Chronicles of a Watchman by Dr. James P. Norman Jr.

Mercy and Goodness, or Transitive Love By mercy and goodness, we mean the transitive love of God in its two-fold relation to the disobedient.  Scriptures such as Titus 3:4; Romans 2:4; Matthew 5:44-45; John 3:16;II 2 Peter 1:3; Roman 8:32; and John 4:10 serve as examples.   Mercy is that external principle of God's nature which leads him to seek the temporal good and eternal salvation of those who have opposed themselves to his will, even at the cost of infinite self-sacrifice.  Goodness is the eternal principle of God's nature which leads him to communicate of his own life, and blessedness to those who are like him in moral character.  Goodness, therefore, is nearly identical with the love of complacency; mercy, with the love of benevolence. Good People not necessarily saved people. The eternal and perfect object of God's love is in his own nature.  Men become subordinate objects of that love only as they become connected and ...

His omnipotence is a communicable attribute which expresses purpose; that is having to do with making and carrying out decisions.  Omnipotence means that God is able to do all his holy will. Omnipotence is derived from two Latin words, omni, "all," and potens, "powerful," which means "all-powerful."  God's omnipotence references his own power to do what he decides to do. God possesses and utilizes power to do all things which are objects of power, whether with or without the use of means.  If all power in the universe is dependent on his creative will for its existence, it is impossible to conceive any limit to his power except that laid on it by His own will (Genesis 17:1; Genesis 1:1-3; Isaiah 44:24; Hebrews 1:3; II Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:19). The omnipotence of God is illustrated by the work of the Holy Spirit, which in Scripture is compared to wind, water, and fire.  The rushing mighty wind at Pentecost was the analogue of the wind- Spiri...

The Omniscience of God can be described as one of his communicable attributes.  In this instance, I desire to look into one aspect of his mental attributes, which is his wisdom.  In virtue of his wisdom, God chooses the highest ends and uses the fittest means to accomplish them.  In other words, He always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals.  This is more than God knowing all things, but his decision's related to his actions are always wise decisions - they will always bring about the best results, from God's perspective, and the best results from the best possible means.  Wisdom is not invented conceptions, or harmony of theories with theories; but is humble obedience of the mind to the reception of facts that are revealed in things by God.  Thus man's wisdom, obedience, and faith are all names for different aspects of the same thing.  Wisdom in God is the moral choice which makes truth and holiness supreme.  It is n...

The Omniscience of God can be described as one of his communicable attributes.  In this instance, I desire to look into one aspect of his mental attributes, which is his knowledge.  By this it is meant that God's perfect and eternal knowledge of all things which are objects of knowledge, whether they be actual or possible, past, present, or future.  A simple definition is that God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple eternal act.  Elihu says that God is the one "who is perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16) , and John says that God "knows everything" (1 John 3:20).  This quality of knowing everything is omniscience, and because God knows everything, his therefore omniscient (all-knowing).  In Latin,   omnis  means "all" and   sciens  means "knowing". Captured in this definition is first, God fully knows himself.  His own being is unlimited and infinite.  So only one who is infinite can fully...

The Omnipresence of God God the Father can be known through his character, that is attributes, which give us an understanding about Himself.  It is easy to accept that He exists, and to throw out and easily accept terminology such as omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience.  Such three plus syllable words could stop us in our tracks.  However, God, our creator, our deliver, and our friend provides information, in the Bible, so that we might know Him.  This knowledge of Him is what distinguishes Him from other gods, inanimate objects, ideologies, and theories.  In short, God Is! I believe in thinking about God, as expressed as the Father, his immensity, that is possessing a nature that is without extension, and subject to no limits of time of space, but within contains itself the cause of space.  I Kings 8:27 states " But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I...

First off everything has already been written.  The source of everything is the Word of God itself. Then comes the revelation given by God.  That revelation is then moved from every generation to generation but always keeping the path.  The path goes through Christ Jesus the hope of glory.  John 6:29 -- this is the work of God that you believe in Him. God, Himself, in the last analysis, must be the only source of knowledge with regard to his own being and relations, theology is therefore a summary and explanation of the content of God's self-revelations.  There are, first, the revelation of God in nature; secondly and supremely, the revelation of God in the scriptures, and third, the revelation of in supernatural spirit activities. To whom shall I give greater credit concerning God that to God, Himself.  To know God without is impossible; there is no knowledge without Him who is the prime source of knowledge.  God's faith is not limited, it i...

Christ has set us free to live a free life.  So take your stand!  Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.  The moment anyone submits to any rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard won gift of freedom is squandered.  I repeat the warning: the person who accepts the ways of absolute church control trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens.  When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, and fall out of grace. What is being preached and taught today is making it very complicated and almost impossible to make the spread of the Gospel have any power universally. Meanwhile, we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit of God to come out of this preaching and teaching. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious belief nor disre...