God Reflections: Job 38

God Reflections: Job 38 by ric gustafson

According to Genesis 1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The first name God revealed himself to be is God. The other name is ' Elohim'. God is our mighty Creator God. God took nothing and made something. God made everything. Our Creator has a triune nature. 

Not only was God the Father creating everything so was God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

The earth was created to bring glory to our Creator our Elohim.

research help: ' Reflections on the names of God' by Ava Pennington

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Hope: hope in the storm

 Hope: hope in the storm by ric gustafson

Matthew 8 and Luke 8 talk about a storm in the life of Jesus's disciples. Have you ever faced a storm in your life?. For the disciples, a quiet boat ride became a brush with death. Jesus was very tired. Jesus had just healed many people. Jesus had just spoke near the shore of the Sea of Galilee. There was so many people crowding around Jesus, he had to climb inside a boat. By the time Jesus finished, it was evening. 

Jesus was exhausted. Needing rest, the boat set sail for the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. 

Jesus was tired. The disciples were tired. In the Sea of Galilee, a storm can appear in minutes. According to Mark 4, a great storm appeared. The boat started filling. There was fatigue, confusion and darkness. The perfect storm. Not only was there a storm, Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.

Just like this sudden storm, storms can come in our life as well. The disciples woke up Jesus. Then Jesus did what he will do in our life. Jesus said ' Peace be still'. The wind ceased. There was calm. Jesus promises to do the same for the storms in our life. Jesus will take care of the storm. He will give us calm and peace. That is his promise to us. Praise Jesus.

research help: ' Hope' by Dr David Jeremiah

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Apostle's Creed: Eternal Life

 Apostle's Creed: Eternal Life by ric gustafson

When we talk about the Apostle's Creed, we talk about the church the body of Christ. The church is not a building. The body of Christ is a group of people called out. It is a community of faith. The body of Christ gives support, love and encouragement. The church is one not several. The Christian church is based on one foundation being Jesus Christ. The church is holy. 

The body of Christ is the communion of saints. The communion of saints is a fellowship of faith spanning the ages of time. Communion means fellowship. The church is there to support its members. Fellowship is sharing joys and sorrows. We are holy because of the One who has called them. We are holy because of our calling. 

We are also a community of sinners. Because of the cross, Jesus forgave and took our sins. For a personal relationship to be restored, there must be forgiveness. 

The Apostle's Creed ends with Eternal Life. With hope, we know we will spend eternity with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Life means we will live with God outside the confines of space and time.

We look forward to that day when we can go home our true home.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit loves us more than anything else.

The End

research help: ' I Believe' by Alister McGrath

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Apostle's Creed: God the Holy Spirit

 Apostle's Creed: God the Holy Spirit by ric gustafson

The Apostle's Creed explains that Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Acts 1 says Jesus ascended forty days after his resurrection. Because of his resurrection, Jesus was liberated from the bonds of death. Jesus is now close to the presence, power and majesty of his heavenly Father. Jesus ascended and now his disciples have work to do. Jesus commissions them to carry on his work on this earth. Matthew 28 says therefore go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus's disciples preached, healed and they proclaimed the good news. 

Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. And now the Apostle's Creed talks about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings life. Because of the Holy Spirit, we are alive not dead. The Holy Spirit brings power. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. The Holy Spirit is a pledge of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are one.

research help: ' I Believe' by Alister McGrath

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Doc Holliday page 5

 Doc Holliday page 5 by ric gustafson

" Which tooth is it?".

The big teamster pointed to his lower left jaw. " Right here". He was in the reclining dental chair. Holliday reached over to a tray that was on a nearby table. He picked up a steel probe.

" What are you going to do with that?".

Holliday smiled. " I'm going to peer into your mouth". He tapped the probe against the suspect tooth. " Does that hurt?".

" Yes" yelled the teamster. " It hurts".

Holliday took out of the tray a pair of extractor pliers. He grabbed the man's jaw in a viselock. He put a knee on the man's chest. He heaved upward. The loose molar popped out.

The man screamed. " Ouch that hurt".

" Rinse your mouth with salt water three or fours times a day". Holliday smiled. " That will be two dollars".

Back at his hotel room, Holliday wrote Mattie a letter. Then he ate his dinner at the Bon Ton Cafe.  Then Holliday walked over to the Acme Gaming Palace. It was his favorite place to play poker.

research help: ' Doc Holliday' by Matt Braun

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric 

Apostle's Creed: Jesus's death and resurrection

 Apostle's Creed: Jesus's death and resurrection by ric gustafson

Some find it surprising that Pontius Pilate is mentioned in the Apostle's Creed. Pilate was the procurator of Judea from AD 26-36. The Creed is anchored in history. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ did happen. God came down to our level to bring us up to his. Pilate was a witness to the final days of Jesus's ministry. The final days of Jesus's ministry was done in public. 

We are deep rooted in sin. It has a stranglehold on us. It destroys people's will and ability to break free of it. Because of Jesus's death on the cross, sin's power over us is broken. It's stain is cleansed. 

The Apostle's Creed talks about Calvary. With his Son's death on a cross, God was working out the salvation of the world. 

Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried. The Good News is that Jesus Christ on the third day rose again. Why?. Because he wants us to be with him in heaven forever.

Jesus loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' I Believe' by Alister McGrath

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Apostle's Creed: God the Son

 Apostle's Creed: God the Son by ric gustafson

A very simple basic confession of our faith is Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord. At the center of our Christian faith is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a person. There are reasons why Jesus Christ is different from other religious teachers or thinkers. There is a connection between the person and the message of Jesus. What is important is what Jesus did and it's impact. Jesus cannot be treated like an ordinary human being. Jesus's message has weight and status. 

Jesus means ' God saves'. Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. The Messiah was the long waited deliverer of the people of God. Messiah means ' the anointed one'. 

Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is our Lord. Jesus is God's only Son. Jesus is our Lord. 

The simple truth is that Jesus loves us more than anything else. He always has. He always will. 

research help: ' I believe' by Alister McGrath

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric