Tag Archives: obedience

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What More Can You Do?

Christ came to redeem man of his sin. You may be asking, how did He do that? Well Eve, the wife of Adam had sinned in the Garden of Eden. And when she allowed herself to be beguiled by the serpent at the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God saw that there was no one worthy to redeem man and woman of their disobedience of Him. So, God made the ultimate sacrifice, He gave up Himself in the form of human flesh, the only begotten son of God, Yeshua. 

Let’s turn to 1 John 1:1-14 

1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.“

So, now that God gave His only begotten son so that He could bring us back in order with God as it was from the beginning. God gave His only begotten son and through Him everyone has a way back into God’s will. Now when we look at the life of His son, which is an example for us on how to live on this earth once more, the question I have for you is this, what more can you do? 

If God has laid the foundation for you to come back to Him, you may have said in the past, what more can I do? But now He is asking us what more can we do? 

For men, He’s asking these 5 things:

  1. Can you listen to His voice?
  2. Can you be obedient?
  3. Can you be faithful to His Word?
  4. Can you have more humility?
  5. Will you be obedient?

Now for women, He’s asking these 5 things:

  1. For those who are single, will you obey Yashua and for those married, will you obey your husband?
  2. Will you listen and obey Yashua and His leadership?
  3. Can you stop leaning on your own understanding?
  4. Can you follow without trying to lead?
  5. Will you be more humble and submissive? 

You see men and women in these times tend to want to live a freestyle type of life, where its remnants have its roots from the 1960’s. Where there was a lot of violence, a lot of sexual activities, a lot of free thinking, and a “do what you want to do” attitude. During that era, people began to mix different religious belief systems together to form their own belief system to their own detriment.

In conclusion, listen to these words, but for the people of God, the Bible tells us not to cater to this world, nor follow the things of this world and not to get caught up in this life or the things of this world.

Let’s read 1 John 2:15-23

15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

In Yeshua name, It is so!

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Do You Just like to Repeat or Do you Need to be Set Free, Part 2

When the Lord comes, will you be ready? It’s all about doing what God is saying, and that is to be a witness for Him. Last Sabbath we talked about are you caught in a repeat. Do you want to keep repeating what you did last year? Didn’t you enjoy what you did last year? One of the things I was trying to do is clean up my act last year. How many know that I’m not impervious that I make mistakes? That is because I’m on my way to salvation too. If I know a little bit more than you do, I’m glad to help. We have to meet the need of the Lord. How long hault you between 2 opinions?

Do you want to repeat or do you want to be free? If you repeat a situation and not be set free from it, sometimes we call that a habit, but you’ll be bound. When you allow someone to lock you in, it’s so hard to get free and you’re bound. Most people allow Satan to lock them in, he knows the combination. You who don’t know or understand that there is a code, you’ll continue to do what Satan tells you to do. If a person allows themselves to be carried away with habitual habits it will carry them and others around them away. The word habit is doing something that becomes almost involuntary. For instance looking both ways before crossing a street. Habits can be good, but they can also be bad. If it’s a habit, then its an addiction.

Habits form who you are sometimes. You get in a habit of saying things, acting a certain way, in an habitual personality. Sometimes to such an extent that they can destroy you. Good habits can destroy you too. Have you ever seen someone who brushes their hair 5000 times or brush their teach 16 times? You can’t get anywhere because of obsession. When you allow a thing to take control of your physical state or body, then you’ve allowed that thing to become a part of you as a person whether good or bad.

Sin. Sin can be your friend. Sin can be habitual. Think about some of the habits that you have that have become a sin to you. Have they become a part of you? People have a bad habit of ___________________? You have a bad habit of _________________________? Then you have another bad habit of__________________________? If you allow sin to become habitual in your body, you’ve become addicted. What do you usually do when you become addicted? You make a space in your life for it. You will work for it, create a place in your house for it, change your friends according to it; you create a space in your life for sin. You know you can love someone until you sin? “But its love pastor.” But love can be a sin. In this respect, I love him so much that you did what, gave him everything; my money, my time; I gave him everything, and got nothing in return. If you allow it, it will control your life. Habits do nothing but control. I do know that if a man or woman allows habits to exist in their life, they will eventually turn bad. Well, let’s say you have a habit of laughing. There is  serious situation that just transpired, and you start laughing. But you laugh all the time, and its a habit for you. How will you be received? Habits, habitual; that means you repeat it over and over again.

As you know addiction means a state of being enslaved to a habit or practice. Enslaved. You can be enslaved to sin. When it says to do this, you’ll do it whether you like it or not. Why can’t you be free? Because you enjoy being bound. You constantly want to be bound even though you say “Lord I want to be free.” Someone will steal your soul and put a combination on it so even the Lord can’t get in. They got in through your heart. When they got inside, Satan wants you for himself, so he’ll put a combination on there that you can’t get in. Does something have your soul locked up that you can’t get rid of that habitual, addictive type thing in your life? Some of us try to get over and say “It’s a generational curse.” But when does it stop? Generation means your giving it age and time, and nurturing it. My uncle did it, my cousin did it, my dad did it, now I’m doing it. So we blow it off. The Lord says “Well don’t you want to be free?” Then you say “Yes, but its a generational curse.” It has more hold on you than the Lord. Then people won’t own up to the fact that they’re the problem. They can’t see themselves because they’re caught in their own sin.

Satan will come to you disguised as God, and when you think its Him, it’s actually Satan. When you pray, do you pray out loud? Do you think Jesus only has ears? No, Satan and all his imps have ears too. When you’re born, there is a demon assigned to you. There was a show on years ago where a spiritual medium had a studio audience in which he told people in the audience about things their dead relatives said to them. The Word of God says when a person dies, they have no dealings in the world of the living. So people are captivated by these spiritual mediums who can seemingly talk to the dead. Its a problem now, because now you believe in what this spiritual medium can do and say. What you didn’t know is your uncle doesn’t know that man, but the spirit that was assigned to your uncle knows; a demonic force assigned to mimic your ways and voice so that it can appears as you to get someone else in this world convinced that the spiritual world exists through a medium. People fall for that. Satan has demons assigned. Millions upon millions upon millions of demons, and they’re all assigned to people, that is the only way Satan can cause you to fail. Satan is not omnipresent, omniscient; the demons report back to Satan to let him know what’s going on. So what does Satan do, he sends his demons out to reinforce a habit. Whatever is binding you, that demon is going to enhance it. Satan uses every tool possible. He uses your habitual mindset to blind you to what the Word of God says. This is how Satan drives you to make mistakes in your life because you’re hearing Satan’s or his imps voice and not the Lord’s. So when everything works out terribly for you, do you blame Satan? No you blame God. How many know that God gives your free will and this is a policy He deals with.

Why do you think Satan went to Eve first? Adam was first. Eve was the lesser of the two. Where did Satan catch Eve? She was admiring the tree God said not to eat from. Eve told Satan the Lord said we are not going eat of the fruit of this tree. That means she understood, and was disobedient; your senses were over flooded. Satan used your habits and addictions to drive your away from God. So when she ate the fruit, did she die? No, that solidified in her mind that what God said about her dying was a lie, because she did not die instantly. Satan became powerful to her. When she ate of the fruit it changed her seed making it deceived. So the only thing left for her to do was to mess up Adam’s seed, because her eyes were opened. When she ate of the fruit she did die: 1) she lost the love connection with God 2) she lost her ability to obey God 3) she lost her ability to decipher. It became habitual when Eve and Adam ate of that fruit. When they lost connection with their God because of something that they did, that is why its hard for us to stay focused anymore in the Church, that they stop coming to church. That they say “I don’t need this, I’ve got Jesus on my side.” None of us are Gods. How powerful do you think you are? You that powerful that you can go on your own?

Can you run on last years food or gas? You need freshness. You can’t live on an old anointing. You cannot live on an old anointing. His mercies are new every morning, but if you’re jacked up on the old one, you’ll never know when His mercies come. What did the Children of Israel do when they were set free from Egypt? They went back to Egypt in their hearts. They were living on the past, and made it their future. You cannot live on old stuff. You cannot put new wine in an old bottle because old wine has an effervescence which causes pressure and will break the new bottle. You need to get rid of your habit and allow God to give you the authority and power to move from where you are now. That is why Satan wanted to get inside of Eve, to mess up the generations to come. He knew that if he got Eve he’d get Adam.

Mark 7:15-16

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

Luke 6:40-49

The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Whatever you exhibit shows what’s inside of you. You want to be set free? You have to admit that you are bound. The hardest thing for people in the Church is to admit their wrong because they can’t see. They can only see themselves. When you think yourself something the you’re nothing. Nothing makes a mess of everyone around it. Allow God to deliver you. If you can’t allow God to restore you back, then why be in his Kingdom? You are not a god. God is God, we’re just here. We have to know Him for ourselves. No one else can give an account for you. We have to give an account for ourselves. You can’t go further if you haven’t been obedient. How can you say you’re a child of the King and can’t be obedient to Him? Obedience is better than sacrifice, no matter what abilities you may have. Move when God says to move. If you can’t hear Him clearly the how will you know when to move. If you can’t hear Him then you need to spend time with Him to hear His voice.

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Giving back to Jesus!

We’re going to be talking about a particular subject that is dealing with life. I will be talking to you about some important things that a lot of us go through; a lot of us deal with; and that is ourselves. How many know themselves? When you know yourself, you don’t know yourself. That wasn’t a trap that was just to let you know that when you say “I know myself,” no, you don’t, you don’t know yourself. Because in certain situations you change who you really are. The thing is, is this, most people don’t know themselves, but they say they know themselves. That is the average feeling for everybody, “I know myself.” You think you know yourself, because you think you have seen yourself do certain things and react a certain way. So you know yourself. But do you know that every thing that comes in your life, always takes a different choice of mindset; a different action? See, we always think that we have the answers for everything. But the thing is is this, we don’t know ourselves and since we don’t know ourselves, then we need to figure out who we are. The only way to figure out who we are is to find out what others think. No! It doesn’t matter what others think because people will put you in a box, seal that box and ship it off to somewhere else. But, you want someone who really knows you. And in order for somebody to know you, they have to have a relationship with you. If you’ve got that relationship that means you spend time with them.

Its so funny, when a guy meets a girl, ABC of relationships. When a guys meets a girl, the guy looks at the girl and the girl looks at the guy. The one thing the guys looks for is how she looks. The girl looks at “hmmm….I wonder what he’s like?” So, the girl begins to explore while the guy has already found because they are looking at what they want. That’s why when a girl and guy get into a relationship, she wants to spend time. Everything is based upon time. When a guy says ok “I’m sitting down, your sitting down, we’re both watching TV,” or “We’re both going to eat dinner,” that is considered time for them. We want to spend time, not just any kind of time, but quality time. Why? Because women value moments of time. Men do sometimes, but women value it all the time, that is how they measure it up. The quality of time is not just quality, but quality of quality time. They remember the little things like, you stroked my finger. Guys go like why are you stroking my finger? Is there something wrong with you? Now, I’m getting to a point, because women value quality time, men value quantity of time. In other words, men look for time spent over a period of time, women look for that quality time in that time frame. I want everything. If you could put it in that little space, I want it all. They want all they can get within that time frame. “Look into my eyes.” If I am stroking your hair and shoulders and looking away from you, am I giving you quality time? No. But the point is, you build up a relationship over a period of time, not in 5 seconds. So that means you have to add something into that before that quality can be made.

This is the same thing Christ is asking for. You can’t get Christ in 5 seconds. You cannot know who He is in 5 seconds. How do you find out who He is? Over time. But you have to spend quality time. The thing is is that when you give Him quality time, He gives you quantity and quality. Quantity and quality. Remember that. The price of that time that you spend with Christ is priceless. My wife always comes to me and says “Honey, I have to spend time with Jesus.” Alright, but you saw Him yesterday I say. She wanted not just to fall on her knees and say “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I love You, I love You” and walk out, she wants to spend that time where she is meditating on Him and she can see. And that is what we all should be trying to strive for, that quality time with Him. First of all, you’ve got to get time. I’ve never seen anyone…anyone who says they spend time with Jesus, and they walk into a prayer room, sit down for 5 minutes, get up and walk away saying “I just got through spending quality time with Jesus!” Have you ever seen someone do that? If you did they didn’t spend anytime with Jesus. That was time with themselves. They probably were sleeping half that time. So we need to realize that we need to spend that quality time with Him.

Quality time is important for one thing, and I’ll say this: if you have Him inside, you’re able to give back. You’re able to express yourself wholeheartedly. Which leads me to what we’re talking about today. We have to give back to Him. When God gives you something, He wants it back. He just doesn’t want it back any kind of way, He wants it back with quality and quantity. When you give somebody quality time, they are the only ones on your mind. How many of you when you go to take a math test, think about English? If you do I don’t want to see your grades. If you have a math test, your mind should be focused on the math. If you are in love with this person, your mind should be focused on who? That person. If you are going to spend quality time with that person your mind should be spent where? That time frame. This is not a strange language. The point is you have to spend that time, you have to give that time back to that individual. You cannot take from, take from. You know there are givers and takers in the world? A person that is a taker, no matter what will always have their hand out. But you never give back. You have to be able to give back. Never always have your hand out, but never always have your hand clinched. You have to be able to do both, and learn how to do both. Learn who you are in relationship with. Teach yourself how to love that individual and that individual alone. We have to learn how. Teach ourselves how to appreciate the quality of time that we spend with that individual. Have you ever heard of the 3 step program with anyone caught on drugs or alcohol? There is a program. You can’t just tell someone whose been drinking for the last 40 years “alright, just say these words, and believe these words, and you’ll be free from alcohol!” As a Pastor, I’ve been invited to a lot of different programs. I was invited to an alcoholics anonymous program to sit in and observe the whole group. As I did, it starts off like this “My name is John. Its been 4 days 7 weeks and 5 hours since I’ve been free from alcohol.” Then everyone else goes very monotone “Hi, John.” The next person goes “My name is Mary. Its been 1 year and 8 months since I haven’t drank some alcohol.” Then everyone else says “Yay, Mary.” Now if that doesn’t make you want to back and drink I don’t know what will. That mindset was so dry. If you were freed from something, wouldn’t you be jumping and shouting? That is why those programs don’t help anybody. It reminds you, because the whole time you’re confessing that you don’t drink beer anymore, you’re thinking about beer. “I stopped smoking last week.” And the whole time you can’t wait to get in your car and catch a buzz. This is the problem that we’re dealing with.

What does this have to do with a relationship? Well it has a lot to do with a relationship. Because if you are still bound by a previous relationship…and you haven’t let go of that, you still will be bound. Saying you are free from a relationship doesn’t make you free. So, the thing that we have to realize is you must first deal with you. Love you, forgive you, deal with you. I tell this to everyone: we are our own worst enemy. Nobody can do anything to us unless we allow it. So when we allow people to do things to us whose fault is it? Ours. So we must forgive who? Ourselves for being stupid, right? We have to forgive ourselves because we make mistakes. Wounds don’t heal until we forgive ourselves. But don’t let your mistake become your crutch. We allow the mistake to become our crutch, then we’ll always be leaning on that crutch. Well, why couldn’t you do this? “Because this (crutch) happened. Because this (crutch) happened. Because, you see what they’ve done to me? You see how they treat me? You see where they take me to? You see how nobody loves me anymore?” You can’t live for nobody. There is only one Person you can live for. You know who that is? Christ. You have to get you together. The first person you need to do is you. The next thing you need to do is figure out all the things that hold you. The past will never let you go as long as you have it in your pocket.

We tend to want to hold onto things because you know why? We’ve built a relationship with it. We’ve spent time with it. We’ve nurtured it. We’ve given it all the love and attention that we thought it needed. Oh my gosh, is that where that love and relationship comes in? When you nurture something, that means you give it all your focus and attention. And when you do that what happens to that thing? Does it every go away? You build a strong relationship. And to tell yourself that you have to let that go hurts, because its gotten you through the cold times, through the winter time, through the heart aches and pains. It was there for you. You stroked it and made it feel good and gave it a pedestal in your life, and when you gave it a pedestal in your life, it did what? It took over your life. Relationships are important. Building up time, but with whom and with what you build up time with. Because whatever binds you to this life, believe me you’ve built up a relationship with that thing. See, we build up relationships with people, but we build relationships with things, or situations; with everything that shouldn’t be. And then we wonder why we can’t get something in our lives. You know why they call things habits? You nurtured it you stroked it.

Why do we do the things we do? What do you do every morning when you get up that is a ritual to you? We do something every morning and we don’t even think about it; we do it automatically. The same way that you do what you do in the morning, other people think about doing evil like that in the morning. Thinking about how they will set someone up today. Who will I mess with today. I’m gonna jack somebody up. You know why they are like that? Because they’ve built up a relationship with that habit. So its nurtured into their system, its who they are. The Bible says “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7. You act according to what you think, because you make that determination. When you think you are something, the Bible says, you are nothing, Galatians 6:3. You begin to plan your life. You plan your life based upon who? Whatever your name is verse 1 paragraph 6. According to yourself. You begin to conduct your life in that direction. That you think is correct. That you feel is correct. That you understand…the way that YOU… The point is is this, so a man thinketh so is he. You think you’re something, and you begin to gravitate to yourself, because if it isn’t about you… How many know that this world isn’t about you? So if you think yourself something there are a million other people thinking the exact same thing. So if everyone thinks themselves to be something, then is anyone gonna help each other? No. Why? Because you need to help me. Your beliefs aren’t based upon Christ, its based on you. If you feel then its your will.  Words are powerful. When you throw them out there, they can kill, they can cause someone to be broken and bound; you can belittle someone so bad, they will go out and shoot themselves. Playing the dozens.

We don’t realize how we allow ourselves, to take over other peoples personalities or mindsets by focusing on us. Some may say but you’ve got to build yourself up, you have to be strong. Does your strength lie at the mercy of hurting somebody? Do you need somebody to be hurt before you feel good? Do you have to take from them before you realize who you are? Do you need somebody else to validate who you are? Some people do. I’m not who I am until I’m validated by you all. Some people need that to validate their self worth. Do you believe you’re somebody?

Most people can’t accept the idea of being alone. Most people don’t want to be alone. Anything that would associate them being alone, they tend to steer away from that. When you make a decision, you don’t want to be alone, when you do something, you don’t want to be alone. You want someone that will give you support in what you do. So we try to always surround ourselves with someone who needs, because we want them to need us. We want someone around so that we can feel like someone needs me. Someone desires me, I’m not who I want to be, I’m trying to get to where I want to be something. I need somebody to need me. I don’t feel good about myself, because I don’t think someone else feels good about myself. You ever find yourself sometimes always trying to ask questions to someone so they can relate back to you what they think of you? We really don’t want the truth, but we want the truth. “What do you think about so and so? How do you feel about so and so? Do you like my daughter?” We know we have those qualities in ourselves sometimes, because if you like that quality then you must like me.

How many of you have true friends? Would they give their life for you? If not, then they aren’t you friend. Are you sure they will stand by you? If someone has a gun pointed straight at your head, will they take a bullet for you? Can you say for sure? There is One who already took a bullet for you, and died upon the cross for you. They got in front of bullet for you, and said They’d take it, and you never met Him. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend. So no you don’t have any friends, I don’t have any friends. I have associates, but not friends. Scarcely will someone lay down their life for you without being prompted or paid. Do you want someone who will come every once and a while and says he’ll be your friend or do you want someone you can call at the drop of a pin and they are there? That is what the Lord did. He said “My friend is in trouble. I will stop what I’m doing and come down and die for you.”

It took me some years to learn this, because I was stuck on me. When I graduated from the university, I thought I was “it.” I had the sports car. I took care of what I possessed and took pride in what I owned. That is who I was. Key word was. It was a task, not to be perfect. Who was I fighting against? Me. I set myself up for failure; for fault, not even realizing. The point is, I had to learn how not to be me. Me always gets in the way. I’m always tripping over me. I had to learn how to get me out of the way first before I could love or serve God. Even though my intention was to serve Him. What I wanted to do, He didn’t want me to do. I ran away from the Lord for 25 years, because it didn’t come the way I wanted it to come. I gave up, and surrendered. A lot of people say surrender, but its surrender with conditions. We are constantly doing things to make us look good so that people will accept us. My whole heart was into me, and it was the hardest thing in the world to let me go. When I let me go and said Lord here I am…mold me. Do you want to be molded? You want Him to put you on a potters will, and shape you the way He wants? That means you have to do one thing: give up/surrender. Totally. Totally means everything, nothing left. When you surrender, its like being in the military. When you throw your hands up, you won’t contest anything. Surrender means no contest. No contesting, no talk back, whining or excuses. We have to be real. Lord if you say go, I will go. Inside we question God and say “why did You allow this,” or “Why me?” And He says because I told you to. Don’t question it. Don’t say you’re My child when you are disobedient and can’t do what I say. Why do I have to beg you, prod you, slap you, cause sickness to come upon you because you can’t do what I tell you to do? Why can’t you just do it? Because it goes against what you want. Its easy just go ahead and do it.

If we aren’t obedient to our Father in Heaven, He will chasten those whom He loves. He won’t kill us, He’s trying to make us, not break us. Some say “well He’s God and He won’t do anything to us.” He doesn’t disciple us the way we want to be disciplined, He does it His way so we can heal.

Luke 12: 1-15

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Your value is not based on the things you own. You may own a Lamborghini Countach. You may live in Signature of Solon. You may have your own private jet. It doesn’t tell you who you are. They don’t make you who you are. Don’t let anyone judge you according to what you wear, what you buy, what you look like, or where you live at.

Luke 12: 16-39

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Verse 34 is very important. Where you put your trust, there will your heart be. So when the Lord comes back…will He find you doing or just talking about it? Anybody can say they’re a child of God.

Luke 12:40-49

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

It’s an awesome thing to stand before the presence of an awesome God. Its even more awesome to stand in the presence of a God that you’ve been obedient to. Its an awesome thing to be obedient. We’ve covered a lot of scriptures and talked about a lot of things. But I don’t want you to get everything. I just want you to get what was for you. A word for you today to know about you. This is the most important thing I want you to get: Its a powerful thing when you’re obedient to the Will of God. Surrender and don’t contest. Your arms are too short to box with God. We cannot fight God. If you are suppose to be a servant of God, what does a servant do when the master asks him? Obey, whether it fits your schedule or not. He said you are to love Him. Did He say that we can love Him our way? No. Because our way might be off the wall. Love me. How do you love the Lord? With your whole heart…in truth. I may get down on my knees and call Him multiple times, that is my way. Your way may be to raise your hands, but you are talking to Him. As long as you do it in spirit and truth, from your whole heart. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Samuel 15:22. So if you are told to do something whether you want to or not, if God wants to see it of you, just do it. We have to get us out of the way to stop questioning.

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Obedience to Instruction Brings Results

Joshua 6:1, Proverbs 15:5, Respectively

Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

 

Obedience the Bible says is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Obedience to instruction brings results. If we look at the word obedience it means to submit to the strength or command of authority. Instructions, lessons, precepts, demands, and orders; to teach orally; to inform.

If you want God to do something, then you need to be obedient to His instructions “will”. Today, people don’t want to listen to anybody. They have their own thought, they know what they want to do and say; they know what’s right for them and what’s right for you too. The Bible tells us, the blind will lead the blind and both will fall in a ditch. It also says they will heap unto themselves teachers after their own flesh. This is what is happing today. Obedience to the instruction of God allows God to operate on your behalf. You shouldn’t sit there and question God. Now asking Him how something should be done is good, but asking why you should do it, is bad.

If you look at your life, your marriage especially, when you say I do, and they get to the part where you must promise to love and obey, until death do you part. Many women are reluctant at the word obedient. The husband is not to be a tyrant over you, but you both are to be together in the household. The Bible says that we must obey the one that has rule over us.

Now, what would have happened if Joshua didn’t follow the plan that he was given from God about walking around Jericho? Nothing. He would have been defeated and over taken by the enemy because of disobedience. When you are given instructions, make sure those instructions are from God and not of your flesh because you want to see certain things go your way. If you continually disregard instructions in your life, then results that you would desire to happen in your life won’t happen. If someone is telling you to do something, follow instructions. Yet use wisdom, make sure the instructions make sense. Be obedient to instruction that is righteous, wise, logical, won’t put you or others in danger, and is clear instructions.

The Word says that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. The structure, the movement. So that when you are getting obedient instruction, God says He wants you to walk a certain way: Treat your neighbor as yourself, keep His words, don’t drink or smoke, go to this certain church because there will be someone there to train you to be what God wants you to be. So if you decide not to go to that particular Church because the church doesn’t have this and it doesn’t have that; it doesn’t meet your specifications so you don’t go to that church. So your result will be negative. God will put you through multiple tests to adhere you to his obedience. He chastens the ones He loves.

The point is you have to be obedient to instruction. If you are out of step, whose order are you in? When you are given instruction in the house of God, if the Pastor or Lady gives you instruction; if God directly gives you instruction, be obedient. Many people don’t want to do what the word of God says, but they think they will go to heaven. If several babies are in a room with their mothers, and one of the babies cries out, will all the mothers get up? No, only the mother whom that child belongs to. The same thing with God, He will take his children who have been obedient to Him, who has done His will. Not those who have never done anything for Him. Out of all of that, if we are obedient to the will of God, you will get the results that He wants for you.

Don’t be misinformed, don’t take everything for granted, don’t try to do things your way, do it God’s way. Take your instructions from the Holy Ghost, and He will lead you and guide you to all truth, and you will never fail.

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Listen to the Man of God

2 Kings 6:1-7

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

We look at the story of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was Elisha’s mentor; everything that Elisha asked Elijah what he wanted. Elisha wanted a double portion of what Elijah had. This story of the ax head demonstrates the power of God operating. A steel ax head, by any physical law, under no circumstances, does not float. However, Elisha caused it to float on the water. 

2 kings 6:8-16

Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

In the 9th verse, Elisha tells the King of Israel not to go to “such and such a place,” because the King of Syria was going to make camp there at such and such a place. When a man of God tells you to do something and gives you warning, you should take heed. The hosts of Syria surrounded the city, and Elisa’s servant grew afraid, yet Elisha was fearless.

2 Kings 6:17-18

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

People can look at your life and know that you’ll be something beyond what you may think you yourself can be. Even a man of God will see something beyond what you can see. “Open the eyes of that individual Lord, so they can see what you have planned for them.” Think about what the Syrian army saw when Elisha asked the Lord to open the eyes of his servant. A whole host of horses and chariots of fire, all around Elisha. Elisha asked that the Syrian army be blinded and they were. The Syrian army was seek Elisha however, they did not know Elisha was right in front of them.

2 Kings 6:19-23

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Elisha led these men, who were blinded to the fact that they spoke to Elisha the man they sought, to Samaria.

2 Kings 6:24-33, 7:1-9

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.  Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?

7 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.

 

Thus far, this is an amusing story. God made the Syrian arm to hear a noise of a army, casing them to flee for their lives, leaving their belongings and dwelling places. The lepers that happened upon the Syrians tents, found a “gold mine,” of goods and hid them for themselves.

 

2 Kings 7:10-12

So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

 

Now, the King of Israel had no idea what the Lord had done for him. The King of Israel thought that they Syrian camp that was left abandoned was a trap of the Syrians to ensnare the city.

 

2 Kings 7:13-20

And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see. They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

 

Do you understand the theme behind this story? When the man of God speaks, if they are a true man of God, do not questions what he says. The mindset of the people then was not obedience. The Lord wanted to show the King of Israel, that you need to be obedient. The city was blessed by the Word of a man. The God that we served blessed the whole city. The Syrian arm ran in fear because they thought the Israelites got assistance to fight against them. So, when men of God in your life speak, listen to them!