IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIP

From Genesis to Revelation the bible is a love story where a compassionate, loving creator God passionately pursues His creation.  The Bible is a relational document, and theology is basically the charts and lists we have made out of this document.  We have turned a love story into theology.  The first act of “religion” is recorded in Genesis 3:7 when Adam and Eve first discovered they had sinned: “then the eyes of both of them were opened; and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (NKJV).  In Gen. 2:25 Moses states Adam and Eve were both “naked and not ashamed.”  Then in verse 3:10 Adam says he is “naked and afraid”, and in verse 11 God asks them “who told you that you were naked.”  Four references to naked in 12 verses - what’s going on here?  The Hebrew word “hagonah” translated “coverings” in 3:7 actually means loincloth or girdle, a garment that encircles the lower torso, and is translated aprons, girdings, skirts, cloths, and assorted other ways in other translations.  The whole point here may be missed: they were naked and unashamed before their relationship with God is broken, then they knew they were naked and were afraid afterward.  We think of them as being just nude but it may be much more than that.  What if because of their relationship with God, in His presence, in the garden, they were sheathed... covered, in God’s glory and radiated that glorious light much as Moses did after he stood in the presence of God.  What if they were clothed in God’s light and unashamed, and the instant that relationship was broken, much like throwing a light switch, God’s glory radiating from them went dark and they were naked, ashamed and afraid. Moses wore a veil not to hide the splendor of God’s glory... but to hide that His glory was “passing away” (2 Cor. 3:13). Perhaps, like Moses, they covered themselves to hide the fact that the splendor of God’s glorious presence had vanished. Religion is always man’s attempt to cover himself. This is just commentary but don’t you just love it!

DESTINED TO GLOW

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE

Adversity allows us the opportunity to demonstrate our trust in our Savior at the most difficult times, shining brightly in the face of Bad, knowing our Lord is in control. In this sense the Speed-Bumps on the road to eternal life are whetting stones that sharpen and increase our faith. The final outcome of any confrontation with the powers of darkness be it physical, financial, emotional or relational is much less significant than the faith attitude held during the journey, for faith must be tested to become a personal possession: The journey of faith allows the Holy Spirit to surgically trim away all the offensive callus around our heart, all that hinders the free flowing of the Spirit’s Fruit... Love... Joy... Peace, into the world’s darkness. God has His Threshing Floors strategically placed along The Way to sift the Self-Life out leaving only the Christ-Life. Speed-Bumps on the Threshing Floor of life slow us down and draw us God-ward... setting our mind on things above. In adversity we reckon and esteem our Joy...

The strength of faith is its audacity to hope, giving sustaining evidence of the unseen reality of God. It takes more faith to live undefeated in the face of death, never doubting God, than it does to be healed or delivered from death’s clutches. It is this 'If I perish, I perish", this “Though He slay me I will trust Him" attitude of the heart that totally defeats satan, regardless of the physical outcome. When we refuse to deny God our trust during the onslaught of Bad, disregarding the on-going demand of enduring and the physical outcome, we demonstrate great faith and we hand satan the ultimate defeat, demonstrating faith greater than any fear. Remember: Our Lord has All Power, All Authority, All Rule and All Dominion in heaven and earth, and has destroyed the sting of death. The enemy’s doom is sealed as sure as our glory is assured... for satan’s greatest weapon is our fear. And fear is its own punishment, for it deprives us of God’s peace and gives “place”, a toe-hold in the fallow ground of our heart, for the enemy to access. We hand satan a crushing defeat when we allow God’s “perfect love” to demonstrate through our faith casting out all fear!

Faith under adversity is a light to the world, like a city set on a hill, driving darkness from its path as a lighthouse among the reefs, showing others the safe way. The glory of God in us is simply faith demonstrating... radiating glorious light to a dark and dying world. Winning under adversity is not about health or wealth... not about earthly trinkets, rather winning is all about trusting God and standing fast... no matter what.   Trust is the cornerstone of faith, our assured reliance on God, and trust changes our lives when we act upon it.  Trusting faith always takes us back to the cross... back to our Oneness with Jesus: It is faith in our Lord’s resurrected life...the audacity of our eternal hope of participating in His life, which sustains us during adversity. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction -- our willingness to partake of His death and share in His suffering --  which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.   And satan can’t touch that!

THOUGH HE SLAY ME...