Talk About Love - Eighth Chapter - "God's Greatest Gift"

“TALK ABOUT LOVE" All original ideas are Copyright of Richard R Sjaardema, 7/21/2010. (I, Richard R Sjaardema invite you to share and copy this material with Copyright notatation and without charge.)


(Pending table of contents)

1. WHY BOTHER TALKING

A. What Is Man

B. Thou Art Holy

C. Preparing For Celebration

2. KNOWING YOUR BELIEF

A. His Story Positioning

B. Word of God

C. What is Truth

3. UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE

A. God’s Spiritual Gifts

B. God’s Greatest Gift

C. Beginning The Transformation

GOD’S GREATEST GIFT


Ladies and Gentlemen;

We are preparing to pilgrimage into what I believe to be the Most Holy Word of God. Although I have questioned the word “Infallible” as many of you have, I am certain that God has shared His great message that He paid the price for our Salvation within the Bible. It stands a firm belief of mine that multitudes of mankind are seeking re-unification with The One True God – and have been unable to find that peace we have spoken of. In confusion, so many of us remain lost. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son made the decision to return home to the arms of a very anxious Father. However, in the same passage (Luke 15), Jesus talked about the lost sheep which could not get home without help and the lost coin which obviously had no idea. The judgment generally came upon those who would not seek the lost, not the lost themselves. Therefore, I invite everyone to take this pilgrimage with me. Many paths lead us back to ourselves, giving us a hope of glory and blessing on this earth. Unfortunately, most of us find that those paths based on ourselves or our abilities will lead to dead ends. However, from within this package called the Holy Bible come the words “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The cornerstone of this book is the very wisdom of God depicted in Proverbs 8:22-31. John 1 claims that this word became flesh in the very personhood and Biblical fulfillment of prophecy seen through the life of this man who's English name has been deemed Jesus Christ. For many in the world, however, our human renderings of Jesus Christ have become stumbling blocks and dividing walls of hostility, arrogance, enmity, and strife. The trouble has been that as hard as we have looked, we have continued to see the man – the images - the flesh and blood - the depiction of human sharing within our own inadequate understanding, regardless of the love and compassion and attempted humility with which such depiction is shared. Instead, we must see the very wisdom of our Creator Himself - the wisdom of your God and Father. Unfortunately, for many, we have even limited our focus of this tremendous offering by our creator of Jesus through accounts of disciples such as Peter, or gospel writers, or later apostles such as Paul, or saintly images associated with the likes of His mother Mary or even through later accounts such as that of Muhammad. Instead, we must each witness that ancient cornerstone of God's inherent wisdom displayed for all the world to see, through the witness He has borne unto Himself through our own spiritual identities and allow the sharing of such witness with one another without condemnation or judgment. Perhaps this presents a clearer understanding of Peter's words: It seems fitting that Peter, considered worldwide to be the first leader of the Christian Church, wrote the following in I Peter 2:6-9 in reference to words of the Hebrew writings found in Isaiah 28:14-21, Psalm 118:22-24, Isaiah 8:11-15, and Deuteronomy 10:15. Peter writes: “For it stands in scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe,

“The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,”

And

“A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall”;

For they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.”

The beauty of the message is that God the Father is speaking to all of us through the words “they stumble because they disobey the word” and “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” We will read over and over that as God called individuals to be his chosen that the blessing came with a promise – that you will be a blessing to all nations, or to all people. I hope that with me, you will apply that message to your own life and share it with those you come in contact with. As we read in the previous chapter, our unifying focus should not be on ourselves, but on gaining a fullness of God’s Spirit, thereby unifying all of our relationships. Most of us believe, do we not, that there is but one God - and thereby, regardless of our confusion as to exactly who he is, we each acknowledge His existence and desire His greatest gift of blessing in our individual lives and, hopefully for the oneness represented by this sea of humanity as represented by His children on earth.

The apostle John was one of the closest friends of this man Jesus, whom we have already seen is understood to have existed in history. As John remembered the words of Jesus Christ, he claimed Jesus uttered the words: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also;”

Many in our world, in all of our cultures, have seen God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate entities. However, through the words John wrote in John 10:30, Jesus said; “I and the Father are one.” Ever since these words were uttered, they have rightly been accepted as either the most beautiful words ever written, or the greatest blasphemy the world has ever heard. He was not claiming to be equal with God; He was claiming to be God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – the Great ‘I Am’! As mentioned, in our feeble minds, we have continued to see the man – the images – instead of God the Father, the Creator and Designer. Because the cornerstone has become a stumbling block, I wish to take our focus off of this man Jesus Christ for a moment and focus our attention, once again on God our Father. In our last chapter, we mentioned the Man with the Birds. I hope it was obvious to all of us that we were picturing God the Father – the Creator – the Designer of everything that is. I fully understand the difficulty of this concept, but I also understand that as nothing compares to the glory of God the Father, nothing less than His sacrificial atonement could cleanse our separation from Him. Still, we are aware that our understanding is not complete as John 17:20-23 continues this teaching of unity with the Father to include the whole world. verse 23 completes this section with the words: "they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me." Any Trinitarian doctrine of condemnation is condemned within itself given this powerful verse. We must all understand that God not only has seen fit to give us different interpretations and understandings, but is watching to see what we shall do with such knowledge and differentiation.

Lol, with that lengthy (and might I be so bold as to say 'distracting' and undoubtably confusing) introduction in place, connect your brains again and prepare with me if you will to enter this word of God, the Protestant Christian Bible. We shall travel back to the beginning of time when first we broke our relationship with the Father. For the sake of invitation, we shall mention the Buddha. We shall see the beginnings of man’s knowledge, worship and understanding! We shall visit the memories of three women, Sarah, Hagar, and Mary, and in a moment of weakness, I shall mention Osama Bin Laden (God bless him). We shall follow a path of breadcrumbs which shall lead us back home to the Father and His wonderful plan of salvation. We shall take a look at prophecy and listen to the words of Jesus.

Know that I am but a human such as you and do not have all knowledge. At this time I would only like to share the knowledge of God. Any imagery or interpretation on my part outside of the words God used is a sign of my own humanity that I shall blame on a lack of self-control. If He or you find it to be offensive, I ask forgiveness. As we step into the Word of God, I would like to describe our entry into this wonderful gift through the words of John as he describes a vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:10-27:

“And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And he who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia (about fifteen hundred miles) its length and breadth and height are equal. He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty four cubits by a man’s measure, that is, an angel’s. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day – and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Therefore, before we enter into the Word of God, bow before Him and confess any sin, uncleanness, abomination, or falsehood you may be carrying and throw them in the trash receptacle outside. He is ready, willing, and faithful to forgive you of all of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Come on in, His doors are always open and His light is always on. Allow Him to speak to you as we enter His way of Salvation!

Follow the Breadcrumbs

You may not like this heading I have chosen as it references a fairy tale in relationship to the Bible. If you take offense, good for you! The Bible is far from a fairy tale! This is a book of profound Wisdom! Therefore, it is only fitting that we begin from the beginning of time with a reference to Wisdom. Solomon, son of King David (both mentioned within the line of Christ we will follow), was one of the wealthiest men this world has ever known. However, even in his time, he was praised for his wisdom. We begin with his words found in Proverbs 8:22-31:

“The Lord created me at the beginning of his way, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a little child; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men.”

What a beautiful imagination! But, in contemporary culture, we’re interested in something much more concrete you might say! Take me to the museum or library! Ok, but I know I don’t have your attention for long. Let’s take a quick look at this guy Solomon. He is renown in his time for his wisdom, wealth, and success as king in Israel. His reign & thoughts on wisdom date to about 950 BC, You can read more about Solomon in the historical documents of I Kings chapters 1-11. Another summary of ancient writings is presented of Solomon’s Reign in II Chronicles chapters 1-9. It is here, in chapter 7:14, regarding praying toward the temple Solomon built for the God of Israel in Jerusalem that the great words “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Today, if we will pray towards that ancient temple, we will be facing a Muslim Mosque which has been built above the early foundations of Solomon’s great temple.

Ok, so, our trip through the museum has led us to two libraries regarding Solomon’s time in 950 BC. If we look forward in history, we will see Siddhartha Gautama, known today as the Buddha who lived about 400 years later than Solomon. But our interest lies in ancient history, doesn’t it? For just a moment, let’s jump forward another 300 years and peak at “The Great Historian”, written by Sima Quan around the year 140 BC. He tells us about ancient rulers in China from the Xia Dynasty dating back to around 2070-1600 BC. That’s all good, but we need to go further back to the amazing civilization of ancient Egypt – so prevalent in our thinking today regarding the beginning of knowledge. Truly, here lies Ancient History, yes? However, a study of their culture reveals an earlier writing form called Sumerian cuneiform which appears to have evolved from a Mesopotamian culture which is now referred to by historians as the “cradle of civilization” and centers on an area in southern Iraq between two rivers named the Tigris and Euphrates. Indeed, to go back any farther is considered by historians to be pre-history – and therein lays Solomon’s imagination as well as our own.

That is a long walk backward in time through recorded history. On our way back, let’s stop at this display of two old women and see what they are laughing about. The inscription (see Genesis 11:27-23:20 for more detail) of the one woman is Sarai. That of the second is Sarah. They are both beautiful, but Sarai is said to be 90, and Sarah is about one year older. The main difference is that Sarah is pregnant – and yes, that seems very strange! In reading about Sarai, she appears to be very human. Her husband, Abram with her father in law Terah and some other relatives have left their families in Ur of the Chaldeans, unearthed in 1927 in an area of southern Iraq known today as Mesopotamia. Through their journey to the promised land of Canaan, she left her husband several times to live with noble men of the land, only to be returned to her husband as these noble men realized she did not belong to them.

Sarai remained barren through much of her married life. In the frustrations this caused within her marriage, she offered her maid Hagar to Abram so that he would have an heir from his own flesh and blood to carry on the promise of blessing to which he had been called. (This promise is one of the breadcrumbs in the path which we are about to follow). In fact, her husband now carries the name Abraham due to the promise he had apparently received from God.

Upon conception, Hagar became a rival to Sarai causing obvious problems within the family. Hagar was sent away. However, God met her in the wilderness and told her that her offspring would also be blessed (see Genesis 16:7-14). She was told the son to be born to her would be: “a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen” (sorry Osama, I had to mention it – but truly, I ask God’s richest blessings upon you – just confess your sins and give us all a break). As I said, God promised that her offspring would also be blessed and she returned to the house of Abram with her son, Ishmael (which means ‘God Hears’). He also was circumcised according to the Abrahamic covenant at about the age of 13 and remained within the family for another year or two.

It appears Sarai is laughing because she has just overheard some men telling her husband Abraham that the promise (*breadcrumb*) would be carried out through her offspring – and not through Hagar’s child, Ishmael. Along with this promise, her name would also be changed to Sarah! Being 90 years old, this was beyond belief and so Sarai is laughing. She has been long past believing she could have any part in the promised child except in caring for this other woman’s child. And, yet, just one year later, she is now Sarah! She is laughing again as she realizes the promise is true! The promised child is her own flesh and blood! The Child is born when her husband is full of years (100). His name is Isaac which means “he laughs.” Unfortunately, after Sarah is blessed with the promised child, being the ‘lady’ that she is and considering herself the ‘princess of promise’ she becomes embittered to Hagar and Ishmael as part of the family. To Abraham’s displeasure, she has them banished and left to die. Would that we all could be more considerate of those less fortunate – both in life, and in faith.

Hmmm, how contemporary! Let’s follow along our path of breadcrumbs.

To Abram in Genesis 12:2-3; “I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.

To Isaac in Genesis 26:4; “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves”

To Jacob (who held tightly to his brother's heal in birth thereby receiving his name) in Genesis 28:14; “by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves (or be blessed).” For those who know the story, Jacob had a tendency to mistreat his firstborn brother, resulting in plenty of enmity and strife within the family - and even resulting in the grasping of the birthright and blessing from him.

In Genesis 35:10, God (I am God Almighty=El Shaddai see verse 11) changed Jacob’s name to 'Israel' (due to how he wrestled with God throughout the dark night) and renewed the covenant with him.

Israel had 12 sons. These 12 sons and their families are the ones who went to Egypt in a time of famine about the time of the building of the pyramids and became the nation of Israel. You can read the fascinating story of how they came to be in Egypt in Genesis 37-50! You can also follow the breadcrumbs through some tremendous stories of humanity. One son, Judah (scepter) becomes the chosen seed following the violence of two older brothers. He has a child through his daughter in law – who deceived him in dressing up as a harlot. She conceived twins. During birthing, one stuck out his hand and received the scarlet thread of blessing only to withdraw it and allow his brother to be born before him. The second born, Perez of the scarlet thread, received the breadcrumb. Matthew 1:2-16 follows these breadcrumbs to Joseph who was the earthly stepfather of Jesus. Luke 3:23-38 follows a similar line backwards from Jesus to God through his earthly mother Mary. Both lines follow back through King David, father of King Solomon.

Isn’t it amazing that at such an early time in human civilization, such an ancestry could be documented? What other civilization showed the capacity of such a treasure as the Israelites. The world owes their culture tremendous thanks! As amazing as this is, the account of Luke carries the line even beyond Abraham which forces us back in time once again and into that Egyptian world and the records they held of early Mesopotamia, homeland of Abraham and Sarah. We must start as the nation of Israel is about to be born out of their Egyptian infancy. This brings us back to an early historian by the name of Moses to whom is attributed the first 5 books of the Bible which have a tremendous bearing on our cultures to this very day. Moses was indeed extremely instrumental in structuring the Israeli nation into one which could provide the world with such a rich history of humanity and religion.

It is believed Moses lived and wrote his historical accounts of Mesopotamia and the Hebrew People around the year 1500 BC – which places Abraham during that time of the earliest Chinese Xia dynasty we mentioned. In his biography in Exodus, Moses sees himself as a Jew in the line of Levi (which he claims was cursed by Jacob in Genesis 49:7). Through a circumstance of history relating to the Egyptian atrocities enacted upon the Hebrew people, Moses was raised as Egyptian royalty and had access to their wealth of knowledge as previously discussed. It is his detailed account of earliest human memories that we turn to now in searching for the beginning of our path of breadcrumbs.

“In the beginning, when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form and void…” (Genesis 1:1-2a). There are plenty of theories regarding the meaning of “days” during creation and whether there was time between verse one and those days. But, suffice it to say that Genesis 1:3-31 tells of 6 days of creation in which God said “let there be” and there was and He found His creation to be very good! On the sixth day, God said “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 26a) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them” (Genesis 1:27-28a – the first breadcrumb) “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31).

But, wait, there’s another story in chapter 2. Here are some pieces of that story: “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” (Genesis 2:7-8) “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.” (Genesis 2:10). And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.” (Genesis 2:14) “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18) “and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:22-23)

This story continues in chapter 3 and tells us of the separation between God and man that we have been talking about: “But, the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;” Genesis 3:7a) “And he (the man) said, “I heard the sound of thee in the garden and I was afraid…and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). “The Lord God said to the serpent (d’evil?)…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (reminds me of that later name we mentioned, Jacob).” (Genesis 3:14-15 – second breadcrumb) “And to Adam” (first mention of Adam’s name is in Genesis 3:17). “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (First mention of Eve’s name in Genesis 3:20) “Then God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.” (Genesis 3:23).

The previous 3 paragraphs are a fairly broken summary of the first 3 chapters of Genesis. If you have question, please refer back to those chapters. The Creation and the separation of God and man remain a mystery to humanity to this day. Perhaps there is a reason that the story was presented to us in two versions which we have not grasped. Perhaps our “pursuit of knowledge” has more to do with the story than we realize as it is referred to within the concept of the original sin. Perhaps our Creator, God the Father, appreciates the fact that we continue to seek him, and yet, He alone has all the answers. I feel quite confident that He appreciates that we seek Him through this knowledge and talk to one another about His Love! He has given us the book and provided us with curious minds.

However, Jesus final words were those of caution and commission in Acts 1:7 “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Seldom has man been able to forecast the future, but in hindsight, we have realized we knew of the truth all along. Be careful of pride in interpretive forecasting.

Ok, let’s get back to our breadcrumbs.

Cain killed Abel in Genesis 4 because it appeared that God chose blood sacrifice (breadcrumb) over vegetables. Genesis 5:2 states “Male and female he created them, and he blessed them (breadcrumb) and named them Man when they were created.” Then verse 3 states “When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image” (breadcrumb). “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). Genesis chapter 5 follows the breadcrumbs through 1556 years from Adam into the life of Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis chapter 6 begins by talking about the sons of God and the daughters of men and that the wickedness of man’s imaginations grieved His heart. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). He told Noah: “I will establish my covenant with you” (breadcrumb) in Genesis 6:18. Many cultures speak of the flood of Genesis 7-8. However, to this day, it is unknown or unconsidered how this may have affected our landscapes and dating technologies – it could explain a lot. In a re-unification between man and God in Genesis 8:20-22, we again see blood sacrifice as a seal of the covenant and our path of breadcrumbs has survived.

Let’s pause here a moment and look at Genesis 9:6 and glimpse once again at the heart of God. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply in it.” Before any of us decide to kill another human being, I just want to suggest that we feel quite certain that that individual was not included in this mixed blessing and curse. Just a thought, we can go on with our journey of the breadcrumbs now. Wow, and some people said the Old Testament isn’t functional anymore today! I can read this stuff over and over and over…

Noah passes the blessing on to his son Shem in Genesis 9:26, “Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.” Genesis 11:10-26 summarizes our path of breadcrumbs from the Noah and Shem and the time of the flood through 292 years of genealogies leading us back to our story of Abram and Sarai leaving their families in the land of Mesopotamia and traveling to the Promised Land where King David would eventually lead the people of Israel in pursuing the apparent curse upon Canaan and setting up the previously existing city of Jerusalem as the most Holy City of history.

Thus, our path of breadcrumbs has led us from Solomon’s imagination of a time before prehistory. We have read two or three of the oldest stories of the beginning of man placing the first mention of Adam’s name around 3300 BC. We have traveled through ancient history visiting the cradle of civilization. We have traveled from that cradle with the children of Sarah and Abraham to the cradle of this man, Jesus Christ, who claims to be the bread of life. Let’s end this section with a conversation with Jesus Christ as recorded by his disciple, John, in John 6:32: “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

Truly, the word of God is like manna from heaven. “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you do.” Ecclesiastes 9:7. (The words of Solomon)

Lamb of God

And so we come to God’s greatest gift; The birth of a baby who is changing the world. The Greatest story ever told. And it is told to us by God himself. For I must agree with Agur, son of Jakeh of Massa when I state that my wisdom comes from above: Listen to his words from Proverbs 30:2-6: “Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Therefore, let us listen to God.

“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in chaos.’ I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.

Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

‘Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’ Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory.” Isaiah 45:18-25.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. ‘For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come forth the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.” Isaiah 55:10-13

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” Jeremiah 23:5

“Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’ And they shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought out, a city not forsaken.” Isaiah 62:11-12.

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. For the ruthless shall come to naught and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction.’” Isaiah 29:18-24

“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” Exodus 25:8

“My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them for evermore.” Ezekiel 37:27

“Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:9-11

“And I will make my abode among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. Leviticus 26:11-13

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. Isaiah 11:1-2

“Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (That is God is with us) Isaiah 7:13b-14

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, Who’s origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this shall be peace” Micah 5:2-5a

“For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:5-7

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Luke 1:30-35.

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20b-21

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:1-14

“I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my son, today I have begotten you.” Psalm 2:7

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’” And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. John 1:14-18.

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. Isaiah 42:1

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:6-9

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! Nahum 1:15

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ Hark your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:7-10

“For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend for ever, nor will I always be angry; for from me proceeds the spirit, and I have made the breath of life.’” Isaiah 57:15-16

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;” Isaiah 61:1-2

“And now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength he says: ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up he tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:5-6 (note, we will resume with verse 7 in the next section)

Redeemer of Nations

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” Isaiah 49:7

“Remember, O Lord, how thy servant is scorned; how I bear in my bosom the insults (all of many) of the peoples, with which thy enemies taunt, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed. Blessed be the Lord for ever! Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:50-52

God’s only begotten Son was sent into the world – the Prince of Peace. But after 2000 years, that peace still eludes His followers. Listen to the oracle regarding his demise at the hands of His contemporaries as foretold by Isaiah – His sacrificial death was meant to be - and fulfilled God’s requirement for the atonement of all of our sins:

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; for he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:1-12

“To them he presented himself alive after his passion with many proofs. Acts 1:3

“Great is the mystery of our religion: He (God) was manifested in the flesh, vindicated (justified) in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in Glory. I Timothy 3:16

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. I John 4:9-10

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation. Romans 5:8-11

And many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away, and those whom I have afflicted; and the lame I will make the remnant; and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and for evermore.” Micah 2-7

“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son. I John 5:9-10

“May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him; for he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. Psalm 72:11-14

“He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. 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. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven” Colossians 1:15-23a

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28

“And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.” Daniel 7:27

The best known statement in the Bible is John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but shall have everlasting life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Ok, it’s time to emerge from the packaging of this greatest gift – yet find we remain within this Kingdom of God. We have been told to go out into the entire world and share this wonderful news! Please check back in at anytime. If, as we step out of His Holy Word and back into our world, you find a great desire to talk with someone about this more, please do! That’s the whole reason this book was written in the first place. May God’s richest blessings rest upon you and bring you His abundant peace as you live out your days.

This man, born of woman is not only known as a Muslim prophet, nor only as a Jewish Rabbi, nor just as the Christian ruler.  This man lived a righteous life and died according to the eternal will of His Father in Heaven that all of us might have life - NOW - and have it more abundantly! Please believe it today, because my peace on earth is dependent on yours - and yours on mine.  Together, we shall find strength in His Joy as we serve in His Kingdom for the rest of our earthbound days. Together, we can resist d'evil and it will flee beyond the grasp of our memory.

Psalm 45:1-7 writes of him thus:

"My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. You are the fairest of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you for ever. Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty! In your majesty ride forth victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds! Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the kings enemies; the peoples fall under you. Your divine throne endures for ever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows;"

May he pierce your heart with love and slay you with the very wisdom of God's word which remains His very essence and presence on earth - living and active in all who truly believe.  Receive His Spirit and walk in His light today and forevermore. Amen?

*** STAY TUNED! THE FINAL CHAPTER OF "TALK ABOUT LOVE" IS DUE OUT ON THIS SAME BLOGSITE NOVEMBER 21, 2010. IT IS ENTITLED;

"BEGINNING THE TRANSFORMATION"