Growing up we are taught to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, but not in God. How strange is that? We are taught to believe in what is not real, and to not believe what is real. Sadly enough the reason we live in such a manner is because we are oblivious to the true knowledge of God.
When my son was born I lived in that same fabricated state of thinking. Not that I didn't know God was real but what I was teaching my son was a lie. I had no confidence on my own to be a good mom so I asked God to help me and because of that prayer God helped me to see and live in His truth.
It wasn't always easy to live in God’s truth. I think of when I had to tell my son there was no Santa, it was especially difficult because as I was contemplating how to tell him, he was getting on his boots to go to Grandpa’s house to ask him to help make a sleigh to help Santa deliver toys. I had no choice but to tell him the truth right then and there and as I’d imagined, he was devastated. As terrible as I felt, telling him the truth was inevitable and consistent with teaching him never to lie. How can we teach our children not to lie and then at the same time lie to them about Santa?
From there it was the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, and all the other things we tell our children that are not true. It felt good to be doing the right thing and we could now focus on what was real, what was important-the purpose of life.
Because of our reliance on God my son knows God and what he was created to do. Because of his knowledge he can focus on what is important and what his assignment is from God instead of having to try to speculate on his own.
We grow up not only believing lies about the Easter Bunny and Santa but many other things. I would like to touch on a few of them-one being the reason for our existence. We grow up with the idea that our purpose is to provide for ourselves and that very idea invades our destiny. Being preoccupied with taking care of ourselves is an idea the enemy uses to keep us from God and unless we know God and His ways we won’t know we live in that lie.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
Most of us don’t know that God has plan of action all ready in place to provide for us because the enemy has been successful in stealing that truth from us, making it seem that money is of the greatest importance. We don’t know that God has a better way to live than we are living, all because the enemy has been successful in stealing that truth from us.
Jesus continued to give us the wisdom we need to live God’s way and have what we need added to us rather than living to seek after things.
Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? Or, what are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. 33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [taken together will be given you besides.
Those who don’t know God seek after things because they cannot see that God’s way is better. If they could see the goodness of God that comes from humbling themselves before Him, they would desire the good God has for them.
When we seek God’s way of doing we will live life with purpose, and that purpose is as His-to love. God’s Kingdom revolves around loving, and to love is to give. When we live out His rule of love, we will have our needs met by His principals.
How can that happen? God designed you with a gift, a talent to give and the very gift when you give it will make room for you. It will put you right where God called you to be and it will provide for you just like His Word says.
Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
Yes you will still have to work, but it won’t seem like work because you will love what you are doing and you will live full of joy. As you live God’s way which is designed to give you the provisions you need to live well, you will live an extraordinary life. Doing what you were created to do using your gifts and talents, will suffice your physical needs as well as your emotional needs. Living the importance of life is a rewarding life with God’s favor and blessing extending to every part of your being.
Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.
You might not know that what you have on the inside of you is what someone else needs. The gift God gave you isn’t for you alone, but yours to create with and to give what you have created. Yes it will provide for you, but also to the needs of others. That is the purpose of life Jesus is referring to.
Luke 6:38 says give and it will be given to you, pressed down shaken together, and running over. Jesus said if you love Me you will obey Me and I am telling you all these things that your joy may be complete! God has provided us with much needed information to live well. When we follow His way we will have enough, we won’t have to spend all of our time and energy chasing things, all we need will be added to us.
When we are caught up in the world’s motto of life we believe lies as though they were truth.
Let me give you another example of the unawareness we live in when we don‘t know God and how His Kingdom operates.
“Everyone goes to heaven” is another lie many believe. Not true, and we can see that by looking at what Jesus said.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? 23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. AMP
This is a Word from Jesus we need to look at to know the truth, without it we live presuming what we believe is right. The Word of God, which is God (John 1:1), is His opinion, His rule to live by. If we don’t know this truth we will live making wrong decisions that will effect our eternity.
Many think they are going to heaven but they we don’t know God, just as Jesus stated in the verse we just read. Their assumption is based on their opinions, which don’t matter. Knowing God is our Creator, giver of life and the One we will stand before one day should clear up the matter of whose opinion matters. If we presume we know something beyond what God says, what are we saying, and does it matter? It does matter in that we will be making wrong choices because of what we think. It doesn’t matter in the case of what is real and it won’t change by what someone else’s opinion is.
Some do have the understanding of God’s way and are fooled into thinking it is too hard to live by God’s standards. That is a lie. Jesus said His burden is light, which is proof it is not too hard to pick right from wrong--and really that is the choice we have to make.
Jesus is basically saying, if you’re not on My side, if you don’t live for Me, you are living on the other side. The other side is lawlessness, where evil is practiced. We can’t serve God and the enemy at the same time. We have to choose one or the other (Matthew 12:30).
Let me put it straightforward, if your children lived outside of your ethics, if they did the opposite of what you asked them to do, if they joined forces with whom you consider your enemy, you wouldn’t be able to live with them. You would still love them of course, but if they lived opposed to your values you would have to say, “I don’t know you, I didn’t bring you up this way, I don’t understand your behavior and I can’t tolerate your presence in my home.”
That is what Jesus is saying. On that day when we stand before Him, if we disregard His laws, if we chose to ignore Him, He will say He didn’t know us, and rightfully so. But on the other hand if we focus and live by His command, if we seek to know Him and live His way, (which is way better than any other way anyway) we will be accepted and live with Him for eternity.
If you know Jesus and are in constant conversation with Him and He may tell when that day will be. Things do not have to be a surprise to us; Jesus said He would tell us things to come(John 16:13).
If we don’t have fellowship with Jesus now, if we ignore Him and if we don’t agree with His opinion now, we won’t fit into heaven anyway. Why would we want to move in with someone we don’t agree with? If we don’t like His law enough to live it here, then why would like it there? Clearly we have to make our choice now before that day comes.
One more quick example; Angels are not human beings, another thing that is believed that is not true. When we leave our bodies we do not turn into an angels and fly around-another fairy tale we tell our children. A fairy tale is a lie and one that children can’t distinguish as a lie. When we as parents lie to our children we cause confusion in our children’s intellect, causing them to distrust our intelligence as well as their own.
What does happen to us when we leave our bodies, is our soul will stand before God to be judged. At that time it will be determined who we served and where we will spend our eternity. It is not something to take lightly, and it is a day we should plan for more than any other.
To believe we turn into an angel is something we believe possibly because it makes us feel better, and because we don't have understanding. To top it off, it is a lie the enemy has been spreading for hundreds of years because he does not want us to believe we are God's treasures, God’s most important creation, nor does he want us to believe he, the enemy himself exists-and that he is the one instigating the lies we believe.
Angels are entirely different beings than we are. We are created in the image of God and have a huge responsibility to resemble Him and to engage in His mission. Thus, if the enemy can get us to believe we have no mission, we will live unknowingly as his instrument, rather than God’s child taking our responsibility as God‘s chosen. In our unawareness of truth we give the enemy reign in our lives.
When we focus on God and who He is, and when we give Him our attention is when we become aware of His presence and His ways. God will reveal Himself to the one who gives Him their attention. It is not hard to focus on God and get to know Him. When you seek God He will immediately recognize your efforts and reveal Himself to you.
2 Chronicles 16:9 Because the Lord’s eyes scan the whole world to strengthen those who are committed to him with all their hearts. CEB.
Seeking God is also seeking communion with God. Getting to know God starts with getting to know His Word, (since He is His Word) and then doing His Word. As you seek Him you will find Him and when you find Him you will find His direction, His wisdom and His understanding. When you are willing to submit to God, He will empower you to live well.
Hebrews 1:14 Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?
For the Word to come alive to us we have to have God show Himself to us and that happens as we focus on Him. Jesus said in John, if you love Me and you obey Me and I will manifest Myself to you. God shows Himself to those who are earnestly seeking Him. He is not subject to only showing Himself to just your Pastor, but as His child He wants to show Himself to you. Thus, we need God as our Father to show us His way so we can be sure of what we are living.
As an illustration of God making His Word come alive to us, I want to share this occurrence with you. God replayed an episode in my mind that had happened just a few weeks prior. As I watched what seemed like a movie in my mind, I witnessed an angel lift his arm and push me away from a force of fire that blazed from a burning barrel of leaves I had lit. When I flew from the barrel I had no idea it was due to this giant angel I witnessed in my spirit. In this recap of the event, I see an angel with one upward and outward motion of his arm push me out of range of the flames that blazed out of the barrel. He was at least eight feet tall and as he raised his arm and flung it in a backward motion he caused me to soar through the air in an L figure (my legs representing the lower part of the L) back at least ten feet away from the fire. He was pure white, seemingly perfect and of proper posture as if a solider in stance of attention. It was obvious his assignment was to protect me as I was one who has inherited salvation.
I had no idea how these things took place or what that verse we just read looked like until God showed me this reality in my spirit. This is real, not a fairy tale, but the truth of what we live in, and truth we should know. We should know truth so we can teach our children truth, God’s intelligence, the importance of life-rather than fables without meaning.
God’s reality is a lot more fascinating then the fabricated stories we mislead our children with. Don’t read me wrong, some fairy tales are wonderful and have very good moral messages. I am not against them, in fact I am a lover of the ones that are good with good messages that can be applied to our lives.
Another way God shows Himself and leads us in His truth is through dreams. My son had a dream just a few days ago to remind him to stay focused on God and not his circumstances. Because we focus on God, God speaks truth to us.
I would like to encourage you today to focus on God, focus on what is important, what will effect your eternal destination. Plan for and focus on truth not fable.