2 inescapable truths about God - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2015/02/2-inescapable-truths-about-god/
Pastor Greg Laurie explains how to tell if you're 'right' with the Lord
Years ago I was invited to go to the Philippines and speak to Christian leaders from around the country and encourage them. Even though we were just finishing a tour in Israel and it would be a long trip, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity.
We arrived in the Philippines, and before we left for our scheduled speaking engagement, we were invited to address a group of Christian businessmen. Afterward one of the businessmen asked me where we were going next.
"We are going to Davao City, on the island of Mindanao, to minister to some leaders over there," I said.
"You are going where?"
"We're going to Mindanao."
"Do you know what's going on over on Mindanao?" he said. "A communist group has taken over the island. There is chaos. They are shooting people in the streets. Why are you going? We can't even find any Filipino pastors to go over there, much less someone from America."
Of course, I began asking myself the same question. Why am I going? No one told me about this.
Then he added, "But I must say we applaud your courage."
As we prayed about it, however, we felt that God was still telling us to go.
The man who coordinated the event had arranged for us to travel to Mindanao in a government plane. (Of course, going into a communist stronghold in a government aircraft was not my transportation of choice.) It was a transport plane with no seats, and we stood in the plane along with about 150 people on the way to Davao City. As I looked out the window and watched the sun come up that morning, I thought, I'm going to die. I think that's a given. We are going to go there, and someone is going to shoot us. This is it for me. I was really worried.
But as I was reading the Scriptures, I came upon Psalm 139: "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You" (verses 9-12 NKJV).
I looked out the window of that huge plane and thought, Here I am. And as the sun shines, the Lord is with us. He will hold on to us.
As we arrived on the island of Mindanao, a group of government vehicles with mounted guns were waiting to take us into the city. Our meeting went well, and we returned home safely. Everything was fine.
God had comforted me through the words of Psalm 139. And there are two important attributes of God that stand out in this psalm: 1) God is omniscient, which simply means that he is all-knowing, and 2) God is omnipresent, which means that God is present everywhere.
God knows everything. Psalm 147:4 says that "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name." Think about that. In this massive universe, God knows the name of every star out there. And in spite of that, he knows what is happening on this little planet called Earth.
He knows what is going on not only with the people that he created in his image, but he also knows what is going on in the animal kingdom. Jesus said, "What is the price of two sparrows - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it" (Matthew 10:29 NLT). God is aware of all of these details.
In spite of this knowledge of what happens in his creation and in the animal kingdom, he is vitally aware of what is happening in every individual life. He is interested in us as individuals. Proverbs 15:3 says, "The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good." He is aware of everything that is happening. There is not a single thing that happens on this earth that escapes the knowledge of God.
Not only is God all-knowing, or omniscient, but he is also omnipresent, which means that he is present everywhere. Again, Psalm 139 says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there" (verses 7-8 NKJV).
This can be comforting or frightening. If you are not right with God and are trying to run from him, it isn't going to work. Wherever you go, he will be there. But if you are walking with God, the fact that God is omnipresent brings great comfort. It means that you never will be alone.
Death does not hide us from God. God is present everywhere, on both sides of the grave. Distance does not separate us from God. No matter where you go, he is there. Darkness does not separate us from God. The psalmist said, "Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You" (139:12).
God sees. Nothing escapes his attention. There are no secrets with him. If your life is right with God, then it is comforting to know that God sees you.
Knowing that we cannot escape his presence and realizing that he is all-knowing, how does that affect you? If it terrifies you, if it frightens you, if it fills you with fear and shame, that would be an indication that your life is not right with him. On the other hand, if it brings comfort and strength to your life, that would be an indication that your life is right with him.
If the realization that God knows everything and is present everywhere encourages you in life, then you are probably walking with God. But if it frightens you, then maybe you aren't.
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