Wednesday, March 21, 2012

It all started in a garden

Well, actually, that's when we come in. :)

It really all started with an everlasting God, in Heaven, surrounded by an angelic host. And yet, He had a desire in His Father's heart to have a family. A group of whole-hearted, voluntary lovers, created a little lower than the angels, yet to be crowned with glory and honor (Heb 2:8). Messiah fulfilled this, and this is our future with Him as His Bride.

God created the heavens and the earth with us in mind - so He could have a place to dwell among us. And this has become the testing ground of our faithfulness to Him in an age now ruled by darkness. Messiah came as a suffering servant and preached the coming of His Kingdom, and He's coming back to resurrect His own and establish His literal, physical kingdom here - fully manifested during the Millennial Age.

He created the Garden of Eden, placed man there, and instructed Adam to take care of the garden. (Gen 2:8, 2:15) And gave Him a wife (Gen 2:22). And He walked with them in that garden and knew them (Gen 3:8).

Until, one day man took the bait of Satan and tried to become wise like God and eat from the Tree of Knowledge (Gen 3:1-7). So God banished man from the garden and no longer dwelled with him here. Man's way of life became difficult, separated from His Creator, and the whole of creation suffered from his sin (Rom 8:19-21).

But there is Good News! God set into motion a master plan of redemption that will ultimately restore a remnant of whole-hearted, voluntary lovers from every nation, tongue, tribe, and language back to Himself. The sacrifice of Messiah would open the door for man back to God (Rev 5:9).

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Why this blog, this subject?

My soul has recently been stirred to consider the Bible as one story. Not merely a series of cool stories about God and man that we can learn from. Yes, I believe the canonized Bible as we have it today contains a single, beautiful, and amazing storyline told by many narrators that only the Master Story Writer and Creator of the Universe could develop.

Being the mother of three young sprouts, I won't have time to write eloquently here. And my posts may be quite short. But I invite you to consider the Bible with me as a whole. One eternal God, who makes promises and keeps them. Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Who set out to have a family of His own and a Bride for His Son - wholehearted, voluntary lovers of God.