I was having a bit of fun on a forum debating God and how to please Him, and the guy I was debating with is Scottish, I said [of course in fun] you mustn't be surprised if God's opinions are not the same as your own, after all God is not Scottish, Jesus did not wear the Tam o' Shanter  when the angels announced His birth they did not do so with a wee burst on the bag-pipes.
Seriously though, everybody knows there is something wrong in this world don't they? it's not nature, nature is beautiful, it's the world of men isn't it? politics and religion and stuff, it's even our little communities and [if we are honest] it's US.
So if you ask a man [ordinarily] what will please God and what He will find acceptable and you ask God what pleases Him and what He finds acceptable, you really shouldn't be surprised if there is a slight difference of opinion.
In fact the diagreement might be a little more serious than that, it may be that actually God's opinion is the opposite so that what WE think is pleasing to Him is actually DISpleasing and what we think is acceptable God might find UNacceptable.
See Cain in the bible was full of religious ideas, did you know that? oh yes, he brought an offering to God but it was unacceptable, Cain got so mad that when he saw that Abel's offering was accepted by God he rose up in fierce anger and slew his brother. Even so God said "if you do well will you not be accepted?"
Why was Abel's offering accepted and Cain's not. Cain had worked so hard to bring God the fruit of the ground, all year round, he had dug and ploughed and furrowed and planted and harvested, man he must have put some sweat into it. But God had pronounced a curse upon the ground, Cain was bringing to God the fruit of what had been cursed. If man had never sinned he would never have had to work the ground and toil, the earth would have given of it's own increase.
God want's you and I to know that it is sin that has brought dearth and poverty, disease and death into this world.
Abel brought his wee lamb, there is nothing on earth so innocent and harmless as a lamb.
Sin= death, it's just that way. You are going to die and so will I and for the same reason, the scientist the holy man or philosopher, all are in the same boat.
God's answer to this is a NEW creation, He is going to destroy this one, He has set the day when He will do it, it is just as sure as the Titanic was going to sink once it had hit that berg.
Now my friend was arguing that good deeds are the way to come to God for salvation, but no, good deeds do not take away the dearth and ruin, the ship is going to sink, you can run around helping people with their life- jackets or helping them into the life-boats, filling flasks of hot drinks against the icy sea but brother if you don't get into the life-boat you are going to perish.
God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that who-so-ever believeth in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life.
He IS God's Life-boat the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.
Jesus said "who-so-ever cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." You come to Him in believing prayer, call upon Him, He will wash away your sins and grant new life to You, you will be part of His new creation, having new spiritual life within you. You did nothing to earn your natural life, you will not earn your new spiritual life, it's a free gift from God when You come to Him.
THAT'S God's way. Don't be frowning at it like Cain, displeasing yourself and being angry at other people who do believe. Come and recieve all that God has for YOU today. Sin=death but Jesus died for us.
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