Sharing at Every Opportunity

Scripture: "When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:3 ).

 

One of the greatest comforts of being a Christian is that we can trust God’s Word. Jesus has promised to return for His followers and that “His Kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:33 ). We can share God’s comfort with others, caring for them -- as Jesus cared for those around Him – and helping them prepare for His return. We can show we care by letting others know about Jesus, every chance we have, so they can share a joyful eternity with the Lord, too.

Never Alone

Although Jesus is not physically with us, we experience evidence of God’s hand in our lives. One reason is because Jesus promised His Holy Spirit would be with His followers, that He “will not abandon you as orphans — I will come to you” (John 14:18 ). With His promise, He instructed, “If you love Me, obey My commandments” (John 14:15 ). The Apostle John, also wrote about companionship and following Jesus’ commandments in his later writings: “if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before the Father” (John 14:15 ), “and we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments” (1 John 2:3)

We Should Care for Others

What happens if people don’t obey, not caring for others as He instructed us to? The Bible says that “All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). He will give blessed, loving words to the righteous “sheep,” who did care for others. But He will say, “Away with you, you cursed ones” (Matthew 25:41) to those who ignored the needs of others. Christians can care for non-Believers as though for a child, sharing God’s Good News. With the Holy Spirit guiding us, we can lead others, as Jesus taught: “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children” (Luke 18:16).

Perpetual and Unalterable

Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Jer. 50: 5. 

A covenant is an agreement by which parties bind themselves and each other to the fulfillment of certain conditions. Thus the human agent enters into agreement with God to comply with the conditions specified in His Word. His conduct shows whether or not he respects these conditions. 

Man gains everything by obeying the covenant- keeping God. God's attributes are imparted to man, enabling him to exercise mercy and compassion. God's covenant assures us of His unchangeable character. . . . We must know for ourselves what His requirements and our obligations are. The terms of God's covenant are, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." These are the conditions of life. "This do," Christ said, "and thou shalt live" (Luke 10: 27, 28).

The law of God was written with His own finger on tables of stone, thus showing that it could never be changed or abrogated. It is to be preserved through the eternal ages, immutable as the principles of His government. . . . Christ gave His life to make it possible for man to be restored to the image of God. It is the power of His grace that draws men together in obedience to the truth.

My brethren, bind up with the Lord God of hosts. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. . . . Troublous times are before us, but if we stand together in Christian fellowship, none striving for supremacy, God will work mightily for us. . . .

He knows our every necessity. He has all power. He can bestow upon His servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands. His infinite love and compassion never weary. With the majesty of omnipotence He unites the gentleness and care of a tender shepherd. We need have no fear that He will not fulfill His promises. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant that He has made with those that love Him. His promises to His church stand fast forever. He will make her an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations.

The Covenant and the Sabbath

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever. Ex. 31: 16, 17. 

When the Lord delivered His people Israel from Egypt and committed to them His law, He taught them that by the observance of the Sabbath they were to be distinguished from idolaters. . . . 

As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God's people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of a relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. . . . The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that recreates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience. 

To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given "for a perpetual covenant." To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God's government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise. 

The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those who obey this commandment take upon themselves His name, and all the blessings it involves are theirs. 

The Sabbath has lost none of its meaning. It is still a sign between God and His people, and it will be so forever.

Discovering Needs

Scripture: "You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”(Matthew 21:22)

Having a child has taught me a lot of things about meeting the needs of another person. As an infant, my daughter, like all babies, was unable to supply anything for herself. As she aged and grew, we’ve taught her to do more and more for herself. Our ultimate goal, of course, is for her to learn enough to become a secure, intelligent, Christian adult.

What We Want

It’s difficult to know what little ones need, sometimes. One of my daughter’s frustrating habits is neglecting to say when she has a basic need – such as hunger, thirst, or a restroom break. Unlike God, the Father Who “knows exactly what you need even before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8), human parents can’t always “just know” what a child needs. As the Apostle James taught the early Christians about the Heavenly Father, “you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it”(James 4:2). We encourage our daughter to talk about what she needs or wants. Then we can decide how to meet her needs; however, we won’t always get what she wants. And God won’t always give Christians what we want, either: “even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong” (James 4:3).

Not What We Expect

Jesus said, “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). So why doesn’t God answer every Christian prayer with a “yes”? Sometimes our motives are wrong. And just as my daughter doesn’t know what’s best for herself from her young perspective, Christians don’t always know what’s best for ourselves from our earthly perspective. God knows what’s best for us, and He “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love [Him]” (Romans 8:28). Maybe the answer to our prayer doesn’t look like what we thought it would; sometimes God has a better plan! St. Paul trusted God’s provision and told his friends that “this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches”(Philippians 4:19). All God’s children can trust Him to meet their needs – in His way and in His time.

Ratified by Christ's Blood

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till come. 1 Cor. 11: 26. 

In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for His church a memorial of His great sacrifice for man. "This do," He said, "in remembrance of me." This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which He had just established, was to take its place, and to continue through all time as the memorial of His death. . . . 

In this last act of Christ in partaking with His disciples of the bread and wine, He pledged Himself to them as their Redeemer by a new covenant, in which it was written and sealed that upon all who will receive Christ by faith will be bestowed all the blessings that heaven can supply, both in this life and in the future immortal life. This covenant deed was to be ratified by Christ's own blood, which it had been the office of the old sacrificial offerings to keep before the minds of His chosen people. Christ designed that this supper should be often commemorated in order to bring to our remembrance His sacrifice in giving His life for the remission of the sins of all who will believe on Him and receive Him. 

In the Saviour's death the powers of darkness seemed to prevail, and they exulted in their victory. But from the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Jesus came forth a conqueror. 

Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the Heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to "make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Isa. 13: 12).

Give Them Their Daily Bread

Scripture: "The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Romans 8:26)

More than once, I’ve been too upset or in too much pain to pray with words. However, I’ve never felt like God abandoned me; I never felt out of communion with Him. I felt like something in me was still calling to Him, even though I couldn’t even express what I needed. God knew what I needed, even if I didn’t know myself.

Daily Needs

One of the sentences Jesus taught His followers to pray was, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) this can be a form of requesting that God meet all our needs. Of course, “bread” was not all Jesus ever asked the Father for; and we need more than just food. It’s so wonderful that the Bible gives us so many examples of Jesus praying, so we know that we, His followers, can also come to the Father with all our prayers.

Needing Salvation

Before He died, Jesus prayed, “for all who will ever believe in Me through [the Disciples’] message. … May they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me”(John 17:20-21). The most important thing every person needs is God’s salvation – the chance to know and live for Jesus. Many people do not know there is a God, let alone that they need the Lord.

Share Your Bread

When you share your faith with friends, they might not be able to tell you what they need. You can let them know that it’s okay not to know, that Jesus covered it in the Lord’s Prayer with “daily bread,” and that Jesus told His followers that the “Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!”(Matthew 17:20-21) . Maybe your friends will let you pray over their needs – both spoken and unspoken – with them. What a great witness!

God's Appointment With You

Did you know that God set aside a special day so you can have meaningful, lasting contact with Him? Nearly 6,000 years ago our Creator declared the seventh-day Sabbath a day of rest and fellowship with Him. 

On any given week our fast-paced, modern lives may embrace several appointments, some of which we don't relish keeping. Few people look forward to a tooth-extraction date with the dentist or even a periodic medical checkup. There's no telling what our physician may discover.

Of course most health-care professionals seek to lengthen our lives and make them more pleasant. Yet no matter how capable and competent, they cannot deal effectively with the wide-ranging scope of our human anxieties and uncertainties, along with our financial, work and marital problems.

Only God has the inherent ability to deliver us from all our problems. Only His Word can tell us what our priorities ought to be.

Driving us far from God

Yet modern society is not designed to begin, build and enhance a proper relationship with our Creator. Instead, our society mostly widens the gap between God and ourselves—driving us far away from the divine help we all need to cope with life in an increasingly complex, fast-paced world.

Many today are in a state of perpetual confusion, being weighed down with various problems and anxieties. "Hurry sickness" is one symptom and has become the malaise of our Western world. Life in the fast lane is taking a tragic toll.

One journalist began a piece on the subject frankly confessing: "I am pathologically impatient and incapable of waiting for anything. I'm always stomping out of shops, bars or restaurants because the [line's] too long and I can't be bothered to wait" (India Knight, "The Can't Wait Society," The Sunday Times, March 26, 2006). Today we hear of road rage—and even supermarket-cart rage! As a result of our chronic impatience and always being in a hurry, some become miserable, lonely, stressed-out and sick.

Too many of us don't sleep all that well. Many continually gorge on fast foods, not taking the time to prepare healthy meals. We've allowed time to become an enemy rather than a friend. We are badly misusing one of our most valuable resources. Most of us have lost the knack for properly budgeting our time. We don't realize how important the biblical admonition on "redeeming the time" is to our whole well-being (see Ephesians 5:16
; Colossians 4:5
).

We always seem to have so much to do that we find virtually no time left for regular contact with our Creator. The world has largely cast aside the biblical keys that would unlock the door to God's presence and help in our lives.

A God-like view of time

A psalm attributed to Moses gives us some much-needed perspective. "Lord," it begins, "You have been our dwelling place in all generations . . . Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (Psalm 90:1-2

). When God takes center stage in our minds, we start to think differently—to mirror His thoughts rather than our own.

But all of us grow older every day, and the clock is ticking. Our physical lives are composed of just so much time. Many today are already past the 70 years the psalm mentions and are wondering just how much time is left to them.

As the psalm states: "We finish our lives like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:9-10

).

Our Creator wants us to grasp the implications of the fact that we won't live forever in the flesh. We all need to learn to use our time properly: "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12
, emphasis added throughout).

Our visionary thoughts should extend to a future time beyond our physical lives. God offers the gift of eternal life to those who meet His conditions and surrender their will to His. But we have to take sufficient time now to think about our real future in the age to come.

Enter God's seventh-day Sabbath!

A day devoted to God

Leviticus 23 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. When we truly understand its implications, it becomes a divinely revealed map of God's plan and purpose for humankind.

It begins: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations [sacred assemblies, NIV], these are My feasts"'" (Leviticus 23:1-2

). God is the Revealer of truth, and Moses is the agent speaking directly with the people on His behalf. These are God's festivals, and He has exclusive rights to them. They belong to Him and not to any person or group of people.

The Hebrew word translated "feasts" here is mo'edim, which means "appointed times" (Leviticus 23:4
), or "appointments" as we would say today.

The first one mentioned is the weekly Sabbath—to be observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings" (Leviticus 23:3
).

The rest of the chapter is devoted exclusively to seven yearly festivals containing seven Holy Days (annual Sabbaths). As verse 4 states, "These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times." The intriguing explanation of their significance is beyond the scope of this article.

Observing the Sabbath day

We all need rest from our general labor and occupational work. So the Creator commands us to rest every seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11



; Deuteronomy 5:12-15



). The Sabbath commandment actually dates from creation since God Himself rested on that first seventh day and sanctified it—set it apart—as an example for all mankind, beginning with Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:1-3


).

Spiritual fellowship with others of like mind is one of the most beneficial tonics to the human psyche. We all need it! Of course, this can succeed only in and through our fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3
). Successful relationships, whether with God or other people, all require quality time.

 

A weekly day of rest enables us to use the other six days much more profitably. People who work seven days a week generally burn out sooner rather than later. As well as physical and mental rest, we need sufficient time to meditate, thinking about those matters that bring us special meaning and divine purpose.

The Sabbath provides time and space for families, couples and friends to draw closer together. This seventh-day rest provides precious time for prayer and to read and study the Bible, the book that tells us how to live in ways that are infinitely rewarding, purposeful and fulfilling. It is also a time for assembling with others for collective worship, as the term "convocation" in Leviticus 23:3
denotes a commanded assembly (compare Hebrews 10:24-25

).

Observing the Sabbath is an integral part of the Ten Commandments. It is no less valid a commandment than those six specifically designed to cover our relationships with other human beings—do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, etc. It is one of the vital first four that help us to express love to our Creator, worshipping Him in a proper and respectful manner.

All too many in mainstream Christendom are either dismissive or ignorant of this weekly get-together with their Creator and are missing out on the spiritual edification that observing the seventh-day Sabbath provides. Why not start keeping your weekly appointment with God?

Caring by Nature

Scripture: "And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows." (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

What are you good at? In what ways are you naturally talented? Do you know that God gave you those gifts and abilities for a reason? There are very few great projects that one person can do alone. You cannot build and maintain a large building by yourself; nor can one Christian build and maintain the Church. God has given His people gifts that work together; therefore, He can let His Church achieve much when we work together, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” What are you good at? In what ways are you naturally talented? Do you know that God gave you those gifts and abilities for a reason? There are very few great projects that just one person can do alone. You can’t build and maintain a large building by yourself. And, one Christian alone can’t build and grow the Christian community. God has given His people gifts that work together; that way, He can let His Church (the Christian community) achieve great things when we work together, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” . (Ephesians 5:21).

Complementary Gifts

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body[, the Church]. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” (Romans 12:4-5). God has given us to one another, and He has also given the Church important duties. St. Paul continues, “If God [gave] you the ability to prophesy, speak out with faith. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God [gave] you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly” (Romans 12:6-8)

Complementary Callings

One important duty is to “preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). As with building and maintaining the Church from the inside, God has given us complementary callings for building the Church from the outside – by sharing His Gospel. Again in Romans, St. Paul wrote, “How can [seekers] believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” (Romans 10:14-15). Within those questions, I see several Christian “job openings.” Christians are needed to preach the Good News about Jesus, and others are needed to send the preachers. The preachers and the senders will need support – financial, physical, and spiritual. And we can support them by using the gifts God has given us: teaching, giving, serving, praying, etc. We have so many opportunities to serve God, each other, and those who still need Jesus!

The Gift of Pardon

Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Neh. 9: 17. 

Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must be executed. God, in the gift of His only- begotten Son, met both these requirements. By dying in man's stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon. 

God requires that we confess our sins, and humble our hearts before Him; but at the same time we should have confidence in Him as a tender Father, who will not forsake those who put their trust in Him. . . . God does not give us up because of our sins. We may make mistakes, and grieve His Spirit; but when we repent, and come to Him with contrite hearts, He will not turn us away. There are hindrances to be removed. Wrong feelings have been cherished, and there have been pride, self- sufficiency, impatience, and murmurings. All these separate us from God. Sins must be confessed; there must be a deeper work of grace in the heart. . . . 

We must learn in the school of Christ. Nothing but His righteousness can entitle us to one of the blessings of the covenant of grace. . . . We look to self, as though we had power to save ourselves; but Jesus died for us because we are helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. . . . 

Jesus is our only Saviour; and although millions who need to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish. . . . 

You may see that you are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account that you need a Saviour. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1: 9). Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has promised it. Precious Saviour! His arms are open to receive us, and His great heart of love is waiting to bless us.

Better Promises

He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises. Heb. 8: 6. 

The Israelites had been specially charged not to lose sight of the commandments of God, in obedience to which they would find strength and blessing. 

They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were bound to God as their deliverer from the bondage of sin. Now they were prepared to appreciate the blessings of the new covenant. 

The terms of the "old covenant" were, Obey and live: "If a man do, he shall even live in them" (Eze. 20: 11; Lev. 18: 5); but "cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them" (Deut. 27: 26). The "new covenant" was established upon "better promises"-- the promise of forgiveness of sins and of the grace of God to renew the heart and bring it into harmony with the principles of God's law. 

The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. . . . All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will find mercy and grace and assurance. Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God's law. . . . 

Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old-- perfect obedience. . . . In the new and better covenant, Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law, if they receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. . . . In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ.

Terms of the Covenant

If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. Ex. 19: 5. 

In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life. 

The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14: 15). Here is the sum and substance of the law of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined. . . . 

That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, "This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan." There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO and Live. 

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been-- just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents-- perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized. 

Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language He presents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life-- the same condition that was required of Adam before his fall. . . . The requirement under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden-- harmony with God's law, which is holy, just, and good. 

The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace.

Renewed to Abraham

I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Gen. 17: 7. 

After the Flood the people once more increased on the earth, and wickedness also increased. . . . The Lord finally left the hardened transgressors to follow their evil ways, while He chose Abraham, of the line of Shem, and made him the keeper of His law for future generations. 

This same covenant [the covenant of grace] was renewed to Abraham in the promise "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22: 18). This promise pointed to Christ. So Abraham understood it, and he trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It was this faith that was accounted to him for righteousness. The covenant with Abraham also maintained the authority of God's law. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. 17: 1). The testimony of God concerning His faithful servant was, "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen. 26: 5). . . .
Though this covenant was made with Adam and renewed to Abraham, it could not be ratified until the death of Christ. It had existed by the promise of God since the first intimation of redemption had been given; it had been accepted by faith; yet when ratified by Christ, it is called a new covenant. The law of God was the basis of this covenant, which was simply an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God's law. 

If it were not possible for human beings under the Abrahamic covenant to keep the commandments of God, every soul of us is lost. The Abrahamic covenant is the covenant of grace. "By grace are ye saved" (Eph. 2: 8). Disobedient children? No, obedient to all His commandments. 

Abraham's unquestioning obedience was one of the most striking instances of faith and reliance upon God to be found in the Sacred Record. . . . Just such faith and confidence as Abraham had the messengers of God need today.

The Mystery of Human Existence: Why Are You Here?

What is the meaning of life? Why were you born? What is your ultimate destiny? There is a real answer to these questions. The Creator God made you for an awesome purpose—a purpose He has revealed in the Bible. 

Have you ever studied your own hand—how it moves and operates? From our modern viewpoint we might see it as an utter marvel of robotic technology. Yet its origins lie far back in the ancient past. Of course, every part of the human body and how it operates evokes wonder.

Perhaps you've looked beyond yourself while wandering along mountain paths, taking in breathtaking scenery of snow-covered peaks looming above grassy hillsides and valleys, with eagles soaring overhead. Or have you stood on the seashore, hearing the pounding surf and feeling the ocean spray while feeling so small before the ceaseless waves and endless wide waters?

No doubt you've lifted your gaze to the horizon at sunset, when the sky becomes a beautiful canvas streaked with red and purple. Or what about a clear, moonless night away from the city—the sky strewn with countless blazing stars piercing the blackness?

Why is it all there? Why are you here? Why are any of us here? Deep down, even if we try to deny it, we know that all these wonders did not arise by themselves through random processes. They are the product of design by a master artist— the Artist, the Maker of all things.

But to what end? The amazing truth is that our Creator lays out the underlying purpose for our existence in His revealed Word to mankind—the Holy Bible. It involves the awesome destiny He has planned for us as part of the relationship He desires to have with you and me.

Man's place in the universe

Three thousand years ago, Israel's King David reflected on the apparent insignificance of human beings compared with the grandeur of the heavens. He recorded his prayerful thoughts to God on the matter in Psalm 8: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (verses 3-4, English Standard Version).

However, David recognized that God does care about human beings, having delegated to mankind a certain authority over part of the created realm. As the psalm continues: "Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas" (verses 5-8, ESV, emphasis added throughout).

David was reflecting on the dominion God gave man at creation, using some of the same language as Genesis 1:26
. Here God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

The "Us" and "Our" here denote a plurality in God. As explained in John 1:1-3


, there were two entities who together were God—God and the Word, who was also God. These two were later revealed as God the Father and Jesus Christ. We will return to this matter of plurality in the one God, as it's central to understanding man's purpose. Let us first, however, note David's focus on the heavens in mentioning the dominion God has given to man.

All things not yet put under man's dominion

David's words in Psalm 8 are quoted in Hebrews 2:6-7

: "But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet."

But the next verse in Hebrews further explains: "For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him" (Hebrews 2:8
).

At first glance, it might seem from what David had written that only earthly creatures were subject to man. Yet the passage in Hebrews stresses that David mentioned "all things" having been committed to mankind's rule—yes everything, the whole universe. However, it also points out that the whole universe has not yet been placed under man. But the incredible implication of this statement is that it will be.

David and the writer of Hebrews, likely the apostle Paul, surely knew of the promise God had made through Moses that "the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven . . . the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage" (Deuteronomy 4:19
).

So man is destined to share rule with God over the entire created universe! But that's only part of a bigger picture. The statement that man has been made "a little lower" than the heavenly beings is sometimes translated "for a little while lower".

You are gods?

Let's get to the heart of this matter. The Jews of Jesus' day accused Him of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God: "Because You, being a Man, make Yourself God" (John 10:33
).

Notice His intriguing response: "Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your law [in Psalm 82:6
], "I said, 'You are gods'"? If He [God] called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, "You are blaspheming," because I said, "I am the Son of God"?'" (John 10:34-36


).

In other words, said Christ, "if Scripture outright called human beings gods, why are you upset when I merely state that I am God's Son?"

 

Yet are human beings actually gods? What did He mean?

In Psalm 82:6
, from which Jesus quoted, God says to human beings, "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.'" The Hebrew word translated "gods" is elohim. It literally means "gods" or "mighty ones"—although it is often rendered as "God" (that is, the true God) in the Bible. That's because, although plural in form, the word elohim is often singular in usage.

Some have argued that the word in this context should be translated "judges" ("mighty ones" being seen by some here as simply powerful human beings). But the original New Testament manuscripts translate Christ's quotation in John 10 using the Greek word theoi —"gods."

Indeed, it is obvious that Jesus must have meant "gods." If He had meant only "judges," His logic would not follow. Notice: "If Scripture called them judges, why are you upset that I claim to be the Son of God?" That makes no sense. Only when the word is rendered "gods"—and understood to mean that—does Christ's logic follow.

But, again, can human beings legitimately be referred to as gods, as Jesus said? How are we to understand this?

Scripture reveals a divine family

The key here is the word children in Psalm 82. We must understand that God is a family—a divine family of more than one person. There is one God (the God family ) comprising more than one God Being. 

 

The God family from the beginning comprised two divine Beings, as mentioned earlier—God the Father and God the Word who became flesh as the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, after His human life and death, Jesus was resurrected to divine spirit existence as the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18
) and "firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29
). Thus Jesus was spiritually born in the resurrection as the first of many "brethren" or children to follow later.

Indeed, from the beginning God intended to add many children to His family. Let's look again at Genesis 1:26
. It was after creating plants and animals to reproduce each "according to its kind" that God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness"—showing that man was created according to the "God kind."

To help us understand the parallel with God creating man in His image and likeness, Genesis 5:3
says that the first man Adam later "begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." So God was essentially reproducing Himself through humanity.

The apostle Paul told the men of Athens, ". . . As also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring'" (Acts 17:28
).

Psalm 82 is much easier to understand in this light. In verse 6 the word gods is equated with "children of the Most High." That makes perfect sense. When any entity bears offspring, its offspring are the same kind of entity. The offspring of cats are cats. The offspring of dogs are dogs. The offspring of human beings are human beings. The offspring of God are, in Christ's own word, "gods."

A restricted sense for now

But we must be careful here. Human beings are not literally gods—not yet, at any rate. Indeed, people initially are not literally even God's children, except in the sense that He created humanity and did so in His image and likeness.

God is eternal spirit. Human beings are mortal flesh, albeit with a spiritual component—the human spirit that gives us understanding (Job 32:8
; 1 Corinthians 2:11
). This is an important distinction and helps us see what God was actually saying.

The human beings God addressed in Psalm 82 stood in the place of God in judgment as elohim (Psalm 82:1
). God, however, challenges them for their wrong judgments and lack of understanding (Psalm 82:2-5



). Yet in Psalm 82:6
, the verse Christ quoted, God confirms that they are indeed elohim. Psalm 82:7
: "But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." Thus, being physical and subject to death, they were elohim in only a very restricted sense—the sense of being created in God's image and likeness as well as having the ultimate potential of becoming the same kind of beings the Father and Christ now are.

In fact, God often "calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Romans 4:17
, King James Version)—looking on His purpose as already accomplished. Amazingly, God's purpose is to exalt human beings from this fleshly existence to the same level of divine spirit existence that He has, as we will see.

Transformation leading to divine glory

This involves a process of spiritual reproduction in which God fathers us as His children. It starts with His Spirit joining with our human spirit: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16
, KJV). Through this miraculous union, we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4
).

Indeed, Christians are described in 1 Peter 1:23
as "having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed [Greek sperma —that is, not of a male sperm cell fertilizing a female egg to produce only mortal, perishable life], but of incorruptible [seed], through the word of God, which liveth and abideth" (American Standard Version).

This incorruptible, imperishable life to which they are led by Scripture comes by God implanting His Spirit within them, for "the Spirit alone gives eternal life" (John 6:63
, New Living Translation). Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the agency of spiritual conception.

The Spirit-begotten Christian is a child of God, an actual member of elohim, the family of God—but not yet in an ultimate sense. There is still a development process we must go through in this life—a period of building godly character, becoming more and more like God in the way we think and behave. And at the end of this life, in the resurrection at Christ's return, true Christians will be changed into divine spirit beings like the Father and Christ.

The apostle John wrote, "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2
). In fact, we are told in numerous passages of Scripture that we will receive the divine glory of the Father and Christ (Romans 5:2
; 2 Corinthians 3:18
; 1 Thessalonians 2:12
; 2 Thessalonians 2:14
; Colossians 1:27
; Hebrews 2:10
; 1 Peter 5:10
).

Moreover, as coinheritors with Christ, we will receive dominion over all things, including the entire vast universe—dominion just as Christ has (Romans 8:17
; Hebrews 1:1-3


; Hebrews 2:5-9




; Revelation 21:7
). To truly exercise dominion over all things requires the omnipotent power of God!

Indeed, at that time, like Jesus, we will at last be "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19
; compare Colossians 1:19
; Colossians 2:9
). How can someone be filled with all the fullness of God and be anything less than what God is? Therefore, at our ultimate change, we too will be divine —though the Father and Christ will forever be greater than us.

We're born to be God's literal children!

"I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:18
). And He means it . The Father intends to bring us forth as His full children, to transform us into the very kind of beings that He and Christ now are—though, again, forever subject to Their loving authority.

Indeed, even though saved human beings truly will be elevated to existence at the divine level as real children of God and full members of the God family, they will never challenge, individually or collectively, the preeminence of the Father and Christ as leaders of the family. Truly, all will be subject to Jesus, except the Father, and Christ will Himself be subject to the Father (see 1 Corinthians 15:24-28




). The Father and Christ will remain at the top of the family forever, reigning supreme even with the addition of billions of divine children.

This, then, is why you and I were born! It is the ultimate potential destiny of all mankind. It is the awe-inspiring purpose for which we were created!

The Bible begins and ends with reference to this amazing purpose. We've already seen Genesis 1:26
: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion . . ." This verse shows God reproducing Himself through mankind and sharing rule over creation.

Now let us turn to the back of the book. God says in Revelation 21:7
: "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son." Again, we see that our destiny includes rule over all things and divine sonship! Incredibly, therefore, as these verses at both ends of Scripture and many others in between show, God wants to have a close family relationship with us in which He will ultimately share with us both all that He has and what He is!

 

This is the true meaning of life—wonderful beyond all imagination. Cherish it, live for God with all your heart, and receive the awesome destiny for which you exist!

Spend Time In Nature

Wow, I love spring!  Everything just comes to life.  Right now there are so many beautiful trees with white flowers, and the aroma is awesome.  It seems that not only does the trees, grass, flowers come to life but so do we. Well there is a reason for that.

When you take a stroll outdoors, do you ever wonder why it makes you feel so good? Connecting with nature can actually improve your health and well-being.

This theory that contact with nature restores health is called ecotherapy. ScienceDaily reported that, according to the 2000 census, American office workers spend an average of 52 hours per week at their desks or workstations (May 19, 2008). Studies on job satisfaction have shown that workers who spend longer hours in office environments—often under artificial light in windowless offices—report reduced job satisfaction and increased stress levels. Employees with window views of nature, however, had less job stress and a better overall well-being.

Lawrence St. Leger, in the September 2003 Health Promotion International journal , cites many different studies showing that having a window with a view of nature improved the lives of office workers, prisoners in cells and hospital patients. Blood pressure, stress levels and cholesterol decreased, while outlook on life improved when spending time in nature.

Studies have also proven how effective being outside is for children. Dr. Stephen R. Kellert of Yale University devotes a chapter to the subject of "Nature and Childhood Development" in his book Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection (2005). Dr. Kellert states, "Play in nature, particularly during the critical period of middle childhood, appears to be an especially important time for developing the capacities for creativity, problem-solving, and emotional and intellectual development" (p. 83).

On the contrary, where do most of our young people spend their time?  That's right, in front of a computer, laptop or smart phone.  Contrary to when I was growing up, all kids spent their time outside, playing, riding bike and so forth. I even remember building mud pies.  Of course the mud pies were not good for human consumption. But they were fun to make.

When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in the midst of a beautiful garden. God created the colors, sounds and smells to promote calm, serenity and well-being. They were not stuck inside! Spending time in nature puts us in a state of awe of how great God is and in wonderment of how God created all of it! We simply cannot fathom it all. King David spent many hours in God's creation, reflecting on Him. He wrote, "Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done.." (Psalm 40:5).

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered (Psalm 40:5
NKJV).

In God's creation, we meet Him in a new and powerful way. So turn off the TV, get off the couch, go outside during lunch break and take long walks that will draw you even closer to God. It is not only good for your spirit and your relationship with God, but it's also good for your physical and mental health.