CHAPTER 28: THE TEMPTATION OF NOT DOING THE LIST 2024
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 Israel hid it before the destruction of the temple? Was it Indiana Jones who found it? The Germans? Why can’t we find it? Flash news bulletin, it was a copy! Yep, true statement. The Bible says that the earthly Ark of the Covenant is a copy of the heavenly Ark of the Covenant in Hebrews 9:23, which states, “the earthly temple and ark are only a ‘copy of the heavenly things'”. So, who cares where it is? Well, I’m trying to make a point here. I can get side tracked, distracted in the name of God. Not doing the list because I’m doing some other “supposed” Godly task, instead. But just for drill, let’s see what scripture says about the real arc of the covenant.
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.
Sooo, God made a copy of a part of Heaven so He could be close to His people, perhaps? Then the temple was destroyed and the Arc was lost. What caused the problems? Disobedience. So is God a copy here on Earth? No. “Our Father who are in Heaven, hollowed by the name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on “Earth as it is in Heaven.” Instead of distraction, this task now becomes a study of possibilities. “The List.” If there was a copy of the Arc, is my list a copy of the real one? Maybe? When I stand in front of God, will my list of things “done” in my lifetime match His list of things “that should’ve be done” in my lifetime? Will I come up short? How short, a lot or a little? Enough to miss out on the life planned for me before time itself? An incomplete list would mean I, through my own choice, missed the boat.
Revelation 20:12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”
Okay, so now I’m getting some place. “According to their works,” meaning, they didn’t follow Jesus. Doesn’t look good, perhaps they forgot about “the list?”
Revelation 3:5: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life”
Okay, so more information. Those who conquer what? Themselves? And do the list? Hmm, could be.
Exodus 32:33 And the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot Him out of my book.
John 15:14 – “”You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
Pretty scary scripture, but the Word is as it is, and it is written so we don’t misinterpret God’s directives. Chapter 28, is about the temptation not to do the list, to disobey, to disregard the gift of direction by the Holy Spirit. A divine gift, given by a divine God, to a very sinful, unworthy individual. That’s either insanity or love? Clearly, in faith, I ask for help to do the list. I am not capable of completing a divine list. It’s not human possible.
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.
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.’
And yet with thoughts of yesterday, questions of today, and fears of tomorrow, we find it difficult to accept the list. (A quote from me to me on any day)
Again, I have one of two choices, be what God created what I created. A 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 — life is not about options, it’s about obedience. Temptation is the obstacle. Distractions, division, dissension, disorder, disobedience, dishonor, disregard, disdain, disturbance, or to follow the list. The list is God Direction, Devine Direction.
When He gives it, take it, don’t decide to disregard and disobey. To do so is to find oneself lost in a self-righteous game of thrones, asking always who is god, who is not, what is god, why is god, what is sin really and what is acceptable, what even matters. These questions are irrelevant when one has faith in God’s list, Follow the list, all else is an unnecessary distraction and disturbance distracting one from the list. Very unfortunate, very dangerous in the scheme of life. Choice is a real problem. Obedience is a lot simpler. Leaving God’s list behind? Why!!
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 with it. The catch? Nobody can do the list without God, if you can do it without God, it isn’t a list provided by God. Either I do the hard line items or I do something different. Different is a waste of time.
Proverbs 10:4 New King James Version
He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
“It’ll do Lou”. You’ve heard me mention that character before. The spirit of sloth, lazy, entitled, all in the name of good, important, entitled, period.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 New King James Version
Because of laziness the [a]building decays,
And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
Oh yea, one more thing, I came to realize the list cannot be done if I’m saying things like “can’t be done, I’m only human.” Why?
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.
Made in the image of God, and yet we have trouble, don’t we? The Temptation Not to Do the List: Lazy, indignant, stubborn, distraction, disrespect, 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, read the Bible, know your Jesus, be aware of an enemy that will surely disgrace you, rely on Faith and the protection of God, for this one day, start right now, fight yourself to overcome you, and get it done, and that becomes God’s testimony of you, pray for direction and correction, learn discernment in true fellowship. None of what I just said comes easy, ever.
Romans 7:19-20 New International Version
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Any good reason you have for not doing the list is probably a not a good reason, any excuse you have not to do the list, any interruption doesn’t pay well, make it temporary get back to the list! (Quote by me to me)
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.
Remove from your mouth, 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 — stop! Deal with the way it “is” and get on with it.
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, all in the name of what is good .., or you can do the list, an impossible divine list hitchhike on the Highway of Holiness. Isaiah 35:8.
C’mon kids, be Delivered from the Hands of Fate…
..into the Hands of Destiny!
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.
You can’t do it alone, that’s the point. Let Him make the list for you, and achieve with you, He wants you to win. He’ll show you better than your best.
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 2024
There’s many reasons not to do the list, there is really only one reason I do the list…
Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?
Good reason, right?
Amen.
