Archive for God Wall
Eternity is in Our Hearts
Posted by: | CommentsMan instinctively knows that his soul will transcend time and exist again beyond physical death. Man seeks to define God so that the mystery of eternity can be understood in natural terms and allow himself to gain control over it. But, God has not granted man the right or the ability to define Him by experience or natural observation. God retains the right to reveal Himself to man and it is only by His own revelation of Himself that man has any hope of knowing anything about God or his relationship to God.
Some Things Must Be Revealed
Sometimes it seems there is nothing humanity will fail to master, given enough time, imagination and effort. The frontiers of knowledge and scientific advancement seem limitless. There are, however, two questions that are beyond the ability of humans to answer by their own thinking and observation.
1. Who, or what is God?
2. What is our relationship to God?
It was in 1977-78 that I began a quest to discover the truth about God. I think such a quest is common to most people at some point in their life. In my case, I was not well focused during the first few years I was investigating God. I would run into someone who had an interesting perspective on God and spirituality and I would chase that idea until it became illogical for one reason or another. Eventually it dawned on me that all I was doing was evaluating a lot of human opinion and there was no way to verify the truth of anything on a factual basis. The only conclusion I could reach was that a lot of people seemed to believe this way or that and they were very sincere about it. This was long before I understood how sincerely people can believe a lie.
When it comes to defining God, we must have an authentic revelation from beyond ourselves and the natural world.
How Truth Impacts Perception
Posted by: | CommentsLet’s say you have a good friend that you’ve known for about five years. You trust and love your friend. Then, one day the police come to your door and start asking questions about your friend. In the course of the discussion you learn that your friend is suspected of being a serial killer who has been eluding capture for over ten years. Your friend is believed to have killed over twenty people. Let’s say they show you convincing proof that this is true and you believe it. After the police leave, the phone rings and its your friend. How does your belief that they are a serial killer impact the way you now think and feel about your friend. This is an extreme and probably ridiculous example but it clearly demonstrates the power and influence of belief on our thinking, our emotions and our perceptions.
The point of this is that belief drives and determines how and what we think about everything. Over time, we deposit and embrace countless things we believe to be true in our Body of Truth. The problem is this: If our Body of Truth is built on foundational ideas that are not true, then our entire Body of Truth will be flawed. Every new thing we place in our Body of Truth must be consistent and compatible with every concept or idea that has preceded it. If the foundational ideas are lies, the entire Body of Truth will become corrupt.
Since what we believe to be true of God is the most foundational belief possible - How flawed is a life that is based on lies about God?
The Character of God
Posted by: | CommentsMy experience has taught me that difficulty can bring people to a point of need that leads to a choice of accepting or rejecting God. It could be a death, a divorce, an illness, or any of many other possibilities. But the characteristics of these catalysts are the same. We run out of answers for ourselves. We sense an emptiness that cannot be filled by people, places, things or substances. We realize that every worldly thing we relied upon has failed us. When we reach this place we are at The God Wall.
When considering God, his nature and character become a serious matter to consider. Many people seem to be quite comfortable with a God concept that is generic, bland, and non-specific. In this school of thought God can be anything. Think of this god as an all permeating force who could care less about personal morality. This little god has no personality or character because this god is not a person. This god is a force or some kind that just exists. There is nothing about this god that makes people uncomfortable.
I believe difficulties in life are catalysts for spiritual change because they make us uncomfortable. They move us by necessity from the comfort of our status quo (whatever that may be). These catalysts are also God’s invitation to know Him and every person eventually makes that journey and ultimately a choice. The choice is this: Who or what is God and what is my relationship to Him.
There are some huge spiritual lies that float around this planet that many people have accepted. One of the biggest is the idea that truth is variable and can be shaped to personal preferences. Everybody can have their own truth, so they say. Until we understand and accept that real truth transcends personal opinion, the chances of discovering the truth about God are pretty slim. This principle is particularly true of God’s nature and character. His character is not something that can be created or altered by human opinion or preference. God’s character, like real truth, is transcendent to human opinion.
