Our Powerful and Present God, The Doctrine of God the Father

 "Lord said to Moses... Be ready in the morning...present yourself to me... (one on one)... the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. Exodus 34:1-8

Passage this week is Ez 1-2. We learn the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in such a personal and real way that he not only heard and saw the Lord at a specific time and place but he felt the touch of the Lord. Ez 1:3 tells us "the hand of the Lord was on him." Our doctrine focuses Our Powerful and Present God, The Doctrine of God the Father.

Throne of God’s Glory (Ez 1:22-28), Something glorious appeared to Ezekiel, he sensory elements of Ezekiel’s vision were vivid and overwhelming. 

The ominous yet awesome vision of God’s glory left Ezekiel in a humbled and helpless heap on the ground. Yet God is gentle, caring like in garden when he breathed life into the man and he became a living being. He said to Ezekiel “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2:1-2). 

God has reveal himself in His creation, His word, His people and His Son. He is everything our hearts desire, yet sinful people tend to hide while God seeks us. God has bridged the gulf between sinful people and His perfection by sending His own Son as an atoning sacrifice for all who trust Him for salvation.

God calls all people to recognize who He is and seek His glory.

Though we cannot fully grasp all that is true about God, He has revealed what we need to know through His creation, His Word, and His Son.

When I do not recognize God’s presence and power, I cannot explain my existence or  purpose. I may sense there is more to life than I understand, but my explanations are  limited to human thinking.

When I understand who God the Father is, he calls my name and his Spirit lifts me up and I respond in worship. He reshapes and clarifies words in my mind. Words like love, faith, and hope as well as my personal favorite - the word Discipline. The Lord disciplines those he loves. 

In view of God's mercy, offer yourselves a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. True worship transforms and renews our minds, enabling us to participate fully in the will of God (Romans 12:1-4, John 10:10, 1 John 3:8, John 15:4-7).

What's your favorite worship experience where you encountered God, felt His power, and heard Him speak to you?

1. Humbled before God: Genesis 17:3; Isaiah 6:1-8; Acts 9:4; Revelation 1:17 

2. God’s glory in creation: Genesis 1; Psalms 8; 19:1-2; Romans 1:18-25 

3. God’s glory revealed to His people: Exodus 24:16; 33:18-23; 40:34; Leviticus 9:23; Isaiah 6:1-5 

4. Jesus Christ reveals God’s glory: Matthew 17:1-13; John 1:1-18; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3 

5. Eternal praise: Romans 11:36; 2 Peter 3:18; Revelation 7:12