Tag: Possess

10.f. “I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

Amos 9:1  I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.  “If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

Deuteronomy 28:15    But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God… And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess.

Leviticus 26:23     And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant.

This was God’s way of telling Israel that they could run, but they could not hide from Him and His judgment. Even if they tried to dig into hell or climb up to heaven, they could not escape their responsibility before God. A high mountain (Carmel) or the bottom of the sea could not hide them from judgment.  I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good: An essential part of the Old Covenant was the promise of blessing or cursing based on Israel’s obedience. If Israel was in chronic, systemic disobedience, they could expect that God’s eye toward them would be for harm and not for good.

How much better is it to live under the blessings of God?  Who would choose to take harm over good, and yet we do this every day we choose to walk paths disobedient to what it means to honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.  Walking each day with Jesus Christ is an intentional choice to deny self and live for Him. Life has a way of capturing our focus and it does it very subtly.  Soon we find ourselves adopting things into our lives that are not honoring Jesus Christ or to our benefit.  Keep a deep hunger and thirst for not only honoring Him but for growing in wisdom and understanding of His Word>

1.l. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

1 Chronicles 28:6  And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and mine ordinances, as at this day. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Jehovah, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Jehovah your God; that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for Jehovah hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

Hosea 4:1   Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;

Jeremiah 24:7  I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Acts 17:30    The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

1 Corinthians 15:34     Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

2 Corinthians 4:6     For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Wake up, take heed, hear the word of the Lord, and repent.  Why the need to wake up – because we have fallen asleep to God’s word.  Why take heed – because it will go well with you and you will find peace and rest.  Why hear the word of the Lord – because in it we find eternal life, peace, courage, joy, hope, strength, and love.  Why repent – because there must be a conscious recognition of our personal sin and intentional choice to turn away (repent) from it.

This call o wake up, take heed, hear the word of the Lord, and repent is for everyone.  It is worthy of giving thought to it.  It is worthy of examining your life against it.  It is worthy of intentionally choosing to honor Jesus Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul, in all we think, say and do.

45. For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are.

Deuteronomy 9:6   “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

Deuteronomy 31:27     For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!

Exodus 32:9    And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

2 Chronicles 30:8    Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

Psalms 78:8    and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Zechariah 7:11-12     But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.  They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

Acts 7:51    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Moses called the people to remember.  He wanted them to remember their rebellion, stubbornness, folly, and how they provoked the Lord.  He called them out time and time again about their lack of reverence, love, trust, faith, and hope in the Lord.  They so easily forgot the great things God did with His mighty hand and chose to mock Him with their disbelief, even though they saw with their own eyes all that He did and said.

Jesus called the religious ones, hypocrites, stiff-necked, self-righteous, prideful, blind, deaf, without understanding and true knowledge of God.  Note He spent little time with them but did spend much of His time with the lost who had no hope.  Jesus died for sinners.  He had little time for those who thought they could earn their righteousness before God by what they did.

Be mindful of your heart.  How do you know if you are provoking God or if your heart has grown stone hard to Him?  How do you know if you are faithful if God’s word is not leading you to a deeper faith?  If God’s word is not feeding your heart, mind, and soul something else will and that something else always turns our heart, mind, and soul, away from God.  Our ears soon resist hearing what God is speaking into our life.  Our resolve to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey is soon lost and replaced with that which seems right in our own eyes.

41. We must pay much closer attention

Deuteronomy 4:9   “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.

Proverbs 3:1    My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,

Proverbs 4:20-23     My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 3:3     Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Psalms 119:11    I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Proverbs 3:21    My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,

Proverbs 7:1     My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;

Joshua 1:18    Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Revelation 3:3    Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Proverbs 4:1-13     Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,  for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching.  When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

  Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

Hebrews 2:3     how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Hebrews 2:1    Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees when He said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We choose what goes into and stays in our heart. Our heart reflects the treasures that are held, dear.  Our heart treasure is often spoken of.   Likewise, that which is not cherished or treasured or chosen will never find a place in our heart and will not be spoken of.

These verses today speak of choice, a choice to be diligent, steadfast, remembering, attentive, guarding, keeping, faithful, storing, receiving, and holding and clinging onto God’s word with the single purpose of honoring, glorifying, and obeying Him.  We get to choose what comes into and stays in our heart.  What we feed into our heart is what is going to be abiding and directing our thoughts, words, and actions.

Jesus stands at the door to our heart seeking to be invited in forever.  I fear the door to many hearts is shut and Jesus is viewed through the peephole.  They wrongly assume that viewing Him on the other side of the door is the same as having Him inside.  And you know what is so sad about this, they are happy and content to live this way.

Inside their heart, they live for themselves and every now and then when the confusion, chaos, and troubles of this world affect them they run to the door and peep through the hole to make sure Jesus is still out there.  They don’t invite Him in but rather speak through the door to Him and ask Him to fix what is on the other side of the door.

Be intentional with your choice to keep in His word, live for His word, cherish His word, honor His word, obey His word, speak His word, remember and meditate on His word.  Open the door to your heart and invite Jesus into your heart forever.

I will show you

Genesis 12:1  Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

Genesis 15:7    And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Nehemiah 9:7    You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.

Isaiah 41:9    you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

Isaiah 51:2    Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.

Joshua 24:2-3    And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.  Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac.

Luke 14:26-33     So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

2 Corinthians 6:17     Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them

Hebrews 11:8    By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

It is one thing to be chosen and another to obey.  Being a christian is a choice of all who are called.  Likewise, listening to His whispers to our soul, obeying the word of God, , and following His leading and call on our lives is a choice.

Abraham was called and told to leave his place of comfort with his family(s).  He obeyed and left on the promise that God would lead Him to where he was to go.  He did not wait once he heard God’s calling.

Abraham had a chosen to first be near to God and had reverence of Him.  Without this choice there would have been no hearing God speak into his life.  Abraham then chose to obey God’s leading in his life with only the words of “go to the land I will show you”.   There was no map and clear plan all laid out.  There were no pictures of what the land looked like.  There was no directions to follow so that he would know how to get from point “A” to point “B”.  Abraham chose to act immediately.  He did not wait until he could confirm everything was in place and the destination and directions were clearly laid out.

Our lives are made up of choices every single day.  We can choose;

to be near to God or far away

to have reverence of Him or just passing thoughts

to want to listen to Him or turn deaf ear

to learn more of Him or neglect learning of Him

to read His word or neglect it

to honor Him or disrespect Him

to serve Him or just ourselves

to follow Him or be led by others

to worship Him or things of this world

to obey Him or disobey

to have faith in Him or trust in self

to pray to Him or not

to wait on Him or move forward on our own

to trust Him or in others

to cling to Him or in other things

to rely on Him or self

to desire Him or seek satisfaction from other things

to read His word or neglect it

to proclaim the gospel or keep silent

to love Him or have a luke warm feeling toward Him

to sacrifice to Him or keep for self

to speak of His power or be silent

to be content in His hands or be anxious and worry

to encourage others because of who He is or be silent and leave them in despair.

It is clear, we make choices everyday and they will have immediate and eternal consequences in our life and the lives of others.

Do not lose sight of these

Deuteronomy 32:47  For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Leviticus 18:5    You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

Proverbs 3:1-2     My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.   Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.  Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;  Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,  for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.  The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;  by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,  and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.  Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.  If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.  Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,  for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Matthew 6:33     But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1 Timothy 4:8    for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Peter 3:10-12    For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

It does not take much time to understand the way of the world has a way of creeping into the life of those opposed to it.  Slowly it finds cracks and sets root into the heart.  Keep these ways out of your heart and mind.  Stay in His word.  Live to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him alone.  Do not this culture’s wisdom of what is right and wrong be your guide, but rather allow His word to be your light and path this side of eternity.

Followed Me fully

Psalms 90:16  Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalms 44:1    O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:

Numbers 14:22     none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,  shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.  But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Habakkuk 3:2     O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

Joshua 4:22     then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,  so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Joshua 23:14     “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.

Psalms 68:28     Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

Psalms 27:4     One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Psalms 110:3     Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

Psalms 118:25     Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Job 22:28    You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

Proverbs 16:3    Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

1 Corinthians 3:7     So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Isaiah 26:12     O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.

2 Thessalonians 2:16     Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,  comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 3:1    Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,
But only God who gives growth.  We wonder why some or all of what we do seems purposeless and without life meaning and satisfaction.  It is time to learn from Him and seek him like given in this scripture “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,”  Everyday the choice we get to make concerning serving Him is given to us.  We get this choice and should we make the right choice we find peace, hope, love, power, courage, strength, comfort, joy and life with fulfilling purpose.  If we make the choice to follow self and the world we void all of this.  We may find these in short term bursts but they do not last and they certainly do not fulfill.  Do you want to see growth in what your purpose is this side of eternity?  Seek and desire God.  Choose to honor, serve, follow and obey Him.  How can we lose sight of what Jesus Christ freely did to redeem us from a path to eternal hell?  He allowed Himself to be beaten, whipped, nailed to the cross, mocked, spit upon and stabbed with a spear.  He could have stopped any of this happening at just a single word.  He chose to redeem.  He chose to call to Himself a people who come to Him with desire to humbly serve Him.  What manner of people ought we to be in light of the great sacrifice paid?  How should we live?  Seek and desire Jesus Christ in and through your life.  Be kind, generous, loving, giving, humble, hopeful, joyful, and never forgetting the redeeming price that was paid for your salvation.  Follow Him fully.

Rejoice always – Glorifying God

“for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

John 15:8  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Psalms 92:12    The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,  to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Isaiah 60:21     Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3    to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

Haggai 1:8     Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.

Matthew 5:16     In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

1 Peter 4:11     whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 6:35     But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

To bring glory to God in what we think, say, and do is our purpose.  When the result of our actions or responses does not bring glory to God we have a problem.  In Thessalonians 5 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” In times of trouble, rejoice in the strength of God.  In times of trials, rejoice in the power, might and strength of God.  In times of uncertainty, rejoice in hope and trust in God and His steadfast love.  In times of being misunderstood rejoice, in God who knows our heart, mind and soul.  Whatever we are facing God is bigger, stronger, and certainly can do more than we ask and much more than we think.  This rejoicing comes from deep rooted faith and humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying God.  God will confirm Himself to us in many ways through His word.  Spend time in His word, praying for it to come alive and permeate through you in such a way that He is honored and glorified.

The Straight Path

but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day

Joshua 23:6
turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day

Deuteronomy 5:32
You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess

Proverbs 4:25
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil

2 Kings 22:2
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left

Hebrews 12:12
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.

Joshua is old and he speaks to the people telling them to keep on a firm path with the Lord not turing to the left or the right.  He is not the only one to state this truth.  Jesus said “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”.  It is a common theme in scripture for those who are called by God.  What is the straight path?  I think it is having heart, mind, and soul with a purposeful desire to fully trust and humbly serve God.  He is my portion, strength, shelter, rock, hope, peace, joy, love….. and is not replaced by things of this world.   Keep your feet on solid ground. Keep your eyes fixed on Him.  Keep your heart’s desire for Him. Keep your ears listening for His voice and direction.  Keep your trust in His strength, power, and might.  Do not dilute His grace with your works.  Want to be used by Him for His purpose, honor, and glory.