WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF US



1. RESPONSIBILITY:

            Sometimes God requires hard things of us when we’re in a ‘testing place’. It is imperative that we continually walk in the fullness of all His requirements. And don’t ‘think’ that just because you’re a “Christian” you would never dream of entertaining thoughts and ideas from the enemy! Listen:

Gen 3:1-6 (NLT) NOW THE SERPENT WAS THE SHREWDEST OF ALL THE CREATURES THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. "REALLY?" HE ASKED THE WOMAN. "DID GOD REALLY SAY YOU MUST NOT EAT ANY OF THE FRUIT IN THE GARDEN?" 2 "OF COURSE WE MAY EAT IT," THE WOMAN TOLD HIM. 3 "IT'S ONLY THE FRUIT FROM THE TREE AT THE CENTER OF THE GARDEN THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT. GOD SAYS WE MUST NOT EAT IT OR EVEN TOUCH IT, OR WE WILL DIE." 4 "YOU WON'T DIE!" THE SERPENT HISSED. 5 "GOD KNOWS THAT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED WHEN YOU EAT IT. YOU WILL BECOME JUST LIKE GOD, KNOWING EVERYTHING, BOTH GOOD AND EVIL." 6 THE WOMAN WAS CONVINCED. THE FRUIT LOOKED SO FRESH AND DELICIOUS, AND IT WOULD MAKE HER SO WISE! SO SHE ATE SOME OF THE FRUIT. SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER. THEN HE ATE IT, TOO.

            This man and woman (Adam and Eve) were instructed by GOD, HIMSELF, yet they were deceived into believing a LIE from Satan!


Try to ‘hear’ what I’m saying here, tonight.

2. HOPE:

            Yes! We have ‘hope’! God’s promises NEVER fail! The Bible clearly says in Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) "GOD IS NOT A MAN, THAT HE SHOULD LIE, NOR A SON OF MAN, THAT HE SHOULD REPENT. HAS HE SAID, AND WILL HE NOT DO? OR HAS HE SPOKEN, AND WILL HE NOT MAKE IT GOOD?”


But there is also “obligation” connected with God’s promises.

Deu 28:1 (NKJV) "NOW IT SHALL COME TO PASS, IF YOU DILIGENTLY OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, TO OBSERVE CAREFULLY ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH I COMMAND YOU TODAY, THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL SET YOU HIGH ABOVE ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH.

The next 13 verses expounds on the blessings that come through obedience.


HOWEVER:

Deu 28:14-15 says: "SO YOU SHALL NOT TURN ASIDE FROM ANY OF THE WORDS WHICH I COMMAND YOU THIS DAY, TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT, TO GO AFTER OTHER GODS TO SERVE THEM. 15 "BUT IT SHALL COME TO PASS, IF YOU DO NOT OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, TO OBSERVE CAREFULLY ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES WHICH I COMMAND YOU TODAY, THAT ALL THESE CURSES WILL COME UPON YOU AND OVERTAKE YOU: - all the way down through verse 68 of that same chapter, God explains what will happen IF you turn aside from doing His Will.


And listen to these verses:

Deu 28:43-45 (NLT) THE FOREIGNERS LIVING AMONG YOU WILL BECOME STRONGER AND STRONGER, WHILE YOU BECOME WEAKER AND WEAKER. 44 THEY WILL LEND MONEY TO YOU, NOT YOU TO THEM. THEY WILL BE THE HEAD, AND YOU WILL BE THE TAIL! 45 "IF YOU REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD AND TO OBEY THE COMMANDS AND LAWS HE HAS GIVEN YOU, ALL THESE CURSES WILL PURSUE AND OVERTAKE YOU UNTIL YOU ARE DESTROYED.

Does any of this sound the least bit familiar to you?! Is America not in the very middle of this same battle the Israelites were in when God instructed them through this Word?!


Thank God for Redemption through the shed blood of Jesus......

Thank God for 2 Chronicles 7:14 and 15

2 Chr 7:14-15 (NKJV) "IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND. 15 "NOW MY EYES WILL BE OPEN AND MY EARS ATTENTIVE TO PRAYER MADE IN THIS PLACE.


 Father.

            We repent in Jesus' Name for everything that has offended You. We ask for restoration in America and in our lives to the point that we are walking in Your perfect will and plan for us.

We thank You for this Scripture assuring us that all we are to do is come to You with repentant hearts and You will forgive us, restore us and move us onward and upward into Your will for us.


Begin to pray for this nation with conviction, with repentance, with faith! I’m asking God to remove every body in governmental positions who absolutely refuse to hear His voice! I’m asking Him to replace them with God-fearing people who hear the Voice of Almighty God on our behalf! You see, God’s promises come with a “fight”! If you aren’t willing to fight for this nation through prayer, Deu 28:43 (THE FOREIGNERS LIVING AMONG YOU WILL BECOME STRONGER AND STRONGER, WHILE YOU BECOME WEAKER AND WEAKER) will become our portion! If’s up to us!!


3. FORGIVENESS:

            Practice it! It takes an act of your will. Sometimes it’s hard for me to speak the words out of my mouth. But, I try to make it a “pattern” to say out-loud: “Father, I forgive him/her/them - please forgive me.” Do I always ‘feel’ wonderful through this experience? No!

But as an act of my will, when I make the choice to forgive, God ALWAYS forgives me! You see, it’s not about how I feel. It’s about doing my Father’s Will concerning EVERYTHING in my life! And even if you’re ‘right’ concerning someone else – you CAN’T hold un-forgiveness in your heart, make judgments calls concerning them, and expect Almighty God to forgive YOU because you “think” you’re right!!

Heb 12:14 (NKJV) PURSUE PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE, AND HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD:

 This goes hand in hand with not letting the sun go down while still holding anger in your heart. You can always go back with people in their minds and find that they hold bitterness when they have problems that have become uncontrollable.

Obviously, the Lord has prepared a way to 'grow' even though we are mad at someone............get rid of whatever bugs you before another day begins to fade!




4. EMPATHY:

            (the capacity to take part in another person’s feelings or ideas) 

In other words: Jump in the water and help the drowning person!

Luke 10:30-35 (NLT) Jesus replied with an illustration: "A JEWISH MAN WAS TRAVELING ON A TRIP FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO, AND HE WAS ATTACKED BY BANDITS. THEY STRIPPED HIM OF HIS CLOTHES AND MONEY, BEAT HIM UP, AND LEFT HIM HALF DEAD BESIDE THE ROAD. 31 "BY CHANCE A JEWISH PRIEST CAME ALONG; BUT WHEN HE SAW THE MAN LYING THERE, HE CROSSED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PASSED HIM BY. 32 A TEMPLE ASSISTANT WALKED OVER AND LOOKED AT HIM LYING THERE, BUT HE ALSO PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. 33 "THEN A DESPISED SAMARITAN CAME ALONG, AND WHEN HE SAW THE MAN, HE FELT DEEP PITY. 34 KNEELING BESIDE HIM, THE SAMARITAN SOOTHED HIS WOUNDS WITH MEDICINE AND BANDAGED THEM. THEN HE PUT THE MAN ON HIS OWN DONKEY AND TOOK HIM TO AN INN, WHERE HE TOOK CARE OF HIM. 35 THE NEXT DAY HE HANDED THE INNKEEPER TWO PIECES OF SILVER AND TOLD HIM TO TAKE CARE OF THE MAN. 'IF HIS BILL RUNS HIGHER THAN THAT,' HE SAID, 'I'LL PAY THE DIFFERENCE THE NEXT TIME I AM HERE.'

As Christians, we’re supposed to participate and be a part of the well-being of others. However, we must use wisdom and discernment when we’re asked for help. We get calls here from time to time with people asking for money, etc. On those occasions we have to consider our people first!

We always try to point them to locations where help is available. But we can’t always give money out just because there’s a request! But, you see, even if you don’t personally have the availability to ‘give’ money (and that’s almost always what is needed) you can point them in the right direction.

5. HONOR:

            Give respect!

Heb 12:9 (NKJV) Furthermore, WE HAVE HAD HUMAN FATHERS WHO CORRECTED US, AND WE PAID THEM RESPECT. SHALL WE NOT MUCH MORE READILY BE IN SUBJECTION TO THE FATHER OF SPIRITS AND LIVE?

And: Rom 13:7 (NKJV) RENDER THEREFORE TO ALL THEIR DUE: TAXES TO WHOM TAXES ARE DUE, CUSTOMS TO WHOM CUSTOMS, FEAR TO WHOM FEAR, HONOR TO WHOM HONOR.

 

6. COMMITMENT:

            “In spite of everything that goes on, I’m in this thing for the long haul!”

Because God is Sovereign, He has the right to make certain claims to our lives with which we aren’t always comfortable. And, He will not adjust His standard to our mind-set. WE must adjust our ‘thinking’ to HIS standard!

            Anything that replaces God’s commands with something in your “comfort-zone” means you’ve adapted to the “Luciferian” posture. Lucifer was the first source who challenged God’s rightful position as Lord of our lives.

            The Lordship of Jesus Christ is solid; and it is impossible for anyone or anything or any ‘idea’ to replace God as first!

Deu 4:39-40 (NKJV) "Therefore KNOW THIS DAY, AND CONSIDER IT IN YOUR HEART, THAT THE LORD HIMSELF IS GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND ON THE EARTH BENEATH; THERE IS NO OTHER. 40 "YOU SHALL THEREFORE KEEP HIS STATUTES AND HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH I COMMAND YOU TODAY, THAT IT MAY GO WELL WITH YOU AND WITH YOUR CHILDREN AFTER YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY PROLONG YOUR DAYS IN THE LAND WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU FOR ALL TIME."

 

Tonight, I will leave you with this charge:

Josh 24:15 (NKJV) "And IF IT SEEMS EVIL TO YOU TO SERVE THE LORD, CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE, WHETHER THE GODS WHICH YOUR FATHERS SERVED THAT WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, OR THE GODS OF THE AMORITES, IN WHOSE LAND YOU DWELL. BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."