God still dwells amongst His children

The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence among his people, and His pure holiness. Though the actual ark is lost , today sadly we have lost what it represented as well.

We have lost the sense of God's holy presence among His people. Nothing is sacred anymore. Sexual immortality, and a culture of death rule our airways for ratings, ordinary people, politicians and celebrities mock God openly by words and deeds. We have lost almost all reverence of God that is critical to our very survival.

God dwells within His children, we are to have the same respect and awe of God as Israel had for the Ark of the Covenant, but like Israel we have almost lost it,we need to bring back the awe of God to our land, to recover our sense of the sacred.

We must repent, confessing our sin to the living God who makes ethical requirements of us. When we return to Him with our whole heart, acknowledging His authority over us.

Then we must remove the foreign gods from among us. That's right. "Little-g" deities like the god of comfort, the god of beauty, the god of gain and ease and activity all of these must go if the awe of God is to return. Then we are to serve God only, and God alone. He is not to be just a part of our lives, but our entire lives, He is to be involved in every endeavor, every relationship, every dream and desire.

Romans 14:7-9, 11-12 HCSB For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

What is truth?

Absolute Truth has been declared politically incorrect, morality is defined by politicians instead of God in our society today.

But there is a cry today in out families, our churches, and our communities for moral authority.

We need to turn back to the Bible , the Bible is and always has been the source to which we can look and say with confidence, "This is right," or "This is wrong."

You and I need authority in our lives.
And as we live among foriegners, we need it more than ever. I believe the Bible the Word of God is that authority we need. It is infallible. Even if others who call themselves brothers or sisters fall away we who believe must be steadfast and immovable when it comes to God's word. It's precepts give us a place to stand, and a foundation for right living that is unshakeable and true.

2Timothy  3:1-7, 9, 12-17 HCSB
But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people! For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also. In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Stations on the road to freedom

Fear is a prison we are held captive in by choice, fear is the enemy of faith.

This from a sermon Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached about being free of fear.

" No one has yet believed in God and the kingdom of God, nor has one  yet heard about the realm of the resurrected and not been homesick from that hour, waiting and looking forward joyfully to being released from bodily existence.

Whether we are young or old makes no difference. What are twenty or thirty or fifty years in the sight of God? And which of us knows how near he or she is to the goal?

That life really only begins when it ends here on earth, that all here is only the prologue before the curtain goes up-that is for the young and the old alike to think about.

Why are we so afraid when we think about death?

Death is only dreadful for those who live in dread and fear of it.
Death is not wild and terrible, if only we can be still and hold fast to God's word.

Death is not bitter, if we have not become bitter ourselves death is grace, the greatest gift of grace that God gives to people who believe in Him. Death is mild, death is sweet, it beckons us with heavenly power, if only we realize that it is the gateway to our homeland, the tabernacle of joy, the everlasting Kingdom of peace.

How do we know that dying is so dreadful?

Who knows whether, in our human fear and anguish we are only shivering and shuddering at the most glorious, heavenly, blessed event in the world?

Death is hell and night and cold, if it is not transformed by our faith. But that is just what is so marvelous that we can transform death."

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 HCSB

Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh  and blood  cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up  in victory.   Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?   Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin  is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work,  knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Do not be decieved

In our America deception has become the norm, very few seek the truth. We feel by denying the truth we are somehow not going to be held accountable for knowing it. 

Those who call themselves Christians are by far living by this standard, it comes down to spiritual pride. The same thing that Judah and Israel suffered from believing God would not punish them like the world for they are His chosen people.

Be not deceived God is not mocked whatever a man sows he shall reap.
Is what God says.

The hardest to reach sometimes is those who are spiritual prideful who go to church and think they are good. But like Israel and Judah God knows our hearts. He is giving warnings to the church first in America, before judgment.

Jeremiah 9:1-6 HCSB

If my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people. If only I had a traveler’s lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people. They bent their tongues like their bows; lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land, for they proceed from one evil to another, and they do not take Me into account. This is the Lord ’s declaration. Everyone has to be on guard against his friend. Don’t trust any brother, for every brother will certainly deceive, and every friend spread slander. Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to speak lies; they wear themselves out doing wrong. You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know Me. This is the Lord ’s declaration.

The dark hours

The hour is late. Our nation is, in the the clutches of the days of Noah. We can no longer sit back comfortably and say, "There's always been a crisis in the world. Today is no different. Our society will go on, and our country is basically strong." Those who do so are only kidding themselves. 

We are at a late hour in our history. We are nearer to the coming of our Lord than we have ever been before. His return is the last great event yet to come before the curtain of time is brought down. In this world of darkness, we are to be a light to those around us. Only God knows the hour, and His return is certain and irreversible.

As in the days of Noah God is leaving the door of the Ark open, He let it stay open 7 days after it was completed and the animals and Noah and his family were on board. None entered , none believed until God shut the door and the water fell from the sky and rose from the earth. Then they all believed but it was too late. Don't wait another day, to enter into the glory of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 7:4-5, 7, 10 HCSB

Seven days from now I will make it rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights, and I will wipe off from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.” And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him. So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives entered the ark because of the waters of the flood. Seven days later the waters of the flood came on the earth.

Luke 17:22-27 HCSB

Then He told the disciples: “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. They will say to you, ‘Look there! ’ or ‘Look here! ’ Don’t follow or run after them. For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: People went on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Christianity or Religion

Religion is discovered, Christianity is revealed, the revelation of Christianity is that we become like Christ and our lives reflect the very essence of who He is.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 HCSB

But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this?

For we are not like the many who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

The culture, the ark and the Bible

God’s grace is great and extended to mankind, this is true but His grace is not extended forever . God has had enough and His wrath is being poured out righteously with His  judgment too those who have rejected Him. Our call as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father is to share with mankind His love, His truths, His coming again. The job of mankind is either except Him or reject Him, but either way their choice is made and God is sovereign over them.

Rom 1:18-32 -18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

You see the key words starting out here are "The Wrath of God is revealed"

We can see around us what God's wrath is, the depravity of mankind. Man is turned over to his own wicked desires evil has become good and good evil. When you read through these verses you see the wrath of God and the consequences of man's rebellion. 

We can look back at the account of Noah as see how God works. While reading the account of Noah: God has brought some details to mind that are easily overlooked, because we are not reading about them they are lost in the flood if you will.

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ... 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. ... 17 "And behold, I Myself am bringing flood waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark--you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. ... 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. ... 4 "For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made." 5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him. ... 10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.

Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

You've probably read the story of Noah over and over but when you put it with the words of Jesus in Matthew , there is a new light shining on them. You see Noah lived in wicked times, so wicked that God was not happy with mankind and destroyed them except for Noah and his family, but what you don’t see is Noah engaging the culture, he didn't get sucked into the name calling, the backbiting, the games the world plays, he just did what God told him to do, as a matter of fact the Bible says twice that “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. “

Are we to do the same? Yes!

Noah figured out that what God said was going to happen, and even though he had never seen rain or knew what it was he built the ark according to the directions God gave him. It took him over 100 years to build the ark day and night he was faithful God. We know he was ridiculed and laughed at for his obedience but the Bible says “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. “

Don’t stop reading yet and think I have thrown in the towel on standing up for what is right, I haven’t God has just said to me to approach things His way and not mine, and it is not easy to do in this culture when you see death coming to those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

God’s way is above our ways and Noah knew this, he preached while they built the ark to all who would listen, the Bible said he found grace with God and was considered righteous in the eyes of God, and he was a preacher. Jesus said the culture was one of drunkenness and foolishness and people only cared for themselves they lived life as they wanted without God.

And we see that today in our society more and more, the irony is this:  man is foolish and rebels against God always has and will because we are slaves to sin, before Christ calls us and sets us free. We have no free will until Christ gives it too us. Without Christ we are held in bondage and have no way of escape, after Christ is in us we do have the choice to not sin.

But when man sins it is because of our nature, but when we try to override the laws of God, the law of morality we are saying that we are above God, that our ways are greater and we have crossed a line that God will not tolerate.

When politicians live in immorality today and promote a culture of greed through laziness telling the masses we will provide for you, when politicians say it is okay to murder children and destroy the lives of women by the millions through abortion and they try to legislate marriage as an open act to whomever we please, man with man woman with woman we have trampled on the words of God and have set ourselves to be god and God says He is a jealousy God and will not tolerate idolatry.

When the serpent came too Eve in the garden remember what he said

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

See verse 5 for God knows you will be like Him, and from that first bite of deception mankind has wanted to be god,  the devil has deceived us into his own lie where he says he will raise his throne above God’s and be seated, and mankind has been drawn in.

We need to be as Noah, and don’t fight the world,  that is what they want to show everyone that we are hateful bigots serving a bigot for a God, even though that is not truth they use all the can to deceive one another into believing their own lies.

There are churches out there that have embraced the world’s philosophy, and excepts whatever comes their way as truth, some do it for money, some do it for numbers, but all do it for their father the devil who is the father of lies.

The Bible says this

2 Corinthians 3 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. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!

And run we should, we should stay busy like Noah doing what God tells us, and when history is written may it be said of us  “Thus we did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. “

One day soon Jesus is coming back, those who are His disciples will leave with Him and never face the judgment of God, and those who have rejected and mocked God will face the fury of a righteous God whose anger will burn against them forevermore for they have condemned themselves already.

Just for a quick side note here also, you see in chapter 7 of Genesis the Bible says twice that God left the door of the ark open 7 days before He shut it waiting for anyone else to join Noah and his family, no one came and the population of the earth was wiped away except Noah and his family.

When Jesus breaks the sky and calls us home there will be 7 years of tribulation God will receive unto Himself all those who persevere through this time of judgment and receive Him into their lives.

If you don’t know who Jesus is, or if you’re not sure what it means to be forgiven and set apart and receive Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior you can, it will not be an easy road many claim to be followers of Christ but few are.

But know this we are all sinners and fallen short of the glory of God, but yet while we are sinners Christ died for us, and in His death and resurrection He gives us life, abundantly and eternally for all those that call upon His name, and confess Him as Lord and Savior. Christ alone is our way to God the Father. Once we are in Him, and He in us, we are forever His, nothing can separate us one day He will return and call us home, what a day that will be. Ask Jesus to change you confess to Him you have sinned we all have,  believe in your heart and mind and confess Him before your family friends and wherever you go and you shall be saved.