us and wants us to stay in relationship and fellowship with Himself. God will not force anyone to come to Him or force them to love Him, everyone will make their own choice, to obey God or not. In the Old Testament, when the wickedness of sinful mankind could no longer be covered by the blood of animals, the Righteous and Just God had to execute judgement.

Isaiah 13: 11 “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Proverb 10:16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin.

2 Chronicles 19:7 Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

Nahum1:2-3 God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. NKJ

God dealt with mankind according to their sins “Pre” life of Jesus Christ. Judging justly and requiring payment for their sins. Satan had the right to plague mankind when they sinned because they had given him their authority when they disobeyed God. In the book of Job, we saw that he operated in fear, thereby he opened a door that gave Satan a right to ask God to harass him. Peter operated in pride, this too allowedSatan to ask to sift him as wheat, according to God’s word and spiritual principles, prior to Christ shedding His blood for sin debt. 

Daniel 9:11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.NKJ

2 Corinthians 1:20 

In the Old Testament we could choose blessings or curses but in the saving grace of God through faith in Christ all the promises in Him are yes and amen. NKJ 

God, in His love, mercy, grace and great compassion has provided us with a payment for sin. Jesus has taken the wrath and has made atonement for sin for all mankind and has satisfied God’s fury and judgement against sin for all who by faith believe in the completed work of Christ. 

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 

Prior to the life, death and resurrection of Christ, God dealt with mankind as Creator and as a Holy and Righteous Judge. Because Jesus has paid the sin debt owed by all mankind, God has provided an opportunity for everyone to choose whether or not we will be adopted into the family of God. By the choice of our actions, we will stand before God and He will be our Abba Father, or stand before Him as a Holy and Righteous Judge. 

The choice is yours!

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How To Reflect and Reveal God’s Glory in Our Lives!

o reflect is to mirror or echo what is seen or heard. To reveal is to make known, to tell or to uncover a thing that is hidden. We reflect and reveal God’s personality, His character, His likeness and His glory through our daily relationships with God our Father, Jesus Christ and with all others who we encounter.  

When mankind was created they had the Spirit of God livingwithin them. They were created in His likeness, in His image and was in a personal and constant communion and relationship with God as their Creator. But, the day Adam and Eve disobeyed God their Creator, their God like Spirit died within them and they were no longer the perfect beings God created. The Holy Spirit of God’s presence left mankind and we were no longer a complete reflection of God’s glory nor walked in the perfect likeness of God our Creator.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. NKJ

Ezekiel 9:3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temp

Though mankind’s created purpose was to reflect and reveal God’s likeness and His glory on the earth, Adam and Eve lost their “Shekinah glory” or “God’s light” that indwelled them from creation until they sinned against God. Mankind was no longer in a close relationship or communion with God, their sin had separated them from God and they no longer had the light of His presence within them.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.  NKJV

From the fall of mankind humanity was separated from their God and only through the priest of God offering sacrifices for their sins were they able to cover their sins for a season. They were in an estranged relationship with their God and Creator. God always desired a relationship with His people. God’s Spirit would come upon those who were chosen to serve Him but His Spirit would not stay with them nor indwell them continually.  Mankind lived in darkness apart from God until Jesus came to restore followers of Christ back into a close family relationship with God as their Father. 

1 Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.

God has sent Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God to pay the penalties for our sins and to destroy the wall that separated us from our God and Creator. When we are ready to acknowledge our sins and ask God to forgive us, then we can ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and save us from our sins.Through faith we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and we are then adopted into the family of God.

Romans 10:9-11 hat if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Like any relationship, we tend to mimic and imitate, resemble and duplicate the character, qualities and temperament of the people we constantly associate with. The most important relationship in a person’s life is that of parent and child. In this relationship a person learns who they are through their association and they are taught, either deliberately or just by involvement how respond or react to many of life’s situations.    

No one is born with programmed biases, prejudices or affinities but these are taught or learned through family or life experiences. A person may not be aware of their personal partialities, slants and inclinations or they may not be aware of the fact that they are transmitting these beliefs to those around them. But it is in these close relationships that our character and beliefs are cultivated and established and they are reflected in our daily actions. 

Through faith in Christ, we now have the ability to have an even greater relationship with God. Not just as Creator but now we can become children of God, and He will be our Father, our Heavenly Father. Some may have been abandoned or orphanedby our natural parents. Or may have been lead in the way of the accursed things of this world by those who were supposed toteach us the ways of righteousness.  But now as children of the Most-High God and as part of the family of Christ we are given the Holy Spirit to lead us in all things pertaining to God our Father and His righteousness. 

Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,   having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Jesus gives us the opportunity and the ability to be adopted into the family of God. The thought of adoption may have a negative connotation in the natural world, but it is a word of wonder and splendor in the spirit realm. To be adopted in God’s family, to be one who is chosen by the Almighty God Jehovah to be His child. What an awesome concept to ponder! We areno longer identified by our natural inclinations, cultures or nationality but we are spiritually transformed beyond our nature to be in a family relationship with God as our Father.    

Romans 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 

Romans 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Reflecting God’s glory is not something we do, but it is something we become.  Because we are in a constant and close relationship with God we are persistently and perpetuallylearning His character, His ways and His integrity. The light of God’s glory, His “Shekinah glory” permeates, floods and fills our spirit, soul and body. Oftentimes, without being aware or having conscious knowledge, we reveal and reflect His glory in the world around us. Just as Moses’ face shone with the light of God’s glory after he left the presence of God, so are we spiritually. When we are constantly in God’s presence through prayer and the meditating of His word, so the light of His presence will shine through us also.

Exodus 34: 29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 

35, And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

In the natural, when people go and live in a different culture orstay around those who speak a different language, they toobegin to speak with that same accent or speech. After being immersed in a new society or culture over a period of time, some people may begin to reflect the values of that culturewithout them realizing it. It is the same spiritually. God wants to be in a close relationship with us and from this relationship His light shines upon us and we absorb His glory, which is reflected in our daily lives. This is not something we see in ourselves or something we set out to do. We just “be” who we are, we just “live” our lives and be ourselves, learning who we are through our relationship and fellowship with God.

2 Corinthian 3:18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

As we are in a relationship with God as our Father, His glory, wisdom and character are being developed within us while we are in His presence. God’s glory is reflected and echoed throughout the sphere, domain or circle in which we live. We reveal God’s love, peace and character by the way we live. Our lives tell God’s story to a lost world, when we love the unlovely, forgive the unforgiving and when we pray for those who spitefully misuse us.  

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

2 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, betenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Sometimes we may be the only voice crying out in the wilderness or in the desolate place of someone’s life. Our lives may also be the only light that is seen in our families, our placeof work or our society, where people may live in gross darkness and even in some very foul and dark situations.    

God has sent Christ so that we can be in a close relationship with God as our Father. We can constantly reveal and reflect God’s glory and who He is, by just being who we are. Becauseour life is God’s glory!

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