561. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 18): In Him – Fruit, Friends, Unburdensome
542. Repeated Repentance vs. Forever Forgiveness
Why Did God Create Mankind?
Have you ever wondered why you are here?
Have you asked, “what’s my purpose?”
Maybe you’ve even wondered, “what am I supposed to do?”
How you answer those questions may determine how religious you are. How you answer those questions may reveal the level of your performance mentality before God. How you answer those questions may give you insight into the kind of relationship you think you have with God and what you think God expects from you.
A created thing can not determine its own purpose. The creator of anything has its own reason for producing that object. You are here according to God’s intentions. So what are God’s reasons for creating mankind? More specifically, why did he make you?
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
God created everything for his pleasure. That begs another question; what brings God pleasure? How you answer that question reveals the kind of father you think God is. Does poverty bring him pleasure? Does sickness bring him pleasure? What about confusion? Many people seem to think God wants them confused. I hear many people talk about their life’s circumstances and ask the question, what are you doing God? As if he’s the one in control over that circumstance. God is not the author of confusion so it must not bring him pleasure for you to be confused about your life and it’s circumstances.
What brings God pleasure is the same as any other father, healthy loving relationships with their children. God is a good father, it is his good pleasure to give you his kingdom. What’s in his kingdom? Righteousness, peace and joy. It brings God pleasure when you to enjoy what he has given you, righteousness, peace and joy.
David wondered why God created mankind, he wrote about it in a psalm…
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?
Then David receives his answer…
Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8
The words ‘glory’ and ‘majesty’ or ‘honor’ in modern day language are dignity, worth, value and royalty. God has attributed to mankind incredible worth and value. Each human life is worth every drop of the eternal blood of Jesus. God sees mankind as kings and rulers over his creation. When God looks at people he sees a dignified, royal creature worthy to have authority over his own creation.
This is true of all mankind. This is the reason Christ died for the ungodly, because everyone is valuable. This is why Jesus remained obedient unto the death of the cross and passed into the grave while we were sinners, because God sees mankind as royalty.
Once we receive Jesus and are cleansed by his blood our royalty extends into Heaven because we’re then in Jesus but even before then, each human on this planet is worth more than all its gold and precious stones combined. The reason God created mankind was to enjoy his creation and enjoy fellowship with each other and enjoy relationship with him.
Your purpose is fulfilled when you say yes to Jesus and enjoy fellowship with God, it’s that simple.
In next week’s blog I’ll cover the difference between purpose and calling and address dreams, goals and desires. You can watch part 3 of Why Am I Here? Sunday morning at 9 & 11am EST.
Stay tuned for a book and workshop entitled Why Am I Here? Discover Your Purpose and Fulfill Your Call
The post Why Did God Create Mankind? appeared first on Forward Ministries.
Why Did God Create Mankind?
Have you ever wondered why you are here?
Have you asked, “what’s my purpose?”
Maybe you’ve even wondered, “what am I supposed to do?”
How you answer those questions may determine how religious you are. How you answer those questions may reveal the level of your performance mentality before God. How you answer those questions may give you insight into the kind of relationship you think you have with God and what you think God expects from you.
A created thing can not determine its own purpose. The creator of anything has its own reason for producing that object. You are here according to God’s intentions. So what are God’s reasons for creating mankind? More specifically, why did he make you?
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
God created everything for his pleasure. That begs another question; what brings God pleasure? How you answer that question reveals the kind of father you think God is. Does poverty bring him pleasure? Does sickness bring him pleasure? What about confusion? Many people seem to think God wants them confused. I hear many people talk about their life’s circumstances and ask the question, what are you doing God? As if he’s the one in control over that circumstance. God is not the author of confusion so it must not bring him pleasure for you to be confused about your life and it’s circumstances.
What brings God pleasure is the same as any other father, healthy loving relationships with their children. God is a good father, it is his good pleasure to give you his kingdom. What’s in his kingdom? Righteousness, peace and joy. It brings God pleasure when you to enjoy what he has given you, righteousness, peace and joy.
David wondered why God created mankind, he wrote about it in a psalm…
What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?
Then David receives his answer…
Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8
The words ‘glory’ and ‘majesty’ or ‘honor’ in modern day language are dignity, worth, value and royalty. God has attributed to mankind incredible worth and value. Each human life is worth every drop of the eternal blood of Jesus. God sees mankind as kings and rulers over his creation. When God looks at people he sees a dignified, royal creature worthy to have authority over his own creation.
This is true of all mankind. This is the reason Christ died for the ungodly, because everyone is valuable. This is why Jesus remained obedient unto the death of the cross and passed into the grave while we were sinners, because God sees mankind as royalty.
Once we receive Jesus and are cleansed by his blood our royalty extends into Heaven because we’re then in Jesus but even before then, each human on this planet is worth more than all its gold and precious stones combined. The reason God created mankind was to enjoy his creation and enjoy fellowship with each other and enjoy relationship with him.
Your purpose is fulfilled when you say yes to Jesus and enjoy fellowship with God, it’s that simple.
In next week’s blog I’ll cover the difference between purpose and calling and address dreams, goals and desires. You can watch part 3 of Why Am I Here? Sunday morning at 9 & 11am EST.
Stay tuned for a book and workshop entitled Why Am I Here? Discover Your Purpose and Fulfill Your Call
The post Why Did God Create Mankind? appeared first on Forward Ministries.
529. Jesus Died; We Inherited
"For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives." (Hebrews 9:15-17)
527. Is the Law An Expression of God’s Character?
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas
You Are Valuable Beyond Measure
You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself.
There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value…a value beyond your wildest dreams.
Coins used to have the face of the person who guaranteed their value, minted onto them. Any note or coin has a guarantor, a person or institution that guarantees its value.
Even if a coin gets lost, the coin never loses it’s value.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness.
He knows you better than you know yourself … He knew you even before you were born.
You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind.
You might think ‘why’…
Why would anyone have such an obsession with me.
Well, the Creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything in this natural world. He even sees a possibility of romance!
When, Where and Why you began
Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time.
You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries, an enjoyment of total abandonment … a being we now call God.
It was in the very midst of this fiery love, at the core of this passion, that the idea of…you came into being!
The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness.
This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil.
This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God.
Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin.
Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend the unsearchable; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began.
In this place there is no space, yet no limit; no creation, yet no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness.
He is not lonely or in lack.
It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived.
God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him!
This God-dream is about a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God.
His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific…so clear, that He uniquely identifies and names the individuals who would form part of the plan and become part of creation.
And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ.
At this point, He made up His mind about you!
No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love.
When did you begin?
Before creation, before time itself.
Where did you begin?
In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God.
Why did you begin?
To be loved, adored…and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you.
Click HERE to watch on YouTube
The Word made flesh
The original, authentic Word was face to face with God from the very beginning.
God Himself is the content of this communication – revealing His personal presence and unique expression in all that exists.
In fact there is nothing original or innovative outside of Him!
He is the only Creator and the source of all inspiration and creativity.
Everything that is, has ‘Made by God’ stamped on its existence.
The very life of God is what ignited the existence of man. This original light still shines even in darkness and no amount of darkness can put this light out. (John 1:1-5 Breath of Life)
The time lapse between the original thought of God and now is obviously vast.
Has this original thought not been lost through time?
No, this authentic dream began before time and was preserved, set apart, in a person called Jesus Christ.
In Him the logic of God was kept until the right time when it was made visible in flesh.
He came and demonstrated in human form, the kind of life God had in mind from the very beginning…a life where God and man is so fully united that we cannot even tell them apart.
Man began in God.
No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man.
Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again.
In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative.
Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written.
In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God.
The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man.
Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man.
In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God.
This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished.
And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict.
Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus.
When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again.
In this unity He faced everything you faced…and conquered!
In His death, you died!
That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him.
He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing.
In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning.
In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honour – a place where God delights in you!
The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness.
Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys.
But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him.
As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness (Psalm 17:15)
What should I do?
You might ask, what should I do…how does one respond to such news?
Well the good news is that the hard work has already been done for you!
Jesus defeated everything that stood between you!
Gratitude…love awakened, is all that’s left to do.
Some call it faith.
Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith.
Turn your focus inward.
Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you…within you.
In your own thoughts and words respond…something like: Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, in Jesus Christ, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness, I acknowledge Your ownership. You made me to be loved … here I am, love me!
© 2012 Andre Rabe, Hearhim.net – You are free to publish and distribute this message as a whole, including this copyright notification.
You can download the PDF version here:
Trouble downloading? Click **HERE**.
Take Care, Comb your hair,
Bas