The Knowledge of God: Grace and Peace in the Knowledge of God

January 17, 2024 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Knowledge of God.

In his second letter to God’s elect scattered throughout what is now modern Turkey, the Apostle Peter expressed his concern about false teachers. The area in which these Christians lived was a hotbed for philosophies and teachings that challenged their belief in Jesus. Are these concerns still a threat in 2024?

Peter opens his letter with a special blessing, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:2, NKJV). He knew that knowledge of God was key to truth and protection against error—whether it be religious or secular. And it still is!

What is it?

To know or knowledge in Old Testament Hebrew has a wider meaning than in our English language. To know is not to be intellectually informed, but to experience it as part of one’s reality. Divine-human relationships are often expressed in this term. The Lord knew Moses “by name.” (Exod. 33:11, 12, 17)

In the New Testament, the thought continues that knowing God is not simply an intellectual exercise. The difference lies in the fact that knowing God is a response of faith and acceptance of Christ (John 14:7; 17:3)

There is more to be said about the difference between knowing God and having a knowledge of God.

Knowing or Knowledge: What’s the Difference?

The difference between knowing God and knowledge of God is a subtle but deeply important one, touching on the very nature of faith and belief.

- Knowledge of God refers to intellectual understanding and information about God. It can come from studying religious texts, attending sermons, learning about different doctrines and philosophies. You might possess a vast amount of information about God’s attributes, actions, and teachings.

- Knowing God goes beyond mere intellectual knowledge. It’s about a personal relationship and experiential understanding of God. It’s about encountering God in your life, feeling his presence, and having a sense of connection with him. This isn’t achieved solely through information but through practices like prayer, meditation, and living a life guided by faith.

Consider this analogy:

- Knowing about a tree: You might know its species, leaf shape, and how it photosynthesizes. You could even recite poems about trees.
- Knowing a tree: You’ve spent time under its shade, climbed its branches, felt the wind in its leaves. You have a personal connection and understanding beyond textbook knowledge.

Similarly, knowledge of God is like the textbook, while knowing God is like experiencing the tree itself.

Knowing or Knowledge: Which is better?

So, is knowing God better than having a knowledge of God? For me, both are part of the same coin. Each is important in developing a complete and personal reality of God in our life.

Our knowledge of God paves the way to knowing God.

Knowing God creates a deep desire to increase our knowledge of Him.

That being the case, we will continue our study to know more. I leave you with several insights from other notables of the faith who continue their pursuit of the knowledge of God.

“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2, NLT)

The Christian is strong or weak depending upon how closely he has cultivated the knowledge of God. A.W. Tozer

Intimate knowledge of God is possible if we habitually search His Holy Scriptures and translate what we find into obedience. George Mueller

Too many Christians are fighting graduate school sins with grammar school knowledge of God. John Piper

How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into a matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer, and praise to God. J.I. Packer

The Knowledge of God: Begin with the Basics

January 10, 2024 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Learning from our experiences

In last week’s teaching on “Lessons Learned in 2023”, I shared those things I will take with me as I moved forward into 2024. The “egg” I will carry includes spiritual growth, eternity, and finally, my knowledge of God. It is in this last area that I’d like to begin a new series, “The Knowledge of God”.

Knowledge of God has always been one of the foundational tenets that forms the framework for our teachings and programs that support our mission of “Transforming lives through teaching God’s Word.” The other tenets include knowing our identity in Christ (Gal. 2:20) and in remembering that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We are part of the Kingdom of God.

Why is knowledge of God important?

Our knowledge of God…

- Establishes the moral authority and inspiration in our life. We look to God to provide us with truth needed to guide us in this fallen world. God gives us peace, joy, and hope needed during troubling and uncertain times. He is our strength and deliverance (Ps. 18:1-3).

- Results in purposeful living. We are God’s workmanship, created to do good works which He identified at the foundations of the world (Eph. 2:10). To live out the purpose God has for our life, it is critical that we are obedient to God’s directions. Living purposefully, the goal is spiritual maturity and ultimately, conformity to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29).

- Enlightens us as to what God has given to us. As believers, we have everything we need to live godly in this world (2 Pet. 1:3). First and most importantly, we have eternal life. In addition, as children of God, we have access not only to Father God, but also to all the blessings and promises that go with this special relationship (Eph. 1:3-14).

All these things and much more are ours today. But it requires correct knowledge and understanding of who God is—His goodness and His greatness.

The journey begins.

The rise of humanism in our world, has caused man, incorrectly, to believe he is the most important and knowledgeable creature on the earth.

Humanism primarily focuses on human flourishing in the present world, emphasizing social progress, ethical living, and addressing immediate concerns. This may not automatically lead to a focus on knowledge of God unless individuals actively seek to connect those values with their spirituality.

In his groundbreaking work of faith, Your God is Too Small, J.B. Phillips encourages Christians to redefine their understanding of who God is. Phillips explains that the trouble facing many of us today is that we have not found God big enough for our modern needs.

Many women and men are living, often with inner dissatisfaction, without any faith in God at all. This is not because they are particularly wicked or selfish or, as the old fashioned would say, godless, but because they have not found with their adult minds a God big enough to account for life, big enough to fit in with the new scientific age, big enough to command their highest admiration and respect, and consequently they’re cooperation.[1]

We invite you to join us as we expand our knowledge of God. Let’s learn how God is “big enough” to meet us where we are today, even amid the complexities of 21^st century living.

[1] Your God is Too Small, J. B. Phillips

Our Faith Walk

Lessons Learned in 2023: Remembering the Sankofa Bird

January 3, 2024 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

It’s that Time Again

As is our tradition with WordBytes, our first teaching each new year is a reflection on the things learned in the previous year. What have we learned as we look back on 2023?

What were the “bought lessons” learned at great expense? What were the “taught lessons” received with meekness and humility? More importantly, how will we use the knowledge and wisdom learned to better navigate both the challenges and opportunities of 2024?

Learn from the Sankofa Bird

The Sankofa Bird is a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward, but its head turned back to pick up an egg from its back. This symbolizes the importance of learning from the past and bringing that knowledge with you as you move forward.

The Sankofa Bird holds various significant meanings:

- Honoring the past: It encourages us to learn from our history, both the good and the bad. By understanding our past, we can avoid repeating mistakes and build a better future.
- Preserving cultural heritage: Sankofa emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural traditions and values. It reminds us that our ancestors’ wisdom and knowledge are still relevant today.
- Personal growth: On a personal level, the Sankofa Bird can represent the continuous process of self-improvement. It encourages us to reflect on our past experiences, learn from them, and use that knowledge to grow as individuals.

For this year’s “lessons learned”, we would like to offer the Sankofa Bird as a framework for sharing what we’ve learned in 2023. It will also help to determine what things are of value moving forward into this new year and what things are “useless baggage” best left behind.

Where do I start? Where am I headed?

I looked to previous years’ learnings to begin my list. I asked myself, “Has my faith grown stronger?” “Have I grown in the knowledge of Jesus Christ?” (2 Pet. 3:18) “Was I becoming more conformed to the image of Christ?” (Rom. 8:29)

It was in reading previous learnings that I discovered my first lesson from 2023. Like the Sankofa Bird, looking back helped me understand that spiritual growth or sanctification is a continuous process. We never stop growing until eternity.

From this review process, “common themes” began to emerge.

1. God should be the center of our lives. Seek Him first.
2. The importance of relationships. With God and with others.
3. Trust and Obedience. These are essential for a successful faith walk.
4. God is faithful and true. His Word and promises never change.
5. God is ever present. His Presence is always with us.

These themes helped to identify my second lesson from 2023: the importance of learning more about God, His Kingdom, and our purpose in His plan of salvation. This lesson is best captured in Eph. 1:17-19.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Did I learn anything new?

My final lesson learned is probably the most impactful to me. It was learned during our study on eternity. Unless we intentionally focus on the importance of eternity to our spiritual welfare, it will remain nothing more than theological jargon we hear on Sunday morning.

Many Christians become disillusioned as their quest for peace and pleasure on this earth feel them with despair. If you are one of these believers who senses you’re missing something—who have hoped for more—it may be that your perspective is distorted by your focus on this world. With heaven as our point of reference, we can learn to live a satisfying, balance, and victorious life even in a fallen world.[1]

My third lesson from 2023: To know the true God and His Son Jesus Christ, it is important that we focus on eternity. To live on lives with an eye on eternity, is the only “sure way” to live in the fullness of God today, tomorrow, and forever.

Carrying my egg into 2024

Like the Sankofa Bird, with my feet firmly planted forward, I’m carrying my egg into 2024 by:

- Prioritizing my spiritual growth and development.
- Increasing in wisdom and knowledge of God.
- Focusing on eternity.

And what will I leave behind? All the things (and people) that hinder my journey forward.

What will you carry into 2024? What will you leave behind?

[1] Dr. Joseph M. Stowell, Eternity: Reclaiming a Passion for What Endures

Advent/Christmas

Preparing for 2024: God Goes Before Us

December 26, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

New Year anxieties

In choosing our year-end WordBytes, it was amazing how quickly the teaching for today came to my attention.

This WordBytes was written in 2019, as we entered the world of COVID. At that time, we had no idea that our lives would be forever changed. The world as we knew would never be the same.

This WordBytes was also written to address the anxiety we typically experience as we begin planning for the new year.

Are we ready for 2024?

In our text today, Moses is preparing the Israelites for the changes that lie ahead as they prepare to enter the Promise Land with 2+million people. Just imagine the heightened anxiety and fear of the people. But Moses shares with them a promise they could “hang their hat on”. God will go before them!

It’s been said, “Hindsight is 20/20.” As we look back over the past year with new COVID variants, political division, wars around the world, and more, we might ask this question, “Is God still going before us?”

Assess where we are.

Take a moment and think about how God has intervened on your behalf during this past year. It’s true that we have experienced many hardships this year. However, regardless of them, we are now planning for a “new year”.

Do you want to know why? Because God still (even in the 21^st century) goes before us. Whatever circumstance we may face in 2024, know that God is more than able to sustain you through it. I pray that today’s WordBytes will increase your confidence and trust in the Lord. Have a blessed and happy new year.

God Goes Before Us

Advent/Christmas

Advent Revisited: God, Time, and Waiting

December 20, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

A Time of Waiting

Advent season is a time of waiting. Waiting by its very definition is challenging. It is defined as the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.

How well we wait lies not only in what we are waiting for but also who we trust to provide our desired outcome. That trust is based on the provider’s ability to deliver the outcome. That’s why as believers, it is important to remember that Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith is worth waiting for.

Godly Waiting

Waiting is a discipline. “Godly” waiting is a spiritual discipline that we must cultivate. As with any discipline, practice makes “progress” (perfection is not always the goal). Advent is a time in which we should make every effort to expand our capacity to wait. That increased capacity will strengthen us for the days ahead.

While waiting, we exercise our patience “muscles” and bolster our endurance until we receive what we are waiting for (Heb.10:36). In our waiting, faith is activated and strengthened. It is in the waiting that our hope becomes an expectation. While waiting, our belief and trust become rooted and grounded in the Lord (Ps. 27:13-14).

As we continue our journey through “Advent past”, we will look at waiting from a different perspective: God’s perspective.

“GOD, TIME, AND WAITING”

Advent/Christmas

Advent Revisited: A Psalm for Advent

December 12, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

A Time to remember

One of the things I love to do during the holiday season is to find a quiet place in the house and reminisce on how my family prepared for Christmas. After Thanksgiving, we would receive the “Sears and Roebuck” Christmas catalog. We called it “the dream book.” Now Christmas displays begin to appear before Halloween.

As believers, we have the liturgical calendar to help us “mark” the different aspects of this most holy season. It begins with Advent and the practice of waiting. It culminates with Christmas, a time of celebrating the arrival of our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

This Advent, I invite you to join us as we reminisce and revisit Advents of the past through our WordBytes devotion. We have chosen three (3) of our most popular Advent WordBytes from past years. We hope they will fill your hearts with hope, peace, joy, and love.

“A PSALM FOR ADVENT”

Knowing God

God’s Large Place

December 6, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Good morning to you!

Have you ever awakened in the morning and instantly felt overwhelmed by the day? I mean, have you been totally immobilized so that you’re unable to get out of bed?

We can be sure that it is Satan’s effort to get us off God’s plan and purpose for our lives. Of course, our flesh also plays a part in this conspiracy. It is in the morning that the battle for our mind and our spirit begins.

This is the time to connect with the Holy Spirit and the truth found in God’s Word. This is the moment we can declare, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psa. 118:24).

This is the day…

Each day begins with our perception of what lies ahead for us. Our calendar and day timer contains our commitments. Our mental and physical state impacts how we receive each new day. We are mentally challenged with fears, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, even our negative talk. We may physically “not feel good”. Seasonal ailments, chronic pain and disease make “jumping out of bed” a real chore. Getting up in the morning is a complex endeavor.

Read, “Monday Morning Cup” , with Lisa Boone-Reddick

But mornings are simply “a period of time which occurs between sunrise and noon”. The bigger issue is our ability to manage the stresses, complexities, and demands that arise during our days (and nights). The challenge is knowing how to successfully navigate the realities of living during these tumultuous and demanding times.

What would happen if we changed our perception of how we operate each day? How much better would our lives be if we acknowledged the real source of release and contentment? King David gives us the answer in Psalm 118.

The view from the other side

Psalm 118 is an excellent source of encouragement when we are perplexed with the struggles we face in our lives. King David probably penned this psalm after he had weathered the battles and challenges to gain full possession of the kingdom to which he had been anointed (1 Sam. 16:13).

In Psalm 118, David acknowledges the struggles but more importantly he witnesses to the presence and favor of God in the midst of those struggles. David begins and ends this psalm (vv. 1, 29) with praise and recognition of how Israel had made it through its most challenging days. David’s psalm was a call for all to remember God’s presence, God’s protection, and God’s provision. It was a time to give thanks for God’s goodness and His mercy.

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord,

for He is good, and

His mercy (lovingkindness) endures forever.

God granted David gracious favor in his distress. Matthew Henry describes this favor as “vouchsafe”.

God heard his prayer (v. 5): “He answered me with enlargements; he did more for me than I was able to ask; he enlarged my heart in prayer and yet gave more largely than I desired.” He answered me, and set me in a large place, where I had room to bestir myself, room to enjoy myself, and room to thrive; and the large place was the more comfortable because he was brought to it out of distress (Ps. 4:1). [1]

Getting to God’s large place

David’s view “from the other side” (of his rise to power) was the result of his personal relationship and experience with God. David remembered God’s faithfulness. He trusted God (vv. 8-9). This strengthened his belief that God would always be there (vv. 6-7; 17-18). David’s experience of God’s large place would prepare him for what lay ahead as he ruled the great nation of Israel.

We too can enter God’s large place through prayer and receiving His engrafted Word (James 1:21). We are invited to be intentional in recognizing and accepting God’s providence in our lives. Whether good or bad, morning or evening, God is always present to see us safely to the other side. God’s large place can be a place of victory, growth, and freedom. Let us declare, like David: Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

[1] Matthew Henry Commentary, Psalm 118.

Victorious Living

Throwback Wednesday: Truth: The Divine Perspective

October 11, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

For the past few weeks WordBytes has focused on the process of “returning”. Return by definition means to come or go back to a place or person or thing. As a part of speech, it is an action word that demands a personal response to accomplish a desired outcome.

In our series we suggested that to live victoriously, it is critical that we as believers not forget key spiritual virtues. If we have “drifted”, it begins by returning to our first love, God. Other areas include fellowship, faithfulness, joy, and repentance. Returning is an indication and an admission, that we, at one time, have been in the “right place”.

With that in mind, for Throwback Wednesday we’d like to “return to basics”; and that basic involves truth. More specifically, God’s Truth. We offer for your consideration, “Truth: The Divine Perspective.”

Truth: The Divine Perspective

Victorious Living

Return to Fellowship

October 3, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

We must draw near.

There are two (2) biblical truths that should motivate believers to live their lives “more fully and abundantly” (John 10:10).

The first truth is that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, presently lives within us. Jesus promised this to those that “believeth on and in Him” (John 14:16-17). The second is that we live continuously in the presence of God (Ps. 139:7). There is never a time nor is there any circumstance in our life where we will find ourselves outside God’s love and purview.

Both truths are “spiritual blessings” gifted to us from our heavenly Father (Eph. 1:3). But even with God’s commitment to be in and among us, we as believers have a responsibility to draw “near to God” (James 4:8) by entering into intentional fellowship with Him. God will not force His presence upon us. God is daily inviting us into the joy of fellowship.

What is Fellowship?

What does “fellowship with God” look like in the life of the believer? Fellowship has been described as the sharing of experiences with likeminded people. However, fellowship with God is much more, for “who has known the mind of God (Romans 11:34)?” Through Jesus Christ, believers are able to “know by experience” God’s heart and mind. Such was the case with the Apostle John. John and the disciples were uniquely privileged to witness, firsthand, the person and works of Christ.

- “That which was heard” were truths that Christ declared concerning the kingdom of God and His offer of eternal life (Luke 4:43; 9:11).

- “That which was seen” included the many miracles of Christ; miracles that would attest to the coming of the promised Messiah (Matt. 11:2-5).

- “That which was looked upon and our hands handled” recounted the disciples’ examination of Christ’s glorified body after the resurrection (John 20:27). All of the disciple’s senses were engaged as Christ manifested (revealed) Himself and the Father.

Get up close and personal!

The disciple’s experience with Christ was not viewed from a distance but “up close and personal”. Since Father and Son were one (John 17:11, 22), the disciples concurrently experienced fellowship with the Father (v. 3). Fellowship is translated as “communion” and “participation in a common life.”

John’s personal witness was an invitation to the early church to participate through a common lifestyle that was centered on relationship—unending communion with God the Father and the Son. Therein is the basis for John’s statement that their “joy may be full” (v.4).

Fellowship with God is a lifestyle.

Though John’s letter was written thousands of years ago, its message is still relevant for today. Fellowship with God begins with a lifestyle that seeks to draw near with faith (Heb. 10:22) and learn of Him (Matt. 11:29).

It includes our living by “that which we have heard”—the truth found in God’s Word and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. It involves our personal witness to “that which we’ve seen”—God’s unconditional love and salvation in exchange for our sin and brokenness (1 John 1:3-4).

Are we experiencing fellowship with God? We must daily ask the Holy Spirit to show us those things that stand in the way of being in fellowship with God and how we can draw closer to Him.

Spiritual Discipline

Return to Joy

September 26, 2023 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

What is Joy?

Joy is defined as gladness of heart. It is listed among the top five things[1] people desperately want in life yet “never seem to be able to get”. Joy’s allusiveness, in many cases, is the result of our tendency to define joy as external to ourselves. We believe it is a person, place, or thing. Once we have “it”, we’ll have joy. Wrong!

Joy under Attack

As we survey the world we live it, gladness of heart is under attack. Our attempts to navigate 21^st century living seem more daunting and challenging with each new day. Financial worries served as a significant source of stress ranking higher than three other causes of concern: work, family responsibilities, and health concerns.

Work, family, and health concerns have exploded. So how can we find joy? The Apostle Paul shares the secret of not only how to find joy but also how to return to it in spite of the pressures we might face.

Source of Joy

In Philippians 4:4, Paul exhorts the Church at Philippi to holy joy and delight in God.

Delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, find your joy in him at all times. (Phillips Translation)

God has furnished us with joy even in the worst of circumstances. Nehemiah in the midst of hostility and threats, said that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Neh. 8:10).

David acknowledged that “in God’s presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). Jesus instructed His Disciples “to live in The Vine”—in Jesus’ holy presence (John 15:5-11). By living in the Vine, Jesus’ joy would remain “in them and be full.” These same offers of joy are extended to you and I who live in the 21^st century. Jesus is the source of our joy.

Returning to Joy

It is God’s desire that we return to joy regardless of life’s circumstances or difficulties. Jesus describes these as “tribulations” (John 16:33). Tribulations and trials are “natural outcomes” we suffer as a result of living in a fallen world.

We experience the effects of fallenness every day. They include death, disease, and difficulties. However, in Christ and as God’s children, we have been provided with God’s Presence (The Holy Spirit), God’s blessings (Eph. 1:3-17), and God’s inexhaustible grace to sustain us (Phil. 1:6).

Strengthen our Joy

Returning to joy strengthens our resolve and helps us to continue the purpose God has set before us. Such strength can only come from Eternal God Who helps us through the worst of circumstances. When we come into the presence of the Lord, we connect with His great and eternal power. God’s power exceeds anything we can do in our own strength (Phil. 4:13).

We are invited to return to the joy that comes from serving God who is sovereign and who has overcome the world (Ps. 119:89-91).

[1] Top 5 include: Happiness, Money, Freedom, Peace, Joy