CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE GRIEVING GOD'S HEART

To grieve is to feel the pain of mind or heart; to be in pain on account of evil, to sorrow, or to mourn. Grief is not something anyone inflicts on themselves; it is usually the result of another person’s behavior or one’s own unfortunate situation.

There are times when God grieves over the behavior of individuals and nations, and you may wonder why. It is because He is God, and He has given us commandments to live by so that we do not sin or make a habit of sinning. When we disobey, it grieves Him, and He is also grieved when He reprimands us for wrong-doing.

Thank God for the provision He’s made for us when we do sin-Jesus, our intercessor! “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (1 John 2:1).

So, what are the things that really grieve God’s heart?

● Backsliding-That is when we no longer worship and serve Him like we used to: “I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do” (Zephaniah 1:6). How’s your relationship with God? Are you loving and serving Him the way you did when you first came to faith in Jesus? If your answer is “No,” then you are backsliding. You are lukewarm, and God is about to spit you out of His mouth (see Revelation 3:15-16).

● Idolatry-Affection and focus on things other than God: “They claim to follow the LORD, but they worship Molech, too” (Zephaniah 1:5). The Israelites worshiped all kinds of idols, and God chastised them numerous times for that. In our modern-day, we don’t necessarily bow down to worship images, but we do put other things ahead of God, like material things, power, and relationships. If anything is more important to you than God is, then you have a problem.

● Complacency-Being content with the status quo of ungodliness; making no effort to be godly. And for that, God says, “I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad” (Zephaniah 1:12). Some think they can live however they wish after they’ve made a profession of faith; they don’t care about growing their relationship with God. Coming to faith is just the beginning of our new relationship with God, and He instructs us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). We are admonished to feed on the Word of God like babies, so we can grow (see 1 Peter 2:2). Also, the apostle Paul admonishes us: “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7). It is not enough to be saved; you need to grow!

● Living independently of God-Feeling self-sufficient; too proud to ask for help: “They no longer ask for the LORD’S guidance or seek my blessings” (Zephaniah 1:6). Do you ever feel self-sufficient, giving yourself credit for who you are and your achievements? That’s wrong! The Word tells us, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Whatever you are and have is by God’s grace, and He desires to bless you in more ways than you can ever wish for. God has plans for us, and the plans are not for evil but as the prophet Jeremiah says, they are “For good, to give us a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Throughout Scripture, we can see how God yearns to bless His people, especially looking at the history of the Israelites. God was always calling them back from their wayward ways so He could restore them, protect them from their enemies, and bless their crops and wine presses. What a loving God! Although it is our duty as His children/servants to obey Him, He blesses us all the same when we are obedient. He enjoys blessing us!

When by our disobedience we deny God the opportunity to bless us, it hurts Him, since His desire is to make us prosperous, happy, and free to love and serve Him. May He enable us to be obedient to Him so He can bless us. It gives Him great joy to see us succeed.

Maybe you didn’t know you’ve been grieving God’s heart by your disobedience, complacency, and idolatry. But now that you know, are you going to continue to grieve Him, or will you repent? It behooves all Christians to obey the instruction the apostle Paul gave Timothy: “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil” (2 Timothy 2:19). Amen! 

GOD’S GRACE and JUSTICE WORK TOGETHER

 

Some people think that, at the end of this life, God will weigh their good deeds against their bad deeds; their hope is that their good would outweigh their bad, and that would grant them entrance into heaven. There are others who don’t believe in God and think they will cease to exist when they die.

Both of these beliefs are wrong. Nobody is going to be weighing anything,  and besides, waiting until the end to find out if you qualify for heaven is very risky. What if you don’t qualify when that time comes? Would you go to hell for all eternity? Isn’t it better to know without a doubt you are going to heaven before that end comes?

And for those who think death ends it all, they will be very surprised to discover that they were incorrect, but will be unable to do anything about it. Those who believe there is no God as well as those who believe their good deeds will get them into heaven will both end up in the same undesirable place.

God is love, but He also hates sin; out of His love flow both grace and justice. But what are grace and justice? Grace is defined as God’s free and unmerited favor toward sinful humanity. Justice is the administration of law that determines what is right, based on principles of equity and correctness, and rewards accordingly.

The Bible says every single person is a sinner because we’ve all inherited a sinful nature from our original parents, Adam and Eve: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12). Since God hates sin (He is holy), He has to respond to it by separating Himself from us, which is the punishment His justice requires.

Out of His love for us, He provided a substitute, Jesus Christ, to take on our punishment to satisfy His justice. That process made grace available to us so that our sins can be forgiven. However, forgiveness is not automatic. In order to be forgiven, the person must acknowledge sin, repent, and plead for forgiveness. God then forgives on the basis of His grace. If a person never asks for forgiveness, he has by default elected to pay for his own sins through separation from God.

The Scriptures describe grace and justice like this: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God’s grace allows us to be forgiven to gain eternal life. On the other hand, if we don’t accept God’s grace, God’s justice will prevail, and the end result will be death—eternal separation from God after this life in hell.

To those who think their good deeds will come to their rescue, the Scriptures say, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things you have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9). If anyone got into heaven based on how much good they’d done, the world would never hear the end of their boasting. God took care of that. No boasting! If you want to go to heaven, repent of your sins and ask God for forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ who died in the place of sinners.

There are others who think there are other ways of getting into heaven. To those people, the Scriptures say, “I {Jesus} am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father {God} except through me” (John 14:6). This is very clear and straightforward; believe in the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved; do anything else, and you will not be saved!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

HOW TO OBTAIN GOD’S MERCY

 

Our first question should be, what is mercy? Mercy is defined as a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion; withholding punishment or judgment. So, in short, God’s mercy is His act of withholding the punishment our sins deserve.

What is sin, and why does God have to punish sins? Sin is an offense against God or a transgression or rebellion against His laws. He punishes sins because He is holy and just, and cannot let sin go unpunished. All of mankind needs God’s mercy because every last one of us is a sinner. We are sinners because “When Adam {our ancestor}, sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12).

It’s clear now that we inherited our sinful nature from Adam and Eve, and the judgment they experienced - separation from God - was also passed on to us. God threw them out of the beautiful Garden of Eden. From that time on, they had to fend for themselves (see Genesis 3). The judgment for our sin is also separation from God: both here and now and, after we leave this world, in hell. Hell is a big problem because what goes on there -- torment -- never ends!

God, out of His love and mercy made the way of escape for us; He put His Only Son, Jesus, through what we should justly go through, so that we won’t have to. Jesus, the Son of God, who had no sin, paid for our sins, thus freeing us from God’s wrath. God’s provision of a substitute is the demonstration of His mercy.

How do we experience this mercy and forgiveness? Jesus’ sacrifice doesn’t cover anyone’s sins automatically; we each have to individually ask for forgiveness. There are no family or group tickets; each person is on his own. We each have to admit to God in prayer that we’re sinners, confess our sins, and turn away from them. Once we do, we will receive mercy. “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).  

Anyone who makes a sincere confession is forgiven, and God’s Holy Spirit comes to indwell that individual, guiding and directing his relationship with God from that point forward. This process is called the new birth; God has adopted us into His family and Jesus our Savior is our big brother. The Scriptures tell us that “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Now that you have taken this step, you’ll need to grow in faith by feeding on the Word of God, the Bible: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness” (1 Peter 2:3). The Scriptures say you are a new person, so of course, your life will be much different from what it used to be if you allow the Word of God to guide and lead you. “Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Just as a newborn gradually learns to communicate, you need to get into the habit of communicating with your heavenly Father daily and often. Eloquence is not a requirement for praying; God knows your heart and what you want to say. How you say it is not a concern, instead, He wants you to pray in faith, not doubting: “When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

Do you have siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles? Do you ever get together with them and share life’s experiences? Well, guess what? God has placed you in His family of believers—the Church. Relate to them, get together, share experiences, and encourage each other. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17). And pray with and for each other.

Understand that God’s mercy goes beyond His forgiveness; it makes us citizens of His heaven! “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:3-5). God is good!

GET ON GOD’S GOOD SIDE!

 

Getting on someone’s good or bad side means doing things that cause that person to like or dislike you. Have you ever experienced either of these with anyone? When you are on someone’s good side, they love you and probably everything you stand for. But if you get on their bad side, watch out; they could destroy you in any way possible. The reasons someone might like or dislike you are based mostly on their assessment of you: whether correct or incorrect. Quite often, there is nothing you can do to get from a person’s bad side to his good side. But you know, God also has a good side and a bad side, but switching from the bad to the good side is possible and encouraged.

God is the Creator of the universe and He knows everything, including what’s in our hearts that nobody else knows. That makes His assessment of us humans completely accurate. His assessment and declaration of us are this: we are all sinners, born that way (see Psalm 51:5). That puts everybody on His bad side. He is a holy God and wants nothing to do with sin. If the sin is taken away, however, we will get on His good side. How can our sin be removed? God has a solution for that; He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place. His blood washes our sins away. He made provision for this because He loves us, “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

What we each has to do is admit to God that we are sinners and ask for forgiveness. He has promised to forgive if we confess our sins to Him: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all sin” (1 John 1:8-9). I have done that, and pray that you will do the same.

Meanwhile, I’ll give you an idea of what it is like to be on God’s bad side:

God is keeping His eye on everybody, including you (Prov 15:3).

God knows your heart (Prov 15:11).

God is angry with you every day (see Psalm 7:11).

God detests your sacrifices (see Proverbs 15:8).

He detests your ways (see Prov 15:9). 

God will pour out His anger on you if you don’t repent (see Hebrews 2:8-9).

Do any of these things concern you? I sure hope so, because they should. How can you not be concerned if God the creator is angry with you every single day? That’s frightening! You never know when He will bring judgment upon you in this life, but be sure that, after this life, you will remain on His bad side, and spend your forever life with the devil and his demons in hell (see Matthew 25:41).

As I indicated before, you don’t have to remain on God’s bad side; it is so easy to switch. Do this now and He will remove your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (see Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 8:12). You will become His child and He will be your father forever and ever. Please, don’t let this opportunity pass you by; you don’t know when your last breath will be. Take this seriously and get on God’s good side!

Please share.  Thank you!

GOD’S WORD IS ETCHED ON OUR HEARTS

 

Anyone, child or adult, who uses chalk on a chalkboard, pen or pencil on a notepad, or a word processor on a computer screen, also knows the importance of dusters, pencil erasers, ink erasers, whiteout, and the delete button. These products help us change our minds about what we previously wrote without anybody else finding out, whether due to a mistake or simply thinking differently.

There is one writing surface that is not that easy to erase. The back porch of the house where I currently live has the names and birth dates of the children who lived there before, etched in the cement. It probably never occurred to them that they might not live in that house forever. When something is etched in stone, it is very difficult, almost impossible, to alter. So even though they no longer live at this address, their names are still there.

God etched His commands in stone when the Israelites were in the wilderness (see Exodus 34:28). But that was not the first time God gave man His commands.  Prior to the Ten Commandments, He already had them on the tablets of our hearts, where they can never be altered or erased. Even those who have never read the Bible know right from wrong because of God’s law written on their hearts: their conscience lets them know each time they do one or the other (see Romans 2:14-15).

Mankind has been trying for years to alter these commands to suit the prevailing lifestyles but to no avail. One of the ways they’ve tried to alter the Word of God is by trying to alter their interpretation of it and accusing Christians of being stringent. Also, they think if they don’t acknowledge it, it won’t apply to them. What a waste of time and energy! Nothing we do can ever undo God’s command. We can choose to obey it or disregard it. Either way, we will be held accountable.

For us, the children of God, let’s know that obeying the commands of God has benefits, as stated in Proverbs: “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying” (Proverbs 3:1-2 NLT). As humans, we appreciate it when others relate to us in ways that assure or indicate to us that we are loved. Well, with God, obedience is our way of expressing our love to Him: “Loving God means keeping his commandments” (1 John 5:3). Let’s learn from the psalmist; he lovingly declares, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Child of God, are you taking His command seriously, or do you obey it only when it’s convenient for you?

The Bible teaches us that we miss blessings when we fail to obey His commands; the Israelites knew this so well, and Daniel expressed it when he prayed for his people. “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands” (Daniel 9:4 NLT).

God’s Word is written on our hearts and in the Bible: let’s read it, meditate on it, and obey it. Although that is our duty, He blesses us when we obey Him! 

ONLY YOUR BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD

 

            Why do people give gifts, and who decides the quality of the gift? What good is a gift if it’s not the giver’s best? What might be the giver’s motives for giving, and what might be his/her expectations for giving? In general, people give gifts as a way of expressing love, appreciation, friendship, and more. People give what they think is nice, usable, and acceptable, and they most likely expect a show of gratitude for their thoughtfulness.

God is Love, and He demonstrates His love by giving: “For this is how God loved the world; He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). Everything He gives is fueled by love, even when He reprimands us. If we, His children, have His nature (which we should), we should also give out of love and responsibility. God gave us His very best: His Son, Jesus Christ! Do we ever consider doing the same for Him? Do we know what He likes? God is a God of beauty and elegance. Giving to Him means giving to the work of the Church, other ministries, and, quite often, meeting the needs of others in His name (see Matthew 25:40). Only the best is good enough for God!

Child of God, how has the quality of your giving been? King David was prevented from building a temple for the Lord because he had fought too many wars. Instead, God appointed Solomon, son of David, to build the temple. David could have just given up and worked on other things, but instead, he started making preparations for the project. He wasn’t trying to be the first temple-builder in Israel. He wanted God’s temple to be jaw-dropping gorgeous, regardless of who built it; it had to be the best he could dream of. In his own words, “The temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world” (1 Chronicles 22:5 NLT). Only the best is good enough for God!

Once, when Jesus watched people put their offerings in the collection box in the Temple, He noticed a poor widow put in all her savings, two small coins. The rich, of course, put in more than the widow but Jesus was more impressed with the widow’s offering than that of the rich men. Let’s take note, God is more interested in the quality, and not the amount of our gifts (see Luke 21:1-4).  

Do you give God your leftovers, or what you have no need for? David once said, “I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24 NLT). God sees our hearts and our motives for giving. He blesses us as we give willingly, joyfully, and generously. It is good to remember that everything we have belongs to Him, and He’s able to take it all away at any time. Our attitude towards giving to God should be indicative of our love and reverence for Him. Like King David, let’s give God only our best because only that is good enough for Him. 

DEAR GOD, HELP: YOUR CHURCH IS DIVIDED!

 

The USA just went through a horrible election; the saddest thing I’ve experienced in almost forty-seven years. I have been sad, and I’m still sad. You might be wondering why the sadness. I see the Church divided into two factions: one for each political party! How sad! Both factions cannot be right in their views at the same time, but both could be wrong. Jesus’ call to us says nothing about which candidate or political party to follow; we need to stand for what is right and true, and that is Jesus. Men ultimately fail; only God doesn’t fail! Solomon, with all his wisdom, failed. I wonder how his followers reacted.

Neither candidate running for office is perfect, and let’s remember that God puts up kings, and also puts them down (see Daniel 2:21). God is not asleep; He knows exactly what’s going on. No nation or individual can act outside God’s control. He can allow it or prevent it; His will always prevails. We need to line up behind our leader, Jesus! The world can have fights and disagreements over issues but the Church shouldn’t. If both factions are listening to the voice of God, we should all be hearing the same thing. And if not, we need to sit together, pray, and discuss issues objectively and biblically. God knows the kind of person He needs at any given time to do His bidding. Let’s stop taking sides and resenting those who think differently from us! It is sad to hear one faction demonize the other; God’s heart must hurt over such behavior.    

If the apostle Paul were here in 2021, I’m sure he’d give this advice: “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, in thought and purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10). I’ll say we haven’t been of one mind in thought or purpose. If we had, our attitudes would be a lot different. The devil wants it like that, so he’ll do whatever he can to keep it that way. Let’s not allow the Church to be used to accomplish his evil purposes; let’s pray for grace to dialogue with each other in love, and God’s will and purpose to be accomplished for His glory.

If we put more time and effort into living right and sharing the gospel, we might not even have this issue to deal with. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (1 Chronicles 7:14). Our first and foremost charges as the Church are to live godly lives and go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the Lord’s commands (see Matthew 28:19-20). This should be a done deal because we are going in the power of the One who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth, and He promises to be with us.

I see our civil role in society as praying that the Lord will guide us to vote for the candidates He’d have us vote for, and then to accept the outcome as His will. We should then continue to pray that He will direct and use appointed leaders in ways that help us lead quiet and peaceful lives marked by godliness and dignity (see 1 Timothy 2:2). Let’s be vigilant, and educate ourselves with what’s going on in society and government, so we can intercede as needed. There are many areas of life we need to pray about, like making godly policies, demanding justice for all, and the like. May God help us to faithfully accomplish our role to bring about peace.

Oh, Lord, help; Your church is divided over issues that You have under control. Please help us forgive each other; please help us heal and continue to seek Your peace on earth. Thank You!