God in His amazing grace is always making a way for us. Now before we go on, it is important to understand that amazing grace does not mean live however you want and then expect God to bless. Adam and Eve lost the garden because of their disobedience. Saul lost his kingdom because he refused to obey. Solomon had most of the kingdom stripped away because he did not obey. Israel was vomited from the land because they did not obey just as God said. Don’t kid yourself as we still serve the same God who expects the same from us. The amazing grace is not a gift so that you can continue a life of sin or God overlooking your apathy. The grace of God is that even though we deserve death and should all be destroyed because of our disobedience, his amazing love makes a way for us to continue in His presence but we must repent. We are seeing Romans 1:32 in our day. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Jesus Christ is our way out but you must follow his way, his truth and his life not your way, your truth or your life and you will be judged accordingly.
Judges is a good example of this. Judges 10:10 “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. 16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
Sadly today’s church is this way as they continue to follow their own way but expect God to bless them. It is hard to see because what many are doing in the church looks like it could be from God but in the end it is just a 2 Timothy 3:5 “form of godliness but denying its power.” When you talk about miracles, signs and wonders as confirmation of God’s presence, it is a foreign subject for most even though scripture is very specific about this. You also have to watch for false signs wonders healings in those that do believe. We must worship in Spirit and in truth. Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” This is so foreign to the North American church that it seems wrong. The truth of the matter is that once again another generation has grown up like the last one who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. I can say this because all you have to do is look at scripture and there is a huge discrepancy in the church and in God’s word. They do not look the same. Once again there is nothing wrong with God’s word but the problem lies in man who has turned away from God’s word to follow their own word.
The amazing grace through all of this is that God will always make a way as long as we follow his way. Back when Samuel was born Eli was the priest, but in disobedience his family lost the priesthood. Then God said in 1 Samuel 2:35 “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.” God expects us to search for his truth wholeheartedly. Jesus said in Luke 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” The modern church has changed its motto from narrow and hard to wide and easy. This path will lead to destruction. In order for us to once again take the land we must believe again in the whole counsel of God not just the parts we like.
