***So Indescribable a Gift: But Do Not Look For it in a Tiffany’s Robin Egg Blue Box***

A Message of Acceptance, Love and Hope not Condemnation

Very few people can claim never having heard the name Jesus Christ. It has become a household name. However, like those who are well-known and whose names and faces are readily recognizable, just as much truth may have been said about such persons, many erroneous declarations have also worm their way in, to taint His reputation and misled many about who He was and Is.

We’ve all experienced it, heard or personally made assumptions about others and judged them merely from outward appearance or unfounded facts paraded c/ their names (Their tattoos, speech, accent, demeanor, place of origin…etc). Why? We are humans and prone to project on others who we are and what we know and hold dear. In doing so, we boxed them in some category and put a lid on it, and in our minds, never gave them a way of escape. Most often, if we were to connect intimately w/the person’s spirit, we would most likely find our preconceived notions to be fallacies and would be taken aback by our comments. We are often more alike than different from others. Jesus’ message was one such, of Love, of looking to the treasure in us, not the dust as we are ever still being transformed in His likeness. Take the example of the one with tattoos: why do we so swiftly connect the dots and associate such with drugs, gangs, rebellion and so forth? It’s clearly because that’s what is on the forefront of our minds. Could it be that such is simply an outward display and expression of their love of Art? Could it be that to them it’s a memorial marking a turning point in their life? Who knows?

God made and shaped us for intimate connections, and with a natural sense of belonging to some sort of unit, be it a family, a community, a group, an organism…We need to connect with Him the Creator, first and foremost- That’s our vertical connection – then horizontally with each other. The latter is enriched by the former. Colossians 1: 15-17 “He-Christ- is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation. For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service and intervention] and in and for Him. And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

We were made in the image of our Creator- God- in the genesis of time. But how, you ask, since no one has ever seen Him? God is a Spirit. And we were made in the reflection of that Spirit. Therefore we are spirits as well, who have a soul and live in a body- this earth suit, this shell which is inevitably prone to aging and death. Our soul is made of our Mind, Will and Emotions…our conscience, intellect. Of course, many winds of doctrine refute this assertion and claim that we only have a body and a soul. Our soul may be highly educated, but that’s not the point. Hence our need to be reborn and to allow our spirit man to be awakened from its state of dormancy. Until then, the things of God which cannot be grasped by our intellect are simply foolishness. Reading the bible without God’s spirit to help us decipher the parables in it brings frustration. We could not understand God or His ways.

For that reason, He placed a device in us called His HS that serves as a mediator to ensure that bond. But because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden, that bond was severed with mankind. Our spirit man who then no longer communicate directly with God’s spirit fell into a state of dullness and dormancy. Thankfully, God later provided a remedy to this by sending his dear Son to come and compel us into reconciling with the Father. Here are the words of John 1: 10-13 “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born neither of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”

The only requirement God made for becoming part of His household, as His adopted ones [we too do set rules as to who gets in our circle or immediate constellation] was to receive and acknowledge in our hearts His Son Jesus as the One who expunged our debt from transgressing God’s laws. Jesus saved us from living eternally separated from God’s spirit, after the hour has come for us to leave this world. God desires to speak to our minds, our hearts, and our spirits, to lead and guide us, moment by moment and help us navigate this world with all its shams. Yet because His is a relationship of Love and not constraint, He will not take that step until we have invited him to do so. We were created to Worship- HIM. The question is not whether we are worshipping or not, but what is the object of our Worship. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all are worshipping some thing (be it our wealth, career, relationships, health, and beauty, ourselves …), all we are utterly dependent on or treasure to the point of death. Worship is simply showing a deep heart reverence for something or someone. Where our treasure is, our heart will be also.

Our worship was meant to be reserved exclusively for God who created us to fill the earth. We were not to forget or ignore Him, the very one who controls our birth, death and everything in between. He gave us the ability to conceive and to create all that would make our stay here pleasant and enjoyable, but not to the point it would take His place. I guess that’s why, recognizing our propensities, He instructed us not to make objects of worship from anything in the heaven above (angels) or on the earth (people, things, animals, nature) or under the earth (the dead). Over centuries, men have made spirituality to be unnecessarily complex, to the point where it repels people or make them afraid, rather than draw them to the very source of every imaginable need.

John 3:17 admonishes us that “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” Many are totally oblivious to their non-negotiable need to connect to and nurture their spirit man. They take risks for anything else but that. My question is what do we have to loose in giving it a try? Dale Carnegie said “It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." Our irresponsiveness towards Jesus and His great message of Hope and Love all stems from our never having witnessed an accurate portrayal of who He was and Is, His mission on earth and His views. Someone said: Jesus is a good guy who just happens to have some imperfect PRs.

He knew we would be confused and reluctant because of the countless and ever so boisterous voices of untruth around us, hence God took the time to inspire the writing of facts and proofs that He lived and lives on, through His spirit. Those are contained in the Bible which communicates them to us and allow us to commune with Him daily. This book was written by 44 different writers over a period of 1500 years, some doctors, some fishermen, some lawyers, all sinners like you and I. All were inspired by the same spirit in different places and at different times, yet in a cohesive unity of thoughts they penned down. The Bible gives us a real picture of lives like yours and mine’s, not glazing over them but depicting real human struggles, joys, failings and foibles. God inspired true accounts of stories told for our benefit, warning and encouragement.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, amidst the many truths there can be. No one can come to God except through him. HE-IS-THE-WAY-TO-THERE. Proverbs 14: 12 warn us “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to destruction.” Seem means to conform to or to appear to be; to strike one's apprehension as being; many are the resembling ways, but in the end they don’t deliver nor live up to our expectations. Jesus remains the only one to have made such a bold claim and have proven it time and time again without fail.

In today’s world where exactitude and precision is the stamp on everything, where time is money, who - knowing well the way to their destination- would insist on wandering around through the unknown, lost, wasting time, just for “taking chances” sake? Who dares venture on dirt roads and deserts, wasting their gasoline and putting themselves at the mercy of elements and robbers, or wreaking havoc their precious health, putting ware and tares on their bodies? No one, except the one from whom the real tidings and the Truth have been concealed; the one who has allowed the pride of life, of intellect and pedigree to shield his understanding and clog the pipe of his heart. The path has already been carved out and pointed out! It's a path many have taken before and have attested of its eternal- not annual warranty; one without the hurdles and ‘dead ends’. It's indeed a Way that has been tasted, tested, proven for centuries past and stamped.

Jesus is that such Way! Who wouldn't want to explore such option now, rather than realizing once on the other side that as they heard and yet dismissed/drowned the most important tugging in their conscience, it is then they missed out on a lifetime of fellowship with the very ONE their soul had cried out for. It was never about the rules and confines of religion; but all about THE relationship, about a direct connection to God w/o earthly mediators. Yes, He made every fiber of us and desires us that much!

It remains amazing to my human mind that God could love us so much even to the point of allowing us the freedom to choose against Himself, against His will. One thing HE has done is presented us each with choices while giving us the offer of His indwelling spirit to guide our mind, hands and feet, should we choose to accept it. You see, His is the way of Love; yes, Love and not constraint. He will not barge on us nor will He tamper with our well-tidy-and-self-orchestrated lives; He will not drag us into a relationship with Him nor will He drag us to dwell eternally in heaven with him. The keys are in our hands, and He has assuredly not left us without the roadmap. He is long-suffering, ever-loving, ever-protecting, ever-giving, ever-blessing us even as we turn against His ways and gone wayward.

He knows well how incapable we are of that pursuit, hence He has made himself available; his ever presence reassures us that regardless of how long we have wandered around lost, filthy and sweaty, our rest is just one call away! God has provided the way to whosoever would receive that provision. If the world’s most prized commodity was handed to you wrapped in a Tiffany’s famous robin egg blue box, it would remain just that unless you actually received it and decided to open it up for use, wouldn’t it? Such is the gift of life amidst this temporary chaos we are called to live in.; that gift which was handed to us over 2,000 years ago (and Whom we reminisce on every December, 6 days before the dawning of a new year).

God, our father, has always understood the father-son connection and could not have made it to depend on an earthly intermediary too long. Jesus lived- died-arose and sent us the perfect comforter-teacher-tour guide- advocate in His Holy Spirit. I mean who wants to have to go through hoops to get to their Daddy?

Blessings to you!
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Tackling Atheism: Excerpts from Shawn Boonstra & Mark Finley’s Book: The Big Five Questions about Life

God created us with an internal moral compass He installed in our hearts. People everywhere have an inner sense of right and wrong. When torn between 2 instincts, we usually know within our souls that one of them is not correct. Even the 3 year old who is caught with a cookie in hand and crumbs all over the floor will readily swear that he did not touch it!
Where there’s a design, there must be a designer; and where there’s a creation, there surely must have been a Creator. Of all the knowledge in the world, how much of it do you really know? 5%, 10%, 90%? Take the 16th century Ming Dynasty in China, can you list in order the 17 emperors that made that dynasty? Of the 1,500 or more languages in the world, how many do you speak? 1,000 perhaps? Certainly not. Could you recite all the chemical compounds in order? With that in mind, why would Atheism and Agnosticism to some extent, offer claims on the absolute certainty that God does not exist? Could God exist then in the % of the knowledge we are missing?

Let suppose there’s no God and that we are here as a result of evolution from some rock or the animal species. Suppose there’s no lasting purpose to life, that we live, struggle through life, with some good days and others not so good, and we die, are buried and that’s all there’s to our being here. If God didn’t exist, those who had spent their life believing in Him wouldn’t have anything to loose, would they? On the other hand, if God in fact existed and if trusting in Him meant eternity in His glorious kingdom, the one who did refuse to believe in Him and died would have lost everything, with no 2nd chance of altering his choice.

In light of the above, would you choose the desolation of Atheism or the experience of the true inner joy that is found in communing now and forever with a God who made you in His own image, has cared for you always and is enamored with your soul? He is indeed the one who has carved your face in the palm of his hand and who has numbered the hairs on your head as inscribed in His Word. Voltaire once observed that “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.” Why? Because deep within the human heart, there’s a need for more than just surviving and dying.

The reality of this God, Father and Creator of the universe can be known to anyone starting today. Jesus the son was given all authority and power as He came to earth to represent God. He was the visible image of the invisible God. John 14:9b tells us “…He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘show us the Father’?” Only God the Father and God the Son can claim the following attributes: Omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence and immutability. Only they can create, forgive sin and have authority over death. No other can, assuredly. 1 John 4:9-10 “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love— not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

The same God who created the world and all that it contains, can and wants to create a new life for you. Just hand him all the fragmented pieces and watch with amazement how he makes a beautiful bouquet of it all, even the thorns! Just ask Him -even in the privacy of your own heart- and He will give you the courage to do so. He knows you better than you know yourself. He want your life to convey a message of hope to others, even out the rubbles of the seeming mess you may find yourself in this very second. He destroyed the earth through a flood and remade it again. Don’t be ashamed to hand them to Him. He has already seen them! He's simply interested in the motivation of your heart as you desire to trust Him out of your own volition.

His is a relationship of Love not coercion or slavery! He is the perfect gentleman and will not barge in our will. He will make your will and desires to align in tandem with His; and ultimately spare you the gnawing tug of war you feel between evil and good. You decide! You entrust Him with the health, care and future of your soul. Now is the time!Our response to such great a Love is summed up in 1 John 5:1-5“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey His commands. Loving God means keeping [honoring & showing reverence to] His commands...which are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world and achieves this victory through faith. And who can win this battle [in our soul] against the world [the forces that are antagonistic to the life & salvation of our soul]? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”