Missing God in the ordinary.

This is always the way, isn't it? We miss God because we simply cannot believe God would do anything unusual in our ordinary circumstances.

We have to be on guard all the time so we do not miss the day of our visitation. God may do something special in our midst. But we look at the people around us and we think, "God can't do anything in this place! We know everyone here, we know where they came from and all about them. Therefore God could not raise up a world-changing apostle from this group!

Not sound reasoning, is it?

Wasn't this the case when Mary and Joseph brought the Baby into the Temple? How could there be anything significant about a baby? But Anna and Simeon knew. May God give us all the insight of Anna and Simeon.

The Jews were not interested in Bread from Heaven. They wanted fish and barley loaves. This marked the beginning of the end of the revival.

Notice that the Lord did not attempt to explain Himself to them. He knew what they were asking and why they were asking it. Jesus knew they would leave if He didn't say or do something they could understand. He let them leave. Are we willing to let people leave, or are we going to build the Kingdom of God by our own efforts.

If God gives you something to say, and you know it will drive your listeners away, are you willing to say it?

Losing immortality.

"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:43,44)

Again the emphasis on the fact that no person can come to Christ unless the Father draws that person. Again the emphasis on the resurrection from the dead.

When we are preaching the Gospel today, are we aware no one can come to Christ unless God draws that person?

Why is there an emphasis on the resurrection from the dead? We do not understand the emphasis because we have been incorrectly taught that the Lord Jesus came to bring us to Heaven. The Lord did not come to bring us to Heaven; He came to bring us immortality in the body. This is the reversal of what took place in the Garden of Eden. It was there that immortality was lost.

God put cherubim and "a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." Why did God prevent Adam and Eve from partaking of immortality? Because they had sinned against God.

The Tree of Life is still in the Paradise of God. You can get a taste of it and be born again by placing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. After that you have to resist sin each day so you can keep on eating of the Tree of Life and thus be prepared to receive immortality in your body when the Lord returns.

If you do not resist sin each day, if you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the taste of eternal life you received in the beginning will be removed from you. In this case you will not be raised to life when the Lord returns.

I understand Satan and numerous preachers will maintain that your eternal life will not be removed from you if you continue in sin. But they are going against the New Testament when they respond in this manner.

God does His part and we must do our part. God will never break that contract. But when we break the contract by not following the Lord, then the contract is made null and void just as in any other contract. There are numerous New Testament passages to this effect.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:8,9)

We simply must start seeking the Lord and reading the Bible. It is time for a reformation of Christian thinking. We are leading a generation of believers astray with our traditions about grace-rapture-Heaven.

To be continued.