ThinkingInColor

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

The God of the Bible is a God of abundance.
Whatever the scriptures portray him to be, he is that to perfection.
Whatever we know to be good, he is that in its ultimate state.
Whatever is rich, he is richer.
Whatever is beautiful, he is more beautiful.
Whatever is righteous, he is more righteous.
Whatever is holy, he is more holy.
There is nothing in God that can ever be classified as impoverished, pitiful or small.

Everything about my God: the way he was born, the way he lived the way he died, the way he rose again, the way he ascended, the way he was glorified, the way he exists today and the way he will exist throughout all eternity is an unprecedented display of glory and power.
Nothing he ever did, now does or will do could be done any better.
He is the God of abundance.
If you want a proof of how God operates, look how he responded to the very first offense committed against him in the earth.

Rom 5:14-21

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

The sin that Satan introduced into the world was intended to destroy two people, Adam and Eve.

Gen 3:1-5

3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Notice that Satan only saw these two human beings, God’s creation, as his targets of evil. Maybe he thought that God would destroy both of them when he found out about their disobedience and that would be the end of the human race.

God, however, saw the implications of both sin and salvation in the act of disobedience.
First, he saw that the sin of the first generation would contaminate the second, third, forth and so on generation.
Second, he had already designed a plan that would take care of Adam and Eve. Third, he extended salvation to every succeeding generation.
God’ vision always blows Satan’s vision out of the water.

Gen 3:12-15

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God never limits what he does to a meager portion, an adequate supply or a plan to just get by.
He told Abraham that “I am thy exceeding great reward.”
He is exceeding.
If that’s not enough, he is abundant.
If that’s not enough, he can do “above all that we are able to ask…”
If that’s not enough, he can do “above all we are able to think.”
That’s my God!

The next thing to consider about the fall of man was the death it caused. One man sinned and in him the human race was condemned to death.

Death. The cessation of life. The absence of life. The loss of breath. The opposite of everything about God because “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Here was God’s response to death by sin.

17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

When Satan says, Death, God says Life.
When God says Life, he means life on a scale that cannot be comprehended.
Whatever we lost in Adam was restored in Jesus…AND MUCH MORE!
We lost the quality of life in Adam, but we gained abundant life in Jesus.
We lost the essence of life in Adam, but we gained eternal life in Jesus.
We lost the tree of life in Adam, but we gained it back in heaven,

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

We lost the Garden of Eden in Adam, but we gained the New Jerusalem in Jesus.

Jesus will never allow the power of Satan to overshadow the power of the Cross.

The evil, the wreckage and the chaos brought about by Adam’s disobedience does not represent the final answer to man’s destiny.

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pile sin high and wide. Grace is always bigger and better.
Think about it. This world cannot get much lower. Iniquity cannot get much worse.
But as bad as it gets, the grace of God will always…always…ALWAYS be more!
Satan would like for you to be intimidated by the world you see around you.
He wants you to throw in the towel.
He intends for you to say “If you can’t beat’em, join’em.”
He wants the church to cave into the tidal wave of sin that abounds today.
And, sometimes, it is tempting to say, “It’s no use.”

But the abundance of sin only proves the greater abundance of grace.
If you think the world is winning, you need a refresher course in the theology of much.
It’s time for you to take a prayer journey and let God show you his storehouses of grace.

This past Friday, I stood at Ground Zero. The once proud twin towers of the World Trade Center rose 110 stories into the sky from lower Manhattan Island. It’s 13.4 million square feet of office space represented a full 4 percent of all offices in New York. On September 11, 2001, two planes flown by Islamic terrorists decimate crashed into the towers and decimated them, bringing them to the ground and killing 2973 innocent people. It was the single, most deadly terrorist attack in history, certainly on American soil.

But Friday, I saw something I didn’t expect to see. The construction has already begun on the rebuilding of the WTC. It has already been built to the ground level. It is the response of the American spirit to the evil intentions of terrorists world wide.

“Rising from its square base — which will be constructed of impermeable concrete and steel — the redesigned Freedom Tower will taper into eight tall isosceles triangles, forming a perfect octagon at its center. An observation deck will be located 1,362 feet above ground and there will be a square glass parapet at 1,368 feet, the heights of the original Twin Towers. From these, an illuminated spire containing a television antenna will rise to a final height of 1,776 feet.

We are sending a message:
Burn it down and we will rebuild it, bigger and better than ever.
God sent that message to Satan millenniums ago.
Tear it down and I will remake it…much more than it was in the first place.

But the theology of much applies to areas beyond the grace of God.

There is a matter of forgiveness.

Luke 7:37-38 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Here is a woman who was undoubtedly a prostitute before she was saved.
When God touches the life of someone in the depths of sin, he takes away their shame as well as their sin.
But there were some who did not appreciate this.

Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

But Jesus had an answer.
Jesus always has an answer to the charges of Satan.

Luke 7:44-47

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

If you have been forgiven much, you love much.
If you don’t love much, you don’t know what you have been forgiven.
When you get an idea of how bad your sin is, you get an idea of how much you need to worship Jesus!
I like worshippers.
They have an attitude.
They know how much their salvation is worth.
They know they didn’t have a chance without Jesus.
They dance, sing, shout, run, leap…whatever…because they have been forgiven much.
It’s called the love-forgiveness principle.

Then there is the matter of blessing.

Luke 12:48 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

I don’t think anyone is more implicated in this scripture than those who have received this Apostolic truth.
We have been given much.
The oneness of God.
The message of full salvation.
The importance of holiness.
The rapture of the Church.

There are some today who are preaching a “relevance” Gospel.
They disregard the doctrines of the Apostolic in order to be relevant to this world.
None of us want to be irrelevant.
What we have here is not relevance as much as false doctrine.
Galatians makes it plain. If anyone preaches any other gospel…let him be accursed.

Are you living up to your requirements?

Finally, there is the matter of desire.

Luke 18:35-43 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

How much you seek after God will depend on how much you desire him!
God looks on the heart.
The syrophoenician woman.
The army captain.
Nicodemus.

The theology of much governs everything about your relationship with God.
The much lacking in me reaches out to the much supply in God.
My poverty reaches out to his wealth.
My smallness reaches out to his greatness.
My weakness reaches out to his power.
Whatever I have lost, I will find it in Christ.

^{Exodus 13:17} And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: ¹⁸ But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁹ And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel , saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. ²⁰ And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. ²¹ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: ²² He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for four hundred years.

They didn’t start out as captives, but refugees.
Another king arose who knew not Joseph and made slaves of Israelites.
Pharaoh was the only king they knew.
Egyptian culture dominated their lives.
They ate Egyptian food, wore Egyptian clothes, shopped Egyptian stores, saw Egyptian cities.
Egypt defined Israel ’s life, livelihood and thinking.

Israel hated their captors.

The Egyptians were hard taskmasters.
They were cruel and unreasonable.
Exodus 1:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. ²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ And God looked upon the children of Israel , and God had respect unto them .

After a series of miracles, Israel found themselves on the way out of Egypt .

Israel left Egypt by faith, not by sight.

They had not seen miracles of provision, only miracles of judgment.
The Egyptian army was at full strength when Israel marched out.
Pharaoh was still in power when they marched out.
The blood was still wet on the doorposts and lintels when they marched out.

Why did they leave?

They left because they didn’t want to be slaves any longer.
They left because they now had a leader who would lead them out.
They left because it was the right thing to do.
Egypt is a type of sin.
If you are in sin’s bondage, you were made for better things.
If you are in sin’s bondage, you have a leader who will lead you out.

After they left for the right reasons, God began to do marvelous things for them.

The Red Sea opened up for them.
Egypt ’s army was defeated.
The pillar of fire and the cloud lead them.
The rock that gave them water to drink followed them.
The manna fell in the wilderness.
The clothes wore like iron.
None of these things happened until they forsook Egypt .

You cannot wait until you see your way clear before you leave your Egypt of sin.

There comes a time when you need to defy your Pharaoh.
There comes a time when you need to walk out on the devil.
You need to do the right thing, trusting that God will do the right thing.

But, the moment you leave Egypt , the mind games begin.

Fear.

^{Exodus 14:10} And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. ¹¹ And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt , hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt ? ¹² Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt , saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

Loss.

^{Exodus 16:2} And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: ³ And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Anger.

^{Exodus 17:3} And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? ⁴ And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

Doubt.

¹ And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

The problem was that although the people were out of Egypt , Egypt was not out of the people.
God will set you free through the new birth experience.
Repentance
Baptism in Jesus’ name.
Holy Ghost infilling.

But, to be set free from your Egypt of sin, you need more than just a feeling of remorse, a physical baptism and an experience with God.

^{Hebrews 11:24} By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; ²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land : which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

Look what Moses did:
Chose.
Esteemed.
Forsook.
Endured.
Kept.
Passed.

As long as you think like the world, you will rebel against the Spirit of God in your life. You need a mental emancipation from the thinking of this world.

I don’t need the habits of the world.
I don’t need the security of the world.
I don’t need the affirmation of the world.
I don’t need the fellowship of the world.
When God declares you free, you need to declare that you are free!

^{John 8:36} If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

You need for God to put a new mind in you.

⁵  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion^a as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Brother Pugh’s message to the General Board. “We have too much “con” and not enough “tran?”

This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

They’re all expecting me and that’s one thing I know.
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go.
I know He’ll take me through, though I am weak and poor.

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Just up in Glory Land we’ll live eternally.
The Saints on every hand are shouting victory.
Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven’s shore
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

When you declare your freedom from Egypt , you will discover the providence of God.
You want miracles in your life? Get Egypt ’s thinking out of your mind.
You want joy? Be set free from Egypt .

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”

God had a question for Adam. “Where art thou?”
Saul of Tarsus had a question for God. “Who art thou?”
The answers to both questions made the respondent vulnerable and open.
When Adam revealed where he was, he gave God access to his existence.
When Jesus revealed who he was, he gave Saul access to the essence of his life.

Steve Pavlina, Personal Development guru, says:
“Weak questions are disempowering. They keep your focused on your own ego, your problems, and your shortcomings. Weak questions keep you focused on what’s wrong… on what isn’t working. That might seem like a good idea, but all it does is further reinforce the situation you’d like to change. Weak questions will lead your brain to come up with answers that are useless, circular, or even destructive. Mediocre results largely come about from asking mediocre questions. Great results come from asking great questions. If you don’t like the results you’re getting, try asking completely different questions from the ones you’re used to asking.”

There are three New Testament questions you need to ask for yourself.

• “Who art thou, Lord?” Asked by Saul of Tarsus .
• “What shall we do?” Asked by the crowd on the Day of Pentecost.
• “What wilt thou have me to do?” Asked by Saul of Tarsus .

Who art thou, Lord?

Jesus boldly declared the He was God.

He said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30 ). He was of the same essence as the Father (deity).
The Jews’ took up stones to stone Him ( 10:31 ). They believed that Jesus, who was a man, had made Himself God ( 10:33 ).
This was blasphemy to the Jews and was deserving of the death penalty.
They understood perfectly that Jesus was claiming to be the Father Himself. If Jesus was not declaring equality with the Father, it would have been the perfect opportunity to explain what He really meant. Instead He continued to back up His claim ( 10:34 -38).

Jesus told the Jews, “He that seeth me seeth him that sent me.” (John 12:45).
Jesus declared to Thomas, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him.” John 14:5-9. (v. 7).
Philip could not understand this statement, so he asked Jesus to show the Father to all the disciples, and then they would be satisfied. Jesus responded, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (v. 9). According to Jesus’ own testimony, to see Him was to see the Father (God). One can not get a much clearer statement than this as to who Jesus claimed to be.

In addition to what he said, Jesus acted like he was God.

If Jesus was not God, indeed his statements would have been blasphemous.
For example, Jesus forgave sins.
He said to the paralytic who was lowered through the roof, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:15 ). The scribes present in the room thought Jesus’ statement blasphemous saying “who can forgive sin but God alone?” (v. 7).

If Jesus truly did not have the power to forgive, He had the perfect opportunity to clear up the matter when the Jews inquired of His words.
Instead of pointing out the scribes misunderstanding of His words, Jesus said, “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” (vs. 9-11).

Jesus claimed authority with respect to the Law of God.

One such example is the law of the Sabbath.
God established the Sabbath for Israel as one of the 613 commandments of the Law of Moses they had to obey.
Because God had made the Law, He alone had the power to alter it. We see Jesus, however, claiming the authority to alter the Sabbath when His disciples were questioned by the Pharisees for picking grain heads on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ response was to remind them of the time that David ate of the shewbread (vs. 25-26). The shewbread was strictly for the priests. For anyone else to eat it was a violation of the Law of Moses, but God never punished David. In conclusion Jesus said, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” (vs. 27-28)..
Jesus clearly claimed the right to redefine the Sabbath.

Jesus claimed to have the power of life.

He said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25).
The Old Testament declares that only God has this power: “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39

What did the Jewish leaders think of Jesus?

After Jesus told the Jews, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” (John 5:17 ), the Jews sought to kill Him.
Why did they want to kill him? “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his father, making himself equal with God.” (v. 18).
The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be God Himself. The Greek word isos is translated here as “equal.” It means to be “the same as” something. Jesus put Himself on the same plane, or grounds of deity as the Father.
When Jesus claimed that He and His Father were one (John 10:30 ), again the Jews took up stones to stone Him (v. 31).
When Jesus asked them for what good work they desired to kill Him, they responded, “For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” (v. 33).
The Jews did not understand Jesus’ reference to God as His “Father” to mean that Jesus was less than God, or some sort of a second-rate god. Rather they understood His claim to be that of Yahweh God Himself.

What did the apostles think of Jesus?

Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28).
The Greek word kurios, translated “Lord,” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew adonai; and the Greek theos translated “God” is the Greek counterpart to the Hebrew elohim.
So, for Thomas to call Jesus his Lord and God, knowing that the only Lord God was Yahweh (Deuteronomy 6:4), would have been blasphemy if Thomas had not believed that Jesus was Yahweh Himself in flesh.
Peter’s bold declaration to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 ), showed Peter’s belief in His deity.
Jesus told Peter that flesh and blood had not revealed this truth to him, but the Father which was in heaven (v. 17).
If “Son of God” here only refers to Jesus’ humanity, no revelation from the Father would have been necessary.
Paul, who wrote the most concerning Christ’s person, said that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15; See also II Corinthians 4:4).
What did Paul mean when He declared Jesus to be God’s image?
We know it was not physical likeness because God is a Spirit and cannot have a physical body.1
The Greek word translated “image” in the King James Version is eikon. Its root is eiko, meaning likeness, resemblance, or representation.
Eikon denotes both the representation and manifestation of a substance.
Notice that Paul contrasted Jesus’ image to that of the invisible God. The point Paul was trying to get across to his readers was that Jesus is the visible representation of God to man. That is why Jesus could say, “he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” (John 14:9; also 12:45).

Jesus is the “express image of his [God’s] person” (Hebrews 1:3).

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
The English phrase translated “express image” is from the Greek word charakter. It is this word from which we get our English word “character.”
This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament. It means “to impress upon, or stamp.” It denotes an engravement from a tool, which impresses an image into that which is being engraved.4
This impression, then, is a characteristic of the instrument used to produce it. The end result corresponds precisely with the instrument.

Jesus does not just represent God. He is the very visible impression of God’s invisible substance and essence.

He is God’s very nature expressed in humanity as the Son of God.
He is the corresponding engravement of God in human form. He is the adequate imprint of God. 6
At Bethlehem , God unrolled a blank sheet of humanity over the invisible essence of divinity and mapped a visible image that we could see. When Mary held up the baby, we could trace all the divine attributes of God through the transference of his image into the flesh of Jesus.

Jesus is everything about God permanently settled in the body of Jesus.

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) The NIV says “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”7
In the Greek, Paul said that the fullness of the divine essence has permanently settled in Jesus’ body.
Jesus did not merely possess some divine attributes, but rather He possessed every aspect of deity.

What Shall We Do?

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? ³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ^[1]

Every person has two clear-cut choices before him or her. You can refuse to ask the question, thinking that if you don’t ask, then you will not be held responsible for what happens. Not asking the question leaves the answer to chance, and you’ll take your chances.

You can ask the question and get the answer. Getting the answer then makes you responsible for acting out the instructions. Some people are so paranoid of the answer that they won’t ask the question. But, do you want to know whether or not the house is on fire? Do you want to know whether or not the car has enough gas in the tank to get you to your destination? Do you want to know whether you need an operation to repair your heart or remove a tumor?

This crowd heard a stirring message on the Day of Pentecost.
They asked what they should do.
Here is the answer:

Repent.

• Admit that you are a sinner.
• Turn away from your sins.
• Repentance is a major Bible doctrine.

Baptism.

• A command.
• In water.
• Immersion.
• In Jesus name.
• Acts 8:16 ; 10:44 -48; 19:1-7; 22:16 ; Romans 6:3

Holy Ghost.

• A promise.
• A necessity to identify with Jesus. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by^d his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11.

What Wilt Thou Have Me To Do?

The answers to your questions hold important implications for your life.
You are called to life a life separated unto Christ.
¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, ¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

You are called to give praise and glory to God.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar^b people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

One final question: What could possibly be more important than making sure your heart is right with God? Each of us will stand before God in judgment. What will be the most important thing in your life then ?

Bro. Orlin Ray Fauss was given his son’s bible. Daryl Fauss had been killed one year prior.

Three questions.

• Who art thou?
• What shall we do?
• What wilt thou have me to do?

How will you answer?

^[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Ac 2:37). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^d by: or, because of

^b peculiar: or, purchased

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3:9

It was not a good day in paradise. Slithering snakes, half-eaten apples and disobedient inhabitants reached their profane hands into perfection and turned it inside out and upside down. The rebellion that occurred in heaven among the angels had invaded God’s creation, poisoning the pristine garden and corrupting the man that God had formed from the dust of the earth and the woman that He had created from Adam’s side.

As nearly as I can describe the situation would be the deranged geologist, Laslo Toth, who, on May 21, 1972 , walked into the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, with a sledgehammer in his hand and rocked Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, The Pieta, that was on display, while shouting “I am Jesus Christ.” In one fell swoop, he damaged a priceless marble sculpture that was nearly four hundred years old.

It wasn’t with a sledgehammer, but Satan stole into the Garden of Eden with lies, deception and doubt, and caused our first human parents to fall. Paul wrote in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Through this offence, many are dead.
By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.
By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.
Sin has reigned unto death.
The cost to this earth, to mankind, to God’s creation was incalculable.

Those of you who like to read know that the setting of any story determines the mood and atmosphere of the characters. Most of us believe that Adam and Eve were in trouble with God because of their disobedience. Therefore, we picture an enraged God, furious with the fickle human beings he had just created, stomping through Paradise looking for the culprits. We see beads of sweat formed on his furrowed brow, and the man and his wife as quaking with fear, hiding behind a bush somewhere.

I remember wrecking my Dad’s car driving to a school debate practice. When I drove on to the church where he was, I was in tears as I handed the keys to him, fully expecting the wrath of God and my father to come crashing down on me. His reaction was totally different that I anticipated.

You can have this impression if you want to.

Some of you see God as so disgusted with you, so insulted by you on a daily basis that you can hardly come into the sanctuary. You can’t clap your hands, you can’t raise your hands, you can’t sing the praises of God, and you surely can’t pray. Why? Because you see God through the eyes of Adam and Eve, ready to dispense judgment on you as soon as he can find you.

Sister Vesta Mangun spoke on Wednesday morning at “Because of the Times” conference. She spoke about the intense love that God has for lost souls. She briefly came across this incident in the Garden, but she put it in a totally different light than the way I have just described it. God did not say “Where art thou?” in a harsh, demanding, accusatory tone. She said that it was a sob, an anguished cry, a loving and concerned expression that escaped the lips of God that day. “Where art thou?”

You see, knowing the attitude of God makes all the difference in the world in the way you feel about the story.

News stories break all the time about lost people. There was the man and his children lost on a mountainside before Christmas; there was the little boy lost on a camping trip; there was most recently the story of a twenty year old woman who was lost, then later found murdered. Do you think the searchers went out to look for the lost with a feeling of anger and disgust? No. They had anguish in their hearts, hoping to find the slightest evidence that their love ones were still alive.

And so, whoever you are, wherever you are, you need to know that God has been asking about you. You need to know that he has a sob in his voice as he asks, “Where art thou?” He doesn’t have a whip, or a hammer or an instrument of judgment in his hands. He has a cross and some nails that he will use on himself for your salvation.

Romans 5:15-19 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

So, the question is, “Where Art Thou?”

Adam was in the woods of guilt.

Genesis 3:8-10 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

It is time for you to realize that you have been released from sin and guilt by the blood of Christ.

1 John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Did you hear that? We have fellowship one with another. But we also have a restored fellowship with God. 1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. That which was lost in Adam was restored in Jesus Christ.

Adam, where art thou?

Elijah was in the cave of despair.

1 Kings 19:9-10 “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

Do these statements sound familiar?: “Life’s not fair. God’s not fair. I never get any of the blessings. I’ve tried and tried to live for God, to work for God, to point others to God and nothing ever comes back my way. I am afraid for my life.”

God isn’t trying to bring judgment down on you. He knows how you feel. He is our high priest, touched by the feelings of our own infirmities. He knows about your bouts with depression. He knows your moodswings. He knows that sometimes you can be temperamental and cranky. After all, God puts up with you every day!

Do you know what God’s answer was to Elijah? 1 Kings 19:15 “And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus : and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria .” You may not get an answer to you dilemma today. You may not get any insight into your problem at all. Sometimes you just have to get up and move on, without closure or resolution. Just get up and go. The answer will not come to you while you are languishing in your cave of despair. The answer will be in getting up and getting back to work.

God still had some anointing for Elijah to do. He didn’t fix his problems and then use him. He just used him and he overrode his problems.

Elijah, where art thou?

Jonah was running to Tarshish.

Jonah 1:1-4 “Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

Every day, people who are under the call of God are trying to find passage to Tarshish. They think they will escape the call, or they try to disqualify themselves from the call. What if they would do something that angers God? Then, maybe, God would go off and forget about them.

“Maybe if I drink a little, God will let me alone. Maybe if I smoke a little, God will stop bothering me. Maybe if I go out a live a wild life, I can get God off my back. Maybe if I get involved in a relationship, or give myself to a job or career, or obligate myself somehow that I can mute the incessant voice of God that keeps echoing in my head.

Go ahead and pay your fare and board the ship.
You cannot escape the presence of God.
Tarshish will not hide you from God.
He will meet you in a storm. He will call you up from the hold of the ship. He will prepare a circumstance to swallow you up in the bottom of the sea. He wants you for his own cause and his own purposes.

That’s why he put you in this church. That’s why he gave you the parents he did. That’s why he placed his Spirit within you. That’s why you know the truth of the oneness of God, of baptism in Jesus’ name and the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues. That’s why you know about holiness, and worship, and the anointing of God on ministry.

Jonah, where art thou?

Simon Peter warmed himself by a distant fire.

He had so disappointed his Master that he had no confidence at all in himself or in his relationship with Jesus.

Luke 22:54-62 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

The bitter tears that Peter wept were not from the harsh words of Jesus, but from his own troubled soul. He knew he had made a terrible mistake. What he wasn’t sure about was whether or not the mistake was fatal. Finally, Simon Peter came to his senses and found his way back into the arms of Christ. He discovered that the persistent questioning of God, the inner voice that would not keep silent, was not a voice of condemnation but of reconciliation.

Peter, where art thou?

And, so, what is your answer tonight? Where are you?

I am…
In fear.
In rebellion.
In full flight from God.
In chaos.
In trouble.
In denial.
In pain.
In loneliness.
In an entanglement with the world.
In alcohol and drugs.
In anger.
In bitterness.
Away from the peace and assurance of God.

I am in wilderness of guilt, I am in the cave of despair, I am in a ship to Tarshish, I am trying to get warm by a distant fire.

Wherever you are, the voice of God calls after you. It is a pleading voice, reasoning with you to restore you to a right relationship with God.

Finally, let’s answer the question with a question. If God asks “Where art thou,” let’s ask him “Why? Why do you want to know where I am?”
God wants to know where you are so he can come to you. He has come to seek and save that which is lost.  When he finds you, he wants to take you where he is. “If I come, I will receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also.”

Tell him where you are.
You’ll be glad you did.

Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Alternate endings - What’s Hot - alternate endings are favorite of DVD fans.

If you didn’t like the ending of a movie you just saw, just wait a few months to find the closure you’re looking for on DVD. Alternate endings have become a favorite of DVD fans, and the studios are making them a standard part of bonus footage.

As of 2002, companies like Paramount Home Entertainment are altering the original ending of films that were dumped after a poor screening. “When they tested the film with the ending that was originally in the script, the audience just hated it, so they shot a new one,” said Paramount spokesman Martin Blythe.

“So the DVD will include the ending that films were supposed to have.” Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment pushed the envelope in March when it released a thriller on DVD with four alternate endings. Not satisfied to tack on a new closing scene to wrap things up, Fox included a new ending that’s 29 minutes long.

Alternate endings usually are reserved for thrillers with surprise twists, but now they’re showing up in just about every genre. A recent poll conducted by Blockbuster Entertainment showed even classic films could use a new closing scene. When asked which film they’d like to see with a new ending, 59% of respondents chose “Casablanca.” COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

Alternate or alternative endings have fascinated people for centuries.

What if…the hero would have died? Or, lived?
What if the guy and the girl at the end of the story had gotten married? Or, not?
Or married the other person?

Endless scenarios have been spun to speculate on the outcome if one or two events had been changed. Any change in the plot would affect the entire outcome of the story.

• In the “Tale of Two Cities,” what if Sydney Carton would have escaped his executioner at the end of the story and married Lucie Manette?
• In “Gone with the Wind,” what if Scarlett O’Hara would have married Rhett Butler?
• What if Sam-I-Am would have eaten green eggs and ham the very first time he was asked? Either there wouldn’t have been much of a story or else he might have gotten sick and died over eating green eggs!

But all these are fictional characters. All of us wish for alternate endings for real life characters.

People from my generation remember a star baseball player named Denny McClain. McClain was the last major league pitcher to win over thirty games. He went 31-5 for the Detroit Tigers in 1968, the year that the Tigers won the American League pennant and the World Series. He was twenty-four years old.

Sometime during his wildly successful career, he started gambling and got mixed up with the world of crime. His pro career spun out of control. At twenty-eight, he pitched his last professional game. In the years since then, he has been in and out of prison, and ended up losing almost everything he had.

Anybody remember an Ohio State football star named Maurice Clarett?

“Clarett starred at Ohio State for one season, rushing for 1,237 yards (a school record for a freshman) and scoring 18 touchdowns, which helped the Buckeyes to a 14-0 record and the 2002 BCS National Championship. He scored the winning touchdown against the University of Miami with a five-yard run in the second overtime in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl (played January 3, 2003). Clarett was the first freshman to be the leading rusher on a national championship team since Herschel Walker of the University of Georgia in 1980.”

Today, this same Maurice Clarett who sat atop the world of college and professional football, and could be an NFL sensation in the current season, is incarcerated for a host of minor offenses like concealed carrying, resisting arrest and so on. Rumor has it that he is serving his time at CCNO.

In the Bible, we can engage in similar guesswork about people and happenings.

• What if Abraham had actually slain Isaac on the altar?
• What if Esau had not sold his birthrite?
• What if Isaac had refused to be fooled by Jacob’s deceit?
• What if Joseph’s brothers had not sold him into slavery?
• What if Samson had not told Delilah the secret of his strength?
• What if Goliath would have killed David?
• What if…? What if? It intrigues us all, even though it seems to be a pointless exercise.

In fact, the Bible itself engages in some alternate endings.

Queen Esther: During the time when Israel was held in captivity by the Medo-Persian empire, a man named Haman plotted to massacre all the Jews. Mordecai, a servant to the king, heard about Haman’s plans. He went to his niece, Esther, the Queen, to put a stop to it. Esther was a Jewish woman, but she had hidden her race from the king.

Mordecai told Esther what she had to do. She had to go in before the king, without an official invitation, and plead the cause of her people. But her bold move might very well end in her death. She had to make a life or death decision.

Esther had an opportunity to take a completely different route than the one she chose. She could have refused to intervene on the part of the Jews and saved her life.

Esther 4:13-14 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this.

The fact is that if Esther had not stepped forward to go to the king, God would have found another way to deliver Israel.

We might speculate on who God would use or how he would bring it about, but the bedrock truth is that God would have delivered Israel by some means, regardless of the strategy.

Solomon wrote, “To everything there is a season; and a time to every purpose under heaven. Therefore withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.”

“There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows, and in miseries.

SHAKESPEARE (from Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

There are some things that we cannot speculate upon.

We cannot speculate on the vast redemption story of the Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world. The force of Bible prophecy held Jesus in its foreordained grip to bring about the only plan of salvation possible for mankind.

We cannot say, What if Jesus had refused to drink the cup?
We cannot say, What if Pilate would have refused to turn Jesus over to the Jews?
We cannot say, What if Judas had not sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
We cannot say, What if Jesus had died before he went to the cross?

All of these details of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ were set in Bible prophecy before there was ever a Mary or Joseph or a Bethlehem or a star.

The moment Adam and Eve sinned against God, the power of the Logos came into force.
Understand that the heart of God was utterly devoid of mercy for the fallen angels.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

But God loved man. There was always a plan for man’s redemption. Nothing stopped it. Nothing can stop it. Nothing will stop it.

Paul considers an alternate ending when writing about the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:13 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

But Paul assures the Corinthians that there is no alternate ending.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

There is no alternate ending to the existence and the ultimate triumph of the church.

God will have a church.

Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Eph 5:25-27 Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The church is foreordained to succeed. The clincher is found in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 5:9-12 “ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

There are alternate endings, however, that you and I need to consider in our lives.

Why? Because each of us needs to know that the decisions an individual makes concerning his or her soul and relationship to God are not set in stone.

The church may be predestined to succeed, but you are not. Your salvation, and mine, are predicated upon our relationship to the church!

The rich, young ruler.

Matthew 19:16-22 “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” KJV

This rich, young ruler could have had an alternate ending.
Let’s freeze frame the moment when this young man heard the saying of Jesus.
We could remove that ending and leave it on the cutting room floor.
Let’s have him say something entirely different. Something like…

“Rabbi, you are right. I have become obsessed with my riches and vast holdings. My possessions possess me instead of the other way around. I don’t want to be a prisoner to things any longer. I want to be set free.”

But, he walked away sorrowful. He walked away from peace, joy and fulfillment. He walked away from an eternity with God.

The man given one talent. He could have had an alternate ending.

The man called Judas. He could have had an alternate ending.

Acts 1:16-20 “ Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”

There are those of you here today who were looking at a very different ending than the one you wanted.

Jack Leazier. The doctors had his story all written out.  He was going to die.  But God rewrote the ending.
Clarence Condon. The doctors were in disarray and had written a depressing ending.  But God said, “I don’t like the way your story ends. I’ve got a better idea!”
Tom Whitmore. Headed for a tragic ending of drug addiction, crime, prison, death. But God said, “I’m tearing up that ending and writing one that will bring glory to me!”

What about you?

How is your story line progressing?
Do you think it is set in stone? Does the ending seem inevitable?
You don’t have to end up in jail, the divorce courts, a wilderness of rejection and fear. You don’t have to die lonely, racked with emotional pain and shattered dreams.
God has an alternate ending written for every person, according to his will.

1 Cor 6:9-12

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

But God will do nothing against your will. You are not a fictional character that he can cross out and forget about. You have to be a willing participant in the story change.

Acts 2:38

Repentance: “I don’t like the way my story is going to end. I want to change.”
Baptism: “I need to have my past re-written to take away all my sins.”
Holy Ghost: “I need God’s power in my life to keep me going the right way.”