Kyra

 December 2006.  Life really hasn't been the same since that month.  My wife and I figured everything would be the same as it was the first time.  Her older sister, born in 2003, was an easy child.  She did what she was told, and created little to no difficulty for us or anyone else who watched her.  She was healthy, smart, everything a parent could ever hope for.  We became pregnant with our second child in May.  There was no reason for concern.  Why would this be any different?  We completely missed the first problematic sign.  During the 20-week ultrasound in October, they told us that we would have to return the next month since they weren't able to see  a good view of the heart and be sure that it was beating correctly.  We missed it again when the same thing occurred in November.  We were to return in December of 2006 so the doctors could get a good look.  That was end of normal as we knew it.

     Still oblivious to any issues, I remained at my job teaching school during this appointment.  We had a concert coming up the next day, and my presence was needed to make sure the band students were adequately prepared.  I will never forget the events of that day.  I was conducting the band on stage when my wife walked in with our first-born and sat down in the front row.  I could see on her face that something was wrong.  I left the kids on stage and went out into the hallway to speak with her.  "There's something wrong with the baby", she said.  It still echoes in my ears today.  My wife had gone to her appointment as requested.  It was necessary for her to visit a specialist with a much better machine in order to get the image of our unborn child's heart.  The specialist, a cardiologist, told us that our child's heart had not developed correctly.  Surgery would be necessary, and it was a distinct possibility that she would not survive.  We spent the rest of the day in tears.

     The next two months were frightening.  She was due in February.  We were currently living in a cheap apartment while a new house was supposedly being built.   The apartment complex was in poor condition, and we were privy to the domestic violence occurring around us.  Our goal was to make it to full-term so the baby would have a fighting chance of survival.  We knew that we would have to give birth at MUSC in Charleston since the only pediatric heart surgeons in the state are there, so we scheduled a C-section a week before the due date.  There are no words to describe the apprehension that we felt.  We were scared.  The procedure itself had a much different feeling than when the eldest was born.  Back in 2003, there was pure excitement.  The doctor even had her pose with just her head protruding from mom's belly so we could get a picture.  Yeah, I know...it's not so gross when it's your kid.  This time was different though.  There were easily twice as many doctors in the room, and my position was to remain at mom's head for encouragement.  As soon as our newborn baby emerged, the doctors whisked her away into a separate room, but not before I noticed her bent ear. 

     I thought her heart was the only issue.  Do we have a physically deformed baby too?  It was quite a bit of time before we were able to learn what was going on.  With my wife in her own recovery unit, and our new baby, Kyra, in the Intensive Care Unit, I was busy trying to figure everything out.    The doctors were running test after test.  She failed a hearing exam in her left ear, and her breathing was different, but her heart seemed to be doing its job.  We weren't quite sure what to make of it.    While the doctors weren't completely sure what they were dealing with, a geneticist solved the riddle when he correctly pointed out that she has Goldenhar's Syndrome.

     Goldenhar's Syndrome is a genetic disorder that is a one in a million chance.  It may have never occurred before in either of our families, and may never occur again.  But it definitely occurred with Kyra.  It is a disorder that generally affects one side of your body, inside and out.  With Kyra, it is most notably her left ear and jaw as those are the outward tells.  Inside, she has no upper lobe of her left lung (only a small part of her lower lobe), and her heart is severely malformed.  Even more frightening was the medical description of what Goldenhar's Syndrome should affect.  She should also have problems with her kidneys, brain development, etc.  There was an extensive list.  Only time would tell.

     Be that as it may, the diagnosis gave the doctors a target regarding tests and were able to release her at 5 days old with no heart monitor or medicine, just a series of follow-up appointments with every type of doctor under the sun.  We felt better knowing that God had a hand on her and gave her the ability to live through this ordeal, but this was just the beginning.  By the time that she was two months old, I firmly believed that she was going to be just fine.  At the time, we  hoped that something could be done for her to hear from her left ear.  We knew she had asthma and required extensive breathing treatments, but otherwise she was a tiny, weak, alive little girl.  And then the hammer fell again.

    I was busy teaching class when my phone rang.  Usually I don't answer it during the class period, but this time I felt I needed to.  It was my wife in panic mode.  Kyra turned blue, and the ambulance was picking her up to take her to the hospital.  She was at the pulmonologist's office and wanted to know if I could get there immediately.  Of course, I flew out of the school and arrived just in time to see the ambulance bring our little child out on a stretcher.   I followed them to the hospital.  It didn't take long for a team of doctors  to surround her and begin connecting her to a stream of lines and monitors.  They put her on a breathing tube and explained to us that her pulmonary artery was having spasms and would not allow blood to pass through.  Therefore, no oxygen was getting to the lungs.  There was nothing they could do about it, but they would fly her to Charleston for an emergency open-heart surgery to put in a shunt and bypass the issue.

    My wife and Kyra flew to MUSC that night.  I had to drive.  I guess I was in a daze.  For many months I looked back at that night and remember thinking, "Oh, she'll be fine.  These are good doctors.  It's nothing."  I honestly didn't realize that she had basically died that day.  When she turned blue, that was it.  If we were anywhere else, at home, asleep, having a night out, anywhere, the story would have ended here.  Because we were at the lung doctor's office when it occurred, she was already surrounded by people trained to deal with breathing emergencies.  Some people would try to put this fact in a long line of coincidences.  I am not one of those people.

    Kyra's surgery took a very long time.  The doctor had already been operating on patients for 24 hours straight, and we added an 8 hour surgery to his day.  My wife and I sat in the waiting room patiently listening for the beeper to keep us posted.  Finally we were met with good news that the shunt was successfully circulating blood to where it needed to go.  The heart itself still needed correction, but she was simply too small and weak to handle that surgery.  Hopefully she would live for another six months or so to grow and be physically ready for the next round.  As we entered the ICU again, this would be a different story than the last time we were here.  The ventilator was breathing for her, and innumerable  tubes and monitors were hooked up to her tiny body.  You can't miss the very large incision from the top of her chest all the way to right above her belly button.  There were other incisions as well, most of which still had tubes protruding from them.

    There were no guarantees in our mind this time.  Our child was lifeless with machines present to do the work for her.  This time we also noticed the plethora of other families on the unit.  Although we were relatively close in proximity, each family was zoned in on their loved one and for the most part unaware of the pain others were suffering on each side of them.  Over time, Kyra was moved into a recovery room.  Due to her lack of interest in eating, she remained in the recovery room for about a month.  During this month, we came to know many of these families that we had seen in the ICU.  One child had just received a new type of heart transplant, and Good Morning America's film crew was on the unit to do a live story.  Others were only there for a day or two.  Most were present for a week or two.  All of us felt the same sense of anxiety, fear, and gratefulness.   Most of us had witnessed at least one other family lose their child and the grief that accompanied it.

     We were obviously very pleased to be able to bring Kyra home in May.  I had a lot of difficulties as a father accepting my role of a parent of a child who might not live.  I definitely kept my love for Kyra at arm's length.  It was my way of protecting myself if I got too close.  I wasn't trying to do this, and I wholeheartedly regret taking this route.  I missed so many chances to hold her close and tell her how much I loved her.  God blessed us at this time in another area.   By the time our house was to be built, the company had only laid the foundation of the home.  Our lease was ending at the end of the month, and we couldn't bear to be in this apartment a day longer.   The company allowed us to pull out without loss of money, and we found the home in which we currently live and closed in 10 days.  It was perfect.

    The stress of moving combined with the care of two young girls, however, provided a strain to another vital part of our lives, our marriage.  To say that my wife and I were drifting apart is an understatement.  She became wrapped up in our children, and I became wrapped up in my job.  It became easier for me to remain at school where I was being successful than to come home where I was unsuccessful.  My wife did a wonderful job as she was able to keep up with the needs of both the girls, including the all-consuming amount of doctor visits for Kyra.

   November 2007, another date that will stand in the timeline in my mind.  Kyra is now 9-months old and healthy enough to handle the corrective surgery.  We are aware that they will once again have to open her sternum up completely.  We are also aware that she may not live through this procedure.  This time, however, we have already spent many days and weeks and months lifting her future up to God.  The one thing that my wife and I completely agreed on is that God has been looking out for her in unimaginable ways, and that we would put our faith in Him.  So many good things came from this experience.  Philippians 4:6-7 became my creed, "Be anxious for nothing.  But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  We are told not to worry about tomorrow, so why should I fear anything?  Whatever happens is the will of the Father and will bring glory to Him no matter what.  It was during this surgery that my wife and I felt the peace of God.  There is absolutely no explanation for it.  Any other human would be scared out of their wits, and we are laughing and joking around with each other knowing that God is in control.

     It was through that peace that we were able to handle the next set of news delivered to us.  Following the corrective surgery, the doctor and a nurse manager pull us into the conference room.   We did not have this experience the last time, and we have seen enough television to heighten our senses that something unexpected has occurred.  The surgeon explained to us that he was able to repair her heart, but in doing so it disrupted the electrical rhythm and that she would need a pacemaker in order to live.  They connected one wire to one of her atria, and another to one of her ventricles.  (The ventricular wire is the one doing most of the work)  These wires then connect to the pacemaker which was placed down in her abdomen.   You know, this could have been heart-breaking news to learn that a man-made machine will be necessary to keep our daughter alive for the rest of her life.  Strangely, it was somewhat of a relief.  Remember that time when she was 2 months old?  Do you have any idea how we felt every single time we put her down for a nap or stepped away from her even for a minute?  We left the hospital when she was born with the belief that she would be okay on her own.  That belief vanished after the first surgery.  Now with the pacemaker, there is a back-up system meant for her survival.  We can rest.

     The next five years have seen a lot of growth.  Our eyes have been opened in a variety of ways.  There are a LOT of children with special needs.  All of the stories are different, but one thing remains the same.  They are God's children and we are blessed with the lives of each and every one of them.  Medicaid and services through programs supported by the United Way and the Ronald McDonald House have been imperative in Kyra's development.  What you see in front of you may at times appear fragile, but we can clearly see God playing out His purpose for her life.  Many of the miracles that we have witnessed in her life have led my wife and I to seek the Lord.  In April of 2010, I came to our current church broken.  Even though I knew God was present and that He cared for me, my prayer life and Bible study were non-existent.  My job and marriage were destructing.  In no way was I being the spiritual leader of my household.  In no way was I loving my wife as Jesus loves the church.  I had sat for years in the pews of a church without seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit, and I had enough.

     God led me to this particular church.  The first Sunday I showed up, they held a P.R.A.Y. service.  Three of the four nights, I was in the pew on my knees crying out to God that He is holy and sufficient, begging Him to fill me with His grace and mercy and give me the strength to rely on Him for ALL of our needs.  I came to God in anguish, and He responded immediately.  I left the church those nights with a renewed spirit and a strong desire to learn His Word and apply it in my daily life.  Why did it take me so long?  For so many years I was one of those pew sitters who had been saved for twenty-something years and going no further with it.  I grew up in church, knew all the stories, even knew all the right things to say.  There is no question that Jesus was my Savior, but it was a long time before I allowed Him to be my Lord.  Now that I have made Him my Lord, there is an undeniable fervency to wanting to know more about Him and to be close to Him. 

     It is that closeness that now pulls us through the tougher times.  Sure, we still have marriage difficulties.  We still have financial difficulties.  We still have problems.  It's my reactions to those problems that are different.  Take this last event with Kyra for example.  On August 3 of this year, my wife sent a pacemaker report through the phone to MUSC.  They called immediately to tell us that something was wrong with Kyra's pacemaker and to take her in immediately to the cardiologist.  The doctors were able to determine that the wire attached to her ventricle had severed in two.  An electrical wire split in two that keeps her heart beating...just take that in for a second.  Even more amazing is that it was still pacing her heart and has been working in that condition since April with no adverse side effects. 

     The cardiologist was amazed, but also enforced the need to get into surgery to fix it.  The heart surgeon who worked on her the other two times was on vacation, so we waited patiently for a week to get it scheduled.  I heard from others frequently over the week that we should be frightened having to wait, but our faith in God persisted.  I sit now in the Ronald McDonald House with my youngest daughter typing this letter.  My oldest daughter chose to remain behind in our home town.  Kyra and her mother are currently in the recovery room awaiting a possible discharge tomorrow.  But let me tell you about God's faithfulness to us this week so you can see how we got here.

     Sunday morning I was overcome with emotion about the situation.  Not that I didn't have faith that Kyra would be okay, but more that I felt bad for her that she has to undergo the pain of another surgery.  I also prayed that I would have the chance to minister to other families who are in the same boat.  Finances are tight, so we also prayed that God would also take care of us with a place to stay.  It turns out that a doctor who  occasionally works with my wife overheard her speaking about our situation.  She lives in Charleston and allowed us to spend our arrival night (Monday) with her.  On Tuesday, following many hours of pre-op in the hospital, the Ronald McDonald House contacts us to tell us that we will have a room, free-of-charge, for the remainder of our visit.  Our prayers on Tuesday evening centered around several things: that Kyra would be safe, that withholding food would not be an issue, that her 2-year old sister would be patient while with us, that doctors could minimize the invasiveness of the surgery (they weren't sure if they would have to open her completely up again), and that we could be a testimony to other patients and parents.

    Wednesday, we arrived at 10am.  The surgery began at 3pm.  It went spectacularly.  It was as minimally invasive as it could be.  There were relatively few complaints for food.  The 2-year old had patience that she has never had before or since.  And I had the chance to share the message of God's peace with four different families.  One child was here for a week for a jet ski accident.  Another was in a motorcycle accident two months ago and is now a quadriplegic.  Another is from the Greenville area with a relatively similar heart issue.  And the other was just born yesterday and was flown into the ICU last night.  All of these situations are unique, but all of these parents need God's healing hand on their child and His peace in their hearts as they move forward. 

     It's clear how God was able to use me to minister to other people, and I thank Him so much for this opportunity.  It's clear that He provided for my family a safe place to stay at no cost.  Some people still might try to put all of this up to coincidence.  But you'll never guess how God really showed his awesome power!  He made absolutely sure that somewhere in all of this would be something that nobody could attribute to anything else but Him.  Following the surgery, the surgeon had his consultation with us in the conference room to go over the details.  After he told us about how incredibly successful everything was, I asked him a question.  So, once you saw the broken wire, what is your explanation for how it kept working?  His answer...There was no explanation.  Even more dumbfounding, it continued to work on its own and only stopped working right before they were getting ready to cut it off.  Did you catch that?  Since April, the pacemaker continued to work with a severed wire and quit on its own moments before they were getting ready to stop using it anyway. 

     For those of you who have read this and this touched something in your heart, I know what that something is.  God is calling you to lay down your burdens before Him and allow Him to manifest His grace and mercy before you.  Embrace His Almighty plan.  Come to terms with the fact that you have nothing while you try to hold onto everything, and that you have everything when you try to hold on to nothing.  God wants to bless you more abundantly than you can ever imagine and to make your story a ministry to others.  For so many years, I tried to fight...to say that I can handle it.  The Lord has taught me that I don't have to handle it.  It's not just words you hear from the pulpit.  It is real.  God made a promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Come to Him through His precious Son Jesus Christ, and you will have peace that surpasses all comprehension.  Also realize that others desperately need to have the same encouragement.  If you have the chance, SHARE JESUS CHRIST, and allow God to do to His work from there.  I will close with the lyrics of a song/poem that I wrote following  Kyra's second surgery.  She was asleep in the ICU at this time, and these words flooded into my head.  Consider the obvious and not-so-obvious meaning behind them.

Heal Her Heart
This precious girl, mild and meek, smiling brightly, tears running down my cheek.
Helpless child, born to die, full of hope, a glimmer in her eye.
Such compassion, but doctors say, she's not meant to live her life this way.
Many people give her care, but only through You may this blessed one be spared.

Heal her heart, Lord.  Dwell within her.  Give her peace, make her be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal her heart.  Set her free.
I'm on my knees Lord.  Dwell within me.  Give  me peace, make me be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal my heart.  Set me free.

Faith in you, we relieve, our loved one is in your hands so we believe.
You know all, omniscient one, all we ask is that your will for her be done.
I will never understand how this fits in your almighty plan.
Your praises, I will sing, and we pray for this one and only thing.

Heal her heart, Lord.  Dwell within her.  Give her peace, make her be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal her heart.  Set her free.
I'm on my knees Lord.  Dwell within me.  Give  me peace, make me be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal my heart.  Set me free.

I've run the gamut of emotion.  I have no more left to give.
Just my faith in You Almighty, that Your plan's for her to live.
Thank you Lord, for this blessing.  I've cherished each moment passed.
And I know, Holy Father, these memories of her will last.

Now I see, mild and meek, your only Son, tears running down your cheek.
Jesus Christ, born to die, Son of Man, a glimmer in your eye.
Such compassion, he led the way, we're not meant to live our lives this way.
His sacrifice, showed us you care.  Only through Him may this world be spared.

Heal our hearts, Lord.  Dwell within us.  Give us peace, make us be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal our hearts.  Set us free.
We are yours Lord.  Dwell within us.  Give us peace, make us be
A testimony to Your power.  Heal our hearts.  Set us free.

God

"God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  Everything has been created by Him and for Him.  God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.  These three are co-equal.  God is the one living and true God.  He is infinite and perfect in holiness.  god is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable."

On Sundays, and hopefully many other days of the week, you can stroll across America in the morning and hear praises being made to this God.  You hear testimonies of lives being changed by this God.  With heads bowed and eyes closed, we hear prayers being made to this God.  On the street corner, you hear people cursing God and taking his name in vain.  Think about how someone who does not have knowledge of God interprets these events.  It is confusing to hear about a God who loves one person and allowed this other one to die.  It is perceived to be unfair to watch an entire side of the world lose an untold number of lives to a tsunami while men, women, and children frolic in the beach waves on the other side of the world.  How can God, who is so mighty and just, allow bad things to happen?  In this discussion, we are going to look at what we wrote about God before, examine Scripture behind it, and apply it to our everyday life.

• God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
• Everything has been created by Him and for Him.
• God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.  These three are co-equal.
• God is the one living and true God.  He is infinite and perfect in holiness.
• God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable.

It must always be said that if you do not truly believe that the Bible is true, this will be difficult for you.  Be honest with yourself.  Do you REALLY believe that everything in the Bible is true?  Either way, you are eventually going to run into something that is very difficult to grasp.  The question will not be whether or not you grasp it; it will be whether or not you believe the Bible is true.

1) God is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe

• Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth"
• Genesis 1:26-27 - "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of all the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' (27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God.  He created him male and female He created them."
•  Psalm 89:11 - "The heaves are Thine, the earth also is Thing; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them."
• Acts 17:24 - "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands"
• Psalm 90:2 - "Before the mountains were born, or Thou didn't give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."
• Hebrews 11:3 - "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible."
• 1 Corinthians 11:12 - "For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God."
• Psalm 103:19 - "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all."
• Psalm 47:2 - "For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."
• Daniel 4:32 - "...recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind..."

The Bible speaks clearly that God created everything that exists out of things that are not visible.  He is sovereign over all heaven and earth, and everything belongs to Him.

2) Everything has been created by Him and for Him.

Most of the verses already mentioned show that He created everything.  Now let's look at some verses that explain why God created everything.

• Colossians 1:16 - "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by [through] Him and for Him.
• Romans 11:36 - For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen. 
•  Hebrews 2:10 - "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings."

So, all things were created by God and for God.  We exist for Him.  That's all there is to it.  We don't have to wonder why we exist.  We exist for Him.  This gives our lives purpose and direction.

3)  God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.  These three are co-equal.

This is a declaration that jumps into the subject of the Trinity.  The Trinity is a hotly-debated topic because there are some religions that do not give deity to Jesus Christ.  The idea of the Trinity will be discussed in detail at a later date, however one popular misconception is to believe that the Trinity is three Gods.  The concept of the Trinity has nothing to do with three Gods.  That would be polytheistic and not biblical at all.  For now I will list some verses that speak to the equality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." 
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 - "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."
• Luke 3:21-22 - "Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, (22) and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily fom like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, 'Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.'"

One more thought to ponder is that we have already established who the Creator is.  What do these verses have to say about who the Creator is?

•  John 1:1-3 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
• Important note - "the Word" is identified in verse 14 of Chapter 1.  "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
• "Grace and truth" is given a name in verse 17 - "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."
• John 1:10 - "He [the Word] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."
• 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him." 
• Genesis 3:22 - "The the Lord God said, 'Behold the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever."
•  Genesis 1:26-27 - Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness... (27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
• Hebrews 1:2 - "In these last days, spoken to us in His Son; whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."
• Colossians 1:16 - "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by [through] Him and for Him.

Look carefully at all these verses put together.  The world was created through whom?  The world was made through whom?   Look, I get the that concept of the Trinity is a bit mind-boggling.  I go back to the statement of whether or not you believe what the Bible says, no matter what.  The Bible is the truth and it reveals who God is.  We have to be willing to accept it regardless of what human logic says.

4) God is the one living and true God.  He is infinite and perfect in holiness.

• Psalm 90:2 - "Before the mountains were born, or thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."
• Isaiah 44:6 - "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me."
• Psalm 147:5 - "Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite."
• Isaiah 40:28 - "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.  His understanding in inscrutable."
• Habakkuk 1:12 - "Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One?"
• Leviticus 11:45 - "For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy."
• Psalm 47:8 - "God reigns over the nations.  God sits on His holy throne."
• Psalm 77:3 - "Your way, O God is holy."
• Psalm 99:5 - "Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool.  Holy is He."
• Revelation 4:8 - "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

There are so many more scriptures to pull from that illustrate that God is infinite and holy.  While we are thinking about infinite qualities, look again at Isaiah 44:6 as noted above.  Let's compare that with a few other verses.  Keep in mind that "first and last", "beginning and end", and "Alpha and Omega" are all stating the same concept.

• Isaiah 41:4 - "I, the Lord, am the first and with the last.  I am He."
• Isaiah 44:6 - "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me."
• Isaiah 48:12 - "I am He, I am the first, I am also the last."
• Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
• Revelation 21:6 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."
• Revelation 1:17-18 - "Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."
• Revelation 2:8 - "the first and the last, who was dead, and who has come to life."
• Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Now, your job is to read each one of those and figure out to whom each verse is referring.  You will have to look at each verse in context, but I will spoil the surprise just a little...it reveals a glimpse of the Trinity.

5) God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable.

• "Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
• Psalm 147:4-5: "He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. (5) Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite."
• Isaiah 46:10 - "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'"
• Psalm 139:8 - "If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there.  If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there."
• Jeremiah 23:23-24 - "'Am I a God who is near,' declares the Lord, 'And not a God far off? (24) Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the Lord."
• Romans 11:29 - "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
• Matthew 24:35 - "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

God is everything that is good, holy, and just.  He reveals a great deal about Himself in His word.  Our goal is to examine it and find what He has to say.  Why?  Because He wants a relationship with you.  He wants you to experience His grace and mercy.  The only way to do so is to establish a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, who, by the way, will be the subject of the next discussion.

Statement of Beliefs

In the previous posting, I mentioned a Statement of Beliefs that the church I attend issues to its members.  It is completely scripturally based.  There are some doctrinal beliefs that are non-negotiable, meaning the Bible is very clear on the subject, particularly those involving salvation.  There are others that offer more room for discussion.  I don't want to refer to them as negotiable because that would imply that God's truth is not concrete.  A better way to think about it is that not everything was revealed by to humans by God.  None of these things have any bearing on salvation.

Below is the Statement of Beliefs.  It is my intention to eventually cover each one individually.

God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  Everything has been created by Him and for Him.  God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.  These three are co-equal.  God is the one living and true God.  He is infinite and perfect in holiness.  God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was born of a virgin, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and lived a sinless human life.  When Jesus lived upon this earth He was fully God and fully man.  He offered Himself as a substitution, payment and justification sufficient for the sins of all men by dying on the cross, the perfect sacrifice.  He was buried and after three days, He arose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  After his literal and physical resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven.  He is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate.  Christ will return to judge the living and the dead and to reign as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son.  he is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every believer from the moment of salvation.  He is the source of the power for regeneration of the believer, understanding of spiritual truth, and living a life that is pleasing to God.  The Christian is to seek to live under His control daily.

The Bible
The Bible is God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Both the Old and New Testament focus on God and the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.  It is fully inspired by God, inerrant, perfect, life giving, and life changing.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  The Bible is Absolute Truth, the final authority for faith and life.

Man
Man is created in the image of God.  He is the supreme object of God's creation.  Since Adam's disobedience of God, all men are guilty of Adam's original sin, unable to come to God on their own, and have a nature of disobedience towards God, which is called "sin".  This attitude separates man from God.  Only those who have placed their trust in the finished work of Christ are forgiven and adopted as children of God, and they will spend eternity with Him.

Eternity
Man was created to exist forever.  He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is to exist eternally in Hell.  to be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven.  Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.  Man serves God out of a heart of gratiude for the gift of salvation.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

Church
The church is the living spiritual body of Christ.  Christ is the head of the church, which is made up of all born again believers.  The purpose of the church is to glorify God by making disciples through intentional relationships.  The local church is an assembly of believers that comes together for worship, for growth in the image of Christ by the teaching of the Word, for observance of the ordinances, for service using spiritual gifts, for prayer, and for fellowship.

Ordinances (Baptism and Lord's Supper)
The Lord Jesus Christ has instructed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper.  Baptism is the action of the believer; the full immersion is a symbol of the union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.  Baptism is the outward symbol of beginning the Christian life.  The Lord's Supper is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian's life as a sign of continuing fellowship with Christ, as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice for the believer's sins.  The bread is broken to symbolize the breaking of Christ's body, and when the cup is poured out,it symbolizes the pouring out of Christ's blood for the believer.

I realize that all of these things are major statements.  You may have or may not have ever thought of any of these ideas quite like that.  While I am sure that these beliefs may be expounded on, I am certain that every statement involved came directly from God's Word, and therefore it must be true.  In future postings, I plan on taking each of these beliefs one by one and demonstrating its truth with scripture.  Remember, these are the non-negotiables.  Anyone who tries to convince you of a biblical belief contrary to on of these is trying to deceive you.

Lord, I pray to You tonight that control my thoughts and speech so that I only put Your truths, not mine, out in public.  Once again, I thank You for the continuing opporunity to learn about them.  May your truths in me shine brighter than all the darkness around me.  Please guide the pastor and staff this week to prepare a lesson that will ultimately make us better disciples,  In Your holy name I pray.  Amen.

How is the Bible organized?

As I discussed before, the Bible was written over a very long period of time by many authors.   It is very difficult to fathom that one collection of writings can relay such accurate and vivid history while maintaining consistent truths about our Creator.  The additional fact that these writings have been remained pure for thousands of years is simply remarkable.  This fact alone demonstrates the awesome power of God's everlasting truth.  Time has no detrimental effect at all.

The Bible is organized into two major sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament contains 39 books beginning with the Creation and culminating around 400 years before Jesus was born.  These writings take you through the following natural flow of history:

• Creation of the universe
• Fall of man
• Judgment flood over the earth
• Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) - fathers of the chosen nation
• The history of Israel
• Exile in Egypt - 430 years
• Exodus and wilderness wanderings - 40
• Conquest of Canaan - 7 years
• Era of Judges - 350 years
• United Kingdom - Saul, David, Solomon - 100 years
• Divided Kingdom - Judah/Israel - 350 years
• Exile in Babylon - 70 years
• Return and rebuilding the land - 140 years

These 39 books have been divided into 5 categories:

• The Law - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
• History - Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
• Wisdom - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
• Major Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
• Minor Prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The New Testament contains 27 books beginning with the events surrounding the birth of Jesus and completed with a vision from John written before the first century ended.  The books of the New Testament are organized by the following categories:

• The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
• Acts - a book all on its own
• The epistles - Romans; 1 and 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Phillippians; Colossians; 1 and 2 Thessalonians; 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews; James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2, and 3 John
• Revelation - another book all on its own

Everything revealed in God's Word speaks within 5 major categories:

• The character of God
• The judgment for sin and disobedience
• The blessing for faith and obedience
• The Lord Savior and sacrifice for sin
• The coming kingdom and glory

The church I attend has developed a Statement of Beliefs that includes core doctrine based on Scripture.  I remember when they were going through the process of developing those statements of belief.  It makes me happy to know that the leaders of our church are searching scripture and articulating to the average person what God says in his Word.  It makes me sad to know that until a couple years ago, I was that average person who simply relied on someone else to tell me what the Bible says.  The unfortunate fact is that the vast majority of people do not investigate for themselves.  They are content with accepting whatever is fed to them.  How is a person supposed to know whether or not they are being fed the truth unless he or she searches for the truth independently?  The reason I felt comfortable accepting the Statement of Beliefs from this church is because it agreed with everything that God had imparted to me.  Why is that important?  Because my faith and belief system are based on God's unchanging truth, not on what an organization says I should believe.  It is very comforting to know 100% that the two agree with each other.

There are many ways to approach reading the Bible.  I remember starting again this last time, determined that this would be the time that I would make it all the way through.  I have done that countless times before.  Who knows how many times the first 10 or so chapters of Genesis were perused with little understanding and an ultimate failure of progressing.  The biggest difference was that this time I wanted to understand.  So, there were some ground rules that I set out for myself in this process.   First, no time limit.  I was not going to make myself feel guilty because I didn't keep up with a yearly reading sheet.  This turned out to be key for me.  Second, I was going to "dirty" up my Bible with notes in the margins.  As God revealed certain things to me, I made sure to mark that.  If there were things God did not reveal to me, I marked that.  It has been fascinating to look back at my notes as scriptures began to connect from book to book.  A much more clear picture began to emerge of what God says.  Third, and frankly should have been first, I have been asking God for wisdom in understanding His truth.  I am willing to accept that some things will jump out at me, and some things are currently beyond my grasp.  God knows what is best for me, and He will take care of that as long as I keep asking.  Finally, realize that understanding God's Word is a lifelong process.  Nobody will fully understand God while on this earth.  That is not the point.  The point is to develop a relationship with Him that brings you closer and closer to Him throughout your entire life.  This process involves spending time reading what He has to say.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so majestic to have taken simple humans like us and inspired them to write down everything that You wanted us to know.  To know that You have preserved Your holy Word throughout all this time to be given to sinners unworthy of Your grace shows compassion that we cannot comprehend.  Thank you Lord for providing a way to learn about You and know that You are in control over all aspects of our life.  Please maintain in me a burning desire to read Your Word and take in knowledge of You.  Please help me to understand Your truths so that I can share them with others.  Please help me to constantly see the need for You in my own life as well as in those around me.  Please give me the courage to speak up about Your unwavering love.  Lord, thank you for who You are.  There is no one like You.  Amen.

Why did God give us the Bible?

Wow, that question makes my brain spin just typing it in.  There are so many things to say that would be a true answer to that question.   For me, God gave us the Bible because He cares so much about us that even though what we are, by our sin nature, is so repulsive to Him, He wants to have a close and personal relationship with us through his son, Jesus Christ, that he would offer us a story of immense grace that would allow us to come to know Him and give Him glory.  Re-reading that sentence, it sounds like a bunch of gobbledy-goop words put together that don't make much sense unless you have experienced it.  I couldn't bring myself to edit it as I was typing because I am convinced that the way it came out is exactly what God wanted me to say.  I will trust Him that it is received in the same manner it was conceived.  If I had to pare it down to 5 words, I would say the Bible was written "so He will receive glory."

So let's take a closer look at what was in my original statement...

• He cares so much about us
• By nature of sin, we are repulsive to God
• He wants to have a close and personal relationship with us
• That relationship is through his son, Jesus Christ
• He offered us grace
• That we would come to know Him
• and give Him glory

It all leads to God receiving the glory.

God cares for us.  We are His creation, and prior to sin, God said, "It is good."  God's standards are really high...really really high, so if God said it was good, I have every reason to believe it was really really good.  Genesis 1:26 says, "Let Us make man in Our image."  (You might want to note the "Us" and "Our" usage for a later discussion on the Trinity)  God received glory in his perfect creation, and He began by having a close and intimate relationship with man.  Imagine God, Almighty God, walking around in a garden to have a talk with his created beings.  That's a much more personal God than most of us think about today, but that's how it was in Genesis 3:8 - "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day..." 
     Ok, so let's put yourself in this situation, which I recognize is difficult, but go with me anyway.  You are one of the two created humans and you have had the perfect relationship with God Almighty, the One that created you and all the life you see around you (something I am sure they had keen knowledge about).  The only stipulation is that you remain pure by following God's statutes.  As I am sure you know, sin comes into the picture and that relationship is broken.  Imagine the devastation that you have because you have lost the privileges of that perfect relationship.  Now, even moreso, imagine the devastation that God feels because you have let sin enter that relationship and he must break it off.
    So, why couldn't God just give them a whooping and let them learn from their mistake?  Because sin is anti-God.  It is against God's nature to accept sin, and it must be as far from Him as possible.  So, if we can look at the story of Adam and Eve and say to ourselves, "Dang, that was stupid, I would never do that."  You are wrong.  We do it every day.  Through Adam's gross mistake, sin is now inherited down through all descendants of Adam, which is obviously everybody.  Through all of this, God did not stop loving Adam and Eve.  He just can't have the same intimate relationship that they once had.

By nature of sin, we are repulsive to God.  This is a blunt comment that probably makes the hair on your neck stand up a little.  In the last paragraph, I explained how sin originated, and its ramifications and consequences.  Simply put, we are born in sin and therefore separated from God.  There is absolutely NO possible way to do something that could bridge that gap.  You cannot lead a sinless life no matter how hard you try, and no amount of good things can make up for how bad sin is.  "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." - Rom. 3:23.  The purpose of God is for Him to receive the glory.  We have sinned and fallen short of that glory.  Therefore, we are by nature repulsive to God.  This also corresponds to God receiving the glory.

But God still loves us and wants us to have a close and personal relationship with us.  God wants an eternal, personal, and intimate relationship with Him as he created us to be...sinless and blameless.  There are steps of judgement that he has taken upon the world for cleansing purposes.  Demolishing Sodom and Gomorrah; flooding the entire earth, the threat of Ninevah...all of those are striking demonstrations of how much Almighty God cannot stand sin.  He wants it abolished, but he cares for us so deeply that he offered another way.

That other way may be a bit confusing for those who limit their reading to the Old Testament.  True, God gave man certain rituals that could be performed using excruciating details  that could be used to atone for the sins of man and thus make them favorable with God.  This covenant is not the way under which we operate today.  In my humble opinion, many ritualistic exercises became just that, without the meaning and thus man in general lost the ability to come closer to God.  We are under a new covenant now, one that was preached on in Daniel for 483 years before it happened.  Everybody was looking for this Savior or Messiah to be born, but nobody had a clue that he would be raised under humble circumstances.

Jesus the Christ (the Messiah) was conceived of the Holy Spirit and a virgin Jewish girl. He lived a humble Jewish life. There was one major difference between him and us.  Read 1 Tim. 3:16 - "And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness [God's getting ready to fill us in on a mystery...]  He who was revealed (manifested) in the flesh (Jesus), was vindicated (justified) in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up to glory."   Did you catch it?  Jesus IS God.    Read it again...the mystery of GODLINESS, He (God) was manifested (Greek word "phneroo" - to make visible) in the flesh...God in the flesh IS Jesus!!!  So, Since God cannot sin, nor can Jesus.  While Jesus was on earth, he and the Father are so close to each other [the unity should not throw you as they are already one] that Jesus cannot do anything without the will of his Father.

Now seeing that Jesus is God, imagine what is must be like to have to give up a part of yourself to leave the kingdom of heaven and dwell and serve not the righteous, but the unrighteous.  The purpose of Jesus was three-fold: to teach us by example how we should live including how to make disciples; to proclaim the Word of God and His Kingdom, and to die and resurrect to be the propitiation for ALL sin.  This is course would give glory to God.  Jesus fulfulled his purpose by demonstrating a sinless life as a servant for humanity, and through doing so created disciples and teached them how to disciple.  He proclaimed the Word and Kingdom of God,  And in doing so, he made it abundantly clear that he, Jesus, is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one goes to the father but through him.
What does it mean that Jesus died for my sins?  It took two aspects of Jesus that no man has ever or since possessed for him to be the substitution for sin.  It took a perfect sacrifice, and Jesus was the only perfect man.  Atonement sacrifices were done prior to Jesus's arrival, and the sacrifices were to be perfect specimens.  Jesus was the only perfect specimen of man.  He was also God.  These are two very crucial aspects to this situation since God is the only one who could handle sin, and a sinless human had to be sacrificed for that atonement.  With Jesus's dying, he took all the sins (past, present, and future) and atoned for them.  There is no need for any more sacrifices, ever.  And God gets the full glory.

The greatest thing is that God offered this gift of atonement to us for free.  FREE!!!  Seriously, if I walk into any store in the world, and they were giving away free stuff, I would be all over it.  That stuff doesn't last long, but what did it matter?  I didn't have to do anything to get it except be willing to receive it.  God's gift of atonement to us is a gift of grace, and it lasts forever.  God knows that we are overcome with sin, and out of love for us He provided a way to erase that sin so we could have a loving, intimate, relationship with Him.  And guess what, I didn't do anything in the world to warrant it or earn it, he just gave it to me, and I was willing to receive it.  Praise the Lord!!!  It seems so easy, and yet most people in the world reject this incredible offer.  Oh, but those who do accept the Lord and seek Him and His understanding find the truth and the truth sets them free.

That we would come to know him.  He offered us a way to connect with Him.  His holy word speaks about these things.  We can pray with him, get together with other small groups, and study together about Him.  We can share our stories with other people.  Fellowshipping.  The ways are unlimited.  My humble suggestion is to pray.  Prayer is a direct line to God.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us on behalf of our groaning.  Jesus Christ is our mediator.  Humble yourself to realize that God did all of this, and glorify God in the fact that He did it all for you.  No matter where you think you are at, you need to realize the constant prayer that we need (not only from us, but from others) for God to put us on our knees and make us realize that we are but filthy rags to him...we are not worthy of anything, and yet, God's grace is so powerful and abundant that he is reaching out to us and offering an unwavering gift...the gift of truth.

And what is it all for?  To give God the glory!

Dear God, tonight you showed me that no matter what I seem to think about the world and all the things in it, you are still working.  I pray for all those in our church and across the world that we become less stagnant.  For your glory Lord, please put people in our paths that would cause us to share your story of love and grace with other people.  Lord, I ask that you continue to make reading my Bible a priority for me and those around me.  Please guide me through this next week as my goal is to minister to others.  Help me recognize who they are and become a beacon of light in their world.  In your name I pray, Amen

How do I know the Bible is true?

Have you ever asked a believer how they know that the Bible is true?  What do they say?  "Because it is..." or "You just have to have faith..."   Does that sound like a convincing answer to you?  Not to me.  I always hated the "because I said so" response from my parents even though sadly I have used it on occasion.  I don't know about you, but I would want to be really convinced that I am resting my eternal hope on something that is true.  So, how do you know that the Bible is true?

I have really enjoyed doing a lot of research on the Bible.  It has fascinating origins.  Have you ever heard of any other piece of literature that took more than 1500 years to write?  Or one book with 40 different authors from immensely different backgrounds and walks of life that all attest to the wonder of God without contradiction?  How is it that any person's writings can be passed through so many centuries intact without the help of a printing press?  Anything that is the source of such explicit and absolute truth is, of course, going to be held up to a large amount of scrutiny.  After all, we are talking about 66 books of history, theology, prophecy, etc. that must withstand all truth "tests".  We have come a long way in our understanding of archaeology and science since those times.  Many things that were stated in the Bible weren't even properly understood at the time, and yet, in hindsight, we can see the truth behind these statements.   It is through historical and biblical analysis that we see the Bible prove itself over and over again as truth.

Let's talk a little about how to use your bible.  I use the New American Standard Bible (NASB), however no English translation is perfect, so don't get too caught up in the differences.  If you are new to searching scripture, you should know that there are a LOT of resources available to aid in your search.  To start, see if your Bible has a concordance.  It is probably located in the back and contains many words in the Bible as well as their locations.  There are more complete concordances available, but this should get you going.  Also located in many Bibles, and equally valuable, are cross-references of other verses that contain similar words and/or phrases.  These are usually located in the margins.  You can learn a lot about the context and meanings of many verses by using these cross-references.  Also, a favorite of mine, is bible.com.  It is an online version that allows you to change to whatever translation you desire as well as Passage and Keyword look-up.

Does the Bible itself state that it is truth?  Now for the fun...looking up scripture to see what it says.  The word "truth" is located in the Bible 192 times, so it clearly has something to say on the matter.  Let's look at a few of those.

Psalm 25:10 - "All the paths of the LORD are  lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies."
Psalm 40:11 - "You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your  lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
Psalm 111:7 - "The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure."
Psalm 119:142 - "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth."
Psalm 119:151 - "You are  near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth."
Psalm 119:160 - "The sum of Your word is  truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances  is everlasting."
Luke 20:21 - "They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth."
John 8:32 - "and you will know the truth, and  the truth will make you free.”
John 17:17 - "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."

So we can clearly see that God's word is truth.  How do we know that the Bible is God's Word?  Paul spoke directly about that to Timothy.
2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness."

If ALL scripture is inspired by God, and God's word is truth, we must be able to examine the Bible to see if anything in it has proven to be true.  Out of the 671 prophecies in the Bible, 668 have proven to be true while the other three are, as of now, unconfirmed.  While the success rate is extremely important and can only be attributed to an all-knowing, Almighty God, the other statistic that is equally important is the fact that no prophecy in the Bible has been proven false.  Why is it so important that God's inspired word cannot be proven false?  The Bible answers that question as well in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - "But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. ²¹ You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ ²² When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."

We can learn from these scriptures that God's word is truth, that all scripture is inspired of God, and that God will not allow anything false to be incorporated in his word.  Historical research will show you persecutions that God's Word had to endure.  Skeptics point to the process of canonizing the scriptures as a show that men controlled the process.  How ironic...to admit that God can inspire 40 different people over a 1500-year time period to write 66 books containing only true history and prophecy and believe that He doesn't have the power to inspire a group of people to put it all together for Him?  How do these skeptics respond when asked why they believe the Bible isn't true?  "Because I said so".  That response didn't work for me either.

Dear Father, we are so grateful that You gave us Your word.  We are comforted in the fact that You will never lie and never change.  Thank you so much for being in control.  Please continue to encourage us to seek Your truth by opening up the Bible every day.  Please speak to us and relate Your truth to us every time we open up the Bible so we can apply daily your gift of mercy and patience for all.

The search for truth

Greetings,
      It is my hope that readers out there will find my statements interesting, thought-provoking and even humurous.  I speak as a simple fallible human being who has gained a genuine fascination in association with my experiences.

How many of you know who God is?  I have heard many answers.  So many of them sound so distant, as if God's position is just simply to stay in heaven and delegate his angels to handle things.  Don't you ever have the same feelings?  I know I do when I have the kids all day, and I am at my limit.  I want to be the "God" of my couch who sends the delegate of my oldest child to placate our other children.  Have you ever associated the way you parent as the way you expect God to treat us?  Sometimes its easy to feel that God is hands-off.

As guilty as I can be sometimes, that just simply isn't the case.  God desires a far better relationship with us than we have been willing to give.  Doesn't it seem convenient to cry out to God once or twice a month when you need something?  It feels that He is far away.  We can't experience Him with our five senses, so sometimes He remains a fantasy to us.  Not to go all cliche on you, but GOD WANTS TO HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP with you.  Notice I didn't say "a relationship".  That is because God wants to have "the" relationship with you.  God can handle having "the" relationship with everyone who calls on Him without anyone feeling jealous, misled, or unattended.  Having a God of convenience is not the relationship that I am talking about.  That is too one-sided.   I am talking about God being the source of your being, your primary thought each day; you go from moment to moment praising God for being there for you; you give to God your every thought and concern.  Give up to God.  The results are amazing. 

Abba!  Father, I seek you for all that You are.  You are holy and above every name.  You are the giver of life, and I praise You for all that You do.  Your are constantly doing a work in me in transforming me and my life from the inside out.  Lord, make me a person that is wholly devoted to Your ministry.  Put a hunger in my soul to learn Your Word and hide it in my heart so that I may not sin against You.  Give me the boldness to pronounce Your name to all regardless of my placement or situation.  I lift You up as the God of this universe.  There are so many different needs out there.  I join with them together to life their loved ones in prayer so that You can do more mighty works in so many different people.  You can give, and you can take away, and Lord, we will praise You in all times.  Amen

My plans are to continue with this blog in a manner that will promote thought and independent Bible study.  Through the use of scripture, we will find out more answers to how we can allow God to transform us,  Thank you for reading this first one, and God bless.

Adam