Is God really “the Man upstairs”?

 


Some people might be thinking, how can I relate to “the Man upstairs”? How can He personally relate to me, a human being, while He is a Supreme Being? First of all, stop using the phrase, “the Man upstairs”. This phrase creates a disconnect between you and God, a way to not have a personal relationship with Him, and a way to keep Him at a distance. Using the phrase, “the Man upstairs” does not give Him the reverence He deserves. It only attributes to Him being “upstairs” instead of the God of the universe, the God who reigns overall, and the God in heaven. And finally, it signifies, you have to go up somewhere to get to Him, when in reality, He came down to us. He sent His Son for us. Do you see the difference? So how can I connect with God and how does He connect with me?

Did you know you were made in His image? He formed you in His likeness. (Genesis 1:26-27). Did you know His very breath is in you? His breath is the breath of the living, the author of life. So, when He created you, He breathed the breath of life into you (Genesis 2:7). Paul says, “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), meaning He is our very existence. When God made you in the secret place (Psalm 139”13-18), He took His time, about 9 months in our human timeline, but who knows how long in His timeline? Side note, why do we believe that dog/cat years are different than human years, but have a hard time believing God’s timeline is also different? God exists in eternity, outside of time, but He is always right on time for us! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that He knows the number of hairs on your head. (Matthew 10: 30). So, can you connect with Him? You can connect with Him by acknowledging Him as your creator. When you acknowledge Him as your maker, it makes it more real and personal.

There is a reason God exists three in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We just read that God the Father is the creator of all, but we only touched an inch of the iceberg about Him. The good news is, God the Son, in whom, by whom, for whom, and through whom all things have been created (1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1: 15-20, Hebrews 2:10). God came through His Son, Jesus. Jesus came to reconcile us back to the Father (Romans 5: 10, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Colossians 1:19-22). This means that there existed a relationship between God and humanity prior to this reconciliation. This relationship of us being with God existed prior to the creation of the earth. Go back to Psalm 139:16. In Jeremiah 1: 5, God told the prophet Jeremiah, He knew him before he was formed, had consecrated him, and called him to the nations. Also, reference the closeness of relationship between God and humanity in the garden of Eden before the fall (Genesis). We know the story but do we know its significance, Jesus died on that cross for us. Jesus is the mercy and love of God displayed on a cross just for us. The good news is that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of all. You can connect with God by believing in Jesus, the one He sent to die for you. He is the only way to the Father.

The third person in the trinity is the Holy Spirit, a gift from God. Jesus gave specific instructions to the believers before His ascension. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide us into Truth. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is yet another way, God has come down to us. Sadly, a lot of believers don’t know the importance and/or have not received this gift yet. This is a crucial part of your relationship and walk with God. Jesus said with this gift, we will receive power when he comes upon us (Acts 1: 8). The Holy Spirit connects with your spirit, and he guides you every day. The Holy Spirit is very important in the truth of redemption (Ephesians 4:30, NLT). If you dismiss him and not live your life right before God, you’ll bring “sorrow” to him. You can connect with God by believing and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit which will be your guide in this world. Again, this is a gift God has for us!

Last thought, have you ever wondered why you were created? Have you ever asked yourself what your purpose is on earth? If you have, there’s a reason why. You belong with God. Simple as that. Do you long for something more? Do you ever say to yourself, there has to be more to life than this? If you have, there’s a reason why. When God created you, He placed something in you that prompts your heart to want something more than this life. The author of Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that “He (God) has planted eternity in the human heart”. God did that because that’s where He is! God is eternal, he is The Eternal One. He wants us to be with Him. You can connect with Him by inviting Him into your life. Take hold of all of this and ponder it. Reach out to God and accept Him. Will you do that?

 

Warm Wishes,

Carline

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