WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE HEAT?

July 28, 2017July 24, 2017 | lindamowles

I came out onto our porch the other day and noticed the candles that had been removed from the dining room table. I knew it was warm on the porch, with the summer heat way and all, but I did not expect to see what I saw!

One was standing tall, as it had done for many weeks earlier, and the other, well it was bent over, so far that its wick was facing the tabletop.

What would cause the difference in the reaction to the heat on the porch? One seemed to fold under the heat while the seemed to be untouched by it.

I am not a scientist (as my high school science teachers would readily confirm) but I suspect that one was exposed to more light from the outside while the other had more access to the cooler air from the house. But, my purpose is not to discuss the scientific melting point of wax candles; rather it is to consider why one Christian can be so unnerved by difficulties while another seems to glide through problems without any apparent negative reaction to them.

In the twentieth chapter of the second book of Chronicles, we read about Jahaziel’s encouragement to Israel before a battle:

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’”

2 Chronicles 20:14-15 ESV. (I encourage you to read the whole chapter.)

Moses told the same thing to the people of Israel:

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. – Exodus 14:13 ESV

Did you see that? When we are facing the heat from others because of our stand for the Lord, because of our faith in Christ Jesus, because of our unwavering belief in the truth of the Holy Bible, the Lord says that the battle is His, not ours. This does not mean that we can ignore the fight, and it is not a guarantee that we will have an easy time of it. Rather, it means that we will not do battle alone. He will be with us in the fight; He will strengthen us for the battle; He will encourage us; and we can be assured that the outcome is in His control. We are to trust and not be afraid. Stand up straight for Him, even when the heat seems unbearable.

Paul in the letter to the Ephesians says:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:12-13 ESV.

After this exhortation, Paul identifies the armor that God has provided to us in His grace: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17.

The Christian who can stand tall in the heat of the cosmic battle between God and Satan is the one who relies on the Word of God, who has his armor on, and who trusts God that we are to stand firm in our faith, no matter what.

Jesus, in the parable about the soils, describes this person who cannot withstand the heat:

And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

Luke 8:13 ESV

The person who tries to fight the battle in his own strength is the one who, when the heat intensifies, succumbs and folds, the light of his witness is gone and he is incapable of doing what he was created to do.

Stand in the strength of God Almighty. He is totally sovereign and His purposes will prevail. Our God is the Creator of the universe and He holds all things, including each and every one of His children, in His hands. This is the God who is telling you to stand firm. Obey Him — be strong, and just watch and see what God will do for you today.

Father, forgive me when I have been overcome by the heat of struggle and when I have failed to rely on Your strength. Give me the grace to trust You as difficulties come and enable me to stand tall, with my witness shining bright even through darkness and testing. Grant me Your power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, through Christ my Lord.

COVER THE WORLD

May 9, 2017May 5, 2017 | lindamowles

A Sherwin-Williams Paint store near our home.

I remember when I was a young child, my parents did some remodeling to our house and it involved purchasing paint, which they did from Sherwin-Williams. That was my introduction to Sherwin-Williams and I have always associated the name with high quality paint and beautiful colors.

Recently, those memories were revitalized when we were driving down the interstate and I saw a Sherwin-Williams truck on the highway. I don’t know why, but I did a double take on the logo that was prominent on the vehicle. Actually, it is also on the company’s retail stores as well and, I discovered after a quick Google search, it has been the company’s logo for a v-e-r-y long time.

Sherwin-Williams celebrated its 150 year birthday in 2016 and I learned the company has had its current logo for over 100 years.

According to the collective mindset at Google, apparently some have opined that the time for a new logo has long past, but the logo remains. I personally think it conveys exactly what the company wants to say – use our product and color the world. If the logo works, and says what the company wants it to say, I really don’t find changing it to a more “trendy” something is necessary. But, I digress.

My point here is that when I saw the truck pass by, I thought of its application to the Church. The logo might be something we want to remember as we seek to do the will of our Lord Jesus Christ as we obey the command to “go into all the world” with His gospel.

Scripture tells us that after His resurrection and immediately before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said these words to His followers:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

Acts 1:8-9 ESV

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to cover our world with His gospel of grace and forgiveness through God’s grace and belief in Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. We are not just to talk about our faith with our friends who believe as we do; we are to be witnesses in our home, in our city, in our state and throughout our world.

In this respect, some people think that being a witness means giving a testimony of prepared words, written by someone else and memorized so that you will go out and say those “magic” words: that is not a definition of “witness” however. Webster’s dictionary has many subparts of the definition of “witness” but they all require personal involvement, personal information, personal observation … you are a witness if you have seen something, not if you have simply heard of it secondhand.

Therefore, Jesus’ command that we are to be witnesses implies that we are to tell others that which we have seen or experienced, telling them of our own personal experiences with the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, your witness becomes forceful because you know what you have experienced so your words come from your heart.

This kind of retelling your experience with the Living God is not new … it is even older than 2000 years ago when Jesus walked this earth. The concept goes farther back by millennia.

In Exodus, the LORD is instructing Moses to tell the people about the Passover and of the importance of remembering God’s miraculous works in their lives:

“You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'”

Exodus 13:8 ESV

Jacob understood the importance of telling others what God had done for him:

“Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 35:3 ESV

In the Song of Deborah, she says:

“To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD.”

Judges 5:11 ESV

In the New Testament, Paul sends Tychicus to the church at Ephesus so that he can be a witness to that which is confronting Paul:

“So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.”

Ephesians 6:21 ESV

Cover the world with our Lord’s gospel. What an incredible thought, that we could cover the world with the Gospel of Peace. I recognize that we all can’t be missionaries to some far off land, but we can be witnesses to our family. We can be witnesses to the neighbor next door or across the street. We can be witnesses to our business associates or customers. What if, just what if, we painted our little spot on the earth with the Gospel of Christ, and the next nearest Christian painted their little spot on the earth with the Gospel of Christ, and what if our spots overlapped just a little … what if …

Father, help me to be a witness in my home, neighborhood and to all I meet. Give me that winsome personality that would draw people to You by the Holy Spirit as I greet them through Your grace. Let my words be infused with Your love, and let my actions reflect that I am Your child so my witness will be sincere and true. And give me courage to testify to others of Your mighty works in my life.

MARCHING

December 2, 2016November 29, 2016 | lindamowles

Did you ever hear someone say “He marches to his own drummer.”? I think what they mean is that the individual is somewhat counter-cultural – he does not “go with the flow” – he is an independent thinker which takes him outside the group into which he otherwise would find himself.

Marching to your own drummer may be fine if we are speaking of an individual’s independent actions. But it does not bode well for those who are supposed to be marching under orders. For example, the middle school marching band does not look too bad in a still picture, but they were a bit muddled when they tried anything other than straight lines. (I know about it since I was in that band many years ago.)

marching-band-coming-at-you — Junior High School marching band, while proud parents line the streets!

But marching takes on a whole different dimension when done by the U. S. Marine Corps at the closing-of-the-day ceremony at the Barracks in Washington D.C. The band came marching out from the barracks in strict formation, all their feet were off the ground at the same time and their backs were straight, even when carrying their instruments.

marching-band-usmc — U. S. Marine Corps band marching out of Main Barracks in Washington D. C.

The sight and sound when they lifted their instruments and followed the direction of their drum major was incredible.

band — U.S.M.C. Band standing tall while playing during parade at the Main Barracks in Washington, D.C.

Then the Corps itself came marching out from the Barracks in perfect alignment and timing.

usmc-marines-marching — Marines marching in formation. Thrilling to watch, hard to do!

And they came to a stop and stood at attention for inspection.

used-usmc-attention — Standing at attention during parade at U.S.M.C. Barracks in Washington D.C.

Marching is frequently referenced in the Old Testament when the people of Israel were going from place to place in the wilderness and when they were settling down in the Promised Land.

Of course one of the miracles in the Old Testament is found in Joshua 6:1-6 where the people were told to march around the city of Jericho and God would give them the victory. While the instructions seemed strange, especially to a military people, they followed God’s command. They were obedient and the city walls fell just as God had said.

The battle to take Jericho occurred after God told Joshua to be courageous and unafraid, that God would be with him. We have that same promise that God will be with us in the person and presence of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

The overwhelming promise of peace came as Jesus was telling his disciples that He was going to suffer, die and be raised from the dead, and then He would be taken from them. He would return, but they would be on their own for a time.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

When Paul was in Corinth, the Lord came to him in a vision:

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

Acts 18:9-10.

In our world there are many wars that are ongoing and there are many soldiers marching to the orders of their superiors. But there is a war that is greater than those raging between people on earth.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12.

Because the war waged against believers in Christ is from spiritual forces and cosmic powers in opposition to Christ, we human creatures are unprepared and unable to successfully fight in this battle. We are doomed if we are on our own – but if we are in God and covered in His armor, we will be able to withstand the battle.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. … Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Ephesians 6:11. 13-18.

Praise God that He provides us with the tools we can use to fight the battle.
Praise God that He has promised to be with us as we do His will.
Praise our Lord that He has given us His peace and presence, even in the heat of battle.

Listen to “Onward Christian Soldiers” as sung on Amazing Grace Songs of Faith and Inspiration by 101 Strings Orchestra.

So, are you marching to your own drummer? Or, are you marching under the cadence and direction of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

We are in a war of cosmic proportions and against spiritual powers that outmatch our human abilities hands-down. If we are marching in our own strength, we will be doomed. We must march under the direction of our Risen Lord and Savior … only He has conquered sin and death, and we can rely on Him to help us conquer our fears and all the temptations that come our way. March in the sure confidence that the armor God has provided will sustain you throughout the battle.

Father, I thank You that we do not have to face this battle alone. Rather, I praise your holy name that You have provided us with the tools to effectively fight powers that we cannot see, beings that are too strong for us, through your Word and your Spirit. Forgive me when I have tried to win the battle on my own. Lead me as I march through my life so that I may be a Christian soldier who brings honor to my Sovereign Lord.

THE UNEASY CHRISTIAN WALK

September 27, 2016September 22, 2016 | lindamowles

Recently we had a family vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a great time, despite the record heat all over the Southeast. We played miniature golf, we went to the campground pool, we went to Pirate’s Voyage dinner and show, we went to a museum of cars from “yesteryear” (that is another word for “when Grammy was young!”). And, we went to Radical Ropes Adventure Park, a ropes course that had multiple levels of ropes, zip lines, etc. It was an awesome facility.

myrtle-beach-radical-ropes-course — Radical Ropes Adventure Park, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

All of the members in our son’s family had done ropes courses before and this one looked like a great deal of fun. But, our daughter’s son, who was traveling with us and was the youngest in the group, had not been on a ropes course and he was not at all sure about this venture. He was, shall we say, a reluctant participant!

myrtle-beach-ropes-course-reluctant-participant — The reluctant participant, at the beginning.

The personnel were detailed in getting the participants suited up with harnesses and hooks and clamps, helmets and gloves, and all were enthusiastic about the endeavor, except for the youngest grandson. He was not so sure, even when the practice run was just inches above the ground, there was an instructor at his shoulder, and his Aunt was going to go on the course with him.

myrtle-beach-practice-for-ropes-course — Practice at ground level.

After significant encouragement, he persevered and participated while letting us know that he was not excited about it at all. The adults in the group knew that this would be a growing experience for him – he would be safe with all the safety equipment and with multiple family members surrounding him, he would be on the lowest course so no fall would prove injurious even if the safety equipment failed, and he had a built in cheering section standing under the course and documenting his efforts so his parents could see his prowess!

myrtle-beach-ropes-course-practice-with-eyebrows-raised — On learning line, at ground level, with “angry eyebrows”.

The first couple of obstacles were met with scowls and an expression that said “I don’t like this but I’ll do it because you want me to!”

However, after recognizing that he could accomplish these tasks, even though they were hard and it took struggle, a transformation occurred in his expression and his enthusiasm. He still had to work hard to walk the line and overcome the barriers that were strategically placed, but his eyebrows were no longer “angry eyebrows” and there was a smile on his face that said “I’m doing it – look at me! I am going to conquer this thing!”

myrtle-beach-ropes-course-working-heard-but-now-smiling — Working hard but with a smile on his face!

At the end, he was tired, but he had the grin of satisfaction glued to his face. He had done something that he had been afraid of – he conquered his fear and had more self-confidence as a result. He persevered and completed the hard task.

myrtle-beach-ropes-course-tired-bear — One tired bear who accomplished the goals set before him.

Perseverance. It seems as though that is a theme for recent blogs on The Ruminant Scribe, but I believe the Lord is leading in that way for some reason. [Most likely it is because I need the lessons that I write, much more than the readers do!]

The Lord said that we would have persecutions and problems, difficulties and trials throughout our Christian lives as His disciples. Some even say that if you are not experiencing persecution because of your faith, perhaps your faith is hidden from the world! Bring it out in the open and the persecution will come!

Jesus promised persecution to those who believe in His name.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

John 15:18-20

Persecution of the righteous is foretold in Jesus “Sermon on the Mount”:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:10-12

In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul is encouraging the Ephesian believers to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, even though he is in prison in chains because of his preaching about Jesus, he exhorts the people to persevere and to pray for all the saints, including him. Notice that Paul provides a description of the weapons we have at our disposal through the Holy Spirit so that we can persevere and withstand the trials that will come our way.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:16-20

I certainly am not equating the ropes course at Myrtle Beach to anything that “the evil one” would send our way [although possibly our young grandson felt this way at the beginning!]. We did not expect him to tackle the highest ropes course the first time he ever tried to do such an event.

While undertaking the lowest course was something that was way beyond his comfort zone, it was also something that we had confidence he could handle. He had his own personal cheering section for support, and it was a growing experience for him. In short, it was a building block in his self-confidence for tasks far more important than just an adventure ropes course. [In this picture he was waiting for his Aunt to cross the obstacle – notice his crossed legs, a position telegraphing “I’ve got this!”]

myrtle-beach-ropes-course-waiting-for-aunt-to-catch-up — Air of confidence as he stands on the platform between obstacles, with legs crossed indicating “at ease” rather than “terrified”.

The same is true in our spiritual life. The Church is our cheering section in heaven and the local Church is our cheering section on earth, while the Spirit is our power from within. Persevering in one endeavor is but one of many steps in our maturing so that we can persevere in each successive task that God presents to us, some of which may strike at the point of our most significant fear.

Praise God that He is willing to lead us so that we grow, progressively, into the image of His Son. Praise His Name that He guides us through our spiritual infancy into spiritual maturity as we bask in His love, rely on His Spirit to guide us, and look to do His will in our world. Praise the Lord that He has promised His grace and support as we go through difficult times.

Father, thank You for your presence with us, even in difficult times. Thank You for your Spirit who undergirds us with His power and strength as we learn to walk in faith and love for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, NO. 6, LOVE, PART THREE.

May 20, 2016 | lindamowles

We are continuing Dr. R.C. Sproul’s identification of the characteristics that should be evident in the Christian’s life and heart when Agape love is present through the Holy Spirit. We began consideration of these characteristics last week by noting that:

Agape love gives us the desire in our hearts to worship God;
Agape love believes and trusts God’s Word; and
Agape love recognizes God’s absolute right to govern us.

What does Scripture say?

Let us now consider several additional characteristics of Agape love.

Agape love enables us to desire justice for others.

David, in Psalms 82:3-4 says:

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

The prophet Micah says that God has told us what we are to do in Micah 6:8:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Of course, we know that Jesus was asked “who is my neighbor” in Luke 10:29 and in response, the parable of the Good Samaritan was given, telling us that all persons are our neighbors. Agape love enables us to want, and to work for, justice and mercy for persons we come in contact with, whether physically or through hearing of their difficulties. They are our neighbors and Agape love encourages our participation with them.

Agape love encourages us to be content in any situation.

Paul said that he was content in whatever the circumstance presented in Philippians 4:11-12. Paul exhibited this contentment when he and Silas were in prison and, after being beaten and put in chains, they were praying and singing praises to God, so loudly that the other prisoners heard them. Acts 16.

Paul understood that contentment is possible when we remember that God is sovereign and that He is in control of the events and circumstances that confront us. Therefore, through His sovereignty, we know that He will use the situation for His purposes and for His glory. We often may not know why certain things happen, but we know the One who has ordained and permitted those things for His reasons and for our ultimate benefit. We, therefore, can be content in His provision and grace.

In 1 Peter 1:6 the demand for contentment sounds impossible when Peter says:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials….”

Rejoicing while suffering — this is evidence of Agape love because only the Holy Spirit can enable us to do so.

Agape love enables us to resist the sin of bitterness.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:31:

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

The writer of Hebrews 12:15 warns:

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled….”

James 3:14 warns that bitter envy and selfish ambition do not come from heaven but rather are earthly, unspiritual and of the devil. James then says:

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

James 3:16

Jonathan Edwards describes the response to bitterness in Charity and Its Fruits as follows:

An envious Christian, a malicious Christian, a cold and hard-hearted Christian, is the greatest absurdity and contradiction. It is as if one should speak of dark brightness, or a false truth!

Simply put, bitterness, gossip, resentment … none of this has any place in a heart that is filled with Agape love. Using Christ as our Guide, we see no evidence of this response when He was lied about by false witnesses, rejected and abandoned by His own disciples, accused by the hypocrites in the Synagogue, or when He heard cries for His crucifixion from the very people who within that same week were clamoring for Him to become their leader. Another example of Jesus’ Agape love was His response when He was nailed to the cross and people were “wagging their heads” at Him. Mark 15:29. Rather than bitterness, Jesus’ prayer was

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

Luke 23:54.

There are times that we forget that the Agape love in our heart through the Holy Spirit is simply another way of saying God’s love is within us. The Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, has the same power and strength as the other Persons in the Trinity and it is this Spirit that has the power to enable us to love as only God can love. The Holy Spirit can impart God’s love to us because He is God … and He has provided this same love to all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about the awesomeness of Agape love that is available to us, and then let us commit ourselves to putting that love in practice as we go through our lives, day by day.

How does this apply to my daily life?

Let’s get practical – What can we do to exercise each of these characteristics?

Dr. Sproul suggests using what he calls the Judgment of Charity. The Judgment of Charity is simply the practice of giving others the benefit of the doubt, believing them to have acted in love and not hate, responding in love and not as an enemy. Charity makes it a practice to consider other’s communication in the best light, or the best case scenario, even when that person’s actions or words have wounded us.

Rather than thinking of some negative ulterior motive for why they acted the way they did, the Christian exercising this fruit of the Spirit views the actions of others through the lens of Agape love. In so doing we are following the example of Jesus in our relationship with Him.

How often have we hurt our Savior by failing to honor our commitments, by failing to obey His commands, by failing to serve Him to the utmost of our abilities even when we have promised to do so? Yet, despite knowing our failings, He went to the cross for us, took our shame and punishment, and paid the price of our sin.

The evidence of the fruit of Agape love in our heart is the Spirit’s enabling us to love God and others as Christ loved us. It is a love that honors God and His Word. It is a love that serves others without demanding anything in return. It is a love that enables the Christian to love the unlovely, precisely because the Christian is also aware that she is a sinner and is repugnant to our Holy God, BUT FOR the righteousness of Christ that she has been given through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful mercy and grace and for Agape Love.

Damaris sings How Deep the Father’s Love for Us on her The Heart of God album. It is a beautiful song that touches my heart each time I hear it. Let the words speak to you as you consider Agape Love and your response to the Spirit as He leads you into a new appreciation of God’s Love! Praise His Holy Name!

Agape love – it truly is way more than casseroles and cards!

Next week we will begin our look at the fruit of the Spirit – Joy.

Blessings to you and I pray that you will continue to walk with me as we learn about the fruit of the Holy Spirit and as we mature in our transformation into Christian believers who speak and act as Jesus did and who share in the passions that Jesus had for the lost sheep and for the worship of His Father, the Almighty God.