Knowing God

Posted on August 2, 2013 by KD Manes under Salvation

“Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives. As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesmen to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction, and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.” – J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Trafalgar Square

What we believe about God and what we believe about ourselves shape how we pray (or don’t pray). Some people view God in the same vein they see their earthly father. Some see Him as an angry authoritarian. Others view Him as a disinterested bystander. Sadly, many have been hurt by a church. These people may view God as a bully, hypocrite, or suffocating perfectionist. From cosmic genie to “people are their own gods,” the list varies from person to person.

So, who is the true God?

What if our understanding of God is skewed? I know I’ve been guilty in the past of placing God in a neatly packaged box.

Hebrews 1:1-3 says:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His own Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

God is not whatever, whomever, or however our minds construe Him—apart from the Bible. To clearly understand God we need to get acquainted with His Son, Jesus, “the exact representation of God’s being.” God gave us the Bible, not just for the sake of knowledge, but also that we might come to Him and personally know Him.

The New Testament Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—present the life and teachings of Jesus. Each book focuses on a unique facet of His character. If you have never read any of them, I recommend beginning with John. Led by the Holy Spirit, he provides clear evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and by believing in Him we may have eternal life.

How has your understanding of God been shaped by family, friends, culture, church?

Do you know the truth about God?

Do you know God?

New Life

Posted on June 28, 2013 by KD Manes under Salvation

Disney’s adventure Oz the Great and Powerful first portrays shady illusionist Oscar Diggs struggling in a small town circus. After being swept away by a tornado, he pleads with God to save him from the storm.

Oscar, nicknamed Oz, plummets into the land of Oz. Here, the following changes transpire:

Black and white fades into vibrant color and visual dazzle
Oz finds a second chance in life
Despite the challenges, Oz finds purpose by using his talent to help the people of Oz
Oz finds that the greatness he yearns for is found through a different path than how he first envisioned

Changes

On the grander stage of real life—over 2,000 years ago—Jesus shared how one can make a major life altering change.

Change that miraculously begins under a new Master
Change that cleanses sin ridden hearts and creates new life within
Change where dullness fades to vibrant light and color due to a relationship with the living God
Change that positively affects us and our relationships in this life and in life after death
Change that results in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, comfort, and purpose

Why do we need to change? Change from what?

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we are born with this sin problem (Psalm 51:5). Our sin offends God, displacing Him from His rightful reign in our lives. The end result?

For the wages of sin is death. . .”

But . . .

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Do I hear an amen?

In a land that applauds the notion that truth is relative, the message of Christ being the only way to God the Father and to spiritual life is unpopular, but this is the truth that never changes.

What is the difference between accepting and rejecting Christ?

Heaven and hell. Life and death (John 3:36).

And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. . . .” – Hebrews 9:27

Surrendering to and following Christ is worth any temporal sacrifice.

We each must choose. None of us, who are able to understand, will be exempt (Romans 1:19-20).

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him [God] who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” – John 5:24

“Eternal life”—new life and a relationship with God—begins the moment one accepts Jesus as Savior. This life is completely dependent on God and lasts forever. When one accepts this free gift, the Holy Spirit resides within the believer. And physical death is only a prelude to living forever with God and with each other. This is the great news of the gospel.

Thirsty?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by KD Manes under Salvation

Nothing beats a cup of cold water on a hot summer day.

Just as our bodies hunger and thirst for physical food and water, our souls hunger and thirst for spiritual food and water.

One of my favorite Bible stories is Jesus talking to the woman at the well (John 4:1-26). No respectable Jewish man would be caught talking to one like her. For she was a despised Samaritan woman, a member of the mixed race that the Jews hated. She was also known to be living in sin.

I love that Jesus crossed all barriers to share the good news of the gospel with her.

In the heat of the day, Jesus stopped by the well where she was drawing water. He said to her:

Will you give me a drink?” – John 4:7

Surprised, the Samaritan woman said:

You are Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” – v. 9

Jesus answered:

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water . . . whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – vs. 10, 13-14

What did Jesus mean by “living water”? Several Old Testament verses speak about thirsting for God as one thirsts for water (Psalm 42:1; Isaiah 55:1; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1).

God is called the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9) and the spring of water (Jeremiah 17:13). Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah by forever quenching a person’s thirst for God (John 4:25-26). Only the Messiah can give this gift that satisfies the soul’s desire.

Are you spiritually thirsty? There is only One who can forever quench your thirst. His name is Jesus.

Today’s Word

Posted on June 14, 2013 by KD Manes under Salvation

May I share a word with you?

The Apostle John continued:

Through Him all things were made . . . . In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” – vs. 3-4

John’s use of the Word in Hebrew Scripture is linked with Genesis 1. God created by speaking the universe into orderly existence. Hebrew thought also associated Word as the source of God’s message through His prophets (Hosea 1:2) and God’s law—His standard of holiness (Psalm 119:11).

The philosopher Heraclitus (c. 535-475 B.C.) used the Greek thought of Word/logos as the divine logic, “an ordering principle for the universe.”

John used the Word to describe Jesus as God–a guy he knew and loved, but at the same time was Creator of the universe who perfectly revealed God the Father’s character and holiness.

The educated Greek reader would have understood John’s summary as Christ being the truth; not only the guiding principle of the universe, but also of every person’s soul. Thus, by the person of Christ—the Logos—one may attain harmony with God and His creation.

When Christ became human He became:

the perfect teacher who showed us how we should think (Philippians 2:5-11)
the perfect example who showed us not only how to live, but also enables us to do so (1 Peter 2:21)
the perfect sacrifice that satisfied God’s requirements for the removal of our sin (Colossians 1:15-23)

Jesus is not only our Creator and Sustainer, but He also holds our universe together (Colossians 1:15-17). If we try to live apart from Him, the purpose for which God made us will be void.

To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God–children not born of natural descent. . . but born of God.” – John. 1:12-13, NIV

Anyone who welcomes Jesus Christ as Lord of their life is reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Just as being born physically makes you alive and places you in your parents’ family, being born of God makes you spiritually alive and places you as His child (John 3:1-6).

By trusting and receiving Christ, the Holy Spirit will dwell in you (Romans 8:9-10; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 13:5). God won’t force Himself on anyone, but He will breathe new life into the surrendered soul. He will also rearrange attitudes, desires, and motives.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Have you asked Christ to make you a new person? It’s not too late. This new life is available to all who place their confidence in Jesus Christ, ask for His forgiveness, and confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:8-10).

Victory In Jesus

Posted on March 29, 2013 by KD Manes under Salvation

“For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

I find it interesting that there are hundreds of messianic prophecies in the Old Testament of the Bible―God’s revelation predicting the coming Messiah. These 39 books were written between 1450 B.C. and 430 B.C. God chose to reveal His plan to redeem mankind, and each of His proclamations about the coming Messiah has been revealed in Jesus.

God revealed to the prophet Amos, who lived 700 years before Jesus was crucified, that “on that day” the sun will set at noon and darkness will cover the earth (Amos 8:9). And then Matthew, one of many eyewitnesses, confirms that the entire land became dark for three hours (Matthew 27:45). This darkness at Jesus’ crucifixion is Matthew’s first supernatural sign before God’s salvation of the world.

When darkness swallowed the sun, Jesus swallowed death in victory.

The Psalmist in Psalm 118:15b-17 (HCSB) predicts Christ’s rising from the grave:

“The Lord’s right hand performs valiantly! ¹⁶The Lord’s right hand is raised. The Lord’s right hand performs valiantly!” ¹⁷I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done.

Mark 16:6 (NIV) records an angel saying,

Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

The Father raised Jesus up in the power of His Holy Spirit, seating Him at His right hand―to His original position before Jesus took on flesh (John 1:1-5). Jesus reigns victoriously (Philippians 2:9-11) and will one day reign in justice over His new earth (Revelation 21). The question I must ask myself: Does Jesus reign victoriously in my heart, or am I harboring sin?

I love that the apostle Paul gives the image of God’s children sitting victoriously with Christ in the “heavenly realms,” replacing the image of us as being objects of God’s wrath due to our sin (Ephesians 2:1-9). This is made possible only because our sinless Lord took our deserved punishment upon Himself (Isaiah 53:4-12). Our eternal life is secured only through Jesus Christ (1 John 5:11-12).

As God’s children, do we embrace God’s grace and extend it to others?

Maybe you’re unsure whether or not you are God’s child. This is a decision only you can make. The church can’t save you. Your good works or parents’ faith can’t save you.

There are no guarantees for tomorrow. Isaiah 55:6-7 says,

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.⁷Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”

If God is knocking on your heart’s door, please don’t ignore Him. I encourage you to call out to Christ, seek His forgiveness, and ask Him to save you. He loves you!