Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Knowing God’ Category

And When You Pray

Posted in Healing, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Prayer, Salvation, The Father, The Word on April 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 9“Pray, then, in this way:
  ‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
   Hallowed be Your name.
10’Your kingdom come
   Your will be done,
   On earth as it is in heaven.
 11‘Give us this day our daily bread.
 12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 13‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’  Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus taught the disciples how to pray.  We often pray the Lord’s prayer in church and in our private time.  This prayer is usually memorized by most Christians.  But do we really pray the way Jesus taught us to pray?

Many times when we pray we put a caveat in our prayer “If it be your will…”  But Jesus told us to pray “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  So when we pray we are to pray that the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We do not have to guess what the Father wants to do.  So when we pray we should ask ourselves what heaven says.  Then we know what to pray.

When we pray for the salvation of a loved one, we know that everyone in Heaven is saved, so when we pray we pray for God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.  We know it is God’s will to save the lost.  There is no sickness in heaven, so we know we can pray God’s will for healing to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  The bible even says that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4).  So we can pray with confidence that God’s will be done when it comes to our desires.

When we start off a prayer saying “If it be your will…” we put the responsibility on God and remove our responsibility to have faith that God will answer our prayer.  Because if our prayer is not answered, then we can say it was not God’s will.  Instead, we should have enough faith to believe God for the answered prayer; have confidence enough that if it is not in line with His will then He will tell us; and direct us in what His will is in the situation.

It is important to remember that we pray from Heaven to earth.  We are to pray that which is loose in heaven be loosed on earth.  So it is always in line with God’s will to pray for peace, salvation, healing, restoration, joy, love, etc. because all these things are found in heaven.  We never have to worry that God desires anything that is contrary to heaven. 

So the next time you pray know that the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Pray in faith and with confidence.

Read Full Post »

Healing is Guaranteed!

Posted in Healing, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Sin, The Father, The Righteous on March 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

 20“For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

 21“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life; even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. John 5:19-21

I recently came across some articles that said healing was not guaranteed in the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is argued that we will suffer and have trouble in this life so we can’t be always guaranteed healing in our life on earth.  So for a few days I pondered this thought “Does God always heal?”  I then began to study the scriptures of what Jesus did while on earth.  Every person that came to Jesus for healing was healed.  The only time Jesus could not heal was where there was unbelief.

Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father doing.  Jesus healed everyone that came to Him.  There is no record in scripture of Jesus refusing to heal someone.  Jesus healed and He forgave people’s sins.  Think about this – we have hope in Jesus; we know that salvation is found in Jesus.  His death and resurrection has made a way for us who believe to have eternal life.  Salvation is the ultimate miracle – someone whose soul is dead is made alive when they accept Jesus.  Salvation is a gift from God.  Salvation cannot be earned.  If we call upon the name of the Lord we shall be saved.

So why does this not pertain to healing?  If God healed then doesn’t He heal today?  Jesus said that “the Father raises the dead and gives them life.”  God is our creator; we live and have our being because of Him.  God is a life giver.  Death cannot exist in the presence of God.  Everything that God touches comes to life, and when God speaks, He speaks life. 

Healing is guaranteed because of the very nature of God is life.  Sickness and death do not exist in God, life does.  This is why we know that God is the Healer, why everyone who came in contact with Jesus was healed.  Yes God always heals for those that ask and believe.  We receive healing by faith just like we receive salvation by faith.

Yes we will have trials and tribulations in this world, and many troubles.  Even Jesus was hated and despised by men, persecuted and killed.  However, every believer has the promise of eternal life in Jesus, sickness and death has no power for those in Christ.

Read Full Post »

White as Snow

Posted in Crucified, Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, Sin, The Righteous on February 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18

Here in New England we have had several snow storms and there is snow everywhere.  Before the snow could melt from one storm another storm came bringing more snow.  There are piles of snow all over the place and many people are tired of all this snow. So today I began to reflect on the meaning of snow and its relevance in the bible.

Snow represents purity.  Snow is very bright and brings a cleansing to the environment.  When snow falls it is so pretty and makes everything it touches look beautiful and new.  A tree without its leaves that is dormant in the winter seems to come alive when there is snow piled on its branches and trunk.  However, once the snow plows and salt trucks come and plow the snow it becomes very dirty and almost looks like dirt on the sides of the road.  It doesn’t take much to ruin the whiteness and brightness of snow.  But in the Kingdom the opposite happens.

When we were sinners our sins were red as crimson.  Red is a very strong color.  It is a primary color.  If you have a red stain on a white shirt it is very hard to remove that red stain.  Even if most of the stain is gone your eye is still drawn to that spot.  But in the Kingdom when a sinner accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior their sins become white as snow.  They become pure just like the snow when it falls from the sky and covers the area.  Think about it – once our sins were so evident and red; however, since the death and resurrection of Jesus they are now like wool, white as snow.

So the next  time you see the snow fall or you are looking out your window at all the snow covering your neighborhood, think of Jesus and what His death on the cross did for us – we all became white as snow.  This is how God sees His children as pure as the new fallen snow.

Read Full Post »

How Are You Doing?

Posted in Knowing God, Love, The Father, The Righteous on January 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

Are you happy?  The other day I was watching Oprah and she had this question as her topic of the day.  Most people in the audience said they were happy.  A lot of the questions about happiness were based on people’s circumstance.  I think most people will say they are happy based on their circumstance.  They also talked about how happiness is both genetic and can be influenced by the environment.

Recent polls show that many people are not happy with the direction our country is going.  They also are not happy with the economy or how our government is running the country.  So there are many people out there who are not happy.

These past few years have been some of the most challenging times in my life and at times the most difficult but I can say with confidence that I am at my most happiest.  Why?  I have really discovered that true joy can only be experienced in God.  It has been through these challenges and difficulties that I have learned to just stay in the presence of God.  It is in His presence that we experience fullness of joy and pleasures forever.  In God’s presence you do not experience the heaviness and burdens of the world.  Whenever I feel stressed or discouraged I seek the Lord and just rest in His presence.  His joy is my strength.

Too often we have imagined an angry God, or God being aloof and not interested in what is going on in our life.  This simply is not true.  God knows everything about us and has a will and purpose for our life.  He has a hope and a future for us.  He does not wish us harm but wants to see us prosper in everything.  So if you are looking for happiness you will find it in God.  You may find it in other things or circumstances but those are just temporary things.  In the presence of God there is fullness of joy – it is complete.  It is an eternal joy that has no end.

The world needs to experience this joy.  They are hungry for it.  So let’s continue to abide in the presence of God so that the world may experience the fullness of joy.

Read Full Post »

24 Hour Access

Posted in government, Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, The Father, The Righteous on January 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne.  He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. Psalm 11:4 (NIV)

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

If I wanted to call the President of the United States, I would probably get no further than the operator at the White House.  If I showed up unannounced I would probably get arrested.  The President does not know me and I do not know anyone who has access to the President.  I am of no importance to the President.  The same goes for any celebrity, government official, king, prince, etc.  You have to know someone to reach a person of significance like the President of the United States.  But that is not how it is with God.

I have access to the Father at all times.  He is seated on His heavenly throne observing everyone on earth.  Jesus who is our High Priest died for our sins and we have been given His righteousness.  All those that belong to Jesus have access to the throne of grace.  We have direct access to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  I may not be able to call the President but I can call God at any time.  We are told to boldly approach the throne.

Think about it.  The one who created heaven and earth; who sets the seasons and time; the one that is the Alpha and Omega, is accessible 24 hours a day seven days a week.  No appointment needed, no operator to contact.  Our relationship with the Father has been restored by our relationship with Jesus.

Not only do we have access to the throne but God already knows everything about us.  He knows our history, our worse days and our best.  He even knows the number of hairs on our head.  He knows our rising up and lying down.  He has hemmed us in and out.  He even knitted us together in our mother’s womb.  So when we call on Him, He answers.  He is always there and will never leave nor forsake us.

The President may not know me and I may not be welcomed at the White House; but the Father, He knows me and welcomes me anytime to boldly approach His throne of grace.  What a mighty God we serve.

Read Full Post »

God is Looking For You!

Posted in Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Salvation, The Father on November 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  Luke 15:20

Often times our view of God is that He is just sitting on His throne watching the world go by, not really involved unless we engage Him.  Jesus showed us the Father when He was here on earth.  Jesus did not show us an aloof God but a Father that loves His children.  In Luke 15 Jesus tells of three parables dealing with the lost sheep, lost coin and the prodigal son.  In all three parables the person is looking for what has been lost and rejoices when they have found the thing they are looking for.

God is like the Father in the parable of the prodigal son.  When the son left with all his money, his father did not disown him but waited for him to return.  He probably looked out the door and window many times hoping his son would return.    When the son began to make his way back, the father saw him off in the distance and began to run toward his son.  God is the same way.  He is always looking for us and seeking after us to return to Him.

Unfortunately, we think God doesn’t care and many times washes his hands of us when we have sinned again and again or when we have wondered far from Him.  God loves us because He created us.  He created us in His image and breathed life into each one of us.  When we became separated from God, He sent Jesus to bridge the gap and to atone for our sins.  Through Jesus we have redemption and our relationship with God the Father has been restored.

See God is looking for you and wanting you to come home.  He doesn’t care where you have been or what you have done, just come home.  Even if you lost your way, He will find you – just call and He will come running.  As you approach God’s throne of grace, He will come embracing and kissing you just like Jesus tells us in the parable.

Read Full Post »

God’s Desire

Posted in Jesus, Knowing God, Salvation on September 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.  1 Timothy 2:3-6

We love justice.  We want people to get what they deserve.  When we see bad things happen to good people we want vengeance.  Mercy trumps judgment.  Mercy is what we do not deserve and God is merciful.  His mercies are new every morning.  God shows mercy to all, He is no respecter of persons.

It is God’s desire that all men to be saved.  That is why He shows mercy over judgment.  Too often we are quick to label God as a judge and punisher of the wicked, but He does desire that all come to salvation and that is why we have Jesus.

Jesus did not commission us to be judge and jury over the lost, but to be a catalyst of God’s love and mercy toward mankind.  Jesus died for all and not just some.  His death made it possible for anyone to come to God and be reconciled to Him.  We have a responsibility to show the love and mercy of God to everyone not just some.  We must remember that when we were still sinners Jesus died for the ungodly – all of us.  Witnessing is the believers’ mandate.  We are all called to preach the good news of the gospel.

Our prayer should be that our heart is in tune with God’s heart.  We should also desire that all men come to know the truth of Jesus and be saved.

Read Full Post »

God Exists

Posted in God's Glory, Knowing God on June 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 22Professing to be wise, they became fools,

 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1: 20-23

I was reading an article of an interview Diane Sawyer did with Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist who knows more about the universe than anyone else.  He made this statement about God: “What could define God [is thinking of God] as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of that God,” Hawking told Sawyer. “They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible.” – Interview with Diane Sawyer ABC News “Stephen Hawking on Religion: ‘Science Will Win.’

I think Paul puts it best in regards to someone who claims to have a lot of knowledge about the universe.  Men are without excuse.  God has made His existence known to man.  When you look at the vastness of the universe it is foolish to claim that all of creation came out of nothing.  Also, men did not create God in their image; we are created in the image of God.  Instead many have denied the existence of the one true God and made gods for themselves.

My heart breaks for people like Stephen Hawking.  He is a brilliant man and God has given him great insight and wisdom concerning science but apart from God all that knowledge is just foolishness.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.  I would hope that as one sees the vastness and wonderment of the universe the more glorious God would appear.

Here is the best thing.  God created us so that He could have a personal relationship with each one of us.  God does not simply look at us as creatures but when He created us He looked to Himself and made us in His image.  God is our Father, and He is worthy of all the praise and glory.

Read Full Post »

Job is Restored

Posted in Job, Knowing God on May 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

10The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.

12The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.

 13He had seven sons and three daughters.

 14He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.

 15In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers.

 16After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.

 17And Job died, an old man and full of days. Job 42:10, 12-17

God was upset with Job’s friends because they had not spoken well of God the way Job did.  So God said that He would accept Job’s prayer on their behalf and would not deal with them according to their folly.  Job prayed for his friends and when he did God restored everything that Job had lost – giving him a double portion.

Job was more blessed in his later years and got to live a long life.  He was so wealthy that he was even able to leave his daughters an inheritance which was not common.  God had truly blessed Job.

In the story of Job we are never given the reason why God allowed Satan to destroy all that Job had and make him sick in his body.  It was not because of any sin that Job committed.  God said from the beginning that Job was a righteous man that feared God and shunned evil.  We do know that in the end God restored everything Job had lost.  God was able to show that Job was a man of integrity and did not only seek God for his possessions.  Job was also a changed man.  Prior to all that happened, Job only knew God by what he heard.  Now Job had seen God and experienced God’s blessings.  Job now knew that everything that he had was a result of the goodness of God and not based on anything Job achieved.

Job’s encounter with God changed his life and his circumstances.  The same is true for us.  When we have a real encounter with God it will change us for the better.  We should not just be satisfied in knowing God based on what we just hear but we should diligently seek God and desire to spend time in His presence.  It should be our daily act of worship to spend face to face time with God.

Read Full Post »

Job Repents

Posted in God's Glory, Job, Knowing God on May 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 1Then Job answered the LORD and said,
 2“I know that You can do all things,
    And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
 3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
   “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
    Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
   4‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
    I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
   5“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
    But now my eye sees You;
   6Therefore I retract,
     And I repent in dust and ashes.”  Job 42:1-6

Job had said things about God based on things he did not understand.  Job did not understand why he suffered the way he did.  He thought he knew it all and knew God well.  Job based what he knew on what he had heard about God.  When God finally answers Job and declares His glory, Job realizes that he really did not know God.  Job sees God’s glory and how wonderful He is.  Even though Job has heard about God now Job has seen God.  So Job repents and changes his mind about God. 

Many of us base our beliefs about God on what we have heard.  Churches even religions have based their doctrines and theologies on things they have heard and believed.  Many of us need an encounter with God like Job.  Job was reminded of God’s majesty and glory.  God never answered Job’s questions, God simply showed Job who He was.

We may not know why we suffer, or why tragedy or calamity comes into our life.  God does not always give the answer.  What we can know is that God is God and there is no one like Him.  He is the one that sets everything in motion and in place.  He is the creator of all.  Even Satan is subject to God.

Job did not suffer because of sin.  We don’t really know why God allowed Satan to do the things he did to Job.  We can take comfort in knowing that God was always in control of Job’s life.  God never stopped loving Job and Satan was not able to snatch Job out of God’s hand.  God has us in His hands and He will never let us go no matter what happens in our life.  We may not have all the answers or fully understand the “why” in life but God is always there holding us up even in the times of trouble.

In the time that Job saw God his circumstances no longer seemed important.  God was bigger and better.  It is the same with us.  Whatever you are going through God is bigger and better.  The best is yet to come.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »