A GOD OF MOTION
by Richard Cress
Like many others, I've pondered this question: "Is God
waiting on His church to wake up and move ahead in the world, or
is the church waiting on God to move upon a sceptical, sinful
world?" Indications are that God moves in response to the
threatening forces of society. Consider this promise: "When the
enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up
a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:b). God has certainly
intervened and moved in behalf of His people before.
In another case, the Lord said He had seen the affliction
and heard the cry of His people and had come down to deliver them
(Exodus 3:7,8), suggesting that His people's prayers preceded
God's great acts in saving the children of Israel out of Egypt.
This is the principle operating in 2 Chronicles 7:14: God will
forgive the sins of His people and heal their land if they repent
of their wicked ways and turn to Him.
These scriptures sound as though it is up to God's people to
cry out to the Lord and clean up their ways. So we will say,
"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14, KJV).
Many Christians agree that the church sleeps today and needs
to awaken and cry out to the Lord for deliverance.
Yet in the case of Israel, many years transpired before
God's deliverance was complete. He seemed to choose an
appropriate time to save them from bondage. They wandered in the
wilds for forty years, and they caused it, right? - the unbelief
of so many of their generation.
Still, the imposition of that period was decreed by God. He
would not "move" them into the Promised Land until the iniquity
of the Amorites in that land was complete (Genesis 15:16).
Does our Lord have a certain time when He moves, intervenes,
and delivers? That is apparently the case. Abraham and Sarah
received a child in God's timing, not theirs. The Lord said that
Israel did not often understand God's timing. "Yea, the stork in
the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the
crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my
people know not the judgment of the LORD" (Jeremiah 8:7, KJV).
God does have a schedule?
To reconcile the two puzzles of whether God is waiting on
the church or the saints are waiting on God, my answer has become
a resounding yes! God moves, puts a burden in the hearts of His
people; then they move in repentance, crying out for deliverance.
And again God moves in their behalf.
Presently, I am hearing many people quote the great promises
of 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God has stated:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land.
Is it coincidental that so many of our brethren love this
verse? Is it the conditions of our society that make us want to
turn to God? Or could it be that it is also God's timing as He
moves upon the hearts of His people?
Circumstance and culture press in upon God's people; they
begin to awaken. As they pray, God heals and delivers. It was God
in the first place, placing the burden upon us that we might pray
and receive His blessing.
God moves in our behalf to deliver us as we pray for Him to
move.
......
Richard Cress of Muldrow, OK, serves as pastor in
Sabbathobserving churches of God in Muskogee, OK, and Ft.Smith,
AR.
From the "Bible Advocate" - Jan/Feb 2010 - a publication of the
Church of God, Seventh Day, Denver, CO. USA
...................
Note:
The moving may be a call to REPENTANCE as the church of Laodicea
is called to do in Revelation 3. Now is a good time to re-read
that passage of Scripture and them examine if you personally need
the oil of the Spirit to open your eyes to spiritual truth and
health. Have you fallen into the trap of thinking all is well; I am
increased with spiritual goods; but you may be blind and naked
and if so, God calls you to MOVE with Him!
It could be the church you attend (if any) is not moving either,
maybe everyone has gone to sleep, sitting in the "comfortable
pew" - just simply no longer growing in grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Maybe the people have stopped
reading their Bible, stopped hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, stopped proving all things and holding fast to
that which is good.
If so, maybe God is calling you to MOVE ON .... find where truth
is being taught; get out of that comfortable pew, and move into a
fellowship that is alive and growing.
Jesus said that before He returned deceptions would be so great
that IF it was possible even the very elect would be deceived
(Matthew 24). The every elect CANNOT be deceived, but you need to
make your calling and election sure as Peter admonished us. You
need to be moving with God, for He is constantly revealing the
deep things of Himself; that does not mean some deep fancy "idea"
that man comes up with, makes it sound all spiritual and supposed
"insight." Many speak about fancy theology, they speak as if it's
from God. Yes there is a warning in the Lord's word about that
very thing, for He tell us: "They go when I have not sent them,
they speak when I gave them nothing to speak about. They are
false prophets, coming in my name when I have not sent them"
A lady wrote to me recently, bless her heart, and asked what I
though about the "sea of glass" and all that would happen. I gave
her the few Scriptures that mention the sea of glass. Showed her a
FEW things that would be done when we meet Christ on the sea of glass -
having a wedding feast, recieve our rewards, some would have the
harps of God and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev.14).
Jesus will bring our reward with Him to give to every man according to
his work (Rev.22:12). No doubt on the sea of glass, could well be
the marriage supper of the Lamb and His wife (Rev.19:6-9) will be on
the sea of glass. AND THAT IS IT ... nothing else is told to us BUT
I'LL BET there are people out there telling you MANY things going to
go on when on the sea of glass, they're probably writing many pages
to get you thinking they have some fancy "insight" given only to them
in some "dream from the Lord" as to all the nitty-gritty about stuff
that will take place on that sea in that day. Once they step out of the
words of the Scripture, they are often with theological "spiritual"
sounding words, LEADING YOU DOWN THE GARDEN PATH into the land of fairy
tales that have no ground in Scripture. Oh they may try and connect this
parable and that parable AND THEN ADD it to the "sea of glass" not telling
you that parables break down as some point. The truth of a parable is just
to make a point or two of some important truth. And what happend at a Jewish
marriage feast does NOT automatically mean it will be applied on the sea of
glass marriage feast with the Lamb.
Some people get really caught up with these fellows who come along and practically
write a book on "All that will happen on the sea of glass" - adding all kinds
of ideas that have no basis in Scripture. God has a STRONG WARNING to those who
either DIMINISH from or ADD to the word of God. If they do not REPENT of such
theological error .... well what they will get ain't very pleasand at all, there
will be wailing and nashing of teeth.
Yes, you need to move with God, move closer in mind and
understanding, while you prove all things. God will guide you by
His word, hence you need to have your nose in it, reading
and studying it; then you'll move with God.
Keith Hunt
