An Emoji Devotional for Wed 28th February, 2023
Topic: Why should I become a follower of Jeshuah Hamashiah? (Jesus Christ)
In the beginning created God heaven and earth and started a time-flow. The earth was at that time totally dark, without form and void. So God called light into it and called the light day and the darkness he called night. “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5b) God goes then on with creation as you can read it in Genesis 1:6 and following verses. On the sixth day, after God had created several animals, God said: ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26 – 27) In Genesis 2:7 God gives us some details about the creation of man: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” In the Hebrew text now, it does not say “the breath of life”, but the “breath of lives.” That breath has given man a threefold life. Firstly the life that connected him to God and eternity and enabled him to live in the presence of God, secondly a spiritual life that gave him his own personality and thirdly the biological life like the one God has given to the animals and to all living creatures. The first life gave them glory and radiance and made them King and Queen over the whole creation.
In the garden God has created as the palace of their reign, there was only one tree that was not under their dominion. God warned Adam, telling him that if they were to eat from that tree, they would die. The devil tempted Eve in the form of a serpent and explained to her, that God did not inform them well. The fruit would not bring death, but rather a higher knowledge about good and evil that would make them like God. Although they had perfect living conditions and free access to God, they did not go to discuss the ideas of the serpent with God. They grew suspicious about him and eventually trusted the serpent more than the Creator. Both of them ate from the fruit of the tree and immediately they died and lost their eternal life. It became visible for them as they instantly lost their heavenly radiance and they found themselves naked and full of shame. They felt compelled to hide. The Bible tells in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because we all have sinned in Adam and Eve, death came through to everybody, but in Christ Jesus everybody has the chance to regain the life, lost in Paradise. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous. The bible tells us that the second life of man, his personality, does not die, but will eventually bow before God and be judged by him according to his or her deeds. “Then (after death) shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2. Corinthians 5:10)Adam and Eve lost their heavenly clothing and realized their nakedness, now they began to look to each other like bloodsuckers who desperately need a host to nourish them. As both now had their individual knowledge for good and evil, they ended up sucking on each other because there was no satisfying host available to suck on. They began to blame each other and produced all the human vices as they are mentioned in Galatians 5:19 – 21: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” They had to leave the garden so that they could not eat from the tree of life, which would have perpetuated the abominable situation. Mankind before the great flood deteriorated incredibly. The Bible tells us: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them.’” The Flood was, however, not the end of mankind. God saved many animals and eight people in the arc of Noah. Later he called Abraham and eventually the people of Israel and made clear that in the end he wants to save as many people as are willing to accept his invitation in Jesus Christ.
He came as a man to us, lived with us a perfect, sinless, live and died for us on the cross. With that he redeemed us with the Father and gave us the possibility to get saved in him. He calls us today, telling us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30) ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.’ (John 14:6) “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 14, 37)
He made clear that he will return to his church in the last days, which will be very similar to the times of Noah. The Apostle Paul tells us in his epistle to Titus how he and his fellow disciples have been invited into the new arc in Jesus Christ: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3 – 7)
You are invited to come to Christ. He does not reject anyone, who comes to him. He is your only chance to regain the life we all have lost through the sin in Paradise and through our personal sins. Jesus is ready to accept you – do not miss out on securing your eternal happiness.
Prayer: Christ I'm ready to come home to the right family and level where my senses should function as someone enlightened and redeemed. Please accept me first as I accept you into my Spirit. Take possession of me and lead my soul to your eternal life where I will live to glorify my God. In Jesus name. amen.
