" Render unto Caesar that which is Caesars... and to God that which is God's."   

This verse that we read and spoke of last Sunday from Mark 12 is something I thought was powerful and alive.  

I also thought it was said and done and I would be off to new things this week.  "APPARENTLY"... God wanted to press the point with me just a little further :)  

There were "other" areas of my life He wanted this principle to touch.  Something I thought was untouchable, God touched this week. It wasn't easy and no.. I'm not going to tell you about it - hahaha - but it was significant and it has been a week of watching God show me how deep-reaching this principle actually goes. 

A few years ago I learned by revelation what "redemptive work" is.  Isn't it funny how we can know by theology what something means... then one day we "experience" the living revelation (Rhema) of it and now we not only 'know' the truth of it, that truth lives in us like a burning, electric charge. 

So, I've been a big fan of how God does "redemptive" things. 

Takes undeserving people or situations and redeems them into His purpose.   I can't say how much of His motivation is the joy He gets in watching us experience this... and how much is God saying; "hey... if it belongs to Me, it needs to be rendered unto Me"!  

What I can say... is that this principle in Mark 12 is not something to be taken lightly. Evil can claim ownership to something for only so long.. at some point God looks up and says; 'uh.. yeah.. that's Mine".   

In that moment, you can only hope He is using you to get it back because - oh the amazing wind-fall of that good run of being in the right place at the right time. 

Even as a Pastor I can't tell you when God's redemptive work is going to strike.  I've tried to make sense of it.. even control it for selfish reasons :)  

Perhaps there is a pattern to it, I don't know. What is for sure.. is that God is God.. and what belongs to Him belongs to Him... and so the enemy can dance around holding onto things that are yours and mock you in the process all it wants to.. but if that thing that was taken is God's...  it's coming back!  

God restores all things.. 

If you're missing something today you feel was rightfully yours through God... read these;

After you have suffered a while, the God of Grace who has called you to His eternal Glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you  1 Peter 5:10

God, your God will restore everything you lost...  Deuteronomy 30:3

Or how about this... When John saw Jesus coming in John  1:29... he said " look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world".    

Wow..   The devil took from you righteousness and peace... and look, here comes someone who just decides to give it all back to you :) :)

Or this one out of Isaiah 53:6..  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all..  

Meaning...  even when the reason we lost stuff is our fault... God laid the fault and blame of that on Jesus... who took it to the Cross..  hahaha  .... Good grief, I was to blame!!.. and Jesus still redeemed me and all I lost.  

I'm telling you today folks, if it belongs to God and He wants it back... it's coming back!   

In your prayer life, include time to declare the things that belong to God;  your children belong to God.  That reputation you lost... those dreams you believe to this day, were given to you by God...  Your health.. the joy you once felt...  Its awfully fun to pray over things that you know belong to God, but have been taken.   

Your enemy stands no chance.  What belongs to God will be rendered unto God...  and not only God, but you.. will be the recipient. 

Hey.. a word about  this Sunday.. in our Christmas Journey, I will be showing you the star of Bethlehem.  No, not the typical Church version where someone pulls a clothesline across the stage with a lamp on it while three little children stumble along in tow with their robes dragging behind them. I'm going to show you a mock up of the actual celestial show occurring in the skies above Bethlehem at the time Jesus was born.  

I promise you this will be an absolutely fascinating presentation. 

 If you have friends or neighbors who thought about visiting, this would be a perfect  Sunday.  Science proves the Scriptures.. When the Bible says there was a star that caused the Magi to come, there really was... and I am going to show it to you along with a few other amazing things God has displayed for us in the heavens. 

Can't wait..