THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #1

Martyrs in Heaven

  “I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the    word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

    and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true,    will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the    earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10).

This obscure and rarely quoted verse is packed full of heavenly information.

1. The scene is in heaven (the throne room of the universe), the apostle John who was raptured there (Revelation 4:1) is providing us with an eyewitness report:

2. Under the altar is symbolic meaning under the protection of God.  

3. The souls (spirits, that part of our humanity which may exist forever) are in heaven while their human bodies (no longer useful) lie rotting on planet earth.

4.  These people are martyrs, Christians who were persecuted and slain because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They continued to profess their faith even in the face of certain bodily death.

5. These people have voices and can communicate (we don’t know what language; most likely a heavenly version) to other spiritual beings in heaven (for an understanding of who‘s in heaven, ready our study of Revelation Chapter 4).  

6. They can speak directly to God.

7.  They know where they are and who they are speaking to.

8. They have memories of what happened to them while still on earth in their temporary bodies.  

9. The people on earth, who persecuted these Christians, are gong to come under the specific judgment of God.  

SUMMARY:  As the Christian’s eyes close in bodily death, they are immediately opened and they are in their spirits in heaven.  The Bible says that the event is instantaneous. There are no delays, no stops, the transformation from bodily to spiritual existence occurs in a blinking of the eye.

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #2

The man humanity had written off

Last time, we examined the souls of Christian martyrs who were in heaven.  We briefly touched on a Bible truth: When bodily death occurs, the spirit (soul)  of that believer is instantly in heaven. The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  (2 Corinthians 5:8).

There is a familiar story of the criminal on the cross which provides us with significant insight:

    And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me

     when You come in Your kingdom!"

     And He said to him, "Truly I say to you,

  t   oday you shall be with Me in Paradise."

  (   Luke 23:42-3).

a. Some things we can learn from these Scriptures related to the criminal.  The human perspective of the man would be he Is nothing but scum, useless, wasted; he performed crime and was paying the price - death by crucifixion.  But God‘s perspective is the opposite; He measured the man‘s  heart and finds there faith and trust in His Son, Jesus.  The result is an eternal ticket to Paradise:

1. The criminal recognized the living God (“Do you not even fear God”  v 40).

2. He appreciated the significance of his own sin (under the same condemnation...we indeed justly, for we received the due reward of our deeds,  v 40.).

3. He knew Jesus (this Man has done nothing wrong v 41.).

4. He called out to Jesus (And he was saying, "Jesus v 41.).

5. He believed Jesus was who Jesus said He was (remember me when You come into Your kingdom v 42).

6. He believed the promise of everlasting life from Jesus.

b. When Jesus responded, He was reaching out compassionately to provide the criminal with absolute assurance. Where is Paradise? It is in heaven.  When that criminal’s eyes finally closed in bodily death, they were instantly opened and he was in Paradise with Jesus (with Me)..  

c.  Let’s think of what the Lord DID NOT say to this man who called out in simple faith:

He did not say “Well, OK, go clean up your act and check back with me later”.

Nor did He say “Get down from that cross and go join some church”, nor

“Go buy a Bible and learn some verses”,

nor

“You need some one to come and pray for you”.  

There were no conditions given, Jesus accepted this man on the basis of one thing, and one thing only … the man’s faith.   

The power of God’s grace is such that it will reach out to any human being, regardless of their circumstances, position in life, wealth, color of skin, nor any other consideration.

   For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is    the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

What value does heaven place on just one human soul?

Put it in context:  We have Jesus making the ultimate human sacrifice , giving His own life so that others might live, and in the process He is reaching out with love and compassion to one human being.  That criminal, who also was dieing on the cross, was very important to heaven.  He became a child of God while hanging on the Roman cross.   

Heaven places extremely high values on each human soul, that’s why Jesus said that the end could not come until the Gospel is preached to every human being. The Lord God wants to be absolutely certain that each and every human being has the opportunity to hear about His Son, the Lord Jesus, and accept Him as Lord and Savior and, in doing so, receive God’s gift of grace, eternal life.   In the last book of the Bible, the Revelation, in the last chapter, as the book is being closed and God’s written words to humans is completed, the very last thing we see our Heavenly Father doing is making a final call to the human race “Come”.

TEACHERS NOTE: While discussing these scriptures with a regular Bible study group, one member, a physician, proved us with the following observation:

Jesus had to feel that providing assurance to the criminal  was very important; in doing so it cost Him something. Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have been particularly difficult and painful.

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #3

Are you going to open the door?

There is someone at your door, his name is Jesus.  He is the same Jesus who died on the cross for you and offers to you the gift of eternal life, this is the same Jesus who conquered death and has ascended into heaven to be with His Father, the living God.  That Jesus says to YOU, right now:

    Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

     If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

     I will come in and eat with him, and he with

     me.(Revelation 3:20)

Like everything that Jesus says, this very brief statement is simply loaded with information and wisdom for each of us.  Let’s just look around:

a. Here I am. Jesus begins with a very simple greeting  A confirmation of the fact that He is alive today and of promises He has made.  That is a corner stone of the Christian faith:  Christ was bodily alive, he died a very cruel and public death, was buried in a sealed tomb, and then rose from the dead to be seen by hundreds of people before He ascended into heaven where He sits today on the right hand of God, saying:

     … surely I am with you always, to the

     very end of the age (Matthew 28:20)

b  It is Jesus knocking .  He has not sent an angel nor any other representative. Here Jesus reveals clearly that He wants to deal with us on a one-to-one basis.  He does not desire any third party to be involved.

c. He is gently.  He is not beating the door down, He is not demanding, rather He is gently knocking in an attempt to get YOUR attention.  Perhaps YOU are totally engulfed in worldly matters - money, clothing, cars, and all the other temporary things that we tend to yearn for during our brief walk on planet earth.  

d. He is standing. When we stand, we are usually waiting for something to happen.  For that reason we do not recline or sit comfortably.  He is standing at the door of YOUR heart; waiting with extreme patience.

e.  He is addressing YOU personally.  He says clearly “If anyone…”.  He doesn’t say “If any church”, or “if any church official”,  He is speaking to YOU, and, as we will see, He is wooing YOU for a very specific reason.

f.  He wants to come into YOUR heart. He states clearly that He is not there to deliver a package, when the door opens He wants to come in.  Jesus wants to come into YOUR heart because He wants to establish a friendship with YOU!  

g.  He wants a very personal relationship with YOU.  When Jesus says He wants to come in and eat the original Greek writing points to the main meal of the day.  At that time, the main meal was a leisurely, never hurried, event.  People reclined comfortably as they talked and ate. It was a time for serious conversation, a time when friends got to know each other, a time for family to share its lives.  It was an event at which personal relationships were started and developed.  

h.  A personal relationship with Jesus.  There is the sole reason for this entire message from Jesus:  He is trying to get YOUR attention, He wants to enter into a personal relationship with YOU.     

It is Christ extending an invitation to YOU. This is consistent with God, the Heavenly Father, who we see calling out to the people in the beginning, the Book of Genesis.  Calling all through the Bible and when we come to the final chapter, in the last book, the Revelation, we see God still calling to the people even as the end of time has arrived.

Jesus answers the question “Why is the Father and the Son calling to YOU?’:

`     For the Son of Man came to seek and to save

     what was lost (Luke 19:10)

With this, Jesus explains why He extends friendship to each of us.  For without Christ in our lives we are sinners, we have no idea where we are going, we are lost.  Jesus says:

    I am the way and the truth and the life. No one

     comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)

Jesus willingly went to the cross, nowhere  does the record indicate that Jesus was forced onto the cross.  He was the sacrificial Lamb of God’ He paid the price for our sins.  For that reason, He alone has the authority to lead people to God the Father. (For further details concerning the authority of Jesus see Revelation, Chapter 5).

Summing Up: It is God and His Son Jesus who seek us; we don’t have to search for them.  All we have to do is respond to their call.  Open the door of our heart and enter into a deep personal relationship with them.

It is through that relationship that we are able to converse with Christ and present to Him our concerns, our heartfelt troubles.  Knowing in doing so He will provide our every need.  That is a true deep personal friendship that the Lord seeks to have with us.  

It is through such a relationship that we gain personal security.  The Bible says we are children of God and under His direct protection.  We are aware that all of life and circumstances on planet earth are temporary, they will all pass away, our security is in the knowledge that our relationship with Christ will last forever; it will pass from here on earth directly into eternity.  Jesus, and only Jesus, is our absolute assurance of eternal life, only He can lead us to the Father. The Bible says:

 and they can no longer die; for they are like

  the angels. They are God's children, since they

  are children of the resurrection (followers

  of Christ). (Luke 20:36)

     The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that

     we are God's children (Romans 8:16).

    You are all children of God through faith in Christ

     Jesus (Galatians 3:26)

Being children of God and followers of Christ, is not just a hobby or an occasional activity, it is an eternal event.   Jesus wants to be in the very center of YOUR life, not just knocking on the door.  He makes it perfectly clear that His desire is to achieve a deep personal relationship with YOU.    

Responding to Christ’s knocking and opening our hearts to Him; seeking that deep personal relationship is a definite life-changing event. As that relationship develops, we will find ourselves less and less focused on worldly matters and materialistic objects and more on spiritual and eternal matters.  

Will you respond to His knocking?

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #4

Angels

Do they exist? In your life?

“Angel” is a word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger". The word is used to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his will (purposes). It appears in the first and last books of the Bible and over 275 times throughout.  These superior beings are very numerous(Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13; Hebrew 12:22,23). . There are angels present in the life of each believer 24/7.  Let’s just look at a few quick Biblical facts about angels:

1. During the Lord’s time on earth::  

a. Predicted His birth (Luke 1:16-23).  

 b. Proclaimed His birth (Luke 2:13).  

 c. Protected the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13).

d. When the Lord was tempted by Satan, the angels strengthened Him (Matthew 4:11)

 e. and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).  

f. They rolled away the stone from the tomb (Matthew 28:2)

 g. and announced the resurrection (Mathew 28:6).

 

2. About the characteristics of angels:  

a. They existed before creation began (Job 38:6-7).  

b. They are extremely intelligent (1 Peter 1:12),

c. Have emotions (Luke 2:13)

 d. and are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14).

e.  Are distinct from human beings (Psalms 8:4-5)

 f. and never die (Luke 20:36).  

g. They have great power (2 Peter 2:11).

3. Jesus provides us with in depth knowledge about angels:

 a. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Their angels is often taken as a reference to "guardian angels." We certainly do have angels watching over us and ministering to us (Hebrews 1:14), but there is no specific reference in the Bible "guardian angel."

b. He speaks of the "angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30),

 c. and of "the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

d. The angels of God are holy (Mark 8:38).

 e. They have no sex or sensuous desires (Matthew 22:30).

f. They have high intelligence, but they  do not know when the Lord will return to earth as King of Kings (Matthew 24:36).

 g. They could have been summoned to the aid of Jesus had He so desired (Matthew 26:53).  h. They will accompany Him when He returns to earth (Matthew 25:31).

 i. They will separate the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 13:41-49).

 j. During the Great Tribulation, after the Church has been raptured (taken out of harms way) to heaven, an angel

will be assigned to preach the eternal gospel to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people (Revelation 14:6). This confirms the prophetic announcement of Jesus that the end of time will not come until the gospel has been preached to all the nations (Matthew 24:13).  

4.  Their magnitude:

The Bible does not tells the precise angelical population, however, the Apostle John provides and very fascinating eye witness report from heaven:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels  around the throne…and the number of them was  myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,  (Rev.  5:11)

What John is reporting is he saw “ten thousand times ten thousand” plus “thousands of thousands” of angels around God’s throne in heaven. Multiplying 10,000 times one other 10,000 gives a total of 100,000,000 (100 million). But John saw “ten thousands [plural] times ten thousands” [plural] plus thousands (plural) times thousands (plural), an indefinite number that makes 100 million appear rather puny. Thus, there are hundreds and hundreds of millions, probably billions, of angels.

The prophet Daniel saw a similar scene as John and reported:

Thousands upon thousands were attending  Him, And myriads upon myriads were

 standing before Him (Dan. 7:9–10).

5. Conclusion.

Some future day, most of us will discover that during this brief time we spend in human bodies, we are surrounded by angels performing God’s will on earth.

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #5

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 1

The Bible opens with a magnificent truth: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  There is the entire story in one elegant, concise nutshell:  God is everything - the planner, architect, builder, owner, operator, and ruler of all things.  Everything!  They are not your clothes on your back, they are Gods; he has simply loaned them to you temporarily.  Now that is a magnificent truth about God; a truth to be clung to and relished.

 

So there is our Father in Heaven, but what is he really like?

To answer that question, we need only to go to his Written Words, the Holy Bible, where God will reveal all things to us.  Let’s see what the scriptures say:   

1. God is invisible.

a. God is a spiritual being and is invisible to human beings.  Yet, in a very unique way, while God is invisible He is visible.  The Bible says:

For since the creation of the world God's

 invisible qualities--his eternal power and

 divine nature--have been clearly seen, being

 understood from what has been made, so

 that men are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

b. his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen Here, scriptures clearly teach that all humans have a natural and instinctive awareness of God’s existence.  He has made Himself known to all humanity by His creations - the sun, the moon, the stars all speak clearly of the existence of God, the creator. The animal and vegetable kingdoms all reflect their Creator. If you observe carefully the blooming of a beautiful flower, there is God.  Follow the antics of a frisky squirrel, making its morning rounds, there is God.  Observe the plump tomato, ripen on its vine under the brightness of the sun, there is God.  Consider all of the things the God has created,, then search for just one that humans can even duplicate. But be careful, if you seek God to intensely you might find Him in your own life!  

That every human being has a supernatural awareness of God possibly explains why we hear the expression “for God’s sake” so frequently.  Or, perhaps, it explains why desperate and frightened humans cry out to God for help.  Certainly it is why in poll after poll, 80-90% of the people claim to believe in the existence of God, it is a natural part of their existence.  God is a living spirit, not like Darwinism which is nothing more than a failed theory conceived by a mere mortal human.  If we humans have any form of common sense, we would cling to our Creator, the living God who dwells within us and totally reject any humanly conceived “isms”.    

Henry Morris, in his book Biblical Creationism, states of verse 20, “The basic laws controlling all the processes through which they interact (that is, the laws of energy and entropy” demonstrate the necessary fact of their primeval supernatural creation by God’s “eternal power.””

2. God is eternal:

 For this is what the high and lofty One says--he

 who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in

 a high and holy place, but also with him who is

 contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit

 of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

(Isaiah 17:15).

In order for us to understand God, the first thing to do is to understand His great majesty. The Lord introduces Himself to His people with titles reflecting His great majesty, and expects His people to respond to Him as such a glorious God.

b. Though God is the high and lofty One, and lives in the high and holy place, at the same time He will live with people - with him who are contrite and lowly in spirit. This is the second thing we need to understand about God, to “being right God”: being contrite and lowly (humble) before the God of great majesty.

TEACHER’S NOTE: For those of us who have been born and raised in a democratic environment, such as the USA, it is rather difficult for us to grasp the concept of dealing with royalty and someone who is of great majesty, who sits on a throne, and who demands that we respond to Him in like manner. In addition, we have generally been taught to be proud people and not lowly (humble) in our heart, however, there comes a dramatic change of perspective once we have come to really know and understand God, our Heavenly Father and understand His great love for us.

Before the mountains were born or you brought

 forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to

 everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2).

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,

 and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will

 perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a

 garment. Like clothing you will change them and

 they will be discarded. But you remain the same,

 and your years will never end  (Psalm 102:25-27 ).

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #6

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 2

1. God is unchangeable:

 "Remember the former things long past,

 For I am God, and there is no other;  

 I am God, and there is no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

 And from ancient times things which

 have not been done, Saying, 'My

 purpose will be established, And I

 will accomplish all My good pleasure';

(Isaiah 46:9-10).

a. In these power-house scriptures, God speaks directly to the human race.  To you and I.  He wants us to remember the beginning and the end. As it is with all things that the Father in Heaven commands us to do, it is specifically for our own well being, as we shall see shortly.

How can we possibly remember the beginning?  We weren’t there!  And the ending?  It has not yet occurred!  The Lord never asks us to do the impossible; the first three words of the Bible say “In the beginning…”.  There it is, the beginning, and God describes it in great detail in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.  So, if we have read and studied that Book, we can now remember the beginning.

And so it is true with the ending, God has told us in advance precisely what His future plans are.  They are given in precise detail in the prophetic portions of the Bible.  When we understand our Heavenly Father, we know there are no surprises coming our way, He has told us everything in advance.  The Bible says  Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

b.  So, once again, the Lord God reminds us that the Bible contains His Written Words, everything God has to say to the human race is contained in the Bible.  Nothing has been left out.  There are those who say the Bible is no longer relevant in this 21st Century because it was written thousand of years ago.  They are in complete error; completely overlooking the unchangeable nature of God.  What He said thousands of years ago, He still says the same today. "For I, the LORD, do not change;” (Malachi 3:6)  

You see, when we understand the Bible and are in a positive position to remember the beginning and the ending, we have created a wall of security around ourselves.  We live in a world of uncertain times (2011). We are exhausted from wars and endless killing, changing and violent weather, earth quakes, volcanoes, draught, famine, and more.  As these things continue to happen and worsen, Jesus tells us not to be afraid (Matthew 24:    ).  He then qualifies the circumstances saying these things must take place.  Why?  Because the Father in Heaven has declared what must take place before the end comes and, since God is unchangeable (technical word is immutable) then all of the things He has declared in His Written Word are going to happen precisely as He has spoken.  

Now the key for our understanding is the fact that God is in total control of all things; so all that is happening around us is simply the fulfillment of God’s plans.  That is our security wall, there is the reason why Jesus tells us not to be afraid.  God is very much in control of all events, He is unchangeable and everything is going to happen precisely as He has described in the Bible.  

c.  What more can we ask of a loving Father, He has told us everything from the beginning to t he end and desires that we remember it for our own peace and security.  We can have tremendous courage when we understand and remember who God is and what He is doing.

d. Other related scriptures:

Every good thing given and every perfect

 gift is from above, coming down from the

 Father of lights, with whom there is no

 variation or shifting shadow ( James 1:17).

 The counsel of the LORD stands

 forever, The plans of His heart from generation to  generation.

 (Psalm 33:11).

    Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has

 He spoken, and will He not make it good?

 (Numbers 23:19).

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #7

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 3

God is all knowing.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? …  If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, … Even the darkness is not dark to You, … Darkness and light are alike to You….  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.  … Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;  (Psalm139:7-16).

We have arrived at one of the most significant  characteristics of God for our understanding:  God knows everything, there is, nothing that we can do to hide from Him who can even read our minds and know our every secret thought.

Your can fool other humans, but not God.  You can hide in the total darkness of your secret closet; God is there.  You may have dived to the very floor of the ocean or climbed the highest mountain; God is there.  He takes strict notice of everything you secrete on FaceBook, Twitter, etal, knowing well your very intentions.  God is omniscient (technical word) meaning all knowing.  We morals cannot escape His knowledge. He knew you when your were still unborn in your mother‘s womb.

Related scriptures:  

God is greater than our heart and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)

He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.(Psalm 147: 4-5).

SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.  (Acts 15:18).

The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men;  (Psalm 33:13).

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #8

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 4

God has unlimited power.

The technical word involved here is “omnipotent” meaning all powerful.  Power is a favorite quest of humans.  They spend huge blocks of time building their bodies to achieve muscular power.  Power over other human beings is a favorite pursuit of politicians.  Yet the power of human beings is as limited as a tear drop.

A preacher once described God’s power saying “God can create anything, but He cannot create a rock that He cannot lift.  His power is unlimited”.

In Genesis we read: Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.” (1:3). God’s power is so great that He merely spoke light into existence.  Compare that, if you will, to the endless activities of mankind, over the many long centuries, to generate power to create light.  Then think of today, in this 21st Century, of the vast resources we consume attempting to light mere light bulbs.  

Yet, after over 100 years of scientific productivity, our power distribution system is so frail that it is normally the very first to fail during severe storms.  Power lines down, poles collapsing, transformers burning out, etc., etc.

.

Our human power is fragile and predictably limited, but God’s power is unlimited.  

The Bible speaks fluently concerning the Lord’s power, here are but a few choice verses:

And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).

"I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

(Job 42:2)

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,  (Nahum 1:3)

'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:17, 27).

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #9

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 5

God is everywhere

God asks you a pointed question: “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” (Jeremiah 23:24).

Is He in the midst of a drug scene? An abortion clinic? In a secret room hiding traitors?  With two college students cheating on an exam? With a taxpayer cheating on his return?  

Ask yourself: is there any physical location in this universe where I can hide from the presence of God? The only accurate answer is absolutely NO! The Bible is very explicit, God is everywhere at the same time (technical word is omnipresent).

In fact, King David posed the question directly, asking:  Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me (Psalm 139:7-10).

David answers the question beautifully: it is futile to search for a place to hide from the presence of God (and it is unwise to try—just ask Jonah!).

How can God possibly be everywhere at the same time?  The answer is in David’s statement; “Where can I go from your Spirit?” (Psalm 139:7). It is impossible for we, who are in the bodily (human) mode, to fully comprehend the spiritual mode.  The Bible says God is spirit (John 4;24). Through His Spirit, God’s reach extends to every nook and cranny of the universe, and there is, as David wrote, no place to flee from His presence.

God rules in glory from His throne in heaven.  The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.  (Psalm 11:4).

Wisdom is believing what the Bible says and not the claims of mere mortal humans, observe:

a. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5).

b.  “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,” (Genesis 28:15).

c. “Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, “and not a God far hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?”  declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD away? (Jeremiah  23:23-24).

d. "You are the God who sees me," (Genesis 16:13).

e. “…for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11).

f.  “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3)

g. “This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1/).

Conclusion: The fact that God is everywhere is a constant source of comfort for believers. Wherever the believer may go, they will find themselves in the protection of God's presence. There is no place where a believer can get away from God's reach. His presence may be experienced at any time and at any place. God has promised the believer that He is with them always.

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THE ELEGANCE OF GOD’S WORD #10

GOD

Getting to know Him Part 6

God is Righteous.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “righteous” is defined as: “: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.”  The word “just”, more or less, being a modern English version of “righteous”.  The two words appear over 600 times in the Bible signaling heaven’s intent interest in the state of being “righteous”.  

All righteousness stems from God, the Bible says:  “…for the LORD our God is righteous” (Daniel 9:14j). “God is a righteous judge,”  (Palm 7:11).

When we say that God is righteous (just), we are saying that He always does what is right and fair, what should be done, and that He does it consistently, without partiality or prejudice..

When we read that God is righteous or just, we are being assured that His actions toward us are in perfect agreement with His holy nature. God’s righteousness (or justice) is the natural expression of His holiness. If He is infinitely pure, then He must be opposed to all sin, and that opposition to sin must be demonstrated in His treatment of His creatures.

It is our sin that separates us from God. That sin is universal amongst the human race, the Bible says: “…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “All” is inclusive; nothing left out. That each of us has sinned is the reason why we all need redemption (see our study on the Book of Redemption for more details).

It is by redemption that we are united with God for all of eternity and He is as fair and just in that process as He is with all other matters.

What an total joy it is to know that I will always be treated fairly and justly by He who I call my Heavenly Father.

Wisdom is believing what the Bible says and not the claims of mere mortal humans, observe:

A. "Hallelujah!  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;

 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS;”

(Revelation 19:1).

B. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD  (Psalm 33:5).

C. “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25).

D. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. (Psalm 96:13).

E. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(Psalm 97:2).

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GOD

Getting to know Him Part 8

God is truth.

  God is not a man, that he should lie,

  nor a son of man, that he should change

  his mind. Does he speak and then not

  act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

  (Numbers 23:19).

God’s holiness (see Part 7) extends to truth’ He cannot be associated with anything that is not perfect and true. Whatever God says He will do, He will do. Therefore, when He says those who believe in Jesus shall have eternal life, you can rest assured that will take place.

  guide me in your truth and teach me,

  for you are God my Savior, and my hope

  is in you all day long (Psalm 25:5).

Since it is impossible for God to lie we know that everything He says about what will happen will actually take place. As children of God,  we need to be known as individuals who tell the truth, like God. That means when we promise something we need to keep that promise or not make it in the first place. We need at all times to seek God’s guidance in truth.

 Then you will know the truth,

  and the truth will set you

  free." ( John 8:32).

Many people tend to be bound in ignorance, untruths and gross misunderstanding about their existence , their bodies, and their future, but the Word of God, which is truth, will set them free from the bounds of confusion.

  

Wisdom is believing what the Bible says and not

the claims of mere mortal humans, observe:

 

 

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

(Deuteronomy 32:4).

For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. (Psalm 33:4).

faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,  (Titus 1:2).

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind. (1 Samuel 15:29).

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GOD

Getting to know Him Part 9

God is Sovereign, and all Powerful.

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all (Psalm 103:19). But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3).  For I know that the LORD is great. Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, (Psalm 135:5-6).

The meaning of sovereignty could be summed up in this way: To be sovereign is to possess supreme power and authority so that one is in complete control and can accomplish whatever he pleases.

He does whatever He pleases As we are going to discuss in our final issue of this series “God is Love”.  It is via His agape love that pleases God to render mercy and forgiveness to all of us ,who come to Him via faith, having accepted His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Scriptures reveal that it pleases God to bring us. as His children, into His eternal family and provide for us a place in His eternal city where we will dwell with Him forever (Revelation 21).  

Wisdom is believing what the Bible says

and not the claims of mere mortal humans, observe:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:11).

which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,  (1 Timothy 6:15). .

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (Psalm 115:3)

He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done  (Daniel 4:35)

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:11).

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.(Romans 11:36)

Conclusion: When we understand the  sovereignty and the greatness of God, we worship Him all the more passionately.

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GOD

Getting to know Him Part 10

God is Love.

Whoever does not love does not know God,  because God is love (1 John 4:8)

Most of us know and rely on the love God has for us. The very nature of God, and the greatest of the Christian virtues, is love. Attributes of love include patience, kindness, protection, trusting, hoping, and persevering. Love is not envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, a recorder of wrongs or does it take delight in evil. The love of God is continuously demonstrated in the lives of His children.

Read the words of Jesus:

 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now  remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will  remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s  commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so  that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be  complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have  loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down  one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do  what I command (John 15:9-14).

We know that we abide in God’s love by obedience, not by our mystical experiences. When we fail to abide in Jesus’ love, and thereby fail to keep His commandments, then we do not have the fullness of joy He promises to those who do abide in His love and obedience. One of life’s saddest scenes involves someone who claims to be a Christian yet whose love rests in materialism and not Christ.

When we think about the joy of Jesus, we understand that it isn’t the same as what we often think of as "happiness" or "excitement." The joy of Jesus is not the pleasure of a life of ease; it is the exhilaration of being right with God, and consciously walking in His love and care. We can have that joy, and have it as an abiding presence.

Wisdom is believing what the Bible says and not the claims of mere mortal humans, observe:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

(1 John 4:16)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I1john 4:10)

God is love (to be continued).

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Angels

Do they exist? In your life?

“Angel” is a word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger". The word is used to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his will (purposes). It appears in the first and last books of the Bible and over 275 times throughout.  These superior beings are very numerous(Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13; Hebrew 12:22,23). . There are angels present in the life of each believer 24/7.  Let’s just look at a few quick Biblical facts about angels:

1. During the Lord’s time on earth::  

a. Predicted His birth (Luke 1:16-23).  

 b. Proclaimed His birth (Luke 2:13).  

 c. Protected the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13).

d. When the Lord was tempted by Satan, the angels strengthened Him (Matthew 4:11)

 e. and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).  

f. They rolled away the stone from the tomb (Matthew 28:2)

 g. and announced the resurrection (Mathew 28:6).

 

2. About the characteristics of angels:  

a. They existed before creation began (Job 38:6-7).  

b. They are extremely intelligent (1 Peter 1:12),

c. Have emotions (Luke 2:13)

 d. and are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14).

e.  Are distinct from human beings (Psalms 8:4-5)

 f. and never die (Luke 20:36).  

g. They have great power (2 Peter 2:11).

3. Jesus provides us with in depth knowledge about angels:

 a. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Their angels is often taken as a reference to "guardian angels." We certainly do have angels watching over us and ministering to us (Hebrews 1:14), but there is no specific reference in the Bible "guardian angel."

b. He speaks of the "angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30),

 c. and of "the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

d. The angels of God are holy (Mark 8:38).

 e. They have no sex or sensuous desires (Matthew 22:30).

f. They have high intelligence, but they  do not know when the Lord will return to earth as King of Kings (Matthew 24:36).

 g. They could have been summoned to the aid of Jesus had He so desired (Matthew 26:53).  h. They will accompany Him when He returns to earth (Matthew 25:31).

 i. They will separate the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 13:41-49).

 j. During the Great Tribulation, after the Church has been raptured (taken out of harms way) to heaven, an angel

will be assigned to preach the eternal gospel to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people (Revelation 14:6). This confirms the prophetic announcement of Jesus that the end of time will not come until the gospel has been preached to all the nations (Matthew 24:13).  

4.  Their magnitude:

The Bible does not tells the precise angelical population, however, the Apostle John provides and very fascinating eye witness report from heaven:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels  around the throne…and the number of them was  myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,  (Rev.  5:11)

What John is reporting is he saw “ten thousand times ten thousand” plus “thousands of thousands” of angels around God’s throne in heaven. Multiplying 10,000 times one other 10,000 gives a total of 100,000,000 (100 million). But John saw “ten thousands [plural] times ten thousands” [plural] plus thousands (plural) times thousands (plural), an indefinite number that makes 100 million appear rather puny. Thus, there are hundreds and hundreds of millions, probably billions, of angels.

The prophet Daniel saw a similar scene as John and reported:

Thousands upon thousands were attending  Him, And myriads upon myriads were

 standing before Him (Dan. 7:9–10).

5. Conclusion.

Some future day, most of us will discover that during this brief time we spend in human bodies, we are surrounded by angels performing God’s will on earth.

Angels

Do they exist? In your life?

“Angel” is a word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger". The word is used to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his will (purposes). It appears in the first and last books of the Bible and over 275 times throughout.  These superior beings are very numerous(Daniel 7:10; Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13; Hebrew 12:22,23). . There are angels present in the life of each believer 24/7.  Let’s just look at a few quick Biblical facts about angels:

1. During the Lord’s time on earth::  

a. Predicted His birth (Luke 1:16-23).  

 b. Proclaimed His birth (Luke 2:13).  

 c. Protected the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13).

d. When the Lord was tempted by Satan, the angels strengthened Him (Matthew 4:11)

 e. and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).  

f. They rolled away the stone from the tomb (Matthew 28:2)

 g. and announced the resurrection (Mathew 28:6).

 

2. About the characteristics of angels:  

a. They existed before creation began (Job 38:6-7).  

b. They are extremely intelligent (1 Peter 1:12),

c. Have emotions (Luke 2:13)

 d. and are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14).

e.  Are distinct from human beings (Psalms 8:4-5)

 f. and never die (Luke 20:36).  

g. They have great power (2 Peter 2:11).

3. Jesus provides us with in depth knowledge about angels:

 a. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Their angels is often taken as a reference to "guardian angels." We certainly do have angels watching over us and ministering to us (Hebrews 1:14), but there is no specific reference in the Bible "guardian angel."

b. He speaks of the "angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30),

 c. and of "the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

d. The angels of God are holy (Mark 8:38).

 e. They have no sex or sensuous desires (Matthew 22:30).

f. They have high intelligence, but they  do not know when the Lord will return to earth as King of Kings (Matthew 24:36).

 g. They could have been summoned to the aid of Jesus had He so desired (Matthew 26:53).  h. They will accompany Him when He returns to earth (Matthew 25:31).

 i. They will separate the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 13:41-49).

 j. During the Great Tribulation, after the Church has been raptured (taken out of harms way) to heaven, an angel

will be assigned to preach the eternal gospel to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people (Revelation 14:6). This confirms the prophetic announcement of Jesus that the end of time will not come until the gospel has been preached to all the nations (Matthew 24:13).  

4.  Their magnitude:

The Bible does not tells the precise angelical population, however, the Apostle John provides and very fascinating eye witness report from heaven:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels  around the throne…and the number of them was  myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,  (Rev.  5:11)

What John is reporting is he saw “ten thousand times ten thousand” plus “thousands of thousands” of angels around God’s throne in heaven. Multiplying 10,000 times one other 10,000 gives a total of 100,000,000 (100 million). But John saw “ten thousands [plural] times ten thousands” [plural] plus thousands (plural) times thousands (plural), an indefinite number that makes 100 million appear rather puny. Thus, there are hundreds and hundreds of millions, probably billions, of angels.

The prophet Daniel saw a similar scene as John and reported:

Thousands upon thousands were attending  Him, And myriads upon myriads were

 standing before Him (Dan. 7:9–10).

5. Conclusion.

Some future day, most of us will discover that during this brief time we spend in human bodies, we are surrounded by angels performing God’s will on earth.