Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
I recently learned that a friend was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. My friend is a non-Christian, but he is a good man by the world’s standards. He is highly educated, works in a respected and demanding profession, is married with a family, and pays his taxes, and so on. He is a good man.
When I learned of his illness, I ask -- why? After all, he is a “good” man with every reason to live. How could God allow him to be stricken with this illness? After all, the world is full of murderers, criminals, drug dealers, and other “bad” people. Such as these could be struck down, never to be missed by society.
This reasoning may seem sound to the world, but it is not Scriptural and should not be the mindset of a follower of Jesus Christ. I am convicted of my own sinful nature and shortcomings as a Christian.
The Lord Jesus was no respecter of persons. He was often condemned for His many associations with persons of low esteem in the world of His day.
As Christians we must take care to not be deceived into believing we are better or above any other person whether that person is saved or unsaved. We have been saved by the grace of God in sending His son as a sacrifice for our sins. His sacrifice was not because of our merit, but because of His love for us.
You and I have never seen a person who was not created by God and whom God does not love. If only we as Christians could live each day and treat each person with that truth in mind. My prayer for my friend is that this personal crisis may lead him to seek the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A Creation of Love
Previously, I discussed how life's chaos is a direct result of sinfulness. Now, let's see how God created Earth and the universe in an ordered, purposeful, arrangement; and this too reflects His love for us.
Genesis chapter 1 shows us a Creator following a plan. On each of the six days of the creation He completed a portion of our world. This begins of the first day.
Genesis 1:3-5
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Elohim, the God of Creation, speaks light into existence, sees that it is good, and names the light Day and the Darkness night. There is no trial and error or anything haphazard here. The creation continues until Genesis chapter 2 begins.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (Genesis 2:1)
Just as the detail in a master's woodcarving reflects its creator, the finished Creation reveals the precise mind of our Creator. There are 24 hours in each day, sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Winter, spring, summer and fall follow in perpetual order. The tides rise and fall and moon follows it phases. These workings of creation were set into motion from the beginning by the hand of God. They are his handiwork.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1 KJV)
When you see a beautiful sunset, smell lilacs on a spring breeze or hear a meadowlark's song across a green meadow and you feel a stirring inside, remember Elohim. He created these to stir the senses of His most loved creation, you! Of all His creation only we were created in His own image. His handiwork surrounds us and calls out to you - "I am God and I am here." Our world was created from His love for us. Remember to thank God for this and His many blessings that we often take for granted.
Genesis chapter 1 shows us a Creator following a plan. On each of the six days of the creation He completed a portion of our world. This begins of the first day.
Genesis 1:3-5
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Elohim, the God of Creation, speaks light into existence, sees that it is good, and names the light Day and the Darkness night. There is no trial and error or anything haphazard here. The creation continues until Genesis chapter 2 begins.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (Genesis 2:1)
Just as the detail in a master's woodcarving reflects its creator, the finished Creation reveals the precise mind of our Creator. There are 24 hours in each day, sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Winter, spring, summer and fall follow in perpetual order. The tides rise and fall and moon follows it phases. These workings of creation were set into motion from the beginning by the hand of God. They are his handiwork.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1 KJV)
When you see a beautiful sunset, smell lilacs on a spring breeze or hear a meadowlark's song across a green meadow and you feel a stirring inside, remember Elohim. He created these to stir the senses of His most loved creation, you! Of all His creation only we were created in His own image. His handiwork surrounds us and calls out to you - "I am God and I am here." Our world was created from His love for us. Remember to thank God for this and His many blessings that we often take for granted.
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