The Awe Factor of God...

I saw this you-tube video of Francis Chan (author of Crazy Love) a while ago, and everytime I watch it, I get chills just thinking of how BIG our Creator is... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg

Who God Is...

A recent conversation I had with a friend has spurred me on to really focusing on just Who God Is... versus who i am not and all the things i 'need to work on.'   So, I thought I'd start at the very beginning, the very best place to start... when we read we begin w/ A, B, C.  When we sing we ....  sorry, I should get on with it before I break out into song and dance here....


"In the beginning God..."  Genesis 1:1 


God... Elohim... was there in the beginning.  The name Elohim designates God as God.  'El' means "mighty" or "strong", and the 'him' ending of the name Elohim is a plural ending- more than one.  The triune God.  In the beginning there was nothing else just God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  He is timeless.  He had no beginning like we did, He has always existed. 


"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1


So, in the beginning there was God.  Nothing else.  Then.... God created... light out of darkness, form out of the formless, life where there was no life.


"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:2


All He had to do was speak...


"Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light."   Genesis 1:3


He is our Creator... the Creator of all things- not just at the beginning, but everything and everyone since then- including you and including me.  I was created in this time, in this place, for His glory... and so were you...


"For you formed my inward parts;  You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;  and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet, there were not one of them."  Psalm 139:13-16

The Hole in our Gospel

What does God expect of us?  Is our faith just about going to church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sins -- or does God expect more?  Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?

This is an excerpt from the back cover of Richard Stearns' book, "The Hole in our Gospel"  in which he explores these questions and challenges his readers to re-examine the depth of their faith, to step out and care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and needy of our world.  He begins the Prologue with an account of him sitting with a young boy of 13 years who was orphaned and caring for his younger brothers in Uganda... a powerful story that brings tears to your eyes.  Stearns then tells of how God called him to be the President of World Vision, his struggles and insecurities of leaving a lush, affluent lifestyle and a world he was familiar with to a life of complete surrender and service to the Lord - a world full of hunger, sickness, utter poverty.  The book ends with a Question and Answer section from Stearns' wife, as well as a Study Guide for personal use or use with a small group.  All in all, this was a deeply moving book and I would recommend it to everyone who longs to wholeheartedly follow Jesus.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their booksneeze.com book review bloggers program.  I was not required to post a favorable review- the opinions/review posted are my own.