A Brief Encouragement

Unfortunately, the purpose of this blog makes the general discussion rather negative.  I want very much to be positive right now, and hopefully share Christ with you a bit and give you some real hope (not like the false hope that requires me convincing you of doom and gloom first).

I believe that Jesus Christ was indeed with the Father in the very beginning, and that through Him all things were created.  There is a good debate over at As Bereans Did about this if you disagree with me.  Jesus Christ and our Father planned and designed us.  It was their goal to have a family and to share all that they have - all things that are and ever will be - with you.  We know that all good things are from the Father of Light; so all He has to share with you is going to be good and goodness.

Now, this being that we know as Jesus Christ, being the Creator, knew ahead of time there was a possibility we would sin.  It didn't have to be, but it was likely. I would tend to believe it is better in the long run that we did, and got it all out of the way now.  Having bound Himself by His own name to charge all mankind who sin with the death penalty, He also knew there would be no hope for us, and no reason to bother creating us.  For love's sake, and for hope's sake, since He loved you so incredibly much, He asked permission to take that penalty upon Himself.  He volunteered to stand in for us and take every bit of that penalty upon Himself.  This was exactly what the Father needed; now there was hope; and He agreed.  Not because we loved Him, but because He so loved us. 

And when the time came, Jesus Christ, being a God and eternal, set asside all of that.  As if He folded His glory up like a shirt and put it asside.  Here is a being who possesses all things - He created all things that were created - and now He just hands it all over without so much as a plug nickel of payment.  For what? For you.

He came to this earth as a man, He hurt and He sweat and He stunk and He hungered as a man. He cried and He felt loss and He earned His living and He had no roof over His head at times, like a man.  He burned in the fire of time as we do.  His own siblings had no faith in Him.  His best friends did not understand Him.  One of them He knew would betray Him to death - a most horrible death.  And He submitted to it all.  For what?  For you.  

Oh, He could have come as a pampered brat and died more peacefully than He did.  But hundreds of years before, He inspired the prophets to tell of the very terrible things that would happen to Him.  Like a lamb before the slaughter, He accepted it all in silence; never complaining.  Why?  Because of His overwhelming love for you.

And then came the time when He would have to submit to the punishment He volunteered to. It wasn't so easy a thing. He felt the carnal pull of self-preservation. His mortal body loved life. Though He knew exactly what awaited, and saw death from a perspective we cannot currently understand, He feared. He prayed for another way, and He sweat great drops of blood! But He would not remit. There was no other way. At the time of Abraham He swore by Himself because He could swear by none Higher that He would do this.

And then - for the very first time in all eternity - there was only the Father. He was alone. That great being, that eternal Creator and mastermind of life... was no longer. And He did that for you.

But here is hope. Not that the world is going to burn with you on it. Not that banks will crash and the Beast will rage and the rocks will not hide. No. But that exactly as prophecied in Jonah, God the Father resurrected the dead to eternal life. Now, think about this for a bit... the Father resurrected a God being!  Now that is something! How much more, then, could He resurrect you? Because He loves you. Because He would die for you. Nothing that is or was or will be can stop Him. And you are a part of that if you only accept it. No man need come between you and God.  Just allow Christ to take part in your life; to guide you and teach you and sometimes correct you. He has done it all, and He will do it all. Why? Because He loves you.

That's all.  Just love.  It all boils down to love.