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God the Father
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Many professing Christians don't fully understand who God really is. To
some He is the head man in some fairy story, to others He is "Daddy".
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Who is He in your eyes?
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In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was
without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said,
Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the
morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament
in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under
the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and
it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under
the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the
gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it
was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his
kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And
the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his
kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after
his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the
morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in
the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them
be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be
for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth:
and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule
the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars
also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon
the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening
and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that
may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created
great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind:
and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in
the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God
said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind,
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and
it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle
after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them,
and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for
meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and
to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life,
I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw
every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And
the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
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(Genesis 1:1-31)
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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea,
over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh
will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land,
the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that
he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon
all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And
they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and
the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people,
and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving
us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he
took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains
over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king
of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children
of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them,
all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his
army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before
Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up
their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were
sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they
said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou
taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus
with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that
we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the
Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians,
than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people,
Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will
shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall
see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall
hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto
me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou
up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and
the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst
of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and
they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon
all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians
shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon
Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God,
which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and
the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and
it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night
to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the
sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the
sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel
went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters
were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And
the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea,
even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it
came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of
the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled
the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they
drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face
of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the
LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters
may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their
horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea
returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled
against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and
all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained
not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry
land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall
unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel
that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians
dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD
did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the
LORD, and his servant Moses.
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(Exodus 14:1-31)
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Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and
spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is
my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God,
and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt
him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's
chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also
are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into
the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power:
thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness
of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:
thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And
with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods
stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart
of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide
the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword,
my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered
them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee,
O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right
hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people
which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength
unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid:
sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes
of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold
upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread
shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as
still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass
over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant
them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD,
which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary,
O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for
ever and ever. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with
his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the
sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the
midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took
a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels
and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he
hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into
the sea. So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into
the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and
found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the
waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it
was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall
we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which
when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he
made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And
said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God,
and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases
upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the
LORD that healeth thee.
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(Exodus 15:1-26)
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Please also read Psalm 9; Psalm 33; Luke 12:16-21 (v20)
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He made the worlds, time, gravity, light. Darkness seems to have
been there always.
Have you ever really thought what time is and what we would and could
do without it?
If He was evil, everything would eventually get destroyed and nobody
would be there to worship Him. Therefore God has to be good to be
God and it's the devil who is trying to destroy the good.
As we see in the scripture below, Satan's evil cannot prevail, and
he cannot be God.
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Think about this: If God is not all-Righteous, all-Holy, filled with lovingkindness
and longsuffering as He says He is, He cannot be God.
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If, for instance, the Bible is not Truth as He says it is, then He is a
liar. If one of us, who wish to worship Him, know that He is a liar, then
where is our faith in Him? It is imperative to believe Him perfect to have
any faith at all.
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Here's a worldly example:
There's a neighbouring country to us here in South Africa, whose head
of state is also the commander in chief of the armed forces. The country's
economy is in tatters because of maladministration. The fuel price was
recently raised by 67% overnight; there is high unemployment; strikes caused
by dissatisfaction of the populace have taken place, to the extent that
the army was called in to keep the law; etc. This caused stress between
the strikers and the army. Nevertheless the President decided to send armed
forces, which costs a fortune, to support a neighbouring country which
is in the middle of another civil war. Another neighbour supports the other
side in the same civil war. What faith do you think this President's soldiers
have of him? Do you not think that perhaps there will be an armed revolt
against him?
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Jesus put it this way:
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Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb:
and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth
not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus
knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom
divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house
divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he
is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
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(Matthew 12:22-26)
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Let us presume that you are a professional soldier. It is therefore your
duty to fight unto the death as ordered by your commanding officer. However,
this officer is a political appointment and has very little knowledge of
military matters. How confident would you be of winning when ordered into
battle by an incompetent bungler?
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So when God orders us, according to our Covenant with Him, into spiritual
battle on His behalf, do we obey or disobey His commandments?
If we disobey, do we do it because we don't really believe that He
exists, we have lost our fear of His unchanging righteousness, or because
we have no confidence in His ability as our Commanding Officer.
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But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.
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(Hebrews 11:6)
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Look how the LORD rewards those who love Him and are obedient to His will:
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A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech;
who drove him away, and he departed.
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I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually
be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble
shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and
let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and
delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened:
and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard
him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD
encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste
and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that
trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no
want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:
but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come,
ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What
man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days,
that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking
guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes
of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open
unto their cry.
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(Psalms 34:1-15)
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