Category: GOD’S STORY

A detailed look at scripture from “In the Beginning” to… as far as we can go, seeking GOD’s perspective on His Word. These posts are MEAT (ref 1 Corinthians 3) — sharing the HEART of GOD from Biblical scripture, because TIME IS TICKING. It is time to hear GOD’s heart, pure and true.
This is GOD’S STORY. Audacious of me to claim, I know… In prayer I asked how to improve the catchment, build the readership of the Larus Press blog, not for me but because the message is to benefit others. He: I AM, Yehovah, El Shadai, Creator of the Universe, said to tell His Story! So, this is my step toward sharing what is on GOD’s Heart. This is GOD’S STORY. Totally dependent on Biblical scripture, week-by-week I intend to share what He shows me.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: pt 34 Eden part 3

A Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9)

Why did GOD create man?

Man was created to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. (Genesis 1:26)

Recently it was pointed out to me that the angels were created on Day 6, at the same time as the animals and mankind (thank you, Bishop Martin Wilson),

Genesis 2:1 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” The earthly animals and the heavenly hosts — aka angels — were created.

GOD gave the earth to man to manage. Is it possible that this enraged Lucifer, which led Him to inhabit the serpent? Perhaps GOD gave the earth to man, out of love and also out of the knowledge that Lucifer’s pride would be exposed… 

Why did GOD put man in Eden?

GOD put man in a paradise, full of beauty and perfection. Then He added woman, who would become deceived by the serpent.

Surrounded by absolute perfection and full of love, man has everything. He names the animals; he has responsibility. That certainly is fulfilling. But he gives it all up….

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

Where Adam fits in

Adam was presented a choice: to remain in his current state intimate with GOD and free from sin, or to discover knowledge to be “as GOD” — he chose the latter. He chose knowledge of good and evil, and Eve over GOD, His creator and companion.

Adam chose to “go it without GOD”. Although he may not have known GOD would send Him from the garden, he wanted knowledge and risked paradise. He may not have known GOD would send him away and their relationship would be forever changed, but he chose Eve and disobedience (only then to blame her for his choosing her*) over GOD.

GOD’s desire 

GOD wants us to choose Him. GOD wanted Adam to obey which was his way of choosing GOD. Adam reveals to us that we all have a choice and the choice we make, for or against GOD, will effect our lives now and forever.

What Adam’s actions reveal

Adam reveals in us our power to choose. 

Adam reveals in us our weakness and our strength.

Adam reveals in us our choice.

GOD gives everyone a choice and what we do with it shows us GOD’s unequivocal love and forbearance. When we choose other, GOD loses us and He grieves.  When we choose Him, now that Jesus has paid for our sin, when we will fail from time to time, GOD accepts our repentance and forgives us.

Adam fits into the Genesis Story because he exposes our choices, our humanity and our frailty.

Some might say the story of Adam and the garden and all of the Creation Story is an allegory or a metaphor, revealing GOD’s character and our own. I think this is true. Some recognise the story literally, which I believe as well. GOD creates the perfect opportunity for Creation to choose Him or to rebel. 

In Adam, we see humanity’s natural proclivity to rebel. And through Adam’s disobedience, we see GOD’s compassion, desire for relationship, and love. He does not destroy Adam but there are consequences for his sin.

Adam now separated from GOD, unveils the unfolding of human history: how man becomes rejoined. It is a master plan of GOD’s, because only in choosing Him, does GOD truly have relationship with us.

*There is so much more that could be said about Adam, Eve, their relationship, the deception and the rebellion… but not for this time:)

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 33 Eden (part 2)

A Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9)

The essence of this garden?

Every fibre in my being suggests, when I read reference here to Eden, that it is a quiet and peaceful place, full of trees, full of sunlight, full. It is eastward — but in relation to what that is westward? And why is it full of trees? Not flowers or waterfalls or animals are mentioned, all possible aspects of an idyllic world.

Why did GOD create Eden?

How spontaneous is GOD? Did He have a plan for man and Eden? Or did things just happen?

It is likely that Eden was special if not completely unique. The whole earth may have been damaged by the fall of Satan, which was “like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18) Perhaps Eden was a part of the earth that had not been damaged or…. less likely, perhaps the LORD reestablished it to its Creation state at some point before creating Adam. In either case, Eden was unique: guarded by angels, full of trees bearing luscious fruit. And therein were two particular trees: one of Life, the other of Knowledge of good and evil.

In that beautiful garden was complete freedom, total bliss for every living creature therein. Eden is peace, Eden is rest, Sabbath Rest, daily today and for eternity. An Eden existence is what was intended for mankind; that is what we are drawn back to when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

“Be anxious for nothing…” (Philippians 4:6)

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

In Eden lies the future of mankind

Eden represents the opportunity for a peaceful mental state. In Eden is our spiritual place of rest. In Eden is our life — abundant life without strife, without antagonism, with harmony and grace, love, joy… and peace.

Eden was a real garden. It is also a symbol and a destination of the heart and of the mind. We are in a tug-of-war between our will and GOD’s, between our residence and Eden.

A friend recently said when she prays, she “meets Jesus in the garden.” That garden is the garden of our hearts! When our hearts are pure, we are as though we are in Eden.

Where Adam fits in

GOD created beauty. He created life. He created opportunity: eternal life or knowledge of good and evil; a walk with GOD or a walk without Him. Adam didn’t know the detail, he wasn’t given the detail. 

Adam was presented a choice: to remain in his current state, or to discover knowledge to be “as GOD” — he chose the latter and that, we shall unpack in the third and final part of our look at Eden. 

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 31 Creation of Man

Genesis 2:7 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

This Creation of Man is so exciting!

A month’s worth of posts and we’re finally at the Creation of Man. That includes all human beings by the way, though not at the particular moment cited in Genesis 2:7.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

GOD made the first person from out of the dust. And how did this person take his first breath? 


GOD breathed into him. Wow!!

We are made in GOD’s image

If ever there is any doubt we are fashioned from GOD, here is the evidence for what we have in common: Our very breath comes from GOD. That is amazing. Life is in the blood, life is in the breath. Our breath comes from the breath of GOD. Incredible.

Ponder our connection to the Creator of the Universe

Humanity is not an accident. We each are no accident. The very Creator of all the earth breathed into the first of humanity to give him life. And so we inherit that same life.

GOD made his brain. He made is body, fingers, toes, organs. He set his heart beating, his lungs breathing, his energy, eyesight, taste buds, passion. His life.

Worship

Let us celebrate our Creation. Let us worship our Creator!

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” As the first man began so let us continue. This is a mark of praise and worship: to celebrate His Creation, to celebrate the Creator, to celebrate life!

Hallelujah!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 30 The Mist

What is the Mist?

“…before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” (Genesis 2:5-6)

All the livestock and other animals, all the plant life, proceeded man. There was no one to tend and yet nature thrived… because of the mist that provided all the moisture necessary for life.

Day 6 brought beast and man. The commission to man was to tend and multiply. And so Adam did.

But what is the mist? And how does it provide for life?

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

The Mist

Before rain came upon the earth there was mist. Moisture existed in the form of mist. No one went thirsty, not plant, not animal. No one trekked for miles to an oasis in the desert. The earth brought forth mist to quench the thirst.

This was how the atmosphere was until the Flood. People lived on average some 700 years and more. And there was no need to dig wells. (I’m not saying we didn’t drink… no idea, I wasn’t there. But there wasn’t rainfall, that’s for certain.)

Fascinating. GOD is so creative. And that He had a plan to start all over again when necessary is also amazing. He gave so much. With each step away from Him, mankind has made it harder for himself because each step away has brought consequences.

From GOD’s point of view

He gave us immortality. We threw that away. When we became depraved, He brought the flood so mankind could start afresh… With the flood came rain and a shortened lifespan….

GOD gives what is perfect. We mess up. He puts in boundaries to help us mess up less.

That’s my point of view of GOD’s point of view!

Then Jesus

Then He sent Jesus…. Jesus is the opportunity to be freed from 1. the shackles of humanity’s evil inclinations and 2. the law which is there to protect us from those evil inclinations. In Jesus, we surrender and receive our freedom back — that freedom that Adam had. Though we may stumble through it, and though we may not recognise the extent of our freedom, nevertheless, it is there, available, through surrender to Him and sharing of love from Him.

If the mist was there initially to give us all the moisture life required, now Jesus has cleared the fog and given us new life, hope, strength, power and love.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 29 Creation History

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

The history of Creation is encapsulated in the Genesis story. But why does the Bible restate so often the Creation History?

Genesis 2:4 says, “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD GOD made the earth and the heavens,”

To follow the Word of GOD there can be no doubt in this and other statements that GOD is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

The time line may be debatable and for our purposes I don’t think it necessary to debate that here and now. GOD simply wants it reiterated that He made it all. Why?

Ages Past

In pagan times, before the western world heard the Gospel of Jesus and in the main accepted it, pharaohs and emperors led their people in worship to gods and demons. There was an understanding that there were higher powers…. or that the Pharaoh was himself deified and was included in the realm of the most powerful. Humanity knew there was power beyond themselves.

Then was the voice of Judaism and the beginning of a world understanding who ruled ultimately. Ruth and Rehab are just two examples of Biblical persons outside of the Hebrew nation who came to recognise Yehovah, Elohim: the GOD of the Universe. Some from outside the Hebrew line accepted the Hebrew GOD. Ultimately, when Jesus walked throughout Israel He brought attention to the Father of Creation and gentiles received the message. Matthew 15:21-28 reveals a Canaanite woman asking for the crumbs from GOD’s table.

After Jesus’ commission, the apostles began ministering, “into all the world and preach[ing] the Gospel to all nations.” So the Word of GOD became known and accepted by people of many nations and across the socio-economic spectrum. Thus the way was paved for the Creation story to be spread across the known globe. And so it was.

Scientists and Faith

Across the Middle East and Europe, there was no real debate for centuries. Scientists in Europe were struck deeply as they investigated the intricacies of their speciality, to discover how GOD, through His creation, was confirmed repeatedly. Galileo, Newton are just two incredible scientists who did not alter their belief in GOD but were in fact moved more deeply and more profoundly in their faith in GOD.

Then came Darwin. His theory of evolution challenged the time line of GOD. Those who came after him though not he personally, as well as philosophers jumping on the bandwagon, lusted after pushing out religion and the Bible and GOD in the name of science and philosophy.

Today’s challenges

So much for the scanty history lesson.

Today western society’s most vocal contenders for authority (the so-called Woke folk) have thrown out GOD and science as well, in favour of individualistic truth and attempts to put current individualism: feeling and emotion, above and before any biology or historical reality.

And so, whilst GOD had Moses record early history all the way back to His Creation, He knew such a time as this would come. As we have headed our way back into paganism and hedonism in the West, and as Christian persecution is by far the greatest religious persecution on the planet at 86% of the total, we know GOD has this all in hand.

GOD’s Message to us today

With my whole heart I believe the Father’s message to us today is, He is the Creator. He knows the heavens because He made them. He knows the earth, because He made it. As we look to Him we will know how to navigate the times and seasons we are in. He knows how to take care of the planet earth and He knows how we can best take care of one another. We are stewards. Nothing has changed since GOD commissioned Adam and Eve to look after the garden.

Nothing has changed. We can hold onto that.

Every blessing.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY pt 28 What is Blessing?

“Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.“ (Genesis 2:3)

GOD blessed the 7th day. 

What is blessing? 

GOD made a covenant with Abraham. A covenant is more than a commitment or promise. It runs so deep — like a marriage GOD makes an everlasting promise to Abraham…

Genesis 17:4-7 reads, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” Read further into the chapter to grasp the entire promise GOD made with Abraham. 

Everything that Abraham might do would be blessed. His family from generation to generation would be blessed. Those who would bless him and his people the Hebrews would also be blessed. 

A blessing is an undeserved favour, a gift, a talent, a free pass to rest and comfort and peace.

GOD blessed the 7th day, making it holy and a blessing to man.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

What is the Lord’s Day

As far as we Gentiles understand, Jesus rose on “Sunday” and so, although Sabbath was declared by the LORD in the Wilderness as the 7th day ie “Saturday” (based on scripture and the Hebrew equivalent), the established Church moved the official Christian day of worship from Saturday to Sunday during the 4th Century.

I can’t help wondering, when we moved the day of worship to the 1st day of the week, what is the blessing of the Sabbath day that we are missing?

From GOD’s perspective, He called one day to be holy, a day of rest, a Sabbath. That was the 7th Day and no one disputes that is what we call “Saturday” The Jews keep their Sabbath as Saturday even to this day. But the established Christian church, by-and-large throughout the world, is not keeping that 7th Day holy. 

Are you aware the day of worship was moved from Saturday to Sunday? We can worship seven days a week, and that is grand! But it might be rare amongst Christians to be aware that The Lord’s Day is not the same day as the Sabbath day. When we worship at church on a Sunday that is not GOD’s Sabbath day.

Chosen because it was the day of Jesus’ resurrection, were we called to change our day of worship and rest? 

GOD’s Sabbath Day

What does GOD make clear to those who hold onto the Sabbath — His chosen Sabbath — and make it a holy day?

In Deuteronomy 7:12-16 GOD says, 

“Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you. Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you…..”

And Deuteronomy 11:9, 14 reads,

“… and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’” & “… then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.”

Deuteronomy 28:1 is the culmination:

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.”

GOD offers abundance, prosperity, blessing, victory. peace.

Finally, we know GOD asks for obedience over sacrifice. All the sacrifices in the world are nothing to Him compared to an act of obedience. As it says in 1 Samuel 15:22, 

“So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

And so the challenge

I challenge us all to make Saturday our personal Sabbath to the LORD. 

When we obey we’ll learn His perspective and gain His wisdom. We don’t do it for the blessing but out of obedience. And we allow Him to respond as He will.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 27 What is Rest?

Genesis 2 begins thus:

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (v 1-2)

What is Rest?

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

Why did GOD Rest?

We know that GOD worked six days to create the earth, everything in it and all that surrounds it. That’s what Genesis 1 tells us. Then He rested. But why? If GOD is GOD, surely He doesn’t sleep. Psalm 121:4 says, “Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Since Israel is GOD’s chosen people, it is He who “keeps Israel” — protects, watches over, counts the nation as His children.

So, what does Rest mean?

Firstly, note that Genesis 2:1-2 emphasises the completion of Creation by GOD. The work finished, He stopped working, creating. Instead, on the seventh day, He rested.

Rest is not working. Rest assumes stopping from work. But rest is so much more than relaxing, taking a vacation, ceasing from work.

It was the seventh day and it was the day of rest. It would become the Sabbath, the final day of the week, the day to keep holy. The seventh day, the first day after all of Creation was completed, marked the end of one week leading to the beginning of another. This would come to give structure to Mankind’s time.

Still Rest means even more

Leviticus 22:3 is one of many scriptures that refers to the Sabbath, “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.”

It is a holy day, it is GOD’s day, it is a day of ‘solemn rest’. GOD takes this rest day very seriously.

In Psalm 95, the Creator is quoted,

“For forty years I was grieved with that generation, 

And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,

And they do not know My ways.’

So I swore in My wrath,

‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

This suggests GOD is ensuring the Hebrews suffer consequences for their disobedience.

Hebrews 3 reiterates this same consequence of rebellion, “So I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

What is the rest these rebels do not receive or enter?

Further study reveals What is Rest

Rest is intimacy with GOD. It is peace of mind. It is living in the anointing and covering of the Holy Spirit. Rest is freedom from anxiety, stress, fear or worry. It is a rest in the heart of Man as well as in the body. It is contentment, closeness with GOD. It is peace.

GOD’s offer

GOD supplies all our needs. He also offers us relationship. We can work to satisfy our need for productivity. And we can rest to enjoy the consequence of that productivity. And in that rest, we can commune with GOD. And that is the ultimate in rest. Hallelujah!

All this first expressed on Day 7 of His marvellous Creation!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 26: The Power Struggle

Genesis 1 closes with the following verses,

“And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

GOD gave… everything… to Adam. And then, at the end of this sixth day, GOD rested from His creation, having given all to the man whom he made in His own image, to rule over and to tend it.

Hallelujah!

But how does this knowledge prepare us in our own journey with Him? We need to recognise the power struggle.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

Why did GOD make Man?

IF as I suggested as a possibility last week (https://laruspress.com/gods-story-part-25-mankind-is-created-why/ ), that GOD made man in response to Lucifer’s fall, what is the ultimate significance of this?

We are here on this earth because GOD created us. After Lucifer was cast out of fellowship with GOD and fell to the earth (Hebrews 1:14), Satan, the devil who had been the angel Lucifer, observed Creation. Would he not have heard the commission of GOD to Adam? Can we imagine that he waited for his moment and then tricked Eve and tempted Adam to sin? This power play against GOD led to Adam’s mortality and his removal from Eden. 

The struggle between GOD and Satan, the struggle for power continues to this day. Of course GOD has infinite power and has already won…. we who have read the Book know the ending. The timing for the fruition of all is in His hands.

The Power Plays

I have a theory based upon Biblical history and contemplation — an unproved conscious thought:

While GOD is waiting for man’s salvation back to Himself, the Angels are worshipping GOD (Revelation 5:11-14) and Satan, GOD’s jealous competitor, is doing all he can (using the demons who fell with him) to thwart GOD, attempting to prove he is His equal. He uses man against GOD in his war for power. 

GOD created mankind, His motive to create beauty and relationship.

Lucifer was proud and so was cast out of heaven and fell to earth…. Jealous and full of envy at the relationship between GOD and man, he sought to foil that relationship. He used the serpent to entice Eve, perhaps because the serpent had anticipated he would be the one having dominion, not foreseeing the creation of man, a creature superior to himself, and not relishing being dominated by man. 

And so two sides are drawn with man in the middle.

But GOD

But GOD is not only the author of Creation and the author of this story, but He knows the beginning from the end, and is in fact the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)

The power play must run its course and in the meantime, opportunity for salvation continues and comes to fruition over and over again. Satan destroys but GOD brings life. And so it will continue until the end of this Age and beyond.

One day the power struggle will end

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

And then the new heaven and new earth will come (Revelation 21:1) where the power struggle is over.

In the meantime, we need not be pawns at the disposal of Satan but be knights in GOD’s army. He seeks and saves the lost. We are His hands and feet.

So, while the power struggle rages, we on the LORD’s side, seek to save the lost. This is our calling and this is His victory.

Next time we will look to Genesis Chapter Two…

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 25 Mankind is Created.

Why?

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26a)

The when, why and how mankind is created… and why in GOD’s image?

GOD made mankind: In the image of our Creator, man is created! The Father of all mankind creates man in His likeness: Man has soul because GOD has a soul; Man has spirit, because GOD has spirit.

Philippians 4:8 says, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

And so as I share this blog post with this in mind, I focus on the goodness of GOD. We seek to identify the motive behind GOD creating mankind in His own image. We are the Bride of Christ, seeking to grow in His likeness, His wisdom, His knowledge and understanding.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

Creation peaks

GOD has already made angels, He has made galaxies, He has made life! Now the culmination of all of this is one entity who will watch over His earthly creation. He makes man, and He makes it clear man is created in GOD’s own image. This suggests to me that no other part of His creation is in His own image, not even the angels.

Man is made after all the other beasts. He is made last…. GOD saved the best for last, as the saying goes! 

He is made after the universe is created, and after the angels. Job 38:7 suggests Job [aka man] was nowhere “When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God [aka angels] shouted for joy”. The devil inhabited the serpent in the garden and therefore, Lucifer (the archangel who became proud and was cast from heaven and was given the new identity of Satan, the devil) had to have pre-existed Adam.

Man is called to have dominion over the animals

We learn that, in order for the earth and the animals to be stewarded, Man is given dominion over all Creation… including “every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”. (Genesis 1:26)

Man is made to exercise dominion over the earth

The angels were made before GOD made Adam. Before the creation of man, already Lucifer had fallen and had taken a third of the other angels with him (Isaiah 14). He was hurled to the earth when, in His pride, the angel of worship fell and his identity was transformed from the angelic to the demonic. He became Satan, the devil. Take note that in due course, it is the devil who enters a creeping thing and deceives Eve. Did the serpent allow this or was it trust upon him?

Why did GOD make Man?

GOD made man in His image.

GOD made man to look after all the rest of Creation. Yes, He made man to take dominion over the earth. But He also made man for relationship; He made man to walk with Him, talk with Him, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day”. (Genesis 3:8)

And yet in His generosity and love, GOD realised it was “not good” for man to be alone in his kind and so GOD made a mate, a female, as an equal and as a helper.

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18)

Were the consequences expected?

Did GOD know that the Eve would listen to the serpent? Did GOD know that Adam would join with the woman and defy Him? Did GOD know that would happen? He must have. So why did He do create a situation where this could happen?

Perhaps it hinges on Lucifer’s fall.

Perhaps GOD made man to stand in contrast to the fallen, the demons. Maybe He created man to deal with Satan. In the long run, we already know that Jesus defeated the devil and our faith in Him is the way back to GOD. Perhaps on the journey of mankind to turn back to GOD, man turns his back on Satan as a necessary step in GOD’s redemption plan.

Is it possible that one reason for Mankind’s existence is to demonstrate the inferiority of Satan’s power compared to GOD’s? Is it possible the creeping creature, superior to other creatures with each organic life form being more advanced than the previous, was proud like Lucifer and resented a superior creation succeeding him? These two factors could lay the foundation which would lead mankind first to choose death rather than the Life-giver, but would take humanity through a long process which would lead us ultimately, back to the GOD we deserted? Is it possible that the battle between GOD and Satan continues until man returns to GOD, completing GOD’s purposes and intentions for dominion and relationship?

Let’s dig deep

May I encourage us all to contemplate GOD’s motives for creating man, in an effort to discover Him more deeply. I don’t have definitive answers but as I attempt to draw closer to GOD and look from His perspective, I discover Him more, and myself too. Because as I delve into questions, I pray for my mind to be transformed, made closer to His. And that has to be a good thing.

Hallelujah! However long the course may be, GOD has already won!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 24: from Mammals towards Mankind!

Living, breathing mammals are created! GOD’s creation moves from mammals towards mankind.

“Then GOD said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind” and it was so. And GOD made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and every thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And GOD saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:24-25)

Before GOD made man and woman, he made mammals: animals that were created after their own kind. And He created creeping things — snakes, reptiles — is that what the creeping things were?

There were felines and canines, those in the horse or equis family, and other beasts similarly after their own kind. And there were snakes and other reptiles created, and insects and spiders might fit here,… to creep. All these were after their own kind. All proceeded the creation of Man.

Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. What is that image and what does that entail? We get a step closer in this blog post. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. 

He created life in stages: first plant life, then birds (and fish), then animals and reptiles: earthbound creatures that breath air. And finally He created human beings. He breathed into man with His Spirit, giving humanity a unique spirit-filled life like no other living creature….

As Creation experiences a Crescendo

As GOD is bring more life onto the planet He created for life, the beauty must have resounded throughout the stratosphere!

On Day 6 the creation of animals precedes man, as does the creation of creeping things. It is as though the pace is increasing, or the noise or pressure is rising toward one climactic moment when He would breathe the life of the Spirit into His ultimate creation: Man.

But why LORD, did you create mammals and follow thereafter with that which creeps on the earth? I take to refer to reptiles, and snakes in particular?

That the devil would enter the serpent to speak to Eve does not escape me at this moment… How is that moment of deceit and temptation connected to this moment of Creation?

While the LORD is creating towards His most prized, He creates that which would later choose to come to steal and destroy the Edenic life for Adam and Eve. While GOD is creating life and beauty He is simultaneously creating what would become the pathway for Man’s downfall, even before He has created Man. Did He know when He created Lucifer that he would later become proud and an adversary to GOD?

Why LORD (and How LORD) did you create Lucifer?

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 23 Reflecting upon GOD

I’m exploring Genesis to learn GOD’s point of view. I’m reflecting upon Him.

GOD’s Story

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

Reflecting upon Him

I received the lovely benefit of personal prayer on Sunday morning at church and as the pastor prayed, and while receiving the blessing of prayer, the LORD said to me, “Just tell My story”…. So, I’m reflecting upon Him.

Just write about His story — what does that mean?

First and foremost, this whole stream called GOD’S STORY is His story — not ours.

“In the beginning GOD…” 

Before I continue to Day 6: the creation of living, breathing, animate life, I’m returning to, pausing at, reflecting upon GOD and His Story.

Glory. Majesty. Thanksgiving. Peace….

These are some words which help define GOD, our Father in Heaven:

“Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name…”

He’s holy, good, benevolent, perfect, powerful, loving.

But He’s also a jealous GOD, “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). This is, I believe, because He knows if we don’t focus upon Him we run at our peril…. not because He will strike us down because He’s mean, but because the enemy is out to capture us to destroy us, and running on our own we are so vulnerable to this enemy of GOD.

But GOD

So, as we remain focused upon Him, we know this GOD of ours who is perfect, benevolent and good leads us, desires relationship with us. And we who want to be benevolent and good need Him to accomplish this in us. GOD knows this. So even in His jealousy, it is for our benefit and not because He is nasty that He is jealous for us.

GOD is so good. He is so good, beyond our comprehension or imagination. 

Summary

So today and every day is about Him: God. Yaweh. Yehovah. Elohim. His majesty, His glory, His goodness, His righteousness, His fatherhood: of all things created: man, beast, flora, fauna, air, fire, water, earth, sea, sky, heaven, sun, moon, stars — He is everything.

This piece — this steam called GOD’S STORY is about Him: His peace, His creation, His identity. “I AM that I AM.”


Let us meditate on this, with Him near. Let Him wrap us in His presence. Let Him teach us more and more about Him. Let us enjoy Him, for no reason other than to enjoy Him. And let us dwell, abide with Him.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Larus Press

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. In this case, He began to create life in its various formats: Plant life, then animal, and finally human — GOD breathed with His Spirit like no other life form preceding.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY part 22 TIME

I’m exploring Genesis to learn GOD’s point of view. I’m looking now at Time: When did Time start? Could there be a day without a night… Three days before the sun and moon were created GOD created days one, two and three. But how could the beginning of Time be before the separation of Day from Night?

And what is Time to GOD? Is it significant?

Today I’m drawing attention to the day that GOD brought forth the sun, moon and stars… It is the forth day. Is this the beginning of Time? Or did each day mark Time and hence was the beginning of Time at the marking of the first day?

Genesis 1:14-19

“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

Seasons, days, and years are marked during the forth day.

Is seems the creation of sun and moon coincided with the rotation of the earth, provoking the change in seasons. Did rotation begin at the marking of the first day then or not until the end of the forth?

When Time began

Why — or is it How — could GOD consider the conclusion of a day without the sun and moon being created first? Why did He wait until the forth day before creating sun and moon? 

Perhaps GOD considers activity the marking of a day. Since He is light, a day didn’t require to be surrounded by a night in order to mark a day. It was GOD’s choice to end a day at the close of a particular activity. And yet, along the way, He decided to set markers, light sources: the sun and the mood, which would define day and night. I wonder, was this designed in anticipation of mankind and their needs?

Take nothing for granted

I’m asking these questions because I seek to take nothing for granted. GOD made the stars, He was before the beginning, He has always been and will always be. And yet, I discover GOD: His nature, His character, His creation, little by little, thought by thought. I learn and grow according to the depth of my search and when I discover more of GOD, I am thrilled and grateful.

“And GOD saw that it was good”

Isn’t that superb!

What is Time to GOD?

This morning I’ve been reading Ezekiel 36. In this chapter GOD promises He will again restore Israel 

“….Because they say to you, ‘You devour men and bereave your nation of children,’ therefore you shall no more bereave your nation anymore,” says the LORD GOD. “Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore…..” (Ezekiel 36:13-15)

I focus on the word “anymore”, which occurs several times in the chapter. In the context, this can mean, ‘not to be repeated’ or it can mean ‘permanently’. Taking the second meaning, it is Time-related in that GOD is saying no more will this occur ‘until the end of Time’.


But we know that the cycle of Israel’s rejection / acceptance is exactly that, cyclical. Anti-Semitism rises and falls with the ages. This passage may be referring only to what follows for Israel after the End of the Age… When Jesus has returned for the second time and is reigning and ruling on the earth.

But I take another view: for GOD, Time is insignificant. He is outside of Time. For Him, permanence is the ultimate. Time is, in one sense, irrelevant, because while something is in existence, it is always in existence. And so, “never again” doesn’t necessarily mean “not anymore” but rather for GOD the ultimate is “never again” and “not anymore”. 

We see time as finite. GOD sees Time as infinite. If we lived our lives according to His thinking, we’d never need to panic about lateness… or perhaps we’d never get anything accomplished (LOL).

Summary

Looking at Time from GOD’s perspective is food for thought. 

The most important concept to grasp is that generally speaking, GOD doesn’t view things the same way that we do. And as we grow more into His likeness through Jesus, we can capture His way of thinking and live more in harmony with Him, through the power and presence of Holy Spirit in our lives.


GOD’s Story

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective. In this case, Time is marked by GOD and so He was before Time was. If Time ever comes to an end, GOD will continue after. This I find comforting and encouraging…. The maker of Heaven and Earth created them for His delight, as an expression of Himself and of His creativity. 

GOD saw that it was good. Hallelujah!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 21: Another Day

I’m exploring Genesis to learn GOD’s point of view. Today I discover: Another Day!

To the best of my ability, this is GOD’S STORY: His Word considered….

“Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.” (Genesis 1:11)

How enthralling! Did the LORD GOD inhale and smell the grass and flowers, trees and plants? How excited was He at what came forth from His lips and before His eyes? Did He envision every detail or did His nature progress spontaneously from cell to finished product of its own volition once He created it? 

Did each person: Creator, Son, Spirit, know what was to develop or was one surprised by another’s Creation at any point?

To imagine GOD’s Creativity, His personality, His engagement is extraordinary, isn’t it? Of course He wasn’t surprised in the sense that He is all-encompassing, all- powerful, all-knowing. Just as He watches over us, so too He watched over His Creation. And yet, it is amazing to contemplate How He Created!

We are His workmanship


We can be so “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6)


His work in us is never finished. We get in the way of His good work so often, but did the Creation oblige? Surely it did!

And so, it was Another Day! Day 3 and it was good!

Now its our turn

Let us be creative — creating our sphere of reference, our perspective, our attitude… to:

Dwell on His goodness, His creation, His life-giving power.

Accept His leadership and surrender to His power, again.

Feed on His faithfulness, endure His challenges, know He is good, life is good, His creation is good and all is for your benefit.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 20 Evidence of Creation

As I crawl through Genesis to learn what is GOD’s point of view, I discover today that GOD is timeless and all-knowing. Today I see He’s given us evidence of Creation in His very description of His Creation.

He is simply, GOD!

Genesis 1:9-10 says,

“Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Land and Seas

This makes me think of the issue of Creation v Evolution… Did GOD create the world and does it matter to believing Christians? My quick answer is, of course He did and of course it does. Was it in 7 – 24 hour days? I think so but whether that matters or not to salvation or to our effectiveness in His name is a diversion not worth taking here today.

These 2 verses are evidence for Creation

One landscape called earth surrounded by a body of water that seems to begin from anything or nothing and extend to everywhere! is what it says was created on Day 3. For me, the flood and the subsequent splitting of the continents is demonstrated in this. If you take just a glance at the way the earth meets the oceans and imagine the shorelines, there is a puzzle-shaped interconnection between the continental shorelines which makes it obvious to me that the earth was once one mass of land surrounded by water. And this is precisely what it says in verse 9 — the Earth is ‘gathered together’ with the waters or “Seas” surrounding. 

There are many aspects to creation and the flood which are borne out with study (an internet search of Ken Ham and Dr Grady McMurtry, their videos, will introduce this to you, for those not familiar already).

I see that GOD put these verses in Genesis, in His Word to support the Creation debate — which is ongoing even now — in our favour. He knew Darwin would ponder nature, He knew skeptics would relish an opportunity to slam the existence of Himself, He knew we would need proof when Faith is tested. And so, He has given us the words to help us stand on the truth of His Creation.


There once was a time when the existence of God or gods was recognised universally. The debate was not whether to worship GOD but rather to consider who is GOD and who or what are we to worship. Now the very existence of GOD is challenged.

What we do with these words which exist to help us, this awareness of GOD, the clarity of Creation in nature, is up to us.

GOD has given us keys and tools for debate. He has given us the core of Creation as a starting block to our faith. Without it, we are on shaky ground in a world which doubts and tests GOD’s existence. GOD knew this would happen. And He knew what we’d need to stand these tests.

All of creation is waiting and longing for You, LORD. Thank you for your evidence to us — to all. Thank you that you’ve given us evidence of Your Creation. 

Let us take these tools and put them to good use.

Amen and Amen.

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY Part 19 Heaven

What about Heaven

“Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.” (Genesis 1:6-8)

Firmament. What a word, firmament.. What is a firmament? — a space, a non-space rather. A mountainous something which is indescribable and incredible. There is power in this word firmament. It suggests something tremendous.

He takes action

He “divide[s] the waters”… there He is divisive again (note last week’s post https://laruspress.com/gods-story-part-18-god-is-divisive/ ). What is He creating? A firmament – an entity which divides waters which are eternal, with no end and no beginning. Just like GOD. 

Heaven! That is what GOD creates the second day. It takes the entire day: to think, to create, to speak it into being: Heaven.

Some translations say “Heavens”. There are three heavens: the sky we see, the domain of the demonic, and the domain of the heavenly hosts of GOD.

Light, Dark, Waters, Firmament, two days. That’s what we know of His Story from the beginning, so far.

What is compelling GOD? Does He know what will become of His Creation even before He begins to create? Does He know the marvel, and the tragedy? What compels Him?

What moves GOD

Fellowship. 

Love.

Energy, creative energy. Power and love. 

It is a mystery. And we continue on…

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

As I crawl through Genesis to discover what is GOD’s point of view, I discover today that GOD is powerful, inventive, awesome and mysterious in His creation of Heaven.

He is simply, GOD!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 18 GOD is Divisive

GOD’S STORY Part 18 GOD is Divisive

“… and GOD divided the light from the darkness. GOD called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:4b-5)

So: I’m crawling through Genesis at the moment, to discover what is GOD’s point of view. I discover today that GOD is divisive!

Larus Press with the blog stream Preparing the Bride is all about enabling us to be ready for Jesus’ return, preparing also for all He has in store for us in the meantime.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’s STORY. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

Let there be Light

“GOD is light and in Him is no darkness at all….” (1John 1:5b)

And yet,

Job 34:21-23 states,

“For His eyes are on the ways of man,

And He sees all his steps.

There is no darkness nor shadow of death

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

For He need not further consider a man,

That he should go before God in judgment.”

GOD is light. He sees into the darkness, into the secrets of mankind. And as He created Day and Night, He surely did not sleep or abandon the darkness. He made Day and He made Night, and nothing is hidden from Him at any time. And so He is in both the darkness and in the light. What does this imply?

GOD separates: He begins Time by separating Day from Night. He will create a bright source of light for Day and a lesser light for Night. And although even in darkness there is light… He has separated light from darkness, day from night.

He divides

He divides Time into days. He divides day by night. He divides good from evil, right from wrong, life from death, truth from lies… and so on. And through this division we can begin to learn His perspective: to discover who GOD is, and what He is not.

Why does division matter?

GOD will know what is to come… The battle for mankind between GOD and satan will take mankind millennia to navigate. They will need to know a clear difference between GOD and notGOD. They will need a clear distinction. And so GOD makes the difference clear, mirrored in the contrast between light and not light.

Division marks out choice

Mankind — each individual will have a choice between GOD and notGOD. We need to see through the darkness clearly, to find our choice.


Isn’t division bad?

Society has trained us to see division as a negative. But it is simply a distinction, neither negative or positive…

Even today we see division being eroded. Men and woman are equal but to some that means they are the same. Black and White have suddenly become politicised and making a distinction is racist. We are experiencing an unprecedented attack on differences.

But GOD is here, there, everywhere…. then and now

GOD created differences; He created variety and in that variety He created individual uniqueness. 

First He created Day and Night; Light is His first distinction. 

GOD is there -> GOD is light -> GOD is marking out Time. This will be for a purpose, a form of distinction. Yes, GOD is divisive (and we distinguish this even in our debates about the very existence of GOD)… We may not like division, we may have been programmed to not like it but it is true, real, a necessary part of Creation.

GOD created evening, morning = the first day

He must have marvelled at His Creation. And He didn’t stop there. First day implies more is coming. And yes, He created MORE.

Dividing 

Dividing Time, He would go on to create even more diversity. Dividing is creative; diversity is exciting. A new day will come — a second after a first. And difference, division, darkness and light are not to be shunned or feared. They are part of GOD’s Creation.

As usual, our walk with GOD shakes up our thinking. Let’s have more of GOD’s divisions…

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GOD’S STORY: part 17 God is Present

GOD’S STORY Part 17 God is Present

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

Looking at GOD’s Character in Genesis 1 we read, “And the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2b)

A spiritual GOD is hovering…. present, aware, available, engaged.

Who is the Spirit of GOD?

Hovering suggests to me anticipation (what will happen next?), present (and immediate to the space), aware (conscious), poised (filled with potential energy), watchful (ready to act!)…. to do something!

I’ve heard it said that the Spirit of GOD — known as Holy Spirit — is the power and the presence of GOD. Jesus called Him the Helper. Theologians explain He’s the third person of the Trinity. 

From this scripture, I think He is revealed as eager! Eager to create. Eager to engage. Eager to do: alive and alert to His surroundings and ready to engage. But what would happen? Since the earth was lacking form, what would Holy Spirit do about that? 

He could change what was void into something more. And He did!

Then GOD spoke, and what did the Spirit do?

“God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

How did that happen?

Holy Spirit is the action behind the spoken word.

Perhaps we shall see Holy Spirit as Action Man — the action aspect of GOD and the action within man…. since man has been created in GOD’s image. (Genesis 1:27)

Who is Holy Spirit… in us?

First and foremost, Holy Spirit is GOD. He is one of three personalities in one GOD. 

Holy Spirit is not only power; He is GOD’s power, and GOD’s power put into us when we accept Jesus. He is, always has been and always will be. We first met him in scripture in Genesis 1. He is the power of GOD hovering, ready when called upon, ready when needed. 

Perhaps the single most important take away from this post is, GOD is present with us, active in us, ever with us. 

From experience, I add: the more we surrender to Him -> the more we acquaint ourselves with Him -> the more active the Spirit is within us -> the more empowered we are -> the more we effect society, pointing others to Truth in Messiah Jesus -> and society is transformed to joy, peace, rest.

Holy Spirit transforms us and empowers us to transform the world. As Jesus did when in earthly ministry, so He commissions us to

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

When we are active, doing as He asks us to do, He is pleased, we are pleased and the world is a better place. That’s an integral part of GOD’s Story because what He has always wanted is fellowship. As it is written in Matthew 22,

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. …”

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GOD’S STORY: Pt 16 Creativity Unleashed!

GOD’S STORY Part 16 His Creativity Unleashed

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to those who read it.

We look at GOD’s character and in the very first chapter of His story the Bible, we discover His creativity unleashed…

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

What was GOD thinking when…

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

‘So much potential!’

Is that what He was thinking? There was no form to the earth, but a blank canvas. There was space, there was darkness, there was a deep, there were waters. The Holy Spirit dwelt above. That’s all there was… Until we read of His creativity unleashed!

What could be done with this earth? 

From GOD came the Creation, starting with two entities: the heavens and the earth. But did He know in detail what He’d create? Or was He playfully speaking and spontaneously creating?

I suppose there were already other planets or would be other planets, given they exist now. How would this earth be unique from all the other planets?

GOD created. At first, at the very beginning, there were heavens and there was earth without any sort of form whatsoever. And then: GOD spoke form and life into the earth. He then spoke light. Then He spoke life to many forms. 

The impetus behind Creation

GOD is creative. GOD is alive. GOD is expressive. It seems the vastness of the heavens and the earth was too great to allow it to exist in a state of nothingness. There was too much canvas to ignore! 

And so GOD created a wonder. He created a planet that had life! He put Himself into the planet… and gave it life. He was no longer an observer but became a part of the story of humanity. He created the habitat…. and then He created life for the habitat, first plant life and then animate life. As part of GOD’s self expression and as part of the story about GOD, this truth reveals a great deal about Him.

In creating the vastness of the universe, He decided to put some of Himself into it. 

This is what the earth is: a manifestation of life that mirrors GOD the Creator Himself. The culmination of it all life is Man.

“So GOD created man in His own image; in the image of GOD He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Surely He looked upon all of it, at the end of Day 6, and marvelled!

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: part 15 Discovery!

GOD’S STORY Part 15 Discovery

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Recently I was offered prayer. I said, “Sure, thank you!” I didn’t realise it would lead to such a Discovery!

One word that recurred in tongues three times as I was prayed for was “Torah” 

Discovery

So, I came home and looked at Genesis 1:1 (which you read about last entry)

And I realised, I’m meant to share GOD’s Story simply, through the Torah!! Double exclamation mark because how could I miss what is SO OBVIOUS to me now?!

“How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.” 

I wrote the above several weeks ago as I began to seek to honour GOD through creating the GOD’S STORY blog chain. Only NOW I’ve realised, this rediscovery of the Pentateuch, the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, is the format I’m meant to use…

GOD’S STORY: Part 15 Discovery

Reading Genesis, I’m discovering so much. This is simply what the Father is saying to me as I read,

“Tell My story without preconditions or assumptions…”

So here goes:

Genesis 1:3a “Then GOD said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

But why did GOD ask for light? He is light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) so why ask for light as darkness was on the face of the deep? Why did He place Himself into the darkness?

What I recognise is that He spoke His reality into being, in to the Creation, joining with His Creation, saying through this action: ‘Let there be light there too’ or ‘I put Myself into Creation’ or ‘All of Creation has My stamp, My ID, my creativity, My life in it’.

He simply invaded the space, invades every space, doesn’t He? If so, that means He’s here now and always. Yes, that would jive with the supernatural and omnipresent concept of GOD.

Genesis 1:1-3

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

Before the heavens and the earth there was GOD. He was in relationship: Creator, Word and Spirit: three personalities in one GOD. 

We don’t know if there were other planets before He created the earth. Perhaps they are part of “the heavens” in this text. Physics, in my limited understanding would suggest (and remember GOD created Laws of physics too) that the planets which are in perfect balance including the earth, were created at the same time as the earth, so that all were created in perfect balance with one another. All we know from this scripture is that GOD preceded the heavens and the earth. So, GOD created them: the heavens and the earth, and then gave form to the earth. His Spirit was over the waters which existed. Then GOD spoke….

And in those first few lines of scripture we have the Father – Creator, the Spirit – Holy Spirit, and the Word – the Son. All of the GODHEAD was before the heavens and the earth and for some reason, He began to create. Perhaps in creating all the planets He decided ‘I’m going to create something with life!’ There was the creative spark, there was the present Spirit, and there was the voice of GOD who spoke and brought forth light. Do you wonder if He had a full plan or if He just began… and allowed one idea to follow another?

Does an artist know the landscape he will paint before he begins? Does the playwright know the entire story before she begins? Do composers hear the complete compositions before they begin their masterpieces?

Here’s a thought

Imagine if we could speak and have our creative spirit simply create with our voices!? We can already copy that as writers, by voice recording our thoughts and implementing a computer programme which transcribes our manuscript.

And spiritually speaking, perhaps we can…. Perhaps we can do all that Jesus has done, before He was Jesus, when He was the voice of GOD speaking His Word. Perhaps the Father would like us to ask Him for this gift. Or perhaps we have it, we just don’t recognise it. Perhaps.

From GOD’s point of view: He thought, He was present, He spoke and brought forth light. How wonderful! What a wonderful, awesome, inspiring GOD.

And if we have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, perhaps we too have gifting in creativity we don’t even know we have, that He wants us to use, to put at His disposal, to increase His presence in this world…. We need to ask Jehovah GOD, and wait with Him for His reply…

Let’s just ponder that reality for this week.

Blessings….

Sarah

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY part 14 God’s Existence

GOD’S STORY Part 14 GOD’s Existence 

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

GOD’S STORY: Part 14 GOD’s Existence

“In the beginning GOD

created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

I’ve broken up the verse deliberately, to encourage us to ponder each line individually. 

Our Father in heaven existed before time. Our Father in heaven existed in relationship with Himself: Creator. Word. Spirit. To us, this is Father, Son, Holy Spirit. This is who we know. And He has always been. Always. When we grasp this, if we can grasp this, it makes our existence even more amazing. 

Once upon a time there was GOD. Then He created angels. Then one angel rebelled and took a third of the others with him. He – Lucifer – was cast out of heaven. His cohort became demons. Then GOD created earth, and us. This we glean from various scriptures in Job, Isaiah, elsewhere… but this is a wee bit of context and for this message is not where I’m stopping…

GOD has always BEEN

“In the beginning

GOD

created

the heavens and the earth.”

GOD has always been. He has always been in relationship. He didn’t need us, wasn’t lonely or bored. There is no evidence for that. But He is creative, and so He created. And eventually, He created earth and everything in it. He created humanity.

As I contemplate the beginning of the Holy Bible, and rest simply upon the first two verses, I question, I seek — knock — find — that GOD is incredible. We are incredible to exist. 

Let us simply take much more time contemplating GOD. From the beginning, let us abide in Him to discover Who He is and What is His Story. What is GOD’s Story?

We begin again at the very beginning, before Time, before Us

For homework, I suggest we just rest, abide, sit with GOD: Our Father, Our Creator, Our LORD. Just dwell in Genesis 1:1, then add Genesis 1:2…..

What will we glean? What part of GOD’s Story will He reveal to each and every one of us? For me it is His power, His awesome power as “in a whirlwind…..”

Shalom as you Rest in Him.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 13 GOD’s point of view

GOD’S STORY Part 13 Seeing from GOD’s Point of View

Colossians 1:9

“We are asking God that you may see things, as it were, from His point of view by being given spiritual insight and understanding.” (JB Phillips)

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (New King James Version)

Vision from GOD’s Point of View

GOD is our anchor — keeping us safe through any storm, above water, stable. Trusting this completely, we can rest — in His Sabbath Rest — and dwell, abide in the understanding of His will, His perspective, His point of view. Jesus encourages us to abide over and over again in John 15. Shall we take this onboard now and begin to rest in Him?

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

Coping with Change

GOD sees us from above. He has the panoramic view which includes us in His universe. He is outside Time and as such, can gauge the timing for events and make room for all eventualities. Sometimes, I think He orchestrates everything and yet makes way for the individual who isn’t quite ready — but will be — for GOD’s move!

We need to walk on water 

Seeing from His perspective enables us to navigate without fear or anxiety. Whether we can gain His perspective or not, as we walk in Him, we can live as though we are able to see as clearly as He does. Either we live by the Spirit, seeing as GOD sees, or live in complete surrender, trusting His lead. Anything from our own perspective is flawed and limits our growth and our ability to be effective in our world. When we know this and walk in this revelation, we are free and at peace.

“He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your way.” (Psalm 91:11)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When we abide, trust, rest, obey, then we will be fully invigorated, fully useful, fully released and fully at peace.

How do we “walk on water”?

To walk on water, we walk the walk of what we talk… In other words, we surrender, we trust, we spend time with GOD… lots of time, abiding, resting, communicating with Him. As we engage, we gain His perspective and it becomes more and more a walk by faith rather than the present circumstances that we see with our earthly eyes.

As we trust, as we obey, we live above the storm as He does, looking to Jesus and to Father GOD, the author and finisher of our faith.

I believe I shall write quite a bit more on this… It seems it is the essence of GOD’s STORY — to convey His perspective so that we might gain His insight…. so stay tuned for next week as well…

In the meantime, every blessing as you engage with Yehovah GOD through Holy Spirit who abides in you. Blessed be your journey and blessed be the work of your hands.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’S STORY: Part 12 Decision-making GOD’s Way

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. 

GOD’S STORY Part 12 Decision-making

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men…” (Matthew 4:19)

As followers of Jesus, how is it possible for us to execute our own decision-making? 

Following is not easy, is it? But we must discipline ourselves, or make the choice, or  surrender…  even when making our own decisions. However we might choose to manage it, following Jesus is great but it is not always easy.

Often we can implement the LORD’s will. We hear from Him; then we use our talents, our time, our resources, to implement what the LORD has positioned us to do. But what about when He stretches us, asks us to go beyond our comfort zone to do something which will make a difference in this world but which pushes our envelope beyond our experience? The LORD led me in this way recently, and here’s where I went wrong…

From Follow to Muddle

Over the past week or two the LORD has been leading me in a new direction. And when it came to taking His lead, I got in quite a muddle. 

I want to share GOD’s Story — GOD’s perspective as near as I have worked it out so far, on decision-making. He prompted me to take some risks, to go out of my comfort zone, and I was willing. That was my choice. I did research and considered the information. I prayed and sought His direction. All of a sudden: BOOM!

I was eager to follow… but then…

Here’s the pattern I followed with the very best of intention

Step 1: I followed …. I received a prompt and whole-heartedly aimed to follow

Step 2: I anticipated next steps

Step 3: I reasoned —

Step 4: I recognised I was in a muddle. 

How did that happen? I anticipated rather than taking GOD’s lead to reason, to plan, to strategise and to implement.

What to do to prevent a repeat?

In the stillness, I must wait, rest, trust, wait some more… until I hear clearly the direction — advice — to take.

“He who waits upon the LORD shall renew his strength…” (Isaiah 40:31)

Following the LORD’s lead does not mean we don’t think, use our intellect and common sense. Rather, it means we allow GOD to influence our thinking, intellect and common sense. We allow the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to lead as we wait for Him to direct our steps.

Regret …. but lessons learned

I wish I’d not got ahead of GOD. But in recognising it I realise I’ve learned to be on the alert for my own anticipation. Enthusiasm is a wonderful characteristic, but we do need to curb our flesh, and surrender ourselves to Holy Spirit’s prompting if we are going to follow, from beginning to end, the fullness of GOD’s plan.

Decision-making begins at the very beginning of any move we make. When we give our hopes and aspirations, our goals and intents of our hearts to the LORD, when we trust He’s heard and rest in Him, He will direct our steps toward the destination. We hope, we trust, we hear, we share and then we follow…. allowing Him to unfold the direction of our steps to achieve our heart’s desire and that which He has for us. 

Every blessing for the week ahead…

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY: Part 11 Ignoring Pressure!

 GOD’S STORY Part 11 Ignoring Pressure!

I ask myself — and pray to the LORD — what does He urge me to discuss this week? 

Pressure! In fact, Ignoring Pressure!

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked.

Matthew 6:25-34 reads as follows,

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Do Not Worry!

Clearly, GOD does not want us to feel pressure from the world. And yet, we His children can so easily fall into a trap of worry, anxiety, hard effort without the lead of Holy Spirit.

“He who waits upon the LORD shall renew his strength.” From Proverbs 3 and other scriptures like this, we receive wisdom and guidance. Likewise, walking with the Spirit of GOD, in sync step-by-step, we can eliminate the sense of pressure than oppresses us and stresses us, which imposes on our own peace and on the influence we offer to others.

In GOD’s STORY, I believe He is saying to us: receive my peace which passes all understanding, and take each day and each incident one by one. In this is rest, peace, strength and joy.

“I have been misrepresented” I hear Him say. This is not a quote from scripture but rather, as I sit to receive from Him, it is what I record from Him… “I have been misrepresented” means He has not determined that pressure should be a part of our lives, although a religious spirit would suggest we are meant to “measure up!” to a false sense of behaviour and attitude as represented by religion rather than GOD. As we begin to absorb this, we will discover His real intent for us. Yes, we are meant to work… labour is a cost to the Fall of Adam. But through working by the “sweat of our brow” we receive joy and pleasure, dignity and self respect from our own industry… not pressure. 

Pressure is what comes of man seeking to create a legacy or a promotion or a name for himself. Pressure is what comes from worry over the family’s security or our own well being. Pressure arises through a lack of faith in the sovereign protection of GOD.

He wants us, I believe to live ignoring pressure from wherever it may come.

Does GOD feel pressure?

Have you ever wondered what GOD thinks of our demanding prayers, our prayers of declaration? We are taught to pray according to scripture, to declare the power of GOD, that “No weapon formed against [us] will prosper and every tongue that rises against [us] in judgment will be condemned” as His scriptures say and we include in our prayers. 

But how does GOD receive these prayers? Does GOD feel pressure from us?

I wonder how GOD receives our prayers

I believe the more we pray gently and in humility, the clearer we hear Him and the clearer we speak to Him. We are called to pray the desires of our heart. Sometimes we will be vehement, at other times quiet and demure. The more we “be still” before we begin, the more our hearts become quiet and can sense Holy Spirit’s prompt and the direction He leads us to pray. I don’t personally believe that making demands is of the LORD, though I recognise GOD can connect with us wherever we might be.

Personally, I pray to be sincere, committed and even firm, but not to demand our LORD to do as we bid.

This does not cut across or deny the power of spiritual warfare but I do think when we war against the spirits of the air, we are not demanding to GOD but rather firm in our conviction to speak His will into the spiritual realm. In order to do that, surely we need first to be quiet and still, to hear the direction of the LORD and to follow it in prayer. Then we pray with earnest expectation rather than demand. And we receive blessing, knowing He has given us a gift. In this there is no pressure from either side.

Hallelujah! We are blessed.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY: Part 10 Unpacking our free will with GOD

GOD’S STORY Part 10 Unpacking our Free Will 

I believe wholeheartedly that we who have given our lives to Jesus have free will. But I’d like to suggest we need to undertake the unpacking of our free will. We start by looking at what those who follow Jesus have inherited: We have a renewed mind, with the ability to see truth from deceit, light from darkness, life from death. Without this ability to see clearly, people have not got the full range of choices and so haven’t really got free will. Without Jesus, we are accountable to the devil, who keeps us ignorant and provides no freedom at all.

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. 

Choice comes through clarity of mind

The LORD gives us the ability to know right from wrong from birth (Romans 1). But we choose to follow or to turn from Him. When we follow, we have the ability to see Truth and therefore to make an informed choice that is not available to those who are not born again.

That’s how I see it. But how does the LORD see things? Let’s try unpacking our free will: how GOD has designed humanity, how He leads us, and how He holds off destruction for a time.

GOD gives us freedom

Does GOD insist we obey constrictive rules OR does He give us room so that we can unpack our free will “at will”? Yes, I think He does the latter.

First, allow me to begin with the fact that the LORD knows the way we will choose, and He accounts for that in His bigger picture. (Job 23:10) He knows the choices we will make, and yet we do have the freedom to make our choices and experience the consequences.

Next, I ask you to imagine the LORD as a music producer: He knows the ultimate sound that will come forth, but He enables the composer, conductor and the instrumentalists to engage with one another and with Him to create a symphony of sound. In other words, He knows the ultimate outcome. He knows what will transpire in the meantime, and He waits for us to interact amidst His cues in a way that inspires, moves, motivates us. He knows — we discover. That’s our personal and societal journey. He knows not because He manipulates, but because He knows us, our character. How many of us as parents are more often predicting how our young child will behave. Sometimes we are surprised; but more often, if we know our child, there is a high level of prediction as to how s/he will behave in a particular situation. How much better does our father in heaven know, predict our behaviour and attitude. In fact, when we give our lives to Him, we commission Him to change us into His likeness. So first, He knows us, next He knows the end from the beginning, and ultimately He’ll enable us to fulfil our desire to be “like Him”.

Finally, the LORD has His absolute red lines: He has limits that will not be crossed. When Satan was allowed to mess with Job, the LORD said, “but do not take his life…” (Job 2:6). Similarly, there will come a day when the bowls of wrath will be full (Revelation 16:1) and then Jesus will return to judge the earth (Revelation 16:16-17). Jesus didn’t know when that time would be, but GOD the Father knows. (Matthew 24:36)

This is GOD’s Story, not mine

Ultimately, it matters not a bit what I think or have worked out. In the sovereignty of GOD, He holds the earth and everyone in it in His hands.

What does His omnipotence mean within this conundrum of our free will and His omnipotence?

Omnipotence is having unlimited authority and power. GOD has the power and authority to make choices and He has chosen to give us the freedom to make our own discoveries and our own choices. Whatever we choose will hold consequences. In His Story, GOD chooses to teach us and to shape us through our own choices ,experiences and consequences. That’s how it works under His sovereignty.

Character over Circumstance

In my experience and from observation as well, I see GOD always seems to choose our character development over our situation or circumstance. It seems so long as we survive, GOD would prefer us to grow spiritually, rather than to have an easy ride. He does grant us the desires of our hearts, though we sometimes confuse our will with our heart. Even when someone significant in our lives actually passes away, that experience grows us too. We can rest assured the loved one is in His presence and in His will now. And that passing will catapult our growth: both ours and others’ around us. 

Always, GOD takes our commitment at our word and gives us opportunity to shine! We are allowed to make our own choices: whether to prosper in our growth or to hide from our challenge, we always have a choice. 

When we follow His ways, our character will grow, and in that I believe He takes particular delight.

At the End of the Age… or at least at the end of the Day

Natural and scientific laws operate without GOD’s ongoing attention, because He designed them that way. Within those laws human beings exist and we are responsible for the rest of the earth: the other living creatures, the seas and landscapes. He brought us into this universe in order that we would relate to Him and to one another. Genesis 1 makes that crystal clear.

Since the Fall of man, His plan to bring us back to Him has been unfolding. He is patient, kind, wise, full of goodness and He awaits the appointed time for the grand unfolding of His new heaven and earth.

It is His timing and not ours. It is centuries long, even millennia. We might interpret this as a lack of interest or a lack of power on GOD’s part. But His fragrant love, His service to us as revealed particularly through Jesus, His never-ending devotion and guidance reveals to us that our actions do not dictate the times, seasons, conclusion to this Age — though they do impact our own lives. 

The sovereign will of GOD is like the globe: all encompassing, grander and greater than our individual circumstances, but nevertheless everlasting and ever engaging.

GOD uses reason but encompasses it with His sovereignty and so we live, move, have our being in Him, if we so choose, for we are His offspring (Acts 17:28)

Every blessing and Amen.

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GOD'S STORY

GOD’s STORY part 9 God has given us free will… Really?

Here at Preparing the Bride, I’m telling GOD’S STORY. Presumptuous?! Not when simply looking at scripture, because scripture is the unfolding of God’s story to us who read it.

How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? We learn GOD’s Story. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. 

GOD’S STORY Part 9 Has GOD given us Free Will really?

Free Will

Each person makes his/her own choices. But does anyone have free will without the LORD? 

This is what I totally and whole heartedly believe Father Yehovhah GOD, Adonai Elohim wants me to write about this week…. It is a part of His Story which He wants us to understand…

Those who are in rebellion are under the control of the Evil One and make their choices in the dark. 

Those who are in the light of the love of GOD are free to choose which direction to take, fully in the light, fully able to see which is conditional on if we take the time and attention to look. Those who walk with Him make choices, have freedom to engage with Him, freedom to take or reject His guidance… free to take the blessings or consequences of our choices.

Recently, I had an invitation to speak but I had a conflict with the timing of that invitation, and so I had a choice to make. 

I waited on the LORD. I knew I could do either: speak or focus on my original arrangement, but I thought perhaps that He preferred I speak. But how could I reject the other pre-planned situation? Should I help 1 or the many? Then I thought of the 1 sheep and the 99 from Matthew 18. I chose to take care of the 1 even though the 99 might have benefitted.

Following the Word of GOD

I followed GOD’s Word, not because I had no choice, but because I made my choice. I had the peace of GOD then, though I believe that if I’d made a different choice it would not have been wrong. I’d have had different scripture to stand on. GOD gives us choices. 

“He knows the way that I take, and when I come forth I shall shine like gold.” (Job 23:10)

GOD is bigger than our choices

If we have free will, how can GOD be sovereign? This is a deep theological question. It believe it is part of GOD’s Story…. I’d like to continue this journey at a deeper level next time.

Summary

But the kernels to hold on today are: GOD gives free will, Satan blocks it for those who walk without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And we are responsible for our choices but those who walk in Christ can see and have the opportunity to choose!

Shalom and Amen.