Front Cover, Back Cover, And Spine Artwork:

Book Description: What does it mean to “Listen And Obey”? How do we listen to what God would say to us and then how do we obey what He is asking us to do? This book attempts to help us answer these questions.

The purpose of recording my journey in this book series is so that you can see both the steps of obedience taken and not taken as well as see the results of that obedience and the results of the disobedience.

I can tell you of my own journey as I’ve listened to and obeyed what God has asked me to do as I’ve walked with Him. I can tell you the results of that obedience or the consequences of my disobedience, but it is up to God to use what I share to encourage your journey with Him.

A Glimpse Inside:

Chapter 10: Obedience, As Spiritual Maturity

In this modern world of ours we want everything yesterday. We want everything now and seek to have it all now. But the truth is that nothing in this world worth having is given instantly, except salvation through Jesus Christ.

Obedience is the catalyst for the development of spiritual maturity in our lives. Without obedience we cannot grow, we cannot mature in our walk with God, and we cannot become who God created us to be.

Spiritual maturity is not instant, but it is developed moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, and day-by-day through our experiences as we obey God and see the results of that obedience play out in our lives and hearts and in the lives and hearts of those around us. When we choose to obey God, we are laying our lives in His hands and then He is able to lead us through circumstances and experiences that develop godly character in us. Without obedience spiritual maturity is impossible.

The enemies of obedience are selfishness and pride. Pride must be broken in our hearts, and it must be continually broken in our hearts. As long as we are alive in this sin-filled world we are easy prey for our selfish and prideful hearts without the continual mercy and grace of God at work in us.

Six months ago, God instructed me to begin to write in a new schedule, the Seven 7s, as I call it. I write 7 times a day: 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm. He also instructed me to pray at each of these times and with this instruction came the knowledge of how I was to pray: on my face before Him. I must say this was very weird and strange in the beginning. I would close the curtains and get on my knees and plant my face on the ground. It was… humbling. And the moment I realized it was humbling to my pride and heart I knew why God instructed me this way. I obeyed God in this and what an incredible difference it has made in my life.

The Word of God says:

“Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].” – James 4:10 AMP

Meditate on this scripture for a few moments. Do you see it? Do you see the hidden treasure it contains?

This book series God has asked me to write is not mine. These books are not building my kingdom. They are not for my glory. They are for the building of God’s kingdom and for the instruction of His children. It is through me planting my face on the ground that this truth really sinks in. As I bow before the Lord, I feel the pride in my heart being crushed. It is amazing and also wonderfully freeing. The tyranny of my rebellious heart is humbled and forced into submission to the Lord.

Oh, please hear this! If I had not continued to obey the Lord, I would not have experienced any of this, I would not have grown in my spiritual walk with Him. My spiritual maturity would have been stunted. But because I continue to listen and continue to obey, God is raising me up like a child in the way I should go.

The most amazing thing about this whole journey is that when I complete this book series, I get to lay it all down at His feet and walk on. Do you see it? I will be able to say, “What I was asked to do I did.” Then I can lay all this work down at His feet as an offering to Him and walk onward toward whatever He has for me next.

This must be the attitude of all of our hearts as we walk forward in obedience to Him. Everything, absolutely everything is from Him, done through Him, and returns to Him. Nothing is ours and yet we have it all through Christ. Can you see it yet?

The truth I know now with all my heart is that I have everything because I have Jesus Christ. I own everything. God withholds no good thing from me. Wisdom. Knowledge. Skill. Talent. Understanding. Wealth. Glory. Absolutely everything is truly available to me as God sees fit to grant it. But I do not need any of it… I have Him. And with Him I have all things. Oh, if only you could see it and understand it. Grasp this one thing: He is the prize. He is the pearl of great price. He is the treasure hidden in the field. Sell everything you have to buy Him. Give up your life in this world to gain what you can never lose. Seek Him and keep on seeking Him.

Obedience is the key to His heart. I can say this with absolute certainty through my experiences with Him. I obey Him because I love Him because He first loved me. He is my good Father and I trust that what He is asking me to do is for His glory and for my greatest good both on this earth and in the eternities of eternity to come. This is spiritual maturity: To know God through personal experience. Anything good I have God gave to me and I give it back to Him. I have both everything and nothing all at once. If you really open your eyes and behold Jesus Christ, then you will know Him too.

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Audio Book:

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Part 31 on Amazon.com

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