.OBEDIENCE BRINGS BLESSING

Deuteronomy 11:26-29 (NIV)

Obedience to God brings blessing. This is the first principle in understanding what it means to be a child of God. Failure to understand this first principle and failure to implement it is to forfeit God's BEST in your life.
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE AND LOVE GOD?
HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT YOU TRULY DO?

1 John 5:2-3 (NIV)

Those that do not obey God...do not love him. The whole book of I John is a book which tests us. It tests our faith by our actions. Those who love God will obey God. Those who trust and have faith in God will obey God.

We use alot of religious phrases, such as "trust the Lord", "have faith" etc. But do we know what they really mean?

Illustration: The doctor tells you that you have a particular medical problem. You take medicine he prescribes in the doses he says. That is proof of your faith in him. You do what he says to do.

God is our Creator! Do you believe that? Proof that you do will be that you trust Him and that you do what he instructs. If you are not obeying what God has said, that is proof that you really do not believe or trust in HIM.

You can believe He exists...That is not what we are talking about. I can know that the doctor exists, yet I have not believed in him till: I go to him, seek his help and then obey what he says do. I have put no trust in him till I do what he says.

Many folks put great stock in the fact that they believe that there is a God. KNOWING THAT THERE IS A GOD WILL NOT SAVE YOU! James 2:19..says "the devils believe...yet are lost."

People put great stock in reading the Bible. General George Patten was ask what he thought of the Bible. He replied "I read it every BLANKY BLANK Day"

There is no magic in just reading the Bible. Lots of folks read the Bible and are going to die in their sin and go to hell. Why? It is in the obeying and the following God's Word that teaches men God's righteous ways!

Others folks put get stock in thinking and meditating on God and His Word.

James 2:17-19.

If a person is saved then they will do what they Lord says. God will not force Himself on you. He will allow you do be disobedient. If you refuse to do as God, through the Bible says to do.....then don't call yourself a believer

Don't want God to interfere with the way you like to live? That's OK, - God gives you that option. But do not expect God to bless you! If you don't live as He says, He will allow you live as you want to.... however, don't expect to live a happy and productive life. Don't expect to win those in your family and friends who are lost and on their way to Hell.

Don't expect God to answer your prayers. Don't be alarmed when God begins to chasten you to correct your sin.

YOU IN FACT SAY TO GOD, "I KNOW MORE THAN YOU....
I KNOW WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY AND WILL GIVE ME A GOOD LIFE.

A BLESSING OR A CURSE. The blessing. Deuteronomy 11 Love God - Keep His commandments. Verse 8 - Keep God's commandments and you will be strong.

Those who do not obey God are like tumble weeds, they go there the wind blows. Why are they being blown around? They had no root. They were dead and without life.

That should not be the way of the child of God. The child of God is alive in Christ and rooted in Christ. Some believers are blown by every wind of trouble.

James 1, teaches that a man who has no faith is tossed around by every wind of doctrine. A mature Christian who knows his Bible will not be caught up in a movement that seeks to destroy Biblical truth. Too many get blown away when a troubling wind comes.

Have you noticed that when some church members have trouble they lay out of church? When they have financial trouble they quit giving to God's work? James 1:2-3, say we are to rejoice when trials come our way. Why? God allows it to mature us and teach us and develop greater dependence on Him.

Verse 9 - Keep God's commandments and your days will be prolonged. Live as God says, and you will live longer. God's way is to live a clean pure live.

Use drugs, drink, smoke, live the wild carefree life, seek pleasures, avoid hard work....you will die early!!!

Diligently obey God! means great attention and energy. Most professing Christians do not tithe....yet they think God will bless them....not so!!

Do you believe what God is saying here? Prove it by living your life trusting in these promises and nothing else. God lets us have some money to see what we will do. ... faithfully give a thanksgiving offering to the Lord...receive blessing .....in greed don't think the Lord for it.... You will find yourself will little or nothing.

Verse 22..If you carefully keep these commandments, love the Lord, walk in His way, "I will drive your enemies out before you. I will make you more powerful than those who oppose you."

What is all this saying? God will bless those that do right.... Those that do wrong will suffer from their mistakes ... They will suffer because the are doing wrong.

If you do not do what God says, don't be upset by the trouble that will come your way. Obedience brings blessings. Obedience is based on trusting God. Not only believing that He is there, but trusting in Him to allow Him to have the rule in your life.

Doing right means that things will work out. Put yourself in God's care. Disobeying God will bring you trouble and eternal death. Do you believe and trust in God?

Do you have saving faith? The evidence is that you are seeking and having success at obeying God. Do you love God? Then you will be seeking to do as he says you will be obeying.

Do you believe in God? Then do as He says, receive Him, publicly profess your trust in Him. That is His command.

Christian, Are you living the best life you can? Would you agree that a parent wants the very best for their child? God wants the best for you.

This is how it is put in the New Testament puts it:

1 John 5:2-3 (NIV)
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. {3} This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

It is up to you to accept God's plan for your life. What are you going with your life?

For additional messages from LMC