So my dog woke me up as she often rz at least once or twice every night so that she can go outside. In the process of doing so, I felt a specific leading to make note of the time, 3:21 AM. I almost immediately noticed that the syntax of time looked very familiar to something else. Specifically, it looks like a reference to a chapter and verse from Bible scriptures. I did not know where exactly it was going to take me, but my next step was to begin looking at all the passages from the different books that have a Chapter 3 and verse 21. What it didn’t take long to realize is there is actually a theme that runs through almost every one of them. I hope that you read on and follow along with me on this journey. That being said, rather than them being in the order they appear in the scriptures, I have arranged the passages with landmarks along our way.

So, let’s get started and explore our first stop.

GOD’S CALL

Jeremiah 3:19-22

[19] “I myself said, “ ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. [20] But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord. [21] A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the Lord their God. [22] “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God.

While this passage is specifically speaking of Israel,  I believe the United States, while not His “Chosen People”, still have a special place in the heart of God. With that in mind please read the above bolded part of the passage again replacing Israel with the “ United States.” I have to be honest, reading and considering this passage from that perspective, almost brought me to tears. Take a close look at some of the statements made above –

•  ”How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’”– The Father wants and longs to bless us and our great nation. L
  
• “I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.” – With all that the He has done for and blessed us with over the last almost 250 years, who could have guessed that we as a country would not acknowledge Him as Father and Lord or that we would ever consider turning from Him and His ways, much less actually do so.
  
• “But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.” – We have turned and now serve many other gods, not the least of them, our own selfish and fleshly desires.
  
• “they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the Lord their God.” – Consider the state of the country and the many perverted and offensive activities that are not just considered acceptable, but many are celebrated. Based on our demonstrated behavior it would appear that we truly have “forgotten the Lord our God.”
  
• “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” – Despite our sin, our depravity, rebellion and out and out rejection of the Lord, He STILL Loves us, longs to be in relationship with us and promises, here as in so many other scriptures, that he will forgive and heal if and when we repent and return to him.

Revelation 3:19-22
[19]  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. [21]  To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Pulled from the letter to the Church at Laodicea, this passage is yet another declaration of the Lord’s love, grace towards us. First off, because of his great love for us, He does not want us to stay how we were, so He corrects and disciplines us. In the passages He goes on to make a heartfelt plea for us to hear His knock at our heart’s door as He calls out to us, answer and repent. Just as He did in the passage in Jeremiah,  He promises to forgive and come in and fellowship with us.

ALL HAVE SINNED

Romans 3:21-24
[21] But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. [22] This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

This passage and specifically verse 23 is well known and often quoted in almost every version of presenting the gospel. Yet again, it is a reminder that we have ALL sinned and fall short of what would be required to , saved and restored into a right relationship with our Heavenly Father of our own doing. Rather the only true path to this outcome is through the grace which he lovingly offers and by us professing our faith in Jesus.

DUTY TO WARN

Ezekiel 3:20-21
[20] “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. [21] But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

I actually found it quite interesting that this passage fell within these parameters. What I see here is a charge, a command even, from the Lord that we MUST share this message and warning of the just judgment that awaits us from a holy and righteous God if we do not hear and respond in humility and repentance. If we fail to declare this warning, then the blood of those who spend eternity separated from Him is on our hands. Thus we are not only responsible for our own personal response, but also to warn others to “get right.”

OUR APPROPRIATE RESPONSE

Lamentations 3:17-26 NIV
[17] I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. [18] So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” [19] I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. [20] I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. [21] Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: [22] Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24] I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” [25] The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; [26] it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

We have one and only one appropriate response to what the Lord is revealing to us – a humble and contrite confession of our sin. Yet, in our confession we remember that He and He alone is FAITHFUL and He will FORGIVE and CLEANSE us from ALL unrighteousness. We put our faith and hope COMPLETELY in Him! We give Him back what was already His, Our lives. He bought them at such a great price. This is our “reasonable act of service.”

WALK IN THE LIGHT

John 3:18-21
[18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. [19] This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. [21] But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Philippians 3:17-21
[17] Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. [18] For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

1 John 3:21-24
[21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us

You might ask, “How do we walk this out in the real world.” The way I understand it doing so is pretty straight forward. Will it be “easy?” Not always. “Walk in the light as He is in the light” In other words your life should be a reflection of The Light, Christ, that is living IN you. If He is in me then EVERYTHING I do I do in the sight of God. This walk will take discipline, but as we submit ourselves more and more to Him, He is about the work of transforming us “into His Image.” The more we spend time with Him the more alike Him we become. We become more of spirit residing in a body and less a body that contains a spirit.

SUFFERING FOR DOING GOOD

1 Peter 3:17-22
[17] For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. [18] For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. [19] After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— [20] to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, [21] and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22] who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

HE IS WITH US IN THE FIRE

Daniel 3:16-26
[16] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. [17] If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. [18] But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” [19] Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual [20] and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. [21] So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. [22] The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, [23] and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. [24] Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” [25] He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” [26] Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,

As I said earlier this walk will not always be easy. We will face trials, struggles and temptations. We WILL be mocked, mistreated and persecuted for our beliefs and for demonstrating His love and righteousness in a world that hates Him. If it hates Him, it will hate us, especially the more our lives actually resemble His. HOWEVER, we can be assured that no matter how difficult the situation or how hot the proverbial fire, He his ALWAYS with us and GREATER is HE that is IN us then he that is in the world.

PRAYER FOR BELIEVERS

Ephesians 3:14-21
[14] For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. [20] Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

Finally my dear friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord, I join with Paul and his prayer for the believers in Ephesus.

• I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
  • Blessed Father, I thank You that you have promised us the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that raised our Savior from the dead. We asked that you strengthen us in our innerman. We submit ourselves under you and all that we do is not by our power or might, but by Your Spirit.
• Faith
  • Lord we pray that you take the mustard seed that is our faith and cause it to grow into great and mighty tree. We declare that we place our hope, our trust and faith solely in You!
• being rooted and established in love, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge
  • Precious Daddy, I asked that you open our minds to comprehend and our hearts wide to receive as you bless us with a revelation of your amazing love for us. Let us be so full of your love that it naturally spills out in our words in deeds on to those around us.
• that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
  • Give us your eyes and ears. Let us be so full of you that we love those around us the way that you do. Allow us the honor and blessing to be your hands and feet in our time.
• Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
  • Lord we acknowledge that you are able to absolutely blow our minds with what can and WILL do in and through us in YOUR power. We give you all the honor, glory forever and forever. We pray believing all these things in the precious name that is above all names, Jesus the Christ, AMEN!

I know this truly has been a challenging journey, but I hope and pray that the Lord has spoken to you on this journey as he has to me. May you be richly blessed. 

As always, please feel to reach out of there is any way that I can pray for or minister to you.  Follow this link to contact us. CONTACT.