Posted by: the warrioress | August 28, 2012

Back to School Realities

L1070262

I haven’t been here much of late because I’ve had a teenager to get back into school. Saturday night we had a back to school dance party and I supervised some teenage friends of my daughter’s, which was really a pleasure. I know some might think I’m being sarcastic, but I’m really not. It’s incredible to observe young minds in action these days. I enjoy studying what they value, how they talk to each other, and like listening to what interests them.

The party was probably more fun to get ready for than it was to actually have, in my opinion. We decorated a glider with sparkling white light so that it would be a romantic spot for some private time, and strung some lights around the porch where the DJ booth/stereo system was. We decorated a large room addition, (our den), and served refreshments and had movies and games available for the kids. We had low red light in the room to set the mood for a party, and the kids seemed to really enjoy it all.

A glass of sweet tea I spent most of my time quietly listening to various CD’s and enjoying the cool breeze at the table that we had placed by the “dance floor,” a large rock patio that I created many years ago. We served hot dogs with chili, chips and dips, and various sodas and sweet tea. The party was a hit, in my opinion, and now that it is behind us, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and move on to the next item on the agenda. We got me and my child to bed early last night, (before ten pm), which really was a miracle, and we were up again by five am this morning.

A school bus photographed in New York, New Yor...

She hurried out the door to catch the school bus by seven am. Another sigh of relief was slowly exhaled as I waved goodbye and prayed quietly for her to have a great first day. She was pretty tired this evening when she got home on the bus, and we had a lot more to do before supper, baths, and getting her to bed. Anyway, I’m not sure where blogging is going to fit into the new schedule now, but not to worry, I’ll figure out something.

Sorry I’ve been out of touch, everybody!  I’ll try to do better, I promise.

Mocha Puppy

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Posted by: the warrioress | August 19, 2012

Knowing God (Part Two)

“When My Father and Mother Forsake Me, Then The Lord Will Take Me Up” — Psalm 27:10

Well, they did and He did. God kept His promise.

~=~=~=~=~

The primary way that I have known God through out my life has been experiential. I have experienced a very intimate, private, personal relationship with God.

I first became aware of God as a toddler in a crib; I was potentially about three years old at the time, but I didn’t know that this presence had a name; “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” “IAM,” or the infamous “Yahweh,” I was not familiar with. I didn’t know what or who God was, nor did I know that this being I sensed in the terror and confusion my life had become, was anything more than just being present…. if that makes sense.

There was comfort in it being there, but it wasn’t quite tangible to me because I couldn’t see it. I simply knew it was there, real, and that it cared; still it wasn’t doing anything about my situation. It wasn’t changing anything. I guess the best way to put what it was doing was that it was watching and letting me know something was there and I was comforted by its presence.

At three, I had no formal religious teaching, training, no church schooling, no influence of any kind that would draw me toward God; I was also still practically a baby and so knowing God was very limited. As time marched on, I began to be exposed to a rare moment or situation where the name “God” was mentioned without a curse word attached to it; for example, where the name Jesus Christ was discussed briefly by a distant relative, like a few lines in a letter; I was also sent a children’s story bible by that same elderly aunt. I saw the pictures, read the stories, and eventually went to the vacation bible school my grandmother dropped me off at through my younger years; these I still did not connect to that being I had once sensed and felt so early on in my life.

By the time I was a young teen, I was wild and unruly, and in minor trouble. Running away from home was a crime and because I ran away often, I was considered a juvenile delinquent and a petty criminal. This kind of life wears upon a child quickly. It destroys innocence and childhood. It is indescribable in its many horrors due to the evil that is out in the world in so many forms. I believe that on the afternoon that the young Christian couple stopped to offer me a ride, that I might have died that day, had they not. Without getting into a lot of the gory details, I was tired, drained, and pretty much at the end of the line. I guess one could say I was young teen child going on twenty-eight, and didn’t much care to see another day, much less another year.

What I experienced under the guidance of a well known saint of that time, Frances Hunter, was nothing short of miraculous in the change that came over me and my life, through my calling out to God from the heart, sincerely. This saint of God prayed with and for me. Her prayer was powerful. I belonged to God officially from that point forward. Though I strayed a little some years later, I never got out of calling distance from the Lord. I always knew who my Heavenly Father was. I always knew who to come running back to when the times got tough; still I determined to continue to go my own way and I have paid many consequences for doing that along the journey.

What I have learned, essentially, can be summed up by these two words:

“ABBA FATHER”

This describes it all just perfectly, so please take the time to read through the following so that you can understand what I’m trying to get across to you when I explain how I have personally known God.

Question: “What does it mean that God is our Abba Father?”

Answer: In Scripture there are many different names used to describe God. While all the names of God are important in many ways, the name “Abba Father” is one of the most significant names of God in understanding how He relates to people. The word “Abba” is an Aramaic word that would most closely be translated as “Daddy.” It was a common term that young children would use to address their fathers. It signifies the close intimate relationship of a father to his child, as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his “daddy.”

While most people, at least those who do not irrationally deny the existence of God, would claim that all are “children of God,” the Bible reveals quite a different truth. We are all His creations and under His authority and Lordship and will all be judged by Him, but being a child of God and having the right to truly call Him “Abba Father” is something that only born-again Christians are able to do (John 1:12-13).

Understanding that not all people are children of God and that becoming a child of God only happens when you are adopted by God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26) is important for understanding how and why God deals with people differently. If we are born again (John 1:12, 3:1-8), we have been adopted into the family of God, redeemed from the curse of sin and are “joint heirs with Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7). Part of that new relationship is that God now deals with us differently, which includes His chastisement when we sin (Hebrews 12:3-11). Because of that new relationship, Christians may sin, but they cannot be comfortable or content living a life of habitual, ongoing sin. If a person is living a life enslaved to sin and is comfortable in that sin and without the chastisement of God upon them, then we know they are “illegitimate and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8). In other words, they are unbelievers.

The misguided but popular concept that all people are children of God and can truthfully call Him “Abba Father” is simply not true. Just as children do not choose to be adopted or choose who will adopt them, neither do Christians choose to become children of God. Instead, God chooses them He predestines them “to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5), having been chosen by God from “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

It is life changing to understand the full force of what it means to be able to call the one true God our “daddy” and what it means to be joint heirs with Christ. Because of our relationship with God we know He no longer deals with us as enemies; instead we can approach a holy God as our heavenly Father with “boldness” (Hebrews 11:19) and “full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 11:22). We have that confidence because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

The benefits of being adopted children of God are many. Becoming a child of God is the highest privilege and honor that can be imagined. Because of it we have a new relationship with God and a new standing before Him. He deals with His children differently than He deals with the rest of the world. Being a child of God, adopted “through faith in Christ Jesus” is the source for our hope, the security of our future and the motivation to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” (Ephesians 4:1). Being children of the “King of Kings” and Lord of Lords” calls us to a higher standard, a different way of life and a greater hope.

As we come to understand the true nature of God as revealed in the Bible we should be amazed that He not only allows us, but even encourages us, to call Him “Abba Father.” It is amazing that a holy and righteous God, who created and sustains all things, who is the only all-powerful, all knowing, ever-present God, would allow sinful humans to call Him “daddy.” As we come to understand who God really is and how sinful we are, the privilege of being able to call Him “Abba Father” will take on a whole new meaning for us and help us understand God’s amazing grace.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Abba-Father.html

Recommended Resource: Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

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Posted by: the warrioress | August 18, 2012

Knowing God (Part One)

One of my regular readers and commenters asked me if I could calculate how much of my knowing God has to do with bible knowledge and how much has been through personal experience. I had to think about it, but I decided that eighty-eight percent of my knowing God has been subjective, experiential, and due to feeling, sensing God, and communing with God; the remaining twelve percent has been through the word of God, the bible.

Experiencing God, for me, has been through a variety of incidences from nearly three years old, up to now. These various situations and crisis’ taught me who God is and I began to know Him and a get a real gist and “feel for Him” over time. Though I experienced a kind of sense of God and saw Him in action in my life, I did not actually start to realize God until I decided to accept, believe, and turn to Him. When I sought God out, committed myself to Him, and meant it wholeheartedly, I began to seriously know God and have real peace within my life. God began to teach me and lead me. God began to take charge of my life and prepare me to be used as He has seen fit, despite my many flaws and failings.

Over time as I saw what I would consider to be miracles occur within my life, I saw God stepping in, and intervening in my life when He must have found it necessary. When I prayed and saw results, sometimes instantly, I believe I was being allowed to know God.  When God answered and continues to answer prayer in my life, when He has guided me through troubled times, when I’ve seen that He was ever faithfully there for me, I really knew God. Through this knowing of God, I began to trust God, just as I would trust a best friend whom I developed a deep, loving relationship with.

Prayer has been an important part of knowing God. This is the communing aspect of sharing my soul with Him, and listening and feeling Him sharing Himself with me. There are many methods of communication available with God when He desires to share His will with us. God speaks through other people and in a multitude of ways. There is also a quiet, but firm voice within my mind that I have acknowledged as the voice of God, or maybe it is the Holy Spirit. It isn’t a startling thing, nor is it out of the ordinary. It is a comforting, steadying voice, but it is not an audible voice. It’s an internal thing.

I can commune with God pretty much anywhere, anytime I want; this is akin to a continuous hook up; I am always plugged into God no matter what I’m doing or where I am. There is an ongoing sense of Him with me, of His presence always near and an actual part of me. Through living my life like this over time, I have come to know, be at home with, and recognize God. God is not intrusive. His presence is easy, gentle, quiet, steady, and is ever-so natural. It’s the most natural thing in the world, in fact, and I love it.

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Posted by: the warrioress | August 15, 2012

My Side of the Story

hitchhiking teddy bear

Here is my side of the story…..
From a very young age, I was alone.
Nobody cared. No one was there.
I was cast out on the side of the road, surviving, just a child.
My life was a living hell.
I screamed out from my heart “Save me!”
No one cared. No one heard my cry….
Somewhere out there, a light came on and He looked down upon me, quietly.
Suddenly a car stopped; the car door opened.
The brunette that looked out had kind eyes; her husband was soft spoken as he offered me a ride.
I got in.
A few hours later, I discovered God had a name and that He had been waiting for me to come to Him all along.
I had never been alone. Somebody cared.
He was there.
the runaway

the runaway

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Posted by: the warrioress | August 9, 2012

Who God Is (Part Two)

continued from Part 1:

C. Why Has God Done Objectionable Things If God is Good & Perfect?

D.  God’s Omniscience

==========================

 

We’ve already discovered through reading the bible that Jesus Christ told us God is perfect. Christ told us that God is good. God is holy. No matter what we may think on our own, the bible tells us the reality.

If one is not a Christian or does not believe the bible, this may not be acceptable or satisfactory; the bible may not make this valid for the unbelieving mind; nevertheless, I’m offering the truth according to the bible. Each reader can take what he wants from that or not; it’s completely up to him.

So why has God done objectionable, difficult to understand kinds of actions, if He’s so perfect, holy, and good? People point out that God has committed genocide of men, women, children, and even innocent animals. “How could this kind of killing possibly be anything but evil?” they ask. How can we refer to God as a moral, holy god?

There is a reading that answers the question, “If God tortures people for eternity, what does this say about His morality?”

The reading is by Matt Slick

“This question is usually asked by atheists, but the first problem is that they have no objective moral standard by which they might say God’s judgment is right or wrong.  They may not like it.  They may not approve of it.  But these objections and preferences are irrelevant as to whether or not God is right or wrong for damning people eternally.  The only way they can rationally assert that something is morally right or wrong is to appeal to moral standards outside of themselves.  If the appeal is to what society says, this is dangerous since societies change and morals can become right in one generation and wrong in another.

Second, God is not the one torturing.  To torture someone means to be actively involved in the action of inflicting pain.  But God does not do this.  God sends people to hell and they are tortured there due to the consequences of their sinand their rejection of God.”  Source.

This is a complicated matter. It’s difficult to understand and accept, especially for our finite minds. God does not have the same mind that we have. His mind, intention, and judgment is perfect. God does not perceive of things as we do. God does not view murder and killing in the same way that we do. These have different meanings to God, biblically speaking.

“Even in the dire judgments of the Old Testament, God offered mercy. For example, when God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, God promised Abraham that He would spare the whole city in order to save ten righteous people there. Though God did destroy those cities (ten righteous people could not be found), He saved “righteous Lot” and his family (Genesis 18:32; Genesis 19:15; 2 Peter 2:7). Later, God destroyed Jericho, but He saved Rahab the harlot and her family in response to Rahab’s faith (Joshua 6:25; Hebrews 11:31). Until the final judgment, there is always mercy to be found.

Every person dies in God’s own time (Hebrews 9:27; Genesis 3:19). Jesus holds the keys of death (Revelation 1:18). Does the fact that everyone experiences physical death make God a “killer”? In the sense that He could prevent all death, yes. He allows us to die. But He is no murderer. Death is part of the human experience because we brought it into the world ourselves (Romans 5:12). One day, as John Donne put it, “Death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.” God, in His grace, has conquered death for those who are in Christ, and one day that truth will be fully realized: “The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26).

God is faithful to His word. He will destroy the wicked, and He holds “the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment” (2 Peter 2:9). But He has also promised that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).”  Source.

It is clear through many who have studied the bible for years that God is loving, merciful, and kind, but God is also holy, and is not afraid to judge sin, wickedness, and unrighteousness. He can be a god of wrath when it comes to what He hates. God is not unwilling to do away with that which will not bring forth what He considers beneficial to His overall plan. God is faithful, does not change His mind, and is capable of great devastation when it is necessary for the overall good of humanity.

“The fact that God commanded the killing of entire nations in the Old Testament has been the subject of harsh criticism from opponents of Christianity for some time. That there was violence in the Old Testament is indisputable. The question is whether Old Testament violence is justifiable and condoned by God. In his bestselling book The God Delusion, atheist Richard Dawkins refers to the God of the Old Testament as “a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser.” Journalist Christopher Hitchens complains that the Old Testament contains a warrant for “indiscriminate massacre.” Other critics of Christianity have leveled similar charges, accusing Yahweh of “crimes against humanity.”

But are these criticisms valid? Is the God of the Old Testament a “moral monster” who arbitrarily commands genocide against innocent men, women, and children? Was His reaction to the sins of the Canaanites and the Amalekites a vicious form of “ethnic cleansing” no different from atrocities committed by the Nazis? Or is it possible that God could have had morally sufficient reasons for ordering the destruction of these nations?” Source

God has good reasons for the things He does. We can rest assured that His reasons are reliable, valid, and reasonable. His thinking is so far above our own that there can be no doubt that this is the case. Man is inherently sinful; it is our very nature to sin. God knows how things will turn out while we cannot fathom the end results of what we  plan. We live by our feelings and finite mind and God lives by what is reasonable, rational, and best for our lives. God’s morality is well thought out, despite the fact that we may not accept or even understand His actions.

“A basic knowledge of Canaanite culture reveals its inherent moral wickedness. The Canaanites were a brutal, aggressive people who engaged in bestiality, incest, and even child sacrifice. Deviant sexual acts were the norm. The Canaanites’ sin was so repellent that God said, “The land vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25). Even so, the destruction was directed more at the Canaanite religion (Deuteronomy 7:3-5, 12:2-3) than at the Canaanite people per se. The judgment was not ethnically motivated. Individual Canaanites, like Rahab in Jericho, could still find that mercy follows repentance (Joshua 2). God’s desire is that the wicked turn from their sin rather than die (Ezekiel 18:31-32, 33:11).

Besides dealing with national sins, God used the conquest of Canaan to create a religious/historical context in which He could eventually introduce the Messiah to the world. This Messiah would bring salvation not only to Israel, but also to Israel’s enemies, including Canaan (Psalm 87:4-6; Mark 7:25-30).

It must be remembered that God gave the Canaanite people more than sufficient time to repent of their evil ways—over 400 years (Genesis 15:13-16)! The book of Hebrews tells us that the Canaanites were “disobedient,” a word that implies moral culpability on their part (Hebrews 11:31). The Canaanites were aware of God’s power (Joshua 2:10-11, 9:9) and could have sought repentance. Except in rare instances, they continued their rebellion against God until the bitter end.”

  1. God will and can act out in wrath without mercy when the situation demands it.
  2. God is omniscient, and knows what is best. He creates life and can also end it.
  3. It would cruel to leave helpless infants and children without parents to care for them.
  4. God provides salvation/eternal life for infants and children; thus they are not really dying indefinitely. Source. 

What we’ve learned from this so far can be summed up in what we were already told in our last post. God knows best. We must trust in this, no matter whether we understand it, approve, or not. Like children, we must have faith and trust in our Father who is in Heaven. He will not mislead or lead us astray. It really is just this simple.

What if we are afraid of God, though? What if we fear His power and wrath? How do we understand and see God as loving when we know what He is capable of?

The bible says that God is love.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“The fact that God is loving does not cancel out His holy requirement of perfection. However, because He is loving, He sent Christ to die on the cross in our place, and this completely satisfies God’s requirement of perfection. Because He is loving, God provided a way for man to be no longer separated from Him by sin, but to be able to enter into a relationship with Him as a welcome part of God’s family, placed in that family because of the finished work of Christ on the cross (John 1:12; 5:24).”

If, even knowing these things, we still see God as angry and imposing, it could be that we are not sure of our own relationship to Him. The Bible encourages us to “examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If we doubt that we truly belong to Christ, we only need to repent and ask Him into our hearts. He will forgive us our sin and give us His Holy Spirit who will live in our hearts and assure us that we are His children. Once we are assured that we are His, we can draw close to Him by reading and studying His Word and by asking Him to show Himself to us as He truly is. God loves each of us and desires to know us in a personal relationship. He has assured us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will surely find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Then we will truly know Him, not as imposing and angry, but as a loving and gracious Father.  Source

D.  God’s Omniscience:

 

Job 37:16

Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge.

Psalm 147:5

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

1 Samuel 2:3

Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

Isaiah 55:9

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Job 28:24

For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

1 John 3:19-20

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Hebrews 4:13

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Isaiah 46:9

I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.

Matthew 10:30

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Psalm 139:4

Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.  (Source)

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Posted by: the warrioress | August 3, 2012

Who God Is (Part One)

Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, ...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several of us have been having ongoing conversations about who God is. We have hit upon many sub topics under this overall umbrella. I’m going to attempt to tie all of this together in this series, so here is a brief outline in advance that summarizes what I want to provide answers about:

I.  Who God Is

A. Does God Mind if We Question Him?

B.  Is God Good & Perfect?

C. Why Has God Done Objectionable Things If God is Good & Perfect?

D.  God’s Omniscience

II. How to know God

A.  Knowing God Through the Bible

B.  Knowing God Through Personal Experience

——————

A. Questioning God

I’ve had some serious questions about who God is and so have many other people. Some of us believe and some of us do not believe. What does God think about our doubts and questions? What does He think when Christians wonder about why He has acted as He has in the past? Does God consider it a sin to question His actions, decisions, and judgments He has made in the past? Does it upset God if we have doubts about His plans for the future?

Is it a sin to question God?

These are important, valid questions and they demand an answer; they demand an answer for the Christian asking the questions, but the unbeliever is entitled to an answer to these questions as well.

I believe that God doesn’t get angry with anyone when they question Him from a sincere, open-minded heart — a heart that has no agenda short of a simple need to know is not a sinful heart. And don’t doubt this for a minute, God knows each one of our hearts. God knows the difference between the sincere, loving, open heart that merely wants to know and the deceitful, scheming heart that is agenda-driven. It appears that if our heart is rebellious or filled with enmity toward God, we are probably not going to be able to understand or receive an answer from God.  The key is to study one’s own heart and understand one’s motivation for questioning God. What is your intent?

So we’ve been questioning God on this blog and wondering about Him and His motivations for some of the things He’s done in the past. We want God to show us the truth, so we’ll turn to His word, the Holy Bible, for the answers.

In the OT, Habakkuk questioned God about His plans. God didn’t have a problem with it. He didn’t take issue with Habakkuk’s attitude as he questioned God. God patiently responded without malice. In the Psalms, there were many who also questioned God. God didn’t mind these questions and actually appears to honor them, though He doesn’t always answer the questioner as he or she would prefer. And sometimes the one doing the questioning may not particularly care for the answer. God answers as He wills in His own time, not ours. Source

Scriptures to look up: Psalms 10, 44, 74, 77, The book of Habakkuk

Scriptures to think deeply about:

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:16

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” – Romans 11:34

It seems clear as we study these scriptures more thoroughly that though God doesn’t mind our questioning it is valuable if we hvae His Holy Spirit to be able to adequately understand Him. The apostles were able to understand God because they had God’s Holy Spirit.

The carnal mind is at enmity with God. The carnal mind (unsaved/without the Holy Spirit) is flesh-focused. It is in rebellion to holy/godly things and will probably not be able to accept godly principles and knowledge. This is an important thing to grasp. Without the Holy Spirit, it will be difficult if not impossible to grasp the mind of God. So though our questions may be answered or explained, will we understand if we do not have the Holy Spirit? It seems unlikely.

“No one can know the things of God, but his Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, and who makes known Divine mysteries to his church. This is most clear testimony, both to the real Godhead and the distinct person of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles were not guided by worldly principles. They had the revelation of these things from the Spirit of God, and the saving impression of them from the same Spirit. These things they declared in plain, simple language, taught by the Holy Spirit, totally different from the affected oratory or enticing words of man’s wisdom.

The natural man, the wise man of the world, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The pride of carnal reasoning is really as much opposed to spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified mind discerns the real beauties of holiness, but the power of discerning and judging about common and natural things is not lost. But the carnal man is a stranger to the principles, and pleasures, and actings of the Divine life.

The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind.

In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives.” Source

B.  Is God Good and Perfect?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. – Luke 18:19

Why is God good? How do we know He is perfect? Jesus said God is the only one who is good, this is how we know. Jesus considered God to be the ultimate good.

“Good is grounded in the very nature of God, and what He wills is good because He is good. Just as many things can have ‘being’ (or life), but there can only be one thing that actually is Being (or life), the concept of good works the same way. Many things may have some good in them, but there can only be one thing that is good. And this good God invites everyone to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8). Source

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. -Matthew 5:48

Again, Jesus tells us that God, our Father, is perfect. We have the proof out of Christ’s own mouth.

“Be ye therefore perfect – as your Father – God himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which he recommends to his children. The words are very emphatic, εσεσθε ουν υμεις τελειοι, Ye shall be therefore perfect – ye shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is Mercy, and whose nature is love. God has many imitators of his power, independence, justice, etc., but few of his love, condescension, and kindness. He calls himself Love, to teach us that in this consists that perfection, the attainment of which he has made both our duty and privilege: for these words of our Lord include both a command and a promise.” Source

“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. – Leviticus 19:2

“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31

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.  – 1 Deuteronomy 32:4

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  -Isaiah 55:9 I

Our questions have been answered.

God is perfect and He is Holy; His word is flawless. And His ways are “higher” or better than our ways. His thoughts are the same, compared to our thoughts. We cannot hope to compete with God — and this is key to really knowing who God is.  If we do not grasp the differences between humanity and God, we will not have the humility necessary to know God. Without this, how can we have a sincere relationship with God? We need to try to understand this much.

No matter what our questions are about God, if we cannot initially submit to the fact that God knows more than we do and that His judgment is better and wiser than ours, we are spinning our wheels in sand. How do we grow and move forward in real knowledge of God without trusting in His judgment?

If our hearts are so rebellious that we think in our meager human knowledge that we are a match for God, or know better than He, we are truly foolish and we are quite simply – wrong.  Understanding this requires the willingness to accept who God is even if we don’t understand Him, His judgment, decisions, and past or future actions. We cannot even begin to have a hope of respecting and understanding God if we cannot grasp these simple concepts.

(Part Two will be presented as soon as time allows. Feel free to question, clarify and/or comment upon what is stated here and then we’ll move forward).

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Posted by: the warrioress | July 31, 2012

Loving God Exactly As He Is

There are those who know of God only through what is written by the men and women who loved Him, within the Holy Bible.  On these pages is presented Holy God.  Through the pages of this book, a picture begins to develop of this god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Who is He?  What is He?  How does He operate?  Is he “good?”

The Bible tells us that we are made in the image and likeness 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

This verse gives us our first clue that we are created in God’s own image.  Read here to find out how we are like God. It is through these likenesses that we grow to understand God, though I think this would take a lifetime with the current capabilities of this earthly mind of ours.

My love for God is and has always been greatly unconditional and accepting. When I first called out to God, in my utter brokenness and humility at the time, I opened my heart to this being, to whomever He was and is.  I was not making my calling upon Him conditional;  He did not have to answer to me, in other words.  I believe that God honors this kind of love and appreciates it;  I actually think he favors it.

I’ve been asked before that if I found out that God was not “good,” what would I do? My answer was that I would continue to love God no matter what or who He is, and no matter if He is good, bad, or a mixture of the two.

I say this because however the human being can judge, through our minute capabilities, (compared to God), I know the limitations of my judgment compared to God’s capabilities and judgment. I am incapable of adequately judging God, nor do I want to do so.

My love for God is a commitment and that commitment consists of loyalty and belief in Him no matter what I come to find out about Him later or even now, as I’m living here on planet Earth.  I don’t always understand the things God has chosen to do in the past, that were written about within the Bible, but I don’t have to; I trust God’s judgment over my own. I trust that this being is worthy of my worship, submission, and deference.

Those who cannot love God in this way, who cannot come to Him in faith and simple acceptance, may never understand or even know really loving God. Loving God in this way requires humility, an ability to submit, and a child-like ability of innocent acceptance, no matter what. The rebellious heart cannot understand or accept this kind of love; it must reason everything out and this kind of love is not reasonable.

I said the following to Sabio on his blog the other day:

“The heart that is open to loving God would love God, no matter who or what He is, flawed, perfect, ego-driven, or whatever.”

God is similarly capable of offering this same kind of love to us in our absolute humanness and imperfection. We are flawed and imperfect, and most certainly not holy, but God loves us anyway. God created a way to love us  and to make us holy before Him through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. We become perfect in God’s eyes because of what Jesus did for us.  All we have to do is accept this gift He has offered us, this free unconditional acceptance of who we are. He asks us to give Him the same kind of love in return.

Think about it.

I want to thank Sabio for bringing this post about inadvertently, through our ongoing discussions on his blog and mine.  Sabio, your mind is ever working and exploring and I love it; it’s a beautiful mind in action.

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Posted by: the warrioress | July 29, 2012

Should Christians Evangelize Atheists?

Atheist badges.

Atheist badges. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Question: “Should Christians try to evangelize atheists?”

Answer: As Christians who know the love of God and have the assurance of eternity in heaven, it’s hard to understand why anyone would want to be an atheist. But when we realize the sin nature and its strong influence on the mind and the heart, we begin to understand where the atheist is coming from. Biblically speaking, there is no such thing as an atheist. Psalm 19:1-2 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God. We see His creative power in all that He has made. Romans 1:19-20 follows up on this idea, telling us that what may be known about God has been made plain to us through the creation, and anyone who denies this is “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness” (v. 18). Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 declare that those who deny the existence of God are fools. So the atheist is either lying or he is a fool or both. So what is it that causes someone to deny God?

The main goal of those under the influence of the sin nature is to make himself a god, to have complete control over his life, or so he thinks. Then religion comes along with obligations, judgments, and restrictions, while atheists presume to define their own meaning and morality. They do not want to submit to God because their hearts are at “enmity against God,” and they have no desire to be subject to His Law. In fact they are incapable of doing so because their sin has blinded them to truth (Romans 8:6-7). This is why atheists spend most of their time complaining and arguing not about the scriptural proof texts, but the “dos and don’ts.” Their natural rebelliousness detests the commandments of God. They simply hate the idea that anything—or any One—should have control over them. What they do not realize is that Satan himself is controlling them, blinding them, and preparing their souls for hell.

St Matthew the Evangelist

St Matthew the Evangelist (Photo credit: Lawrence OP)

In terms of evangelizing atheists, we should not hold back the gospel from someone just because he or she claims to be an atheist. Do not forget that an atheist is just as lost as a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist. God certainly wants us to spread the gospel (Matthew 28:19) and to defend the truths of His word (Romans 1:16). On the other hand, we are not obligated to waste our time trying to convince the unwilling. In fact, we are warned not to expend excessive effort on those who are clearly disinterested in any honest discussions (Matthew 7:6). Jesus told the apostles to go and preach the Word, but He did not expect them to stay anywhere until every single last person had been converted (Matthew 10:14).

Perhaps the best tactic is to give each person the benefit of the doubt, at least at first. Every question, honestly and truthfully answered, gives that person a chance to hear the gospel. But if that person is just arguing, being hostile, or otherwise not open, it’s probably time to move along. Some people are totally, completely, and absolutely hardened to the gospel (Proverbs 29:1). They may be rational, or irrational, but there are scriptural reasons to believe that some people are willingly immune to the influence of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 6:3). When we have made a good-faith effort to talk to someone, and he or she is unreachable, then we are commanded to “shake the dust off” of our shoes (Luke 9:5) and spend our time talking to those who are more spiritually open. As in all things, the wisdom of God is crucial. God has promised that wisdom to us if we ask (James 1:5), and we should pray for it and trust God’s prompting to know how and when to break off the dialog with a hostile atheist.

Recommended Resource: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek and The Real Face of Atheism by Ravi Zacharias.

http://www.gotquestions.org/evangelize-atheists.html

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Posted by: the warrioress | July 27, 2012

If I Were The Devil…

Devil-1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The above video is something every person should watch and consider. It makes a lot of sense.  We all have different beliefs on the existence of evil, also known as the devil, Satan, the adversary, Lord of the Flies, the serpent, the Father of Lies, Lilith, Samael, Lucifer.

Does he exist or doesn’t he?

Lucifer

Lucifer (Photo credit: notArt)

 

 

 

 

 

Some think he’s a convenient scapegoat so that people don’t have to accept responsibility for their unfortunate choices and poor judgment. Some say that if you believe in God, you must also believe in Satan, because how can you have one without the other?

Lilith

Lilith (Photo credit: rami.sedhom)

Isn’t it strange that the narrator of this You Tube video, (Paul Harvey), made this little chat back in the sixties, so many years ago? How did he know how things were going to be in America? He seems to have nailed the state of our union, hasn’t he?

“The greatest trick Satan ever played on humanity was convincing them that he doesn’t exist.”  -The Usual Suspects

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Posted by: the warrioress | July 25, 2012

Sisterhood of the World Award

I was nominated for this lovely award by my sister in Christ, The 1 Saved By Grace.  She is a wonderful blogger and loves the Lord so deeply. I hope you’ll visit her blog and be as blessed by it as I have been.

And now on with the requirements for this award. I have placed the award into this post and onto my blog. I am now listing..

Seven things about me that few bloggers know:

1) I love analyzing everything and have a background in psychology (BA) and a Masters degree in counseling.

2) I want to use these above skills in my capacity as a Christian in however God desires me to use them; I would like to get paid for doing so, but God is in charge in this regard.

3) I love Chinese food, especially combination fried rice and crabmeat rangoons!

4) I love to cook!

5) I love the beach, the lake, rivers, and anything that has to do with being out in nature, including camping, swimming, but not hunting.

6) I have one sibling, a younger brother.

7) I am beginning a book, but I don’t want to think about it too much, advertise it, or even focus upon it except when I actually sit down to write, because I shy away from anything like this that puts me on the spot and I begin to doubt myself. (I’ll write faster and with more confidence if I sneak up on myself and write when I feel like it, or in other words, no pressure & no expectations!).

And my final duty is to name seven lady bloggers (sisters) who I feel also deserve this award; (I’m sorry but I had to name eight), so here goes:

One of the ladies whom you simply must visit is not a wordpress blogger but she’s excellent and she’s been a faithful reader/commenter of mine for a long time. Her blog is super.

http://afragileclayjarwithatreasureinside.blogspot.com/

The other ladies are all with wordpress, & they too rock!

http://craigmotor.wordpress.com/

http://justmyfaithtalking.wordpress.com

http://virtuouswoman73.wordpress.com/

http://underthemountainbunker.wordpress.com/

http://www.wimpsforchrist.com/category/minimalist-christian/

http://rescuinglittlel.wordpress.com/

http://clotildajamcracker.wordpress.com

There are so many more too!! I’m so sorry, ladies, that I can only name seven of you. I read many more who also deserve this award, but not to worry, I’ll get to you eventually. 😉

Please do stop by the lady bloggers I have listed here and have a gander at their blogs. It is most definitely worth it and a learning experience!

God bless all of you, sisters! And if you don’t believe in God, just blessings in general. I love your blogs!

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