CHAPTER 28: THE TEMPTATION OF NOT DOING THE LIST 2023
Little known fact. Where’s the arc of the covenant? How come nobody can find it? Where did it go? Did the Knights Templar hide it, or re-hide it after those priests of Israel hid it before the destruction of the temple? Why can’t we find it? Flash news bulletin, you can find the answer in the book. Was it Indiana Jones who found it? The Germans? Guess who has it? It’s in Revelation, the end of the world.
Revelation 11:19
New King James Version
19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of [a]His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
God’s got it, clearly, that’s why nobody can find it. It’s His, He’s got it. Well, if the answer to that is in the book, how about the list? Is it possible to find the list in the book? How to get the list, yes. I’ll tell you how it works. You read the book in the morning, say your prayers and ask for guidance, then make your list for the day. A few things will occur to you at that time that you hadn’t thought of but that’s not the end of God’s hand on the list. As you go through the day, all kinds of things will occur to you that not only help you do the list but they help you do the list better than you could have ever thought of yourself. Chapter 28, is about the temptation not to read the book in the morning, not to pray and ask for God’s hand on your list, and if that isn’t enough, to edit the existing list that you’ve made on your own, so that things that don’t make sense or are inconvenient, you simply remove them — meaning, they won’t get done. Without God’s help, nothing actually gets done correctly. By the time you figure that out, there’s so much incorrect, where do you start? Read the book, say your prayer requests for God to help with the list, write your list, allow Him to make new items on the list that you hadn’t thought of, then pray that He help you with the list throughout the day and take His suggestions as they come up in the day.
Jeremiah 33:3
New International Version
3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
Psalm 5:3-5
New International Version
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
And yet, with thoughts of yesterday holding us back, questions of today pressing in, and fears of tomorrow looming over, we can find it difficult to arrange our needs into coherent requests. Nevertheless, one must ask. Everything is a choice. Including working with God. There’s an age old argument about choice. Why did a loving God create Satan? God creates everything, right? Well, not exactly. We have choice, you see. Listen to this quote from Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse.
All things work together for the good. Even the fall of Lucifer in eternity past was for the greater purposes of God to establish good. A great question does arise here – Did God create Lucifer or did God create Satan? The answer is – God created Lucifer. It was Lucifer who chose to become Satan by the choice he made.
– Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, American Preacher, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Pennsylvania 1927- until his death, 1960.
Choice — is the key for me, and possibly for you. I’ve said before life is not about options, it’s about obedience. Temptation is the obstacle for obedience that offers choice. The choice I have is to ask God for direction, or don’t ask God for direction. If I ask for God’s direction, then I choose to take His direction or not. You see, choice is a real problem. Obedience is a lot simpler.
James 1:14-15
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
The list is a gift God gave me, and I can do the impossible wonderful list if I thank Him for it and let Him know that I can’t do it without HIm.
Proverbs 10:4
New King James Version
He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
All of us fall victim to ourselves. The list can be huge and scary. In Faith we proceed, without it we fall victim to “It’ll do Lou”. You’ve heard me mention such a character before. The spirit of sloth, lazy, entitled, all in the name of good.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
New King James Version
Because of laziness the [a]building decays,
And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
As a Christian I had to stop saying, “can’t be done, I’m only human.”
Genesis 1:27
New King James Version
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God
He created him; male and female He created them.
Human looks like a pretty big deal, doesn’t sound like an excuse to skip responsibilities. All of it can be done, by you, correctly, efficiently and as a great example to those around you, giving all the glory to God. I know it’s hard, that’s the point, that’s why God is using you and me — zero heroes. God loves to take “zeroes” and make them “heroes.” A miracle in Christ, a zero without Him.
Lazy gets in the way, indignant gets in the way, stubborn gets in the way, unnecessary distraction gets in the way, disrespect gets in the way, stupid gets in the way.
“Common sense is not so common and stupid is very expensive”
THE LIST:
Absolutely everything that needs to be done on your watch, tasks, responsibilities et all, done this day, solutions, transitions, updates, deliveries, information retrieval, personal and business items, financials, produce, deliver, collect monies, quality control, peace maker, living correctly, and being aware of an enemy that will surely fall you, rely on the grace and protection of God, for this one day starting right now and then fight yourself to overcome and get it done because you will fight yourself and that will become your testimony as well.
Romans 7:15-20
New International Version
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Any good reason you have for not doing your daily list is probably a good reason, however no matter what the reason good or bad, it doesn’t pay well, ever! (Quote by Patrick)
I can make the list, or let God make the list. As long as I’m making the list, the results are limited. Is it really worth it? With God, all things come with instruction. Don’t believe me? That would mean you have never done what I am suggesting. Try it. I gotta do better than my best and the only way to do that is with Him.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Statements like I need a break, I didn’t sign up for this, time to retire, it’s not fair, why should I, it’ll do, that’s not the way it’s suppose to be, it used to be, it should be — all of those little sayings are big losers and big loser does not pay well, does not yield and has nothing to do with destiny. Deal with the way it “is” and get the list in order to be done.
Proverbs 6:9-11
New King James Version
How long will you [a]slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
I’ll give you a note from a Welsh Congregationalist minister and medical doctor who was influential in the Calvinist wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London. Dr. D. Martin Lloyd Jones and I quote:
“The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer, and makes intercession for him, according to the will of God. This, God’s Holy Spirit is directing each believer, according to a predetermined and definite, defined plan.”
You know as well as I do that you can make yourself super busy on items that are not relevant and have nothing to do with the mission the Lord has given. You also know that you can do such things in the name of what …God, you can lie to yourself, and all those around you, in the name of importance — the good work — God’s will — all of it wasting time in disobedience, your choice.
Who’s got the time to kill?
Psalm 139
New International Version
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
God will find you wherever you are and give you the list and walk you into “a new creation in Christ” every moment of every day. There is no place He is not ready to make you “better than your best.” Let Him make the list for you, with you, He wants you to win.
1 Corinthians 3:8 New King James Version. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
Chapter 28 The Temptation of Not Doing the List 2023
There’s lots of help making the list, your company makes demands, family, chores, health, just to mention a few, make sure you pick up some tips and directives from the Lord…
Take this one to heart…, and talk to Him, get it done, the complete list, not the incomplete list.
Amen.
