character of God

200 Words or Less: No Respector of Age

/ mhowellw / 1 Comment

wpid-wp-1440611621963.jpegGod does not use age as a prerequisite for effective service in His Kingdom work. Moses wasn’t called until he was 80. Jeremiah was about 17. Samuel was 12. Noah was 500 years old when he received the call, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, was 13.

Age never defined a boundary for God to stop commanding, instructing, and teaching. God is ageless. He is no respector of persons, nor of age. What influence does a quantity of years have on the Eternal One? None. He created time. But He is not bound by time. God has important  things to say to us even up to the moment of our death. We are never too old (or too young) to receive commandments from our Lord. We may be too stubborn to obey. We may be too blind to see.  We may be too deaf to hear. But we are never too old to receive.

So, today I urge you…

Listen.

200 Words or Less: The God Who Says “No”

/ mhowellw / Leave a comment

Human choice is broken down into two parts: desire and action. But since each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire and then that desire gives birth to sin, which brings forth death, it is safe to say that we need someone who has the courage to tell us, “This far you may come and no further.” (Job 38:11)

But if our desires lead to death, we are trapped in that dark state and cannot act, because only the living have the freedom of choice. Therefore God, in His free choice, designed a way to give us life by: 1) telling us “no” so that we awaken to the immutable boundaries that structure freedom, morality, and life in our chaotic world. And 2) choosing to substitute His perfect life on the cross for our sinful one, so that He might take on our sin, and we might acquire His righteousness and life.

Then, He rose from the grave.

This is the ultimate No. The no to the power of death.

Therefore, the issue is not with God telling you “No.” There is value in God’s “no’s.” The issue is: Will you say, “Yes” to God?

200 Words or Less: Not a Man

/ mhowellw / Leave a comment

God is not a man, so don’t try to compare Him to one. God and man live by different standards and live their lives in different ways. Unlike man, who lies to avoid shame and judgment, God finds no need for deception. He does not feel shame, for He is the embodiment and the arbiter of Truth. Nor does He fear retribution, because He is the First Cause for creation and for behavior. Others cannot and will not influence Him. To permit this would abdicate His position as First Cause. Even when God became flesh and dwelt among us, the change of venue did not persuade Him to change His character.

He is also not a son of man. People procrastinate and change their minds. God is a planner and a doer.  He is not wishy-washy. From the beginning, His voice has declared His purposes and His person, generating a continuous line of creating moments where He has permanently altered reality. From darkness becoming light to sinners becoming saved, God has been intentional. His promises are fulfilled, because He has spoken. He is not a man, nor a son of man. He is the continuously creating, truthful, immutable, redeeming God.