Saturday, August 19, 2017

Doing God Your Own Way

Isaiah‬ ‭55:8‬ ‭- "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,  nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.  
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There is a belief, a misconception, that we can do God our own way. This simply is not true. It may seem narrow minded, but trust me it is not, when it is said we must receive Christ. 

There will always be some who want nothing to do with God. There are some who believe in different gods. There are some who believe all religious roads lead to God. But there is only one God, the one who created all things. He is the only one who gives true life to those who desire it. It is by and through Him our lives are changed.

We are all born with some understanding that there is something...Someone... greater because we have been created in His image. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. While we God has given us a way to know Him, we cannot know all about Him. The only way we can know Him is to seek and eventually receive God...Jesus. He always seeks everyone that they might be saved from their "lostness" in this world. Lost because He is not with them. 

The message is very simple: Receive Christ, receive life. There are just so many ways to put it. It is the most important thing anyone can do. And, sadly, the one thing so many resist doing because of man's beliefs.

Big lie: We cannot get to God or heaven in our own merits. If we were so perfect why did God have to send His perfect, holy, sinless Son Jesus to die for us? (Why did a death need to take place?) 

So now, instead of us doing for our salvation and eternal life, we too must die...to self. To those lies. To our ideas of right and wrong. To the world's view of right and wrong. Our focus must be on His view and this rubs people the wrong way. Our self gets in the way of receiving Christ. We want what makes us feel good or comfortable. God's way is not always as comfortable. It means giving up our ways. But, oh, if we do...

But, oh, if we do, we find that scripture that states His ways are not like ours is so accurate and good. We know who we can trust implicitly. He knows what we need more than we do. His ways are always good and true and just, even if it's not what we would choose. It takes a step of faith to do this and more steps of faith to keep on. When we do, there are great promises for us. The greatest is eternal life in and with Christ. 

We people think we are so smart. We think we have it all figured out. We believe in ourselves. Because of this there is division, as we see playing out in the world today. Only God knows the beginning from the end. I want to stand by Him. 

Many are suggesting that because of all the turmoil in the world today, the fact that it has grown quickly and escalates in its ugliness, that these are signs of the last days before the eventual return of Christ. While no one can say exactly when, and I do believe that things are going to get worse than we now see, and He will return. The worse this world gets, the more I long for it. The more I long for the promise of heaven and no more sorrow, tears or pain. I long for this for so many.

We can all long for that. We can all be assured of that by seeking God now. By seeking the God whose wisdom, knowledge and understanding far surpasses ours. He's there for anyone who wishes to receive Him. Any race or religion. He paid the price for all who would receive Him. He crosses over denominational lines because He is not a denomination. He is God. He is above man and man's ways (and thoughts and imaginations). 

I do not expect America to grow great again. No one can be greater than our God. He's the one I am glad to know and whom I will follow. How about all of you? 

Isaiah‬ ‭55:9,11-12‬ ‭- “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

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