Tag: obedience

If God Tells You to Do Something…

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What is God telling you to do? What has He been saying to you that you’ve been resisting? Why is it that so many of us can’t seem to find the capacity to move when God speaks? Why is it that many of us stand paralyzed when God tells us to move?

The answer is so simple and yet so complex.

The answer is fear.

The answer is rebellion.

The answer is pride.

The answer is weakness.

The answer is blindness.

The answer is disobedience.

There are so many reasons why we don’t do what God is telling us to do. There are so many reasons we are disobedient to His voice and His instructions. But is this not our ruin? Our disobedience, which leads us to sin against the Almighty is exactly the mountain that blocks our path to His blessing.

And, so, today, I want to encourage you to do what God is telling you to do. Don’t hesitate. Don’t remain inert. Move quickly and swiftly at the Father’s command and do exactly what He tells you to do.

Christians… without the Holy Spirit?

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The general belief (among Christians) is that the Holy Spirit comes and remains in the Christian at the moment of belief. However, as I’ve read more about the Holy Spirit’s presence and work throughout the Bible, I’ve found that it’s more complex than that.

Acts 5:32 adds to the layer of complexity involved in the Holy Spirit’s work and presence in the life of a Christian. It reads: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

In Acts, we find that there is a contingency. God gives the Holy Spirit – but He gives to a specific group of people – those who obey Him.

Just by logic, we can conclude that people who are disobedient to God do not have the Holy Spirit. And what is obedience? It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s listening to and following Him. It’s keeping His commandments and honoring Him.

We have to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit, is well, HOLY! The Holy Spirit isn’t going to dwell and live in just anyone or anywhere. Conditions must be met, and one of those conditions is obedience to God.

David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet in his disobedience, he prayed something so profound, he says “God, please do not take your Holy Spirit from me.”

David was no stranger to the power of the Holy Spirit, and he was also not a stranger to the absence of the Holy Spirit either, He had watched Saul fall into complete disarray – tormented by an evil spirit when God’s Holy Spirit was removed. Saul hadn’t always been that way. Before being crowned king of Israel, the Holy Spirit fell on him with such power that people asked the question, “Is Saul among the prophets?” But Saul wasn’t obedient to the commands of God and as a result suffered the consequences.

Let us not take the Holy Spirit for granted. Let us not assume that the presence of God will remain with us despite how we live, think, or speak. Let us not grieve His Spirit and resist Him through disobedience, but instead, let us run our race with endurance, trusting God, loving Him, obeying Him, and honoring (with reverence) the privilege of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Tithing Your Time

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Giving isn’t a command – it’s encouraged. And it’s encouraged with good reason because when we give, it transforms us. We evolve into better people when we are generous and unselfish. The doctrine of tithing often focuses on money, but another area that we often overlook is time. While being generous with our money transforms us; giving our time is also transformative.

Many years ago after getting my first “real” job in a corporate environment, God showed me that He wanted me to tithe. I soon realized that money wasn’t the only area of my life that I needed to surrender to God. Time was a part of my life that I had kept entirely to myself. I went to church on Sundays, but God wanted more for me. And so, I began the habit of tithing my time. There are so many different ways to tithe your time, but below are just a few.

Serve in your church – if there are areas of ministry where your church needs help, jump in. Many churches need help with the children’s ministry, or perhaps the church is looking for volunteers who are willing to pray for others or greet visitors at the door. Church is an excellent place to tithe your time.

Volunteer – Homeless shelters, foster homes, crisis centers, hospitals, libraries, and many other places need volunteers. We are all put on earth to help each other. Helping others fulfills our purpose, and is a beautiful way to tithe our time.

Give God the first of your day – In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give a tenth. Before they paid workers, bought property, or did anything else, they tithed. You can tithe the first of your day by dedicating your mornings to God. When you wake up in the morning before you do anything else, pray.