Where Is The God Of Heaven

I believe there are many people asking this question today.  It seems like many believers are struggling today wondering where God is and if He hears them when they pray or, in some cases, if He really cares about them at all.  I have struggled with these feelings at times myself.  I think we need to be reminded that God doesn’t change by turning, He is not a man that He should lie.  And He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

This was said way back in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

And this was said in Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

If God said He would never leave us or forsake us, and He cannot lie, why do these thoughts even come to our mind?  I heard a pastor friend of mine say this many years ago, ‘You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep Him from building a nest in your hair.’  This is the same with your thought life.  There are many, many thoughts that come to your mind daily and many come that you can’t even explain, and you wonder why they are even there but there is something you and I can do about them.  We can do what the Word of God admonishes us to do and that is to, ‘Take every thought captive unto the Lord!!  When we feel like we can’t find God and the enemy whispers in our ear that, ‘He doesn’t care,’ we need to say, ‘get behind me satan, we know He loves us and he does care.’  

It is the same with temptation, when we are tempted it is not sin, it is when we act on that temptation, then it becomes sin.  God will never leave us or forsake us, but our sin will separate us from God.  But even in that situation God is there but our sin is like a wall between us and God, something that we caused, not God.

God’s Word says this in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”     

God hasn’t moved, we have caused a separation ourselves, with our sin.

But there is good news, read 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we confess and repent and make a conscious decision to turn away from our sin, we move the obstacle that caused the separation in the first place.  Then we can have sweet fellowship with the Lord once again.  

But sin isn’t the only thing that can make us feel separated from the Lord.  Think of Job’s situation and the test that he endured.  It wasn’t because of sin, it was a time of testing that I believe many will endure also.  We have the same enemy that Job had, and we are no better than he was.  If you read the story of Job you will read about a very godly man.  Job loved God and lived accordingly, and he even made sure to sacrifice for his children, in case they may have sinned.  Job never cursed God, but he worshiped Him even though he couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him.  I think from what I read that Job was very disturbed and depressed because of his inability to find God anywhere.  I think Job’s life depicts Christianity far more than many would teach it.  

If you are in Job’s situation it may feel like the Lord left but He hasn’t, because He said He never would if you are a born-again believer.  And just like Job, we can learn from being tested; so, we need to be patient in our trials.  Job’s trials came to an end and he benefited by it and so will we if we wait on the Lord!! Enough said, may the Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!

First Love

There is a strong warning in the Word of God about their first love to the church of Ephesus.  Read what it says about this church, which is very positive in Revelations 2:1-3, “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ‘I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.’”

If you were to only to read this far you would think that this body of believers had it all together, but as you read on you find a much different outcome.  From the outward appearance thus far, you would think that the Lord would be very happy with these believers.  To be honest I think that a lot of believers feel the same way about the communities (churches) that they belong to today.  The problem is that many of us only see the outward appearance and the Lord sees the inward workings and the heart of those in these communities.  Many may have very little discernment when it comes to spiritual matters because they have a very limited understanding of the Word of God.  God’s Word says my people perish for lack of knowledge.  

It sounds to me that these Ephesian believers may have had a problem with pride.  Because of what they endured and the example that they were, they could have easily fell into pride and arrogance depending on themselves and their own righteousness and forsaking their Lord, not even realizing it in some cases.  It is easy to look at our own accomplishments and fall into the same snare or trap that these believers may have; I say this because of my own personal experience in these areas.

Now let’s read on and see what else the Lord had to say to this body of believers, please read verses 4-5, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

The first thing that the Lord said to them is I have this against you, you have forsaken your first love; remember then from where you have fallen.  Repent and do the same deeds that you did at first.  It sounds to me like they had also became complacent.  It’s easy to get caught up in complacency when things seem to be going so well; studying and reading your Bible less, spending less time with the Lord, not praying as much, not meditating on the Word as often as you once did. These are some of the things that show that you are becoming complacent.  

Now I want you to know that I am not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone just trying to bring awareness to anyone that may be in this situation and may not even be aware of it, and to those that are aware of it and have fallen into this predicament.  You may look at the word repent as a negative, but it is not so; it is very positive and was said because the Lord loved them, and us, very much.  Remember the Lord corrects those he loves that are His and if you are never corrected you are not His.  It is far better to be corrected than separated from the Lord because of your sin.

It says this in Isaiah 59:1-2, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

Now let’s get back to the Lord’s correction, you can find this in Hebrews 12:4-8, “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

If you find that this Tidbit is speaking of you, you know what you need to do.  I was guilty of this myself and I needed to repent also.  And don’t forget repentance is an action word.  It means to turn from your sins and go in the opposite direction, being sorry for the sin or sins you have committed and not just sweeping it under the rug, so to speak.  It is a conscious decision to forsake the sin and confess it to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you and to restore you back to the fellowship you had together before you committed the sin. I think you got the message, so enough said.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a super day!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is so worthy!!

They Will Not Marry

I was sitting at the table yesterday morning and this came to my mind.  I don’t believe I have ever heard a teaching or preaching on it, just read what God’s Word said about it.  This is what it says in Matthew 22:23-29, “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her. Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”   

Now read Matthew 22:30, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”

Read what it says in Revelations 19:6-9, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’  And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’”

If the church is the bride of Christ, as this has indicated, then when we get to heaven why would anyone be married or be given in marriage if we are the bride of Christ?  Paul speaks of this also in 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

This doesn’t seem to be of any great importance or great knowledge, but it seemed important to me just the way it came to me out of the clear blue sky, so to speak, I thought it may be important to somebody.

I am not sure why this came to me but maybe someone else needed to read this.  I hope this has been an encouragement and help to someone.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a super day!!