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Monday, March 30, 2015

KNOW GOD is INFINITE

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On the way home, driving in the evening sun, I flipped on the radio to hear a pastor speaking… but what he was speaking made the Spirit rise up inside of me.   He was speaking that manifestations in the book of Acts don’t happen anymore.   I should have just turned the radio off but I thought what if people who were listening didn’t know those manifestations, that he openly denies, do still happen today.  God is not a god of religion and dry bones but a GOD of faith, who makes those dry bones come ALIVE.
He is God who puts muscle and flesh over those bones and gives us a new heart and Spirit.  He is one who feeds us, encourages us, establishes us and empowers us.   
How could he, a pastor… a man of God, not experience the manifestations of the Holy Spirit?  One might ask, “Does he really know God or has he just accepted an aspect of God? 
Knowing he doesn’t believe in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, who then leads him in what to preach to his congregation?  Is it by his mere thinking, wisdom and reasoning?   
But He (Jesus) answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.  Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:13
Seminary taught or not… Who is to be our TEACHER?  God is to be our teacher who knows what HIS children need to hear and see. 
“For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”      1 Corinthians 4:20
For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 1 Thessalonians 1:5
Is it not God who removes the veil? Is it not God is who infinite? 
I do wonder how a person can speak of God’s life changing power and then flat out deny the gifts and manifestation of God’s presence.  Does that not seem strange?  Are we not a manifestation of His transforming love? 
I am sure everyone has an aspect of ignorance when it comes to God but I am thankful God helps us overcome that ignorance as we allow Him to reveal the wonderful things of Himself.  
We must not deny something in the bible just because we have never experienced it or told by mere men it doesn’t exist anymore? 
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:5-8
   We know the Old Testament is the New Testament revealed.   And is God not the same God as in the Old Testament?   So why would God change from what we see in the New Testament to now? 
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”   Hebrews 13:8
God is same yesterday and today and forever… He is infinite.  He is unorthodox- granted but this doesn’t mean He doesn’t bestow the gifts of the Spirit and manifest Himself anymore….  God is ALIVE not dead!  And He does not conform to the ideals of men, no matter what their title may have. 
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power, His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5
“God is not a man, so he does not lie.  He is not human, so he does not change his mind.  Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has He ever promised and not carried it through?” Numbers 23:19
Can you think of what God knows?  Here is just a tiny list.
He knows our hearts.
“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."  Jeremiah 17:10
He knows every detail of our bodies.
 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
He knows how long we will live here on this earth.
“You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.” Job 14:5
He knows when we are tried, tested and tempted.  He knows when we turn our back on Him.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail.  So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32
He knows when we will fail.
But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me." Luke 22:34
He knows where every resource is to help His people.
“However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us." Matthew 17:27
He knows where we are and where we will be.
“Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”  And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” Acts 9:10-12
UNDERSTANDING
And how often does God tell us and show us in various ways to not depend on our own understanding? 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”                                                                    Romans 12:2
For the word of God will never fail. Luke 1:37
"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27
“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13
Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." Matthew 19:26
We are talking about our infinite God that is beyond the understanding and complacencies of men taught and untaught.  
God touch those who teach such falsies and believe in such falsies.  If I were to share with these men right now, the miracles I have experienced they would call me a liar and yet call God a liar.
I have seen Jesus.  I have experienced the varied presences of God.  I have experienced things as the prophets of old.  I have experienced heaven.  I have spoke and sung in tongues.  I have heard and told people things that only God knew.  Things I without a doubt spoke because God’s Spirit assured them to me in my soul that they were true.  Strongly directed by God, I have prayed over the sick and they have been healed.  This is not to boost about me for I know one of reasons I have been shown these things is due to of my lack of faith and ignorance.   I have been doubting Thomas, questioning Philip, hypocrite Peter, and religious prideful Saul who became the Apostle Paul.  I speak my testimony.  I speak of these wonders of God to only speak the truth about GOD.  I feel if I don’t many will not know the wonders that are revealed through Christ Jesus.  They might feel God is unreachable and unknowable.  It is God not me who has done and shown me these things and he has no favorites.      
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness, And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface.  Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3
God had only to speak and the universe and the earth came into existence.   God had only to speak light over the earth and there was light.
And how we too were much like the earth.   How we were clothed and blinded in darkness until we surrendered to God and He breathed light into our life changing us from the inside out.  And He awoke us to the reality of Himself.  The same Holy Spirit that hovered over the earth testified mightily to our soul that Jesus is LORD over our soul.  How we need to remember that, how we need to remember our first love everyday of our lives.  How we need to remember our need for Him and how far He has brought us.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.   We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”  2 Corinthians 4:6-7
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father--he will testify about me.” John 15:26
This same infinite Spirit, this Great Teacher, that people of this world aren’t even aware lives in us thanks to Christ Jesus. 
“that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” John 14:17
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:13
When I think of God being infinite I think of this verse in Ephesians,
“Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” Ephesians 3:8-9
Think about it… the boundless riches of Christ. 
“KNOW GOD is LOVE.  KNOW GOD is Infinite,” flashed on the screen of my mind a few days back and now I am starting to understand why.
His infinite understanding is much higher then our ways and thoughts.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
Where we might think appearance, human power, strength and some level of higher intelligence or education are necessary but God says, “No. It’s the heart and my Spirit that are important.”
Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. Zachariah 4:6
Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”  Matthew 5:8
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27
Think of David, a young shepherd boy who is anointed as king of Israel.  Do you remember what happened after he was anointed as king?
“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13
For David to be king of Israel he needed to be anointed by the Holy Spirit and David knew nothing else could sustain him to go into the role and do that role without the Holy Spirit in his life.
I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1-2

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 73:25
“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Psalm 54:4
It is no different for us as Christians.  The Holy Spirit needs to be active in our lives to sustain us to walk out our faith.    
“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
No wonder why John reads,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
Note: John is speaking of Jesus –the Word.
God is LIGHT.  Light that is never overcome by darkness.  Light that is infinite.  Light that wraps/clothes our eternal soul for eternity.
Why is it important to know God is infinite?
God wants us to rely and live in Him who infinite, so that we might live beyond our sometimes often burdening, shortsighted, limited understanding and circumstances.  God wants us to learn to continually abide in Him who gives us daily refreshment for our soul. Through Him come the companions of peace, joy, love, mercy grace, hope, and an empowering faith.
 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”
But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

Think to know Him and experience Him… is walk the road less traveled (mentally/ physically and of course spiritually).  It is to see life in a whole different way/light.   It is to have manifesting presence active in our life by looking and submitting to God who is INFINITE.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
Know God is Infinite.

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