Question: When did God change?

Answer: He hasn’t. (Mal.3:6; Heb. 13:8)

Which means we need to come to terms with the fact that the ‘New Testament God’ we believers claim to love, know, serve, and follow...is the same God we were introduced to in the OT as our creator.(Gen. 1:26-27; Jer. 1:5).

And the ‘same God’ from way back then, who warned Adam and Eve that eating from a particular tree He told them not to eat from would ‘surely’ lead to imminent death (Gen. 2:17)...is the ‘same God’ of the NT who tell us that sin still leads to death, along with other unpleasant consequences. (John 5:14; Rom. 6:23; 8:13; Luke 13:1-5)

Friends...let me assure you that the sooner you are able to lay aside, if even for only a brief moment, some of your personal pre-conceived ideas and man-made doctrines, and simply examine more insight from God’s word, the sooner your understanding of the author of these scriptures… could alter your life in tremendous ways. But again, you need to ask Him to bear witness and confirm to you that these things I share are truth. (Acts 17:11; John 16:12-13; 1 John 2:27) As I like to say, these are ‘His’ words, and not mine.

I continue to make the case that many in the church world today have either ‘fallen asleep’ (Matt. 25:5; Rom. 13:11; Eph. 5:14-15) or have fallen into deception through a slew of ‘other gospels’ that Paul warned might happen (2 Cor. 11:3-4; Gal. 1:6-9). How often are we admonished to ‘be not deceived’ throughout the NT writings? (Matt. 24:4-5; James 1:16; Eph. 5:5-6)

As you allow the Spirit of His mercy and grace to arouse you from your slumber, it will be akin to waking up from a deep sleep and realizing you are in the middle of a ‘war’ and under attack; but you need not fear...yet...since His plan is to lead, guide, and protect you. Better late, than never though...right?

So with that being said, along with yesterday’s message in mind, let’s proceed on to our study to better understand the ‘ways of God’. Early on, we learn of God’s promises to those who enter into covenant with Him...that He is our provider, our healer, our protector...our ‘all in all’. And with all these promises of blessings...come ‘conditions’. He wants our whole heart surrendered in obedience to Him. And may I state for the record...it is for our benefit...that we do what He ask of us. Why bother calling Him ‘Lord, Lord’, if we are not going to do what He says? (Luke 6:46;14:33; Heb. 5:9; Deut. 28)

Do you know why we have all this history recorded in the OT? Paul said, after reviewing just a brief snippet of it in 1 Cor. 10... that these things were ‘written down for our warning and example’ (6,11). And one of the first things that becomes apparent as we dive off into the OT...is that God’s beloved people...had a habit of disregarding what He asked or instructed them to do. Do you know what else we learn from all this history? True to His word, God allows them to fall and be ‘taken captive’ because of their refusal and unwillingness to obey Him. In other words, they end up in bondage and suffer needlessly. God really means what He says. (Hosea 4:6)

Who did Jesus come to save? Those who ‘sat in darkness’ (Luke 1:79; John 3:36). Now take a look at Ps. 107:10-11 and note how those who sat in the ‘shadow of death...bound in affliction and irons’...ended up that way. (11). And time and time again...guess how God delivers them? (see vs. 14, 20)- “He sent His word...and healed them”.

Who is...the ‘Word’ according to John 1:1,14? And what did God anoint Jesus to do, according to Luke 4:18 and Acts 10:38? So I ask again...when did God change?

Now the question we need to examine is why do God’s people continue to end up ‘afflicted, bound, and even ‘destroyed’ despite all the promises we read about in our beloved Bible? (Hosea 4:6; John 5:14; Luke 13: 3,5) Why does the ‘enemy’ continue to prevail despite how proficient we have become at quoting verses and singing declarations over and over ...thinking that is the ‘cure all’? Join me tomorrow...and I’ll point out more scripture, from both the OT and the NT...Lord willing, of course.