Where Are You?

Bible

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

As the creator of the heavens and of the earth, God is sovereign ruler over all  His creation–the original bringing into existence of the universe by God.

When God asked Adam, “Where are you?”  God knew precisely where Adam was.  God knows everything, nothing is hidden from Him (adjective: He is present everywhere at the same time: the omnipresent God).  God was asking Adam to force Adam to acknowledge his situation, his relationship with God, his now fallen condition–he had just sinned from disobedience affecting everything about him, his family, and for all generations to come–his today and all his tomorrows.

Examining three facets  in our relationship to the Lord, Where You Are, Where You Are Going, and finally reaching Here I Am:

1.  Where You Are:

• And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward… (Genesis 13:14)

Look around you.  Take stock of your current situation with the Lord.  Are you placing enough value into what He is saying?  Are you following Him with all your strength, all of your might? Do you have a set time and place to worship Him daily? Are you reading your bible daily to get to know His way, His will for your life?

2.  Where are you going?

• And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing… (Genesis 16:8)

• ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going?  (Genesis 32:17)

Like Hagar, are your circumstances in such a way that you are running from God by not following His lead?  Are you committed to God that you have the full understanding of what God is doing in your life to further you deeper into a fruitful relationship with Him? Do you have purpose to change your ways to His ways?

Are you like Martha?  “But Martha was distracted with much serving,” (Luke 10:40) so much so that the Lord states:

Diego Velázquez – Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (1618) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41)

Or have you chosen Jesus, like Mary who “has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

3.   Here I Am:

• Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Genesis 22:22)

Are you so committed with passion for the Lord that you have chosen wisely and can say with all humility and honesty, “Lord, Here I Am,” when He calls you?

Are you embedded into a rich, trustful,  relationship with the Lord that when things don’t go the way you intended, you dwell in the Lord to help you get through the situation and accept “that which I cannot change?”

Can you praise and worship freely, willingly to the Lord for all that He has done?  Where are you?

• [ Joy in the Fellowship of God ] A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

Hosanna In The Highest

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SeashoreMary

Abide In Me, Corpus Christi Website Designs, YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary, Christianchirp, Twitter

Gift Him Your Heartbeats

Gift Him Your Heartbeats

by

SeashoreMary

Adoration of the Magi, Andrea Mantegna c. 1500

• And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

So here it is Christmas, the day that the Christians celebrate the birth of  the Lord Jesus Christ.  We Christians pretty well understand that this day December 25, isn’t the exact date of birth, but it’s been designated as an official day of celebration.

Father God gifted the world with his son Jesus Christ when He chose the Virgin Mary to give birth to His chosen one, the Savior of the Word, to redeem mankind from their sins:

• For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

The first official offering of a human to God is by the patriarch,  Abraham, when he was instructed by God to do so:

• Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:2)

Father God was teaching Abraham to give so that His principle of reciprocity could be enacted (to give to receive back from God–with God multiplying the return).

By Father God giving Jesus Christ to save mankind, He automatically generated His own principle–to receive man back to himself, multiplied!

Father God was planting (to put or set in the ground for growth, as a seed), to receive a harvest–man.

This giving principle is also known as sowing and reaping as seen below:

• Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. (Genesis 26:12);
• That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. (Lev 25:11);
• ‘This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, And in the second year what springs from the same; Also in the third year sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. (2 Kings 19:29;
• Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. (Job 4:8);
• Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. (Psalm 126:5)
• He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. (Proverbs 22:8);
• He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Ecc 11:4);

Because of sin, God is the only person who will block the harvest as seen here:

• They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.” (Jere 12:13)

Restore yourself, turn from your sins, and God will reactivate your harvest:

• Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)

Jesus said regarding giving and receiving (sowing and reaping):

• But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2 Cor 9:6);
• Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Gal 6:7);
• For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Gal 6:8)

By Jesus Christ giving up His life, we received salvation and He receives all those who want Him voluntarily.

Gift Him your heartbeats, give Him you.  Give Him and Honor Him of your worth, your family, your health, your finances.  Gift Him your skills, your talents, live to give to serve the Lord, so that you can receive back in a multiplied manner.

• Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

• My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. (1 Samuel 2:1)

• A man’s gift makes room for Him, And brings Him before great men.  (Proverbs 18:16)

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SeashoreMary

Abide In Me

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Se7en

The number seven is listed approximately 600 times in the Christian Holy Bible.

Obviously Father God believes this number is significant.  He used it many times either through dreams, declaring blessings and curses, giving offerings, using angels to deliver messages, sending plagues and more, all involving the number seven. I believe this number represents perfect completion.

As you scan the passages in scripture, a definite distinct pattern develops.  We serve a God of infinite design and numbers are no less important when the Master Author of  Design speaks.

Below are passages reflecting the number seven:

As a blessing:

• In Genesis 2:2:  On the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work He had done.
• Genesis 2:3:  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…

As in a curse:

• Genesis 4:15:  …”Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.”
• Genesis 4:24:  If  Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-seven fold.
• Matthew 12:45:  ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
• Luke 8:2:  and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,

As in  length of  days:

• Genesis 5:7:  After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years…
• Genesis 5:12:  Cainan lived seventy years…
• Genesis 11:21:  After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years and begot sons and daughters.
• Genesis 11:26:  Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram,  Nahor, and Haran.
• Genesis 12:4  So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot went with him.  And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
• Genesis 23:1:  Sarah lived one hundred twenty seven years.
• Genesis 25:7: This is the sum of the years of Abraham‘s life, which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
• Psalm 90:10:  The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength, they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

As a servitude:

• Genesis 29:18:  Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said,  “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.
• Genesis 29:20:  So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
• Genesis 29:27:  ²⁷ Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” ²⁸Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.³⁰ Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

As in an offering to establish a covenant:

• Genesis 21:27-30:  ²⁷ So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. ²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.²⁹ Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”³⁰ And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”

The number seven is seen consistently in the great flood, requiring Noah to build the ark and fill it with animals to refill the earth:

• Genesis 7:2-3,9:  You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female, also seven each of birds of the air, male and female to keep the species alive on the earth.  9 Two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
• Genesis 7:10,11,12:  And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood, were on the earth.  ll In the sixth hundred year of Noah’s life, of  the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened.  12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
• Genesis 8:4:  Then the ark rested on the seventh month, on the mountains of Ararat.
• Genesis 8:10:  And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark.
• Genesis 8:12:  So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove which did not return again to him anymore.
• Genesis 8:14:  And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.

As in the number seven in a dream:

• Genesis 41:1-4:  ¹ Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. ² Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine-looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. ³ Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. ⁴ And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine-looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.
• Genesis 41: 5-7:  ⁵ He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. ⁶ Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. ⁷ And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.

As in the dream interpreted by Joseph:

• Genesis  41: 25-32:  Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. ²⁷ And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. ²⁸ This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹ Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; ³⁰ but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. ³¹ So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. ³² And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

As in Defeating Your Enemy and the Enemy Defeating You:

• Deuteronomy 28:7:  “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
• Deuteronomy 28:25:  “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

As in the Battle of Jericho:

• Joshua 6:2-5:   ² And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. ³ You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. ⁴ And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
• Joshua 6:6-9:  ⁶ Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” ⁷ And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.” ⁸ So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. ⁹ The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.
• Joshua 6:15-16: ¹⁵ But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!

As in Forgiveness:

• Luke 17:3-4:  ³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

As in Psalm 12:6:

⁶ The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.

As in Proverbs 24:16:

¹⁶ For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

As in the Book of Revelation:

• seven churches in Asia
• seven spirits of the Lord
• seven golden lampstands
• mystery of the seven stars
• sealed with seven seals
• seven horns, seven eyes (the lamb, which are the seven spirits of  God)
• seven trumpets
• seven angels
• seven thunders uttered their voices
• seven thousand people were killed
• seven diadems on his head
• seven heads and ten horns (the beast)
• seven plagues
• seven golden bowls (full of God’s wrath)
• seven heads are seven mountains
• seven kings

Obviously the number seven is also symbolic and  prophetic.  It has immeasurable value when applied in the bible.

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SeashoreMary

Abide In Me

CorpusChristiWebsiteDesigns

YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary

Christianchirp