Hananoaoi's Journal

This is from a letter I wrote to one of my favorite morning talk shows.

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I love watching your program and all the opportunities you offer to help others.  Normally your shows are spot on with the messages it conveys.  However, today, you dropped the ball.  First, GOD does not take lives.  That is a misconception that dates back to the Old Testament when the children of Israel did not know of Satan.  You discover this as you read on into the later chapters of the Testament.  Jesus stated that "all" He had seen His Father do, He did.  Not once did Jesus kill anybody.  Nor did He "take" anybody.  Neither did GOD.  When we fail to remain under GOD's protection or lack knowledge on how to protect ourselves (including our health), Satan can easily step in and take us out. 

This is what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah.  GOD would have remained protecting them if there had been found at least 10 faithful, as HE promised Abraham.  There weren't and the one who was, GOD removed from those places.  During this time, Jesus had not yet come to remove the power of death from Satan's absolute control. 

If you use what Jesus did in the New Testament as a map or outline to the Old Testament, you will see the difference.  Many of what people thought GOD had done was not in the manner we believed or were taught.  When GOD said He'd harden pharaoh's heart, you need to understand that the pharaoh was thought to be god in human form and the voice of the gods.  As far as he was concerned, there was no other god but him and those of Egypt.  Think about it.  How would you feel if someone walked up and told you that the God of your slaves wanted you to free HIS people?  Especially if you had been raised to believe that as pharaoh, you were the only god?  To him, that was a slap in the face.  Even more so since it came from the very person he considered a brother.  Pride stepped in and sure enough, pharaoh's heart was hardened.  Pride.  Arrogance.  Anger.  GOD knew that pharaoh would react this way.  However, HE also knew that pharaoh would only respond once things he could not easily explain away happened or once his fear abated. 

Even David misunderstood what was happening when he decided to number the people when GOD hadn't told him to.  In the first telling it says that the Lord had tempted David to do it.  In the later books, it states that Satan tempted David to do it.  Whether or not the first is a mistranslation or a straight up misunderstanding remains to be interpreted.  However, when David repented, he saw the angel of the Lord standing with a sword over the city.  He thought the angel was there, poised to strike.  The angel was there to prevent the furtherance of Satan's attack. 

All GOD has ever done is protect us from ourselves, each other, demons, and Satan.  Jesus showed us through His works what GOD wanted done.  You said that we don't always receive the miracle we ask for.  I don't know about you, but I always receive what I ask for.  Whether its immediate, takes a long time, or is done in a way I could have never expected, I always receive what I ask for.  Where we step into disbelief is when we ask on behalf of someone else or doubting (secretly, but denying it) without knowing where that person stands or what they believe, or if we actually believe we will receive what we are asking for. 

The only person who knows each of our hearts individually is GOD.  Even we don't know.  We learn by going through.  Nothing that we go through is different or unusual.  It happens throughout the world.  The only difference is we have GOD to deliver us.  The rest of the world doesn't have a clue.  We, the children of GOD, have got to stop seeing things the same way as the world does.  We don't have to get sick.  We don't have to be poor.  We don't have to spend our days in agony and despair.  If that's the case, then just what did Jesus come for?  It is written that He came to seek and to save "that" which was lost.  What is the "that" which was lost?  How we were before the fall.  We were healthy, strong, lacking nothing, talking with GOD every day, free from fear, having hope and joy, full of love and innocence.  That is what Christ came to reclaim.  To restore us.

So many times, we miss it.  We are so busy looking at others' lives that we don't see the truth.  We go by what we think and feel, forgetting what GOD said.  GOD's truth is the reality.  What we see isn't.  All around us is in constant flux.  Always changing, moving, growing, collapsing, shining, or decaying.  But GOD's truth never changes.  It remains constant, consistent, unmoving, unchanging, living, and enduring.  This is what we should base our facts on.  Not what we think, but what GOD has said.  We need to understand exactly what it is that Jesus did for us.  GOD said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge".  I truly understand.  We don't learn.  For some reason, the people of the world seem to get what GOD is saying better than we do and they don't even read the Bible.  I watch their movies and television programs.  I am amazed by what they do know.  Then I wonder, "what happened to us?"  Why do we become saved, then turn religious?  How do we forget what we sought GOD for in the first place?  At what point do we forget?  I truly want answers to these questions and I know that just by asking, GOD will send the answer.  HE always does.  GOD has never failed me.  Period.