"The Four Autographs of God."
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Purpsose Statement: On four occasions, the greatest author of all eternity writes his autograph. He wrote on stone, He wrote on a gilded palace wall, He wrote on a temple floor and He writes in you!
I. Introduction.
I. Introduction.
70 years ago, it was said the man’s knowledge doubled every 25 years.
Today, man’s knowledge doubles every 12 hours.
And if you were to take all of it: Every Government, University and think tank database and library, throw it all together, the sum of all that knowldege compared to the knowledge and wisdom of God, would be as a half empty bucket compared to all the oceans of the world!
He is the supreme intelligence!
And all intelligence wishes to communicate, to be understood.
Well, oral history is out. That is too messy and innacurate for the supreme intelligence.
Written word then!
Yes!
The best method of preserving accurate communication across years and ages.
Thus comes to us the preserved, written word of God!
Perfect and powerful!
We know that God authored this book. And yet, the author need not be the actual writer.
We know that our Bible book came about by holy men of God as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost!
God inspired every word! and yet it was the fingers of Moses, the prophets, the Apostles who physically manipulated the quill, the pen and page to write and record Holy writ
Still, there are several very special occasions where the very hand of God writes on an actual physical surface!
“The tables were the work of God and the writing was the writing of God.”
“The tables were the work of God and the writing was the writing of God.”
The first time I see the writing of the very hand of God is in the book of exodus!
Chapter 32:15-16 describes two tables of testimony given to Moses.
The tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God!
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
The tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God.
I wonder if the writing was crisp and clean, like the etching on a modern tombstone.
Or maybe it was rough and burned dark into the very grain of stone!
What we do know and we know for sure, is that the words on those stones were written by God!
Can you list the ten commandments?
Exodus 20:1–17 (KJV 1900)
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth… Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.... Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
Did you know the architecture of the U. S. Supreme Court building reflects this biblical foundation?
At the center of the sculpture over the east portico of the Supreme Court Building, there is the image of Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; these are also engraved over the chair of the Chief Justice and on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court.
God wrote these original words himself!!!!!
That’s how important it was!
God physically made that inscription upon those tables of stone because, there are specific points in time, when the great author of eternity makes his own autograph!
I looked it up: An autograph is: “Something written or made with one’s own hand.”
It is an original manuscript or work or even a person's handwritten signature
Last week I waas walking on a sidewalk and I saw that someone named Harriet had come along after the concrete had been finished but not yet dried. Harreit put her name and a date into that wet cement because she apparantley wanted to be remembered!
I think of ten commandments that were important enough for God to write himself!
It was important to him that we should know and Remember!!!!
“The Fingers of a man’s hand.”
“The Fingers of a man’s hand.”
In the book of Daniel chapter five, verse five, we again encounter the very hand of God!
The pagan king and his court are drunk and feasting.
At one point, this debauched king orders that the temple vessels that had once been captured from Jersualem be brought to the party.
It is bad enough that he denegrate his office so, but the inclusion and desecration of holy vessels is not something that God takes lightly!
Belshazzer does not know, that while he feasts, thinking himself safe and secure, King Darius has diverted the Euphrates river that runs through the city!
The conquorer leads his army through the drained waterway, into the very heart of the city!
Fire and sword have come to Babylon itself!
Before this night is through, another will sit on the throne!
I tell you the heart of God is grieved to see Holy Vessels polluted!
There in the palace, amidst the heavy odors and incense, there amongst the peals and chimes of Ancient Mesopotanian music, and the raucus laughter of his court, appears something Belshazzar cannot understand:
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
When you read the story yourself, you see that Daniel is summoned to the court.
It is known that Daniel is a man of God.
He is understanding of dreams, and a dissolver of doubts!
So Daniel reads the writing that was written byt he hand of God!
And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Now folks, I know it’s possible to destroy rock, but it takes a whole lot of work.
Thats why I believe that as you and I sit in California today, somewhere in Iraq, beneath enough sand and layers of ancient civilization, there is a wall or parts of a wall.
And on that wall is still written: “mene, mene, tekel, upharisn.”
How small, how insignificant are the kingdoms of men!
Friend, I believe we should be responsible people. We should try to vote and elect leaders who are at least not opposed to truth and right.
Even if you vote for the least bad, at least you are trying to do what you can!
And yet in all that, be careful that you don’t get too political. Don’t get off balance!
It is God the Most High, who rules in the kingdom of men, and He gives it to whomever he will!
Listen, do what you gotta do, but remember who’s really in charge!!!!
Whether you like them or not, those in power are only there by the direct allowance and sufference of Jesus Christ, KIng of KIngs and Lord of Lords!!!!!
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: And he doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none cans stay his hand!
Only Once an age, does the hand of God physically write upon tables of stone, or even a palace wall!
We would do well to pay close attention!
The Temple in a Temple.
The Temple in a Temple.
In John chapter eight, we are given this portrait of Jesus, as “Defender of the weak.”
A woman was brought before Jesus, she had been caught in sin.
The self righteouse mob was ready to stone her to death!
Remember this is a dry and barren land. You’ll not find much in the way of heavy branches or wood. One thing however is available in abundance: Stones!
And when a person was judged by the community, the entire community would carry out the sentence!
And sometiemes the rocks that killed you became your burial mound!
The mob wants to judge this woman and back Jesus into a corner at the same time!
That’s when we see him do something quite remarkable:
Jesus is in the temple when they bring her before him!
Conspicuously absent is the other party, but then there’s just no reasoning with a mob!
So basically, THE temple is in A temple when the crowd and the vicim sweep in like a storm!
But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground!
Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Jesus stooped down and with His finger, wrote on the ground!
Nobody knows what He wrote, the Bible didn’t say.
Perhaps some portion of Scripture, perhaps an inventory of the sin in the lives of those accusers, we just don’t know.
But whatever he wrote in the dirt that day, was enough to shame the mob!
The shame and the guilt of their own actions literally pricked their hearts!
That’s what happens, when you enter the presence of this Holy God!
One by one, the people in that angry throng, turned and walked out.
I sure am Glad my God isn’t much for throwing stones!
Hey, if there is any chance that you can be saved, He’ll do it!
If there’s any chance, if there’s any hope, God will take it and heal you and help you!
Yes He will!
He’s in the people saving business!
He will write what he needs to write, and He’ll do what He needs to do to save you!!!!
Let God autograph your heart!
Let God autograph your heart!
When Paul was ministering in Corinth, It was customary for itenerent speakers to carry with them, letters of introduction.
Others had come in his abscence with letters which they claimed gave them authority and precedence over Paul!
To which Paul replies: “I don’t need a letter!”
Those others had references authored by man, but Paul’s Letters are the people themselves!
People whe were once lost in trespasses and sins, now born again and walking in new life!
“You are my letters! and the author is the highest authority in the universe! Almighty God!”
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Another version reads this way:
2 Cor 3:3 AMP
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Now that is what God intends for each of us!!!
He wants to write his words in the very core of you!
Life changing truth!
So what exactly does God write on your heart?
Near as I can tell, He writes what you most need!
On a heart that has been wounded and wronged, Jesus writes forgiveness.
On a heart full of fear, he writes hope for tommorrow! Confidence in a God who cannot lie!
If others have written jealousy, rage and selfishness, Jesus can overwite those things with love, joy, peace, patience gentleness, goodness, faith and self control!
like writing code, he writes in you and you start to act a certain way because of it!
God has a way of downloading hiis operating system into you!
Jesus purifies and makes new!
This is how we can say that God is the greatest artists the ages have ever known!
Yes, he created the galaxies and all that is, but friend, He created you!
He elected to write upon your heart and make you more than you had ever dreamed you could be!
And perhaps some proactive Christian here today is wondering: What is my part in all this? What role is there for me?
The best answer I can give you is this:
Open your heart to God!
Sometimes we build callouses around our hearts, but let me put you in rememberance today: Jesus will never hurt you!
He will only help you!
Open your innermost being to your creator and allow him to refine you!
Allow him and invite Him in!
“Overwrite dear God, my old programming, and make me new!”
“Fix me Lord Jesus and transform me into your image!”
“I need to stop thinking like me and start thinking more like you!”
“I must decrease, and you must increase!”
It may be that you are here today and those things God inscribed onto your heart long ago, have slowly begun to fade.
Time has a way of doing that, okay. But don’t let it stand!
Ask Jesus to overwrite and renew you!!!!!
“Oh God, return me to my first love!”
“Take me back to the freshness and the fire of my conversion!!!
“Let me not fade away like Demas did!
Write on me anew!
Inscribe upon the tables of my heart Lord Jesus!!!
“Remind me where you brought me from!!!”
“Remind me of the grace and mercy you have spent on me!”
“Break down any strongholds that the enemy has inflicted upon me!”
“If he’s staked out a piece of my heart for himself, dear God, abolish the cancer and make me new!!!!
“I have read enough of this book to know that you will be Lord of all or not at all!”
“God, I want you to be the Lord of my life!”
If indeed you are willing to write fresh things into my heart and life, I will submit to every Word.”
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Maybe you are perfect in need of nothing.
Or maybe you are like me today, and you recognize your need for the Master’s hand.
The greatest artist, the Highest mind and the strongest hand, would write upon the fleshly tables of your heart today.
If only you will let Him, He will write and He will write what you need most.
I may not know what that is, but He does! And He is able!!!!
Come, let us pray.
Throw open every door to your innermost being!
Half a Christian isn’t worth much my friend!
A mind half made up is a danger to everyone around!
If you are carrying wounds and issues unsettled, this is your chance at peace!!!!!!
Don’t miss it!
Find a place to pray!
Invite the Master in!!!!
“You wrote the code that orders the galaxies!”
“You wrote words on stone tablets, that man might have justice.”
“You wrote words on a wall, becasue you cannot abide pollution of the Holy!”
“You wrote words on a temple floor, but you were the Temple! The temple in A temple!”
“Now Jesus, I ask you to write on me. Let me be your autograph!
Press as hard as you must, I trust you! You know what is best!”
“Lord Jesus, have your way, and do according to your will in me I pray.”