God is Able – But He is not Required
What an exciting world we live in today. The old paradigm is fast fading away. Mankind is speedily evolving toward a new age of enlightenment. Some people are more ‘enlightened’ than others of course. Some are so ‘enlightened’ that they are ready for a quantum leap forward in evolution. They will probably be ‘gods’ before next Tuesday. Those who aren’t that evolved as yet can give their evolution a boost by taking ‘courses in miracles’. The end result is that eventually everyone will become a ‘god’. Of course, some ‘gods’ will be ‘more god’ than others. Those who are aware of the possibilities will achieve deity faster than those who are clinging to the old patterns of the past. You better get on board while there is still time. Or not.
Or, if you don’t really swallow the idea that you can evolve into a god, perhaps you like the idea of learning to command the power of God through rituals, incantations, or just ‘demanding’ that God do what you want him to do. Does the idea of commanding God to give you wealth and position appeal to you? Just throw a bunch of ‘seed money’ at your favorite televangelist, sit back and wait for your return. You may be waiting a long time because Isaiah 43:11b says, ‘and I will not give my glory to another’.
Matthew 7:13-15 gives a stern warning to those who seek God through their own works. It says, ‘Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way , that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that fine it. (14) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The path to destruction is called ‘the broad way’ because it is made up of millions of little paths all going in the same direction and leading to the exact same destination. Together they make up what appears to be a very broad way. You could compare it to hundreds of six lane highways all going into a major city. There are many lanes of traffic, but they are all going to the city. All paths or roads that do not lead to Jesus Christ and His kingdom lead to the devil and his kingdom. You can truthfully categorize all religions, ideologies, philosophies, theisms, and any other thought pattern apart from Biblical Wisdom as one of many roads to an eternity separated from the God of creation. The Bible calls that place hell. It is a real place filled with real people. From that place of woe, no one will ever escape. They will dwell eternally without love, joy, peace, laughter, mercy, or any good thing.
Does that sound harsh to you? Why would a loving and merciful God limit entrance into His Kingdom to only one way? Actually, it is quite merciful when you consider that there is even ONE way into heaven. The way to heaven was purchased at a terrible cost to our loving God. It is pretty ridiculous to ask God to make an additional way into the perfection of His home. It becomes even more ridiculous when you remember that the narrow way has room for all who will come.
Yet, that is what most of the world is demanding, or claiming to already be true. Have you ever heard someone say, ‘Well, we are all going to the same place anyway?’ The wolves in sheep’s clothing are all around us. They speak lies in the name of our God, or in the name some false god. The truth is we are all going to spend eternity in one of two places, God’s kingdom, or Lucifer’s kingdom.
If you have truly ‘done a one-eighty’ with your life, then you have turned from the broad way and stepped on to the narrow way that leads to life. You are saved. However, no one becomes perfect until they get to heaven. While you live on this earth, you must be continually watchful of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Today is definitely the day that all Christians should take heed that no man deceive you. (Matthew 24:4) Jesus goes on to warn of many who will come in His name and deceive many; of wars and rumors of wars; nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (ethnic groups against other ethnic groups), famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Paraphrase Matthew 24:6-7)
It is our duty and in our best interests to be continually watchful in order to avoid being even temporarily deceived. Many of the deceivers of today wrap themselves in Christian terminology. They deceive themselves and others into believing that God is required to do their will if they do certain things first. Others demand that you follow their version of god or they will murder you. Others teach you can command obedience from a variety of spirits providing you know correct spells, incantations, and strictly adhere to rituals.
What everyone needs to understand is the universe has one power source. That is God Almighty. God has an adversary. That is the devil; also known as the dragon, Lucifer, Satan, father of lies, and many other terrible but true names. Satan was created by God, and his power is less than that of God, but much more than any mortal. Because of his great power, Christians must be eternally vigilant to keep the devil out of their lives, their families, and the church. The devil knows this. That is why he has a million and one ways to tell the exact same lie. He just continually changes the package of his garbage.
One way to avoid being deceived is to get to know God better. Christians should be continually learning more about who God is and what He does and does not do.
God has given His word to do certain things. We can count on those things. For instance:
God will always save to the uttermost those who come to Him for salvation through Jesus Christ. You can count on this. (Hebrews 7:25)
God will keep His promises to Israel. Whatever He promised will be done.
God will fulfill all the prophecies in the Bible. They all either have already happened, or they will come to pass in the future.
These things are definite. It is easy to see anyone as a deceiver who teaches or preaches anything else.
God is quite ABLE to do everything, but He is not required to do it.
God is able to heal the sick, but He is not required to.
God is able to give power to get wealth, but He is not required to do. Throwing ‘seed money’ to so called evangelists does not force God to send you money in return.
God is able to give promotions to His children, but He is not required to give them advancement.
God is able to bring His children into favor with their bosses and those around them, but He is not required to do it.
God is able to make you a powerful leader, but He is not required to do it.
Daniel 4:37 tells us that God is able to abase those walking in pride (speaking of king Nebuchadnezzar). But, God is not required to abase the proud. That is up to God and His time.
God is able to judge the wicked, but He is not required to judge them when we tell Him to.
God is able to send the rain and withhold the rain. He is not required to send or withhold according to our instructions.
God is able to be merciful to His children and to the whole earth, but His mercy cannot be demanded. His mercy is often taken without acknowledgement or thankfulness. Yet, when His mercy is withheld, some will even curse God.
I believe a day is coming that God’s children will understand why some prayers were unanswered. Why did my friends husband have to die a lingering death from pancreatic cancer and leave her to raise five grandchildren without his help? Why did my sister die of a heart attack at age 33? Why did my dear friend Evangelist Evan New die at age 58 when he was preaching the gospel with all his heart to so many? This much I know now. God is merciful and a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1) By faith, that is enough for now.
In the mean time, Christians should remember that the just shall live by faith, (Hebrews 10:38). No where does the Bible tell us of some ritual that would allow us to require anything of God. Even Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works.
God acts according to His wisdom and mercy. He is The Loving Father, who knows how to give good gifts to His children. Thankfully, He will not let His children dictate how He should respond to our needs. Can you imagine a family where the parents answer to and follow all the whims of their five year old child? It would be chaos, and it would be destruction for the child.
Even the casual observer can see spiritual, financial, or religious guru’s teaching ‘principles’ that will bring you success when followed to the letter. There cannot be anything of Christ in such psychobabble.
God will save you when you come to Him through Jesus Christ.
God will guide you.
God will be your help in trouble.
God will take you to Him when your body dies.
There is no magic formula that requires God to act on your behalf. I don’t care how many ‘credits’ you have in your heavenly bank account. It doesn’t matter how ‘cosmically aware’ you may be. You cannot become ‘god’. Besides that, if everyone becomes a god, then we need a new god. Everyone is human. If everyone were god, what would be special about ‘god’?
While mankind cannot require anything of God, God has power and authority to require of his children whatsoever He will.
Micah 6: 8 says) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with they God?
God has shown you what is good. As God, His teachings are superior to and supersede all mortal wisdom and authority. No matter how ‘good’ another teaching may sound, it is a lie, and it will lead its followers to sorrow and destruction.
The Lord requires:
Do justly. Deuteronomy 16:20 says, ‘That which is altogether just shall thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Psalm 82:3 gives a little more information about just behavior. It says, ‘Defend the poor and the fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and the needy.
Love mercy. Psalm 3:3 says, ‘Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.
Walk humbly with thy God. Luke 22:26 says, ‘but ye shall not do so:: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, s he that doth serve.
James 4:10 says, ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
A life that is lived according to the requirements of the Lord will ultimately be blessed mightily.
A life that is lived trying to require God to do his or her will ultimately lead to destruction.
It seems like a pretty easy choice to me.
The benefits of Mercy far exceed the supposed benefits of being able to require that God do your will. Mercy is unmerited favor. There are no rituals you can practice in order to obtain God’s mercy. The Bible makes the message clear and plain. Just go to God and ask for mercy. What try to ‘require’ God to help you when He wants to help you anyway?
The song for this article is ‘Jesus Paid it All’. Christians owe everything to Him.
Thank you for reading my article. God bless you
Barbara Henderson
Jesus Paid it All
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Refrain
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Refrain
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Refrain
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Refrain
What an exciting world we live in today. The old paradigm is fast fading away. Mankind is speedily evolving toward a new age of enlightenment. Some people are more ‘enlightened’ than others of course. Some are so ‘enlightened’ that they are ready for a quantum leap forward in evolution. They will probably be ‘gods’ before next Tuesday. Those who aren’t that evolved as yet can give their evolution a boost by taking ‘courses in miracles’. The end result is that eventually everyone will become a ‘god’. Of course, some ‘gods’ will be ‘more god’ than others. Those who are aware of the possibilities will achieve deity faster than those who are clinging to the old patterns of the past. You better get on board while there is still time. Or not.
Or, if you don’t really swallow the idea that you can evolve into a god, perhaps you like the idea of learning to command the power of God through rituals, incantations, or just ‘demanding’ that God do what you want him to do. Does the idea of commanding God to give you wealth and position appeal to you? Just throw a bunch of ‘seed money’ at your favorite televangelist, sit back and wait for your return. You may be waiting a long time because Isaiah 43:11b says, ‘and I will not give my glory to another’.
Matthew 7:13-15 gives a stern warning to those who seek God through their own works. It says, ‘Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way , that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that fine it. (14) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The path to destruction is called ‘the broad way’ because it is made up of millions of little paths all going in the same direction and leading to the exact same destination. Together they make up what appears to be a very broad way. You could compare it to hundreds of six lane highways all going into a major city. There are many lanes of traffic, but they are all going to the city. All paths or roads that do not lead to Jesus Christ and His kingdom lead to the devil and his kingdom. You can truthfully categorize all religions, ideologies, philosophies, theisms, and any other thought pattern apart from Biblical Wisdom as one of many roads to an eternity separated from the God of creation. The Bible calls that place hell. It is a real place filled with real people. From that place of woe, no one will ever escape. They will dwell eternally without love, joy, peace, laughter, mercy, or any good thing.
Does that sound harsh to you? Why would a loving and merciful God limit entrance into His Kingdom to only one way? Actually, it is quite merciful when you consider that there is even ONE way into heaven. The way to heaven was purchased at a terrible cost to our loving God. It is pretty ridiculous to ask God to make an additional way into the perfection of His home. It becomes even more ridiculous when you remember that the narrow way has room for all who will come.
Yet, that is what most of the world is demanding, or claiming to already be true. Have you ever heard someone say, ‘Well, we are all going to the same place anyway?’ The wolves in sheep’s clothing are all around us. They speak lies in the name of our God, or in the name some false god. The truth is we are all going to spend eternity in one of two places, God’s kingdom, or Lucifer’s kingdom.
If you have truly ‘done a one-eighty’ with your life, then you have turned from the broad way and stepped on to the narrow way that leads to life. You are saved. However, no one becomes perfect until they get to heaven. While you live on this earth, you must be continually watchful of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Today is definitely the day that all Christians should take heed that no man deceive you. (Matthew 24:4) Jesus goes on to warn of many who will come in His name and deceive many; of wars and rumors of wars; nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (ethnic groups against other ethnic groups), famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Paraphrase Matthew 24:6-7)
It is our duty and in our best interests to be continually watchful in order to avoid being even temporarily deceived. Many of the deceivers of today wrap themselves in Christian terminology. They deceive themselves and others into believing that God is required to do their will if they do certain things first. Others demand that you follow their version of god or they will murder you. Others teach you can command obedience from a variety of spirits providing you know correct spells, incantations, and strictly adhere to rituals.
What everyone needs to understand is the universe has one power source. That is God Almighty. God has an adversary. That is the devil; also known as the dragon, Lucifer, Satan, father of lies, and many other terrible but true names. Satan was created by God, and his power is less than that of God, but much more than any mortal. Because of his great power, Christians must be eternally vigilant to keep the devil out of their lives, their families, and the church. The devil knows this. That is why he has a million and one ways to tell the exact same lie. He just continually changes the package of his garbage.
One way to avoid being deceived is to get to know God better. Christians should be continually learning more about who God is and what He does and does not do.
God has given His word to do certain things. We can count on those things. For instance:
God will always save to the uttermost those who come to Him for salvation through Jesus Christ. You can count on this. (Hebrews 7:25)
God will keep His promises to Israel. Whatever He promised will be done.
God will fulfill all the prophecies in the Bible. They all either have already happened, or they will come to pass in the future.
These things are definite. It is easy to see anyone as a deceiver who teaches or preaches anything else.
God is quite ABLE to do everything, but He is not required to do it.
God is able to heal the sick, but He is not required to.
God is able to give power to get wealth, but He is not required to do. Throwing ‘seed money’ to so called evangelists does not force God to send you money in return.
God is able to give promotions to His children, but He is not required to give them advancement.
God is able to bring His children into favor with their bosses and those around them, but He is not required to do it.
God is able to make you a powerful leader, but He is not required to do it.
Daniel 4:37 tells us that God is able to abase those walking in pride (speaking of king Nebuchadnezzar). But, God is not required to abase the proud. That is up to God and His time.
God is able to judge the wicked, but He is not required to judge them when we tell Him to.
God is able to send the rain and withhold the rain. He is not required to send or withhold according to our instructions.
God is able to be merciful to His children and to the whole earth, but His mercy cannot be demanded. His mercy is often taken without acknowledgement or thankfulness. Yet, when His mercy is withheld, some will even curse God.
I believe a day is coming that God’s children will understand why some prayers were unanswered. Why did my friends husband have to die a lingering death from pancreatic cancer and leave her to raise five grandchildren without his help? Why did my sister die of a heart attack at age 33? Why did my dear friend Evangelist Evan New die at age 58 when he was preaching the gospel with all his heart to so many? This much I know now. God is merciful and a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1) By faith, that is enough for now.
In the mean time, Christians should remember that the just shall live by faith, (Hebrews 10:38). No where does the Bible tell us of some ritual that would allow us to require anything of God. Even Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works.
God acts according to His wisdom and mercy. He is The Loving Father, who knows how to give good gifts to His children. Thankfully, He will not let His children dictate how He should respond to our needs. Can you imagine a family where the parents answer to and follow all the whims of their five year old child? It would be chaos, and it would be destruction for the child.
Even the casual observer can see spiritual, financial, or religious guru’s teaching ‘principles’ that will bring you success when followed to the letter. There cannot be anything of Christ in such psychobabble.
God will save you when you come to Him through Jesus Christ.
God will guide you.
God will be your help in trouble.
God will take you to Him when your body dies.
There is no magic formula that requires God to act on your behalf. I don’t care how many ‘credits’ you have in your heavenly bank account. It doesn’t matter how ‘cosmically aware’ you may be. You cannot become ‘god’. Besides that, if everyone becomes a god, then we need a new god. Everyone is human. If everyone were god, what would be special about ‘god’?
While mankind cannot require anything of God, God has power and authority to require of his children whatsoever He will.
Micah 6: 8 says) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with they God?
God has shown you what is good. As God, His teachings are superior to and supersede all mortal wisdom and authority. No matter how ‘good’ another teaching may sound, it is a lie, and it will lead its followers to sorrow and destruction.
The Lord requires:
Do justly. Deuteronomy 16:20 says, ‘That which is altogether just shall thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Psalm 82:3 gives a little more information about just behavior. It says, ‘Defend the poor and the fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and the needy.
Love mercy. Psalm 3:3 says, ‘Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.
Walk humbly with thy God. Luke 22:26 says, ‘but ye shall not do so:: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, s he that doth serve.
James 4:10 says, ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
A life that is lived according to the requirements of the Lord will ultimately be blessed mightily.
A life that is lived trying to require God to do his or her will ultimately lead to destruction.
It seems like a pretty easy choice to me.
The benefits of Mercy far exceed the supposed benefits of being able to require that God do your will. Mercy is unmerited favor. There are no rituals you can practice in order to obtain God’s mercy. The Bible makes the message clear and plain. Just go to God and ask for mercy. What try to ‘require’ God to help you when He wants to help you anyway?
The song for this article is ‘Jesus Paid it All’. Christians owe everything to Him.
Thank you for reading my article. God bless you
Barbara Henderson
Jesus Paid it All
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain
And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Refrain
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Refrain
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Refrain
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Refrain
