Bp524 - Believe

Ten Truths About God’s Absolute Being

1. God had no beginning.

God is who he is means he never had a beginning. And that just staggers the mind. Every child asks his parents, “Where did God come from? Who made God?” And every wise parent says, “Nobody made God. He just was always there. Always. No beginning.”

2. God is without end.

God is who he is means God will never end. If he didn’t come into being, he can’t go out of being, because he is being — absolute being. There’s no place to go outside being. There’s only he. Before he creates, he’s all there is. Absolutely.

3. God is absolute reality.

God is who he is means God is absolute reality. There’s no reality before him. There’s no reality outside of him unless he wills it and creates it. He’s not one of many realities before he creates. He is simply absolute reality. He’s all that was — eternally. No space. Space didn’t exist. The universe didn’t exist. Emptiness did not exist. Only God existed forever, absolutely and absolutely all.

4. God is utterly independent.

God is who he is means that God is utterly independent. He depends on nothing to bring him into being. He depends on nothing to support him. He depends on nothing to counsel him. He depends on nothing to make him what he is. He is absolutely independent.

5. Everything depends on him.

God is who he is means everything that is not God depends totally on God. All that is not God is secondary, dependent. The entire universe is secondary reality. Let that sink in, because nobody in this city believes that. And if the church doesn’t, you’re just like them. All the universe is secondary. Humanity is secondary. God is primary, absolute first, last, glorious. Everything else is secondary.

6. Nothing compares to God.

God is who he is means all the universe is, by comparison to God, as nothing. Galaxies compared to God are nothing. All the universe by comparison to God is as nothing. Contingent, dependent reality is to absolute, independent reality as a shadow to substance, as echo to thunderclap, as bubble to ocean. All that we see, all that you are amazed by in your land or around the world — all the world, all the galaxies — compared to God, is as nothing. If you put God on one side of the scales and the universe on the other side of the scales, the universe goes up like air or dust on the scale. Isaiah 40:17: “All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”

7. God cannot be improved.

God is who he is means God is constant. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He cannot be improved. He cannot be diminished. He’s not becoming anything. He is who he is. There’s no development in God. There’s no progress in God. Absolute perfection cannot be improved.

8. God sets the ultimate standard.

God is who he is means he is the absolute standard of truth and goodness and beauty. There’s no law book that he consults in deciding what is right. There’s no almanac to establish facts for God. There’s no guild, no musical guild, for example, to determine what is excellent and beautiful. He’s the standard. He himself is the standard of the right, the true, the beautiful.

9. God always does right.

God is who he is means God does whatever he pleases, and it is always right, always beautiful, always in accord with truth. There are no constraints on God from outside that he doesn’t will to exist, and thus govern. All reality that is outside of him is subordinate to him. So, he’s utterly free. He’s the only free being in the universe, in fact. He is utterly free from any constraints that don’t originate from his own will.

10. Nothing is worth more.

God is who he is means he’s the greatest, the most beautiful, the most valuable, and the most important person in existence. He’s more worthy of interest and attention and admiration and enjoyment than all persons and all realities put together, including the entire universe.

— John Piper <Desiring God>

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

—Psalm 90:12

Life is a temporary assignment.

Like the psalmist we need to ask the Lord to help us number our days—so we will realize we have been given only limited time here on this earth. What really matters is how we use the days He gives us.

And that raises some important questions: How will we use the remaining days of this year? Will we use them in the way the Lord wants us to? Will we use them to serve Him and to serve the people God places on our path? Are we willing to use our gifts and talents, our resources and our time to build His kingdom in whatever place He puts us?

Prayer

Father in Heaven, help us to understand that You have given us another year to serve you. Make us faithful in our calling. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Prayer to our Lady of Palestine for Ceasefire 💞

O immaculate Mother Gracious Queen of Palestine to you do we bow ourselves before your throne in confidence that you will bring peace to the ongoing conflict. Most immaculate and holy mother protect the afflicted and the innocent. Help them get to safety and shower world leaders with your pure heavenly sight so that they may see the same way you do and call for ceasefire so that there may be peace. Amen

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as He himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬

“I will take you as My people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7).

God desires that we know Him. He revealed and manifested Himself to His people through great deliverances, signs and wonders — and yet they did not know their God.

“For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways’” (Psalm 95:10)

God is still looking for a people who will let Him be God to them. We are like Israel in that we have witnessed miracles, experienced manifestation of His presence and had our prayers answered. When troubles come we still doubt Him and we don't fully trust Him.

Rest in the knowledge that Jesus loves you dearly.

When the enemy comes in like a roaring lion, don't panic. When the floods overwhelm you, don't despair - just rest. Say, "God loves me — Jesus loves me. I know and believe in His love.” Let us be a people who know their God and know His ways.

"Let no unrighteous talk come out of your mouth, but speak only what is necessary and beneficial for building people up, that it may be a blessing to those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29)

Our Lady of Champion