The PERSONALITY OF GOD Part 2 THE LION (JUSTICE)

Isaiah 33:22 “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.”

Contd from PERSONALITY OF GOD PART 1

Hi friends, 
Blaise Pascal once said,  “Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.”

Thus while we continue to look at the first attribute of God, namely POWER, it is essential to emphasize that Our Father is not only Powerful but also a Lover of Justice.

2) OUR GOD IS A LOVER OF JUSTICE:

When we speak of a Good Judge we know that first & foremost He is impartial. Secondly He must be worthy to pass the judgment. Our Holy God is the only one who is sinless and hence the only One qualified and worthy to judge us.

If we were to enter the Courtroom of God for judgment, all of us would fall short and fail miserably. We will suddenly realize our frailty and utter helplessness. It is a sheer impossibility to ever reach His standards of Righteousness. Acc to  Isa 64:6 "Our Righteousness are like filthy rags in His sight.” Now if we argue that since God is Love, He will close His eyes to our sins , will not that make Him a corrupt judge? A trustworthy Judge will always be fair in his verdict and ensure that the guilty is punished.

Let us reflect for a moment the dilemma the Father Heart faces – on the one side He is the Righteous Judge of all Mankind while on the other is His intense love for us.  None of us could ever solve that one but nothing is impossible for Our Amazing Lord who found the one and only way out to save us and yet remain true to His character- To be LOVE and JUST. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Thus through a ransom sacrifice, the shed blood of His Son Jesus, God prepares a way for us once and for all to be free from the guilt of sin. The only qualification required of us now is to truly repent of our past sinful life , to acknowledge our failure to meet God’s standards of holiness and then to humbly & gratefully accept by faith the free gift of salvation by entering into a relationship with the Lord Jesus.(Rom 10:9,10) 

 When we truly do this, the Lord will accept us and make us like Him. When God now looks at us,He does not see our sins, He sees only the spotless and pure blood of His Son Jesus. He no longer remembers our iniquity and we are now His beloved Children. What a POWERFUL GOD we have.

Scriptures that reveal to us that we have a GOD who loves JUSTICE :

Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

Psalm 11:7 “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

Romans 2:11 “For God does not show favoritism.”

2 Chronicles 19:7 “Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery."

 Our God is a just God who cannot be unfair or tolerate anything that is against His Law(THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD).Many claim that obeying the LAW belongs to the Old Covenant and we are under the New Covenant where we need not obey the LAW but live by grace alone. Shall we then take advantage of the grace of God and misuse His kind mercy to us as a license to sin? Heb 10:29 : “How severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us?”

 Our true love for God is proved only when we obey His commandments. When we are controlled by the Spirit of God, we will no longer be controlled by the sinful nature and will want to obey Him out of love and not out of compulsion.

1 John 3:24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

1 John 2:3 This is how we can be sure that we have come to know him: if we continually keep his commandments.

2 Corin 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

1 Corin 3:13: “The workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day of judgment will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.”

Thus we can be comforted that in this world so full of injustice, we have a Righteous God who is a Lover of Justice.

Click to enjoy these powerful Songs:

1) Ascribe Greatness to our God- http://youtu.be/vjR0mt7m0m0

   

2) Let it Rain: http://youtu.be/AG7v8jJKAOk

 ……to be Contd

*[ The next in this series will be the 3rd attribute of GOD using the symbol THE OX]

Have a blessed day,

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

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The Personality of GOD- Part 1 THE LION (POWER)

THE FOUR FACES OF THE PERSONALITY OF GOD

Rev 4: 7,8: “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

Hi friends,

 I was recently watching a new TV reality show called “Live my Life” in which a randomly picked diehard fan is given a chance to meet with & live the life of his/her favorite superstar for a day or two. What really caught my attention was the awe and intensity of devotion each of the fans showed towards their fav star. That set me thinking …do we as Christians even give half of that adoration /respect to the Almighty God whom we profess to worship?  

To be frank, to many of us GOD is just a friendly Santa Clause up in the Heavens. We recite our prayer requests to Him in time of need just like little Children read out their lists to Santa every Christmas. Have we ever really stopped and thought of God as a real Personality with qualities, feelings and emotions like we have? 

Personality refers to the total enduring characteristics of a person. In this 5 part series, let us learn together more about the Personality of God from His Word.

Before we start, if I were to ask you to name the first quality of God that came to your mind, most probably your answer would be LOVE. Today we have become so  familiar with 1 John 4:8  “God is love” that we use it almost carelessly. For us to fully understand & truly appreciate the depth & intensity of His love for us, we seriously need to look into the other cardinal attributes of God as well.

No man has ever seen God, but throughout the Bible we get glimpses into heaven and the nature of God. In both Ezekiel 1:10 &  Revelation 4:7 we see the same picture of 4 living creatures around the throne of God. The faces of the 4 living creatures and the song they sing continuously day and night reveal to us the Personality of Yahweh.

1)THE LION

2)THE OX

3)THE MAN  

4)THE EAGLE

5)THE SONG

With the help of these 4 symbols and the Song we will see one by one the main attributes of Yahweh. In this post we will deal with the first one namely POWER

THE LION SYMBOLIZES POWER

1)OUR GOD IS POWERFUL- Genesis 17:1 "I am God Almighty.”

We have a mighty God who is OMNIPOTENT(All Powerful), OMNIPRESENT (Present Everywhere Ps 139:7-12),IMMORTAL(2 Peter 3:8; Rev 1:8),INVINCIBLE, UNCHANGING (Heb 1:12) & SOVEREIGN. He has Creative, Destructive, Protective & Restorative Power. Some Scriptures which reveals the POWER of GOD to us.

 Psalms 8:3-4 : “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 

Isaiah 40:26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Exodus 15:6 "Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.

Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.

2 Samuel 22:8 "The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.

Isaiah 42:13 The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

Isaiah 25:8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."

Thus we can see that we have a God who is a consuming fire Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29 ; so powerful and strong . The whole of heaven and earth are His own handiwork and tremble in His Glorious presence. Indeed what a privilege it is for us to be called the dear children of this Mighty God.

Let us bring back the fear of this awesome God into our churches, our homes but  most importantly into our hearts.     -         

 (To be contd : THE LION  Part 2 )

Click to see these Videos :

1)Do you Desire God ? :  http://youtu.be/ngSq7mABZGE

2) Refiner’s Fire : http://youtu.be/9Y8zP34AhuU

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie



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SPIRITUAL COUNTING 1-2-3 (Poem)

"EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE" JAMES 1:17

Hi friends,

We all know the flower game where we pluck out the petals of a flower saying “He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me….” and the last petal reveals to us the truth of whether He does or not!

Well, went it comes to our Beloved Lord, we never need to doubt coz each and every petal will only be “He Loves me, He loves me, He loves me!”

I just want to share this lovely poem about Spiritual Counting. There is nothing in life more liberating and refreshing than thanking God for the million mercies that He keeps showering on us day after day.

Spiritual Counting - (Author Unknown)

Petal by petal - stem by stem,

Where oh where do I begin?

One is for the Lord above,

Who gives His everlasting love.

Two is for the little things

That all His kindness brings.

Three is for the Trinity,

We give our greatest thanks to Thee.

Four is for the gift of life,

Through the good times and the strife.

Five is for our family so dear,

Both those that are far and near.

Six is for blessings we reap,

Moments close to our hearts we keep.

Seven is for food, fun and friends;

The joy that they bring never ends.

Eight is for a nice warm bed,

Knowing there's a roof safely over my head.

Nine is for every brand new day

And for the moments in which we pray.

Ten is for how I can always depend

On how life's blessings never really end...

Click  to enjoy this amazing Video:  http://youtu.be/6ZrFv6D-zgg

Have a blessed week,

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

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My Story Part- 5 Transformed from Touch- Me-Not to Forget- Me-Not !

2 Corin 4:7 : “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

( -Contd from Part 4 ) 
As we saw in the past few posts , it is during tough times that God teaches us our most precious lessons. If you were to ask me to point out the most valuable one, without a second thought I'd tell you that the most powerful one has also been my most difficult lesson and I continue to learn it every day. That is the  lesson of Meekness – The Power to Refuse to be Offended, no matter what. I’ve already shared it with you in MEEKNESS IS NOT WEAKNESS. This post is about how this lesson turned my life around- Today, by the grace of God, a total Touch- Me- Not is now slowly becoming a sweet Forget- Me- Not!

Caught in action!

Maybe you have seen a Touch Me Not which is a sensitive plant with pretty leaves and a small fluffy pink flower-head. Its specialty is its rapid plant movement- its leaves close whenever something touches it. Many of us are just like that. Due to past hurt, we are easily offended by others words/ actions that we react strongly either by withdrawal/avoidance. When closed, the plant is hardly noticeable and it looks like common grass. It symbolizes shyness or shrinking.  

A Forget me not on the other hand is a lovely plant with small blue flowers and they symbolize faithfulness and enduring love. It continues to linger in people’s memories not because of size/ fragrance, but simply because no matter what you do to it ,it will continue to be the same sweet smiling flower that it is!

Many times the hard knocks of life and rejection from people change us into persons we may not know nor want to be. We may even be struggling to be the person we really want to be but are afraid, I want to encourage you today that God sees beyond our fears and frailties. Not only does He sees us as we are now but He also sees us as what we can become in Christ. As we surrender ourselves into His hands, the magical transformation begins and we become more like Christ little by little day by day. This change is one that is from the Inside Out and it happens by the grace of God alone so that we say just like the Psalmist in Psalms 118:23 : “This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.”  

Concluding this 5 part series with the famous lines of the great poet Robert Frost:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Friends, with this Post I come to the end of this 5 part Series. Do pray for me as I continue learning and sharing with you all that He puts on my soul. I truly pray that 'My Story' here will be a small reflection of what God can do with a life that is totally surrendered to Him. Just leaving you with this special verse that has carried me through many tough seasons. 1 Corin 2:9 :“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man. The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Click to enjoy these lovely songs:

1)HOLY IS OUR GOD  http://youtu.be/89BNv1HIvFk

 2) He’s still working on me: http://youtu.be/O-2_3qrv7Tg

 Have a blessed week,

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

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My Story Part - 4 WASHING OUR HANDS & FEEDING THE HUNGRY

John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

- Contd from Part 3
God showed me through a Butterfly analogy the path I had come and told me that it was now time to for me to move out of my “comfort zone”. He then taught me a valuable lesson that every believer needs to know before setting out for Ministry.

As mentioned in Part 1, I always wanted to share the love of Jesus with others but never got the opportunity to work in the Christian Ministry. So I decided to create opportunities by sharing links to certain posts of my blog whenever I saw an opportunity. I was truly doing it for Him and not for me. My motives were right but God showed me that even sharing His Love had to be done in submission to His timings. He taught me that my wrestle was not against flesh and blood but against evil powers and so I needed to move with spiritual discernment if I was to avoid casualty in Spiritual Warfare.

Believer, I share this lesson I learnt so that you could avoid the same mistake. In my zeal to share the love of God, often I used to try hard to find common ground with each person I met. My reaching out was never for myself but because of my love for Him. Through verses like Mathew 7:6 and vs 20 He taught me that I was to be asking God even who I should share the precious Word of God with. True, each person is precious to God but we have no time to waste with the wicked (those who enjoy their sin and deliberately refuse to repent ). God Himself turns His face away from them and asks us also to in  Eph 5:11

God explained to me within seconds something that had been troubling me for a long time –and that is why there was such strong rejection every time Christians try to do good even with pure motives and in love? The reason is because it is not us they are rejecting, but Christ in us. We can understand this better with an illustration. Suppose a  person is sitting in a dark room and enjoys the dark. If we go to Him with a light, it will disturb him and He may even get angry with us and ask us to leave but maybe if we went and sat with him in the dark, he would not oppose us.  The reason is that we are not his problem; the light is. The same thing happens while we go to a person who is living in darkness (sin). For those who want to be in the dark, the opposition to light is ONLY natural- He taught me how we need to wash our hands off the wicked (the deliberately unrepentant)and feed the hungry (the repentant who need God in their lives) for as Mathew 9:34 says "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

Friends, we just need to stop trying hard , instead let us enjoy our lives in Him always ready and available and submitted to His leading. After all when it’s all been said and done, what truly matters is NOT HOW MUCH WE DID FOR HIM but HOW MUCH HE DID THROUGH US!       - To be contd Click here for PART 5 TOUCH ME NOT TO FORGET ME NOT

Enjoy these MUST- SEE Videos : HERE I AM LORD

1) Message :   http://youtu.be/TzJxkqGiRbc

 2) SONG :  http://youtu.be/Uk2CHhjlFj4 

 Have a blessed week,

Take care, God bless,

Sparky Laurie

 All Rights Reserved ©Copyright Protected