Knowledge of the Holy – God is Eternal and Infinite (Chapters 7-8)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

I’m midway through a study of the classic Christian book, The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. I’m studying it online with some friends in Asia. These are my notes from our fourth week. I hope they will bless you. If you would like to join us, please send me a message!

In the seventh and eighth chapters of “The Knowledge of the Holy,” A.W. Tozer teaches that God is eternal and infinite.

Eternal means everlasting, endless, without end. Imagine a rope that goes on and on without beginning or end.

Infinite means unlimited, limitless, without limit. Imagine a piece of paper that goes out in all four directions covering your room, your house, your city, your nation, the globe, the universe.

Eternal is primarily used to describe time, while infinite is used to describe time as well as other things, like space or patience or mercy.

God has infinite wisdom, infinite patience, and infinite power, but people are not infinite in our wisdom or patience or power. We have limits on what we can think and do. We are finite. There are all kinds of things that we can’t do.

I can’t be in China and America at the same time. I can’t know what you are thinking. I can’t see what my children are doing right now in the other room of my house.

I can’t fly. I can’t bend steel or jump over tall buildings or shoot spiderwebs out of my hands.

We don’t like these limits. We can be frustrated by all of these things that we are unable to do! I think that’s a big reason why people like superheroes so much! Superheroes can do things that regular people can’t do.

What is something you wish you could do, but you can’t?

God alone is infinite (without limit) and God alone is eternal (without beginning or end).

God existed before time began and God will still exist after time comes to an end. Some number of years ago, God created the enormous universe and everything in it. The sun, moon and stars were created at a point in time. Time began at some point.

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

“诸山未曾生出， 地与世界你未曾造成， 从亘古到永远，你是　神。” 诗篇 90:2

God created every human with an eternal soul, but every man, woman, and child who has ever lived came into being on a certain day.

I was born in January of 1973, and I was created by God about 9 months before that! 😊 Right now, I am 48 years old.

When is your birthday? How old are you?

The English language uses a lot of different verb tenses. My students must spend a lot of time and effort in learning how to use the correct verb tense. “Yesterday, I ran. Now, I am running. Every day I run to school. Tomorrow I will run at the park.” They also must learn: “comes before” and “comes after.” January comes before February. February comes after January. 2020 comes before 2021. 2021 comes after 2020.

God alone is the great “I am.” (Exodus 3:14) God came BEFORE the first day of creation and God will exist for all eternity. God is the only one who always WAS, who always IS, and who always WILL BE!

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4:8b

圣哉！圣哉！圣哉！主　神是昔在、今在、以后永在的全能者。启示录 4:8

As human beings, created in the image of God, we are born with a desire to live forever. We have “eternity in our hearts.” But sometimes we forget that our time on earth will not last forever. We should remember that our days here on earth are numbered.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子， 好叫我们得着智慧的心。”  诗篇 90:12

Yet our lives after we die are eternal. We have souls that will never die. Our souls will live for eternity. We will either live forever with God in heaven, or with the devil in hell. In God’s infinite love and mercy, God sent His own Son Jesus Christ into the world to pay the price for our sin, that through faith in Him we, too, could have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给 他们 ，叫一切信他的，不致灭亡，反得永生。 约翰福音 3:16

God’s love for us is both eternal and infinite. He loved us before the foundation of the world and His love for us is boundless, measureless, limitless. There is no limit to His love. God’s love is so infinite that He sent His own Son to die in our place. Can you imagine love like that?

When have you experienced human love?

When have you experienced God’s love?

Who do you know who needs to be reminded of God’s infinite, eternal love?

Grace Greater Than Our Sin – Sovereign Grace Music

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide;
Whiter than snow you may be today.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe,
All who are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin

The Knowledge of the Holy – God is Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient (Chapters 5-6)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

I’m midway through a study of the classic Christian book, The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. I’m studying it online with some friends in Asia. These are my notes from our third week. I hope they will bless you. If you would like to join us, please send me a message!

In the fifth chapter of The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer discusses the “Self-existence of God.” Self-existence means that God is the One who has always existed, the great “I am.” God has no beginning. God has no origin.

“origin” (noun) – source, where things come from

“Origin” is also a term used in math. The origin on a graph is at (0,0). Everything on a graph is measured relative to the origin, whether positive or negative from that original point.

America has often been called the “Melting Pot of the World,” because it is filled with people from every nation around the globe. In America, people here might ask, “What is your national origin? Where did your family come from?” I would answer that my mother’s family was from Wales and England, and my father’s family was from Germany.

How about you? What is your national origin? Where did your family originate? What is your original hometown?

God didn’t come from anywhere or anyone, rather God is who made everything.

God has no origin, rather God is who made everything.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“起初，　神创造天地。” (创世记 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him,
and without him was not any thing made that was made. “ (John 1:1-3)

“太初有道，道与　神同在，道就是　神。 这道太初与　神同在。 
万物是藉着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是藉着他造的。” (约翰福音 1:1-3)

When we think about God’s self-existence, we can appreciate even more that God created everything in creation, and we can especially appreciate that God created man in the image of God.

As selfish humans, we do not like someone else to rule over us. Like Eve in the garden of Eden, we want to make our own choices. We may want God to rule over the universe, over the nations, over other people, but we rebel against God ruling over our own lives. This is the essence of sin. Like foolish sheep, we want to go our own way.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

“我们都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；
耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。” (以赛亚书 53:6)

We were created to worship and glorify God. God is our creator, our Father, and our King … but we choose (intentionally or unintentionally) to put ourselves on the throne. We want God to rule “with us,” but we don’t want God to rule “over us.”

Jesus Christ, the Almighty Son of God, lived a sinless life, obeying His Father perfectly, and He wants us to obey Him perfectly. In fact, we will be the most fulfilled in life when we follow Him, rather than our own selfish desires.

As a follower of Jesus Christ and a child of God, we must take ourselves off the throne and give Jesus His rightful place on the throne of our lives. Paul wrote about this in Galatians 2:20.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着；
并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信　神的儿子而活；他是爱我，为我舍己.” (加拉太书 2:20)

Putting God on the throne is easier when we remember that we need God for everything, but God does not need us. The Father and the Son have life in themselves (John 5:26). God has created man for His own good pleasure, not because He needs us. God is the only one who doesn’t need anything outside of Himself to survive.

Chapter 6 is about the “Self-Sufficiency of God.” The word “sufficient” means enough. God is sufficient in Himself. He is self-sufficient. He is enough in Himself. Paul often uses the words “sufficient” and “sufficiency” in 2 Corinthians.

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves
to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

“我们因基督，所以在　神面前才有这样的信心。 并不是我们凭自己能承担什么事；
我们所能承担的，乃是出于　神。” (哥林多后书 3:4-5)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9a)

“他对我说：「我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。” (哥林多后书 12:9)

We are not self-sufficient, but God’s grace is sufficient. His grace is enough. In fact, our need for God draws us closer to Him. All created things need something outside of themselves to survive. All living things need air, water, and food. And all living things need God’s sustaining grace.

Humans are naturally full of pride. We think we can provide for our own needs. We take pride in our self-sufficiency. We don’t want to need other people or God. I remember my little children saying, “I do it myself” when they were trying to feed themselves with a spoon or get a t-shirt over their head.

Additionally, we want to think that God needs us. We take pride in our human accomplishments, wrongly thinking God needs our help to achieve His plans.

No, sisters. No. God does not need us to accomplish His purposes. Rather, it is an honor and joy to serve God. It is an honor and joy to take up our cross and follow Him. It is an honor and joy to take up the yoke of Christ for the glory of God and the good of mankind. Not because we need to repay Him for a gift, but because we are grateful to be used by Him.

Where do you struggle with feeling like you are self-sufficient and don’t need any help? Where do you need God’s help today? How can you praise God today for His self-sufficiency and His provision for your every need?

Song: Your Grace is Sufficient for Me – Shane and Shane

Your grace is sufficient for me
Your strength is made perfect
When I am weak
And all that I cling to, I lay at Your feet
Your grace is sufficient for me

Your grace is sufficient for me
Your strength is made perfect
When I am weak
And all that I cling to, I lay at Your feet
Your grace is sufficient for me

Your grace is sufficient for me
Your strength is made perfect
When I am weak
All that I cling to, I lay at Your feet
Your grace is sufficient, Your grace is sufficient, Your grace is sufficient for me

To see the Lord in the promised land
Wherein all sin’s pearly gates look bland
And what was once a pearl, now sand
That blows away, that blows away
In light of Him

The Knowledge of the Holy – God’s attributes and the Trinity (chapters 3 and 4)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

I’m midway through a study of the classic Christian book, The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. I’m studying it online with some friends in Asia. These are my notes from our second week. I hope they will bless you. If you would like to join us, please send me a message!

In “The Knowledge of the Holy,” A.W. Tozer will examine many attributes of God, such as God’s self-existence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Before going any further, let’s first define “attribute.” What is an attribute?

An attribute is “a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.”

Dogs and cats have many similar attributes, but dogs and cats also have many different attributes. A dog has four legs and a tail. A cat, too, has four legs and a tail. A dog barks, but a cat meows. A cat can climb a tree, but a dog can’t.

People are created beings, created in the image of God. We were created with a mind and a body. We were created to think and speak. We can change and grow. We can grow better or worse over time. We can have bad days. We can be honest one minute, but dishonest the next. We can be kind and helpful for many hours of the day, but still have sinful thoughts and habits.

How would you describe yourself? What traits describe you? Are you tall or short? Do you have curly hair or straight hair? Are you loud or quiet?

How have you changed over time? How do you change even in the same day?

I would describe myself as friendly and outgoing – but I’m not always friendly and outgoing. Sometimes I feel shy. Sometimes I have a headache and I want to sit quietly. Sometimes I enjoy being alone to read a book or take a walk.

I would also describe myself as critical. Critical means that I notice when other people make mistakes. When I’m reading a book, I often notice a spelling or grammatical error. Being critical can be painful for my husband, my children, and my friends. But I am not always critical. Sometimes I am so full of grace that I surprise myself!

I am praying for God to help me remember that God loves me even when I say something wrong or have a mean attitude. God is growing me and helping me to be less critical of others and to speak words of encouragement.

God is not like a human. God’s attributes are unchanging. God was never made.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is the same every minute of every day. God is the same today that he was the day He created the universe! God does not grow or improve over time.

God has never sinned. God has never had an evil thought. God never gets tired or sick.

Additionally, God has complete unity in Himself. God is ALWAYS ALL of His attributes. God is 100% loving, 100% holy, 100% just and 100% merciful … at-the-same-time … always.

As Tozer puts it, “An attribute, then, is not a part of God. It is how God is… The divine attributes are what we know to be true of God…. Love, for instance, is not something God has, and which may grow or diminish or cease to be. His love is the way God is, and when He loves He is simply being Himself. And so with the other attributes.” (Chapter 3)

In Chapter 4, Tozer considers the Holy Trinity. How can God be ONE, and yet also exist in THREE persons? The trinity is difficult for everyone to understand.

In our modern scientific world, we think we should be able to fully understand everything. We want to know exactly why it rains and exactly how gravity works and exactly how atoms hold together. The truth is, though, that we do not fully know how these things work.

“Every man lives by faith,
the nonbeliever as well as the saint;
the one by faith in natural laws
and the other by faith in God.”

A.W. Tozer

As an atheist, I had faith in science. I had faith in evolution. I had faith in my history textbooks and the news media. I believed and trusted in science, but I did not believe or trust in God.

Tozer wrote this book before the invention of the internet. Tozer wrote, “We cover our deep ignorance with words, … we are ashamed to wonder, we are afraid to whisper “mystery.””

Today if I want to know how my car works or how to make jianbing 煎饼 for myself, I can simply type my question into the internet and get an answer in less than 60 seconds!

When was the last time you realized that you didn’t know the answer to a question in your own mind, or a question that someone else asked? How did you feel? What did you do?

Today in 2021, “google” is a verb I often use. When my son asks me what the capital of Mongolia is, I might say, “I don’t know. You should google it.” This means, “You should look on the internet to find the answer.” If I wanted to learn more about the trinity, I could “google it” to read what scholars have to say.

Tozer refers to several ancient Christian creeds such as the Athanasian Creed which help us to better understand the triune nature of God. For example, the Athanasian Creed says, “Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God.”

If I went on a Bible website such as www.Blueletterbible.com and searched for the word “trinity” written in the Bible, I wouldn’t find it … because it isn’t there.

There are many things that God says in the Bible without a complete explanation of the details. In many ways the trinity is a mystery that we don’t fully understand, but the Bible does have many examples of God’s three-in-one existence. Let’s look at these four passages together:

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26a)

“神 说 ： 我 们 要 照 着 我 们 的 形 像 、 按 着 我 们 的 样 式 造 人.” (創 世 記 1:26a)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

“以 色 列 阿 ， 你 要 听 ！ 耶 和 华 ─ 我 们 神 是 独 一 的 主 。” (申 命 記 6:4)

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water,
and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

“耶 稣 受 了 洗 ， 随 即 从 水 里 上 来 。 天 忽 然 为 他 开 了 ，
他 就 看 见 神 的 灵 彷 佛 鸽 子 降 下 ， 落 在 他 身 上 。
从 天 上 有 声 音 说 ： 这 是 我 的 爱 子 ， 我 所 喜 悦 的。” (馬 太 福 音 3:16-17)

Jesus said: “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

“我 与 父 原 为 一 。” (約 翰 福 音 10:30)

The triune God worked in unity during creation (Genesis 1:1, Colossians 1:16, Job 26:13, Psalm 104:30), during the incarnation of Christ in His mother Mary (Luke 1:35), during the atonement (Hebrews 9:14), during the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:32, John 10:18, Romans 1:4), during salvation (1 Peter 1:2) and the indwelling of a Christian (John 14:15-26).

That’s my King

Holy, Holy, Holy Song

Trinity Children’s Song

Holy, Holy, Holy in Chinese

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea,
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

The Knowledge of the Holy (preface, chapter 1 and 2)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

I’m midway through a study of the classic Christian book, The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. I’m studying it online with some friends in Asia. These are my notes from our first week. I hope they will bless you. If you would like to join us, please send me a message!

We are all effected by our mental image of God.

  • Do you think God is angry or mean?
  • Is He busy and uninterested?
  • Does He care about you, your family, your country?
  • Is God all-powerful?
  • Does He see and know everything?

How would you describe God in just one sentence?

I would describe God as the Almighty creator and ruler of the universe, full of steadfast love, justice, and mercy. But I’m afraid that I also sometimes feel like God is far away, so I try to take care of my life by my own strength instead of depending on Him.

In the book, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” published in 1961, A.W. Tozer says that most modern Christians no longer have an accurate view of God. He says that most modern Christians have replaced a HIGH, BIG view of God with a LOW, SMALL view of God. This has happened gradually over years and generations. We have not done this intentionally, rather our view of God has been reduced so slowly that most Christians are not even aware it has happened.

Do you think it has improved since 1961 or gotten worse?

One consequence of our world’s low view of God is immoral attitudes and actions by both Christians and non-Christians. One reason immorality is becoming so common is that people today have a wrong view of God.

How do you see a low view of God causing people to make immoral choices – lying, stealing, sexual immorality, gossiping, pride?

We must have an accurate belief of who God is, so we can think about Him rightly, worship Him rightly, and follow Him rightly. Unfortunately, we often make God more like us. We make God in the image of man. We imagine God to be more like a human, but we are wrong!

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19)
“神 非 人 ， 必 不 致 说 谎 ， 也 非 人 子 ， 必 不 致 後 悔 。他 说 话 岂 不 照 着 行 呢 ？
他 发 言 岂 不 要 成 就 呢 ？” (民 數 記 23:19)

“Thought and speech are God’s gifts
to creatures made in His image.”

A.W. Tozer, “Knowledge of the Holy” (Chapter 1)

We speak because God speaks. It is essential to use correct words to describe and think about
God, but it is also essential to actually believe the words that we say about God.


What you truly believe will determine your thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

We can say aloud a statement about God, a “creed,” such as these first two sentences of the Apostles Creed, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.”

But do we truly believe this, or do we just say that we believe it? Do you truly believe that God is the Father Almighty? Do you truly believe that God created the heavens and the earth? Do you truly believe that Jesus Christ is really the Son of God born from a virgin mother?

The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal (worldly) problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long.

A.W. Tozer, “Knowledge of the Holy” (Chapter 1)

When you believe in an all-powerful eternal God, then you can encourage yourself that your time on earth will not last very long…. But when you believe in an all-powerful, eternal God, then you have an even greater problem: you must obey and worship this all-powerful, eternal God! But … When you believe in an all-powerful, eternal God who sent His own Son to die in your place, trusting in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, then God can FREE you from those fears!

You can truly and rightly believe that God loved you while you were a sinner, that He redeemed you by the blood of Jesus, and that He has freed you to obey and worship Him rightly through His Son, Jesus Christ! Praise GOD!

In Chapter 2, Tozer describes God as “Incomprehensible.” “Incomprehensible” means = not able to be understood. We cannot fully understand God because God is not exactly like anything or anybody.

We learn by using what we already know
as a bridge over which we pass to the unknown.

A.W. Tozer, “Knowledge of the Holy” (Chapter 2)
Jianbing – YUMMMY!

If you were trying to tell me how amazing a “Jianbing” is, you would describe it using things that I know. You might say, “They’re like crepes wrapped around a crispy chip with eggs and potatoes, a yummy sauce and onions.” But no matter how hard you worked to describe it, I wouldn’t fully understand it unless I tasted it. YUMMY!!!

St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia

I remember when my husband and I visited the world-famous St. Basil’s cathedral in Moscow, Russia. I had seen dozens of picture and videos of it, but until I saw it in person, I had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful it was.


I’d heard women tell me how incredible it is to give birth and what a miracle adoption is, but until I gave birth myself, and until I adopted my own son myself, I simple couldn’t really understand. What a gift to be a mommy!

“Whatever we visualize God to be, He is not,
for we have constructed our image
out of that which He has made …
and what He has made is not God.”

A.W. Tozer, “Knowledge of the Holy” (Chapter 2)

John, Isaiah, and Ezekiel all tried to describe their visions of God and heaven, but they couldn’t fully do it. They were limited by human language and experience.

When have you experienced this? When have you tried to understand something, but you couldn’t understand it until you experienced it for yourself?

In God’s great goodness, He sent Jesus, His own Son, God in the flesh, to live on earth with men.

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” (Colossians 2:9 ESV)
“因 为 神 本 性 一 切 的 丰 盛 都 有 形 有 体 的 居 住 在 基 督 里 面.” (歌 羅 西 書 2:9)

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
“道 成 了 肉 身 ， 住 在 我 们 中 间 ， 充 充 满 满 的 有 恩 典 有 真 理 。
我 们 也 见 过 他 的 荣 光 ， 正 是 父 独 生 子 的 荣 光.” (約 翰 福 音 1:14)

Though we are unable to fully describe or understand God because He is incomprehensible,
God has revealed so much about who He is in His Word! We should study the scriptures
diligently and we should trust that God will reveal Himself to us by faith, as we worship Him
each day with humility.

Let’s close our time together singing, “Behold Our God,” worshipping God together with our
hearts, souls and minds.

What will we do with our Freedom?

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

“Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.” Psalm 119:157 ESV

Excerpt from The Insanity of God – Nik Ripken

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:10-16 ESV

Please watch the full movie or order a copy of the DVD.

Please pick up a copy of the riveting true book, The Insanity of God, by Nik Ripken

Please commit to pray daily for our brothers and sisters who are living under daily persecution, as well as those brothers and sisters who remain silent despite their freedom. God help us all.

Father, strengthen us. Grow our faith. Help us to be confirmed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to love others, to seek out the lost, to share the good news of the gospel for those who are perishing.

Let us not be ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Lord, you have not given us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Let us be willing to share in suffering for the gospel by the power You give us, for You saved us and called us to a HOLY calling, not because of our works but because of Your own purpose and grace, which You gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began! Thank You for giving us Your grace. Thank You for giving us purpose! Thank You for your LOVE!

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

The Great Revealer

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Have you ever seen my favorite TV couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, in their most excellent show, “Fixer Upper?”

This amazingly talented couple help their clients select a home in need of help. Then, the Gaines complete an incredible rehab on these “needy” houses. The show culminates on the last day with a big “reveal” to their clients of their new, improved house.

The highlight of the show is the moment this giant, billboard-sized poster of the “before” image of the house is opened up to reveal the “new and improved” exterior of the home as the client stands in awe and tears of amazement.

As I was working on my previous blog post “Hidden in Plain Sight,” I was prompted to do a little word study into this word, “REVEAL.”

I confess, I am a bit of a “word junkie.” I love to study where words came from, their roots. So when I see a word with a prefix like “re-,” I sometimes get this sneaky desire to see where that word came from, especially when the word isn’t obvious. What is a “veal” anyway? Surely not a baby calf!

It turns out that “-veal” actually comes from VEIL. Like a bride removing her veil, revealing her face to her excited groom, to reveal comes from the French and Latin for unveil, to remove the VEIL.

How cool is that?

Thank You, Lord, for opening my eyes, for removing the veil that prevented me from seeing you. Lord, help me to be waiting and watching for the day Jesus is REVEALED, the day when I will see Him face to face.

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 ESV

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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV

Hidden in Plain Sight

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Re-posted from 5 years ago-

You know those “Hidden Pictures” puzzles that Highlight magazine is famous for? Those pictures where common objects are “hidden” in plain sight, but you can’t see them and you have to search the picture for them.

Well, I’ve noticed that life can be a lot like that. I’ve noticed that my life is filled with these seemingly obvious sins that I am absolutely oblivious to. Sins that I am totally unaware of, but to someone standing next to me, they appear glaringly obvious.

The other day (5 years ago now!) I was recording a couple little videos of my oldest daughter singing in church. (Yes, I know. Videotaping during church. I know. Sorry. That’s not the point here. I don’t need anyone to point that one out now. Hang with me here.) Anyway when I played the videos back, in 3 of the 4 recordings can you guess what really stands out? Me. My voice. And it’s not pretty, friends. Not pretty.

And there it was. There are dozens of things that I am doing every single day that I am unable to see. Why? Because they have not yet been revealed to me. That ugly tone of voice. That bitterness. That pride.

Friends, do you know how much I have GROWN in the last 26 years I have been a follower of Jesus Christ? How MUCH I have changed? How MANY blind spots have been revealed to me in the past two decades?

And yet, I suddenly realized how many blind spots are still there. And, once again, God humbled me. And once again, I heard my Savior’s loving voice, gently urging me, “Kim, you have so far yet to go.”

And I was encouraged to give more grace, to have more patience and to be that much quicker to forgive a wrong, because the Lord daily has grace for me and patience with me. He has forgiven me soo much.

Thank you, Father, for not revealing the depth of my wickedness all at once, but rather moment by moment opening my eyes to the next thing, day by day conforming me more and more to the image of Your Son.

How is God opening your eyes to those unseen sins today? Pray for Him to show them to you.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)

This post is still true today. God is still faithfully, gently opening my eyes!

Waiting and Watching

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Our huge lab-poodle-aussie, Kylo, absolutely adores my younger daughter. He will sit and wait for her, watching where she went. It’s so sweet.

Are we waiting and watching like that? Do we have that kind of love? That kind of faith?

Heavenly Father, help me to watch for you, trusting you and waiting expectantly for Your return!

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. Proverbs 8:34 ESV

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Luke 12:35-36 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14 ESV

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him. 2 Peter 3:11-15 ESV

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ESV

A simple, but powerful, way to read through the Bible – John 6

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I share with you one simple way that I’ve found to really personalize and apply the scripture that I’m reading that day.

Read through the Bible, one book at a time, one chapter (or a portion of a chapter) each day. Each day, choose one specific verse that really speaks to you that day and use that verse to write out a prayer.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate your fill of loaves.”

John 6:26

Father, I want to follow You because it is true, because I believe, because You are REAL. You are the true and living God, not a figment of my imagination, not my fairy godmother, not a genie in a bottle. I don’t want to pray to you like I’m wishing on a star or on my birthday candles. You are not the God of “cross my fingers” and hope You will give me whatever I ask for.

I see you and I follow you because you are REAL and Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You have opened my eyes and I can never go back. I pray that you will use my life, my words and my testimony to spread the good new of the gospel and bring many to know the truth of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

A simple, but powerful, way to read through the Bible – John 1

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Let me share with you one simple way that I’ve found to really personalize and apply the scripture that I’m reading that day.

Read through the Bible, one book at a time, one chapter (or a portion of a chapter) each day. Each day, choose one specific verse that really speaks to you that day and use that verse to write out a prayer.

Today I read through John 1 and chose John 1:34 for my verse of the day.

“And I have seen and borne witness
that this is the Son of God.”

John 1:34

I wrote this prayer based on that chapter and verse.

Father, thank You for making Yourself visible so that we can be Your witnesses. Thank you for the witnesses who came before me, for John the Baptist who told his disciple Andrew who told his brother Peter, and for Philip who told his friend Nathanael. Thank you for those who have told me their stories, testifying to the realness of God! I pray that You would make me Your faithful witness. Give me the wisdom and the words to testify to the TRUTH of what I have seen and heard. I pray that my children and my husband and those that I’m discipling would be Your faithful witnesses, too, not giving way to fear, not being ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world. Amen.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this worked for you. How do you study the Bible every day?