Rejecting God

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2 Chronicles 36:14 Becoming More Unfaithful

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:14

Leaders and the people are free to choose how they will live their lives, although some nations put more pressure upon them to live in certain ways. Most often people will choose to live in the ways that others are living, giving in to the peer pressure and giving up their own personal convictions and beliefs to follow others.

Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, led the people in sin against God. The leaders of the priests and the people became more unfaithful to God and followed the sinful practices of the nations around them.

Some of the greatest nations on the earth were founded upon Godly principles and a belief in God. Over time every one of those nations have chosen to walk away from God and turn to sinful practices more and more.

America is one of those nations that has chosen to walk away from God. All across the nation churches, that are supposed to be followers of God, are accepting sinful practices and lifestyles of the world and rejecting God’s commands. Murder of innocent children, living together outside of marriage, drugs, homosexuality, abuse, transgenderism, drunkenness and much more are tolerated, accepted and promoted inside of “churches” that are supposed to be filled with believers. They are doing more and more evil.

True believers will take a stand against all sin. They will repent of sins and turn to the living God, rather than the worthless idols of this depraved world. They will choose to live a life of holiness and righteousness, following God, regardless of the cost, rather than becoming more and more unfaithful.

As the majority of those around you, inside and outside the church, are becoming more and more unfaithful to God, you have a choice to make if you consider yourself a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You must be willing to choose whether you will follow the ways of this world or follow the ways of God.

When you chose to believe in Jesus, you agreed to make God the supreme ruler of your life. God is looking for believers who will be faithful to Him no matter what the world around them is doing.

Will you be found faithful to God in the end?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as Lord and Savior; that you will know what God’s commands to you are; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in how to live for God; that you will be found faithful to God in all that you say, think and do; and that you will be separated unto God from the sin of the world.

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2 Chronicles 15:2 Are You Seeking God?

He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2

People are always searching for something. Nearly everyday someone has misplaced something and cannot find it, but searches for it. Many are searching for meaning and purpose in their life or for reasons why things are the way they are. Some find what they are looking for, while many can never find it.

Azariah told Asa and all the nation that God would be found and be with them if they sought Him, but if they reject God, He will reject them.

While many people believe that there is a God out there, they also believe that one cannot really find Him or know Him. He is believed to be an elite God who stays hidden and only works behind the scenes outside the lives of individuals and unknowable.

Although God does not stand out in the open to be seen, He wants to be found. However, He only wants to be found by those who are actually seeking to find Him. God wants to be wanted by those who want Him.

People are often torn between wanting the world and wanting God. In this way they often forsake God in searching for the things of the world. Although this breaks God’s heart, He allows them to go their own way and rejects them.

Believers, who are truly seeking to find God and follow Him, will find Him. Instead of being split between the ways of the world and the ways of God, they will put their focus upon God alone and will find and know Him and be known by Him.

What are you seeking in this life? Seek only that which will last for eternity. The things of this world are only temporary and cannot truly satisfy. God can be found and can give you everything you need and more. Everything that God gives you, that are of importance, will last for eternity, not just a few years.

God wants a relationship with you, but only if you really want a relationship with Him. When you seek Him, He will be found by you.

Are seeking for God?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will seek God with all of your heart and life; that God will be found by you; that you will have a relationship with God; that you will know that God desires to be with you; and that you will know God’s presence in your life.

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2 Kings 25:21 Brought Into Captivity

There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 2 Kings 25:21

All throughout history various nations or groups of people have invaded the lands of other nations or groups of people. As they did this, they would conquer the nation and put many people into captivity. Those that were captured were bound up to force them to obey the new leadership and many placed in prisons or prison camps. Often those who rebelled against the new leadership were killed.

Nebuchadnezzar went into and captured all of Judah. Many were killed and the nation of Judah was placed in captivity outside of their land.

Out of the massive numbers of people and nations around the world very few will actually be brought into captivity by being overrun by another nation or group of people. Although most people are never physically captured, the majority go into captivity on a regular basis by their own personal choices.

Instead of being bound up in physical prisons, people are bound up in captivity to sin. In choosing to reject God and His ways of living, people choose to live their own way and sin against God. To many this feels like freedom, a freedom of choice to do what one wants.

Freedom in this way is short-lived. It brings pleasure for only a very short amount of time, but always ends up in captivity of death. True life and joy will always escape them. The more a person sins, the more he is bound up to sin, which ultimately leads to death.

Jesus died upon the cross and rose again to bring true freedom and true life. Turning away from sin and believing in and following Jesus breaks the captivity to sin and allows a person to live without captivity.

God has provided a life that is free from captivity and death for you. It is filled with purpose and a joy that the world cannot understand and will last for eternity.

Do not allow yourself to be captivated by the sin of this fallen world. Repent of any sins and turn from them to Jesus who has provided forgiveness and a new life for you. Flee the bondage to sin and death and take on the holiness, righteousness and life that Jesus provides.

Have you been set free? Or are you a bound captive?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will live your life for God; that God will give you strength to flee the bondage of sin; that turn from sinful living to living for God; and that you will be free to live the life God has for you.

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2 Kings 17:7 Results Of Sin

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 2 Kings 17:7

There is an old saying that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Everyday people do many different things, both good and bad. Due to whatever action that one does, there is another reaction to it, sometimes good, sometimes negative. Often people do not expect anything negative to come from their actions, so they do the actions anyways.

God had destroyed Judah and sent them into exile because they had sinned against Him and worshiped other gods.

As finite human beings living in the here and now, many people do not think about the end results of their actions. The only thing on their minds is immediate pleasure.

Many nations around the world have some history of being predominantly Christian at some point in their history. Even though they had been delivered from the bondage and slavery of sin, the people of those nations have chosen to reject God and worship false gods.

Although some of these nations worship physical false gods, all work on worshiping self, self-pleasure and things. As a result, God has brought about disaster on nations and people.

Some believers have chosen to walk away from God partially or fully to live in sin and follow false gods in their lives. God works to draw them back but will allow them to suffer for their choices. Full joy, satisfaction, purpose, peace and love will elude them in worshiping the false gods. Ultimately death, eternal death awaits them.

God brings on disaster in the hopes of drawing people back to Him. As long as there is breath, there is a chance to repent and turn to Him.

You may or may not be drifting away from God following false gods in your life. If you are following any false god in your life, repent and turn back to God. He is waiting, ready and willing to forgive you of any sins you have committed against Him in following false gods and take you back as His child.

Make God the one and only God in your life. Leave the life of sin and do not go back to a life of sin and death.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will reveal any false gods in your life; that God will give you strength to leave the false gods; that you will follow and worship God alone; and that you will never go back to your old life of sin.

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1 Kings 9:9 Why There May Be So Much Disaster

People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshipping and serving them–that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’ 1 Kings 9:9

Every time a major disaster occurs affecting a large number of people, many will wonder why it happened. Almost immediately people will blame other people or God for what occurred. Some will blame others for the long-term effects of some action, while others blame for immediate choices made.

Seldom do people take responsibility and blame themselves for the disasters.

God told Solomon that he and the people must follow Him. If they don’t and follow other gods, He will bring great disaster on them, until the people of other nations will see and recognize that they left God, and He destroyed them.

It is sadly common for many who claim to be believers in Jesus to walk in sin and follow false gods more than following God. Sin is justified and accepted as good, twisting scripture to make it acceptable.

While God is patient and full of grace and mercy, there comes a point in which He will punish the choices of believers.

Communities or nations that begin to follow false gods as a whole and do not have true believers standing for God’s truth and ways, may begin to feel the judgement of God come upon them. He allows disasters to occur to try and get their attention back to Him so that He may forgive them and heal them of the disaster.

In the same way that Israel has experienced disasters for turning away from God, other nations have also experienced it and America is beginning to feel His strike against them. Believers need to stand strong and true for God and refuse to follow the false gods of this world to avert greater disasters.

You may be tempted at times to follow the false gods of this world–money, fame, sexual immorality, self-pleasure, or more. The world will do whatever it can to draw you away from God into its sinful pleasures that bring about death and destruction.

Focus your entire heart and life upon God and His ways. Do not allow the temptations pull you into sin and judgment. God will make a way for you out of temptation and provide more life than this world will ever offer.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will follow God alone with all of your life; that God will give you strength and direction to flee temptations to sin; that God will never have to bring disaster upon your life due to sin; and that the world will see you follow God.