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SCRIPTURE - NUM. 14 : 16                                                  AUGUST, 2002

Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

SUBJECT - THINGS, GOD CAN'T, AND WON'T DO!!

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Have you ever heard someone ask, or maybe wondered to yourself, if there was anything that God, couldn't do??

Since I have been saved, going on 25 years, I have been asked this question, and before I was saved, I used to ask it as well.

We have all heard about how God is all powerful, and that He can't fail, yet we still have questions about if that is true or not. Experience in our lives, may lead us to doubt what He says, when He says, 'Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:' The experience of losing a loved one, or injury in an accident, or sickness in our own bodies, as well as things like the attack on the US on 9/11, cause us to wonder about just how powerful, God really is.

Well, I am going to answer some of these questions, in this tract.

First, in the subject verse, Moses, is talking to God, and seems to be giving God a warning, that if He, God, proceeds with His plan to destroy all of the children of Israel, in the wilderness because of their disobedience to Him, then other nations will look at it as His being unable to do what He said He was going to do.

He had promised to lead them in to a land, 'flowing with milk and honey.' Many would take that as meaning that if He didn't get them there, then that would mean He had failed to do what He promised. If that had been the case, His failing, in that area, then that would mean, He could fail in other areas, including our salvation. And if that was the case, we would all be in trouble. We couldn't trust God for anything.

However, God has given us plenty of insight, in to what He will, and will not do. It is in the case of things that He will not do, and can't do, that we need understanding.

First, Moses' so called reasoning with God, did not show God's inability to do what He promised. To the contrary, if the children of Israel, didn't get to the promised land, it would be because of their own disobedience.

Moses was asking God to have mercy on the disobedient children of Israel. This was one, among many times that Moses asked for and got mercy for the people. At other times, God rejected pleas for mercy, and punished the people. So having said that, let's look at what He can't, and won't do.

First, God can not fail. There is not one, single solitary thing, that God has promised, that He can't deliver on.

The problem is, that things that appear to be failures of His, are usually the reaping of things we may have sown in our own lives, days, weeks, months, or even years earlier. We, in many instances, don't want to face that fact, so we chalk it up as God's failure to be able to protect us from them. Some Christians think like this, but this is usually the worldly way of thinking.

After 9/11, many worldly minded people, including some Christians, began to question whether or not God, was truly as powerful as Christians, that are truly, trusting in God, say He is. The answer is, most definitely, yes. God was, and still is fully capable of destroying any weapon, or plan, that the enemy of His followers, brings against them. What happened on 9/11, can not be laid at the feet of anyone, but this nation. How?? God says, 'Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isa 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Next, God cannot lie. This attribute, is one that God, binds Himself to, and esteems it even above His own name. 'Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. To put it plainly, if God said it, He will do it. Unlike us, God will only say, what He is willing to do, and under what circumstances He will do it. We tend to try to get Him to do things, contrary to the prerequisites, He has set up. And when He doesn't do what we want, we say, God's word isn't true. But, it is. God says, 'Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:' This one prerequisite, has been the most overlooked part of God's plan for our obtaining all that He has for us. And then we turn around and say, God's word isn't true.

Next, God can't save anybody. Now, I know this may sound controversial, but here is the truth. The plan of God, for our salvation, rests with Jesus Christ, His Son. The bible says, 'Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' This passage of scripture is key to the revelation of the fact that God, cannot save anyone, even though they profess a belief in Him. That means, if you believe in God, or as some call Him, Jehovah, or any of the other biblical names He is called, or if you believe in Allah, or Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, or any other name given among men, you will still go to hell, if that is your primary focus for going to Heaven. The bible tells us, 'Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.' You know, this is kind of funny. The devil believes in, or rather, knows God is real and trembles. Many people that profess a belief in God, act as if He is their servant, and treat Him as a spare tire, that is only needed after their main support fails.

If, belief in God was what was needed to gain eternity in Heaven, then the devil would have us all beat. But, God, gave us a name, that when believed in, would open the way to eternal life, for that person. This was part of God's plan, before the foundation of the world. If He, for whatever reason changed from that plan, then that would make Him no better than man, and He would be a liar.

Next, God will not change. Notice the term, will not change. That means that it is His will, that keeps Him from changing. 'Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.' Many times in the bible, we see times, when it appears that He has changed His mind about something, but in reality, He hasn't. Much of what appears to be a change of mind, is nothing more than a planned response to things that were pre determined before the foundation of the world. The times when sacrificing animals, came and stayed until Christ died on the cross, and did away with it, is just one example. The mere fact that repentance, justifies the guilty, and turns away His wrath, is another.

Next, God does not favor one person, or race over another. That's right. He is not respecter of persons.

'2 Chr 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: God doesn't care who you are, how rich you are, your status in the community or the world for that matter, what your race is, the color of your skin, or your sex, He deals with everyone the same way. When you follow His commandments, you get blessed. Go against them, and you get cursed. Very simple, isn't it?

Now, I will say this. Those people, that are the direct descendants of Abraham, through Sara, his wife, are God's chosen people. That was a covenant made between Him and Abraham, back when He had Abraham, to sacrifice his son, on the altar, but then stopped him, before he carried it out. Because Abraham, was willing to go that far to follow what God told him to do, God said that anyone that, through faith, would be known as a descendant of Abraham.

Just because a person is Jewish, does not make them better than anyone else. But, for anyone to mess with Israel, descendants of Abraham, is like personally offending God. 'Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.' The prophet, is talking to the children of Israel.

God, will not force, or drag anyone, in to Heaven. There is this belief that once a person is saved, they are always saved, and can't end up in hell. Many people believe that the scriptures which say, 'Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' When they look at these verses, they think it means that nothing can separate them from the love of God. But what they don't realize, is nothing can separate them from the love of God but, they can separate themselves from Him. God still loves them, but if they choose to leave Him, and go back in to the world, and take up their sinful ways again, then they will forfeit their salvation. The bible says, 'Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, Heb 6:6 If they shall fall [walk] away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

God, will not override the desires of an individual, in this area. He loves every one, saved and unsaved, but, His will is what He has set up, and that is salvation through Christ. And only one time. If you want to get out, you can.

One other thing God won't do, is tempt you with evil. 'Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: This verse should be self explanatory. God never uses evil, to test us, to see if we will do wrong. The temptation to do wrong, is from the devil, which appeals to your fleshly lusts. God, has no need to test you to see what you will do, or how strong you are, spiritually, He already knows. The problem is, however, you don't know. In school, we are tested so the teacher and others can get some idea of how much we know, or how well we can function. With God, the test is to reveal to ourselves, our own strengths and weaknesses. Many times, we have an over inflated ego, and think we are too strong to fall to the temptations that come our way. God, allows the devil to tempt us, so that we will see just how weak we really are.

Going along with the same scripture, God can't be tempted by us, to do something for us. There are people that think they can threaten to do evil, if God doesn't do what they want Him to do. Ever hear someone say, 'If God doesn't send me some money soon, I will have to get it one way or another.'? They think that will make God hurry up and give them what they want, to keep them from sinning. It doesn't work.

Neither does God use sinful tools, like gambling, to get money to us. I hear people that have hit the number, or lottery, praising God for blessing them to win, when He didn't have anything to do with it. That was the devil's curse, and believe me, it is a curse. Ever hear of someone saying they are going to quit gambling, after one last play, then they win?? All of a sudden they have to give it one more try. That's the devil for you, and not God. He will always do anything to keep you believing something wrong about God.

There are so many wrong opinions that Christians have about God, that we are literally bogged down in the areas where we shouldn't be. Understanding God, is the key to realizing all of the blessings that He has in store for us, in this life, as well as in the life to come.
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