Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
(Matthew 7:7-8 NLT)
As you would expect a good father to bless his children when they honor him and withhold his blessings when they don’t so does our Heavenly Father but even more so. Where do you think this model for us comes from? Look at the life of Moses and God’s people as He led them out of bondage. God cared for them and provided for all their needs but when their wicked hearts turned from God what happened? In our grown up, politically correct culture today we read the Old Testament and view it as harsh or even cruel but for all the changes we’ve made is the world a better place to live in now? Really, look closer at current events, look behind the scenes not just what the media wants you to hear; the stage is being set for the final battle and the love of humanity will begin to grow cold as fear replaces compassion.
God still protects and provides for His children and in Matthew chapter 7 Jesus tells us to ask and keep on asking. Why ask more than once you say, because our hearts are not in alignment with our Heavenly Father’s and as we seek Him the things we ask for will change, reflecting the changes He is making inside of us (by this He leads His children out of bondage, even today). As our hearts begin to honor our Heavenly Father the door to His blessing also begins to open and He welcomes us in to a bounty never before seen! In this place the territory given to us increases and what limited us before has strangely disappeared leaving in its wake faith, hope, and love and a better understanding of each and the role they play in God’s great adventure! You see humanity and the enemy are not the only ones preparing for the end. God wants to bless and prepare His children but to what extent is determined by the individual and only by the individual because of free will, which is a gift from God alone; by the limits of our own faith and because of the walls created by our ability to obey, it is by these things our territory will have boundaries. The boundaries are (as difficult as it is to understand and for lack of a better way to explain) predetermined by God Himself, as Jesus told us by His example in Matthew chapter 25. Starting at verse 14 the master knowing his servants divided his money to each one according to what they could handle. It was because of the love the master had for each servant he did not give to them more than their abilities would allow and in the end cause failure. Each one equally had the opportunity to fail or succeed, to be faithful or selfish, to honor the master or advance their own purpose. Starting at verse 21 the master rewards each servant according to their works, knowing without works faith is dead. The two that were faithful saw the door of the master’s blessings open before them but to the one that was evil saw the power and might of the master’s righteous indignation as it was revealed the master is our Lord and Savior and the lesson goes from storybook characters to a light revealing the dark corners of our own hearts! For we know it is only God who has such discernment as to divide responsibilities equally so that when we stand before His throne of judgment we will have no defense except Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Like this lazy servant there will be those who know of God, even living in God’s house but do not take the time to know God – this is the difference between an acquaintance and having a deep personal relationship with someone. Unfortunately knowing of God deceives the individual into believing they too can receive God’s blessings and in part they are correct but there is so much more to be discovered if only they would learn to walk in humility. Fortunately, God knows the heart of each man and woman and He sees the motives behind each request. With time the motives are even revealed to other people if they see with the spirit and not the flesh and with understanding provided by the Holy Spirit of God. Read the following from James chapter 4 and see if it doesn’t sound like events taking place today. You don’t have to look very far to see it on Facebook, the news, or anywhere there are people gathered for any length of time. Parts of the passage are quoted but taken out of context, look at who is being addressed and hear the conditions of God’s blessings. To ask for the right things yet still have evil desires and pride only forfeits your ability to receive.
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor. Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
(James 4:1-12 NLT)
Though this message is stern it is given in love and hope that God’s people will awaken to the workings of the enemy and cast off the stained garments so that God’s people will be set apart and prepared for that which is coming.
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