Excuses are like butts; we all have them, we all use them, and they all stink. Yes, I did use the word “butt,” not “but.” This is the main reason why so many prayers go unanswered. Because we use “but” way too much! Like in Luke 9:60, Jesus says, “But Jesus told him, ‘Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.’” Just before this in verse 59, He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” Like us, a lot of times we get caught up in the Holy Spirit only to disobey God in the end.
In Ecclesiastes 5:4, it says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.” It is a sin to tell God you will do something only to delay doing it or not do it at all. We want from Him, but yet we do not give back to Him and fall short of the Glory of God.
Let me ask you this, if you have a spouse and you ask them all the time to do things for you but in return, you delay or do not do anything for them. What kind of relationship do you think you would have? Relationships take time and effort, and yes, sometimes compromise. We Christians pray when we are tired; we press in when we are beaten down, etc. The Cross came before the Kingdom for Christ, and suffering came before His Glory. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like, and we are not different than our Lord & Savior.
In Matthew 16:24, it says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” When you gave your life to Christ Jesus, you should have read the fine print. Yes, all Christians shall be clothed in the Glory of God in the next life, but first, you must obey the Word of God in this life.
In Isaiah 1:19, it says, “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.” God does not say, “Do as thy will,” that is what the satanic church teaches! No, God says do my will first, and I shall bless you.
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The key first and foremost is obedience to God’s Word & God’s Will.
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus says, “37 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” First is love and obey God; the second step is loving your neighbor as yourself.
In Psalms 82:3, it says, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.” In James 1:27, it says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” So, do what you told God you would do when you were first converted to Christ Jesus. Every other step before you do anything is to ask God for His Will in what you should do. God does not ask for superficial things like circumcision in the flesh like the Jews teach from the Law. When Christ Jesus was lifted up on the Cross, the Law that brought sin and death was done away with. Christ brought Life more abundantly & was the final sacrifice. But God wants a circumcision of your heart. In Romans 2:29, it says, “29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” What God is saying is this: give your heart to God 100% & welcome the Holy Spirit into your life. Picking up your cross and following the Life of Jesus and following His teachings. Then the Love of Christ Jesus will dwell in you. This is the true circumcision of the heart & what it truly means to be a Christian. As your “buts” fade away, your blessings will start to materialize. In Psalms 90:17, it says, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” It is not about what we do, but about what we allow God to do through our lives. Obedience brings God’s Favor into our lives; yes, we will still go through, but then God will work things out in our favor! My sermons are what God puts on my heart, and if at any time you do not understand any part of the sermon, please e-mail the church, and I will do my best to explain it to you. I pray God gives you a Spirit of Discernment on all things. God bless you and your family! Amen & Shalom.
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