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Archive for the ‘The Father’ Category

Our Enemy

Posted in Job, Satan, The Father on March 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 8The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

 9Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

 10“Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

 11“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

 12Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.  Job 1: 8-12

Satan is our enemy and our accuser.  After God had said that Job was an upright man, Satan accused Job of only fearing God because God had blessed him.  Satan argued that there was no substance in Job’s relationship with God.  Job was only interested in what he could get out of God.  So Satan claimed that if Job lost everything he would curse God to His face.

So God allowed Satan to test Job.  However, God put limits on Satan and Satan was not allowed to touch Job.  However, what should be noted is that God just gave Satan power over the things that belonged to Job.  God did not tell Satan to take everything from Job.  Satan’s argument was that Job only feared God because God had power over Job’s life and had blessed him.  So now that Satan was given the power – the question is would Job now bow to Satan and curse God?  Was Job the man God said he was.  God knew that Job was an upright man, and is now setting the stage to prove that Job was a man of God.

God knows us and Satan stands as our accuser.  Satan is also the father of lies and God knows that whatever Satan says about us is a lie.  God does not need Satan to tell Him about our faults.  God knows our faults and weaknesses but He sees beyond that.  God sees the good in us and the reflection of Himself in us.  We are God’s creation created in His likeness.  We are His children set apart for His good purpose and pleasure.  He has no plans to harm us.  Remember it is Satan who is our enemy and is out to destroy us.

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God’s View of Job

Posted in Job, The Father on March 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Job 1:8

Often times when we read the story of Job we try to find some fault with Job because of what happened to him.  But God saw Job as a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil.  In God’s statement about Job there is no”but” or comma after the statement.  God saw Job as a man with no fault.  So it would be wrong for us to find fault with Job.

Those of us who are saved are viewed by God as righteous.  God no longer sees us as sinners.  God does not have a negative view of us.  He sees past our weaknesses and sees us from our future.  That is how God saw Job.  Even if Job had faults God saw the best of Job and was telling Satan that there was no one on earth like Job.

Just picture the delight and love God had for Job when He made the above statement.  God knew Job was a good man.  God was being a proud Father bragging about one of His children.  He does the same for all of His children.  He sees the best in us.

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What Are You Seeking?

Posted in Jesus, Knowing God, The Father on March 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 4One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
  That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
  To behold the beauty of the LORD
  And to meditate in His temple.
 5For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
  In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
  He will lift me up on a rock. Psalm 27:4-5

The Christian life is not easy.  We face many obstacles and seem to be constantly at war with our flesh.  Then you add all the trouble in the world and life can be overwhelming.  However, it is great to know that we can find comfort in God.  We should seek after spending time with God.  When we spend time with God, He will conceal us from trouble and hide us in the secret place.  In God’s presence all our troubles seem to go away.

It is important that we take time to seek after the things of God.  If not, we can be overcome by the cares of the world.  Even Jesus found quiet time to be alone with the Father.  Jesus was connected to the Father, but Jesus was also a man and got tired and worn out; so Jesus found strength in the Father’s presence.

The above scripture is not a future event.  We can seek the Lord now and dwell with Him for the rest of our lives.  We are His temple and we can meditate on His goodness and presence.   There is nothing that an separate us from the Father.  So let us seek Him while He may be found.

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Where’s Your Hope?

Posted in Knowing God, The Father on March 9, 2010| 4 Comments »

17A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. 18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, 19To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:17-19

People are angry.  There are many that are unemployed, losing their homes, losing their money, and have lost all hope in our government.  There are even those taking their frustrations out in violent acts – a man flew his plane into the IRS building, shootings at jobs and schools, the news is not good.  So where is your hope?

In the midst of all that is happening I am ever more aware of God’s presence and favor.  My hope is in Him and He has not disappointed me.  I have witnessed and hear more testimonies about God’s goodness in this time of famine than any other time in my life. 

Remember when people were prospering in the 90s, stock market was rising and people were making a lot of money in their retirement plans.  People were buying homes and selling for a profit.  Millionaires were popping up everywhere.  People were happy and thought “let the good times roll.”  Then the bottom dropped.  Where was their hope?  It was a false hope in something that could not last or could deliver them in times of trouble.

Hoping in God gives you an unspeakable joy.  It is the joy you feel even when your world is crashing around you.  Isn’t like God to take the worst situation and make it the best?  We experience and see God’s glory in the worst of times.  So even as I read all the news and see things getting worse, I know God’s glory will be revealed and we will know to put our hope in Him alone.

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God’s Glory Revealed

Posted in The Father on March 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  Romans 8:18

We live in a fallen world and will experience sufferings in our lifetime.  A Christian life does not guarantee an easy life with no troubles.  We will face hardships, disappointments, trails, tribulations, sorrow, death, and various sufferings.  Even Jesus faced these things and we suffer even as He suffered while on earth.

However, Paul tells us in this scripture that whatever suffering we endure cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed to us.  Because whenever we go through a difficulty God is glorified and when God is glorified, His glory will eclipse our present suffering.  We will not remember the trial but we will remember how God stood with us, and how He glorified Himself.

We may not always understand the trials we face in life but we can be assured that God will get the glory and His glory cannot be compared to what we have endured.  God’s goodness always trumps the evil that we face and the sufferings we may endure.  May God be glorified in all of our situations and may that glory shine for the world to see.

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The Trinity

Posted in Jesus, Knowing God, The Father, The Holy Spirit on February 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.  John 14:10-11

13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will  guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

 15“All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.  John 16:13-15

God is triune – The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  You cannot claim to know Jehovah God and deny the deity of Jesus.  You cannot claim to know Jesus and deny the work of the Holy Spirit, because to know One is to know all three.  Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.  The Holy Spirit does not speak on His own initiative but what He hears God speak He will disclose.

Our human mind cannot fully comprehend the idea of the Trinity.  But we know that they exist as one and yet exist as three.  God spoke to the prophets in the old testament and gave them the law.  Jesus came to show us God the Father in the flesh.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit came to show us the truth and reveal the mind of God. 

To know God is to know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

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