Tuesday, November 17, 2009

HANDMADE

GENESIS 1:3: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
GENESIS 1:6: And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.”
GENESIS 1:9: And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.: And it was so.
GENESIS 1:14: And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.”
GENESIS 1:20: And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”
GENESIS 1:24: “And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.”

“AND IT WAS SO.” Notice that God spoke and all these things were created. The fact that He can speak and create is not surprising, being the all powerful God that He is. In the next verses concerning creation of man and woman, there is a difference.

Genesis 1:26: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 2:6,8: The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
Genesis 2:18,22: The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. O will make a helper suitable for him.” Then the Lord God made woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The difference being that God created, formed, and made man and women. He “hand” made us. Now visualize God taking dust in His hands, molding, forming and smiling when the finished product was done. Can you see His hands forming the woman.? Can you see Him breathing His first breath into mankind. What an awesome thought. We are HANDMADE by our God.

Knowing this, don’t you think you matter to God? Sure you do. But, why do we go on hurting people, why do we feel superior to some, and inferior to others? Why do we place labels on certain groups of people? Why is someone different from us somehow better or worse?

Remember this, you have never locked eyes with someone that does not matter to God and that was not HANDMADE by God. Therefore, people should matter to us. All people, short and tall, big and small, regardless of “status”, regardless of age, heritage, etc, matter to God because they are HANDMADE by God.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

Philippians 1:22: “… yet what I shall choose I wot not.”

The choices you make affect you now and later. They determine what you do and where you go. And, like a stone cast into a pond, they also affect many others. How can you then make the right decisions?

Fear (reverence) God - Psalm 25:12: “What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way he shall choose. First of all remember that God will judge you. Matthew 10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Second, Realize that God cannot be taken for granted. Proverbs 1:28-29 says, “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose to fear the Lord.”

Then we need to fellowship with God - Isaiah 30:21: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

Fellowship means agreement. (Can two walk together except they be agreed?)
Fellowship means acceptance - Psalm 32 8-9: I will instruct thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eyes> Be not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. Lest they come near unto thee.” Learn His will from His Word.

And then, follow the example of Jesus Christ - 1 Peter 2:21: “>>>leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. He sought always to do those things that please the Father.”

Put the welfare of others first.
Base your choice on the Word of God.
Make your choice only after feverent prayer.
Make your choice in light of tomorrow.
Make your choice remembering your influence and testimony.
Make your choice remembering God.
Isaiah 66:3-4: “Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighted in their abominations, I also will chose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer, when I spake, they did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.”

Life is filled with choices. You can make your decision based on “Magic” or chance…or you can choose to look to God and follow His plan for your life. Which will you choose??