They work together to offer sacrifices to other gods. You'll lose time, energy and focus very easily, which makes it harder for you to make tangible progress on particular tasks or projects. Verse Concepts. Thats nothing compared to the treasure youll find when opening the covers of the Bible. (Now he was more important than anyone in his fathers household.) Gods Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. Pauls letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. 1 Corinthians 15:57. Gods Word will show you His will, His ways, and what pleases or displeases Him. Jesus faced this dilemma when He healed a paralytic man. Maybe, Hamor thought, Oh, boys will be boys! This shows how acceptable the rape of a young lady was. (4) Trusting in the Lord, not methods. How do you view yourself? The promises of God are in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). When People Let You Down: Dealing with Disappointment. Artists who sing about their abuse of women, drug selling, and gang banging will go platinum and get movie deals. They do not have empirical knowledge of Jesus' way of working. To benefit, it means that there is an advantage that comes out of something. They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem! They captured as plunder all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses. J. Vernon McGee, The Lord your God cares. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. We may not realize it, but walking with God is so much better than walking without him and here is why. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet. Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life? Purify yourselves and change your clothes (v. 2). This is the world we live in, and sadly, these acts of violence will at times be seen amongst the church. Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. It says: Then God said to Jacob, Go up at once to Bethel and live there. This is a consequence of walking in disunity. In Genesis 38, Judah, Jacobs son, will visit a prostitute. Eternal Life. You were moving forward, doing something, you even loved doing it, and suddenly all stopped. 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 . Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. The adage, "You can't keep a good man down" is a biblical concept. A leper approached Jesus and said, If You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus touched the man, saying, I am willing; be cleansedand he was healed (Mark 1:40-42). Even when there was an easy way out, they would still stick to Gods plan, His instructions. on: function(evt, cb) { As our lives center on God, giving priority to hearing His voice and reading His Word, we become bolder in sharing our faith. Consider these verses: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). The activities of those who claim that they are working for God but are not walking with Him have brought shame and reproach to the body of Christ. There are no "new" temptations in life. Psalm 32:4. Now Dinah, Leahs daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet the young women of the land. To get the best use out of [the Bible] for daily life,Give it the best and freshest, not the most tired and dull, hour of the day. Harriet Buell, in her hymn A Child of the King. The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession. It is not our pastors responsibility to feed us all we need to be spiritually healthyit is our responsibility. In the narrative, Jacobs only daughter Dinah was raped by a prince in the land of Shechem. Then I will make an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress and has been with me wherever I went.. Thats just what we see in this chapterthe consequences of neglecting God, both among pagans and believers. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. Even though God had sent them His servants and prophets daily, they still strayed and did not listen. We long to hear God speak to us every day because we know that He has amazing things to tell us about our lives. Waiting is an essential part of the Christian life and, as I learned, there are hefty consequences to not developing this spiritual discipline. Inside was $4,000! If you dont, you are helping them destroy themselves. Without appropriate discipline, children will grow up wild and rebellious. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it. When God is neglected, parents neglect their responsibilities to their children. But how about a book titledThe Righteous Father? But with God, it is possible. He will delay blessings if it will help you grow. The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long (verse 3). If we dont do that, the world will expose them in a negative wayit will be done in a way that promotes evil and lures them into sin, instead of away from it. Though his major struggles seemed to be over, his most difficult struggle appearedmaintaining faith in ease and prosperity. Office 19170, POBox6945 But what makes this deception even worse is the fact that they used their sign of faith to secure the deal. Enoch had fellowship with God (Genesis 5:24) and was faithful to Him. God loves you and He desires to bless you abundantly. Children fight with their parents, and church members continually hurt one anotherbehaving worse than pagans. Have nothing to do with such people. His life was sold out to God, and he kept away from anything that could defile him. When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful. While in Shechem and living in prosperity, his family had started worshiping pagan gods. That is the life that goes beyond the one we live on earth to the one we will live in Heaven with God. It is much harder to be faithful to God in ease than in difficulty. 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. It is used to sell all types of products. The Bible says that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years before God took him away (Genesis 5:22-24). Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Integrity of heart is indispensable. After God delivers Jacob and his family from Laban and Esau and they arrive safely in Canaan, it seems they neglected God. We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males. To think less of Gods gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly. After God resolved that situation, Jacob sought reconciliation with his brother Esau; however, Esau responded with bringing 400 men to meet him. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. You can unsubscribe at any time. Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. However, this situation is very common when God is neglected. It is commonly promoted on the TV, news, college campuses, and city parades. He didnt inquire of the Lord first. Would you like to be the one who makes the right choices? Share with us in the comments below. When Jonah ran from God, God brought a storm in his life to turn him back (Jonah 1). 6 Consequences of Disobedience to God.1. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)? We can manifest the fruit regardless of the circumstances we face because it is a product of the Spirit of God living in us. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Every ministry has workers, but are all workers in the vineyards of God genuine Christians? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham. Take more time to read and meditate on Gods Word, and allow Him to speak into your life. Richard Sibbes, DavidJeremiah.blog is part of the broadcast ministry of David Jeremiah. Satan tries to sidetrack anybody with a spiritual interest. Those who walk with God know where they are going, and they dont lose their way in life. The people leaned on their own understanding and were hardened with evil. A prayerless person becomes preoccupied with the things of the world instead of God. One was an old copy of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Then he became very attached to Dinah, Jacobs daughter. 25From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day,I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Its the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the worldfalling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven. He has served over eighteen years in pastoral ministry, and currently serves as a chaplain and professor at Handong G More, Getting Spiritually Fit 1 ( Corinthians 9:24-27), Steps to Biblical Reconciliation (Luke 17:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21). As you spend time reading your Bible, you will connect with God in a deeper way and get to know Him more. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Only God can move you from confusion to clarity. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to usobedience to God's Word (Matthew 4:111; Hebrews 5:8). In response to Hamors and Shechems offer, Jacobs sons said that it would be disgraceful for Dinah to marry someone uncircumcised. 1. Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. You can tell Him where you lost your zeal for Him and that you are ready to have a more intimate relationship with Him. With the other prophets, the second time meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. ), then the one or two hours a day with parents and one hour of church on Sunday wont be very influential. Jacob had flaws, and the Israelites had flaws. Enoch was mentioned in the book of Genesis as a descendant of Adam through his son, Seth. Romans 12:3 NLT. Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. Often these people dont have any Christian values at all. C. S. Lewis, For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. When the Corinthian church was abusing the Lords Supper, God disciplined some with sickness, depression, and even death (1 Cor 11:28-30). Theyre building a palace for me over there. It tells us that God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for us so that we will not perish, but have eternal life. Every sin a person commits is outside of the bodybut the immoral person sins against his own body (1 Cor 6:18). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Scripture taken from New King James Version. Q. If Moses, the author of Genesis, was simply trying to encourage Israel before they entered the promised land, this story would have been left out, as it displays the Jews in an unflattering light. I pray for awareness and discernment over every detail of my life. The Pharisees made a career out of separating themselves from society. 20Therefore thus says the LordGod: Behold,my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground;it will burn and not be quenched.. When you walk with God, your life is organized and orderly because God orders your steps. 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. It means we're honest first with God and . This is the tragic story of society, as we see these consequences happening all around us and often in our own lives. In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while , , and 2.5 are fractions. Christian Living. We must look for and take "the way of escape" God provides in every situation where temptation is found (verse 13). Have you responded to Gods willing invitation to come to Him? Gen 35:2)leading to great sins. Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the resulta new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. Generations are being wiped out because of inconvenience. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you can ask that every promise given to you by God in His Word, be fulfilled in your life. We hear God speak through His Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us. Is it not themselves,to their own shame? declares theLord. Or is it things below? David had flaws. But to further demonstrate the gravity of the gross immorality in Shechem, when Hamor, the princes father, approached Jacob about Dinah marrying his son, he doesnt apologize or even mention the issue. 1. As time goes by, they become carnally minded, and this causes them to backslide. Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, . Those who walk with God obey Him no matter what. We must practice regular spiritual disciplines, have accountability, and put God first before everything. Sadly, when God is neglected, religion will be abusedleading to tragic results in our societies as well. This is part of our series on the Full Surrender. He was from a priestly family, and he undoubtedly looked forward to serving God in Jerusalems temple. It is not possible to do the work of God, unless you are connected to Jesus Christ through a relationship with Him. Therefore, sex wasnt special, and it wasnt necessarily to be preserved for ones spouseespecially if one was a man. This was to be a perpetual sign of their covenant with God for generations. 21Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel:Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. They decided to take matters into their own hands. You may live among us, and the land will be open to you. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions. Those who walk with God have a better understanding of the work of ministry. With this abuse of religion, many will fall away from the church in droves. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. God wants His children to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). A person, who wanders off the path . Walking with God means that you are blessed, and you have access to His great promises, which He has given in His Word. God loves diversity and everybody's walk with Him is different and unique. What It Means to Be Clay in the Hands of the Potter, 5 Principles for Biblical Decision Making, 40 Bible Verses for Navigating Gods Promises and Blessings. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Christ to the glory that should follow. Those are the consequences of not having enough faith and belief in God the Father and not being willing to fully follow Him in this life. 2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV. He can bring light out of darkness and beauty out of ugliness. Intermarry with us. (We reserve the right to moderate comments. 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. When Solomon became King, he walked in the ways of the Lord. Our God is greater! Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. God will not honor our impatience. Its so dangerous, we must run from it. Genesis 39:1-9, 41:38-44. Be careful of those times. E. M. Bounds, All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Join me for a 5-Day Mountain-Moving Faith Devotional. Did you know in US Jews are harassed 7 times a day? 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). Commitment keeps you going even when you dont feel like praying or reading your Bible. He didnt protect her by loving her and establishing appropriate boundaries for her. Hatred and anger are seeds of murder; therefore, when Christians allow those emotions to foster, they lead to acts of violence. Here are two very powerful Scripture verses describing the above scenario. 5 Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. ), Address:1900 W. Crescent Ave.Anaheim, CA 92801, 2021 HolyWave Ministry of Sa-Rang Community Church. Yet, just as they were getting ready to cross over into their Promised Land, they started questioning and doubting that God could take these enemies out for them, even though God had just got done delivering them from an entire Egyptian nation several years earlier! It happens as we stop attending church faithfully, reading our Bibles, praying, and having Christian fellowship. For more, log onto, 8 Habits That Are Destroying Your Walk With God, responsibility to take care of the Lords business, commit your entire being to knowing the will of God, they knew the One in whom they had placed their trust. Like Paul said, the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Rom 2:24). They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty. Get information about upcoming sermons, ministry updates, special events and news delivered right to your inbox! Our Vision is to See People Healed, Equipped and Set Free through a Prophetic Word and Prayer. Application Question: How have you seen or experienced violence increasing in the world? You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, and Ill give whatever you ask of me. This is sad to say, but Jacob was known for playing favorites. Humanity was made to worship God, and if we dont worship him, we will worship something else. How should Christians protect their minds and bodies from this very present danger? Ezekiel 1:1, NIV, We often need fresh starts after enduring bitter disappointments. The people of Israel were no better than the world around them. The perfection of his work relied absolutely on his walk before God. However, God can change flawed people and use them for his purposes, which he eventually does with Israel. Therefore, as we consider our dark and desperate situations, we must be hopeful. Privacy Policy, Then God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. forms: { Why do parents neglect their children, other than the fact theyre neglecting God? Seeking the Lord means . In this narrative, Jacob didnt only fail Dinah, he also failed his sons, who committed unjust murders. People declare the rights of parents to murder their children. As believers, we should manifest fruits that are obvious to others. Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. They said to them, We cannot give our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace to us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts, we can walk with God all the days of our lives. When working reactively, you're not sure and often, you can't see beyond the task in front of you. Religion was also abused for vengeance. One can only obey God because they hear Him speak. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the stateshorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. I wonder how many Christians have missed out on entering into their Promised Land this side of heaven all because they failed to fully follow God and take the path that He wanted them to take in this life! This is also common in society and church when God is neglected. I pray that you will meet with me as I seek you every day. During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. He acted on his desires, and it cost him dearly. Is it things above? The sins of Jacobs children did not draw pagans to God; it only further pushed them away. Many who are genuinely called by God have deviated to pursue fame and wealth. I praise you and pray for all these things in Jesus' name. When were neglecting God, he is replaced by some idolsomething that gets most of our attention: social media, video games, career, money, relationships, etc. This is what made their act even more evil. 1 Peter 5:5, NIV, What is humility? If we do so, wont their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? Now God will make them known as the nation that did not obey and perished. Revelation 21:1. Choose your way or anyone elses way and you will reap absolutely nothing in this life as far as God is concerned when it is all finally said and done. Did you have this in your life when you had to withdraw from things? As mentioned, it was common and accepted in that society for unaccompanied females to be sexually assaulted. Then Shechems father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Most likely, Dinah was around fourteen to sixteen years old. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved. Joshua had the confidence and courage to lead Gods people into the Promised Land because He believed in Gods promise and presence. THE CONSEQUENCES OF WALKING WITH GOD. The young man did not delay in doing what they asked because he wanted Jacobs daughter Dinah badly. (3) Religion is also abused when it primarily focuses on people securing their passions, like lust or wealth, instead of holiness. Many might question, Why is this story in the Bible? and What can we learn from it? There are many things: For one, stories like this give evidence of the Divine authorship of Scripture. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is . For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts. But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. The apostle James argued that if temptation becomes serious, it is because we have allowed it to do so. 5. Often God has to do the same with us. The story is tragic. J. C. Ryle, I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. A man reaps what he sows." Life is a matter of reaping what you sow. The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your pathbut only if you read it and heed it. This would be like only eating once a week! Near the beginning of the 40 year wilderness experience, they were all getting ready to go into the Promised Land to reap their big reward in God. Working for God without walking with Him will not give our works the desired value. Life is full of hardships and heaviness. Consequences in a Life Not Walking in the Fear of God. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. When a man walks with God, his character will attract unbelievers to Christ without him knowing. Thats just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. The Lord never said that our lives here on earth would be easy. Shechem said to his father Hamor, Acquire this young girl as my wife. When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field.
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