Wednesday, August 28, 2013

A PICTURE OF GOD!

Time with Jesus - 29 Aug 2013

Hi all,
John Gill
We call them anthropomorphisms. But what are they? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary they are an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. 
He will Cover You
with His Feathers
A good example is: 4 He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection. Psalms 91:4 NLT
Matthew Henry
Now if you think God has wings and feathers, you are mistaken. Jesus said, 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 NLT To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority of us have no idea what “spirit” looks like. We have never seen a spirit. Therefore, at best, our description comes from our imagination.
John Wesley
The Gospel of John records the following: 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:8-9 ESV
Charles Wesley
For a number of years I struggled with Philip’s question and Jesus’ answer. Then I came across John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible. He was an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian who held to a firm Calvinistic soteriology. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, he attended Kettering Grammar School where he mastered the Latin classics and learned Greek by age 11. He continued self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew, his love for the latter remaining throughout his life. (Courtesy Google) His Comments on John 14:9 are recorded hereunder.
John 14:9 ESV
From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible – Verse by Verse
Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you
Conversing familiarly with you, instructing you by my ministry, and performing so many miraculous works among you, for so long a time; see Heb_5:11
and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
Surely you cannot be so ignorant as this comes to; as you have seen me with your bodily eyes, as a man, you must, know that I am God by the doctrines I have taught you, and the miracles I have wrought among you
he that hath seen me;
not with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his understanding; he that has beheld the perfections of the Godhead in me:
hath seen the Father;
the perfections which are in him also; for the same that are in me are in him, and the same that are in him are in me: I am the very image of him, and am possessed of the same nature, attributes, and glory, that he is; so that he that sees the one, sees the other
how sayest thou then show us the Father?
such a request is a needless one, and betrays great weakness and ignorance
Name
Date of Birth
Date of Death
John Gill
23 November 1697
14 October 1771
Matthew Henry
18 October 1662
22 June 1714
John Wesley
17 June 1703
2 March 1791
Charles Wesley
18 December 1707
29 March 1788
George Whitefield
27 December 1714
30 September 1770
John Gill’s comments seem to be one of the best understandings of “what does God look like”? You and I may not have seen Jesus in the way Philip saw Him. Indeed ±2000 years later it’s impossible to be certain. 
Shroud of Turin
There are no drawings or sketches of Him. Of course, if the Shroud of Turin is the shroud over Jesus’ face after He was placed in the tomb, it may be that we do have a good idea what He looked like. But we do not know for certain if the Shroud of Turin was Jesus’ burial shroud.
The Shroud with Image
of a Crucified Man
John Gill’s commentary was written in the 18th century. For this reason, it is rejected by many, particularly by those who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. For me, I prefer his interpretation because it is uncluttered with the opinions of many commentators who have been influenced by subsequent Bible commentaries. 
Shroud Image and
Artist's painting of Image
Another reason is because of a number of men of God from that era whom we still respect in the 21st century. The above table gives the names of 5 men of God from that era who were more or less contemporaries. Matthew Henry died in the year 1714, 6 months before George Whitefield was born.
George Whitefield
Nevertheless, although some of them may have differed from each other doctrinally, even today they remain in our memories as men who served Jesus Christ faithfully and sincerely. Phyllida and I feel very comfortable with their opinions and teachings, albeit from some 250 years ago.
Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland



Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
Time with Jesus – 29 Aug 2013
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
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These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
©
INTRODUCTION
DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES

A PICTURE OF GOD!
One of the cutest little stories I’ve come across is about the young girl and her drawings. She was very busy working on her latest picture. Her teacher asked her, “What are you drawing?” “A picture of God” the little girl replied. “But nobody knows what God looks like” said the teacher. The little girl replied, “They will when I’ve finished”.
One of our greatest problems is the fact that we don’t know what God looks like! We are inclined to ask why? The simple reason is because it has been forbidden by God. 2 "I am the LORD your God, -- 3 "Never have any other god. 4 Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. 5 Never worship them or serve them, Exodus 20:2-5 GW. People ask why this is so important from God’s point of view?
There are a number of reasons. The first is because we should not even ask this question. God only forbids our doing things which would harm other people and our relationship with Him. He has said, “Don’t do it!” That should be sufficient reason for us.
The next reason is related to the little girl in our story above. We don’t know what He looks like. How do we describe someone we know very little about? (ask any politician) It would be a complete guess. Worse than that. It would be inadequate as a description of God. How does one describe a Being Who is infinite but displays a number of human characteristics? It’s a bit like playing Russian Roulette with all the barrels loaded. No matter how we envision Him, it would be wrong. Worse than that. It would be a picture of a false god. Yes He has described some of His “qualities”. But these are incomplete. When we remember that everything He is, He is infinitely. How do we draw or describe a picture of infinite love?
Another point is, because it is unnecessary. In reply to Philip’s request that Jesus show them the Father, Jesus replied, 9 "I have been with all of you for a long time. Don't you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:9 GW
In spite of all the above, there is a way to get a glimpse of the Father. Look at Jesus dying on the cross. In response to the question, “How much does the Father love us”, we can say, “Enough to send His Son to die for us”. Another way is to see his hands stretched out and pointing, as it were, to infinity. How do we describe this? It’s utterly impossible. But the picture of Jesus Christ and His redeeming love displayed on the cross is a beautiful description of God.
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland

8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.
Psalms 4:8 NLT
We wonder what God looks like. We really do not know.
And trying to imagine Him is not the way to go.
He sees that as idolatry. An idol in the mind,
Is just as much an idol, as the any we can find.
Don’t think that in this century they simply don’t exist.
Take a look around you and read my little list!
Chelsea, Leeds and Sunderland and Manchester’s two clubs.
The Yankees and the Phillies and the Chicago Cubs,
The Kiwi’s and the Proteas, Sri Lanka, Pakistan,
Fighting with a cricket bat to do the best they can.
And then there’s the Olympics which always draws a crowd.
Men worship at these temples, which all are not allowed.
Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar, a Brand new SUV.
People gather round them and quickly bow the knee.
Federer and Henman and both the Williams gals,
All the sporting superstars and their related pals.
Then there’s Hashim Amla, Tendulka and Shane Warne.
And don’t forget Prince William and others royal born.
Prince Harry and his picture which made the centre fold;
And all those modern paintings the galleries want sold.
And then there’s Pavarotti, the Beatles and Tom Jones.
Josh Groban, Celtic Women and then the Rolling Stones.
They have got their following who worship night and day.
Don’t say they are not idols, they’re catog’rised that way!
You see the massive temples, their many fans applaud.
Loftus Versveld, Wimbledon, The Wanderers and Lords.
The Super Bowl, The GABBA; wherever folk pack in,
To sing their team’s achievements, not knowing it’s a sin!
But they will have to answer to the Lord God High above.
About these foreign idols, that all the people love.
If only they would realise and somehow come to grips,
With Jesus Christ the Superstar puts all them in eclipse.
Then when their teams have fallen to the bottom of the pile.
Perhaps they then will see how much that Satan will beguile.
But then it will be far too late. Their last chance will be gone.
And in the grip of Satan, they’ll have to carry on.
Jim Strickland
Written 29th August, 2012

4 He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Psalms 91:4-5 NLT

37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
Matthew 23:37 TNIV

3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
Psalms 121:3-5 ESV

4 I long to live in your holy tent forever. There I find safety in the shadow of your wings. Selah
Psalms 61:4 NIrV

12 It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
Psalms 139:12 MSG

32 If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?
Romans 8:32 MSG

22 Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you. 23 You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
1 Corinthians 3:22-23 GW

2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:2 ESV

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