What Does God Require of You — Leonard Ravenhill

Micah’s Prophecy of the Last Days and the Coming Kingdom

Micah, Micah. He comes right after what? I forgot myself. He comes after Obadiah, who comes after Amos, who comes after what? Habakkuk. Well, anyhow, he's there in the middle of the minor prophets. Chapter 4.

You know, I don't know why, but the schoolmen, as we call them, the schoolmen, the intellectuals of the church, even the godless, they've divided the prophets between the major prophets and the minor prophets.

And Micah is one of the prophets. He was contemporary with a major prophet by the name of Isaiah. In fact, they use language. Whether Micah borrows from Isaiah or Isaiah from Micah, I don't know. That's their business, but I'm glad they wrote it anyhow.

It's good. Micah chapter 4 and verse 1. But in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it.

The situation that Micah is in is a desperately serious one. Now, there are different interpretations of this chapter. Some say, of course, that this is not an end-time revival. It's speaking of the, speaking of the millennium.

This man told some amazing truth. He's a minor prophet with major prophecies. Look at the fifth chapter there. And in verse 2, he says, But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be the ruler of Israel, whose goings forth have been from the ends, from old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up until the time which she, that traveller, hath brought forth. Obviously there he's speaking of the coming of Jesus. Isaiah did the same thing, but this man pinpoints it more deeply.

He gives you the exact place where he's going to be born. Now, it's that same person he speaks of in verse 3 of chapter 4. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. In the last days, going back to verse 1, it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established.

Now, he uses another phrase too. Let's go to verse 6 in the same chapter. In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth. I will give her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted.

And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast off a strong nation. The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth forever. Now, he's talking here again, I'm going back to verse 1 to stress it, in verse 1, in the last days.

What does he mean by the last days? Well, the patriarchal period had passed away, and the Mosaic economy, the time when the Moses was almost fading out. But he talks about the last days. And he's talking about the house of the Lord.

It shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow to it. What does he mean? He's meaning the habitation of God. There's a period when the habitation of God is going to be exalted into the highest place.

And he says two things about it in this verse. One, it shall be established. And the second, it should be exalted. You know, we're always trying to establish the Church of Jesus Christ. There are people now who are hoping a certain man will become president of the United States.

He can't do a thing about it. He may get in, he will not. You can't legislate righteousness. As I've said to you, people won't keep 50 miles an hour on the road. Do you think it's going to be moral just because the government says thou shall not commit adultery?

God said it, they won't obey him. Will they obey the guys in Washington? Of course they won't. But this is going to be established. The house of God is going to be established in a new and a most glorious way.

I think it's right to say that unwise and ambitious men have tried time and time again to establish righteousness. Go back to the fourth century when Constantine, I think that's the greatest tragedy to Christianity.

Until the time of Constantine, it was a very painful thing to be a Christian. It was a perilous thing to be a Christian. You could be snatched at any time and be put into a false labor camp. You could be put into isolation.

And then up came this marvelous man, Constantine. And he made it a state religion. Christianity became a state religion. And from that day began to go downward. There was no persecution. It was easy. He appointed himself to be the chief preacher in the nation.

And he demanded that when he walked into the pulpit, everybody stood and applauded. So that's where it comes. It comes from a heathen. And yet today we're so rampant with these things. The house of the Lord shall be established on the mountains and it shall be exalted.

It's going to be the most attractive thing in the world. God is jealous for his glory. He's going to lift the church out of the mire and out of the clay and out of its rationalism and materialism. And he's going to crown it with glory and honor.

And the kings of the earth, the materialist kings, the captains of industry, the bankers, the people in government, they're going to see the glory of God. There is the mountain and there's Zion on top of the mountain blazing with the glory of God.

Remember later, Jesus said, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. The most attractive thing, if God Almighty is there in Thailand, should be a church where the glory of God is. Where we're attracted.

You don't have to drive young people to go. There should be a majesty that excels. There should be a light that excels. There should be a power that excels. And it won't happen until we get jealous for God.

Not jealous about somebody else's ministry, forget it. I don't care a hell of beans about them. We've got to be jealous for God's glory. It's time to bring him back. It's time for us to prepare the way of the Lord.

Well, anyhow, I'm looking forward to this. I was briefly moved as I read it today. In that day, what day? In the last days. I tell you, the mosaic economy was dying out. The paychecks had already gone.

The Last Days and the Promise of the Holy Spirit

Well, how does it begin in Hebrews chapter 1? Remember, it says in the good King James Version. Anyhow, Hebrews 1, what does it say? What's the first verse? Good. Thank you. I wonder if you're all listening.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days. And that was written 2 ,000 years ago. John on the Isle of Patmos. We say we read the revelation of St. John the Divine.

The Bible doesn't talk about it. It says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, and he passed it on to John. And John says, the things which shall shortly come to pass. Again, that was 2 ,000 years ago.

Well, how near are we to the coming? There's going to be a tremendous awakening one of these days. I don't believe the superstar preacher will be in the picture at all. I believe God's going to fulfill his promise.

If I didn't believe that, I'd want to die myself. He's going to pour out his spirit on all flesh. Sons and daughters will prophesy. Martha's very fond of giving a little book away. What's the name of the black boy?

Sammy Morris. How many of you read the life of Sammy Morris? Great. Little black boy that God appeared to in the night in a camp. He was a son of a chief in India. He's buried in Ohio. What's that place called?

Fort what? Fort Wayne. I went there one day. It was drizzling rain and snow, and I knelt at the side. There's a big old rugged rock there, and it writes his name there. Sammy Morris, a prince in the crude tribe.

He came to this country. He talked with a lady. She was half dumb anyhow. I nearly said what denomination, but you can guess. Some of you belong to it. And she talked to him about Jesus, but one day she mentioned the Holy Spirit.

And he says, who is the Holy Spirit? Oh, I don't really know. But there's a man in New York by the name of Stephen Merritt, and he says, where's New York? She's across the water. He'd never seen water except a stream.

He woke up in the night, and he said the light guided him. He got through the window, if I remember right, of the school, and off he went following that light. And eventually got to the coast. Went on board a ship.

They booted him off. He got back again. He stayed on the boat for, I don't know, about three weeks. One of those short, slow old things that went across the Atlantic in those days with sails. Arrived in New York.

By the time he got to New York, I think it was 23 of the people on the crew had been born again. They booted him like a football. Little black guy. See a good black brother there. Lord, make him another Sammy Morris.

And God began to work. He went to see Stephen Merritt. When he got off the boat, he got into a cabin. He had no money. He went to Stephen Merritt. He had the address. Went to there. Knocked at the door.

Stephen Merritt asked him where he came from. He said Africa. And the fellow said, pay my fare. Well, he had no money, so Stephen Merritt paid it. Then Stephen Merritt, I think the next day, went to a meeting, a big fashionable Presbyterian church to preach.

He put Sammy Morris in a side room with the teenagers. And he thought, oh, they'll enjoy seeing this black boy so different. When he came back, half of them were prostrate on the floor seeking God. And everywhere he went, he had a touch of it.

He died at 21 years of age. But look what he put into that time. You see, he was totally yielded to God. It wasn't a case of take my life and let it be. He burned out for God. It's good to burn out. It's better to last out.

We wear out, that's okay. But let's last out to the end of the line that God wants for you and God wants for me. But you see, God is going to restore his glory. I wonder how much the heart of God aches tonight as he looks down on the church.

Almost imbecile. Almost paralyzed. And there's no hope except he finds channels through which to come. And this man is going to tell us how to get to this state. Go over to chapter 6. Well, let's look at the end of chapter 5 from verse 10.

Here's the condition. It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will cut off thy horses. I will destroy thy chariots. I will cut off the cities. I will cut off the witchcraft. And thy graven images also, verse 13, will I cut off.

And thy standing of images out of the midst of thee. Thou shalt no more worship and work with thine hands. I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury.

Then verse 1 of chapter 6. Hear now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice. Look at verse 4 in the same chapter. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants.

And I saith before thee Moses and Abraham. Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Now we've read verse 4. Let's go back to verse 3. He's asking a question. O my people, what have I done to thee? And wherein have I wearied thee?

Testify against me. What have I done? I delivered. I did you miracle after miracle after miracle. I divided the sea. I rent the heavens and brought down manna. I destroyed your enemies. They sang that great song in the 15th chapter of Exodus there.

The horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea. And this people could have slaughtered. The sea could have been the Red Sea. Could have been red with human blood. But God intercepted. God interfered.

And God says what have I done unto thee? Where have I wearied you? Testify against me. And all this anger is going to be poured out upon them. Verse 3 of the previous chapter. 4 says. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off.

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares. Then he's speaking again of the day that's coming up. A day of glory in verse 4. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree. And none shall make them afraid.

For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. For all the people will walk every one in the name of his God. And we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever. But come down now. In the same chapter.

And he says in verse 9. Now why dost thou cry aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counselor perished? For pangs have taken hold of thee as a woman in travail. But in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion.

And then in verse 3 of the next chapter he says. Therefore will he give them up until the time which he traveleth. She which traveleth hath brought forth. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

What the Lord Requires: Justice, Mercy, and Humility

Now we're going into this sixth chapter again. In verse 6 he says. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? And thou myself before, I think the Hebrew says, the most high God. Shall I come before him with burnt offerings of calves of a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed thee, O man, what is good.

And what doth the Lord require of thee? But to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousand rams? With ten thousand rivers of oil? Well they were allowed to sacrifice lambs.

In the meal offering in the book of Leviticus it says that they took measures, small measures of oil. What we would say a pint or a quart. And they put that same measure on all the burnt offerings. But this man says, he's exaggerating.

Supposing I increase my giving to God to ten thousand rivers of oil. Supposing I give God ten thousand rams. Will the Lord be pleased with this? What does the Lord require of thee? Maybe the most important question to the man in the world is this.

What must I do to be saved? The most important question to the believer is, what does the Lord require of me? David's there, he'll be preaching next Friday night. Then he's going home to New Zealand. You'll do well to get the tape.

He preached a message last Sunday morning. A wonderful message up at what used to be Agape. You were there, some of you nodding your heads. A marvelous message. Saying that when he came to the Lord. You know it grieves me about these altar calls.

They're so sick. And he stressed the fact that for three years, from 15 years of age to 18, he was under conviction of sin. And often trembled. We have three boys. No we haven't, we're three men now. We had three boys.

But do you know what? We never spanked one of them. Never had trouble with any of them. Why? Because we loved them. We gave them attention. People smile when I say, when they were five years of age, I prayed about the girls they would marry.

People think it's stupid. I don't. I think it's wonderful. They've got wonderful wives. But David spoke last Sunday morning about using a figure again. I think it's beautiful. Buying an old automobile.

I don't know whether he actually did it. It's just a figure. He bought an automobile over in New Zealand where he lives. And when he got it home, he washed it, got all the dust off it, took the seats out, vacuumed it, got a stack of dust.

He said, supposing I put it all on the kitchen table and said to his wife, well honey look, this is what we got for $2 ,000. He said, what do you mean? No, he bought the car and he got the junk. Well when the Lord gets me, he gets me.

What do I give him? My lousy sins? His problem was not tobacco, drink, foolishness. I've never been in a movie in my whole life till I came to New York in 1950, 1951. We live in a country, we did at that time, it's backslidden now, where once you were saved, you never went to movies or professional ball clubs or anything, professional games.

We kept the Sabbath holy and we tried to live as righteously as we could. What's wrong with being right anyhow? People say about the Pharisees, oh the Pharisee, well Jesus didn't bless their righteousness, he said accept your righteousness, exceed the righteousness of those.

The thing wrong about them was they boasted it was their righteousness. You find people saying humbly, well of course I'm a Christian, but my righteousness is as filthy rags, well get saved. That's all you have to do.

Except if we're really born again, his righteousness becomes my righteousness. He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he's righteous. It takes all the twist out of me, it takes all the perversion out of me, it takes all the self out of me.

David as a wonderful artist, he doesn't use that anymore, with one or two things he painted. But his job was, he'd already planned a career to have a studio and do graphic arts and other things. And his struggle was not with sin, it was not some terrible vicious sin or vileness, it was this, I can't give Jesus Christ just my lousy sins, he didn't use that terrible word as I do.

I can't just give my sins, I've got to give myself, my will, my heart, my life, my all. And as he stressed, Jesus can't be a saviour without being your Lord. If he's not your Lord, he isn't your saviour.

It's our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He wants sovereign rights, that's the trouble we do, we go our own way many of us, even after we turn everyone to our own way. What does the Lord require of thee?

That's the question. Very often on news in the morning they put a notice there of people needed, they put a mechanic needed, at such and such a wage. We are required to have six months of training or six years.

They put qualifications, what does God require of us? If you go to some groups like Armstrong's you talk about tithing, they have to pay three tithes. 30 of their income has to be divided into three forms of tithing with them, that's a condition of membership.

If you go to the Catholic Church you have to do penance and heaven knows what. And there are conditions. I remember when I went to Bethany Fellowship first in 1950, I was amazed when the students drove up in their cars they were told to take them to the back of the building and jack them all up.

They couldn't use them again for how long David, I don't remember. I don't think they could go shopping in them. You put your car up when you came in October to the back of the building and it stayed there till Easter or whenever you're leaving.

In between the bus went to town if you had to go to shop and come back. It was compulsory to go to the church service there every Sunday morning. There were certain conditions laid down. We've got out of that, we don't like it, it's bondage.

I was thinking the other day you know some of the preachers in the Church of England they have to subscribe to what we call the 39 articles and they have to declare, they have to write out that they believe in the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus, that there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain as they say.

And then afterwards they don't preach it so they brought some of them on the mat and asked them why. You gave your vows with mental reservations they said. I wonder if they made the marriage vows the same way, with mental reservations.

By the way they live a lot in Mustardon. But what does the Lord require of me? He requires first of all, Paul says right into the Corinthians, it is required of us, it is required of a steward that he be found faithful.

It's not optional. We used to sing a hymn in England, part of it says, and round my heart still closely twine those tithes which nought can sever, for I am his and he is mine forever and forever. We're too swift.

I've been in two meetings with David in the last few weeks. The power of God was on both of them. David never makes long altercations. Let's see what God is doing. He said in both meetings somebody came forward.

Straight after that somebody took the meeting over and put pressure on and started saying do this, do that, do the other. And urging young people to come and he said already I don't want, it's not a case of decision here.

It took me three years. We're in such a hurry. We interfere with God. We don't trust the Holy Ghost. I'm seeing this more and more and more. We're working in such a fleshly area. What does the Lord require of me?

Obedience, Worship, and Spiritual Devotion

He requires that I'm obedient to him. Obedience demands faithful, and it's married to faithfulness as far as I'm concerned. And he requires, Jesus says in the fourth of John there, the father seeketh such to worship him.

That's not an option. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. See how often the psalmist says that. Remember the occupation in heaven in eternity is worshiping him. They worship him day and night, the scripture says.

The beasts fall down and worship him. The four and twenty elders fall down the least known thing in America or the world today is knowing how to worship God. Do you know we worship? Worship. We worship, worship.

You can tell a church where they worship, worship. They sing for 50 minutes and have a message from God's word in 10. So they're worshiping, worship. Most of it is soulish. It's not spiritual at all. The scripture says you should worship him in spirit and in truth.

But you know you get up and say well let's clap our hands. Everybody's shouting. They're not even in the spirit yet. They worship, try to worship on the soulish level. I can tell you some churches in Dallas that are famous for worship.

And they've got consumed with worship. And when people are there once or twice they say well I know what this is. They're worshiping worship. It's becoming, it's the object of worship is to reach someone who's worthy of being worshipped.

But they're content with the emotion and just expression and release. And God demands that we worship him in spirit and in truth. You know when I see these people shouting and clapping their hands, I wonder do you do that at home in the closet?

They do it here to show off. Have you two standards? Are you so expressive? Are you so overflowing? Are you so joyous in his presence when there's no spectators? Do you pour out your love, your adoration, until the very angels feel I'd like to express God as that man does?

There's a song that says angels never felt the joy that our salvation brings. They'd never be redeemed. But it's true that those who love much are being saved from much love much. You see many of us were never in the filth and the mire.

But Lord when you turn around and see him for who he is and for what he is, not just what he gives. He's not just a utility God to meet my need. He's there desiring that oh my whole being. There's a hymn that says fill thou my life oh Lord my God in every part with praise that all my being may proclaim thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone nor in a praising heart I ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part. Praise in the common things of life, its goings out and in. Praise in each duty and each deed however small and mean.

So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free, but my whole life in every step be fellowship with thee. Another thing that the Lord demands of us of course is sacrifice. There is no true love without sacrifice.

And it's easy to sing love so amazing so divine demands my soul my life my all. But it's something entirely different to give it. Like David said he struggled for three years before he could come to that place where I say well Lord I take my hands of everything.

I'm not bargaining if you forgive my sins I'll serve you. It's not that at all. But I'm so loving you and adoring you and see what you mean now. I'm changed from eternal darkness to eternal light from death to life from the power of Satan to God.

Isn't that enough to set us singing? We don't look back. God repeatedly had to say to Israel remember that you were a bondsman in Egypt. Remember the pit from which you've been lifted. We've all got short memories.

We don't get into rapturous delight. As I've said to you so often the entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy. And more and more the people there's more of this entertainment stuff creeping again into the sanctuary.

He says do justly. What does it require of me? He requires obedience. He requires sacrifice. He requires worship. He requires adoration. He requires my will to be married into his will. In that lovely hymn we sing sometimes of Edwin Hatch's breathe on me breath of God.

Fill me with life anew that I may love what thou art. That's submission totally. Being sensitive to the spirit of God. You know there's no way that men are going to make the church of Jesus Christ work.

They've been at it for thousands of years and it doesn't work. There has to be a complete takeover by God himself as that director and master. And it functions only on love and adoration and devotion.

Mercy, Grace, and the Obedient Life

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Proverbs 3 says let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck and write them on the tables of your heart. When David had sinned he'd got murder on one hand and adultery on the other hand.

But when he comes to God he doesn't say pity me. He says have mercy upon me oh God. In his letters first letter to Timothy and the second letter to Timothy. And then in Titus Paul says grace and mercy and truth he binds them all up together.

The excellences of God to be worked out in our life. And it's only when we realize how much I believe mercy is greater than grace. Grace can make me feel joyful that mercy suggests I have a need that somebody has to meet.

I can't get there myself. Come in your mercy. Come in your greatness. Come in your fullness. I have a dire need in here. Nothing on this earth can satisfy it except God. As Augustine said he made us for ourselves for himself.

And only when we are really given over to him do we delight him. As I see it I believe our will is our altar. My will I have to get down and submit it. My career or my reputation may be my sacrifice. And remember the fire does not fall on the altar.

The fire falls on the sacrifice. When when Noah obeyed God and that's a tremendous thing. I'm afraid I'm glad over that too easily. But for a hundred and twenty years he withstood the mocking and scourging and laughing of the people.

And they built him when he built his ark. He went into the ark and remember God shut the door and he kept him waiting seven days before he spoke. Moses climbed up the mountain there in the blinding in the darkness to see the blinding glory of God.

He was there six days before God spoke to him. We want things done in such a hurry and God is never in a hurry. Love is never in a hurry. It's just a case of waiting God's time. His timetable. Moses could have pardon me Noah could have stayed in the ark talking and singing and praying.

But he had to do something about it. And it wasn't until he came out of the ark that he made a sacrifice. Immediately was costly because already had a limited amount of material to work on. But it was there where he offered his sacrifice to God and it's there he worshiped him.

If I'd been Abraham going up the hill and saying to my servants you stay here. I'm taking my boy up there. You see you see where that big rock is? We're going to build an altar at the side of it. And I'm going to sacrifice my boy.

He doesn't say that. Remember he's left the family. He's come up the hill. He's no escalator. He gets his body up the hill. Moses climbed the hill at 80. He must have been pretty fit. But Abraham goes up there.

He doesn't say I'm going to sacrifice. He said I'm going to worship. I'm going to worship. Worship demands my best. I can't give God my spare time. I can't say at the end of the day well you understand Lord.

I'm very... I had a friend who always used to say well the dear Lord understands. Yes he does better than we think. He knows when you're giving him just a fag end of things. But he goes up. What do you think he felt like going up that hill?

Do you think the devil tormented him? This is your only son. If God had said to him take Ishmael he would have said Lord Lord take him gladly. Instead of that he says oh God let Ishmael live before thee.

God didn't... God... he goes up the mountain and takes his son. I can imagine him saying to the boy get hold of that rock there. That slab. Let's lift it here. Lift another. And they build an altar. You know it's not not difficult for me to build an altar for you to be sacrificed on.

The difficulty is in building an altar for me to be sacrificed on. And yet there he is. And he must have been a very delightful fellow. We figured he was about 18 or 19 years of age at the most. Do you know any 19 year old that would let his daddy bind him with a knife in his hand?

It would have slugged him. It would have kicked him or done something and said what are you doing? Instead of that he's perfect in submission. He's like the lamb that's led to the slaughter. And there he is.

Abraham doesn't say I'm going to sacrifice. I'm going to worship. I'm giving God my very best. But God didn't take him. You say well why didn't God take him? Because he didn't want him. What did he want?

He wanted Abraham. He wanted to see if Abraham loved his son more than he loved the will of God. God never asked him. He wasn't going to cause his son to be sacrificed. These people say what shall we do?

Here let me go back here a minute. In the sixth chapter in verse seven. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? You remember they'd let their children pass through in the valley of Hinnom, one of the tribes that take their children and sacrifice them to Moloch. And he says shall I do this?

Shall I give my firstborn for the sin of my soul? You know we'll do anything except what God wants. We'll do anything. We won't fast. We won't pray. We'll build him a nice thing. We'll give a bit more of our money tithing.

We'll read a bit more of our bibles. But that's not what God is asking. He's asking something vastly deeper than that. And it's difficult. First of all the difficulty is to do the will of God. And the more to know the will of God, pardon me, the second thing is to to do it.

Knowing the will of God brings me peace. Doing the will of God brings me warfare usually. All the families upset. What are you going to do? You can't do that. You can't do that. A young man called me the other day from Tyler.

Mr. Raymond I called you a couple of months ago. He lives somewhere up, way up on the east coast there. And he said you said you'd see me. So I said all right. It's quarter to nine. I go to bed at nine usually.

I get up early. Oh well he said uh my wife and I have driven for 21 hours non-stop kind of thing. And I want to see you. Oh I said well come. And he came and stayed maybe 45 minutes. He said before I come I want to tell you something.