"Do what you know to do"                    05-15-15

And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 Then he *said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, " YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19  HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 20 The young man *said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?"
Matt 19:16-20 (NASB)

My message today is wrapped up inside of two stories. One from my personal life; a second as told by a preacher in a sermon that I personally heard many years ago.

The Lord spoke the words in today's title to my heart a few years back while I was on the road. I remember the exact place where He spoke them. On I- 40 West at the Lovell Road exit. While driving, I had just received a phone call from a prospective employer, informing me of an interview that very day. Literally shaken, I told the man on the other end of the line that I would not be able to make the interview because I had to go back out that very day. As a matter of fact, I was passing the spot where the interview was scheduled(Lovell Road) as I talked to the employer on the phone.

When I hung up I was devastated. This was a great opportunity to get back home and I felt that I had a great chance at landing the job. All those hopes gone. Poof...into the wind. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I asked God why. "Lord, I'm at my wits end. I'm crushed. PLEASE HELP ME! I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!!" 

His answer was  swift and very much to the point. I can still remember the voice which spoke to my heart."Go back to where you left off,and do what you know to do." Hence my title. Bear with me.

A long, long time ago in a place far away, I sat and listened to a man preach a sermon about a woman on the front pew of a huge service that the man was preaching at. The man of God told us about preaching to a crowd of thousands that particular time. He recounted to us that as he was sitting on stage, during the song service, the Lord spoke to him to pray for a woman that was sitting up front. First couple of rows as I remember.

He was not remiss in stressing to us the great anointing and flow of God that filled the great auditorium where he was preaching. A powerful song service followed by an anointed message. Your getting my drift I trust. Powerful move of God.

All the while however, God would not let this man forget about that one woman sitting placidly up front. All during the man's lengthy sermon( a couple of hours as I remember, he was truly a master storyteller) he kept putting God off.Throughout the shouting and the amens and moves of the Holy Ghost, God very gently was reminding him that he needed to pray for this woman. He kept putting it off, waiting for a more opportune time.

Lo, and behold the man of God finished his message, gave an altar call that lasted for about an hour; with all manner of folks receiving healing, deliverance and salvation. A mighty, mighty move of God. Now, as Paul Harvey used to say,"Here's the rest of the story."

As the great evangelist sat in his hotel that evening, feeling that he had tapped DIRECTLY into the throne room of Almighty God, he offered up a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for the tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit where literally hundreds had been touched by God through this man. And then it fell. As the man tells, he was feeling great, knowing that he had truly heard from God that evening and had been mightily used. The preacher's reward if you will.The Lord then asked him a simple question. "Did you pray for the woman down front like I told you too?" ..............

Oops! In all the hullabaloo and  the frenzied excitement, the man had let that little lady leave without him praying for her. In spite of all the excuses he offered, God was having none of them. "Look at all the people that were touched Lord," the man was talking to the wall. He put it this way, "The Lord then proceeded to take me to he woodshed." It did not matter that He had moved mightily in and through this preacher. He had not done what God had told him to do. He had done many mighty works that night through the power of God, but he had been disobedient.

There was one thing that he lacked.

Brothers and sisters, many times in our lives we offer God this and that. Sacrifices that take infinite numbers of shapes and sizes. All to no avail. And many times it is because we have moved on from something that God has asked us to do. Maybe it became inconvenient. Maybe we just didn't want to do it anymore. Maybe we got caught up in other activities and this was no longer important to us. Maybe,maybe,maybe. Sometimes we need to go back to where we left off, and do what we know to do.

15 I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. 16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Psalms 119:15-16 (NASB)


God Bless