WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD ... Who is God?

Recent polls indicate that a vast majority of American people believe in God. (90%) I find that poll percentage intriguing as I look around at the attendance of believers in the local church. If church attendance is down and many churches across our nation are even discontinuing Sunday evening services or shutting down completely due to lack of attendance and support ... what is the body of believers putting their belief in?

Unfortunately, some believers are falling for what I call "imposter's" ... not everyone who stands behind a pulpit or preaches on television is presenting the absolute truth. The only place you can find what is "absolute" is in reading, studying and knowing the Word of God. If you only say you believe in something but you actually do not know "what" you believe ~ it will be very easy for you to be deceived by such imposter's.

In the latest YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "You know I am an imposter if..." And the top 3 responses to that question were...

1. 50% of you said that we would know you were an imposter if you refused dessert.

2. Another 50% voted and said they would be imposter's if they agreed with the President of the United States.

3. 25% voted and said we would know they were imposter's if they were drinking decaffeinated coffee.

Sometimes people are much like the spy movies we see. You know ... where the bad guys perform some kind of plastic surgery on someone to make them look exactly like the hero and then the fake hero goes around and commits crimes and the real hero gets blamed for it.

HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT IS NOT?

We can find the answer to this question all throughout the Bible. But in particular this week I saw the answer in the story of Moses and the burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-15)

I found 5 paradoxes in this story of

Who God is...

1. GOD IS EVERYWHERE!

In the burning bush story, Moses went to the mountain of God which is known as Mount Horeb. No doubt even some of us have experienced God in a mighty way in a certain place. Maybe in your prayer closet, at the foot of your bed, or at the altar in your local church. Whether it be a mountain or one of these other places mentioned, I assure you that no matter the place ... God is present.

PSALM 139:7-10 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."

2. GOD IS HOLY

God is holy and pure, yet He desires a relationship with an unholy people. God warned Moses that he must take off his shoes as a sign of respect because he is standing on holy ground made holy by the presence of God. God does desire a relationship with us (John 3:16) but if God is holy and pure, isn't that totally incompatible with hate and sin? God did something about our sin in order to have a relationship with us ... He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to purify us by His death on the cross.

3. THE MYSTERY OF GOD!

God is mysterious and undefinable, yet He reveals Himself. In the story of the burning bush, Moses was uncomfortable with this encounter with God whom he could not define. So Moses said to God "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' and they ask me, "What is his name? Then what shall I tell them?" How did God answer? (Exodus 3:14) God answered and said , " I am Yahweh! I am Who I am!" God will reveal Himself to us even when we are not looking. Moses was just tending sheep and not looking but God was looking for Moses! And He is looking for you.

4. GOD IS POWER!

In verse 12, God assures Moses that he will succeed because God will be with him. The fact that God is in control does not mean that we have nothing to do. God sent Moses to free the people of Israel from Egypt. What is He asking you to do? His power will be with you to see you thru it.

5. GOD IS LOVE!

We see so much suffering in the world. God cares about those who are hurting. We see this in verse 7 of the burning bush story ..."I have indeed seen the misery of my people." By the suffering in his own life, Jesus identifies with our suffering. Have you ever known any other kind of deep love as the love of God?

Next time, you feel like you are going thru your own "Egypt" ... think back to what the "real" deal is and remember that even Moses had doubts but his belief in the one and only true God is what saw him thru.

Wednesday Weekly Word is a weekly post that I dedicate to a recent study I have done. I pray that the Word of God will become alive to you today and that you will know not only WHAT you believe but WHY you believe. Watch out for the imposter's...they will trick and deceive you, but Gods Word is always the truth and the light! -God bless.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL .... please vote in this weeks poll! Your opinion really does matter!!