For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in (trust in, clings to and relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life -John 3:16 (Amplified Bible) Who is God? Who is His Son? Why do I need Them in my life? What happens if I choose to reject Them? Does God really love everyone? Is it possible to live a life of holiness in a dark world? Does God forgive people for sinning against Him? In this book Jeanette Murphy openly shares her view of God's love towards His creation (man). She compassionately explains His heart felt desire for a relationship with His people. God is not in heaven waiting for us to make mistakes so He can punish us; however, He is waiting for us to surrender.
Misunderstanding A Loving God
The Greatest Mistake EverBy Jeanette MurphyAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Jeanette Murphy
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4389-7651-8 Contents
Acknowledgments.............................vPreface.....................................ixBelief vs. Unbelief.........................1The Church..................................11Invitation to Salvation.....................21The Backslider..............................25Misunderstanding God........................31Spiritual Growth............................37Holiness....................................43Conclusion..................................51Questions and Answers.......................55My Favorite Scriptures......................57About the Author............................63
Chapter One
Belief vs. Unbelief
One sunny afternoon while shopping, a homeless man approached me. He asked, "Do you have some change to spare?" I thought to myself, Here is an opportunity for me to witness for Jesus. Quickly I reached into my purse, and gave him five dollars and a witnessing card. First, I told the man that God loves him and that He is concerned about his life. He looked down and started walking backwards and said softly, "God does not love me, look at my life." With compassion in my heart, I gently said, "Sir, God does love you." The man responded, "If He did love me, I would not be living in the streets." I then said, "God gives us free will, and what we do with this freedom is up to us." I told him, "You made some wrong choices or someone made them for you, and this is why you are on the streets." I then mentioned God's love to him a third time and walked away. As I got into my car, I noticed he was staring at me, and looking over the card I had given him. I suppose I may never know what his thoughts were after I left. However, I hope our conversation at least caused him to turn and talk to God at some point.
I love encountering opportunities to share the love of God with people who do not know Him. I take pleasure in listening to their unbelief that I might win them over as I explain His concern for them with simplicity. Our heavenly Father loves everyone no matter what. And yes, there are people in the world who will not embrace His unconditional love, and this is okay, because God will not force Himself on anyone. He respects the decisions we make.
I remember during the course of my life when I did not believe in God. At one point, I was queen of my own castle, doing my own thing, making a mess of my life and on my way to hell. I did not think that God existed. I told myself that, even if He did, I did not want Him in my life telling me what I could or could not do. Wasn't that prideful of me? Bear in mind that I was spiritually blind and did not know any better. I had no idea that God was interested in my life. Sometimes we assume that there is no God when our lives are full of uncertainties. We have some kind of warp belief that God is real when all is well for us. We thank Him, even if we do not know Him, for being there with us on mountaintops, but when we are down in the valley below suffering and our lives are out of order, we rethink His existence.
Do you believe in God and His Son Jesus? If not, why? Is it because no one in your family or circle of friends believes? Believing in God and His Son is an individual decision that you must make on your own. No one can make it for you, and it is dangerous to think that you can put off making that decision. Oftentimes people reject God's salvation offer while they are alive, and when on their deathbeds, they think that they can make the decision to receive Jesus Christ before dying. None of us is promised that we will have this chance, and eternity is too long to be wrong. Why wait?
What about those of us who rush to sacred buildings for spiritual renewal; do you believe in God and His Son Jesus? I ask this because many of us who gather in temples, synagogues, and worship centers do not believe the same. Some of us overlook what God tells us about Himself in His Word and devote our allegiance to traditions, while the life, power, and love of God is laying dormant in our lives. Look around you; where are the examples of those who attend services to prove that there is a God and that He loves us? A greater part of the time, I tell people that there is more to faith than opening up a Bible, wearing a cross, and telling people you go to church. We must implement God's Word in our lives, serve Him, and learn how to love each other.
I hate to say it, but some of us have a lot of knowledge about what is written in the Bible, but nothing is changed in our behavior. Romans 12:2 Scripture reads, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude), so that you may prove (for yourself) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The purpose of reading the Bible is not to obtain information and not apply it, but to apply it and allow it to change your thinking and your life.
Imagine a farmer toiling in the field. He or she spends endless hours plowing, planting, and watering seeds. What if the seeds decide to act rebellious and not reap a harvest? Do you think the farmer would be disappointed? Do you think God ever gets disappointed with us? He works to reach us and shape our lives, yet we resist Him. We manipulate and control everything for our own benefit, even within the church. For example, we print programs in advance every week; what if the Holy Spirit wants us to do something different? Can you envision the number of lost souls entering the kingdom of God? I believe in this way, we can be too structured. I understand that order is necessary; however, when are we going to let God back into the church? Have we not learned anything from the people in the Bible who thought they knew more than the Creator did?
Personally, I am not deliberately trying to control God in any way. I have enough problems with self- control. On my own in the past, apart from Him, I have demonstrated effectively enough how incapable I was of living life dependent on my own wisdom. I was a mess and on my way to hell with a group of my peers. Many of my friends believed I was in total control because I had a lot of stuff. I looked good and had the ability to get whatever I wanted from men. Truthfully, I was not in control of anything; what I was chasing had control of me. Nevertheless, God, so full of compassion, love, and patience had mercy on my soul and set me free.
He untangled me from my bondage so I could concentrate on serving Him with my whole heart. Do you know that it is hard to love and serve God when you and I are willfully sinning? Willful sin, if you fellowship with God, is heartbreaking and very uncomfortable. This is why I ask you to consider the question: Do you really believe? If we believe, we should experience change. Memorizing, quoting Scriptures, but never embracing the doctrine of God will not change a person.
For instances, you and I say we are children of God and that God is love, yet we are often unkind to each other. You cannot see God, yet see me hungry and let me starve. You drive by and see me at the bus stop, but do not offer me a ride to church. You cannot discern when I am in need, yet you freely give to the non-believer who turned you against me. At church, you grab your purse when I walk by because of the color of my skin. You judge me because of the way I look. You walk past me during praise and worship and are too "anointed" to speak or to share a smile. You are afraid to sit next to me because you think I might be gay. You are afraid to hold my hand during prayer because you are a man and I am an attractive woman, and you think any female who attends church is looking for a man. However, regardless of our race, lifestyle, dress, or appearance, some of us are interested in developing spiritually.
If we are going to be victorious people of the Most High God, then how we live our lives (dress, spend money, and love others) should stand out among those who do not believe in God. I have been taught that Jesus revolutionizes your life when He comes into it (II Corinthians 5:17). He empowers us to change, strengthens us to overcome, give us wisdom to do what's right, bestows courage to stand, imparts knowledge to enhance our lives, gives us hope when faced with defeat, and provides peace in the midst of a storm. He even included a built-in Helper, the Holy Spirit, to assist us every hour of every day if we acknowledge Him.
Do you know that the Holy Spirit's job is to comfort us; guide us; lead us into truth by illuminating the Word of God; convict us of sin, and form us into the image of Jesus? If a person nurtures the Seed of life that God plants in his or her spirit when he or she accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord, a change begins to take place in that person's life. Why get excited about gathering in beautiful buildings, collect compact discs, and study spiritual literature if we are not willing to allow the power of God to change our lives? Is it possible that we have embraced a false sense of spirituality (II Timothy 3:5)?
I am concerned with this trend of "empty worship." What is going on in the church? It appears as if our focus During the 21st century has shifted from acknowledgement of Christ's death on the cross to worship of wealth and material possessions. It is almost as if we have forgotten why Jesus came and shed His blood for us. We must stay focused and keep important priorities. What matters to God is the growth of His kingdom—not our aimless, self-centered plans.
I strongly believe it is time for God's people to plant themselves in a Bible-teaching, Bible-believing church that preaches the life of Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection. It is time for us to get serious about God's business and keep our focus on seeking and saving the lost at any cost.
It amazes me that God is our Father, Jesus is our Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit lives in us, and yet we place higher importance on what we think instead of what the Word of God tells us. Consider the following examples:
• Take the narrow gate; instead, we walk· through the wide gate that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
• Love one another and lighten each other's burdens; we say, "You got yourself into this mess—you handle it" (Galatians 6:2).
• Do not worry about everyday life; we worry and develop all sorts of diseases in our bodies. We work several jobs instead of saving our money and being content (Matthew 6:25-34).
• Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; we say, "You want me to love you more than my own family" (Matthew 22:37).
• God wants us to pray, study the Bible, and enjoy fellowship with Him; we say, "I am busy" (I Thessalonians 5:17, IITimothy 2:15, John 15:4-7).
Now do you see whose will is most important in our lives?
Hearing God's Word is one thing; however, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives is an entirely different ball game. We must master the art of yielding and permitting Him to grow us up in the ways of God. The people of the world will never notice a difference in us if we seek to live as they do. If we are going to do things their way and not God's way, then why play the church role and tell people that, we are believers in Christ and His Father (God)? Please understand that I am expressing my view in love; I am not judging anyone. My soul carries a burden for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to stand up, walk in the newness of life, follow the Holy Spirit's lead, and point the people of this dying world toward a living and loving God. It is time to step up and let heaven know we are serious.
When I examine my relationship with God according to His Word, I realize that I need to decrease and let Him increase. I need to give Him total control of my life and stop thinking that the world revolves around me. As much as I love God, sometimes my devotion to Him lacks commitment. I wake up every morning thinking of what I have planned for the day. My focus is on completing what I need to start until I forget to talk to God about the day that He and I will face together. If He is going to be the first priority in my life, I need to include Him in whatever comes across my path (Proverb 3:6). If we let God guide us daily through His Word (the Bible), we will experience less pain in our lives.
Once again, I ask this question for the believer: do you really believe in God and His Son? If so, where is the change that comes from a resurrected life empowered by the Holy Spirit?
If you happen to purchase a copy of this little book, please share it with someone, just as God shared His Son with you.
The Church
The first time I arrived at church with my friend Demetria back in 1984, I was nervous and afraid. I was wearing a short, leather mini-skirt with a see-through blouse. At the time, I did not have enough of God's Word in me to change my thinking, which would have resulted in a change in the way I dress. People stared and whispered to each other, it seemed, the entire time I was there. I can only imagine what their discussion was; however, I did not show up to see them. I had gotten up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive before the crowd so I could hear more about this Man called Jesus who changes lives. Demetria told me that His Father (God) loves me and that He has a plan for my life. She told me that He could redeem the time I had wasted and set me back on the right track. This is what sparked my interest in God; I needed a new start in life and someone to believe in me.
As I continued to attend church, something strange began to take place inside me. I suddenly developed a thirst for the Word of God and a relationship with Him. As this thirst increased, I began to ask myself, How can I understand this book (the Bible) and believe in someone I cannot see? I had no answers, only joy and a desire for God and His Word. I was so happy to hear and learn about Him and His Son Jesus that I found myself running to every conference that came to town. Nothing is wrong with attending conferences, but I needed to establish a relationship with my heavenly Father first.
These conferences, I think, are for the believer who has been walking with God for a little while. Their faith is already rooted and grounded as opposed to the new convert who has just begun to establish his or her faith. So although striving to attend as many services and conferences as possible may help introduce knowledge of the Bible (God's Word), how can one develop an intimate relationship with God if one is always on the run? Quiet time and study time alone with God is very important; it builds our faith and trust in Him and His Son, especially during the infancy stage.
Unbelievably in the year 2000, I enrolled in theology school. I figured that, since I desire more of God's Word, this was the place for me to be. I was thrilled to explore and analyze doctrine while sitting among pastors, prophets, evangelists, and teachers. However, I had no idea that this was too much for me as a young believer. Before I knew it, I gained a big ego and started judging my circle of friends, who were not on my level. In short, one day the security blanket of spiritual self-confidence vanished from my life. My father died unexpectedly, and other unplanned events began to occur in my life. It was as if someone pushed me out of my nest of comfort, telling me, "It's now time to stand firm in faith based on what you have heard and think you know." To my surprise, if these were tests, I failed every one of them. What I had studied in school did not produce anything, because I had a lot of knowledge with no experiences in the faithfulness of God. I was not ready to face these events, and any grain of faith I thought I had was weather-beaten. Losing my father left me angry, empty, unprotected, perplexed and forsaken. And to make matters worse, God was silent and I felt abandoned by Him as well. I belong to God, and I cannot understand why I assumed He was not with me; He is a good Father who loves His people even in the midst of pain and suffering. Did you know that Jesus thought that God had abandoned Him during one of His most difficult trials (Mark 15:34)?
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Misunderstanding A Loving Godby Jeanette Murphy Copyright © 2011 by Jeanette Murphy. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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