knowledge – Past the Surface

What God is Made Of

God Is Spirit

Have you ever wondered what God is made of? We know we are made of basically flesh, blood, bones, and spirit. To explore what God is made of we will need to venture into the Bible for the answers first. The Bible is written in terms that we can get an idea of the things about God. What is He like, His opinions, and goals. The term we can come close to understanding of “What God is Made Of” is Spirit. This understanding came from Jesus explaining to the woman at the well that worshiping God will be open to anywhere in the world as long as it is done in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24). She assumed him being a Jew that his belief was you can only worship God in Jerusalem when her forefathers worshiped God in the mountain. Basically, it was the proper location to worship God question. If you think about it we have that same question today in our modern times.

To keep it simple God chose a central location He would pay the sin debt for the world to be set free from death, hell, and the grave (Jerusalem on a cross). This woman was talking to Jesus, the Lamb of God, before the debt was paid and he was telling her basically after he pays the debt you can worship God anywhere because the Temple of God will be open to who so ever will. The place to worship will no longer be limited with the only required condition would be to worship God in spirit and in truth. Anywhere to worship God matches the everywhere Spirit of God.

Because God is Spirit the location will no longer be an issue. God is made of Spirit, which ties into Him being everywhere at once (Omnipresent). OK, then what is the Spirit made of? A spirit does not have flesh and bones (Lu. 24:39). Jesus gave us this gold nugget of understanding when the disciples thought he was a spirit because they saw him physically die and physically placed in a tomb. Jesus wanted them to know he was the same before he died and after being resurrected. God is made of Spirit being everywhere at once in the things we can see and in the things we cannot see.

God Is Knowledge

“What God is Made Of” is knowledge. Why would you think God is knowledge? For God to be God that created the heavens and the earth it would be common sense for someone who created something would have to have knowledge on what is its purpose/function, how to create its substance into existence, and the level of power needed to fulfill its design.

We, mankind, are just like our Father in the fact that we take things He created putting them together forming medicine from plants, metals from rocks for all sorts of devices, and programs of technology. We have knowledge because we have gained it through experiences and education. You and I live on knowledge every day. What button to press to turn off the alarm, turning the knob releases the door to be opened, tying your shoes, what power cord to use for our cell phones, what is Facebook/WeChat, and the list goes on for miles of knowledge we live by everyday. We have learned the texture of objects, the function of the objects, and the power it takes for them to be used.

God did not have to gain knowledge by experience or education because He is knowledge in all things visible and invisible (very deep thought). His knowledge in all things is what He allows for it to live up to its function. Every one of the hairs on your head is numbered and He knows the count of every one of them (Mtt. 10:30, Luke 12:7), which for me He does not have to count very high. This came from Jesus explaining God cares about you and knows every detail about you. God is made of knowledge beyond our comprehension, which is what makes Him God.

God is Presence

“What God is Made Of” is Presence. Without God there would be no presence (matter, substance). Presence is a fact of existing. Would there be a sun in space without Him? God extracted from Himself four words of His knowledge and spoke them, “Let there be light”. He knew what He wanted as light in space. The word “Light” born from His knowledge created the presence of a star at the center of the Solar System in a sphere like shape of hot plasma with internal convective motion that generates a magnetic field by a dynamo process 92 plus million miles from earth, which we are still learning from. God is presence (Omnipresence, everywhere). He turned on inside Himself an area with hot plasma substance with His function of knowledge to send out light and warmth. Without God all things would be empty and void. A rock could not be solid and hard without God’s presence gluing the molecules together to maintain its shape. From His unlimited Spirit library of knowledge He gave a purpose and presence of shape to all solid things seen and unseen (water, air, fish, trees, plants…etc).

God is Power

We are down to the final component of “What God is Made Of“. God is made of Spirit with His Knowledge (Omniscience) and Presence (Omnipresence) in every tiniest area of existence. His presence makes the sun solid and His knowledge is what gives its function/purpose. The final “What God is Made Of” is power. He saw the sun with His knowledge before it existed and the function He wanted it to do. He took this tiny location within His presence and turned on solid substance of a sphere shape star giving it the level of hot plasma power He wanted it to have to do its reason for existence (sending light and warmth 92 plus million miles to earth). “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Is. 55:11 (NIV). The sun had what God is made of: knowledge (purpose), power (ability), presence (substance). “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” 2 Cor. 13:8 (NIV). Can man stop the sun 92 plus million miles away from the earth?

Conclusion

God is a Spirit from the tiniest to the largest of existence contains His three components of knowledge, power, and presence. These three things inside of every part of God’s Spirit of existence explains how we live, move, and have our being inside of Him. This understanding came from Paul explaining to the people worshiping the unknown God. He told them the God who made the world and everything in it does not live in temples built by human hands and he does not need human hands to serve Him as if He needed anything. Paul told them it is the other way around that God gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Paul explained God took one man populating all nations with the purpose of inhabiting the whole earth. Paul said God did all these things for the purpose that they would seek Him, reach out to Him, and find Him, though he is not far from anyone of us because in Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:23-28)

These are His three components in us. We live because of His knowledge (Omniscience), which is our purpose of existence. We move because of His Power (Omnipotent), our bodies are dead without our spirit. We have our being (flesh) because of His Presence (Omnipresent) holding together our solid forms like a glue. From His knowledge He made us into a likeness of Him. From His Presence He formed us in an image of Himself, if He were to be of a solid form, like as His children. From His power He breathed into us creating an eternal spirit like His. This makes us God’s offspring, which Paul continued to point out to them an image made by human design does not represent God (Acts:29).

“What God is Made Of“is Spirit and in every part of His Spirit are the components of the all-knowing Knowledge of purpose/function of existence, the all Power powering designed abilities, and the all Presence of solid substance achieving His desired plans.

Everything God made was meant to live, move, and have its being in Him. “What God is Made Of“is what He created all things from. He wants our spirit to live in His knowledge, flow in His power, and exist in His presence with the abundance of life forever free. Get His Bible to go on a life changing adventure that will never end.

A Better Way

Gifted people see things from a different angle than most people. They become frustrated when they try to help and no one will listen. I imagine our history of inventors were thought to be crazy, yet we have electricity powering our homes, our work places, our cars, our hospitals, our schools, and almost anything else you can think of. In the present day there are all kinds of things being invented and added to the usage of society. “A Better Way” is not always received. The resistance to trying something different and new is still rejected on all levels. Improving and going higher than you have before would it not take testing “A Better Way“? Jesus was looked upon by many people as trying to change their Bible of the Old Testament and presenting his own personal “A Better Way“, but it was the opposite he was making the Old Testament whole and complete.

What stops us and prevents us from being better and not settling for less in life? Why are there some limits on things that are good? Most children are told they can be anything they want to be. As we become older and lived a little while a different reality hits us in the face resisting our dreams. We get up daily to things visible and seemingly invisible resisting the desire of testing “A Better Way“.

A new way of doing something is contrary to what most have developed as a traditional way of doing things. These types of traditions carries with them the “my way or the highway” attitude. There are two kinds of traditions that one is visible and the other is invisible. Tradition is defined as customs or beliefs passed on from generation to generation. I know you have immediately thought of the customs or beliefs you have run into or may have run into you. Does passing on something make it 100% true? There are some people who are so closed-minded that air cannot get in like the walking dead and on the other side some people are so open-minded their brains are falling out. A good balance of the two is a worthy goal. Having the ability to be strong-minded on guaranteed things and open-minded to things that could improve is a rare thing in today’s society. Even the guaranteed should have no fear of being faced with questions.

The quickest way to uncover or reveal the invisible traditions in people is simply found out by questions. Traditional ways can be inward on an individual or can be imposed outward on others. Over the years you have put your faith into something and found out later it was not what you thought it was. Questions will expose what is hidden underneath most things. If something is truly sound and appears to be traditional then questions will not harm it because it is sound through and through. If someone presents something that they claim is “A Better Way” there should be no fear of looking into it. If fear and doubt pops up inside of you because of questions then it is a signal to you to re-examine what you are counting as a sound traditional way of doing things. It will only make you better and set you on a path of “A Better Way“.

My life is full of memories from childhood to adulthood of asking questions and seeing the same facial reaction over and over. The face of shock “I don’t know” the answer, but I will proceed forward with an answer that will attempt to keep me with the appearance of “I do know“. The face of anger “that’s the way it has always been” and “the way it will always be“. The face of honesty “I don’t know” and the body language of “I’m not going to find out because I am going to go on with life doing things the same old way that I have always done“. The face of authority “it is this way because I said so” with the body language of “I don’t care to even attempt to find out or change“. Are you satisfied with these answers or do you want to keep pressing and find “A Better Way“?

I have seen people falling into the same old traps and pot holes in their road of life whether it is drugs, alcohol, religions, and relationships. Outwardly we may be stuck with some of this world’s physical traditions in place, but we are not imprisoned with our inward spiritual places. In the younger years all people go through that “I know everything” and “you can’t tell me anything I don’t already know“. A person who is growing past the loops or circles of traps, pot holes, and mistakes is a person who is finding “A Better Way” to face their next day. The older a person gets the deeper the levels they can reach by listening to the possible “A Better Way” of doing things or thinking about things. Are you tired of going round and round with some things in your life? Have you reached out to there has to be “A Better Way“? Do you want truth?

There was a small town with only a few people in it. They lived their lives daily doing as any other small town would do to live and survive. The small town was a special place. A powerful King took a look at this small town with the desire of taking it by force. The powerful king brought in his armies surrounding the small town. The powerful king built huge walls of fortifications against the small town. I can see from within this town in every direction on the outside of town these walls of protection for the soldiers and no way of escape. The picture of doom looms in their mind. A powerful rich king with all the resources a small town could not compete with and a bad ending in sight. The mystery to the story is a poor man in the small town stepped forth with “A Better Way” for the town to survive. The mystery is this poor man’s idea full of wisdom protecting the women, children and the entire small town saved them all from the powerful king with all his armies, walls of fortifications is not revealed. His idea of saving the small town is unknown, yet the people of that town owe him their lives and their families lives. His words saved them. The sad part of the story is the poor man whose idea of “A Better Way” saved them was forgotten and even despised. His words were no longer heard after saving the town (Ecc. 9:14-16). “A Better Way” suggested to any of us would be wise on our part to look into it with an open mind and a serious conclusion. We may find ourselves inside a loop or circle ever-growing, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as was predicted in these last days (2 Tim 3:7). I find myself wanting to hear completely the surface of the words and past the surface of the words. I want to see the surface of things and past the surface of things. Would you like to be whole?

We encounter people every day that we pass judgment upon or at least categorize them inside our minds. Smart, average, and simple are just a few kind words used to categorize people. I know we all have heard different terms identifying people’s intelligence. No matter what category you may fit in true intelligence comes from not repeating the same mistake over and over like the loop or circle mentioned earlier, but learning “A Better Way“. God in the beginning showed Adam and Eve “A Better Way” to live their lives avoiding death, hell, and the grave, but they listened to the devil of his version of a “A Better Way“, which brought death, hell, and the grave into power over all the earth. They chose to listen to a creation over the Creator. I wonder what would have happened if Eve and Adam had waited until their next visit with God and asked Him a question that might of unraveled the devil’s lie? Could they have asked the devil more questions for solid proof of his statements? Did it work for him going against God? Questions asked of God come back solid and sound. Questions asked of a double minded person comes back unstable and holes of doubt. Have you ever got that feeling when someone got through speaking that easiness of their words were part truth and part pacifying fill-ins?

There was a man who was very intelligent. He caught onto things fast. He had a thorough education of knowledge of the scriptures of the Bible. He was a man who encounter the teachings of John the Baptist “A Better Way” of understanding the scriptures of the coming Savior of our sins and water baptism in repentance. He taught where ever he went with great enthusiasm and great accuracy of Jesus being the Messiah just like John the Baptist. This man must have taken John the Baptist words and compared them to the Bible and found what he was saying to be true. He went to churches in that day and spoke boldly the teachings of John the Baptist for the coming Messiah Jesus. One day a crowd had gathered as usual to listen to this man present “A Better Way” (a fulfilling way) of the scriptures and a husband and wife were in the crowd that heard him speaking. The husband and wife made their living at making tents. They were not know for their learning and knowledge of the scriptures, but as tent-makers.

The husband and wife invited the well-educated man to their home. They presented “A Better Way” of the scriptures to him. This educated man’s knowledge of the scriptures was not wasted for the connection scripturally was more fulfilled to what John the Baptist was preaching, which caused him to start preaching Jesus name water baptism for the removal of sins. I see a man who took what the husband and wife had to say and searched the scriptures for proof before accepting this “A Better Way“. He must have found what they had said was solid and sound (Acts 19). What they had told him was so solid and sound that when he taught now in the churches he was able to refute anyone in public proving that Jesus was the Messiah. I see a man now with a solidness about him inside and out, balanced with “A Better Way“, the truth, and a new life glowing in completeness.

What would happen if he had treated the husband and wife, the tent makers, like the poor man of wisdom was treated after saving the small town? If he had treated their words like the poor man forgetting them, despising them, and no longer listening to them he may have forfeited the saving of his soul. Jesus said about people when it comes to hearing some of us are like the wayside of a road that whatever is said is taken away, some of us are like the stony area where we get happy over the spoken words, but never let them get deep down inside of us and it is lost with just a little heated trouble, some of us are so worldly-minded that the words spoken are received, but our love of the world rises up and chokes out the words in our life, and some of us are open enough to search, prove, and conclude the spoken words allowing them to go deep into our lives with the outward fruits (Mtt. 13) like this educated man listening to the tent makers. He had no fear of statements or questions put to the scriptures because his faith was solid and sound in the word of God. Wow, to be solid inside and out is a beautiful sight to see.

Apostle Paul traveling found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Not in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but in Jesus name). When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19). These disciples (just like other religions) heard Paul’s questioning words setting into motion inside themselves a study of those words getting them approved by God’s word maintaining themselves in an unashamed status correctly handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). This questioning by Apostle Paul of what may have come across as “A Better Way“, a more perfect way, or a more accurate way did not mean all that they presently had been a total waste of time or loss. All that they did possess has been added in total completeness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their faith was not replaced or destroyed, but fulfilled in totality. Their perception and understanding saw the absolute truth with total acceptance and obedience. They had been baptized before with a water baptism of repentance under John the Baptist teachings because it too was right in the word of God. Now, the completeness of water baptism was finalized in Jesus name applying the blood of forgiveness along with their repentance. Isn’t this beautiful? These people were not afraid of questions and what the conclusion of truth may reveal. After their water baptism in Jesus name Paul walks over to them, places his hand upon them, prays for them, and they received the Holy Spirit of God the same way the 11 apostles and other disciples of Jesus did in Acts 2 a long time ago. How do we know it was like them back then? “Is this not only for the apostles“, you may ask? It is clear this is a continuing thing that can occur even today because this is all a promise of God to happen to us our children and their children – all generations to come (Acts 2:39). This is part of completeness of being born again of water and of spirit (Jn 3:5). How do we know it is the same as the apostles? As Paul had his hand upon them praying they began to speak in another language that they had not been trained in the flesh to speak the praises of God and prophetic words. They totally surrendered to God and allowed Him to burst forth like rivers of living water (Jn. 7:38). Now, the fellowship begins in spirit and in truth with the power of God visiting you anytime and anywhere.

If Apostle Paul were to ask you these questions how would you answer him? Would his questions be allowed in your home, church, society? Would you let him place his hand upon you, pray for you, and be willing to open up to the in-filling of God’s Spirit with the sign to you and anyone around that bursting forth of rivers of living water speaking in a language God gives you? Did you know you can you have this happen to you right now? God is not restricted to church places only or He would not be an everywhere God. He will come to you right now in your home, in your car,… All I did was started praying to God, speaking my heart surrendering all of myself to Him in worship, praise, and the desire to be filled with His Spirit patiently waiting as they did back then and not giving up. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He doesn’t change nor does His way for us to be born again change. Are you saved like these disciples Apostle Paul asked these questions? I am born again exactly as the those disciples Apostle Paul asked those questions. If Apostle Paul were to speak with me he would find out I have been baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then I would expect him to teach, encourage, and admonish me for doing more work everyday for the Lord for the day and the hour is short.

Apostle Paul/God’s Word is asking you, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Your answer:

Apostle Paul/God’s Word is asking you, “Then what baptism did you receive?” Your answer:

Are you going to be baptized in water in Jesus name and pray to receive the Holy Spirit Your decision:

If you have no one to baptize you in water you can take yourself to a place where you can go under water completely, look towards heaven, and say, Lord I repent and baptize myself in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins and I know I will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit because it is a promise from You who changes not (Acts 2:38,39). Start praying and worshiping expecting to receive His Holy Spirit. Later, if you find someone who lines themselves up with the apostles Acts 2:38 there is nothing wrong letting them baptize you in Jesus name. It will not take away what you have done.

May your spirit get a hold of God’s Spirit and fly free in fellowship every day. As these bodies grow old our spirit within can be renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16) never growing old, but maturing into eternal life with God our Father.

Light Bulb of Truth

You wake up every day with your eyes adjusting to the sight of your bedroom, your ears taking in the sounds of time to get up as the rest of your body goes into the getting up motions with your mind starting on the routine of things that need to be done. After a few more phases of getting yourself into the groove of physically functioning your thoughts begin to form on the past, present, and the future trying to devise a plan of action for the reality of truth that is facing you. The answers to our everyday life seems to be right there in front of us, but we just can’t quite see it clearly. It is the answer that is right there on the edge of our mind or the tip of our tongue, yet it evades us once again. This has been with us since we were born into this world.

As children the process of understanding begins for us coming to the reality of truth through many different forms of softness and harshness. As children our bodies go through many experiences and changes while our minds try to absorb the “Whys”. When we skin our knees it is our minds that try to translate what is happening and what just happened to cause it. As we grow and mingle with other children and adults the questions become bigger and harder to understand. It is like a fog that shows a little of what is out there yet many things are still unknown. We have asked questions from our childhood days to our present day with answers that were covered in mist, partly clear in understanding yet lacking the clarity of pure reality truth.

Along our journey people of different persuasions whether personal philosophy or religious training have left us still hanging short of the clear understanding we really need. We have had the pacifying answers, half truth and half lie answers, the avoiding the subject answers, the politician answers, and the “I don’t know” answers. Wrapping our minds around something with understanding that has happened, is happening or going to happen gives us individually the ability to blow away the fog in front of us and see clearly the reality of truth in what we must do. How longing it becomes to have just pure raw truth of reality.

As a young person we all became tired and frustrated with others deceiving us for their personal pleasures. We allowed them to get close and know personal things about ourselves thinking we were enjoying life with a true friend only to find it out later they were using us because of our parent’s status, our connection with someone else they wanted, sports, our looks, or our car to drive them places. We wanted real friends, not players. After a time we all get sick of lies and just want pure real truth. The “I just want truth” and no more smoke screens. These experiences change us and shape us for future encounters.

We all develop systems inside of ourselves on steps with dealing with first time meeting people at school, team sports, musicians, religious folks, fellow employees at our jobs, and anyone new to us because we don’t want to be deceived again. In developing our systems to protect us from outside elements whether animals, environment, or people there is still that looming fog we have to deal with in every situation. It can be frustrating of “why did I not see that coming”, “how could I be so blind”, and “where did I miss seeing the clues”. This can turn into a lifetime of beating yourself up on questions.

With all the memory scars, physical scars, and haunting deeds done scars I found a place through the fog in this life to call refuge, paradise, and home. A place to go and ask all the questions I want as long as I have no fear of the reality truth I may find. I had tried many different things in this world from people, substance, and kicks with still that lost in the fog and something missing, incompleteness aching inside. A still small voice whispered in my mind “Why not try God?” I had to agree with that because I had tried everything else why not Him? The light bulb in my mind was not on about the “still small voice” story of a person who wanted to die as I had these same thoughts and how he had so many questions, doubts, and fears. He saw all kinds of things happening in from of him way bigger than himself, but it was the “still small voice” that really struck home inside of him the reality of truth (1 Kings 19).

The “still small voice” is where I found paradise in the midst of the hellish things around me daily. The “still small voice” is the Fog Lights that turns on in my mind pushing back and making the way clearer. I went after the Bible for answers with no fear to ask questions for understanding finding it was acceptable to lay things out in front of God to gain wisdom and direction. The questions came in like a flood for me to give the Bible a chance to answer them. What does God hate? What do you think about hatred, love, sex, marriage, revenge, and the list went on. With patience the “still small voice” would drop the thoughts into my mind and the answers brings so many things than just comfort, but a divine guidance and balance on life.

There is a passage that reads: ^“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” I at first took this to mean about things in the Bible, out in the environment, other people, and just things out there. I was wrong the guiding you into all the truth is more than just “Out There”. The guiding you into all the truth shined, shines and still shines the truth about things inside of my life (me), not just the Bible and things out there. You talk about free as the wind blows, warm as the sunshine, and the sweet smells of roses is when you are set free inside with God’s revealing reality of truth about yourself (“… but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” Mt. 7:3). The two things that have plagued me all my life is not seeing the deceptions in me, around me, and truly hearing want was going on. I want to see past the surface of all things and the source do that I have found is in the Spirit of truth that has wisdom, balance, and reality of truth. The best friend you will ever have. He will not back stab you, gossip on you, or run away when things get bad.

I noticed a reoccurring theme in the Gospels: “… because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” This was me as a child, adolescence, young adult, and adult seeing with 20/20 vision, but not perceiving and hearing the sound clearly, but not understanding. It is out of this world when you are facing your daily routines of troubles and the “still small voice” turns on the light bulb of real truth, even though it may shine a sad picture of others who do not see and if you try to help them see. It is still a rejoicing moment of gratitude when you do see. Someone has to see or all will be blind and end up in the ditch of life.

^”If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:” These are just a few of tons of good uplifting words of spirit and life. This a jolt, a firing up inside when all else around you wants to beat you down.

I fell in love with the Bible and the “still small voice” that turns on the light bulb inside my mind, heart, and soul. I want to encourage you to make the Spirit of Truth (still small voice) your roommate inside your fleshly body and the Bible your mind, heart, and soul’s appetite . Don’t be afraid to ask, seek and knock for the answers, but be prepared to face the reality of truth for He will guide you into all truth if you will let him (He respects our free will). Happiness is with Him on the inside and your system of dealing with others on the outside will be unbreakable. Have a great day in-spite of what comes your way.