by Glenice Mills
If? What a powerful little word!!! Think about it. IF? IF? IF?
It’s a word that hangs out there. It is a word that defines a line. A line in the sand that actually says will you or won’t you? The Word of God comes with conditions and this is a time of, ‘Will you come up to living your lives abiding by the conditions in My word or will you continue to do your own thing’. Every day we have choices. Not one of us can say we have it altogether. We all have areas in our lives that are not yielded to the Lord yet. The question is: are we prepared to have a look at the area/s that the Lord is wanting to highlight in our lives at this time? We are all at defining times right now, particularly as to whether the Lord is able to use us and to the degree that he can entrust us with His anointing and with the gifts He has given us. For too long His name has been bought into disrepute by what appeared as well meaning, anointed ministers of the gospel. However, times are changing and there is a higher demand being placed upon all at this time. What we had got away with before is no longer acceptable. The bar has been raised higher, because the Lord is wanting to release His kingdom here on earth at a greater level. He can only use ones that have stood the tests of time, have not wavered to compromise and have held onto Him even when things seemed impossible. To whom much is given much is required. We dare not squander what the Lord has given us individually or corporately. Sadly there has been much that has been squandered, that is, spent wastefully, without achieving what it was meant to because of immaturity and lack of the true fear of the Lord. We have got away with much, and now is a time of restraining, of pulling us in tight, so we don’t run off amiss. Perhaps it could best be described as coming into greater maturity. Toddler like behaviour - throwing tantrums when things don’t go our way, sulking, saying “No” every time we don’t want to do something required of us, can no longer be accepted as a right way of behaving. Our no is a bit more sophisticated as adults and manifests in different ways, however it is rebellion. Perhaps it can best be spoken in the following Scripture.
James 4:17 - Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
God has requirements for righteous living and the Bible is our instruction manual for helping us to learn of the ways of God and how to put into action those requirements.
There are some key Scriptures that focus on what the Lord is requiring of us at this time. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts, however, the Lord is looking for a people who are willing to go deeper with Him and are prepared to allow the Holy Spirit to show us our deep and hidden sin. This means it will get ugly, and the Lord will bring situations across our paths that will challenge us in the areas He is wanting to reveal and bring to the light. For too long sin has been seen as a shameful thing, best kept hidden and brushed under the carpet. In the general church it is a subject that is rarely spoken of, but it is the Truth, and IF we are going to move forward as a mighty army our sinful nature must be confronted, confessed and change made in our personal choices.
Following are some key Scriptures the Lord is wanting to highlight at this time, dealing with particular areas.
1. FORGIVENESS:
Matthew 6:14,15 - “For IF you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. BUT IF you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Wow, what a word!! In other words, if you choose to hold onto offence and unforgiveness the Father cannot forgive you. That is the condition. To the degree that we hold onto any grievance against another, any resentment, bitterness, and offence, that will be the degree that the Lord cannot allow His grace to come and bring his forgiveness. Our grievance may be right, we may have been seriously wronged by someone but that does not make it an excuse for staying in our sin and unforgiveness.
That is a serious thing. So who in your life are you still holding onto offence and unforgiveness that the Lord is highlighting at this time? Do you want to be right and get even with the person or do you want to forgive them and release them to the Lord?
The choice is yours! IF?
2. ARE YOU LISTENING?
Jeremiah 26:4-6 - And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “IF you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”
We have a responsibility to listen to what the prophets are saying and to heed what is being said. We are without excuse. We are spoilt in these days and times for we are in danger of being fat, fat from hearing the word, but not so active in doing the word.
When a prophet speaks, it is not to tickle your ears. It is God speaking and in the fear of the Lord we need to do what is required. We dare not take the word of the Lord for granted for we have a responsibility to put into place what is asked of us. I don’t know about you, but I want the Lord’s blessings, not His curses. I don’t want to become deceived, thinking I know everything and am above correction and discipline. I want to come into all He plans for my life. Time is short and the choice is: do we want to muck around playing games with God or do we want to get serious and address the areas in our lives not yet yielded to Him?
The choice is yours: IF?
3. FAITH:
Matthew 21: 21, 22 - So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, IF you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also IF you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
This is a big one. The Lord is dealing with our unbelief and doubt at this time. IF we are going to be a courageous army standing for what is right and true we must know our Lord with such a depth that no matter what assails us we will stand strong.
That is the challenge. The Lord knows the areas we struggle in with our faith and He individually hit’s the mark to bring up the areas of unbelief. This is exciting as it brings opportunity for us to arise and make a stand in God, to not bow to fear and unbelief but to see the hand of God move to bring about His plans. IF we are faithful to trust Him with what is beyond what we know or can do. Are you willing to go beyond what is comfortable trusting Him with all concerning your life?
The choice is yours. IF?
4. THE SABBATH:
Jeremiah 17: 21 - 23, 27 - Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.
But IF you will not heed me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”
We see clearly, there will be a consequence IF we do not keep the Sabbath’s requirements, such as not working. It is a holy day, a day set apart to the Lord. Are we obedient to set the day apart or do we compromise His day by getting caught up in the subtle things that would derail this day from being His. Does our focus go away from Him to the concerns of this world and the everyday traps that would lead us astray? It is interesting to note that those who do not obey become stiff necked and do not hear or receive instruction. That is serious. Deception will come and we will be blinded to truth. Will you keep the Sabbath a Holy day dedicated wholly to the Lord?
The choice is yours. IF?
5. WALKING IN THE LIGHT:
1 John 5 - 7 - ‘This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. IF we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But IF we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.‘
This is about our relationship with the Lord. When we blatantly make wrong choices choosing darkness rather than light that impacts and has a flow on effect on our relationship with the Lord and with each other. There is a clear distinction between darkness and light, there is no grey shaded areas. For too long we have muddied what should be a pure stream of living water by compromising the Word of God and preaching an appeasing gospel that waters down sinful behaviour. So what area in your life are you compromising the Word of God, trying to justify or deny sin in your life? Are you prepared to have the light of God shine into your heart and have the impure motives, the hidden sin be exposed, so light can shine in at a deeper level? There is a condition. Darkness or light?
The choice is yours. IF?
6. OBEDIENCE:
1 Samuel 12:14 -16 - ‘IF you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. However, IF you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.‘
Walking in the fear the Lord is an everyday choice. It is how we live our lives, so aware we do not grieve the heart of God by deliberately going against what He requires. Often our actions show complete contempt of walking in the ways of the Lord as we open doors to the enemy by the choices we make. To obey means to do what one is told to do. That is not doing half measures, not doing enough to just get by, not being half hearted in our actions or just getting by. It does not mean we twist what we have been instructed by doing something the way we think because it seems the better way in our eyes. It means following instructions, whether by obeying the Word of God, or by obeying an instruction given to us by someone in authority, such as a church leader or someone who speaks into our lives with the greatest detail. It is pride if we think we know more than God because disobedience is actually saying my way is a better way than the Lord’s, I can do my own thing because God does not know what He is doing.
So it is with whoever instructs certain things into your life, whether that be someone in authority in the church or out in the workplace. Do you want the hand of God to be against you because you think you can do things a better way than God? There will be consequences to the choices you make - good or bad. It come down to one word with a condition attached to it. IF?
Will you come into all the Lord has for you and give up those things that entangle you and hold you in bondage or will you choose your own way?
The choice is yours. IF?
