GODHEAD

GOD
I. His Being
II. His nature
III. His character
IV. His will
V. His subsistence
VI. His Fatherhood

SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS

One of the most powerful “discoveries” the Lord has granted me in my walk with Him has been the significance of the number “three” in God’s heavenly order. For those of you who have studied “numerics”, that is the study of the significance of numbers in the bible, this will come as no surprise. For “3” is recognised as being the number of God. It doesn’t take a genius (so even I can understand) that the “GOD” of the Christian faith is a very specific deity of 3 'parts'(not a good description), God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, most often called the “Trinity”.

Those in the 'Oneness' and 'Twoness' movements dispute this definition, but still basically accept that God is manifested in 3 forms, as Father, Son and Spirit.

Each of the three theologies explain certain aspects of the character of God well, others not so well.

Unfortunately man limits God to the level of his, or her, own understanding, putting 'Him' into a box. This we cannot do for we cannot limit or fully comprehend the mystery of God. One day, when we meet Him, all will be revealed.

The 'Power of Three in God' transcends our various theologies and helps us understand more of what an amazing God we have, how He works amongst us, and His past, present and future plans for His church.

One illustration commonly used, but which is inaccurate is of an apple cut into 3 or an orange split into 3 segments. The whole of the particular fruit is split into the 3 functions.

This is okay to a simplistic point, but it encourages thoughts of separation, of '3 kings on 3 thrones', rather than illustrating the integral unity and wholeness of God.

There are several other illustrations that are far superior.

From the clouds (singular) we can be doused with 3 different forms of precipitation.

RAIN
HAIL
SNOW

Three forms of 'water' from the same source, dependant upon the temperature and other conditions.

SUN (Father) The source of light.
MOON (Jesus) Reflector of God's light.
STARS (Holy Spirit) Distributor of God's light within each individual.

A good illustration of the interaction between the different physical masses in the sky.

A man can be

FATHER
SON
HUSBAND

all at the same time!

We fulfil differing roles in life, depending upon the circumstances we are involved in. God too.

GOD
Father (Invisible)
Son (Visible)
Holy Spirit (Invisible)

MANKIND
Body (Visible)
Soul (Invisible)
Spirit (Invisible)

We are made in the image of God, 1 part visible, 2 parts invisible.

Take a block of ice, and depending upon where you live (and how long you speak!) either melt it or let it melt to water, and then add heat to boil the water and make steam.

ICE (Jesus) Finite physical form. Easy to see , measure and weigh. We have all these recorded in the Bible.

WATER (Father) Pour into dry dirt or sand. Invisible but you can see its effects. Permeates all of creation.

STEAM (Holy Spirit) Put hand into steam and withdraw quickly. Otherwise you will get burnt! Holy Spirit is invisible but changes us on the inside.

A beautiful illustration of the diversity and functions of God.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In The Beginning The first 2 verses of the Bible mention 'God' and His 'Spirit'.

God the Father, the designer of the universe, an all powerful, invisible spirit being.

And finally, God the Holy Spirit, our spiritual teacher, guide and comforter, helping us find our way through the intricate intimacies of life – when we allow Him to!

The verse also provides insight into the unity of the Godhead as well as defining the role of the Holy Spirit.

Have just had a thought! Must be inspired! Well, maybe!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have 3 individual bodies for different purposes. A sure way to win the Olympic decathlon! The strong body of the sprinter (without the need to take steroids!), the slim, lean body of the distance runner for the 1500 metres, exchanged for one of sheer bulk and power for the field events. An unbeatable combination!

Sometimes I think an invisible body would be very handy too! A fly on the wall perhaps? Better say no more!

While the mystery of the Godhead is awesome and has challenged the understanding of Christians down the ages, what follows over the next 2 weeks is just absolutely amazing! For through the “power of three” God reveals His plans for His church and our lives. From the beginning of time until the return of Jesus!

Truly exciting? Yes! Because as we approach end times, we can see God’s ultimate plan and purpose for us and His church become a reality. What could be more exciting than that? Beats a Big Mac any day!

The 'power of 3' is a powerful tool in helping us understand how God works, how we work, and the church too.

Next week we are going to look at the application of this principle to our lives.

Yes, since 'Adam was a boy', (not theological, but you will get the idea!) people have tried to develop an understanding of God.

While we understand in part, there is still a great area of mystery beyond our human limitations, that will be revealed once we enter the full presence of His glory. Something to look forward to!

When you visit different countries, you quickly observe varying styles of church design, both external and internal. During this series we will have a look at three churches in India.

Today, we are showing the well-developed church of our friend Glory dhas. This ministry was established by Glory's father, a highly respected man in the area, and has developed over the years to include an orphanage and school on this site, along with the church. Many other medical, orphanage and educational works are also done in other places. Note the cover in front of the church to protect the people from the sun. Also useful as a meeting place! Music is played through the loud speakers on the roof. No noise control regulations here!

An excellent example of Christianity in action.