Music by Adrina Thorpe with the song “Did You Think”, Colin Raye singing “We’ll Be Alright”, and Rob Costlow playing his piano in the background. The song is “Family”.
Scriptures
Genesis 2:24 (NIV)
24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:21-30 (NIV)
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing? her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church?30for we are members of his body.
This is the inaugural edition of what I hope will be a long series of short podcasts looking at the many aspects of God?s character, as shown to us by Scripture. I have long been interested in the many different names of God, because each one of those names reveals something about Him. And the more I can know of Him, the more I can align myself with Him. Why would I want to do that? Because He is my Creator. He desires that I have a close relationship with Him.
Please understand. The basis for having a close relationship with God is through Jesus Christ. All of my best efforts to be like Him are for nothing if I have not put my trust and faith in Him, and in the sacrifice He made for me on the cross. In other words, I must be a believer in Jesus Christ first and foremost.
But after I put my faith in Him, then what? Then God begins a work in me. He starts the process of healing me of all the junk the world has heaped on me, and that I have accumulated through the bad choices I have made.
One of the mechanisms He uses to do this, is Scripture. He gave us the Bible for many reasons, and one of those reasons is to show us who He is. And that?s what this podcast is all about.
I hope you?ll come with me as we together discover the depth and width and breadth of who He is as we get In Touch With God?s Character.
On this first edition, I?d like to take you to the Old Testament. In Isaiah 32:2, we see a type, or an example, if you will of Jesus. And here we see Him referred to as a ?hiding place from the wind?.
I live in southern California. Here in my area of the world, we sometimes get what are called the Santa Ana winds. And they can be fierce. Gusts over 60 mph are not unheard of in some areas. My job requires that I work outdoors. And some of the areas that I work are some of the worst places to be when the Santa Anas are blowing. Not only do you have to deal with the wind, but the dust and dirt that is carried along with it. Sometimes it?s all you can do to just stay on your feet when the strongest gusts hit you.
Sometimes, you just long to find refuge from the wind.
Life is often like that. The circumstances of life buffet and blow us around relentlessly. The world throws all kinds of dirt and mud and grit at us. And sometimes it is hard to stand.
And it is so good to know that I have a God that is a ?hiding place from the wind.? I can go to him and receive rest. And relief. And protection. The wind outside may blow, but as long as I seek His cover, He is my ?hiding place from the wind.?
Our one year anniversary is finally here! We look back at the past year, hear emails and audio greetings from many different listeners and podcasters, and take a look at what’s ahead for the Lifespring! podcast.
Oh, yeah. One more thing…a conversation with Adam Curry! We discuss topics ranging from his desire to be a televangelist(!) to advertising on “religious” podcasts. A must listen for anyone interested in knowing the thoughts of the man known as the Podfather!
Next week, we’ll get into the real meat of our marriage mini-series. If you know anyone who’s marriage needs an infusion of life and love, please tell them to listen in.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this anniversary show. From emails, to audio comments to greetings at the Portable Media Expo.
More than that, my gratitude goes to everyone who has listened to the Lifespring! podcast over the past year, and who has voted for the show at PodcastAlley, helping to keep the podcast easy to find there.
Most of all, I give my thanks and praise to the One who first gave me the idea to do this podcast, and who has continued to lead me and guide me. The One who has made me His, and who loves YOU… Jesus Christ. It is because of Him that I continually aim to “hit you right between the ears with the message of hope, love and Good News.”
SCRIPTURES
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
1 John 4:4
Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
Philippians 3:12 – 14 (NIV)
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
