God’s Requirements
What God Requires from Us?
DEUTERONOMY 10: A CALL TO OBEDIENCE(Joshua 24:14-28)
12And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?
I pray this will help feed those who are hungering. After having gone down endless rabbit holes, headaches, and confusion, I pray the following will help to dramatically simply the confusion, clarify, and comfort for any of those looking for redemption and how this all fits into God’s redemptive plan. The recurring question in my mind started to become “What does God want from me?” What am I supposed to do, or be doing? What is God’s will for my Life? What does He require from us? I have heard many others ask the same thing recently. Thankfully, there is a real easy answer.
To Fear Him
Keep His Commandments
To Love others
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a great communicator, but I know there is reason I have been led down the path I have been and seen the things God has allowed me to see. I felt in my heart this is what He has called me to do, and I pray that it will help comfort those who are tired and weary like I am, knowing that our redemption is near. I pray it will help sort through any confusion and will allow you to pull down any strongholds you might have.
As John the Baptist prepared the way, I prepare that we begin to start preparing our hearts. I spent the first 30 years of my life trying to be somebody. The past 8 years realizing I was nobody. Recently, realizing what He can do with a nobody. I pray this will comfort those looking for redemption and serve as a warning for those who aren’t.
2 Corinthians 13 : Examine Yourselves
5Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Luke 3 : The Mission of John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:1-5; Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; John 1:19-28)
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say to you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11He answers and said to them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise.
12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said to him, Master, what shall we do?
13And he said to them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do?
And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16John answered, saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the lace of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Jude 1 : A Call to Persevere (Hebrews 10:19-39)
22And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
1st Requirement:
This was a picture taken of my grandfather passing out Gideon Bibles at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). As you read this, you will understand why this picture of my grandfather has become so significant to me. As I have worked on this site, I have fought and wrestled with God. I have been frustrated and exhausted and overwhelmed. This picture has served as a reminder to me of why I am here and what He has called me to do.
I look at my grandfather,
“The Tired Gideon”,
fighting the good fight.
1 Timothy 6 : Fight the Good Fight
12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.
My Grandfather didn’t have much money, and tithed when he didn’t know if he was going to even have enough money to pay the bills, yet, he had so much peace in his life. I will always remember seeing his bible with underlines and highlights all throughout. He passed away in 2009 and when he did, God began to really stir up my heart. At his funeral, the amount of people that came and told me that he was one the “most Godly, humble, and kind men” they had ever met, and the impact he had on their life, made me really question what I was doing with my life. I knew the life I was leading was not pleasing to Him. I knew I would not have that same reception as my grandfather had my time ended then. My life had become a trainwreck. I tried to carve my own path and it left me with nothing but baggage and misery. I was in the midst of one the roughest patches of my life, and it was when I really started seeking the Lord with all my heart. It was when God started opening my eyes and started giving me understanding.
The 2017th
Verse of Psalms
sums up my life
PSALMS 119:59
I considered my ways
& turned my feet to Your testimonies.
65You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word. 66Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed your commandments. 67Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept your word. 68You are good, and do good; teach me your statutes. 69The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep your precepts with my whole heart. 70Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in your law. 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn your statutes. 72The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver.
The main thing God has taught me can be summed up here, where Moses tells the Israelite’s why God brought them through the wilderness…
DEUTERONOMY8 :REMEMBER THE LORD YOUR GOD
1All the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe to do, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or no. 3And he humbled you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live. 4Your raiment waxed not old on you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years. 5You shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. 6Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;