II Chronicles 7:14 – If my people............Many times people today say that we're living in the last days, therefore there is no need to do anything.

But Isaiah said these words about 50 years before Israel went into Assyrian bondage, and 160 years before Judah went into Babylonian captivity.

There was still time to turn the nation around, if they would do what God told them to do.

This is true of our nation, state, and community, and church today.

It's not too late as long as we are alive, and the judgment of God hasn't fallen.

Jeremiah 18:1-10 – God told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house, who made vessels as he wanted to.

If we want to be cursed of God, let us do nothing, but if we want the blessings of God, let us repent, and God will turn away from His wrath to blessing us.

It is important to note that this passage was written in 605 B.C.

This is only 1 year before Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem captive.

Even though there was only one year left, God would still turn from the evil He intended to do to Israel, if only they would repent.

Point # 1 – God will change His mind toward doing evil if a people will repent and turn from their wickedness.

Example: Jonah 3:10 – This is what happened to Ninevah. Jonah finally preached to them, they repented of their sins, and God "changed his mind" about destroying them.

Their destruction did come, however. But it came later because they turned away from God to their old sins.

Point # 2 – God will change His mind toward doing good if a people stops obeying Him and starts rebelling against Him.

Solomon – I Chronicles 28:9, 10 – David told Solomon that if he sought the face of God, he will find him, but if he turned away from him, God would cast him off forever. The outcome of Solomon's reign is that he turned away from the judgments of God against him, and God divided his kingdom, keeping Judah for David's sake.

Jeroboam – I Kings 11:38,39 – Notice the word "if". This is a conditional promise given to Jeroboam. See in verse 40 how Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam? Solomon is fighting God's will. This is the end of Solomon's kingdom. Jeroboam received the promise of God that God would build a great nation of the 10 northern tribes and Jeroboam and his descendants would be over it. But in 12:26, Jeroboam forgot the promises of God and tried to keep the kingdom by his strength. God took care of that in chapter 13.

Jehu – II Kings 10:30 – God said He would give Jehu a kingdom in Israel, but Jehu forsook God's promise and did as he pleased. So God took care of Jehu and his kingdom.

God will supply for those people that trust in Him to do it.

Under Elisha: (For a more detailed explanation of this section, see faith\walking.doc.)

II Kings 3:16 – There was no water for the army until the ditches were dug.

There was a lot of hard work in digging all these ditches.

The amount of water Israel received, and the amount of "blood" the Syrians saw is in direct relationship to the work of digging ditches done of Israel.

There was no mention of when the ditches should be dug, only that they should be dug.

II Kings 4:3 – There was no oil for the widow woman until the vessels were gathered.

The measure of this woman's wealth is in direct proportion to the number of vessels she gathered.

There was only a certain "window of opportunity" for collecting vessels.

She could only pour the oil into the borrowed vessels in her own house, not in the house of those she borrowed from. The miracle was for her prosperity (to answer her prayers) not for the prosperity of her neighbors (they didn’t need, therefore, they didn’t ask.)

Once she shut the door, she could not open the door to go out the door, get more vessels and continue pouring.

II Kings 5:10 – There was no healing for Naaman until he dipped seven times.

Matt. 12:10-13 – Jesus asked the man with the withered hand to stretch it forth (a thing he could not do). He obeyed and was healed. There is no salvation until repentance.

II Kings 13:14-19 – The story of King Jehoash and how God blessed him through Elisha with defeating the armies of Syria.

Note: the measure of our victories in Jesus Christ is often equal to the understanding we have of spiritual things and how they relate to physical things.

If King Joash had understood what he was doing, he would probably beaten the arrows against the ground until the arrows were completely destroyed.

Instead he hit them against the ground three times, there, the Assyrians were defeated three times.

II Peter 1:10 – The exact same thing is still true for us today.

If we do these things, we shall never fail.

This is a great promise of God to us.

Do we believe this promise?

Or do we take matters into our own hands?

To get the entire thought read II Peter 1:5-11.

Some examples of God's conditional promises.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

We raise our children based on the promises of God, not on what our children are doing when they are young.

Do not fool yourself.

Raise you children, do not just let them grow up.

Learn and live the Word of God, so you can teach your children the word of God.

Mark 10:28-31 – All of those that have left all for the name of Christ shall receive 100 fold more in this time; houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come everlasting life.

Brother Hall was pastoring Zoar Baptist Church when the Lord called him to be a missionary.

He didn't have the money to do any traveling, but suddenly God provided the means and he became a world traveler.

Isaiah 55:11 – God's word will not return void, but will accomplish that which He desires.

Psalms 126:6 – He that goeth forth weeping, shall return, bringing his sheaves with him.

A real believer will go before he sees any results.

The results come after we obey, not before.

Conclusion............Let us not be discouraged by those that say we can't do anything because we are living in the last days.

Let us take God at His word and follow His great and exceeding precious promises until they come true for us.

May we pray that God will give us grace to stand true to Him forever.