Who is God?

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Among the Chinese there are some interesting man-made deities called “kitchen gods.” They are just paper images placed on a kitchen shelf. The kitchen, it is believed, is the best place to observe life. At certain times the Chinese family must burn its paper god so he can go back to heaven and report on the sins of that household. To insure a favorable report, the family will smear a little honey on the mouth of the paper image before it is burned. This, they believe, will sweeten the report.

We may look on such a practice in disbelief, but understand that most people believe that a supreme being rules all, and that people are accountable to him. Those who deny the existence of God are usually giving in to a bad conscience. It is no surprise that Psalm 14:1 insists that only a fool would say: “There is no God.”

Look out your window and see that God exists! The Bible says in Hebrews 3:4: “For every house is built by someone, but God is the Builder of everything.” Nature does reveal God’s power, wisdom, and goodness, but it does not reveal the identity of the true God. God’s power is seen in his creation of mankind, the animals, plant life, the solar system, the balance in nature, and so on. God’s wisdom is apparent as we study the body structure of man and animals, the power of a seed to germinate, reason in mankind and instinct in animals. Witness God’s goodness as he created things for people’s enjoyment: flavorful food, fragrant flowers, the song of birds, and brilliant sunsets. While nature shows us many things about God, it is still incomplete information.

God gives us a clearer description of himself in the Bible. While nature and the voice of conscience tell us there is a God, the Bible tells us who God is. The Scriptures reveal and elaborate on God’s qualities. More than that, they show God’s love in Christ, his desire to save mankind from sin.

As we study the Bible, we see that God has revealed himself as three Persons in one God (Trinity). In his love for all people, the Father sent his Son into our world. Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead to pay for all people’s sins. After Jesus returned to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came to turn people’s hearts to trust in Jesus alone as the Savior.

This is what the Triune God has done for you! Open your Bible and read the wonderful message!

Eternal Life - out of the grave

Facing Death

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Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. – Isaiah 12:2

There is a saying in our English language which is falling out of use: whistling past the graveyard. There are two theories about its meaning. The first is that it is used to describe people who don’t know that they are in a terrible situation. The second is that it is used to describe people who know they are in a terrible situation yet remain confident even in the face of overwhelming odds.

If we take the second meaning, that saying can describe Christians. The Bible tells us why. It says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). We human beings face a terrible situation and overwhelming odds. Sin infests our hearts like a disease, showing itself in hateful thoughts, hurtful words and hostile actions toward others. The result is that we are headed for the graveyard, facing the death of our bodies and souls forever as our just punishment. And there is nothing we can do about it. There is nothing we can do to make up for our sins or set our wrongs right.

We need saving, and that saving comes not from us, but from God. He has become our salvation. He sent his Son, Jesus, to endure the punishment for all our sins by giving his life on the cross. But that’s not all. Jesus not only fought our fight against sin and won, he also rose again, conquering death. So in Jesus, we have victory over sin and the grave. His work on our behalf gives us unshakable confidence in the face of overwhelming odds.

We can sing past the graveyard because in Jesus and his sin-conquering strength we have forgiveness. We can sing past the graveyard because the grave is not our end. Instead, Jesus makes heaven our eternal home. So no matter the terrible situation, no matter the overwhelming odds, Jesus and his salvation gives us strength for singing.

He Stills the Storms

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“Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. – Luke 8:24

I’ve been there and so have you: knee-deep in a sea of trouble. Not the kind of trouble like the car breaking down. No, I mean the kind of trouble that immediately forms a pit in your stomach and presses you down with guilt and shame. You get caught. You hurt feelings. You lost a friend. You lose a spouse. These aren’t the kinds of trouble that just go away. These are the things that keep you up at night. Our bodies may be weary from a stress-filled day, but our brains are all too eager to catalog the day’s mistakes. These are what might be called the storms of life.

The disciples faced a real storm one day out on the Sea of Galilee. They didn’t know what to do. They didn’t know how they were going to survive. They were knee-deep in a sea of trouble, and getting deeper. “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.” Now, Jesus could have ignored them. Chances are they would have made it through. But Jesus never ignores the ones he loves.

And that is so true for us. The storms of life come. The waves of guilt wash over us, and we feel like we’re going to drown. But the Lord comes to our aid. “Be still!” He calms our fears. “Be still!” He takes away our guilt. “Be still!” And the storm subsides.

The greatest storm we face is the storm of sin. But even that terrible squall is no match for the rebuke of Jesus. With one act, Jesus did away with sin and guilt forever. He died on a cross, and his death paid the price for our sins. By his death, Jesus rebuked the storm of sin, and it went away.

Knee-deep in trouble? I’ve been there; so have you. But Jesus rescued us. His miracle of calming the storm reminds us of how he calms our greatest storms. It’s something to celebrate. It’s something worth finding out more about.

Christ

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“We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). – John 1:41

Many expressions of love and affection are exchanged between people—especially on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Yet, there is no greater act of love than the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus for our salvation. The whole of Scripture revolves around this one supreme act of unconditional love!

But why is it that Christians associate the title Christ with God’s love in Jesus? What does the word Christ mean? A look at God’s Word will help explain this. The Gospel of Matthew begins by recording the genealogy of Jesus, “… and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16).

As Matthew sets the tone for his Gospel, he is careful to note that Jesus was revered as Christ. This familiar title is actually a form of the Greek word chrio meaning “to pour or anoint.” To anoint was to pour sacred oil over someone’s head as a visible sign that God had set him aside for a special task. Jesus bore the title Christ because he was the one God anointed to be the world’s Savior.

The Gospel of John in the first chapter reveals Jesus, the Word made flesh, and describes Andrew’s excitement at having met Jesus: “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ)” (John 1:41). Andrew bursts forth in joyful acclamation, using the title Messiah which is the Hebrew equivalent of Christ, “the Anointed One.”

The Gospel writer John is keen to point out that from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry the hope of the ages was intimately associated with salvation in Jesus. Yes, at the time of his baptism Jesus was consecrated for his messianic ministry in a remarkable way. “… heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'” (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God and received the clear approval of his heavenly Father. Talk about divine endorsement!

Because Jesus is The Anointed One, he is the one foretold in ancient prophecy who would bring salvation, redeeming us from the curse of sin! There is no greater act of love—true love!