Heavenly Throne and Earthly Footstool

In this modern era, we depreciate God in every way. We see Him as the little man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. We tell Him what to do, berate Him as a child, and show our disdain and anger toward Him.

We forget that He created the entire cosmos. Mankind discovers more and more galaxies with each new powerful telescope and probe, which we send out into space.

We continually discover plant and animal species which we never knew existed. We see the magnitude of His glory in nature; and yet, this does not increase our respect and honor for our Creator (Romans 1:20).

Today, God deigns to dwell on earth in the hearts of Believers (2 Chronicles 6:18). We cannot possibly hide from God. He sees our thoughts, words and deeds. He desires our pure and holy worship (Jeremiah 23:24).

People refer to a building where the church meets as the "House of God", but this is far from the way God sees it (Acts 7:38). Heaven is His throne and He uses the earth as His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). The most elegant cathedral cannot contain Him.

He is our King and the ultimate Ruler of the Universe (1 Timothy 1:17). He stretches out between the vast expanse of time and space and interacts with His creation throughout the ages.

His Lordship and holy Presence should cause us to fall on our face before Him in humility, gratitude and praise; rather than to shout false accusations at Him, demean His character and blame Him for the misfortune which Satan causes on the earth.

God is totally engaged in each individual life and works by His Spirit to bring His truth and revelation to people in each generation since Adam and Eve. There is no reason for us not to love and honor Him with every breath we take.

Prayer:

Father God, what house could we possibly build for You (Jeremiah 7:4)? There is no way to contain Your essence in a building made with human hands (Acts 7:49). The heavens cannot even contain You, because You defy space and matter (1 Kings 8:27). You hold the entire universe in one hand.

Yet, Your eyes are on each one of us, judging our works and considering our needs, providing for Your children through Your magnanimous love and care (Psalm 11:4; 1 Peter 5:7). We give thanks to You that there is no good thing, which we need that You are not willing to provide for us (Philippians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

God fills both the heavens and the earth and is not limited by time, space or matter; yet, He also revives the heart of the humble and penitent, and energizes our spirit with His Spirit as a down payment for all He has prepared for us both now and in eternity. - Jeremiah 23:24; Isaiah 57:15

How to Love Your Husband

A man loves to be useful and to feel needed, admired, accepted as he is and appreciated. As his wife, we are his biggest fan and most vocal cheering section.

We encourage our husband, show him appreciation, leave love notes in his briefcase or lunchbox, get excited at his accomplishments and care about his day. We can ask him what he needs, and do all in our power to help.

Our husband is not our mule and a paycheck. His role in life is not to function as our servant. Even if we both work all day, and we share the chores and child care, he should choose the chores he feels comfortable doing.

When our husband has a day off, he needs some of that time for himself. Family time is important, but he needs some of that time to chill, to hang with his buds, to create in his shop, to surf the waves or the internet, or to play his gaming device.

He decompresses his stress this way and can pay more attention to the family during our time together. A date night is also important for us as a couple…a time to play, laugh, make memories, form a closer bond and do something fun.

If we make his favorite meals and have everything he needs for the next day in plain view and ready for him before we go to bed, his love for us will grow; and he will make more of an effort to care for our needs as well.

If he is withdrawn, irritable, angry, or exhibiting any negative emotions, we can give him some space and some time to work out his issues. We can ask if there is anything we can do to help, and then follow through with his requests.

When a disagreement occurs, we brainstorm and pray together rather than just caving in to our partner or fighting to get our own way. Once God shows us a scenario, which we both feel good about, we proceed with unity and joy in our heart.

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word warns us that all of the forces of hell, along with the temptations and disagreements of the world, unite to destroy our marriage. We often join them and make life more difficult for our partner.

Remind us that love never fails; so we can decide together that divorce is never an option, since divorce shreds our family and removes the support that our children need regardless of how old they are. Divorce makes Your Church vulnerable, unstable and defeated.

Revive our marriages, O Lord, so that we can rejoice in You (Psalm 85:6). Satisfy us anew each new morning with your unfailing love, so we can sing for joy and rejoice all the days of our life (Psalm 90:14).

Thought for the Day:

There is nothing, which happens in a marriage that cannot be resolved, if both mates will prefer the other person, exhibit patience during a disagreement, join forces during a trial and spend time enjoying one another's company.

God In Creation

Read: Genesis Chapters One & Two

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20

I get so sad when people refuse to believe that we have an eternal God who loves us and who died to give us eternal life. Yet, these same people who do not believe in God, actually blame God for all of their troubles and trials. Some people even view God as a tyrant with rules. They think that anyone who dares to break a rule gives God the delight of judging them and sending them to hell.

They rail accusations at Him and blame His people for all the evils in the world. Some even say that they would rather go to hell than to live in heaven with Christians - such a sad commentary on the church of today; hypocritical behavior gives us a bad name. We actually have a couple in our church now, which delayed coming to church, because they did not want to be like hypocritical church members that they know.

The truth, however, is that God never condemns anyone. Our unbelief is what condemns us. Let me show you why I say this. Everyone knows John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We hear it so often that we take it for granted and we pass over it without giving it much thought. When you do think about the import of these words, however, they change your life.

God, the creator of the universe, so loved the world - the sin-filled, ungodly, hypocritical world. Therefore, He gave His only Son - which person on earth would sacrifice their child to save our rotting humanity? So that whoever believes in Him - He puts no restrictive criteria on those words, but freely gives salvation to everyone who will believe. They should not perish, but have eternal life - there is no qualifying statement attached to this promise, it is a free gift.

Then, if you continue reading in John 3:17-18, you see an even bigger miracle. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Look at these words again, “Whoever does not believe is condemned already”. God does not ever condemn us. We condemn ourselves, simply because of our refusal to believe. It has nothing to do with God’s behavior toward us. It has nothing at all to do with whether we live a good or evil life. It has everything to do with whom we trust with our life.

Do you maintain strict control over your life, not allowing anyone to dictate to you about what you do, think, believe, or feel? Do you seek peace and contentment in sources outside of yourself? Even if you feel satisfied with your life at this moment, your health, wealth and success can change in an instant. How will you feel then?

Look at the next three verse of John 3:19-21, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Do you hate the Light of God’s holiness and prefer to live in dark ignorance of God and eternal matters? In your last seconds of life, you will not be able to blame your condition on the fact that you did not know the truth. Ever since God created time, space, matter and humanity, we all can clearly see His invisible qualities (Romans 1:20).

The critical balance of life on earth, the atmosphere in space, the placement of the planets, the provision of rain, sun, moon and stars all point to an Intelligent Designer. Every day, nature exhibits God's eternal power and His divine nature. No one has an excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20). The earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as abundantly as the waters, which cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Even the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands (Psalm 19:1).

God also promises, "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11). 

When you breathe your last breath of earthly air, will your next breath come from the celestial atmosphere? When you face God, you will not have an excuse for your unbelief. Therefore, today is your day to believe. You will never regret chosing Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Prayer:
Lord God, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You. You show Your love to thousands of generations. You are a great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty. Great are your purposes for mankind and mighty are your deeds on the earth (JeremiahJeremiah 32:17-19 32: 17-19). Open the hearts of people everywhere to receive your Truth and love.

Thought for the Day:
God rewards everyone according to what our deeds deserve, but He judges only those who live in unbelief.