No Rival

No Rival

11/6/16

Wouldn’t it be the best of conditions if our lives encountered no rival?  Oh, to be the best at every thought and figure imaginable and to be established as to be without competition worthy enough to pose the slightest challenge.  As all humans recognize, all of these types of conditions are impossible to achieve on our level of existence but we have the truth that there is One who does achieve these levels on a continual basis.  Why don’t we stay focused on this eternal being for our guidance for evidence proves that if we would our chances of becoming and staying great infinitely increases?  Yet, we push this one aside for our own lusts and whims which mean that we choose to settle for less.  If we only understood what the eternal stakes were we would have no problem of wanting to seek God and everything that He stands for.  But first, we must contend that He has no rival.

I recently saw an advertisement that had a picture of a small cabin located in the middle of the woods.  It had a beautiful setting around it and from what the picture described of this setting it would seem like the perfect place for one to encounter nature, peace and total tranquility on a continual plane.  As I took my eyes from this picture I read the caption that accompanied the picture and it said basically this: would you live in this cabin that was on 200 acres of land but would not be able to watch football?  My heart sank as soon as I read this caption because it pinpointed our dreams and desires as a modern country and society.  It spoke that we could not live in any type of peace and happiness because we needed some other distraction to fulfill this need in our lives.  No wonder churches are in the state they are in and no wonder this country is about to fall to its knees.

When I was in high school, the majority of my time was spent living in Texas.  Even though I was not born in Texas I continue to claim Texas as my home since I spent many of my years in that state.  I am not against Colorado for I have lived here for the past 24 years now and thoroughly love the state but for some reason, my heart still belongs to Texas.  My last two years of high school was spent in a small community called Nederland which was just outside of Beaumont.  A quaint little community that now has grown into a thriving small city but still continues to hold onto its traditions.  One of those traditions is football, the high school kind.  Many of you know that in Texas, football is king and rules the towns and cities for most of the year; in truth, there is really no off season, we continually walk, talk, sleep and eat this sport.  Winning is everything when it comes to this identifying sport especially when a rival comes to town.

There were other parts of southeast Texas that I had lived as well and while I lived in these other parts of the state I heard about a certain game called Mid-County Madness.  It was between two teams that had built a rivalry that had gained not only regional recognition but was known on the national level as well.  The football game was a huge event and while the game itself was only one night the lead-up to the game lasted for weeks.  The game was between two towns that were separated by railroad tracks and it was well known that when you crossed over to the other side of those tracks you were entering into enemy territory.

The game was played between Nederland and Port Neches High Schools but with all of the pomp and circumstance activities weeks before the game, one would believe that the game represented the state championship every year and thus it was born as one of the tightest rivalry games of the Texas High School football season.  If any of you have watched the movie “Friday Night Lights” this rivalry easily compared to the one mentioned in this movie.  In fact, about a decade ago or longer “The History Channel” had a series called “The States” which aired over a couple of months.  Each state in the Union had its own segment and when the state of Texas appeared on the program they showed many different aspects of Texas life including one small clip of a football game and it was between Nederland and Port Neches, this is how big and important football is in this state.

For nineteen straight years, Nederland did not win a single football game against Port Neches.  The Indians dominated Bulldog football for almost two complete decades and it was an indescribable longing for Nederland to end that drought.  I remember hearing stories of how hard Nederland would fight to win but could never seem to overcome that obstacle.  While I was a kid and really did not understand certain aspects of life at that point but I did see what it was like to be under such pressure and I dare not wish to be the coach of our team or any team in Texas for that matter both then and now.  My junior year at Nederland we lost 3-0 in a downpour at Indian Stadium but it was my senior year, in front of a large home crowd, that the drought of wins against Port Neches finally ended and nothing could hinder the party that was on immediately after the game clock read 0:00.

While I could go on and on with other examples of rivalries I am going to end them here because I believe we all understand what is involved with a rivalry.  The definition of the word rivalry includes the statement that at least two parties are involved in some sort of engagement which includes a winner and a loser.  In order for the word rivalry to be accurately used both involved parties must have won that game or competition and as long as only one party has won the word rivalry could not be adequately used.  When only one party has won these meetings, it means that until the continual losing party wins they are completely dominated by the other said party and cannot claim such a rivalry.  Keep this in mind as this article unfolds and the message that God wants us to know.

Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  I find this passage very enlightening because right from the first verse of the Bible God’s presence is already established.  “In the beginning God created” says it all for it states that when things began God was already there and had been there for an unknown amount of “time” before.  It is basically impossible for our human mind to place into words just exactly what occurred at that moment because we have a limited amount of capacity to express ourselves in a short amount of time and presentation.  Genesis 1:1 is a powerful and great opening statement of truth about God’s Word but in reality it does not do justice to the glory and presence of God, but it is all we have. There is so much more that could have been said about this specific moment in history.

In John 1:1 we have the same meaning concerning God when this passage reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Both entrances to the two sections of the bible state the exact same phrases which proclaim the exact same thing God was already present when “the beginning” was formed.  This is a difficult phrase to wrap our minds around but through our hearts, we may find the truth and eternal comfort knowing that this eternal being has always been around and shall always be around.  The beginning means everything when one is referring to a rival status and it is through this beginning which establishes God’s presence as Him already proclaiming victory as He Creates life itself.  Why is this important you ask; because if God did not create things in His eternal image and holiness the origins of our eternity would be flawed from our beginning.  Clearly, this is not the case for we were created perfect, pure and holy and would prove as to why humans are the target of Satan.

When we study Genesis Chapter 3 we have an argument that some can use to challenge this statement that God has no rivals.  In this chapter, Satan succeeds in getting humans to disobey God and choose to do their own thing by eating of the fruit.  But even then, the option to choose had already been established in our physical presence plus, our spirits had been created as well and in such a specific order that God had already anticipated our downfall at some point in our existence.  We have already learned that God created us in a specific order and it is through this specific order that He has still not been defeated.  Through this order, we know that the physical is not the foundation of our existence but it is the spiritual that represents the eternal prize of Creation. Having choice is the most powerful form of communication between God and mankind and it represents the only lifeline we have to Him through spirit and it is this lifeline that speaks volumes to our enemy. 

If a creator can establish a life that has no end and that life is the key to the creator’s reputation then it is through that establishment that the creator can claim an equal, rival or no rival solely based upon what others can similarly create.  For eternity God stands alone in this Creation activity and while it is not mentioned directly in the Bible, one can truly imagine the chance God gave Lucifer to create as He did; thus, failing in the replica of God’s eternal self and image.  So, we have a defeated enemy that is still trying his best to best God by tricking His precious creations and having them turn from the eternal Creator.  A question to ponder is this: why would Lucifer challenge a being that had lost before, while still claiming to want the same status as God?  If God had lost on any level before, Lucifer would not have had any reason to challenge God for an equal or higher status.  This also means that God still has not lost either or Satan would have accomplished his goal in proving that God is not who He says He is.

Any opposition to your existence can prove to be an enemy and each one of us has lost at some point in our physical lives but when it comes to God it is not the physical that counts, it is the spiritual aspects which is our eternal just as every other created human being.  Just this past weekend I read about a person who passed away and who was supposed to be “famous” in the eyes of mankind.  To be honest I had never heard of this man’s name before but it was what one of his friends said about his death that struck me and it went something like this: you have now left this earth and are entering the presence of God, keep swinging at Him and give Him a run for His money.  It is through this statement from this person that proclaims exactly what the world is teaching and promoting concerning God.  If anyone claims that God has been defeated they are telling you a lie.  If anyone states that God has an equal they are lying to you.  God is supreme in all areas imaginable through Creation, all of Creation.  So, why do you think that Satan makes sin look so simple, clean, and acceptable?

It is a true statement that God has an enemy and it is also a true statement that we have an enemy, an enemy who at one point challenged God to be His equal through the choice of pride and selfishness; and this enemy of God’s is the same enemy as ours. How convinced was Lucifer in his challenge to God, he convinced 1/3 of the angels to follow him when he fell after his defeat. God has never been defeated in any ring or realm and He shall never be defeated or even equaled for He is the One who created all the challengers which wish to overthrow Him.  It is through His eternal existence in all matters that is the virtual characteristic that we must contend if we believe that God is all powerful, all knowing and all present.

We must acknowledge the fact that God’s Word is just that, a Word that originates from an all mighty being who has never been defeated and who has always been around, and if we try to append or reinvent His Word in ANY shape or form we are revisiting the scenario when Lucifer tried the same tactic.  If we conclude this argument against God we are actually performing the identical maneuver that Lucifer did and while God shall allow us to try our best to succeed through this lie, we shall have the same outcome as Lucifer did, a huge eternal loss.

Until God is defeated, and He shall NEVER be defeated, it is through this reason alone that we refer to His Kingdom with a capital “K”.  When we mention Satan’s kingdom it is always with a lowercase “k” because it represents one that has been eternally defeated and since there is nothing greater than eternity that letter reference shall never change.  This is a huge issue right now in our world because we have placed this equality process into a physical realm.  While it is all well and good to try to establish this feat it shall not occur until we place God first in our lives and societies, and in order for us to do that we must acknowledge the truth that God is supreme King over the world in ALL areas including our hearts.  This eternal truth shall never be accepted by the ruler of the world’s kingdom and as long as he rules our hearts the goal of equality shall never be obtained either.

It has become a common theme from many pulpits the concept of equality.  Unless one understands that there are two kingdoms that are vying for your eternal positioning we shall not understand the importance of life and our eternal existence.  What countless people do not understand is that when you place focus on life through adverbs or adjectives you are enabling the enemy to infiltrate your spirit.  God represents Life itself without any adjective or adverb preceding His existence.  This is also the foundation of people living under Covenant versus worldly promises because it takes the truth away from Life and places it in a situational setting.  The world cannot promise any type of eternal guarantees and God cannot provide anything less than eternal guarantees.  There is a stark contrast that is being presented each day and it is through the gift of choice that we decide which side to follow.  There is only One side that can offer true holiness and eternal peace while the other can only provide your eternal destruction.

God has never lost any battle that He has set forth against an enemy.  Humans have lost many times because they have chosen not to listen to His voice in times of peril and need.  In each opportunity mankind has reached for the wrong ruler and has lost through this decision.  It does not matter in which setting you place mankind in if they do not follow God and His ways we lose. It is easy for our societies to become bored with repetitive winners but in this eternal choice of ours we need to always choose the winner.  Eternity is nothing to play around with nor is it a situational setting that once entered can be changed.  No matter how confident you are with an argument why would you place doubt in the One who gave you the ability to think and to choose?

For me, I know that my life itself represents nothing good and I only deserve to die in my sins and spend eternity away from my Savior and Creator.  From the moment my life reaches the 5^th cell in my development, my life represents nothing but an abomination to God.  God never intended for us to die on any level but physical death is a process in which God cannot change due to His prized Creation’s own choices but through His spirit, He has created a way to be covered so that He sees nothing but holiness and purity.  Why would anyone wish to argue against this perfect plan?  Church, understand that until you fall back under the Covenant of God your existence and eternity is at risk.  It is your responsibility to teach the truth about God and His Kingdom and what it means for us to live through this truth.  God has no rival, nor does He have any equals.  Furthermore, He shall never have an equal nor shall He ever have a rival for God cannot lose in ANY instance of His existence.  Yet, He is faithful enough to love us with all of His heart and to accept us as we are when we acknowledge Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

As the holiday season approaches, we once again have no idea of what shall transpire in our lives.  We do have the assurance that God is all powerful and all knowing and that He loves us with all of His heart.  There are surrounding amounts of evidence that His love for us is fierce and one that shall never be compared by any means.  It is through this love, which defines God’s existence that we may fully proclaim without any doubt that God has no rival just as we proclaim that He is our everything.  It is our job to remind Satan that he is defeated a loser who cannot compare to what God has done in our lives. 

The Church needs to put God first in her life again and to begin to teach the precious people in this dying world that there is a Savior that cares for them, no matter what they have done.  The world cries for change, but it cannot provide what we need.  Return to God and His ways and when the truth that He has no rivals infiltrates your life, nothing can stop us.  And as this message goes out on the season of Halloween let be known to Satan’s kingdom and to be aware of every soul that participates in this holiday that this man and everyone who will agree with me shall do our best to push back this kingdom for the advancement of God’s Kingdom!

DLB