Tag Archives: God

Reasoning With The World – 1 – Is God a force of nature or a personal loving God?


The following is an answer to a recent question I received from a seeking skeptic. May you be encouraged to boldly reason your faith in an intelligent and loving way. The World has great and honest questions. We should learn to patiently lend a listening ear and do our best in reasoning with them, leading them to God.

Here is the Question:Does the bible distinguish if it is more important to use the right words to express the wrong ideas or the wrong words to express the right ideas?  Example, if I use the word “energy” in replace of the word God to express God, but think of the same image as those who say God, is this ok?

 Here is the Answer (in the context of the letter i received, the person had many more questions which is why i gave this exhaustive illustration. ill share the other questions later):

First of all, A Christian’s life should be governed by the Word of God (the Bible). This does not mean that there are not Hypocrite-Christians who speak one thing and practice another as there are hypocrites in every faith and in every belief system. There are hypocrite atheists, agnostics…etc but this does not mean that we should reject absolutes simply because of errors in human behavior or follow-through. Truth is truth; in the Bible and elsewhere. We don’t throw the baby out with the bath-water so-to-speak. And if hypocrites (liars, money hungry TV evangelists, child-molesting priests/pastors… the list could go on) are the bath water and Jesus and the Bible are the baby we can just as well throw out the bath-water hypocrites and yet still deal solely with Jesus and the Bible. That is the decision each person must come to on their own: What do I believe about Jesus and the Bible. With that pre-face let me attempt to answer your questions.

The Bible says to “speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)

Imagine that a doctor just diagnosed you with a terrible deadly disease. “You are going to die!” says the doctor. You walk away feeling like you’ve been sucker-punched in the gut, scratching your head, saying to yourself, “What a cruel thing that has just happened to me.” You don’t blame the doctor for your disease. The disease was already there. The doctor simply let you know your inevitable condition. He revealed the reality of your condition: Certain doom. You don’t walk away going “What a cruel doctor.” But rather “What a cruel thing is going on inside of my body.” The doctor has simply told you the truth of what is happening in your body. Now, imagine that the doctor had just given you this death sentence and allowed you to just walk away hopeless, and yet withheld from you the further truth that He also knows of a cure for your body that will make you well. Now that might seem cruel. He gave you the diagnosis without the cure. He spoke some truth to you, and yet withheld other truth. This is not love, it is not loving. If a father sees his child playing in the street with traffic, the father does not simply allow the child to continue in the behavior because the child decides, “this is what I want to do,” but the father, because He loves His child must speak boldly to the child, letting him know that if he continues in this behavior, his life is in certain danger and inevitable doom. Does this spoil the child’s fun? For a moment it might, but if the child hears the voice of the father and listens, than the love of the father has won the life of the son. If the son does not hear the father’s voice and obey, than he has taken his life in his own hands and will sadly die. The heart of the father was to speak the truth in love, giving his son the bad news (you cannot continue this way) so that he can experience life; receiving the good news.

This is the same as our diagnoses/ cure scenario with the doctor and the patient. In order to bring healing to the patient, the doctor must give him a proper and true diagnoses even if it is hard to give (because that is the loving thing to do), and as a bonus and a blessing, the doctor gives the hope of a cure. But as we know from life, truth is not always welcomed or received. The patient may not accept the cure because he does not want to accept the preceding diagnoses. But as we know, you cannot have one without the other. You will not accept the cure for cancer if you don’t first accept that you have the disease. Though the doctor was faithful to deliver his message to the patient (or speak the truth in love), it is up to the patient to receive or reject both. One option leading to the reality of death (whether he believes it or not), or the other leading to the reality of Life.

So, in using words, we are to speak the truth. And do it in a way that would reflect the heart of God: love. Though truth is truth, however it comes across, there is a tactful, gracious, and loving way to display and speak it to others.

So, if someone says “Energy” or “Mother-nature” and really means “creating-force” or “God” I would need further clarification. Because as Christians, we are to say what we mean and mean what we say. I say, Jesus is God and nothing was created without Him. I simply mean that Jesus is God, God is Jesus, Not “mother-nature” , Not some mysterious force, but a known, revealed God who has a name and a certain, absolute identity.   

 

Intimacy, Eternally

1 John 1:1-4

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-…”

This is not boasting, nor arrogance. It is simply a statement of fact. It is simple testimony. True to life experience cannot be denied. It is a witness testimony. John is just telling the truth. “This is what I have seen! This is my experience!” “I have seen God come down to earth!” The Word of Life has been seen by these eyes! That everlasting Word. “In the beginning God Said…” That God, those words, they have been seen. This is the very power of God revealed, spoken, breathed, and He has been known and is being known by man.

“…the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the father and was made manifest to us-”

God is so good to us! He pours out His love, His mercy, His grace. We are drowning in a flood of Gods goodness toward us. Gods eternal life has touched down to a temporal earth. Dying man is coming into contact with the living God. When all is rotting away, God, who is life extends life eternal. And He revealed it in person, that we might touch and taste and see it all for His glory.

Jesus, the breath of God; His voice; His expression was given and manifest to you and I that we might experience for ourselves that God cares for us. God has expressed Himself to you and I in Jesus. He removes our sins. He heals us and feeds us, and sits at our table, and walks these dirty streets. He is not some distant God, but a personal, full of grace God. He is known and we are known by Him! Let that goodness wash over your heart today. Let His personal love and care for you lift your spirit to the heavenlies for just a moment. Taste afresh of His goodness and grace as you ponder this God who sees and knows and cares for you. Let Him touch you once more as you draw near to Him. His desire is that you would come so near to Him that you are truly one with Him. intercoursed by and with Him.

That is fellowship with God. That is koinōnia. Fellowship. it is closeness, commonality, blood bathed in the grace, mercy and forgiveness of the all cleansing blood of Christ! it is oneness that cannot even closely be compared with the physical type. The only dramatic earthly way of painting a picture of how close God wants you to himself that really still does not do justice with Gods heart for you is the closeness between a married man and woman in the act of intercourse. Special, personal, intimate, exclusive oneness. He wants you to be closer than earthly possible. One in the Spirit. He wants you to be closer than earthly possible. One in the Spirit. And His is oneness beyond marriage! Fellowship beyond earth! No wonder you are called His bride. You are special beyond earthly expression; so dear to Gods heart that human words cannot express. That’s why He has placed His Spirit inside of you. That He would bear witness with our spirit that we belong to Him. Take to heart His desire to have fellowship with you my friends. We cannot find a love like this anywhere else. Search no further. Waste no more time. Run into His always outstretched arms and just simply belong there.

“… And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Amen.

May your joy become more and more complete in Him.

Transformed In The Presence of God – PART 2

The last we spoke, our ordinary man, Isaiah stood in awe and fear before the throne of God. The posts were shaken, the room filled with smoke, and the seraphim cried, “holy holy holy!”. Wow! Can you remember the mood: quite serious, fearful, and humble. If you did some homework and read the entirety of the chapter you would have heard the rest of the prophets cry: ” I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…”

I am a man; defiled, is Isaiah’s cry; I am a nasty sinner; in our own plain language. Forget any temptation to believe that you have been reading a fairy tale or bedtime story. It is the trickery of time and the craftiness of our enemy to dull our faith by convincing us to read through the Bible as if it were only some book, when the Lord would have us experience Him through its true and living words and events. Do not be fooled, Isaiah was a real man: flesh and blood, body and spirit; full of emotion and feeling… just like you and me. A real man, before the presence of the Almighty! Now, maybe you can relate in some small way, at least in your humanity: desperate for redemption; longing for peace; needy for salvation; but lost in sin and among a people gross with the like. I know I can relate. But relation does not stop there…

Though lost in the deepest pits of despair; tainted by every sin imaginable, a man humbled himself and like Job, repented in dust and ashes (job 42:6). Though relatable to our hero, I am not talking about Isaiah anymore, I am talking about me. Can you relate? Have you been there? I have learned something great from the Lord; that He, in His awesomeness can create beauty from ashes. The best place on earth I have ever been, has been on my knees, being resuscitated, filled and most importantly, forgiven. Though men fall down as dead before the presence of The King, They shall be revived, called, and empowered to go! That’s why I said above that relation does not stop at fear and trembling, but like Isaiah, our souls have been touched by hot coals and our spirits brought to life by His life giving spirit. In our humility, we have been forgiven all our sins and by the power and glory of HIS life giving grace we may now enter into the most holy place with great boldness (Heb 4:16), knowing that our great forgiver desires to be our able and willing empowerer.

Dear friend, maybe you feel powerless? maybe you feel sinful, wicked, and completely unworthy? Maybe you have fallen before the Lord and feel unable to get back up? condemned? Maybe you have been drowning in legalism and pharisitical-religious-idioticy (i have been there)? Are you face to the ground and overwhelmed? Allow me to encourage you to stop listening to the voice of condemnation. Stop striving in your own flesh. I implore you, stay where you are, strive no more. Remain face to the ground. Be quiet. Be still and hear the voice of the Almighty calling you by name… He hears your cry and He sees your state. He comes to you out of the dust and ashes, hot coal in hand. Allow Him to purify your soul. He will cleanse you of all sin and wash you from all uncleanness. The rumors are true: our God is a consuming fire. Rest in that fire and be cleansed for eternity.

Amazing… The same God to be feared is the God who forgives… The God who humbles is the God who exalts… When we are weak He is strong… When we are faithless, He remains faithful… Though we be a weak, sinful people, He in His love and Grace offers strength and purity. Though we be ordinary, He is a God of the extraordinary. Its seems to me, that our God is in the business of taking ordinary men and women and empowering them to do the seemingly impossible. May i challenge you? His business has not gone bankrupt! He is the same yesterday today and forever. Its time to get over ourselves and to forget about our insufficiencies. He has given us grace upon grace! Where are the redeemed who will trust in faith that our God will be faithful and strong on their behalf just as He has been since Genesis 1:1? Do you not have the strength? the time? the words? the status? the list goes on… He has more than enough of all the above and more. In His grace He offers the Strength that you do not deserve. He gives the power by HIS Spirit that you do not have nor deserve and so on and so forth. This is His grace toward you daily. Though you be a single man prostrate on the floor of the temple of God, He will raise you up, forgive you your sin and call you out….

“who will go for Me? Who shall I send?”

The Lord, He calls. Who will answer His call?

“Lord, Help us to remember Your strength and favor toward us and to remember that we are only men. It is not by our strength but by Your Spirit. Thank You Lord. Amen.”

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Transformed in the Presence of God

It stresses the fibers of my being while trying to imagine the scene presented to us here. The vision alone is more than could ever fill our imagination. Can you see it now? at least try with me. Lets see if we can fill our minds eye with as much glory as possible (Col.3:1-2) (phil.4:8).

The location: the very throne-room of the Lord!

The cast: Isaiah, a few present angels, and the God who created the universe.

The mood: Worship, Fear, power, and humility.

I can see it now: myself, only a man, standing before the presence of the creator of the universe.I know my first response: grab some floor! I cannot imagine being able to stand in His awesome presence. The worship and declaration of His holiness alone shake the posts!

His glory is declared, and the room shakes! Not He shakes the room but the praise of His name causes shaking! How Awesome is His name.

His created angels cover not only their faces but the very ground that they walk upon in the presence of His majesty. There have been few men who stood in the presence of God; some fell on their faces, some fell down as dead, some felt unworthy and some cried: “woe is me!” And here in the midst of such awesomeness is one man.

Thats right, I didn’t say The man, or the best man or the greatest man or the most capable or the strongest… but a man.

The response of the man, Isaiah, is that of humility, shame, repentance and awe. what does he mean, undone? The word is da^ma^h (Hebrew). If your strange like me, you might think that the word sounds allot like our word, dumber (daw-maw). For that is precisely how the prophet Isaiah felt.

The word means to be dumb or silent; to fail, parish; cease or be cut down; and lastly to be utterly undone.

Wow! pretty strong language. Words are literally taken out of Isaiah as he is brought low and humbled by the presence of the almighty.

Cutting straight to my point: how are you standing in HIS presence?

What is your posture in worship (and i don’t mean physically)?

Are the posts of your heart being shaken at the declaration of His holiness (after all, your body has been called, the temple of the holy Spirit)?

Are you proud in heart or are you humbled by His presence?

Do you fear your God or have you become one to be feared yourself?

Lastly, though we could go on, Do you watch your words (after all, we are continually in His presence.)?

Do you remember the mood (from above)?: Worship, power, fear and humility.

True worship is done in the power of the Holy spirit as Gods people Fear Him in humility. True worshipers worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

May I encourage you to examine your spiritual posture in worship? And may we realize the greatness of God declared in the truth of His Word and worship accordingly, for He is a great God who desires to empower ordinary people who will humble themselves in worship. After all, He exalts the humble.

“Lord, will You to examine our innermost being? Will You reveal the darkness of pride and replace it with the beauty of humility. Show us a glimpse of your glory and use this ordinary man.”

May you and I learn to live in reality… Jesus is reality.

Love and Suffering – go hand in hand


2 Corinthians 2:4
“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have for you.”

Oh what depth of love we might have within ourselves as we conform more and more into the likeness of our Savior – To love as powerful as Christ on the cross. He is bleeding, and yet He is giving life. He is in much anguish and suffering and yet He is experiencing victory for so many souls. He is dying – being poured out, and yet He is vastly in love with those for whom his blood is being spilt. This is love, though it be a strange thing to take in, to grasp. A love that is willing to go through trial and much anguish so that others may experience true joy and everlasting peace.

I wonder how many Christians are missing out on the fullness of knowing their Savior because they are too safe. Too scared to step out in faith or too scared to suffer for the well being of others. I’m not talking about being tortured or spread over a splintery cross. But to be spent: emotionally, physically and spiritually stretched beyond your personal bounds for the sake of others. True men and women of God who change lives and effect eternity for the sake of the gospel suffer in this life while others benefit, and yet because of this suffering, they enjoy pure, perfect joy now and in heaven. No wonder scripture says to us about our Savior: “that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross…” There is great joy in tears and trial and in sufferings when they are for the purpose of the gospel, the joy of others, and to the glory of God!  You must experience this sort of love in order to scarcely understand it.

“O, Lord, that we might experience you more fully in the fellowship of your sufferings.” Amen

Dark Heart : Bright Son

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

2 Corinthians 4:6
“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Wow! What a truly amazing brightness this is! It is God Himself – Who is light.

The same God who spoke the planets and moons, stars and even the sun into existence with His very breath and words, would now shine in our heart. Incredible! This is so hard to fathom -even believe.

To think that out of billions of souls alive today-right now-at this very moment, and then out of even more billions upon billions of people who have lived in the past, that He, the God of Wonder and creation, power and glory would single me out – a sinner of the highest degree, with a soul as dark and as black and wicked as hell itself.

To think that He would save me and shine His pure, powerful, sin obliterating light into my heart and mind and soul, and to wake and bring to life my once dead spirit. It is so hard to imagine but it is so important to accept. God has indeed pierced the darkness and the veil that had blinded you from experiencing His light of love and grace. He has defeated the wicked god of this world, that serpent and deceiver, who once held you under bondage to your sin and condemnation. But that has all changed. It is changed permanently. For good. It is finished! To you, though you deserve it not, His mercies will shine anew and afresh each day because he has said to your spirit the same thing that He has said to all His creation from the beginning: “Let there be light!” And through the Lens of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, he says to you also as he said from the beginning, “it is good.” All this is because of His goodness and for His glory because we have seen the face of The Christ-our Savior. We see the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ who loved and loves us. Oh what sure Hope we have in Jesus. Just as the sun has not ceased its shining all these years so the Light of God’s faithfulness shall not cease its singing over us until we bask eternally in the presence of the light of His true Son for eternity.

“Amen, Praise You my God for all eternity! amen!”

EPIC FAITH – A letter to Myself

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Dear Me,

Some say, “It is hard to believe.”

They honestly state, “I cannot believe in what is unseen.”

“I have no faith toward God, because I cannot see Him with my eye.”

And yet without reserve, doubting, they place their measure of faith in what is seen.

“Unless I can see it, it will not satisfy.”

The faith of disbelief in God is placed elsewhere.

You might say:

“I faith what I feel.”

“If I feel it, I believe it. If I taste, touch, hear or see it, I accept it.”

“If I can argue for it, or reason through it, than surely I would give my life for it.”

As people, we mostly believe that it is a satisfying thing to be able to see the object of our affections. But if you can see what you place your hope in, yet draw no joy from it, there is no pleasure in the seen thing at all. I have found most often that the seen things are the empty things – the letdowns in the end. We looked to be fulfilled and yet fulfilled we are not.

Empty we come to our table and there find no fullness at all – only the same old desire unfulfilled. And so we are on the hunt.

Searching to be satisfied.

Our hearts are beating for a single treasure.

The desire of man is probing the pleasures of life – hoping – expecting by faith, and panting for calm in a world full of storm. The desire of man is to be satisfied, and yet seeing, we are still wanting. And hearing many things, we are still deaf to the answer. Seeing the objects of our faith, most of us are unmoved. I don’t mean that we are not accepted or are without some definition or meaning or purpose, but I mean that we are left unaffected. Untouched by our roaming faith.

Money is the god of some and yet though they move money, money does not move them. I can change my surroundings or possessions with money but money cannot speak to me, comfort me, hear my cries and relieve my anxieties. It cannot bring relief and companionship to the lonely heart.

Sex is the god of many. All effort, emotion, and mind are consumed with this act or vision. Faith in the groped-for fleeting satisfaction of fornication. Yet we are untouched or fulfilled by sex. Though moving in sex, though moving from one partner to another in this act, we are not moved by it in heart. Satisfied but for a moment only, and then the moment passes. Lasting satisfaction is lacking because sex satisfies mostly the body but for a moment then, it is fleeting. The body is left hungering only for more but without being truly and lastingly pleased.

Dreams,

Degrees,

Education,

Self-worth,

Popularity,

Praise,

Heroism…

And the list could go on.

We are searching for contentment.

The mind and body are hungry for meaning, but what if man is more than just body and mind? Though what is seen is natural, what if in what lies beyond the “eyes-seen” world is where we are only satisfied? In the seemingly unnatural?

Though men move naturally toward satisfaction and self-worth, they are not moved by what they grope for.

What if the seen does not satisfy because the unseen in man hungers for the ultimate satisfying treasure – worth that cannot fade away. Love that is not fleeting. Purpose that lasts beyond this life – beyond time. The treasures that we know – the felt treasures are all effective for only a moment of pleasure. But what is unseen is unaffected by material treasures. The spirit of man that lives beyond this temporal life is yearning to be satisfied by the unseen – the spiritual. The body is possessed by spirit, and knowing that the body is rotting, the spirit is longing for its maker – the creator and satisfier of all things.

Your need and my need is spiritual, not fleshly.

Not worldly, but godly.

Reality is, that the body is dead without the spirit and the spirit is dead without God.

Long ago, God breathed His very breath into a pile of dust and brought man to life. His breath became our source of life and we are as His creation, longing to breath from the source once again. Satisfaction awaits but only at the fountainhead. You, being created in the image of God, who is Spirit, are longing to be touched by the God who formed you. To truly be moved by that which you place your faith in.

God moves me.

I am moved by Him.

He is moving in me.

Gushing out brilliantly.

Over and under, in, through and out of the deepness of my heart, spirit, mind and emotions.

I have searched the world over and have found only sweet, fulfilling satisfaction in Him alone. His Spirit lives in me and I am supremely satisfied in Him!

I have not seen Him with the eye but have experienced Him with the heart and deep into my spirit, which He has made alive. And in knowing Him, I am complete and satisfied in mind, heart and faith.

There are those who even see with the eye and still do not believe. But I have heard His still and small voice whispering to my spirit, calling me to be in Him complete and there be completely satisfied.

I am a faith-walker – needing not sight but knowing Him through the experience of His touch upon my life. He has lit the path of life and inflamed my heart to burn for Him. He walks upon the landscape of my soul, and in heaven, though here on earth I now walk with Him in pleasure forevermore.

My desires are for Him alone.

He changes me,

Renews me,

Makes me whole, therefore I am wholly His.

I have been delivered up to my God for His good pleasure. I am a sacrifice upon the alter of allurement. I have tasted and now see. I am lured by His immeasurable grace toward me. He is the hunter, I am His prey, and I have been caught by the one who only wholly loves me and cares for my soul. I am pleased to be trapped by His love. This is the result of his affections toward me and my experience of faith in Him.

He is a God to be experienced, not intellectually beheld.

But you must run after Him! Searching and calling after Him to be found, and there, you will no doubt be found by Him. But faith is an action as well as a reality, and the reality and faith-filled Creator of faith is longing to be your desire and object of faith.

Yet as we know, reality is often tested.

But know this my friend, the God of reality will be found as real as life and more powerful than death come the end of your life. And there, in that moment, having not experienced Him here you will surely never know Him there.

Are you experiencing your God, or just reading about Him? The seen does not satisfy because we were meant to be other-worldly.

Our unseen spirit is most greatly delighted when enraptured by His Spirit – seen with the spiritual eye.

Come boldly before your God today and experience Him in all of His glory. Let Him blow your mind. See Him and be seen by Him with Fresh eyes.

Safe in Him,

J.N.Wheels