Three Martyred in the Philippines in January 2010!

When thinking about my Christian faith I am often faced with the fact that faith in Jesus Christ is not a popular thing in the world. Hostility is increasing daily over Christianity by many different groups, but the largest group is Muslims.

In January 2010, a group of an estimated 15 or more heavily armed Muslim men attacked a couple of farmhouses while the families slept. In one house at around 9:40 pm in the evening these hardcore haters of Christianity opened fire and three of the four people were killed and one wounded.

Hector, Norberto, and Lyneth lost their lives in the name of Christ. These Muslim extremist who do not fit the profile which many world leaders would like for us to believe about the Muslim faith as being peaceful are just the opposite. Their desire is for all Christians to perish off the face of the earth. They want the livestock and property of Christians around them and will kill to get it.

This is only one of hundreds of incidents like this which cost a fellow believer their life. Here in the land of the free and home of the brave are we willing to share the gospel of Christ with those around us even if it places our lives under the threat of torture, imprisonment or even death? Think about this as you ponder your faith today. How far are you willing to go? Many of us may not really know how we would react in a similar situation, but we do need to count the cost of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

No matter what transpires in our lives here in the United States of America, we can rest on the true words of Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

To see the full story at VOM and videos, go to the Persecuted

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Successful prayer!

"Successfully praying should be the first lesson a preacher or teacher of the Word of God must learn to do in order to preach/teach effectively and fruitfully. However, prayer seems to be the hardest activity we are ever called upon to do. In our human depravity, praying is the one action we are constantly tempted to do less of more than any other.

Prayer is our best weapon against our enemies or the lack of will be our demise."

-Scott Bailey

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Our Confident Hope!

Our Confident Hope
By Scott Bailey

Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

"God provided us with His Word written down throughout the ages to reveal who He is, who His Son is, the amount of gracious immeasurable love He has for His people, and how to live a real authentic eternal life. Although, the biblical words are ancient, they are still as relevant today as they were four thousand years ago. Further, history which has taken place since the Bible was written also, has been preserved and recorded for our instruction. We can rely on the historical value found in God’s word.

These ancient words are still, even today, the best counselor we could ever want. Through patient meditation and enduring study of the Bible we find hope weaved into the fabric of ever passage. These Scriptures are there to not only instruct and give direction, but also, to encourage, to sooth, to calm, to restore us, and to bring us great comfort in the hope delivered within.

For centuries tyrants have been attempting to get rid of God’s word. However, the Scriptures continue to endure the test of the times. The Bible is still the most widely distributed book in all the world of all times. The very words contained within its pages are guarded meticulously by the Holy Spirit. He does not allow it to be distorted, abused, or altered away from its original contextual meaning. Each writer who contributed to the Holy Bible we have today was spiritually inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit. The contributions span over several thousand years, but all connect together as though written at the same time. God guards His Word.

Our ultimate desire in reading, studying, and praying over the Scriptures is the hope found within the pages of God’s Word…the Good News that although we are condemned to eternal death because of our sin, God made a way for reconciliation by the justification in Jesus Christ dying for our sins. Furthermore, the fact Jesus came back to life after His death, and eventually was taken to heaven to be at the right of the Father. The Good News is found in no other and so there is no hope apart from Christ death, burial and resurrection.

Our ultimate goal is to be in heaven for all eternity with our Lord. Our hope is that the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ will find us no matter what state of sin we are in. Hope is looking forward and upward with a unique God given desire when placing ones loyal trust in another. For the Believer, we are placing our loyal trust in Jesus Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our hope is an inner joy and confidence with the expectation of our external salvation which is only found in Jesus Christ!"

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Don't Wait!

When we put off forgiving others it is never a good thing. The regrets just mount up like piles of mud on our heart. A verse of Scripture crossed my path this morning and a wonderful little story to signify the purpose not to let your forgiveness be filed away for some other day.

Jesus reminded the people, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." -Mark 11:25 (TEV)

It was a cold winters evening when an older man in his seventies suffered a serious heart attack while shoveling snow from his sidewalk. He was immediately admitted to the local hospital. He was then treated at once in the emergency room to stabilize him and placed in the ICU room for observation.

Once the man gained his "where-abouts" he motioned for the nurse to come to his side. The nurse quietly asked, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

The man replied, "Can you call my daughter to simply let her know what has happened? She is the only family I have left in this world"

The nurse said she would and went to her desk to make the call.

As the nurse made the call the daughter answered the phone. Once hearing the news the daughter, Donna, became very upset at the news. The daughter nearly shouting into the phone while crying told the nurse, "You must not let him die. Dad and I had an argument over a year ago and I have not spoken to him since. My last words to him were "I hate you!" and I stormed out of his life. For nearly 15 months I have wanted to go back to him and beg his forgiveness, but just put it off. Please, don't let him die until I can get there to see him. I'll be there in about thirty minutes."

As the nurse hung up the phone and walked towards the patients room she notice the alarm going off in his room and staff from everywhere running into the man's room. He had gone into a full cardiac arrest. For nearly twenty minutes solid they tried everything from jump starting his heart to adrenaline in his veins, but nothing would revive him. The old man died just minutes before his daughter could arrive to see him.

As the nurse was cleaning up the area around the man's bed, she noticed the daughter outside talking to the doctor. She was visibly upset. The nurse went to speak with her to help console her. She could see the pain and anguish on the daughters face. A since of failure and hopelessness was welling up inside the daughter, Donna.

Donna began to explain how she never hated her daddy, but always wanted to be approved by him. She did not want to go another day without his forgiveness for their argument months before, but just never got around to going to see him. Now, it was too late. But she insisted on going in to him one last time.

The nurse thinking why put yourself through more anguish lead the daughter into the room. Donna walked on over to his side and buried her face into the sheets of the bed sobbing and crying loudly as she convulsed on the bedside.

The nurse trying not to watch this exhibition of anguish and sorrow noticed a piece of paper and pencil on the night table next to the bed. She made her way around to where it was and picked up the paper to read it. As she read it, tears began to roll down her own face and she handed it to the daughter to read. It was a quick and scribbled little note that read:

"My Dearest Donna, I do forgive you. I pray you will forgive me. I know that you love me. I love you too. -Daddy"

The story for these two ends here. The tragedy of guilt and shame of what could have been comes to mind here as we ponder the thought of forgiveness earlier in this father and daughter relationship. The simple answer to this story is "Don't wait!".

"Forgiveness is man's deepest need..." -Horace Bushnell

The ability to forgive is a gift from God and He intends we use our gifts everyday.

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Grace out of nowhere!

"The grace of God is His unmerited love for His people proven through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ."

Ever thought much about the grace that brought you to the cross and delivered you into eternal salvation through Jesus Christ? I never thought much about the details, just always understood it was God's grace which is simply God's unmerited favor towards those who will Believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Well, this brings me to a little story I wanted to share.

A little over one hundred and fifty years ago in a rather large community of England a huge prospering church had started three smaller mission churches on the outskirts of town. These churches happened to be in the slums and more poor areas of the community. However, often they would gather at the mother church for one large communion service. People from every church would gather at one location to observe the sacraments of communion.

At the alter area where a communion rail was set up you would have former thieves, burglars, rapist, murderers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, housewives, etc all lined up observing communion together. On one particular special service event a young pastor observed two people taking communion side by side at the rail.

He knew the background behind both men. Neither of these men seemed to realize they were even next to each other at the communion rail. However, the pastor certainly did. You see the one on the left was a Supreme Court Judge out of England. Next to him was a former hardened criminal described further as a thief. This judge had sentenced this thief to several years in prison years before. Now, they are both at the same table, kneeling before the same God in communion.

The story goes on to tell us the burglar or thief once out of prison was converted to Christianity shortly after that. His life change was proven in the years of Christian work and the fact he had left the old life of being a thief behind.

After this particular service, the judge and the pastor were walking home together when the judge ask the pastor if he knew who was kneeling at the communion rail beside him on his right.

The pastor was stunned at the question, because he had assumed the judge hadn't noticed. "Yes I did", said the pastor, "but I didn't think you had noticed."

The two walked along in silence for several more minutes when the judge spoke, "What a miracle grace is."

The pastor replied with a simple, "Yes, what a wonderful grace."

The judge assuming the pastor did not understand his meaning asked, "But to whom do you refer?"

"Well, of course to the conversion of the thief!", the pastor confidently replied.

The judge quickly came back with, "I am not referring to the thief, I am speaking of myself."

The pastor stopped walking and with squinted eyes said, "You're thinking of yourself? I certainly don't understand what you are talking about."

The judge gently begin to explain, "Yes, I am referring to myself in this matter of grace. You see, it didn't cost the thief very much to get converted when he was released from prison. I am not downplaying his conversion, I am speaking of the amount of grace upon the thief. I mean, the thief had nothing but a history of burglary, stealing, thieving, and so on. He could only respond to Christ with a big YES when Jesus came calling him. He had nothing within himself to fall back on to keep him from it. But look at me and my life on the other hand. I was born into a family who were Believers, they brought me up in the church, they taught me from early on in my childhood to be truthful, not steal, to be an upstanding person in the community. I mean I went to Oxford University and received all these wonderful degrees eventually becoming a judge. So, pastor, I want you to understand that nothing but grace could save a person like me. Only the grace of God could make me admit I needed a Savior. Only grace could penetrate such a snobby heart to see that I was just as bad a sinner as any person I had put behind bars. Pastor, it took more grace to bring me to salvation than the thief I was kneeling beside at the communion service today."

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Interesting view of the grace of God isn't it. Do you understand what it took to bring you to salvation? I feel much like the judge. To bring an upstanding person to the throne of grace is such an odd thing, but yet it is still unmerited favor with God. I don't deserve His grace or His salvation anymore than anyone else does. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

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Forgiven & Forgotten!

"What a tremendous gift from God it is when we are able to forgive and let go of others ills against us - forigve & forget! This is the way our Lord deals with us, when we genuinely ask for forgiveness in repentance, God forgives & it is as if we never committed the sin which made us an enemy to Him in the first place.

I read a story the other day about a young seminary professor who would always introduce his New Testament class with a story from his past.

He and his dad were close and one day he told his dad a lie which hurt his father deeply. For years this young man grew older, but let the lie go unresolved. Guilt built up inside him about the lie and eventually a sense of tremendous remorse began to knaw inside of him. So, finally he sat down and wrote his dad a letter.

In the letter, he reminded his dad of the incident which he lied to him in case he did not remember. He explained in genuine tone his remorse over the lie and asked forgiveness without any explanation or excuse for the lie. The man went about his days when fairly quickly a reply letter came from his dad. It simply read, "Sure I remember the incident and YES your are forgiven!".

To the son this was a tremendious weight lifted from his shoulders as he had carried the weight of the unresolved lie for years. The further payoff came many years later when his mother and father both were much older, became ill, and died within a few months of each other.

He was the oldest child, so it was he duty to go to the parents home and start the process of sifting through their belongings. He ventured into the attic and found an old trunk with many momentos they had kept throughout their life together. Everything that was really precious to them monitarily was in that trunk.

As he was wiping tears away at the memories his parents had kept from he and his siblings childhood years, he came across that letter he had sent to his dad asking his forgiveness. He wiped the tears back, opened up the letter to re-read what he had written. As he turned the letter over on the backside was written in his father's own handwriting a word "FORGIVEN!" and it was underlined. His father had forgiven him and when his dad was done with something and beyond he would write it down and underline it meaning "finished".

By the letter being in that old trunk of mementos, with the word FORGIVEN written on it was his dads way of saying I have no unfinished business in this trunk. This was a tremendous gift his dad had given to him not only at the time of the reply letter, but years later when he found the letter as a treasure and the word FORGIVEN written on it. His dad had relinquished all traces of the hurt, the resentment, and the bitterness over the years.

In the same way, our heavenly Father will forgive us when we are genuinely remorseful and repentent before Him. I understand from my own experience, we sometimes need to ask for forgiveness from someone, and at other times we need to simply forgive someone and let go of the hurt and pain they might have caused. Either way forgiveness whether given by us or received by us is a gift from God to be treasured. God is here to help us in either situation.

In Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus tells us, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This is speaking about an attitude of heart and action from that attitude.

Geroge Herbert once wrote - "He who cannot forgive others breaks the brdige over which he must pass himself."

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It's Who You Know!

I ran across a great little story I wanted to share today.

"During the Civil War, a young soldier walking over a battle field came across a dear friend who had been shot. His life was rapidly draining from him. The concerned soldier straightened his shatted limb, washed the blood from his fallen comrade's face, and made him as comfortable as possible under the most difficult of circumstances. He then said he would stay by his friends side as long as life was still in him. At this moment he asked his fallen friend is there was anything he could do for him.

"Yes," replied the dying soldier, "if you have a piece of paper, I will dictate a note to my father and I think I can still sign it. My father is a prominent judge in the North and if you take this note message to him at any time he will help you."

The note simply read, "Dear Father, I am dying on the battlefield; one of my best friends is helping me and has done his best for me. If he ever comes to you, be kind to him for your son Charlie's sake." With rapidly stiffening fingers, Charlie signed his name.

After the war, the young soldier in a worn out uniform sought out the prominent judge. The servants at the house first refused to admit him because he looked like many of the other war veteran tramps coming by the judge's home for free handouts.

He made a ruckus and insisted he see the judge at once. Finally, the judge hearing the commotion out front of the house, came out and read the note. At first, he was convinced it was another beggar's trickery and appeal. But the judge studied the signature and even in its scribbled state he was still able to recognize it as his own son's signature.

The judge embraced the veteran soldier, led him into his home and said, with tears coursing down his cheeks, "You can have anything that my money can buy and everything my influence can secure."

What brought about the sudden change in the judge's attitude? It was the signature of his son, Charlie, affixed to the bottom of that note. It was the father-son relationship that made all the difference.

There is an old saying in our world, "It's not what you know, but who you know that counts!"

This same principle holds true in the spiritual world as well. All the knowledge in the world will not help you as you approach your heavenly Father, but your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son, will open to you all kinds of possibilities! It's not too late to make right the relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who will in turn provide you an access to the throne room of heaven before His Father!

J. Hudson Taylor once said, "All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for Him, because they reckoned on His being with them!"

At the moment we know the Son, we instantly are known by the Father too. In John 16:23 Jesus says, "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

It is who you know that counts eternally.

*Story adapted from the book "Moments for Fathers" by Robert Strand

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We are declared new & we are being made new...daily!

"God is in the process of transforming us into the same image of His Son Jesus Christ...this process is also known as "Sanctificaiton". "What joy the gospel gives me! I can approach the throne of God with confidence-not because I've done a good job at my spiritual duties, but because I'm clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ." -CJ MaHaney

So, stop spinning plates as the monks do & renounce our self-righteousness behavior...boast in the achievement & work of our substitute & Savior Jesus Christ. We shouldnt be trying to smuggle a holy character into the free grace of God.

To clarify a couple of things that are confusing to most people including me:

Justification is being declared righteous. This is our position before God permanently ours at the time we are converted. Justificaiton is immediate and complete at conversion because of the Person Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and resurrection. We cannot be more justified before our holy God in the future.

Sanctification is the process after our salvation which is us being made righteous...this is until we go to be with Him in heaven. We are daily being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. It is our practices which continue while living here on earth. Remember, Justificaiton is the declaration, and Sanctificaiton is the process. We can become more Sanctified each day but not more Justified. The motivation for our Sanctification is based a grace filled obedience to God.

Finally, Justificaiton is objective because of Christ's work for us on our behalf. Sanctification is subjective because it is Christ continual work in us throughout life.

A brand new Believer in Jesus Christ is equally justified as any great saint in the past who lived for Christ fifty years or more...they are on equal ground. Because in the sight of God we are either completely justified or completely condemned...depends on our trust in Jesus Christ or not.

to read exerpts from my newly published book "A Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness" goto The Pilgrimage Book

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The Way is Narrow into the Kingdom!

"Jesus also tells the listeners John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He
is the ONLY way to the Father in heaven. This goes against
everything a secular humanistic people are brought up to believe. How
can this be? “I thought all I needed to do was walk an isle in a
church, repeat a little prayer after the preacher and boom, I am
in the family”.... for more go to Pilgrimage-Wilderness.

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Post from A Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness by Scott Bailey

"Confession time is in order here. I still have times when life just
piles on top of me more than I can handle. It weighs me down to my
knees to the point of crying out before God. There is no way I can see
God if..." to read the rest go to A Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness" by author Scott Bailey

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Strange Humiliating Situations

An exerpt from A Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness"

"God places us in humiliating situations in strange ways, but it is
necessary in order for us to understand the importance of total denial
of our self and total obedience to His commands. Self-denial is
described in many ways, but most vivid is we are to murder everything
about ourselves which gets in the way of obedience to God. Whatever
we do, say or think that draws our desires from doing what God wants
us to do should be spiritually mortified. The wilderness experiences of
professional trapper, Hugh Glass and God’s commander on the
ground in Egypt, Moses, came at what they would tell you a “strange
time”. As Believers, however, we must embrace the wilderness
experiences as a purposeful part of God’s sovereign plan. God’s plan
is to use us in the advancement of His kingdom and His greater glory.
We must yield ourselves to this season of life when we feel lonely,
traumatized, in horrific pain, bleeding from our exposed flesh, so
hungry our ribs are showing or thirsty. The strength, direction, and
ability to learn are planted deep within us by God Himself and when
needed, He will draw out of that well." -A Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness

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Taste His Goodness & Thirst For More!

Have you ever tasted the goodness of God after a long thirsty spell, and yet once the thirst was quenched by God Himself, you end up thirsting for more? We are never completely aware of how much grace we need from God, but once tasting His goodness we find He has more waiting for us & wants us to desire Him even more. Read Ps 42:1-2

It is amazing to me how thirsty we can get even after having just drank our fill from a never ending stream of water. His grace never stops flowing as I continue to thirst for Him even when I have been filled. Most of us lack that authentic burning desire for our Triune God, but He wants to be wanted! In His sovereign ways He will move us to thirst after Him mostly by pouring out His grace all over us. Also, His mercies are delivered to us fresh each morning many times even as we sleep. How could we ever not want our God after experiencing His gracious goodness...it makes me thirst for Him even more!

It is a spiritually dry land we live in today. People are starving for what God can give them yet they are drinking from every fountain in town except the one fountain that delivers a never ending stream of fresh water...Jesus Christ!

So, just a deer pants with his head hung low for a fresh stream of water to quench his dry thirsty mouth, we too must come to God with this same humble desire to be quenched in the fountain of His never ending love.

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Our Hypocrisy Shines Through Our Externalized Religion!

The Hypocrisy Jesus was talking about: "You use great , wonderful words, but you don't mean them. You talk about love, but you don't love. You talk about forgiveness, but you don't forgive. You talk about acceptance, but you don't accept." Too 'churchy' in word w/out sincerity at heart can externalize our religion. It is right attitude along with right words that count.

People outside the church have been listening to our empty words for decades and want nothing to do with our church or religion at all, because they heard us talk about loving them, but only received a bunch of stiff necked hypocrites. They were different than we were, they heard from the church we should accept those different, but all they received was snobby nosed outwardly religious zealots. We cannot influence the world around us as a church if we are praising with our lips while our hearts are stone cold towards the people we are claiming to minister to. The church has little affect today because of such hypocrisy.

For Reference: Mark 7:6-7 "Jesus replied to the Jewish leaders saying, 'Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vein; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

For me, I must watch the very words I use to make sure they match up with my heart. Do not be mistaken though, truth must be said. Sin is still sin in the eyes of God and God will not overlook our sin apart from the blood of Christ covering our life. But my challenge for 2010 is to deliver my words with more emphasis on grace than of anger. A persons words can sure be mistaken for hatred when delivered in the wrong way. Grace filled truth penetrates a person's heart much faster with more effectiveness than vile empty platitudes.

"Lord, I must confess my own times when I have suffered from the sinful illness of hypocrisy by worshipping outwardly, but my heart was dry as dead men's bones. I am truly grateful and thankful you have forgiven me for these ills against You. Teach me daily to worship You and exalt You both in spirit and in truth as Your holy Word says to. Thank You, Jesus, for not counting this against me and in your patience can teach me true worship through prayer, meditation on Your Word, listening intently to the great men of God You have placed in my life weekly, and singing the old hymns and new praises. May I be forever to the praise of Your wonderful glory. AMEN!"

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Who is God?

The question of who God is comes up often. I was asked to write an article about the subject for a writers site I am a member of which caused me to think how I could describe who God is within such a brief span of time. Fact is, I can't do that. However, people cannot see Him and most do not really know Him and any visual I can bring out on paper to help someone experience the slightest glimpse of our God is worth the attempt. Over the past several years I have developed a personal and in-depth relationship with my heavenly Father. It is from this thirty two year relationship I draw this small amount of commentary on who I believe God to be.

First, let's look at the visible signs of who God is. We can see in His creation through nature God is the master painter and poet. The colors, the landscape, the variations of plants, animals, clouds, sky, and water are all a testimony to who God is. He is the creator of all things large and small. God is the sustainer of all things large and small. The Bible tells us God feeds the birds of the air, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” So, we can see just in one tiny aspect of nature a Creator who cares for His creation and sustains His creation.

Have you stood at a distance looking up at majestic mountains before? Some with snow caps, rocky ledges, and trees scattered about their slopes. Other mountains seem to be covered by low flying clouds or the image of smoke veiling their majestic peaks. Only a God who creates all things could possibly make something so beautiful. From a prayer of Moses we find this, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” Here according to Moses, God has been God since before the formations of the earth. God created the heavens and the earth as Scripture tells us.

I remember picking up a very small rock one time to find on the bottom settled into the rock a tiny creature fossilized into the rock. The creature that made up this fossil was once alive, breathing, moving about the earth. Humanly speaking, I could only visualize what my finite mind could imagine this creature looked like and how it moved about only a few thousand years ago. I have no real way of knowing if what my mind would let me see was actually fact or not. However, God was the Creator of this tiny being and He saw it as it was moving about and breathing brand new on the earth. The fact is God gave that tiny creature its very breath and heartbeat to live by. God also, knew the very last breath it took and how it died. God in His vastness observed every living creature on this earth and knows were all of them from thousands of years ago are buried. Our God who reigns supreme over all the earth is also in the tiniest details of our life.

Since we have established Him as creator let’s look at something He created in His own image. This should, also, help us to understand who God is. In Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; both male and female He created them.” We find two interesting documentations of truth here. First, God is speaking in terms of “Us” making man in “our” image. Wow! The implications are huge in this fact of Scripture. This is not saying more than one God existed. What it is stating clearly is God comes in more than one part. We find the first concept of the Holy Trinity in these verses as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In plain English, the Father is speaking to His Son about the creation. Secondly, we find humanity is not an animal or a plant. God here has given man dominion over all the animals and mammals. God, our supreme authority, has endowed us humans with authority as well. We are to view God's likeness through the example of the Son, Jesus Christ, as He walked and lived here on the earth.

This brings me to a main point of who God is. However, let me make something clear at this point. No human being can contain the depths or the heights as to who God really is within any volume of papers. God is beyond huge and there is no end to His depths. So, this is a small attempt to give the reader a mere glimpse at who God is. Now, Jesus taught His disciples if you have seen Him then you have seen the Father and vice versa. Many teach today a distorted view of Jesus. The portrayal of Jesus in most people's eyes is a man without deity, without authority from God, and just one of us on a spiritual journey while leading others to do the same. I want to assure you Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was not merely just one of us. Sure He came to earth through the birth canal of His mother Mary. She conceived Jesus by a miraculous conception only to be understood by God Himself. However, Jesus was still full deity, fully God with our human skin wrapped around Him.

Jesus walked on this earth teaching grace, love for our neighbors, taking care of the poor and hungry, but most importantly He taught first we must repent of our sins and follow Him. Jesus spoke often about repentance, sin, hell, and the kingdom of God. We find here God is serious about sin. He wants sin out of our lives as far as having control over us. As part of our Christian life, God wants us to exemplify in our life the love of God for His people. We do this by feeding the poor, clothing them, and loving on them while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ at the same time. Food, clothing, and shelter is not the gospel nor will it get these people to heaven, however, it is a doorway by which you have the opportunity to share the gospel with them and glorify God by your testimony to them. The gospel is we are a sinfully depraved humanity in need of a Savior otherwise we are doomed to an eternity in hell. God is a righteous judge, but He loves His people so much He provided His Son as a sacrifice for our sins in order for us to be reunited in relationship to Him in a way He no longer would have to turn His back on our sinfulness. Jesus became for us the mediator between humanity and God the Father. By placing our trust in Jesus Christ as our perfect Savior and mighty Lord, and believing that Jesus Christ did come back to life on the third day as Scripture tells us, we are then saved from eternal damnation in hell and have the full power to be obedient to God. We are at that moment a son of the living God. God adopts us at the moment we place a total loyal trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Do you still wonder who God is? Well, without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you will never have a good understanding of who God is. By knowing Jesus, the Son of God, over time you will start to understand just how vast God is. You will understand that for a Believer suffering is a part of life yet God directs every aspect of the suffering. Nothing in all His creation is out of His reach. God is a loving God, true! God is, also, a just, holy, and righteous God too. He hates sin and hates sin in His people’s life. God hates sin so much, He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son in order for those who believe His Son can have eternal life. In John 3:16 we observe both the wrath and judgment of God while at the same time we discover the grace, mercy and love of God.

In a one sentence statement to help someone begin to think about who God is: “God is loving, our creator, gracious, Almighty judge, perfectly righteous, completely holy, Sovereign over all things and events, full of mercy, our protector, supreme healer, omnipresent, Infinite, Immense, good, Immanent, and so much more”. As I said before, I cannot within the pages of any book explain who God really is. This is a very brief glance at who God is. The understanding of our finite glimpse at God comes only when our Infinite God has accepted us in a relationship with Him.

Colossians 3:1-4 "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

To know God is to know the Son, Jesus Christ. Trust in the Son today and begin a tremendous relation with the Father you will never regret in all eternity.

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