Obedience & Responsibility

It might seem juvinile to define these two but let's start with that.
Obedience is doing something you are told.
Responsibility is doing something you have chosen or have been chosen to do.

Let's start off with an example, you own a dog, you are responisble to feed and walk him.
AND
When your a kid, your dad tells you to feed and walk the dog when you get home from school, do you choose to obey or not?

Both examples have consequences for good or bad.
Both are tied to something more significant then the task at hand.
Both have higher long term rewards when followed. But one is a personal reward and one is a reward given by the commander.
They are so closely related you can hardly distinguish the two, except one comes with a form of disobedience and one with personal preference.

Romans 4:4
Now when a man works, his wages are NOT credited to him as a gift, but as an OBLIGATION. 5. However, to the man who does Not work but Trusts God, his faith is credited as righteousness.

How do we as Christians view the Christian walk.... Do we view it as a walk of Responsibility or Obedience? Let me me put it this way, If you have the option to witness to a none believer...is it Responsibility or Obedience? Do we get to choose how we live or has it been told to us in a certain sense? Are we living to our fullest potential in Christ or are we moving at the pace we feel comfortable with? When we see another person in need do we stop to help? When we see a homeless person do we stop and speak life into them?

I was confronted with a lot of friends recently that are struggling with Obedience & Fasting. I wanted to encourage (in a Frank kind of a way) as best as I could. If you are reading this, and God has told you to do something recently, and you are hesitating to do it... Just do it! Don't wait, don't argue, just do it! God is preparing His people for something Big and He wants us ready for it. How can we be ready if we are not Obedient?

As a father I request my children to be obedient under my care. Why? For their protection, for their guidance, for their welfare. Under no circumstance does it involve them being slaves. (Do What I Say) I Love them. If I Love them, then I care for them. Our walk with God is very similar as we trust God and Obey His leading.

I want to say I hate fasting! I LOVE FOOD! But when God tells me to do something, It's for my own good. If that is fasting, so be it. If it is something else, so be it. He requests it for a reason. I'll find out some day what for, maybe not right away. But I will.

I recently have be-friended a homeless man. As I got to know him by spending a lot of time with him, I learned about his addictions. I learned that his alcohol and cigarettes had control over him. I learned he was not willing to give them up. He was comfortable in his own sin. I noticed several other Christian friends were comfortable in their sin as well. This fell in the part with Obedience. Biblically we should not be involved with anything that has control over us. (Addictions) I have a found a lot of Christian friends that God has told to go on a fast or to do something and they chose not to. WHY? If God has told you to go on a fast, do you not think that He has a bigger plan for you wether that is long term or short. With Obedience comes Responsibility to follow out the command. We will find the rewards are greater if we obey quicker then if we hesitate. Maybe God is preparing His people! A time of fasting is a time in closeness with God and a time depriving the body of a desire (food & sex). Is that biblical, yes (1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.) It is clear that the physical body needs time off so the Spirit can be renewed, readjusted, put back into control of the body so that satin does not dominate. This verse sounds like a command (instruction) with a reward if followed.

What happens when we Obey God? (Luke 19:17 "Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities. Matthew 25:21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!') Obedience is rewarded. Wether it is rewarded by something we notice (physical realm) or not (supernatural realm) we must continue to be ready and willing to be obedient.

As we go deeper with this we find Obedience to be a stronger bond between us and God. For if we continue to be obedient, we are asked more of. And if we are asked more of, we receive more blessings to do more things. Deeper blessings means Deeper intimacy. But with knowing comes consequences. (Luke 12:47-48 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.) We find through this passage we have Responsibility through Obedience. This passage shows us the positive and negative effects of obedience vs disobedience.

Nowhere in the New Testament does it tell us to fast. I think it is more implied as a guide. What is it about fasting that so many struggle with it? First of all I am talking about a biblical food & sex fast, not a TV or video game fast. Fasting allows our Body to be submissive to the Spirit. We live in a physical world where the Body dominates day to day. So much so that the Body usually controls the Spirit side of things when we are confronted with issues daily. Let me show you an example... When you are on an ocean of water and Jesus tells you to walk on it, what would you think right away? WHAT?...Is that really you Jesus? Or would you just jump? We are dominated by our five senses. Fasting helps us to organize our Body -> Soul -> Spirit - to - Spirit -> Soul -> Body. So when God tells you to fast, He has a reason. Do it. He may be getting you ready for something He knows is coming soon. Making you stronger and obedient.

How long should you fast? Ask God! God has usually told me when and how long each time. Fasting to me has always been a personal time with God. He's either put it on my heart or told me to fast. Usually the latter.

Prayer is an important role mixed with fasting. This is your intimate time with God. Your special time to seek Him. Ask Him why He wanted you to go on that fast if you want? What you should be praying for specifically? Connect to His heart. Build your deeper relationship with Him. "When I am weak, He is strong." (Can we use this verse here? Sure, why not.) Fasting and prayer breaks walls in the Spiritual realm we can not sense with our physical senses. (Jesus said about a boy needing healing, this kind can only come out through prayer & fasting.) That implies there is a Spiritual realm that needs to be tapped into to receive a breakthrough from Heaven to Earth.

When God tells you to do something, do not hesitate. Hesitation often leads to a loss of a reward (anointing). My father went to a healing service a few years back to get his back healed, the preacher had a word of knowledge for someone in the audience to come forward with a back problem. My dad did not go, he was a little afraid, instead he waited until the end and went up after to get prayed for. The anointing was taken away by then and he did not receive his healing. I believe God wanted glory in front of everyone and allowing my dad to be a spectical to show others what He could do. (I don't want to go into "healing" why it didn't work-there was a reason for it, and I know the answer) When God tells you to do something, do it, do it quickly. Some of you have the ability to ask for specific direction in your conversation with God. Praise God, if that's your way of talking to God, go for it. I don't have that luxury! I simply follow His direction.

Why be obedient? Why not just hang 10 and go with the flow? I don't want to burden myself with no food... I'll starve! I hate fasting! Wow! That sounds like an adiction. Spirit first, then Physical. Are your rewards greater then your losses? You may not see your rewards all the time, but I guarantee you they are there. Be Strong! Seek Him! Preserver! Be Obedient!

Remember, God desires Obedience over Repentance (sacrifice).

In All things Praise God! Renew Your mind daily-