The Wonder that is God
Junior Level

The lesson for this week is a bit different than usual lessons.  It was on my heart yet again to speak mainly to those who have not yet believed and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.  Perhaps you are reading today and you are saved but you know someone who is not, I hope that all reading, believers and non believers alike will with open hearts think about what is at stake here.  We as believers have a duty to tell those who have not believed, the good news of the gospel.  We are to proclaim it near and far.  Christ is our Redeemer and we are to be a light to the world so that others will believe and become part of the family of God before it’s ever lasting too late.

Handout:  The Wonder that is God
Teacher's Guide:  The Wonder that is God

As I begin to write this, first I want to address something with those of us who are already believers and who have accepted Christ.  As I mentioned before, we are the light of the world.  Christ left us here to be that light in darkness so that others would be drawn to Him and be saved.  Sometimes we can forget why we are here and everyday cares of life can weigh us down so that we sometimes can be overwhelmed with worry or troubles and we forget that we are not of the world but we are in it.  If we are not very careful we can forget that life here is but a short time, and we are not meant to be on the planet earth forever.  We are placed here to do the will of the Father and to live in the joy that is Christ so that others will see Him in us and will believe and receive Him as Lord. 

We must remember the joy and the Wonder that is God and to know that He changes not.  No matter what we are dealing with, His grace is sufficient for us and He is in control.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Our Father is AWESOME.  When we can live in that truth we will never lose the Wonder of Him and the joy of our Salvation!

I recently heard a lesson by Beth Moore and she said this and I have to share it with you because it is so wonderful!  She said, Ours is a God where trees clap hands, where waters part, donkeys talk dead men rise up and walk.  Where the sky is filled with chariots and God's voice sounds like thunders. Where the lightening has to check back in with Him and say here I am.  Where rocks cry out if we do not, and devils are dragons.  Where grooms really do come for brides on white horses called faithful and true!  Wow!  Do not lose the wonder of God and of Christ!

Dear Believer, today if you are discouraged, if you have lost that wonder that is in Christ, there is hope!  You can renew that closeness and the joy that you once had in Christ. 

Psalm 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

Sometimes believers who have been walking with Christ for a number of years with cares of everyday life and with burdens that come, can forget the wonder that is Christ.  We have to remember that childlike faith.  Yes we can ask questions and we can search things out but it comes down to the faith of a child to take God at His word and believe what He has said is and will come to pass.  Without that faith it is impossible to please God. 

Matthew 18:2-5 “And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

So what about those who do not believe in God at all, or who is struggling to believe?

In the past few years I have come across several people who question the existence of God.  One young person in particular comes to mind.   The thing that is so hard for humans sometimes to understand is that the logic of God is nothing like our logic. He knows all, sees all, hears all, and He has foreknowledge therefore the things He does is based on what He knows even when we can't understand it.

Can you logically prove there is a God I've been asked many times, my answer is no I cannot, but it does not mean that He doesn't exist. Can you logically prove there isn't a God? Something created the earth and the universe.  Faith is vital. We cannot say who created God.  God has no creator, He just is.  He says I am.  God  lives in eternal present.  Time is not an issue with God.  The Bible says, In the Beginning God.  We believe it. We who have accepted Christ into our hearts as our Savior, we know it's real, because He has made Himself known to us, we feel His Holy Spirit living inside of us. The thing that God wants from human beings is for us to fully trust Him so therefore we believe by faith first and we see later. With human logic however, we desire to see first then to believe. What reward is there in that?  It's not faith.

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Why did God create humans with free will of choice? Why didn’t He just create us to be good naturally?  God wanted family.  He wanted children who would love him by their own choice.   He loves the human race with such love that He sent Himself to die for us.  He sent His only begotten Son Jesus so that you and I could have a way because even if we are good morally, we were born under the curse of sin so that makes us unworthy.  There is  nothing we can do to fix that except believe and accept Christ so that His righteousness can be imputed into us and that pleases God. What is not logical to man is what works with God. By being His servant, we are free.  By dying to sin, we begin to live, how can these things be? Believers know this because we have experienced it believing with the  mind and the heart first, confessing with the mouth and then feeling God’s presence as we daily walk with Christ. 

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

It's a hard thing to convince a nice person that they are sinful and in need of forgiveness. No matter how good a person can be on their own, it could never add up or measure up, not even close to the standard of righteousness God has to live by. He will not tolerate anything or even look at unrighteousness...that is why when we accept Jesus, the blood is applied to us and we are cleansed from a unrighteousness and therefore when God the Father looks on us...He doesn't see our sinful flesh, but He sees His Son Jesus and His righteousness and therefore His wrath turns one way and His blessings come our way.

Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Humans tend to compare themselves with each other and think that we are “not so bad.”  What we have to do is compare our righteous to that of God’s and we see how unrighteous we really are on our own merits. 

Proverbs 24:9 “The thought of foolishness is sin:”

Even things that humans don't consider sin is wrong, the bible says the very thought of foolishness is sin, to do good and do it not is sin, love your neighbor as yourself, if a man looks at a woman and lusts for her then he has committed adultery in his heart, same for women too, bad thoughts are sin, whatsoever is not of faith is sin, so many things we do lying, complaining, fussing, fighting, arguing, etc., it's not of God.

Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

For those who do not believe in God and in Christ.  Let us for a moment suppose you're right.  Lets suppose that believers are wrong and you are good enough on your own and you don't need Christ to be your Savior and God doesn't exist or He only expects you to be nice person.  Suppose you're right, ok, we live life and then we die and that is it.  A believer will have lived a life for Christ, and tried to be what God wanted and you would live a morally good life.  Both die and that’s the end.  Nothing lost.

However…

What if you're wrong? What if the Bible is right, and it is.  The believer will have lived a life for Christ, accepting Him in to the heart by faith and being born again and will reap all that God has promised to those who are in Christ Jesus, but you, where will that leave you?  According to the Bible those who do not accept Christ will have to live eternally without Him in a lake that burns with fire for eternity.

Revelations 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And whosever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

If you are reading this, and you really don't understand and you want the truth, then why not open your mind and your heart and allow God to bring you to the truth. I love you and I pray that you will find peace and that God will bring you lovingly into His truth.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Dear one, let me assure you that there is more to life than just the planet earth.  God is real and He is amazing.  He loves you more than you can even imagine.  He longs to draw you close to Himself and to be Lord of your life.  It is my prayer today that you open your heart to Christ and let Him be your savior, the lover of your soul.  Open your heart to the Wonder that is Christ and let Him be to you…life and peace and joy.  Let Him be your all!  Thank You LORD!

Dear Righteous Heavenly Father…

I come before You again today thanking You who You are and all that You do.  Thank You Father that You are always in control.  Father, today I ask that You encourage Your children and if there is any that has lost the joy of salvation, and forgotten the Wonder that You are, help them to rediscover You and the thrill of being Your child. Lord help us to draw closer to You so that we never forget just who You are.  Father today I ask if there is any reading that does not believe, that You send Your Holy Spirit to deal with their hearts.  Father help them to feel Your love and know that You long to fill the empty places in their hearts that only You can fill.  Lord make Satan loosen his grip on their minds and hearts so that they can believe in You and truth.  Thank You for watching over us and caring for us and for loving us.  Thank You for forgiving us and always being in control of our lives.  Help us to serve You and be a light in the dark so that others will come to You.  In the lovely name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.

~*Cindygirl*~
November 15, 2009