But I will be hiding my face from them because of all the evil they will have done in turning to other gods. Deuteronomy 30:18
Now after being truly born again into the Spirit and looking back on my life, I see how dark it was when I was younger and practicing catholicism. Never did I hear the Lord’s voice, or ever feel his presence. It seemed the goal was to pray and worship a god in the heavens and his men and women who were deemed to be special and holy. Almost a if he did not care about us and was somewhere out there, almost like me living in Mexico and my older daughters in Iowa. We know where each other are, but the relationship does not go beyond that.
And because of the evil doctrine that is taught to us by a church system (choose any church system, not just catholic). We turn to other gods and do not even know it. I get into debates often about who Yeshua is versus Jesus. Most think it is the same guy, but it is not, because Jesus does not exist and the god they portray him to be is not the same God as Yeshua is. They are literally night and day different in their core doctrine.
The religious world believes in a god who is accepting of who they are, and or pretends you are a good person when you are not. Their god does everything for them, just claim it and it is yours. While not expecting any changes from you. Their god seems desperate to find friends the way they present him, because he is the one doing all the giving and just waiting like a genie to grant you your wishes.
The religious world does not get that they have turned to other gods, really not much different than the Jews, especially the catholic church who has all kinds of saints to pray to, and idols to worship. But all religions have a different god they worship than the true living God. We must give the devil his due, he has worked tirelessly over many years changing the minds and doctrine of people little by little, one generation to the next, telling people what they want to hear and not what they need to hear.
I remember reading once a comment from a guy when the new pope was elected, who changed some doctrine, making it more acceptable in people’s minds. And this guy simply said “I love this pope!” There is so much in this simple statement because it seems in his mind, whatever the pope said is agreeable to God. As if the pope is the one making the doctrine and covenants with God and not the other way around.
This is the point, we want a god who agrees with us and does not condemn us when we do wrong. And the god of this world is willing to make that happen, but then you are worshipping satan and not Yeshua, he becomes your god. And because he is your god you will spend eternity with him, UNLESS, you repent and turn to the true living God, seek him and start to hear him and obey his commands. The devil will break you down little by little until he destroys you, or sometimes with some people he simply leaves them alone, they do not repent but they also do not go all the way there in deep sin like I did. They just live a normal simple life, one with sin but nothing dramatic and a life no one would condemn them about.
It seems most of the people I know are like that back in Iowa. But here in Baja it seems the opposite, most of the people I know were drug addicts and sometimes dealers. Some still are, but most have repented and changed, some all the way to a level where they are really seeking God as I do. The true living God who expects change, getting rid of sin for righteousness.
Everyone knows heaven is going to be perfect, so how is it that many think they are going to heaven as they are, with all the problems we have because of how people are. And that somehow magically God is going to take all these man made problems and make them work out so there is no problem in heaven?
As I wrote before about the discussion with the Lord about my mom, it is not like that. He cannot let anyone who does not want to repent, because they do not know the way of God, and they will tarnish heaven, and it would look exactly the same as it is here on earth. Some people even say things like we will all hang out in the bar in the sky.
I do not want it like this for eternity. I want what God promised, perfection and peace and no more tears. I do not want to be looking over my shoulder wondering who is talking behind my back, who is trying to steal from me, who is trying to steal or rape my wife and maybe my kids. I look forward to the big mansion in heaven where I can leave my door unlocked and know nothing will happen. A place where we transparently see each other and know what the other person was before they were born again, but do not care nor say a word about it but instead rejoice with them for having changed and become one with God. There will be a genuine love for each other, a love as God loves and not as we see it as men.
With my family and with this small community of home owners I built, I seeked for this, tried to build it here on earth. I know it would never be all the way there like it will be in heaven. But I found it is not possible on earth. And these days to find a true church (the repented and transformed men into God’s image) is almost impossible as well. I would love to fellowship with other men, but I find they are all asleep, blinded by the doctrine of men who tell them what their itching ears want to hear, to their shame. Again, worshiping a god who does not exist who is simply a blessing machine, desperate for men to like him, and willing to do anything for them to have a relationship. One we can make our own covenant with and dictate the terms for the relationship.
This is what God sees as selfish and not humble at all. A humble man is the opposite, he goes to God seeking forgiveness and repenting of his ways, wanting to be a part of his covenant, his way and truth and live in his light or wisdom and power. This man will always be accepted by God into the Kingdom, no matter who you are without partiality. He does not care if Greek or Jew, white or black, USA or Mexican… God does not care if you are one of the “good simple people from Iowa” or someone from the cartel. What he cares about is that neither of these people are right with him and worthy. But in both cases either can enter into his rest by repenting and changing and growing into who God expects us to be by the hearing and obeying of the word, with the word being Yeshua. In other words it does not matter who you are, it is who you will become “IF” you turn to him and obey.
But if you do not turn, and remain worshipping these false gods with or without idols and statues. Then God “will be hiding my face from them because of all the evil they will have done in turning to other gods.”