God’s Final Word!

 

     Are you ready for the harvest?

by Pastor Jess Foglesong 

 

     In the beginning, in an instant, God created the entire universe, the solar system, the earth, and human beings! And all was good!

    And why did he decide to bring us into his realm of angelic paradisiacal utopia?  I believe simply because He wanted to share His love and generosity with human beings!  It was a desire, a thought, a wish; and simply by his word and wisdom a plan was drawn on a divine “blueprint” … and it was immediately implemented. 

 

     We can only imagine what His world is really like.  It is incomprehensible; beyond our imagination.  But he wanted to include the human race to interact with Himself, and His other created beings -- angels.  He desired for us to be like the angels, although with diminished capacity or ranking.  But still be able to share and interact at the same level.

 

     We were placed on a paradisiacal playground similar to earth and there we coexisted with all of God’s created creatures, it was a place similar to what we would describe as--heaven.  No illness, no strife, no death.  Evil and chaos was kept away, due to God’s constant “presence.”  Sin did not exist!  Human beings dwelled freely in full harmony and peace.

 

     Unfortunately, although all was good!  It did not last long … soon there was trouble in God’s Kingdom.  There emerged a usurper; a creature of God who desired to be God.  He was an important part of God’s angelic system; an Arch-angel named Lucifer, who was given the responsibility and steward of the newly formed human race.  But he decided that he wanted to use his rights of “freewill” to challenge the authority of God. He also convinced one third of the angelic forces to come over to his side.

 

     God thought: why did I grant the rights of “freewill” within His domain?  He was frustrated! But finally came to His senses and banished Lucifer and all his angelic followers to earth.  This became their domain and had the power to rule over all that dwelled on the planet. 

 

     Unfortunately, this was the home of the newly created human beings.  And because they were under the stewardship of the Arch angel, Lucifer, all that was part of his command and charge also fell into Sin.  Therefore the human race--due to their diminished capacity within the realm--became lost.  Life had cease for them; relationship with the Father; the Creator had ended.

 

     Lucifer, who became the devil, or Satan, was in charge of a planet void of life.  Without God’s presence life could not exist.  Satan got his reward: “The earth was without form and void, with darkness over the face of the abyss, and a mighty wind swept over the surface of the water” (Genesis 1:2). Humans disappeared from the surface of the earth. Darkness had set in. Lucifer really had done it this time!

 

     And so God faced a dilemma!  Should He dismiss the entire event? Or should He try to re-establish life for his lost human race. 

 

     Well, this is where Salvation history in the Old Testament begins. What I just described was all in the first few words of Genesis 1:1, 2 … In the beginning, God made the heaven and the earth; and the earth (became) formless and void … So has anyone ever asked themselves: why did the earth become formless and void?  Well, now you know!  It was due to Lucifer’s disobedience.  When he usurped God’s will and commandments, he fell into Sin; and all under his command also fell into sin -- including the human race.  All of life on earth ceased to function and thrive.  All emphases was on the negative--death!

 

     But God immediately began to re-create and re-cast the earth: “Let there be light, and there was light; and God saw that light was good, and He separated the light from darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness night …” etc.

 

     Human kind became lost due to the devil, ie, Satan … An angel of God, who became a demon and is still with us today: influencing the human race, along with his followers: fallen angels (aka, demons).

 

     And so, in this book I try to step into God’s thoughts, and view what He has created; as well as what He has illustrated to all of us, and the many “gifts” that He has placed throughout our surroundings. No doubt it is an impossible task to be God … heaven forbid; we don’t want to be God. But simply try to understand His ways, wishes and will.

 

     The bible begins with a brief description of a breaking of a relation: between God and Lucifer … and the human race.  Then continues with God’s decision to restore His relationship with humanity, by re-creating, re-casting, rebuilding the entire universe--including earth--from start to finish.  The Bible describes salvation history via the Jewish Torah, Old and New Testament.  And it ends with a Redeemer: the Christ, Jesus paying the ransom of sin, and restoring the broken relationship; as well as vindicating God’s honor and right to be sole ruler of His Kingdom. 

 

     We look back at the geological history of the universe--nearly 14 billion years old--and reflect on God’s desire to create such a wondrous world specifically for the human race.  The universe was meticulously formed by His word, His wisdom for the purpose of having a relationship with us.  This was a yearning, a desire, a wish, that God had wanted.  He had created angels, who were His right hand companions, and were enthusiastically active and dynamic, within His heavenly government.  But in addition to His beloved angels, He desired to create beings at the lower spectrum of His realm.  Simple creatures that He could shape and influence, in his own image: His character, His ways, His pure goodness and righteousness.  A race of beings that would stand for love and honor, as well as integrity and respect; in obeying His moral law; and committed to truth and justice.  His newly created people would be a spitting image of himself! 

 

     And so He decided go forth with the creation of human kind.  Unfortunately, we all know what happened.  Humanity experienced the fall, and is experiencing the consequences of a fallen race today.  We are in a quagmire, similar to the quagmire the people of Israel experienced after being freed by Moses, from Egypt.  They were chosen by God centuries earlier, and a covenant was made that they inherit a land made of milk and honey.  But because of their constant disobedience and belligerence, they could not enter the land (Canaan) given to them by God; instead they had to continue their journey, through the wilderness.

 

     We (human kind) likewise are experiencing a similar situation:  2000 years ago we were freed by a redeemer (The Christ); freeing us from the grips of the prince of darkness (Satan); and from this event we have become devoted followers of Jesus Christ, as Christians.  And as followers we understand that God has come to earth and entered the human stream in becoming a man (a God-Man);  upholding the will of The Father; becoming the sacrificial lamb, submitting himself as the savior and vindicator of his Father in heaven. 

 

     We find ourselves over 2000 years later migrating, similar to millions of animals that migrate from their place of origin/birth, then into the wilderness, and returning.  We too are migrating from our place of birth (with God), to the wilderness or desert (now), and soon will return home; back to within the Father’s domain--His Kingdom in heaven. 

 

     God will bring us--the true remnant of believers--home in due time. No one knows exactly when.  Only God knows!  Although there are clues as to when it is getting closer: Wars and rumors of wars, drought and famine, earthquakes and catastrophes, disease epidemics, the Rise of aggression of Anti-Christ forces … and many more.  These are all “birth pangs” (illustrated by the birth process); all signs that have happened over and over again in the past 2000 years. And every time one or all of these events happen we brace for the end. 

 

     But here we are … still wandering; experiencing our daily lives and activities, expecting and looking for His coming.  And as I mentioned: No one knows when the transformation will occur.  But, it is written:

 

     The promise of the harvest …“As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” … hints at God’s judgment at the end of this age of grace. The prophet Joel compared judgment to harvesting grain: “Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe” (Joel 3:13; cf. Revelation 14:12-16). The parable of the weeds and the wheat (Matthew 13) employs similar imagery: “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels” (verse 49). The time of harvest will come with the sickle of divine judgment.

 

     Only when God himself, (just as the farmer goes out to his field daily to check the maturity of the wheat or grain), decides when the grain is mature and ripe, will He give the order to reap the harvest (of believers).  Then and only then will we be called to come home to our rightful place: in paradise; God’s Kingdom of Heaven.  We will be reborn into His hands of eternal goodness and comfort.

 

     Are you ripe, mature--and ready?  The End (and therefore) the Beginning ……. Is Coming! And will take us home!

 

 

 

Heaven Waits!    

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