This Is Not A Test

Wednesday, ‎September 20, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Joel 2:23 People of Zion, shout with joy and happiness in the Eternal, your God; The drought is over; He has sent the early autumn rain as a sign of His faithfulness. He has poured down heavy rain, autumn and spring, as before.

Memory verse: Philippians 4:8 ►Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Today's reading: ECCLESIASTES 4-6 2 CORINTHIANS 12

This Is Not A Test

There is no test to get into God's kingdom. There is no quest we must complete to get into God's graces. There is no price God demands we pay. God asks us for nothing-except that we give up everything and come to Him with nothing.

Psalm 62:11 ESV

Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

There is no earthly wisdom that God requires. God has all wisdom and will give each of us what we need. All the degrees in theology or education or church history will never bring anything to God He does not already know. He is the origin of truth and knowledge. He gave us intelligence so we could make it in this world.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

God does not require us to conquer the world or any part of it to be admitted into His kingdom. Jesus conquered death on the cross for us. There is nothing more to be done to provide for our admission into God's kingdom.

2 Chronicles 20:15b ... the battle is not yours, but God's.

There is no amount of currency or form of wealth that God desires. It all belongs to Him. We cannot pay a price as one would buy a bus ticket. God's forgiveness holds no charge for us. God simply wants us to come to Him in truth and humility. You cannot wrap up a pound of truth in transparent paper of humility and present it to God.

Hosea 6:6 “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.

God wants nothing that He has created in this world nor does He desire anything made by the hands of man. He wants us. God wants us to come to Him and confess our sins in truth and humility.

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Yes, once we are born of God's spirit we must seek Him and His kingdom and practice what we call stewardship-time, money, work-all of it is His. But the lost world around us needs to know that God desires nothing except us. We cannot obligate God to us by how much money we give or 'good' works we do.

They need to know that God's heart breaks for them as they strive to 'follow their hearts' and 'find their own way'. Think of those two phrases in God's way. We must follow God's heart. This is not a test. We must find God's own way-it is not hidden.

Proverbs 14:12 ►There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

This is foolishness to the lost.

1 Corinthians 1:18 ► the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

God wants us who believe to truly love the lost with His real love.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive my shallow understanding and teach me how to reach the lost for You.

Loving and true God.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen