The Word was WITH God!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ~John 1:1

We were going over this in Sunday school a few weeks back.  You know I have read this verse many times but for some reason I just never really got that ‘The Word’ was WITH God!  Jesus was with God from the beginning!!  I just loved that and it proves to me that Jesus has always been with God our Father!

Here is the paper they gave us that Sunday.  It was part of the “New Believers” class they had that I didn’t get a chance to go to.  Bro. Tom was nice enough to print them all up for me too! 

GOD

There is only one true and living God.  He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe.  God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections.  To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.  The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.

 

It is impossible to define God, but not impossible to describe Him!

Let’s take a look at God’s natural attributes, or different descriptions of God. 

He is:

Self-Existing & Eternal- He has always been here, and always will. 

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God…” 

Genesis 21:33 “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.”

Jeremiah 10:10 “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King.”

Immutable- meaning the God does not change.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Malachi 3:6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

Psalm 110:4 “The LORD has sworn
   and will not change his mind:
You are a priest forever,
   in the order of Melchizedek.”

Omnipresent- God is present at all times in every part and time of His universe.  He is not limited by time or space, and is a free personal Spirit.

Psalm 139:7-12 Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide me,
   Your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to You.

God’s Immensity- He is superior to space.  He is the God of the universe.  No human concept can contain Him.

Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
   How unsearchable his judgments,
   and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
   Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
   that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things.
   To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Omniscient- God has all knowledge.  He knows all things simultaneously.  His knowledge is immediate, without the process of thought reason or inference.  His knowledge of events does not necessarily mean He predetermined them.  God knows the workings of all laws, natural, moral, spiritual, and physical.  We have the right to choose and are responsible for these choices.  God knows these choices before hand, but does not predetermine them.

Colossians 2:3- “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Deutoronomy 30:19- “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

Omnipotent- God possess all power.  He can do anything in keeping with His nature and purpose.  The only limits to His power are self imposed.  He cannot lie or act contrary to His own laws, character, and purpose.  These limitations are evidence of God’s power, not of His weakness.

The Four moral attributes of God are:

Holy- God’s supreme moral excellence.  More than perfect.  A complete absence of evil.

Isaiah 6:3- “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Righteous- Because God is Holy, He cannot ignore or condone evil.  What is good in God, He demands in man.  He makes us right, or righteousness through Christ. 

Romans 10:1-13 “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.  Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)  “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Truth- God is the source and ground for all truth.  He is the criteria through which all thoughts and acts shall be judged.  All truth is of God!
John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”

Love- “This is the attribute that permeates, or brings about, all other of God’s attributes.”

1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

1 Corinthians 13 tells us all about “Love” therefore tells us about God!

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part,  but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.  For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
 

So I know this was long but I really loved all the information it gives and how it clears up so much!  I just hope that this might help someone else.  Hope everyone has a blessed day!

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God lives under the bed....

I think this is perhaps one of the BEST email 'forwards' I have ever read. I hope you will enjoy it half as much as I have!! 
 
Don't start reading this one until you've got more than 3 or 4 minutes to just 'scan' over it. It deserves some time for reflection. GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED 
 
 
I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. 
 
 
 
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...' 
 
 
 
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. 
 
 
 
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. 
 
 
 
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
 
 
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
 
 
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. 
 
 
 
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. 
 
 
 
He does not seem dissatisfied. 
 
 
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. 
 
 
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores. 
 
 
 
And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. 
 
 
 
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. 
 
 
 
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. 
 
 
 
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. 
 
 
 
His life is simple. 
 
 
 
He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. 
 
 
 
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. 
 
 
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. 
 
 
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. 
 
 
 
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
 
 
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
 
 
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. 
 
 
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. 
 
 
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. 
 
 
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care. 
 
 
 
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. 
 
 
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. 
 
 
Kevin won't be surprised at all! 
 
 
When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. This is powerful. 
 
 
Just send this to four people and do not break this, please. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. 
 
 
FRIENDS ARE ANGELS WHO LIFT US TO OUR FEET WHEN OUR WINGS HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING HOW TO FLY 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Pin It

To Get Something You Never Had

I got this in an email from my aunt and just thought that I would share.

 

'To get something you never had,

you have to do something you never did.' 

 When God takes something from your grasp,

 He's not punishing you, 

 but merely opening your hands to receive

 something better.

'The will of God will never take you 

 where the Grace of God will not protect you'

GOD OUR FATHER, WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE 

AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES;

 AND PLEASE WATCH
 OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY

 IN JESUS ' NAME.. AMEN 

Also wanted to add this video since I am also linking up to  

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Learning to walk & talk again.

Had this scheduled for Sat but most of you know that story.. just figured I would go ahead and post it now..  trying to do things to get my mind off of things right now.

Some of you know my story but for those of you that don't I wrote about it here....This is my Story and here
Things have just been clicking with me lately and it is so amazing.  I have been doing my best to make sure I am doing my bible study, trying to read the Bible too, which I have still never finished, and just trying to learn everything I can.  I am so thankful for all the other Christian blogs out there that have kept me strong in this new walk.

Coming back to God is kind of like being a newborn.  Everything is exciting, so new!  It's like learning to talk and walk again.  Some days there are struggles and other days I just want to run around like a little giggling infant so happy and not really having a reason for it other than the wonderful peace and happiness I have finally found!  Wow!  What took me so long?  Why did I fight so much and never really just truly give myself over to Him?  Yeah at Falls Creek I got saved and really tried back then but it was nothing like it is now!  Plus back then I was always so much more worried about what other people thought of me instead of caring what God thought of me.  It should totally be the other way around!!  Everything you do should be for God not for man!!!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23
Here's a verse that really does describe what it was like for me before...
New Living Translation (©2007)"I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News" Galatians 1:6


But just this past year, yep took me about 15 years, so sorry about that God!, I finally started getting back into church, finally found a church I love, and opening my heart, eyes, ears to The Lord!  Told Him that I was going to need some help and if He would please just teach me, come into my heart, I am Yours to do as You please!  Oh, don't get me wrong, I can still be that ignorant rebellious child that just doesn't want to listen!  This new walk is definitely hard sometimes.  I find if I don't wake up with some small or big prayer and if I don't do my studies, just kind of go on living as usual, not keeping Him up front in my mind and heart then things seem to go a little crazy!  I have to get that checked and stop it because that is just giving satan that foothold he needs to pull me right back down where he wants me to be.

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)

So yes, there is always that constant battle going on between God, myself and the devil.  At least so far God has won!!  He is always there to listen when I start getting that feeling I am doing wrong, not being a good mom, a tentative wife, not keeping the house perfect, I just have to pray about it and not get so down and depressed.  It is the devil whispering to me that I am not good enough but God knows I am!  He is the one that said,

  ^"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I tend to turn to this verse constantly!  I even have it on a coin purse I made at ArtsCow
I love that verse because there are times when I wonder what I am doing, why am I here because it seems I can never do anything right... you know all the stuff the devil loves to hear?  If I go back to that verse and remember that God had a plan for us from the very beginning and if I just leave it up to Him and go with it then I will be fine!  That is something I do have to keep reminding myself almost everyday too.  Learning to just give up that control I love and just let go and let God.  I used to ask how am I supposed to do that and I am learning everyday, little by little just how to do that and to not worry about it so much.  Just have some faith in that part.  It is so easy to have that Faith in our Father and not in myself.  That is kind of disrespectful to The Lord because He doesn't create junk!  lol

Ok, sorry, this may not have flowed well, but was just something that came to mind and I just wanted to type it all out before it left and I got side tracked with food in the carpet, paint on the table, finding an apple left under a blanket and all the wonderful joys of being a mom! Pin It

Crazy few days

Wanted to thank everyone again for their thoughts and prayers.  It has been really hard and still so hard to believe that he is gone.  It is so hard to just try to go on but I know we need to.  I asked God yesterday to just help us to give us that peace we need to deal with this and to know that everything is alright and that Randy is in Your hands.  I have been having such a peaceful feeling.  Not that I am not so upset and still a little angry but something in me is saying it is alright.  Randy is in a better place and finally truly happy.  No more struggles and no more demons to fight.  That right there gives me the peace I need too.

"I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain." Psalm 3:4, NLT

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.- Psalm 145:18-19 Pin It

I will Always Love You!!

Maddie was riding her little tricycle outside today and was just being so cute, I told her, "I love you!"  She just looked at me and said, "I don't love you" then I just told her, "That's alright I will always love you no matter what!"  I went on with how I love her even when we fight, when she does bad things, when she starts going to school, when she grows up and chooses not to come home that much, when she does her own thing trying to figure out who she is and what she wants, I will always love you!!  I will always be here with my arms wide open praying for you and waiting on you to come home!

You know, God feels the exact same way about all of us, all of His children.  We totally screw up, ignore Him, don't talk to Him like we should or listen to Him like we should but He is constantly there, waiting on us to figure it out and to come home to Him!!  What an amazing God!!  I just have to keep remembering that we are His children and He will love us no matter what we do and will always be there for us!

Not sure why it is so hard for me to think of it that way since any parent feels that way about their own child.  It is so funny how sometimes when I am trying to explain things to her or asking her why she just won't listen to me, it's like a voice on the inside saying SEE!?! or a small little laugh in my head.  It's so funny and so amazing that I am finally starting to listen and actually hearing Him now!!  There is no other feeling like it!  and yes sometimes I am very guilty of arguing with Him!  Somedays I understand and do what He is saying but there are still those days I am kind of saying, yeah yeah, whatever, and then doing my own thing but only to end up coming back, head down, asking for forgiveness, (which I wonder if He ever gets tired of), and saying I am so sorry I didn't listen and just do what He wanted me to in the first place!

This is a totally new relationship I am starting and I am still learning, in a way I'm kind of like a newborn..  Ok, that story is for another post.

When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14 Pin It

Hello all!!

I have just started this blog.  I have another one over at My Mad World but felt like I needed to start this one.  I have finally come back to God and I guess you could say I have been born again.  It is amazing this time how close I am with Him.  You can read more about my story in the pages section under About Me.  I am excited to start this blog and share my journey with everyone!!
Please bare with me as I am sure the header will change and there will be other changes too while I get it how I want it.  All the others that follow my other blog know how I am, I changed that one constantly until I finally made one I was happy with!
God bless you all and stay tuned!



"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again" (John 3:3-7). Pin It