BEFORE, as wrestled with by the blogger

Like forever, before is hard to comprehend.
We have no real context for either forever or before,
No matter how intelligent we are,
Or how educated we are,
Or how highly thought of by others.
Forever and before escape us, if we are honest.
"Before time" means what for those who only know time?
God is eternal,
The Creator of time,
The Sustainer of our days;
And in concert with
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, God the Father
Determined--and what was determined
Will most certainly come to pass.
And we must trust that timing determined from
Before time to be perfect,
As God is in all ways perfect--
Perfectly knowing and
Perfectly trustworthy
Among those ways,
However our days "seem" to us to work out.

Thinking about Hope (revised from 20 December 2014)

Romans 15:13 reads: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

"Hope" is a slippery concept.

We hope for a certain outcome, yet anxiety often colors that hope. Even from the time God promised a Savior in Genesis 3, generations hoped yet did not see that hope fulfilled. And when God chose to be silent for 400 years, perhaps anxiety overcame hope in the hearts of many. But hope remained in the hearts of those who believed--hope against hope perhaps. Then God did more than break the silence.

God became Incarnate, Immanuel, "God with us."

Never a sinner like us but in all other ways like us, experiencing the joys and the sorrows and the hopes.

But because of not being like us, He could be what no one else could be, fulfill a hope no one else could.

Because He was fully God and fully man and fully without sin, He could be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the One in whom and through whom God and man could be reconciled.

And so, having lived a sinless life, Christ died a sinner's death for all who would have from all time believed and been reconciled to the Father through Him.

Hope fulfilled.

Let us adore Him!

Why do we celebrate this season? Read Romans 15:9-13, NASB

Romans 15:9-13, NASB:

"And for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written: 'THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.' Again he says, 'REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE,' And again, 'PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.' Again Isaiah says, 'THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.' Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Immortal While Incarnate

Immortal while incarnate,
Christ Jesus the Lord.
Immortal while incarnate,
Due by all to be adored.

Immortal while incarnate,
Fully God, fully man.
Immortal while incarnate,
Life fully lived He understands.

Immortal while incarnate,
Tempted in all ways yet ....
Immortal while incarnate,
Yet without sin, temptation met.

Immortal while incarnate,
Truly dying on the cross.
Immortal while incarnate,
Such sorrow for sinners lost.

Immortal while incarnate,
Triumphant He would be.
Immortal while incarnate,
Life and death for me.

Immortal while incarnate,
The sinless Son of God.
Immortal while incarnate,
Lord of glory on sinful sod.

Immortal while incarnate,
Giving life to lifeless men.
Immortal while incarnate,
And soon to come again.