God Is… Of Course

THURS., JULY 26, 1990, 1:00 PM
SYNOD SCHOOL, BLYTHE

God is. God was. God will be. This seems like a rather silly beginning, but it is what I said, and for a purpose. God is indicates the absolute totality of this Triune Spirit. Ultimately I am in all and am all. Yet there are structures and forms that seem to have identity and substance apart from Me. You look out and see a small, yellow car, ordinarily dirty. There is no need to identify me, as Almighty God, with this manufactured thing. And yet…

The car is not a sacred object. The Bible by your hand has more right to be called sacred, but in fact the pages, print, and cover are just as manufactured as the car. You see two people walking back from lunch, and you know enough about each to label them more sacred than the Bible. But why? Is an ordinary Christian person more of a manifestation of Me than the Book of Holy Scripture? Don’t expect a quantitative or relational answer. The Bible is sacred, and yet it is not. But My Spirit inheres in the words, phrases, and ideas. Yet it could be used as a functional door stop… or even a weapon.

There is no rational way I can explain God is to you. God is the essence of life, most especially of human life. Yet My influence is obviously different in different persons. A few can be called God-like. Others are “saved”, because they have accepted My offer of grace. Are these of more value, than those who are “God-like” in temperament and actions? You expect a definite answer, and I, even I, can’t provide it.

Is praying five times a day a ritual prayer, better than one that is sincere and specific? Do I supply the content of prayers or are these entirely those of the pray-er? Again… no answer.

Let’s look at God was. With a linear view of life you can look at history – individual, cultural, church… many focuses. The Scriptures record that God was in the beginning, creating this earth and its natural phenomena in some way. God was with Abraham, with Moses, with Job, whether he existed or not. God was in Christ Jesus, but still is. God was with you on that day in 1979 when you made the commitment to commence this time with Me. God was in the hearts of missionaries who founded Punahou School.

God will be is a promise… a future commitment. As God, I love this earth and the actions therein. Of course I see the evil, the filth, the terrible things that happen to some. I see more than what is obvious, and I still am pleased with My creation. I see the imperfections in your Presbyterian Church, but, still I will help sustain it so that it continues to be part of My mystical Body. Acknowledging that God is is a good means of insuring that God will be.

God is in the way you employ your time, even as time is unimportant to Me. God is in your thoughts, plans, and reflections. God is in Matthew also, but when his spirit doesn’t acknowledge Me My presence isn’t obvious. God is in battles being fought and in peace being established. God is in dancing and in mourning. God is in eating and in fasting, in breathing and in not breathing, in activity and in sleep.

“God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship Him in sprit and in truth.” I can be acknowledged in many ways, but these don’t require worship. Yet because you are humans and not just spirits you usually need some special atmosphere for worship. The organ provides, but is not worshipped. No worship either for trees, sanctuaries, or appropriate robes. You needn’t worship time either. The God Who was is not to be worshipped more than the God Who is. The God Who will be is to be worshipped along with the God Who is.