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God opens eyes

June 8, 2010 by Fritz

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; – Genesis 21:19

Hagar, banished to the desert with only a bottle of water, thought she and her son were going to die.

Of interest is the Bible’s unique description of God’s response. It did NOT say God made a well for her or led her to it; God just opened her eyes, the well was already there. Without that eye opening she would have died of thirst with unlimited water right before her.

How many other essentials are, like Hagar’s well, awaiting our eyes to be opened?!

God’s kingdom is one! When Jesus preached, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 1, he wasn’t saying it was soon coming from afar off but that it was already here and experienced by “repenting”; a term literally meaning “turning around” and facing it.

Again, when Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”2, the emphases was on seeing (or not) something already there.

Not just for newbies, Paul tells us looking at the unseen is an ongoing experience for believers.

“we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2nd Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Jesus, open my eyes to perceive what you have already provided that I, like Hagar, may be refreshed and grow.

-fritz.
Matthew 4:17
2 John 3:3

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God needs no explanation

June 7, 2010 by Fritz

God and Satan talk in the Bible and it looks like a giant chess game with Job’s family as the pawns. In the garden God calls to Adam, “Where are you?”, but doesn’t he already know? Joshua is told by God to leave no survivors; where is the love and mercy in that?! People are offended by these and other scriptures, sometimes wanting nothing to do with God because if it.

There are explanations, sure, and we are quick to provide, but this surfaces an important fact about our Heavenly Father – God doesn’t try to explain Himself.

Our culture demands explanations. From presidents, employees, preachers, parishioners, parents, children, in public and in private, to others and to ourselves we feel explanations must be given; they don’t have to be true only plausible.

God doesn’t play along!

Jesus was (and is) constantly misunderstood; at one point losing all but his closest disciples because of it. His response was not, “Wait, let me explain!”, he kept loving and obeying the Father. He later put it this way,

“ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep … My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” – John 10:26-27 (KJV)

True, we are not to blatantly disregard the feelings of others but we shall be misunderstood no matter what we do. We are not to waste time defending and explaining, but keep loving and serving Christ, always ready to explain our hope which sustains us. (1st Peter 3:15)

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Not an insurance policy

June 6, 2010 by Fritz

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)

The Gospel is not a life insurance policy and Jesus is not the insurance agent we call only to renew or check our coverage.

Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins not so we can get to heaven but to remove the barrier (our sins) between us and God so we can live, work, and walk with Him now and forever; heaven is the by-product

This has always been God’s desire.  Notice Adam and Eve:

[Adam and Eve] heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: … And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? – Genesis 3:8a, 9 (KJV)

Walking with God in the garden each day was a common occurrence, unfortunately interrupted by sin.

God’s desire never changed.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Mica 6:8 (KJV)

Jesus’ parting promise to his disciples was NOT heaven, but living with God; the place may change but the company doesn’t!

“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (Jesus – John 14:23 KJV)

Question: How would my living be different if my goal was to live, work, and walk with God now and forever?

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