Doing the Word Part 3
Many Christians have very little knowledge about God, as they spend minimal time with His word. Your victory is in the Word of God.
Joshua 1:7-8
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua was told to observe to do what was written in the Book of the Law. In other words, he was being told to watch or be careful to follow all what was written.
You may have been thinking that moving from where you are to a better place where people seem to be prospering is what will help you prosper. Places do not give you prosperity; you are the carrier of prosperity, only if you observe to do all that is written in the Word of God. The Bible says that you will be prosperous and successful when you obey all what is written in the Word of God.
It is your responsibility to make yourself prosperous. The devil has no part in hindering you from being prosperous. Every Christian can prosper, if only you obey all that is written in the Word of God. This is what God was communicating to Joshua.
If you are not successful, go to the Word of God and look for what you are not doing or obeying. There is no devil that is strong enough to hinder your prosperity, when you are walking in obedience to the Word of God.
Only those people who are careful to observe and obey the Word of God have the ability to succeed and prosper. Do what God has said, to prosper in all your ways.
Suppose you are in a hotel, and you have only Kshs. 20 in your wallet that is enough to buy you a cup of tea and andazi. If someone else walks in, takes the table next to you and orders for chicken or any other expensive meal, it would be absurd for you to stop the waiter from serving him. Why is this? Because it is his responsibility to pay for whatever he ordered. He can eat anything he wants, as long as he can pay. You only worry about what you can pay for.
God only pays for what He has ordered. His menu is in the Bible. If He orders for blessings, healing etc., He will pay for it, but it's upon you to find out what is in His menu and claim it. When He orders, no one can stop Him from paying or delivering.
James 1:21-26
Joshua 1:7-8
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua was told to observe to do what was written in the Book of the Law. In other words, he was being told to watch or be careful to follow all what was written.
You may have been thinking that moving from where you are to a better place where people seem to be prospering is what will help you prosper. Places do not give you prosperity; you are the carrier of prosperity, only if you observe to do all that is written in the Word of God. The Bible says that you will be prosperous and successful when you obey all what is written in the Word of God.
It is your responsibility to make yourself prosperous. The devil has no part in hindering you from being prosperous. Every Christian can prosper, if only you obey all that is written in the Word of God. This is what God was communicating to Joshua.
If you are not successful, go to the Word of God and look for what you are not doing or obeying. There is no devil that is strong enough to hinder your prosperity, when you are walking in obedience to the Word of God.
Only those people who are careful to observe and obey the Word of God have the ability to succeed and prosper. Do what God has said, to prosper in all your ways.
Suppose you are in a hotel, and you have only Kshs. 20 in your wallet that is enough to buy you a cup of tea and andazi. If someone else walks in, takes the table next to you and orders for chicken or any other expensive meal, it would be absurd for you to stop the waiter from serving him. Why is this? Because it is his responsibility to pay for whatever he ordered. He can eat anything he wants, as long as he can pay. You only worry about what you can pay for.
God only pays for what He has ordered. His menu is in the Bible. If He orders for blessings, healing etc., He will pay for it, but it's upon you to find out what is in His menu and claim it. When He orders, no one can stop Him from paying or delivering.
James 1:21-26
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
For the Word of God to save you, it has to be implanted in your heart. Note that the Word of God has to be implanted in your heart, not in your head. Where I'm I getting this from?
Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
In the above scripture, we learn that the reason why many Christians continue to be mediocre is because they are not serious Christians -- they do not pay attention to the Word of God. The Word of God is life to those who find it. Whatever kind of life you want, you can find it in the Word of God. The Word of God can give you whatever kind of life you want (wholeness, blessings, riches, favor etc.).
The Word of God is health to the flesh of those who find it, meaning that it can keep you from any sickness, and from the hospital. Obedience brings healing, while disobedience makes you unhealthy. Incline your ear to the Word of God, not to the world. Obey the Word of God, and you will be healthy.
For example, the Word of God tells us to fast. Many people do not know this, but fasting is one of the healthiest practices for your body. Fasting cleanses your body. If people were obedient to the Word of God, they would fast for a couple of days, which gives the body time to be cleansed; regular fasting keeps you healthy. Professional food nutritionists are beginning to find out this Biblical truth, and are advising their patients to take a few days off food or avoid certain types of food, which is a principle borrowed from the Bible that even some Christians do not follow.
What's more, meditating on the Word of God keeps you from depression and stress. You can try this out whenever you feel stressed and with a lot on your mind. Pick up the Word of God and meditate on it, and your stress will vanish. You can even put a worship song and play it over and over, meditating on the words and they will calm you down. People who constantly meditate on the Word of God are rarely stressed and can never be depressed. The Word of God is medicine.
Let's go back to our text in James 1.
James 1:21
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Every human being is a spirit, possesses a soul and lives in a body. Your spirit is the image of God in you, and is your channel of communication with God (John 4:24). Your soul is that part of you that is in contact with the universe; it contains emotions, intellect, feelings, lust, love, cognitive abilities, etc. Your soul is your main driving force when you live in sin, and this is why it needs to be saved according to James 1:21. The Word of God will save it from stinking attitudes, thoughts, bitterness, anger and other forms of ungodliness.
When you get born again, your spirit is regenerated, and this can only happen once; your spirit is born again only once. The Word of God is implanted in your spirit, and saves your soul. Your soul is the medium that filters whatever enters your spirit, which is why it is very important that it gets saved in order for it to be aligned with your spirit. If your soul is clogged with frustrations, bitterness, anger etc., the Word of God cannot enter your spirit. Your soul needs to be saved in order for the Word of God to enter your spirit unhindered, and this can only be done when it is implanted in your spirit.
Psalm 103:17-18
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, 18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
Many people only quote this scripture halfway, where it says that the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. They forget that this only applies to those who fear Him, to those who keep (the doers of) His word. This is the same thing that James insists on in verse 22 of Chapter 1:
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
People who are just hearers of the Word only deceive themselves, in thinking that by obeying the Word of God they are doing God a favor. Hearing the Word is important, but doing the Word is even more important.
When you obey the Word of God, you are not doing Him a favor -- you are doing yourself a favor. God does not need anything from you. When He tells you to walk in forgiveness and you do not, you are only deceiving yourself as it is you who will end up self-destructing and hindering the Word of God from penetrating your spirit. When the Word of God tells you to tithe, do not think you will be doing God a favor by tithing. God does not need money from you, if He created the whole universe this means that He owns everything. Tithing is a favor to yourself, as you get to be a part of God's blessings and get an opportunity to test Him and see if He will not open the floodgates of heaven and bless you (Malachi 3:10).
On the same note, worship is not a favor to God and it does not make Him Who He is. He existed before anything else (Genesis 1:1), so He does not need us or our worship to exist. We are the ones who need Him. When He tells us to worship Him, it is for our own benefit.
Suppose you have two patients who are ailing from the exact same illness, who visit the same doctor, at the same time. The doctor decides to see them both, since they have the same ailment. He gives them the same medication, to be taken exactly the same way. Patient A walks out of the doctors office and decides that the doctor was not in his right mind in thinking he would take the medication. Patient B goes home and takes the medication exactly as he was told. What happens? Patient B will get well. Patient A will go back to the doctor after a few days, after his ailment has worsened. The doctor will ask him if he took the medication, and when he says he threw it away, he'll be told to go and take the medication as prescribed, before the doctor can help him out in any other different way.
God tells people to do some things, and when they don't and suffer the consequences, they go back to Him asking for more things whereas they didn't do what they were told to do at first! God will not give you more if you did not do what He told you to do in the first place. Go back and do what you were told to do and didn't do, this is where you should start as this is where your problem started.
Hearing the Word is important, as this is how faith comes (Romans 10:17). Still, doing the Word is more important.
John 14:23-24
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
If you claim to love Jesus, you will be a doer of the Word of God. You cannot fail in life if you obey the Word of God. This is because you will have the Father and the Son living with you, and going with you wherever you go. Jesus promises that God and Him make their home with the doer of the Word.
The Word of God contains enough instruction to give you all you need, materially and spiritually.
The difference between where you are today and where you want to be in future is not dependent on what you hear, but what you hear and do.
You are as good as what you hear and do. Be a doer of the Word of God.
~ Apostle Dr. David Karanja.
(11/11/12 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor.)
Apostle Dr. David Karanja is the visionary of Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.
For the Word of God to save you, it has to be implanted in your heart. Note that the Word of God has to be implanted in your heart, not in your head. Where I'm I getting this from?
Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
In the above scripture, we learn that the reason why many Christians continue to be mediocre is because they are not serious Christians -- they do not pay attention to the Word of God. The Word of God is life to those who find it. Whatever kind of life you want, you can find it in the Word of God. The Word of God can give you whatever kind of life you want (wholeness, blessings, riches, favor etc.).
The Word of God is health to the flesh of those who find it, meaning that it can keep you from any sickness, and from the hospital. Obedience brings healing, while disobedience makes you unhealthy. Incline your ear to the Word of God, not to the world. Obey the Word of God, and you will be healthy.
For example, the Word of God tells us to fast. Many people do not know this, but fasting is one of the healthiest practices for your body. Fasting cleanses your body. If people were obedient to the Word of God, they would fast for a couple of days, which gives the body time to be cleansed; regular fasting keeps you healthy. Professional food nutritionists are beginning to find out this Biblical truth, and are advising their patients to take a few days off food or avoid certain types of food, which is a principle borrowed from the Bible that even some Christians do not follow.
What's more, meditating on the Word of God keeps you from depression and stress. You can try this out whenever you feel stressed and with a lot on your mind. Pick up the Word of God and meditate on it, and your stress will vanish. You can even put a worship song and play it over and over, meditating on the words and they will calm you down. People who constantly meditate on the Word of God are rarely stressed and can never be depressed. The Word of God is medicine.
Let's go back to our text in James 1.
James 1:21
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Every human being is a spirit, possesses a soul and lives in a body. Your spirit is the image of God in you, and is your channel of communication with God (John 4:24). Your soul is that part of you that is in contact with the universe; it contains emotions, intellect, feelings, lust, love, cognitive abilities, etc. Your soul is your main driving force when you live in sin, and this is why it needs to be saved according to James 1:21. The Word of God will save it from stinking attitudes, thoughts, bitterness, anger and other forms of ungodliness.
When you get born again, your spirit is regenerated, and this can only happen once; your spirit is born again only once. The Word of God is implanted in your spirit, and saves your soul. Your soul is the medium that filters whatever enters your spirit, which is why it is very important that it gets saved in order for it to be aligned with your spirit. If your soul is clogged with frustrations, bitterness, anger etc., the Word of God cannot enter your spirit. Your soul needs to be saved in order for the Word of God to enter your spirit unhindered, and this can only be done when it is implanted in your spirit.
Psalm 103:17-18
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, 18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
Many people only quote this scripture halfway, where it says that the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. They forget that this only applies to those who fear Him, to those who keep (the doers of) His word. This is the same thing that James insists on in verse 22 of Chapter 1:
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
People who are just hearers of the Word only deceive themselves, in thinking that by obeying the Word of God they are doing God a favor. Hearing the Word is important, but doing the Word is even more important.
When you obey the Word of God, you are not doing Him a favor -- you are doing yourself a favor. God does not need anything from you. When He tells you to walk in forgiveness and you do not, you are only deceiving yourself as it is you who will end up self-destructing and hindering the Word of God from penetrating your spirit. When the Word of God tells you to tithe, do not think you will be doing God a favor by tithing. God does not need money from you, if He created the whole universe this means that He owns everything. Tithing is a favor to yourself, as you get to be a part of God's blessings and get an opportunity to test Him and see if He will not open the floodgates of heaven and bless you (Malachi 3:10).
On the same note, worship is not a favor to God and it does not make Him Who He is. He existed before anything else (Genesis 1:1), so He does not need us or our worship to exist. We are the ones who need Him. When He tells us to worship Him, it is for our own benefit.
Suppose you have two patients who are ailing from the exact same illness, who visit the same doctor, at the same time. The doctor decides to see them both, since they have the same ailment. He gives them the same medication, to be taken exactly the same way. Patient A walks out of the doctors office and decides that the doctor was not in his right mind in thinking he would take the medication. Patient B goes home and takes the medication exactly as he was told. What happens? Patient B will get well. Patient A will go back to the doctor after a few days, after his ailment has worsened. The doctor will ask him if he took the medication, and when he says he threw it away, he'll be told to go and take the medication as prescribed, before the doctor can help him out in any other different way.
God tells people to do some things, and when they don't and suffer the consequences, they go back to Him asking for more things whereas they didn't do what they were told to do at first! God will not give you more if you did not do what He told you to do in the first place. Go back and do what you were told to do and didn't do, this is where you should start as this is where your problem started.
Hearing the Word is important, as this is how faith comes (Romans 10:17). Still, doing the Word is more important.
John 14:23-24
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
If you claim to love Jesus, you will be a doer of the Word of God. You cannot fail in life if you obey the Word of God. This is because you will have the Father and the Son living with you, and going with you wherever you go. Jesus promises that God and Him make their home with the doer of the Word.
The Word of God contains enough instruction to give you all you need, materially and spiritually.
The difference between where you are today and where you want to be in future is not dependent on what you hear, but what you hear and do.
You are as good as what you hear and do. Be a doer of the Word of God.
~ Apostle Dr. David Karanja.
(11/11/12 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor.)
Apostle Dr. David Karanja is the visionary of Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.
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