"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;" Isaiah 1:2.
"Hath God said..."( Genesis 3:1) is the seed of rebellion planted by the enemy in the minds of people.
This seed produces the fruit of rebellion and ingratitude towards God.
This seed produces the fruit of rebellion and ingratitude towards God.
Right from the beginning of human existence, the rebellious souls have been quick to accuse God and to question God's mercy and goodness.
Adam : " Dear God, Why did you give me this woman?" True , I was alone but definitely , I was not lonely.
Do You see the upheavals and chaos Eve has caused now?
Do You see the upheavals and chaos Eve has caused now?
Eve :"Dear God, it wasn't me ! Someone created this wicked being called the Devil . That someone was not me .
Instead of locking Satan up and throwing away the key , why was he allowed to roam about freely , even to enter inside our beautiful garden ?!
Instead of locking Satan up and throwing away the key , why was he allowed to roam about freely , even to enter inside our beautiful garden ?!
And by the way, what was the tempting, delicious fruit doing on the Tree ? "
How easily and how quickly human beings choose to forget the goodness and mercies of God!
The children of Israel went on a futile journey to the Promised Land , going round and round , back and forward and then back to their starting point ; they roamed in a pathetic circle for 40 years in the wilderness ,because they rebelled against their God.
The children of Israel went on a futile journey to the Promised Land , going round and round , back and forward and then back to their starting point ; they roamed in a pathetic circle for 40 years in the wilderness ,because they rebelled against their God.
One would expect people who had witnessed first-hand miracles and the awesome deliverance of Jehovah ; to appreciate the difference between Heaven-sent manna and quails and the flesh pots of Egypt !
"And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:3.
Rebellion in the face of challenges is vintage Homo Sapient behaviour.
Even today FOOD and the search for it is big "politics" with some people.
At the slightest sign of challenges and obstacles , ungrateful souls are very quick to rebel , to jump ship , abandon God and go seeking for help from all kinds of gods.
Accusations of incompetence flow from the lips of the ungrateful soul who in the thick of life's afflictions chose to forget that the same God who delivered yesterday has not changed .
He is the same , yesterday , even today and tomorrow.
"Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?" Exodus 14:11.
" For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." Exodus 32: 23.
One has to first recognise the mercy of God , before being able to appreciate the joy of being alive; healthy and bubbling with zeal and zest .
MInds filled with gratitude would give praise and thanksgiving to God.
Rebellion warps the human mind and clouds the reasoning faculties.
Eyes blinded by grief and hearts numbed by pain and disappointments cannot see anything good and cannot meditate on the mercy of God .
Ingratitude causes an unending circle of woe .
‘Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter “What are you making?
”Does your work say, “The potter has no hands”? Isaiah 45:9 ( NIV )
Life for such persons is one continuous self-defeatist cycle of Ingratitude which begins with Bitterness then unto Rebellion - Blasphemy - Sin - Sorrow - Despair- Defeat ; and then back to more bitterness and the circle goes on and on.
As it was in the past , so it is today.
Instead of appreciating the mercy of God , millions of rebellious people are blaming God for every evil under the sun.
Some people speak out rebellious words ;but others keep their rebellious questions inaudible ;harboured and hidden in the secret recesses of their minds .
Ingratitude causes an unending circle of woe .
‘Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter “What are you making?
”Does your work say, “The potter has no hands”? Isaiah 45:9 ( NIV )
Life for such persons is one continuous self-defeatist cycle of Ingratitude which begins with Bitterness then unto Rebellion - Blasphemy - Sin - Sorrow - Despair- Defeat ; and then back to more bitterness and the circle goes on and on.
As it was in the past , so it is today.
Instead of appreciating the mercy of God , millions of rebellious people are blaming God for every evil under the sun.
Some people speak out rebellious words ;but others keep their rebellious questions inaudible ;harboured and hidden in the secret recesses of their minds .
Questions are seething even in the minds of those who have had close fellowship with God and have tasted of the goodness of the Lord,
It is not unusual to hear questions like these from some people ;
" Lies travel faster than the truth. Why?"
" Why did God create this world when He knew that things would become very bad and that humans would become very wicked , to this extent? "
"Why do wicked people escape justice and innocent people suffer unjustly?
Why do the unrighteous rich continue to get richer and to live long ?
Who allowed tsunamis, tornadoes, fires , earthquakes , famines, pestilence and epidemics to take place? Where was God when thousands of people were killed?"
" Why did God allow the apostle of Satan and founder of the evil religion which spreads hate , murder and chaos worldwide, to be born into this world. Why didn't he and his present day disciples die in their mothers' wombs?!"
" Why do people who do not attend church or pay any tithes and offerings , get financial miracles and the best jobs in the country?!"
"This world is not our home ; we belong to a higher realm ? Then why are we living here? "
"This world is not our home ; we belong to a higher realm ? Then why are we living here? "
" Why did a minister of God who was on an inter-city preaching mission die in a horrific plane crash; but the lives of many evil people in that same ill-fated aircraft were spared?"
"Why are people who do not desire children ; couples who have aborted several
pregnancies blessed with repeated unwanted pregnancies ; but childless married couples who have been waiting on the Lord for many years ; are yet to be blessed with even one child?"
pregnancies blessed with repeated unwanted pregnancies ; but childless married couples who have been waiting on the Lord for many years ; are yet to be blessed with even one child?"
"Why are millions of people starving and lacking the good things of life , on the same planet Earth where others have more of everything than they need and so they waste tonnes of food and waste millions of cash on unnecessary luxuries ?
"Why does excess rain fall , flooding those countries where too much rain is not needed , yet the areas of the world where millions of peasant farmers are struggling to survive get no rain for years on end ? "
The pit of Hell is the place from where all rebellious words issue from.
The Devil is a liar and is the father of all liars and he is the source of all accusations against God.
Ignorance of who God is , is the fuel which cooks the anger and bitterness against God .
The "beauty" of rebellion and ingratitude against God is that these two evils are unfailing paymasters , yielding well-deserved dividends. Those who ridicule and question the mercy and wisdom of God would one day, ultimately, remember God and acknowledge His mercy.
There are two ways to it.
People would appreciate God's mercy either by the easy way of accepting the salvation of God or by the hard way of receiving the rod of affliction from the Devil ; which would make them to repent and embrace the merciful God who has loved all men unconditionally.
Asking "Why , why , why"? does not change the nature of God .
My take on all such questions is :if rebellious human beings can question the mercy and goodness of God , God too is questioning Man's rebellion against God and Man's inhumanity to Man .
"What could have been done more in my vineyard, that I have not done in it ? ..." Isaiah 5:4.
While rebellious humans point their one finger against God , their other four fingers are pointing back to themselves.
People who question the power and mercy of God should also reflect on the following points:
"What could have been done more in my vineyard, that I have not done in it ? ..." Isaiah 5:4.
While rebellious humans point their one finger against God , their other four fingers are pointing back to themselves.
People who question the power and mercy of God should also reflect on the following points:
Why did God hand over the dominion of planet Earth to Man and not to angels and to the animals who were living on Earth before Man ?"
What did Man do to show gratitude to God ? Man lost his dominion to Satan.
The resources created by God on Earth are enough to go round every living soul and to make life meaningful for all humanity . But a small minority of very selfish men and women have taken control of the world's resources for themselves and their generations unborn. Why?
Who polluted the fresh air, the rivers and oceans and stripped the forests of the earth bare ?
Who polluted the fresh air, the rivers and oceans and stripped the forests of the earth bare ?
Mankind has abused the beautiful environment and destroyed the Ozone layer which God put in place in the beginning ,to protect life on earth .
These abuses by Mankind have led to climate change , floods and other natural disasters.
God has given all living souls the gift of life ; to glorify God during their life time.
Human beings could decide to use their God-given freewill to choose between good and evil ; people could choose to be vessels of peace and progress on earth or they are free to choose to be deceived by Satan and be used as his messengers of world-wide terror and death .
Whatsoever human beings sow, unfailingly , they will reap the judgement from God.
If there were no places on earth where people are living under the terrorizing reign of evil religions , how would Christians be able to appreciate what Jesus Christ has done in their lives and to say , "Thank God for Jesus Christ and thank God I am a Christian ! " ?
God sent His Son Jesus, to die not for "good" men only , but for ALL men .
Human beings could decide to use their God-given freewill to choose between good and evil ; people could choose to be vessels of peace and progress on earth or they are free to choose to be deceived by Satan and be used as his messengers of world-wide terror and death .
Whatsoever human beings sow, unfailingly , they will reap the judgement from God.
If there were no places on earth where people are living under the terrorizing reign of evil religions , how would Christians be able to appreciate what Jesus Christ has done in their lives and to say , "Thank God for Jesus Christ and thank God I am a Christian ! " ?
God sent His Son Jesus, to die not for "good" men only , but for ALL men .
And what did mankind do to Jesus Christ when He lived on earth ?
Why did mankind reject Jesus Christ and millions are still rejecting Him today ?
Those who have rejected the salvation of God , have they not heard the words of the Lord Jesus in John 3 :16 - 18 , and have they not heard that :
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved ". Acts 4:12.
Those who have rejected the salvation of God , have they not heard the words of the Lord Jesus in John 3 :16 - 18 , and have they not heard that :
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved ". Acts 4:12.
Yes they have heard .
Billions of human souls have heard the Gospel preached several times , out of which millions have chosen to ridicule and reject the Gospel of JesusChrist.
Billions of human souls have heard the Gospel preached several times , out of which millions have chosen to ridicule and reject the Gospel of JesusChrist.
Why has God not sent down His fire to destroy all those who blaspheme against God's Son and who reject the fullness of God's mercy and grace expressed in Christ Jesus ?
God has not done so because He is merciful , loving and compassionate and does not desire the death of the sinner but God calls all men to repentance. 2 Peter 3: 9.
God has not done so because He is merciful , loving and compassionate and does not desire the death of the sinner but God calls all men to repentance. 2 Peter 3: 9.
You who have been questioning the love and mercy of God ; it is time to face reality.
What are you doing with your God-given life and freewill ?
Are you one of those who have been blinded by Satan from acknowledging and receiving the Salvation plan of God for mankind? 2 Corinthians 4 : 3 - 4
If you die today and stand before God , what will your life record of activities show ?
What are you doing with your God-given life and freewill ?
Are you one of those who have been blinded by Satan from acknowledging and receiving the Salvation plan of God for mankind? 2 Corinthians 4 : 3 - 4
If you die today and stand before God , what will your life record of activities show ?
You cannot stand before God and question Him.
Come out of that Satanic web of lies and deceit and accept the mercy and righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.
When life's challenges and afflictions come knocking , the way out of them and the way forward is not to become bitter and rebellious and it is not by railing accusations and curses against God .
The life which Jesus Christ gives is the only way out of the miserable circle of ingratitude.
"Let God be true but every man a liar...." Romans 3: 4.
God is not a liar. Believe His Word while you still have breath in you and LIVE by it.
The way forward is to remember that God is good and there is no turning or changing from goodness in Him.
What to do is trust God , that He is good and faithful ; accept that God knows what He is doing , that He is omniscient ; God sees and knows about our all challenges .
Standing on God's word concerning the challenges of life gives peace to every mind troubled and perplexed by rebellious questions .
Standing on God's word concerning the challenges of life gives peace to every mind troubled and perplexed by rebellious questions .
This is your year of glorious testimonies of the goodness of God .
Happy New Year and be blessed indeed. Amen.
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