Yikes! This is NO April Fool's

S-Romans 1:18-20

S-"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Romans 5:1

A-Peace in God

L-God's Anger at Sin

   "But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God." Romans 1:18-20


    -As I read these three verses, it's as though Paul is saying, "Listen y'all (okay maybe he didn't say y'all) you can't push the truth away and honestly believe you will get away with it. Nor can you live in sin day after day and think nothing will happen.  That's not how God works. For you to even think you can deny His existence is nonsense, actually it's crazy and this is why. The truth about God has been made known to you instinctively. God has put this knowledge in your hearts. From the time the world was created, you have seen the earth, the sky, and all that God made. Just look around you. How can you look at all that surrounds you, the sky, the clouds, the sun, and believe that someone else or something made it. Don't be so foolish. You can clearly see His invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature. You have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God." (My enormous paraphrasing)

    -For us to actually believe that we can live our lives the way we want and ignore God is foolish. Ephesians 5:6 says, "Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him." 

   -Come judgement day, there will not be one excuse accepted. We might think right now they are, but there not. There are consequences for our ignorance and disobedience.

  - Right now, you might say that there is no God, but soon you will see, He really exists and how sad for those who have chosen to ignore Him.

  -Don't let your flesh and selfishness distract and mislead you so much it leads you to hell.

  -Let Jesus in. Let Jesus show you that His way is the better way. Let Him shower you with His abundance of love and mercy.

  -Stop worshipping others god's. These god's have never been nailed to a Cross, placed in a tomb and then rose from the grave. These gods are imperfect man-made idols. (Deuteronomy 5:8-9)

  -Stop putting other things before the Lord. He comes first at all times. He is not a God that comes second, nor will He ever be.  This takes work and effort on our part. We need to be aware of how we align and setup our days. If we are making time to shop, hang out with friends, watch T.V., play sports, and do all the things that please our flesh and feed into self, then we better be aware of where we are placing God. This is a struggle, believe me I know! But to be aware of it is a great place to be. (Deuteronomy 5:9)

 -Lastly, we need to stop blaming, denying, and trying to excuse our sins. We need to take responsibility for our own actions! 1 John 1:10, "If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." 

We need to set our eyes on Christ, step into His Word and take a big step out of the World. We need to let Him transform us by changing the way we think, because not only will we begin to think differently, we will begin to act differently. Romans 12

Are you tired of walking around lost and confused? Are you tired of trying to please your flesh, only to realize nothing ever satisfies it? Are you tired of trying to earn favor with God by works alone?

Are you tired of waking up the next morning with regrets because of the choices you made the night before?

Are you tired of never being built up in the Lord or encouraged by those you have surrounded yourself with? Maybe you are tired of trying to straddle both God and the World.

I don't know. But if you are tired, take hope in Jesus my friend. Come to him all you who are weary and heavy burdened and let Him give you rest.  Let Jesus fill the void within you that only He can.

Take hope in this passage, "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness, his mercies begin afresh each new day. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him." Lamentations 3:22-23

Take hope in Christ today. Turn from your sins and turn to God and when you do He will build you up, fill you up and forgive you.

"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from every wrong."  1 John 1:9