September 28 2017 – Click here to listen
I have lived a life that few have lived. I went from being bitter and full of hate, completely alone devoid of friend or family, homeless, drug addicted, alcoholic, and criminal, to being happy, having a wonderful family, wealth, and friends all over the world.
What’s up with that?
The answer is easy. Early on I was following Satan and all he offers the world, I turned and began following Christ and my life changed dramatically.
Was it instantaneous?
Parts of my life changed instantly, but certainly not my entire life. Prior to making Christ Lord of my life, I was mean a snake and bitter as quinine and I’d never had a conscience or felt remorse about anything I’d done, (and there was plenty); however, the very instant God came into my life that completely changed. I realized that I’d done many wrong and bad things and I felt sad about it and vowed to stop. I quit taking drugs, fighting, committing crimes, and many other terrible things. I was tremendously blessed when those were removed from my life.
When I would obey God’s commands, the Lord would bless me, and when I went my own way and disobeyed one command or another, I faltered, (and sometimes fell flat on my face.) This has continued right through today. He has blessed me with a wonderful family, business acumen, wealth, numerous friends. great accomplishments, peace, joy, and love. I’m making progress, but occasionally drift which I hate and I always pay a price for it. The Apostle Paul experienced this and agonized over it writing in Romans 7:15 – I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. I can hear the frustration in his voice, can’t you? I feel the same when I mess up.
Like Paul I don’t understand myself either, but I do understand that there are consequences to sin.
In my life there have been many triumphs and failures. I loved God from the start and had a desire to obey Him. When I obeyed I noticed I was showered with undeserved blessings, but when I failed in one area or another, I noticed the blessings were replaced with times of consternation and often grief. The correlation between when I was walking closest to the Lord and blessings, and when I drifted away from the Lord and defeats were uncanny, and cannot be ignored. I found that the closer I followed God’s commands and became obedient, the happier and more blessed I was. When I drifted I experienced pain.
I was reminded of some Scripture recently that kind of sums up this phenomenon. In Deuteronomy chapter 28 God promised that if the nation of Israel would obey His commands, they would be mightily blessed and God listed all kinds of wonderful things that He would do for them. He did the same concerning what would happen if they disobeyed and listed all the things that would, (and did) happen if they disobeyed His commands.
As I look at our nation I see the same dilemma. God blessed this nation because it was founded upon His principles. Like the nation of Israel, it started well, but then the people stopped loving God and obeying His commands. The results have been devastating. In America we took God out of schools and would not allow prayer. The Ten Commandments have been removed and Christians are mocked and persecuted as never before. Our society is filled with immorality, hate and bitterness, and is divided terribly. Bad things are happening on nearly every front.
Some ask: Where is God? God was asked to leave. He is waiting for an invitation to return. He wants to bless us, but sin prevents Him from so doing.
There is hope in revival and repentance and in a loving, forgiving, God. Political leaders in government are not the solution to our woes, nor is science, or technology, or anything else the world offers. God is the only hope for us. The solution is really a simple formula: Love God + obey His commands = blessings and success.
2 Chron. 7:14
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.