Tag Archive for 'God'

Isn’t it amazing…?

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
25Jun08
. 5 Comments

This is an intensely personal post that for some reason I’m reticent to write about much less speak about because of how shy I am about what’s written later in the post. I also think the biblioblogosphere can be pretty academic and could use more passion so I better contribute some of my own. So here goes and I hope it blesses you in some way.

Isn’t it amazing that our creator and God is holy, righteous, good and perfect? Imagine what it would be like if the creator were Satan. Or one who created everything and then just let it go without caring.

Isn’t it amazing how creative God is and that He created everything first for His own enjoyment? He created things that we will never discover. And He enjoys the fact that we also enjoy His creation.

Isn’t it amazing that God prepared to send His Son to die to redeem us, even though we didn’t ask for that and even though we didn’t know we need that?

Isn’t it amazing that because Jesus rose from the dead He sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and that God lives in us? This isn’t only because we are just seen as righteous enough to be in His presence but we have “become the righteousness of God in Him”. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Isn’t it amazing that God has not only revealed Himself through nature, but also through the Scriptures? (Psalm 19) Any time we want, we can read His letter to us and listen to Him speak to us through the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Isn’t the depth of His Word amazing? We could read the Bible for 16 hours a day for the rest of our lives and only begin to mine the depths of who God is. And that’s only a partial revelation.

Every one of these thoughts came flooding into my head a few nights ago and I had to get on my knees with my head to the ground. I cried. This was a strange and overwhelming experience because although I’ve gotten tears in the past in contemplating things of God, I’ve never cried. I’ve been on my knees like this in the past but it was because I was in pain and was asking for God’s mercy. Crying has always equaled pain.

Although this was a unique experience there is no need to analyze. It was just praise. I’ve always stressed and valued truth over experience but when the experience from God does come it’s obvious and overwhelming.

As is usual protocol on this blog, I was going to look up Scripture to back up each of the items listed above but I don’t want to do that here because it’s obvious and I don’t want this post to be like work. I wanted to record this experience so I can look back on it and remember all the points that God brought to mind.

Awesome!

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
11Feb08
. 2 Comments

Unfortunately, we’ve lost the true meaning of the word awesome, at least in the USA. (How about you in other countries?)

Awesome
Dictionary.com
1. inspiring awe: an awesome sight.
2. showing or characterized by awe.
3. Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome.

American Heritage Dictionary
1. Inspiring awe: an awesome thunderstorm.
2. Expressing awe: stood in awesome silence before the ancient ruins.
3. Slang Remarkable; outstanding: “a totally awesome arcade game” (Los Angeles Times).

I think these slang terms are even outdated. Anything anyone likes or thinks is cool can be labeled as awesome.

Awe
Dictionary.com
1. an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like: in awe of God; in awe of great political figures.

American Heritage Dictionary
1. A mixed emotion of reverence, respect, dread, and wonder inspired by authority, genius, great beauty, sublimity, or might: We felt awe when contemplating the works of Bach. The observers were in awe of the destructive power of the new weapon.

WordNet
1. an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration; “he stared over the edge with a feeling of awe”
2. a feeling of profound respect for someone or something; “the fear of God”

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Psalms 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

Isaiah 64:3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

We younger people sing in church “Our God is an Awesome God” or other songs and hymns mentioning the word, I wonder if they’re thinking that God is really cool or a great guy.

I have to wonder if Bible translators will feel a need to find another word for awesome to describe God.

Somewhat related to that, I think the church in general has lost the “fear of God” or awe of God in the classic sense. Mabye a future post on that.

Why does the Bible mention “gods”?

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
7Feb08
. 0 Comments

If the false gods that people worship aren’t real, why are they even mentioned?

Psalms 96:4
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

Of course the inspired writers of the Bible knew the gods aren’t real.

Psalms 96:5
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

The false idols have done nothing and can do nothing because they aren’t real.

I believe a comparison could be thus: As a hypothetical situation let’s say someone named Esteban has an imaginary friend and his “friend” tells him to expect others to recognize random quotes. We know his friend isn’t real but we still mention this friend because he’s real to Esteban. (This is just hypothetical of course.) Then we can make comparisons between imaginary friends that aren’t real and God who is reality itself.

This is just a trite example I thought of while reading Psalm 96. I read Psalm 96 because it was February 6th and I’ve been reading a Psalm a day since November. This keeps me on track. When I get to Psalm 119 there will be chaos.

One caveat is unlike our hypothetical example of Esteban who fears God infinitely more than his imaginary friend, Paul (the unhypothetical one in the Bible) mentions that worshiping false gods can be participating in the demonic (1 Corinthians 10:20) and was touched on here in the third paragraph.

Spending Time With God

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
6Feb08
. 4 Comments

There are so many web sites devoted to tips for almost anything you can think of–tips for using computers, getting stains out etc. Here is a blog post with tips for spending time with God. I know that sounds trite but I believe this is a very important message for the majority of of the people in the Church.

“I was basically getting spiritual crumbs from books, podcasts and my pastor. I was living vicariously through others’ relationships with God… While it’s good to learn from others, Jesus calls us to follow Him (not follow others who are following Him).”

Use S.O.A.P. - Simple tips for spending time with God.

God Is Joyful

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
30Jan08
. 1 Comment

I often forget that God is a joyful God and how much joy He experiences in us.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Treasuring the Trinity

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
26Dec07
. 0 Comments

Pitchford’s Ramblings has a good, concise article on the Biblical basis for the Doctrine of the Trinity:
Treasuring the Trinity

Regeneration and Spiritual Disciplines

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
12Dec07
. 1 Comment
Many Christians have lost or never learned a sound doctrine of regeneration. They believe that the only thing that matters is their standing with God or with the church. They assume that a past decision for Christ or a decision to affiliate with a congregation determines their standing with God. Having made that decision, they make no effort to allow the Spirit to renew them. The Spirit is not imposed upon us, and Christians must engage in spiritual disciplines that make the Spirit’s work possible in changing our lives at the fundamental level. God’s Spirit empowers us to do what we want to do and makes what we want to do to be what is right so that Christlikeness flows from us naturally.

–David Garland, 2 Corinthians

Related Scripture:
Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Peter 1:3-10

Who are you God?

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
30Nov07
. 0 Comments

“Who are you God?” This ought to be the paramount quest of every man, woman and child, because from that knowledge flows every other answer to the cries of the heart and mind.

God is the central theme of the writers of Scripture. They submerged themselves in the pursuit of the knowledge of Him, and as they were borne by the Holy Spirit, have left for us that revelation.

–Ravi Zacharias, Cries of the Heart

Knowledge of the Holy

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
2Nov07
. 4 Comments

In the last chapter of A.W. Tozer’s book Knowledge of the Holy he spells out six conditions. I’d like to summarize them with just a few added Scripture references. (Click on Scripture references.)

“…this knowledge is difficult because there are conditions to be met and the obstinate nature of fallen man does not take kindly to them.

Let me present a brief summary of these conditions as taught by the Bible and repeated through the centuries by the holiest, sweetest saints the world has ever known:”

“First, we must forsake our sins.”
Isaiah 55:7, Acts 3:19

“Second, there must be an utter committal of the whole life to Christ in faith.”
Psalm 63:8, Psalm 84:1-2, Luke 9:23

“Third, there must be a reckoning of ourselves to have died unto sin and to be alive unto God in Christ Jesus, followed by a throwing open of the entire personality to the inflow of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:25

“Fourth, we must boldly repudiate the cheap values of the fallen world and become completely detached in spirit from everything that unbelieving men set their hearts upon, allowing ourselves only the simplest enjoyments of nature which God has bestowed alike upon the just and the unjust.”
Psalm 1:1, Romans 12:2

“Fifth, we must practice the art of long and loving meditation upon the majesty of God.”
Psalm 1:2, Psalm 63:6, Psalm 145:5

“Sixth, as the knowledge of God becomes more wonderful, greater service to our fellow men will become for us imperative. This blessed knowledge is not given to be enjoyed selfishly.”
Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:4, Titus 3:8, Titus 3:14, James 2:17-18

God’s Sovereignty

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
30Oct07
. 3 Comments

Here are some verses you don’t hear about very often. However, they can be strangely comforting.

Exodus 4:11
Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

John MacArthur mentions the one above in a sermon entitled Why Does Evil Dominate the World?

1 Samuel 2:7
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12
11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Job 9:12
Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

Daniel 4:35
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Lamentations 3:38
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?

—————

Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Why Search Scripture?

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
26Oct07
. 0 Comments
Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is.

A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy

This is the process I’m going through now and may be for the rest of my life. There are so many “conventional religious notions” as Tozer puts it that I have taken for granted. I’m now in the process of carefully going through the New Testament (and later on at least part of the Old Testament) with the help of commentaries to see what’s true and what’s false. For what’s true I want to know Scripture to back it up. And I’ve gotten to the point that whenever I hear something dealing with theology, a person’s opinion or even hearing or reading a verse of the Bible in isolation, I need to look into it.

More importantly I want to know God better through reading His letter to us. How fascinating and unending this is. And it’s not just reading and gaining knowledge, it’s having the Creator as a teacher revealing Himself to us.

I’ve updated the About page with this information.

Contentment and Provision

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
19Oct07
. 0 Comments

John MacArthur at Pulpit Magazine is writing a series on Contentment based on Philippians 4:11-12.

In addition to that I’d like to mention that I always used to have Philippians 4:13 memorized without thinking about the context of the two verses before it.

Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Jesus did say, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) But I think we need to keep Philippians 4:13 in context. All things is referring to being content in every condition of life. This includes being content in prosperity without being proud, greedy, hungering for more etc.

Then in 4:19 he says, “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (emphasis added) Our perception of our needs and what our needs really are may not line up. But He will supply our true needs and we can learn to be content in them through Him who gives us strength.

Theology

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
10Oct07
. 0 Comments

I’ve been so busy moving to a new web host and email provider, moving this site from wordpress.com to its own domain and tweaking the look of this site I haven’t had time to get back to posting what I want to post. So today I will punt and post another quote.

Theology is faith seeking understanding, but understanding is more than theoretical. If we really grasp who and where we are as disciples, we should know how to live out our faith. All too often, however, the church professes its faith but is unsure how to practice it. Even some of my seminary students come to theology classes somewhat reluctantly, assuming that doctrine is neither practical nor relevant to their future ministry.

To define doctrine as direction for fitting participation in the drama of redemption - in what God is doing in Christ through the Spirit to form the church and renew creation - is to ensure that the understanding that faith seeks will not stop short of practice. My goal as a theologian is to move beyond the acquisition of knowledge to its application in real life: in a word, I want to get wisdom.

–Kevin Vanhoozer, Theologian

Christian scholarship

Posted
by
Jeff
 on
7Oct07
. 0 Comments

The task of Christian scholarship is to study reality as a manifestation of God’s glory, to speak about it with accuracy, and to savor the beauty of God in it. I think Edwards would regard it as a massive abdication of scholarship that so many Christians do academic work with so little reference to God. If all the universe and everything in it exists by the design of an infinite personal God, to make his manifold glory known and loved, then to treat any subject without reference to God’s glory is not scholarship but insurrection.

–John Piper