Acknowledgment of Thanks

My debt of gratitude goes to the local and mobile church, to whom I owe my training. I have never been to Bible School or Seminary, however I have received the finest of training from the churches listed below. I went to some full time, while I visited others when my home church did not have services.

Child Evangelism Fellowship (that is where I met the Lord)

1st Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, WA

Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts

People's Church, Tacoma (independent Pentecostal)

Young Life

The Grange (Evangelical Free), Pullman, WA

The Chapel (AG), Pullman

Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Pullman

Baptist Student Union, Pullman

The Navigators, Pullman

Pasco Bible Church->Tri-City Foursquare

Bethel Baptist, Richland, WA

Country Christian Center, Pasco, WA (charismatic Mennonite)

Connell Christian Center (AG)

North Pasco Home Church

Word of Faith Church, Kennewick, WA

 Calvary Chapel (AG), West Richland

Instituto de Lengua Espanola, Costa Rica, chapel services

Agape Lighthouse (Word of Faith), Jacksonville, FL

Youth With A Mission, Lake View Terrace, CA

Glendale Vineyard

Church on the Way (Four Square), Van Nuys, CA

The Dwelling Place (Four Square), Lakeview Terrace, CA

Neighborhood Church (AG), University Place, WA

Also, I have had many friends and Bible Study groups along the way which have discipled me. Unfortunately, they are too numerous to mention, and I would undoubtedly forget a few.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

 

INTRODUCTION

This book came about as a personal desire to get to know God in a deeper and better way. I have longed for a book like this since high school. My worship and relationship with Him have grown deeper as I have written this. I have looked to many sources which are listed in the bibliography.

Psalm 103:2 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits." This verse provides the theme of this book. I desire to enable the reader to remember the good things God has done and who He really is. Two other verses have provided me with encouragement during this sometimes tedious process. Hosea 6:6 "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." And Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

I want to aid our worship of the King of Kings. Let's compare knowing the Lord with looking at a diamond. If one or more of the facets of the diamond are covered, the overall color and light are effected. The same is true of the Lord. If we are ignorant or neglect one or more of His facets, our perception of Him is affected proportionately.

This is not an exhaustive work, in that all references will not be listed. I have listed only those verses that I found to shed light and not merely rename the attribute or restate previously stated verses. I have tried to group similar characteristics, names, and works. I have also tried to list all names and characteristics, but God being infinite, and as there are many synonyms, I am sure to have missed some. I have listed the verses in the order of appearance. I have listed hymn and chorus titles after most attributes. This is to bring to mind songs that relate. Please write in your favorites and underline the songs you know. There are hundreds more than what I have listed. I believe songs will help to broaden, focus and bring to mind the different attributes. They will aid in our meditation of them.

I believe this material can and will be received on three equally valid levels. First, we will learn more about God on a "head knowledge" or factual level. Our minds will be filled with aspects about God. Secondly, God will bring revelation to us about certain aspects. They will "jump out" at us and God will shed light on our thoughts and lives and how they need to change. Lastly, God is going to minister to us via certain aspects of Himself. For example, as we read about God's healing nature, we may receive the healing we need. It might happen on any aspect of His nature, so be expectant and ready to receive.

My goal is to aid the seeker and worshipper in his efforts to get to know God. Paul, in Philippians 3:8 states, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." This signifies that NOTHING is more important nor desirable than getting to know our God. To know God is to love Him. If we lack in our love, it is because we lack in our knowledge of who He is. This work will be an aid in devotional time or as a study guide. The devotional reader might take an chapter per day and meditate on the attributes listed during their devotional time and throughout the day, using the songs as an aid. The student could check out cross references, contexts, various translations, and do additional word studies. They could look up the words in Strong’s, Vines, Thayer’s, Gesinius, etc. for specific definitions per verses quoted.

May God bless you as you use this guide. May your relationship with Him grow more intimate. This is my goal. Seek the Lord as you read this. These are just inanimate words on the page and, without the anointing of God, they will remain just that. With God's help, however, they can be the start of a ever deepening love relationship with God.

I would like to encourage all of us to get to know our God better. Let's not make the mistake that Israel did, knowing God's acts (exploits, deeds, doings, inventions and works) but not knowing His ways (course of life, , mode of action, conversation, customs, and manners) Psalm 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. Let's not just seek God's hands (those wonderful things He does for us) but His face (who He is). That is the purpose of this book, to encourage us to start or continue seeking His face. Let's follow the example of Abraham, Moses, David John the Beloved and many others by seeking intimate knowledge of our God.

One last admonition I would bring. Go into this book with an open spirit. Many of our concepts of God are tainted (the author's included). We may come to the Bible with prejudices that may have come about through our upbringing or experiences. Let's let God out of our boxes and allow Him to be as He is. If we worship a God of our own making, we are worshipping an idol and not the true and living God. I know my concepts about who God is evolved as I studied for this book and the Holy Spirit led me.

Postscript

As a postscript to the introduction, I would like to mention that this book may be a valuable resource for many. For those who lead worship, as we better know God, we can better worship Him. The worship leader can use this to lead his group to know God better. The pastor or counselor could use this booklet to help the counseled get to know their God better. As we rightly know our God, we better know who we are and understand, more completely, the world around us.

Another of the ways of the ways this book can help us is in our walk with God. We are told to: imitate God as dear children, walk in the Spirit, that we can do what Jesus did and greater things, that as Jesus was we will be in this world, do all we do in Jesus’ name, do all for the glory of God, follow Paul as he followed Jesus, etc. The better we know our God, the better we will be able to fulfill these scriptures.

Also, as all of us are witnesses, this book can be very useful. In general, many who might reject Jesus, reject Him on the basis of false images of Who our God really is. The better we know our God, the better witnesses of the reality we will be.

Lastly, those who deal with the cults would find this booklet helpful. I have tried to list the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in as many attributes as applicable. Those of us who deal with the cults can use this to show the three are one and our one God is manifested in three persons, which the cults deny. Also, especially study the headings of Godhead, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and One. The verses listed there are excellent for the cults.

Key to Each Chapter

Each chapter begins with the ATTRIBUTES and CHARACTERISTICS, NAMES and TITLES, WORKS and ACTS and POSSESSIONS of God capitalized and in bold and underlined. Following each of these are the definitions in italics and parenthesis, from Strong’s Concordance and other books listed in the bibliography. These are to aid our understanding and study. Then I have listed the verses pertaining to the attributes, etc. listed. Within these verses, any words that pertain to the attributes, etc. are in bold. Word in italics are words not found in the Greek and Hebrew, just like the King James Version.

Following the verses are my comments in italics. Then come the topic and verse cross references, listed separately. Third, I have listed HYMNS and CHORUSES in capital letters. These are to aid us in meditation and worship. Lastly, I have provided questions and answering space at the end of each chapter. These questions are designed to spur us to write down the things God would have us remember.