You can't fake it until you make it

     “Fake it until you make it” is a phrase that simply means; pretend as long as you can. It’s usually when someone is putting on a façade. (They are putting on a “front”, as if things are one way when they really are another way). Sadly this has become a culture. Everyone (not literally everyone, but a good percentage) is set on portraying themselves to be something they aren’t. We go broke buying purses, clothes, shoes and cars to seem like we are better off financially then we really are, and to be accepted by others. Meanwhile we can’t feed our kids, were living from paycheck to paycheck because we want to be accepted, but are really left empty.

     This is the same way some people are in the church. They go to church every Sunday, they attend every noon day service, every meeting, every bible study and Sunday school, but are so distant from God. They can shout with the best of them, quote every scripture from the Old Testament to the New. They are doing everything that looks good on the outside, but they don’t have anything on the inside. People have become religious; going through the motions, to please other humans, expecting God to accept their fake worship. We are instructed to worship God in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.  Too often in the church worship is based on emotions. How can the Spirit move if we are trying to dictate service based on our emotions?

“Faith accepted, self-will rejected, enmity manifest”-Pastor Willie C. Barnes

Genesis Chapter 4 shows a perfect example of that.

Abel’s offering was accepted.  His offering was accepted because it was what was required of him. God taught Adam to give a blood offering, and Adam (assumingly) taught his children, the same. Abel’s offering was respected by The Lord, and so was he. He worshipped God in spirit and in truth. I know some people say well Cain was the tiller of the ground and, Abel was over the sheep. Regardless of the gift God has given us, regardless of what “assignment” God has given us we still have to meet the requirements. We are still held accountable.

Cain’s offering, shows an example of “self-will rejected”. He gave the offering he wanted to give, instead of what was required of him. He fulfilled his will instead of doing God’s. Therefore his offering was rejected and he was rejected by God. We have to be-careful not to do the things we want to do and expect God to accept it. God isn’t going to just accept anything, especially if it contradicts the way the bible tells us to worship. In ministry we just can’t do whatever feels good, looks good or sounds good. We have to do what is good and acceptable in the eyes of The Lord. I pray that in whatever capacity of ministry you’re in, you are allowing the spirit to lead you, and not the emotionalism that comes with being a human being on this earth.

After Cain and his offering were rejected by God, he was wroth (wroth meaning angry) and his countenance fell. Enmity was manifested in Cain. For Cain to blatantly go against the way he was taught to give an offering shows he already had enmity within him, this was just an opportunity for it to surface. Cain had an unwillingness to obey God. He was religious on the outside, but distant from God in his heart. He was trying to “fake it until he made it”, but he didn’t.  He was rejected by God.

The amazing thing about God is he always leaves room for his mercy. He gave Cain an opportunity to do right in Verse 7. He didn’t take the opportunity and then went on to kill his brother. When God gives us an opportunity to do right by him, take it. God is merciful and gracious enough to forgive us, even when we blatantly go against what he has asked of us. Even when we try to take things into our own hands and fulfill our own wills, he still forgives us, because we are under his grace. When we are accepted by God he will back us up, he will open doors, and move mountains just for us, because he loves us. His mercy endures forever, and his grace is sufficient in our weakness. We can’t forget that!

Let’s continue 2014 denying our self-wills and seeking God’s will and fulfilling it. We have to humble ourselves and realize we can’t “fake it until we make it”. Have to take our relationship with Christ seriously, and worship God in spirit and in truth.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

Destaynee

Check out the video I posted today on my youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/NaturallyDes.com