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LOVING GOD MORE....
We are seeing an increase in the number and magnitude of natural disasters playing out worldwide. Are these disasters causing the people to repent of their ways? Are the people of the world acknowledging that they have sinned against God? No. Has this happened before? Yes. What men fail to understand... is that time as we know it is not an endless commodity. There is an appointed, set time, which only God knows, when we reach the fullness of time... "and after that the judgment." Daniel 8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. Daniel 11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. Habakkuk 2:1-4 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Because these warnings were given so many centuries ago, modern man tends to view time as something endless... to think that time will go on forever. We fail to take to heart that time as we know it... does have an end. Down through history, there have been opportunities for mankind to repent, to change their ways and thinking. We have multiple recorded examples of judgment determined against people for their sin and rebellion, when the people heeded the warnings God gave them, and repented of their sin, God withdrew the calamity HE had purposed against them. (A familiar example is the people of Nineveh when the prophet Jonah finally spoke to them God's warning... and they repented thus turning God's wrath away from them). The point I feel that needs to be made today is this: There is a set timetable for this world... which is known only to God the Father... when things in this world come to fulfillment. There is an appointed Day of Judgment. There is a point when our timeline as man has known it comes to an end... and that point is fast approaching. Throughout the Old Testament, we are given prophecy's concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. To many of those people living on the earth during those centuries of time, these prophecies seemed distant... they did not see their fulfillment during the span of their lives. When Christ did come, in exact fulfillment of those prophecies, did the people alive at that time recognize Him? No. The Lord of Glory came in a way that they were not anticipating. The religious leaders of the day had their own agenda's, and utterly rejected the Messiah, to the extreme of crucifying Him on the cross. We are no different today. We have prophecy pertaining to the second coming of Christ. And just like our forefathers, we have imaginings of how it will come about. The religious world today is no better prepared to receive Jesus' second coming than they were prepared to receive Him the first time. This should give all who claim to be Christian cause to stop... and make close examination of exactly what we are clinging to... what do we believe... what are we anticipating... just how prepared are we? Perhaps you are wondering what all this has to do with Loving God More?
Deuteronomy 6:5-6 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Do we take to heart the Words of God in the Old Testament? Do we comprehend that God does not change? James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Do we comprehend that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are separate and yet one, that they both possess the same attributes? Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are one and the same God. In the Old Testament man was given the Law through Moses. In the New Testament man was introduced to Grace, through belief in Christ. Christ came to fulfill the law, not to negate it. John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. God's attitude towards sin and rebellion has not changed. Grace is not an avenue to continue to live in sin. God's requirements of us have not been altered in any way. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. Matthew 10:34-40 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Mathew 10:36-38 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
If we comprehend that these are the last days, then we need to also come to understand that we are breaking new ground. We will behold, with our own eyes, the sovereign hand of God in this world...comparable to and surpassing those things recorded in the Bible. GOD has made the way for man to come into right standing with HIM. The choice is ours. Whom will we obey? Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Who do we love? Do we love our families, our spouse, our children, our parents, our dearest friend, more than God. Will we follow God, even if those nearest and dearest to us in this world refuse? Is there any one or any thing in this world that we value as being more precious to us than knowing God? Will we continue to walk in the Truth as revealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, even if everyone around us rejects us for doing so? Are we willing to count the cost? How deep is our level of commitment? These are all critical questions that we as believers must ask ourselves in this hour. Consider if you will, the following passages, and the message they contain: Ezekiel 14:12-23 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD. There has never been a time when men and women were in more desperate need of the knowledge of God. I am not speaking of head knowledge, but the illuminating power of the Spirit of God. This is just in the beginning. Intellectually knowing about God is not going to keep you. Only those who are known by God, will be kept in the days ahead. We must be in possession of the life of Christ within, if we are to stand. As the above passage states....we cannot bring anyone with us. Each one of us will stand before God on our own merit. Just because we love someone...does not mean that we can in any way impart our own right standing to them. We cannot deliver our sons or daughters, only our own self. I believe that the Spirit has quickened to me that this passage correlates to the same warnings Jesus gave us in Matthew and Luke. Many today falsely assume that they will escape God's wrath by association. Many today are hoping that because they are members of a certain congregation...or have attached themselves to some prominent leader...that there will be some kind of trickle down effect, and they will somehow be spared being held accountable on their own merit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, we are surrounded by fear, confusion and suffering. Yes, the needs are great. Are we to give in to these fears and wander aimlessly in confusion? NO! John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. We too, can be overcomers...by the power of the Spirit. To do so, we must love God more than this world. Lip service will not cut it. Being related to or associated with someone who is walking in the Spirit, will not save us. Matthew7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Many prominent leaders and ministries flourishing today have the appearance of righteousness, but in fact are operating in soul power, and building with wood, hay and stubble. They will not stand up to the righteous judgment of a HOLY GOD. The commandments we must keep...walk in...partake of...are every Word Jesus spoke. Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. May we all press in to know HIM, being conformed to HIS Image, and having done all to stand! Rev 3:15-23 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 1Peter 1:7-9 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Amen & Amen!!! Cathy Morris 11/27/05
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