Impossible

There are a lot of things that once been thought impossible are now possible, medical technology has become so advanced there are nano-machines that can go in veins and get clots. There are cars that drive themselves (not a perfect science), cars that run on batteries. There are phones that have replaced over 8 different devices (phone, calculator, computer, radio, answering machines, video recorders, alarm clock, scanners, GPS navigation, and more!) and many of us hold these devices in our pockets! Who would have thought we can see news across the world in minutes or even live? It is now possible. Mankind has even set foot on the moon! However, mankind cannot go into the deepest part of the sea even though living creatures live down there in inky darkness. The possibilities of our imagination are limitless, but our boundaries are still there. Mankind now wants to colonize space, especially Mars. Will it happen? I don’t know but I do know that God doesn’t like us messing around trying to be like Him. As a joke once said, “One day a group of scientists got together and decided that humanity had come a long way and no longer needed God.  So, they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.  The scientist walked up to God and said, “God, we've decided that we no longer need you.  We’re to the point where we can clone people, manipulate atoms, build molecules, fly through space, and do many other miraculous things.   So why don’t you just go away and mind your own business from now on?” God listened very patiently and kindly to the man.  After the scientist was done talking, God said, “Very well.  How about this?  Before I go, let’s say we have a human-making contest.”  To which the scientist replied, “Okay, we can handle that!” …. “But” God added, “we’re going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam.” The scientist nodded, “Sure, no problem” and bent down and picked up a handful of dirt. God wagged a finger at him and said, “Uh, uh, uh.  Put that down. You go find your own dirt.”  For mankind to find something that God hasn’t created or allowed them to create through intelligence and a base foundation of things. Just like a building, mankind makes the building, but God gave people the intelligence, the wherewithal, and the understanding how to do it. Mankind has been creating buildings for a long time—even skyscrapers. There is one that is popular within scriptures in which men were trying to do the impossible. “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.” See? Smart folks, this is almost 6,000 years ago if not further! They knew how to make good bricks. “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Talk about some foreshadowing, they were going to name themselves afraid that they were going to be scattered everywhere. Notice God is not mentioned in praise or glory from the people. They are looking at what they can do. “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:1-9.” This was before the flood, people were not following God and wanted to go to Heaven. These people were highly intelligent, powerful, and resourceful (it is never cheap to build). God knew what these people could do and their motives. Their motives were not godly nor were they caring. David says in Psalms 139:8, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” God knows what is going on. He knew their works and He knew their intentions were not going to be for Him or good for anyone. Now, does that mean that skyscrapers today are against God? No. But think about what they represent, power, money, awe-inspiring, and feats of technology and intelligence, almost in a prideful manner. That doesn’t mean that an architect who builds it or the person who commissions it is against God but there is a reason it is built. The tallest skyscraper now is 2,717 feet tall! There is one being built now that is already 3,280 feet but is slated to be completed in 2022. This is more than half a mile in height! It will be 1 kilometer when finished! Talk about a tall building but it still does not reach into Heaven, no where close. Even though man can fly and get into space, they don’t touch God Almighty or His Heavenly abode.  The Scripture says, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven, John 3:13.” While it may seem that mankind has come a long way in 100 years, you’d be correct, but our intelligence hasn’t changed from even biblical times, we’ve become more advanced in technology, but this hasn’t made us more intelligent just more efficient and more aware. If you would’ve told your grandparents about the capabilities of a smartphone in their day (which would be impossible, as time travel isn’t possible, nor will it be), they would say it would probably be impossible. I wonder what will be invented in the future, although the Bible tells us about things to come and it sounds ominous. We always wonder what the future holds, we read things, we study things, but Jesus plainly says this to the disciples that can dispel doubt and show us what will be to come. “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This is one of the reasons Jesus was crucified because He spoke of the temple being destroyed (however he was speaking about his body) it was thought that the temple was impossible to destroy but even Jesus said it would be destroyed and in 587 A.D it was destroyed by Romans, but part of it still stands and is held sacred and worshipped (but God wants us to worship Him not a building). Jesus then spoke of things to come that the disciples wouldn’t see but that we may see some of and that our children and grandchildren may see. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places .All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Sound familiar? But God wants us to stand fast in our faith and not give up! “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:1-30.” Some of this sounds familiar. No doubt the world has constantly been warring against itself (countries against countries) for millennia and will continue to do so, if Cain and Abel, the first two guys couldn’t cohabitate the same earth and breath the same air, what makes us think we will all get along? So, people will get worse and worse - offenses will come, false prophets will come up saying they are the Messiah, the Chosen One of God…we’ve seen that particularly in the past 50 years with cult leaders saying they are the Christ. It may seem impossible for a man to say he is Christ, but they try to (without healing others or dying for their sins) …there is no comparison! There is only ONE Messiah that died for our sins and resurrected the third day and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God. It is impossible to replicate Him, duplicate Him or be Him! Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Jesus doesn’t change. His love for mankind is perfect, irrefutable, and atones for our sin-debt forever and ever. It may seem impossible for this to be. Jesus died for mankind before He was born and after He went to Heaven. He died for the whole world’s sins not just a certain person, denomination, or nation. He died for every soul every born on this Earth. The scripture says, “But God commendeth (suitable) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified (just as if I never sinned) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him (if we are saved, we are not destined for Hell—God’s wrath). For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled (brought back) to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:8-12.” AMEN! Nothing is impossible with God! He can save the chiefest of sinners and the lowliest of people and the most prideful men! God can use anyone for His will, whether it be an animal (a donkey that speaks), a woman who is too old to bear children (Sarah), or a woman who is a virgin having a baby (Mary having Jesus). That is why the scripture says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37.” All the miracles God has done and continue to do shows us that nothing is impossible with God. While every invention man has created has a failure rate, God’s doesn’t have a failure rate or mess up. God knows what’s going on in our hearts and minds at all times while we have no idea, we must trust in God to know what’s best for us even if we mess up. It’s entirely possible that we will sin and sometimes we will sink so deep into sin we may feel like it’s impossible to get back to God, but it takes humility, shame of the act, and the ability to trust God more than sinful, faulty selves. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6.” We must allow ourselves to say we are wrong. We may know some people who think that they never do anything wrong but that is impossible. The scripture plainly states, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:22-24.” It is by God’s righteousness that it is possible for sinners to enter a perfect Heaven, otherwise it would be an impossible feat. No one has made it to Heaven and seen God’s face. Moses even recounted God saying this to him, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Exodus 33:20.” No one can see God’s face because we would probably be burned to a crisp at His glory. Even those who saw parts of God or were in the presence of His glory were changed (had a glow about them). While we want to see God’s face, imagine if people did and all the idols that would be built! Even if we could, which we can’t, it wouldn’t be a good outcome. God doesn’t want us to worship things we can touch and see but in Him who loves beyond measure! God makes some things impossible to preserve us from things we can’t understand while it may not be known while we walk upon this Earth it can be known in Heaven one day.

It may seem impossible to live in this earth at times, putting up with people and circumstances we wonder what we can do as Christians to make it possible for us to get through. God’s word is a good solace in times of uncertainty and dealing with people. “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:16-21.” We need to be kind to people even if they are not that makes Christians different because we let God seek vengeance. We let God change their hearts not us changing their address or face. We need to know that people will be against us, that’s possible and it’s impossible for everyone to like us (the only one perfect in this world is Jesus Christ and they nailed Him to a cross). Yet during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion He showed impossible strength, mercy and grace even asking God to forgive them while He was dying! We can’t forgive our trash person for not getting our trash on the right day! We can’t forgive our loved one for saying something wrong and be mad at them for years. We have trouble forgiving but it’s not impossible if we let God get involved. Unforgiveness will lead to anger which will fester into hate and then our hearts will be hardened and the next thing we know we’ll be having a tough time because we can’t let something go. It is possible to let things go even though it has hurt you, shaped you and angered you. Give it to God, let it go and go on with your life. Sounds easier said than done and sure typing it out is easy but living it is hard. Imagine though walking with ankle weights for years, every day at work, every day at school, on the weekends, in the shower, every day. That’s what anger does, it piles up but after awhile we get used to the weight, we hardly notice it’s there until we look down and see it or get reminded and then we’re like oh yeah, those weights! But then one day, you wake up and put your feet on the floor and the weights fall off. Do you put them back on or leave them off? You feel so different without those weights, your ankles feel freedom, your feet feel better, your legs don’t cramp anymore. You aren’t in pain as much. You are free from that weight. Yet many of us in our minds put those weights back on and let it weigh us down. The Bible says we shouldn’t do that! “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.” This shows us what putting aside the weight can do, we can run and have more fellowship with God than struggling with the weight of sin that puts us down, holds us back and hampers us from our true potential. Maybe you’re not building a tower to Heaven or trying to reach impossible heights but maybe you are thinking it’s impossible for me to trust God in this situation, He has no idea. Why? God knows and can help you better than you can help you. HE is the ultimate way to any change in your life, even if it’s a small one. He can help you and while it may be strange and uncomfortable at first (like not wearing weights for a full day), you eventually get used to having freedom in Christ and loving the unlovable becomes part of you. Seeing the need of others before your own becomes part of you. Wanting to see someone get saved that you’ve hated for years, becomes a part of you. The Bible says, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26.” It is not impossible, because with God, all things are possible. So, what is something you’re having a hard time with that seems impossible to get rid of? This is between you and God because God can change you (and others) but we need to work on ourselves first. There are many things…Your attitude? Your anger? Your bitterness? Your jealousy? Your hatred? Your need for drama? Your need for knowing every detail? Your need for being around people that you can’t stand? Your ability to walk into church? Your ability to say you need help? Whew. Myself, I have a lot to work on. I’m sure you do too, if you let God help you, know it’s not impossible but you have to be willing to let God work in you, through you and around you to let His will be accomplished through you! Amen! God bless.