What You were Meant to Be

There were fishermen who daily worked long hard hours to make a living. Those men became fishers of men.  There was a shepherd who stood outside in the rain and cold, day and night.  He set the slaves of Egypt free.  Just ordinary people who God took and used in mighty ways.

Look back on your life.  From the vantage point of where you are now, you can see how God led you, protected you and molded you to become the person you are today.  It was not that He suddenly took notice of you saying, "OH WOW!  Look at what he is doing.  I think I can use him."

Before time began, God planned out who you would be and how to get you there.  You have the choice to follow God but once you choose God, you are on your way to the greatest adventure of your life.

Perhaps you saw yourself as just a retail worker, but God sees you as a teacher of His word to others.  You have worked in an office all your life, but God sees that you are an encourager to people who need to be uplifted. It does not matter where you start out or where you are today.  God sees you as who you truly are.  God is forming you into a holy vessel for His own purpose..

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;..." Jeremiah 1:5a

Jesus's Evil Twin

Pilate stood before the crowd of Jews with two men on either side of him.  On one side was Jesus, the Son of God and on the other was Jesus, the son of his father.  When offered to release Jesus who had done no wrong or Jesus who was a famous criminal, the crowds freed the evil Jesus and called for the crucifixion of the righteous and sinless Jesus.

The story found in Matthew 27 calls the one set free Barabbas.  In Matthew 27:16 the most trusted ancient text the full name given is Jesus Barabbas.  It is much more likely that the name Jesus was deleted, is some text, out of respect for the Messiah rather than added.  

What does the name Barabbas means? Bar means "son" and abbas means "father".  So Barabbas means "son of the father"  

To explain the mystery of why these two identical men were brought forth to the people we must go back to the time when God gave Moses the laws found in Leviticus. In Leviticus 16 God instructs that the high priest should take two goats that were identical in appearance and cast lots for them. One goat would be sacrificed for the sins of the people, while the other goat would be freed.  Two goats where presented to the people; each with a separate destiny.  

This act of choosing which goat was to live and which was to die was a fore shadowing of  the coming Messiah.

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries 

What God Needs is....

Are you fulfilling the needs of God?  Are you accomplishing what God needs you to do?  Have you ever thought about what God needs?  Have you ever given any thought to meeting God's needs instead of your own?

I hope not because God does not need you.  There is nothing you can do that could ever fulfill something that does not exist.  God has no needs.  God is self-sufficient.  In eternity past, before the creation of time and this universe, there was God.  Nothing else.  Just God.  He didn't need a Heaven or a throne.  He didn't need a world with air, water and dirt.  God had no angels to serve Him and no men to worship Him.  There was only God.

Everything that was created was not created out of His need for them, but out of His desire to love and to serve.  You were created so that He could love you and bless you.  He desired to help you to be perfect in your life.  While you do receive so many blessings from God, you were not created for that purpose.  Your purpose is to learn from God's example and to bless others.

God does not need your sacrifice.  Cut down every tree in your country to burn on an altar and slaughter every cattle as a burnt offering, and you still would not meet a need of God. God needs nothing but He does desire for you to know Him and have a heart of love like His.

"Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything since He gives to all life, breath and all things." Acts 17:25

Dry Bones

The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, but it wasn't until 73 AD that the last of Israel was truly conquered. The fortress of Masada held out against the Romans until finally the last zealots, numbering about 1000, killed themselves so that the Romans could never have the victory of actually defeating them or sending survivors into slavery.

When Masada was excavated in the 1950s, they found a scripture buried in the ruins, Ezekiel 37: 1-14. This is where God shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry bones and ask "Son of man, can these bones live?"  God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the dry bones to put on flesh and skin and to live.  And the dry bones did and they stood up like a vast army.  God then says that He will bring the Jews up from the grave, they will will live again in their own land and God will put His spirit into them.

On May 14th 1948,  for the first time since the fall of Masada, Jews lived under the banner of their own nation.  God brought them out of the grave of history back to life just as Ezekiel pronounced He would.  Today Israel lives by the grace of God.  They have their own land back, they speak the same language as they did 2000 years ago. They have the shekel as their currency again. No people have ever come back from destruction like this before and become a nation again.  God brought them back from being dry bones to being a living nation of people that someday Jesus Christ will return and rule.

Photo Credit: Masada, Israel by Miguelsihman

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

All is Soap Bubbles!

Back in college, I had a teacher who taught that the word "Vanity" in Ecclesiastes could be rendered as "Soap Bubbles". 

"Soap bubbles of Soap bubbles, saith the Preacher, soap bubbles of soap bubbles: all is soap bubbles." Ecclesiastes 1:2

It does sound kind of funny like that but it is also very true. Vanity is the pride and admiration we have for our own selves or our accomplishments.  "Oh look how beautiful I am."  "I am the best at this activity."  "I am better than they are."  "I am more humble than anyone I know."

It is all soap bubbles.   It looks pretty right now but it only lasts a moment before "POOF!" it is gone. Your beauty or strength will fade.  Your accomplishments will be forgotten and beaten.  Today you might be on the top rung of the ladder but tomorrow you could be thrown to the ground.  And so often we deceive ourselves on just how great we are.

Nothing in this world will last.  Someday it will all burn.  Someday you will come to see that your life was full of soap bubbles.

The only solid, lasting things in life are the things of God.  Strive to please God and do His will and you will gain rewards that last for eternity.

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Corinthians 5:1

To Kiss God

I love God.  I desire to see Him with all of my heart.  I know I will be so happy, but I wonder what I will do when I see Jesus face to face.  What will any of us do?  Will we cry with joy?  Will we hug him and never want to let him go? Perhaps we will fall down before him and kiss his feet.

Do you desire to give God a kiss?  Did you know that you can kiss God even now?  In the Greek New Testament, Proskuneo is translated as worship.  Pros means "towards" and kuneo means "to kiss"  It is the idea of so adoring Him that you throw yourself down and kiss His feet.

Would you like to give God a kiss?  Worship Him!  Right now you can give the Lord a kiss by worshiping Him.  Sing a love song to Him. Pray and tell Him how much you love Him.  Worship Him and kiss God.

Photo Credit: kiss by summerbl4ck

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

My Worst Fear

I am afraid of heights.  That is my worst fear for myself.  Losing a loved one would be much worse but for my own self, me being up high is fearful.  

It is actually irrational, but back in college I climbed a very tall extension ladder, stood on the top rung of it to wash a window.  When I came back down, I had gained a fear of heights that over time has only gotten worse.

It might seem rational.  I could fall and get badly hurt or even die, but I have even gotten butterflies looking at videos from high places.  Now let's take a look at this rationally.

Take your greatest fear: water, heights, spiders, clowns, women with red hats or anything else you might fear. Now, what is the worst thing that could happen to you?

Let's say you have a fear of riding in a car.  The worst thing that could happen is you get into an accident.  What is the worst result of that accident?  You die.  What is the worst thing about dying?

If you are a Christian, the worst thing that could happen is you go to Heaven and be with God for eternity.  Hmmmm.  Not a bad result for your worst fear.

The worst result for me with heights is that I fall, die and go to Heaven.  I admit that I still have that fear even knowing that the worst thing that could happen is to meet my Lord and Savior face to face, but there is hope even in my worst situation here in this world.

Trusting in God does not mean our human emotions, such as fear, are eliminated.  However, it does mean we can go forward in spite of our fears, trusting Him as we follow Him.

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."  Psalm 56:3