Who Am I?

What is your identity? Who are you? When it comes right down to it, what makes you who you are? This is more than just an empty philosophical query. This is a substantial life question. The answer to the “who am I” question is the basis of how you live your life. The problem is that many people — even Christians — begin to see their identity wrapped up in something that is completely wrong.

Choosing Identities

What is your identity? Many people find their identity in one or more of the following:

• Conservative
• Republican
• Intellectual
• American
• Baptist
• Hard worker
• Democrat
• Tolerant
• Attractive
• Educated

An Identity Crisis

There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these labels. The problem begins when these things become more important than who we are as Jesus-followers. Our identity in Christ eclipses any other identifiers to which we cling. Anything less than an identity in Christ is an identity sham.

We sin when we try to find our identity in anything else besides God. Sure, we’re affected by our age, race, income, intellect, voting record, or whatever-else. But these things do not and ought not define our identity. We all have a point upon which we center our life. Unless that point is God, we are going to find ourselves in an endless identity crisis.

Our Identity Chosen for Us

As Tim Keller said, “Our security, our priorities, our sense of worth and uniqueness – all the things we call identity – should be based on what God has done for us and in us.” God is the essence of our identity. It’s not our physical appearance, our job, our family, our income status, our nationality, our political affiliations, or even our denominational preference. Its’s God — who He is and what He’s done. When this essence of our identity controls our thinking, our actions, our behavior and our life, everything gets a lot clearer.

Our identity has been chosen for us. It was chosen when Christ chose us and we accepted him. This magnificent life change is such a radical transformation that it is our new identity. Paul described it in terms of a dead person being made alive. Jesus spoke of it as being born again. Now, we have a new identity. Our identity is in Christ.

So, what is your identity?

When we come to the point where we realize that Jesus Christ is everything, and that he is neither a Republican, Democrat, conservative, hipster, or what-have-you, then we begin to see ourselves in a clearer way. Jesus defines us. He is enough, because He is everything. Let us drop the pretense of false identities, and thrive in the ultimate satisfaction of being identified 100% as Christ’s followers.

Source/Sharefaith/Crossleadership Blog

The Only One

Be Pleasing to God

Pour It On Me......

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. -Ephesians 3:17-18

This is not my home....

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2Cor 4:16-18

Shine On, My Brother, My Sister!

How good it is to have ones health restored so I can get back about my Father's business. This week has been a pretty rough one, I'll just say. I reluctantly got out of my warm bed this morning with full intent to have my blogging done before noon and that just didn't happen.

I went into the kitchen and decided on a glass of crushed ice. Yea, strange I know.... here lately since I've been sick I've been doing all kinds of crazy things. I walked with my glass of crushed ice in hand to the window and God not only caught my eye but also caught my breath when I saw both a beautiful moon and sunrise through the window.                                                                                 

While witnessing this awesome image, I recalled a few facts from third grade science class. The moon only reflects light from the sun because it’s incapable of producing any by itself. Aren't we similar to the moon? How much light do we truly reflect from God’s only Son?

The New Moon Phase

²⁵ the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Num. 6: 25, 26

New Moon - The Moon's side that isn't illuminated is facing the Earth. The Moon is not visible (except during a solar eclipse,) the lighted side of the Moon faces away from the Earth. This means that the Sun, Earth, and Moon are almost in a straight line, with the Moon in between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon that we see looks very dark.

The New Moon phase reminds me of a new Christian. Remember when we were newly saved? Our appetites were so veracious for His Word; we gladly turned our backs on anyone or anything that got in the way of our quiet time. Because we steadily looked in Jesus’ face for directions to every move we made, it was easier to turn our backs on sinful habits. As the moon faces away from the earth, we lost a few friends because they felt we turned our backs on them and old habits. However, the warmth we felt from being in close fellowship with Him was well worth their cold shoulder. We never knew such peace.

During this phase in a new Christian’s life, it’s easy to imagine our Heavenly Father singing this song to us.

Life can take your dreams and turn them upside down
Friends will talk about you when you're not around
Reality can really cut you down to size
But don't ever lose that light in your eyes
Don't ever lose My light in your eyes.

People make you promises they'll never keep
Soon you'll know why people say talk is cheap
And life resembles one big compromise
But don't ever lose My light in your eyes. Original song by; Leeann Rhimes

Jesus, God’s holy Son is the light of the world. What are you doing to keep His Light in your eyes?

The Full Moon Phase

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Rom. 5:3-5

Full Moon - The Moon's illuminated side is facing the Earth. The Moon appears to be completely illuminated by direct sunlight. The lighted side of the Moon faces the Earth. This means that the Earth, Sun, and Moon are nearly in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle. The Moon that we see is very bright from the sunlight reflecting off it.

During this time, the true Windex test comes into play. By now it is common knowledge you are a believer. Many respect your opinion and judgment calls yet some just watch to see how you react to situations. Though we may be directly in line with God’s Son who radiates light on us, we also are on the same plane as the world. People are looking for a glimpse of a Savior. Do we reflect His light in a dark world?

Most of us have heard the definition for character as what we do when no one’s looking. Character is not only what we weep over. It’s also what we laugh about.

Do we take delight at things that are really funny or do we laugh at others misfortunes?

Can we truly say we are a reflection of Christ character? People will always need the Lord. What are you doing to show His Light in your eyes?

As the song says,

Life can take your dreams and turn them upside down
Friends will talk about you when you're not around
Reality can really cut you down to size
But don't ever lose that light in your eyes
Don't ever lose His Light your eyes.

The Third Quarter Phase

He must become greater, I must become less. Jn. 3:30

Last Quarter - One-half of the Moon appears to be illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing. Sometimes called Third Quarter. The left half of the Moon appears lighted, and the right side of the Moon appears dark. During the time between the Full Moon and the Last Quarter Moon, the part of the Moon that appears lighted gets smaller and smaller every day. It will continue to shrink until the New Moon.

The last sentence of this definition is my prayer for us. In the “full moon” phase of our walk, we’ve had ample time to reflect Christ loving character. However, the longer we are facing Christ and show His nature while the world is watching, the more time there is to make mistakes.

Overcast days are unavoidable in spite of our best efforts when we fail to clearly show Christ’s radiance. During these cloudy times disappointing our Lord, others and us is inevitable. We often beat ourselves up because in our full moon stage, it’s easy to get comfortably confident. As “the Earth, Sun, and Moon are nearly in a straight line, with the Earth in the middle, the Moon that we see is very bright from the sunlight reflecting off it.” With the Lord and the world looking favorably at us, it’s easy to feel bullet proof. However, one slip or blot on our character sends us out of sync with the Lord and onlookers.

Although sin may find us for season, we can’t stay out of line with the Lord if our hearts are truly His. Discontentment moves in and won’t evacuate until we repent and turn towards Him. Just as the Last Quarter Moon continues to shrink until the New Moon, we finally learn in order to be truly happy, His presence must increase and we must daily decrease. With His presence increasing, the Light in our eyes inevitably increases.

Don't ever lose His Light in your eyes.

Think Before You Speak

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Don't let your light be evil spoken of! Show the world your fruits..by these they will know you are a true believer ♥

Speak Truth

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The world wouldn't have hated Him...the ungodly want to hear what makes them happy..The truth is difficult to accept when you don't want to believe it but it's still truth! Speak Gods truth and we will be hated, Just as Jesus was hated ♥

Be Armed With The Word of God

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Jesus is the Rock and foundation of a true CHRISTian believer. If anyone tries to preach anything else...walk out! It's that simple! Separate yourself from lying lips and false teachings..be armed with the word of God and you Won't be deceived! ♥

Prayer Requests

Please take time to look at the Prayer Request's down the right side of the page. I had a lot of requests today from facebook from friends needing prayer.

If Jesus Came to Your Church: The Shocking State of the American Church

Have you ever wondered what Jesus would think if he came to your church on Sunday morning? What would he do? Would he be comfortable? Think about it for a second.

For seven churches in the first century, Jesus did show up for a visit — sort of. In Revelation, there are seven short, but powerful letters written to specific local churches. In these letters, we gain insight into what Christ thinks about them, and we see how our church might stack up.

The letter to the church in Laodicea is particularly striking (Revelation 3:14-22). In it, we see some remarkable parallels to the church today.

Passion! Do we really have it?

God writes to this church: “You are neither cold nor hot.” Christians yearn for something we call passion. But what is this passion? Is it the tingly feeling we get when the lights go down, the volume goes up, and we are enveloped in a sensation of sound and lights? Is this true, deep, genuine passion, or is it a surface emotion? To be sure, many Christians experience true abiding passion that comes from a right relationship with God. But often, we mistake fiery passion for a fleeting emotion. Christ takes this issue seriously. Revelation records that “because you are lukewarm…I will spit you out of my mouth.” True passionate love for God does not come from a good show, but from a deep and abiding relationship with him. Perhaps our entertainment-fueled passion is nothing but a lukewarm nod to God. Perhaps we risk God’s displeasure over our mock passion.

Purity? Is it really present?

Christ also targets the sham purity of this church. He counsels them to “buy from me gold refined by fire…and white garments so that you may clothe yourself.” This church had an issue with purity — or more specifically, the lack thereof. When a church is besot by moral and mental sin, it is difficult to develop the passion we praise. What tolerance do we have for moral laxity in the church today. Our entertainment choices do not reflect a pursuit for purity, but for a salacious interest in moral impurity. True purity comes through Christ, and righteous passion will follow.

Prosperity? For real?

There is no doubt about it; the American church is materially prosperous. But does material prosperity mean that we are spiritually prosperous as well? The Laodicean church thought they were prosperous, too. “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” But Christ knew better. “[Youy don’t realize] that you are wretched, poor, pitiable, blind, and naked.” Could it be that our material affluence has contributed to our spiritual bankruptcy? It’s easy to depend on the comfort of riches to insulate us from the coldness of a spiritually depleted life. What would our churches look like if we stripped away everything American, everything technological, everything cultural, everything material, and everything manmade? Would we even have a church left — at least one that we recognize? Let us see our prosperity for what it is — a tool to use for kingdom advancement, not for personal comfort.

Christ’s loving discipline will be dispensed.

Jesus provides a warning for churches in this state:  “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Perhaps if Jesus entered our churches, he would see our need for discipline. We need to repent of where we have wronged him.

The church has become so consumed with showiness and presentation, that we have neglected the heart of worship. We think that big crowds equal a big impact for God. We attempt to coerce the Holy Spirit to do our bidding, by means of manipulative tricks with lights and sound. Yet true worship has nothing to do with fog machines or sound systems.

In Jesus Made in America, Stephen Nichols writes, “Christians in all cultures and ages have the tendency to impose their understandings and cultural expressions on Scripture or beliefs.” There is nothing wrong with media, with prosperity, or even with fog machines. But there is a need for a purer understanding of Scripture, shed of its cultural accretions.

From Scripture, we see that we are to:

• Cultivate true passion (Revelation 3:15-16)
• Pursue Christ’s purity (Revelation 3:17-18)
• Build true prosperity (Revelation 18)
• Repent of our sin, and welcome Christ into our lives and churches (Revelation 3:19-20)

Let this transformation begin in your heart and in your church.

Article Source From Sharefaith

Seek Him

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1 Sam. 3:9

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In The News Today

Lex. 18 News Posted this today to their Facebook page with over 900 comments at the time of this post. With the following question "What do you think of this billboard"? Sadly more and more of these billboards are going up. 
I just had to chime in and as they say put my two cents in. 
 I just had to tell this club.. They sure don't know what there missing. Seek and you shall find...We need to pray for the Lord to bring a great spiritual awakening to them. For once I was blind but now I see. Praise God!

Unless the Holy Spirit enables belief in someone who does not yet believe they obviously can't and won't believe. The apostle Paul addresses this in Ephesians 2:1-10. There he tells us even "faith" is a gift of God! Check it out and ask yourself what someone who is "dead in their trespasses and sins" can do...apart from the "gift of God".

People will try to justify their unbelief with saying things like well if there is a God why is there so much pain, war, destruction and poverty. Liken it to going to a dentist, and then saying I don't believe in dentists. If Dentist's exist then why are there so many people with rotten teeth? The answer is quite simple...according to the dentist he can't help it if people don't come to him to get their teeth worked on. It's the same way with God, he can't help anyone who doesn't come to Him when they insist on doing things their own way. The beauty of it is that He gives us that choice and he doesn't force us. If we come to believe in Him it is our gift from Him.
Tes

Bucket List for Fall 2012

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Stand

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Fine Pearls

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Zechariah 4:6

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What You Allow

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Balance

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Close The Account

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Have a great Saturday!

Pastor Ken Bolin invited me and Randy to the tailgate party at the Homecoming football game last night. We had a great time. I even got to see Marsha hard at work selling those sweatshirts for the cheerleaders. This pic is pretty sad I'm afraid. I told Randy he looked like he seen a ghost or something.lol  He dared me to put this pic anywhere. Don't ever dare me..lol

Remember

Please remember that Satan's strategy is to keep the gospel from Muslims.  If we hate them or fear them, we will not take Christ to them.  So today, let's turn the enemy's evil into good.  Please take a moment, right now, to ask the Lord to bring a great spiritual awakening across the Muslim world.  Pray for Christians in Muslim lands to be bold and powerful in their witness.

And pray for our nation this day by turning to the only One who is "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1)  A "refuge" helps only those who trust its protection.  Have you made the Lord your refuge yet today?

D.Forumn

In The News

Why an obscure movie angers Muslims

A film called "Innocence of Muslims" has sparked violence in the Arab world that persists this morning.  Why is this obscure movie causing such an uproar among some Muslims?  Two facts explain the crisis.

First, Islam prohibits depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, lest they lead some to worship a man rather than Allah.  To Muslims, the religious portraits of saints and other biblical characters so common to Christian worship can become objects of veneration and thus idols.  They forbid representations of Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, and all other Islamic prophets.

Second, while the Prophet must never be depicted, he must always be respected.  When speaking of Muhammad or other prophets of Islamic history, a Muslim will typically follow his name with "peace be upon him" (abbreviated PBUH in Muslim writings).  Any art that demeans the Prophet is seen as a direct attack on the religion he founded.

"Innocence of Muslims" breaks both taboos.  It depicts Muhammad as a child molester, homosexual, womanizer, and killer.  In so doing, it offends Muslims the world over.  This reaction is not unprecedented—when a Danish cartoon in 2006 portrayed Muhammad with a bomb worn as a turban, it sparked demonstrations around the world.  Such slanders are not viewed by Muslims as free speech, but as hate speech.

What does the New Testament say about this crisis?  First, it teaches us to relate to other religions with respect, not denigration.  When Paul found himself among the idolatrous people of Athens, he observed that they were "very religious" (Acts 17:22) but did not condemn their paganism.  He then led them from their wrong beliefs to the one true God (vs. 23-31).  A movie that intends to provoke offense and violence is the opposite of the spirit of Christ.

Second, God's word clearly rejects violence in the name of one's faith.  When Peter took up arms in his Lord's defense, "Jesus commanded Peter, 'Put your sword away!'" (John 18:11).  Those who kill in defense of Muhammad's reputation do far more to harm it than to preserve it.

Who is really behind this uproar?  Jesus warned us that Satan "was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44) who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).  Is it a coincidence that animosity is escalating in the Muslim world at the same time more Muslims are coming to Christ than ever before?  Paul would say of this conflict, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).  Because this is a spiritual war, those who fight with the spiritual weapons of intercession are on the front lines.  Where in the battle are you?

Article From The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Change

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Micah 6:8

Amazing Grace

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Empower Me

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Proverbs 14:26

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Urgent Prayer Request

Urgent Prayer Request right now for baby Holden Thompson. He is presently in the ICU. Please send prayers and spread the word ladies.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

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Stand

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2 Timothy 4:18

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One

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Psalm 139:14

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Ladies....

Apple Pie Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 11X7 baking pan

Source on the above pic.

Ingredients

Crust
• 1 1 /4 cup (150 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 7 tbsp. (70 grams) butter very very soft(almost melted but still in solid form)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. water
Filling
• 3-4 big apples (preferably Granny Smith)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. water
Custard
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
Topping
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 tbsp. cold diced butter
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

To make the crust
1. Line a 11X7 pan with parchment paper (I prefer the pan lining paper from Reynolds), leaving some paper hanging over the longer sides.
2. In the food processor bowl add the flour, sugar, butter, egg yolk, water. Pulse a couple of times until it forms a ball. if it’s too dry add few more drops of water.
3. With floured hands roll the the into the bottom of the prepared pan, with just 1/2 inch on the sides. Cover with plastic foil and chill for 20-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make the topping followed by the filling and heat the oven to 375F.
5. When the crust is chilled cover it with parchment paper, fill it with dry beans/uncooked dry rice/baking beads and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the paper and the beans, reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 5 more minutes.
7. Cool completely.
To make the topping
8. In the food processor bowl (since it’s already dirty from the crust) add all the ingredients and pulse until it comes together. It’s gonna be a very soft dough.
9. Place it on a plastic foil, cover with another foil and shape into a 1 inch thick log. Place it in the freezer until ready to use.
To make the apple filling
10. Core and slice the apples. Optional you can peel them. I didn't.
11. Put them in a sauce pan, along with the sugar, water and cinnamon. Cover and cook over low heat for about 13 minutes or until the slices soften.
12. Remove the lid and cook a little more until the liquid evaporates. I didn’t stir at all the apple slices and the bottom ones got a little caramel on them. It was amazing!
13. Cool completely.
14. When the crust and the filling are cooled, spread the apple slices on top of the crust.
To make the custard
15. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, and heavy cream. Pour over the apple slices.
16. Put the pie in the heated oven (350F) and bake for 25 minutes or until the custard is set.
17. Take it out of the oven (without turning off the oven) and grate the topping. I found it’s easier to grate the topping in the food processor so the heat for the hands don’t soften the dough.
18. Bake for further 15 minutes.
19. Cool completely before slicing.

Fall is Here

"Whimsical Fall Display in Gatlinburg, Tenn." Source @ ramblingsssg.blogspot.com

"Whimsical Fall Display Jubilee in Gatlinburg, Tenn." Source @ ramblingsssg.blogspot.com

Have a Great Day!

Hmmm.. Puts me in mind of what my hair looks like in the morning. lol

..

Made in Clay Celebration From Pam Asher

Do you make anything? Homemade crafts, quilts, home canned items, candies, cakes, etc. Clay County Fiscal Court Tourism is hosting a 2 day event (Oct. 12 - 13) at the Clay County Community Center for Clay County residents to sell items that they make. We have so many gifted craftsman and artists out there and we want our people to have a chance to sell their products. The costs for a spot are: $20 if you provide your own table, $25 if we provide the table, and $35 if you have a table inside the building. For more information contact me or Earl Owens. Again, this is for the people of Clay County to be in the spotlight!!!! Come and join us!

We are quite excited! There are so many peopole that are so gifted! I hope people really come out to support this event. Early Christmas shopping for unique and special gifts!!!!! We are planning for this to be an annual event!!!!!!

God Is Bigger Than You Think

Humans are weaker than we think.

If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we humans are weak and frail. Admittedly, humans have done great things. From great engineering achievements, to astonishing scientific discoveries, to the composition of musical and artistic masteries, mankind has done things worthy of some admiration. At the same time, each of these “great things” are simply the product of created humans working under the existing laws, with the materials, and by means of a mind created by God. These human achievements are but a pale reflection of the incredible glory and infinite majesty of God.

God is bigger than we think.

It’s often a big view of self that gets in the way of a big view of God. When we think of ourselves as great, powerful, wise and sufficient we view God as not-so-great, not-so-powerful, not-so-wise, and not-so-sufficient. Our pride shrinks God to a mere genie or wizard who is not all that great, but can lend some magic to help us along the way. Such a view of God is offensive to who he really is.

Just take a look back through biblical history. When people failed to have a lofty view of God, God would show them just how great he was.

• Abraham. God gave Abraham a promise that seemed both too good and to big to be true. Abraham was having trouble believing it. He took things into his own hands. God took Abraham outside one night and told him to look up into the sky, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Have you ever been outside on a clear night, miles away from any cities or lights? That night, Abraham was. This view of the heavens was enough to jar his mind into the realization that God is big. God is capable. And the inestimable number of those stars would rival the eventual and inestimable number of his descendants. “I am the Lord,” God told Abraham that night, and he showed Abraham that he was indeed bigger than Abraham thought…much bigger.
• Moses. Israel was at a critical juncture in their history. So critical, in fact, that God was prepared to annihilate every one of them. Already God had given them miraculous deliverence, miraculous food, miraculous water, miraculous military victories, and miraculous preservation of life. Moses needed some encouragement: “Please show me your glory,” he asked God. God responded in a soul-shaking display of glory. God’s glorious display was so potentially destructive to human presence that God had to hide Moses in a rocky shelter and cover Moses with his hand while it all happened.  And then, God could only reveal his back. God had to explain to Moses, “man shall not see me and live.” Simply being around God’s glory meant that Moses’ face would shine, literally shine with light, for the rest of his life. Moses actually had to cover his face just to be around people. God was far bigger and greater than Moses ever imagined.
• Elijah. Elijah was prone to discouragement. He had a tough job. He might have even thought he had a pointless job — talking about God to a group of people and a cantankerous king that wanted nothing to do with God. It didn’t help that Elijah was on the king’s most wanted list for several years in a row. Meanwhile, famine was crushing the entire land, leaving people more desperate than usual. This is when The Contest took place. Elijah challenged King Ahab and the prophets of the false god, Baal, to a contest — a God contest. Everyone in the nation was invited. The point was to determine which God was more powerful — Baal or Yahweh. To say that Yahweh was more powerful would be to understate the event entirely. God not only won the competition, but he also caused the entire nation of Israel to see a fireworks display that they would never forget, to fall on their faces in humiliated reverence, and to send the false prophets of Baal packing. God was bigger — far bigger — than Elijah, the nation of Israel, ornery Ahab, or the prophets of Baal ever thought.

God is Bigger than…

In a world far removed from starry desert visions, wilderness wanderings, and God contests, it’s easy to lose our vision of a big God. After all, life is tough. We face discouragement. We face incredible disappointment. We face tragedy. We see a world rocked by disease, war, famine and human suffering. We wonder. We question. We doubt.

God doesn’t judge us for our confusion and questions, “for he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). But at the same time, God wants us to have that glorious view of himself.

• God is bigger than your problems. Yes, your problems are big. They are severe. They are not to be minimized or scoffed away. But God is bigger. Far bigger. He is so big that his ruling throne can’t even fit on the earth; it is “established in the heavens” (Psalm 103:19). His reign will have no end. He is eternally compassionate, loving, and just. Take the collective size of your entire life problems, place them beside God, and see how they compare in size. They don’t. God is infinitely bigger.
• God is bigger than your sin and failure. Your sin is serious, of course. It is serious enough to warrant punishment. But God took care of that punishment and sin through Jesus Christ. God, in his infinite holiness, is bigger than sin. God in his majestic perfection, is greater than failure. God, in his inestimable power, is bigger than death. Place your personal shortcomings and weaknesses beside God, and they disappear in his grandeur.

Look to Jesus

The biggest vision of God is seen in Jesus Christ. One day, two thousand years ago. God revealed himself in an epic revelation of grace and love. He sent Jesus his Son to earth. Jesus lived a life of perfection, and he revealed in the clearest way the character of God, because he was himself God. Jesus gave his life willingly for us. He rose again. And by his death and resurrection, we can be made new.

Take your problems, failures, discouragements, and shortcomings to God. Set them down for a moment while you gaze at God’s immense and infinite character.

We may live in a small world. But we have a big God. As we see him for who he truly is, we are changed by the sight. God is bigger than you think.