Come Let Us Create Our Own god.

The dissatisfied gathered to tell of their woes.
Our enemy worships a God we do not like.
Our enemy tries to convert us!
This God of the enemy is far too judgmental.
He is not fair, cried some.
He is not real, thought most.

Let us make a god of our own.
He will be powerful!

Shall we give him the answers?
NO- he will not tell us what to do.
He will stand for what is right.
NO- he will not tell us then what is wrong.
Shall he stand for justice?
NO- he will not judge us.
Will he crush our enemies?
NO- our god will only love.
Will he die for us?
They laughed, what kind of god would do that?

He will give us what we want,
He will accept us for who we are.

A time of great trouble came,
a time of great war.
 The dissatisfied called upon their god.
What shall we do?
But, their god had no answers.
Fight for us! Defend us
But, their god could not.
Why do you not destroy our enemies?
This is not fair!

They began to turn upon each other,
to war within themselves.
Blame and quarrel, then fists and weapons,
they tore each other apart.
Their god stood by and gave them what they wanted.

Much time had passed.
The end of the war came,
most did not survive.

They stood before the God of the others, the God they had mocked.
A God who stood for justice, a God who judged.
A God with the answers,  a God they could trust.
He is real they thought.

Your sin stands between you and I, said this God.
You must pay the penalty, you must set things right.
We cannot they cried, it is not fair!
Is it fair that your enemy should pay for his sins?
Oh Yes! that is fair.
Your enemy has a God that died for them,
My son, their God has paid for their sin.
.

Why did they not tell us?
They did. You would not hear.
Why did we not listen?
You created a god that gave you what you wanted,
a god that would not tell you what was right and wrong.
You created a god that was powerless.

Abandoned they stood....



Where is your god?
They looked around....
their god was not there.






Also published on my other blog A Southern Belle With Northern Roots

Sonday- Why is God in your Politics?(Imported from Southern Belle With Northern Roots

 Why do you always bring religion into politics?
The question put forth by both those opposed to God as well as the nominal Christian, "God belongs in church and no where else!"
Easy to say if you don't know God for who he says he is, if the bible is a mere storybook. Sing a hymn on Sunday and by Sunday evening make damn sure he stayed in church and isn't around telling us what to do in our homes, our schools, our businesses  and in our politics.
If God does not exist to you then you may mock the very thought of the big guy in the sky and those who believe in him. You may instead worship the earth, global warming, society or the big book of "How to do Whatever I Please."
Those who leave their fate to chance have no desire for any imposed absolute moral standard to govern them.

A believer in Christ lives a life governed by and subject to a holy creator.
A believer knows apart from Christ he can do nothing. John 15
He believes the word of Christ dwells within him Col 3:16, and Christ himself lives in him. Eph 3:17.
A believer in Christ knows God establishes all government, Romans 13.
Therefore, they do not live their lives or vote apart from God.
 When a person becomes a parent, their whole life changes, they think in ways they never did before, always knowing their words and decisions effect their children. They begin to anticipate how things will be in the future, it would be safe to say they could not live, discuss or vote in a manner in which they cease to be a parent.
Just as a persons ethnicity, culture and backgrounds factor into their voting, they vote towards ideas and candidates that "fit" into who they are or who they wish to become.
So it is for a Christian, a true believer in Christ and in the bible, he cannot remove God to go vote or to debate an issue. Even if they would not speak his name, his very presence withing them is a part of their thoughts, words and actions. Still acting as fallible human beings guided by the Holy Spirit, this Christian is never separate from God, just as a non believing voter brings in to the voting booth their opinions, beliefs and entire history which has formed them into the person they are.

Law is overwhelmingly, some would say completely based upon biblical principles. Stealing, murder, and the treatment of others are all set before us as laws of the land and laws of God. As a people we demand justice, we depend on it.
A problem arises when we define just , and by who's standards. What is fair and who says so?
The answer is either an absolute authority or the court of public opinion, subject to  whim, emotion and agenda.
Lest it be argued God is not just because of the evil in the world, or the rampant sin, slavery and other challenging issues, keep in mind, the bible's core truth is man is sinful. Sin, slavery, abuse all stem from mankind and we demand justice for it. Correct? So do you curse God because he allows it? Do you blame him? If so, you have just admitted he exists.
Scripture is full of examples of those who followed after God and the mistakes they made as well as those who reject him and curse him.
The final outcome is justice, ultimate justice based on an absolute truth, God is God, man is not. Man wrongs others and God demands justice, man wrongs God and God demands justice. Everyone will be held accountable for every word, for every action, that is just.
Fair? NO
Fair would be everyone would pay equally for their iniquities, but someone, Christ, paid for those who shall be called his. Completely unfair.
Those who reject him will pay for their own sins, that is after all....fair.

So if God is who he says he is, he is not separate from our lives, our conversations, our debates or our voting. You may wish to try and exclude him if you like, but he exists outside of Sunday morning and the next time you need him, when life stinks, when death is at your door and fear overwhelms you...he will be there too.




This was originally posted on my A Southern Belle With Northern Roots blog and has been copied and transferred by me, the author.

From a Friend in Japan

 

I wanted to pass along an update from a friend in Japan.

 

 

 

It has been one week since I wrote, 

"As I watch the news my heart is breaking for the people of Japan who are lost and without Christ.  Please pray that God will use this to bring millions to Himself." 

My heart is still breaking but we are here, healthy and rapidly developing a plan to engage our Japanese contacts, friends and neighbors with the message of the Gospel.  This morning I was on the phone with Jim Bowden our Cadence Missionary colleague located in Tokyo.  As we shared notes concerning what was happening in our respective locations, he shared a comment that was made by one of the Japanese folks he knows concerning what the Japanese are saying  on the streets about this disaster and the simple phrase that came out was:

"Divine Judgment"

That is an amazing statement considering that a Buddhist has no real frame work for God, but it speaks volumes concerning their sensitivity to and openness for a discussion of the Gospel message. What a privilege to be here at this moment in history and to have the only true words of Hope from God Himself.

If you love someone and you know that a Tsunami is heading toward them, then you will do everything you can to warn them.  Spiritually, as sinners we are all facing a "Tsunami" of judgment by a holy and just God and our only hope of rescue is in the shed blood of Christ, our dear risen Savior. We know the way to safety and our love for these precious people compels us to sound the alarm and lead as many as we can to divine rescue. 

We are humbled that all of us together can prayerfully and financially partner in this great work.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to those who are buried in the rubble of sin and hopelessness.

Blessings, 

Rick, for the both of us.

My i dol(l)

   The concept of  i dol(l) came from a BSF classmate, Sue, during the study of Isaiah. Thank you Sue for your insight. Praise God for his revelation.


  It is the time of  i phones,  i pads and  i pods. All personalized to our wants and needs,  and for everything we want or need...."there is an app for that."  an application, a download if you will.

so why not an i  dol(l)
like a doll, a me, filled to the brim with every convenient helpful application I desire.

I mean..we create idols all the time.

  John Calvin said the heart is a perpetual idol factory.
Sport events and teams that take all our time, energy and money, only to be let down when the season is over.
   We seek people and their opinions over God's

We have plenty of time to read but never time to read scripture. Perhaps taking the word of a mere man as gospel over the gospel itself.
We can be controlled by drink, food, addictions, or sex.  Only to be left feeling full of self and empty of soul.

Guilty
Tired


 Many cultures today still worship the idols of old, statues demi- gods.
But the oldest idol of all is still the most prevalent. The idol of self.
Why not call it the  i dol(l)
     downloadable, upgradable

Maybe I , my doll, is programmed to believe marriage is good and honorable, that relationships are sacred and should be protected.
then....someone comes along that gives me attention or makes me feel good,
I know Jesus said to look at another with lust is adultry

      Do I download that app? or do I disregard it?

God says not to covet anything of my neighbors, but my i dol(l) wants a bigger house and a nicer car...like he has. I can always choose to download the I am content and thankful for what I have app or the I deserve it, he doesn't, it's not fair  app.

Do not steal! Sounds good to me I don't want anyone stealing from me, yet

   I "borrow" from work or I copy a friends CD or computer program.
I mean I'm not really stealing that...they charge too much anyway. There is an app for that.


 James 1 :26 if anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

NEVERMIND... my i dol(l) is full there isn't even room for that one!


I fashion my i dol(l) however I like,
I serve my i dol(l)   I choose my i dol(l)

I often follow my i dol(l)'s whims and emotions, reacting to the world around me.
Is 44:20       Idols mislead and delude
 Is 57:13     Idols cannot save
Is 42:17      Those who trust in idols will be turned back in utter shame

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

 ¹ And God spoke all these words:  ² “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
 ³ “You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.
 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

idol- anything put in the place of God
             anything you exalt in your heart that is a substitute for God
           any belief about God that is not true



How do we cure idol and i dol(l) worship?
Well......guess what there is an app for that. It is called scripture.

Application-

–noun

1. the act of putting to a special use or purpose

2. the special use or purpose to which something is put

3. the quality of being usable for a particular purpose or in a special way; relevance: 

4. close attention; persistent effort an act or instance of spreading on, rubbing in, or bringing into contact: the application of a compress to a wound;

a salve, ointment, or the like, applied as a soothing or healing agent.

The word of God for a special purpose, relevant, a salve, an ointment applied to a wound. 


Stop by Spiritual Sundays for more thoughts and inspiration.

Glancing or Gazing Upon the Lord

Jaded- worn out, wearied     to make or become dull
Glance- to look suddenly and briefly
Gaze- to look intently and steadily
       stare as in wonder or expectancy


There is nothing like lying in a hospital bed to increase your prayer life.
 Pain, tubes, morphine hallucinations...
  one feels vulnerable, weak.

Before going in unexpectantly for a second surgery, if you had asked me about my faith I would have said it was strong.... yet relaxed.
Now I had no faith crisis, no disbelief, no struggle with God, I had just become comfortable.
Prayer- less frequent, study less intense, if one were to climb a ladder of faith I had perhaps stepped down a rung.

Once when I was a new Christian a friend that had been active in the church for years said to me, "You haven't been a believer long enough to be jaded."
   I remember being shocked and praying that night that I never would become "jaded".
yet...
somehow over the years that fire within , the desire to know God more became...dulled.
Always in a bible study learning about Him but not meeting with Him.
Always praying to Him but not approaching Him.
You see I was glancing at Him. I was not gazing upon Him.
My head knew and my heart forgot.

Still knowing He was on the throne,
              mighty,
                     merciful,
           holy and full of grace,
I glanced his way.
The will of man sometimes needs drastic measures to stop wandering away from the very God who created him.

So there I sat, weak, tired- no exhausted, self absorbed and uncomfortable in a hospital bed when a knock came.
In walked a man with gray hair and a full smile, he worked at the hospital in food service.
He asked if he could sing me a song.
I said yes.
He sang Beulah Land.
He spoke scripture.
Encouragement straight from God.
 The focus of the song is on eternity, the promise of Christ's return to gather those who are his. Focus on Him and His redeeming work....Beulah Land, the Promised Land.
when we glance His way it is easy to stay focused on ourselves
when we gaze and look intently and expectantly we should be in awe of who He is.

Do not glance upon the writer of History, do not merely look His way.
Gaze upon Him who can carry you into a glorious eternity;
To a place of glory, without pain, without fear.
Look intently....expectantly for He comes faithful and true.

Beulah Land

I'm kind of homesick for a country
to which I've never been before
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
and time won't matter anymore

Beulah Land I'm longing for you,
and someday on thee I'll stand
There my home shall be eternal.
In Beulah Land, Sweet Beulah land

I'm looking now across that river,
to where my faiths 'gonna end in sight
There's just a few more days to labor,
then I will take my heavenly flight

Beulah Land I'm longing for you,
and someday on thee I'll stand
There my home shall be eternal
In Beulah Land, Sweet Beulah land

In Beulah Land, Sweet Beulah land 



Stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiration.

Prone to Wander

 



Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love

Wander.....
          to the world and it's ways
          to the self
                  self seeking, self gratifying.

              to cherished sin...."It's not so bad."

Each wandering step away from God takes me closer to myself....
          where I am comfortable
             where I am self reliant.

Isaiah 1:13 (NIV)

 ¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings! 

Meaningless offerings.
God spoke through Isaiah, telling his people they were far from him in their hearts. They were going through the motions,
the ceremony; yet they were rebellious and corrupt, loaded with guilt.

      Could we say?
unrepentant,
    full of excuses,
       avoiding  and blaming?

Isaiah 1:15

 ¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer,
       I will hide my eyes from you;
       even if you offer many prayers,
       I will not listen. 

God will not listen?
God hears everything....nothing escapes him.
Yet sin keeps us from being close, when we wander.......we wander away from him, that distance is created by us, not him.
 The callous builds up
        the will grows stronger
               the heart harder
                   the neck more stiff.

Here's my heart O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Psalm 51

  ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
       and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

 The wanderer must stop 

                repent- turn from sin and self toward God and his grace

                refocus- toward him and others

Give up that which has mastered us, lay down that which has become an idol

Romans 6:14

¹⁴For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Isaiah 1:18

 ¹⁸ "Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

Believers- you are a child of God, saved by his grace, his grace will sustain you. His mercy is bestowed upon you. You are sealed, you are his. Live in this way.

              Wander no more.

To those who do not believe in Christ, the risen savior and Lord,

Isaiah 1:19-20

 ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
       you will eat the best from the land;

 ²⁰ but if you resist and rebel,
       you will be devoured by the sword."
       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Romans 2:5

 ⁵But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

             

Who made God? Part one of many.

Who made God?
Perhaps a ridiculous question to some, but one that can be asked in the innocence of a child or as an adult coming to grips with how and why we exist.
The better question would be Who is God?
Easier to answer? NO
Who made God? No one or No thing.
Who is God? That is where the answer lies.
In no way can I do this topic justice. This will merely be a human effort to state some basic Christian beliefs and state some common misconceptions.
God has always existed and always will. He is self sustaining and sustains all that is created.
  God is triune
    God the Father
       God the Son
          God the Holy Spirit

Wayne Grudem uses these 3 statements
  1. God is 3 persons.
  2. Each person is fully God.
  3. There is one God.

All 3 statements are true and are not in any way separate from each other. One statement is not more or less true than the others and no statement supersedes the others.
The word trinity is theological, it does not exist in scripture but comes from the systematic study of the word of God and the person of God. Based on scriptural truths it has become church doctrine.

False beliefs about these statements;
 Tritheism- (polytheism) God is 3 separate gods.

Ancient Greek and Roman cultures believed in a god for everything, today, the Hindu religion is still that belief system. Often referenced even here in America with statements of praying to the gods. or my god and your god, a rejection of one true absolute Deity.

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (New International Version)

 ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ^{[a] 5} Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

Exodus 20 (New International Version)

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

 ¹ And God spoke all these words:  ² "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
 ³ "You shall have no other gods before ^[a] me.

No other gods....This is not God acknowledging other gods but that man creates gods, powerless gods.
gods that rot....Isaiah 40:18-20
gods that cannot save Isaiah 45:20-21
worthless idols Isaiah 44:9-20

Modalism- God is one part of the trinity at a time or appears in one form of the trinity at a time.
 Today the United Pentecostal Church (not to be confused with general Pentecostal faiths) is Modalistic. They are often referred to as the Jesus only slogan and stress baptism in the NAME of Jesus, not the Father Son and Holy Spirit. They also claim speaking in tongues is necessary proof of salvation during this baptism, another false teaching.
To say God is in one Mode or another is to deny who God is.
Jesus' baptism
In John 10, Matthew 3, Luke 3

Mark 1:9-11 (New International Version)

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

 ⁹At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

God is 3 persons, each person is fully God, there is one God.
The church has long accepted the trinity and any church that denies this teaching is considered a false church.