Doing The Will of The Father

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness........ Matthew 7:21-27 ESV

Beloved, are you doing the will of the Father in your life today? In addition to listening to the word, are you also a doer? Do you believe you are fulfilling God's plan for your life? If you have answered "Yes" to all these questions, Praise the Lord! Heaven awaits you! But if you have responded to "No" or you are not too sure about your stand with God at this moment in your life, then I will say to you, It is not too late to start right now to make amends by first of all confessing your sins before God and seeking His will for your life and how to serve Him.

It will be a disaster for anyone called by His name, sons, and daughters of the highest God, to be found wanting on that day. It will be a catastrophe if, on judgment day, we stand before the Father, and the book of life is opened, and guess what? Our names are nowhere to be found. God forbid!!! It shall not be our portion in Jesus' name.

We serve a God who not only delights in the praises of His people but also delights in our total obedience to Him. When we obey the Lord God, we show how much we honor and love Him and the incredible benefits that come with it. Many of us think we are operating in God's will, but sisters, do not be surprised that you are "NOT" because just because you are a church pastor or the Choir leader does not mean that you are in the will of God. We do things often without seeking God's will, and we also try to justify what we do, especially if it is church or ministry-related. Suppose you are sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. In that case, you will hear the Lord telling you what to do, how to go about it, and His will and purpose for you at that moment in time or season. It could be to feed the poor and homeless on the streets of Atlanta, Chicago, etc., for the next year, or go back to school to become a teacher, or sweeping the church for the next 30 days, or probably lead a bible study group in your community, etc., etc. We must be spiritually alert at all times to know God's will for our life for a particular time or season; when we do that, we will not make mistakes. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 that "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. "   

True disciples follow the orders and direction of their Lord and Master, they are not just hearers of the word or instruction, but they are doers as well. We must follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, and if you are not sure what God wants you to do or not sure if you are operating in His will, ask Him through prayer. His words tell us we should ask and receive what we ask for. Another way to know if you are walking and working in God's will is to look at the life of Jesus while He was here on earth. Study the word of God carefully and see what Jesus did. He lived a life of purpose, and He never did anything without permission and leadership from the Father. He did and said things at the right time. He did not do something when He felt like it, but according to the leading of the Father, He operated. Beloved, we are called "Christians" for a reason. In our attitudes, speech, and ways, we must be "Christ-like."  

I encourage you today to ask the Lord for wisdom; our main text states in verse 24," Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." The wisdom from the Lord guides our steps and directs our path, not our own understanding. To bolster this, James 1:5 also states," any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. The Lord knows how crucial godly wisdom is in the life of a believer. We need it to live a satisfying and acceptable life in His sight, a life of obedience. This kind of wisdom keeps us on the right path, leading to everlasting life.

Sisters, as we approach the end of the year and look forward to a new year, 2017, let us take a moment to reflect on our spiritual life and our walk with the Lord. Are we truly walking in the will of God? It is not about engaging in every church activity, being on the board of a Christian organization, drawing crowds at conferences or crusades, speaking in diverse tongues, etc. It is about your personal relationship with the Lord, His purpose and will for your life; It is about whether you are doing what He has called you to do and how you live your life for Him. It is about being confident that if you die today, you are sure that heaven awaits you. Are you serving Him the way you should? Are you living a life that is holy and pleasing before Him? Let us use this time ( myself included) to examine ourselves and seek the Lord, and as we do this, may the Lord reveal areas in our lives where we are lacking. As He does that, may we open our hearts and surrender all to Him so He can perform the necessary healing, deliverance, and transformation we need.

Beloved, instead of the Lord saying, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I do not know you, He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into my rest."

 Merry Christmas and A Glorious New Year to you all!!!!

A Message from GOD to His Church (The Body of Christ)

Scripture Text:  Jeremiah 9:3-14 

Throughout biblical history, mainly in the Old Testament, we have seen how the children of Israel disobeyed God's Instructions and did many things that were not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. We modern-day believers often wonder why the children of Israel never seemed to adhere to the Lord's instructions. Why are they so quick to forget God's mercy and goodness in their lives? How can they be so ungrateful after everything God did for them? It's so easy to pass judgment on our fellow human beings while failing to see our shortcomings. In the case of the Israelites, that is what believers today always do whenever we read the portions of scripture that range from Exodus to the Book of Malachi. Brethren, you and I are no different from the children of Israel when it comes to sinning against God repeatedly. We are blessed that you and I are not living and being judged under the Mosaic Law like the Israelites were back then. Otherwise, many of us in this generation would have quickly faced God's judgment of physical and eternal death. We thank the Lord for His grace, sufficient for us today.

Brethren, we live in dangerous times where sin is rising, not just among unbelievers but sadly among those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. Like the Israelites in the OT biblical times, many of us have abandoned God's instructions and have refused to obey Him. We have stubbornly followed our selfish desires, putting things, e.g., careers, educational pursuits, wealth, ambition, and our image (i.e., obsessed with how we look), etc., above God. We have put people, e.g., spouses, children, friends, celebrities, mentors, politicians, religious figures, etc., above God in our hearts, and such acts are called "idolatry." See Exodus 20: 1-15. Whether we believe it or not, we have made such things or persons, idols (we idolize/worship these things or individuals) in our hearts, so the space the Lord is meant to occupy in our hearts, other things, or persons have been put there knowingly or unknowingly. This act grieves the Lord.

Friends, the Lord has given me a message for His people today. The scripture text, Jeremiah 9:3-14, was given through the Holy Spirit during my quiet time last week, and the Spirit of God ministered to me there and then about what His plans are this season/period for His Church. The Lord says there is so much filthiness in the church today, starting from the leadership. The hearts of many have gone cold towards the Lord and the things of God. Many in the Church are not serving and worshipping the Lord the way He should be served. God is calling on His Church to repentance today. The Body of Christ is "spiritually" sick. The things that the Lord detests, stated in Proverbs 6:16, are rampant today in the church. They include pride, despising one another, false accusations, murder, betrayal, lying, etc. Jeremiah 9:4-8 states that all these things grieve the Lord, and He wants us to repent and turn from our wicked ways individually and collectively as a body. Beloved sexual sins, i.e., adultery, homosexuality, and fornication, are found among children of God; it shouldn't be so. Several in the church, including leaders, justify these sins to satisfy their desires and make others feel good. We are truly living in the last days. Several ministers of God have stopped preaching biblical truths and sound doctrine for fear of losing their congregations and financial donations. Many believers today cannot even stand up for the truth and what they believe in because they are afraid of what their friends, colleagues, relatives, etc., might say or think of them. Brethren, in these end times, we are called to be the light in this dark world; Ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, not caring what people might say or think of us. The minute we surrendered our lives to the Lord, we became outcasts and enemies of the world. Scripture has already warned us of how the world will hate us for His namesake John 15:8, Matthew 10:22, so why should we be so consumed with what the world thinks of us or says about us? Our loyalty and allegiance are, first of all, to God, not any man, and He has assured us, His children, that He will always be with us.

And so I plead with you, my brothers and sisters today, to stand up for all that is righteous and true. Keep your mind fixed on the CREATOR and NOT the creation. Stop being so concerned about how the world perceives you or what they think of you. It is time to stop trying so hard to please others. Focus instead on pleasing the ONE who holds the power of life and death in His hands. Deut 30: 15-19

Let your light shine forth for all to see so that the name of Lord God shall be glorified.

Remember, Christ is coming soon!   Ask yourself this question "When He returns, will I be among those who will be raptured?"

"And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."   Matthew 10:28

Obedience to God

Scripture Texts:  Acts 5:29-30,

Deut 28:1-14 

By Kemi O.

        

What is Obedience?

Obedience, according to the dictionary is defined as the state or practice of obeying, the observance of a set of rules, submission to another's will.  A Greek word for obey in the New Testament means "to trust."

What are other words that are also related to or used to mean obedience?

Submission

Conformity

Compliance

Surrender

Dutifulness

Obeisance

Yielding

        Numerous times God's Word assures us of His desire to bless our lives if we follow His ways, obey His commands.  We're also told that willful disobedience will eventually result in disheartening consequences.  Often times, we can determine the outcome of life's situations by the extent to which we willingly walk in obedience to God's commands.  As Dr. Stanley stated in one of his teachings on the topic of obedience, he said obedience is the "Bottom line" in the Christian Life.  Basically, this means that it is not just enough to have faith in God but following His instructions, doing what He says we should do is a huge part of our Christian lifestyle.  Several destinies have been destroyed as a result of willful disobedience.

  To obey means doing what God says in the timing and manners He commands to do it, not when we feel like it, but when God tells us to, because our God is a God of time and season, He is a time sensitive God and we have to be sensitive to his instructions/commands. 1 day too early or 1 hour too late could make all the difference in the assignment or instruction He gives us.  Everything must be done in order and accordingly. We can see that in several places in scripture; when the Lord is leading His people to fight against their enemies, they only make a move at the time and place God tells them to.   We must then, know what His instructions are because we can't comply with something we don't understand unless by His Spirit who helps us in understanding what God is requesting us to do and also directing us on the proper steps to take.

  I am not saying it is always easy to obey God, believe me it is not, and the enemy doesn't help much either because he does not want us to obey God since he knows that there are always wonderful blessings for those who obey the Father and so satan makes sure he brings all sorts temptation our way to distract us.  In our scripture text today, we will look at what the bible says about obedience and the rewards the Lord gives to us, should we continually obey His commands.  I also want you to be aware that all the blessings that were promised under the Abrahamic Covenant & the Mosaic Law i.e. from Genesis – Deuteronomy, still holds true for His children today because what did Jesus say in Matt 5:17,"Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.  No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”  What we are grateful for as New Testament believers is that the Grace has broken the curse of the law that was once active, however the blessings of God still holds true for both the Jewish people and the New Testament believers.  See James 1:17, 3 John 1: 2, Proverbs 10:22, etc.  I believe we are all witnesses of God’s rewards of obedience and trusting in Him no matter what.  We hear and see great testimonies of His goodness all the time in our lives and that of our loved ones and fellow believers.

Why should we obey God?

1.  Because we love Him - Jesus states in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments.  (Very straightforward).  Our Lord Jesus calls all believers to obedience for He was the perfect model of obedience; Jesus Christ was faithful and obedient even unto death. He didn’t allow temptation, people, fear etc. to distract Him from His mission.  Our motivation for obedience as followers of Christ is love.

 2.  Because it is an act of worship unto God - Obedience to God flows from a heart of thanksgiving for the grace i.e. the gift of salvation we have received through the sacrifice made for us by our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our worship to God is not complete without obedience. 

3). Because He is God, our Creator, Our Sustainer and He loves us so much.

4).  Because He deserves to be obeyed and worshipped with our whole being for who He is, what He has done in our lives and that of others.   Romans 12:1-2

5). Because obedience leads to a fulfilling and prosperous life.

6). Because obedience brings about blessings, peace, joy etc. in our lives.

 What are the rewards for Obedience?

        Over and over again, throughout scripture, especially in the Old Testament, we see how God always blessed His children when they followed His commands.  Many a times, we see how God will state " If you do this, I will do this” and because God is not man that He should lie nor the son of man who should repent, His word always comes to pass, no matter what and it is confirmed in Psalm 138:2 “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” In a nutshell, this verse means our God is a covenant keeping God, He does not go back on His promises, and He honors His word above His name.  Let us look at some of the rewards noted in scripture.

1). Genesis 22:18 “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” This verse proves how much God values obedience from His people.  He is willing to bless a whole race of people, a whole nation of people for the obedience of one man. 

2). Luke 11:28 " But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”  That word “blessed” already tells you that a reward is coming for you, but only the Lord knows what it will be. 

 

3). Deut 28: 1-14 - This portion in scripture lists all the blessings from God to His children if they obey His commands.   Here there are :  “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, 

the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, 

if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 
3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 

6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 
7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 

8 The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 

9 The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. 
10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 

11 And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

 12 The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 

13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 

14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them."

 4). James 1:22-25 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

5). Psalm 128:1-6 "How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!  Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.”   
That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.  Beloved, fear of the Lord leads to Obedience. 

        Now the Lord desires to bless His people but sometimes we hinder Him from moving in our lives as a result of disobedience.  How many times has God spoken to us concerning a situation and we fail to listen and sometimes we even doubt if it’s the Lord speaking to us or if that prophesy is true because we are not liking what He is telling us to do.  The Lord speaks to us more than we know and a number of times, He is giving us instructions, directions for our lives or that of others and we have no clue because we are trying to block it out with all sorts of distraction.  Then we begin to wonder why we are struggling or why that thing we are doing is not working or why we are still stagnant, not moving forward.  I am talking to myself too because I know there have been times even probably now, that I am not in walking in obedience. Some examples of acts of disobedience include : not giving to the poor as Jesus commanded us, not giving towards the work of the kingdom ,  ( offering), not loving our neighbor, especially the ones who have offended us are all acts of disobedience, not training our children the way God has told us to, is an act of disobedience, putting other things, people, career ahead of God is an act of disobedience because we are breaking His commandments when we do so, not honoring our parents is another major one and the list goes on and on. 

Beloved, no one is saying obedience to God is easy to achieve,  it is indeed a challenge because we are still living here on earth and still operate in the flesh, but God knows that even though the flesh is weak, the spirit is willing to do what is pleasing in God's sight and that is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness.  Beloved we serve a God that is holy and therefore He desires us to walk in obedience and live in holiness no matter what. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. “   Our love for God is reflected in our desire to follow his instructions, to obey him.   The Lord also reminds us in 1 Samuel 15:22–23, that obedience is better than sacrifice and compares disobedience i.e. rebellion (refusal to obey) to the sin of witchcraft. Can you imagine that!  A willfully disobedient child of God  is no different from one who practices sorcery/witchcraft .   God truly frowns upon disobedience.

Friends, our God's desire for His children is to prosper, to enjoy all of Him, His goodness but we cannot do that if we live in disobedience.  My advice for you today is to spend quality time this day or week reflecting on your current relationship with God and if there are any areas in your life  where you feel that you have been or are currently disobeying the Lord, not doing what He has commanded you to do, for example, maybe God has given you an assignment to do and you are still saying Lord, I am waiting on the right time when He has told you the time is now or maybe He has told you to make amends with that sister or brother who hurt you so badly and you are still there harboring unforgiveness, which is dangerous of course or if you are one, who has made a vow and promised God if you do this, I will do that, and you are still owing God, and you know the Lord has been speaking to your heart to fulfill that vow,  I want you to go to Him in prayer right now confessing your sins and asking Him to for the grace and strength to obey His commands and do His will.  Ask God to cleanse your listening ear this day and heart so that you can hear Him clearly and know what He is directing you to do in that situation or where to go and the Holy Spirit shall help you in Jesus name.  Your breakthrough shall come, liberty shall come, prosperity and healing shall be yours this day in Jesus name.