The Holiness of God by Lewis Kiger

This wraps up Pastor Kiger's series he wrote for their local paper on the Attributes of God. I want to thank him for letting me put his articles up on the blog. If you have enjoyed the posts, let him know in the contact info below. DN

We conclude this series on “Getting to know God” by discussing the Holiness of God. This is to my estimation, the “attribute of attributes.” God’s holiness is what the old theologians used to call – the otherness of God. This is what makes God other than any other. His holiness is what puts God in a class all by Himself.

 The word holy literally means to cut or separate. Or to be set apart, sacred, or consecrated. God is a “cut above” if you will. He is the sum of all moral excellence. He is absolute purity, unsullied by any hint of corruption. God is independently holy, infinitely holy, and immutably holy.

 In Isaiah 6:1-5 the Old Testament prophet is given a supernatural view of the glorified Christ sitting on His throne. This is similar to the same scene that is unveiled to John some 830 years later in Revelation 4:8. In both accounts there are angelic beings, called seraphim, hovering around the throne. These glorious fiery messengers have a message. They cease not night and day saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.

 He is the Thrice Holy God. This is doubtless a hint to the Trinity, but the repetition of these words should leap off the page at us. In Jewish writings whenever there is a repetition of words, it demands extra attention. What makes the Holiness of God so conspicuous, is we know this is the only attribute of God, that is mentioned three times in succession in all of Holy Writ.

 As Stephen Charnock said: “the holiness of God, is the glory of the Godhead. It is the glory of every perfection in the Godhead.” God is Holy, Holier, Holiest. He is Eternally Holy. Absolutely Holy. Inflexibly Holy.

 His Supreme Holiness beautifies every attribute. This is the one quality that is used as an adjective to describe His other attributes. God’s love is a Holy Love. He possesses a Holy Wisdom. His grace is a holy mercy. His truth is holy and even His anger is a Holy wrath.  God is never spoken of as good, good, good. Or love, love, love. But Holy, holy, holy.

 If each of God’s attributes composed a golden crown, His holiness would be the incomparable diamond mounted at its apex. God’s holiness is the crowning jewel of His character.

 Everything God thinks is holy. Everything God does is holy. Every word God speaks is holy. "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works" (Psalms 145:17). The book He gave us is the Holy Bible.

 Moses met with God on the mount, and was told to take the shoes from off his feet, because he was standing on holy ground. It wasn’t the dirt or the sand that was holy, but the presence of God. God alone is perfectly Holy (Revelation 15:4). He is matchless in holiness. 1 Samuel 2:2 says there is none holy as the Lord. Exodus 15:11 states God is glorious in holiness. According to (Isaiah 57:15) His name is holy.  The Father is Holy. The Son is Holy. The Spirit is known as the Holy Spirit.

 God came down in power and dwelled in the Tabernacle, behind the veil, between the Cherubim; above the mercy seat in the place called the Holy of Holies. His dwelling place, His habitation is Holy. (Psalms 68:5)

 Finally, one need look no further than Calvary to see the Holiness of God. There God’s holy justice was poured out upon Christ. He who knew no sin, and had committed no trespass became sin for us. God is so holy that Isaiah said it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.

 Further yet, God hates sin. It is an affront to His very person. He hates it so much, that when Christ became sin for his people, the Holy Father could not glance upon His Son for Habakkuk 1:13 states: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. This is why, when at Calvary; God turned away from His Son, and Jesus would cry out: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

  He forsook His Son, because God is Holy. Sin is so offensive to God’s Holy Nature, that the Father put Him to grief, and made His soul an offering for sin.

 What His holiness demanded, His grace supplied in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh dear reader, if you are truly born again, consider this; we have been saved by God, from God, and for God.

 Now, be ye holy even as He is holy. For Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness, shall no man see the Lord.

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Sovereignty of God by Lewis Kiger

Who is in control of this world? Is there one Being who is the absolute authority in the Universe? The Biblical answer to these questions is yes. And that it is God, and God alone. Long and messy is the battlefield over the Sovereignty of God. There still remains a great amount of debate over this doctrine, and though there are good men on both sides of the argument, someone has to be right. 

  We are all prone to exaggerate the doctrinal position of others, in order to make ourselves look better, smarter, or more spiritual. Yet I will say that any “level headed Bible student” should agree, that God is Sovereign. We may disagree on how He chooses to exercise that Sovereignty -  but dear reader, God is either Sovereign over all, or He is not Sovereign at all. There is no such thing as being partially sovereign.

 Some will suggest that the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a complex and difficult doctrine. One that only theologians and Bible scholars can grasp. But, this isn’t so. I am going to insist God's sovereignty isn’t some obscure doctrine hidden in the far corners of the Bible reserved for the seminary classroom. Instead, it is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith and should be loved and embraced by every believer. The fact that God is Sovereign is not hard to understand. It may be hard to swallow, but it isn’t hard to understand.

 To say that God is Sovereign, we mean that He is Supreme in Power. There is none above God. He possesses Universal Dominion and is Superior to all others. He has Absolute Authority over all things and at all times. God has the unconditional right and ability to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, and to whomever He wants. God never has asked permission from anyone to do anything, and He never will. 

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 States that God owns everything. He is the Ruler over everything. To Him alone belongs all power, all glory, all victory, the greatness, the Majesty. God alone is exalted above all others. He is the Divine Self-governing Monarch who alone reigns over all creation. His will is not bound by man, or any other. AW Pink rightly said; “God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him; none can hinder Him.”

 A gentile king named Nebuchadnezzar quickly learned that God was the Sovereign of the Universe. Listen to his words: Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 In other words, God is answerable to none. He righteously decrees all things as it pleases Him to do so, and there are none who can obstruct Him. All the combined armies of the earth cannot in anyway, impede the will of the Sovereign.

 We live in a nation that is politically divided and are enduring the seemingly endless battles of politicians coveting our vote. But, in heaven there are no brokered conventions. No delegates, or no electoral college. God Almighty rules and reigns over the affairs of men and does whatever pleases Him. Psalms 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

 God has spoken it; God will bring it to pass. God has purposed it and will also do it. Isaiah 46:9-11 Cleary shows that God is Sovereign over time, eternity, life, death, circumstance, and yes, even salvation. Some generous souls will “grant” God sovereignty over everything except the human will.

 I ask, is God Sovereign over creation, Satan, the angels, the weather, nature, and everything else, but not over mankind? Only human arrogance would be so bold to suggest that God is Sovereign over everything except us. I say again, EITHER GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL, OR HE IS NOT SOVEREIGN AT ALL.

 Someone once asked Spurgeon, how he reconciled the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of men. His reply: “they do not need to be reconciled, they are old friends.” While it is gloriously true that God is the Absolute Sovereign of the Universe, it also true that men are responsible for their every action. Dear sinner, hear these words: this Sovereign God has commanded all men everywhere to repent and all those who fail to do so are personally responsible for their disobedience. God is not to be blamed nor held responsible. Flee to Him, and you will find that this Sovereign God is friend of repentant sinners.

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Love of God by Lewis Kiger

 Bill Gaither (who is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Gospel singers/songwriters of our time) was once asked besides the Psalms, what do you consider to be the greatest song lyrics that have ever been written? Without hesitation he said this:

“Could we, with ink the ocean fill

And were the sky of parchment made,

Where every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll, contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky.”

 As this old gospel hymn wonderfully declares, the love of God has never been measured. No amount of books could ever be written to fully declare His infinite love. His love for His people is incalculable. It is inexhaustible. It stretches as far as the east is from the west. The Lord's incomprehensible love is deeper than the oceans, higher than the heavens, and richer than the vast treasures of earth. Love emanates from God. It flows from Him. As 1 John 4:7 states “love is of God.”

 In 1 John 4:8 we find these simple, yet profound words: “God is Love.” Now, this is not all that God is, nor is this the sum of God; but thankfully, it is one of His Divine characteristics. God is indeed love. It would not be accurate to say, that the author of this article is love. Nor, even that the reader of this article is love -- but it is gloriously true, that God is love.

 One day, C.H. Spurgeon was walking through the English countryside with a friend. As they strolled along, the evangelist noticed a barn with a weather vane on its roof. At the top of the vane were these words; “GOD IS LOVE.” Spurgeon remarked to his companion that he thought this was a rather inappropriate place for such a message. “Weather vanes are changeable,” he said, “but God’s love is constant.” His friend replied by saying; “I don’t agree with you about those words, Charles.” “You misunderstand the meaning. That sign is indicating a truth and that is: Regardless of which way the wind blows, GOD IS LOVE.”

 God’s love is an eternal love (Jeremiah 31:3). An immutable and unconditional love. If you are a Christian, if you are indeed born-again, it is not because of good works or some “foreseen faith", but it is because God first loved you. Verse 19 of that same chapter of 1^st John tells us that we love Him, because (and only because) He first loved us. 

 God, in His great mercy, loves the unlovely. Look at this wonderful portion of the Scriptures, Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This is what God did. He loved us, when we were unlovely. Not good, not godly, but while we were yet sinners.

 Why He would love us, is simply mind-boggling, yet we know He does. Years ago, there was a well-known and well respected Bible scholar, who had just a tremendous comprehension of Scripture. Someone asked him: “Sir, what is the single greatest thought, you have ever had?” He thought for a moment and then replied… “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” Even this great theological mind, was still just a sinner, astonished by the love of God.

 Near the end of Romans chapter 8, the inspired writer asks a question: “what can separate us from the love of Christ?” And then answers his own inquiry by forming a long and inclusive list. After considering all that wars against the child of God, he then summarizes by saying: “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Praise God for His Sovereign, unconquerable love!

Oh love of God, how rich and pure;

How measureless, and strong

It shall forever more endure

The saints and angel’s song.”

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Goodness of God by Lewis Kiger

One of the most difficult tasks that the Christian is called to do, is to trust the wisdom and goodness of God when everything seems to be going wrong. Satan, the enemy of our soul, delights to bring suspicion into the mind of the believer. And if we are honest, we are all guilty of doubting the judgment of God when faced with certain adversities.  We wonder, if God is good, then why has He allowed this to happen? If God is good, why didn’t He stop this, or interfere like I asked Him to? This is a common battle within the heart of every child of God. This is where faith enters and reminds us of the goodness of God, and causes us to trust His heart when we can’t trace His hand. 

 Psalms 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”  How terrifying it would be, if God were All-powerful, but wasn’t also good. Many men have been corrupted by power. Countless lives have been lost and great harm has been done, by the wicked hands of fallen men who have had great authority but were not governed by decency. It would be frightening, to consider a god who had supreme power, and was not concerned with virtue or integrity. This god, might arbitrarily crush us or randomly punish us. But our God, the God of the Bible is a good God, of immutable goodness. He is eternally good. Psalms 52:1 “the goodness of God endureth continually."

 His very essence is good. His disposition is good. His being is good. God is the very source of goodness. James 1:17 says that every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above. When you remove God from the schoolhouse, you removed goodness from the schoolhouse. When God is excluded from the courthouse, then goodness is excluded. And easily can we see the results of this, because men, by nature, are not good.

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 These verses do not mean that men aren’t capable of doing good and moral things. Soldiers die on the battlefield for their country. Mothers love and nourish their children. Yet, when it comes to pleasing God and the spiritual state of man, there is none inherently good, no not one.  Apart from Christ, men have no spiritual comeliness. We should agree with the Apostle Paul and say: “for I know that in me, that is, in my flesh; dwelleth no good thing.” Any spiritual goodness that dwells within us, is merely because we have been made partakers of the Divine nature of God, by the indwelling of His Spirit.

 Once I knew a man who had a dog that was born deaf. Many suggested that he should have the dog put down, because it would not be able to take care of itself and would always be in danger. He decided to keep the dog and he worked with it, and learned to communicate with him by hand signals. He could wave his hands in a certain way to get the dog to come, or sit. The remarkable thing about the dog was that even though he was born deaf and had never heard a sound in its life, still that dog would bark. When strangers would approach, or when it saw another animal, the dog would bark. No one had to teach it, or train it to do this, it was his nature.

 In like manner, no one had to show God how to be good. God is naturally good. It is His nature to be good. He is good all by Himself. We have to teach children how to be good. How to conduct themselves, how to behave, yet, goodness springs from God because He is inherently good. This is yet another way, in which God is so much higher and holier than we.

In the midst of trials and adversity, we must remember, God is good. When life seems to be spiraling out of control, we must have faith that God is good.   God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

               

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Faithfulness of God by Lewis Kiger

There was a time in America when a man’s word meant something. When fathers taught their sons that a man is only as good as his word. Sadly, this time has all but vanished in our nation. Now, men will tell you one thing, and do the opposite. Or others will make a commitment, never having any intention of following through on it. As a pastor, I have been told countless times, "You’re right preacher, I need to get back in church; we’ll be there on Sunday.” And the vast majority of the time it doesn’t happen. I like to think some unforeseen event keeps them from doing what they said they would, but then weeks pass and you don’t seem them, and you start to think they never really meant it in the first place.

 In today’s society, lawyers must write impregnable contracts just to get people to do what they have committed to do. No longer is a man’s word his bond, no longer can a handshake be trusted and many of us have learned the hard way that mortal men are just not trustworthy or dependable.

 Thankfully, God is utterly unlike humanity in this way. He is faithful. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 we find these three simple words, “God is faithful.” Those who have known the Lord for any measure of time can attest to the veracity of this statement. God is indeed faithful. We are not, but He is.

 Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Even when we are faithless, He is faithful. Our undependability does not change God. He cannot deny Himself and He cannot deny who He is. He is faithful, even when all others are not.  You can always count on God. God will always keep His Word and God is as good as His Word. There has never been a promise made that He didn’t fulfill. Never a commitment that He didn’t keep. God is totally and immutably dependable. Faithful all the time, faithful in everything, and faithful to everyone. God is a covenant keeping God. Absolutely and unequivocally reliable.      

  Deuteronomy 7:9 calls Him “the Faithful God.” 1 Peter 4:19 “A faithful Creator.” Hebrews identifies Jesus as our “merciful and faithful high Priest.” In Revelation 3:14 Christ is named “the faithful and True witness.”  In the little book of Lamentations, we read the words “great is thy faithfulness” which was the basis for the old gospel hymn that bears the same name.

 In Yellowstone National Park there is a geyser that tens of thousands of people visit every year. It is not the biggest geyser, nor the most powerful, yet it is well-known and one of the most popular geological tourist attractions in the U.S. You will recognize it by name; Old Faithful. While it does not propel water as high in the air as other natural geysers, yet it never fails to perform. Day by day. Week by week. Month by month. Year by year. Decades and centuries roll on, and still Old faithful can be relied upon to releases its pressure at its appointed time. Well has “she” earned her name.

 And while it would be inappropriate to speak of God as old, He has certainly earned the title of faithful. Decades and centuries have passed and have borne witness to the fact, that the God of the Bible is a faithful God.

 There is an incredible promise made to both the saved and the unsaved in 1 John 1:9. This promise is based on the faithfulness of God. There we read: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no sin so grievous that the blood of His Son cannot cleanse. No sinner so far gone that the faithful Father cannot restore. God, and God alone can forgive sin, but we must come to Him based on the merits of Christ’s sinless shed blood which alone can wash us whiter than snow.

 Have you come to God and found Him to be faithful?

 Recognizing our own unfaithfulness and living amidst people who cannot be fully relied upon, it is good to have a God that we can always have confidence in. Great is His Faithfulness.

Pastor Lewis Kiger
Memorial Heights Baptist Church 

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Glory of God by Lewis Kiger

What is your purpose in life? What is the central goal of your existence? There is an old catechism that says “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Sadly, this simple summary of Biblical truth has been lost in American Consumeristic Christianity. The average person sitting in the pew has either forgotten, or never been taught that everything exists to bring glory to God. In this unashamedly self-centered society, a preacher with godly integrity must regularly remind his hearers that the worship service isn’t all about them; rather it is about God. In the decision making processes of life, the Glory of God has become a secondary issue, rather than our primary motivation. Each of us need to spend some time meditating on the privilege that is ours to bring glory to our Creator.

In Isaiah 42:8 God speaks and says: “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” God will not allow His children to bow at the feet of idols. He will not allow His glory to be shared or His reputation to be sullied. God takes His glory serious, and so should we.

 The God revealed to us in Holy Writ is unmatched in beauty. A God of brilliant grandeur who is magnificent, majestic, and unparalleled in splendor. God is intrinsically glorious. We ascribe glory to God, but we can’t make God glorious, He is glorious all by Himself. Men may deny Him, despise Him, or even blaspheme Him, but this doesn’t change Him, He is immutably glorious.

 Think about this – if every man on earth was born blind, would that detract from the brilliance of the sun? No, in no wise. Neither does the depraved conduct of men detract from the glory of God, He is inherently glorious. This glorious God is worthy of all praise, all honor, all glory! Time and again the Bible demands that we give unto the Lord the glory due His name. God is jealous over His glory. This is not some twisted envy, some covetous green-eyed monster but as the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, He has the divine right to reverence His own name, above all other gods. In Isaiah 48:11 we read that God will always and only conduct Himself in a way that brings honor to His own name. Everything that God does, He does first and foremost for His own glory. “For my own sake, even for my own sake” the Text reads, “will I do this.”

  We can depend on God to be God, and as such He will be gracious, kind, loving, and judicious. But let us also be clear, that everything God does, He does to honor His own name.

 Notice these verses:

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 God’s primary motivation is His own Glory. We are the secondary beneficiaries of God’s goodness, but God does what He does, first and foremost, for His own Glory.

 If God’s glory is this important to Him, it ought well to be vitally important to us. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Can you not see the difficulty this instruction brings? It goes against our nature. Our natural inclination is to bring glory to ourselves, thereby robbing God of the glory that is due His name. Yet the commands remains; everything we do, is to bring glory to God. Our homes, our lives, our decisions, our churches should all have one purpose, one motive, one incentive – to bring God glory.  In so doing, we fulfill the role for which we are created and only then do we find true contentment. It is Savior that satisfies, not self. May the anthem of every believer be “To God be the glory, great things He hath done!”

All of heaven will be focused around worshiping this Glorious Triune God.

 

Lewis Kiger is the pastor of the Memorial Heights Baptist Church, in Perry GA. 

The Omnipresence of God by Lewis Kiger

 Today, we consider the last of the three “Omni’s” of God – the Omnipresence of God.  The word comes from the Latin omni meaning “all” and praesant which simply means “here or next to.” Simply stated God is “All-here” or GOD IS ALL PRESENT and that extends to the farthest reaches of both space and time.  

 Webster defines omnipresent as “Presence in every place at the same time; unbounded or universal presence.” God is the Ever-present Eternal Spirit.  Where is God? God is everywhere. Is God always around? God is in every place, and always sees and knows everything. There is no time or place where God isn’t.

 This is clearly stated to us in Psalms 139:7-12 The Psalmist asks “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Then declaring the universal presence of God he says; If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” The inspired writer understands that there is no place one can go and escape from God. Neither darkness nor shadow can conceal us from the presence of the Almighty. God can see in the shadows.

 Whether it be the deep cold of the Artic or the burning sands of the desert, God is there. From the top of Mount Everest, to the depths of the Mariana Trench, God is there. Land or sea, up or down. North or south. Daylight or dark. God is everywhere all the time. There are no “God-free zones.” The Law of God may be foolishly removed from the schoolhouse and the courthouse, but the presence of God is immovable. Jeremiah 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. God cannot and is not contained by anyone or anything.

 A story is told of a missionary who witnessed those of the Hindu faith who would walk around tapping on trees and stones and asking; Are you there? Are you there? To the god they hoped might be inside. The God of the Bible is indeed there. He is there. And He is here. And He is everywhere.

 This attribute is one of the most convicting truths that one can ever consider! How foolish for anyone to think that they can hide from God. Lost sinner, the God whom you have refused to obey, the God that has commanded all men everywhere to repent has been an eyewitness to every deed you’ve ever done. He is the ever-present Divine observer who will serve as both judge and jury of the activities of all men. I urge you to flee to the cross and find forgiveness and reconciliation with this Omnipresent God.

 Once there was a man and his wife playing scrabble. The husband was an atheist, the wife a Christian. The unbelieving man took some extra letters from the bag and sarcastically spelled out God is nowhere. And his wise praying wife, looked at it, and slid the tiles apart and made it read God is now here!  

 This is a wonderful truth for the believer. No matter whether we are walking along the mountain tops or down in the valley, God is there. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. The words of the old hymns should bring solace to our weary souls:

  No never alone, no never alone; He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.  

 Just when I need Him, Jesus is near; Just when I falter, just when I fear. Ready to help me, ready to cheer; just when I need Him most!

 Finally, when our time here on earth is done, and the hour of death is upon us, and we begin our walk through that valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil. The Psalmist says: “for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The omnipresent God will be with us in the sunshine and the rain. In the times of joy, and in life’s darkest days, and we will enjoy His Divine presence throughout all of eternity.

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

The Omnipotence of God by Lewis Kiger

 “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” Revelation 19:6. The word Omnipotent or Omnipotence comes from “Omni” meaning all and “potence” meaning power. It means that God is all-powerful; that He possesses absolute authority and has infinite strength. Over fifty times He is called the Almighty in Scripture. The very name El-Shaddai means God Almighty. He is the Divine Sovereign of the Universe.

                                                                                                

  Each Sunday, men rise to stand behind pulpits and talk about a god that is far different from the God of the Bible. God is likened to some old, weak, hand wringing, gray haired grandpa who really, really wants to do this or that, but is either unable or unwilling. This is not the God of Heaven and Earth that is revealed in Holy Writ. This pocket-sized powerless god is of human invention. He may fit well into the mind of the self-sufficient, but is of no true value to the desperate.

 Men will say things such as “God is trying” or “God has done all He can”, but this is mere religious superstition. The God of the Bible is not governed by anyone or anything, except His own good pleasure. God has never “tried” to do anything and the suggestion that the Almighty is handcuffed by the will of man is mere folly. Listen to what this Babylonian king said of God in Daniel 4:35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he (God) doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”  Does this sound like a God who has done all He can and is now dependent upon man? Does this sound like some impotent deity pacing the halls of Heaven, hoping His purposes will be accomplished? No, no, a thousand times no. God never has, and He never will ask mankind’s permission to do anything. Rather let the words of faithful preachers and a devoted multitude ring from the rafters: The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

 The God we serve is able to accomplish whatever He desires to do. He possesses all might, He never grows old, or tired, or weary. He has never had to “call for back-up” because He was overrun or overwhelmed. He has never needed a vacation or even needed to rest. He is eternally, omnipotent. How encouraging is this truth that the God we depend upon is supreme in power. Paul gives great encouragement to our prayer lives when he is inspired to write in Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

 Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” (Jer. 32:17). He created everything out of nothing, merely by the word of His power.

 Nothing is too hard for the Lord. God has never sought to do something that His omnipotence could not carry out. He caused it to rain manna from Heaven and He brought water from a rock. Christ fed a multitude with five loaves and two fish. He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead. He restored broken bodies and restores broken families. He even walked on water! His power is unlimited.

 Finally, God alone has redemptive power. We do not have the strength to save ourselves. God alone has the ability to raise the spiritually dead. The disciples asked Jesus a very pertinent question; who then can be saved? His reply was this: in Matthew 19:26 “with men this is impossible, but with God; all things are possible.”

 The Gospel of His Son is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again in glorious power. And now ever lives to make intercession for us.
 

 What a glorious Omnipotent God we serve!

Pastor Lewis Kiger

The Omniscience of God by Lewis Kiger

How smart is God? How much does God really know? The Omniscience of God, if seriously contemplated is purely mindboggling. It is both intimidating and encouraging to consider that God knows it all. The word omniscient or omniscience comes from two Latin words, “Omni” – meaning all; and “Scientia” – meaning knowledge. To speak of the omniscience of God is simply stating that God is all-knowing, God possesses all-knowledge. Consider this verse: Psalms 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

There is no limit to His knowledge. His wisdom is beyond measure. His intelligence is incalculable. There is nothing, I repeat nothing that God does not know. The full magnitude of this truth is overwhelming.

God’s knowledge is eternal. Isaiah 46:10 states that God declares the end from the beginning; from ancient times, He knows what has not yet come to pass. The Lord does not acquire knowledge, rather has full familiarity of every event that has yet to unfold on the calendar of time. There is an old saying that fits well: Has it ever occurred to you, that nothing has ever occurred to God? God has never had a “light bulb go off over his head.” He has never said, “wow I wish I would have known that.” No, His wisdom is beyond human comprehension.

God knows how many letters and numbers there are imprinted on the newspaper you hold in your hands and on every newspaper in America. He knows what mail-carrier put this paper in your mailbox and when. He knows if you bought it out of a stand, or stole it from your neighbor’s driveway. He knows everything that has ever been printed on ever newspaper, magazine, and book. God knows what’s going to be on tomorrow’s paper. He possesses all knowledge past, present, and future.

Psalms 147:4 says that God tells the number of the stars, and even calls them all by name. We do not even know how many stars there are in this vast galaxy, yet God has them numbered and named. Compared to God’s knowledge, even Einstein was no more than a blithering buffoon. The most intelligent men do not possess even a fraction of what God knows. There is no comparison.

 He knows how many pine combs have even fallen from your neighbor’s tree and into your yard. He knows how many leaves there are on every tree on the planet. How many ants there are crawling beneath us, and how many birds flying above us. He knows every deed that every angel, elect or fallen, has ever committed. He knows how many fish there are in the sea. God knows how many snowflakes fall and the unique shape of every flake that has ever fallen. God has full and complete knowledge of everything and everyone.

 If you stop and meditate on this omniscience of God you will doubtless arrive at the same place Isaiah did, when he wrote in Chapter 40:28 that His knowledge is simply beyond our understanding; it cannot be measured by mortal men.

This is fascinating to think about, but don’t let this be a mere intellectual exercise. Psalms 139:1-6 Teaches that God has intimate knowledge of everything there is to know about you. This too bears repeating, everything. He is perfectly aware of every thought you have ever had. Every word you have ever spoken. Ever deed (good or bad) you have ever done. He is even aware of the motives behind your actions. Even the hairs of our head are numbered. He is before us, behind us, all around us – and we cannot hide from Him. And this extends to every person that has ever cast a shadow on planet earth. This is one of the most frightening and comforting truths in all of Holy Writ. Comforting if you are found in Christ, terrifying if you are not.

 Even with this keen awareness of all our failures, all our doubt, all our rebellious thoughts and even with perfect understanding of all this, God still loves His children with an immeasurable love. What a glorious thought! Still Christ came. Still He went to Calvary’s cross. Still He died, and rose again. Every step of the way He was intimately aware of our every sin. The Trinity’s love for us is so strong, that He knew from all eternity just how greatly we would fail Him, and still He loves.

 Are you prepared to stand before this Omniscient God?

Pastor Lewis Kiger
Memorial Heights Baptist Church

The Spirituality of God

Guest Post by Lewis Kiger

Scripture tells us that humanity is created with an awareness that God exists. Mankind is made to worship, and if he does not know the true God of the Bible; he will find something else to idolize. Nearly all (if not all) civilizations in history have had gods of some sort. They have either prayed to the sun and stars or bowed before graven images made from wood or stone. This is idolatry, in that is consists of worshiping something that can be seen or handled; something tangible. We must worship God as He is, rather than crafting a false idol from our fallen imaginations. I bring to your memory, that we have been called upon to walk by faith and not by sight.

 Jesus had an interesting conversation with a woman he met at a well in Samaria who was confused on the idea of who God is, which in turn, warped her view of what worship was. She knew God existed and had her own ideas of how He should be worshiped. Here is a portion of their conversation;

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

 Note the words of our Lord in this Text: “God is Spirit.” He is teaching that God is a Spirit Being. In other words, He is without physical composition. That does not mean that God is merely a “force” or some imperceptible power, for God is a Self-conscious, Intelligent, Moral Agent, yet He is not composed of material matter.

Both John 1:18 & John 6:46 clearly state: “no man hath seen God at any time.” There have been many people who have claimed to have “had a vision of God;” to have been given a “divine revelation” of God. But this is contrary to the clear teaching of Holy Writ. 1 Timothy 1:17 states that God is Eternal, Immortal, and Invisible. Again, 1 Timothy 6:16 speaking of God the Father reads: “whom no man hath seen, nor can see.” God is spirit, and we must worship Him with our spirits.

 Rather than depending on what the natural eye observes, we must love and depend on the unseen God as revealed in His Word.

  It is much easier for people to bow to an idol or hold a relic than to worship God in spirit and truth. Yet, God as Spirit; desires to be worshiped by and with our spirits. Our inner man, our spiritual man. The Triune God has been worshiped all over this globe. Not by the cunning crafts of men’s hands, but by Holy Spirit filled men and women humbly bowing with their hearts ablaze for their Heavenly Father.

God can be worshiped in a building or a barn – it isn’t the building, but the bowing. God can be worshiped behind stained glass, or broken glass. It isn’t the colored glass, but the contrite heart that God accepts. (Psalms 34:18)

 We do not need crosses and crucifixes or statues and sculptures to aid in worship. God is not worshiped by the works of men’s hands as Acts 17:25 says. We should never bow before any graven image; less we break His moral law. 

 Mankind may fashion lifeless gods after their imagination, but any god that can be made by fallen hands, is not much of a god. Let men bow before idols and pay homage to the moon and stars if they will, but any object that can neither hear nor help is a poor deity. We cannot see our Creator, but we can see His creation. His works declare His existence and our conscience bears witness to this.

 Meditating on this truth should cause us to marvel at the Incarnation of Christ. That the Eternal Son of God, took on flesh, and walked among men. He alone could truly say, “He that has seen me, has seen the Father.” For He is the image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15) And in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) Jesus of Nazareth is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His Person. 

PART 1 

PART 2
PART 3

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

The Eternality of God by Lewis Kiger

This is part three in the series by Lewis Kiger on the attributes of God. 

How old is God? Will God ever die?

As we strive to get to know God better we must quickly acknowledge that this Attribute is one of the most difficult qualities of God for us to understand.

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 Note that is this text, God is called the Eternal, Immortal King. The writer it teaching us that God has no beginning and no ending. God has always been, and always will be. Before the stars were thrust out into space and given a name by their Creator, God was there. Before the first angel’s wing brushed along the halls of heaven, God existed. Long after the sands of time have fallen, and this earth has been renovated by fire, even then, God will still be the Ruler of all. We find the concept of Eternality so difficult, because we are mere mortals contemplating the Immortal.

  

  Just think – nearly everything we do is governed by time. What time we must get up in the mornings. What time we have to “clock in.” When is lunch time? Break time? QUITTING TIME! Our days start and end with time. And further yet, all are days are numbered (Job 14:5). We only have so much time here on this earth and we have watches, clocks, and calendars to help us keep track. Time is a tyrant. But it is also something very precious to us. We value time with family and friends. We treasure the short time we have with our loved ones. And yet, time is something we never seem to have enough of. How often do we say things like; “I just don’t have time” or “where does the time go?” Days, weeks, months, and then years all roll by. Decades pass, and we age, we get older. Like the seasons, we are constantly changing.

 Yet, none of this is true with God. He is Eternal. He is Immortal. He has no beginning and no ending. Time has no bonds on God. He is the Creator of time, the sustainer of time. We use terms like eternity past, and eternity future to try and assist us in understanding what forever means – but in truth, God exists beyond time. He is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2). He is ever present. One day with Him, is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8). It is all the same to God. His days are unending. He dwells in the perpetual now. Time does not weaken God.  Time does not alter God. God doesn’t get old. He and He alone inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15).

 It is good to know that the Keeper of our soul, is not under time constraints. He is not weakened, warped, or wounded by the centuries or even countless millennia. 1 Timothy 6:16 states that God alone possesses Immortality. Deuteronomy 33:27 speaks of the believers being able to rest underneath the Everlasting Arms of the Eternal God.

 The Eternality of God, is one of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith and as we continue this study, we will show that each of God’s attributes complement one another. They work in perfect unison to reveal to us God’s magnificent glory. In this case, we see that God has an Eternal Love for His children. A love that will never fade or wear out. That He loved us so much, that He purposed to save us from our sins. That in the fullness of time, the Eternal Son, made in the likeness of our flesh, would come to this sin cursed earth and die on a Roman cross and rise from the dead to redeem us to God. And the Eternal Spirit would use the everlasting gospel to reveal to us our sinfulness and our need for a Savior, and point us to Calvary, graciously granting us faith and repentance so that by faith in Christ, we may now have eternal life.

Everything you see around you – everything – had a beginning and will one day have an ending. But not God. He is the Eternal, Immortal King of Heaven and Earth; whose dominion is from Everlasting to Everlasting.

  What a Great God, indeed. 

PART 1 

PART 2