Several years ago I received a notice in the mail that I had won $400.00 to be given to me by a business in Dallas, Texas, about 100 miles from where I live. The notice stated that “Your name is already on the money” and that it was at a particular location and was “waiting for me.” I was to call a Dallas number about when I could pick up the award. Having been “around the block” a few times I knew what was going on so I decided to have a little fun with the situation. I called the number and a woman answered. I explained who I was and that I had received the notice, etc. I then suggested that, because they obviously had my name and address, they could save me a trip by sending me the money which, according to the message, was “waiting for me” and had “my name on it.” The lady patiently explained that there was more to the promise than simply receiving the money. To receive “my money” which was “waiting for me” and had “my name on it” I would need to do certain things. I would need to 1) come to the place where the money awaited me, 2) at a specific date and time, 3) present proof of my identification, 4) be accompanied by my wife, 5) listen to a presentation concerning buying a condo and 6) tour the properties for sale. ONLY AFTER DOING THOSE THINGS would I receive “my money” which had “my name on it,” etc. I then told her the truth about my call. She realized that I understood the commercial lure and, being a kind soul, she was not angry. She knew that I knew there are always conditions that must be met in order for a business transaction to take place.

To the surprise, and sometimes anger of the church masses, the same rule holds true in the spiritual world relative to the promises of God found in the Holy Scriptures. For example, though salvation is a “free gift” from God (Rom. 6:23), BELIEVERS MUST QUALIFY TO RECEIVE THE GIFT. To qualify for eternal life WITH Jesus in the next life, one must live LIKE Him in this life (1 Jn. 2:6/ Jn. 8:31). We do this BY OBEYING THE FATHER’S LAW AS HE DID AND THEREBY QUALIFIED TO JOIN HIM UPON HIS RESURRECTION (Jn. 15:10). Jesus of Nazareth was a man like all other men. He had to qualify for salvation like any other man. If He had sinned, God would have had to spend eternity alone for no man could have been saved, including Jesus Himself for God is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). Recall that Jesus had to learn the difference between good and evil and learn to choose the good and reject the evil (Isa. 7:14-17). Even the Son of God had to qualify to become the Savior of mankind. Therefore, we must qualify to inherit the promises of God.

For proof of the above statement, turn to Deuteronomy 28 and read the first 14 verses. Then read the rest of the chapter. This book was written by Moses to God’s Israelite people anciently. Its message also applies to “the Israel of God” today–His true church (Gal. 6:16). Recall that the New Testament Church was founded upon the teachings of BOTH the prophets and the apostles (Eph. 2:20), and that the Old Testament Scriptures–all of which were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16,17)–were preserved to be used to instruct the New Testament Church at the end of the age–today–(1 Cor. 10:11). Also recall that the Apostles taught the early church from the Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 17:10-12). The New Testament would not come into being until approximately 40 years later after all of the apostles but John had been martyred. Now let us turn to the focal chapter.

In the 14 verses comprising the positive aspect of the Lord’s Rules of Engagement He uses the word “IF” four times when telling His people anciently and today what they must do in order to receive the blessings He promises. He makes it abundantly clear that in order to receive those promises one must obey the “IF” caveats (conditions, stipulations). Read the series on the word “IF” using the word as the key. In the focal passage one will notice that the “IF” word precedes a list of ways in which the Lord will bless His faithful, obedient followers. The following is a list of what THE ALMIGHTY WILL DO FOR THOSE WHO SATISFY HIS STATED CONDITIONS.

He will set them high above all other nations and will bless them in the following ways: He will bless their cities, their fields, their offspring and the offspring of their animals. They will be blessed with storehouses filled with good things. He will bless everything they undertake to do. They will have victory over their (physical and spiritual) enemies. Their land will be fertile and productive. They will be a holy people unto the Lord and will be a witness to the world. All nations will fear them. They will prosper in goods, children, livestock and crops. He promises to open up His good treasure to them. They will receive rain in due season. He will bless the work of their hands. They will lend and not borrow. They will be the head and not the tail. They will be above all others and not beneath them. Notice that preceding each group of promised blessings is the caveat “IF.” This explains why the vast majority of church prayers are not answered–everyone wants the promises but refuse to meet the conditions. Both promises and conditions are given by the same God, yet church people only believe the “get” promises while universally rejecting the “give” requirements. The “headlines” listed above are well-known throughout the Institutional Church. The “fine print” requirements listed below are unknown. Leviticus 26 presents the same message.

The “IF” stipulations (“fine print”) are ignored by the church masses because church people are taught that there are only a few conditions to receiving God’s blessings. Basically, they are taught that all they need to do is to believe in Jesus, take Him as their Savior, attend church occasionally, tithe and repent of their inevitable sins. They are told by their false prophets God’s supposed command for righteousness, holiness, etc. is nothing more than legalistic nonsense that was nailed to the cross of Christ and therefore have no place in the New Testament Church. For that reason, verses 15 through 68 are never mentioned in church. But we will mention them in the following paragraphs because the same God Who spoke the first 14 verses also spoke the following 54 verses.

The church’s false prophets, having made themselves “ministers of righteousness,” preach the gospel concocted by their god–the “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). By ignoring the final 54 verses they fail to inform their congregants about the curses they bring on themselves by not fulfilling the Lord’s “IF” commands. These curses tell us WHAT HE WILL DO TO THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY HIM. The following is a summarization of the curses God promises to pour out upon those who refuse to obey His Law of love and life. THE PROMISES AND THE CURSES ARE SPOKEN BY THE SAME GOD TO THOSE WHO CALIM TO BE HIS PEOPLE. WHETHER THEY ARE BLESSED OR CURSED IS THEIR DECISION TO MAKE.

Upon those who refuse to obey Him the Lord promises to send curses on their cities, their fields, their baskets and storehouses. He will curse their children, their corps, their herds and their flocks. They will be cursed when they come in and cursed when they go out. God promises to curse Law-rejectors (“workers of iniquity”–Mat. 7:23) with all manner of mental, physical, financial, etc. problems. He will curse everything they put their hands to do. Strangers will invade their nations and consume what they have worked for. They will be defeated and destroyed. They will flee before their enemies. He will rebuke them before the world by cursing them with plagues, disease, fever and chronic illnesses. He will send armies to defeat them, carry off the survivors and enslave them in their own countries. Their conquers will own their sons and daughters which will be bought and sold like merchandise. Parents will be driven mad as they watch these horrors take place. They will be forced to worship other gods. These former God worshipers will become objects of world-wide ridicule. Before these things take place the heathen will rise above them, become their heads and rule them. They will serve the enemies that God will send against them while suffering famine, thirst, hunger, nakedness and a “lack of everything.” They will eat their own children in the midst of starvation. WHY DID GOD DO THESE TERRIBLE THINGS TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE ANCIENTLY, AND WILL DO THE SAME TO HIS BIBLE-TOTING, SCRIPTURE-QUOTING, CROSS-WEARING, SMILE-WEARING CHURCH PEOPLE TODAY?

He tells us in verse 45 and 47 where He warns those called His people that all of His promised curses will come upon them, that His curses will pursue them and overtake them until they are destroyed because they did not keep the commandments and statutes He gave them. In other words, Israelites of old and their spiritual descendants today (the church) will have followed the instructions of their god–the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) who has convinced them to do the absolute minimum necessary to supposedly stay in good stead with the Biblical God whom they believe they are serving and worshiping. This was the attitude of the five foolish virgins written about in Matthew 25. We must understand that because Jesus gave His all, God commands nothing less of us.

Through me and others like me, God is telling the Catholic/Protestant Religious System that she is not who and what she believes herself to be. Satan has blinded the whole of professing Christendom with darkness so that his unwitting captives cannot see God’s light (Truth, Law). For this reason the Lord issues the command found in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1. Read that command, believe it and obey it if you have not already done so. The ship of church is sinking rapidly. Don’t go down with it. L.J.