“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” (Psalm 98:4)
“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 150:6)
There really is not that many of us you know, once those trapped by religious cults and those who do not serve the Living God are counted on this planet today, we are seen as few in number indeed. Few in number comparatively speaking that is.
Seventy souls went down to Egypt, a remnant of seven thousand left in the days of Elijah, three thousand were added to the Lamb’s Book of Life on Pentecost. Once the more than one billion captured by Romanism is counted, the billion or more devoted to countless gods in India, Islam adds many more, as does nearly all the Eastern nations of the world, one can see that Matthew 7:14 is indeed a truth. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Count those who say they believe in God, yet profess the Lord Jesus Christ only with their lips, and you will find that the remnant today, as it perhaps always has been with mankind, is indeed quite small in comparison to the amount of people on the earth.
“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5)
It is different in this time of grace, the glory of the Lord is not seen hovering above a temple, or church if you prefer, anywhere, there is no fire or pillar of smoke to follow, no seas are being parted, the Lord Jesus Christ is not down the street healing or teaching. The just my friends have always needed to walk by faith and not just sight, but never more than in these last two thousand years.
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Do you? Do you, as the Charismatic cult does, need if not a continuous but at least occasional sign from the Almighty to keep your emotions elevated? Do you, as the cult of Romanism offers, need a bleeding statue or some other form of manufactured miracle to ensure your continued obedience?
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1) Because they need proof, because their faith is based on what one of their five senses can verify, because they trust their heart which will continuously deceive them.
They wanted to build a temple that would reach up to God in the days of Nimrod. “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” (Isaiah 14:13)
Can you see the correlation? Man desires a God that he can see, he wants some form of proof that the god they say they serve is real, and Satan is more than happy to oblige them in this.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight:” (2nd Cor. 5:7)
The Living God indeed answers our prayers, but He is not there to be a servant to your every beck and call, if He decides to say “No” to a fervent prayer request of yours, you are not to grudgingly accept His answer and dolefully say “Thy will be done,” you are to lift His name up in praise.
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Heb. 13:15)
Faith says He knows best, faith not seen accepts all that enters into our lives as right and true, living by faith and not sight is what separates those who will live in the presence of the glory of God for all eternity from those who need visible proof.
My friends, the truest and final proof for most people will occur the moment after they take their last breath here on earth, and open their eyes in hell.
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 118:1)
If you live by faith and not sight.
