Too Small God?

I borrowed this illustration - out of context - because it is such a great word picture:

Sin will always appears as a trifle to those whose view of God is small. If you were to discover a little boy pulling the legs off of a grasshopper, you would think it strange and perhaps a little bizarre. If the same little boy were pulling the legs off of a frog, that would be a bit more disturbing. If it were a bird, you would probably scold him and inform his parents. If it were a puppy, that would be too shocking to tolerate. You would intervene. If it were a little baby, it would be so reprehensible and tragic that you would risk you own life to protect the baby. What's the difference in each of these scenarios? The sin is the same (pulling the limbs off). The only difference is the one sinned against (from a grasshopper to a baby). The more noble and valuable the creature, the more heinous and reprehensible the sin. And so it is with God.

If God were a grasshopper, then to sin against Him wouldn't be such a big deal and eternal punishment wouldn't be necessary. But God isn't a grasshopper, He's the most precious, valuable, beautiful being in the universe. His glory and worth are infinite and eternal. Thus to sin against an infinitely glorious being is an infinitely heinous offense that is worthy of an infinitely heinous punishment.

We don't take sin seriously because we don't take God seriously. We have so imbibed of the banality of our God-belittling spirit of the age that our sins hardly trouble us at all. Our sin seems small because we regard God as small. And thus the penalty of hell--eternal conscious suffering under the wrath of God--always seems like an overreaction on God's part. If we knew God better, we wouldn't think like that.

Denny Burke's original post can be viewed here --> http://www.dennyburk.com/rob-bell-outs-himself/ - again I am using his illustration to make a point that has a different focus than Mr. Burke's topic.

Another thing happens when we minimize God and trivialize sin - the enemy has the opportunity to magnify the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches so they appear to be larger than our perception of God. We meditate on our sickness, our lack in finances, feelings of rejection, lonliness and low self esteem. We listen to the lies of the enemy that God is far off and we cultivate feelings that God couldn't possibly love us or is not willing to hear & answer our prayers.

When God is "big" in our thinking, the thought of him not meeting our needs or answering our prayes should be shocking. The trouble is that we expect God to only live up to the failed expectations of those around us who walk in unbelief. We don't pray with confidence for healing because we know of some wonderful saint of God that died in sickness when they prayed for healing. We don't understand what went wrong so we bring down our expectations of God and say that it was not God's will to heal - but when we say this we actually call God a liar. Ouch! Yes, because He reprents Himself as "I am the Lord that heals thee". Some how there is more we need to know about how to appropriate the fullness of who God wants to be known as among men.

We have all been here - when circumstances seem so much bigger than we are and even so much bigger than hope in God to come to our rescue.

When Jesus walked this earth as the Son of God, Scripture notes a couple of times where he was astonished by Faith...great Faith & lack of Faith. He was astounded, first at the lack of belief in his hometown (critical astonishment) and second at the faith of the Capernaum centurion (admiration). And note, Jesus could perfom only a few miracles in his own home town - because of their lack of faith.

No one is immune to bouts of unfaithfulness, and we all must be on guard against thoughts of magnifying our circumstances and minimizing God. Consider the unbelief of men in scripture:

• Abraham (Gen. 17:7), 
• Moses (Num. 11:21; 20:12), 
• The Disciples of Christ (Mt. 17:19,20; Lk. 24:11), 
• Zacharias the father of John the Baptist (Lk. 1:20). 

Each in their own fit of weakness turned their back on the Lord for a time.

The scripture calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God” in Psalms 46:10. As I meditate this verse and read what other men of God have had to say about this, I sense the Lord calling me to stop all of my efforts that are self directed, to stop all of the thinking that "worries" over the circumstances, the facts of what troubles us in our life -- and instead, replace the worry and anxious thoughts with how big our God, how mighty our God, how good, loving & willing our God is to save us and supernaturally turn the circumstances for our good.

In scripture it is always God's will to heal, guide, prosper and save his own people. When we contimplate all that scripture says that He is, and all that scripture says that he can do... we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony. We do not overcome by meditating the circumstance - we overcome by our spoken testimony of God's Faithfulness & His Word.

Preparation for whatever comes your way today is to take the magnifier off of yourself, & your circumstances and magnify your almighty God. It is always a good time to "Be Still and know that He is God" on a regular basis.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that you would know God's love that surpasses knowledge -that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. A BIG, BIG God.

Bold and unashamed for the gospel of Jesus Christ because we KNOW who we have believed.

SOMEONE LOVES YOU. UNCONDITIONALLY. UNSHAKABLE, UNFAILINGLY.
That Someone is God Himself. But how can that be possible? Why would God love you so? Because He has fashioned an unbreakable covenant between Himself and you. And He always keeps His promises. “Everything God does,” says Kay Arthur, “is based on His covenant.” And when you understand how thoroughly the dynamic concept of covenant permeates everything God says in His Word, and everything He does in our lives, you’ll come to experience one of the most stabilizing, most freeing truths you’ll ever know. Kay Arthur, Our Covenant God: Living in the Security of His Unfailing Love.

Our Covenant God: Living in the Security of His Unfailing Love - eBook By Kay Arthur / WaterBrook Press

 My very first Precept Upon Precept Bible Study was the study of Covenant. I fell in love with God all over again. As a grown woman who has been "saved" for more than 30 years - there were things that I had never even heard of or knew about God's Covenant with me. Through this study His Love captured my heart anew. That was 10 years ago. My heart is still filled with fresh love for my God, my redeemer, the Lover of My Soul.

Today is the last day of 2011. I am strongly impressed that THIS is the year I am called to act on the mandate that God has given to me. Now is the time to step out in Faith and know Him deeper and proclaim His Goodness. This new year is the year that I stop putting off God's call in my life until "someday."

God's Mandate - To know Him and make Him known.
God is calling me, calling us to a deeper, richer, more fulfilling "knowing" of Himself. He has done much to demonstrate His boundless love towards us. God shares the intimacy of His many powerful names as descriptions of His character and identity. Through this insights into himself, He makes Himself available as Healer, Provider, Almighty, and Ever-Present Help in time of need.

In September of 2010, the associate pastor's wife at Conrad Mission Church, introduced the women to a study by Beth Moore called "Believing God". This was another pivotal and life changing Bible Study for me.

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Believing God By Beth Moore / B & H Publishing Group If God is who he says he is and can indeed do what he says he can do, why are so many Christians living mediocre lives? Beth Moore thinks that there is a simple answer to this question: unbelief. Therefore, in Believing God she challenges us to take God at his word, believe his promises and, as a result, live fuller lives. Don't be afraid to set aside your unbelief and experience the great blessings of God's promises.

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In this study, Beth Moore builds the lessons on this 5 part statement of Faith:

1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is alive and Active in me.

Every day since that study I have had the call of God in my heart to really know each of those 5 statements with clarity and practical use in my every day life. It's is time to take this message from my heart to my world - to ignite a fire in the hearts of other believers to know and understand the God we believe in.

Paul states in the II Timothy 1:12, "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." Bold and unashamed for the gospel of Jesus Christ because we KNOW who we have believed.

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Believing God: Leader Kit DVD By Lifeway Based on Isaiah 43:10, Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith explores what it means to believe God. Through studying the lives of Abraham, Moses, and others from Hebrews 11 as examples of persons who believed in God, Beth encourages women to deepen their own trust in God and receive a fresh word from Him. Join Beth for 10 life-changing weeks and learn to believe God! This Leader Kit includes ten video sessions on six DVDs, a Leader Guide, and one Member book.

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Identity Crisis?

God is who He says He is.

Thank you Agape House Fellowship

In my original post here at the Faith Project Blog I described the foundational statements for the Faith Project:

• God is who He says He is
• God can do what He says He can do
• I am who God says I am
• I can do all things through Christ
• The Word of God is alive & active in me

There is a stirring in me that this is important. I believe the Holy Spirit is saying that the deeper discovery of each of the above statements is critically important.

It seems that the culture of the Christian Church and it's members are suffering from a very serious identity crisis. I say this carefully and not with self-righteous criticism. At this point I include myself in this crisis. Let's define this thing that I am calling an identity crisis.

Identity is whatever makes an entity definable and recognizable, in terms of possessing a set of qualities or characteristics that distinguish it from other entities (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Identity, First published Wed Dec 15, 2004; substantive revision Sun Oct 1, 2006).

Crisis is defined as a crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point; a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined. Further crisis is defined as a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic,political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change. In the life of an individual, crisis defines a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life. In health, the point in the course of a serious disease at which a decisive change occurs, leading either to recovery or to death (Dictionary.com).

Looking at these two definitions as it relates to the statement, "God is who He says He is" brings me to tears. 

The crisis, the turning point that we face which the trend of all future events, for better or worse, will be determined is understanding the definable and recognizable set of qualities and characteristics that distinguishes our God, our Jehovah from all other entities.

Our knowledge and comprehension of the Almighty God, for most of us, so shallow it's not enough to build our own identity on. When we know who He is we understand who we are. You and I are created in the the image of God.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27 KJV

The understanding of God by the Christian Culture as a whole is at best ambiguous. If our understanding of God is ambiguous it is no wonder we struggle to define ourselves or we define ourselves inappropriately. Outside of an identity in Christ the identity we represent ourselves to be in this world is a facade and impossible to stand the test of time and eternity.

On understanding the concept of identity, the German philosopher, Georg Hegel is quoted,

"Identity is the identity of identity and non-identity." 

When we come to understand the identity of God we also must come to the understanding of who He is not. Grasping this important concept is the crisis point - all future events - individually and collectively are defined by this and this alone.

Okay, let me make this street level. I'll make it personal. Because I don't know, really know and spend time focusing on the attributes of God I believe him to be at best uninvolved and detached  from me and my world. My vision and expectation of God are solely based on what I know about him - or don't know about him. Since I am created in the image of God I am, by nature, the "same as" or similar to God my creator. when my understanding of that which I am "the same as or similar to" is vague, I am unclearly defined. But, by nature I am created with an identity that must be realized.

The temptation that Eve gave in to when she ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was to "be like God." Did she not understand that she was made in His image and already "like God"? The one bite that she took was the first step to seeking her identity outside of God. Humanity continues to do this everyday.

Because I don't know really know and understand the identity of God I seek my identity outside of God, facing life in a false sense of identity which is like the foolish man who built his house on sand.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Matthew 7:26-27

The key to a solid powerful identity is in getting to know and understand God and who He is. God reveals himself to me, and you, in His Name. The Name of the Lord is not just a label. The Name of the Lord is an identifier, revealing the definable and recognizable set of qualities and characteristics that distinguish our God, our Jehovah from all other entities.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Join me in discovering who God says that He is.

{site sponsor}

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Lord, I Want To Know You, Kay Arthur Series By Random House, Inc When the car won't start we call a mechanic. Likewise, when the bathroom overflows we call a plumber. Yet, when we are in the midst of a spiritual struggle we often fail to call upon God's provision, comfort and strength. In this insightful study of God's names, Kay will teach you how to call upon the names of God so that you can connect with your: Protector in times of vulnerability, Healer in times of illness, and Provider in times of financial drought. Learn how to call upon specific names of the Lord who can provide for your every need. Seventeen chapters

Praying always with all prayer...in the Spirit - Engaging in Spiritual Warfare

To most effectively rise as one who may learn to penetrate the darkness in prayer or ministry, let "Christ in you" infuse you with the Holy Spirit of one who being born into the bloodline of the Lamb of God, chooses to learn and live as one of His flock. It is these who are invited to "reign in life" now.

That is what we were "born again" to receive, to inherit and to live in. It is exciting and laden with blessing and joy....(this) requires a life that is based in "the basics" of prayer, the Word, and a growing faith. (page 30)

I pulled a package out of the mailbox, more substantial than the rest, it has to be a book. Ah, I love books. What did you bring me today, Father?

As I pulled the book from it's wrapping, my eyes focused on the title, "Penetrating the Darkness: Discovering the Power of the Cross Against Unseen Evil" by Jack Hayford with Rebecca Hayford Bauer.

The opening lines of this blog post come from this book. I respect Pastor Jack Hayford as a man of prayer, not given to sensational ministry, just a presenter of the good solid Word of God. I knew this book would be good.

As I write this post, I am only a few chapters into this book - the text already "glowing" with my fluorescent highlighter and notes written in the margins of nearly every page. There is no mistake that this book is in my hands. Reading it the message comes through as though it were a battle assignment from the King of King Himself.

This book a training manual on effective prayer for the believer who seeks to make a difference in their own life and in the lives of the people they love. The scripture says that "the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). One person CAN defeat the darkness - our prayers loose God's power - the same power that raised Christ from the dead, which dwells in us (Romans 8:11) - loosed into our own lives, the life of our spouse, our children, our pastor, youth pastor, our community, our world...Not only are we called to do this as believers, scripture equips us for effective battle.

Scripture tells us we are in a battle, lays out our armor as well as the rules for engagement. Ephesians 6:17-18 details our armor and calls us to "pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit". This directive does not sound like a last resort. "Well, all we can do is pray." Prayer is where effective warfare begins.

In the first two chapters, Pastor Hayford lays out the rules of engagement in this spiritual warfare as well as present the concept that the war is being waged between to kingdoms. The message of the Cross bestows on each of us a believers, a kingdom (Luke 22:29). The power and the presence of this Kingdom is the entry of God's will and rule - penetrating the kingdom of darkness.

The message of The Faith Project, as I seek to define and expound the five statements of faith:

1. God is who He says He is
2. God can do what He says He can do
3. I am who God says I am
4. I can do all things through Christ
5. The Word of God is ALIVE and active in Me

These statements of faith describe kingdom living - I can expect all of this as a citizen of the Kingdom of His Dear Son.

Faith begins where the will of God is known. The Bible is the written will of God. Effective prayer employs faith in the Living Word of God and expects God to act according to His Word.

In chapter three, which I will devote another blog post to, Pastor Hayford explores four areas that can successfully shape daily devotional prayer, which should be basic to every believer's faith walk. This is an important foundation for every believer, especially one that desires to employ the power of the Living God in every are of their life.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers. I Peter 3:12

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. I John 5:14-15 NIV

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Penetrating the Darkness: Discovering the Power of the Cross Against Unseen Evil By Jack Hayford Spiritual warfare is raging across the globe. How can we defeat the enemy? Encouraging you to stand firm in hope and light, Hayford lays out the strategies he's learned for overcoming evil. Discover how to develop powerful devotional habits, practice intercession, plead the blood of Christ, understand the correct use of binding and loosing, and more. 208 pages, softcover from Chosen.

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?

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.