Biblical Competition

NATIONAL BIBLE BEE


In November, Students from Across America Will Gather for the First National Bible Bee. The Top Winner Will Go Home with a $100,000 Prize!


I am so happy to share this information on such a wonderful competition that enhances and challenges today's youth. The filling and feeding of today's youth in the mind and spirit is pertinent for everyday life- preparing them for a great future. I have some of the information and of course a link about the Bee, so that you can get your child signed up.

There never has been a national competition with a world class prize designed to encourage the careful study and memorization of the Word of God- until now! The Shelby Kennedy Foundation has announced its intention to hold The Bible Bee, a national competition held in Washington, D.C., November 5-6, 2009, for students ages 7-18 dedicated to promoting Bible study and memorization. First prize for Primary Group(7-10) is $25,000: Junior Group (11-14) is $50,000: and for Senior Group (15-18) is $100,000. For more information, visit: http://www.biblebee.org
Good luck to all the students, God bless!


* Psalm 119:97,130
* Proverbs 29:18
* Philippians 4:13

ABIDING IN GOD'S JOY

HOW TO ABIDE IN GOD'S JOY

The followng steps assures God's joy as it fills our hearts and lives

1. Surrender (1 Samuel 1:15,2:1-10 Job 42:2,5 Acts 9:18,20)
2. Dependence (Psalm 33:20-22, John 16:24,1 Peter 5:7,Romans 9:16)
3. Rest (Psalm 4:8, John 14:1,27 1 Kings 5:4, Hebrews 4:10)
4. Obedience (John 14:15,John 15:10, Galatians 5:16,19-21)
5. Rejoicing (Psalm 5:11, John 15:11,Philippians 4:4,Romans 12:12, Joel 2:21)


Surrendering to God can be done in just 2 actions. First like Hannah and Job you have to recognize who and what God is(loving almighty life giving spirit). Second you have to be willing to give up your sorrows,troubles,thinking and ways like Hannah,Job and Paul. This is how God can help,bless,uplift,change and work through,with and for you.

Dependence like the scriptures say in Psalm and John is asking,trusting,waiting,knowing God for what you need. Placing your desires and needs on God because of His mercy, and that He cares for all of us is the right and only thing to do. Like in 1 Samuel when Hannah said "There is no rock like our God" He is our everything who else and what can we truly depend upon in good times and bad?

Rest is what we need from our jobs,families, thoughts, stress,problems, and all sorts of daily activities. Assurance of God's love,help and peace equals rest. Lets go farther: rest like in 1 Kings and Psalm is God taking care of our entire lives. No need like it states,in John 14 to be afraid or worried because belief and peace is our 'rest' assurance. We are taught why to rest and that we should like God did in Hebrews 4

Obedience is a life long opportunity to receive God's best for our lives. Why ask God for His help and advice to only forget and refuse to follow and obey it? That is a waste and it is a dangerous trap. In John 14 and 15 we are told to obey God if we love Him and want to abide in His love. There is no love for God and no good for our lives if we disrespect,and disregard all that He commands us to do. We are told in Galatians 5 about the things God despises of and what happens if we engage in such behavior. Why then should we not follow God's advice and commands- oh yea,so we can be trapped always in misery and fear- lack for things and never experience God's great blessing of working through us, reject eternal life with the King (wow,a privilege and gift for no true believer to throw away)


Rejoicing is the end result from following the other 4 steps. It is a celebration of our best life ever! Be happy and secure always like in Psalm 5 and Phil. 4 Remember why and how you can rejoice like it says in John 15 and Romans 12. Know to rejoice like in Joel 2 because He has and always will do great things for us - we just have to let God reign supreme and be first in our lives- Best reason ever to rejoice,Hallelujah!

Faith Foundations

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

1. God is eternal.
God said, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Moses wrote:

"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth
the earth and the world, from everlasting to
everlasting you are God" (Psalm 90:2).

God does not live in the past or in the future, actually. He lives in the now.

"For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that
has just gone by, or like a watch in the night" (Psalm
90:4).

2. God is all-powerful. He said to Abram,

"I am God Almighty" (Genesis 17:1).

God's power is shown by His speaking the earth into existence. God said,

"'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis
1:3).

Something of God's might, His genius, His complete ability to set all things in total harmony is seen throughout our universe. Our flights into space are possible because men can depend on the accuracy of God to direct the stars in the heavens.

3. God is good.

"He himself gives all men life and breath and everything
else" (Acts 17:25).

Our English words "God" and "good" are related.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not
change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

4. God is near.

"For in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts
17:28).

"He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27).

God's children call Him "Father." He is the

"God, who richly provides us with everything for our
enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17).

5. "God is love" (1 John 4:8).
He sent His only begotten Son down to our world to live among us and to die for us on the cross. Love gives, and

"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life" (John 3:16).

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for
us all -- how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).

6. God is holy.
He will of necessity correct those who are not holy. This chastening is for our good, and to lead us to Himself. God does this because He loves us. God warns us in His word of the dangers of not living right, and this He does because He does not want us to be destroyed by our own stubborn wills.

God has

"set a day when he will judge the world with justice by
the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to
all men by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

How can we escape the judgment of the holy God? We can come to Him in faith, for

"without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and
that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews
11:6).

Our holy God desires holy people, so believers in God accept Christ as Lord, and they repent of their sins and they are baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38).

Read The Bible In A Year (PT.1)

I have put together a chart that will help you on a spiritual journey of reading the word of God. Each and every month, I will post this chart that has morning and evening reading assignments-that if followed,in 365 days you will have read the entire Holy Bible! I am so excited and will be doing this at home as well- Are we ready? Here is the month of January- covered are the books of: Genesis, Matthew, and Exodus (Partially)




DATE MORNING EVENING

Jan. MATT. GEN.
1 1 1,2,3
2 2 4,5,6
3 3 7,8,9
4 4 10,11,12
5 5:1-26 13,14,15
6 5:27-48 16,17
7 6:1-18 18,19
8 6:19-34 20,21,22
9 7 23,24
10 8:1-17 25,26
11 8:18-34 27,28
12 9:1-17 29,30
13 9:18-38 31,32
14 10:1-20 33,34,35
15 10:21-42 36,37,38
16 11 39,40
17 12:1-23 41,42
18 12:24-50 43,44,45
19 13:1-30 46,47,48
20 13:31-58 49,50

EX.
21 14:1-21 1,2,3
22 14:22-36 4,5,6
23 15:1-20 7,8
24 15:21-39 9,10,11
25 16 12,13
26 17 14,15
27 18:1-20 16,17,18
28 18:21-35 19,20
29 19 21,22
30 20:1-16 23,24
31 20:17-34 25,26

Twelve This Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving is nearing I have become reflective on what the term means and what this special day stands for. I was reading my bible, flipping through scriptures and truly started to understand.... GOD is the reason we are to be thankful and much thanks and praise realy goes to Him! I have gathered some scriptures that really put God, His kingdom, His son,His will & ways - into light. Insight we are never to forget, be joyous in, look forward too & be full of gratitude for. Read,reflect and enjoy... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

1. 1 Corinthians 1:4
2. Psalm 97:12
3. Luke 17:18
4. 2 Samuel 22:50
5. 2 Corinthians 9:11,15
6. 2 Chronicles 6:12-14
7. 1 Corinthians 10:31
8. 1 Timothy 1:17
9. Nehemiah 9:5-6
10. Jonah 2:9
11. Mark 8:6
12. Haggai 1:4-6,9


** O God, help me to live the life of gratitude that you invite me to live. Amen.

Does God Really Care?

Sometimes we humans feel very small - and with good reason!

We are microscopic on our planet. The total human population could stand within a surface area of 200 square miles, whereas earth's volume is 260,000,000,000 cubic miles. Yet "our" Earth is a mere pinhead beside its sun. The sun is but one star among millions across space so vast as to defy comprehension. At jet travel speed, reaching the nearest star would take us about a million years.

In the grand scale of time and space we seem utterly insignificant. When we feel lost and lonely, who feels with us? Who sees our few, fleeting moments? Who cares about our troubles?

Sometimes, beneath the night sky, David also feels small and vulnerable. David hears the Creator's importance loudly announced by the power and order in the universe.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens! (Psalm 8:1)

David recognizes that the sheer scale of the universe seems to rule out any "importance" for humans. He asks,

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)



How incredible - that the Creator of all this cares for me! Yet the very proof for God's majesty also shows our place of responsibility. God expects us to read and honor that evidence. Even little children know awe and wonder: "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise" (Psalm 8:2). David recognizes how much God invests in each human:

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands (Psalm 8:5-6)

Try an experiment: Let the magic of your favorite music play along the edges of your mind. Wonder at your ability to enjoy such ethereal beauty. Picture, in any attractive setting, the meal you find most delicious. Savor it. Appreciate the aesthetic qualities of taste, aroma, color, form and texture. Feel the warmth of embrace, the joy of eyes that meet and understand. Let the gift of "love" fill you with awe.

Scribes,Pharisees, & Sadducees

Read the following to figure out who the scribes,pharisees, and sadducees
Scribes where, their purpose and what role they played in the life of Jesus his apostles

In the days of the Hebrews monarchy this was the title of a court official, a secretary of state (2 Sam. 8: 17; 2 Kgs. 12: 10; 2 Kgs. 18: 18). After the captivity we find the title given to Ezra (Ezra 7: 6, 21) and to others who acted as teachers of the law. Scribes are frequently mentioned in the N.T., being sometimes called lawyers. It was their business to develop the law in detail and apply it to the circumstances of their time; hence grew up the oral or traditional law side by side with the written law. Their method of teaching was catechetical. Their aim was to reproduce and teach others to reproduce accurately the words of the wise (hence the office is a symbol of fidelity in instruction, Matt. 13: 52). The scribes never taught on their own authority (contrast with this the Lord’s method, Matt. 7: 29).

Pharisees
A religious party among the Jews. The name denotes separatists. They prided themselves on their strict observance of the law, and on the care with which they avoided contact with things gentile. Their belief included the doctrine of immortality and resurrection of the body and the existence of angels and spirits. They upheld the authority of oral tradition as of equal value with the written law. The tendency of their teaching was to reduce religion to the observance of a multiplicity of ceremonial rules, and to encourage self-sufficiency and spiritual pride

Sadducees
A party or caste among the Jews. The name is probably derived from Zadok, the high priest in Solomon’s time. The party consisted of old high-priestly families who came to the front during the Maccabean war. They formed the Jewish aristocracy, and were powerful though quite small in numbers. In their treatment of religious questions they held to the letter of the Mosaic revelation and denied the authority of ancient tradition; they taught complete freedom of the will in moral action; they were opposed to the Pharisees as to the belief in angels and spirits; they refused also to accept the doctrine of immortality as a necessary part of the Jewish faith. It was through their influence that Greek culture spread in Israel. Their opposition to our Lord was the result of his action in cleansing the temple, which they regarded as an infringement of their rights. They opposed the work of the apostles because they preached the resurrection (Acts 4: 1-3; cf. Mark 12: 18-27; Acts 23: 7-8).

Knowing Jesus (Pt 3)

Knowing Jesus Through His Prophecies

"Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what
John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did
was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah
(that is, the Christ)'...Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have
found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets
also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' " (John 1:40-41, 45)

God, through the prophets, had drawn a picture of the coming Messiah. Every Jew who heard readings from the Old Testament knew parts of this picture well. When Andrew and Philip met Jesus they began to see ways in which Jesus fit the prophetic picture. Believing Jews had waited centuries for this very moment. This kind of good news had to be shared! Philip soon told his friend, "We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote."

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THE NATION OF THE MESSIAH

PROMISES TO ADAM AND ABRAHAM


Moses, in about 1500 B.C., was the opening writer of the Old Testament. He recorded God's first promise of hope for the sinful human family. God said to the snake:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His
heel" (Genesis 3:15).

>From the beginning, the prophecies pointed to a male "offspring," a male child. He would crush or destroy the snake, Satan (note Revelation 12:9). Satan would also give Him much pain.

Later, God spoke again of an "offspring" or "seed." God chose Abraham, and God promised him,

"Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you
have obeyed Me" (Genesis 22:18).

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THE PROMISE TO ISRAEL

God repeated this promise to Abraham's son Isaac (Genesis 21:12; 26:4).

God then repeated the promise to Isaac's son Jacob (Genesis 28:14). Jacob was also called Israel, as we can read in Genesis 32:24-28. Israel had twelve sons.

Which one of these twelve would God choose to carry on the promise of the blessing? Just before his death, Israel gave God's blessings to each of his sons. Israel said to his son Judah:

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between
his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the
nations is His." (Genesis 49:10)

Israel's son, Judah, would be the family line that would have the "scepter," the stick of royal authority. Kings would come from the line of Judah. Many years after Genesis had been written, this prophecy came true. The kings of Israel did come from the tribe of Judah. Yet there was more to the prophecy. "He would come" - the One to whom that ruler's rod really belongs. He would be more than just Israel's King, for He would be over "the nations."

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THE FAMILY OF THE MESSIAH

The first king from Judah's line was David, in about 1000 B.C. God made amazing promises to King David (2 Samuel 7:8-29; Psalm 89:3-37; Psalm 132). These promises were repeated by the prophets (Isaiah 11:1; Amos 9: 11; Ezekiel 37:24-28). Jeremiah, for example, foretold,

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a
righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and
right in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5).

The New Testament was written over 600 years after Jeremiah. The book of Matthew begins:

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of
Abraham." (Matthew 1:1)

It is due to the fact that Israel's laws about owning property that caused Jews to keep strict records of each genealogy. Therefore it was well-known among the Jews that Jesus was from David's family (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; Acts 2:22-36). Was it just by chance that Jesus came into that one nation, that one tribe, and that single family that had been predicted by God?

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THE BIRTH PLACE OF THE MESSIAH

The number of places in the world is beyond counting. Who could foretell the exact place of the Messiah's birth? Yet the prophet Micah made an amazing promise: The great Ruler would come from the home village (1 Samuel 16) of His forefather David.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans
of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:2).

The mother of Jesus lived in Nazareth. Government rules forced her to travel many miles to Bethlehem. Her male child was born there, in the very village marked 500 years earlier by Micah (Matthew 2; Luke 2; John 7:42). Did this also happen by chance?

Andrew and Philip knew that only God could foretell and fulfill in such exact ways. They understood enough of the prophecies to be able to say, "We have found the Messiah."

However, some prophecies were more difficult to understand and accept.

________________________
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| THE NATION OF ISRAEL |
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|______________________ |
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| | THE TRIBE OF JUDAH | |
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| |_________________ | |
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| | | FAMILY OF | | |
| | | DAVID | | |
| | | __________ | | |
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| | | | JESUS | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | |______ | | | |


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MANY JEWS EXPECTED AN EARTHLY KING

Many Jews thought that the Messiah would be like other kings. They reasoned that if the Messiah would rule all nations, He would do so by armed force. So they looked for One to lead them in battle against their nation's enemy, Rome (Acts 5:36-37). Seeing the great powers of Jesus, they wanted to force Jesus to become their king (John 6:15). They expected earthly Jerusalem to be His capital city. Later, when Jesus came to Jerusalem, large crowds shouted their greetings:

"Hosanna to the Son of David." (Matthew 21:9)

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David." (Mark 11:10)

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord." (Luke 19:38)

The crowds were soon disappointed. Instead of joining in their happiness, Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:43-44). He warned that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed by the Romans (Luke 21:5-24). Instead of marching against the Roman rulers, Jesus came before them as an accused criminal on trial (Luke 23). Many who had welcomed Him began to call for His death. Nails were driven into His hands and feet to hold him onto the raised wood of the cross. There He was left to die slowly, in great pain.

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THE SUFFERING OF THE MESSIAH

Neither the followers of Jesus, nor His enemies, expected that the Messiah would suffer in such ways. Great kings are supposed to be accepted by their people; Jesus was rejected by His people. Great kings have honor and respect; Jesus died in shame. Great kings defeat their enemies; Jesus was crucified by His enemies. His friends were confused and sad. They said,

"But we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel."
(Luke 24:21)

If they had looked more closely at the Old Testament prophecies, they would have realized that it foretold that the Messiah would be rejected. Before He died, Jesus often predicted that He would be killed by the Jewish and Roman leaders (Luke 17:25; 18:31-33; 20:9-15). In proof of this He quoted Psalm 118:22, which spoke of Israel's leaders rejecting God's chosen One. The prophet Isaiah (53:3) had also shown that God's chosen One would be "despised and rejected."

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HOW THE MESSIAH WOULD SUFFER AND RISE

The Old Testament prophecies did not stop there. They went on to show exact ways in which the Messiah would be hurt. Here are a few, linked with passages in the New Testament:

* A close friend would turn against Him, betraying Him to His enemies
(Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:47-48).

* The price to be paid for this betrayal was thirty pieces of silver
(Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 26:14-15).

* His own followers would scatter, leaving Him alone (Zechariah 13:7;
Mark 14:49-50).

* People would strike Him and spit on Him (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67).

* While treated in the most shameful way, He would endure it in silence
(Isaiah 53:7; Mark 14:61; 15:5).

* He would be falsely judged and punished with criminals (Psalm 35:19;
Isaiah 53:8,12; John 15:24-25; 19:18).

* He would be pierced, even in His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah
12:10; John 19:18, 37; 20:27).

* Those who pierced Him would also gamble for his clothes (Psalm 22:18;
John 19:23-24).

* He would be killed - "cut off from the land of the living" (Isaiah 53:8;
John 19:25-37).

* His death would be the "guilt offering" for removing the sins of us all
(Isaiah 53:10-12; 1 Peter 2:24).

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THE PROPHECIES FROM ISAIAH

Old Testament laws allowed only animals to be used as "guilt offerings." Isaiah wrote in about 700 B.C. and he followed those laws. How then could Isaiah speak of this Human as the "guilt offering"? Isaiah 53 said other surprising things. It showed that after His suffering He would enjoy great satisfaction as a result of that suffering. It showed that after His death He would again "see the light of life" (Isaiah 53:10-11).

Some might ask, "Did Christians later write into Isaiah 53 their own ideas about the Christ?" No, this did not come from Christians. Remember that all the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language in about 250 B.C. Long before Jesus' birth Isaiah 53 was already being read in many lands.

OLD MANUSCRIPTS OF ISAIAH

The oldest known Hebrew copy of Isaiah is one of the "Dead Sea Scrolls." It was found in 1947 at Qumran near the Dead Sea, and has been kept in Jerusalem. Scientists have examined this Isaiah scroll. They date this scroll as having been penned over 100 years before the coming of Jesus. Yet this very ancient Isaiah scroll says the same thing in Isaiah 53 as your Bible says today. There is no doubt at all - Isaiah's description of One dying for the sins of others, and then living again, was written long before Christianity began.

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JESUS CLAIMED TO FULFILL PROPHECY

None of us chooses our own family line and place of birth. None of us can choose to return to life after dying. Yet Jesus boldly claimed to fulfill all Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. To His own followers Jesus said,

"How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and
then enter His glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He
explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself
... He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:25-27, 44).

To the leading Jews He said,

"These are the Scriptures that testify about Me...If you believed Moses,
you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:39,46).

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THE MESSAGE OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS

The message that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah continued to be the message of the early Christians:

"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have
foretold these days" (Acts 3:24). (See also Acts 10:43; 13:32; 26:22-23).

Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.

"This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said (Acts 17:2-3).

Knowing Jesus( Pt 2)

KNOWING JESUS THROUGH HIS WITNESSES

"The next day John was there again with two of his
disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,
'Look, the Lamb of God!' When the two disciples
heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,
'What do you want?'

"They said, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where
are You staying?'

"'Come,' He replied, 'and you will see.' So they went
and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with
Him. It was about the tenth hour" (John 1:34-39).

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WITNESSES

A "witness" is one who tells what he sees and knows to be true. When he gives his report of the truth, he TESTIFIES or gives TESTIMONY. John the Baptizer was such a witness (John 1:7).

"I have seen," he said, "and I testify that this is the
Son of God" (John 1:34).

John, when he saw Jesus, told the people, "Look!" Thus they too became eyewitnesses. Two of John's followers wanted to know Jesus more fully. They were faced with the same problem that any ordinary person has. How does a common person come into the presence of a King?

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COME AND SEE

Since these two were followers of John, they knew John's great respect for the coming King. John was their leader, yet even he was not worthy to carry the shoes of the King (Matthew 3:11). Now, John had pointed to JESUS as that King. How could two ordinary men get close to this King? How could they come to know the high, exalted One of whom John spoke? (After all, have you ever met your nation's highest ruler?)

When they spoke to Jesus, He invited them to come to His place! "Come," He said, "and you will see." The memory of that invitation was so bright that they remembered exactly when it took place - the tenth hour. (If counted in the Jewish way this was at 4:00 P.M., and evening was coming.) So they spent the rest of that day with Jesus. This King wanted to talk with them. More than that, He was willing to let them stay with Him!

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THE OPENNESS OF JESUS

The first lesson the two disciples learned from Jesus was His openness. They were free to KNOW Him personally. He welcomed them. They could see Him, talk with Him, and be close to Him.

John the Baptizer was right about the high honor owed to Jesus. Yet Jesus' greatness did not isolate Him from His people. In this, He was different from most kings. He made Himself poor in earthly things (2 Corinthians 8:9). Sometimes He had no proper place to sleep (Luke 9:58). He was among the ordinary people. He welcomed all, whether great or small. Even children felt very welcome.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him
touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw
this, He was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little
children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom
of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone
who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it.' And He took the children in His arms,
put His hands on them and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

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JESUS WAS COMPASSIONATE

Sinful people found Jesus friendly. He had no sin (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26). He taught them to "repent," to turn away from sin (Luke 13:3). Yet He made it very clear that He truly cared for them. He ate and drank with people known for their corrupt lives. He did the same for the government's tax officials, whom most people treated as enemies. Jesus became known as the "friend of tax-collectors and 'sinners' " (Luke 7:34). Jesus was among the people because of His concern and love for them. This explains why He spent so much time helping each one who came. He helped them, regardless of how great their problems. He helped them even when he was very busy with other important matters (Mark 1:21-34; 2:1-13; 5:21-43; 7:24-30; 10:46-52).

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TO BE WITH HIM

There is another important reason why Jesus worked so openly. The Christian faith would begin as a matter of public knowledge and public record. Since Jesus worked among the people, there were often many eyewitnesses to what He said and did. He had nothing to hide. As He said at His trial,

"I have spoken openly to the world...I said nothing in
secret. Why question Me? Ask those who heard Me. Surely
they know what I said" (John 18:20-21).

When the apostle Paul was later tried in a royal court, he said,

"The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak
freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped
his notice, because it was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26).

In this Christianity is different from other faiths based on claims of hidden events, and personal ideas or feelings. Such faiths have no way to prove to others that they are true. From the beginning Christianity was a matter of public and historical record, and could be fully examined. Today one can still find out whether it is true or false. Indeed, it demands such study. Christians invite people to check for themselves, to examine the facts. "Come and you will see!"

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THE APOSTLES KNOW JESUS

One of the two disciples who met Jesus on that memorable day was named Andrew (John 1:40-42). He was the brother of Simon Peter. Their partners in the fishing business were Zebedee's sons, James and John (Luke 5:7-10). Jesus chose these four, and eight others, to serve as His special messengers or APOSTLES (Luke 6:12-16). One of the main duties of the apostles was to be WITH Jesus.

"He appointed twelve -- designating them apostles - that
they might be with Him and that He might send them out to
preach" (Mark 3:14).

Being "with Him" meant that they could watch him closely in good times and bad, happy times and sad, crowded times and lonely. They could see how He met every new challenge and trial. Many people are afraid to let others get close. Why? Closeness reveals one's faults. Yet Jesus invited others to be near. By watching, listening and sharing in His life, the apostles could KNOW His true character. They could also learn how to become like Him. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they would carry on Jesus' work after He left. They would be the Spirit's way for others to come to know Jesus. Jesus made this clear in one of His prayers for the apostles.

"My prayer is not for them alone (the first disciples). I pray
also for those who will believe in Me through their message,
that all of them may be one..."(John 17:20-21).

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WITNESSES FOR CHRIST

How would people in later years believe in Christ?

"Through their message" (John 17:20).

That is, through the report of those first disciples, especially the apostles. ("Apostle" is like the word "ambassador." It means one who is sent with a special authority to pass on his leader's message.) Jesus gave to them the task of being witnesses, to testify to the truth about Him (Luke 24:48; Acts 10:39-41). Just before He sent them into the world, Jesus said,

"...You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

However, at the time when this was said (the first chapter of Acts), one of the twelve was missing. Judas had betrayed Jesus, and then had killed himself. Another had to be chosen to take his place. The importance of finding a real witness was shown by Simon Peter's words,

"Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have
been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out
among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when
Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a
witness with us of his resurrection" (Acts 1:21-22).

Yes, Jesus wanted the apostles to be "with Him" so that they could be true WITNESSES. They were in the best place to see and know the truth about Jesus. They were the kind of witnesses that any good court of law would welcome.

Jesus' witnesses were from ordinary positions in life. They had normal questions and doubts when they first heard about Jesus. Yet what they saw for themselves removed doubts and fears. The witnesses were many, coming from different backgrounds and interests. Like all witnesses, they stated their testimonies in different ways. Each spoke from his own viewpoint. When carefully compared these testimonies agree. There is nothing muddled or lacking. The apostles, and those closest to them, gave a full and clear report. They remained united, and true to this report, all of their lives. The collection of their reports and letters is called the New Testament.

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NOT FALSE

As the apostles spread the Good News about Jesus, they reminded the people that they were true witnesses. See the following verses.

Acts 2:32
Acts 3:15
Acts 4:33
Acts 5:32
Acts 10:39, 41
Acts 13:31

They were not ashamed to speak in the presence of others who had been there. When Peter re-told the facts about Jesus, he added,

"...as you yourselves know" (Acts 2:22).

Thousands in Jerusalem proved that they agreed with Peter (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14). From the very beginning, the rapid spread of Christianity showed how many found the testimony to be true. Peter's enemies did not show faults in his testimony. All they could do was to try to stop him by threats (Acts 4, 5,12). Peter later wrote,

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told
you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).

Peter said this when he knew he would soon be killed (2 Peter 1:14; John 21:17-19). What reward could there have been in dying for lies? If Peter was not telling the truth of what he saw, what did he think he could gain? The apostles did not become rich (Acts 3:6; 1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:10). Instead of becoming famous they became infamous - they were hated by the world. They suffered great losses and hardships for their message (2 Corinthians 1:9; 6:1-10; 11:23-31). Paul wrote,

"It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at
the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the
arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe...
Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the
refuse of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:9,13).

No, the apostles received no reward from this world, but only shame and pain. Why then did they keep telling the same story? For the simplest and best reason: They KNEW it was true. They had SEEN it with their own eyes. Their lives matched the honesty of their report. When threatened, they had to reply, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).

Strength Of Angels

Just How Strong Are Angels?

Find Out:
How strong and powerful are angels?
When did God create angels?
Do angels come at a certain time during death?


Peter puts the case mildly when he says angels are "stronger and more powerful" than humans (2 Peter 2:11). In the Bible they are better known for their power than their beauty or anything else. An angel rolled back the stone that covered Jesus' tomb—a real exhibition of strength (Matthew 28:2). An angel opened locked prison doors (Acts 5:17-20). Only one angel was sent to destroy the entire city of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 21:15) and only two angels were needed to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:13, 24, 25). Angels were also responsible for the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 12:13-30; Psalm 78:43, 49; Hebrews 11:28). As you can see, angels "excel in strength" (Psalm 103:20).

Since angels are spirit beings, they take on a physical form only when carrying out God's will. This can be of any shape and size. See my article "What Do Angels Look Like?" So how tall are angels? Even though angels are described in the Bible, we do not know how tall they were. Still, we do find measurements of the angel figures in Solomon's temple—two cherubim figures that were each 15 feet tall with a wingspan of 15 feet (1 Kings 6:23-28). Both figures were carved from olive wood and covered with gold. Solomon's cherubim were certainly different from the cute pictures of cherubs we see on greeting cards today.


The reason you could not easily find such text is because verses stating the creation of angels often do not use the word angel. Although the word angel is used almost 300 times in the Bible, many synonyms such as "the heavenly hosts" are used. In Colossians 1:16 Jesus Christ is called the creator of angels, and the angels referred to as "things invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities." Psalm 148 also states, "Praise him, all his angels, praise him all his heavenly hosts. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created." (Psalm 148:2, 5). This is the basis for the statement of faith found in the Nicene Creed which is affirmed every Sunday in many churches: "We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen."

Most theologians hold that all of the angels were created at the same time. There are no hints in scripture of angels being continually created. Angels do not reproduce. There are no baby angels. In Matthew 22:28-30 Jesus taught that angels do not procreate, so we can conclude that each angel is a direct creation of God. We know that "the morning stars" (another term for angels in the Bible) sang together, and all the angels shouted with joy at the creation of Earth (Job 38:7). So it follows that angels were created before the planet.

Augustine, writing in the fifth century, made an interesting argument that angels were formed on the first day of creation. He reasoned that since "all things were created and ordered and the work of creation was completed in six days," the angels must have been created during the six days as well. He also said that because God made light on the first day and angels are "participators of [God's] eternal light," they must have been created in that time span.

But many, including myself, are not convinced by Augustine's reasoning. The Bible never tells us when angels were created, but it does teach that God created the angels before the world. What point is there in speculating any further?


Nowhere in the Bible are there any verses about the "time the angels come." Death records indicate that people die at all hours and minutes of the day and night.

Knowing Jesus: (Pt 1)

KNOWING JESUS THROUGH HIS MESSENGER

"'See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way
before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come
to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire,
will come,' says the LORD Almighty" (Malachi 3:1).

The prophet Malachi gave God's final promises of the Old Testament. One of the greatest of these promises is found in Malachi chapter three, verse one. God assured His people that He would send a messenger. This messenger would have a special task--"to prepare the way." For whom? He "will prepare the way before ME," said the LORD (Yahweh)!



VOICE IN THE DESERT

Also in the book of Malachi (4:5) God promised to send a prophet, "Elijah." Elijah had lived in dry, desert places. An earlier prophet, Isaiah, had foretold the coming of a voice in the desert.

"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for
the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our
God....And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all
mankind will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken'"
(Isaiah 40:3-5).

For over a thousand years, from Moses to Malachi, God had spoken often. He had sent many prophets to Israel. Their work had resulted in the Old Testament. But after the prophet Malachi there were about 400 years of silence--no recognized prophets spoke from God. There were no new writers from God for the Old Testament. God's people wondered when God would fulfill His promises. When would the messenger come to make preparation? When would God's glory be revealed?


THE YEARS OF SILENCE

During those long years more and more people were hearing about God's promises. New rulers captured the land of Israel. While some Israelites (by then called Jews) stayed in their homeland, others were scattered far and wide. In distant countries they told others of the one true God. They were able to use Greek, the language that many peoples shared at that time.



OLD TESTAMENT IS TRANSLATED INTO GREEK

About 150 years after Malachi the full Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew language into the Greek language. During the following 250 years, trained workers made copies of this Greek Bible. The copies were carried to many places. In their weekly meetings, Jews read the Old Testament aloud (Acts 15:21). Even some non-Jews came to believe in God's promises. More and more people looked forward to the Lord's coming.



GOD SPEAKS AGAIN

Then people in Israel began to hear of amazing events. A child named John was born to a couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-24, 57-80). Yet Elizabeth was well beyond the age for giving birth! An angel, using words from Malachi 4:5-6, had announced,

"He (John) will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power
of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

John's father, Zechariah, had also used words from Malachi 3:1. By God's Spirit Zechariah prophesied:

"And you, my child (John), will be called a prophet of the
Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare
the way for Him" (Luke 1:76).

God's promises, made through Malachi 400 years earlier, were coming true! God was ending His long silence! He was speaking again. Just as He promised, He was speaking through an "Elijah."



THE NEW ELIJAH

John was not the Elijah of the past (John 1:21; Luke 9:30). But John was like that ancient prophet in many ways. Those who knew the Old Testament could recognize John, not only as a true prophet, but as a new "Elijah" (Matthew 11:7-14; 21:26).

Elijah spent much time in the wilderness -- 1 Kings 17-19
John spent much time in the wilderness -- Luke 1:80;Matthew 3:1

Elijah dressed in rough clothes -- 2 Kings 1:8
Like Elijah, John dressed in rough clothes -- Matthew 3:4

Like Elijah, John's preaching was full of courage. He had "the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17). He spoke out against all sin, even the king's sin (Luke 3; Matthew 14). John commanded the people of Israel to prepare for the Lord's coming. John himself quoted from the prophet Isaiah (40:30),

"I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight
the way for the Lord' " (John 1:23).

How could they make the way straight? How could they prepare for the King?



JOHN THE BAPTIZER

John told them to prepare by repenting and being baptized.

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching..."Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near' " (Matthew 3:1-2).

John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a
baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4).

"Repentance" is making up one's mind to leave sin and to live for God. By repenting the people promised to do right in the future. Yet that decision alone could not change their wrongs of the past. For the pure and holy King there had to be FULL preparation. Even past sins had to be removed, by forgiveness.

Those who repented had to be baptized. John thus became known as "John the Baptizer," or "John the Baptist." (The word "baptize" comes from the Greek Language. In that language it means to immerse or plunge under water. That is why John baptized "in the Jordan River" and there was "much water," Mark 1:5; John 3:23).

Through baptism John separated the people. Those who wanted to get ready for the Messiah confessed their sins and were baptized. But others, especially the religious leaders, were too proud. They would not admit how sinful they were. They refused to be humbled by being dipped under the water. Baptism required simple obedience to God's command. It meant trusting God for forgiveness. Their hard hearts had no room for such trust and obedience.

All the people, even the tax collectors...acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John (Luke 7:29-30).

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ONE GREATER THAN JOHN

The leaders should have listened to John. He was "a prophet...and more than a prophet," a truly great man (Matthew 11:9-11). Yet, as great as John was, the Coming One would be much greater. John himself said,

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will
come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am
not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire" (Matthew 3:11).

John hardly dared to touch the shoes of the Coming One. John used water for baptism; the Coming One could do something far greater--he would baptize using God's Spirit! The Holy Spirit is part of God Himself. Who would be so high and exalted that He could use the Holy Spirit as John used water?

Yet this Coming One looked like an ordinary man. So John, by himself, had no way to recognize Him. God told John to look for this sign: The Holy Spirit would take the shape of a dove and come down on the Coming One, the One about whom John preached (John 1:33).



THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

While John was prophesying about the Coming One, Jesus was over 100 kilometers (62 miles) away, at the village of Nazareth. He was a humble carpenter, helping to care for his mother, brothers and sisters.

Jesus then traveled to meet John and to be baptized by him. John knew of Jesus' goodness. He did not want to baptize Jesus. John said,

"...I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to
me?" (John 3:14).

Jesus had no sins to confess. He had no need of forgiveness. But He always fulfilled God's righteous will. He commanded John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13-15). When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God came down and settled on Him. A voice from heaven said,

"You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased"
(Luke 3:21-22).

John realized then that the Coming One was JESUS. The One for whom John had been looking had arrived!

"...John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is
the One I meant when I said, A Man who comes after me has
surpassed me because He was before me. I myself did not
know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was
that He might be revealed to Israel.' Then John gave this
testimony: 'I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a
dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except
that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me,
is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit>' I have seen and I
testify that this is the Son of God" (John 1:29-34).



LISTENING TO JOHN

Isaiah and Malachi had drawn a picture of the special messenger who would prepare the way. John the Baptizer was the only one who fit that picture. John prepared for the Great One to come.

For whom did he prepare? Jesus!

John led all the people toward Jesus (John 3:22-36). John's part is so important that it helps to begin each of the first four books of the New Testament -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Anyone who seeks to know the truth about Jesus should give careful thought to the report of John. For John too was a lover of truth.

John spoke the truth so boldly that he was later killed by King Herod (Mark 6:14-29). He was an eyewitness of heaven's sign, which pointed to Jesus. Through John's testimony we can be sure that the Coming One promised by the Old Testament is JESUS. John helps us to see the Light.

"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
He came as a witness to testify concerning that Light, so
that through him all men might believe. He himself was not
the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light"
(John 1:6-7).

God Has Spoken: (Pt. 4)

"Only One God Has Spoken"

"Hear, O Israel; the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:4-5

When God revealed Himself through His prophet Moses, God described Himself. He said that He is ONE God, not many "gods." The one and only God deserves ALL of our love, not just a part of it.



Confirmed by Jesus

When Jesus, the Prophet like Moses, came, He drew special attention to these verses from the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy. A leader asked Jesus about the most important command of the law. Mark 12:29 reports Jesus' reply:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart...'"

Jesus continued then to quote from God's message in Deuteronomy 6. This truth is the foundation for all God's other commands. If many gods had made us, they might all have a right to our love. But the greatest fact of God is that He is ONE! One ALONE has the right to our love, That leads to the greatest command: That our WHOLE heart, soul, mind and strength should go to Him alone.



Can We Love Anyone Else?

If _all_ our love goes to God, then it cannot be divided. Does this mean that we should never love anyone else? What about loving one's own husband or wife or children? What about loving other people? Jesus went on immediately to say that the second most important command is this:

"Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12:31, quoting
Leviticus 19:18).

The Christian husband should love his wife (Ephesians 5:25). Neither Moses nor Jesus thought that these kinds of love took love away from God. Why? Because it is GOD'S WILL that we so love others. The true way to show LOVE for God is to OBEY God.

"For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments"
(1 John 5:3).

If God is truly "Lord," He deserves our full obedience. We cannot claim to love Him while forgetting who He is and what He deserves. Real love treats Him as the real God He is. So, when we love others, as HE commanded, that fits perfectly into true love and devotion to Him.



What, Then, is Divided Love?

By this we mean: What kind of love takes away from the full love we owe to God? The prophets of the Old and New Testaments answered this question very clearly. We take love away from God by treating God as if He were "second best." We do it when we trust people or things more than we trust the God who made us. We do it when we worship or pray to others. When an enemy tried to make Jesus divide His love in these ways, Jesus replied, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" (Matthew 4:10).

God desires and demands *first place* in our lives. He cannot accept second place, for that would be a lie. Simple honesty requires that God alone be recognized and treated with highest honor. No other can claim the kind of honor that should go to God.

"I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My
glory to another or My praise to idols" (Isaiah 42:8).



The Name of the One God

The prophet Isaiah, in the passage just mentioned, was very certain of the true God. He is the One named "the LORD." Isaiah wrote in the Hebrew language, and in Hebrew that name is YHWH. (YHWH may be pronounced as YAHWEH). In many English Bibles, when you see the word LORD in large letters, it stands for this great name of God, YHWH.

When Eve gave birth to a child she said, "With the help of the LORD (YHWH) I have brought forth a man" (Genesis 4:1). She knew God's name, for He had dealt personally with her and her husband, Adam. Later, her children who turned to God "began to call on the name of the LORD (YHWH)" (Genesis 4:26). So "the LORD" is the One known from the very beginning as man's Creator.

When God told Moses to go to Egypt, Moses asked what name to use for God. In answer (Exodus 3:14-15) God said to Moses,

"I AM Who I AM. This is what you are to say to the
Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites,
'The LORD (YHWH), the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob -- has sent me to you.'
This is MY name forever, the name by which I am to
be remembered from generation to generation."

The name YHWH shows that God is the "I AM," that He continues TO BE. (The name YHWH sound like the verb TO BE in the Hebrew language.) As the self-existing One, God does not depend on anything else for His being.

Instead, all others -- whether spirits or humans or material things -- depend on Him for their being or existence.

"I am He; I am the first and I am the last; apart
from Me there is no God....I am the LORD (YHWH),
who made all things, who alone stretched out the
heavens, who spread out the earth by Himself"
(Isaiah 44:6, 24; 48:12-13).



No Other Gods

The first of the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai was this:

"You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

When we understand who the LORD is, it is easy to see what is wrong with having other "gods." No one else can compare with God! Yes, there are some beings who have power. But all their power simply points to the far, far greater power of the true God who made them. He who gave them life can just as easily end it. Before Him, they are powerless!

The apostle Paul helped people to leave their useless "gods." He wrote letters to those who believed his message. Here is what Paul said:

"We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and
that there is no God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4).

"You turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to
those who by nature are not gods" (Galatians 4:8).


God is Spirit

Why have people made up their own ideas of "god"? Perhaps they feel that they can more easily understand and control such a "god." The true God is so great that He is beyond all that we can imagine. When King Solomon built a temple for God, he prayed to God,

"The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You.
How much less this temple I have built!" (1 Kings 8:27).

When we think of just that part of the heavens we see, this is truly amazing. How can one Person fill the whole universe, and even go beyond it? Yet Paul also said of God,

"For in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts
17:28).

How can He be so far away, and yet also be all around us? If "He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27) why do we not see Him?

The answer is in the basic truth of God's nature. Jesus clearly stated,

"God is Spirit" (John 4:24).

How is "spirit" different from an earthly "body?" Jesus said that a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). The normal human body is very limited by the weaknesses of its flesh. It is tied down to one time and place. It cannot see or be in two places at the same time. Such limits do not have to apply to spirit. They especially do not limit the One who is called the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9).

God, as spirit, is so great that He is always present at all places. He can hold all in His control. There is no way to ever hide from Him.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I
make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the
wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me" (Psalm 139:7-10).

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything
is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to
whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).



Does God Have Hands and Eyes?

If God is spirit, and not fleshly body, how can the Bible speak of His "hands," "arms," "eyes" and other parts? The following picture may help us to see the answer.

Imagine a man talking to an ant. He is trying to explain to the ant what a human city is like. The ant has never seen anything as large as our city streets. Yet the ant does have small paths and tunnels in its ants' nest in the ground. So the man speaks of his streets as if they were like those ant paths. He speaks of the human city as if it were like a very large ants' nest.

In the same way, God uses things that we can understand to talk of things much greater. He does not have our earthly kind of eyes and hands. But He uses "eyes" to speak of His seeing. He uses "hands" to speak of His power and action.

Though He uses these helpful words we should remember that we are still so very small beside Him. Like the ant with the man, some things about God will remain beyond our full understanding. We accept what God says in the simple trust that He knows how best to tell us of things far greater than us.



The Holy Spirit

One of the things that may be difficult to understand is how God is one, and yet ABOVE our limited idea of one. For example, the first verses of the Bible speak of both "God" and "the Spirit of God."

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters"
(Genesis 1:1-2).

Look again at the quotation from Psalm 139. The writer of that Psalm asks God, "Where can I go from your Spirit?" Then he says, "If I go up to the heavens, YOU are there." Why say "You" and, "Your Spirit"? why speak in two ways of God? We may not fully understand why. Yet God surely knows most about Himself. He knows how best to describe Himself.

Scripture talks often about the Holy Spirit. He is not just some tool or force of God. His is not a "thing." Instead He is Divine Person, described in ways that can only fit a person. Although He is sometimes spoken of as if He is part of God, yet the Holy Spirit is truly GOD, the only God.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom...which comes from the Lord,
who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

God has revealed Himself as both "Lord" and Spirit." This in no way goes against the truth He also revealed, that He is ONE. This oneness is above our full understanding. He is one, and there is no other God besides Him. Since He alone made us and cares for us, our hearts and lives belong wholly to Him.

God Has Spoken (Pt 3)

"God Has Spoken Through a Prophet Like Moses."

"The Lord said to Moses, 'What they say is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him'" (Deuteronomy 18:17-18).

Deuteronomy 18, which gave a test for prophets, also gave this remarkable promise about another future Prophet. He would come from "among their brothers." That is, He also would be an Israelite (also called Hebrew or Jew). Of greatest importance was that He would be like Moses -- this is how He would stand out so that people could recognize Him.



God's Glory Too Great for Man

Why was it so important to have this special Prophet like Moses? The same passage explained:

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from
among your own brothers. You must listen to Him. For this is
what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb...when you said,
'Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this
great fire anymore, or we will die'" (Deuteronomy 18:15-16).

God met the Israelites at Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai) after they had left Egypt. He came down in terrible fire and smoke on the mountain. The whole mountain shook. Thunder boomed from mighty flashes of lightning. A trumpet call grew louder and louder, and then God Himself spoke!

God's glory (described in Exodus 19 and Deuteronomy 5) was too great for them. The people trembled with fear. The fire and the voice of God were so awesome that the people thought they were going to die. The begged Moses,

"Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not
have God speak to us or we will die" (Exodus 20:19).

God replied,

"What they say is good" (Deuteronomy 18:17; also 5:28).

The people had seen that God was far too great for them to deal with Him directly. He "lives in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:16).

They needed someone to represent them before God, someone to go between them and God. The first such go-between, or MEDIATOR, was Moses. He went to the people, taking to them God's messages. But a mediator works to bring BOTH sides together. So Moses also went to God. He took the needs of the people to God. In this way Moses did much good for his people. Yet God knew that people in the future also would need a mediator. So He promised in Deuteronomy 18 to send another Prophet from among the Israelites, a Prophet LIKE Moses.


We Need a Mediator, Not Mediums

Deuteronomy 18 shows another important reason for a mediator. God knows that people need answers for solving life's many problems. They need to make the best choices about how to live. God also knows that people often look for answers in the wrong places. For example, many turn to spirit mediums who claim to speak for the dead or other spirits. Many also seek answers in witchcraft, spiritism, magic spells, omens and other signs, such as the stars. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, God commanded His people NOT to use these methods (also Leviticus 19:31; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Isaiah 8:19; Acts 19:19; Revelation 21:8). Was He trying to keep them from finding spiritual answers? Actually, God was keeping them from these methods because they give FALSE answers, which harm people (Isaiah 47:8-15; Jeremiah 27:9-10).

God's love went even further. Rather than stopping the search for answers, He opened the way for ALL the answers we need. For immediately after speaking against mediums, God promised to send the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). People do not need "mediums" because God gives His Mediator! God assured them,

"I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell
them everything I command him" (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Unlike messages from mediums, this message would be true and trustworthy. For it would be GOD'S OWN WORDS. "Everything" from God would be faithfully passed along to the people by the Prophet like Moses.



No Prophet Like Moses

Weren't all prophets "like Moses"? No. Even at the time of Moses there were other prophets, such as Miriam and Aaron. Yet God made it plain that Moses was quite different from them. God spoke to Moses in a far more open, direct and personal way. This is what God said:

"When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal Myself
to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is
not true of My servant Moses...with him I speak face to
face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the
Lord..."(Numbers 12:6-8).

Joshua came after Moses. Yet even in the passage which speaks of Joshua's greatness, Deuteronomy ends with these words,

"Since then, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses,
whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all the miraculous
signs and wonders...For no one has ever shown the mighty
power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the
sight of all Israel" (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).

Clearly, the other prophets were not like Moses. God was more direct with Moses. God used him as His special agent and lawgiver. Because of His unique authority, all other Israelite prophets, from Joshua on, taught their people to follow "the law of Moses." The coming Prophet would serve, like Moses, as God's mediator with special authority to give God's commandments to the people. And here is another important point: From Deuteronomy 34, we learn that being truly, "like Moses" had to include showing miracles of MIGHTY POWER.



Promises of "The Messiah"

After God's promise in Deuteronomy 18, many years passed with no prophet arising who seemed to match Moses. Yet God was not silent. He carefully guided history in the direction He had chosen. Along the way, God used prophets to give the meaning of His actions and to point ahead to what He planned.

Again and again, these prophets told of "One to come." He would be a King from David's family line (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89; Isaiah 11). He would serve as "Priest forever" (Psalm 110). This same Psalm that said that he would be a Priest also pictured Him as David's "Lord". He would rule from the highest place, at God's right hand. Similar prophecies showed that this coming PROPHET, the coming PRIEST, and the coming KING would be the same Person – the MESSIAH!



Is Jesus that Messiah?

When an Israelite man was officially made a prophet or priest or king, oil was usually poured on his head. Such pouring was called "anointing," and served as a sign of the authority to lead. The Hebrew word Messiah means "Anointed One" (Psalm 2). This same word from the Greek language is CHRIST. Today most people who know the word "Christ" think immediately of JESUS Christ. This is because many proofs point to Jesus as the One promised by God. Jesus fits the descriptions of the Messiah or Christ as foretold by the Old Testament prophets.

Jesus also did the miracles of MIGHTY POWER that we would expect of the Prophet like Moses. He healed the blind, deaf and lame. He stilled storms and walked on the water. He gave life back to the dead! At the town of Nain, Jesus met a funeral group going to bury the only son of a widow. When He saw the widow's great sorrow, He went to the coffin. He touched it and called out, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" Many were present. They saw the boy arise from death! Luke 7:16 reports,

"They were all filled with awe and praised God. 'A great
prophet has appeared among us,' they said. 'God has come
to help His people.'"

The people knew what they had seen. Jesus lived among them. Many were present to see His great works. Here were miraculous "signs" showing more clearly than ever the power that only the Creator has over His creation. Therefore Jesus really was "a great prophet." The people who saw these things reasoned correctly,

“When the Christ comes, will He do more miraculous
signs than this man?” (John 7:31)

Here were the greatest teachings ever heard, and the greatest miracles ever seen. If Jesus was not the Christ, who could possibly do greater things? So even at that time many realized that He had to be the Prophet (John 7:40). If so, that also meant He was the Christ. When Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem for the last time they welcomed Him as "THE SON OF DAVID," "THE KING" and "THE PROPHET" (Matthew 21:8-11; Luke 19:37-38).



THE GREATEST SIGN

Jesus often foretold that He would be killed by the Jewish and Roman leaders (Matthew 16:4; 17:12,23; 20:18-19; 26:2). His death, He said, would be by crucifixion, in which a person was nailed to a wooden cross and left to die in great pain. He explained that His death would allow people to be forgiven of their sins (Matthew 20:28; 26:28). Yet, along with predictions of His death, Jesus promised that His greatest "SIGN" would be to RETURN from death in three days (Matthew 12:38-40; 17:23; John 2:19-22).

As is well-recorded by history, Jesus went on to actually fulfill that promise (Matthew 28; John 20; Acts 2)! Not even the greatest prophet, priest or king had ever dared to make such a promise for himself. And certainly none had been able to raise himself from the grave. Jesus, by God's power, both predicted it and accomplished it. Could there be any doubt that the Prophet foretold by Moses had finally arrived?

Peter was one of the eyewitnesses of these things. He had once fled from the enemies who killed Jesus. But after Jesus had returned from death, Peter knew that death was not to be feared any longer. With the help of God's Spirit, Peter stood before the same enemies and boldly declared,

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance,
as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled
what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying
that this Christ should suffer....For Moses said,
'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet
like me from among your people; you must listen to
everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen
to Him will be completely cut off from among His people.'
Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as
have spoken, have foretold these days" (Acts 3:17-24).

Peter quoted from the very passage we have studied – Deuteronomy 18. That passage, he said, looked ahead to JESUS CHRIST. "Indeed, all the prophets" had pointed forward to this one great Prophet like Moses! He is now MEDIATOR between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). That is why we are told, "listen to everything He tells you" (Acts 3:22).

What if we fail to listen to Jesus? We miss God's most important message for life, and that has this terrible result:

"Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut
off from among His people" (Acts 3:23).

Such a person can no longer belong with God and His people! This is a serious matter. Our lives depend on listening carefully to the Prophet like Moses.

God Has Spoken (pt. 2)

God speaks to us and through in many ways. Read the following to understand how amazing
Our Father is and His chosen methods of teaching and guiding us


"The heavens declare the glory of God...the commands of theLord are radiant giving light to the eyes." Psalm 19:1,8

King David's Psalm speaks of nature's message about God -- and it also speaks of another message. We "see" not only by the lights God placed in the heavens. We see also by another light, a spiritual light, "The commands of God." To know God, man needs more light than nature alone gives.



Nature Alone Is Not Enough

Nature has many valuable lessons for us. The amazing order in all things, living and non-living, tells us of wisdom and power far, far higher than ours. Our hearts reach upward in praise. "Laws of nature" are always so steady, so dependable, that we are led to believe that the great Law-Giver can also be trusted.

Nature also raises many questions. For example, since God is so great does He care about us who are so small? Some have felt that He is too high and too distant to be bothered. Therefore, they have turned to things of this earth, or to other spirits, for help in times of need.

Others feel that God is against them. They say, "If plenty of food is a sign of God's kindness, then what does the lack of food mean? In our times of suffering and death, has God changed from His kind ways?" Nature by itself does not give us important details about God's character and thinking. It does not tell us how to approach Him. It raises the questions, but does not give the answers we need.



The God Who Speaks

Why do some think it so strange that God speaks or communicates in some manner? Surely plain reason tells us that He should be ABLE to speak. Humans speak (some would say "too much"). Is the great Creator of humans LESS able to speak? When people thought that God failed to notice their sins, the writer of Psalms reasoned with them,

"Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed theeye not see?" Psalm 94:9

That logic can be continued, "Does He who made the tongue not speak? Can He who gave language not use it? If God chooses to use special messengers, can He not provide His messengers with clear speech?" God wanted Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. When Moses had doubts God reasoned with him in this way:


"Who gave man his mouth?...is it not I, the Lord? Now go; Iwill help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Exodus4:11-12)

Moses, of course, could speak. He worried that he could not speak well -- his words might not be clear and well-chosen. God assured him that He, the Creator of speaking ability, could do what was needed for a clear message. If we have worried that God's message is poorly given or is unclear, we can stop worrying. God not onlycommunicates. He communicates Very Well.


God Spoke By The Prophets

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways" (Hebrews 1:1).

God's love for people is such that He did not remain silent. He did not leave us alone and ignorant. "God spoke." He could have communicated in any number of ways. "In the past," He chose to speak "through the prophets." Prophets were God's spokesmen, passing along God's message to the people.

The writer of the book of Hebrews had no doubt who those prophets were. He quoted often from them -- prophets like:

MOSES (Hebrews 1:6; 8:5)DAVID (Hebrews 1:5a,8; 4:7)NATHAN (Hebrews 1:5b)ISAIAH (Hebrews 2:13)JEREMIAH (Hebrews 8:8)HABAKKUK (Hebrews 10:37) andHAGGAI (Hebrews 12:26)

Hebrews chapter 11 also names many prophets. We call these the "Old Testament prophets." The book of Hebrews shows that the words given through these prophets were not their own words, but God's words.

When Psalm 95 is used, David is recognized as its human writer. Yet look at how it is expressed:


"God...spoke through David" (Hebrews 4:7).

In Hebrews 3:7 the same words by David are said to be from God's Spirit:

"So, as the Holy Spirit says...."

Similarly, through Jeremiah's writing,

"the Holy Spirit testifies to us..." (Hebrews 10:15).

Hebrews and other books of the Bible often speak like this. Nehemiah 9:20,30 is an example from the Old Testament. It tells how God's Spirit was in His prophets, teaching and warning His people for many years. In the Bible there is no doubt about it. God has spoken by His prophets so clearly that people long after can depend on their words. The books of Nehemiah and Hebrews were written hundreds of years after the old prophets died. Yet they still quoted and trusted those prophets' words as the true words of God.



How Were God's True Prophets Recognized?

But any person can claim to be a prophet speaking for God. He may do this to get money or power or fame. Some might even do it sincerely, for their own 'good' reasons. This was a problem in the past, and it is still a problem today. Many who now claim to speak for God argue AGAINST each other. Their messages do not agree. After speaking about God's true prophets of long ago, the apostle Peter warns,

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just asthere will be false teachers among you" (2 Peter 2:1).

God knew there would be false prophets. He also knew that people might have trouble knowing which speaker was true and which was false. So God made it very clear which prophets were truly sent by Him.


Look again at the example of Moses when God made him a prophet to carry His message to Egypt. Moses had grown up in Egypt and had not been known as a prophet then. How could the people possibly know that now God had made him a prophet? The people might even think of him as a false prophet. Moses asked God,

"What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'theLord did not appear to you'?" (Exodus 4:1).

In reply, God told Moses to throw his stick on the ground. By God's power, the stick became a snake. Then He had Moses pick it up. By God's power, it changed back into a stick.

"This," said the Lord, "is so that they may believe that theLord... has appeared to you" (Exodus 4:5).

God then gave Moses other miracles -- just as amazing -- to also prove that he was from God. God called these "signs" (Exodus 4:8,30).

We must be aware that God's enemies also had some power. "By their secret arts" Egypt's sorcerers and magicians copied a few things done by Moses (Exodus 7:11). But God has ALL power, so His miracles were always far greater. He showed the kind of power that only the Creator has over His creation. The power in Moses was so great that all could see that Moses was God's prophet.

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Tests For Prophets

Once God had proved the authority of Moses it was not always necessary for true prophets after him to do all the miracles he did. But through Moses God gave tests for future prophets. At that time any 'prophet' failing these tests was put to death. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 has one of these tests:

"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I havenot commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the nameof other gods, must be put to death. You may say toyourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not beenspoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the nameof the Lord does not take place or come true, that is amessage the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spokenpresumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."

Yet God also knew that some dreamers and leaders might foretell events that actually happen. (This might be by luck, or by clever powers like the Egyptian magicians had.) So, in Deuteronomy 13, God told how to test such cases:

"If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among youand announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if thesign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and hesays, 'let us follow other gods'...you must not listen to thewords of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God istesting you to find out whether you love him with all yourheart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).

We have seen 3 tests --

All True Prophets After Moses Were Proved True By:

1. "Signs" -- if they had any -- clearly showing the CREATOR'S POWER over creation. (The weaker power of magicians was no proof.)2. ALL that they foretold coming true. (God NEVER lies or makes mistakes.)3. Agreeing with what God had revealed about Himself through Moses. (God does not deny Himself or His own teachings.)


Learning From The Prophets

False prophets did not have the power of God or the truth of God. At one point or another they all failed to pass these tests. In this way, through many centuries, God made clear who were His true prophets, and who were not. That is why the Bible not only says that "God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets" (Hebrews 1:1), but it actually names those true prophets. Their writings, called "Scripture," are God's words through His proven prophets.


If we really seek God and His way, we will go to Scripture.The Scripture itself claims to be the truth given by God(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

God Has Spoken

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
With these words the Bible opens the history of our world. It does not try to prove that God exists. From the very beginning God already is, and He is already active. The writers of the Bible never doubt or question God's existence. Nor do they go into long arguments to show to others that God is real. Why is this?
God's Presence Is Well Known
"No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18). The fact that God is not directly seen does not have to lead to doubt. Though God is invisible, we know He is there because of the results of His powerful work. The world around us, called "nature," is one of those results (Genesis 1:1). With other results of God's work, nature speaks clearly of its Creator.
People through the ages, and all over the world, have come to the same conclusion: Creation points to an amazing Creator.

Seeing The Creator Through Creation
The apostle Paul speaks of those who try to hide the truth about God. He shows why God is angry with them:
"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, becauseGod has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power anddivine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse"(Romans 1:19-20).
Realities about God can be "clearly seen!" How? "Being understood from what has been made." Looking at creation helps us to know about God!
We know of the wind's presence by its effects as it moves dust and leaves. In a far greater way, we know things about God by the effect of His work around us. God has made it clear. That is why people have "no excuse" when they twist the truth about God.
Creation By Accident?
Some want to live as if there is no God to whom they must answer. To avoid the need for God they teach that all we see came into being by accident. Over the ages, small bits of matter gradually changed by accident and formed humans who have no spirit and no real purpose. From a long line of accidents, we are an accident on its way to its final accident!
Does such a picture make sense? How could so many accidents result in such order? What would happen if you caused a great explosion to scatter a pile of rocks and wood? Even if you repeated this many times over, would the millions of pieces ever have the chance of coming together in such a way as to form a normal house? Would the heavier rocks happen to come down first to make a perfect foundation? Would smaller pieces fall in by chance to make straight walls on all sides, with doors and windows all in place? Would other pieces finally fall in such order as to make a roof that keeps rain out?
Every house has a builder
No one would dare say that a house came about by accident. Its order and design show beyond a doubt that it had a builder. Notice the simple force of Hebrews 3:4,
"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder ofeverything."

Creation Tells The Glory Of God
What about the order of the stars and planets? Israel's great king, David, sang this song:
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim thework of His hands" (Psalm 19:1).
King David was right. If our sun (just one of billions of stars) is so powerful, how much more powerful is the One who made all suns! He is called "the Father of lights" (James 1:17)!
Yet the sun's strength is strictly controlled. If the sun changed its course even a little, all life on our planet would soon end. Everything is in perfect place for life to exist on this earth. Such careful design in every detail must have a Builder! But we have not yet mentioned the man and woman, with their children, who live in this amazing home.
The brain of even the smallest child has many more active parts than all the stars the eye sees at night! Our minds work with great thoughts. Our eyes see beauty in living colors. The human spirit has power to _choose_ and to _love_. Our hearts reach high in _worship_. King David, when he thought of his own body and soul, was moved to sing to God,
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfullymade; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14).
The person who pretends there is no God and no soul is like a mouse eating bread in the dark. With its mouth full, the mouse announces, "I do not believe there is a baker. I do not believe there is such a thing as grain for making bread, for I have never seen these things." We stand on the evidence! The proof is all around us and _within_ us! The Bible describes those who refuse to see it:
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futileand their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimedto be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22).

Give Glory And Thanks To God
Notice that Paul, in Romans 1:21, show that it is only right that we should give to our Maker glory and thanks. The air we breathe is GOD'S air -- its gases mixed in just the right parts to give life and not death. When you eat, remember that the food and drink you enjoy are God's good provisions for you.
"God has not left himself without testimony; He has shownkindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in theirseasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills yourhearts with joy" (Acts 14:17).
That we exist and live at all is itself a wonderful gift. The truth is that we owe all that we are and have to our Maker! When we truly understand that, it is not hard to give to God the praise due to His name. It is not hard to give back in service to Him the life that He first gave to us. It is the right thing to do. And our lives are far better in every way when we respect, worship and serve our Creator. Such service takes time and effort. Yet isn't that time actually the time HE is giving to us? "Our" time on earth can and will end some day. Since it is really HIS gift of time, we can afford to take time for Him. Believing in God goes beyond simply knowing facts about God. It leads us to praise God and to seek Him. Even those who do not yet know how to come to God can begin to seek Him. A Roman soldier named Cornelius was one such person (Acts 10). Because he was truly seeking God, his prayers were heard.


Let's Sum It Up
God does not need to prove that He exists for it is already obvious. Just look around you! Look in the mirror at how you are put together! You know that this life and universe are far too orderly to be accidents. That means that behind all this there is a very wise, powerful Creator. His work also shows that He really cares about what He made. It's time we cared enough to thank Him for the life He gave us.

Do You Know God?

Who is God? He is Knowable
God, who created the universe in all of its magnitude and creative details, is able to be known, by us. He tells us about himself, but even goes beyond that. He welcomes us into a relationship, so that we personally can get to know him. Not only can we know about him, we can know him, intimately.
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strengthor the rich man boast of his riches,but let him who boasts boast about this:that he understands and knows me,that I am the Lord,who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth,for in these I delight," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23,24)
Who is God? He is Approachable
God invites us to talk to him and engage him in what concerns us. We don't have to get our act together first. Neither do we need to be polite, theologically correct or holy. It is his nature to be loving and accepting when we go to him.
"The Lord is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth." (Psalms 145:18)
Who is God? He is Creative
Everything we make is put together with existing materials or built on previous thoughts. God has the capacity of speaking things into existence, not just galaxies and life forms, but solutions to today's problems. God is creative, for us. His power is something he wants us to be aware of and to rely on.
"Great is our Lord and mighty in power;his understanding has no limit." (Psalms 147:5)"...where does my help come from?My help comes from the Lord,the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1,2)
Who is God? He is Forgiving
We sin. We tend to do things our way instead of God's way. And he sees it and knows it. God does not merely overlook such sin, but is prepared to judge and condemn people for their sin. However, God is forgiving and will forgive us from the moment we begin a relationship with him. Jesus, the Son of God, paid for our sin with his death on a cross. He rose from the dead and offers us this forgiveness.
"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done... We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us." (Romans 3:22,25)
Who is God? He is Honest
Just like a person who lets you know their thoughts and feelings, God clearly tells us about himself, the possible difference being, he is always honest. Everything he says about himself, or about us, is reliable information. Truer than our feelings, thoughts, and perception, God is totally accurate and honest in what he says. Every promise he makes to us can be fully counted on, he means it. We can take him at his word.
"The unfolding of your words gives light;it gives understanding to the simple.Your word is a lamp to my feetand a light to my path." (Psalms 119:130,105)
Who is God? He is Capable
How would you like to be always 100% right, about everything? God is. His wisdom is unlimited. He understands all the elements of a situation, including the history and future events related to it. We do not have to update him, counsel him or persuade him to do the right thing. He will, because he is capable and his motives are pure. If we trust him, he will never make a mistake, never undercut us or deceive us. He can be fully trusted to do what is right, in all circumstances, at all times.
"No one whose hope is in youwill ever be put to shame..." (Psalms 25:3)

Religious But Lost??

Religious but lost??

My grandma used to say this to some of our family members when our knowledge of God and or actions in daily life did not measure up. Religous but lost, hmmm.. I have often wondered if that was true of me and other family members. What about YOU- are u religious but lost? let's find out, I have a series of questions and I would like all my readers' input on:
1. Who is God to you?
2. How do you feel about God?
3. What is a Holy Spirit?
4.Who is Jesus Christ?
5. What was Jesus Christ's purpose?
6.What is so special about being a christian?
7. Are you spiritual,religious or both?- How do they differ?
8. What is your divine purpose?
9. Does God have a plan for your life?
10. What does being a christian mean to you?
* Tough questions? Perhaps, but look inward and seek the word of God and see if you're religious,lost or somewhere in between... good luck and God bless!