and the One who walks with me on it.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

My People are Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge- Part 1

     Last I saw, the church pews were filled with all the same people I’m used to seeing, so they haven’t been destroyed yet. What on earth could this be about? Reading one verse at a time in the Bible can be dangerous because you might think it’s about one thing when in context it is about something entirely different. Take care to read the surrounding verses.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge*. Because you have rejected *knowledge… Hs. 4:6  (…knowledge of God... Hs. 4:1)
     *H1847- daath- knowledge, perception, discernment, understanding
     *H3988- maas- reject, despise, refuse

     So we see here the people are God’s people (specifically Israel) who are going to be ‘rejected’ and ‘forgotten’ by God because they have done the same to Him. They didn’t know and understand God enough to truly understand just how vile their lifestyles of sin were to Him- or they wouldn’t behave that way, right? We don’t behave sinfully, do we…

All of our spiritual lives are destroyed when we lack/ reject knowledge of God. Here are some common beliefs many have wrong:

Jehovah is God, Allah is God, they are the same God.
     LIE!
Allah cannot be a father and cannot have a son: he shares his name with no one. Jesus was created by Allah, was his messenger, and did not die on the cross. All good Muslims know these things as fundamental to their faith.

Christianity is: Jesus is God in the beginning, is also God the Father’s Son in the flesh (Jh. 1:1,18,29) Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1Cr. 15:3,4) and only through Jesus can we have eternal life. (Jh. 3:16; 14:6)
(Jesus said) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. Jh. 17:21
(Muslims will never use Jehovah or Jesus to call on their God.)

As long as I believe in Jesus, do good things and/ or go to church I’m a Christian.
     LIE!
We are all sinners, none are righteous or good, and for that we all deserve death. God loves us enough He sent Jesus to die for our sins, therefore we must confess Jesus as our Lord (Master), believe God raised Him from the dead, and call upon His name which will lead to repentance. (Rm. 3:23; 10-18; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9,13; 2:4)
(Jesus said) If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Lk. 9:23

Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. (…love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control… Gl 5:22,23) Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness! Mt. 7:20-23