The Everlasting Arms – A Poem by A. B. Simpson

 

Deuteronomy 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…

As we close our the month of March and thinking about how God is eternal, I just wanted to post this poem as one last reminder of the blessedness of having an everlasting Lord.

The Everlasting Arms

Are you sunk in depths of sorrow
Where no arm can reach so low;
There is One whose arms almighty
Reach beyond thy deepest woe.
God the Eternal is thy refuge,
Let Him still thy wild alarms;
Underneath thy deepest sorrow
Are the everlasting arms.

Other arms grow faint and weary,
These can never faint nor fail;
Others reach our mounts of blessing,
These our lowest, loneliest vale.
Oh, that all might know His friendship!
Oh, that all might see His charms!
Oh, that all might have beneath them
Jesus' everlasting arms.

Underneath us - oh, how easy!
We have not to mount on high,
But to sink into His fullness
And in trustful weakness lie;
And we find our humbling failures
Save us from the strength that harms;
We may fail, but underneath us
Are the everlasting arms.

Arms of Jesus, fold me closer
To Thy strong and loving breast,
Till my spirit on Thy bosom
Finds it's everlasting rest;
And when time's last sands are sinking,
Shield my heart from all alarms,
Softly whispering, "Underneath thee
Are the everlasting arms."

By A. B. Simpson

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

Isaiah 53:4-5  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.



Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!
’Tis the long expected prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
By His Son, God now hath spoken,
’Tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Is the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

Thomas Kelly

Evening Song – Blessed Redeemer

Galatians 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Sew Happy Friday – How Buttons Are Made

 

This week we have a video about how buttons are made.  It’s an interesting process.  I’m not a big fan of sewing garments with buttons, mostly because I don’t like making buttonholes. :-)  But, I do like the many pretty or attractive buttons that we can get in modern times.  Buttons don’t have to be used only as closures on garments.  They make nice embellishments for quilts, craft projects, home décor and just as decoration on garments.

By the way, I don’t think they mentioned it, but in the past many buttons were made from bone.  Sometimes you can find bone buttons at antique and collectible stores or even garage sales or thrift stores.

 

The Thousand Word Project – Bridal White

 

Taken at various times in our old neighborhood in East Tennessee.

Random Acts of Blogging – Lately Around Here…

 

Hello!  Here are some photos I wanted to share with you of things that have happened in my little world lately.  :-)

We had an ice storm at the end of February that gave us these pretty icicles along our eaves.  Since we don’t get much snow in these parts, I tend to photograph whatever “frozen stuff” we do get. :-)

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Doesn’t this chocolaty dessert look mouth-watering?  Strange to say, it wasn’t.  Neither my husband nor I were very impressed with it, and neither of us are particularly picky eaters.  I invented this myself, but it was a dud.  Oh well.  Some you win and some…

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I asked my husband to pick up some flowers one day when he was doing the grocery shopping.  I expected him to bring home a small bunch of inexpensive flowers such as button carnations.  Instead he came home with these beauties!  He said all the other flowers looked “scrappy”, so he got a more expensive bouquet!  I was not complaining. :-)

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One evening recently some of us cooked our supper over my brother’s portable fire pit.  It was a lot of fun!  Here my husband was helping get the fire going so that we could cook hot dogs and sausages.  The night was lovely – just the perfect temperature for being outside by a fire.

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Another day a friend came over with her children and we had a nice visit.  Here is “Big Brother” looking at the chicken yard.

“Little Sister” had a grand time playing with some of my soft furnishings.

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Some sure signs of Spring:

Evening Primroses
(Photo actually taken a few years ago).
A Quote from my dad:
”I love these flowers. They tell me winter is past, even if we get another cold snap. Also, you have to see them late in the day which gives you one last cheerful message from God before dark.”  - Steve Van Nattan

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Another Cloudy Day – Thoughts On Darkness and Light

 

An article I posted last week over at The Home Maker’s Corner.

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Clouds, clouds, clouds.  We’ve had so much cloudy weather here in Central Texas since December.  It may be “normal”, but we haven’t seen this much of it since we moved here almost 7 years ago.  With my SAD (seasonal affected disorder) this weather can be a real challenge.  Up until recently I have been doing pretty well with it, but it’s starting to get to me – even with all the things I do to deal with it. (See Dealing with SAD – Seasonal Affected Disorder.)

One enigma to me is that when the sun does come out for a few days or part of a day, sometimes it’s almost as if it were “too much” now.  I should be used to lots of sunshine!  After all this is Texas!  But, still I tend to get a headache sometimes or feel like it’s too bright.  This doesn’t happen every time, but it has been enough to notice.  I have to conclude that I’ve grown used to the darkness.

That makes me think, though.  How much is our spiritual vision impacted by the increasing spiritual darkness of the world we live in?  How much have we grown accustom to the gloom of sin and sorrow and wickedness.  I wonder if some or all of us wouldn’t be rather over-dazzled by the glory of the Lord if we had occasion to really “see” it. 

Continue Reading.

Evening Song – Jesus Paid It All

Colossians 2:13-15  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Isaiah 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Berry Fun Friday- Crochet A Strawberry Brooch

Here is a tutorial for a pretty strawberry brooch.  I wonder if I’ll ever get around to making one?  It doesn’t look like it should take too long.

Strawberry Brooch

Photo property of cynalune on Craftster.org

The Thousand Word Project – Springtime Happiness

 These tulips were grown by our neighbor in Tennessee in 2008.

Irish Thoughts On A Mostly Cloudy Day

 

So, the clouds continue.  Sometimes it’s been hard to deal with this winter and spring.  We’re very thankful for the rain we have gotten, but the clouds are getting to me, even with all the proactive things I do to help. (See Dealing with SAD – Seasonal Affected Disorder.)

I guess the weather is appropriate for today, though, since it is St. Patrick’s Day.  I’m fairly confident that many people who celebrate it are totally unaware of the fact that Patrick was a real Christian missionary and not a Roman Catholic.  You might find this page, which is loaded with information on Patrick, to be quite interesting today:  Patrick of Ireland.

In case you are interested, I posted a recipe for Irish Soda bread in the past – something you may wish to try out.

I actually have Irish roots myself.  One of my great-grandmothers was Lura Murray, of Irish descent. :-)  I don’t have a picture of her to share, I’m sorry to say.  I don’t even know if one exists in our possession.  She married an unsaved man and lived a marginal Christian life for years.  After her husband died she and my grandfather (who was the youngest of five children) got involved in a Mennonite church and she became a vibrant Christian.  In those years she wasn’t even sure exactly when she had gotten saved.  She used to say that she had made a profession as a girl though she wasn’t sure about it, “…but I know I am saved now!” (With a smile.)

After all, isn’t that the important thing?  We may not all be able to pin a day or hour to when we were born again, but we need to know that we are now, and that He doesn’t let us go no matter what!

John 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Great-grandma Lura was an invalid for many years due to a heart condition and debilitating arthritis.  The pastor of their church used to say, “I went to visit Mrs. Van Nattan to cheer her up, and I came away cheered up myself.”  What a beautiful testimony that is!  I treasure her memory (given to me by my grandfather) and look forward to meeting her in heaven.

This is an instrumental of the ancient Irish hymn “Be Thou My Vision”.  It is said to be from the 8th century.

He Became Sin for Us – A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

I recently quoted this verse in the article on Fifty Shades of Grey.  It is one of the most astounding and amazing thoughts in relation to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  That the Son of God could and would be made sin, and that He would do so for the likes of us – for the likes of me!  It is beyond my comprehension.  I can only praise and wonder.

He Became Sin for Us

O the mystery of His mercy!
Unguessed depths of matchless grace.
Christ became that which He hated,
While God turned away His face.

Turned in wrath from His Beloved,
Hanging there upon the tree;
Strangely changed, and strangely bearing
All the sins of you and me.

Angels dared not look upon Him,
But averted stricken eyes;
Seeing not the Lord of glory,
But a bleeding Sacrifice.

Through the circling, endless ages
Such a sight had never been;
He, the spotless LAMB of Heaven,
Christ the Lord, becoming sin!

- Martha Snell Nicholson

Evening Song – Wounded for Me

Isaiah 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Sew Happy Friday – Tea Cup Coasters Tutorial Link

 

Coasters are a good item to have in areas where you entertain guests as well as for regular use by your own household.  They can save your furniture from water spots, or just keep that little mess off of surfaces that are not damageable.  This saves you a little bit of work, especially with coaster that can be tossed into the wash when they need to be cleaned.

These tea cup coasters are so pretty and they look like they are easy to make.  Here is the tutorial from Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose:

Tea Cup Coasters

 
These would be quite versatile.  You can make them “your own” by using fabric and trims that fit your décor and style.  Wouldn’t they be cute in red with white polka dots and a bit of white rick-rack?  I leave you to your imagination. :-)

Note: If you drink a lot of tea in your house, you may want to use a dark color that will camouflage tea stains.  Tea can be hard to get out of fabric.  In fact, tea can be used as a fabric dye.

Australian Memories – Bonsai

 

We were just barely in time to see the bonsai display at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt. Coot-tha the day we visited there.

20th Century Religions and Philosophies – He Who Has Toys…

 

Old picture of me washing toys. Circa 1992.

Comparison of Religious and Philosophical Theories in the Late 20th Century
[by various authors]

Capitalism: He who dies with the most toys, wins.
Hari Krishna: He who plays with the most toys, wins.
Catholicism: He who denies himself the most toys, wins.
Anglican: They were our toys first.
Greek Orthodox: No, they were OURS first.
Atheism: There is no toy maker.
Polytheism: There are many toy makers.
Evolutionism: The toys made themselves.
Church of Christ Scientist: We are the toys.
Communism: Everyone gets the same number of toys, and you are in big trouble if we catch you selling yours.
B'Hai: All toys are just fine with us.
Amish: Toys with batteries are surely a sin.
Taoism: The doll is as important as the dump truck.
Mormonism: Every man will become a toy maker someday.
Voodoo: Let me borrow that doll for a second.
Hinduism: He who plays with plastic farm animals, loses.
7th Day Adventist: He who plays with toys on Saturday, loses.
Southern Baptist: If your toy is a Disney product, you have a one-way ticket to Hell.
Independent Baptist: He who has toys must have them in church every time the doors are open.
Jehovah's Witnesses: He who sells the most toys door-to-door, wins.
Pentecostalism: He whose toys can talk, wins.
Existentialism: Toys are a figment of your imagination.
Confucianism: Once a toy is dipped in the water, it is no longer dry.
Non-denominationalism: We don't care where the toys came from, let's just play with them.
Agnosticism: It is not possible to know whether toys make a bit of difference.
Unitarian Universalism: We still haven't decided if the toys exist.
Militia: The government has taken too many of our toys and we need to get them back.
Reconstructionist/Dominion: The toys are broken.  WE will fix the toys for everyone, regardless of their wishes.
Christian Identity: White toys are supreme!
Feminists: The female toys are victims and should get to “beat up on” any other toy that doesn’t agree.
Televangelists: If you will just send in your toy, we will be able to help a million more people.
Homeschoolers: He who keeps his toys at home wins.
Psychiatry: Do your toys sometimes make you feel depressed
Psychology: If your toys don't make you happy, get new ones.
Humanism: To thine own toy be true.
Anarchists: If we can't have our toys, no one can have toys.
New World Order/Illuminati: Our toys will rule the world!
Free Masonry: No information on toys is available to non-members.
Scholars - We understand toys better than you ever can, so we make the rules for playing with toys.
Nicolaitans: You need us to help you keep your toys in order and understand them properly.
Laodiceans: Everyone has a right to toys.
Gnosticism: The ultimate objective is to learn more about toys.
Mafia: If you don't give us your toys we'll break your fingers.

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Truth: He who dies with the most toys, dies! 
Better know where you’re going when you die!

From Mom’s Collection – Thoughts On Time

Psalms 31:15  My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

As this is time change Sunday here in the U.S., I thought I’d share some things on the subject of time.  Two of the items come from my mom’s collection.
This first item she typed on a page from a little red ring-binder she used at least as far back as the time of her wedding.  (I know this because her list of expenditures is in it.)

Do you have a problem with TIME?
My name is Time.  I haven’t always been, and I won’t always be.  But right now I’m on the move, measuring out life.  Men wait for me, submit to me, fear me; but no one can stop me.  EXCEPT GOD.  He is in control, and He says I am running out….Most men couldn’t care less.  They think I’m on the move forever.  But I’m not.  And when I stop, eternity will keep right on going…. 

[Author unknown]
My thought:  This is very interesting to think about.  We don’t usually consider that time had a beginning, and even though the scripture tells us that time shall be no more (Rev. 10:6), I’m afraid we don’t often think about it ending.  Time is limited, not just because our own lives have a limit, but because God plans to end time itself some day.  Yet, eternity will go right on without it.  As I mentioned last week, being eternal without reference to time is difficult for us to comprehend. 
How important it is that we should treat time as the rare treasure that it is.  We value diamonds and gold because of their amazing durability – their ability to withstand the wear and tear of time.  But, how often we forget that this most precious thing is running out.  As surely as the sun rises and sets upon another day, so time is going away.
Ephesians 5:15-17  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

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The second item from my mother is this poem which is hand written on a very yellowed sheet of paper.

The Day Before

Sometime some ordinary day will come,
A busy day, like this, filled to the brim
With ordinary tasks – perhaps so full
That we have little care or thought for Him.

And there will be no hint from silent skies,
No sign, no clash of cymbals, roll of drums…
And yet that ordinary day will be
The very day before our Lord returns!

The day before we lay our burdens down,
And learn instead the strange feel of a crown!
The day before all grieving will be past,
And all our tears be wiped away at last!

O child of God, awake, and work and pray!
That ordinary day might be – today!
Make ready all thine house – tomorrow’s sun
May dawn upon the Kingdom of God’s Son.

[Author unknown]

Matthew 24:42-46  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

My thought:  The hope of Jesus’ coming should be a blessing to us, but if we don’t live like we anticipate it, it is apt to be a fearful thing.  Let’s strive to live our daily lives so that we might look forward to the end of time with hope and joy.

1 John 3:2-3  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

This is one of my favorite hymns – “The Sands of Time Are Sinking”.

Evening Song – The Son Hath Made Me Free

I grew up with music like this in my home.  In fact, my parents have/had this album.  I love the vintage sound of a real record player too.  Sweet memories.



John 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Sew Happy Friday- Cute Little Onesie Dress Tutorial

 

How to Make a Onesie Dress {Tutorial}

Kara at Creations by Kara posted this adorable little dress that she made by sewing a skirt to a onesie.  I think this is brilliant!  What a great idea.  And, if you wanted to, you could make up a small collection so that you could carry a whole clean outfit that would be easy on and easy off while out and about!  They would look so cute with some of the patterned onesies available too!  Use long sleeved onesies for spring and autumn dresses.  Depending on where you live they might to adequate for winter as well.  A long sleeve onesie with a flannel skirt would make a cute winter dress.

Photo property of Creations by Kara.

Australian Memories – Bird-of-Paradise

 

This is a real bird-of-paradise (as opposed to what some people call by that name in parts of the southwest U.S.).  Another beauty at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt. Coot-tha.

Monthly Challenge - March

(An old photo of me cleaning our fridge when we first moved to Texas.)

If you don’t know what the challenges are about, please read the first one. :-)

I had written up a different challenge for this month, but then realized that the northern regions of the globe would maybe be too wintry still for it to practical, so I had to figure out something else.  I postponed the other challenge to April, so that little hint should keep you guessing. :-)

Since it’s March and “Spring Cleaning” is popular with some people, I thought this challenge might be a good one for us to do this month.

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Clean something that you know needs to be done, but you have been putting off.

And/Or

Get rid of 5 things you don’t really need or never use.

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Even if you don’t practice “Spring Cleaning” (which I don’t) this challenge is doable.  A lot of us have some cleaning job that is nagging us that we could get done this month.  I can think of more than one at the moment.  It doesn’t have to be something huge and exhausting.  You don’t have to clean out the whole garage.  Pick something for which you have the time and energy.  Ideas:  Clean the fan blades of ceiling fans in one or more rooms, clean the top of the fridge, wash a load of rags that have been waiting to get done, clean out the bath tub you never use, etc.  Cleaning and getting rid of 5 things could easily be combined in some cases such as cleaning out the fridge.

On the other hand, if you’re not up for a cleaning project at all, you can get rid of 5 things you don’t need, want or use.  That should be fairly easy for anyone, except maybe a pathological hoarder.  (If you feel too overwhelmed by the thought of getting rid of 5 things, and assuming you’re not a minimalist, you might want to seek professional help.  Seriously.)  Some areas to look: clothes closets, storage areas, cleaning supplies, the freezer or deep freeze, shoes, book shelves, seasonal décor, toy boxes, craft/sewing area, etc.

I’m thinking that it probably would be good for me us, if I did both of these challenges this month!  Since some of these challenges are meant to improve our own personal spaces, naturally it can improve things for those around us as well. :-)

Word of the Month – Attributes of God: ETERNAL

 

See the first post in this series to see what we’re doing here.

Attribute n. - a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

1 Timothy 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

This month’s attribute for our consideration is “Eternal”.  According to Noah Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language from 1828, eternal means:

1. Without beginning or end of existence…
2. Without beginning of existence…
3. Without end of existence or duration; everlasting; endless; immortal…
4. Perpetual; ceaseless; continued without intermission…
5. Unchangeable; existing at all times without change; as eternal truth.

Being eternal is a pretty hard concept for us humans to get our minds around.  In fact, I’m not sure it’s even possible, regardless of what some might think.  Stuck in time as we are, how can we even grasp the enormity of what it means to be eternal?  We ourselves are eternal beings in the sense of definition 3. – we are without end of existence, and yet for every one of us that started at a point in time.  God is eternal in the past as well.  He is without beginning.  If an eternal future is hard to imagine, how can we understand an eternal past?  We really can’t.

Like we learned about God’s goodness, He is eternal “all by Himself” in that He is eternal without beginning OR end.  He is also eternal without reference to human time or permission, and without us understanding how it works.  His eternalness pretty much doesn’t relate to the timeline of human existence, except for this – if He wasn’t eternal, we couldn’t have eternal life.

Eternal Life

Many of the verses in the Bible that mention “eternal” refer to “eternal life.”  Eternal life would fall under definitions 3-5 because it certainly does have a beginning in a certain sense.  But, it is everlasting, perpetual, ceaseless, continuing without intermission and unchangeable.  John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For us, as humans, this is a subject of utmost importance because we are eternal beings in the future sense, and where we spend that eternity after this short earthly life is really the central issue of human existence.

Matthew 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him [Jesus], Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

When this man asked this question he was looking for eternal life, but notice the tragic and common mistake he made.  He wanted to know what HE could DO in order to have eternal life.  He was looking for it within himself and by his own efforts.  Eternal life cannot be earned or attained by us.  We are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins.  Ephesians 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  So, although we are eternal beings, we are eternally dead without the eternal life that only someone eternally alive can give.  That would be God Almighty, and He chose to give us that eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus said in John 10:27,  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Notice that we shall never perish.  Because God is eternal, He can guarantee us eternal life; that is, life that is perpetual, continued without intermission, unchangeable, everlasting.  We have that eternal life the moment that we are born again.  The Lord can guarantee our eternal security in Jesus Christ, because He is eternal!  If we had to depend upon our own efforts to keep ourselves saved, as some think we do, we would be as hopeless of keeping eternal life as we were to attain it in the first place.  Life eternal must come from an eternal life source, and once it is given, it cannot be retracted.  God has said that He will not take it back Himself.  (But this is another subject for another time. I just wanted to point out that our salvation is eternal because God and Jesus Christ are eternal.)

Hebrews 9:12-14  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Here is an important thought.  Because God is eternal, any sin committed is an eternal offence to Him.  This is why the blood of bulls and goats could not wash sin away eternally!  Only the blood of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, could bring us eternal redemption.  Only eternal blood could pay the eternal penalty so that we could have eternal life.  Only a God who is eternal in both directions (past and future), could make a way to pay for the sins that are past as well as all those which have not yet been committed.  Only an eternal God could bring us eternal salvation and give us eternal life now that is without interruption!  This is an amazing thought.

And, how do we know these things?  Because He has given us the words of eternal life in His revelation of Himself to us – the Bible.

John 6:67-68  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

1 John 5:11-12  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Revealed In Creation

Romans 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

2 Corinthians 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

He has also revealed to us His eternal power and Godhead through His creation.  It is an amazing thing that He can reveal His eternal aspects through His creation, and yet it is so.  And, it is the unseen eternal things that we are supposed to be focusing on rather than the temporal things. (That surely takes care of the question as to whether we should be spending a lot of time on “causes” that relate to this life, doesn’t it?)

I think that one way that His eternalness is revealed in creation is through the fact that despite thousands of years of foolish behavior on the part of mankind, the earth is still habitable.  Also, with a little help, it will correct itself and rebalance, showing the wisdom of an eternal Creator.  And, in the end, the Creator has also reserved the right of final destruction of His creation to Himself.  Man is not going to destroy this earth (I don’t care what the “greens” or alarmists say).  (See 2 Peter 3)

Eternal Damnation

Because God is an eternal God, the payment for sin must be eternal.  If you reject the eternal payment that Jesus Christ offers you through His eternal blood, you will have to be the eternal payment yourself.  All humans are eternal beings, but as we saw before, we are eternally dead without the life of Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:6-7  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Revelation 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

This is not the place where God wants anyone to go.  It was prepared for the devil and his angels, but those who reject the gift He offers of eternal life, must go somewhere and that place is the lake of fire which is eternal.  If you are not a Christian, please know that God is not willing to see you go to that place and that is why He has given His eternal Son to provide eternal salvation. 

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

Conclusion

Though we may not be able to understand what it means for God to be eternal both past and present, our lives are fully affected by it.  Our future is connected to His eternalness either for good or for bad.  Either we have eternal life in Him by believing on Jesus Christ, or we abide in our eternal death and suffer eternally for our offenses against an eternal God.  We have the choice to accept the eternal life, or suffer the consequences of the eternal death.  But, either way, we are eternally affected by the fact that God is eternal.  There is no way to escape an eternal God.  Either you are eternally His, or you are eternally not His.  The choice is yours.

But, for those of us who are eternally His through faith, we have the wonder and miracle of eternal life now.  We have our “best life now” regardless of our condition in this life. This has nothing to do with our experiences in this life and everything to do with the eternal Father who has given us this amazing gift.  Because of this, we have an eternal hope, both in this life and in the one to come.  I think this is why we are told to “lay hold on eternal life” – because we need to live “with eternity’s values in view” in our day to day living.  We need to live as eternal children of an eternal God.  We need to see the things that are eternal, particularly His eternal power and Godhead.

1 Timothy 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Ephesians 2:4-7  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Deuteronomy 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…