THE CONSEQUENSES OF IGNORING THE VOICE OF THE LORD!

There is a passage in Romans 1:21-32 that is pretty graphic about what can happen when we willfully ignore the voice of the Lord. I won’t go into graphic detail, but I will tell you that Romans 1:21-32 is very detailed in its description of what will happen when we continually refuse to listen to the Lord.

Eventually, the end of the matter is that ignoring the Lord will cause destruction. You will end up doing things you never thought you would be doing. You will find yourself choking on your own desires.

The Bible tells us that sins starts out fun for a season, but the end leads to destruction. Which I have seen happen to people over and over again! The beginning seems to innocent. When you iIgnore that little voice inside of you that tells you what you are doing is wrong.

The first few times that little voice is loud. But each time you turn a deaf ear you put up a wall between you and the Lord. Until, before you know it your conscience is silenced and the line between right and wrong are blurred.

In the scripture referenced above in Romans, we are told that God gives a person over to a reprobate mind. What is that you may ask? A reprobate mind is a characterization of a person who has hardened their heart against God and moral truth. A person who has lost the ability to discern the difference between right and wrong. A person who God has rejected as wicked.

We see evidence of people like this more and more. I just saw on the news that another person was pushed off the platform of the subway in New York right in front of an oncoming subway train. I found myself asking, what would cause a person to do such a thing? Why would somebody push a person in front of a subway train to their death for no reason? One answer could be a reprobate mind.

There is a reason the Lord puts warnings in His word the Holy Bible. He is speaking to us loud and clearly. Listen to me, he says, and all these things will not come upon you. Go against my ways and the end of you can be destruction. I urge each of us to decide here and now to listen to the voice of the Lord. Read His Holy Bible to find out how we should live our lives. Follow His commands. Submit to His ways. Following the Lord will lead to peace and life while turning from the lead will lead to torment and death.

Seek the Lord while He may still be found!

Why am I here?

You ever find yourself asking that type of question? Why am I here? Why was I born? What am I supposed to be doing with my life?

I can remember asking those types of questions all through my life. There was a time I did not know my purpose. I did not understand the reason I was born. I could not understand why I was here on earth.

There was a time when life seemed like such an awful waste of time. Some people seemed to get all the breaks. They won every race, they were born to rich parents, the sun seemed to shine on them every day, and they never knew pain and disappointment. That was not my reality, and I believe there are many in town who feel the same way.

There is a scripture in the Bible that says, “In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

When I was saved in 2003, I became a new creation! When I found this scripture, I found my will and my purpose! It is so simple. To live a happy life, we need to be thankful. Give God thanks for everything. Every situation you go through. Whether that situation is pleasant or unpleasant. Thank God in all things!

You ever notice, is it hard to be unhappy if you are giving thanks? Saying thank you warms your heart. When we thank God for being born, we are acknowledging that God is the giver of life. We are in His hands and He has control. I do not have to worry or fret about things I have no control over. I can just sit back and thank God for having the control.

Why are we here. To be thankful to God. To give Him thanks! I am so thankful I have been allowed to have a relationship with the Lord! Thank you, Jesus, for saving my soul and taking control of my life!

If you do not understand this feeling of thankfulness that I am talking about, I invite you to ask Jesus into your heart. Ask Him to be in control of your life, then thank Him for doing it.

LOOK UP!

Wow there is a lot going on around the world and around America! Everywhere you look there is some kind of scandal or some kind of “News Alert”! People are talking about this or that. Some of the talk is worthy talk and some of the talk is not.

For the most part I think we spend too much time talking about nothing. People are talking about their neighbors and talking about their friends, talking about their enemies and talking about their kin. But how many people are talking about the most important topic. Jesus!

Currently the Lord is moving around the world in a fresh new way. His Spirit is blowing on the young and old alike. He is revealing Himself to the oppressed in the form of visions and dreams. He is opening doors of opportunity to all walks of life. He is drawing us closer to Him. The believer and unbeliever alike!

I think we get so caught up in our talking that we do not spend enough time listening. At some point we lost the ability to just sit and listen. We can learn a lot when we listen. If we just take in what we hear without trying to come up with a response. Just listen to what we hear.

There is a chapter in Luke that talks about a variety of events that will take place in the end times. Wars, persecution, famines, earthquakes, pestilence, fearful sights, and signs in the heavens. It says that men’s hearts will fail them because of fear. These are just the types of things we keep talking about in our society today.

Talking, talking, talking! Too much talking, not enough listening.

Listen, I tell you the truth. When you see all these things begin to come to pass, lift your head and look up! As we are told in Luke 21:28 Look up our redemption draweth nigh! We can rest in that! Listening to the Lord and looking for our redemption will calm our hearts and refresh our spirits.

Whose voice are you listening to?

It seems to me that sometimes we as believers doubt that we hear the voice of the Lord. There is a scripture in the Bible that tells us that God’s people hear his voice and follow His directions. (I am paraphrasing here)

So then why is it that we run around asking other people their opinion? When we find ourselves in need of guidance from God, and when the answer comes, we doubt that we have heard from God. Maybe we do not like the answer or maybe we are unsure whether we heard the answer properly. Either way we can be swayed by the words of people.

1 Kings 13 tells the story of how a “man of God” from Judah is sent by the Lord to confront King Jeroboam at the altar in Bethel, where the king is offering sacrifices to false gods. The young prophet sent by God declares that the altar will be split apart and its ashes poured out as a sign of God’s judgment.

King Jeroboam invited the prophet to his house to eat and drink, but the prophet rejected the invitation because God had already told him not to. An old prophet that lived in the land came and invited the young prophet to his house to eat and drink, but again the younger prophet chose to listen to the voice of God and say no.

This is where we pick up the story in 1 Kings chapter 13: 18-19 AMP says, He answered, I am a prophet also, as you are. And an agnel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. (19) So, the man from Judah went back with him and ate and drank water in his house.”

In this story, disobedience cost the man of God his life. Because he ended up dying. In this story the man of God had heard the voice of God but had only partially obeyed the directions of God. Instead of following through on what God had said, he chose to listen to a person who told lies. Which brings me back to my thoughts.

Why do we seek to listen to the opinion of others? Why do we doubt in our own ability to hear the voice of God? Why do we choose to please people instead of pleasing God? There is a time and a place for seeking godly counsel. But most importantly, there is a time to just listen and obey the voice of God.

I pray we all chose to practice listening and obeying the voice of God. Blessings come from obedience. Consequences come from disobedience.

Reflecting on Life

What about being sick causes you to look back over your life? As you may be aware I was pretty sick the last couple of weeks. I ended up in the hospital for a few days and am just now getting my life back.

Being sick is not something I like to experience. I am not the person who likes to stop or slow down. I like to be constantly on the move. But getting the flu caused me to slow down first and second to stop.

As I was getting well, I was thinking about my life. All the things I had planned to accomplish. All the things I have accomplished. All the things that I still might be able to accomplish. I have goals within goals on top of goals. Goals, goals, goals…

But what will be left after we are gone? Once we pass on to our eternal life, what will remain? Of all the things we have done or will do, what will stand the test of time? What is really worth our time here on earth? One hundred years from now will anyone even know who I was? I doubt it.

So, what is important enough for us to spend time on? What is it that we should stive for? While goals are great and can move us along the road of life. The most important thing according to the Word of God is love. To love people. John 15:12 says “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The most important thing to the Lord is to love each other. Incorporated in that love is to pray for each other. To support each other. To be kind to each other. To be truthful with each other. To check in on each other.

Let’s stop beating each other up with our words. Let’s start acting like we love each other. Let’s start acting like we like each other. Let’s start showing each other kindness and mercy.

One hundred years from now our names may never be spoken, we may not be remembered even by our family. So, let’s focus on what is important. Let us all learn to love each other. Lord help, us all learn to love each other the way you Love us.

The Breath of Life!

I have never really given too much thought to breathing. It is just something that happens naturally. Breathing is not something that we give a whole lot of thought to. It is normally something that happens without effort. Our lungs just take air in and expel air out.
Last week however, I gave a lot of thought to breathing. See I got Influenza A, and my lungs came under attack. Breathing was no longer something I did unconsciously. Breathing became a labor-intensive task. Breathing was no longer a luxury that ran in the background giving me life. It now had become a necessity for living that I had to consciously monitor.
Genesis 2:7 says the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Think about that for a moment. God had to breathe his breath into the creation He had made in order for that creation to have life and live. Life giving breath had to enter our lungs so that we could live!
While I was sick, I had a hard time living well. My lungs did not want to process the air that was brought in. My lungs did not want to cooperate with getting oxygen from my lungs to my body.
When we are not in the right relationship with Lord it is like we are sick. Our spiritual lungs are not functioning in the proper way to feed our bodies. We need the life-giving breath of the Lord to pour through our veins and tissues. We need to be full of the life of Jesus in order to stay healthy both spiritually and physically.
Without life giving air properly going through my lungs, I was not able to perform my basic tasks for living. Without the breath of the Lord pumping through our spirits, we will die spiritually.
If you are feeling sick and separated from the Lord, may I suggest, check the status of the quality of the breath of life you are receiving from Him. Without the breath of life we can all slowly waste away.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU?

John 3:16 the quote on the background of the heart, calligraphic text symbol of Christianity hand drawn vector illustration sketch.

Like much of the town during this time of year, I have the flu. It started off slow on Friday. I was completely out of commission Saturday and Sunday. Now here we are on Monday and I think I might live.

Last night while I was tossing and turning in my bed, I decided to open my tablet and scroll through YouTube. I found a message by Dutch Sheets. He was reading a prophecy by another individual. The message was so good I wanted to share it with you.

Now I do not know this other person. I do not know how accurate they are on their prophetic abilities. But the message gave me hope and excitement about the season we are coming into.

The basic premise of the prophecy was that Jesus was going to show up as the lion over America. He had all four of His paws on the four corners of America. The scripture John 3:16 was going out over land. The lost were saved.

Another part of the prophecy declared that the Lord was basically saying enough. The enemy has messed with us long enough. Now he must let go of America. We were once a beacon to the world of the love of Christ and we would be again.

I do not know about you, but when I heard those words I got excited. Our prayers for America have reached the Lord. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I little flash back from last week there.

John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

If you have ever interceded for our country, for our community; your prayers have reached heaven. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is roaring and every bondage must be broken. Every hinderance my be loosed and removed.

I am thankful I found that prophecy. Whether true or not it reminded me to never stop praying. Never stop seeking the Lord. It gives me something positive to pray about. So often we focus on the negative when God always seems to work in the positive.

I TRUST IN GOD!

Calligraphy of Psalm 37:5 saying commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass — A beautifully decorated scripture verse encouraging trust and commitment to the Lord

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves who we are putting our trust in. There is a popular Christian Worship song out with the title I Trust in God. There is a line in the song that says “I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered”

Sometime the answer we are seeking from the Lord takes a long time to come. Sometimes it can seem like the answer will never come. Sometimes the answer will come instantly. Whatever the case, we can be assured that when we call on the Lord, He will hear and He will answer. He will answer!

Psalm 37:5 says Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

So, according to Psalm 37:5 not only do we call on Him in times of trouble. We must also commit our ways to Him and we must trust Him. I guess the question we need to be asking ourselves is this, “Do I trust the Lord”?

Do I trust Him to pull me out of the situation I find myself in? Do I trust Him to do what seems to be impossible? Do I really believe He will work all things out for good? I mean, do I REALLY believe and do I REALLY trust? I think each of us can ask ourselves the same questions. Only we know the answers.

Think back to a time when you sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. Think back to a time when it seemed like all hope was lost and then when you least expected it, the Lord showed up with an answer you never would have thought about.

Think about a diagnosis you received that seemed like your quality of life was over. Think about a financial situation where you were sure you were going to be ruined. Think about a family member who needed salvation that you thought would never get saved.

I am sure as you do you will find the same thing I find when I look back. The Lord is good! He hears and he answers. The Lord is good and His provision is never ending.

I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered! That is why I trust Him! As I wait on the Lord for my answers, I am praying that you know this trustworthy God. He hears and He answers. Seek the Lord, He will hear you!

HELP IS ON THE WAY

Psalm 27:14 biblical verse with sun, mountains, lanterns, and floral decorations

Last week I shared with you that I had a situation I was dealing with. A situation I did not know how to handle or how to fix. I shared how the only thing I could do was call out to God for help.

Psalm 27:14 says Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Wait on the Lord! We as mature independent adults are used to fixing our problems. We are accustomed to diving in and finding solutions. Really, that is what makes us adults. We can find a way to take care of ourselves.

Gone are the days of depending on our parents to take care of us. We are grown. We make our way in life. We fight our battles. We pay our bills. We take care of our families. We depend on ourselves. Which really is the ultimate picture of a well-adjusted adult.

Sometimes our independence gets in the way of what God wants us to do. There are many scriptures in the bible that tell us to wait on the Lord. I just picked Psalm 27:14 because it spoke to me. Wait on the Lord!

I might be like a lot of you. I want to dive in and find a solution right now! I want things to move quickly to resolve the situation I am in. Yet, if we were able to take care of our own problems all the time, would we really be dependent on the Lord?

The Lord has a lot of names in the bible. Each one represents an aspect of His character. Currently I am learning once again about JEHOVAH-JIREH, which translates as, The Lord will provide. The Lord is my provider! He will solve the problem.

See, I can rely on the Lord who provides. I have seen him provide many times! I have seen Him correct situations I did not know how to deal with. I have seen provision come in when I thought all hope was lost. And I am not just talking financially.

So by changing my focus away from being on me and my situations. I am choosing to turn and look to the Lord. I am excited to learn another aspect of the character of the Lord who is my provider.

I have spoken with many people in the last few weeks who are going through situations they do not know how to deal with. My challenge to us is this. Let’s turn our eyes to the Lord. Let’s praise Him for his provision. Let’s thank Him for being the Lord our provider. And if you do not know this providing Lord I am speaking of, I hope you yield your dependence on yourself for a moment and cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GOD WHO FIGHTS OUR BATTLES

Sunrise over mountains with a cross, rainbow, flowers, and Isaiah 54:17 Bible verse

So recently I had a situation at work that left me stressed to my core! I am sure we have all been there. Something happens that you were not prepared for! It usually happens when we least expect it! Some major event that causes us to feel as if the floor just fell out from under us!

These events can include any number of shocks to our system. Maybe we get fired, or a bad report for the doctor. It could be that a family member or close friend suddenly passes away. Maybe the threat of financial ruin. Or worse yet, betrayal! Oh man, that is worse feeling ever. Nothing worse than to be betrayed by someone you trust. Been there, felt that!

Whatever the case, these types of life events can leave us feeling isolated, alone and vulnerable. That is how I felt at work last week. Something happened that left me feeling like I was in a situation I could not fix. I really did not know where to turn or what to do. My mind kept telling me that things were bad. My mind kept telling me I might as well close shop and move on. My mind kept bringing me down into a place of darkness and despair.

That is what my mind was telling me! But I do not have to listen to my mind. I do not have to worry or stress. I do not have to try to come up with a plan. I can turn the whole situation over to the Lord and let Him work it out. I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves to fight my battles.

The book of Isaiah says ““No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:17

I was in church Saturday night, worshiping the Lord and listening to the message. Not even thinking about the event that caused me despair just the day before. When suddenly God spoke to my heart, “I already new this was going to happen”

I just about leaped out of my seat! Yes, you did! I thought to myself! Yes, You did! I know that You know all things! Since You know all things, You also have a plan to take care of the situation for me. I am so thankful! I do not have to fret! I do not have to worry! I just give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it.

That is one of the blessings that come from being a child of God. He takes care of us. I write this to give you hope. If you are a child of God, you have refuge in the Lord! He is your strong tower, your fortress, your hiding place! If you are not a child of God, I hope this gives you another reason to call upon His Name.

Just call out to Jesus, tell Him you are ready to follow Him! Tell Him you are ready for a relationship with Him. Tell Him you repent and start to follow Him. I can tell you from many experiences, God has got our back.