Tag: Obey

Without Love…

Romans 13:8-10

Have you ever took a moment to consider, why the state of this present world continues to decline as the days go by? Men have seemingly lost touch with any sense of morality, thus causing them to do all sorts of wicked things in the earth. Children have no respect for parents, or any authority. Governments care more for power and control, rather than meeting the needs of the people. Even the weather seems to be behaving in unusual ways.

The Bible mentions, in the last days, these things, and more would begin to take place. But, if men would only acknowledge, and obey the apostle Paul’s inspired instructions in the book of Romans, most, if not all the world would avoid the current, and inevitable times of chaos and destruction. Paul wrote, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Make sense? I certainly think so.

Obey The Rules

1 John 5:1-3

How hard is it to maintain the appropriate speed limit while driving from place to place? How much effort does it require to yield to pedestrians crossing the street? Following the rules of the road are far from burdensome, but many refuse to adhere to simple laws that were set in place to keep people safe while traversing the highways. One reason some drivers refuse to obey road rules is, they are always in a hurry to get to their destination. In my opinion, it’s better to drive slow and safe, and arrive alive, than to possibly wreck your vehicle and life, from driving recklessly.

There are some who believe, obeying God is a hard task, and His commandments are too grievous, but God’s simple instructions on holy living are easier than many give the Bible credit for. How hard is it to love your enemies, when the very essence of God’s Spirit lives in you? How much effort does it require to lend a helping hand to someone in need? When we love God, we’ll love our brothers and sisters without doubt and hesitation, because God is love, and we have His love residing in our hearts, that keeps us focused on living in a way that pleases Him.

It doesn’t take much effort to follow simple road rules, once we realize that every moment we live in the earth is a blessing, and we’ll learn to appreciate even being in traffic jams, because this gives us moments to reflect on the goodness of the Lord (many will disagree to this lol). Wherever we are in life, and whatever state we find ourselves in, always remember to obey God, and keep His commandments. Only when we submit ourselves to the flesh, will we find it difficult to walk according to holiness, but when we realize who we are in the eyes of the Father, we’ll take great delight in obeying the rules He set in place to keep His children safe.

Listen, And Live

Jeremiah 38:1-6

When God spoke a word, in the scriptures, it was always in the best interest of those whom His words were directed, to take heed, and do as He commanded. God gave instruction, direction, or warning, so that those whom He called to serve His purpose, would fulfill what He expected from them, without distraction or delay.

In those times when men refused to follow God’s direct instructions, a hard lesson was usually associated with their disobedience. One such example can be found in the book of Numbers. Despite all his favor, fame, and miraculous works, Moses never stepped foot in the land of promise, due to his disobedience. During the time when Moses had led the children of Israel into the desert of Zin, where no food or water was to be found, the people had become hungry and parched. Things were so bad, that even Miriam, Moses’ sister, died, and was buried there. So, Moses and his brother Aaron prayed to God earnestly, and God appeared to them, then gave Moses a simple instruction; “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink”. Obeying God couldn’t get any more simpler than that… right? Unfortunately, Moses had become so frustrated with the complaining people, that rather than speak to the rock as God commanded, he literally whacked it, not once, but TWICE, out of disgust for the rebellious people. Shame on you Moses lol. He was almost there too!

Our text gives another example of the importance of adhering to the voice of the Lord. God had given a word to the prophet Jeremiah, to warn the people of the city to flee toward the Chaldeans, so they might live, because their city would soon be overtaken by the Babylonian army. By this time in Scripture, Jeremiah had proven himself to be a true prophet of the living God, but his words weren’t received well by the princes who were gathered in his presence also. Rather than take heed to God’s life-saving warning, the men convinced the king, that Jeremiah was only weakening the hands of the military, as well as the people in the city, by uttering such hurtful words. The naive king gave in to the cries of the princes, and had the prophet Jeremiah thrown into the dungeon. To give a shortened version to the conclusion of this story, God took care of His prophet, and rescued him from certain death, but as for king Zedekiah and those who remained in the city, well… let’s just say they never saw the light of day, ever again (the details of their judgment are extremely graphic).

When God gives instruction to us today (as He expects us to obey the Bible), it would be wise for us to read, hear, study, and take heed. God knows what’s ahead of us, and desires that we not be overtaken with sin. But, we must trust that His Word is true, and willingly do those things He asked of us, in His Word.

Why does the living man complain?

Ell

Listen, And Take Heed

Proverbs 5:7-14

If you were to take a moment to think back on all the times you bumped your head for not adhering to wise counsel, how many bumps would you count? Oftentimes, people (especially children) tend to seek advice when it’s too late. Parents warn and teach their children of the dangers that lurk outside the walls of their safety, so that in the event the child encounters such a temptation, they’ll know how to escape it unharmed, and unscathed. Unfortunately, many children have had to run home with a few bumps and bruises, because they failed to follow their parent’s teachings.

Failure to follow instruction is also typical of some members of the body of Christ, unfortunately. The church has been commanded to read and obey God’s holy Word, but there are times when even God’s own children hate instruction, and despise reproof. It’s during these moments when even the believer gives in to temptation. Not only are these persons disobeying God’s direct commands, but they’re also giving of themselves, to those who consume them without remorse.

If allowed to, the enemy will drain every bit of energy and life from the believer, so that they’ll be unfit to walk according to God’s standards. For this reason, it’s of great importance that the church take heed to the words of Scripture, and apply them daily, as to keep from falling into temptation. To avoid living in regret, or wasting time, effort, and resources on those who are cruel and undeserving, hear the words of the Lord, and depart not from the instruction of those who care for your soul.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold… don’t become one of them.

Ell

Hearken, And Obey

Jeremiah 21:1-7

During my high school years, it was sad to see how the children who were considered “nerds”, were always picked on and treated unfairly by bullies. But, when those apparent bullies ran into trouble with their algebra assignments, they were quick to seek the help of those same nerds they treated so harshly before. I was taught to treat all men fairly, and with respect, because doing so would net great rewards in the future. In our text, king Zedekiah and all of Judah, would soon be overtaken by Babylon. Despite seeking the help of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah, God said the captivity of Judah was inevitable. God brought judgment on Judah, not because of the sins of their fathers, but because their own sins were worse than those of the men before them. Rather than diligently harken unto the voice of the Lord, and walk in His ways, Judah followed after their own imaginations of the evil in their hearts. Like those bullies I mentioned earlier, who could have had good success in school, had they only studied and followed the instructions of their teachers, Judah could have avoided being broken, and taken captive, had they only hearkened unto the voice of the Lord. God speaks to us through His Word, and His Spirits ministers to us through the spirit of our mind (conscience). When God speaks, listen and obey, because doing so will net you great rewards in the future.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Obey judicial rulings at once

Deuteronomy 17:8-11

Settling disagreements amongst Christians should never be a hard thing to accomplish, because if love is the believer’s motivation, then all things should be done decently, and in order. But what measures should be taken when church folk just can’t get along? I’ve yet to understand how a man or woman who claims that God abides in their heart, can fight and bicker against the very people they were commanded to love. Well, not everyone lives in love the way Jesus taught us to, and some people choose to settle their disputes with higher authorities. I think most people are unable to effectively settle disputes because they are too stubborn to try and understand the other person’s point of view. When love is in charge, all things usually work out good for all parties involved.

Since the beginning, the world has kept a close watch on how people who claim to be Christians conduct themselves, and lately, they aren’t impressed with what’s presented. Courthouses handle countless cases involving issues concerning church folk and their petty differences. It’s embarrassing when the church has to go into worldly arenas to find solutions to issues God already told us how to resolve.

In our text, God assigned men suitable to render fair judgment to those involved in certain controversies. God is love, and the judgments on His people are intended to make them better. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:6-7). God wants us to resolve issues amongst ourselves, so that our disagreements and differences won’t embarrass us in the eyes of those we intend to reach. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a), so that you’ll know when to use discernment to recognize how to properly handle differences among the brethren.

Walk in love,

Ell