God Expects Obedience

God Expects Obedience

“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” Jonah 1:1-2

            We all know the story of Jonah and his disobedience when God told him to go to Nineveh and warn the people what God was going to do if they didn’t listen.  Jonah actually ran the other way and he ended up in a big fish.  The people listened to him, repented and over 120,000 people were saved that day.  That was a long time ago.

            In spite of what you may think, God still speaks to us today and he expects you to answer by saying,   “Yes, Lord.”  However that is not usually what happens. I can see you now saying, “Well he never speaks to me.”  I can tell you right now that is not true.  

            If you are a born again Christian, you have responded to the call of the Holy Spirit through Gods voice.  You were obedient to that call then and many more times throughout your life directing you in so many ways. How many times has your life been saved by urges to go this way or that?  How many times have you felt a nudge to change direction in a situation that led to a better outcome?  Yet, we brag about what we did and how we did it, not even thinking about thanking God for his help.

            I think how many years of my life, I never gave God credit for anything. Now, after serving him for the past forty years, I can’t even image what my life would have turned out without the guidance of God.  I find that I need him more and more every day. That’s because I have learned to listen to him through the Bible, teachings, prayer and listening when he speaks into my heart.

            But that is only the beginning; next comes being obedient.  When God speaks to you to do something, don’t wait too long to answer his call.  Recently the Holy Spirit had been tugging at my heart to send a note to someone, but I had been so busy I didn’t do it. Then one day I knew I had to do it that day.  I asked the Lord to give me the words to say as I began to write. It turned out to be what the person needed to hear, and why not, it came from God himself.

            You may not realize the importance of obedience to God.  This scripture in I Samuel 15:22 may help you to look at this more clearly.  “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”  We know by the word of God that we should honor the Sabbath.  It may be a sacrifice for you to go to church on Sunday when you would rather do something else.

In Exodus 20:8-10 it says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.”  This seems like a pretty strong command and yet God lets us know Obedience is still more important than Sacrifice.

            Each day, ask God what he wants you to do.  He may give you a direction or it may be to call someone or send a note to someone who needs encouragement. It can be to read the Bible and there you may find answers. “Holy Spirit, let me hear from God today and use me in any way you choose. Help me to be obedient and may someone be blessed.” Amen! 

The Goolaba Tree

The Goolaba Tree

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.”  Psalm 1:3

When I was a child my mother bought me a book and it was called ‘The Goolaba Tree’.  I have never forgotten that story.  As the years passed I tried finding the story, but have never saw it or heard of it again, so I will try to relate the story as I remember it.

There were two farmers, Farmer Brown and Farmer Smith, whose land met the other at the far end of the fields.  One day the farmers met at the end of their fields and neither knew who owned the land on the other side of a fence.  So they decided to walk into the woods a little ways.  They came to a small cleared area and in the middle of it grew a big tree.  As they both looked at the tree, they tried to figure out what kind of a tree it was.  The tree was covered with big round, red fruit which was not quite ripe enough to pick.  They agreed to meet at the tree in one week and in the meanwhile they would try to find out what king of a tree it was.

The next week the farmers met at the tree again.  Both were very excited because they had learned the tree was a Goolaba tree.  They also learned that the Goolaba tree was one of the rarest trees in the world and the fruit was most wonderful to eat.  However, it was only good for an hour on the day it was ripe.  They agreed that on that day the fruit was ripe, they would both meet at a certain time and share the fruit together.

That day, Farmer Brown rose up early and set out across the fields to meet Farmer Smith.  When Farmer Brown got to the tree, he could see that someone had already been there.  Then he looked a short distance away and there on the ground lay Farmer Smith with bright red juice running down his chin.  Farmer Brown ran to Farmer Smith and said to him, “How could you be so dishonest? We agreed to meet and pick the fruit at the same time.”

“I came at the time we agreed on and you came early; why did you do that”, Farmer Brown inquired?

Farmer Smith was moaning and groaning. “You told me today the fruit would be ripe and it wasn’t, so I ate it any way and I am so sick because the fruit was spoiled.”

Farmer Brown was so mad because Farmer Smith had told Farmer Brown the wrong time and so they never got to eat the wonderful fruit.  Just about then the fruit all died and the tree dried up and turned to dust never to bloom again.  The end.

The truth of that simple little story is that when people become dishonest, they will not gain anything, but when we honor God and do all things honestly, God will prosper us.  Just like it says in Psalm 1:3 whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.”  God wants us to prosper, but he will not tolerate man’s dishonesty.

There are six things the Lord hates: “Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil”, Proverbs 6:16-18   The Lord will also not tolerate deceit.  We think we can be deceitful in business dealings and we don’t call it deceit.  Some will say, “Well it’s just part of business, but the truth is that we are not being honest and just use another name for it.

There is nothing gained when we sin.  When you are tempted to do something that’s not right, remember “The Goolaba Tree”.

Hiding from God

Hiding from God

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 (NKJV)

Have you ever watched children playing hide and seek?  They cover their eyes and believe that others can’t see them.  It’s quite the same thing people do to hide their sins from God.  We’ve all done it; if no one else can see us, we think we are safe.

I remember as a teen, I wanted to try smoking because it seemed so glamourous in movies and magazines.  My friends and I would find places to hide so no one would catch us.  However, God saw you doing it and knew the results in years to come.  Numbers 32:23 tells us, “Our sins will find us out.”

I remember feeling ashamed of what I was doing. I read this statement one day and it really says it like it is, “Sin leads to shame. Shame leads to hiding.”  When we feel shame about what we did, we try to hide.  Did you know you can’t hide from God?  Psalm 69:5 tells us what God thinks about it, “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You.”  It appears that we cannot hide anything we do or say.

I read this little story that was written by a pastor many years ago. “I was driving down the street one night and saw one of our young girls from church with a boy in a car and they were sitting so close together that they could have put several others in the seat with them.  Brother, it would have taken them a long time to get loosed from that clinch.  It is not right, neither is it Holy to set her body in those positions until she is married and has a license to do it. She looked around and saw my car (which had our church name on it) and she ducked down in the seat.  You know why? She was afraid for the preacher to see her. But long before I drove down that street, God was watching what she was doing and she could not hide it from God.”

In the book of Jeremiah, 16:17, God’s Words tell us, “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.” We don’t always think about what we say about someone. When we say something about another’s character and pass it on, we may not realize we are downgrading or damaging one of God’s beloved children.  When I think of it that way, I want to hide, but God already heard what I said. God forgive me!

There are those who seem to be angry and anti-social and we wonder why.  They are probably not angry with you, but maybe they are angry with themselves.  “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:2)   I have found myself over the years being grouchy and short with others when they haven’t done anything to me, but it’s me who is upset with myself.

There will come a day when everything is so evil on this earth that those who have refused to accept the Son of God as their Savior are facing a horrid death.  They cry out in Revelation 6:15-17, “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

The Battle of Gog and Magog

The Battle of Gog and Magog

“After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.” Ezekiel 38:8 (NKJV)

            Why is this scripture from the Old Testament times so important to Christians today?  We are now living in a day that God told us was coming and it has happened. When Israel was taken over by other rulers and scattered among the nations of the world, he promised there would come a day that Israel would once again become a nation.   In 1948 the Jews fought and won the land and it was declared the Nation of Israel. Since that time thousands of Jews have returned to Israel from all different nations and Israel has thrived.

            Today, all eyes are on Israel and it has become the most important country in the world and everyone wants to own it.  It is surrounded by those who want to destroy it and by those who want its rich resources. So what is its future?  Let’s go back to Ezekiel 38:15-16 (NLT), “You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, and you will attack my people Israel, covering their land like a cloud. At that time in the distant future, I will bring you against my land as everyone watches, and my holiness will be displayed by what happens to you, Gog. Then all the nations will know that I am the LORD.” (To understand the complete picture, I would urge you to read Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 in the Bible.) 

            Gog and Magog are referenced as Russia today and among those are Persia (Iran), Ethiopia and Libya to name a few. This is what brings about the “War of God and Magog.”  As most of you know, Iran wants to kill all the Jews and claim Jerusalem as its capital.  It looks as though all these countries are poised to attack, but only God knows when.  I’ve no doubt it will happen in His time.

            Now on to the rest of the story in Ezekiel 39:4-6 “You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD.  And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”  This great mass of people will be miraculously destroyed by God who keeps watch over Israel.  We don’t know how it will happen, but we know there are enough weapons to burn for 7 years. 

            The ending scripture of Chapter 38, verse 29 is to be noted. “And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”  This is verification of Chapter 37:22, “I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms.”  This is why we should give little worry to those who claim Israel will be destroyed. It’s not going to happen!

            I recently heard this statement in a clinical study “a helicopter dad”, which means they hover over their child.  What a great statement, we have a helicopter Father in heaven who hovers over his children.  Where would we be without Him; where would Israel be without Him?  Israel is the ‘apple of his eye’ and will remain that until the end of time as we know it.

            The Holy Spirit of God also watches over us personally; nothing happens to us that he doesn’t know about.  Some day we will realize he was there all the time and we went through times that we thought our prayers were not answered.  A time will come when you will see that it was part of God’s plan.  Just like Israel and all they went through over thousands of years, but in the end God gave them what he promised. 

            As for now, what exciting times we live in.  We hate seeing what is happening around the world, but we see and know it is part of God’s plan.  This is how we know the beginning and the end.  We are written on the palms of God’s hand so he will always remember us.

            Yes, wars may come and go, but God is in charge.  The War of Gog and Magog is probably the next war to come and it will take place before the Battle of Armageddon.  Prophesy is like watching “Coming Attractions’ except we don’t know when it’s coming.  However, we can be assured it will happen!

When Faith Overcomes Fear

When Faith Overcomes Fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7

Reading in Psalms I thought to myself, how David, a great King of Israel, had so many fears.  I looked it up in the Psalms and ‘fear’ was mentioned 59 or 60 times.  Some of the times were positive and some were negative, they were all surrounding the word ‘FEAR’.

One phone call can strike ‘fear’ in your heart.  It may be something you heard or saw on the news.  Fear is not just a word; it is a thing.  It’s a thing you cannot see coming at you, but you feel the impact nevertheless.  I will use myself for an example. About six years ago, I went to the doctor because I had a lump in my breast. When he said to me, “You have cancer”, I felt the hair rise up on my arms and fear descended on me.  I imagined the worse things possible.  Then in a quiet time I began to talk to God/

“Father, I am a believer and I have chosen to follow you.  I know this fear I feel is not from you [and I quoted 2 Timothy 1:7].  I had to have faith to believe who you said you are and I did.  Now, Lord, I am going to rely on you to see me through whatever I must do.  Let faith in you rise up in me to trust you with the outcome.”  At that time God gave me strength to go on.  Suddenly, Faith overcame my Fear!

From then on, I had no more fear and sailed through a double mastectomy and then doing what I had to do.  Here I am today, changed both physically and spiritually, with greater faith than ever before.  God is an awesome God and I cannot live without Him.  Praise God!

Do I still struggle with faith?  Yes, every day.  Fear is a powerful thing that wants to attach its self to you and hang on tight, but our God is more powerful and He can break that hold quickly.  We can either allow fear to ruin our lives, or allow God to fill us with faith that is strong enough to break any bondage.  I could relate to you many stories in my lifetime when I had no faith, but God didn’t give up on me.  Instead, let me share a truth in the Living Bible, Psalm 84:5-7, “Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains.  They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion.”

There is so much wisdom in these verses that I must go in a little deeper for you.  When we have given our heart to the Lord, we want to do what he has shown us and that is to follow his steps.  Throughout our lifetime, we will face sorrow, fear, tragedy and pain and that is just life.  We often face despair and depression, and this verse warns us that we will go through those Valleys of Weeping.  However, we will immerge from that valley through when our Faith overcomes our fears and there will be pools of refreshment and blessings waiting for us.  The Blessing is this; we will be stronger; stronger in faith, stronger to come against the enemy of our soul and strong in our relationship with God.

These words have comforted me so many times when I have wandered into the Valley.  You may argue that science has many helps for you and you should follow that direction and pray too.  Many years ago when I was a young woman, I was barely surviving in a life filled with fears.  I was afraid to live and afraid to die.  I was filled with all kinds of pills and drugs and struggled with severe treatments; they told me I had ‘manic depression’.  Nothing worked and life had no meaning.

Then one day God spoke silently to my heart and told me this was my last chance to serve him and that was the most fear I ever had in my life.  I knew if I didn’t give my heart and soul to him, I would never see heaven; I felt such rejection, it was unbelievable.  That day was a day that turned my sadness into joy and hope took root in my heart. I said ‘yes’ and I have never looked back and continue to serve the Lord with joy and gladness every day.

Never discount the fact that God can set you free from fear and give you hope instead of hopelessness.  What do you want from God today?  Do you want your mind and your thoughts renewed?  Believe what the Bible tells you what God can do for you; he can “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Pray this prayer and mean it in your heart:  “Father, please take away all these fears in my thoughts and in my mind. Instead, fill me with your Spirit and draw me close to you. Set me free from all the things that are troubling me and give me the faith to believe.

After The Fireworks

After the Fireworks

“But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat .

          I hear the sound of a celebration.” Exodus 32:18 (NLT)

            Did you know that there were celebrations happening way back in the time of Moses?  Even before that, the Egyptians had celebrations that lasted for several days.  For example, the Festival of Isis, a goddess of ancient Egypt, was held as a celebration of spring and rebirth; they also held a festival of Isis at the time when the Nile began to rise. This is nothing new and continues today.

We just finished our celebration of Independence Day with parties, picnics and fireworks.  I think we heard fireworks going on for at least four days.  Now it’s back to regular living and our lives continue as usual. What changes did that celebration make in our lives?  Did we even think of what it meant, or was it just time off work, fun things to do and getting together with family and friends?  If so, we apparently missed the total idea of why we were celebrating, which was the freedom of our country.

We are now back to living in the “calm before the storm”.  Behind the celebration a whole lot of things were going on like North Korea planning to hit the U.S. with a giant missile.  There was Germany rising up again hating America (makes you wonder if there will be a Third Reich) and Russia working with Iran and Syria and becoming allies.  Did anyone think about this while they were shooting off fireworks? Look at this verse in Matthew 24:38-39  “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

I must tell you that I’m not writing this to cause fear in your hearts; I’m writing this to warn you that one of these days this is going to happen and I want you to be saved and serving God when that time comes.  I feel as though the Holy Spirit has put these teachings on my heart as a way to make others aware of the truth in the Bible. Having said that, I will continue with this teaching.

Things are not always as they seem; the world is not always as it seems.  We have enjoyed the freedoms of this county all of our lives and the freedom of speech along with it.  I can’t even imagine living in a place that have almost none of what we experience here.  Over the past years we have watched this country slide downward in sin.  As sin grows and is accepted, faith is downsizing and not accepted.  So many families live their lives on compromising. The young people of today are deeply confused as to what’s right and what’s wrong because of what they see and hear. 

One issue that confuses our youth is, “What’s wrong with living together?”   Here is what they see, famous people like movies stars and sports idols do it, people running our country do it, people that go to church do it and even parents and grandparents allow it.  I didn’t even mention all of the people who are okay with it.  Another issue that has become so acceptable is “Abortion”.  They never would call it by its real name, “Murder”.  They look at it like ‘Abortion’ is a necessary action while ‘Murder’ is a criminal action.

These are just a few of the things going on in this country and continues to grow in numbers and won’t stop until Jesus returns.  He will come unexpectedly and it will be too late to be sorry or to want to change your life.  You may open your mouth to say something, but your word won’t be completed and you’ll be gone.  Maybe right now you are saying that you don’t believe this and you don’t want to hear about it.  Okay, I won’t say any more about how you can still accept Jesus as your Savior before it’s too late and be saved from the wrath to come. 

Independence Day

Independence Day

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 
John 8:32

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it two days later on July 4.

The British had control over the Thirteen Colony’s which desperately wanted to free themselves from British rule. The war lasted from 1775 -1783 even though the Declaration of Independence was signed.  The British had a strong Navy, but were weak in the countryside and on land.  The entire war changed when France was joined by Spain and the Netherlands and the war ended in 1783.  Many were killed and much blood was spilled.

There was another day when it seemed as though the enemy won the battle and blood was spilled. The people thought it was all over as the blood ran down the ground and seeped into every little opening.  Friday was a devastating day for those who were in attendance.

Wait! Sunday arrived as Independence Day.  Freedom arrived with a bang and would never be stopped again.  Jesus overcame the enemy and when he died on the cross he willingly gave freedom to every person in the world. Freedom to make choices; freedom of how to live; freedom to live forever and freedom to love.

It took thousands of people to die so our country could live in freedom.  It took only One Man, Jesus Christ, to set millions free for eternity. The 4^th of July is a great time to celebrate the Freedom of our country and it is always time to celebrate the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ so we might have total Freedom.