Soul Food Sunday – Who is God (Part 3)

It seems so unpopular nowadays to talk about creation. If you mention you believe this world was ‘created’ you’re looked upon as an idiot. Why is the idea of a Creator any more stupid than the idea of everything just happened by chance. That seems less logical to me than there being Someone greater than myself out there. This is not an intellectual problem: it’s a spiritual problem. There’s no other way to explain such a departure from what makes sense. We just don’t want to admit that God exists because that would take the control out of our hands. That’s funny. We don’t have any control at all. Can you decide when it rains or when an earthquake hits?

God is our Father. He created man in His image. That’s why there are fathers, mothers and children. God made it that way. Did you ever wonder why there are males and females in every species? If there wasn’t, life wouldn’t continue on this earth. It takes a male and female to create new life.

He made Adam out of earth. We are dust. If you don’t believe that, just take a look at what’s left over after cremating a body. Ashes….dust. For dust we are and to dust we will return. Some ancient civilizations refer to their first ancestor as ‘dirt’. Our bodies are made up of the same elements that every other living thing on this earth are made of. Our physical bodies are no different from any other animal. The thing that makes man different from animals is that God breathed His life into man. Man was given dominion over the earth and his mandate was to fill the earth and subdue it. Man’s job, as given by God, is to take care of creation. How are we doing so far?

Soul Food Sunday – Who is God? (Part 2)

God is light. There is no darkness in Him. There is a throne in heaven where He sits. His appearance is like precious gems. A rainbow encircles the throne. The only way to describe God’s appearance is by saying He looks like precious gems.

God spoke His light into existence on the Earth. He separated light from darkness and so we have night and day. But it won’t always be like this. Someday God will make a new heaven and a new earth and there will be no night.

Why is there darkness? Because there’s another person named Satan. He used to have the name Lucifer. Lucifer means ‘bringing light’. That was his job: to bring light, but he got proud, rebelled against God and was removed from his position. He became the opposite of his name: darkness. He became dark when he no longer gave God the glory due His name. After all, God is the Creator of all things, including Lucifer. He deserves the glory: not anyone else. Lucifer’s fall explains how darkness became part of our world. Every vile thing in existence is a result of his rebellion. I hate Satan and what he has done on this earth.

We are all part of the battle between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness whether we know/believe it or not. Doesn’t this explain a lot about what goes on around us. Why do people do ugly things? Why do disasters cause such suffering? For some reason God didn’t destroy Satan immediately. I don’t know how it works. All I know is that God created something beautiful and Satan does everything he can to destroy it.

Soul Food Sunday – Who is God?

In the beginning God……..He’s a person. He lives in eternity and is eternal as are we all.

…God created the heavens and the earth. Since He’s a person He likes to communicate. In fact, He spoke the world into existence and He speaks to us through His creation. I believe He is the Creator of all things and that there is another realm that we do not see with our physical eyes. Why do I believe this? Because there are too many things left unanswered in the meaning of life if I don’t believe this.

In the beginning He laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of His hands.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Soul Food Sunday – Jesus Christ, the Creator

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touch-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared: we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. (1 John 1:1,2)

The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rules or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)

Soul Food Sunday – Creation

How can you look at this earth and not believe that there isn’t a Designer? All this happened by chance? No, no, it can not be. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. (Psalm 102:25-27)

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

What’s the big deal?

Feelings are not logical. What’s going on inside is not necessarily what you see on the outside.

I’ve got this enemy and he hates everything about me. Like a lion, he prowls around looking for a way to devour me. He hates me. He wants to kill all the life in me and steal every good thing I’ve got. And he will do whatever he can to do it. He knows my genetics, my DNA. So he knows exactly the things that he needs to say to get me down. He whispers in my ear all those destructive thoughts until they take root. The battle is for my mind. If my enemy can control my thoughts, he’s got it made.

His name is Satan a.k.a. the devil. His name used to be Lucifer, angel of light, until he rebelled against God. He was appointed as the grand anointed cherub over all of God’s creation. He had all authority under God, but that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted more. He wanted to be like God.

He said,”I will ascend to heaven I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds, I will be like God Most High” (Isaiah 14:13,14). “You were anointed as guardian cherub, for so I anointed you. You were blameless in your ways from the day I created you, till wickedness was found in you so I expelled you” (Ezekiel 28:14,15). Your heart became proud because of your beauty, so I threw you to the earth.

These verses are about God talking to Lucifer after he fell. He was thrown to earth after he rebelled against God and was given authority over the earth. Something happened between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The earth became formless and void. There was a catastrophic destruction after Lucifer fell. God recreated the earth. He had to separate the waters to create a boundary between Him and the territory Satan was allowed authority over. Satan knows his time is limited and he wants to take down whoever he can with him. For some reason God created man and allowed him to fall. Now we live under a curse until we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Man is under a curse which he can’t get out of until he accepts the work Jesus did for him on the cross.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. As far as the East is from the West, that’s how far he has removed our transgressions from us.

God has been gracious to me. He has redeemed my life and my story is His Story. I am living the life which He ordained for me before one of my days ever started. He is the one who gives me victory over every cursed thing in my life. There is nothing good in me, only that part that’s been regenerated through the grace He has extended to me. He’s the one who gives me victory over all the shameful feelings I have.

Dark am I but lovely. (Song of Songs 1:8)  I’m dark like the tents of Kedar (my sins are black, but He sees only the loveliness of His Son in me). Thank you Lord for your hope in my life. Thank you for seeing me lovely in my dark tent.

What do you think? Do you believe God created this universe? Do you believe we have a  literal spiritual enemy?