Fourthstream

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When it comes to getting it right about God it seems to be a matter of revelation rather than speculation. There are lots of ideas about God. How can a person sift through even the most practiced speculation (religious, philosophical, secularistic) and land on something or Someone who can lead us in the way of a satisfied mind – and even better – a deeply hopeful end game?

From Job’s life we learn that knowing about God is just the beginning. Job knew enough about God (he was either a contemporary of Abraham or preceded him) to spend his entire life trying to please God and include Him in his family’s spiritual journey.

But through his later-in-life suffering Job learned that seeing was in some way richer than hearing – and this even before God restored his fortunes! There is little doubt that Job’s trials cost him things that could never be restored. But God surpassed them all by providing the monumental comfort of blessing moving forward.

Burnadette and I are excited to focus this concept today. After all, if we can’t get it right about God, how can we get it right about us?!

How do I get it right about God?
What is God-accuracy all about?
A God Song from Isaiah 40

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When we consider our core – our essence – there are a number of things worth taking into account.

Have you ever felt that someone has taken advantage of you? Why is it so important for us to not be taken advantage of? Why do we wish so deeply to experience fairness? Do you ever grow weary of having to live with a protective guard around you?

Humans also struggle with being the center of our worlds. Recognition for our accomplishments. Experiencing financial success and security. Personal fulfillment. Adulation from our peers. Our desire for trouble free lives. We protect our internal selves because we feel we cannot afford to lose control. There is little practical motivation for bending our will to the will of someone else.

The risk involved in bending before those who may take advantage of us is often just too great. Yet God wants us to subject our personal will to His eternal will. The idea that Jesus will ultimately come to have first place in everything is a foreign concept to most humans.

Within our checkered human history, there appears to be only One historical figure worthy of world Kingship. For authority to be absolute, it must be absolutely moral. This is the Story of the appearing of the Son of Man: Jesus the Nazarene. Despite His contemporary detractors as well as those in our brief, human history – Jesus is the One consistent moral authority in the cosmos. This is precisely because Jesus is God – and God (Jesus) made the world.

It is Jesus’ perfect example that spurs us toward the door of humility. If we can bend our will to our Creator’s will we have opportunity to “find ourselves by losing ourselves.” This is the paradox. We find it extremely difficult to trust others. This makes it a real challenge to bend before a Creator Whom we cannot see.

As we struggle with this paradox, the God Story tells us that Jesus has won His Kingship over the earth, and that one Day He will be installed as King over every living soul. We are made in the image of God. We have value. We have dignity. We matter. When we bend there is trust – and when we trust we are able to bend.

What is worship?
Moses: Man of God
A good “Bending” Song

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Think about the recipe that is you. Your ethnicity, your lifespan in time, your upbringing, as well as your experiences. Burnadette and I take comfort in the fact that not only are each of us unique, the design of God upon our personal imprint gives us huge value as “one-of-a-kind).

Each person has a unique core. God is a person. He also has a core. We are made in His image. Just as we can surmise and define our core, there is much data provided to help us know specific things about our Father Creator and Who He is – what He values!

This week we investigate what the Bible tells us about God’s core. A huge subject for sure, but today we would like to consider some of the “guideposts” which tell us about our Creator as a Person. And “why should I care?” one might ask? One intriguing answer is friendship. God has reached out to humanity to connect through an incredible friendship. But in addition to this there is the issue of “What” God has revealed about His core, and the clues it gives to never-ending access to life.

Fourthstream.com. Where philosophy – science – and theology find a nexus 🙂

Some other resources:

Who is God? 1
Who is God? 2 
Teaching Song
Teaching Song Passages

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Thinking people are reflective. Inquiring, observant, and intentional people are usually quite in touch with our core. Our core provides the backdrop for our decisions and our human interactions.

We all have a world view. Our experiences, our beliefs, our education, our values, and our human interactions all contribute to the core of who we are as a person. Our world view works together with our core, determining how we live our lives.

Take a few minutes and make a list of what you feel are your core operating principles. What is it you value in how you are treated by others? What are the things that make you feel valuable? In what ways do you feel you have succeeded and why? Where do feel you have not succeeded/failed – and what has gotten in the way?

Jesus made a deep statement about God’s core in Matthew 22:34-40. Quality life appeared to be Jesus-defined by two major tenants. Love for God and love for others. This is a great place to start when we reflect on our own personal core.

It is so cool to be a Christ-follower on many levels. Because the “heart” of mankind is corrupt and can’t be trusted, the gift of a new heart is huge to anyone who finds it. While I couldn’t trust my old, lost heart – I can listen to my new heart in a way that produces freedom and fills me with hope. Neat. Check out Ezekiel 36:26 re: new heart.

It is good to pay attention to our core. It is like the wind in the sails of our world view!

My Spirit Heart
My New Heart
A Good Core Song