Are You GODs Friend?
Is Believing in GOD Enough?
Many people today feel that as long as you believe in God and pray to jesus, everything is ok and you God's approval...are yiu you one of them? If so, you are so far from the truth...Truth Is...
For one, we were instructed to pray in Jesus' name TO GOD, not Jesus...
Second, you've all heard the scripture that says: "Faith without works is dead..."; ok? But there's much more to it that that. Let's go there to James chapter 2 verses 17-23...Stop at verse 19:"Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble..." Belief in GOD is nowhere near enough if you are sincerely trying to please, serve, or even worship him. Didn't the Israelites that worshiped pagan gods and were then led off into captivity believe in God? Their heritage would seemingly require more than a cursory belief given the fact that their ancestors were led through the desert by a pillar of fire, given a food never seen before or after, and myriad other miracles that brought them to the place they were. Yet, they rebelled anyway...Belief is NOT enough
Next, lets look at the fact that God has always set forth what HE would do for his people, yet HE also told them what HE would not tolerate, to Moses HE gave the "Blessings and the Malediction" oratory. Again as I often cite,Isaiah 1:11-17 tells you that praying and going to church just isn't enough, and that you could be doing that, consistently and GOD totally refuses to hear your prayers or accept your worship. But let's go to read verse 18:"Come now, let's reason together saith the Lord; Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;" again that's the type of thing they like to talk about , tell you about, and preach in church. But here's where they start slipping, verse 19:"IF ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land..." They never really give a lot of attention to the "IF" part of GOD's promises, just mainly the promises part,huh?
Let's go on to verse 20:"But if ye refuse and rebel; ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it..."Wow, if GOD spoke it i guess HE means it, huh? Then WHY don't they spend at the very least, an equal amount of time teaching, preaching and talking about the consequences of not following GOD's instructions?!!!
Instructions are a set way of going about a task, performing a duty, assembling an item or object, or set of rules, regulations, and procedures to follow. When one follows instructions, there is no room for ad lib, or doing things YOUR way; that can only result in things going wrong, or falling apart. GOD gives specific instructions and we are to follow them whether we like it or now, simple as that! If you REALLY believe that GOD has your best answers, and your best interest then it's BEST that you follow his instructions the way HE sets them forth.
We caught up in attempting to soften GOD;s requirements and our obligations to him in order to appease those who are too weak minded to simply ask him for strength to obey, or they are too self serving and thus unwilling to do things GOD;s way because it means sacrificing things they hold too dear to give up or even risk it.
Go back to James chapter 2 and read verses 21-23. Here we find Abraham went so far as to actually offer his son Isaac as a living sacrifice to GOD, NOT because he wanted to, What father or parent would WANT to take their child's life? Much less their only child? But GOD told Abraham to do it, so he didn't hesitate to obey, he TRUSTED GOD! Because of that trust, he was and still is the ONLY human to ever be called GOD;s friend...(That song is a lie, HE does NOT call you friend).
So faith without works is dead, and TRUST is faith at work! Remember that...
Think about how tortured Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, to the point that when praying he told GOD:"Not my will, but yours..."; yes, even though he knew why he came and what he came to do and go through, Jesus at some point got so attached to his disciples that he didn't really want to leave them. But it was GOD;s will that he do leave and thus he surrendered to GOD's will above his own, even to the point of death...Truth Is...
How about you? Are you willing to give up that church you go to where all your friends are, but they really don't TEACH the full doing of GOD's will but focus on blessings and prosperity? How about are you ready willing and able give up going out to dinner and shopping so much to REALLY help others less fortunate, including those NOT in your family and circle of friends? ARE you ready to get off your butt and evangelize like Jesus told ALL of us to do?
If you are NOT willing and able to do what GOD tells you to do ESPECIALLY when it means giving up your comforts and goes against your own reasoning, then you are NOT GOD's friend...Truth IS...
