Blessing or Curses?

 

"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.28:2 "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Deuteronomy 28:1-2

     The Word of God is clear our blessings or curses are dependent on how we diligently obey the voice of the Lord our God and observe carefully all His commandments. Things which are impossible to do with out the help of the Holy Spirit. The promises and benefits outlined in the word of God are enormous and wonderful:

"And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. "The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. "And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. "So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them. Deuteronomy 28:11-14

Now some hedonistic humanistic religious ones pick and choose the verses in the bible that they want and like and ignore the total truth of all the word of God. Including the other side of the coin which is:

"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.  "Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Deuteronomy 28:15-17

Now some dispensationalists, who have dispensed with things in the word of God which God has not dispensed with or changed, ignore the truth of God’s word which states:

"If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, "then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues-great and prolonged plagues-and serious and prolonged sicknesses. "Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.

"Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed. "You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. "And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Deuteronomy 28:58-63

They ignore the words of Jesus who clearly stated:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. "Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:17-28

Many at their own peril due to  foolish understanding ignore the  many truths that Jesus taught His disciples and are valid even this day. God’s blessing or curses is dependent on how we listen to His voice, and treat His word and even others. For Love works no ill to its neighbor. Love does not steal, cheat, destroy  covet nor lie to its neighbor. Love cares for the poor, needy  and strangers in their midst.

The fact of the matter is that those who do not love do not know God and they do not listen to His voice. Because if they did they would love especially those of the household of faith.  As a matter of fact God demands the impossible from His people:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

He, the God of miracles and the impossible, is able by His Spirit and power to change His creatures to be in the image and character of His son who is love. Who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. For there is few things more important thing in life for God, than to have His children be conformed to His son and to live and walk in His Holy Spirit and not their own.

Mind you this is a continual process and no one has ever arrived to say that he or she has arrived to be, do and have all that God wills for them to be, do and have. Yet our blessings or curses are dependent on how closely we walk with His son and in His Holy Spirit so that God can do for us  all the good things that He has promised. So that we can do good things for others and bear much fruit.

But the other side of the coin is that God is shaking everything that could be shaken for He is the great shaker, mover and the one who changes all things. His word is true:

'I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;  I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.  I will overthrow the chariots  And those who ride in them;  The horses and their riders shall come down,  Every one by the sword of his brother. Haggai 2:21-22

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:25-29

We are not in any way to refuse Him who speaks. For if others have not escaped neither will we. For God is speaking to His people by various methods and ways and telling them to put the interests of Him and His Kingdom first. He is saying what He had said through prophets before:

"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"  Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!  "You have sown much, and bring in little;  You eat, but do not have enough;  You drink, but you are not filled with drink;  You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;  And he who earns wages,  Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! "Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD. "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. "Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.  "For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." Haggai 1:7-11

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:31-34

For too long God’s people have put their own interest first while  God’s house is in ruins. Not the house made by men but the house made by the Spirit of the living God. The House of God which is  God’s people who are His temple as His word states:

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." 2 Corinthians 6:16

Many have been concerned with bricks and mortar, with religious programs and dance and songs, and with everything else but God’s ordinary people. His chosen and beloved sheep who are starving, spiritually undernourished, hurting, lost and troubled. These are the great concern of God’s heart.  For God has put His people on the earth to return justice to the land, to set the captives free, to bring healing to the lonely and oppressed. To do the right works of justice, righteousness, truth and caring for the widows, homeless, helpless, demon-possessed and oppressed. Those who have had justice and security removed from them by the devil of lies. Such people are not found in fancy churches or cathedrals with stained glass windows but in the highways and hedges of life.

When God’s people put His house and kingdom first on their hearts then God’s blessings will  flow in abundance. Until then they are in rebellion and disobedience and curses and poverty  will be their lot in life. The choices and resulting consequences are to be made by each of God’s children. None can escape making a choice. For that is real life and not imaginary life which brings blessings or curses. For the words of Jesus are true even this day:

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it- "lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, "saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

"Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? "It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Luke 14:26-35