Playing The God Game

2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.” (Zech 8)

23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28-29

"A seed of religion is divinely sown in all." (calvin) Then according to Calvin I see that mankind must worship something. Even if it be their own inane insistence that there is no God. But Scripture says God has revealed Himself in nature, by the things that are made. (Romans 1) But people by nature, in their rebellion, want not to be governed by a God who is Holy, Righteous and desirous that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If man does not worship the God of creation revealed in the Old and New Testaments, he will fain to erect an idol to palcate that God absent vacuum that plagues each restless soul.

"Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Deut 4:23-24))

As I see it, the church has come to worship programs, and numbers, and youth, and music, and diversity, not only of the people they attract, but the tolerance of the rebellion they accept among it's own congregations. We're under grace so anything is permissable in the age of the enlightened church. They wallow in the mire of the corruption of greed and perversity. Their leaders proclaiming they have a word from God, a healing guaranteed, a hundred fold when you plant a seed of faith. Which always involves giving a large sum to their ministry.
Their God is their stomach.... men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain....their glory is in their shame.....walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage..... What does Scripture say? From such withdraw yourself.

The world has influenced the church. With it's consultants who stress the importance of programs that will gurantee to pack'em in. Not so much Bible preaching though, that's a turn off. Tell them they can be happy. That every day can be a friday. Jesus is a great guy, wants to be your buddy. Rather than a Jesus who proclaimed " “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"(Matt 16:24-26)

Paul reiterates that when he writes to his young charge, Timothy " Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth.....(2 tim 4:3-5)

What is that truth? What is God's will for a believers life?

"prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." Be set apart for the service of God. (1 Peter 1:14-16)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ( 1 Thess 4:4-5)
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.(1 Thess 5:16-22)
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants (slaves) of God. (1 Peter 2:15-16)

Contrary to what many preachers, (so called) spout today in the guise of Thus sayeth the Lord. You have been bought with a price, the precious blood of the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Our slate of transgressions wiped clean, rather than slaves to sin, now slaves to God. The benefit leading to holiness and the result being eternal life. (Romans 6) For without holiness no one will see the Lord.

I have known Christians (so called) who steal from their employers. What do I mean? They steal time. Spend time at work in personal pursuits. Rather than in doing what they are paid to do. There are those who steal Christian music (this one amazes me, really) from Christian Bookstores. There are those who steal from companies through the internet. They download music or films illegally. It is stealing.
There are those who lie and gossip about others because they wish to increase their own standing, to make themselves look good within an organization. These are those who believe the rules don't apply to them. They will give an account to Him who will judge the living and the dead.
We must all be careful for the world and it's desires wish to suck us into the maze of it's filth. James gives us sound biblical advice in our quest for a closer relationship with our God.

" Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:4-8)

Humble yourselves. Listen to what God says. Our heavenly Father really does know best. Pray He will soften your heart, root our those seeds of rebellion. In other words Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. For God graces grace to the humble but resists the proud.
What happens to those who don't listen? Who reject God's word, God's call to repent.

24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “ Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Playing the God game? Your way? That is a sure fire way to invite His wrath. For it truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. As the Apostle John, in his last years said, " Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen (1John 5:21)