Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: God

  • A Personal God

    A Personal God

    Have you encountered God face to face?

    “Who, me – a mere mortal?” you ask. Have I met God face to face, like meeting you or another man?

    Of course not! No man can meet the Living God, Creator of all things, Creator of all men; can we?

    The Bible points us to a few instances of a very few exceptional men who did meet God. Here is one reference: The Living God calls for a meeting with the Prophet Isaiah. Though Isaiah was a righteous man – a man of God who would represent the LORD to the people of Judah, listen to his reaction to this personal encounter with God.

    Isaiah 6

    4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

    5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

    You may recall an interesting encounter between a righteous man, Job and God. The argument of God to Job (and to man) goes on for pages before Job can attempt an answer to further bring his complaint to God. However, listen to the introduction and caution of Job’s friend, Elihu, prior to Job 38.

    Job 37: 23 The Almighty—we cannot find him;
    he is great in power;
    justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
    24 Therefore men fear him;
    he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”

    Job 38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

    2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
    3 Dress for action like a man;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.
    4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
    5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

    We are so smug and full of ourselves – even Christians! Did you know that the earth currently has over six billion people? (I didn’t until just moments ago.) Yet how many of these souls have no knowledge of the Living God; and only fear of death and suffering in this life?

    How we have forgotten in our own self-righteousness the helpless and the hopeless of our world. How we have been blind to those of our city. How we have abandoned our own lost friends. How we have left loved ones to their own lives without a personal human love – a love as if given by a personal loving Savior.

    How we have approached our God irreverently, as if He were a mere man, without the power and glory to create and to destroy the flesh, blood and living creatures He has made – you and me and all the world.

    “Lord, take me out of here now.”

    “NO.” I have created you for a purpose.

    Do you not see the suffering of sin?

    Were you not sent as a healing balm of redemption to suffering souls languishing in hopelessness?

    I AM a Personal God, says the LORD! I am with you always. Go and do what I have commanded.

    Among the hundred billion or so souls who God has created in His own image to walk a few measured years upon this earth, only one is made to do the work and the ministry to others that you must do. Only one: you.

    We have One God, Who IS and was and will be the Living One, Creator of all things, Judge of all men. And the Person of God the LORD wants to have a personal relationship with you. God wants to talk to you.

    God has something He has sent your soul here to do in the flesh. The Person of God has a mission just for you.

    Will you do it?

    To be continued, God willing

     

  • He has put eternity in their hearts

    He has put eternity in their hearts

    It is no longer a question of God: God IS – and we all know it. Our question and quest for knowledge and power over our own lives and circumstances only asks: will I bow down to the eternal God?

    We have knowledge, near complete and inexhaustible. We have Bibles we refuse to read and evidence to which we turn our backs.

    God created. God judges. God punishes. God redeems. God forgives. God loves.

    And God has sent a Savior and Redeemer to the world in the Person of Christ Jesus.

    The decision is in the heart and response of each created being – each man; each woman.

    • Will you bow down to God the Father, Eternal Creator of all the world and all mankind?
    • Will you receive the love and sacrifice of God the Son in Christ Jesus; who IS and who was and who will return to judge your soul?
    • Will you open your heart of stone to God the Holy Spirit, turning from your sin and following the love of Christ’s example?

    God has put eternity in your heart. The world knows eternity and God, yet cannot accept the limits of each breath and heartbeat to sustain our soul, our mind, our failing flesh and crumbling bones.

    Loved ones

    gasp for breath,

    wait for the strength

    of another heartbeat,

    search faulty thoughts for

    what was once recalled,

    walk tenderly on bonesold hand

    once thought sturdy

    and measure days

    till the grave

    by mem’ries

    and dreams of our past.

    LORD GOD,

    will I finally remember

    old man in beret at graveeternity of my soul,

    saved for your love

    by your love,

    saved from just punishment

    for my many sins,

    by your own Sacrifice

    of Christ Jesus –

    will I remember

    the eternity you have placed

    in my heart

    before the end of the daysiv

    you have created

    for this failing flesh?

    God test us, that we may see that the end of our earthly days will be no different than animals, that in the end our ashes return to ashes and our dust to dust.

    Yet only man has a soul made in the Image of God!

    And only Christ Jesus lived as a sinless man in the Image of the sinless God of eternity.

    By the sacrifice of Jesus only – by the blood of Christ only – by the love and grace of God only do we yet have the choice for repentance from our sins and life eternal for our soul – life eternal without blame in the Presence of the love of God our heavenly Father; Christ Jesus who loved us even to the death and IS eternal for us in the resurrection; of the Holy Spirit who would even now break through the hardness of our heart toward the loving Father and bring our prodigal soul home forever.

    You may ask in these passing days of passing seasons, ‘Where have I heard that He has put eternity in my heart?’ How do I know that my soul lives life once and will sleep until the judgment?

    It is written in God’s Holy Bible. Have you read it?

    Do you read (in these passing seasons of your flesh) God’s intention and purpose for your remaining measured days?

    Ecclesiastes 3

    NKJV

    To everything there is a season,
    A time for every purpose under heaven:
    2 A time to be born,
    And a time to die…

    9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

    11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

    12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

    14 I know that whatever God does,
    It shall be forever.
    Nothing can be added to it,
    And nothing taken from it.
    God does it, that men should fear before Him.
    15 That which is has already been,
    And what is to be has already been;
    And God requires an account of what is past…

    17 I said in my heart,

    “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
    For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

    18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.

    20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?

    Christ Jesus said:

    I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

    John 12:46

    Do you yet live in the darkness of your sin? Or does your soul embrace the light of life in Christ Jesus?

     

    To everything there is a season

    A time to every purpose under heaven.

    A time for repentance

    Or a time of judgment,

    A time of sin

    Or a time of grace,

    A time of darkness eternal

    Or a time of light.

    I pray for your heart and soul to embrace the love and grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

    Amen.

  • Define God

    Define God

    Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke… Hebrews 1:1 excerpt

    So you ‘go to church’ to hear a man say what God has said. Or you read a book by a man (supposedly of God) who will tell you what God has said. Or you will agree with nearly anyone who will mention God in conversation, even if they say Allah is god or Jehovah is god or Buddha is god or best of all, god is in everything.

    What do you believe about God? Can you define it? Can you define God?

    Genesis 1:

    In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… And the Spirit of God… And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light… And God made… And it was so.

    26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

    Who IS this God who was in the beginning, who created; this Spirit who said and made and it was? Who is this God who said, “Let us…” let the reader understand, ‘us, plural; “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness?” What Spirit can say, “Let us make man in our image?” How can the likeness of God live in the flesh of a man? How can the image of God exist in the image of a woman?

    One of many supposed preachers of the Gospel, a wolf clothed as a sheep who would claim that nearly all paths could lead to God, has written a book asking the reader to consider his understanding of the all-inclusive forgiving nature of god to include unrepentant sinners. (That is not how he states is, but that is what he preaches.) A promotional review of a supposedly traditional protestant denomination states of his book (and definition of God): “Good news for people who want nothing to do with religion; better news for those of us who are deeply committed to the faith, but see that religion is way off track.”

    Really? A book with only a passing, eventual reference of Jesus Christ, Son of God, proclaims an all-inclusive grace for unrepentant sinners apart from the purification brought forth by a permanent change and repentance to our sinful nature.

    Religion, which the world maligns, is much more than a feel-good routine. Religion is a dedication of purpose to a constant worship of God in our very life, created in His Image.  For the purpose of definition: Religion – The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

    We had best be clear that the distinctive of Christianity is Christ.  How can a book, preacher or christian claimant speak of God without pointed reference to Christ Jesus?

    Perhaps the one who references ‘god’ does not have any more commitment to faith in all of God’s word than one who claims many gods or even the one god of the deceitful heart.

    Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

    If any preacher, author or friend would claim a religion other than what Christ Jesus teaches in the Gospel – yes, forsaking our sinful flesh for a new life in Christ is Good News – let us remind the one who would re-define God what Holy Scripture has instructed. Perhaps they will tell us, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” – Matthew 7:1 (a favorite of many of the unrepentant) Let us remind them of the rest and the context of Jesus’ teaching.

    Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

    A Tree and Its Fruit
    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

    ‘God’ or ‘god’ is many things to many people. The Bible contains more than four thousand references to ‘God.’ Perhaps it is time for some of us to review just a few of these and renew what it is we believe in our faith in God. Are we not called by scripture to ‘in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you… – 1 Peter 3:15

    Our Lord cautions us: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14  We cannot define God with only slight mention of Christ Jesus, and that not as a true Lord of our life. We cannot define God without support of faith in the Gospel or without belief in the truth of all of scripture. We cannot have god serve our flesh, while we will not worship Christ our Lord, who was sacrificed for our sins.

    You may certainly ponder our Creator in the light of John’s introduction to the Gospel.  You know well John’s description of Jesus love for the world; that is, sinners like you and me [John 3:16].

    It is not enough to just smile and pitch love without repentance and change. Jesus also cautions: … but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

    How dare we claim Christ without mention of His Lordship over our will!  May Thy will be done.

    The writer of Hebrews finishes his description of God in the context we must consider and believe to have true faith in the One God who IS and was and will be.

     God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

    5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

    “You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?

    Or again,

    “I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?

    6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

    “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

    No, our “religion” is certainly not about angels or spirits, worshiping earth or the heavens, conjecture in aliens or chance, teaching from prophets or authors. Our religion and faith is in the One hope of all mankind for the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of our spirit into the very presence of God our Father, the love of Christ Jesus the Son, who became Holy sacrifice for our sins, and eternal life in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit; our God Who IS and was and will be forever. Amen.