FINDING GOD.

NO! GOD IS NOT LOST!. HE NEVER HAS BEEN. FURTHERMORE, MAN DOES NOT FIND GOD. THE REVERSE IS TRUE--- GOD FINDS MAN. IT IS ALWAYS THAT WAY BETWEEN GOD AND MAN,  GOD IS ALWAYS "THE HOUND OF HEAVEN" WHO SEARCHES, FOR  MAN,  TO RESTORE FELLOWSHIP. WITH HIM ONCE AGAIN, GENESIS 3:8,9; LUKE 15:1-10. MANY THINK OF GOD AS SOMEONE FAR OFF AMONG THE STARS--SOME ONE TO BE SOUGHT THROUGH THE LENS OF TELESCOPE, INDEED, GOD'S FOOTPRINTS ARE VISIBLE ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE, AND THEY CAN BE SEEN THROUGH TELESCOPE OR A MICROSCOPE . HOWEVER, HE DOES NOT RESIDE IN ANY PARTICULAR CORNER OF OUTER SPACE; HE FILLS THE UNIVERSE. NONE OF US NEEDS TO TRAVEL TO LOOK FOR HIM., FOR HE IS PRESENT WHEREVER WE ARE, AND KNOWS US THROUGH AND THROUGH, PSALM 139:1-18, LUKE 12:6,7. GOD'S FOOTPRINT THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE POINT,  FOR EXAMPLE, TO HIS POWER, HIS WISDOM, HIS KNOWLEDGE, AND HIS CONCERN FOR DESIGN AND ORDER. AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN NATURE OCCASIONALLY BARES HER TEETH ON LITTLE PLANET EARTH, THE RESULTS CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE MINDS OF SOME.---- ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS UNDER OBLIGATION TO GUARANTEE THEM HEALTH, WEALTH, SECURITY AND PLEASANT LIVING CONDITIONS. GOD IS CLOSE. HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT US AND HE CARES. HOWEVER, MANY FEEL HE IS VERY DISTANT FROM THEM. THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HIM, BUT HOW DO HUMANS MAKE CONTACT WITH AN INVISIBLE GOD? HOW CAN THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT HE IS LIKE?  THE SIZE OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THE NUMBER OF SUNS, PLANETS AND STARS WITH IN IT BOGGLES THE MIND.
 HUMANS ARE S SMALL! HOWEVER, THE BIBLE INSISTS THAT THE GOD WHO MADE AND FILLS THIS VAST UNIVERSE HAS MADE THIS SMALL, FRAGILE PLANET ON WHICH WE LIVE THE SPECIAL STAGE FOR HIS ACTIVITIES, ISAIAH 45;12, 18.
GOD, THEN, HAS LEFT HIS FOOTPRINTS NOT ONLY ALL OVER CREATION, BUT THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY AS WELL. THE BIBLE REVEALS THE RECORD OF HIS FOOTPRINTS IN HISTORY SO WE EXAMINE THEM FOR OURSELVES AND THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THEIR MESSAGE TO US; GOD DOES NOT SHOW US, FOR HE WANTS US TO. ASK SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AS THE "DIVINE DRAMA" IN YOUR LIFE  IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. THE SETTING IS THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST.  THE SCRIPT (THE BIBLE) RUNS THE EVENT BEFORE OUR EYES. THE  EVENTS TAKES PLACE IN TWO ACTS, THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. THE PLOT IS CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT. TO THE LEFT OF THE STAGE IS Mt. SINAI, COMPLETE AS IS DESCRIBED IN EXODUS 19. THERE DEPICTS THE COVENANT THAT GOD MADE WITH ISRAEL AT SINAI. TO THE RIGHT OF THE STAGE OVERSEEING EVERYTHING, IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. LET'S LOOK AT THE HIGH POINTS IN GOD'S DEALINGS WITH ISRAEL. THE TWO HIGH POINTS WERE THE EXODUS/ SINAI EVENT, AND THE MINISTRY AND MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST.  AFTER GOD RESCUED HIS PEOPLE FROM EGYPT IN THE EXODUS EVENT, THAT LED THEM TO SINAI.  THOUGH HE DESCENDED TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, HE DID NOT ASCEND AFTER THE EVENT. HE TOOK UP PERMANENT RESIDENCE AMONG HIS PEOPLE IN THE TABERNACLE. WHAT FOLLOWS IN THE O.T. IS THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE----LIVING  AROUND THE PRESENCE OF GOD HIMSELF. THE LAW CODES GOD GAVE ISRAEL AT SINAI WERE NOT DESIGNED TO TEACH HER HOW TO "BECOME" HIS PEOPLE---- THEY ALREADY WERE THAT.  RATHER THEY WERE GIVEN AS GUIDELINES  TO SHOW ISRAEL HOW TO COPY THE BEHAVIOR OF GOD IN WHOSE PRESENCE SHE LIVED AND TOOK UP RESIDENCE AMONG THEM IN THE TABERNACLE, ENTERED INTO FLESH TO DWELL AMONG THEM IN THE FLESH AND BLOOD PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST. IN HIM GOD "TENTED"  AMONG THEM IN A HUMAN PERSON-----AND STILL DOES (JOHN 1:14). THE NEW TESTAMENT SPEAKS OF THE SAVING EVENT OF JESUS' LIFE, DEATH,, AND RESURRECTION AS AN "EXODUS;" THE WORD IN LUKE (9:31) WHICH THE RSV TRANLATES AS "DEPARTURE" IS REALLY"EXODUS."  GOD DWELLS AMONG HIS PEOPLE TO INSPIRE THEM TO COPY HIS BEHAVIOR IN DEALING WITH EACH OTHER. WE TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER. THE BABYLONIANS BELIEVED HISTORY HAD A BEGINNING AND REPEATS ITSELF EVERY 3,6OO YEARS. GOD HAS BEEN INVOLVED THROUGH ALL HISTORY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
 THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME AND TROUBLE TO MINE THE DEPTHS OF GOD'S WORD FIND THEMSELVES BREATHING SUBLIME, INVIGORATING AIR INDEED. THEY FIND WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO THEM IS A THING OF JOY. HOWEVER, THIS JOY IS NOT TO BE EXPERIENCED IN ISOLATION, BUT IN COMMUNITY WITH OTHERS. GOD HAS REDEEMED PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE TO THEMSELVES TO LIVE IN JOYOUS MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND OTHER PEOPLE. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PRIVATE CHRISTIANITY. EITHER THE PRIVACY DESTROYS CHRISTIANITY, OR CHRISTIANITY DESTROYS THE PRIVACY