Obedient to what God shows us
Take a look at these scriptures regarding obedience
Deut 28 (obey/blessing disobey/curses) and Gen 22:18 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
Blessings for Obedience
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. …11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity--in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground--in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. (focus on His commands)mine
Curses for Disobedience
15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: 16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. 17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. …. 19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 20 The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. 25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. … 27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. …. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad. … 37 You will become a thing of horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the LORD will drive you. … 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. …44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail. 45 All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. … 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, …63b. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. …65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!"--because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. 68 The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.
1 Sam 15:22 22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
1 Pet 1:14 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance
Ne 1:5 5 Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,
Why do parents want children to OBEY? For their good and for a better life
Josh 1:7-8
Matt 19:29
***1 Pet 1:22 – 2:12 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.
***1 Peter 2
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1 Jn 2:5 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Psa 103:18 17 the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Da 9:4 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,,
(do what is right Daniel 4:27 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." and Gen 4:7 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Jn 14:23 & 24, 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 15:10 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. and 1Jn 5:3 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
Acts 5:29 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
Rom 6:12 (Flesh) 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Rom 6:16 (slave to the one you obey) 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Rev 14:12 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Prov 19:16 16 He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.
PS 119 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
17… I will obey your word. 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders. 28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
48 I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.
59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. 60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.
65 Do good to your servant according to your word, O LORD. 66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. 74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.
81 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. 91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. 95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.. 102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 134 Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. 136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. 144 Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. 148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises
165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
169 May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Who is Observing Your Actions?
- "She reminded me that the enemy cannot read my mind. He observes my actions." And with that came a flood of revelations I thought I would reflect on here.
We talked about how the enemy is not the only one observing our actions, there are always witnesses watching us too. Our reach is determined by our reaction according to Lysa Terkurst in her book "Unglued".
So as the world watches, does our actions line up with what we say? Do our actions demonstrate sin, disobedience, fear, hate, etc that doesn't line up with what we say about God and our beliefs.
The body is the reflection of Christ to the world. If we say one thing and yet do another, we become false witnesses to the world. No wonder the world is no longer drawn to the church. No wonder the body is loosing its impact on the society in which it is to minister.
My mind is on overload as I ponder these truths. It is absolutely amazing when God allows a light of revelation to be switched on in our thoughts. It seems to multiply and add into all that we already know. I started taking that thought and coupling it with others truths I had already been mulling over in my head and it was as if the universe opened up in a new way and so much more made sense. (Guess it is like going from glory to glory)
So with this truth, I see two sides. On the one side, there is the observation of our sin actions or our faithless actions, then on the other side is the observation of our obedience to Christ and our faith filled actions.
When Satan observes our sin and distance to God, he comes at us with all manner of thoughts. He is trying to convince us that we are not worthy of what Christ did for us so why not give up, or maybe even get us to doubt our salvation. However, he is partly true. By our actions, we are not worthy. But we must have been worth a great deal because God sent His most prized son to stand in for our worthless actions in order to rescue us. Our value is not in what we do but in the fact that we are. So when the enemy points at your sin to condemn you, just thank him for bringing it to your attention, ask God for forgiveness and get back to doing that which is right and walking in fellowship with the Lord. We need to remember that he is not the all powerful one, God is. And we can do all things through Christ who gives us our strength. We are more than conquerors. We are mighty warriors in the hand of our Lord. The enemy prowls around seeking those he can devour and destroy. He comes to steal, kill and destroy us. But Jesus came to give us LIFE!!!!!
He is prowling around searching for those who are weak and vulnerable to destroy them. Our actions will be the thing that indicates our vulnerability. That is why our actions matter so much. They either make us a target or they can become our shield. Many see a life surrendered to Christ as confining, restrictive, or full of don't do this and don't do that; but I am hear to tell you that it is not at all the case. It is our unrestrained actions and sin that leaves us vulnerable to attack. Read what First John 5:3 says. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."
Imagine for a moment that we are a pack of antelope. If one of us wanders far from our herd, we become vulnerable. If we begin to act in a manner to draw attention to ourselves to demonstrate we are injured we become sitting ducks for the lion to come and tear us apart. The lion will have no mercy on us because we are weak or alone. As a matter of fact, that would be his preference.
On the flip side, as we walk out our faith, the world sees our life lining up with what we profess, so we become a genuine witness. Also, the enemy sees our faith demonstrated by our actions. Even though he may throw the fiery arrows at us, they will no longer be effective because we are able to take our stand. It is so good that when we stay in fellowship with our Lord and with His followers, we are protected in our herd; therefore we are not as vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. It doesn't mean we are free from his attempts, because a hungry lion will go into a pack of animals if necessary. I hope this encourages you and even gives you more incentive to live a life of faith by obedient actions. Be complete in Christ. (1 John 2:5 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.) Ask Him to enable you and equip you today to walk out your faith. Let's not only do it for ourselves and our protection, but let's do it for all the witnesses that will be watching to see if our actions really line up with our professions. Remember our actions can bring us victory or defeat. It can leave us powerful or vulnerable. And it can determine our effectiveness to those around us.
This blog really goes hand in hand with another blog I wrote earlier. Getting Dressed
Deuteronomy 28 is a great chapter to read regarding the results of obedience/disobedience. Genesis 22:18 refers to the blessings of our offspring because our obedience. Look at the first part of 1 Peter 1:22 "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth." Look at these verses: Daniel 4:27 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." and Genesis 4:7 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Rom 6:12 (Flesh) 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Rom 6:16 (slave to the one you obey) 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Prov 19:16 16 He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.
PS 119 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me..
104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Things to Put On According to the Scriptures
The following scriptures are action scriptures that tell us to put on something. If you are jumping out of an airplane, you will want to PUT ON your parachute. Let's see what we need to put on to jump into our day.
OT
"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD ; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon ?
He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head ; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
"When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments ; then they shall approach that which is for the people."
"When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers ; then they shallput on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
My pondering (So does our garments that we PUT ON spiritually transmit holiness?) HMMM
NT
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put onimmortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
[Put On the New Self] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ;
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
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