Who was God and how could I really find out who He was?

As I started to grow in the church, I began to see different people had different views. I also saw how these people who held these views so dearly were never able to agree with each other. It seemed funny to me how they could talk about peace and at the same time, almost come close to starting World War III. My friend the other day put it the best on Facebook when she said:

“I asked my neighbor if he could help me jump start my car, he said he couldn’t  because he had to be at church in 10 minutes.”

See,  for a time and still today, I cannot comprehend what seems to be complete contradictions. I do not say this to judge (because I’m sure I’m a living contradiction). I say it because it seems we have become so ardent in defending a certain idea, that we have forgotten about the Creator or the true. meaning behind the idea.

So as I’ve worked with people in and outside the church, I must ask, could it be that we have missed the opportunity to know God because our own idea of God does not fit who He really is? Could it be that because we are so eager to defend one idea, a characteristic of who He is, that we have missed the whole point of who God is? Could it be that our ideas, our ideologies, our political views, our view of religion have become our god(s)? Could it be that our idea of God, is keeping us from seeing the real God?

Israel missed Jesus because He did not fit their mold, could it be that we are missing knowing God because He does not fit our mold?

Then God said,“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; ?male and female he created them. Gen 1:26-27 (NIV)

You and I were created at the image of God, not the other way around. I know we want to make everything fit, that we like the characteristics of God that go with our traits, and those that we do not like we want to throw them out.  Yet God is much bigger than you or me, He can be loving and just at the same time. Remember He created us, and not the other way around. Let us stop creating a God that looks like us and let us get to know the real God.

When we come to God, let us come open minded. Let us put aside how we think God should be, and let us go to the scriptures and find whom He really is. In this new year, I ask you, put aside your gods, and meet God. Don’t create a god into your  own image, but go and find the Creator of this earth, the one that has given you dominion over the earth and all around you. Let us remember we are the creation and God is the Creator. Search not for your own idea of God, but for the reality of God.

May we put aside our differences and our own ideas and find God this new year. May we be able to dialogue with each other, because now we have one goal and one thing in our sight to find Jesus, to find God.

Why? Why are people trying to be healthier? Have they realized something that we do not know?

The reality is that people do not want to die; we want to live as long as we can. We as Adventist have the perfect message to help our world today! Check this out “During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States.

In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.” (http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html) . In simpler terms, people are committing shortening their lives because of what they eat.

Lately I’ve learned a lesson the hard way; “what you eat matters”. As most of other people I have dreams and aspirations. I want to make a difference in the world I live in. As most people I went to college far away from parents and very soon realized that fast food was cheap and tasted good. I graduated went to work and ate out all the time, after all it was my only chance to meet people outside of my faith. After coming back from vacation a few months ago, I felt really sick, I ended up at the hospital and to my surprise they told me I needed to go get checked out. After various exams the diagnosis came back, my gallbladder wasn’t working as it should; it was only working at 13% capacity.

After meeting with the doctor and then the surgeon and looking at the different choices, the surgeon said “look we do not need to take it out, all you need to do is eat healthy and you won’t have as much pain”. So here I am, cutting tomatoes, lettuce and every other green thing on this earth. I am learning as I go how to cook so things do not have as much fat. Let me just tell you the results have been amazing; I’m a very skinny dude, I’ve actually gain weight, I’m more alert and have more energy than I need, even my temper has change a bit (in a good way). So why do I tell you all this things? It turns out that God’s original plan for us was to live forever; it was for us to be healthy and not sick. After sin got here and screwed things up, our bodies were still designed to eat certain things so that way you and I could operate at a high standard. I didn’t believe this until I had to… well I was forced to try it.
In this day and age, as people talk about health care reform, as people try to figure out how to live longer and have better quality of life, we need to look no farther than our bibles. The message is this, our designer wants us to be happy and healthy Christians, and the instructions are all in the bible, pick it up and read it.

Romans 3:23 (New International Version)
“23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Thanx for the hope Juanfer… hold up I’m not done yet,
“24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

When we confess to God, when we go to him and say, “hey sorry it took me this long to figure out I’m a sinner… how can you fix this up” He lets you know he already took care of the problem.
Goodness is the result of close relationship with Christ.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10, NKJV).
Goodness is what you and I were created for, there’s no running away from being good when you walk with Christ. Real goodness cannot be fake, real goodness is not an outward action, is an action that comes from the heart Jesus put in you.
David had been taking it easy for a while, after all the battles and endless nights away from home, he had decided to skip this fight. As boredom crept in and David’s wondering eyes glazed over his beloved city, a great vision caught his attention. Soon after, David’s actions became very shady, sex, murder, cover up stories to name a few. Yet the day came up when He was confronted with his sins… David gets up and does something that exemplifies goodness
He cries

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

I don’t know about you, but this is my prayer to God! This is the true source of Goodness!