SERVING GOD IS OPTIONAL BUT COMPULSORY

Deuteronomy 11:13-20 (AMPC)

 

“13 And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day–to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being–

 

14 I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

 

15 And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full.

 

16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your [minds and] hearts be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,

 

17 And the Lord's anger be kindled against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the land will not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly off the good land which the Lord gives you.

 

18 Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes.

 

19 And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.

 

20 And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

 

 

Dear people of God, today’s lead Holy Bible text is God’s promise of blessings to anyone who makes up his or her mind to obey God, keep His commandments and serve Him.

 

There are people who claim they are too busy to serve God. They are more interested in chasing work, chasing money, money, money, chasing pleasure, pleasure, pleasure.

 

Usually while on our weekly Evangelism program, we do encounter individuals who say they are too busy to hear the Gospel. Sometimes when we ask for a few minutes to share the Gospel, they oblige.

 

Sometimes, the people bluntly refuse to listen because according to them, there is no time.

 

These attitudes are a proof that God has given every human on this earth the FREE WILL to choose whether or not to listen to His message from His children who go out on the field to tell everyone about Jesus Christ.

 

In essence, serving God is optional.

 

However, the FREE WILL or Free option given to everyone to choose whether or not to listen to the Gospel, take heed, obey and act on it ends in this world.

 

Immediately you cross into eternity at death, that option ceases. It is only then every human being realizes that serving God was NEVER optional but compulsory.

 

It is only then the individual realizes that whatever kept him or her busy chasing money and chasing pleasure is of no value whatsoever to God.

 

It is only then the individual understands that the people who embark on Evangelism everyday all over the world to tell everyone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ are the ones doing what is the MOST IMPORTANT WORK as far as God Almighty is concerned.

 

It is only then the individual realizes that he or she should have abandoned whatever he or she was engaged in and taken time to listen to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

 

It is only then the individual finally realises that what Christians have been preaching all along was the absolute TRUTH, which is that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one can reach God EXCEPT through Him.

 

Even amongst Christians, you still find people who are so busy chasing money they hardly have anytime to serve God. They will tell you that when the church needs money they will contribute to it.

 

Though such statement may sound right and sound nice, but it is the same God Who has told you in His Word to seek FIRST His Kingdom and His righteousness, and when you do He would provide all your needs – Matthew 6:33.

 

What are your needs if I may ask? Food, shelter, clothing, the basics as we have been made to understand.

 

Is there any other need more important than these? I do not think so but whatever the NEED (not WANT), know today that God has assured you in His Word that if you would just seek FIRST His Kingdom and His righteousness, He would provide all your needs.

 

Even for your WANT, God Himself assures us in Psalm 23:1 (KJV), “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not WANT.”

 

What therefore does it mean to seek FIRST God’s Kingdom and His righteousness? It means absolutely nothing else must take priority in your life over your relationship with God.

 

It means you MUST love God with every fibre of your being. You cannot love anyone above God, whether spouse, parents, siblings, relatives, business associates, etc.

 

You cannot love work or business or anything else above God.

 

It means you MUST recognize that God is the One Who has given you life, health, protection, progress and whatever LEGITIMATE resources you have and you MUST use these resources to serve Him by paying firstfruits, tithes, offerings, contribution to church and Gospel projects and also providing assistance to the poor and needy.

 

Remember the two greatest commandments as the Lord Jesus Christ made us understand is love of God above all else and love of our neighbours as ourselves – Mark 12:29-31.

 

Seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness FIRST means you cannot murmur when called upon to contribute to the work of the Gospel whether financial or in other areas because if you do, it becomes sin as our God loves a cheerful giver – 2 Corinthians 9:7.

 

It means you MUST never embark on any act that is offensive to God. You must live an uncompromised life of Truth, Holiness and Righteousness consistent with the Word of God in the Holy Bible.

 

It means you MUST feed daily on spiritual food for the soul (study and meditate on the written Word of God in the Holy Bible) and you MUST feed daily on spiritual food for the human spirit (prayer).

 

I can assure you dear friend, that serving God is optional in this world but it is COMPULSORY as everyone who has left this world has come to realize.

 

I therefore urge you, Christian and non-Christian person reading this, that you must make up your mind to seek FIRST, God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness and you MUST serve God through His Son my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.

 

All other roads APART from Jesus Christ leads to eternal damnation.

 

A Word is enough for the wise. Choose wisely today by coming to Jesus Christ before it is too late.

 

Dear friend, Jesus Christ is coming shortly to take in Rapture ONLY those who are qualified according to His righteous standards in the Holy Bible.

 

Are you living a genuine life as His disciple? Are you ready for Him? Repent and come to Jesus today, for tomorrow may be too late for you.

 

Once Jesus takes away His children, the entire earth would come under God’s wrath and Divine judgement in a most terrible manner never experienced before.

 

Why do you risk your life in sin and risk the grave danger, pain and suffering ahead and risk ultimately damning your soul forever in the lake of fire?

 

May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Powerful Name, Amen.

 

Gabriel Ama.