Reflections on modern times by walking through the history of holy Scripture

Reflections on modern times by walking through the history of holy Scripture.
A collection of notes from various Bible studies, personal musing and revelations.
Purpose: To give glory to God and inform.

Personal Testimony: I wasn't born into a Christian family. I wasn't raised going to Church. I knew there was a God and I had heard of Jesus, knew he was God's son (somehow), but didn't underand how all of that “God the Father/God the Son” stuff worked. I had heard of the “Holy Ghost” but, since even “Casper the friendly ghost” gave me the creeps, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to look further into that, either.

I really liked Christmas (still is one of my favorite holidays) and Easter was pretty cool too (although I knew more about the Easter bunny and hunting for eggs than the real reason for Easter).

My family was dysfunctional and, as the oldest of two (and later five), I pretty much had to do things for myself and figure things out on my own. Not that my parents didn’t provide food, clothing and shelter, they did (albeit not very good at times); what was lacking was love, guidance and grounding in the Word of God.

I didn’t feel particularly loved and, based on how I was raised and the circumstances in my childhood growing up, I didn’t have much self-esteem or realize I had true value and that someone really did love me – unconditionally.

I didn't know that it was possible to have a personal relationship with God. I didn't feel I qualified. I wasn't even sure it mattered. I knew I wasn't perfect and I felt that God probably was. It never even dawned on me that there was a gap and that, sooner or later, I would have to deal with that gap.I never read any portion of Scripture until I was in my 20's (we won't go into how long ago that was).

I thought I was “pretty good” compared to other people. I didn’t know that I was measuring myself by the wrong standard. Once I learned what standard I was supposed to use (perfection – God’s standard), I knew I was in trouble, but didn’t know what to do about it.

Does any of this sound famaliar to you? Can you relate to some of this in your life (past or present)?

The good news is (and there IS good news ):

· God loves you unconditionally

· Jesus paid the price to “close the gap”

· You can have a “do over” life

· You are priceless

· God has plans for your life (plans to prosper you and not to harm you)

If this sounds interesting, then read on.

I will share more about myself and my journey with God (and it’s been very exciting) as we go along the way. But I think this is enough about me for now.

Curious? Read on . . .

What happens in Jerusalem doesn't stay in Jerusalem!

Jerusalem is the “epicenter” of the world!

What happens in Jerusalem affects everyone . . . yes . . . even you!

Whether you agree or not . . . whether you like it or not, whether you agree or not, these are the true facts:

· There is a God (and it's not Allah, Budah, Mohammed, etc.) .

· The Jews are His chosen people since Abraham's time . . . always have been . . . always will be.

· God is holy and we are not.

· God has attributes He can be discovered and known through various means.

· Unholy people cannot be in a relationship with a holy God (for you "geeks" -- matter and anti-matter cannot exist in the same place at the same time).

So . . . what to do?

We can't get there on our own. We can't make ourselves holy. God had to do it for us, and He did through his Son, Jesus.

What does God really want? God wants us to be in relationship to Him. He wants to care for us, but He won't force us. He wants us to know what's coming so we can prepare. But (and here's where it gets interesting for us humans) . . . we have to allow Him in. The door is closed and the only doorknob is on our side! He will stand outside the door and knock, but only we can let Him in . . . curious since HE IS and He is all powerful but He chooses to be gracious to us and not force us. That’s why he gave us free will to choose.

I’ve heard people say: “I couldn’t believe in a God that sent people to hell.” Me neither!

The truth is that, since God gave us free will . . . free to chose right or wrong . . . heaven or hell.

Anyone in hell chose to be there, period!

Did you know you were being recruited?

Yep . . . there are 2 camps that have been at war since the beginning of time. They are each vying for your allegiance. There is no such thing as “neutrality.” You’re definitely going to wind up in one place or the other based on your choices. So choose wisely!

Why this blog? I've been curious over the last 3-4 years about what I've seen in the world --- things are changing and changing quite rapidly. I knew Scripture talked about it, but wasn't sure I knew how to go about learning it. I wanted to know how all this relates to me in the here and now. God says in the book of Jeremiah that "He has plans for us . . . to prosper and not to harm . . ." yet I was seeing a lot of harm. I wanted to understand more so I started reading.

I learned a lot about the Islam and Muslims (I've known many of these people personally over the years). I've had Jewish friends. I have friends who are Christian and many who are not. I read about Mohammad and how Islam came into being (that's a scary story for another time). I've read portions of the Koran and actually have an English translation. I've read history and politics about various countries from Russia, China, Middle East as well as the United States (the real history, not what's taught in schools).