The End Time Church: from the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Copyright ©2016 by Dan L. White, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

Chapter 6

Seeking What You Can’t See —
With Your Whole Heart

So how do you follow an invisible God? How can you see what your eyes can’t? How can you be led by a King you can’t see?

Answer?

You have to look really, really hard.

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good; for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers; if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.

For this commandment which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

Israel had trouble following the God they couldn’t see. The invisible God can be seen, though, by seeking Him.

Rom 1:18-23
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.

The invisible things of Him are clearly seen —

Clearly seen —

Through the things that are made.

God can be seen in his creation and we can know he is there, here, everywhere.

Israel should have known that more than anyone. They were God’s chosen people. He personally recited the Ten Commandments to them and gave them a personally inscribed copy. However, somewhere along the line they missed the obvious. They did not see Yahweh God.

Why not?

Israel didn’t see God because they weren’t really looking for him.

They had no image of Yahweh to look at. They had no human government to control their lives. They were led only by the invisible visible God. However, only by seeking God with their whole heart could they find him.

The whole heart.

Jer 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with their whole heart.

Seeking God with the whole heart can never be a half-hearted effort.

Just before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses told them that in the future they would forsake God and then he would forsake them. After their suffering, though, they would again seek God, and then they would do it with a whole heart.

Deu 4:27-29
Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations, where Yahweh will lead you away. There you shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Notice — you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jeremiah prophesied at the time of the fall of Judah, and he told them that after a long period of captivity, they would again search for God — with all their heart.

Jer 29:10-13
For Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.

Notice — You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.

David followed God with his whole heart, but Jeroboam didn’t.

1Ki 14:7-9
Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over my people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from David’s house, and gave it you; and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in my eyes, but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods, molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back;

Jehoshaphat sought Yahweh with all his heart. His son Ahaziah did not.

2Ch 22:9
[Jehu] sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.

Hezekiah sought God with all his heart and prospered.

2Ch 31:20-21
Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah; and he did that which was good, right, and faithful before Yahweh his God. In every work that he began in the service of God’s house, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

Josiah turned to Yahweh with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might.

2Ki 23:25
There was no king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; and there was none like him who arose after him.

In all those examples, do you see a pattern?

When Israel sought God with their whole heart, they found him and were blessed. When they did not, they did not find him and they were cursed.

Usually, though, Israel was wholehearted —

Only when they were deep in the hole, in the pit of despair.

Why did Judah seek God with their whole heart when they were in great distress?

That’s when their hearts were humble and hungry. When they were in dire straits, then they straightened out. The urgency of emergency put their priorities back in order.

Psa 34:18
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

Psa 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Ecc 7:2-4
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.

Seeking God with a whole heart comes from a humble heart. Not seeking God with a whole heart comes from a haughty heart, when you do what you want to do, instead of what He wants you to do.

Psa 4:4
Stand in awe, and don’t sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still.

Most of the time Israel was very religious. Most of the time, they did not seek God with their whole heart, and their religion helped cover that up.

When they did not seek God with their whole heart, sure enough, they didn’t find Him. When you don’t seek God with your whole heart, then you wind up following your own heart.

Pro 3:5
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

And following your own heart, this is what you’re left with.

Jer 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?

Gen 6:5
Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 8:21
Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done.

Mar 7:21-23
For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Joh 2:23-25
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did. But Yeshua didn’t trust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

If you don’t follow God with your whole heart, you’re left with your own heart. That’s what Israel was left with when they did not seek God. Following their own hearts, they got totally out of control. Then they thought that good was evil and evil was good.

However, the deceptive part is that when Israel was not seeking God with their whole heart…

They were often very religious about it!

They thought they were seeking God through their religion, but in reality their religion was keeping them from God. Formal religion is the garb of half-heartedness. It covers hypocrisy with a cloak of churchiness.

During Samuel’s time, Israel lamented after Yahweh. They knew they were not close to God and they lamented after him, yearned for him, cried out for him.

So then why weren’t they close to him?

1 Samuel 7:2-4
From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.

Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you do return to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.

Israel often mixed pagan worship with Yahweh worship. Apparently they thought that any religion was good religion. Their pagan religious traditions did not help them get closer to the true God.

Seeking God with your whole heart means obeying in everything you know. If you’re mostly obedient, then you are disobedient. Obedience is obedience only if you are wholly obedient.

Israel is not alone in having great difficulty following the invisible visible God. That’s why so many are so outwardly religious, wanting to put something they can see in front of the God they can’t see. Israel used idols, an ephod, a snake, and even the temple to be religious. Today people use statues, big buildings, ceremonies, liturgies, vestments and church organizations to be religious. All these things cloak the invisible visible God.

Everybody should be able to see the invisible God in the things He has made.

Most don’t see Him. The difference in seeing or not seeing is seeking. If you don’t seek, you won’t see. If you’re not looking for God, you won’t find Him. If you are looking for him, you will find him, only if you seek him with your whole heart.

Most of all, seeking God with your whole heart means never putting someone else between you and God. Your personal guidance must come from your personal God. Religious bureaucracies are no better than government bureaucracies. Seeking God means seeking God.

You.

Him.

Whole heart.

As Christ quoted Moses: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” Mat 22:37.

So how do you follow an invisible God? How can you be led by a King you can’t see? How can you see what your eyes can’t?

You have to look really, really hard.

If you seek him with your whole heart, you can clearly see him in the things he has made. You will see that he has made you and you will see where he wants you to go. No religious authority has to tell you what to do with your life, because you have a personal connection to the Life Giver. He is your king, but he is not to be taken lightly. He is not just one of the boys. You only find him when you seek him with all your heart, and nothing else comes first.

Here is an example of whole-heart God seeking.

(Daniel 9:1-19 )
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.

I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said,

“Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness; for we have rebelled against him. We haven’t obeyed Yahweh our God’s voice, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, that they should not obey your voice.

“Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us; for we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet have we not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth. Therefore Yahweh has watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.

“Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as it is today; we have sinned. We have done wickedly. Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

“Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. My God, turn your ear, and hear. Open your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen and do. Don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

That is a humble, hungry heart.

Having access to the Creator of everything is an unfathomable opportunity. You wouldn’t expect this opportunity to be something you can do while you’re multitasking, would you?

No.

Frail, physical people can find the incredible spiritual God only with wholehearted effort.

(Matthew 13:44-48 )
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

The bad fish are half-hearted. They did not sell everything to buy the treasure in the field or to buy the pearl of great price. They tried to buy at a bargain rate.

People are seekers or sneakers. Seekers want God more than anything else. Sneakers want God, along with everything else.

Israel thought they had a government problem. They actually had a God problem. Israel seldom sought their invisible King with their whole heart, so finally they just decided to dethrone him.

That happens when people don’t seek God with their whole heart. They think they have a government problem when they have a God problem. People who look directly to the King don’t want another king. People who don’t, do.