CHAPTER 36: GOD AS A VERB 2024
Anybody can make it to 36. Really. I did, and I didn’t know anything about anything. I read the book and understood a few things, but God, in His mercy, kept me in order. I certainly didn’t know what He was really up to in my life or have any idea what I was looking at in the lives of others who were around me, whether they were in church or not. The day He opened my eyes, however, something big happened, real big. Suddenly, I had a lot of information and understanding I didn’t have about one millisecond before. Frightening. God had given me eyes to see, ears to hear. Now what? What was I going to do? First off, realize what had happened.
Galatians 1:11-24 NIV
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Using God as a verb. Suddenly, a God given thought that I obey and follow through, His direction will always prevail.
Luke 12:12
New King James Version
12 “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Sometimes, of course, things didn’t go my way, I might think. Well, that wasn’t always the case, perhaps nothing went wrong, rather it was good planning by the Lord, not me. I learned the difference. Obedience is sometimes information gathering of what not to do, rather than what to do. There is wisdom in walking away from situations, even when they seem so good. Listen and use the voice of God. How do you know, it’s His voice? Ask Him.
1 John 4:1-6
New King James Version
Love for God and One Another
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
How do you do that, how do you test, how to be obedient to the direction of the Lord and know that it is truly His direction. The longer you are on the path, the easier discernment in the Spirit. Stay the course. The winners, believe it, read the book and pray everyday. Grow up in the power of God, be strong in Him.
Ephesians 4:14
New International Version
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Look, discernment is pointless if we don’t make it point to know the God of the Bible. There are many believers who have an incomplete version of God in mind. I’ve heard people say “my Jesus is love.” “Your Jesus is always judging and I don’t like that.”
To that I say, yes, Jesus is love. Whether I like it or not, He is also the judgement, He has been given all authority. He sits on the bema seat in judgement of Believers and what each has done with the gift of salvation. He also sits on the throne at the white throne judgement, the end of it all, where all unbelievers are cast into hell. You see, incomplete perceptions of God can be very dangerous. Being led by the God in the Bible, not the one I make up, is in line with the Holy Spirit and very profitable to one’s life. Who wants to be without that? King David said it best.
Psalm 51:10-12
New International Version
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
I’ve often said, “anybody can do 1-35 without reading the Bible.”True for me, anyway. Everybody has their particular idea of God and that generally it’s okay for most and most like these chapters until they don’t, or until I say “the God in the bible.” At that point, — there are only two choices, go to the book or don’t.
For me, 36 is the key. God as a verb means I know who God says He is, and if I know that — I can use my relationship with God. How do I do that? Well, first let me tell you how a couple other people did it. My buddy Joshua in the old testament was having a day of it in battle, and he was running out of daylight. Not good. So, God as a verb, upon Joshua’s request did what needed to be done. He made the day longer.
Joshua 10:12-13
New King James Version
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
Impressive. Makes what I need today pretty insignificant. Let me tell you another one. My buddy Elijah was having a little trouble one day. In fear of his life, it became important that Elijah prove that God is God or the Queen would kill him, well she was probably going to kill him either way, but that’s not the way it worked out. God was called on, as a verb, by Elijah. Here’s the story. Two altars were set up and two bulls were placed atop of them. The idea was a contest between Elijah and the one true God and Baal the false god of the people. Whichever altar caught the bull on fire would be declared the winner. The false god, Baal’s priests tried unsuccessfully to catch the bull on fire to prove Baal was awesome. Too bad for Baal, now it was in Elijah’s turn to prove the one true God. This is what happened, God as a verb.
1 Kings 18:36-39
New King James Version
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
This was a big deal, the false God Baal was ceremoniously conquered in the contest — the triumph of Elijah in the Living God. PS, the queen vowed to kill him even after all that. That didn’t work out either. God as a verb.
God makes promises He keeps. You can depend on it. It is important to note it works both ways, in obedience and in the unfortunate case of disobedience and disrespect. In Deuteronomy 28 God promises His people in obedience they will be blessed and in disobedience cursed and the list for both is extensive.
Rather than read all of that, Deuteronomy 28 is priority reading for later, because brother, that is where the rubber meets the road. Blessing in all areas, or curse in all areas — your choice.
Let’s investigate some promises the Lord has made if we stay on the good road. God as a verb.
If we search for Him we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29).
His love will never fail (1 Chronicles 16:34).
Comfort in our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
Promised new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Our inheritance is reserved for us (1 Peter 1:4).
Promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6).
Peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6–7).
Supply our needs, not our wants, our needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).
Promise of abundant life to those who follow Him (John 10:10).
Eternal life to those who trust Him (John 4:14).
Power from on high (Acts 1:8).(Acts 17:6, ESV).
He will return for us (John 14:2–3).
In 36, either I believe in the God of the Bible or I don’t. And if I believe every word in that book that describes the Father, then I also know the only way to the Father is through the Son the power of Him is with me, in me, for me.
This is huge. How do I know how to use God as a verb? It’s in His Word, look what He says.
Psalm 138:2
New King James Version
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
Wow, the Word above His name. Huge. So if I’m in the Word, I’m on Holy real estate. I will absolutely learn there. He will make it so. Without it, I’m lost, blocked from the gift of the Holy Spirit. Harsh. Do I really want that in my life? I don’t. I want the key of David, and believe me David knew. In his sin and disobedience David cried out to the Lord, fearing what he could be without.
Revelation 3:7-8
New Living Translation
7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:[a]
8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.
My aim is true, I’m here for the information. The information is not found easily or understood without strict guidelines of study, definitely inconvenient. Reading the book is a commitment, both now and tomorrow and forever as long as I breathe, otherwise I deal with a God I invented. The downside is so big, you sell yourself short in ways you’ll never know, the worst. As I said, He knows how important it is to His children that you read. He said, in scripture, that He holds the Word above Himself! He clearly wants you to win! No need to invent a God — you have the real deal.
And by the way it’s easy to do, inventing a perception of God, there are many Christians who are in church every week, unfortunately with a God of their “perception,” rather than a God of “His Perspective.”
Matthew 12:30-31
New International Version
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Certainly nobody does that willingly, well yes they do, you’re not one of them, however it is easier than you might think to accidentally find oneself contradicting the Word of God.
Are there people in church that feel that way? Yes, don’t let it be you. Without God as a verb, I’m on my own power, and that power, like a cell phone runs out of battery without a charger.
Romans 2:7-8 New International Version (NIV)
7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
What is the problem in knowing God and actually being able to use God as an action item?
An “incomplete” understanding of Him.
If I don’t know what God has done and how He did it, I’ll look to the world, money, property and prestige, or whatever I dream up. Why would I do that? Because without the Word, I won’t know any better.
Psalm 146:3
New Living Translation
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
Mostly, I am concerned about gathering financial freedom for the future so when I get there everything is well and good. Then I read this.
Luke 12:19-21
New King James Version
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Take the time to know your Creator today, and then use His power as He sees fit. Learn to feel the Lord right now today and the direction in which He is leading you will take on your life.
James 4:14
New King James Version
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
I remember my prayer so many years ago, in what I felt surely was the end of my life, and I prayed: “God direct me, and I will obey, save me from this.” In that moment my life changed forever. I had troubles for sure, but my aim remained true. I want to try — even when it’s impossible, every moment to overcome freewill, stubborn, whatever. I ask Him to protect and direct me. Does it work? As long as I’m consistent in my relationship.
Job 5:17
Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so, do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
I ask myself everyday, am I to be delivered from the hands of fate into the hands of destiny, or remain a shadow of what I could’ve been?
Look, our businesses are examples of God as a verb. Your life, in the correct order, is used by the Lord as an example to do His work. Your success and failures are all used by the Lord and you, in the right state of mind, will be okay in the worst of situations, a peace that surpasses all understanding. Without God as a verb, this life is a mess with no understanding, and your business is a fear of what you could lose if anything goes wrong. That’s not God as a verb, that’s crazy. This life is nuts with God and without God — plain and simple, we are here for a short time and then all eternity, based on what happens here, is with the Creator or not. When it comes to your business, it is a part of your life as a whole with God. Use it to the glory and honor of Him and even in hard times you will rest in the fact that God is God and He is there. Ask yourself, right now, is this of God, or is this questionable behavior? That question and answer has kept me out of a lot of trouble. When I have failed to ask that question, God has had to come and get me out whatever jam I’ve gotten myself into. Remember:
You can call upon the creator of the universe to deploy angels to light your path and keep you safe in absolutely every situation in your life.., without deploying, into your life, the precise God that is written in the Bible — you will come up short.
It ain’t roses all the time, however without God,
there’s no Gardner…
Amen
