providence
[the triune god exists in eternity.]
he has always existed. with no beginning. with no end.
“before the mountains were born, or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, You are god” Psalm 90:2
Before God created the universe, before He created time, God would make a way for all chosen sinners to be saved.
Jesus is “The Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world” Revelation 13:8
In God’s redemptive history, it is the only way to be saved from sin to those who will believe by faith.
It is the only way to be Justified…to be made righteous before a Holy God.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6
It is the only way that God can then begin to Sanctify us…to make us more like His Son.
“It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith. This is not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, not by works so no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9
With the goal of eventually Glorifying us in eternity with Him after our earthy body dies.
in god’s mind, in his plan, The cross of Jesus christ has been active throughout all of time…both backwards and forwards from the hours it was erected with his son nailed to it.
For those that lived and believed in God by faith before the incarnation of Jesus and his crucification and resurrection, the cross forgives their sin after they committed them, after they have died.
For those that live and that believe in Jesus by faith after His birth, death, and resurrection, the cross forgives their sin before they even are born to commit them.
“Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift” 2 Corinthians 9:15
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[time begins]
in the beginning;
god creates the heavens and angelic beings.
God creates the universe including the earth.
god creates man in his image and likeness so that man would enjoy fellowship with god, live his life in the will of god, and accomplish the purposes that god has for us in the world.
one of those angelic beings IS LUCIFER AND HE REBELLs AGAINST GOD AND is CAST OUT OF HEAVEN WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ANGElS. THEY FELL TO EARTH. HE AUTHORED AND INTRODUCED SIN INTO THE WORLD BY THE TEMPTATION OF EVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. HE IS THE ENEMY OF GOD AND MAN AND IS THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD.
when sin entered the scene because of the disobedience of adam and eve, man became SEPARATED from god. god is holy and can not be in the presence of sin. they lost their innocence and incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death because the wages of sin is death. since we all have inherited this same condition, there is no hope that any man can ever be redeemed on their own.
by his grace, god has provided a way for man to be reconciled to himself. he sent his son, jesus christ, from eternity into time to be punished and to die in our place for our sin. he is all man and all god. he never sinned nor was sin even found in him.
before the foundation of the world, god chose those who he calls, saves, and sanctifies through the blood of jesus christ. we have the responsibility to answer that call, repent of our sin, and receive jesus as our lord and savior. when we do this, we are born again. GOD PLACES OUR SIN ON CHRIST AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ON US. we are saved.
upon receiving jesus christ as our lord and savior, the third member of the trinity, the holy spirit, is immediately sent from eternity by god to dwell within us. he is our divine teacher, COUNCILOR, and COMFORTER. he convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgement. he causes us to desire to read, understand and obey the word of god. he transforms us into the image of the son jesus christ as he lives in and through us. the holy spirit is also a deposit GUARANTEEing that we will spend eternal life with god. our name is written in the book of life in heaven.
after jesus died on the cross, he was buried and after three days, bodily rose back to life and walked on the earth. over 500 people were a witness to this. after 40 days, he ascended up to heaven where he is now sitting at the right hand of god. he has been given all AUTHORITY over heaven and earth.
when those that are saved die, their spirits immediately go into the presence of god. they stand before jesus at the judgement seat of christ and will be rewarded for their service to him while on earth. when those that are not saved die, their spirits immediately go to a place called hades. it is a holding area outside of hell. there they will wait to stand before jesus and be judged.
the next big event in world history is the rapture. it will come without warning and happen "in the TWINKLING of an eye". this is when jesus comes back at his second coming. he will call up those that have accepted him as their lord and savior and have the holy spirit living in them. First the dead in christ will rise, then those of us that are alive and remain will be caught up to be with jesus. literally millions of people all over the world will just DISAPPEAR off the face of the earth.
this event marks the start of the seven year tribulation period. it will be a time when the anti-christ, empowered by satan, comes to power and will set up his domination of the world from jerusalem. it will be a time of great wars, famine, and death. hundreds of millions of people will die. at the end of this time, jesus will come back with all those saints that have been included in the rapture. they will be in glorified bodies. he will defeat the antichrist and satan and throw them in the pit. the 1000 year MILLENNIUM reign of jesus will then begin. he will rule the world from jerusalem and those saints that returned with him will be assigned leadership roles in the kingdom. it will be a time with no pain, no war, and no tears.
after the 1000 years have ended, satan will be released from the pit for a short time. he will once again try to mount a rebellion in the world but it will be short lived. jesus will then permanently cast him into hell. those that have been waiting in hades will then be judged at the great white throne judgement and enter eternity in shame and CONDEMNATION, SEPARATED from god and thrown into "the lake of fire". it is described as a place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. they exist here in eternity. forever.
god will then "un-create" the universe.
[time ends]
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god will then create a new heaven and a new earth. there will be a new jerusalem that will be the capital of the holy city. we that are saved will enter eternity in glory and live directly with god.
we will see him face to face. the triune god; the father, the son, and the holy spirit will reign forever and ever and we will enjoy perfect, sinless, UNINTERRUPTED fellowship with them. we exist here for eternity. forever.
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GOD'S WILL IS BEING DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. HE CHANGES THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS. EVERY DAY WORLD HISTORY IS MOVING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO WHEN jESUS RETURNS TO RULE THE EARTH DURING THE 1000 YEAR MILLENNIUM KINGDOm. the greatest honor is to participate in that will being done; to make your life count for eternal things not just things that will remain here on this earth.
i pray that you will ask god to include you in what he is doing in the world and that your life will bear much fruit and that you show yourself to be DISCIPLES of his. this will please god and bring him much glory.
the first step is to repent of your sins and to accept his son jesus christ as your lord and savior. Once you do that, there is no limit to how god will use you and include you in his great eternal plans.
“you gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit” job 10:12
