No Excuse

Romans 1:19-20

Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

One day I was agreeing with my son, an atheist, how God's person is unknowable by merely natural means. But He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word and all the natural things He made. I asked him how he would answer a friend who denied that my son even had a father, but just made him up? His reply was that he would show his friend the things his Dad had made, like the house. So I pointed out that it would be foolish to suggest that natural, environmental processes over a long period of time could produce a beautiful house suitable for dwelling in. It is equally foolish to deny the existence of a Creator who made this world suitable for our living here. This was answered by a period of silence.

Good Medicine: A Personal Letter

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Personalized:

My sweet daughter, Bonnie, your cheerful heart, the way you rejoice in Me and let My ways be the joy of your heart has resulted in your good health, has caused your body to repair itself and maintained the order I have built into it. Bonnie, I made your body to be healthy and to last to serve you for all your days, even to advance age. Daughter, dear, do not allow your spirit to be crushed by the sorrows of this age--that would only be detrimental to your very bones, possibly to even bring on osteoporosis. I want you to keep your skeletor framework strong because I have planned for you to serve Me for many years hence.  Continue to seek My face, Bonnie, and continue to focus on My provisions and blessings; continue to let Me bring cheer to your heart, and rejoice in Me. I love you, and I want the very best for you, more than you can even imagine--that's what I have planned for you.

Love,

Dad

Paul At The Areopagus In Athens, Greece

Acts 17:27-31

He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. 

We are all "inside" God; He surrounds us as water surrounds the fish. The whole universe exists inside Him. We exist because He is thinking about us. His Word alone created all that is, and He holds everything together. Just as my hand "knows" where my ear is without my looking for it, so God is aware of everything that goes on in His universe, down to our very molecules. I think of it as we are God's imagination, if He ever ceased to think of us, we would not exist.

As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring." Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.

Since we as human beings are the offspring of God, then we bear an image, a likeness of God; so He must be more like a living, organic being than like inanimate, earthly materials.

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commends all people everywhere to repent.

Now that we know better, we have a responsibility to respond to His call, to turn around.

For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice.

This is a specific day; He will not judge at a whim, but according to the laws and rules He has set down for us to obey. He is a God of order, and always has and always will do everything in an orderly manner.

By the Man He has appointed.

Jesus Christ.

He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead.

Jesus' resurrection is the proof that God accepted His sacrifice in payment of all our sin; and Jesus also purchased the world of mankind which gives Him the Authority to be the legal Judge of all of us. Therefore, each one of us will see Him as either our Savior and Redeemer, or our righteous Judge.

Real Treasure

Philippians 3:7, 10

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

All my material possessions are now an encumbrance, a weight, heavy on my shoulders. Father, please help me to rid myself of the remainder of these things so that I may be free to serve you wherever you may send me.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Jesus is my prize! I want not His blessings, I want Him! The things of this world are temporary and passing, and I am finding that I have no need of an abundance of things. My desire is to know Christ, intimately as my Husband. I want to be transformed into His image, to be like Him in my thoughts, words and actions. The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that is working in me. Father, help me to be faithful to You and Your ways!

The Conclusion of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Our whole responsibility, purpose, reason for being, is to fear God, worship God only (Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 "fear God only" as "worship God only"), and live according to His ways, as He has revealed them to us in His rules, commands and directions in His word. God's written Word is our Bible, and His living Word is His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit revealing Him in us, to us and through us to others. How we respond to God--in accepting Him and His ways or rejecting Him and going our own way; and ordering our thinking processes according to the way God made us and our world, as He has taught us, to obey what we know of His rules. It only makes sense to read and follow the Manufacturer's instructions, whether it's a car or an appliance, or our very lives and families. And we will each give an account at the end.

Foolishness And Rebellion

Psalm 107:17-22

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.

O my Father, I pray for all those I love dearly who have rejected Your gracious offer of redemption and gone on their own rebellious ways, and now suffer the result of their sinful choices. I pray, Father, that they will become aware of their foolish state and cry out to You in faith; that You would then save them and send forth Your Word, which is Life, into their lives to heal them of their emotional and spiritual maladies, and draw them to Yourself.

Strength For The Weak

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Our ways are never hidden from You, Father. You have created every detail of everything that is, and You are intimately involved with every part of it.

When we put our trust and confidence in You, Lord, who redeemed us, then Your strength will be available to us to soar as on eagles' wings, to run and walk and continue without growing weary or fainting, but to persist.