Calling All Rebels

 CALLING ALL REBELS

A rebel is some one who resists legitimate authority above him. This might be some one who rebels against his parents authority, or a person in a work situation who resists the authority of his/her boss(except if his/her boss asks him/her to sin or something like ordering you what to do at home in your own spare time etc.), or even some one who does not like the idea of a God who has standards and rules that affect our lives.

CALLING ALL REBELS 

By Roy Daniel

A rebel is some one who resists legitimate authority above him. This might be some one who rebels against his parents authority, or a person in a work situation who resists the authority of his/her boss(except if his/her boss asks him/her to sin or something like ordering you what to do at home in your own spare time etc.), or even some one who does not like the idea of a God who has standards and rules that affect our lives.

Rebels want to be FREE!

Causes of rebellion:

Some people are bitter towards their parents (because of divorce or their father and mother fighting allot) and so reject their authority. Many children are hurt inside because of some thing that has happened in their lives. What starts as a hurt heart can later become a hard and rebellious heart. I have seen Children in South African schools with faces dripping with tears as I tell stories of my mom and dad and how they love each other and sang me to sleep as a child, Some are even bitter towards themselves. They hate who they are and what they have done. They try to pretend to themselves they do not hate themselves and so they start to be bitter and rebellious  towards others. Often they hurt those who love them  and some have even reached the point where they do not care any more. They try to deny to themselves that they are hurting people. Another cause of rebellion is pride. Some people think that they are too important to submit to  authority. Deep down many know they are wrong but they harden their hearts and believe the lie that “THEY ARE RIGHT!”

Rebels can be very empty people: They enjoy much in life, but without these things they are empty. Deep down they long for security, for a father and mother that love each other and them, for people to guide them. Others are so proud that they will never admit that they need these things or that they are even rebels at all.

Rebels are not FREE:

In seeking for freedom a rebel becomes bound in chains. Some rebels are bound in bitterness and hate, others become slaves to a self centered lifestyle where they mean so little to others. Some rebels are very nice people until they do not get their way.

Rebels are blind:

Most rebels do not see the seriousness of the state they are in. They do a few good things in life, but the rest of the time they enjoy the freedom of little or no  authority.

The 1st Rebel:

Where did rebellion start? The Bible talks of an angel in Ezekiel 28. This angel was created by God. He was very musical and very beautiful and he was “perfect in his ways from the day that he was created.” Then a terrible thing happened. We read in verse 15 that there was a “day that iniquity (rebellion) was found in him”

How did this happen?: 

We read that “his heart was lifted up because of his beauty”. He became proud. He looked at himself and thought I am so beautiful and wonderful. I do not HAVE to be under God’s Authority. One third of all the angels that God created followed him. God destroyed this rebellion and threw those angels out of heaven. Their rebellion had poisoned their hearts and they became fallen angels who where evil and full of bitterness and pride. They live for themselves and have no love at all. They are full of hate. Satan  was the 1st to rebel. Now he has only one purpose and that is to “steal, to kill and to destroy”. He lives to destroy lives and lead others down the path of rebellion. His name is Satan, Lucifer, the Devil…etc.

How the Devil lead man into rebellion:

In the beginning (in six days ) God created the heavens and the earth. In this time God made all the animals, insects, fish and birds. On the sixth day he made man and woman, (wife). We read: “And the Lord formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen 2:07 God loved man and put him in a beautiful Garden called Eden. He gave the 1st man and woman great freedom to eat of any of the trees of the garden. God loved to talk and be with man. God asked man just one thing and that was that man should never eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”.

Satan wanted to steal man from God. He wanted to kill and destroy man spiritually and he knew there was only one way, i.e. By causing man to disobey God, to rebel against God’s authority. Satan entered a snake and came to Eve (the woman) in the garden and questioned God’s word.
He asked, “hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden?” and then he attacked God’s word and said “Ye shall not  surely die”. Through the ages Satan has attacked God’s word. He used to make people burn heaps of Bibles so that men could not read them. He made people kill Christians who distributed God’s word and now he uses the lie of evolution and films like the “Da Vinci Code” to question and attack God’s word.

Eve believed the lies of Satan and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She then gave of the fruit to her husband and he ate of it. Immediately they died. This was not a physical, but a spiritual death. Inside they where dead. Inside they no longer knew God who is the source of spiritual life. They where now ashamed to walk with a Holy God. When God called to them we read “Adam and his wife hid themselves  from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the garden”. God confronted them concerning their disobedience. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake. This is typical Rebel language. A rebel will rarely take responsibility for his/her own actions. He will rather blame others and even God.

The results of man’s rebellion was catastrophic. Man was banished out of Eden. The earth was cursed and that is why we have disease, thorns, death and suffering. Not only that, but all mankind that ever has or will be born inherited the sinful nature that Adam received through his rebellion. All mankind is born dead spiritually.

Did you know that we are all rebels in God’s eyes? God states that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. Also, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.” You say “wait a minute, I am not a deep and terrible rebel that has killed people and so on.” God standards of what a rebel is is not the same as our standard. In Exodus 20 we read of God commandments:
 
COMMAND 1,2:
It is wrong to have any other gods except Him .This may be a graven image or anything you love more than God- e.g. money  ,sport or uncontrolled craving for food

COMMAND 3
 God considers it sin to use his name as a swear-word.

COMMAND 4
 One day in seven should be God’s day- free of work for money.

COMMAND 5
One must honor, respect and obey one’s  parents.

COMMAND 6
 Murder ,including hatred by not choosing to forgive -is sin!

COMMAND 7
Adultery (including  lust e.g. using pornography) and sex before marriage is sin.

COMMAND 8
Stealing (even small things) is sin.
 
COMMAND 9
Lying is sin!

COMMAND 10
Covetousness i.e.  jealously desiring what belongs to others( wife or property) is sin ?

We should realize and take responsibility for the fact that all of us have rebelled against God’s Holy commandments and that means we are all rebellious Law breakers deserving huge and eternal punishment. No matter how much good works we have done, no matter how religious we are , our lot is  the flames of hell. Good works and religion cannot take away the times every one of us has rebelled against God and his Holy Law. What can we do about it?  The answer is -NOTHING. You can heap up a mountain of good deeds and it would not change the fact that you are a Law breaker on your way to the flames of hell.

AMAZINGLY GOD DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT:  

WE HAVE ALL AGAINST GOD. No one is born with any true love for God. THAT IS why it is amazing that he should do anything to help us..Anything he did would be out of mercy and love , not because of anything we could do to deserve it.The Bible states in Romans 5:8 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly (us Law breakers).The cross of calvary is the point in time around which history is built. If you walked pass the cross of calvary 2000 years ago you would have seen the greatest gift of all time . God was giving His only Son to die in your place .God’s Son was dying  for rebels, for me and you. A Holy God had to  punish rebellion severely .  Jesus Christ was punished for every piece of rebellion  every man ever committed .”What love is this that calvary became  where God’s own  Son, Jesus died for you and me” . Now the way is wide open for all mankind to come in humility over their rebellion to God . All can come to  God who will forgive them( in a moment) and never remember their sins,( because Jesus took our punishment long ago). After three days he arose and went before God the Father with his own blood as proof that he has bought us as his property out of the hands of satan who stole man in the garden of Eden.The Bible states we are “bought  with a price” and how great was that price.!!!

Man is often kept from coming to God for forgiveness because he thinks that he is a good person or has grown up a Christian. The Bible states that “there is none good, but God” All nead Jesus in there lives . All nead to come to the Father through Jesus the Son. All are Law breakers! Have you met with God.If we will humble yourself over our sin and turn from our rebellios ways (and dead religion), then God will (in a moment) give us the gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins through His Son. Jesus Christ will at that point enter into our lives and a miracle will happen in which we are reconciled with God and made NEW CREATURES. We will receive a New Spiritual  inside -Hallelujah.

A biblical example of how a rebel returned to God :

In the Bible we read of a father who had two sons . The one received his inheritance and left the authority of his father to enjoy life doing his own things in his own way. He spent all his substance on “riotous living”. He was a rebel. Eventually he used up all his money and his friends left him( shallow friends are people who forsake you when you can not give them anything, anymore).He looked for work and could only find work looking after pigs . He worked in the mud. He longed to eat the pigs food because he was so hungry. Then a wonderful thing happened . We read “he came to himself”. This is the point we have have to reach . We have to stop before it is too late . We have to stand still and think “What on earth am I doing?”. The son thought “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger.I will arise and go to my father . And I will say unto him, father I have sinned against heaven and against thee( he was taking responsibility for his own actions- not blaming others). And am no more worthy to become thy son( he was humbled over his actions) : make me as one of thy hired servants.(he wanted to submit to his fathers authority).

He walked the road home and then a wonderful thing happened . We read “when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his kneck and kissed him.” and while he was confessing and saying “sorry” his father hugged him.” this is amazing forgiveness and it was free. All he did was come in humility over his rebellion to his father who freely forgave him and hugged him . No matter how great a rebel you are or have been ,he will do the same for you.!!!!!!He will run while you are far off and hug you and then he will say what the father said in the story , “this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” We cannot work up forgiveness, we can only come in humility and shame to God to ask for it as a gift. When we meet with God he forgives us and makes us SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.. Jesus comes inside us and is our life.BUT – .”Untill we stop being proud about our few good works and come to God with nothing but our sin,then NOTHING can happen!

BUT perhaps you say “I long to give up my rebellion , but cannot”. It has too much of a power over me. The wonderful news is God’s word states that Jesus came to set the captives free .Further that “if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed”. Many deep rebels have been set free from the POWER of rebellion when they stopped trying( in their own strength) and came to Jesus to be set Free (and forgiven).A rebel is like a person who has heavey chains.Chains he cannot see ,but that will one day drag him down into the depths of Hell. His only hope is to call out to Jesus for mercy. In One moment he would be forgiven and his chains would fall to the ground- broken.Jesus is very near to every one of us . He will hear if we call. “All that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Some people want to receive forgiveness ,while holding on to their rebellios ways. We have to make a choice. A life for God or life for ourselves. There is no middle way. The Bible states “Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life an few there be that find it.” It is written of Moses that he chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God ,than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”.
 
THE PLACE WHERE ALL REBELS MEET:

Some people( even at the point of death) die defying God. Others die religious, ignoring their rebellious heart. The pharisee’s where very religious, but Jesus called them children of the devil.
They believed in God and went to a place of worship ,yet Jesus said they would die in their sins.
After death the scene will be different. It “is appointed unto men once to die ,but after this the Judgment” . That will be an awful day for every one who does not know Jesus!!! The same God who created the world by his word will on that day Judge people according to his word. All people who do not know Jesus will be found guilty as rebellious Law breakers. The Bible states that many will find  on that day that they are false Christians.They will see that their works,relligion and even miraculous spiritual experiences did not mean that they were on their way to heaven.  Jesus said in Mathew 7:22 that “Many will say to me in that day,Lord,Lord,have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:depart from me ,ye that work iniquity” (i.e.rebellious against God’s authority).

THIS IS NOT GOD’S WILL:

Here are a few Bible scripture’s:
2 Peter 3:09b The Lord is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord:though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool”
Hebrews 2:09 Jesus did “…taste death for every man”.

Jesus died so that every rebel could have a chance to live . If you carry on in rebellion or clinging to religion without Jesus, then there is no hope for you. If you are willing to be humbled over your rebellious heart and sin then God will forgive you. He will make you spiritually alive and   his child.  Is Jesus speaking to you know. Is he calling you to humble yourself and ask him to give you the gift of eternal life and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Come .

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