3
GOD
WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
All of our painful circumstances can't alter who God is. Nothing we can do, nothing we say, NOTHING changes God. The Lord is good and His mercies endure FOREVER! He is always there for us, picking us back up off the ground, dusting us off, healing our wounds, wraps a loving arm around us and loves us back to health.
John 14:8-9 8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
All of the loving, wonderful things we attribute to Jesus, are the Father, too! We must realize that! God reached down to us in the form of Jesus so we can know who He is!
God is:
Eternal: Psalms 90:1,2 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Unchanging: Malachi 3:6 "I the Lord do not change.
A Spirit: John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
Loving: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Psalms 145:8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
God will never lie. He is always true to His word. He will never do anything contrary to His nature. We can trust Him because He will never fail us.
God didn't invent love for us, HE IS LOVE! He desires relationship with us. He didn't create us as puppets to do things for him, but gave us a free will. That is where we are free to show our true love for Him in return. We also have the free will to turn away from Him. Love is what gives us a choice. Do we love Him or not? Spend time in prayer, talk to Him like you would a loving father, read the bible and you can't help but fall in love with Him!
Matthew 7:11 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
2 Corithians 1:3,4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Psalms 91:1,2 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
2 Corinthians 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
Now who wouldn't love a God like this!
Prayer:
Father, You are love. Please pour your love out on me and teach me and show me how to love you and others. Amen!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
2 GOD: WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
2
GOD
WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God. How can we even fathom God? He was and is there from the beginning. He alway was and always will be. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around that. Our lives exist in life and death. He exists eternally, without beginning and without end, so really, there is no way we can comprehend that! Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’"
Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abouding in love and faithfulness. Sounds like Jesus, huh? Jesus is God. God is Jesus. When I'm truly down, when I know I failed others, when I have sinned, it is so comforting to know these things about God!
Hebrews 1:1-3 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father.
I realize some people have difficulty with the fact that Jesus is God and God is Jesus.
Let's look at John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In verse one, we establish that the Word was there in the beginning, was with God and was God. Who is the Word? Verse 14 says the Word became flesh and lived among us. Who did that? Jesus! It is just so simple, yet we try to make it so complicated!
God's character is revealed to us in the Word of God, the Bible. We need to know the Word to know God. We need a relationship with Him. We can't get to know Him if we don't spend time with Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him!
Study your bible. Read it cover to cover. Don't just take what others say about it. Find out for yourself the great treasures God wants to reveal to you about Himself.
Prayer:
Father, please reveal your true nature to me. Show me Who you are. Teach me to love you, to listen to you, most of all, to know you! Amen!
GOD
WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God. How can we even fathom God? He was and is there from the beginning. He alway was and always will be. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around that. Our lives exist in life and death. He exists eternally, without beginning and without end, so really, there is no way we can comprehend that! Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’"
Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abouding in love and faithfulness. Sounds like Jesus, huh? Jesus is God. God is Jesus. When I'm truly down, when I know I failed others, when I have sinned, it is so comforting to know these things about God!
Hebrews 1:1-3 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father.
I realize some people have difficulty with the fact that Jesus is God and God is Jesus.
Let's look at John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In verse one, we establish that the Word was there in the beginning, was with God and was God. Who is the Word? Verse 14 says the Word became flesh and lived among us. Who did that? Jesus! It is just so simple, yet we try to make it so complicated!
God's character is revealed to us in the Word of God, the Bible. We need to know the Word to know God. We need a relationship with Him. We can't get to know Him if we don't spend time with Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him!
Study your bible. Read it cover to cover. Don't just take what others say about it. Find out for yourself the great treasures God wants to reveal to you about Himself.
Prayer:
Father, please reveal your true nature to me. Show me Who you are. Teach me to love you, to listen to you, most of all, to know you! Amen!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
1 GOD: WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
1
GOD: WHO IS THIS GOD WE SERVE?
Who is this
God we are to believe in? The One we are
to worship? The One we are to give our
hearts to? Growing up I had my own
version of who God was. He was a big,
stern, grey haired man who was ready to reach down and smack me with his cane whenever
I did something wrong. And God forbid if
I ever said the “F” word because that meant I was going straight to hell. Some of us believe He is meek, mild, and
overly kind. Or is He the “Man
upstairs?”, “the Boss”? Maybe He’s just
a spoil sport and wants to ruin all of our fun.
Boy did I ever think this! I
couldn’t imagine how Christians ever had fun.
They were so boring! How in the
world could you ever have fun without beer or drugs? I mean, really, God! Or is He a dictator, who is so hard and
cracks the whip when we don’t obey one, or all, of his rules? Or is he just a Santa in the Sky who we ask
for everything and expect it? I think at
one time or another, I’ve believed every one of these things at different times
in my life. Satan loves for us to
believe these things, because by believing in them, we will never know who God
truly is!
When bad
things happen to us, we tend to allow them to define who God is. “Well, He must be … if He allowed … to
happen”. Our circumstances do not alter
who God is. That is why we must get to
know Him. In all circumstances, He is
the same. He never changes.
One
statement changed how I viewed God forever.
GOD IS JESUS. That rocked my
world . Rocked my view of who God is. I have always believed that Jesus is God, but
never turned it around. If you know
Jesus, you know the Father! They are the
exact representation of each other.
God’s character is revealed in the bible, the word of God! I am going to repeat this over and over and
over again: YOU MUST READ THE
BIBLE! Not just bits and pieces, but the
whole Word! Have you read the Bible all
the way through? You will see God’s
character from beginning to end. You may
see Him in a way you have never imagined before! One of the greatest ways to be deceived is by
not knowing the word of God, the Bible.
The best way
I have to get to know God is purely through the Bible. We will be studying what the Bible has to say
about God.
In the
meantime, think of all of the ways you view God. And don’t add your Christianese spin on
it. The spin that you know what you’re
supposed to say, but don’t really down deep believe or feel. Who is
God to you?
Prayer:
God, I
really don’t have a grasp of who you are.
Show me through your Word your character, your love, your great mercies
for me. Show me who you really are. Please reveal to me the false ways that I
view you, forgive me, and show me your truth.
Amen!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
FORGIVENESS 13 THE END
Forgiveness Nuggets 13
Matt 11:29 (NIV)
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- When Jesus cleans us from the inside out, forgiveness transforms us.
Living in forgiveness means we are no longer threatened by others, nor do we feel accused.
- Those who live in forgiveness are given real spiritual authority.
3. Living in forgiveness means we will come into rest and freedom.
Ezek 37:7-10 (NIV)
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that a life style of forgiveness is possible through You and what You did on the cross. Thank you for showing me that living a forgiving life will bring me to a measure of wholeness that I’ve never known before. Praise You, My Father! Amen!
Lorilie Nelson
Choosing Forgiveness
John & Paula Sandford and Norm Bowman
Copyright © 1996
Clear Stream, Inc. Publishing
Box 122128, Arlington, Texas 76012
Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall
Copyright © 2002
Published by Charisma House
A Strang Company
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
Scripture quoted from:
FORGIVENESS 12
Forgiveness Nuggets 12
- If we harbor unforgiveness, there is no way we can see reality – all we have is our own subjective perceptions.
Matt 6:22-23 (NIV)
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
- When we hang on to unforgiveness, our discernment becomes warped because we interpret issues from a childish point of view.
- Choosing to be unforgiving causes us to fall short of the grace of God.
Heb 12:15 (NIV)
15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
- When we hang on to unforgiveness, our sin comes back on us and must be dealt with again and again.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others who trespass against us.”
Matt 18:23-35 (NIV)
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[a] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[b] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
- Unwillingness to forgive affects our ability to confront others and to receive correction.
Prov 15:10 (NIV)
10 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path;
he who hates correction will die.
Prov 9:7-10 (NIV)
7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Prov 27:5-6 (NIV)
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Prov 25:11 (NIV)
11 A word aptly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
- If we fail to forgive each other, it makes us vulnerable to attack by Satan.
Satan wants to use any unforgiveness he can find in our hearts as part of his scheme to create disharmony and destroy the unity of God’s people.
2Cor 2:5-11 (NIV)
5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Unity in the body of Christ validates Jesus before the world. Disunity causes the world to disbelieve that Jesus is who He said He is – sent by the Father. Satan uses any unforgiveness he can find to attack us in the vulnerability of our wounds.
Eph 4:26-27 ; 31-32 (NIV)
26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
- Hanging on to unforgiveness creates in us the necessity to build and maintain a facade.
Luke 11:39-40 (NIV)
39Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
1John 5:19-20 (NIV)
19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
- Holding on to unforgiveness produces physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion.
Prayer:
Father, help me to not miss the grace of God by allowing bitterness to dwell in me. Forgive me for being like the Pharisees, putting on an impression of something I’m not. Because I know you look on my heart and not my works. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence nor take Your Holy Spirit from me. Amen!
Lorilie Nelson
Choosing Forgiveness
John & Paula Sandford and Norm Bowman
Copyright © 1996
Clear Stream, Inc. Publishing
Box 122128, Arlington, Texas 76012
Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall
Copyright © 2002
Published by Charisma House
A Strang Company
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
Scripture quoted from:
FORGIVENESS 11
Forgiveness Nuggets 11
We must check what is in our heart and with the Lord’s help, deal with our issues of unforgiveness at their root – through short, immediate, “flash prayers.” This does not mean we should deny our feelings or suppress them. Rather, we should seek to understand why we feel the way we do, put our feelings in perspective to see how unbridled emotions can hurt us and others, and seek the Lord’s help in coming into real forgiveness. This will have to be done momentarily, every day, as a lifestyle of prayer and forgiveness.
In reality, suppression of feelings avoids dealing with them and creates a false sense of being a forgiving person.
Flash prayers allow us to admit our feelings, repent of our sinful responses, submit ourselves to God’s ability to accomplish forgiveness in us, and move on to live in the freedom and refreshment of God’s grace.
1Pet 5:6-7 (NIV)
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1Thess 5:16-18 (NIV)
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Heb 12:15 (NIV)
15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Bitter roots can cause a heart of stone.
Ez 36:26 (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Our bitter root structure can be so deep and so hidden that we are not even aware of its presence.
To the degree that each of us is subject to Jesus Christ, the Lord enables us to relate to each other in mutual love and respect.
Matt 16:24 (NIV)
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Luke 14:26 (NIV)
26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
When we are born anew in Christ, we must cut free from all the old ways of relating so that we can be formed anew solely by the Holy Spirit in Christ.
To have reverence for Christ means to allow Him access within us to accomplish effectively everything for which He died on the cross.
Gal 5:24 (NIV)
24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
The Holy Spirit brings turmoil as He convicts us of sin. Peace comes as we learn to repent, submit ourselves to God’s will, and thus begin to manifest fruits of the Spirit.
Consider what it does to us if we reduce those who wrong us to the role of unforgivable monsters. Viewing someone as a monster gives that person the power to condemn us to live with the hurting memory of our painful past. We give them the power to keep on hurting us and to stay in control of our lives. This is not to say that forgiveness should mean looking the other way as if hurts and injustices had not happened.
When we forgive evil, we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it. We look evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it.
We need to be honest by confessing to God our anger against Him and against others whom we perceive have wronged us. God is not guilty of anything and certainly does not need our forgiveness. Our anger and unforgiveness are our own and grow out of our need to be in control. However, God can use every circumstance of life to bring blessing to us and to write wisdom in our hearts if we respond according to His will.
Rom 8:28 (NIV)
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose.
Prayer:
Father, I ask that you help me to quick on the draw to forgive moment by moment so that no bitter root rises up in me. I confess my anger to you concerning certain people I have chosen not to forgive in the past. I release that to you and ask you to do a work of cleansing in my heart. Forgive me for my bitterness and anger. Amen!
(make this prayer personalized; inserting the names of people you have held grudges and bitterness against. Let it all out to the Lord and He will help you through this.)
Lorilie Nelson
Choosing Forgiveness
John & Paula Sandford and Norm Bowman
Copyright © 1996
Clear Stream, Inc. Publishing
Box 122128, Arlington, Texas 76012
Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall
Copyright © 2002
Published by Charisma House
A Strang Company
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
Scripture quoted from:
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