What Kind of God--

 Dear Christa—

What kind of God creates a world with the design to sacrifice Himself to ransom His creation—who chose to create a race so bent on going its own way?

Even given a second chance to start over after the flood, little time passed before we turned away from Truth and the worship of the only Being worthy of worship. Then, when God chose Moses to lead a nation out of Egypt, their bent was to make idols of gold, to worship the creation of their own hands instead of the One who created their hands.

So easy it is to fall away. We shift like leaves blown in the wind, one direction and then the next.

Yet, “in the fullness of time,” God the Creator became the created. As moments turned to days—then years, Jesus remained the same until the day of the cross. And, angels and men beheld Him.

What kind of God becomes a man?

Most did not turn to the Truth—the truth that God alone is worthy of worship, that God alone could bring salvation, that God alone has power to create anew.

What kind of God creates a world with the design to sacrifice Himself?

A baby—in a manger—poor, weak, purposeful—

And the shepherds came to worship him.

—the parishioner who doesn’t do anything

Where are we looking?

November 9, 2016

Donald Trump is no panacea. His platform may slow the tide of Christian persecution that crouches at the door, but it cannot stop it.

He has promised to make America great. Just what does it mean to be great? Is greatness measured in world dominance? Or, could it be measured in how we individually treat and respect our family and neighbors?

Can greatness be measured in wealth, gross national product, or does greatness reach out to one without and states, “I will help you”? Do we as Christians continue our upward mobility at the expense of relationships with those we proclaim we care for? Do we see a picture so big that we forget to look down at the uplifted eyes of the small ones in our own homes?

Do we cast our vision above this Book—the very Word of God, or do we gaze within the Bible’s pages for direction that will outlast any leader, nation, or movement? For it’s in those pages we find greatness—a Greatness that transcends a material world. When individuals seek to know the Creator of the universe and beyond, then in spite of what humanity considers great, we will lift hands to worship the God of Heaven and Earth and recognize that to be great is to set aside our selfish desires and reach out to the world next door and the world abroad and declare:

“God is good all the time;

He loves you;

He conquered death for you;

He sees you;

He controls ALL things, even when we don’t understand;

He will give you strength for your daily trials and the trials of your future.”

He, and He alone, is great.

Some need to acknowledge that, and some need to rest in that.