Month: June 2013

It is right to obey God

“And the high priest asked them, saying,

Did we not command you by a command that you not teach in this name? And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring on us the blood of this man.

But answering Peter and the apostles said,

It is right to obey God rather than man.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized, hanging Him on a tree. This One God has exalted as a Ruler and Savior to His right hand, to give to Israel repentance and remission of sins.

And we are His witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those obeying Him.”

— Acts 5.27-32

To create a process already in motion

God — because He is God — can create a process that is already in motion.

For example, God can create a car that is, at the instant of creation, already moving down the highway at 70 miles per hour. One does not have to deny science, or our common understanding of physical processes, to believe this.

Everyone believes in processes. Everyone knows that cars come into being as a result of very detailed, deliberate and scientific processes, and that a car can be traced back to its manufacturer and origin. It is no different with the entire physical universe. Everyone knows that there are processes in motion in the heaves and the earth. What many people do not know is, when these processes came into being. To believe that God could create a physical universe that is already in motion — at the instant of its creation — is not to deny science or natural processes, but rather to embrace faith in God.

For many people, the source of frustration or confusion toward the idea that God created the heavens and the earth — in mid-process — is the result of lack of faith in, and lack of first hand experience with, God.

I hope and pray that you will find faith in your heart and, through faith, come to the knowledge of God and His unique purposes, plans and processes in the universe.

“when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
—Luke 18:8

“God, who created all things through Jesus Christ/Anointed.”
—Ephesians 3:9

“For by Him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and for Him.”
—Colossians 1:16

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of Your desire they existed, and were created!”
—Revelation 4:11

The marvelous and wonderful intention of God for us

When the apostle Paul prayed this prayer, the Holy Spirit moved him to reveal the marvelous and wonderful intention of God for us, undeserving though we are…

Ephesians 3.14-19

Two renderings (WEB / YLT) are included in the following block of text to give a wider sense for how we might understand this prayer…

14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ/Anointed,
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ/Anointed,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
15 of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
16 that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man,
17 that Christ/Anointed may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
17 that the Christ/Anointed may dwell through the faith in your hearts, in love having been rooted and founded,
18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
18 that you may be in strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,
19 and to know Christ’s/Anointed’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
19 to know also the love of the Christ/Anointed that is exceeding the knowledge, that you may be filled — to all the fulness of God.

Here it is again in Green’s literal translation…

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ/Anointed,
15 of whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named,
16 that He may give you, according to the riches of His glory, by His power to become mighty in the inward man through His Spirit,
17 that through faith Christ/Anointed may dwell in your hearts, having been rooted and founded in love,
18 that you may be given strength to grasp, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and height,
19 and to know the surpassing knowledge and love of Christ/Anointed, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Our Father, for ever and ever

What a wonderful and marvelous passage of Scripture (1 Chronicles 29:10-19). I can see Jesus reading it and then, moved by the Holy Spirit, teaching His followers how to pray… “Father of us in heaven, let sanctified, set apart, unlike any other, be the Name of You, let come the kingdom of You, let be done the will of You, as in heaven, also on earth… for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory to the ages.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-19:

“10 And David blessed Yahweh before the eyes of all the congregation; and David said, Blessed are You, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever. 11 To you, O Yahweh, be the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all in the heavens and in the earth belongs to You, O Yahweh; Yours is the kingdom, and You lift up Yourself to all as Head; 12 and the riches, and the honor come from before You, and You rule over all; and in Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hand to make great, and to give strength to all. 13 And now, our God, we are giving thanks to You, and giving praise to Your glorious name; 14 yea, for who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer willingly in this way? For all is of You, and we have given to You out of Your hand; 15 for we are strangers before You, and settlers, like all our fathers; our days on the land are like a shadow, and there is none abiding. 16 O Yahweh our God, all this store that we have prepared to build a house to You, for Your holy name, is out of Your hand, and all is of You. 17 And I know, my God, that You try the heart and are pleased with uprightness; I, in the uprightness of my heart, have offered willingly all these things; and now I have watched with joy Your people who are present here offering willingly to You. 18 O Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever for the intent of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart toward You; 19 and give a perfect heart to my son Solomon, to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, and to do all, even to build this magnificent house, for which I have prepared.” (Green’s Literal Translation)

Love in Jesus,
Bob

Prosagoge – Access

“the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Anointed/Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whom we have boldness and access [προσαγωγή / Prosagoge] in confidence through His faith”
—Ephesians 3.12

“Anointed/Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God; indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit”
—1 Peter 3.18

“to know the surpassing knowledge and love of Christ, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God”
—Ephesians 3.19

“in Whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”
—Ephesians 2.22

Original: προσαγωγή
Transliteration: Prosagoge
Phonetic: pros-ag-ogue-ay’
Definition:
1) the act of bringing to, a moving to

2) access, approach

a) to God, i.e. that relationship with God whereby we are acceptable to him and have assurance that he is favourably disposed towards us

Origin: from G4317 (cf G72)
Part of speech: Noun Feminine
Strong’s: From G4317 (compare G72); admission: – access.