When Obedience isn't

I have a friend who has on more than one occasion said to the Lord, "Before you ask me, the answer is yes". His intention is to be instantly obedient in all things.

Mostly he is.

Mostly I am.

YET, if you look at what the Lord asks us to do, are we? Keith Green used to wrestle with this. The lyrics of the song "To Obey is Better than Sacrifice" paint a picture of compromise today.

To obey is better than sacrifice
I don't need your money
I want your life
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon
But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat
And I can't help weeping of how it will be
If you keep on ignoring My words
Well you pray to prosper and succeed
But your flesh is something I just can't feed

If the Lord asked you to eat Dung or at least food roasted over dung, if he asked you to walk around naked for a year, or lay on one side for a year, or remain stoic a the death of a spouse.

Obey?

If the Lord sent you to people you hate, despise, would you go, or let them rot in hell?

Obey?

If the Lord asked you to Bark like a Dog, howl like a Lion, Crow like a Chicken in a worship service, would you? Some did...and it caused problems.

Obey?

If the Lord commanded you to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and even declared in a near mandate that you should speak in tongues?

Obey?

I bring this up because it happened to people in the Bible, in revival and in the case of tounges to all people. I have presented this question to good Christian men and they have said, "My God would NEVER ask me to crow like a Rooster in Church, or Bark like a Dog". They are sincere and in a sad way are right. THIER GOD, not the God of the Universe, Won't ask them to do this. They have enthroned man above God.. another God, obeying the mandate of MAN, not GOD. So their God as demonstrated in a fear of Man is the opposite of the Pattern of God who says I am no respecter of persons.

The only thing standing between you and total obedience is your pride, your fear of man and your traditions.

Other Gods.

The word of the Lord:

Thou Shalt have NO other Gods before me for I am a Jealous God.

To Obey is Better than Sacrifice