The Blessing of Obedience 12.29.10

I Kings 18:20-40
 
Deuteronomy 28:1,2 15,45
 
Light and dark
 
Good versus Evil
 
In the Old Testament whenever a prophet would come forth his main agenda (reasoning) for being sent forth was to deal with sin and rebellion. According to the old testament. Remeber there is a difference between the office of the prophet and the prophetic gift.
 
If you want to study the office of the prophet you study the old testament. If you want to study the gift you study the new testament. Both are relevant but one put more emphasis on one than the other.
 
 This is the difference between the office of a prophet and the prophetic gift.
 
~see my book: No Promise Without A Process for further explanation of the difference between the office and the gift.~
 
 The church
 
The main sin that the people of Israel were guilty of was the sin of idolatry.
 
God would always send the prophet forth to warn God's people of impending danger.
 
The first task of the prophet was to tear down strongholds.
 
Before sending the people into captivity God would allow the people enemies to gain victory or access over them due to their own rebellion against the voice of God.
 
There is always a consequence for disobedience.
 
You can jump shout run etc.
 
It is amazing how people will shout over the blessing.
 
We shout over our destiny, purpose and how God is getting ready to bless us.
 
Yet we are deceived because we have not met the requirements for the blessing.
 
Define Blessing:
 
Every morning you wake up, your able to use your limbs, your in your right mind you are blessed.
 
But when I talk about blessing I am not talking about your blessing that is based upon the grace of God.
 
You're alive when you should be dead.
 
We are talking about God's ability to use you to impact the earth.
 
The blessing of wealth and prosperity.
 
The blessing over your children
 
There are requirements attached to these blessing.
 
Everyone shouts over the blessing (promise) but how many will shout over the requirements.
 
We are living in a day and time where we want prosperity but we don't want process.
 
Matthew 22:14 says many are called but few are chosen.
 
I never understood this scripture. I always thought if I called someone doesn't that mean I chose them.
 
Everyone gives God a yes in service, the anointing is high, people have been praying.
 
But after all that God will test your heart.
 
It is the passing of the test that qualifies you for the promise.
 
That's why the scripture starts with many and ends with few. It means there was a subtraction here.
 
Everyone is called but your not guaranteed anything.
 
You cannot expect to graduate from high school or college without first meeting the requirements.
 
You can shout, have prayer meeting, go to the registrar's office, purchase your cap and gown, send out invitations, and make arrangements for family. You can even show up to graduation dressed and ready to go. If you have not met the requirements you will not graduate.
 
You will not graduate or receive the benefits of a diploma if you have not met the requirements.
 
So there are always requirements attached to the blessing.
 
Deuteronomy 28, says that when you don't obey and meet the requirements, then the God who said He would bless you is the God who said He would curse you.
 
Scripture says we are in the world not of the world.
 
Romans 12:2 God teaches us not to be conformed to this world
 
 
 
2 Peter 3:3
 
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts
 
2 Timothy 3:1-7
 
1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4.traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6. For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
 
The bible says in Mathew 24:24 that people will be deceived because of signs and wonders.
 
So there is not need to be deceived by signs and wonders.
 
 
 
 
Demons and devil can perform a sign and a wonder.
 
The purpose:
 
The prophet was always sent forth to destroy the works of the enemy.
 
 
Before God was getting ready to execute His judgment on His people He sent a prophet.
 
The people of Israel were guilty of sin, perversion, rebellion to the voice of God and adultery.
 
Like us today they were God's people living in an environment of heathens who did not serve the same God.
 
Yet they were still expected to be holy in an unholy world.
 
So it is today.
 
But like it is today, the people of Israel find themselves, reducing themselves to a lesser order.
 
They were guilty of the sin of adultery.
 
History
 
It started..
 
 
In I Kings 11: We know that King Solomon turned away from God and began to serve other god's after God has blessed him with supernatural wealth and wisdom.
 
I Kings 11:14 God raised an adversary against King Solomon.
 
Because when you continue to rebellion against the voice of God, God will not cover you or protect you from your enemy. In fact He will release you to your enemies.
 
So rebellion came to King Solomon's house because of His own rebellion toward God.
 
Because when you rebel against God, that spirit of witchcraft called rebellion is then released to your house.
 
But after he died the adultery spirit is still on his people and the rebellion continues.
 
God continues to release His judgment.
 
It is in chapter 17 that we are introduced to a righteous prophet named Elijah. Elijah performs miracles. We don't know where he came from. We don't his father's name which was typical of the bible to tell the fathers name.
 
It symbolizes that the annointing that God wil cause you to walk in has nothing to do with your family lineage or name. So if you come from nothing you can still be used of God.
 
Because when you walk in righteous and obey His voice God will use you.
 
In verse 8 (Chapter 17) Elijah commands the widow to give him her last, and she obeyed and according to the words the prophet spoke the bin of flour was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry.
 
Because when you are obedient it doesn't matter what the circumstance God will prosper you.
 
In spite the miracle there was still rebellion in the land.
 
V 17: Chapter 17 We learn of the widows son being revived.
 
But in spite the miracles that were taking place there was still rebellion in the land.
 
The root
 
Jezebel
 
I Kings 1:1 When Solomon was in his thrown God told the people of Israel not to intermarry because they would take their hearts to worship foreign gods. I Kings 11:2 Deu 7:3-4
 
But Solomon married these women and his heart turned away from God in V11:4 just like God said would happen.
 
This is why the bible says be not unequally yoked with the unbeliever. It doesn't matter how much they say they are a Christian.
 
Be a fruit inspector.
 
So Solomon built a high place I Kings 11:8 he instituted a law that was against the law of Moses that allowed for the people to intermarry. The law stated that his foreign wives could burn incense and sacrifice to their false idols.
 
So God told Solomon I am going to tear down your kingdom and give it to you servants.
 
I Kings 16: 30 Ahab was known as the most wicked king of Israel.
 
I Kings 16:31 and it came pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him.
Who was Jeroboam? Solomon's servant. After Solomon rebelled the consequence of Solomon's rebellion was that he would tear his kingdom down and give it to his servants. I Kings 11:11
 
But because of David's faithfulness God says I won't destroy all your kingdom. I will leave one tribe to your son for my servant David's sake.
 
When you rebel God will release iniquity to the third and fourth generation.
 
Exodus 34:7
 
Some of us were (are) living under a curse that had nothing to do with us but our father's father's generation.
 
Rebellion impacts not only you but your children and your children's children.
 
But because of David's obedience God gave David a promise that God still fulfilled. But look at what Solomon lost. Majority of his kingdom.
 
So Ahab married a woman named Jezebel. This was simply a political move, the marriage meant the alliance of two nations.
 
Because of the law that Solomon enacted she was able to openly and freely worship her idols.
 
An rebellion still increased in the land.
 
Now people don't even attempt to hide there sin they do it out in the open. They are free to sin. And the law justified it. Sounds like some of the same things going on today. All because of Solomons rebellion.
 
Versus 18: Jezebel is killing the righteous prophet. She had 450 prophets of baal and 400 prophets who eat at Jezebels table. That made a total of 850 false prophets.
 
Elijah being the only true prophet.
 
In the scripture we always see false prophets who appeard to  outnumber true prophets.
 
Verse 22 ch 18 Elijah is the only one
 
He is living in a rebellious land, full of rebellious people, who were serving false gods.
 
When you are a true Christian God will place you in an environment where you feel like you are the only one trying to live holy in an unholy world.
 
People living any old kind of way.
 
You got false prophets telling people what they want to hear. Or there telling them half of the truth. If you tell someone half the truth and not the whole you still are a liar.
 
There is immorality every where you go.
 
Compromisers
 
They don't teach about holiness any more.
 
They tell you what you want to hear.
 
So Elijah appears to be the only righteous prophet left.
 
Testing: Yes God will expect you to live righteous in an unrighteous world.
 
I have made up in my mind that I am going to live holy even after having to live holy all by myself. I use to say if I have to live holy now I no longer say if. I am determined to serve God and walk into my prophetic promise even though I have to walk by myself. Although I know that there are others of course.
 
Just like in the days of Elijah we are living in a world of immortality.
 
We call right wrong and wrong right.
 
We make excuses for sin and call righteous people who have a problem with sin judgmental.
 
John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
 
If you are going to be blessed you will have to meet the requirements.
 
You can't walk into your kingdom assignment absent from holiness.
 
Yes God will still curse you for disobedience.
 
Just like unto the days of Elijah there is a spirit running rapid in the church and outside the church.
 
We live any old kind of way as if God does not see our sin and still expect to make it to our wealthy place.
 
If God can't trust you, He can't release anything to you. Regardless of how much He loves you.
 
Everyone knows that if you have someone in your life that you can't trust. You still love them but you have to set boundaries.
 
Partial obedience is the same as disobedience. Remember Saul.
 
If God tells you to leave this alone, leave it.
 
God will not change His will for us. He will simply move His will off of you and place it on someone else who is obedient and has a pure heart.
 
Beware of false prophets.
 
Anytime you get someone who is preaching and prophesying and not living nothing that person is a false prophet.
 
This person is not prophesying by the Holy Spirit, they are prophesying by a familiar spirit otherwise known as a demon.
 
Demons can prophesy.
 
You will get to the place in your Christian walk where you feel like you have to walk alone…
 
I Kings 19:18
So even Elijah felt like the only one. Jezebel had a total of 850 false prophets. The only true prophet on Mount Carmel was Elijah.
 
I Kings 19:18 I have reserved seven thousand in Israel.
 
So regardless of what it looked like. Even though it looked like there were more against God than for Him. God already had seven thousand hidden by God Himself not man.
 
Obadiah I King 18:4 had 100 hidden prophets that he was feeding. But these were not the same ones that were hidden by God.
 
Romans 11:5 Even so at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
 
It means that even today, those who you who have been hidden, have been so by God himself. To do great and mighty exploits for Him.
 
Not only that Elijah didn't have to feel alone for long. I Kings 19:19-21 Elijah found Elisha and became His servant.
 
As much as a blessing Elijah was to Elisha. Elisha was a blessing to Elijah. Some translations say Elijah ministered to him others translations say he served him.
 
Either way he couldn't complain about being alone anymore.
 
There is a consequence for disobedience.
 
The wages of sin is still death. That is not only talking about physical dealth it talking about a death of the spirit.
 
There were 54 curses in Deuteronomy 28 and 14 blessings thats almost four times more curses for disobedience than obedience.
 
Our nation is experiencing judgment.
 
God used His servants to bring about His judgment.
 
God is releasing His kingdom authority to His people.
 
But are you His?
 
If you have disobeyed Him no matter how good you talk the talk, you still don't belong to Him.
 
He can't trust you.
 
He will still give you the blessing to be able to stay alive, but dead to your prophetic promise.
 
God is getting ready to release His kingdom authority in an unprecedented way.
 
Like Shakespeare it was the best of times and the worst of times…
 
Gods real kingdom belong to those who really belong to Him.
 
The blessing of obedience is where
*He blesses you coming and going
*The blessings come after you, you don't have to chase after it
*Then you are the head and not the tail
*The lender and not the borrower
 
But the requirements are your obedience
 
Deception takes place when we disobey Him, and still expect the blessing.
 
Remember Saul.
 
If you repent but don't repel you still have not repented.
 
There is a blessing for obedience and a curse for disobedience.
 
God said I set before you life and death.
 
You decided
 
Decide on obedience. It is your choose.
 
Samaria M. Colbert Copyright 2010