Thoughts From Pastor Bill Cummins

“Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldst come down...”

Isaiah 64:1

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

            After the creation period was completed God told the man and the woman that they could, “have dominion over all creation.”(Genesis 1:28)  Man had dominion (rule) over all creation but he wasn’t able to rule himself, and since he rebelled against God’s rule, everything became unruly. ( Genesis 6:5) 

. Animals attacked one another; men quarreled and fought among themselves;the gentle breezes became storms ;weeds grew in their gardens and the devil must have rejoiced.

            Mankind has written a long history of rebellion and failure but there were some who could see a solution and they begin to pray for God to take a more direct intervention into the affairs of men. It is recorded in the above Scripture that they asked God to “rend the heavens and come down.” In God’s time that is exactly what He did. Mark is recording what he saw at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan and he said , “...he saw the heavens torn open... (Mark 1:10 Amp.N.T.)  “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (v.11)

            God did “rend the heavens” and spoke His approval of the Lord Jesus who “came down” to be actively at work in the earth. Isaiah had also said that when God came down He would, “...preach good tidings unto the meek; bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,...” (Isaiah 61:1)

            Jesus came doing all of those things, not to prove that He was God but because He is “God Who Came Down” and God does those kinds of things.

            He was not welcomed by some people then, (John 1:10,11) (Isaiah 53:3) and He is not welcomed by some now but His intervention is the only hope for a world addicted to violence.

            Jesus is God’s last word to a world in trouble and what he says is what he will do. What men say and what men do, do not always bear much family resemblance. We have just completed a study of the book of Daniel and  Ch. 11:27 records a meeting of two rulers, probably Egyptian and Syrian. It reads like this “As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table.” (An ancient U.N. meeting, perhaps?)

            Our hope and confidence is not in the U.N. , E.U , N.A.T.O.  or any other  organization or assembly. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ and He will have the final word.  

THOUGHTS From Pastor Bill Cummins, daily email August 18, 2012