What keeps you from God?

What really takes place in the first  'experience' of God? For sure there is a peace and  joy  but  before that any comfortable feeling  there comes something disturbing, uprooting. Someone  noticed that before we 'experience'  peaceful  God's presence either in prayer or any other situation, God has to do some 'cleaning' in us. Comparing with His greatness we notice our 'miserable' heart. We are lead to the admitting the fact  that  our nature  is sinful.
Let's  look at Peter and his first encounter with Jesus' greatness;

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him  and listening to the word of God,
He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people
from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said;
 "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Luke 5;1-8
 Also when Isaiah entered the temple, God gave him such an experience of His holiness that the prophet cried out; 'Woe to me! for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."Isaiah 6;5
 This kind of ' disturbing' comes from the fact that God is holy and we are not. He is of a pure heart while ours is not. He is light that discloses any piece of 'dust' in our heart. That's why when we are approaching God  for the first time we have a feeling of us being ' unworthy', 'unclean'. We would rather hide and not lift up our face.

But God doesn't want to reject us. He wants to have fellowship with us and  wants to forgive you as soon as you admit you are a sinner. Then He wants to offer us a new life with a great ministry.
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up". James 4;10

And so happened to Peter. Jesus didn't answer, " Oh, you right Peter you better stay away from me as you are such a sinner." But Jesus' response was:
"Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men."

After Peter humbled himself before Jesus, He offered him a ministry! The same was with Isaiah.
We read that Isaiah' guilt was taken away and his sin atoned for.
 Isaiah says; "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6;8

God also offered a ministry to Isaiah.He was forgiven and  he was to bring God's message to the nation of Israel.

You can either humble yourself before the Lord and receive His forgiveness and   His righteousness

or you can keep your own righteousness and that  will keep you from God!

Jesus said ;"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5;32

Our righteousness surely keeps us from God. So was the reason the Pharisees were upset hearing Jesus speaking, as their own righteousness seemed fine and Jesus was simply disturbing their peace!

We have a great tendency of  seeing ourselves better than others. There are  always worst 'crimes; 'worst' sins. We can easily say in many situations ;" I am not like that guy, that woman. I am kind, I help the others, I am generous, what more should I be doing than I am doing now?" 

That's why so many people would rather have their 'own ' God  who doesn't 'disturb' them!
The one who says; it is ok what you are doing, you are a good person. No one is perfect. This type of God 'feels' very comfortable to be with at any moment..
But there  is  a different  situation when it comes to  the real God who created  heavens and  earth. The One who is Holy and just. The real One existing, not  the one created in our own mind.
We can easily create our own God if we don't come to Jesus as only He is the image of the  true invisible  God. Colossians 1;15
Any  'god' around, apart from coming through Jesus, is not a true God! No other gods will 'disturb' us, no other gods will 'shake' us.They can't accuse, they can't forgive, they can't do anything!
Facing the real holy God is what will change you.

Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. John 14;6
There is no other  way around.
And what keeps so many people from coming to Jesus? Knowing He offers life, more- He offers everlasting life.He can save you from God's coming judgement and He can wipe away your quilt.
What keeps then so many of people from Jesus?
As God is holy, so is His Son  and He will bring the same feeling in our hearts.  He will reveal the truth about us, He will help us to see the  truth about ourselves- sometimes might be a 'shocking truth', He will let us see our sinful nature.
He will let you see that' What you really think you are, you are not. What you do NOT  think you are , that is the real YOU. He turns you around.
If He is the Lord , the light in the midst of our darkness, He must show us the reality.
He says " Do not  commit murder; anyone who commits murder must be brought to judgement." Then I would think  "Oh I don't belong to those, I never killed anyone." Good, but
He  also says " Anyone who nurses  anger against his brother must be brought to judgement." After these words I would actually admit, I have nothing for my defense, I am  guilty as well.
The same would be true in other aspects of our life. Jesus would reveal the truth about us that we are in a deep trouble  We can't carry on like that  without the Savior!
The only hope is only in Him, so don't  stay away. You need Christ in your  life.

Before you come to Him, you might think you  don't like your  'bad side' to be exposed.  Jesus seems too far disturbing. He wouldn't approve my love for the money, my dishonest thoughts.So  you feel more comfortable to stay away.
"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed" John 3;20
Nobody likes to be exposed. But if you like your ' darkness' you will keep from the light and you won't see God..

 That is what many people in the world choose. But  for whatever reason you hide before God, you will lost in the end.  Whatever you are trying to  gain in this life and you live without God, you will loose in the end.
Does it pay off to live without God? Definitely not! And rejecting the Savior is the worst decision  a person can make!

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation;
of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."  Mark 8;36-38

Our life is really short comparing with all the eternity. In that short time of our existence on earth we are to find God. Whatever decision we make now,  it will decide about the place where we will spend eternity. 

 If you chose  the life with God, you made the best decision of your life, as He is to bring you abundant life. You saved yourselves  from the  trouble that is facing  eternal punishment.
 You inherited all the God's blessings that for His children. Offer your life to Him and He will guide you. His ways are always the best. He is the living God, He will surely make a difference in your life.

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" John 10;10
"Those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified." Romans 8;30
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33;3

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The greatest work done in Jerusalem

 

“The greatest  work  done in Jerusalem”

Isaiah 53;5     “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His bruises we are healed.”

v.11 says ” My righteous servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities”

v.12. “He poured out His soul unto death and He was numbered with the transgressors and He bore the sin of man."

In all the religions of the world -what differs all man-made up gods from the real one God is " The true one God sent a Savior to rescue the mankind and confirmed Christ  coming in hundreds  prophecies throughout the Biblical Scriptures  written in the span period over 1000 years before Christ came.

One of the  greatest things that has ever  been done for all  people happened  in Jerusalem    and  it  is the work  Jesus  did   for you on  the cross 2000 years ago!
The Son of  God came down to pay the  price of our sin and His forgiveness is available for  everybody who believes.

Salvation was always by grace, not by good works.  The given law is  for recognizing  the sin.
Even Abraham and  Noah  were saved by faith, born  before the law was given to Moses.

This is what the Bible is promising;
As we read in Romans 8;1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are  in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus said;”I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned , but he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5;24   The work  Jesus  did for you is the salvation work that gives you access to God and eternal life!

Prophecy about  Savior's’ birth;

Isaiah 9;6
“ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be  on his shoulders.  And he will be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Matthew 1 starts with words;  ” The book of genealogy of Jesus Christ , the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
The promise that was made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, founders of the Jewish family, a promise later renewed to Kind David, that one of their descendants would reign over the nations forever ( see Gen 28;14, 2 Sam7;16) Yeshua fit the prophet’s description in every detail and was hailed  by thousands  of Jews a Messiah. ( John 19;38-39, Acts 6;7)
In Matthew 1;20-23  we read  what an angel said Mary ” that she will bring forth a Son and that His name will be Jesus and that He will save His people from sins” v.22 ” So all this was done  that it might be fulfilled  which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet , saying; ” Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a  Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated  ‘God with us”. Prophecy already  fulfilled from Isaiah7;14
Other facts;
Jesus knew  that he would be killed  in Jerusalem and that he would rise again on the third day;
Luke 18;31-33
Jesus took the Twelve  aside  and told them, “ We are  going  up to Jerusalem and everything  that is written  by  the prophets  about  the  Son of  Man  will be  fulfilled.  He will  be  handed  over  to the Gentiles . They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him  and kill him. On he third day he will rise again.”
Jesus’   triumphal  entry to Jerusalem     ( Matthew 21;5  John 12;15 )
“The next day the great crowd that had come for the feast heard  that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out  to meet  him, shouting,  Hosanna! Blessed  is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! Jesus found  a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written  in Zechariah 9;9;
“ Rejoice  greatly, o Daughter of   Zion, Shout  Daughter of Jerusalem!
See your  king  comes  to you  righteous  and having  salvation, gentle  and riding  on a donkey,
On a colt,  the foal  of a donkey.”
The  Old  and the New Testament tells us about why Jesus  came  to die;
Isaiah 53 ;5
“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed  for our iniquities, the punishment  that brought us peace was upon him and by his wound we are healed.”
See; Hebrew 10; 14 “(…) by one  sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those  who are being made  holy.”
Hebrew 9;26 “(… he has appeared once for all at the end  of the ages  to do away with sin by the sacrifice  of himself.”
Psalm 22; 7    tells us details about what Jesus was facing on the cross and all these things happened exactly how they were described in the Old Testament;
“All who see me mock  me, they hurl  insults, shaking their  heads.  He trusts in the Lord let the Lord  rescue him, let him deliver  him since he delights in him.”
(  fulfilled in the  New Testament in Mathew  27;39,    Mark 15; 29   Luke 23;35)
Psalm 22; 16-18
“(..) they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all  my bones.  People stare and gloat over me.
They divide  my garments  among them  and cast lots for my  clothing.”
( fulfilled in the New Testament in  Matthew 27; 35  Mark 15; 24   Luke 23;34  John 19; 24 )

Psalm 69;21

“ They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”
( fulfilled in  the New testament  in Matthew 27;48    Mark 15; 36     John 19;28-29)
Psalm 34;20,  Numbers 9;12 ,  Exodus 12;46,
“  He protects  all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
(Fulfilled    in  John  19; 33-36 )” But when they came  to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his leg”
Zechariah 11; 12-13  tells us about Jesus  that would be  betrayed  for 30 silver coins
“  If you think   it best, give me my pay, but if not keep it. So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me ; throw it to the potter – the handsome price  at which  they priced me.”
( fulfilled in  Matthew 27; 3-9) ” When Judas , who  had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.”
v.6  ” The chief priests picked  up the coins and said; ” it is against the law  to put  this  into the treasury , since it is bloody money.”
v.9 ” Then what was spoken  by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled; They took the thirty silver coins, the price  set on him by  the people of Israel.”
About Jesus  conquering  death;
Matthew 28;6  The angel said  ” I  know that you are looking for Jesus , who  was crucified . He is not here , he has  risen, just as he said. Come and see the place  where he lay”
We learn that God  gives us salvation while we believe in Jesus;
Romans 10;9  “If you confess   with your mouth ” Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that  God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Galatians 3; 11 ” Clearly no-one  is justified  before God  by the law, because ;” The righteous will live by faith.”

Hebrew  2;14   If you know Jesus   there is no fear of  death  for you;

” Since the children  have flash and blood, he too shared  in their humanity so that  by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is , the devil, and free those  who  all their lives  were held in slavery  by their fear of death.”

The place where you are going to spend your eternity depends on your relationship with Christ. 
He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
( John 3;36)
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10;32-33