That is what I see going on today. I see it in conversations, blogs, Facebook statuses, news programs, and most recently...while eating chicken! Any time a controversial topic is mentioned the gloves come off and people from all sides start throwing verbal punches. With all of the NOISE how could we expect anyone to be still and know that He is God? (ref. Psalm 46:10)
I want my children to KNOW God. I want them to possess that healthy fear of Him, knowing His power and standing in awe of him, but there is a gentle God that they need to know as well. A God that was very meticulous when He knitted every detail onto their being and into their spirit. (Psalm 139:13) A God that breathed the breath of life into them. (Genesis 2:7) A God that pursues them and sings over them. (Zephaniah 3:17). I pondered this idea for a while. I needed a way to get back to the basics with my kids, and I want adults, teens and everyone in between to get this too.
Back to the Basics
God is holy! He is pure, untainted, incapable of sin. He cannot even be near sin! He must stay holy. As a matter of fact, if sinful man entered His presence, they would die. His holiness is that powerful!
God is crazy in love with us--He wants us so close to Him. He created us so we could love Him, and He could love us. You know how you dream of the father that would love you like crazy, take you on amazing adventures, give you boundaries because he loves you enough to protect you, open his arms to you when you realize you've done wrong or when you just need comforting? A father who would lavish you with gifts? Yep...He's THAT Father!
Here's where we come to the main problem....we have to remember the first part. He is holy, and can't be near sin, yet He wants us close to Him. This is where Jesus comes in. Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The only way for there to be reconciliation--a way for us to be close to God again--was for something to die. Adam and Eve were never supposed to die. Animals never attacked each other. It never even rained until sin entered the world. That is when everything began to die. Sin=death. Because God loves us, He allowed us to place our sin onto sacrifices. He wants us near Him. He was chasing after us, because He knew what wonderful things He had waiting for us, if He could just have us near Him. Then, when the time was perfect...He sent the perfect, ultimate sacrifice ...His Son. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whomever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now: Let's deal with the "rules" issue. I don't obey God's commandments so that I can be a Christian. (And I'm absolutely not claiming that I obey them perfectly--oh how I wish that were true) I know from experience that when I am close to God (obeying Him) I experience those gifts being lavished on me. Mercy, grace, love, peace, joy, hope, a future, adoration, and yes...occasionally the gifts are something tangible, but I promise you that I will take the intangible ones over the tangible ones any day! The intangible ones are how the people imprisoned for their faith remain in a state of worship. The intangible ones are the ones that made me have peace when I thought my son might die. The intangible ones are the ones that have been present when I've recently watched parents drop to their knees and cry out to God as they've watched their children battle cancer. God's intangible gifts carried them through. Those gifts have been the reason I've watched a sweet lady have hope, even after losing her precious husband way too soon and unexpectedly.
I'm afraid our world often puts the cart before the horse. We speak of rules and commandments and never mention why they exist! This reminds me of a line in a Casting Crowns song "Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against..." ("Jesus, Friend of Sinners") I still believe the horse should come before the cart. Love first...obedience comes from thankfulness and adoration. Obedience isn't the reason, it's the response.
I've learned by experience that closeness to God brings those gifts into my life ten-fold. I've learned that when I am caught up in sin, I don't experience those gifts. I don't tell people about God to condemn them or point to their sin. I don't tell people about God because I hate non-Christians. I don't tell people about God because I want to shove Christianity down their throat and demand that they conform. (As a matter of fact...now that I am a Christian, I have the freedom NOT to conform to the rest of society). I tell people about God because I love people. I ache when I sense that someone doesn't understand God. I want for everyone to experience what I have experienced. I was bitter, depressed, rejected, an outcast, unloved, full of fear, haunted by nightmares, shackled by my struggles, and fatherless. The day I hit my knees because I had tried everything else to find "happiness", and found that nothing brought permanent, long lasting happiness....I decided to give this God thing a try. I asked Him if He could make a father love me. In my heart I heard Him say, "No, but I can be your perfect father." I've never been the same since. I want that for everyone. I passionately desire that kind of love for a lost world. The love comes first. You've gotta understand God's love for you first...He'll walk you down the path of righteousness. That is one of the many adventures He'll take you on. First, understand....it's because of LOVE not because of rules.
The only way for there to be reconciliation--a way for us to be close to God again--was for something to die. Adam and Eve were never supposed to die. Animals never attacked each other. It never even rained until sin entered the world. That is when everything began to die. Sin=death. Because God loves us, He allowed us to place our sin onto sacrifices. He wants us near Him. He was chasing after us, because He knew what wonderful things He had waiting for us, if He could just have us near Him. Then, when the time was perfect...He sent the perfect, ultimate sacrifice ...His Son. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whomever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now: Let's deal with the "rules" issue. I don't obey God's commandments so that I can be a Christian. (And I'm absolutely not claiming that I obey them perfectly--oh how I wish that were true) I know from experience that when I am close to God (obeying Him) I experience those gifts being lavished on me. Mercy, grace, love, peace, joy, hope, a future, adoration, and yes...occasionally the gifts are something tangible, but I promise you that I will take the intangible ones over the tangible ones any day! The intangible ones are how the people imprisoned for their faith remain in a state of worship. The intangible ones are the ones that made me have peace when I thought my son might die. The intangible ones are the ones that have been present when I've recently watched parents drop to their knees and cry out to God as they've watched their children battle cancer. God's intangible gifts carried them through. Those gifts have been the reason I've watched a sweet lady have hope, even after losing her precious husband way too soon and unexpectedly.
I'm afraid our world often puts the cart before the horse. We speak of rules and commandments and never mention why they exist! This reminds me of a line in a Casting Crowns song "Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against..." ("Jesus, Friend of Sinners") I still believe the horse should come before the cart. Love first...obedience comes from thankfulness and adoration. Obedience isn't the reason, it's the response.
I've learned by experience that closeness to God brings those gifts into my life ten-fold. I've learned that when I am caught up in sin, I don't experience those gifts. I don't tell people about God to condemn them or point to their sin. I don't tell people about God because I hate non-Christians. I don't tell people about God because I want to shove Christianity down their throat and demand that they conform. (As a matter of fact...now that I am a Christian, I have the freedom NOT to conform to the rest of society). I tell people about God because I love people. I ache when I sense that someone doesn't understand God. I want for everyone to experience what I have experienced. I was bitter, depressed, rejected, an outcast, unloved, full of fear, haunted by nightmares, shackled by my struggles, and fatherless. The day I hit my knees because I had tried everything else to find "happiness", and found that nothing brought permanent, long lasting happiness....I decided to give this God thing a try. I asked Him if He could make a father love me. In my heart I heard Him say, "No, but I can be your perfect father." I've never been the same since. I want that for everyone. I passionately desire that kind of love for a lost world. The love comes first. You've gotta understand God's love for you first...He'll walk you down the path of righteousness. That is one of the many adventures He'll take you on. First, understand....it's because of LOVE not because of rules.
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