Determination
To determine means to set your mind on, a course of action, decide, declare, commit.
This kind of commitment means that you don’t back out, but you work toward the goal
you have set. Don’t allow excuses, distraction, or second thoughts to deter you from
your goal. Look at Elisa who was determined to follow Elijah, and got a double portion
of Elijah’s anointing, when he was taken up. Even when Elijah said to him, stay here
while I go, Elisa said “as the Lord Yahweh lives, I will not leave you”. Look at Esther,
“when her uncle Mordecai charged her that she had to go in to the king, to make
supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people” (Esther 4:8b).
verse 13-14 says “then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, think not with yourself
that you shall escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if you altogether
hold your peace at this time, then shall there relief and deliverance arise to the Jews
from another place, but you and your father’s house shall be destroyed and who know
whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this”. Ester’s famous
answer in verse 16 “go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and
fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night and day, I also and my
maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the
law, and if I perish, I perish”. What Mordecai said to Esther really applies to us all.
God said to Jeremiah “before you were born, I knew you, and ordained you a
prophet”. We all must be determined to find out our purpose, so that we can fulfill it.
And the best way to find out is to ask God. Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus in
Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His
calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the
exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of
His mighty power”.
Israel had forsaken the Lord Yahweh, and were serving other gods, baalim and
ashtaroth, Samuel judged Israel and “Samuel told the people they had to determine to
obey only the Lord Yahweh” (I Samuel 7:3-17). Verse 4 says “then the children of
Israel did put away baalim and ashtaroth, and served the Lord Yahweh only”. We see
when they made this determination, the Philistines came against them to make them
afraid, “and Samuel took a socking lamb, and offered it for a burned offering wholly to
the Lord Yahweh and Samuel cried to the Lord Yahweh for Israel, and the Lord
Yahweh heard him. And Samuel was offering up the burned offering, the Philistines
drew near to battle against Israel, but the Lord Yahweh thundered with a great thunder
on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before
Israel” (verse 9-1).
Although Jesus knew He would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, He was
determined to go there; (Luke 9:51) “and it came to pass, when the time was come
that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem”; that
kind of resolve should characterize our life too. We see it in Paul in Acts 21:11-13
“and when he was come to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet,
and said, thus says the Holy Spirit. So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that
owns this belt, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we
heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to
Jerusalem. Then Paul answered. What mean you to weep and to break mine heart?
For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the
Lord Jesus”.
Determine to follow Jesus in spite of obstacles. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:1-2
“be you therefore followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also
has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a
sweet smelling savor”. The Bible also tells us to walk in love in II John verse 6,and 9
“and this is love, that we walk after His commandments, that, as you have heard from
the beginning you should walk in it. Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the
doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both
the Father and the Son”. We have to make that determination, Jesus said in John 15:
4-8 “abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide
in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the
branches, he that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for
without Me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and
it shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so shall
you be My disciples”.
Moses told us what God said in Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record
this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live”. My grandson asked me,
who would choose death? But people are choosing death each day, by following their
own ways. We have a free will, and have to make a determination within our heart to
follow God. The Bible is our guide and shows us what good is. Deuteronomy 20:16
says “in that I command you this day to love the Lord Yahweh your God, to walk in His
ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes and His judgments, that you
may live and multiply, and the Lord Yahweh your God shall bless you in the land where
you go to possess it”. Anything that is not of life, we must not allow in our lives.
Joshua said it like this “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Yahweh”.
As you have received the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior, be aware, because
you know that satan will try to distract you, so your heart will not be right with God, and
remember that God looks on our heart. The Bible says “submit yourselves therefore to
God, resist he devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw
near to you” (James 4:7-8a). Drawing near requires determination in getting to know
Him. Reading and studying His word, spending time with Him in prayer and meditating
on His words.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 10, 2007
To determine means to set your mind on, a course of action, decide, declare, commit.
This kind of commitment means that you don’t back out, but you work toward the goal
you have set. Don’t allow excuses, distraction, or second thoughts to deter you from
your goal. Look at Elisa who was determined to follow Elijah, and got a double portion
of Elijah’s anointing, when he was taken up. Even when Elijah said to him, stay here
while I go, Elisa said “as the Lord Yahweh lives, I will not leave you”. Look at Esther,
“when her uncle Mordecai charged her that she had to go in to the king, to make
supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people” (Esther 4:8b).
verse 13-14 says “then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, think not with yourself
that you shall escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if you altogether
hold your peace at this time, then shall there relief and deliverance arise to the Jews
from another place, but you and your father’s house shall be destroyed and who know
whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this”. Ester’s famous
answer in verse 16 “go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and
fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night and day, I also and my
maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the
law, and if I perish, I perish”. What Mordecai said to Esther really applies to us all.
God said to Jeremiah “before you were born, I knew you, and ordained you a
prophet”. We all must be determined to find out our purpose, so that we can fulfill it.
And the best way to find out is to ask God. Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus in
Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His
calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the
exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of
His mighty power”.
Israel had forsaken the Lord Yahweh, and were serving other gods, baalim and
ashtaroth, Samuel judged Israel and “Samuel told the people they had to determine to
obey only the Lord Yahweh” (I Samuel 7:3-17). Verse 4 says “then the children of
Israel did put away baalim and ashtaroth, and served the Lord Yahweh only”. We see
when they made this determination, the Philistines came against them to make them
afraid, “and Samuel took a socking lamb, and offered it for a burned offering wholly to
the Lord Yahweh and Samuel cried to the Lord Yahweh for Israel, and the Lord
Yahweh heard him. And Samuel was offering up the burned offering, the Philistines
drew near to battle against Israel, but the Lord Yahweh thundered with a great thunder
on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before
Israel” (verse 9-1).
Although Jesus knew He would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, He was
determined to go there; (Luke 9:51) “and it came to pass, when the time was come
that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem”; that
kind of resolve should characterize our life too. We see it in Paul in Acts 21:11-13
“and when he was come to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet,
and said, thus says the Holy Spirit. So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that
owns this belt, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we
heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to
Jerusalem. Then Paul answered. What mean you to weep and to break mine heart?
For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the
Lord Jesus”.
Determine to follow Jesus in spite of obstacles. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:1-2
“be you therefore followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also
has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a
sweet smelling savor”. The Bible also tells us to walk in love in II John verse 6,and 9
“and this is love, that we walk after His commandments, that, as you have heard from
the beginning you should walk in it. Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the
doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both
the Father and the Son”. We have to make that determination, Jesus said in John 15:
4-8 “abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide
in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the
branches, he that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for
without Me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and
it shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so shall
you be My disciples”.
Moses told us what God said in Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record
this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live”. My grandson asked me,
who would choose death? But people are choosing death each day, by following their
own ways. We have a free will, and have to make a determination within our heart to
follow God. The Bible is our guide and shows us what good is. Deuteronomy 20:16
says “in that I command you this day to love the Lord Yahweh your God, to walk in His
ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes and His judgments, that you
may live and multiply, and the Lord Yahweh your God shall bless you in the land where
you go to possess it”. Anything that is not of life, we must not allow in our lives.
Joshua said it like this “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Yahweh”.
As you have received the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior, be aware, because
you know that satan will try to distract you, so your heart will not be right with God, and
remember that God looks on our heart. The Bible says “submit yourselves therefore to
God, resist he devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw
near to you” (James 4:7-8a). Drawing near requires determination in getting to know
Him. Reading and studying His word, spending time with Him in prayer and meditating
on His words.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 10, 2007
