Picture this?

(07.07.21– Living in God! –Isaiah 40:25)

What does God look like? Have you ever wondered? Most Christians have. Christianity Today Magazine did a survey a number of years ago where they asked their readers how they pictured God?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

What does God look like? Have you ever wondered? Most Christians have. Christianity Today Magazine did a survey a number of years ago where they asked their readers how they pictured God? The overwhelming response was Michelangelo's, Sistine Chapel painting of a majestic, bearded, muscular and stern-faced deity reaching out from a cloud to touch an adoring, reclining figure of Adam as he is given life through that touch. Perhaps that is one of the most famous paintings of how God might look. But, I've always felt that the clouds in the picture surrounding God and Adam are the more significant part of the painting and not the figures of Adam or God. That's because the clouds symbolize our utter inability to grasp God and his infinity, a spiritual being without beginning or end. For generations Christians have focused on a "cloudy" vision of God; a vision of God as defined only by what we know, and not by what we don't know. In a sense Christians have long had a vision of God as the hallmark of what is perfect and we below as creatures striving for that perfection but never achieving it. (Adam reaching out but not quite touching.) How wrong an impression that is. God is infinite and we are finite. That means He is without beginning or end and we are with a beginning and, from an earthly perspective, will most certainly have an end. A.W. Tozer put it this way: "God is completely different and separate, so that there are no degrees in God. God is simply God, an infinite perfection of fullness, and we cannot say God is a little more or little less. He cannot be measured by our senses." (Tozer, The Attributes of God)

In the Lord's Prayer we pray: "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven." To whom can we compare God and, for that matter, His kingdom; certainly not to a Michelangelo portrait of a bearded, muscular man. As long as we do, we worship clouds and not the infinite Creator of the universe. In that sense God is not comparable. As Tozer states, there are no "degrees" in Him. We strive for perfection but He IS perfection. That's why He is so zealous of Himself. When we substitute things, people or activities in our life for Him, making idols of what we can touch, feel and smell, respect or enjoy, His image is damaged for His immeasurable infinity and perfection must be at the core of our worship.

Since God's perfection, his infinitude is beyond our understanding; in His mercy He gives us a way of traveling toward an understanding without actually grasping it. The fact is that there is no word in any language to describe adequately who or what God is because He is without degrees and not limited by words. So He gives us a word, “perfection,” to cling onto. Imaginary spirits may wear beards; a real God has no need of one. He only needs to love us. Picture that!

We pray. Heavenly Father, there really is no word in any language to adequately begin to describe You, our Heavenly Father, King and majestic Lord. We so freely label things around us with words like awesome, bold, utterly beautiful and magnificent; but these things pale in comparison to You, our awesome God. Forgive us Father when we use Your name in vain or utter foolish things that would reflect less than holy thoughts on You. Guide our tongues and hearts to always regard Your name with the uttermost respect and honor. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Picture this?

(07.07.21– Living in God! –Isaiah 40:25)

What does God look like? Have you ever wondered? Most Christians have. Christianity Today Magazine did a survey a number of years ago where they asked their readers how they pictured God?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

What does God look like? Have you ever wondered? Most Christians have. Christianity Today Magazine did a survey a number of years ago where they asked their readers how they pictured God? The overwhelming response was Michelangelo's, Sistine Chapel painting of a majestic, bearded, muscular and stern-faced deity reaching out from a cloud to touch an adoring, reclining figure of Adam as he is given life through that touch. Perhaps that is one of the most famous paintings of how God might look. But, I've always felt that the clouds in the picture surrounding God and Adam are the more significant part of the painting and not the figures of Adam or God. That's because the clouds symbolize our utter inability to grasp God and his infinity, a spiritual being without beginning or end. For generations Christians have focused on a "cloudy" vision of God; a vision of God as defined only by what we know, and not by what we don't know. In a sense Christians have long had a vision of God as the hallmark of what is perfect and we below as creatures striving for that perfection but never achieving it. (Adam reaching out but not quite touching.) How wrong an impression that is. God is infinite and we are finite. That means He is without beginning or end and we are with a beginning and, from an earthly perspective, will most certainly have an end. A.W. Tozer put it this way: "God is completely different and separate, so that there are no degrees in God. God is simply God, an infinite perfection of fullness, and we cannot say God is a little more or little less. He cannot be measured by our senses." (Tozer, The Attributes of God)

In the Lord's Prayer we pray: "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven." To whom can we compare God and, for that matter, His kingdom; certainly not to a Michelangelo portrait of a bearded, muscular man. As long as we do, we worship clouds and not the infinite Creator of the universe. In that sense God is not comparable. As Tozer states, there are no "degrees" in Him. We strive for perfection but He IS perfection. That's why He is so zealous of Himself. When we substitute things, people or activities in our life for Him, making idols of what we can touch, feel and smell, respect or enjoy, His image is damaged for His immeasurable infinity and perfection must be at the core of our worship.

Since God's perfection, his infinitude is beyond our understanding; in His mercy He gives us a way of traveling toward an understanding without actually grasping it. The fact is that there is no word in any language to describe adequately who or what God is because He is without degrees and not limited by words. So He gives us a word, “perfection,” to cling onto. Imaginary spirits may wear beards; a real God has no need of one. He only needs to love us. Picture that!

We pray. Heavenly Father, there really is no word in any language to adequately begin to describe You, our Heavenly Father, King and majestic Lord. We so freely label things around us with words like awesome, bold, utterly beautiful and magnificent; but these things pale in comparison to You, our awesome God. Forgive us Father when we use Your name in vain or utter foolish things that would reflect less than holy thoughts on You. Guide our tongues and hearts to always regard Your name with the uttermost respect and honor. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.