Matthew Jordan Daniels
-Grace-Given-Thoughts-
Question 1: Who is the first and best of beings?
Answer: God is the first and best of beings.
Scripture: Isaiah 44:6; Psalm 8:1; 96:4; 97:9, 1 Samuel 2:2
Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.”
Psalm 97:9
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
1Samuel 2:2
There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
“Who is the first and best of beings?”
The first word that comes to mind is ,of course, God. Any Christian would answer this question the same, and any lost person would assume this to be the Christian’s answer. Along with this answer comes a new question though. “Why do you believe this?” Unbelievers are very quick to ask this question, and i feel that ,like myself, most Christians stumble over answering this question. By not having a clear answer, we do our Savior and our lost world a major disservice. We owe ourselves and the people around us a better answer than, “Because the Bible says so” ,or “I just know God is real.” Even though both of these answers are true, they come off like an emotionless, vague, automated ,and almost mechanical response at times.
Let’s appose the cliche “perfect” Christian answer and approach the question with a little more depth.
First off:
To the believer i would quote Isaiah 44:6…“I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” And to the nonbeliever i would also quote Isaiah 44:6. Even though most lost people do not believe the Bible to be the inherent Word of God, we are still called to give account for the Lord and Savior that we so firmly trust and believe in (1 Peter 3:15).
Secondly:
You may not be a practicing Apologetics Professor (I certainly am not) ,but when an unbeliever refuses to believe the Word of God, and you can expect this, we must plant the seed (scripture) and move on to share our testimony. The awesome thing about the testimony that God has so gracefully given each one of us believers is that ,in a world of jaded people that do not believe the Bible, our personal experience of salvation still remains pertinent. The words of an invisible God may not mean much in a world where things must be touched and felt to be real ,but the drastic change of heart in a new believer is all to real. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” If we are truly born again, and living a new life, we will look different from the world. Fruits are the contrast between us and unbelievers. Point out the contrasts with gentleness and respect.
By now, you have surely noticed that I am scatter-brained ,and as bad as my punctuation is, i probably shouldn’t have passed the 6th grade. I do hope that out of all of my rambling, i got my point across. Step out of the box, use scripture, and show emotion for the God that you love. God is the first and best of beings, and I although I cannot give the best defense for my answer, I will cling to the truth that is the Word of God.
As always, thanks for reading. May God give you grace for putting up with me.
As a part of my newly started discipleship training with the teaching pastor at my church, i’ve began to memorize a modernized version of the 1689 Baptist Catechism. For those of you who don’t know what a Catechism is, (i didn’t know what it was until a few days ago) it is a series of Biblical questions and answers, along with scripture references, that the church encouraged their members ,and their children, to learn. There are 118 questions ranging from the most simple questions (Who is the first and best of beings?) to the most difficult. Job (the teaching pastor at Revision) ,acting on a recent conviction that these catechisms rarely get used anymore, decided that it would be a good idea to go over and memorize these questions and answers. I believe that it will shape into an awesome frame work for a better understanding of God’s Word. Having said all of this, I am going to use my very neglected tumblr account to share my understanding of this Biblical frame work. I expect to be posting about once a week, and I hope that everyone gets something out of it. It definitely solidifies what i learn when i write it out.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you.
Am I a barren temple left for newer ways of speaking mysteries my veils
Cannot contain?
Should I prepare to winter spans again of silent centuries pierced for only
Certain men?
What if I wake to find You’ve gone?
What if Your presence was withdrawn and I was mistaken all along to think I
Could become Your home?
It’d be no surprise to finally know that I am truly alone.
Come death but likely sooner I’ll be alone.
You moved Your temple inside our bones and it’s so hard to trust that You
Won’t move again.
For all eternity You stood with Your Father in perfect unity.
And when You walked the earth, You only went where He led.
You only spoke what He said.
So for everything You left, and all of the glory You forfeit, no matter how
Low You were sent, you still couldn’t know what it’s like to be alone.
Disgraced but You were never alone. Betrayed but You were never alone.
Tortured but still never alone and nothing is worse than being alone.
I have been thinking hard about us trading places that maybe I could wear
Your beauty if You put on my shame.
Jesus I’ve been trying so hard to look like You that I almost missed the
Worst of what I put You through.
You didn’t die for sins, You died covered in them, a prideful lying thief
Gasping out my final breaths.
For that one moment you looked just like me, so Your father left You and You
Died completely alone.
For me, You were alone.
He couldn’t bear it so He left You all alone.
No better promise than true sympathy.
You conquered death all alone.
‘Cause You’ve known the deepest of all our needs. Never again. Never alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtowkUNt_f0&feature=related
I’ve heard many people say it: “If people were as passionate about their savior as they were about football…etc etc etc.” Well take a look around. What are you most passionate about. Be honest. Is it football season or your maker? I know its hard not to get rapped up in the things around us, but let’s not use that as an excuse. Let’s challenge ourselves. Take that passion, that excitement for whatever you love (ROLL TIDE) lol and focus it on your Lord. We can praise our God and still enjoy the game. Let’s all give it a shot. Do me a favor and tell me how your season goes =). God bless you guys.
God, I talk about you like a loved one that I care about but rarely see. My sin keeps me from your presence. At times I feel unworthy to seek your beautiful face. I so often view myself as a guilty child hiding from his father just as Adam and Eve did in the garden so long ago. I love you Lord, and I know that you love me more than you have made me capable to measure. Pull me close to you, oh God. I know that you know me and most importantly I know that even though you have seen the depths of my hear you love me the same. Bridge this gap that I have let build up between us and fill me with your grace. I want more of you. I’m thirsty for you and I trust that you will not disappoint me. God show yourself to me in every aspect of my life. Help me live in the same manor that I preach. Less of me and more of you. Less of me and more of you.
“Christ will never be cool. Terrifying, life-changing, shocking, and iconoclastic, but never cool. Jesus is not my homeboy. The Gospel will always be “relevant” but never trendy.” - Jon Foreman
“And now, O Lord, for what do i wait?
My hope is in you.” -Psalms 39:7
Often times, we look for hope in the world that surrounds us. That is completely understandable, but at the same time, completely wrong. Paul says that we are an alienated people. We are not simply “different”. We are called. We are set apart for a great and powerful purpose in Christ Jesus. Why then should we look to the world that we are clearly separated from for comfort, joy and hope? Our hope is in the Lord and the things of the Lord.
desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment <came in hopes of seeing you>; also : expectation of fulfillment or success <no hope of a cure>
^^^^That is Webster’s Dictionary definition of the word “hope”.
With as little judgment as possible I’d like to express my concern for a close friend and brother in Christ.
I came to the conclusion today that I can no longer depend on this friend of mine for advice, and is a big deal to me to say the least. He used to be so vibrant in his walk with Christ and now I can almost feel the anger towards other Christians rolling off of him. his words comforted me in times of need and now his opinions hurt me to hear. Where did his passion for Christ go? In this spiritual waste land that we live in, how can he not be thirsty for the presence of his Maker? I guess I all I intend to accomplish with this post is a little venting for my frustrated soul and some prayer for my friend. Thanks for reading and please keep my friend in your thoughts and prayers. Stay thirsty brothers and sisters. -Matt
This is the picture I’d use for my profile if this site wasn’t so difficult to figure out.
