Who is God?

I am going to write on a very important subject, and I will be posting several articles of the same nature. These articles will hopefully assist us in understanding who God is instead of who we think He is. This of course is all based on Scripture. If you wish to venture outside of it, I cannot help you.

As the title asks, who is God? I would love to see some answers to this one, but odds are, you’re browsing through and don't intend on leaving any comments; thus, I will answer it for you.

Some would say, "He is the I Am of the Bible." Others would say, "He just is." Then come the torrent of descriptions. He is wonderful, powerful, awesome, etc. All these are true, but none of them matter if He is not what He is first.

He is the creator. First and foremost, He is the all mighty shaper of the universe. It does not matter who or what He is unless we have been created, and that is why creation is so important to us as believers. We try to blend it with science, but it does not work. God molded this universe with His hands. Nothing else helped or was a part.

The Bible says that it was 24 hour days that He used to create, and when He rested, He wasn't tired, but He rested His creative abilities. These things define our faith because if they did not happen, God is a liar and our faith is in vain. When we weaken or buckle on this subject, we hurt every part of our faith because without God the creator, nothing else matters

Society

I was walking past a neighbor’s house the other day and I couldn't help but overhear their very loud conversation. The thing is, I had heard it somewhere before. Not the exact conversation, but something very familiar. Then it hit me. I heard it on TV. Some reality show that was playing in the background. I detest reality TV. But then it struck me. How far have we come from What God wants us to be?

We dislike home schooling because it leaves children socially "inept." We want our kids in public schools and in that we want them to be popular. We want them to know what is going on in the world of TV and gossip. We want them in the latest fashions to fit in. All dictated by TV, which to me is the new definition of "The world."

I am not against TV or movies, but we have turned our lives into TV dramas. Everywhere I look I see TV drama. People would not know how to act like they do if it were not for what they have seen. It is in the same light as the kids who go and attack schools. They see what is on TV and video games; thus, reality just seems to meld together with the fake world.

When the Bible says to be not like the world it doesn’t mean that you must shun everything the world has created that is either not Christian or created by a Christian: it means to not be a part of it all. Jesus spent lots of time with the people that lived in the world, but He did not participate.

It seems that's all we do. We either accept the sin or try to convert that sin to something more Christian. Why can't we just do what the Holy Ghost asks of us? Is it not ok for you to go to movies? Fine, but the Holy Ghost has not shared that same conviction. Want to be accepted and be just like everyone else who is defined by TV? Not fine. Emulating these people is being like the world.

How pathetic are we that we have to substitute fake lives in place of our own? We want happiness yet we reject God's Word, stating that it is bossy. Have we not yet realized that His Word was written so we could live the best lives possible? If we follow His Word, we will find joy. We have replaced the Bible with what the world says through the TV, radio, and movies. If that is not the definition of living in the world, I don’t know what is.

Give Thanks That Your Sin is Not as Bad as Mine

I once new a man who worked for a Christian organization. He was a good man. He worked hard and dealt honestly with everyone he knew. I was not close to him, but I knew those that were.

One day, a horrible secret was discovered about this man. A secret he had been battling for many years. He had given it a valiant fight, but in the end, Satan won over and he was caught in a compromising situation.

If most of you heard what we heard, you would have thought him a terrible human, yet the opposite was true. He was simply a man fighting a battle we all fight.

There was another person I can think of in a similar situation. He was a younger man, but his situation was much more apparent. Nonetheless, he was ostracized because he acted differently and was even pushed out of churches.

The boy tried everything he could to find help. He went to a Christian college, he went to a pastor for mentoring since he never had a father figure to teach him how to be a man, and he tried to surround himself with those of a strong faith. Sadly, he was ignored and mocked because he never had an opportunity to be "normal," and eventually disappeared. That was over four years ago.

You know, we found people like this everywhere. Some end up being in gangs, others in orphanages, some on the streets, and others in strange, confusing sins. But what is even more sad is that we toss these poor souls out because their sin outweighs their worth to us.

One last person for me to describe. This man was different though. He was never caught, nor was he ever fired. His friends loved him and his family loved him even more. He wa an integral part of his church; he was even a deacon. So what was wrong with him you ask? He was so deep in sin if it were water, he would be crushed by its pressure before he drowned. Yet he found no judgment from others, only smiles. In fact, at one point he brought his sin to the pastor. He told him that he had a terrible covetous spirit, and the pastor prayed with him and sent him on his way with his blessing.

What is wrong here? We know that God views sin in different ways and in different manners, but they all lead to the same place. If we are not willing to help those that need our help, then how can we call ourselves Christians? Some of these people struggled for years with their burden, yet when they fall once we throw them out?

I am not saying make them the pastor, but how can we expect them to ever win over Satan if we just toss them out. I gave two real examples of people that could have been won, but we gave up on them, and if anyone, such as myself, tried to help, we were mocked along with those that needed the help.

Did not Christ say that He came not to condemn, but to seek and save that which is lost? These people are lost sheep. Why aren’t we helping them?

Our View of God.

I was in a conversation with a friend of mine and the topic floated towards what our view of God is. It is true that some have a very high view of God and it seems that some have a very low view. I will give you an example.

Sin. Yes, sin is a good example. How do we view sin and God? Some say that God cannot look upon it. That it drives Him away, but this gives me reason for pause. Let us look at it from another perspective. Let’s say I am a cop and I see a robber. If I immediately run away or shield my eyes, who has the upper hand? Certainly not me, the cop, but the criminal. The same as with God and sin. We tend to have this attitude since we here things like God will not hear our prayers if we have sin in our lives.

If God has to avert His eyes or run away every time some form of sin occurs, who has the upper hand? It sounds to me as if sin does. How can that be? It cannot. So we must take one of two views of God in this light. Either He is so close to us in nature that sin can affect Him, or He is so far above us that sin has no affect on Him. I believe the latter.

You see, sin is something God hates because it is the opposite choice from Him. It is clear that throughout Scripture God hates and eschews sin, but this does not stop God from acting, moving, and participating in our lives. He hates sin for us, not for Him.

Have you ever heard someone say that it is amazing that even God can work through sin? I have. My wife’s salvation seems to have resulted through sin. Calvinists would say she was destined to be saved anyway, but the truth is that God can do whatever He likes; and that includes using sin as a tool if we insist on living in it. I do believe I remember someone saying, that you meant if for evil but God meant it for good.

When I taught Bible in NC, I brought a clay cup that I had made. I asked the class what the clay pot could do in my hand. Could it move or run away? Did it have any more free will than what I allowed it to have? Does it have a say so in anything outside of my choices? They all said no. I then threw the cup into the wall, shattering it into several pieces. The class was dead silent. I then said, “Did the cup have a choice in that?”

That seems like a dangerous example, and I know that, but it got their attention. Obviously the difference between us and the cup is that God has given us free will and He has promised in His Word to care for us. So there will be no humans tossed into the wall, but the point remains clear. We are His creation and what pleases Him is all that matters. Remember, we are only here for His pleasure according to Rev. 4:11. And our only job is to glorify Him.

As long as we keep this high view of God that is not linked with our Calvinistic brothers, we will begin to find a new, stronger God that can aid even those who are in sin. He, of course, has not gotten stronger, but our view of Him will allow us to see Him in a new light. God is above everything, especially sin.

More of what is Faith

My last post this morning presented an interesting question; well, at least to me. The question was what is faith, but a more accurate question would be how do you interpret faith in your life? We go through our day thinking and contemplating several things of which we must have a feeling or thought about faith when considering these things. What is yours?


The Bible defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen in Hebrews 11:1, which has wide implications; but as we look throughout the rest of the passage we see so many varying types of faith. Some easy to understand and other, quite difficult. When these examples, such as Rehab find themselves in these positions, how do they perceive what they are doing. It is a philosophical question in a sense, but I believe it has biblical backing.


When I look at the scenario posted earlier, I have several ideas in my mind, but I prefer to categorize in order to keep things straight. The first thing I think is are there different types of faith? I believe yes. I believe there are two types: the first is providing faith. This is the faith in which we accept what God has promised us as truth and will come to pass. Clothes, food, and even salvation. These are things that Scripture is solid on, and we take it, under faith, that these things are true and will come to pass. The items listed are by no means an exhaustive list.


For example, Ephesians when it says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Simple and true. We believe it because God wrote it to us, and we take Him at His Word. In Matthew when Christ speaks of God taking care of the birds and flowers so how much more should we expect Him to take care of us. This is providing faith.


The second kind is reciprocal faith. A faith that requires reciprocating dialog. This is the faith that we have when we ask for something. If you really think about it, those are broad categories, but there are true. We take what God has said and claim it as truth, and rightfully so. Everything else we expect from God is asked for.


The first one I do not think anyone would argue with. The second one is more complicated. We begin to fall into the "ye have not because ye ask not," area. This is of course regulated by the following verse of not getting what you ask for because you ask for it to fulfill your own lust. I won't go do deep into the prayer aspect of this;though, it is very important.

The complicated part is when you ask for something, what part of the asking is faith? What part of the asking is lust? What part of the asking is your responsibility? That's right, I said your responsibility. We seem to have lost any concept of our own hands. We ask God to put water in our mouths magically while a perfectly good glass is in front of us. So there is the three portions to focus on.

When we pray, how much of it is faith? Do we ask and only ask, expecting nothing to happen, but hoping something will? Do we ask and claim it? I believe we ask knowing God can, but also knowing that He might not. The question then becomes, when does He do something when we ask? If it is all governed by His will? The answer is He does something when it was something He wouldn't have changed otherwise unless you asked.

For example: if you were driving on wet roads and physics take its toll, sending you spinning out of control; thus, crashing your car. Well, this is a natural thing in a sense. Your lost traction and spun. It is how the universe was designed to work. But if you ask God to give you safety, then that is something He could stop. On the other hand, if you asked Him for someone to not get elected into office and that is, indeed, part of His will, the prayer is heard but left unanswered.
This is a tough thing. God's plan for this world is far greater than our fears and and desires. We must be careful not to confuse the two.

What part of our prayers are lust. I use lust loosely here, but I think there is lust in all our prayers. We have a strong desire to see things change and that is why we pray. Rarely do we pray for superfluous things that we have no care in. I be live the difference is the whether or not we desire to consume it upon our own lust as the Scripture states. For example, you pray for a new car, not because you need one, but that you want a nicer one. On the other hand, if you pray for your father's life then you are asking for your own reasons, but their is no consumption of lust. Just a desire to see him continue to live.

Finally, how much of prayer is our responsibility. This is the biggest one that affects faith, and relates directly to the scenario I posed yesterday. When we ask God for something, but we do not lack the ability to do it ourselves, then why should He answer it? When we start looking at things from this perspective, then we begin to focus our prayers towards the things that are most important.

I have struggled with this concept for a very long time. It is a hard one to live with because of the implications. Think about it. How many things do people ask for that they can do themselves, or, more distressing, that they should have done themselves?

I am hungry. Instead of asking God for food, eat something. I don't have a job. Ask Him for His help, but He will not magically drop one in the lap of the lazy. Get out there and hoof it. Now I need Him to help me get a raise to pay off my debt. Maybe getting in debt in the first place was the problem. (I do understand that some debt is unavoidable ie school loans).

Then there are some things that we just use faith for to get our way. Just as my example in my previous post. I want you here so have faith you can get here. Well, if the Lord has given you guidelines and a budget and you break it, then what happens next is not God punishing you or not helping you: it is Him letting His child learn from the consequences of their actions.

Think about it.

What is faith? A question

Let's say that your family is expecting you for some special event, but you live some many miles away. You look at your bank account and it is not looking favorable to a trip anywhere. So you call your family and tell them the bad news, but instead of a, "I am sorry hear that. We will be praying for you," you get a, "Well you just need to have faith that God will pay for the trip."

Sounds ridiculous to some, including me, and to others it sounds dead on. I am going to write much more about this later today, but was going to toss this out there.

What is faith?

Salvation and Easy-Believism

I read something last night that prompted me writing this. It has to do with the subject of salvation and easy-believism.

I read that if you do not show fruit that you are not saved. The article had no caveats: just simply that one must show good works to be saved; or at least that is what was portrayed. I take issue with comments like these for, what I think, are very solid reasons. I want to step through some of those reasons by way of covering some of the Scriptures that cause statements like these.

There are two passages in particular I would like to focus on. The first is in James chapter 2. The chapter works its way to it and states the point clearly in verse 24. It says, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.” This is not the whole passage, but the concept is clear. Without works faith is dead.

This passage is used quite a bit to say that a Christian without “fruit” is not truly saved, but is one who is only professing faith. I obviously take issue with that summation. I will not digress into the OT to relink the concepts of works as in relation to the NT, but it is easy enough to say that Ephesians and Galatians put an end to any questions of whether salvation is by works or by faith. Eph 2:8, the most widely used verse to prove faith based salvation, is an easy passage to cling to as well as Gal. 2:16. These two verses alone strike a stake into the heart of works based salvation.

But, then, why did James say those things? A few things here. First, it is easy to see that James "addresses the outward expression of inward faith" as Minnix, J. Mike in his Panorama of the Bible CD-ROM Lesson 49 says. He is speaking of how man sees things as opposed to Paul’s faith based book, speaking of how God sees things. And while that is a profound argument in itself, it is not the endall.

James is attempting, and succeeding, to argue that faith and works cannot be separated. He is not saying that faith minus works is dead; thus, you are not saved. Not at all, in fact, what he is saying is that faith without works is impossible. No need to worry of salvation in the matter as in, “Am I saved if I do no works?” This is not a question flowing through the mind of an unsaved person. And this, my friends is where I take a huge issue.

If a man is not saved these questions mean nothing to him. Approach an unsaved man and ask him where his fruits of the spirit are and you may be surprised with what kind of fruits you get. Yet, when we address a crowd of “saved” people and throw this out there under the pretence that we are trying to clear the air when the truth is, we are far from clearing anything.

Take a group of teens and tell them that if they are not working for Christ under your terms, which that is what they are, you terms, they are not saved and watch the wheels come off. The teens will turn introspective and search every part of their being to find a work to meet criteria and if they don’t they will go into a tail spin of agony, running to the front to get “saved,” only to find themselves at the same point a year from that day. Why?

Because we are human. That is what we do. We fail. Miserably. It is hard enough to live this life without a leader consistently telling me I am not saved if I do not make it to church on Sunday or miss visitation. These are important things, but they are not criteria of salvation. Faith is.

Please feel free to read through the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23. Good read, I promise. You will find there that not all fruits have to be quantified in tangible evidence. Oh, wait, what is that I see in the middle there? Is that the word faith? No! It couldn’t be, but it is: Along with many other items that we cannot measure by man’s standards. And this right here is why I truly believe God built this system the way He did.

By measuring our true acceptance of Him through these things: love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, etc, he has eliminated man’s ability to gauge it. How perfect is that? We may want to tell you that if you do not do what we say, then you are not saved –which is in essence what we are saying –but we can’t, because God has left that to Himself and Himself alone.

So am I saying that preaching these things is a bad idea? No. Of course not. But if we continue down the road of using it as a weapon, consciously or not, we can do a lot of damage.

I believe I said I would use two passages, but somehow I went ahead and finished the article without it. It was Matthew 7:15-20; 20-23. Guess it will have to be saved for another day.

What are your thoughts?

Missions and gluttony

I am writing several articles today to get things going. I want there to be a plethora of options.

This may be taken as an extreme view and that's fine. Sometimes a hyperbole is necessary to make a point clear.
I view America as a great land that I have and always will love, but I also view her as a diner occupant who has had far too many plates presented to her without attempting to share what she has. No, I do not speak of financial aid, food aid, or any other monetary aid that is presented over and over. No, I speak of spiritual aid.
As many of you may or may not know, I have a large burden for missions: That being the spreading of the gospel to those across the globe who are not as fortunate as we in America, Britain, and other powers which purport freedom. As a power, it appears that we continue to force food down the throats of many who wish not to eat it. They are already full of wealth, food, and decadence so that no other form of truth can enter.
Why eat the steak of truth given by Christ when the prime rib and mash potatoes of humanism taught through a never ending source of fulfillment have filled your gullet? Yet, we give and give and give or, rather, offer and offer and offer course after course of Christ to those who have ready access to gospel while many who sit across the diner on the street have none.
We have a country of people who can reach the gospel if they wish, but a world that is depending on us to give it to them; yet we continue to refuse distribution on several grounds.
So what is stopping us? Why continue down this path if no one is on it? Yes, there are several states where the gospel is not prolific, but that does not negate the fact that they still have access if they wish.
My questions is why continue to serve fillet to those who refuse it while there are those being served lettuce for dinner and would literally die for a piece of the steak.

Biblical Learning

We find ourselves at a strange point in our faith. There have been made so many different barrages of attacks from so many subtle enemies that making sense of these things becomes a difficult task if we follow the mainstream.
We risk the sin of plagiarism when it comes to dispersing the truth of the Bible. We have heard so much about It already, we sometimes see no need to reenter it to find what God has to say to us. We assume ownership of God's Word; thus, alleviating God from His position and taking it for ourselves.
We preach and teach sometimes as robots, not wanting to look any farther than we have to, to get by. This all done by our lack of attention to what is happening around us: Science and humanism are taking God's people from our pews and classrooms. We are losing this battle due to our lack of foresight, yes, but also to the fact they the people of God are no longer learning.
It seems we have abandoned true biblical study for ear tickling and easy, yet shoddy workmanship in our sermons and lessons. What we are displaying before them is not what they are gathering from the world. It is deeper and more entangling than ever. The people are ready for a change, but are we?
They desire to know more about what they believe, but only find stories and anecdotes. We need sound learning as well as sound preaching. They need truth and we need to help them find it.

FORUM UPDATE and Rules

Please feel free to browse around. There is not a lot to see as of yet, but this blog will be updated regularly with content for discussion. I am still working on how to get these blogs to work, but there are a few rules to follow:

1. No "flaming" of any sort. We are here for discussion, not to abuse one another. Leave grammar and spelling out of your arguments. I will ask that you try to portray yourself as intelligent by using proper grammar, but no one is perfect.

2. We must all be coming from the same vantage point. If your views come from some other place besides the Bible, then please leave it out or do not post. This does not, however, limit you from drawing logical reasoning from Scripture based subjects. Reasoning is not something to be left out. I just do not want someone using the Koran for basis.

3. Every view is open here. I do not want to see any arguments based on, "I'm right because you're wrong." Use reason and Scripture to back up your points and ideas.

4. Please learn and have an open mind, Those posting here are here to do the same.

5. I reserve the right to ban anyone using improper language or abusive language. This also includes violating above rules.

6. Be profitable.