I know you by name… Can a mother forget the baby at her breast, and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will never forget you!… To him who overcomes I will give… a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it. (Ex 33:12; Isa 49:15; Rev 2:17)
“You are My child. I love you.” For everybody with a heart, that is the message our soul longs to hear. What the well known existential question, “Why am I here?,” is really asking is this: “Where’s the love behind all this?” Even good mortal parents alone can’t totally fill the void of that God-shaped vacuum inside every human heart that needs to feel that assurance that resounds from eternity, “You are My child. I love you.”
God’s love is not general. It’s not generic. It’s not one-size-fits-all. It comes the way we human beings come– unique, individual, precious. It’s customized, tailored, and personalized. It’s private, confidential, and intimate. The love God has for YOU is for YOU– ONLY. Once you experienced it, you will never ever forget the feeling– the euphoria, the intoxication, the sedation, the relaxation, the serenity, the total, absolute, and utter satisfaction and feeling of well-being. It’s an addiction like none other.
In eternity, we will get our fill of this love in the privacy of a relationship and a language that no other creature can possibly crash nor disturb. God will give each of us a name which no one else knows. Somewhere along the way, I heard that this is not only a secret name between us and God, but it’s in an entirely private and exclusive language completely unknown, unintelligable, and undecipherable to any other creature.
This is evidenced by looking at what scripture says about Jesus’ secret name. It is publicly displayed for all the world to see, yet and still no creature can read it to know what that name is (Rev 19:20). And, it is fitting to God’s infinite creativity to craft a whole, entire language for each and every individual child of His love, known only to himself and that child. So, the Lord will have an eternity, and absolute privacy to speak to you and tell you in countless ways, “You are My child. I love you.”
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard… 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20).
“I AM God. I love you.” That is the message sown into the very fabric of all creation. The gospel of Jesus Christ adorns, magnifies, and amplifies that message to a volume and degree that even a deaf, mute, and blind man can’t miss it. “I AM God. I love you.”
That message resounds with so much piercing clarity in everything that God has equipped this mesmerizing world to display and communicate to us. It’s in the vast green carpet of the earth, in the shimmering, innumerable stars in their places, and in the artistry of the immense constellations of the night sky. It’s in the great dome of the daytime skies, in the bountiful, fruited plains of the landscape, and in the heightening mountain peaks spiking the horizons. It’s in the teeming, blue oceans blanketing the planet, in the breathtaking, profile of this wondrous and colorful orb that we call home, as seen from the heavens, and it’s in our mutual capacity to love one another with a love that defies even our own will.
I could go on and on. It is abundantly clear. God has architectured and provided us with an incredibly beautiful and lavish world to live in that is designed from the instant of our first sensory awareness to awe, astound, and amaze. The featured image of this article is from a slice of the heavens as mapped by Dr. Margaret Geller of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center and her team of astrophysicists in 1986. The image spans a spectrum of over 650 million light years. Each point represents an entire galaxy. What is revealed at the heart of that picture from the universe, is what is eternally on the heart of God — man. Man is the center of God’s world. Man is the focus of His attention. And, you and I are the passion of His heart. He has created this entire world to speak to our hearts one, harmonious, unified message. “I AM God. I love you.”
“Truth & Dare” is retiring, but the party’s not over. Hooray !!! We’ve made our last new post here. It will still serve for an archive site. But, we invite you now to head on over to our new site for great posts of information, illumination, and inspiration. If you haven’t already joined us there, from now on we’ll be on WordPress at: newjosephblog.wordpress.com.
You can even submit a post yourself for publishing on our group page, and join in the mutual encouragement and edification. Everything at these sites is for the growth and advance of Christ’s children and His kingdom. So, what are you waiting for?? Head on over!!!
“’Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!’ And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them…” (She lists her friends and decides that she is not either of them)… “Who am I then? TELL ME THAT FIRST, and then, if I like being that person, I’ll come up: if not, I’ll stay down here till I’m somebody else” –but, oh dear!’ [she] cried, with a sudden burst of tears… (Having been first stretched tall like a giant, then suddenly shrunk to the size of a mustard seed)…`I wish I hadn’t cried so much!’ [she] said, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. `I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears!’”
The foregoing quote is from, “Alice in Wonderland,” the popular novel by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865. Though it is classed as “nonsense literature,” what it treats here is anything but nonsense. For it attempts to address the age-old question, “Just who or what am I?” The Bible itself first raises this most fundamental of all issues, when it asks,
“What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4).
The inability of people to come to a satisfactory understanding here, however, does accounts for all the insane, nonsensical, sad, and desperate behavior in the world. For, without being able to answer this question, man is truly lost.
My wife had a divine vision one day. She saw this generation of young people on horses galloping down the freeway in a massive gang. They filled the highway, and were headed fast together on their way. My wife asked, “Where are they going, Lord?” God said, “They don’t know. They are just going.” Isn’t that sad? But, without knowing who or what they are, they (and we all) are like a vehicle without a destination, a tool with no job to do, a representative with no commissioning authority, and an individual with no purpose. Trying to come to know who we are by comparing ourselves to others, is as vain, futile, and depressing as Alice learned it is. We either loom huge like giants, and in our minds are bigger than life. Or else, we seem as tiny and insignificant as specks. Looking at others makes our minds play tricks on us, and puts us on carnal footing as infirm and unsafe as quicksand. But, God gave us the sure and eternal answer early on in the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible. Like Alice requested, “Tell me that first.”
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26,27. Amen.
Did you catch it? “Man” is the one and only creature on earth created in the image and likeness of God. Wow!! What a legacy!! Brothers and sisters, we are the only beings on earth created to show the rest of the creation what God is really like!! I heard a word from God one day. God said, “You can sum it up this way, ‘Man is a MANifestation of God.’” That’s no play on words. That is just words playing their role to make plain and clear the glory of God. Man was created to be a MANIFESTATION of God. That is what we are. And, as importantly is the who. Jesus quoted it.
“I have said, Ye are gods; and ALL OF YOU ARE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH.” Psalm 82:6
God’s children we are, made to manifest his glory, showing forth his power, and being filled with His love. One day, as I was in the Spirit, God just literally downloaded the following chart into my mind. As God’s children, we are beings of a seven-fold nature, each facet of our being playing a specific and vital role.
If you can accept it, then you will see that we have purpose galore. If you can believe it, then you can receive that as your destiny. If you can put on this truth, then you will be robed for battle with the devil’s minions, whenever they try to fill you with either pride and high-mindedness, or either discouragement and depression. Knowing the truth about who and what we are is the “first thing” that we must embrace, if we are to become fully what we were created to be in the first place – EXACT MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD — HIS BELOVED CHILDREN IN THE WORLD.
“Behold, what amazing love the Father has lavished upon us…” 1John 3:1
A “blessing” is a good word spoken by the mouth of God, which causes His glory to be manifest in our lives. That good word guarantees us all-encompassing health, success, and prosperity, along with His peace. (Because of His purpose to grow us up into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ, that blessing cannot at all times and under all circumstances be interpreted and reduced down to mean “having lots of money and stuff”). Considering its glory and effect, nothing else in this world is to be coveted more than God’s blessing. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). If you really want to be changed into Christ’s image, then just get into God’s word day by day. You’ll have the hammer of God in your soul, and the fire of God in your spirit. You cannot help but to be changed. The word itself will break up all that needs to be broken up, and burn up all that needs to be burned up. Fight for establishing a regular time in the word every morning. It will be like a beachhead for your war on the devil, and like a high place for gaining a tactical advantage on evil. It will be a sure weapon and faithful ally. The scripture says,
“Sanctify them through thy truth. The word is truth” (John 17:17). If you really want to be separated from your sin, then the word will do the trick. It is God’s sanctifying agent. A good acronym for TRUTH is:
The * Right * Understanding [of] * THings
If you want to get your mind right, then fill it full of God’s word. When you understand the word, you understand God’s perspective on things, and you understand His will and purpose for your life. There’s nothing more powerful in this world than a man or a woman with a divine purpose active in their life. And, as you grow strong in the Lord, He will speak of you this way:
14 “Wherefore thus saith the Lord, because you speak this word, I will make my word in thy mouth fire and this people wood, and it shall consume them… 20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms…5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation…” (Jeremiah 5:14; 51:20; Isaiah 13:5).
Do you know the principle behind having visions of the Lord? The principle is this: “What you see is what you get.” Well, I have had a vision of the Lord, and that vision was awesome, fiery, and mind-rending. In it, I saw a vision of Christ Jesus the Lord, and he was… “The Eternal Word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God – Consuming Fire !!!” So, I can promise you that it is true. If you get filled with the word, then the Lord one day will transform you into a fiery, spiritual weapon in his arsenal for his warfare on the world, the flesh, and the devil. He will purge you, sanctify you, and refine you yourself, first of all. Then, He will turn around and use you to do the same in the lives of others. The word promises,
In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left… (Zechariah 12:6).
So, get ready. The fireworks are about to begin!!!
Life can be very scary and uncertain sometimes. It can be very puzzling, especially in terms of our interplay with the LORD God our Father. All the drama, the intrigue, and the suspense of life can be summed up in the fact that we have a very sovereign God, who controls all things, and who seems to like to deal with and work through us creatures who are weak, frail, and finite. Sometimes we find that we are not even in control of the one thing we are always supposed to be in control of – our own behavior. Sometimes, we find ourselves in need of praying that prayer King David taught us, when he was fingered by the prophet Nathan for adultery and murder,
5 Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me… 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:5,11
So, the question is, at what point can a Christian know that his soul is secure and that he/she is bound for heaven in the end, no matter what? How do we escape that uneasy, unwelcome, and troubling feeling of eternal UNCERTAINTY, considering all our stumbling, misdeeds, shortfalls, and let’s be plain, all our sinfulness? By virtue of our own rotten human nature, no matter how hard we try, at times we just get tangled, twisted, and tossed about by sin. This was certainly Paul’s experience (Romans 7:7-25). So, let’s look very briefly at this issue from the two distinct points of view – God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.
First, realize that God is sovereign in the affairs of salvation, as we dealt with in the previous article, “Pen Me In in the End…” http://wp.me/p4eK9Z-Bs. And, God is faithful. There is a doctrine floating around in the Christian camp called “Eternal Security,” which attempts to offer Christians escape from the pressures of uncertainty by reducing God’s part down to this simplistic formula, “Once Saved, Always Saved.” That statement falls short of the volume of the teachings of scripture however, simply because it does not start at the right point in the process. (So, the apostle Paul said, “Work out your own salvation with FEAR AND TREMBLING” Philippians 2:12. Therefore, that sense of uneasiness is not a dirty thing. It’s essential to the process. Scripture says,
“TheFEARoftheLordisclean, enduring forever” (Psalm 19:9). The scripture places the point of certainty much earlier in the process.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS PURPOSE. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 28-30
So, the actual links in the process of salvation are:
GOD’S PURPOSE (1) → God’s foreknowledge (2) → God’s predestination (3) → God’s call (i.e., the preaching of the gospel) (4) → God’s justification (what we refer to as, getting “saved”) (5) → and, God’s glorification, which is the end result of the process (6).
The problem with “Eternal Security” as it is commonly presented, is that it presents the “salvation” of man, step five (5), as the root and foundation of the process and of our assurance, when there are four (4) earlier steps that are most decisive to the outcome. And, all those steps lie totally out of the scope of human knowledge or temporal confirmation. They fall wholly within the domain of God’s sovereignty and control, which we shall sum up under the heading of God’s “election.” And, that is why Peter said,
5 And beside this, giving ALL DILIGENCE, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge… 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to MAKE YOUR [OWN] CALLING AND ELECTION SURE: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1Peter 1:5-11 brackets mine)
So now secondly, we must realize that we are forever responsible to be DILIGENT as far as our soul’s ultimate salvation is concerned. At no point can we escape the drama of it all, by just taking our eternity for granted. God alone sees the end from the beginning, and knows what souls shall make it from the start of our salvation unto the end. Ultimately, in the realm of time to which we are confined, our assurance is rooted in the hope and faith of the believing heart. Of that root system, Hebrews says,
“Which hope we have as an anchor ofthe soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil [of eternity]” (Hebrews 6:19, brackets mine). Furthermore, Paul explains,
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5
Ultimately then, assurance of salvation is negotiated between the individual human heart and the Spirit of God. It is a function of the enduring hope and faith of the heart, sustained and grown throughout time. That faith is maintained through grace by God’s eternal love, the bestowal and receipt of which is the very “PURPOSE” (Romans 8:28) for which we were created. That ‘purpose,’ as you recall, was step one (#1) of our salvation process. You may be sure that if you can CONNECT AT THE HEART LEVEL WITH THE LOVE OF GOD, and maintain that connection throughout all the many ups and downs of life, then YOU WILL most definitely BE SAVED.
The love of God will never, ever let you down. As 1Corinthians 13:8 assures us, “Love never fails.” Like King David, even in the most desperate of times, when we are utterly guilty and stained before God, that love connection in our hearts will make us come out with the most gracious prayers and supplications. Those, God will always recognize as being consistent with his own eternal grace and purpose. God will respond with downloads of the abundance of his steadfast love, and your heart will grow yet to another level of capacity to always believe in His faithfulness. May you be filled with grace, peace, and assurance as you grow and produce fruit in our heavenly Father’s love. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
Man was designed to be a glorious, God-like being made up of five incorporeal parts — spirit, heart, will, mind, and soul — housed in a very sophisticated physical body. This model displays the separate elements of man’s makeup in order of their strength and priority within the human system. Starting in the center with man’s spirit, the strongest and primary element, we proceed then outward to man’s soul, the weakest part. In redeemed persons, the Holy Spirit resides within and throughout as both the eternal core and crown of the individual.
The human spiritis the very identity entity of the person. It is the ontological/ motivational facet of man’s being, responsible for his knowing and rejoicing functions. Its purpose is worship. The heart is his audio/ verbal facet, responsible for hearing and believing functions. Its purpose is work. The will is the moral/ intentional facet, responsible for acknowledging and submitting. Its purpose is to wait. The mind is the perceptual/ logical nature. Its responsibility is comprehending and proving. Its purpose is war. The soul is the emotional/ expressional nature. Its function is feeling and magnifying. Its purpose is to witness. And then, there is the body. It serves as the physical/ visible facet. It is responsible for possessing and displaying. Its purpose is to wrap the glory of God.
Finally, the seventh and last element to make man complete is the Holy Spirit. It is the eternal/ Christological nature, which makes a man what God originally created him to be. His function is to cause man to experience the life and the love of the heavenly Father. He purposes to make man a living window of the glory of God.
This then, is that “burning bush” of Moses, which ultimately, he himself became in the hand of God. When the Holy Spirit enters any man, it immediately makes him a new creature – a member of the unified Godhood – which is called the body of Christ. Then He, the Holy Spirit, makes him a vehicle and vessel of the Most High, powering him towards his eternal destiny in Christ Jesus. Therefore, Paul prayed,
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23). Amen.
The “Word of wisdom” (1Corinthians 12:8) is the special unction to receive “downloads” of God’s strategic advice and divine counsel. This gift is designed to keep God’s people thriving and surviving in very trying, difficult, and challenging times. It generally occurs as a word of divinely inspired direction from God. But, the gift not only operates through God’s anointed people by declaration with regards to specific concerns of our life, but it also operates upon God’s people by divine manifestation, with respect to much broader concerns of life. Meaning…
The all-time most spectacular display of this gift was when Christ allowed himself to be crucified for us. For, the word declares,
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1Corinthians 2:7-8)…
14 …that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15).
The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Psalm 14:1; 53:1
Is that right? I mean, is that verse correct? You say, brother Joseph, surely you know that all of God’s word is right. And I say, all of GOD’S word is right. But the foregoing verse, has slipped in under the radar some of man’s word. There is such a thing called editorial license. And sometimes, meaning to be helpful, our translators add just a bit, thinking they are making the meaning clearer and more comprehensible. But, with integrity, they do leave behind tracks to let you know that they have done so. And, in the case of the King James translators, those tracks are marked with the words being printed in italics. In the foregoing verse, the words in italics are “There is.” So, leaving out the words in italics that the translators added, the actual correct translation is this, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘No,’ God.”
Can you imagine the outrageous audacity, the unmitigated gall, the idiotic, delusional, unthinking lunacy of someone who would look in the face of the Eternal, Almighty, Omnipotent Creator of the universe, and tell Him a flat-out “No.” Well, don’t get too smug on your high horse yet, because, essentially we ALL do it all times. And, there is a formal name for that. The Bible calls it simply, “sin.”
But you say, who could look God in His face and say, “No.” That’s just it. We can do it all the time, because there seemingly are so many things to hide behind. There are crowds of people. Like teenagers, we tell God, “But everybody’s doing it.” There are loads of activity, and we simply hide behind our busyness. There are vital relationships. And, we get ourselves lost and distracted attending to those. And, most conveniently, there seems to be plenty of darkness in our own hearts, so we cover our faces in that, thinking to avoid eye contact with God. Yes, there are plenty of effectual opportunities in life for anyone looking to duck and dodge their responsibility to their Maker. But someday, the bill will come due. And then, quite literally, there will be hell to pay. The Lord made that point abundantly clear in the parable of the AWOL servants.
16 Then [JESUS] said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” Luke 14:16-24
Beloved, don’t be like those men who were full of excuses. Don’t tell God, “No.” We may surmise from our texts, Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1, that the very definition of a ‘fool’ is someone who says “No” to God. And, in that case, we are ALL quite foolish. As Psalms 14 and 53 go on to say, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (vs 3). In Romans 3, Paul picks up from there and quotes a whole bunch of other things that the Word reports negatively about us.
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Ahh!! What a bad report on humanity! But beloved, this includes us, the Church today.
Oh, I know that we don’t like to hear such a gloomy and negative message, but the only way to clear our eyes and get us to the place where we are much more mindful and attentive to amend our ways is to report the hard, cold, harsh reality of truth. The only way to get us to a state where we are truly repentant is to hold up the mirror of the God’s Word of truth to our faces and to say, “Take a good hard look. Do you like what you see?” The very basic meaning of ‘repent’ is “to change the mind.” Sin has left us with a default response to God of “No.” When we exercised our original and foundational repentance, we changed our minds and said to God “Yes,” instead. But, the tide of sin in the world around us, and the weakness of our own souls, have left us with a world of excuses. We have backslidden in our hearts, and said “No” again, in many areas. And thus, is the testimony of God’s word against us:
16 For [my people] slideth back as a backsliding heifer… Hosea 4:6
22 “For my people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.” Jeremiah 4:22 NRSV
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore, they shall fall among them that fall. At the time that I visit them they shall be cast down… 16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, [No!] We will not walk therein. 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, [No!] We will not hearken. Jeremiah 6:15-17, italics mine
7 I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people since they return not from their ways. Jeremiah 15:7
Beloved, this is us, God’s people. We, the Church, the family of faith made up of Jews, and Gentiles, and all nations of people who have faith in Christ Jesus, have left God reporting such a sad and mournful testimony. This is what the Spirit of God is saying to whoever has ears to hear. Will you take the message to heart, and repent? Or, will you remain foolish, and go on with a thousand excuses saying “No” to God? Think about it. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
Image Copyright © 1998 by Joseph Diop
Truth & Dare 