{"id":4640,"date":"2019-02-28T11:32:29","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T17:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4640"},"modified":"2019-02-28T11:32:29","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T17:32:29","slug":"who-god-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/who-god-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Who God Is"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part three of an eleven-part series on \u201cHabits of Highly Successful People\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Habit #2 \u2013 A Successful Person Accepts God on God\u2019s Terms<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Kevin Riggs
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was a child I loved wearing cowboy hats,\u00a0boots\u00a0and guns. It’s\u00a0a miracle I didn’t injure\u00a0my dog as\u00a0many times as I lassoed\u00a0him or rode him\u00a0like a horse. My favorite\u00a0football team was the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys, and my\u00a0favorite TV show was\u00a0“Gunsmoke.” I was obsessed\u00a0with being a\u00a0cowboy.<\/p>\n

My obsession was so\u00a0strong that after viewing a\u00a0commercial about Tony\u00a0the Cowboy\u2014a new\u00a0brand of dog food with a picture of a dog\u00a0standing on his hind legs dressed up like\u00a0a cowboy\u2014informed my parents that\u00a0my name was no longer Kevin but Tony.\u00a0My parents obliged, and for a short time I\u00a0was “Tony the Cowboy.”<\/p>\n

Recently, I had a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/em>experience.\u00a0I was in the kitchen when my son came\u00a0in wearing his baseball cap backwards.<\/p>\n

I asked, “Zachary, why is your hat\u00a0on backwards?” With his hands on his\u00a0hips, he looked me straight in the eyes\u00a0and proclaimed, “My name is not\u00a0Zachary. It’s Chunky.”<\/p>\n

If I had to choose a nickname for\u00a0my son, Chunky would not be first on\u00a0my list. Nevertheless, my next question\u00a0was obvious, “Who is Chunky?”<\/p>\n

In detail, Zachary informed me that\u00a0Chunky was one of the monkeys from\u00a0the video game Donkey Kong. Chunky\u00a0wears his hat backwards and is my\u00a0son’s favorite character. For the next\u00a0few days, my son’s name was Chunky.<\/p>\n

The Second Commandment <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Second Commandment reads,\u00a0“Thou shalt not make unto thee any\u00a0graven image . . . .” Another word for\u00a0“graven image” is “idol.” In the Old\u00a0Testament, an idol was something that\u00a0was cut or shaped into an image representing\u00a0a deity. An idol was man’s attempt\u00a0to create a god in his image.<\/p>\n

As Egyptian slaves, the Israelites were\u00a0exposed to idols representing the sun,\u00a0moon and stars. Because of their exposure\u00a0to “graven images,” God went into\u00a0great detail explaining this prohibition.\u00a0He said, “Thou shalt not make unto thee\u00a0any graven image, or any likeness of any\u00a0thing that is in heaven above, or that is in\u00a0the earth beneath, or that is in the water\u00a0under the earth.”<\/p>\n

The Hebrew world consisted of three\u00a0parts\u2014(1) the earth, (2) the heavens\u00a0and (3) the waters. By mentioning these\u00a0three elements, God was saying there\u00a0was nothing in the entire universe that\u00a0could take His place, nothing in the universe\u00a0that could adequately represent\u00a0Him. God cannot and will not be made\u00a0into an image.<\/p>\n

God’s concern was not that His people would bow down to strange gods.\u00a0He was concerned that they would\u00a0make idols representing Him and worship\u00a0the idol. The first commandment\u00a0said, “Don’t worship false gods.” The\u00a0second commandment says, “Don’t\u00a0worship the true God falsely.”<\/p>\n

Modern Day Idolatry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cutting out gods or shaping God out\u00a0of wood and stone is not a huge problem\u00a0in most churches. So what relevance\u00a0does the second commandment\u00a0have for my life? At the heart of\u00a0this commandment\u00a0is a warning\u00a0about misrepresenting\u00a0God,\u00a0shaping\u00a0Him into\u00a0the image I\u00a0want Him\u00a0to be, instead\u00a0of accepting\u00a0Him\u00a0for who He\u00a0is. There are\u00a0several contemporary\u00a0misconceptions\u00a0of God\u00a0that verge on\u00a0idolatry. These images are more\u00a0mental than metal, but they are images\u00a0none the less.<\/p>\n

I<\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>Irrelevant Philosophy<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have met people who view the very\u00a0idea of God as an irrelevant, outdated belief\u00a0system. Most Americans believe in the\u00a0existence of God. But they believe that after He\u00a0created the world He left it alone to\u00a0run by itself. These people have shaped\u00a0God into the image of a watchmaker.<\/p>\n

D \u2013<\/strong>Demanding Judge<\/strong><\/p>\n

God is often viewed as a harsh judge\u00a0who sits on His throne waiting for people to make a mistake so He can zap\u00a0them with lightning bolts. This is more a\u00a0picture of the mythological Zeus than\u00a0the biblical God. A tamer reflection is\u00a0seeing God as the one waiting to ruin\u00a0everyone’s fun.<\/p>\n

O<\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>Old Grandfather<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grandfathers are loving and forgiving\u00a0and would never harm anyone.\u00a0There have been times in my life when\u00a0I did not want a heavenly Father as\u00a0much as I wanted a heavenly Grandfather\u00a0who would let me do as I\u00a0pleased. \u00a0Putting God in the image of a\u00a0grandfather makes Him not as intimidating and easier to manipulate.<\/p>\n

L <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>Loving Nurse<\/strong><\/p>\n

A loving nurse is there to serve me\u00a0when needed and leave me alone\u00a0when not needed. I must confess there\u00a0have times in my life been times in my life when I have\u00a0treated God the same way. When I am\u00a0in trouble, and not feeling well, He is just\u00a0a prayer (or a nurse’s button) away. I\u00a0want a God who is there to serve me,\u00a0meet my every need and remove every\u00a0pain. When I don’t need God, I want\u00a0Him to stay out of the way, but be available\u00a0at a moment’s notice.<\/p>\n

S \u2013<\/strong>Santa Claus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Santa is a job old man who exists to\u00a0grant every wish. Oh sure, he keeps a list\u00a0of who’s naughty or nice, but somehow,\u00a0come Christmas Eve, the list is forgotten.<\/p>\n

If I am not careful, I will treat God\u00a0like Santa Claus. I will make out a list of\u00a0what I want and expect Him to deliver.\u00a0When He does deliver, I might leave\u00a0him cookies and milk. If He doesn’t deliver,\u00a0there is always the Easter Bunny\u00a0or the Tooth Fairy to comfort me.<\/p>\n

All these views are my attempts to\u00a0shape God into the image I think He\u00a0should be instead of accepting Him\u00a0for who He is. Each view violates the\u00a0second commandment.<\/p>\n

Habit #2<\/strong><\/p>\n

If the second commandment says,\u00a0“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven\u00a0image . . .,” then the second habit\u00a0states, a highly successful person accepts\u00a0God on God’s terms<\/em>. I must accept God\u00a0unconditionally. I must understand who\u00a0God is, and I must accept God for who\u00a0He is. In the second commandment God\u00a0gives me some clues as to who He is.<\/p>\n

1. <\/strong>God is holy<\/strong><\/p>\n

To say God is holy means He is perfect.\u00a0After crossing the Red Sea, Moses\u00a0and his sister Miriam, sang, “Who is like\u00a0unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?\u00a0Who is like thee, glorious in holiness?”<\/p>\n

As a holy God, He expects me to be\u00a0holy as well. God said to Moses, “Sanctify yourselves\u00a0therefore, and be ye holy.”<\/p>\n

A highly successful person accepts\u00a0the fact God is holy and expects him to\u00a0be holy as well. A successful person\u00a0quits making excuses and quits looking\u00a0for a Cod who will say, “Oh, Kevin, I\u00a0know you didn’t mean to do that. No\u00a0one’s perfect. \u00a0Forget about it. Compared\u00a0to other people you are not so bad.”<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong>God is just<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a just God, He has every right to\u00a0place the “iniquity of the fathers upon\u00a0the children unto the third and fourth\u00a0generation of them that hate me.”\u00a0Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? It’s not meant\u00a0to be. It’s just a statement of fact.<\/p>\n

3. <\/strong>God is just<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through love God created humankind\u00a0after His image and in His\u00a0likeness. \u00a0Out of love He gave Adam\u00a0and Eve a free will. Adam and Eve\u00a0abused this free will and as a result sin\u00a0entered the world. \u00a0Because God is\u00a0holy, He could not simply turn away\u00a0and ignore sin. Sin had to be punished,\u00a0and the just punishment for sin\u00a0was eternal separation from God.<\/p>\n

Miraculously and mercifully, however,\u00a0God demonstrated how much He\u00a0loved us by sending Jesus to pay the\u00a0penalty for sin. The cross represents\u00a0God’s love, justice and holiness. God’s\u00a0holiness is fundamental. God’s justice\u00a0is sure. But His love is far greater.<\/p>\n

He said, “And showing mercy unto\u00a0thousands of them that love me\u00a0and keep my commandments.” \u00a0God’s love forgives me of my sins,\u00a0breaks any curse that is on my family\u00a0and prepares the way to bless my\u00a0family for centuries to come.<\/p>\n

Conclusion <\/strong><\/p>\n

McAuley Water Street Mission was\u00a0named for Jerry McAuley. His father, a\u00a0counterfeiter, fled home to escape the\u00a0law; his mother languished in prison,\u00a0so his grandmother raised him. When\u00a0she couldn’t control him, he was sent\u00a0to New York where he lived under the\u00a0docks, drinking, fighting and stealing\u00a0from boats. In 1857 he was caught and\u00a0sent to Sing Sing Prison.<\/p>\n

One Sunday while in prison, McAuley\u00a0was herded to chapel. He was moody\u00a0and miserable until he glanced on the\u00a0platform and recognized a well-known\u00a0prizefighter, Orville Gardner. The boxer\u00a0told of finding Jesus, and McAuley listened\u00a0attentively. He soon began reading\u00a0the Bible, page after page, day after day.<\/p>\n

Finally one night, resolving to kneel\u00a0until he found forgiveness, he prayed\u00a0and prayed. He later wrote in his journal,\u00a0“All at once it seemed something\u00a0supernatural was in my room. I was\u00a0afraid to open my eyes; the tears\u00a0rolled off my face in great drops, and\u00a0these words came to me, \u2018My son, thy\u00a0sins, which are many, are forgiven.\u2019”<\/p>\n

He was released in 1864 and devoted\u00a0the rest of his life to rescuing other incorrigibles.\u00a0Twenty years later, on September 18, 1884, the huge Broadway\u00a0Tabernacle was packed for his funeral.\u00a0His Water Street Mission has been a\u00a0haven of hope for over 100 years.<\/p>\n

McAuley broke the curse of his\u00a0parents and lived out the promise of\u00a0God. Jerry McAuley understood the\u00a0meaning of success, and his success\u00a0continues to this day.<\/p>\n

What about you? Have you broken\u00a0the second commandment? Have you\u00a0formed an image of God based on\u00a0what you think He should be? Have\u00a0you accepted God for who He is? Is\u00a0your life a success? Are you preparing\u00a0the way for your family to be blessed\u00a0for generations to come?<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact <\/em>magazine, March 2002.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part three of an eleven-part series on \u201cHabits of Highly Successful People\u201d Habit #2 \u2013 A Successful Person Accepts God on God\u2019s Terms By Kevin Riggs When I was a child I loved wearing cowboy hats,\u00a0boots\u00a0and guns. It’s\u00a0a miracle I didn’t injure\u00a0my dog as\u00a0many times as I lassoed\u00a0him or rode him\u00a0like a horse. My favorite\u00a0football team was the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys, and my\u00a0favorite TV show was\u00a0“Gunsmoke.” I was obsessed\u00a0with being a\u00a0cowboy. My obsession was so\u00a0strong that after viewing a\u00a0commercial about Tony\u00a0the Cowboy\u2014a new\u00a0brand of dog food with a picture of a dog\u00a0standing on his hind legs dressed up like\u00a0a cowboy\u2014informed my parents that\u00a0my name was no longer Kevin but Tony.\u00a0My parents obliged, and for a short time I\u00a0was “Tony the Cowboy.” Recently, I had a d\u00e9j\u00e0 vuexperience.\u00a0I was in the kitchen when my son came\u00a0in wearing his baseball cap backwards. I asked, “Zachary, why is your hat\u00a0on backwards?” With his hands on his\u00a0hips, he looked me straight in the eyes\u00a0and proclaimed, “My name is not\u00a0Zachary. It’s Chunky.” If I had to choose a nickname for\u00a0my son, Chunky would not be first on\u00a0my list. Nevertheless, my next question\u00a0was obvious, “Who is Chunky?” In detail, Zachary informed me that\u00a0Chunky was one of the monkeys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4640"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4641,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4640\/revisions\/4641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}