Isaiah 63: 9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
Jeremiah 31: 3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.
Hosea 14: 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely:
Zephaniah 3: 17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
John 3: 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.
John 15: 9 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
John 17: 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Why did God create man? and why do I exist? Are they the same question or are they two distinct questions? The usual answer would be within the Christian world, "I exist to glorify God." Although I might agree that Glorifying God is an ultimate result or as Jonathan Edwards says the ultimate means of my creation: yet, I want to cautiously break this thought down and propose that; although this may be a final result as I grow in my knowledge of Him and begin like a mirror to reflect His glory back to Him: God created man with a different immediate purpose in mind and that the ever increasing glorification that results merely increases eternally the purpose that He created man for. That purpose was to share His overflowing fountain of love and Joy with a people. There is nothing within me that can add one tiny fleck of glory to God; that end only occurs as I see, savor, and rejoice in the knowledge of His Glory. The more I learn of His righteousness, His justice, His mercy, His love, and His grace to have chosen me; the depth of darkness that is my heart without Him becomes ever more visualized; so that I seek Him ever more diligently wanting to have His Word (the Bible) be etched on my Heart so that it reveals every corner of darkness. My desire becomes such that I want God to rip from my hands any desire that stands in the way of my being fully focused on Him—destroying all hopes I might have in counterfeit joys, that I might stand in the light of His love and bask in the Joy I have in Him. As that happens, my life can begin to reflect His Glory back to Him. Have you ever seen a mirror reflecting light? When a mirror, shiny and cleaned of all smudges, reflects light; the light becomes so great that it is nearly blinding and heat is intensified to the extent that a fire can be started by such methods. That is the only means that God’s Ultimate Glory can be magnified, by the reflection of such Glory from the mirrored images of those who are the redeemed of Christ. So, God created man in His Triune Image of (body, soul, and spirit) to share the overflowing Joy and Love that was His within His triune presence (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This love and Joy was so great that He just had to create a being with free will to share it with. Therefore, why do I exist? To be loved by God and to rejoice with exceeding Joy in that love. He becomes my greatest treasure which I then seek with all my heart. The superfluous desires, temptations to immediate gratifications, self-centered, self-exalting desires, counterfeit joys must be set aside for the Joy, Glory, and Love that will be mine with Him–today, tomorrow and throughout eternity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0qQCNRlBJc
Tonight I have the honor of being interviewed on Atlanta Live this evening which airs over WATC Atlanta TV 57. ATLANTA LIVE is WATC TV’s flagship program airing live weeknights from 7-9 p.m. with encore presentations every weekday morning from 7-9 a.m. In addition, one hour of ATLANTA LIVE is seen nationwide on NRB Network seen on DirecTV every weekday morning at 8 a.m. (ET). Also, Sky 21 in Summerville, Georgia now airs Atlanta Live from 7-9 a.m. every weekday morning. Please pray that I honor God through my words tonight and that I get out of the way, so He is shining through. Join me if you can.