The History of the World in Five Minutes

In the beginning was the Word, the Word is God. God spoke the universe into existence. All things were formed by him and for him. We know by looking at the universe that it was a power beyond our capability to measure, full of fire and energy. God created the Earth, he divided the atmosphere from space and separated the water from the land.

There was one continent at that time, and in it a garden called Eden. He created Man in his own image. We were created to honor God. But Man rebelled from God, and his children became exceeding caught in their sin.

God determined to create again his children by the seed of one man, Noah, who was not bound in sin as other men were. God flooded the earth, but Noah and his family were saved.

From Noah's seed God created man kind again. However, Noah's seed became prosperous. In their prosperity they believe they could do without God. God sent a spirit of confusion upon them so that they would not exalt themselves. In those days, God divided the land into continents and he divided the languages.

Once again Man became bound in his sin. However, God found in Heber a man of faith and in Abraham and his seed God determined to set apart his particular people. However, God's chosen people did not fully trust in him, and when food became scarce they trusted in the King of Egypt for food. Eventually God's people became slave to those whom they sought help from.

After many years, God found a man of faith, Moses, in whom he would deliver his chosen people from their sin. Moses led God's people from Egypt into the land which God had chosen for them. God's people desired a king in their new land, rather than trusting in their God as their King. The kings became so caught in their sin that they forsook the God who had brought them to this good land and God gave them over to another king who would once again enslave them.

Again God found a man of faith who would lead his people back to the land of God's promise. Here again they flourished until this time his people became caught in a sin of religion. Rather than trusting in the God who had so many times saved them, they trusted in corrupt religious leaders. God sent his own Son to save them from their sin and this false religion, but alas the people killed God's own Son. The world would never be the same. God destroyed his own land, scattering his people throughout the world.

However, God found men of faith who would plant seeds in the house of Caesar the leader of the world at that time. Although these men lost their lives, their seeds would eventually bear fruit. Three hundred years later, the world would be lead by a new Caesar who was a follower of God. During this time, God's words would be gathered and bound and would become God's instrument to once again try to save his children. With his own words to guide them, God's children spread the message of love in his Son. However, the kings of this world became so evil that they were destroyed by a series of savage armies who plunged the world into darkness for nearly one thousand years. Religious leaders of this time tried to spread the message of the Son, not by love, but by the sword.

Eventually, the seed of God's word was able to reproduce by the printing press. This invention allowed God's word to multiply like never before. God's people became filled with the power of his word. Oppressed by the Kings and Religious leaders of this time, God's people set off for a new world that lied undiscovered across the vast ocean. Here, though much struggle, the would establish a not a kingdom, but a land ruled by God's people themselves. God's word flourished and thought this new land his message of love and reconciliation was spread to all the lands of the world. However, the people of the new land grew prosperous. In their prosperity, they soon began to doubt that there was a God. They removed God from their Government and their institutions and persecuted the remnant of the people of God.

What will be the next event in this history? Clearly the pattern of our history shows that God will try to save his people again. History is evident with the ways that God uses to redeem his people and his purposes. May God have mercy on us.

What If?

In the Book of 1 Kings, chapters 17 and 18 we read about the life of Elijah. Elijah had incredible spiritual power. Elijah prayed that it would not rain, and it didn't. Elijah prayed that it would rain, and it rained. Elijah prayed and made people wealthy supernaturally. Elijah raised dead people back to life. Elijah prayed and sick people were made well. Elijah prayed and well people were cursed with sickness. Elijah prayed fire down from heaven. And finally, when it was Elijah's time to go, he prayed and chariots of fire came down and took him up to heaven. Take the time to sit down and read 1 Kings 17 & 18, it is a great read that will take no more than 15 minutes. Then Elijah's disciple Elisha followed after him and did twice as many miracles as Elijah! There are many other examples in the Bible of people with incredible spiritual authority (Jeremiah, Daniel, Samuel, David, Peter, John, Paul).

How did these people, men and women like you and I, get such spiritual power? Think about it. Of the billions of people who have lived since Adam, why and how did these get such authority? Was it something they were born with, kind of like a musical ability? Was it something they learned, like a PHD? Was it something that was imparted to them supernaturally?

I know that answering a question with another question is frustrating, but here goes...

What if a man or women devoted every waking and sleeping moment of their whole life from birth to death to the purpose of the God of this universe? Every ounce of energy, forsaking every other interest including food, sleep, friends, family, clothes, houses, ... everything fully devoted with all of the passion in them to the things of God. This makes me think of the early Catholic tradition of Monks and Nuns. But I am talking more of the former discussion. Was that what happened to these men of God? Did they devote every ounce of their being, forsaking everything else to God? And if so, is that why or how they obtained such power and authority?

Ok, so now another question to answer the question which answered the first question!

What If? What If... someone today were to do just that. What if someone were to devote every ounce of their being to pursuing the things of God. Would they see the spiritual authority that these men saw? Wow. It would only take a lifetime to find out!