Obedience

Old Testament Expectation of Miracles for the Messiah

Ken

The miraculous is to be expected whenever God must make a statement to arrest the attention of His intended audience, which serves His purpose, when ordinary means would not be sufficient. This must be so, since He alone determines when the ordinary must be replaced by the extraordinary. Even our day to day obedience, though ordinary, He has promised to inspire and confirm through His New Covenant giving of the Holy Spirit. “And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws” (Ezekiel 36:27 NIV). But, if the Spirit of God can so captivate His children, “If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done” (Matthew 21:21). O faith, be inspired to this, and more! 

OT: Messiah would perform miracles, but references to vengeance refer to Christ’s cleansing of the Temple at His First Coming (John 2), as well as pointing to His Second Coming. 

“4 say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you. 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:4-6 NIV).  

NT: Jesus performed miracles, as proof of His messiahship, even to John the Baptist. 

“2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask Him, Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? 4 Jesus replied, Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of Me.” (Matthew 11:2-6). 

OT: Messiah would perform miracles with His First Coming, but also vengeance at His Second Coming.

“1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1-2). 

NT: Jesus worked miracles in His First Coming; but notice, He stopped short of mentioning vengeance to His hearers at Nazareth, since that would be for His Second Coming.

“18 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). 

Significance of Christ’s Miracles 

“37 Do not believe Me unless I do the works of My Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (John 10:37-38). 

“After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14). 

“Still, many in the crowd believed in Him. They said, When the Messiah comes, will He perform more signs than this man?” (John 7:31). 

Though Christ had ample reason to perform miracles, He did not perform His first miracle until He created wine from water at Cana of Galilee (John 2). This indicated His divine authority and messiahship. Miracles serve the purpose of arresting our attention to gain God the opportunity of hearing His Word and establishing or reestablishing His relationship to us. 

May we seek Him for more than His miracles!

“23 Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs He was performing and believed in His name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person” (John 2:23-25). 

Secret to Obedience

Ken

Inspired to Obey 

Ezekiel 36:27

“And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 KJV). 

Gift of the Holy Spirit 

Acts 2:38 

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38 KJV).  

Will and Do 

Philippians 2:13 

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV). 

If we simply assume we obey because we choose to obey, then we are likely to assume our obedience is due to our good intentions. Yet, we have been plainly told our obedience is due to God inspiring us to obey.

Spirit Inspires Obedience

Ken

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2Peter 1:21 KJV). We normally think of the inspiration of Scripture as concerning God’s Infallible Book the Bible, which is correct, but, we do not think of ordinary Christians to be inspired by the Spirit of God to do something as straightforward as obedience. Truth be told, obedience has always been possible from the Beginning, but Jehovah planned for a day, when obedience would become more likely than prophets faithfully recording what we now know as Scripture. Ezekiel foretold of a NT time, when God’s Spirit would dwell within His people for the express purpose of inspiring them to obey Him. Notice, the Holy Spirit does not force obedience or we would no longer have a free will. He only inspires or encourages obedience, so that God would have in us the intimate relationship of obedience for which we were created. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). How do we know such an auspicious event ever occurred? Listen to Peter’s first sermon inaugurating the Church at Pentecost. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Confusion has made Miraculous Manifestations, Spiritual Gifts, or God’s Spirit As Proof of Ownership, as the purpose of God giving us His Spirit. But, simple obedience is the underlying purpose for giving us His Spirit. For, when His Spirit abides within us, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). Once this reality sets into the consciousness of the Church, no longer will we be so incredulous that obedience — not sinfulness — should be the norm of the Church. LORD, haste that day! Amen.

Occupy Till I Come

Ken

“Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13 KJV). Our Master has given His instructions to us. Like the NT parable, He expects us to exercise our abilities and circumstances for His Kingdom. No one but a wicked servant has the right to a retirement of doing nothing, or worse, to live a life of self-pleasing. Occupying for the LORD is to be filled with “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2Peter 1:3). Our Lord expects us to walk obediently, sensitive to His Spirit, but more importantly, as though we loved Him for the wonder filled works He has performed for us. “Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:15).

God’s Presence Secures Our Obedience (Psalm 119:8)

Ken

“I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly” (Psalm 119:8 KJV). Spoken like someone who not only understood how important obedience was but how obedience worked, i.e., God’s presence secures our obedience. Even in the beginning, Adam and Eve walked with Yahweh, but did not possess the key gift only a Resurrected Jesus could give — the gift of an indwelling Holy Spirit. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). We NT disciples have misunderstood, neglected, and taken for granted a gift greater than Christ’s purchase of our salvation on the Cross, none other than Christ’s endowment of the indwelling presence of God’s Obedience Securing Spirit. Under the Old Covenant, God’s inward presence was not part of the revealed relationship of “obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people” (Jeremiah 7:23). Under the terms of our New Covenant, “I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Paul understood a “more excellent way” (1Corinthians 12:31) than “spiritual gifts” (12:1), which was the way of loving obedience (1Corinthians 13). Peter again added his voice, “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Spirit inspired obedience from those whom the Spirit inspires to obedience. Father, You have given us the gift of Your Son to save us. Your Son has given His Spirit to sanctify us in loving obedience. May we understand, respond, and continue until Jesus soon returns for us. Amen and amen.

Obedience Is Intimacy With Yahweh (Psalm 119:6)

Ken

“Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:6 KJV). The Psalmist previously requested that his “ways [Hebrew, derek, manner, habit] were directed to keep Thy statutes” (119:5). This is the very anticipation of the NT ministry of the Holy Spirit, i.e., “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). How shameful under the New Covenant we should not always say with the Psalmist, “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:6). Obedience is not simply compliance to an arbitrary set of rules, but our most intimate interaction with our Divine Spouse. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). May God’s Divine Spirit elevate our thinking about obeying His Words. In worship, we ascribe with our hearts and mouths recognition of who God is, and in obedience, we are given the opportunity to put into practice, what would only be in our heart. Just as angels lean in to see what happens in our earthly circumstances, we can do what they have not been appointed. We have been called to bring up a “godly seed” (Malachi 2:15). Father, may we have the grace to inherit the earth with a godly offspring that will praise Your name. May You be delighted in Your children. May You receive the reward of all Your works. Preserve us to Your glory and to the shame of the enemy. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we ask it.

Diligently Keeping Precepts (Psalm 119:4)

Ken

“Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently” (Psalm 119:4 KJV). How are we to keep Your precepts? Diligently. We are to treat the keeping of God’s precepts carefully, as if we were handling our own soul. “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently” (Deuteronomy 4:9). God uses careful language, when He wants our attention about how we should handle our relationship with Him. He invites us to receive deeply from Himself, but we must be aware. “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). The LORD is willing to show more of Himself to us, but it comes with greater responsibility. Prepare ourselves for exercise. LORD, You know best what we need. We ask for a greater revelation of Yourself and Your glory. And, we ask for the grace, faith, and diligence to receive it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Return Quickly, Lord Jesus

Ken

The godly can receive no better answer to all their prayers than the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus instructed us to continually pray, “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10 KJV), as well as, His last promise to us was, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). We have much to do in building His Kingdom in the meantime, because we know how important accomplishing all things He commanded us — “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13) —  prepares for His soon return. Both our growth in grace, as well as the increase of those brought into His Kingdom, justifies our God’s purpose in seeking His soon return, for the “LORD hath made all things for Himself” (Proverbs 16:4), which is always the wisest, most glorifying motivation for doing anything. LORD, grant us the wisdom of knowing how to keep ourselves occupied for good and for You in this world, while keeping our hearts and eyes wide open for Your imminent coming. Even so, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Why No Revival?

Ken

God is not to be blamed for the lack of revival in the churches. Reviving the same failed ideas does not require the moving of the Holy Spirit. Pulpit preaching seeking to inspire the congregation to recreate past ideas, only on a larger scale, and by getting out of our comfort zone, simply bewilders the hearers. Before the Holy Spirit will grant the miraculous, He requires a better comprehension of Him and what He is about to do. How does the Holy Spirit act? He moves upon us to cause us to obey Him without forcing us. “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 KJV). What does the Holy Spirit expects of us? He is both given to those who obey Him, as well as to cause us to obey Him. “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Miracles will be wasted on the Church, if God’s people have not learned the fundamentals of Spirit inspired obedience. If we still have reservations about why we can’t obey, then that must be removed before God’s Spirit will act. “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22). LORD, we need revival in the Church, but we need to address the deficiencies in our understanding before we can receive the outpouring of Your Spirit. Grant to us the new wineskins of better understanding that we may have the appropriate vessel for the filling of Your Spirit. Transform Your Church. Even so, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Would We Rather Have Miracles Than Obedience?

Ken

Given the choice between a miracle and obedience, would we choose obedience? Remember, a “wicked generation; it looks for a sign” (Luke 11:29 NET). Miracles are the supernatural setting aside of the natural, while obedience is simply doing as we were told. If humanity’s original relationship with Yahweh was a communion between creature and Creator, then obedience is God’s expected normal for humanity. Despite humanity’s dismal record of disobedience, the “gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38 KJV) was intended to further establish loving obedience as our proper relationship to God. After all, humanity was never created to live apart from God, but to walk with Him. “And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth” (Psalm 8:9). May we seek Thee in loving obedience as our highest good, and may our desire for Thee be greater than miracles. Do return quickly, and accomplish all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen and amen.