Gtcotr/ss111024
Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day in the USA. I want to recognize each and every veteran and say a special thank you from a grateful nation.
Our nation has been blessed by God. Not because God agrees with us and wants to reward us but rather because God loves us and wants to give us an opportunity to repent and serve Him with our whole heart.
The life story of Saul of Tarsus from the book of Acts:
You can be sincere and yet be sincerely wrong.
Saul genuinely believed Jesus and His followers were a menace to society and that they were going to hurt the people and destroy the nation. Show me the hurt. That’s what Jesus told those who crucified Him. “For which good work do you want to kill me?” The Church was there to help people.
Vicious lies of the enemy and rumors spread by those who believed the lies were causing riots and violence in the streets. Good people were being taken to court, put into prison, and some even killed for believing in Jesus.
All it took for Saul of Tarsus to see the light was one encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. He realized those things he had been believing were simply not true. Jesus was not the bad guy, those who hated Jesus were the ones causing all the trouble and doing all the damage.
Saul’s Damascus road encounter opened his eyes, challenged his beliefs and changed his life forever. Saul of Tarsus, enemy of Jesus and the Church, became Paul the servant of God, Apostle of Jesus, and preacher of the Word of the Lord.
You can read all about that divine encounter in Acts 9. Please take time to read the whole account … it shows us how close someone can be to the truth without knowing it … until suddenly they see it.
God saved Paul, not as a reward to say He agreed with Paul, but as an opportunity for Paul to change. God did not give Paul a “high-five” for his past choices and dedication to his beliefs, rather God gave Paul a thumbs down for what he had been doing and told Paul he needed to change his mind and change his ways. Somebody was praying for Paul and God’s divine intervention was Paul’s chance to change. And now it is ours …
Titus 1 NKJV
1 ¶ Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
Paul describes himself in three ways:
In all of Paul’s preaching and through his writings, many of which we still have and read today, Paul shines a light on the truth. Paul confirms there are three things we will never hear God say. We will never hear God say:
There is always something you can do to please God and make things better. It’s called doing what is right. And, what is right is decided by what is right in the eyes of God and not just what the University professors, the mainstream media, professional preachers, or political leaders say.
God always knows what to do and He has already written it in His Word.
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”
God cares and He has more invested in our lives and more interest in our nation than anyone else. God knows your name and the challenges you face in everyday life. You can put your hope in Him because He cares.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
“Sorry guys … I didn’t know what I was talking about.” Nope! Ain’t gonna happen. First of all, God is always right.
God cannot lie and He is never wrong. You may not feel that way. Some people believe they are smarter than God. Others feel God made a mistake by allowing evil to run its course. Yet the Bible says, and history proves that God has a plan; He will succeed; and we have a chance to participate.
There is a difference between opinion and truth, and we should not accept feelings for fact. God was here before you got here, and He will be here after you leave. The foundation of our lives should stand a foundation more stable than emotion can manufacture. You may feel one way is best today and a completely different way is best tomorrow. God however is always right. He never changes.
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change; …
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Truth is not determined by a show of hands. Truth is not a popularity contest. Truth is not a poll driven ideology. Truth does not depend on emotional support.
When we walk with God and hold His Word as our guide for life, we will begin to feel the way He feels, and our opinions will begin to be shaped to agree with the truth. The Apostle Paul called that transformation as the renewing of the mind.
Realizing and accepting that God is always right is one of the first steps to becoming a servant of God. This one step will plant a seed of peace in your mind that surpasses all understanding.
Our nation has been blessed by God. Not because God agrees with us and wants to reward us but rather because God loves us and wants to give us an opportunity to repent and get it right.
Let’s all recognize this opportunity as the divine intervention it is and give thanks to God for the chance we have been given.
If you are not already a born-again Believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the World, you can make the decision to invite Jesus into your heart today. Wouldn’t it be horrible to believe a lie and be deceived about this life and eternity?
If I am wrong and you invite Jesus into your heart it really won’t matter in a few years. However, if I am right … this is a train you don’t want to miss.
Take the time to consider your heart and not just what you’ve been told. Is God speaking to your heart? What is He saying to you? Invite Him in and take the chance you are being given. He loves you, He cares, and He knows exactly what you should do.
Let’s pray.
