Fusion Christian Church

What is God like? How does who he is impact what we do with our lives? In "Now Showing," we walk through some of the attritbutes of God and why they matter for our daily living. In Part 2, Pastor Matt teaches about God's power, presence, and knowledge.

Omniscience - God Knows Everything.

God possesses perfect, complete knowledge of all things—past, present, future, actual, and possible. Because of this, he knows exactly what is happening in our minds and hearts at any moment. Nothing is invisible to him. While this can be a terrifying realization if we are not right with God, it can also be a comfort. If we reject God, his perfect knowledge means he knows all our wrongdoing. However if we have accepted Christ as our Lord then his perfect knowledge means he is able to comfort us perfectly. He knows our struggles and can help us through them.

Omnipresence - God Is Present Everywhere.

God is fully present everywhere; there is no place in creation where God is absent. As with the last attribute, this can be a terror or a comfort depending on your perspective. If we reject God, his inescapable presence is cause for trembling and fear. For Christians, his ever-present guidance is a delight. God is always near to us and able to help us in times of trouble. Because of this, we can trust him with our fears.

Omnipotence - God Is All-Powerful.

God possesses unlimited power and is able to accomplish everything consistent with His nature and will. As has been a consistent theme, this too is either terrible or magnificent news depending on our relationship to God. Those who rebel against God rightly fear punishment, knowing that God has the power to administer it. Those who trust in God rightly rely on his strength to defend and uphold us in our weakness.

Because God is Omni, submit your life to Him.

These three attributes reveal an incredible binary between those who follow God and those who reject him. On one hand, the one who rejects God knows God's reach is inescapable, that he sees all sin, and that he can punish that sin. The Christian, on the other hand, rests safely in the knowledge that those infinite attributes are on his side. God's power, presence, and knowledge are a comfort, not a curse to the one who trust in God. Will you place your trust in God today?

What is God like? How does who he is impact what we do with our lives? In "Now Showing," we walk through some of the attritbutes of God and why they matter for our daily living. In Part 1, Pastor Matt explains how God's eternal, unchanging nature makes him worthy of our hope and trust.

God reveals his nature to us.

A fundamental tenet of Christian belief is that God has revealed himself to us both through scripture and through nature. Because God upholds the universe by his power, his fingerprints are all over it. Through the marks he as left we can discover many truths about him. We can broadly separate the attributes of God into two categories: communicable and incommunicable. The communicable attributes are attributes reflected, in finite measure, in humans who bear God's image. The incommunicable attributes belong uniquely to God and he does not share them with any of his creatures.

God is Eternal.

The eternality of God means he has no beginning or end. Some people ask the question "Who created God?" but this is a nonsense question because God had no beginning. The bible is clear that God has no beginning or end and therefore stands before all things.

God is Immutable.

Immutability means that God does not change. The unchanging nature of God is essential for Christian belief because it means God is always faithful and always keeps his promises. The Christian who understands this can take courage and hope from it.

We live with eternal hope.

An eternal God has eternal promises. Knowing that God is eternal and unchanging gives the Christian confidence in the hope we have. We know that God will keep his promises and complete our salvation. He will keep us secure and deliver us from evil. The promises of God offered to us in Christ Jesus are guaranteed to be fulfilled. Take heart and trust in God's promises!

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week Seven, Pastor Zac teaches about using prayer to power your armor.

Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The first key to an effective prayer life is to pray in the Holy Spirit. Christians have the unique honor of having God's Holy Spirit live inside of us! Because of that, everything we do should be in submission to the Spirit and in recognition of his power. If you have ever tried to do things under your own power, you should know that it is not enough. Christians need to stand in God's power in order to "power up" our spiritual armor and achieve spiritual victory.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to pray in alignment with the will of God.

Praying in the power of the Spirit falls under the broader category of submission to God's will. Jesus set the perfect example for us by repeatedly emphasizing "thy will be done" in his prayers. When we pray, we must always remember that God works things together according to his infinite wisdom and grace. Knowing this, we should remind ourselves that God will grant our prayers when they align with his will and refuse them when we pray selfishly.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to follow the Spirit’s leading.

To have an effective prayer life, we must be open to the Spirit's guidance. This will not always be obvious, but through much prayer and through knowledge of scripture we may discern his leading. When we feel the Spirit leading us in one direction, we should affirm that it is him by aligning the decision with scripture and wisdom and then follow it. Sensitivity to the Spirit's leading comes with spiritual maturity.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to pray for the family of God.

Once again, we must not pray selfishly. It is acceptable to ask God for personal blessings, but a healthy prayer life includes prayers for all of God's people. Remembering to pray for others inclines our hearts in love toward those very same people and creates a healthy attitude within us. By praying even for our enemies we can keep ourselves from becoming bitter and foster a heart of love instead. What steps can you take this week to build a better prayer life?

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week six, Pastor Zac preaches about the importance of the Sword of the Spirit.

If you leave your sword at home, don't be surprised when you lose the battle.

Amidst the Armor of God there is only one weapon. If we go to battle without it we will never gain any ground and will inevitably lose. That is why it is so important for the Christian to arm himself with the sword of the spirit. Not only that, but we must train with it so we know how to handle it rightly.

Picking up the sword protects us from believing the lies.

Similar to the Helmet of Salvation, the sword serves as protection against deception. The helmet protects the mind, while the sword goes on the offense and cuts through the lies. Since the sword of the spirit is the scriptures and the scriptures are true, they provide a powerful antidote to the poison of deception.

It prepares you to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

Knowing the word of God helps us to understand who God is and his plan for both creation and our salvation. If we become confused about our purpose, studying the bible helps us gain clarity about how we fit into God's designs. The bible doesn't give you specific advice about every decision you make, but it does set you up on the path of wisdom. The bible teaches us how to think and act with discernment, setting us up to make wise choices. God's will is for us to grow in wisdom so that we can make good choices that honor him.

When you take up the sword of the Spirit, God's word becomes your delight and your life.

Many people find reading the bible to be a drudgery, but this will not remain the case if we commit ourselves to it. The more the Christian commits to reading and studying God's word, the more he will understand it. The more understanding we have of scripture the more enjoyment we gain when reading it. It soon becomes a joyful act to read through the scriptures.

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week five, Pastor Zac teaches about the Helmet of Salvation.

Before Satan attacks your actions, he attacks your thinking.

Satan knows that if he can control your thoughts, he can influence your choices. He did this to deceive Eve in the garden of Eden, and he and his followers try to do it to Christians today. We must make sure to train our minds to know truth from fiction and to discern spiritual deception. The Helmet of Salvation is worn to defend our minds from the enemy's attacks.

Every spiritual battle is first a battle over what you'll believe.

The three main beliefs we need to get right are our beliefs about God, ourselves, and our salvation. Firstly, we must believe that there is only one God and that Jesus Christ is that one God. After that we must accept the simple and foundational fact that God loves us and wants relationship with us.

If you're going to have victory in your mind, what you believe about yourself must come from God.

The most foundational belief about who we are as humans is that God made us in his image. This means that we have inherent value based simply on how God created us. Another key belief for the Christian to hold is that we belong to God. We do not belong to the devil or even to ourselves, we belong to our creator. Some people loathe not being in control of their lives, but it is so much better to cede control over to a God who loves us.

If you're going to have victory in your mind, you must be confident that your salvation is secure in Jesus Christ.

This is where the Helmet of Salvation gets its name. When we feel the certainty that comes from knowing Jesus has saved us, it protects our minds from all sorts of doubts and attacks. The enemy might say that you are not good enough, but the Christian should know that's the whole point. Our salvation is secure because Christ is good enough, not because we are. Our assurance of rescue comes from God's perfection and does not rest on anything we do. Therefore there is no cause for boasting and no reason to doubt because of our failures. Jesus Christ has never failed, and our confidence rests in him.

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week four, Pastor Zac teaches how to hold the line with the shield of faith.

Faith holds the line.

This means that faith gives us the strength to stand our ground. The enemy will always try to attack our hearts. He shoots fiery darts of many kinds toward us, but faith allows us to extinguish those arrows. When things seem hopeless, faith keeps us in the fight. Believing that God's promises are true and that he will rescue us keeps us together. If we know that, then we will be able to press on.

The strength of your shield isn't determined by the size of your faith, but by the object of your faith.

Some of the greatest believers started with just a mustard seed of faith, and that is all God needs. A little scrap of faith is all God needs to accomplish great things in our lives. This is because the amount of faith we have does not matter as much as who our faith is in. Since Christians put our faith in Jesus, the one who is stronger than all, our faith becomes powerful. The power comes from the object of our faith, not the size of it.

Share your shield.

Your shield is not meant to protect you alone, it is meant to protect your comrades. When you maintain your shield of faith you are ensuring the defense of your allies as well. This is because faith is personal but not isolated. Your faith should be deeply personal, since it comes from your relationship with Jesus. But that does not mean you should walk the walk of faith alone. Doing so leaves you vulnerable to attack. Build up your faith alongside other believers and you can all keep each other going.

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week three, Pastor Joel teaches about the importance of setting your feet spiritually.

Set your feet on the Rock.

The most important step to setting your feet is to set them in the right place. Spiritually, the only place where it is secure to set your feet is on God himself. God is the rock of our salvation and when we plant our feet firmly in him we are prepared to defend any spiritual attack. Jesus Christ, being God, is also the rock of our salvation and the chief cornerstone of our faith. This is because Jesus is not just a sure foundation, he is the only foundation for our lives. There is salvation in no other name than the name of Jesus Christ.

Never stop learning.

The scriptures command and the spiritual trials of life demand that we grow spiritually. If we do not grow, we will remain spiritually immature: like babies. If we want to be effective witnesses of the gospel as God has commanded us, then we must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Just as one must sharpen a knife to make it useful for cutting, so a Christian must sharpen himself to be useful for God's work.

Never stop sharing.

Just as it would be a waste to sharpen a knife and never use it, so too is it a waste to sharpen yourself and never evangelize. All the learning in the world will never make a difference if we do not actually use it. Christ commanded us to go into the world and make disciples, teaching them everything he commanded. A faithful servant of God will share the gospel no matter the cost. If we want to live according to God's word, we must never stop sharing.

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week two, Elder Reuben teaches about the Breastplate of Righteousness.

The winner has already been determined.

In the context of spiritual warfare, the tide has already turned. God has already struck the decisive blow against the spiritual forces of darkness. Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead together mean he has already won. Jesus Christ won the victory, and we now continue fighting with the knowledge that we will win the final battle in Jesus' name. The battles we fight now are the last desperate attempts of the enemy.

Don't fight alone.

Spiritual warfare is a group effort. God's intent is for Christians to fight together. When we try to fight it alone, we have no one to defend our sides. When we fight together, we have brothers in arms who defend our flanks from the enemy. Spiritually, fighting together means bearing one another's burdens; it means mutual prayer; it means encouragement. Find other Christians who will protect your flank and remember to protect their flank as well!

We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week one, Pastor Zac teaches about the belt of truth.

The power to fight comes from God!

The first thing to know about spiritual warfare is that the power to fight and to win comes from God. Before we put on a single piece of armor, we must learn to rely on the Lord for our strength. If we try to trust in our own power, we have failed before we even set out. If we trust in God instead, we are certain of victory!

You’re in the war of lies.

A massive swathe of the spiritual battlefield we face is filled with lies and deception. If we are to succeed as Christians, we must learn how to discern the real from the counterfeit, the truth from the lie. The key to this has two halves. The first half is knowing God's word, which trains our minds to discern God's truth from the deception of the enemy. The second half is to rely on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us in the truth and remind us of what is true. If we can couple knowledge of God's word and a relationship with his Spirit, then we will set ourselves up for victory.

God gives us the belt of truth because truth has already been decided.

The thing about truth is that it is unchanging. Truth is what aligns with God and the reality he has created. Because God is unchanging so is truth. This is important in a world that constantly seeks to undermine the truth of what God has said. We can rightly call Satan, who rules this world, the father of lies, as Jesus did. Since he is our great enemy, we must expect that he will try to deceive us at every turn. The good news is that God has spoken clearly what the truth is. If we trust in him and his word we will find victory.

"Take A Stand" is our series at Fusion Christian Church on having the courage to stand strong in the faith. From the book of Daniel we will learn what it takes follow God in a world that doesn't. Pulling from chapters 7-12, Pastor Zac teaches about the final judgment and how we can be right with God.

One day the books will be opened.

God has a record of everything we have ever done. If we stand before God based on the works recorded in that book, we will not enter heaven. However, God has another book, one that contains a different record. That book has the names of those saved by the blood of the lamb. If we stand before God based off our record in that book, we will surely enter in. The question is, how do we know if God has written our names in it or not?

Our deliverance is in Christ.

God will write your name in the Book of Life if you put your faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only way to make sure your future is secure. No amount of good deeds will save us, because only Jesus lived a perfect life. Because of that, we must trust in His righteousness and not our own. Good deeds will save you, but only Christ's good deeds, not your own!

Take your stand at the end and aim for heaven.

With this in mind, we must aim to live a life worthy of the calling God has placed on our lives as Christians. Jesus called us not just to trust in him, but to repent of our sin. Repentance is a lifestyle that continually rejects sin and turns toward righteousness. As Christians do that, we prepare ourselves throughout life to ultimately enter into heaven. How are you aiming for heaven in your life?