Excerpts from the book...... The way you see God has filtered down to you through 2000 years of bible teaching and many other sources. Your concept of God is influenced by your culture and the congregation you grew up in. Your concept is also influen... Read more

Excerpts from the book...... The way you see God has filtered down to you through 2000 years of bible teaching and many other sources. Your concept of God is influenced by your culture and the congregation you grew up in. Your concept is also influenced by the way your parents talked to you about God. If your parents used God to threaten and manipulate you, then you are likely uncomfortable thinking about God. You might imagine Him as a big scary bully that you should avoid. ... ... John tells us something mystical and deep about God. John doesn't merely tell us that God loves us, but that God IS LOVE. His very essence is love. Unfortunately, some people see God as stern and austere. He doesn't laugh. He is not very happy. He never has any fun and rarely, if ever, smiles. He mostly sits in heaven growling, somber, keeping a critical eye on each of us. He always has His ink pen in hand ready to write down any mistake we might make. ... ... Read the lyrics of the first verse of My God and I and notice how you feel. Do the lyrics ring totally true, or a little awkward, or completely awkward? My God and I go in the fields togetherWe walk and talk as good friends should and doWe clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughterMy God and I go thru the meadow's hueWe claps our hands, our voices right with laughter,My God and I walk thru the meadow's hueI hope the lyrics were in complete harmony with your heart. I hope you are one of those people that see God as a loving, nurturing, and caring fathers. I believe that when we see God as happy, loving, and nurturing, then new possibilities and joys open for us. But, if you felt some degree of awkwardness, then read on and discover what the Bible reveals about your Father. ... ... The Old Testament represents God's joy in a way that embarrasses some people. Isaiah depicts God's joy as a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride. In modern language, that's honeymoon language. I will not paint the details for you. Simply remember the joy, happiness, and excitement of your wedding day; and that's a biblical picture of God's love for you. Wow! Let that soak in a minute. ... ... The imagery of the bride in these verses is not one of businesslike formality, but of joyful oneness and intimacy. The husband and bride become one. The very personal and intimate things that you and I understand about marriage are just the tip of the iceberg. ... ... You and I are merely little children compared to eternal God. Yes, I know that you are all grown up with serious responsibilities and obligations. Compared to other humans, you are an adult, but compared to the eternal God you and I are little more than youngsters at play. As long as we play fair, we can run to Him without fear, hop up on His knee, feel His hair, tug at His beard, and experience eternal love that defies description. ... ... I'm sure that some people will feel that I'm being irreverent in saying that God threw a party with the angels, but that is very close to what Jesus said, except the parties in heaven are much better than any party we can have here on earth. No one can throw a party like God can throw a party. Less