HEART OF THE MATTER

Tag: bible

  • BE THE ONE.

    BE THE ONE.

    I remembered that I wanted to be a part of the world. I made it my business to fit in with what my family and friends were doing so I wouldn’t stand out. It looked like fun, and they said it was fun, so I wanted in. I wanted to be one in the crowds, because even if they were heading down a dead-end road, at least I wasn’t by myself. The wild parties, the clubs, the talk, and the walk fit perfectly in the life of those heading for destruction. The only defense I would’ve had on the Day of Judgment was that at least I ain’t the only one. I made the choices, and I suffered the consequences that followed until I cried out to God for something different. I wanted to change the way I walked and talked, and I prayed to God to give me the insight to live right. And he answered. I don’t hold grudges or harbor unforgiveness because I asked God to set me straight, even if I was the only one. And he has removed and is still removing all those things in my life that are unlike him.

    In the beginning, I walked alone. Many didn’t understand the transformation I was going through, and neither did I. It hurt to lose family and friends that I loved, but I had to bear my cross to follow him. I felt the loneliness of being left out until the Lord spoke to me and said, “They are heading for destruction, and if you follow, so will you.” Those tears dried up quickly. I had to remember what I asked God for, and he answered the prayer that I earnestly and honestly prayed. He made what many of us have stated was hard or impossible, possible. God set a standard, and I chose to live by it. There were, and still are, times when I am ridiculed for doing the right thing, which used to bother me, but no more. I realize that now I make people uncomfortable in their sin, the sin that I used to partake in. We can always justify our wrongs with those who are a part of it. I am a light in the darkness, and I intend for my light to shine. I choose to be that one.

    I recall the story in Genesis 18:16-33 when Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the city of Sodom for the sake of the righteous. God said, “I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” Abraham started with a request of fifty righteous people, “Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city, will you sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes?”  Abraham made the same request again and again, lowering it all the way down to ten. God agreed not to destroy the city if there were only ten righteous people. But ultimately, only one was saved, Lot, Abraham’s nephew, because of Abraham’s right standing with God. Lot and his two daughters lived. Lot did what was right in the Lord’s sight and was spared.

    God calls us into a closer walk with him to save us. Abraham was called righteous because of his faith in God. God is proud to look around and say I have one who is willing to love me with all their heart, soul, and mind. The children of God are no longer slaves of the enemy. We have the Holy Spirit living inside us that has freed us from the enemy’s captivity. Now, when I walk into a room filled with people entangled in sin, I don’t feel the need to fit in. I have been set apart, even if I am the only one. God only needs one to save many. I am proud to be the one. Glory to God for the turnaround.

  • The Power of Jesus’ Name: Authority in Heaven and Earth

    The Power of Jesus’ Name: Authority in Heaven and Earth

    The name of Jesus is unlike any other; it is the most powerful name both in heaven and on earth. This name carries immense weight and authority, recognized by both humans and demons. Demons tremble at the name of Jesus. It is the name that compels every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God declares, “This is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Creation and heaven bow before Him, and they exalt the name of Jesus.

    Unfortunately, we have grown too familiar with this name, often treating it as common and forgetting the power it holds. Jesus said, “If you ask for anything in my name, it shall be given unto you.” This name, above all others, carries significance because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He paid for the sins of the world, and it is only through Him that we can enter into eternity. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.” In His name, we receive salvation and find rest.

    The name of Jesus is powerful. Lame men were healed, blind eyes were opened, hearts were transformed, and the dead were raised through the power that dwells in His name. Today, many misuse this name and take for granted the authority that Jesus has given to those who believe. There is no other name greater or more glorious. When we acknowledge Jesus, God acknowledges us. Jesus warned, “If you are ashamed of me, then I will also be ashamed of you before my Father.”

    Peter and John encountered a beggar at the Beautiful Gate as they were on their way to the Temple. The man, unable to walk, sat there begging for money. When he saw Peter and John, he asked them for help. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, “Silver and gold have I none; but what I do have, I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And the man did just that. (Acts 3: 1-10) Many others were also made whole in the name of Jesus. We are more than conquerors; we are victorious when we place our hope and trust in His name.

    The name of Jesus serves as a weapon in the midst of battle. Heaven recognizes and supports those who believe in the power of His name. When His name is called, even demons pay attention and respond. The disciples rejoiced when they returned, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Jesus replied, “Do not rejoice that spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17).

    When we abide in Jesus and He in us, we can achieve all things. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. The name of Jesus should be on the lips of every believer, every day, in every circumstance. It empowers us to cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. It is not by our name, but in the name of Jesus, that God receives glory, and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We are participants in bringing about God’s kingdom. The name of Jesus offers hope to the hopeless, healing to the sick, and life to the lifeless. Let us not treat it as common, but instead revere the great name of Jesus.

  • BE TRANSFORMED BY KNOWING GOD

    BE TRANSFORMED BY KNOWING GOD

    I remember when I was busy in this world, trying to fit in. I was trying to find myself, but I was losing pieces of my being along the way. I spent time with people. I interacted in their daily activities to feel included. I hung out with people who I believed knew the direction I should go. Today, I don’t know where half of them are. It is needed that I say they were just as lost as I was. I effortlessly tried to find myself in a lost world where even the wisest worldly person had no clue. I grew weary of the same routines day after day. I stopped looking for positions in people and started looking for purpose. I began to look in a new direction, one that would lead me to God, the one true, living God. It was my choice. No one made me search for someone that the human eye had not seen. It’s safe to say I knew there was a God, but where was he? I had to believe enough to know if he does exist, then I want to know him for myself. I set out to find Jesus. I discovered him quickly because there was a hunger, a need to know him. He had already been knocking on the door of my heart. I had finally decided to answer. It was the perfect Lionel Richie moment, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” I finally answered his call. Many seem to think that God wants to hurt us, but in all honesty, he wants to help. He helped me. He helped me change the way I thought about things, people, and responsibility. He helped me with the small and great decisions of life that God has entrusted to me. He helped me discover who I was in Him and for him. He helped me to love and be loved. Right now, he is helping me with my emotions. Something happened to me, and I accused God of the pain I was experiencing. God said to me, “The Holy Spirit doesn’t come to hurt you. Instead, he comes to help you where the enemy tries to deceive you.” Yes, it hurt, but God chose to expose on that day. God will perfect everything that concerns you,(Psalm 138:8) even if it means exposing those around you. And although it will hurt, it works to know the dirt that they will try to bury you with. With God, you will not live a lie. (Luke 8:17) ‘We do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. ‘(Ephesians 6:12). I had many encounters with God. I couldn’t go back to unbelief if I wanted to. To deny would be a lie. God has helped me with so many aspects of my life. Today, I am thankful and grateful.

     Where you are looking will decide where you go. I found purpose for my life when I looked for Jesus. I found out that I am a writer, and I am a writer for God. I found out that I am loved, cherished, and valued. I found out that I am a child of God. I discovered that it is possible to have a relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth. I discovered that no one will love me more than He who created me. So my question to you is: Who are you? Maybe you don’t know, but you can. God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.(Jeremiah 29:13)

  • THE BETTER ONE

    THE BETTER ONE

    I prayed to God one morning, something I had committed myself to doing since I resigned from my job. ] My only vehicle was totaled, and I was crying out God about some financial hardships that I was facing. I emptied the contents of my heart to the only one who would help me. As I lay in bed, my face was wet from tears. I asked God to hear my cry for a job. In that moment, He spoke to me. He reminded me of the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42.His presence is never bizarre and always pleasurable.

     The story is about one sister named Martha. She was distracted and worried about preparing dinner for her guest. She was also worried about many other things. The other sister, Mary, quietly sat at Jesus’s feet, taking in the peace of his presence.  Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her with everything she had to do. Jesus replied, “There is only one thing to be concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

    God said to me, “You have chosen the better one, and it will not be taken away.” Spending time with God should be a priority in the life of a believer. He reminds us so often to pray without ceasing. Our Father in heaven knows all things and will supply our needs. We become distracted by the many things that go on in this world. God is often placed on the back-burner or omitted altogether. We can find many things to do, but time with God is rarely on the list. We become weighed down with the cares and worries of this world. This often leads us away from the Father. It leaves us farther from Him.

    God desires for us to spend time with Him. He wants us to get to know Him. He also wants us to come into an understanding of who we are in Him. God is a good Father who deeply cares for his children. After the revelation, God gave me an image of a child that had been missing for a long time. The parents’ yearning and longing for that child’s return are unbearable. But when that child finally returns home, the parent is ecstatic. They don’t want the child out of their sight. They want to be with with the child always. They want to spend as much time with the child as they can, maybe every waking moment.

    This is how God sees us. We have been apart from him for so long. He just wants to be with us. He wants to spend time with us when we return. We, as His children, have a special place in God’s heart, we are in the center of it. God has been growing me and showing me what it means to be a follower of Christ. I have learned that believers of Jesus Christ must condition themselves to the submission of the Word. They do not give in to the flesh of the world.

    Spending time with God helps us make the right decisions, helps us be peaceful, and remove stress. God is in charge and loves us. He works everything for the good of those that loves him who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) When we know him, it helps you rest better. We can rest in the peace that God provides( John 14:27) God got this! Many things cause us to become distracted, and wander off from God. Let’s be mindful to choose the better one.

     

  • IN THE NAME OF LOVE

    IN THE NAME OF LOVE

    Love is a powerful emotion that causes people to do crazy things. We indulge in a feeling that brings us acceptance, value, and the warmth that we feel inside. We become addicted to the feeling rather than the person. We say we love so and so, but we are actually attracted to the feelings that come from being loved. When those feelings no longer give us what we want, the relationship is over. We’re off to our next quick fix. I know because I’ve been there. Love and loyalty lie in the same bed together. Many of us play silly games all in the name of love. We commit crimes for love. Some have even killed because of it. True love lets you live. I used to think that love was my boyfriend acting out in rage because of his jealousy. I often heard friends say, “Girl, he loves you.” Why not just say something is wrong with him, and it’s not love? Many of us stay in abusive relationships, facing physical and verbal harm. We say it’s because I love them. But search a little deeper and discover the void you’re trying to avoid. We must understand what love is. If we don’t, we will imitate the behaviors of those who have settled for mistreatment. I watched and walked that same path because it was all I knew. I have grown to understand that love without Christ is sadistic and twisted. Love hurts. And many people no longer want any part of it. God will not take away the very being of your existence. God is love. “The greatest commandment, love the Lord with all thy heart, soul, and mind. And the second equally important, love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37-38). Since I found Christ, I learned something new, and I want to share it with you.

    Jesus Christ showed me what real love is, and love lets you live. God gave his only son to die on the cross because he loved us. God created us out of love (John 3:16) and is in love with us (Genesis 1:27). That’s why his patience is so long with our wrongs. “It is not his desire that his little ones shall perish but that they will all come to repentance.”(2nd Peter 3:9) God loves us.  Jesus Christ came to give us life, a real love life. I meditated on what love is. I drew on God’s Word and my interest in 1st Corinthians 13:4-8. This convinced and convicted me to change my understanding and actions. Love is not receiving; it is serving.

    “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”(1st Corinthians 13:4-8). And I love God’s way better. With his way, I don’t have to be afraid of love.

    Love is powerful. Falling first in love with others rather than God will cause you a life of resentment. Love was intended to be the glue that holds us together to be better. It is not a feeling, it’s a focus. When we began to love the way the Lord intended us to, we began to see the value in ourselves. We also began to see the value in others. We are capable of loving without limits because there are no restrictions on love. And God’s love isn’t limited when it comes to loving us. LOVE. Give to others what you need more of.

  • DISPLACED HOPE

    DISPLACED HOPE

                    One Sunday morning during worship, I asked the Lord what was wrong with the people as worship was dull and non-effective. The worship team worked hard to move the people’s hearts and to prepare a way for the Lord, but only to a little success and at times no avail. The room was dry, weary, and routine. Most of them waited for a song to move them instead of the praise for the Savior. Every person in the room could feel that the air in the room was cold and the hearts of the people were filled with desires to know the Lord but no hope to see him come. It was the atmosphere that drove me to ask the Lord what is wrong in this room?  The Lord answered and said, “displaced hope.” Displaced means to take over the place, position, or role of something or someone. To move from a proper position, taking the place of something else.

    Many of us have our hope in other things or other people except God. And because we have committed and submitted ourselves to these things and people, we find it hard to praise God. The pull for praise and worship to the Lord proves that our hope lies elsewhere. Many of us are disappointed by the displaced hope. We have placed our hope in our jobs, family, and friends, and when our expectations of them isn’t met we live with regret and often time blame God. Our hope in God is a sure thing. When we put our hope in God, we experience his goodness and his unfailing love.” “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5). Life can become complicated, and the garment of heaviness will weigh upon us when our hope is displaced. It is important to have our hope in the one that will not disappoint us and know exactly what we need and when we need it. Having hope in the Lord will cause you to walk in faith and we know that faith is what pleases God. It will cause those things that are unseen to be seen. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for but the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1). We have allowed our hope to be placed in temporary things that are fading away instead of putting our hope in the King of kings and the Lord of lords that will never leave us nor forsaken us. And for us as people it is imperative that we put our hope in the one that is unchanging. (Hebrews 13:5-8) Times and circumstances are constantly changing mostly causing an imbalance in our lives because of our displaced hope. Hope outside of the very one that created us and sustains us will cause us breakdown, disappointment and discouragement every time. When we put our hope in Jesus Christ we have crossed over from death into life. A life that comes with promises and guarantees because he who called you is faithful, and he is not like man that he shall lie or the son of man that he shall repent. (Number 23:19).

    Today, let’s evaluate where we have placed our hope. Is your hope for something or someone that is not promising? Putting our hope in God will always leave us full and never empty. Everything else will dry up and fade away. And having false hope is like having no hope at all, wishful thinking is not hope. So let’s placed our hope in God and trust his Word. “The grass will wither and the flowers will fade but the word of the Lord shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8).

  • Understanding God’s Greater Grace in Troubling Times

    Understanding God’s Greater Grace in Troubling Times

    God’s grace is greater. Where sin abounds, grace abounds more. (Romans 5:20). In a recent event that I experienced, I heard the Lord say that his grace is greater. Grace is the mercy and the love of God that all people are worth saving to him. “It is not my desire that any should perish but that they all will come to repentance.” (2nd Peter 3:9). God’s grace abounds more where sin is. We see the sin, but God sees the person suffering. The grace of God is gifted to every person, whether a believer or a non-believer. It is through the good grace of God that his love is shared with humanity. His grace is amazing. The people who we are ready to wash our hands of God’s hands are ready to hold them. God’s grace is greater. His grace is what drew sinners to Jesus Christ.” Jesus died for our sins, while we were still sinners.” God’s grace must be displayed through believers whom he has called to be the light. 

    God’s grace is what navigates us through the ups and downs of life. In our times of weakness, his grace is sufficient.” It is his grace that makes us stand under his power, which is greater than anything that comes against us or on the earth. His grace is not earned through the works that we do; his grace is given out of the love that he has for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that we may not perish, but have eternal life.” It is the essence of God, pure love, pure motive, pure favor. “He rains on the just as well as the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45). Scripture reveals that God’s grace is greater. His saving grace is what led Jesus to the cross that tore the veil that separated us from God. Now, we have access to God through the righteousness of Jesus. He permitted us to enter in by God’s love, mercy, and grace. It’s not about what you have done, and it is about who God is. His grace is greater than anything that we can face along the way. 

    The woman caught in adultery was shown God’s grace. (John 8:1-11). The townspeople were ready to stone her for the sin of adultery that she had committed. And by the Jewish law, they had the right to cause her death. But Jesus, knowing the sins of all, challenged them by saying, “Let he without sin cast the first stone.” The crowd that stood ready to throw each dropped their stone one by one and walked away. Jesus looked at the woman and said, “Where are your accusers? and neither do I condemn you. He releases her with his grace as he cautions her to sin no more. That is a visible picture of what God’s grace displays. His grace and mercy are greater than any sin we can commit.  Then we begin to understand that the grace of God draws men to him and away from darkness.

    In the process of our growth with God, we are not graded; we are graced in the areas where we struggle. God loves us too much to leave us in despair. His grace for us led Jesus to the cross to pay for our sins and bring us into right standing with God. God doesn’t turn away from those who need him. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16). There is a greater grace that only God gives, which helps us to live.

  • ENOUGH TO OUR EMPTY

    ENOUGH TO OUR EMPTY

    In life, we are searching for something, whether that something is a house, a car, a job, school, or love. We spend the majority of our lives searching for the best thing available or the next best thing popular. We spend countless hours searching for those things that will appeal and appease us the most. People spend their entire life searching for those temporary things that will bring them temporary pleasure to fulfill a thirst. People say it’s not a thirst. They say it’s a want. When the satisfaction doesn’t come, they are after the next best thing.

                There are events in the Bible that, to some extent, still resonate with us today. The woman with the issue of blood for twelve years was on a search for healing. The Bible recorded her spending all of her money for a cure that never came to conquer her illness. Until a man from Galilee named Jesus showed up on the scene and set her free. She used all of her funds, but there was no cure. She had the faith to push her way through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’s robe. He was enough to her emptiness.

    The ten men with leprosy surely lived an empty, isolated life. No one wanted a diseased person around them, so they were often banned from gathering with others. The Jewish law required diseased people to keep their distance from others. The leaders were afraid of a breakout among the community. But when they saw Jesus, they called out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” Jesus gave them instructions. Their faith ignited as they followed what was told to them. They received their healing. He was enough to their emptiness.

    The lady at the well had been looking for love in all the wrong faces. She had five husbands, and the one she was now involved with wasn’t her husband. When Jesus approached her, she was attending to her business of drawing water from a well. He asked her for a drink of water before giving her living water, where she would never thirst again. “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14.)

    I can share a story of my own. It is very much relatable to the events in the Bible. It involves my own search for love. I moved from relationship to relationship, looking and hoping to partner with the right one. When times of trouble arose, I was ready to get away. The Lord helped me understand that what I needed was Him, not them. I was empty until Jesus Christ became enough, and I will never thirst again. He showed me that he was the way, the truth, and the life. Only in Christ and through him are we made whole.

    Many people are looking for who they are, where they are going, and various ways to get there. They have many plans to make their dreams come true. They are searching for the very thing that will give them value. They obtain what they have chased all of their life. Then they find out it’s not as satisfying as they thought it would be. They find themselves on the road to the next best thing. Jesus Christ is enough. He gave all of himself so that we wouldn’t lack anything. He is enough for our emptiness.

  • GOD RESTORES WHAT THE ENEMY DESTROYS

                So often, we are caught off guard by daily attacks. We find ourselves battling challenges coming from here, there, and everywhere. It seems the struggles come, they come in like a wrecking ball, and it seems to be no end in sight. If there isn’t something going on with us, it’s something concerning our loved ones. I have experienced the weight of carrying others’ burdens as well as my own. And many times I found myself fighting their fight while they sat idly by and did nothing to help them to survive. These mind-changing blows can destroy all that we have built and tried to maintain if we don’t fight back. Our strength becomes weak in the struggle, and we want to give up because of weariness. Every day is filled with its share of trouble, and sometimes it doubles.  Many of us find other ways to cope with the challenges, and although there are many alternatives, none is as fulfilling as God’s healing.

                As I reminisce over my life, I am reminded of how devastated I used to be. I awoke to face the battles of taking care of children on my own, meeting demands of a job that barely and rarely paid the bills, and I won’t discuss those extracurricular relationships that I needed for myself. I was empty and scratching the surface to survive. Yes, I was ready to tap out because I was tired of the same longings and disappointments. I thought man could give me what I needed, but the sick can’t save the suffering, and settling for half will never make you whole. I found myself hopeless and lifeless, yet I was still breathing. I was barely holding on but ready to give up.  But God said to me, “Come see me.” I didn’t know what that was or what it looked like, but I heard it, and I agreed. I just wanted my life to get better, something to bring me comfort from the things I was experiencing. I went to church that Sunday and gave my life to Christ. It wasn’t easy, but I needed relief from the grief.

     I was baptized and raised to a new life, but where was it? I returned home to fight the same battles, with the same people, and my normal self. I was given a Bible and a baptism certificate, but no one ever stressed to me that I needed to read it. It seemed that the attacks of life grew worse, and I began to think what all that was for. So, I set out to find Jesus so I could ask some questions, and I travelled through the pages of the Bible in search of his whereabouts. And I came to know him, now my life has a new meaning, and my hope is anchored in Jesus Christ.

    BUT GOD HAS SO MUCH MORE IN STORE. My favorite scriptures that captured my attention and heart were “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) and “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

    What the inner me and the enemy destroyed, God restored. I was being reborn to be transformed into a new creature in Christ. God was actively chiseling away those things that meant me no good and replacing them with things of his likeness. Those things I wanted to keep that were destroying me or distracting me from his greatest were being illuminated and eliminated. I have a new life with Christ, and I love being in his company. I write to share that I’ve been there, but also to give you hope to journey to the place of being in his company. I write to share that I’ve been there, but also to encourage you to journey this life with Jesus.

    HIS LOVE IS AMAZING!  

  • WHERE ARE YOU?

    WHERE ARE YOU?

                   When God created the world, everything was good. Adam was given dominion over the land. He was to rule over the animals, birds of the air, and fish of the sea. God created a helper for him, and Eve was born. But they sinned by disobeying God by eating from the tree of good and evil, which they had been forbidden to eat from. Sin entered into the earth by Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience, and separation from God was created. God walked among them before sin entered. God was looking for Adam one day and asked, “Where are you?’ Physically, he could see him, and God knew that he was hiding, but spiritually, he had wandered from God because of the sinful nature that he wore. His eyes opened to his nakedness, and he sewed fig leaves together to cover his bareness, but it wasn’t enough to clothe his sin. God, having love and compassion for them, provided much better clothing for Adam and Eve. But still, he punished them for their disobedience. They were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and Adam had to toil the ground to produce food, Eve had to bear painful childbirth, and the snake had to crawl on his belly for his part in the deception.

    Jesus Christ paid for our sins to bring us back into a relationship with God. He was sacrificed for our sins. We can now go before God because Christ, who was without sin (disobedience) on the cross, paid for our sins. (Colossians 2 :13-14). There is no more separation when you accept the gift of salvation for your damnation. You can walk in the freedom that Christ provides and approach the throne of God through his mercy and grace. Yayy!!!

    Many of us have wandered from God because of our sins. We have found ourselves covering up with makeup and other beliefs that don’t offer relief, but somehow, we believe it does. Many of us have sat in our hiding places while God is calling us each by name_____, “Where are you? But because we have traveled so far from him, it is harder to hear his calls. And just like Adam, physically, he knows where we are, but spiritually, we are distanced. So, we sit in our pride until we decide to come out of hiding and head home. Sin will always cause separation between us and a holy God. And because he was Holy, we can also be holy. (1st Peter 15-17). The deception is real back then, and it still is because the enemy will always make us think that we are missing something or that God is keeping something from us. And where we lack trust in God, we eat dust just like the snake (Satan) who we choose to follow. Jesus said, “I came that you may have life and life more abundantly, and the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” (John 10:10).

     “Adam, where are you is a call that God rings out every day to his creation, that he loves so much that he gave his only son. (John 3:16).  His heart longs for the return of the lost souls wandering in the earth. His love for people is something that I can’t fathom. I asked God, why are you mindful of man and he said because I made them in my image. To be made in someone’s image is to connect to them in a way that the human eyes cannot see. ‘How long will you wait while God is calling out to you before you respond and say, “Lord, here I am.