Consulting God
We have been told that “the just shall live by faith”, faith is acting on the word of
God. We should live being dependant on God (Proverbs 3:5-7), says “trust in the
Lord Yahweh with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your
own eyes; fear (reverence) the Lord Yahweh and depart from evil”.
Our own righteousness will not save us, our righteousness is a filthy rags; thank
God, He made the way for us to be made righteous through the blood of Jesus
Christ (II Corinthians 5:17,21).
Before Jesus’ death, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be our helper in John
16:13 He said “however when, He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into
all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall
He speak, and He will show you things to come”. In the book of Romans we are
told to walk in the Spirit and we shall fulfill the lust of the flesh.
When you consider that God knows all things, the Bible tells us that He declares
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet
done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure; it would be smart
to seek counsel of Him.
James tells us “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men
liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given to him” (James 1:5). John tells that
we can ask Him with confidence (I John 5:14-15), which says “and this is the
confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He
hears us. And if we know that He hears us whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of Him”.
After Peter and John were told not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus,
because by His name the man lame from birth was healed; they went to their own
company and prayed, saying “and now Lord, behold their threatenings and grant
to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word. By stretching
forth Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of
Your holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where
they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they
spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31).
Let us look at the benefits and the consequence of those who took the time to
consult God and those who didn’t.
David inquired of God many times, however when he wanted to bring up the Ark of
the Covenant, he consulted with man (I Chronicles 13:1), and because of this a
Uzza died when he tried to protect the Ark and touched it. later he realized his
error and corrected his mistake (I Chronicles 15:11-15), “David called for Zadok
and Abiathar the priests and for the Levites, and said to them, you are the chief of
the fathers of the Levites, sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that
you may brink up the ark of the Lord God of Israel, to the place that I have
prepared for it. for because you did it not at the first, the Lord Yahweh our God
made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order. So the
priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of
Israel. And the children of the Levites, bare the ark of God upon their shoulders
with the staves thereon, as Moses, commanded according to the word of the Lord
Yahweh”.
Hezekiah consulted God when he was told that he would die (II Kings 20:1-6), the
Bible says “in those days was Hezekiah sick to death. And the prophet Isaiah the
son of Amon came to him, and said to him. Thus says the Lord Yahweh, set your
house in order; for you shall die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall,
and prayed to the Lord Yahweh, saying. I beseech You, O Lord Yahweh,
remember now how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart,
and have done that which is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it
came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the
Lord Yahweh came to him, saying. Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of My
people, thus says the Lord Yahweh, the God of David your father, I have heard
your prayer, I have seen your tears, behold, I will heal you, on the third day you
shall go up to the house of the Lord Yahweh. And I will add to your days fifteen
years, and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I
will defend this city for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake”.
Rebecca when she was pregnant, was having a difficult time, and she went and
inquired of the Lord Yahweh (Genesis 25:22-23), says “and the children struggled
together inside her, and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to
enquire of the Lord Yahweh. And the Lord Yahweh said to her; two nations are in
your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels, and
the one people shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger”.
God warns Israel not to consult other gods (Deuteronomy 12:30), “take heed to
yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed
from before you, and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, how did these
nations serve their gods? Even so I will do likewise”.
King Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria,
and was sick and he sent messengers, and said to them, go enquire of Baalzebub
the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord
said to Elijah the Tishbite, arise, go up o meet the messengers of the king of
Samaria, and say to them, is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you go
up to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord
Yahweh, you shall not come down from that bed, on which you are gone up, but
shall surely die. And Elijah departed”. Because he enquired of another god, he
paid the consequences.
There is a danger of not walking with God, by disobeying Him, because there can
come a time when you do consult God, that He will not answer you; look at king
Saul (I Samuel 28:5-7), “when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid,
and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the Lord Yahweh, the
Lord Yahweh answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
Then said Saul to his servant, seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I
may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, behold, there is a
woman that has a familiar spirit at Endor”. Saul refused to leave the kingship,
when Samuel told him that God had taken the kingdom from him.
Romans 15:4 tell us that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope.
We have the ability to consult God about anything, but many are still trying to
handle their own life, mainly because they don’t know that it is God’s desire for us
to seek Him. The Bible says “seek Him and you shall find Him, when you search for
Him with all your heart”.
Let us consider the benefits of consulting God, this life cannot be lived victoriously
without Him, the devil wants people to try doing their own thing, because that’s the
ones he can devour. The choice is yours.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 15, 2009
We have been told that “the just shall live by faith”, faith is acting on the word of
God. We should live being dependant on God (Proverbs 3:5-7), says “trust in the
Lord Yahweh with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your
own eyes; fear (reverence) the Lord Yahweh and depart from evil”.
Our own righteousness will not save us, our righteousness is a filthy rags; thank
God, He made the way for us to be made righteous through the blood of Jesus
Christ (II Corinthians 5:17,21).
Before Jesus’ death, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be our helper in John
16:13 He said “however when, He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into
all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall
He speak, and He will show you things to come”. In the book of Romans we are
told to walk in the Spirit and we shall fulfill the lust of the flesh.
When you consider that God knows all things, the Bible tells us that He declares
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet
done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure; it would be smart
to seek counsel of Him.
James tells us “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men
liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given to him” (James 1:5). John tells that
we can ask Him with confidence (I John 5:14-15), which says “and this is the
confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He
hears us. And if we know that He hears us whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of Him”.
After Peter and John were told not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus,
because by His name the man lame from birth was healed; they went to their own
company and prayed, saying “and now Lord, behold their threatenings and grant
to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word. By stretching
forth Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of
Your holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where
they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they
spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31).
Let us look at the benefits and the consequence of those who took the time to
consult God and those who didn’t.
David inquired of God many times, however when he wanted to bring up the Ark of
the Covenant, he consulted with man (I Chronicles 13:1), and because of this a
Uzza died when he tried to protect the Ark and touched it. later he realized his
error and corrected his mistake (I Chronicles 15:11-15), “David called for Zadok
and Abiathar the priests and for the Levites, and said to them, you are the chief of
the fathers of the Levites, sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that
you may brink up the ark of the Lord God of Israel, to the place that I have
prepared for it. for because you did it not at the first, the Lord Yahweh our God
made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order. So the
priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of
Israel. And the children of the Levites, bare the ark of God upon their shoulders
with the staves thereon, as Moses, commanded according to the word of the Lord
Yahweh”.
Hezekiah consulted God when he was told that he would die (II Kings 20:1-6), the
Bible says “in those days was Hezekiah sick to death. And the prophet Isaiah the
son of Amon came to him, and said to him. Thus says the Lord Yahweh, set your
house in order; for you shall die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall,
and prayed to the Lord Yahweh, saying. I beseech You, O Lord Yahweh,
remember now how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart,
and have done that which is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it
came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the
Lord Yahweh came to him, saying. Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of My
people, thus says the Lord Yahweh, the God of David your father, I have heard
your prayer, I have seen your tears, behold, I will heal you, on the third day you
shall go up to the house of the Lord Yahweh. And I will add to your days fifteen
years, and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I
will defend this city for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake”.
Rebecca when she was pregnant, was having a difficult time, and she went and
inquired of the Lord Yahweh (Genesis 25:22-23), says “and the children struggled
together inside her, and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to
enquire of the Lord Yahweh. And the Lord Yahweh said to her; two nations are in
your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels, and
the one people shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger”.
God warns Israel not to consult other gods (Deuteronomy 12:30), “take heed to
yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed
from before you, and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, how did these
nations serve their gods? Even so I will do likewise”.
King Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria,
and was sick and he sent messengers, and said to them, go enquire of Baalzebub
the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord
said to Elijah the Tishbite, arise, go up o meet the messengers of the king of
Samaria, and say to them, is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you go
up to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord
Yahweh, you shall not come down from that bed, on which you are gone up, but
shall surely die. And Elijah departed”. Because he enquired of another god, he
paid the consequences.
There is a danger of not walking with God, by disobeying Him, because there can
come a time when you do consult God, that He will not answer you; look at king
Saul (I Samuel 28:5-7), “when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid,
and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the Lord Yahweh, the
Lord Yahweh answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
Then said Saul to his servant, seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I
may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, behold, there is a
woman that has a familiar spirit at Endor”. Saul refused to leave the kingship,
when Samuel told him that God had taken the kingdom from him.
Romans 15:4 tell us that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope.
We have the ability to consult God about anything, but many are still trying to
handle their own life, mainly because they don’t know that it is God’s desire for us
to seek Him. The Bible says “seek Him and you shall find Him, when you search for
Him with all your heart”.
Let us consider the benefits of consulting God, this life cannot be lived victoriously
without Him, the devil wants people to try doing their own thing, because that’s the
ones he can devour. The choice is yours.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: May 15, 2009
