The story of Enoch teaches us that we can also walk with God and benefit from this walk if we have fellowship with God daily. You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, and Ill give whatever you ask of me. To stop this gradual fall, we must be faithful and disciplined. He favored Rachels children over Leahs. Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year (Deuteronomy 11:11-12). Therefore His anger is to be poured out on all the living things. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' 24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males. Every sin a person commits is outside of the bodybut the immoral person sins against his own body (1 Cor 6:18). Instead of justice, they seek vengeanceturning many away from Christ. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik. However He will always give us the opportunity to repent, and He often gives us the chance at a do-over. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Choose God and His divine path for your life, and you will find true, inner happiness and fulfillment in this life. We dont just see this in the world around us, but we see this in ourselves, as believers. As the story begins, Dinah, Jacobs only daughter, goes to the city to meet with the young ladies of the land and is raped by Shechem, the prince of the land. But this is not just a problem for society, it is also a problem for believers. Then Shechems father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. 17Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? Disobedience brings a wide variety of consequences such as spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental consequences. With this abuse of religion, many will fall away from the church in droves. 1. And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. J. C. Ryle, I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart. Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. London, United Kingdom, W1A 6US. They were right to seek justice; however, murdering a whole village of men for the sins of one was hardly just. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Abraham and Sarah were promised a son but they werent content to wait for the promise to come to pass. Sex is emphasized on TV, movies, music, and the Internet. He will delay blessings if it will help you grow. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. Proverbs 22:15 says, Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. Proverbs 19:18 (GNT) says, Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. He spoke of looking forward to these things. and [looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13-14). One of the results we witness of someone walking with God is bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God. Verses 24-25 show that they walked by their own advice and in their stubborness went backwards instead of forwards. The humanity of Christ, while at the same time divine, is hard to understand. Some parents even say things like, Well, I dont want to shelter my kids and protect them from the world! In Romans 16:19, Paul said, But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. We should prepare our children for the world by teaching them the truth about sin, what they will encounter in the world, and how they should respond. They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. Even when God gave them a way to repent and receive mercy, they still did not listen. As a Christian speaker, I teach the practical steps for renewing your mind, growing in faith and discovering your God-given purpose to help you live an abundant and joyful life. But, since God is the ultimate author of Scripture, he doesnt hide the flaws of his people. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Gods Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. Divine wisdom helps us increase our knowledge of God so that we can trust Him more each day. Richard Sibbes, DavidJeremiah.blog is part of the broadcast ministry of David Jeremiah. Please give her to him as his wife. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed. Let prophecies be given by divine revelation. C. S. Lewis, For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Titus 2:7. Is it the opposite of pride? A result is a thing that is produced by something else; it is an outcome. The young man did not delay in doing what they asked because he wanted Jacobs daughter Dinah badly. Yes, Satan is certainly trying to have his way with you. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s). They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses. The Bible Teachers Guide, Jacob: Being Transformed By Amazing Grace, When God Is Neglected, Sexual Immorality Saturates Society, When God Is Neglected, Parents Neglect Their Children, When God Is Neglected, Religion Is Abused, When God Is Neglected, Violence Increases, When God Is Neglected, He Brings Discipline to Help Us Repent. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. (3) Religion is also abused when it primarily focuses on people securing their passions, like lust or wealth, instead of holiness. Learn how your comment data is processed. A life with God is one of righteous living because of the transformation that comes by His Spirit, who lives in us. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This is exactly how Paul describes the pagan world in Romans 1:21-23: For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Receiving revelation (living understand) of the Word. Gods Word will show you His will, His ways, and what pleases or displeases Him. Though redeemed, believers still have a sinful nature that must be subdued by living in the Spirit (Gal 5:16-22). The supernatural ability to feel loved by God and to feel love back (for Him and others). Soften my heart and melt away the strongholds of sin. Its one thing to say, I forgive you, but its another to act like all the effects of an offense are completely erased. Get information about upcoming sermons, ministry updates, special events and news delivered right to your inbox! If you dont, you are helping them destroy themselves. Without appropriate discipline, children will grow up wild and rebellious. Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian's life. Mark 2:5. Anyone who walks with God desires to do things for Him because it brings a fulfillment that no other work does. Our Vision is to See People Healed, Equipped and Set Free through a Prophetic Word and Prayer. We often hear about the benefits of waiting on God, but what about the consequences of NOT waiting on Him? Those who walk with God have a better understanding of the work of ministry. 1 Peter 5:5, NIV, What is humility? They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. Hiding sin does not remove it from Gods sight; but when we seek Gods forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restoredthat is the power of confession. This also is vanity. Jacobs sons killed them and looted the city because their sister had been violated. Consider what he says to his household and all who were with him, Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Many countries coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an island of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. Integers, from a Latin root meaning whole or entire. The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances. Romans 1:28-32 says: And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. Enoch walked with God and entered Heaven alive. Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. A prayerless person becomes preoccupied with the things of the world instead of God. Many people have walked away from the Lord and are not concerned about it. He sent warnings and prophets to guide them. James 4:1-3 says. (function() { As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him. Both times, aware of this tragic cultural reality, Abraham lied and said that she was his sister to protect himself from being killed because of her. We must train our children to be wise and at the same time innocent. The passage 1 Samuel 13:13-14 shares the consequence for not waiting on God: You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. Instead, the Lord sought a new King to replace Saul. Is it things above? When you see opportunities to care for creationnature or your own bodydo so as a way of glorifying the Creator. In 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (ESV), Paul warns Timothy of this: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Your relationship with God is very personal, and He knows what will work for you. God's Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it's too late. Another common reason parents neglect their children is simply for career purposes. Over the years, stars . (1 Jn. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. } They said the enemies were too big and that their kingdoms were too well fortified. Below Deck and its spinoff series may be reality TV shows, but there can be real-life consequences for the crew's actions both on and off the ship. With the other prophets, the second time meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. 28And you shall say to them, This is the nation that did not obey the voice of theLordtheir God, and did not accept discipline;truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. The adage, "You can't keep a good man down" is a biblical concept. Theydevotetheir livestotheserviceofGodusing their spiritual gifts. The evidence of you having a relationship with God is people see that God is in your life. When a man walks with God, his character will attract unbelievers to Christ without him knowing. Application Question: In what ways have you experienced strong discipline, including the consequences of sin, which turned you from sin back to God? When God is neglected in a society, sexual immorality saturates it. To live a life that pleases God and inspires others to know Him means that you know Him well and are intimate with Him. It means that every child of God can hear God speak to them. Perhaps it would help to think of it in those terms. Soon we find ourselves far away from God and his people, and doing things we never thought we would do again or worse. I will continue to push forward and be faithful with my time with the Lord.. You are such a gracious God. Dont miss or even delay your blessing because you refuse to wait on God. On the third day after their circumcision, when the pain probably was the worst, two of Jacobs sons murdered all the men in the town. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. THE WALK WITH GOD ALL NATIONS BIBLE INSTITUTION & PROJECTS THE WALK WITH GOD THE SECRET OF WALKING WITH GOD God is looking for not only a clinging bride but also a walking partner. Paul uses that image to say that Christ leads His followers in a victory procession through every difficulty in life (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Youll notice that there are people who are joyful, despite some things they are going through, and you wonder how they do it. After all, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, love is known by its actions more than its words. To make this even worse, it is clear from the narrative that Dinah wasnt at home with Jacob but was being held captive by this family (Gen 34:26). How can we tell that Jacob and his family neglected God? How well God must like you you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. Pauls letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. 5 Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. Abraham wouldnt allow Isaac to marry a Canaanite. If the Spirit is in your heart, He is going to make it very difficult for you to be comfortable with anything that violates God's Law. Gen 19, Judges 19)! Pauls topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in our daily interactions with others. Congregations will find teachers who make them feel good by preaching myths. But Hamor made this appeal to them: My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. The Lord never said that our lives here on earth would be easy. Hearing the voice of God is comforting, and it reminds you that you have a loving Father who cares about you and will always be with you. God loved them too much to allow them to continue in sin. However, God can change flawed people and use them for his purposes, which he eventually does with Israel. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8). How should true believers seek to remain faithful in times like these? I dont wait well. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long (verse 3). Genesis 39:1-9, 41:38-44. Friendship is the marriage of affections. Here are two more good verses showing the negative consequences of not being willing to fully follow God in this life. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Or is it things below? In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacobs sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinahs brothers, each took his sword and went to the unsuspecting city and slaughtered every male. To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. https://s3.amazonaws.com/qbchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/24212608/2016-08-14-Consequences-in-a-Life-Not-Walking-in-the-Fear-of-God-Ecc-810-13-AM.mp3, 6356 Post Road, North Kingstown, Rhode Island 02852. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of Godthe throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. We know that Abraham wasnt perfect. While the Hivites were in pain from their circumcision, two of Jacobs sons, Simeon and Levi, murdered all the men of the village. He wasnt discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. He acted on his desires, and it cost him dearly. All rights reserved. Consequence #1: You're out of God's will. Application Question: In what ways have you witnessed this growing trend of parents neglecting their children by not loving them, disciplining them, and setting boundaries for them? They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires. The result is it makes advances in the best of all knowledge, the knowledge of God. 1. The God of grace loves to forgive. And when he believed God, [God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Walking with God. We hear God speak through His Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us. CP VOICES do not necessarily reflect the views of The Christian Post. However, God delivered Jacob from that situation as wellbringing reconciliation. Though his major struggles seemed to be over, his most difficult struggle appearedmaintaining faith in ease and prosperity. The benefits and results of walking with God now and forever far outweigh the sacrifices we make today to spend more time with Him. An intimate walk with God affords an opportunity to study His character, to see it developed in the free communications He makes, and to listen to . Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Asa knew, as everyone who grows strong in the Lord knows, that a powerful . End the relationship! As a result, the one group that was willing to follow God fully got to go into the Promised Land, while the other group did not! All rights reserved. The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed. When the spies came back, ten of them came back with a bad report. With pride? 2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, n ever dropping a leaf, always in blossom. He uses discipline to help us repent and turn back to him. When we declare Gods promises into our lives, they manifest and bless us tremendously, and the glory goes to God. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. In this state, you can easily be pulled from one task to another. Verse Concepts. All rights reserved worldwide.