sacrifice | Revelations From The Road

A Different Look At Christmas

December 22, 2012 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given December 12, 2012

From The Beginning. God began by creating a perfect world in the Garden of Eden and created a man and woman to begin the perfect process blessing them and telling them to, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and have dominion over it.” (Genesis 1:28 paraphrased). But that old snake, Satan, came in and tricked them into letting his influence into that perfect environment and things went bad from there. It got so bad that God was grieved and sorry He had created man, (Genesis 6:6), but, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8).

So God decided to try again. He wiped out all the evil people and everything on earth with the flood except Noah and his family and He blessed them and told them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:1)… again. One of Noah’s sons, Shem, was good and did this but the other two, Ham and Japheth disregarded God’s plan and went off on their own. Evil began to fill the earth…again. God had told Noah He would not destroy the earth again so He had to come up with another plan.

This plan was not to destroy evil again but to show the people on earth how to take care of their sins, be blessed, live for God, and reserve a place for them in Heaven. And the only way to do this was for God himself to come to earth, “Immanuel – God with us”, (Matthew 1:23). He would come, live a perfect life, teach the people and, at the end, be killed taking the sins of everyone on Himself to the cross. This way, He would give the people the choice of living for Satan and all that comes with that or living for God and receiving His blessing. But to suddenly appear on earth as a man wouldn’t work so God came as a baby, baby Jesus. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11). A Saviour.

That plan is still in effect today and is working for God’s people. But, it’s our choice. We celebrate Jesus’ birth this week; let’s remember why we do it and what it really means. If you haven’t made that choice…do it today. Merry CHRISTmas!

Remembering

May 28, 2012 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given May 27, 2012

As we remember our militaty heros on this Memorial Day 2012, I will share something God gave me. I help with a BibleTime Ministry club in a local elementary school and the leader asked if I could do a short piece on what Memorial Day is for the first – third graders. This is what the Lord showed me:

I remembered reading about Joshua setting up an altar on the site where his people came across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. I remembered something about telling the children what it stood for so I looked it up. In Joshua 4:21-24, it says this, “He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” In this passage, the people were to tell their children when they asked what the pile of stones meant. They were to pass on the memory of what God did for them and tell how great God was and is.

I showed the picture above to the kids and told them the story. I told them today, we remember those in the military who fought and some died to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. We are free to have a Bible Club in our schools, go to church where and when we want, pray in public and say what we want. We want to have a memory of the past and present sacrifices others made for us to preserve our freedoms. They seemed to understand.

Each child was also given a little cartoon that said, “On Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the things we have.” “On Memorial Day, we give thanks for those who gave us the freedom to enjoy the things we have.” God bless our military men and women.

Re-revelation – The Great Exchange

April 6, 2012 by Bill Leave a Comment

From May 2006

Thinking about the events surrounding the last days of Jesus on this earth as a man, I was reminded of a revelation I got several years ago. It paints a picture of the sacrifice Jesus made for us; the exchnge He made with us to give us a chance to be Kingdom Kids. Picture in your mind… The Great Exchange: https://roadrevelations.org/?p=266

Restored!

January 25, 2012 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given January 24, 2011

Driving to work on this beautiful day, as I stopped for a stop sign, passing in front of me was a truck pulling a trailer with an old, rusty, shell of a car on it. I barely could tell that it was a late 60s model Plymouth. It had no hood, doors, or front-right quarter panel, and no engine. A skeleton of a car that was once new and useful to someone. Now, it appeared to be ugly and of no use to anyone. But this guy in the truck was taking it somewhere. The thought crossed my mind, “I bet he’s not taking that piece of junk to the junk pile.” “I bet he’s got some plans for it.”

Immediately my thoughts turned to people’s broken and junked lives. Many of God’s creation are like that old car frame, just a shell of what they once were or could be again. I looked at that junk heap and thought, “Somebody paid a price for that mess.” And Jesus paid a price for us. However bad the mess we have made of ourselves, Jesus paid for us and, just like the owner of that junk car, He wants to restore us. In the skilled hands of mechanic, that old car will once again be a masterpiece! It will have new parts, a new engine, restored interior, and new paint. It will once again be new and useful to someone.

If you think you’re a piece of junk, God wants to restore you. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians5:17). Jesus paid a great price for you, (His life), and God has a restoration plan for you, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”, (Jeremiah 29:11). There is no reason to be relegated to the junk pile. The great Restorer has bought you and wants to take you home to work on you. Say yes!

Receive The Gift

December 24, 2011 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given December 23, 2011

It’s Christmas and most of us have received a various number of gifts and, hopefully, given some as well. Most of us agree this gift-giving thing has become somewhat distorted from the original concept. The Magi had heard about Jesus, came to His house, worshipped Him, and then gave Him gifts. (Matthew 2:11). Today, we are in His house…let’s give Him our gifts of worship.

But gold, frankincense and myrrh were not the only gifts given on that first Christmas; in fact there was a much better gift given. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). God gave US a gift, a free gift, and He wants ALL His creation to have it. Maybe you’ve never received this gift or maybe you got it some time back, used it for a while, but then put it up on the shelf in the closet.

The best gift ever was given on that Christmas day long ago. Today…take it and open it for the first time or go get it off the shelf. It will make the Father really happy!