Thirsting for God

 What God actually requires of us ... 2 Chronicle 16: 1-9

2 Chronicles 16 "1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 
3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go,break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 
4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 
5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 
6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah,and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. 
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

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​Just as the word of God came to Asa, the King of Judah, who went to seek a foreign king's help instead of seeking God's face; The same word of God is brought to us as we hear and read this sermon. The eyes of the Lord runs to and fro the whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him.

The times you are living is full of blurred lines between what is right and wrong while many find themselves in the middle jostling between righteousness and worldliness but they claim to live a life of Godliness. In all our dealings, and life involvement, God is watching to see if there is any hearth that still uphold God's commands and are determined to please God regardless of the cost. in the light of What Asa did, how do we fair, are we guilty of the same error? Let us ask ourselves some questions:

• Is your heart perfect toward God in everything you do? 
• Do I take my time daily to refresh and renew my commitment with the Lord?
• DO I reflect all my intention and actions in the light of the scripture and the commandment of God?
• DO I live with the consciousness that my heart belongs to thew Lord?
• Do I make the effort to ensure that my heart is still with the Lord?
• Who do I place my trust in?

As long as we stay with (Keep our heart perfect toward) the Lord, God will show himself strong on our behalf. 

(friendship with the world) Enemy of God - James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. The moment we start looking away from God to alternative sources is an act or making pact with the enemy of God. Friendship with the world is enmity with the world. Asa left a relationship modelled after God and went after friendship with the world. He faces the consequence of fighting battles for the rest of His life and became a permanent enemy of God.

Patience - Exodus 32:4 4He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."
Sometimes all God requires of us is to wait on Him, it is in this place of waiting that many of us fail and we give up only to pact with man made solution that seem to be from God but we know that it is not from the Lord . In God's sovereignty, we can be tested to prove that our heart is loyal to God. In this time of waiting, are we going to give our hearts away and make ourselves a golden calf like the Israelite did?

Obedience - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

God requires our full and consistent obedience in order to keep our heart perfect towards Him. To be with God is to be away from the World and the influence of the World. When we are with God, our full existence is for and unto the Lord. We cannot be for the Lord when our obedience is not full and complete unto Him.

Having heard this message, and understood that we live ins a time where the Word of God has become distant to most Christians and many have strayed from the Gospel, please look inward and assess your stand with God. He is calling on you now to live in obedience and to make your heart perfect toward Him. as you yield to God, He has promised to show Himself strong towards you.

May the Lord bless His work in our heart as we obey Him.

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 Brother Etim Ima

Brother Etim, is a member of God's Vineyard Church ministries Loughborough