KNOWING GOD

GOD IS GALATIANS 5:22-23

I'm always on a quest to know God better so I often think about who he is and what his nature is. In the midst of one of those times, it dawned on me that the scripture in Galatians about the fruit of the Spirit was a perfect description of God. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..."

WHO IS HE?

Now, maybe that's not new to you. Maybe you're going, "Duh?" But it was a wonderful revelation to me and I'm sharing it for others who, like myself, need to be told in plain language that the only way our Father God reveals himself to those of us who are blessed to be his children is ...

by loving us,
finding joy in his relationship with us,
speaking peace to us and seeking to create peace in us,
suffering long with us when we are unloving to others,
being kind to us in all things,
bringing good into our lives,
faithfully doing what he said he would do,
never being rude to us but gentle instead,
and
exercising self-control when we are rude to him and others

ASK HIM

If you can't imagine God in this way, then now is a good time to ask him to reveal himself to you according to Galatians 5:22 and 23. He will be faithful to do so: that's his job description!

Photo by Clay Irving

BRUCE, MATTHEW & JOHN

Bruce Marchiano recently appeared in person at Impact Christian Fellowship in Kerrville, TX to share with the congregation his testimony and experiences playing Jesus in the Matthew film and his future plans for filming John. Impact presented the Matthew film in three parts, with the last part being presented on Good Friday with Bruce present.

John as a Ministry Tool

In a taped interview presented to the congregation in segments after his appearance, Bruce shared his vision for John. It will be strictly Word-based, using the text of John as it appears in the New International Version.

His purpose in the project is to provide free copies of the film as an outreach and ministry tool. He wants to put it in the hands of all ministries, evangelists and members of the Body of Christ to share with others. He expects it to be distributed by all means possible, including Internet downloads.

A String of Pearls

About the film itself, he says that it will not be like the Matthew film in that it will not have an ongoing story format but will be a series of Jesus encounters and events strung together like a string of pearls, as it is in the Biblical account.

Raising Finances

Bruce's enthusiasm for this project is contagious. He is raising finances one dollar at a time. In this manner he will be free to make decisions on filming and distribution from a Word and ministry viewpoint rather than having to answer to commercial investors. He estimates that he will need $25 million.

Click here to check out the John website and to read recommendations by Jack Hayford and the President of the International Bible Society. Donations can be made at this site also.

TO KNOW GOD & BELIEVE HIM

You are my witnesses," says the Lord.
And you are my servant. You have been chosen to know me,
believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.
Isa 43:10 NLT

It is a wonderful fact that God has chosen us to know Him, to believe in Him and to understand that He alone is God. The Hebrew word for know often refers to the relationship between husband and wife. This means we are to have a reverent intimacy and familiarity with Him.

Come to Him

In Jhn 6:37 Jesus says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." So, we come to Him, believing He is who He says He is. "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? “I am,” said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mrk 14:61-2 NIV)

Believe Him

I love the clarity found in the New Living Translation. But the NIV phrases our opening scripture differently. Instead of saying that we are to know Him and believe IN Him, it says we are to know Him and believe Him.

Accept What He Says

The more I think about that, the more I see the difference in believing in Him and believing Him. To believe in Him has to do with who He is. To believe Him is to accept everything He says as truth. While I purpose to practice both statements, I find it more of a challenge to believe everything He says than I do to believe in Him. How about you?

BILL JOHNSON ON HAPPINESS

Bill Johnson recently spoke at Impact Christian Fellowship in Kerrville, TX. The crowd was often silent as we listened with great respect to what he had to say.

Now, most of us havel heard that we are supposed to think positively and biblically, so the first sentence of the following excerpt probably sounds familiar. It's the last part, which contains the consequences of negative thinking that impressed me as being noteworthy ... and extremely practical.

The biggest secret I've found is keeping my attention on what God is doing and has done and not on what he hasn't done. If you feed constantly on what he hasn't done, you build a case to support your unbelief. This legitimizes difficulties and problems and makes you feel like a martyr instead of being positioned to see the breakthrough that you hunger for.