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Archive for the ‘God’ Category

What He Is, Not What He Does

Posted in God, In Christ, tagged on June 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. – Psalm 62:6-8

God doesn’t give salvation, strength, refuge, or anything else, as if those were things he provides, he is those things in the lives of those who have him.

This is a concept we must grasp — He is what we need. Instead of asking him to give patience, grace, healing, protection, strength, or any thing else — ask him to be your patience, grace, healing, protection, etc.

His gift is himself and he is enough.

– fritz@langgang.com

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400 Years – A Long Time to Wait for Change

Posted in Explanations, God's Patience, Judgment, Justice, Melchizedek, tagged , , on June 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Speak not thou in thine heart … saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. – Deuteronomy 9:4

Our current culture presents the idea that poor innocent natives living in harmony with nature and in accordance with their own peaceful ways were brutally massacred by ruthless people who thought they were commanded by God to destroy the land. We struggle with how a loving God could command the murder of such wise and lovely people groups!

But a second look presents a different understanding!

Long before Israel was told to conquer Canaan, God told their original patriarch there was a primary reason it would be 400 years before the promised land would be theirs – read it here:

[God] said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in [Egypt] … four hundred years; … But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. – Genesis 15:13,16

God was still at work with the inhabitants, giving them 400 years to turn from their sin.

Sin is not a Christian/Jewish concept, it’s universal. The natives weren’t living in harmony and peace — they were violent, ruthless, and sinful! God was working with them, just as with us, to turn around and do right. We read in Genesis 14 how God sent Melchizedek, a Christ-like priest/king, to serve the people in what was later known as Jerusalem.

We only have enough detail to know, for those who notice, that God did not arbitrarily decide to wipe out a bunch of out poor innocents! He worked with them 400 years showing them mercy, calling them to righteousness, offering them true peace.

The Israelites were God’s eventual judgement on a sinful people – how long should he have waited? Was 400 years not enough time to wait for change?

God, likewise, has been patient to us as a nation – sending ambassadors for His kingdom, calling for repentance, offering forgiveness. How long does he have to wait before the cry of victims and the greed of social/economic leaders is full?

– fritz@langgang.com

Related Posts: What about the Pygmies in Africa?! – January 24, 2010

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Use Your Imagination!

Posted in Belief, God, Imagination, tagged , on May 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

[W]e look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2nd Corinthians 4:18

How does God expect us to see something that can’t be seen? We do it all the time when we read a book, talk to friends, hear a lecture, even when daydreaming – how do you think we do that? We use our imagination!

Visualizing in the mind and heart what is desired (or feared) but not seen, is a gift of God. Though it has been abused and misused it can be brought back into captivity to Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:4-6) and used for its intended purpose – to enable us to anticipate, endure, and prepare for what time and space prevents us from seeing right now. Because it is imagined doesn’t mean it is false, it can be more true than what we think we see!

Begin using godly imagination to “see” what God says is all around us – his care, his kingdom, his promises. You could start here:

[Y]e are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. – Hebrews 12:21-24

Visualize the throne, see the city, see the church and the people and the angels, and Jesus. Imagine yourself there – what would you say, what would you do? Start using your imagination to see what God says is there – it will be more accurate than the façade this world is offering.

– fritz@langgang.com

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