God exists for us in that moment, between seconds, in the twinkling of an eye. He has existed and will exist every time someone’s now happens. He is the Ageless Now. Our lives pass by like film in a movie projector and we live only on what the light shines. Every frame of our lives will at one point be, now, but God being the light is eternal, always there, never changing. Eternal is the best term we have for something without beginning and end. Eternal is not always used in this fashion but remains our best word. God lives in the eternal now. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being.
Acts 17:28
For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
We move through time but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
When God spoke during the burning bush incident, he was confronted with a question from Moses,
Exodus 3:13
And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them?
He did not say, “My name is Elohiym, creator of the universe”, nor “ Jehovah Jireh your provider” nor “El the almighty one”. Instead he uses the name which means “To be, to exist”.
Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
God is the God of now. He is relevant to everyone from the beginning of history to the end of the world. Every person, no matter what day and age they lived, live or will live, will experience their whole life during that one continuous moment. Now.
Let us take a look at John 3:16,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Everyone is going to perish. Everyone's body no matter how long it lives is going to die, so this verse is obviously not talking about the human body but the part of us that has the ability to commune with God. Our spirits are dead to God when we are born because of sin. But God sent His Son to our world to save us from our sins and to give us life, everlasting life. If we believe this to be true then our old, dead, sinful spirit is quickened to life so that we might live for Christ and or God while we are living in our human bodies on earth. This is much easier said than done. In order to live for Christ we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus in the way that he leads us. Satan, who is attached directly to our dead spirit, and who's existence depends solely on our participation with him will do everything in his power to keep his relationship with us. "Live for the moment, you can serve God later". These are the words from Satan. But they are a lie. We can not live for God later, we can not even serve Satan later, we can only live, Now. God sent His Son so that we might "live" every Now, thus giving us everlasting life. Satan wants us to "perish" every Now, thus keeping us in everlasting death. This is the epic of the human condition.
Paul the apostle writes, referring to Isaiah 49:8
2 Corinthians 6:2
For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Now is the time to choose.
I am headed to Pine Bluff for three weeks of work so will only blog on the weekends. Thanks for reading and following.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Ageless Now 1.1
Ageless Now
Growing up, I had a hard time when trying to understand what I would be doing after my body died and went to heaven, “forever”. What in the world would I do, forever? My parents told me that I would be praising and worshiping God the whole time. Well, maybe it is just my carnal mind, but do that forever? I mean really, that is a long, long time.
But even though that bugged me what bothered me more was how was it that God, who was going to be there forever, had already been around forever. I was able to come to grips with forevermore but not with foreverbefore. How could God have been around all this time and yet still be around forever? How old is God anyway?
I heard someone once give this comparison about the length of forever. If a sparrow picked up a grain of earth and flew to the other side of the galaxy, then deposited it on some distant planet, flew back and continued this trek until the whole world was moved, in that amount of time it would just be becoming mornings first day in Heaven. Wow, is that cool or what? Does it give you any idea of the vastness of forever? Does it help you consider the awesomeness of our time with God or even worse the sheer terror of the length of time one might have to spend in hell without God? But even this analogy niggles my niggle.
The problem with forever and always is the same problem I have with all the other words we use to describe this thought: eternity, everlasting, evermore. They all deal with time. They are all a long, long time.
Even God, in his revelation of Jesus Christ given to John, describes Himself in terms of time when he says in Revelation,
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Concerning the things of this world and all its happenings, God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. But what about before the world began and what about after the world is over?
Take a look at this.
Matthew 22:31-33
31. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33. And when the multitude heard [this], they were astonished at his doctrine.
And so was I. This short passage was an eye opening, mind fix for me. This concept unlocks the mystery of a timeless God. So far, every term we have used is directly connected with time. It is how we connect. It is where we live. But God does not live in time, he is not constricted by the pouring of sand through the hourglass. He is not a God of hours, minutes or seconds. He is the God of the living. This is the same concept we talked about when we discussed Faith. We can only have hope while we are alive. After we are dead there is no more ability to have hope. God is not the God of the dead because we do not have the ability to believe in him or serve him after we are dead. Only while we are alive do we have this opportunity. And it is only at one point in our lives that this opportunity exists. Now. Only now can we serve God, not earlier, that is the past, not later, that is the future, only now. We can plan to serve God later and we may have served him in the past but only now, while we are living can serving him be an option. This is why God is not the God of the dead but of the living.
Growing up, I had a hard time when trying to understand what I would be doing after my body died and went to heaven, “forever”. What in the world would I do, forever? My parents told me that I would be praising and worshiping God the whole time. Well, maybe it is just my carnal mind, but do that forever? I mean really, that is a long, long time.
But even though that bugged me what bothered me more was how was it that God, who was going to be there forever, had already been around forever. I was able to come to grips with forevermore but not with foreverbefore. How could God have been around all this time and yet still be around forever? How old is God anyway?
I heard someone once give this comparison about the length of forever. If a sparrow picked up a grain of earth and flew to the other side of the galaxy, then deposited it on some distant planet, flew back and continued this trek until the whole world was moved, in that amount of time it would just be becoming mornings first day in Heaven. Wow, is that cool or what? Does it give you any idea of the vastness of forever? Does it help you consider the awesomeness of our time with God or even worse the sheer terror of the length of time one might have to spend in hell without God? But even this analogy niggles my niggle.
The problem with forever and always is the same problem I have with all the other words we use to describe this thought: eternity, everlasting, evermore. They all deal with time. They are all a long, long time.
Even God, in his revelation of Jesus Christ given to John, describes Himself in terms of time when he says in Revelation,
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Concerning the things of this world and all its happenings, God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. But what about before the world began and what about after the world is over?
Take a look at this.
Matthew 22:31-33
31. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33. And when the multitude heard [this], they were astonished at his doctrine.
And so was I. This short passage was an eye opening, mind fix for me. This concept unlocks the mystery of a timeless God. So far, every term we have used is directly connected with time. It is how we connect. It is where we live. But God does not live in time, he is not constricted by the pouring of sand through the hourglass. He is not a God of hours, minutes or seconds. He is the God of the living. This is the same concept we talked about when we discussed Faith. We can only have hope while we are alive. After we are dead there is no more ability to have hope. God is not the God of the dead because we do not have the ability to believe in him or serve him after we are dead. Only while we are alive do we have this opportunity. And it is only at one point in our lives that this opportunity exists. Now. Only now can we serve God, not earlier, that is the past, not later, that is the future, only now. We can plan to serve God later and we may have served him in the past but only now, while we are living can serving him be an option. This is why God is not the God of the dead but of the living.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
CTT: Comunication 2.2
Genesis 1:1-3
1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Here in the first three verses of the Bible we have the Trinity hard at work, working together. God the Father has in mind to create light so he uses God the Spirit and says, God the Word “let there be light.” In the next verse we read that God the Father sees all that He, the Spirit and the Word have accomplished and saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
So who is this Holy Spirit?
Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
There is the Holy Spirit. He is the breathing of life. He is the invisible power that creates the Word of God. We are made in this same image.
God the Holy Spirit: (bottom line):
When we communicate, three things happen. 1. God the father, that is us, determines what is going to be said. 2. We breath in, a gift from the one true God by the way, and then breath out. As we breath out, our vocal cords, mouth and tongue, which are god the father, form the holy spirit (breath) into audible sounds or words which others and ourselves hear, 3. god the son.
So when Jesus said things like, "I only say what the Father tells me to say" he wasn't lying. If you are the Word of God the only sound you will make is that which comes from God the Father. If you speak to someone in English, it is not going to come out of your mouth in Spanish.
Jesus is the Son of God because it is God who formed him into the Word using the Holy Spirit to create that Word. He is God's "son" because it is that terminology that God uses to relate to us in that we are the creator and maker of our words.
Jesus Christ is the only begotten of God because God has only himself in which to speak from. Everything God says is his begotten. Jesus was His word made flesh thereby having a relationship with man and taking on the term Son.
God wants us to be able to relate to him, to know him, to love him and obey him. He has gone to great lengths to create for us ways to know who he is and he places these truths in everyday, common things like communication.
1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Here in the first three verses of the Bible we have the Trinity hard at work, working together. God the Father has in mind to create light so he uses God the Spirit and says, God the Word “let there be light.” In the next verse we read that God the Father sees all that He, the Spirit and the Word have accomplished and saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
So who is this Holy Spirit?
Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
There is the Holy Spirit. He is the breathing of life. He is the invisible power that creates the Word of God. We are made in this same image.
God the Holy Spirit: (bottom line):
When we communicate, three things happen. 1. God the father, that is us, determines what is going to be said. 2. We breath in, a gift from the one true God by the way, and then breath out. As we breath out, our vocal cords, mouth and tongue, which are god the father, form the holy spirit (breath) into audible sounds or words which others and ourselves hear, 3. god the son.
So when Jesus said things like, "I only say what the Father tells me to say" he wasn't lying. If you are the Word of God the only sound you will make is that which comes from God the Father. If you speak to someone in English, it is not going to come out of your mouth in Spanish.
Jesus is the Son of God because it is God who formed him into the Word using the Holy Spirit to create that Word. He is God's "son" because it is that terminology that God uses to relate to us in that we are the creator and maker of our words.
Jesus Christ is the only begotten of God because God has only himself in which to speak from. Everything God says is his begotten. Jesus was His word made flesh thereby having a relationship with man and taking on the term Son.
God wants us to be able to relate to him, to know him, to love him and obey him. He has gone to great lengths to create for us ways to know who he is and he places these truths in everyday, common things like communication.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
CTT: Communication 2.1
Every time we communicate, we exhibit the Trinity be it through verbal speech, hand gestures, eye contact, writing, however we communicate to get a point across, even pictures and sounds.
When you communicate, you are the little g “god” of what you say. You are the creator of your words. You are “god the father”. Your words, though, do not begin in your mouth but originate from your mind. If you only think words but do not say them or communicate them in any way, then you remain only, god the father. Please don't think I am equating this with God; only comparing its similarities and do remember this is only "my" way of "seeing" it, just an idea that I think helps explain the concept in a way that we can relate to.
When you say the words, then “god the son” is exhibited. When your words are spoken they are born, they are visible to others through hearing. Your thoughts become flesh, so to speak, for others to see and hold in their lives. When you read a book, study a lesson, thumb through a magazine, or scan through a stack of coupons, you are listening to what someone wants to tell you. We are all bombarded each day with a deluge of nonverbal communication.
When you drive to work or to the store a civil engineer speaks to you. He hangs a sign on a post and tells you what the speed limit is, or to watch out for an oncoming curve or a dip in the road. He hangs lights at a four-way to tell you to go, slow down or stop. He sets signs at intersections so that he can tell you the names of those streets. A retailer rents billboard space along your path telling you what you should buy and where you should buy it. In the checkout line, a photographer takes a picture and puts it on magazine to tell you what someone looks like. A writer creates a catchy headline asking you to look further into the subject. A restaurant owner smokes his BBQ beef outdoors. He uses hickory wood in order to capture your attention, no signs, no verbal shout outs, just the aroma. The list is absolutely endless.
All of these communications originated from someone. Some god the father wanted to tell you something and when they did, god the son was used. God was able to take his creative word and form it into living, breathing flesh known as Jesus. We are able to take our creative word and turn it into signs, magazine pictures, print, marketing ploys, etc. The civil engineer cannot stand on the road and physically inform every motorist of an oncoming traffic hazard, so he sets a sign. That sign is in effect, himself. This sign could remain long after the death of the civil engineer and yet it still speaks.
When I read my Bible, I am listening to people who have been dead for thousands of years. Am I listening to dead people? No, because they were not dead when they wrote it. We will get into this in another blog..
So, we have established that we are god the father of our communication and when we communicate, we are god the son. Two separate parts, same person. Now, how about the Holy Spirit?
Can I first touch on the power of the Holy Spirit? Maybe the best way to understand the power of the holy spirit in communication is to switch roles. Be the driver for a moment, the one going to work or the store. As you approach the sign that shows a curved arrow with a 25 mph sign below it, you have to make some decisions. First, do you believe what the sign says? Second, if you do believe the sign you have to react by slowing down and prepare for the curve ahead. The civil engineer has effectively gotten his message across to you when you saw and acknowledged the sign but he has no power to make you obey and prepare. It is the job of god the holy spirit, working in you, to get you to obey what you have just heard from the civil engineer through his curve sign. Most likely, you will obey the sign because you can see ahead of you the correlating evidence and so the question to obey seems rather obvious. Of course you are going to obey, if you do not you will drive off the road and no telling what will happen after that. But what if the curve is just over a hill and you can not see it until it is to late? Then you have to believe the civil engineer without the aid of your overpowering sense of sight. As soon as you read or understand the sign, god the holy spirit comes into play. He is the power that gets you ready to react to what you have come to understand if you choose to believe. Maybe this is one nasty curve up ahead and the civil engineer is so concerned about your well being that he has placed two other signs previously that read, “curve ahead and prepare to slow down.” He understands that because of this particular danger it would be a good idea to let god the holy spirit begin working on you.
Every form of communication is designed to get you to react. In order for you to react the way that that communicator wants you to react, he has to convince you to believe. This is the non-tangible god the holy spirit. The communicator will use a plethora of ways to try to achieve this goal; colors, sounds, fonts, shapes and sizes, tone, gestures and the list goes on. Even the raising of the eyebrow or the pursing of the lips can tell you all you need to know. You know the look. You have seen it before on your mom or dad’s face, and when you did, you knew right away that if you did not change what you were doing you would be in big trouble.
Every form of communication has its variables of spirit. When we converse with each other every day, the spirit of our conversation is usually basic and simple. If we want to get a point across more dramatically we might choose more spirited words or raise the tone of our voices. This is the holy spirit of our communication. A painted purple spot on a tree says in a very calm and unobtrusive way that this is my property and I would like you to stay off please. A sign reading, “No Trespassing,” has a little more spirit in it. Two or three signs placed not too far apart gives the message even more spirit. What if they are painted red? What if they have flashing lights around them? They all say the exact same thing but each one has variation of spirit behind it. This is power of god the holy spirit working through god the son having been spoken by use of a sign from god the father.
So we observe the power of god the holy spirit directly tied to god the father and god the son in communication yet we see that he is unique in his job.
When you communicate, you are the little g “god” of what you say. You are the creator of your words. You are “god the father”. Your words, though, do not begin in your mouth but originate from your mind. If you only think words but do not say them or communicate them in any way, then you remain only, god the father. Please don't think I am equating this with God; only comparing its similarities and do remember this is only "my" way of "seeing" it, just an idea that I think helps explain the concept in a way that we can relate to.
When you say the words, then “god the son” is exhibited. When your words are spoken they are born, they are visible to others through hearing. Your thoughts become flesh, so to speak, for others to see and hold in their lives. When you read a book, study a lesson, thumb through a magazine, or scan through a stack of coupons, you are listening to what someone wants to tell you. We are all bombarded each day with a deluge of nonverbal communication.
When you drive to work or to the store a civil engineer speaks to you. He hangs a sign on a post and tells you what the speed limit is, or to watch out for an oncoming curve or a dip in the road. He hangs lights at a four-way to tell you to go, slow down or stop. He sets signs at intersections so that he can tell you the names of those streets. A retailer rents billboard space along your path telling you what you should buy and where you should buy it. In the checkout line, a photographer takes a picture and puts it on magazine to tell you what someone looks like. A writer creates a catchy headline asking you to look further into the subject. A restaurant owner smokes his BBQ beef outdoors. He uses hickory wood in order to capture your attention, no signs, no verbal shout outs, just the aroma. The list is absolutely endless.
All of these communications originated from someone. Some god the father wanted to tell you something and when they did, god the son was used. God was able to take his creative word and form it into living, breathing flesh known as Jesus. We are able to take our creative word and turn it into signs, magazine pictures, print, marketing ploys, etc. The civil engineer cannot stand on the road and physically inform every motorist of an oncoming traffic hazard, so he sets a sign. That sign is in effect, himself. This sign could remain long after the death of the civil engineer and yet it still speaks.
When I read my Bible, I am listening to people who have been dead for thousands of years. Am I listening to dead people? No, because they were not dead when they wrote it. We will get into this in another blog..
So, we have established that we are god the father of our communication and when we communicate, we are god the son. Two separate parts, same person. Now, how about the Holy Spirit?
Can I first touch on the power of the Holy Spirit? Maybe the best way to understand the power of the holy spirit in communication is to switch roles. Be the driver for a moment, the one going to work or the store. As you approach the sign that shows a curved arrow with a 25 mph sign below it, you have to make some decisions. First, do you believe what the sign says? Second, if you do believe the sign you have to react by slowing down and prepare for the curve ahead. The civil engineer has effectively gotten his message across to you when you saw and acknowledged the sign but he has no power to make you obey and prepare. It is the job of god the holy spirit, working in you, to get you to obey what you have just heard from the civil engineer through his curve sign. Most likely, you will obey the sign because you can see ahead of you the correlating evidence and so the question to obey seems rather obvious. Of course you are going to obey, if you do not you will drive off the road and no telling what will happen after that. But what if the curve is just over a hill and you can not see it until it is to late? Then you have to believe the civil engineer without the aid of your overpowering sense of sight. As soon as you read or understand the sign, god the holy spirit comes into play. He is the power that gets you ready to react to what you have come to understand if you choose to believe. Maybe this is one nasty curve up ahead and the civil engineer is so concerned about your well being that he has placed two other signs previously that read, “curve ahead and prepare to slow down.” He understands that because of this particular danger it would be a good idea to let god the holy spirit begin working on you.
Every form of communication is designed to get you to react. In order for you to react the way that that communicator wants you to react, he has to convince you to believe. This is the non-tangible god the holy spirit. The communicator will use a plethora of ways to try to achieve this goal; colors, sounds, fonts, shapes and sizes, tone, gestures and the list goes on. Even the raising of the eyebrow or the pursing of the lips can tell you all you need to know. You know the look. You have seen it before on your mom or dad’s face, and when you did, you knew right away that if you did not change what you were doing you would be in big trouble.
Every form of communication has its variables of spirit. When we converse with each other every day, the spirit of our conversation is usually basic and simple. If we want to get a point across more dramatically we might choose more spirited words or raise the tone of our voices. This is the holy spirit of our communication. A painted purple spot on a tree says in a very calm and unobtrusive way that this is my property and I would like you to stay off please. A sign reading, “No Trespassing,” has a little more spirit in it. Two or three signs placed not too far apart gives the message even more spirit. What if they are painted red? What if they have flashing lights around them? They all say the exact same thing but each one has variation of spirit behind it. This is power of god the holy spirit working through god the son having been spoken by use of a sign from god the father.
So we observe the power of god the holy spirit directly tied to god the father and god the son in communication yet we see that he is unique in his job.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
CTT: God the Holy Spirit prt. 5
So now if God is in the business of building a relationship with us then His claim of being God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and they being all one, should be something that we can relate to.
There are many things we see everyday that are, in their basic form, three in one. Trees for example have the underground part called roots, the woody part, trunk and branches and then the leaves. Three separate parts all making up one tree. The egg has an outer shell, yolk and white. Three parts one egg. Then there are the elements on the periodic table. Each one has the ability to be a solid, a liquid and a gas, and yet in every stage, remains itself. We are considered to be, body, soul and spirit. The list is almost endless. But there is one, that I like most, that seems to fit the God Head best.
Who does it matter to, this Trinity theology? Man. I cannot imagine that birds and animals or plants and rocks question the Almighty three-in-one subject. Not until man shows up on the scene does this matter, matter. But when man shows up he brings with him the best example for the Trinity, communication.
There are many things we see everyday that are, in their basic form, three in one. Trees for example have the underground part called roots, the woody part, trunk and branches and then the leaves. Three separate parts all making up one tree. The egg has an outer shell, yolk and white. Three parts one egg. Then there are the elements on the periodic table. Each one has the ability to be a solid, a liquid and a gas, and yet in every stage, remains itself. We are considered to be, body, soul and spirit. The list is almost endless. But there is one, that I like most, that seems to fit the God Head best.
Who does it matter to, this Trinity theology? Man. I cannot imagine that birds and animals or plants and rocks question the Almighty three-in-one subject. Not until man shows up on the scene does this matter, matter. But when man shows up he brings with him the best example for the Trinity, communication.
Monday, August 9, 2010
CTT: God the Holy Spirit, prt4
God the Holy Spirit (His power) is Truth:
The power of the Holy Spirit is not a magic wand. We cannot just say, “I wish this particular problem would go away”, and poof, it is gone. Rather we should say, “Holy Spirit, I have this particular problem and I would like it to go away”. Then have ears to hear and eyes to see, for the Holy Spirit will bring to us the answer that we may accomplish the goal. It may be altering a social habit, or pulling in the reigns on a personal tendency, or maybe forgiveness is in line for someone, or ourselves. Whatever the case, the Holy Spirit will show us the way. But it is our responsibility to “go” the way. He is not going to do it for us. The journey is the empowerment, for both ourselves and our relationship with the Father.
Jesus, who was full of the Spirit, still had to discipline himself to obey the word of his Father. He did this mainly through prayer, which we see as a daily routine for him. He tells us that He would only speak what the Father told him to speak.
John 12:49
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
I can imagine all the things I would say to people who would not believe me if I were right about something and they were wrong, and not just wrong, but professed to everyone else how right they were and how wrong I was. That would tick me off, and I am sure that pride would have its way at some point or another. But Jesus, full of the Spirit, never did anything like that, he always chose to be obedient to the Father. And since that is the way Jesus overcame, I can relate to it. If Jesus was able to overcome because the Holy Spirit did it all for him then I could not relate to that because the Holy Spirit does not do that for me. But he does check my spirit and give me the opportunity to do it His way first.
We have talked about this earlier, but when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, He had a discussion with his Father about going to the cross. Jesus did not want to go and was looking for a way out, another way. Even though he was full of the Holy Spirit he still had to obey the Father. The Holy Spirit was not going to make him.
So in seeing these things about the Holy Spirit, we have to decide how we are going to view him. The Bible views him as the third person of the Trinity. Some view him as more of just a “force”; the long arm of God, the power of God, not as an individual, not part of the "us" in Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image...”
If we can realize that the Word of God is Jesus, an individual, then we should be able to accept that the Holy Spirit is an individual also. I say this because I have a hard time seeing him as an individual myself, but more of as a force or the “Power of God”. I do not find this to be threatening though, because I know he is real, I know what he does, I have seen him at work, so for me it is not that big of an issue. I do believe that he is an individual, one of three in the God Head.
The power of the Holy Spirit is not a magic wand. We cannot just say, “I wish this particular problem would go away”, and poof, it is gone. Rather we should say, “Holy Spirit, I have this particular problem and I would like it to go away”. Then have ears to hear and eyes to see, for the Holy Spirit will bring to us the answer that we may accomplish the goal. It may be altering a social habit, or pulling in the reigns on a personal tendency, or maybe forgiveness is in line for someone, or ourselves. Whatever the case, the Holy Spirit will show us the way. But it is our responsibility to “go” the way. He is not going to do it for us. The journey is the empowerment, for both ourselves and our relationship with the Father.
Jesus, who was full of the Spirit, still had to discipline himself to obey the word of his Father. He did this mainly through prayer, which we see as a daily routine for him. He tells us that He would only speak what the Father told him to speak.
John 12:49
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
I can imagine all the things I would say to people who would not believe me if I were right about something and they were wrong, and not just wrong, but professed to everyone else how right they were and how wrong I was. That would tick me off, and I am sure that pride would have its way at some point or another. But Jesus, full of the Spirit, never did anything like that, he always chose to be obedient to the Father. And since that is the way Jesus overcame, I can relate to it. If Jesus was able to overcome because the Holy Spirit did it all for him then I could not relate to that because the Holy Spirit does not do that for me. But he does check my spirit and give me the opportunity to do it His way first.
We have talked about this earlier, but when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, He had a discussion with his Father about going to the cross. Jesus did not want to go and was looking for a way out, another way. Even though he was full of the Holy Spirit he still had to obey the Father. The Holy Spirit was not going to make him.
So in seeing these things about the Holy Spirit, we have to decide how we are going to view him. The Bible views him as the third person of the Trinity. Some view him as more of just a “force”; the long arm of God, the power of God, not as an individual, not part of the "us" in Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image...”
If we can realize that the Word of God is Jesus, an individual, then we should be able to accept that the Holy Spirit is an individual also. I say this because I have a hard time seeing him as an individual myself, but more of as a force or the “Power of God”. I do not find this to be threatening though, because I know he is real, I know what he does, I have seen him at work, so for me it is not that big of an issue. I do believe that he is an individual, one of three in the God Head.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
CTT: God the Holy Spirit prt. 3
This blog is refering to the verse in Isaiah 63:10 that I mentioned on the last blog. It's a little longer than I like to post but I couldn't find a good breaking point.
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them.
I wrote a little story that I think refers to that verse when Jesus spoke in Matthew 12:43-45
Matthew 12:43-45
43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Look at it this way. You own a business and for the last 30 years, you have been told by very reliable sources that there is a product coming that will revolutionize your business. This particular product will put your business on the map and not only will it put more on the bottom line but will also reduce overhead, paper and time. It also comes with a guarantee that your business will be the greatest one in the world. What is this new product? The computer. Up till now, you and every other business owner have been doing all their jobs on ledgers and receipt books. Your phone bill and postage costs are astronomical. The amount of space that is required to house all your inventory, files and employees is staggering. Your competition knows that you have some sort of inside information that will transform the way you do business but has no inside scoop.
Then one day it is here. The computer industry is ready to launch its new product. They send out their best and most knowledgeable salesman. On his way to come and see you he stops by Nineveh’s fishing lure factory and presents the computer to their CEO. The CEO is so impressed that he stops all manufacturing and calls in every employee to see this wonderful new invention. The employees are ecstatic. This new news is so heart piercing that most sit down right where they are. This information has just lifted a burden so great that tears of joy stream down their faces. One of the employees has had the awareness to get on the phone and call a friend who runs Southtown Gizmos and Gadgets. The CEO there can hardly believe her ears and quick puts together a delegation from her business. They come to Nineveh’s to hear the seminar that the salesman is giving. They too are touched that such a product could actually be available for them. Both Nineveh’s and Southtown Gizmos and Gadgets changed the way they do business.
The salesman now comes to see you. You have anticipated this day for what seems to be forever but are unaware that today is the day. Then you get a call from the receptionist. “Sir, there’s a man here who claims to be from the computer industry to see you”. Thoughts rush through your head. A new car, a big house, that trip you have always wanted to take and your picture on the front of Forbes Magazine. “It’s here! He’s here!” you say to yourself. Your mind prepares you for the tall distinguished, slightly gray on the temple salesman with his 6’ 4” frame draped in a high fashion tailor made suite. His crisp white shirt milieus a fine Egyptian tie while the polish on his leather shoes glimmers as he strides across the floor.
“Come in” you say as you answer the knock on the door. In walks the computer salesman. His barely 5’ 8” frame struggles to open the door as his back pushes against it. His hands and arms are full yet all you notice is his hair, a shorter version of Albert Einstein’s but without the gray. He is but a youth, barely 20. A plaid shirt mostly tucked in hides behind a brown pull over sweater. A leather belt runs through the loops of a pair of wranglers. His high-top Converse squeak as he approaches your desk. “I bet he has a “hugs not drugs” or a “honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on his pinto and it better not be leaking oil” you think to yourself.
He begins, “Good after-noon sir, I’m with the computer industry. We are so excited to bring to you this revolutionary product and information. Your business has been our primary motive all these years. We are thrilled at this opportunity to finally meet you in person. This computer will change the way you do business forever. When used properly it can and will make your business the envy of the whole world. Let me explain how it works.” Your critical puzzled look of which has yet to quit staring at his hair is finally broken as you ask, “do you have a card or something?” “Yes sir!” He says as he hands you one from the pocket underneath his sweater. Noticing the name, you say in rather dumbfounded belief, “Oh, you’re the son?” “Yes sir”, comes the reply. Now let me show you how this all works.” For the next few hours, he opens up a whole new world of possibilities. The most amazing things he says. New ideas that have never even been thought of are introduced and explained. It truly is an awesome work. But you did not hear a word he said. So distracted are you by his attire and his inability to live up to what you had pictured in your mind that you hadn’t realized that he had asked you a question. “Do you understand?” he asks again. “Do you have identification?” “What?” “Identification, do you have any?” “Sir” he replies, “isn’t everything I am showing you proof enough of who I am? My father and I have been working on this project for years together. I told you who I was and even gave you a card what more could you want?” “Just some identification please” you say smugly. “I can’t believe this,” he says indignantly. “You sir are an evil and wicked man. I have shown this new product to a couple of your competitors earlier and they were humbled and thankful for such an opportunity to be presented to them. Their businesses will condemn yours for being so short sighted and arrogant. Yours’ could have been the greatest of them all.”
With that, he walks out of your office. “Stupid kid.” You say to yourself, “Who does he think he is coming in here with all this boloney about how great all this new fangled stuff is and why is it still all sitting on my desk?” And with one great heave, you shove the whole system off your desk and on to the floor. Amid the broken glass and tangled wires you notice the manual, “How to make your business the greatest, for dummies, Love, the computer man.” “Dummies, huh?” You say to yourself. “Well, he can take his computer and his book and his whole ridiculous industry and shove it as far as I’m concerned. It was a daft idea anyway. The competition will see. It’ll never work.”
Before the computer company showed up you were just ignorant. But when the salesman showed up, he cleaned out all of the old way of doing business and placed in your office a new way. But having rejected and discarding it your clean swept office is now not only back to the way it was but worse, for now not only are you still ignorant to this revolutionary idea but against it as well. Your energies from here on out will be resourced to prove your position. Hatred, abhorrence, animosity, hostility and bitterness will move in and be directed by their leader pride.
And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them.
I wrote a little story that I think refers to that verse when Jesus spoke in Matthew 12:43-45
Matthew 12:43-45
43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Look at it this way. You own a business and for the last 30 years, you have been told by very reliable sources that there is a product coming that will revolutionize your business. This particular product will put your business on the map and not only will it put more on the bottom line but will also reduce overhead, paper and time. It also comes with a guarantee that your business will be the greatest one in the world. What is this new product? The computer. Up till now, you and every other business owner have been doing all their jobs on ledgers and receipt books. Your phone bill and postage costs are astronomical. The amount of space that is required to house all your inventory, files and employees is staggering. Your competition knows that you have some sort of inside information that will transform the way you do business but has no inside scoop.
Then one day it is here. The computer industry is ready to launch its new product. They send out their best and most knowledgeable salesman. On his way to come and see you he stops by Nineveh’s fishing lure factory and presents the computer to their CEO. The CEO is so impressed that he stops all manufacturing and calls in every employee to see this wonderful new invention. The employees are ecstatic. This new news is so heart piercing that most sit down right where they are. This information has just lifted a burden so great that tears of joy stream down their faces. One of the employees has had the awareness to get on the phone and call a friend who runs Southtown Gizmos and Gadgets. The CEO there can hardly believe her ears and quick puts together a delegation from her business. They come to Nineveh’s to hear the seminar that the salesman is giving. They too are touched that such a product could actually be available for them. Both Nineveh’s and Southtown Gizmos and Gadgets changed the way they do business.
The salesman now comes to see you. You have anticipated this day for what seems to be forever but are unaware that today is the day. Then you get a call from the receptionist. “Sir, there’s a man here who claims to be from the computer industry to see you”. Thoughts rush through your head. A new car, a big house, that trip you have always wanted to take and your picture on the front of Forbes Magazine. “It’s here! He’s here!” you say to yourself. Your mind prepares you for the tall distinguished, slightly gray on the temple salesman with his 6’ 4” frame draped in a high fashion tailor made suite. His crisp white shirt milieus a fine Egyptian tie while the polish on his leather shoes glimmers as he strides across the floor.
“Come in” you say as you answer the knock on the door. In walks the computer salesman. His barely 5’ 8” frame struggles to open the door as his back pushes against it. His hands and arms are full yet all you notice is his hair, a shorter version of Albert Einstein’s but without the gray. He is but a youth, barely 20. A plaid shirt mostly tucked in hides behind a brown pull over sweater. A leather belt runs through the loops of a pair of wranglers. His high-top Converse squeak as he approaches your desk. “I bet he has a “hugs not drugs” or a “honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on his pinto and it better not be leaking oil” you think to yourself.
He begins, “Good after-noon sir, I’m with the computer industry. We are so excited to bring to you this revolutionary product and information. Your business has been our primary motive all these years. We are thrilled at this opportunity to finally meet you in person. This computer will change the way you do business forever. When used properly it can and will make your business the envy of the whole world. Let me explain how it works.” Your critical puzzled look of which has yet to quit staring at his hair is finally broken as you ask, “do you have a card or something?” “Yes sir!” He says as he hands you one from the pocket underneath his sweater. Noticing the name, you say in rather dumbfounded belief, “Oh, you’re the son?” “Yes sir”, comes the reply. Now let me show you how this all works.” For the next few hours, he opens up a whole new world of possibilities. The most amazing things he says. New ideas that have never even been thought of are introduced and explained. It truly is an awesome work. But you did not hear a word he said. So distracted are you by his attire and his inability to live up to what you had pictured in your mind that you hadn’t realized that he had asked you a question. “Do you understand?” he asks again. “Do you have identification?” “What?” “Identification, do you have any?” “Sir” he replies, “isn’t everything I am showing you proof enough of who I am? My father and I have been working on this project for years together. I told you who I was and even gave you a card what more could you want?” “Just some identification please” you say smugly. “I can’t believe this,” he says indignantly. “You sir are an evil and wicked man. I have shown this new product to a couple of your competitors earlier and they were humbled and thankful for such an opportunity to be presented to them. Their businesses will condemn yours for being so short sighted and arrogant. Yours’ could have been the greatest of them all.”
With that, he walks out of your office. “Stupid kid.” You say to yourself, “Who does he think he is coming in here with all this boloney about how great all this new fangled stuff is and why is it still all sitting on my desk?” And with one great heave, you shove the whole system off your desk and on to the floor. Amid the broken glass and tangled wires you notice the manual, “How to make your business the greatest, for dummies, Love, the computer man.” “Dummies, huh?” You say to yourself. “Well, he can take his computer and his book and his whole ridiculous industry and shove it as far as I’m concerned. It was a daft idea anyway. The competition will see. It’ll never work.”
Before the computer company showed up you were just ignorant. But when the salesman showed up, he cleaned out all of the old way of doing business and placed in your office a new way. But having rejected and discarding it your clean swept office is now not only back to the way it was but worse, for now not only are you still ignorant to this revolutionary idea but against it as well. Your energies from here on out will be resourced to prove your position. Hatred, abhorrence, animosity, hostility and bitterness will move in and be directed by their leader pride.
And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation
Saturday, August 7, 2010
CTT God the Holy Spirit, part 2
Paul the Apostle is one of our biggest examples of this. As a Pharisee, he was an extremely learned man of the Old Testament. He had his “facts”, like ducks, all in a row, but he understood nothing. It was not until his road to Damascus conversion that he began to understand the “Truth”. Jesus spoke to Paul there, whose name was Saul at the time, and then sent him, blind, to Damascus. While there, God talked to a man named Ananias and told him to go find Saul and pray for him.
Acts 9:17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
It was through the divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost that Paul began to understand all the facts about God and the history of the Israelite people in their relationship with God. One by one each fact became truth as the Holy Spirit began to give him insight.
These insights or gifts are not forced upon us insomuch that we are commanded to use them regardless but are more offered to us and highly marketed as “the way to go”. A person can receive from the Holy Spirit and choose not to use it again and even go as far as saying, that it was not actually real even after experiencing it, but that has its consequences.
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them.
I have a story about a business owner who was approached by the son of the computer maker and experienced for himself the benefits of a new tool? Even after experiencing and receiving a hands-on understanding he chose not to accept it and told the son to go away. He not only denied its usefulness for himself but he also effectively built a wall that would discourage the possibility of that experience ever happening again. I will tell that sad story on the next blog.
When we disobey God in any area of our lives and have that feeling of guilt come on us, we should rejoice. That is the Holy Spirit working in us drawing us to repentance. We think of it more as our conscience but it is actually God’s everyday, over the counter, tool that he designed to allow the Holy Spirit to be able to work in our lives. As long as we feel any amount of guilt for active sin in our lives there is hope for repentance and overcoming power. The Holy Spirit quickens our spirit man within us to repentance and obedience before we sin, trying to stop, in advance, the Habakkuk effect. The Holy Spirit is at work in the worldly sinner and Christian sinner doing as much as he can or should I say, as much as He is allowed.
Acts 9:17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
It was through the divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost that Paul began to understand all the facts about God and the history of the Israelite people in their relationship with God. One by one each fact became truth as the Holy Spirit began to give him insight.
These insights or gifts are not forced upon us insomuch that we are commanded to use them regardless but are more offered to us and highly marketed as “the way to go”. A person can receive from the Holy Spirit and choose not to use it again and even go as far as saying, that it was not actually real even after experiencing it, but that has its consequences.
Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them.
I have a story about a business owner who was approached by the son of the computer maker and experienced for himself the benefits of a new tool? Even after experiencing and receiving a hands-on understanding he chose not to accept it and told the son to go away. He not only denied its usefulness for himself but he also effectively built a wall that would discourage the possibility of that experience ever happening again. I will tell that sad story on the next blog.
When we disobey God in any area of our lives and have that feeling of guilt come on us, we should rejoice. That is the Holy Spirit working in us drawing us to repentance. We think of it more as our conscience but it is actually God’s everyday, over the counter, tool that he designed to allow the Holy Spirit to be able to work in our lives. As long as we feel any amount of guilt for active sin in our lives there is hope for repentance and overcoming power. The Holy Spirit quickens our spirit man within us to repentance and obedience before we sin, trying to stop, in advance, the Habakkuk effect. The Holy Spirit is at work in the worldly sinner and Christian sinner doing as much as he can or should I say, as much as He is allowed.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
CTT: God the Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit (his job):
First, let us tackle the issue of the terminology of the Holy Spirit versus the Holy Ghost. They are the same, and sometimes used together in the same verse. That was easy.
Next, I have found it easier, when trying to discover the Holy Spirit, to find out what His job is. What does he do? One of his main jobs is the distribution of divine gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Paul writes this list for the New Testament church in Corinth explaining to them what the promised Holy Spirit can do and will do for the members of the body of Christ. Jesus, who was full of the Spirit, promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to man after he leaves.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you
John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
In the Old Testament, we also have the Holy Spirit working through men.
About Joseph we read,
Genesis 41:38
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find [such a one] as this [is], a man in whom the Spirit of God [is]?
In Exodus we have the recently freed Israelite slaves from Egypt.
Exodus 28:3
And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
Exodus 31:3
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
In Numbers and Isaiah, we read about how Moses and his immediate helpers were recipients of the Holy Spirit of God.
Numbers 11:17
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which [is] upon thee, and will put [it] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear [it] not thyself alone.
Numbers 11:25
And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that], when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
Isaiah 63:11
Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: "Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them?
When we read about the judges in the book of Judges, we see time and again how the Spirit of the Lord came upon them. We also see it in the kings. God would send to the prophets, who were in most cases ordinary men, his Spirit, and call them to be extraordinary.
Elihu puts it all in a very bottom line sort of way.
Job 32:8
But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
So we see that one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to give man divine understanding or insight into the ways of God. These insights or gifts are from God and are used for the edification of the church and ourselves. They empower us through knowledge and understanding and a lot of times in ways we do not have a clue, or at least I don't, we just know that they are there and they are working in us and in others.
First, let us tackle the issue of the terminology of the Holy Spirit versus the Holy Ghost. They are the same, and sometimes used together in the same verse. That was easy.
Next, I have found it easier, when trying to discover the Holy Spirit, to find out what His job is. What does he do? One of his main jobs is the distribution of divine gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Paul writes this list for the New Testament church in Corinth explaining to them what the promised Holy Spirit can do and will do for the members of the body of Christ. Jesus, who was full of the Spirit, promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to man after he leaves.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you
John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
In the Old Testament, we also have the Holy Spirit working through men.
About Joseph we read,
Genesis 41:38
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find [such a one] as this [is], a man in whom the Spirit of God [is]?
In Exodus we have the recently freed Israelite slaves from Egypt.
Exodus 28:3
And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
Exodus 31:3
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
In Numbers and Isaiah, we read about how Moses and his immediate helpers were recipients of the Holy Spirit of God.
Numbers 11:17
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which [is] upon thee, and will put [it] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear [it] not thyself alone.
Numbers 11:25
And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that], when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
Isaiah 63:11
Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: "Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them?
When we read about the judges in the book of Judges, we see time and again how the Spirit of the Lord came upon them. We also see it in the kings. God would send to the prophets, who were in most cases ordinary men, his Spirit, and call them to be extraordinary.
Elihu puts it all in a very bottom line sort of way.
Job 32:8
But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
So we see that one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to give man divine understanding or insight into the ways of God. These insights or gifts are from God and are used for the edification of the church and ourselves. They empower us through knowledge and understanding and a lot of times in ways we do not have a clue, or at least I don't, we just know that they are there and they are working in us and in others.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
CTT "God the Son"
Think of it this way. Who is your favorite author? And in that book or in those books who is your favorite character? For instances’ sake I am going to suggest, Puddleglum the Marshwiggle in the Narnia series, The SilverChair by C.S.Lewis. What if you could take that book, hold it by its front and back cover, pages down and shake it until all the words about Puddleglum fell off the pages and onto the floor in front of you? Then somehow take all those words and form them into Puddleglum himself and then top it all off by bringing him to life. This is basically what God did when he created Jesus. Jesus was, before he was born of the virgin Mary, the Word of God. He dwelt with God and was God. Then at a point in time, God gathered his Word and sent it to earth in the form of a baby whom Mary bore and Joseph named Jesus. Jesus fully understood this about himself and reaffirmed this all throughout his ministry.
John 7:23
But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
This got him in trouble all the time with the rulers of that time. Heated debates and physical abuse was always at the doorstep for Jesus when he mentioned these things. Read the Gospel of John and note all the times Jesus speaks, knowing full well, who He was, the Word of God. He often said that he did not say anything that His heavenly Father did not tell him to speak.
He was God the “Son” because he came as a “man”, not God the Daughter.
He was God the Son because his origins were from God.
He was God the Son because he obeyed everything that God asked him to do, even the cross.
He was God the son because it is a term that we can relate to in that we understand that kind of a relationship: the procreative bond between a maker and his creation, a father and his son. Our procreation is of a physical nature, God’s procreation is of a spoken word nature. Is this something foreign to us, so much that we cannot understand it or relate to it? Not at all, but lets talk about that after we look at God the Holy Spirit.
John 7:23
But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
This got him in trouble all the time with the rulers of that time. Heated debates and physical abuse was always at the doorstep for Jesus when he mentioned these things. Read the Gospel of John and note all the times Jesus speaks, knowing full well, who He was, the Word of God. He often said that he did not say anything that His heavenly Father did not tell him to speak.
He was God the “Son” because he came as a “man”, not God the Daughter.
He was God the Son because his origins were from God.
He was God the Son because he obeyed everything that God asked him to do, even the cross.
He was God the son because it is a term that we can relate to in that we understand that kind of a relationship: the procreative bond between a maker and his creation, a father and his son. Our procreation is of a physical nature, God’s procreation is of a spoken word nature. Is this something foreign to us, so much that we cannot understand it or relate to it? Not at all, but lets talk about that after we look at God the Holy Spirit.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Communicating the Trinity, God the Son
Remember, if God is in the business of building a relationship with us then His claim of being God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and they being all one should be something that we can relate to.
But before we find out what that is, let us look at God the Son and then God the Holy Spirit.
God the Son:
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
This is the first reference in the Bible that gives us the idea of the “Son”. Actually, in the Old Testament the idea of God sending His Son to deliver His people was not really a consideration. The Israelite people were looking for a Messiah who would be sent from God to deliver them and to set up a kingdom with no end but they were not considering the Messiah to be “God the Son”.
They thought of Adam, the first man, to be the son of God, only because God made him and was in fact the “Father” or creator of Adam, but they did not consider him God the Son.
Luke 3:38
The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
The funny thing about all this is that there is one instance in the Old Testament where one unlikely man gets it right. Tucked away in time and located in the cradle of civilization we find a man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the epitome of sin and its origin. He looks in and sees a fourth image walking around with the three people whom he has just had thrown into a fiery furnace. He recognizes the fourth man to be the Son of God, not just another man or a god, but the Son of God.
Daniel 3:22-25
22. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Kind of like when Jesus was doing his teaching and miracle working and proclaiming who he was. No one was getting it. Only demons and evil spirits would testify openly like Nebuchadnezzar, that Jesus was the Son of God.
John gives us, in his Gospel, the key to this whole conundrum.
John 1:1-3
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The same was in the beginning with God.
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
I do not know if this was a new perception or if this was a generally held belief about God, but what we see in these verses shows us another way to view “God the Son”: “God the Word”. Before there was the concept of God the Son there was God the Word.
John says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We see this in Genesis 1:3
Genesis 1:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God said. God said what? Words. From the very beginning everything that was made was created out of spoken words. God "said" let there be light and there was light. God "said" let the ground produce, and it produced. Nothing happened until and unless it was spoken, until it was said.
Jesus was the “Word” made flesh.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1John 5:7
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
But before we find out what that is, let us look at God the Son and then God the Holy Spirit.
God the Son:
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
This is the first reference in the Bible that gives us the idea of the “Son”. Actually, in the Old Testament the idea of God sending His Son to deliver His people was not really a consideration. The Israelite people were looking for a Messiah who would be sent from God to deliver them and to set up a kingdom with no end but they were not considering the Messiah to be “God the Son”.
They thought of Adam, the first man, to be the son of God, only because God made him and was in fact the “Father” or creator of Adam, but they did not consider him God the Son.
Luke 3:38
The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
The funny thing about all this is that there is one instance in the Old Testament where one unlikely man gets it right. Tucked away in time and located in the cradle of civilization we find a man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the epitome of sin and its origin. He looks in and sees a fourth image walking around with the three people whom he has just had thrown into a fiery furnace. He recognizes the fourth man to be the Son of God, not just another man or a god, but the Son of God.
Daniel 3:22-25
22. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Kind of like when Jesus was doing his teaching and miracle working and proclaiming who he was. No one was getting it. Only demons and evil spirits would testify openly like Nebuchadnezzar, that Jesus was the Son of God.
John gives us, in his Gospel, the key to this whole conundrum.
John 1:1-3
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The same was in the beginning with God.
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
I do not know if this was a new perception or if this was a generally held belief about God, but what we see in these verses shows us another way to view “God the Son”: “God the Word”. Before there was the concept of God the Son there was God the Word.
John says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We see this in Genesis 1:3
Genesis 1:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God said. God said what? Words. From the very beginning everything that was made was created out of spoken words. God "said" let there be light and there was light. God "said" let the ground produce, and it produced. Nothing happened until and unless it was spoken, until it was said.
Jesus was the “Word” made flesh.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1John 5:7
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
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