BASES COVERED?

Seems like I should wait for baseball season to bring this up, but it is on my mind now, so…

In the past few years I have been privileged to take several close looks at the life of Abraham, the man God chose to lead the way for people to follow the One True God.  We know that the fact of one and only one true God was not new with Abraham, but God does not tell us much about what was happening on His behalf at this time.  We do know that Abraham and his extended family and the multitudes of people who lived in the area and made up the community were worshipers of multiple gods. They had their BASES COVERED, just in case.  How many even remembered the God of Adam and Eve, Seth, Enoch and Noah is not clearly seen at this point. So my question is, “From whence came Abrams faith?”   (Don’t you love some of the Kings English?)

When I first answered this question for myself, I concluded that he got his faith from God, in a face to face meeting.  I also concluded that we all get our faith the same way.  There is no other way.

The other night at our study of Matthew, Jesus was speaking of the narrow Gate (chapter 7), and as we discussed what this meant and how narrow the Gate is, it occurred to me that the Gate is as narrow as Jesus face.  “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,”  “I am the Gate.”  The only way to the Kingdom, Heaven, God Himself, is through a face to face meeting with Jesus Christ.

That being true, we need to realize that the world does not want to know that.  They want to believe that “all roads lead to Heaven” and saying otherwise is selfish and cruel.  Thus, the encouraged shunning of Christians and their faith.  “All people will get to heaven somehow,” is the creed of the day. 

How grateful are we that we can KNOW OUR BASES ARE COVERED through our face to face meeting with Christ?  How simple is it to stick to our faith and testify to the truth that without a face to face encounter with God, a future in heaven with all its rewards is absolutely impossible?  Okay, it may be simple, but it isn’t always easy.  Perhaps we should spend more time looking at that beautiful face while reading and praying and even talking, so that what we pass on is buoyed by His very presence in front of us. 

That beautiful [face], that beautiful [face] from sin has power to free us!

That beautiful [face}, that wonderful [face], that matchless [face] is Jesus!*

I encourage you to reach out and touch that face with wonder and awe as you walk daily with Him.

*Hymn, “That Beautiful Name.”