Selah - Pause and think of this...

‎"Begin to worship God for who He is. Resist the urge to draw Him into your circumstances. Instead, let Him draw you into a place of majesty." ~ Graham Cook

Who is God?

Thank you Hyde Park Methodist

Wow, that is too big of a question to even try to answer here or anywhere.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians at Rome wrote this:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33 ESV

God is not unsearchable as if to say we should not spend the rest of our lives trying to get to the depths of understanding. Paul was declaring that we would never run out of discovery in searching out and delighting in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Inscrutable - now that's a funny word! I had to look it up because I wasn't quite sure what it meant. Here is what Dictionary.com had to say:

Inscrutable - Impossible to understand or interpret; impenetrable; mysterious.

This word is not meant to be a stop sign. God is impossible to understand - but this does not mean that we should not study to understand everything we can about God.

Paul's exclamation of the mysterious God is your invitation to jump in, there is NO bottom!

So, why should we plumb the depths of who God is? Why take the time to know him and understand him? Isn't the study of who God is the job of the pastor or Sunday school teacher?

No, in fact if you don't take the time to discover the mystery of God, you can't please him.

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Hebrews 11:6 AMP

If you possess faith you please God and if you don't possess faith you do not please God. It's that simple. It is impossible to have faith in God without knowing about Him.

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that in Christ's hometown he could perform no mighty miracles because of the unbelief of the people in that community. Look at your own life? Is it characterized by miracles? I mean real miracles.

Look - see what Jesus himself said about the miraculous and believers:

And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;

They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:17-18 Amp

What signs follow you, what signs follow me? Do these signs, that Jesus spoke of as he ascended to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, follow us?

Most of us battle with demons rather than drive them out, we speak of doubt, defeat and worry rather than speak in new languages. And while most of us wouldn't dream of picking up a serpent we do drink deadly drinks daily - and it destroys us. We do not seek to lay hands on the sick for their recovery - We ARE the sick!

So, who is God?

He is who he says he is. Whenever we experience less of God than everything he says is, and everything he says he can do, it is our faith walk that must come into question, not the faithfulness of God.

I know. This makes me uncomfortable too.

What can be done about this huge discrepancy between what the Word of God and our experience?

Princess Diaries - Walk by Faith

I just love watching the movie "Princess Diaries". Last night it was aired on the Hallmark Channel and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch it. Today in church I heard the Lord talking to me about the movie.

The transformation of Mia Thermopolis, played by Anne Hathaway, as she becomes who she is by heritage is stunning. She doesn't know it yet but she is the granddaughter of Queen Clarisse Renaldi and next heir in line to the throne of Genovia. As far as she knows, Mia is just an awkward teenager growing up in San Francisco. When her grandmother comes to America to retrieve her so that she can take her rightful place as princess, Mia's response is "Shut up!"

Watch this short clip as Mia's true identity is revealed to her by her grandmother.

About half way through this clip is the "Shut up!" scene. "...You got the wrong girl. I never lead anybody. Not at Brownies, Not at Campfire Girls. Um...Queen Clarisse, my expectation in life is to be invisible, and I'm good at it." The queen encourages her that she can indeed teach Mia to be a proper princess.

It's not a perfect analogy but I see Queen Clarisse as the Holy Spirit who is the one sent to remain with us after Christ ascended after his resurrection to teach us and remind us of all things. The Holy Spirit's job is to teach us to be a Royal Priesthood.

If you doubt your heritage just keep reading. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we are told that we are raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly realms.

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephsians 2:1-10

This clip ends with a powerful statement that the Lord has replayed in my mind over and over.

Queen Clarisse Renaldi: Helen, if Amelia refuses to accept the throne, then Genovia will cease to exist as we know it.
Helen Thermopolis: So the future of your country is in the hands my 15-year-old?

Some would argue that since God is sovereign He doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes on this earth, but I believe that it is because He is sovereign that somehow he has chosen mankind to accomplish His purposes on this earth. We are called to be "ministers of reconciliation".

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV

He has committed to us, to you, to me the message of reconciliation, as though God were making his appeal through us.

It's not enough to "click on the 'I Agree' button" to salvation and not take the time to understand what we are entitled to in our covenant, our inheritance, by faith. We need to know this not only for ourselves but as ambassadors of our heavenly kingdom.

In the movie, Princess Diaries, Mia is completely made over from head to toe, educated in matters of diplomacy, royal table manners, how to walk, talk, even how to royal wave! She was a princess by birth but she needed to be educated on how to carry herself in every circumstance as a princess.

We are royal priesthood. The Bible is our manual for royalty training, it is also the royal document to all that we have inherited by new birth. We are living far beneath our heritage...I am living below my heritage.

In the statement of faith that is the premise for this blog the third and fourth statement is "I am who God says I am" and "I can do all things through Christ." Can I just challenge you to join me to discover what God's Word says about this?

Mia, the princess of Genovia, went from life as an awkward teenager to abundant life as the royal Princess of Genovia - which she had been all along. The difference was revelation. When Grandma Queen Clarisse Renaldi revealed who she was -- the news changed everything.

You are His Masterpiece, His Workmanship, created for good works in Christ Jesus. Will you accept the challenge and live like royalty and act as ambassador for Christ? It might be better then you've ever imagined. Join me as we discuss & discover what God's Word has to say about your calling in to Royalty.

When Jesus Can Perform No Miracle

photo: Thank you Midway Baptist Church

Mark 6:1-6 NIV

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Faith, or lack of faith, caused Jesus to be amazed, or marvel. (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10).

If I have faith, where are the miracles?

The one and only time that Jesus could not (see in verse 5 where it says He could not do any miracles) is in the passage above. The only condition described for this phenomenon was the lack of faith among his own towns people.

Hebrews 11: 6 tell us that "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God." I argue, but YES, I do have faith. Okay then, where is the evidence of the greater things that Jesus promised to believers?

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Almost with out fail whenever I talk with someone about supernatural, miraculous healing such as the healing activity that characterized the ministry of Jesus, I am told that, "It's not always God's will to heal?" Really? When, in scripture, was it not God's will to heal?

When true faith is present, supernatural things happen...every time. And without this kind of faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.

I love this quote that I saw when I was researching for today's blog post:

Faith isn’t about size. Jesus said if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains. Jesus was saying that faith doesn’t come in small, medium, or large sizes. Faith is either present or absent. If it’s absent, your life is full of limitations, and you are stuck in Nowhere Land. If it’s present, you can move mountains. Real Power Maxing Out on God's Love

I'm just saying that I'm looking at my own life and saying that I know I have a form of godliness - but there is no "faith evidence". Not according to scripture. Not according to Jesus.

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:22-25 NIV

I cannot think of a time when I have done any thing that even resembles the moving a mountain. Don't get me wrong - I am blessed beyond measure. God is so good to me and I truly have seen God work in my life - but I am operating way below my potential for what God has for me. I know it! I believe that God knows it and is calling me to know and walk in this truth.

The above verse is in the context of Jesus cursing the fig tree. Jesus response to Peter, when Peter noticed the tree was dried up and dead 24 hours later, seems to indicate that Peter and the other disciples should be able to do this too.

As I wrestle with this thought, testing my own faith, I ask, "Do I have the kind of faith that pleases God?" "Do I have the kind of faith that makes Jesus marvel as the centurion of Matthew 8:5-13, or the Syrophoenician woman of Matthew 15:21-28?

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Again - whenever the miraculous was not present God's will was never in question it was the faith of the disciples. I know, that makes me uncomfortable too.

It only takes faith as tiny as that of a mustard seed to move an entire mountain. In fact, with faith that tiny "nothing will be impossible" to us. Nothing.

This has become a burning desire to have and build the faith that pleases God. The faith that preaches and teaches the good news of the Gospel - the power of God unto salvation. A faith that compels my family, my friends and neighbors to say, "Tell me about this God that you serve. I want to know him too."

The kind of faith that Jesus speaks of when he says I can do what he did while he as on this earth, and greater things.

In an effort to distance ourselves as not being a "seeker of signs & wonders" we have distanced ourselves from the signature of our Savior. When Jesus preached the Gospel, people were healed and set free...and their sins were forgiven them.

Stop by the blog tomorrow and discover what does the Princess Diaries movie have to do with walking by Faith.