HiStory

Let me say this up front... I believe God is sovereign, He is in control. He either causes something (good things) to happen or allows them (bad things) to happen for His eventual goals of bring men to Himself. 

"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." James 1:13-15

So, the bad things that happen to us, through us, and because of us are from our own selfish desires and enticements. So please, remember that as I write about HiStory in this blog. 

We think of history being a human thing. It is our story, our past, and present. Is it really? 
Yes, we have past, present, and future.... but why do we? 
I believe that all of history, nature, and creation tells His Story! We are but a small piece of that story!

"Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." John 21:25

If Jesus did so many things that they could not all be written in books, just think of all the things God has done that weren't written about! 

"You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told." Psalm 40:5

There are so many blessings and teaching that God has done in just my life that I couldn't tell them all even if I knew them all. There would not be enough time! 

"My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge." Psalm 71:15

So, our history is His Story! Creation tells us about Him and reveals His nature to us! 

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:19-20

When someone (a Christian) uses these verses, it is usually to blame a certain type of person for being who they are, or to show how depraved the world is. And in some respects that is true, but it also tells us that if we just look around us, God has given us a picture of who he is, and you can’t get away from it. It is there right in front of every person’s eyes.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

    and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words,

    whose voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out through all the earth,

    and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,  which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

    and its circuit to the end of them,

    and there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6

God created the stars to tell the story of who He is. He speaks and “all of creation evolves in the pursuit of what He said” (So Will I, HillSong Worship).

Yes, I used the word evolves because that is what I believes happens. God created animal, plants, fish, reptiles, dinosaurs, and every other living thing. He speaks and they change as He commands them to change. If the weather was changing from normal to Ice Age animals adapted and evolved to stay alive. Isn’t that really all that evolving is, change and adaptation. We, humans do it every day. We change for good or bad depending on which voice we listen to.

In Job 26, Job explains how God is immense and wonderful. How he hung the earth on nothing, and makes the clouds hold water until just the right time, His time. Then he tells it like it is….

“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?” Job 26:14

 Just the outskirts of His ways, His nature. Wow, how could we know everything there is to know of God if this is just a little taste of who He is.

God also gave us His only Son to show us who He is. Jesus shows us God’s reckless love for us. It is reckless from our sense of the word. God sent His only Son to die for the world to be saved. I would never give anything close to that for people who do not care for me. I could never love that much I don’t think. I mean, I think I would step in front of a bullet for my daughter, at least I hope I would, but I pray I don’t ever have to do that. Yet, God sent His Son, to take all the sin of the world, even for people God already knew would not believe on Him.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

Jesus has made the father known. He was a physical manifestation of who God is.

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. John 1:18

Jesus is now at the Father’s (God’s) side. He was sent to earth to represent who He is and what His personality is like. He was sent to show that God is Love.

^“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

 Not only does Jesus on Earth represent the father, but He (Jesus) was the creator. He is God, in the flesh. He is the heir of all things and through Him were all things created.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” Hebrews 1:1-2

 With that Christ is also the word of God. He was, is, and will be the Word of God who has become flesh.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

The written word, the Bible, speak to His character, attributes, and jealousy. It tells the beginning of His creation and the end! This one book only contains highlights of the HiStory.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27

“Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” 44-45 

The Scripture tells us all we need to know about who God is and why Jesus was sent to earth.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, John 5:39

 There are people who tell you that the Bible is made up. That there is no way that it was written by many different people over 1000s of years. That it is all a Fairytale. And they have the right to believe all of that and anything else they believe about God. But so do we, Christians. The Scripture says…

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” 2 Peter 1:16-19

 The scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit, fulfilled in Jesus, and breathed by the word of the Father.

Our books, our knowledge, our memories, and our lives, past, present, and future are all part of HiStory. There are so many times God intervenes in our lives that we don’t even realize. Like I said earlier in this post and many times before, God has healed, blessed, and protected me in ways I don’t even realize. If I tried to tell you all I know about it would be a VERY LONG account! (just like this post)

So, the world’s history, America’s history, your history, and my history, are all a part of HiStory! What is your chapter about, the good, the bad, and the ugly…. What is your chapter going to tell about who God is?

 

Thanks for reading. God Bless You All!