Who is God? Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast: Recent Episodes
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As we have discovered from Parts I and II of this series, God is the Mighty One who has power and authority. He is the Self-Existing One who created humanity in His image for the purpose of having a personal relationship with them. Planet Earth was and is to be the eternal habitation of this human family. As God revealed Himself through man’s experiences, many aspects of His character became evident. He is the Supreme and Exalted Sovereign. He is all-sufficient and caring, and He continually provides. Not only is He “Jehovah Elohim” of individuals, but He is “Jehovah of Hosts.” He sanctifies, shepherds and brings peace to those who follow Him. He is our rock, our fortress, and through His providence, He provides salvation. This is a mere sampling of the breadth of God’s character as revealed in the Old Testament.
New Testament/New DepthWith the depth of explanation of who God in the Old Testament, you would think there would be little to add or clarify in the New Testament. Well, nothing could be further from the truth! The New Testament does far more than expand our understanding of God’s name, nature and character. It opens up a whole level of meaning and gives us a whole new depth of appreciation as well.
The way this all happens is really quite simple. In the first two parts of this series, we saw specific and dynamic patterns unfold. The further God’s plan unfolded, the more clearly He was able to be understood. In the beginning, God was the God of power and authority. After all, He created the heavens and the earth. He then became known as the God of relationship as it was revealed that the entire creative process was to accommodate His human creation. Fast forward, and Abraham became a “friend” of God. Fast forward again to when Israel was delivered from slavery and God became the “Lord of Hosts!” From there, He was sanctifier, protector, shepherd, and so much more. As time went on, so the understanding of God increased.
“Father,” a radically new titleNow the New Testament rolls in, and it’s time for Jesus to come as the Messiah. This would represent THE single most significant step forward in all of God’s plan. Jesus would come to cancel all of sin for all of humanity through his sacrifice. Such a world-changing step brought a world-changing view of God along with it. And it all came down to one simple common word that had been used through every generation of humanity’s history: Father.
Jesus proclaimed God to be his Father. This had never happened before and would have been a shocking change. More than this, Jesus said that those who followed him would also be able to claim God as their Father! What did all of this mean? Check out our September 18, 2023 podcast, “Who is God? (Part III)” for more. We delve deeply into this amazing description of God and all that it implies. Join us as we work to wrap our own minds around this profound, reverent and inspirational way to better understand God our Father!
The post Who is God? (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
So many people believe God is a man-made myth. They see Him as a figment of the imagination of religious zealots who desperately seek some kind of higher power. When you look at mythological gods or the gods of some religious factions, you can certainly see the reasoning for that point. However, when we look […]
The post Who is God? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Whether we like it or not or believe it or not, the presence of powers higher than our human understanding cannot be denied. The debate begins and rages when we try to label these powers. Our human perspectives, belief systems and even how we claim to apply science all come into play here. As Christians, we by definition believe God is the ultimate source of power. We believe Him to be wise, just and loving in His expressions of that power. But how do we know this to be true? It is no surprise that the answer to knowing who God is exists in a very broad and orderly fashion in the Bible. Literally starting at the beginning will lay a foundation for us to not only begin to understand God, but to also begin to have a deep appreciation of who He really is.
The post Who is God? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The thought that God is a God of anger – especially in the Old Testament – is alive and well. It’s a very convenient thought. All one has to do is select from the many passages in the Old Testament that show God commanding the destruction of this or that people. It’s easy to say […]
The post Is God an Angry God? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God does have a plan for the destiny of humanity. He always has. Think about it – God created man as the crowning feature of the earth’s system of life. Man was given dominion over the planet, sin entered and the whole thing seemed ruined. The thing is, God knew sin would enter. He knew […]
The post Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
The general consensus in Christianity is that there are two paths, two destinies that await humanity. First, there is the heavenly bliss of being with Jesus. After all, Jesus himself said he was preparing a place for his followers in heaven and that he would bring us there. Second, there is the fiery torturous eternal […]
The post Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
One of the very basic tenets of Christianity is the belief that God does not change. We see him as omnipotent, above the fray and the embodiment of clear vision and intention. As such we believe that when God’s plan has been put in motion it is a universally unstoppable force. Enter the concept of […]
The post Do Our Prayers Change God’s Mind? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
This continues our series on biblical contradictions. See Part I and Part II for more. We all need foundational principles to believe in and solid ground to stand on. Human nature thrives where such a firm base can be found. Achievement can flourish when there is unflinching belief, in a relationship, the science of […]
The post Does God Contradict Himself?, Contradictions (Part III) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Every Christian acknowledges the evil that permeates our world, though explaining its depth and purpose can be challenging. We always say it is a result of sin and Satan – and that’s true. The harder question most don’t ask or want to ask is whether or not God is responsible for evil. If He is […]
The post Is it God’s Fault We Have Evil in This World? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Praise God! Psalm 34:3 says, “Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!” As Christians we often think of glorifying God as an incredibly positive exercise in expression, excitement, joy and passion. Our praise and worship usually bring us to feeling His love and power, and this in turn opens […]
The post What Does it Mean to Glorify God? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
For most of us it’s simple. God is good, Satan is evil. They fight and God wins. God destroys Satan and all evil with him. It is simple and reassuring until we think a little more deeply about it. Where did evil actually come from? If God created all things then He must have created […]
The post Are God and Evil Meant to Coexist? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Vengeance, indignation, burning anger and jealousy. These are some of the words the Bible uses to describe God’s reactions to this present evil world. To put it mildly, God is not happy. Can you blame Him? Look at us – look at what this world does, what it stands for and how we treat one […]
The post Will God’s Vengeance Squash Us Like Bugs? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
What would you think of a powerful leader who sanctions rape, pillaging, the destruction of thousands of lives for the wrong doings of one, racism and genocide? No matter who we are, if we have a conscience in any way tuned to the sanctity of human life, we would have to label them a monster […]
The post Why Do Some Think God is a Monster? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
A few weeks ago Part I, we began to talk about how God communicates to us in our day. We began by looking at the biblical history of God and humanity and really spent most of our time talking about how He does NOT communicate with us now. This week we will focus on what we […]
The post How Does God Speak to Us Here and Now? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
It is a pretty simple equation: You love God, you pray to Him, obey Him and serve Him and in return we as humans look for some kind of indication of His love and acceptance. We want to – we need to – hear from God in some way or other. So, how does He […]
The post How Does God Speak to Us Here and Now? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(See Part I for the beginning of this discussion.) A few weeks ago we began a discussion on the keys to understanding the Bible as the word of God and therefore to being able to understand the mind of God. Is it really possible to know what God is thinking and what He is planning […]
The post Can We Know the Mind of God? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
God is Almighty. He is all knowing and all seeing. We believe He is the very embodiment of wisdom, justice, love and power. As our Creator, we believe He has a plan – a detailed plan – that He will see accomplished for the good of all mankind. How do we think we know these […]
The post Can We Know the Mind of God? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
All you have to do is look around – what do you see? There is knowledge, there is technology, there are people, places and things. We rush and we are impatient. We want what we want now. We text, but we don’t talk – we type but we don’t write. We have “friends,” but we […]
The post Where Do We Find Wisdom? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
Grace…even speaking the word seems to give a sense of calm. It is almost as though the word itself emits a fresh and breathable air that clears away the stuffiness of a confused life. Grace can have lots of different meanings, from something that comes with elegance to a powerful heavenly gift. So, what is […]
The post What’s So Amazing About Grace? appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
In Part I, we began an important discussion regarding God and His treatment of humanity in the Old and New Testaments. There are many who say that the warlike and nationalistic activities of the God of the Old Testament cannot possibly be the same as the God of mercy love and salvation of the New […]
The post Does the Same God Rule in the Old and New Testament? (Part II) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.
(Part 1 in a 2-part series) Ours is a world of great contradiction. Some say the ends justify the means and others say that the means are an end in themselves. Some say equal treatment is giving everyone the same while others say that equal treatment is giving each what they need. Some say that […]
The post Does the Same God Rule in the Old and New Testament? (Part I) appeared first on Christian Questions Bible Podcast.