I don’t know anyone in this day and time in my life that is not going through a lot just to maintain their sanity. Times are hard in all of our lives but they are hard for a reason. When we are going through car troubles, immediate and extended family troubles, job crises and uncertainty, we wonder where God is when we need Him. The Creator is not absent. He hasn’t moved away from us, we’ve moved away from Him. When times are going real good many of us don’t have any real time for God. Many of us are just to busy to pray and ask God for His assistance on a daily basis. So He has to keep most of us in constant trouble just to get a sincere prayer out of us.
The entertainer Fantasia sang a song called, “Free Yourself”. The lyrics simply went, “If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me. Go ahead and free yourself. If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me. Go ahead with someone else.” On the surface she may sound bitter over some relationship. But we have to look a little deeper and ask ourselves, “Is God expressing to us the same sentiment in this song?” By now we all should have learned that God is a jealous God. He doesn’t like us to place anyone or anything before Him. When we do this we cause God to destroy that thing or that person right in front of our eyes just to show us that nothing deserves to be praised or worshipped but Him.
He wants it to be in the front of our minds and hearts that He is the one that blessed us with our College degrees. He gave us the health, and the strength and the knowledge and the patience to get through that process. He blessed us with a spouse and then a house and then maybe a car or two. Then He blessed us with children. God will bless us with money and then send a poor man or woman our way just to see what we will do and what our attitude towards the less fortunate than ourselves truly is. How’s your attitude towards people who don’t have what you have? Do you hate the poor too? The Bible says that the poor are hated by their own neighbors. Many of us don’t even associate with people who are not in our income bracket. The Bible also states that the love of money is the root of all evil and because we are so busy coveting over the material possessions that someone else has we have erred from the faith and pierced ourselves through with many sorrows. Have we allowed money to become our God?
In this hour where our faith is being tried, and many of us are suffering loss we should re-study and reexamine the book of Job. God had blessed Job with what seems like everything and then God allowed the devil according to the Book to take everything away from Job except his life. God already knew what kind of heart and mind Job had. Many times He allows us to be tried so that we can see what’s really in us. Job lost everything and was even stricken with sickness. But look at Job’s attitude about all the stuff and possessions that he had acquired. Job said, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” After successfully completing His trial, Job was given so much more than he originally had. We need the faith of Job in this hour of great and tremendous loss. As I conclude this post, I just wanted to share that God is always checking our attitudes and our overall gratitude towards Him for what He has given us. My teacher taught me that God will test our love for Him until it is pure and then He will test our love for Him again, after it is pure to make sure that it is still pure. Do you have a pure love for God in this hour? If He gave us all that we have, then He can take it away from us when and if He so pleases. And He can make all of our knowledge that we have acquired to be of non-effect to keep what He has given us. The question that is before us to consider is, “Have we forgotten God?” My teacher told me, “When the trials of life begin to disturb you, it is only God beckoning you to come closer to Him.” Are the trials of life beginning to disturb you?
Good blog question Marcus. I don't know that I agree that this mess that is happening is due to God taking anything away from us because we have somehow forgotten Him though.
I know that I have not forgotten God and that He is my all and all because He has sustained me and continues to do so everyday. We are not going to be free from trials since there is someone roaming the earth called Satan but some challenges faced are just due to poor decisions like the people taking mortagages who shouldn't have. Then other things are due to greed and corruption which is still traced back to the arch enemy...Satan.
God is good and He is always waiting with His arms opened wide like a loving Father patiently waiting for His children to come to Him when we fall flat on our faces.
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 11:37AM
Jen Fad
Hi Marcus,
What a spirited blog. I say yes and no. Yes, we've forgotten God when we continue trying to do it all ourselves. And no, because in the time of need, everyone knows whose name to call;Jesus. Its funny your teacher taught you that jesus tempers us in order to draw us closer to him. Even as I draw closer to him in prayer, there are still things I don't understand. Keep your eyes posted for my upcoming blog, it will pose one question on a topic I'm having difficulty understanding.
Be Blessed, Marlene
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 11:50AM
Marlene R
Keep the comments coming! Thank you so much for sharing!
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 12:00PM
Brother Marcus!
I know that question was asked before especially with 9/11.........People do not understand that God was there and God is there. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy; when most people are going through trials, (and understand this, the objective of the enemy is not the trial itself, but to detour your thoughts, mind and heart away from God) they become consumed in it. The song says, "He will never put more on me, than I can bear." The first verse opens with "I've gone through the fire...." I learned a very interesting thing that when you go through the fire you come out as pure gold.....Watch this: when a metallurgist (forgive the spelling) puts a gold nugget (you) in the fire, it is only in there for short time (your season). He then takes it out and wipes of the impurties (your sins, trials, tribulations) that surfaces once it has cooled down. This process is repeated several times until no more impurties surfaces. The gold is now PURE GOLD (YOU).
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 12:45PM
Cheryl Hendrix
Its great to hear so many diverse opinions. Please keep the comments coming!
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 6:56PM
Brother Marcus!
He has strong shoulders! Carrying us all! I am alive today, and I couldn't ask for anything more than that! God is SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD!
Saturday, September 27th 2008 at 4:59PM
Lesley Knight
Marcus, thanks for posting this. I'm surprised you have not been overwhelmed with some of the negative commentary about anything or anyone Godly. ...pleasantly surprised because there's a lot of angst expressed on BIA in many blogs I've seen where God is even MENTIONED. There are also quite a few who believe that He's some imaginery friend or fairy godfather in many blogs here on BIA.
It's just refreshing to experience someone who knows better and is not afraid to share it. I haven't forgotten about God myself, but I do think that quite a bit of society has. It's disheartening that every day, there's an effort to take God out of something else-- school, radio, hospitals...even every day conversation. And in some cases, people argue that God shouldn't even be welcomed in the home.
And there's a double standard among believers and unbelievers. When unbelievers boldly say that they don't believe in God and that people who believe are Bible thumpers or holy rollers for looking up to something that is not there, it's okay. They are just stating their opinions. However, when believers say that they believe in God, that they've accepted Christ, we're offending someone and pushing our beliefs on people. Why is it that an atheist can hold a rally exclaiming that God is not real and try to convince other people to believe what he/she believes and all he/she is doing is trying to educate people about the truth, but when Christians go out into the world and minister to people, we're trying to force our beliefs on them? I'm not suggesting that there are not zealots on both sides because there are. What I am saying is that it's not ALL believers (or nonbelievers for that matter). When I minister to people, it's just to plant seeds. Cultivation is up to them. Jesus didn't force me or drag me kicking and screaming, so I lead by that example. And most believers that I know operate in the same fashion.
I think the other thing that puzzles me is if we die and have no one to be accountable to, what DIFFERENCE does it make WHAT we believe? If we die and that's it, why does it anger people that we believe in God?
Anyway, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, but I'd absolutely say that a staggering number of us (people) have either forgotten about God or just don't believe in Him.
Again, this blog was refreshing. I will get sweet sleep tonight. This encouraged me. ;-)
Marcus: In reading your blog I noticed one thing. People have not forgotten God, what has happened is they have not accepted Jesus. You have many that worship God faithfully, and when it comes to Jesus it's almost taboo! The world is full of God believing people. They know he is real, yet they disobey him. They know he can bring destruction, however they continue to sin against him. They know he has all power, yet they have not believed in Jesus. Now not going against anything you've stated, I must that Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus is the truth, and Jesus is the light. No man can come unto the Father accept by him. So, even believing in God, many people are not known by God. I uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ as being God's Son and he was sent into the world to save all who would believe in him. Yes, many believe in God, but when Jesus is mentioned, so many do not believe. Thus, I leave you with these words of scripture. Jesus is the Truth.
"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Galatians 4:16 (KJV Blessings to you for enlightenment! MIISRAEL www.Godsbloodybride.com
I believe that many people have not found God in the hypocrisy of religion.
Sunday, September 28th 2008 at 9:54PM
Brother Marcus!
What I mean when I share with the BIA readers that many have not found God in the hypocrisy of religion is pretty simple. I can see why folks are turned off from religion. The number one complaint of many of the young people that I work with is that most of us as adults are hypocrites. I try to get them to see the bigger picture but they still maintain their beliefs about us as adults. The more I have looked at it, I can see their points. Many of us talk God, and talk Moses, Jesus or Muhammad and try to get everyone to accept our campaign. But are we good examples of what they were about when they were on the scene among the people. We have talked for weeks and months and years and decades in the black community about religion but what have we produced in God's name in service to the people? What do we have to show to our children or the next generation except some beautiful buildings and magnificent houses of worship to come into. Yet if we look at the conduct and the civility of many of the people who attend the churches there is much to be desired. That's what I mean when I say that people haven't found God in the hypocrisy of religion. To me, all of God's servants laid down magnificent examples of how to live and to conduct our lives. But we have missed a significant aspect of their work and collective missions. And that was to build the kingdom of God on earth. We wouldn't have to ask what would Jesus do if we were really following him. We would simply do what the master did.
As for the media, I am not caught up in what they say in the media at all. I wouldn't give two cents for all their political commentary put together.
"To me, all of God's servants laid down magnificent examples of how to live and to conduct our lives. But we have missed a significant aspect of their work and collective missions. And that was to build the kingdom of God on earth. We wouldn't have to ask what would Jesus do if we were really following him. We would simply do what the master did."
And I posted an exhaustive response about how many HAVE forgotten about God, or at least have selective amnesia. I'd also contend that many have just DENIED Him altogether, which asserts a consciousness about the reality of God all while denying or downplaying Who He is. That's even worse that forgetting about Him.
Marcus, As an African-American, I can never forget or deny my history as related to God, yet I am not able to deny how we as a race of people surivied and still survive by resisting all of this nonsense of our being African-American-first class citizens and a positive in this country that comds with remembering the 'different' God that Rev J. Wright speaks of.
What a shame that we forget all of this.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
Or should I say that the KKK are just as devoted to their St. James Bible's GOD as all of you are to your versionof GOD?
Just a rational not emotional memory/fact?
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
Sorry, Marcus, but I do not understand the "hypocrisy" and may be this is why I can so relate to what Rev J. Wright said about one side prays to keep us down and the ones down pray to be lifted up. Much like the media and even the government show proof that the single Black (adult)mother is wrong for America yet the single TEEN for having unproteced s*x on the Family, Christian value base part'sis being praised/accepted on their campaign trail!!! And, we have not one complaint about this? Is this what you mean by not being able to find GOD due to hypocrisy?
Marcus, I am serious about this as what is Christian and what is not Christian/God like seem to change as the situation changes by RACE as the examples I just gave you?????Now, do not worry . I have said my peace for the cause of "common sense" and will now shut up on this matter.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
