Saturday, January 18, 2014

KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD (I counted approximately 70 times-maybe more, maybe less-in just 35 chapters)

I'm in Ezekiel(ESV) for my daily Bible readings this cold Saturday morning, underlining words or phrases that stick out to me.  I kept seeing the phrase...KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD...with variations preceding it such as "then they shall, or then you shall, or then the nations shall" know that I am the LORD.  So I decided to count them this morning, and from Ezekiel Ch.5 through Ezekiel Ch.39 (ESV), God says this so many times over & over throughout Scripture.  It becomes very obvious that the LORD God considers it of utmost importance to Himself that I, you, and the nations of the world KNOW THAT HE IS THE LORD.

Isaiah 45:22(ESV)  "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 

People across the world today mistakenly think that all roads lead to heaven, and that we're all worshiping the same God, in different forms, whether it be Buddhism, Hinduism, New Ageism, Islam, Mother Earth, Pantheism, Panantheism, or whatever other idolatrous systems you want to include. They say Jesus was "a way" but not "The Way"... God's attribute of "love" is the only one they want to acknowledge, but Scripture speaks of God's attributes including "jealousy", "wrath", "judgment", just to name a few...

Jesus said
John 12:48(ESV)  The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a Judge; the Word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

I think the Westminster Short Catechism had it right:
Question. 1. What is the chief end of man?
Answer. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.