Who is this God?
Volume 12, Issue 8 August 2016
“[God] has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding.” Jeremiah 51:15
Our God Is Where is God? Where is He not? How can we know God? If we dwell in His world and if He dwells within us, how can we fail to experience Him? What are God’s defining characteristics? Since we’ve seen the work of His hands, can we not define His nature? Who is God? What does He say of Himself? What do those closest to Him say of Him? In uncertain days when darkness seems so thick around us, it is easy to lose sight of faith. One of the basic tenets of Christianity is an understanding of our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator who operates from a vast heart of love for His fallen creation. Our mind knows the nature of God, yet our heart forgets so easily in the midst of a corrupt political system, senseless violence around the globe, economic turmoil, mounting national debt, zika and ebola plagues, the rise of alternative lifestyles, the abolition of morality and a population encumbered by disease. Let’s examine the Word and remind ourselves of the drama playing out before our eyes.
God of Power, Wisdom, Understanding “[God] has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding. When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of
the earth. He makes lightning for the rain. He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” (Jeremiah 51:15-16) According to Jeremiah, God is so powerful that He created everything we see around us. His wisdom is so vast that He set complex ecosystems into motion and developed the intricacies of animal physiology. In His infinite understanding of astrophysics, geometry, quantum mechanics and chemistry, God set each star and planet and heavenly body in place and set them spinning in a perfect symphony of motion. Creation is His pet project that He takes great delight in. Such a consciousness is beyond human imagination. If that is not enough, God is also in command of earth’s weather phenomena. He controls rain and lightning and wind. Have you watched a good thunderstorm lately? The lightning streaks across the sky and illuminates the earth below for a split second as the peals of thunder roll in the distance. The wind whips through the trees and threatens structures. The driving rain pelts the earth in sheets of grey so thick it’s impossible to see beyond. Now that’s power.
God whose Voice Commands “The voice of the Lord is over the waters. The God of glory thunders. The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf,
© Copyright 2016 Lisa J. Fulghum. All rights reserved.
Watchman Prayer Alert
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare. And, in His temple, everyone says, ‘Glory!’ The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29: 3-11) Have you ever wondered what the voice of God sounds like? A handful of people heard it in Jerusalem and thought it must be thunder (John 12:29). David also described the voice of God as thunder, powerful and full of majesty. With just His voice, God can split mighty cedar trees or make the forests dance. With just His voice, God can level a forest or cause a deer to give birth. What is our response in the face of such magnificent power displayed? Everyone gives praise! We must recognize that God alone sat on the universe’s throne when our tiny planet was engulfed in
flood waters and eight God-fearing people struggled to begin again. That same God was seated on the throne of grace when David struggled to establish the kingdom of Israel. God is still in control and seated today on His eternal throne. Shocking headlines do not faze Him. Even terrorists and politicians will bow before His throne. Our ego-centric and materialistic contemporaries may mock God today, but earth is a vapor and in an instant we will face eternity with all sobriety. With His voice alone our all-powerful God, created the heaven and the earth. He has complete dominion over the workings of His universe, right down to a wild animal in a tiny forest. He is not standing as a bystander wondering what will happen to His world. He is seated and in full control on His throne. Now that’s majesty.
God who Loves People “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
We get so caught up in our own little world, that we forget the God who names stars (Psalm 147:4). When we look at the night sky from the dark countryside, we catch a glimpse of the magnitude of God. He numbers every star and leads them across the night sky. We cannot even see or even imagine number of stars in our vast universe. Like the psalmist we are forced to consider why such and infinite Being takes an interest in the likes of us. But, He does. We are His creation and the work of His hands, the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). His thoughts are of us, each one of us individually (Psalm 139:17). Now, that’s personal.
God who Forgives, Heals and Redeems “Bless the Lord, O my soul… who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:3-5) The sweet psalmist of Israel experienced the merciful God of love. David the adulterer and murderer found forgiveness and redemption in the compassionate Creator. David the warrior found himself in dire circumstances more often than he cared to, and God miraculously delivered him each time. David the shepherd boy knew the protection and tender mercies of our faithful God. David the aged king was satisfied by God with goodness. David felt young again when he entered the presence of God.
August 2016
God is a good God, a merciful Father, who longs to satisfy His people. He forgives. He heals. He redeems. He gets personal with each one of us. Now, that’s mercy.
God who is Merciful and Gracious “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12) If any one thing should give us a pause to consider the nature of God, it is our own shortcomings. There is not a one of us who can justify ourselves in our own minds, and we know it. When we are honest with ourselves, every one of us knows our own weaknesses and failings. We may not admit it to anyone else, but in the privacy of our own thoughts, we find ourselves guilty. Try as we might to focus on our positive accomplishments and hope they outweigh the baggage we drag behind us, we cannot forget. We cannot erase the thoughtless words we’ve uttered or the unkind acts we’ve perpetrated. We cannot undo that big mistake or gloss over that weakness that calls to us again and again. Our own nature stands in such contrast to our perfect God of mercy and compassion. When we come to Him in humility, He REMOVES our faults as far as
the east is from the west. We will never meet them again. He doesn’t punish as we deserve. He loves. He forgives. He took our failings on Himself, and He paid the price that we could not pay. How can we fail to recognize the nature of this amazing God? Now, that’s a perfect love!
Who is this God? Let me ask again, “Who is this God?” Who is in charge? Who rules the realms of mankind? Whose love is unfailing? Who can we count on in troubled times? Who will you look to when times are tough? When society appears to implode or life’s circumstances seem dire, we still have hope. When we are unable to extricate ourselves from the troubles we inherited, we must remember the nature of God. When the cancer rears its head and threatens to destroy us, we remain confident, because our hope is in the same God who commands the wind and the waves. God is powerful, wise, gracious and in full control. His mercy never fails, and His love never ends. Despite the circumstances we see, He is still seated on His eternal throne. Before Him, every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is God (Philippians 2:10). Come boldly now to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) where we find compassion and forgiveness. Shall we ask Him to bend to our will? How much better to ask that He mold us according to His plan? “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1)
Pastors Corner John Gregory Mike and Brittany Wilder Aaron and Erin Pilant
Deacons Rick Bennett Maurice Cooper Mark Fulghum Curt Hicks Josh Jordan Claude McGavic Wayne Sarver Dennis Whitman Richard Wood
Pastor Search Team Kelli Bennett Claude McGavic Valerie Morrison Tim Newby Brian Theirs
August 2016
Friends
Government
Work/School
My Needs
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Family
Salvation
Miscellaneous
“[God] has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding.” Jeremiah 51:15
Our God Is Where is God? Where is He not? How can we know God? If we dwell in His world and if He dwells within us, how can we fail to experience Him? What are God’s defining characteristics? Since we’ve seen the work of His hands, can we not define His nature? Who is God? What does He say of Himself? What do those closest to Him say of Him? In uncertain days when darkness seems so thick around us, it is easy to lose sight of faith. One of the basic tenets of Christianity is an understanding of our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator who operates from a vast heart of love for His fallen creation. Our mind knows the nature of God, yet our heart forgets so easily in the midst of a corrupt political system, senseless violence around the globe, economic turmoil, mounting national debt, zika and ebola plagues, the rise of alternative lifestyles, the abolition of morality and a population encumbered by disease. Let’s examine the Word and remind ourselves of the drama playing out before our eyes.
God of Power, Wisdom, Understanding “[God] has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding. When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of
the earth. He makes lightning for the rain. He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” (Jeremiah 51:15-16) According to Jeremiah, God is so powerful that He created everything we see around us. His wisdom is so vast that He set complex ecosystems into motion and developed the intricacies of animal physiology. In His infinite understanding of astrophysics, geometry, quantum mechanics and chemistry, God set each star and planet and heavenly body in place and set them spinning in a perfect symphony of motion. Creation is His pet project that He takes great delight in. Such a consciousness is beyond human imagination. If that is not enough, God is also in command of earth’s weather phenomena. He controls rain and lightning and wind. Have you watched a good thunderstorm lately? The lightning streaks across the sky and illuminates the earth below for a split second as the peals of thunder roll in the distance. The wind whips through the trees and threatens structures. The driving rain pelts the earth in sheets of grey so thick it’s impossible to see beyond. Now that’s power.
God whose Voice Commands “The voice of the Lord is over the waters. The God of glory thunders. The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf,
© Copyright 2016 Lisa J. Fulghum. All rights reserved.
Watchman Prayer Alert
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare. And, in His temple, everyone says, ‘Glory!’ The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29: 3-11) Have you ever wondered what the voice of God sounds like? A handful of people heard it in Jerusalem and thought it must be thunder (John 12:29). David also described the voice of God as thunder, powerful and full of majesty. With just His voice, God can split mighty cedar trees or make the forests dance. With just His voice, God can level a forest or cause a deer to give birth. What is our response in the face of such magnificent power displayed? Everyone gives praise! We must recognize that God alone sat on the universe’s throne when our tiny planet was engulfed in
flood waters and eight God-fearing people struggled to begin again. That same God was seated on the throne of grace when David struggled to establish the kingdom of Israel. God is still in control and seated today on His eternal throne. Shocking headlines do not faze Him. Even terrorists and politicians will bow before His throne. Our ego-centric and materialistic contemporaries may mock God today, but earth is a vapor and in an instant we will face eternity with all sobriety. With His voice alone our all-powerful God, created the heaven and the earth. He has complete dominion over the workings of His universe, right down to a wild animal in a tiny forest. He is not standing as a bystander wondering what will happen to His world. He is seated and in full control on His throne. Now that’s majesty.
God who Loves People “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
We get so caught up in our own little world, that we forget the God who names stars (Psalm 147:4). When we look at the night sky from the dark countryside, we catch a glimpse of the magnitude of God. He numbers every star and leads them across the night sky. We cannot even see or even imagine number of stars in our vast universe. Like the psalmist we are forced to consider why such and infinite Being takes an interest in the likes of us. But, He does. We are His creation and the work of His hands, the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). His thoughts are of us, each one of us individually (Psalm 139:17). Now, that’s personal.
God who Forgives, Heals and Redeems “Bless the Lord, O my soul… who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:3-5) The sweet psalmist of Israel experienced the merciful God of love. David the adulterer and murderer found forgiveness and redemption in the compassionate Creator. David the warrior found himself in dire circumstances more often than he cared to, and God miraculously delivered him each time. David the shepherd boy knew the protection and tender mercies of our faithful God. David the aged king was satisfied by God with goodness. David felt young again when he entered the presence of God.
August 2016
God is a good God, a merciful Father, who longs to satisfy His people. He forgives. He heals. He redeems. He gets personal with each one of us. Now, that’s mercy.
God who is Merciful and Gracious “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12) If any one thing should give us a pause to consider the nature of God, it is our own shortcomings. There is not a one of us who can justify ourselves in our own minds, and we know it. When we are honest with ourselves, every one of us knows our own weaknesses and failings. We may not admit it to anyone else, but in the privacy of our own thoughts, we find ourselves guilty. Try as we might to focus on our positive accomplishments and hope they outweigh the baggage we drag behind us, we cannot forget. We cannot erase the thoughtless words we’ve uttered or the unkind acts we’ve perpetrated. We cannot undo that big mistake or gloss over that weakness that calls to us again and again. Our own nature stands in such contrast to our perfect God of mercy and compassion. When we come to Him in humility, He REMOVES our faults as far as
the east is from the west. We will never meet them again. He doesn’t punish as we deserve. He loves. He forgives. He took our failings on Himself, and He paid the price that we could not pay. How can we fail to recognize the nature of this amazing God? Now, that’s a perfect love!
Who is this God? Let me ask again, “Who is this God?” Who is in charge? Who rules the realms of mankind? Whose love is unfailing? Who can we count on in troubled times? Who will you look to when times are tough? When society appears to implode or life’s circumstances seem dire, we still have hope. When we are unable to extricate ourselves from the troubles we inherited, we must remember the nature of God. When the cancer rears its head and threatens to destroy us, we remain confident, because our hope is in the same God who commands the wind and the waves. God is powerful, wise, gracious and in full control. His mercy never fails, and His love never ends. Despite the circumstances we see, He is still seated on His eternal throne. Before Him, every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is God (Philippians 2:10). Come boldly now to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) where we find compassion and forgiveness. Shall we ask Him to bend to our will? How much better to ask that He mold us according to His plan? “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1)
Pastors Corner John Gregory Mike and Brittany Wilder Aaron and Erin Pilant
Deacons Rick Bennett Maurice Cooper Mark Fulghum Curt Hicks Josh Jordan Claude McGavic Wayne Sarver Dennis Whitman Richard Wood
Pastor Search Team Kelli Bennett Claude McGavic Valerie Morrison Tim Newby Brian Theirs
August 2016
Friends
Government
Work/School
My Needs
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
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Family
Salvation
Miscellaneous
