Costs Study, to be added in consideration of Study Rules
In times past, when people would make vows to the Lord, they often would do so without much understanding. Jacob’s vow, as recorded in Genesis 28:20 was an example of this confusion; it begins with "If,"and ends up with, "then the Lord shall be my God." We often set the conditions, as though God must earn the right to be our God, not at all understanding what a phenomenal privilege it is to be invited to know Him at all. If there was ever any earning to be done, it surely should be on our parts [if it were possible], especially in view of our terrible history of broken vows and the corrupted ways we have put Him through [Ps 95:8-11]. So, this day it will most definitely be different: this time He will be setting forth any and all conditions, His terms for us; we either accept them or not. But He will not bend on this matter: if we do choose to serve the Lord, then this time it will be unconditionally. And, He is insisting that people truly understand this point, so that never again will He have to listen to anyone complaining to Him that they did not bargain for the cross they soon enough found themselves on. This vow, this day, is not like any other vow mankind has ever before made with the Lord their God.
And this time He makes no promises, other than already stated in the vow study. We truly do not know for certain how things will go on Judgment Day when we sign this deal with Him. When Esau despised his inheritance, God removed it, and gave it to the one who truly desired it, even though Jacob had many personal issues [Gen 25, 27]. God’s promise to us is that He will steadfastly work on us with all His heart and soul (Jer 32:41), to clean out all the filth, refining us day by day, to remake our lives which we have corrupted by our former choices [Zech 13:9]. But, it is also true that all those rebels at the time of Moses dropped dead in the march through the wilderness, except for two souls; we have now also rebelled. The thief on the cross never did get off that cross, even unto his death. Samson died in that last dramatic scene [Judges 16:30]. And I answer back to the very deceptive Satan, that Go did say that we would surely die in the day we ate of that tree, of which we were commanded not to eat. It is the deceptive lie of Satan that we would not surely die. Believe what you will; as for me, I will serve the Lord, and rest my hope on His mercies [Rom 11:32; Luke 18:13].
This time God is simply giving us one last chance to clean ourselves up, and then to lay down our lives, just like what Jesus set forth in His unwavering teaching, come what may. In my example, He has fully changed my life, from corrupted to incorruptible, as impossible as it was to believe; yet I still will die without crossing over alive into the kingdom of heaven on earth, as far as I can tell. It is merely enough to know Him, walk with my God each day, and to no longer live a life to sin, but rather to the service of His people, all praise, honor, and glory to Him alone.
When people this day decide to serve the Lord, they should realize that could mean everything, or anything at all [Luke 14:33; Acts 7:59]. No one really knows what all the Lord has in mind for their life of service, even when the Lord tells us some of the details [Acts 9:16]. So, in addition to the Scripture readings already suggested for a better understanding of the magnitude of this commitment, here are just a few of some of the other examples from the Bible: Is 20:1-4; Ezek 4:4-15; Jer 38:6; Gen 37:24-28; Gen 39:7-20; Gen 40:23; Rev 1:9; Luke 11:49; 2 Sam 24:1; Hos 1:2; Hos 3:1. It can be tough business serving the Lord [Rev 13:7].
Serving God as we live a life learning to walk with Him is not what we have been seeing in the vast majority of cases. It is not weekly going to a service or two at a local congregational building, and then filling in the rest of your lives with work and personal agendas, from sports to shopping to family gatherings, all the while holding dearly to the comforts of our sheltered lives. While certain of such things aren’t inherently wrong, we simply allow the things of this world to draw us away from truly serving God, and living a life walking with Him. True life with God also is not expensive, self-willed trips to exotic places, which are most often simply world travel under the guise of real ministry outreach. God can and does send servants to distant outreaches, as it is also recorded in Scriptures; but virtually all the mission trips I have been witnessing are based upon dictates of our own hearts, rather than commands of God. The general command for us to take His message to the ends of the earth is not justification for what we have been doing, while we have so completely neglected the less glamorous details of service close to home, which He also commanded. Learning to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow, keep our foot from doing our own pleasure on His holy day, refrain from speaking our own words {because we long for and delight in His}, loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, break every yoke, share our bread with the hungry, bring to our house the poor who are cast out, cover the naked, care for our own flesh, rightly divide the Word of God so that we then fulfill our own obedience, and then pull down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, are also commands of our Lord [Is 1:17; Is 56, 58; 2 Cor 10:4-6; Matt 25:31-46]. True life serving God is a full package deal, and some have truly lived it out without even leaving their own town. And those who thusly set their hearts to concern themselves about the matters of God’s kingdom will suffer persecutions at the hands of the world.
It should be noted that there are a few groups currently serving the Lord who are seriously suffering persecution, such as is the examples in Darfur and Pakistan, where brutal persecution is currently (as of 9-23-09) going on. Whether large scale versions like these two examples, or smaller groups which still suffer just as severely, exceptions to the statements being made here do exist, and that is here acknowledged and understood. But, even these groups will need this same information, and will most likely enthusiastically embrace this golden treasure of kindness from God, which we all have awaited so long. So, if certain, narrow groups find that their particular walk is already in alignment with these stated concepts, then praise God, Who has characteristically reserved such exceptions, even while His own Scriptures also made such generalized statements [1 Kings 19:18; Rev 2-3].
Yet, to further aid the vast majority in grasping what it might be like to be a true disciple of the Lord, some examples from my own journey will also be included on this page. I will begin with one or two write-ups of my personal experiences, and add to that list as time allows, and the Lord leads. The intent of this information is not to frighten anyone out of making ths commitment; it truly is the most incredible offer God could have ever given to us, and should have been the way we viewed it all along. Instead, the information is simply designed to prepare the person, so that they are not caught off guard, and become despondent because they did not realize that God was for real this time, and we aren’t just going through the motions, pretending to be like what was always written. This is Showtime, my friends.
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