How REAL is GOD to you?

This third installment in the Do You Trust GOD series will deal with how well we grasp the concept of having GOD in our lives and whether or not we are willing to accept the truth about what that means...Truth Is...

Sadly, the concept of GOD is more a novelty than a reality; they really don't get it. GOD is very real as are his requirements of us...Truth Is...

The problem is with the way people think today, they are absolutely convinced that obedience to GOD"s way is debatable. This in it's own self is rebelliousness that can and will seal your true fate,; but they also believe they can dictate to GOD what HE will accept. Let's look at some examples:

1) The celebration and recognition of Christmas...there are a plethora of facts both historical and biblical that Christmas has absolutely NOTHING to do with Jesus, added to this is the equally abundant historical proof that this is a holiday observed thousands of years before Christ even walked the earth, and it is fact that it is in celebration of Nimrod, the king of Babylon that defied GOD. Yet, every year people go deep into debt buying and spending, especially for their children, and thus passing this pagan observance on to their offspring and teaching them to insult and disrespect GOD and his son also...

How do you have the nerve to tell GOD that even though you KNOW this is a pagan celebration, that you are going to observe it anyway, and even worse, you are going to bring it boldly into the place that you worship him! Then you will ask or insist that HE bless, guide, and protect you and yours, simply because you feel it's only right and HE promised.

Let me right now dismiss that one: GOD did make certain promises, but they were first to the people of Israel and contingent upon their obedience to his will fully; then later reinforced by Jesus's ministry for the "New Israelites" as it were, but with that very same contingency in place with the added duty of spreading the ministry to others worldwide. If you think you today are a "spiritual Israelite", then that contingency applies to you. That is negated the very moment you worship Nimrod and celebrate Christmas and even pass that on to your children.

To be clearer, say your child is murdered; would you take the day his murderer was born and celebrate it, and then to justify doing so you say you are "honoring your child? Of course you would not. But that is exactly what you are doing to GOD. Worshiping any god/man is disgusting enough to GOD and is also influence by GOD's enemy, Satan. The worship/reverence of Nimrod(who again defied GOD) is in fact influenced by Satan.

2) The allowance and acceptance of homosexuality in the church. There is no question(if you actually read the bible), that homosexuality is an abomination and disgusting as well as an insult to GOD who did not create us with that purpose. To see churches allow homosexual pastors, accept openly and non-repentant( please note I said "Non-repentant) and actively homosexual members, and even debate condoning it in the church is above and beyond absurd and outright disrespect for GOD.

3) The Lack of real and active participation in evangelism. In Matthew chapter 28 the very last thing Jesus said before ascending to heaven was to "Go Ye therefor and preach, teach..." etc. He did not say this was to be done solely by the pastors or any designated group within the congregation, but everyone. He did not say do it only on occasion, or to pick a specific date, but as denoted by the efforts and actions of the first century Christian congregation, our "Template" as it were, this was to be done regularly and fervently. Participation in the choir, deacon or deaconess board, usher board, etc, is not an exclusionary "out" of/for this responsibility. That is a major problem also, people are happy to allow someone else to be responsible for their salvation. They do not wish to belabor them self with reading the bible personally and learning for themselves as instructed in scripture, they are content to take the "easy" route and believe that attending church service is enough to "pacify" GOD...

The fact and trend of telling GOD what HE will accept and still provide for you is no surprise given the fact that many parents allow their children to do the same to them!

4) The biggest and most important point is that of LOVE. We are told in scripture that without genuine love for others beyond our on family and circle of friends, there is no way to please GOD. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is complete and replete in bearing this out and explaining it doesn't matter WHAT you do in presenting our self as a "Lover" of GOD, if the feeling of sincere compassion, concern for the true welfare of, and empathy for other people is not deeply embedded into our very being, all else that we do is for naught and worthless. Yet we spend our time looking down at the less fortunate, coldly telling ourselves that they had the same opportunities that we did, and also are unwilling to part with the things that give out own lives so much comfort in order to aid others who lack them. Walking or riding past a person in dead of winter with no coat moves us to shake our head or simply look away, when our true response should be to take off our coat and give it to them; to take them to a restaurant and buy them a HOT meal(not can goods); to take them at the very least to a second-hand store and purchase a warmer coat and other attire. You undoubtedly have families or even an individual in your church that could use the very same thing; and you DON"T need the approval of your pastor to do this. Many believe they should leave it to the church, but this just is not so.

Again to make my point clearer: Suppose you had a retarded family member, would you not still love them and provide for them and wish everyone else did the same? Well, the less fortunate, the homeless, the poor, even the addict(s) have lives that have been retarded by whatever it is that may have made things as they are, yet they are still family, YOUR family, children of our Heavenly FATHER. Remember, we are not judged by what we do, but by what we do not do.

If GOD is real to you, then not only are his promises real, but the things that HE says in his word that HE expects of us is VERY real also. The moment you try to justify not adhering to these requirements you are in a position of opposing GOD's will, bottom line. There are no exceptions to what HE requires.

If you have a problem adhering, or accepting and doing what GOD says, think about this: HE is such a wonderful and magnanimous being that you can actually talk to him and TELL him you have a problem with it, and ask him to help you to comply, to help you accept it, and keep the resolve that you are willing to do whatever it takes to please him. THAT is showing how REAL GOD is to you...Truth Is...