By Marjorie Carter
This is a story about the importance of being obedient to God and how disobeying God can lead to a lot of wasted years, heartache, pain and suffering not just for the one being disobedient but for those around you. It has a ripple effect.

It is a true story which will not include any reference to any specific person, family, nor any geographical region of the world for obvious reasons, as it could embarrass some people and that is not the intention.

Many of you reading this may be able to relate to it in some parts of someone you know, knew or it could be you, yourself, who need to read this and make those changes to your life.

The story is intended to show how far from God we can stray, how the mind becomes seared. How our concept of God is totally distorted when we go back out into the world and start thinking our way and say, “I don't need to listen to God.” This is not about those who have never heard God’s voice, or someone who knows nothing about God. This is about deliberate disobedience.

Deuteronomy chapter 28 talks about the blessings:
 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.
 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God: Deuteronomy 28:1-2  

The reference to blessings is extensive, continuing to verse 13 (Deuteronomy 28:1-13).
Verse 15 says if we don't obey the voice of God all the curses which follow. That is something of a read.

If you are reading this story and later feel convicted that the Holy Spirit is talking to you, then it is time to make a greater effort and change, or the Holy Spirit is talking to you to go and talk to the person who is totally walking opposite to God’s direction. 

Then get into prayer and be sure the Holy Spirit gives you guidance on how to go about it.

This story is not about condemnation, it is about bringing everyone into perfect peace with God.

Bringing them back, showing them the road home. Sadly many don't make it.

Jesus wishes that none should perish.

Many say they don't want your advice, even if you say it is from God.

A warning sign on the road is sometimes ignored. Even if barriers are across the road people will drive around them and say, “I am going on through anyway.” 

Ignoring road signs of such has cost many their life, during flood waters, landslides, ice, bridge is out, etc. ignoring danger signs.

The same is true when people ignore God’s road signs so to speak, refuse to listen to His voice.

We can all miss it from time to time, but we get back on track and thank God it was not a total disaster for us.

But this story is about someone who totally refused to listen and caused much heartache for those around them.

As I said in the beginning no reference will be given in this story, not even to their gender, but just the words child and person, will be used.

This child was born to a couple who believed in God but were not church goers so therefore not born again. As the years passed they moved house and made the decision to attend a church nearby where they took on salvation. One parent became ill and soon after passed away.

This child was born again at a young age and wanted to become a missionary knowing that God had called them and was progressing very well until in their teens, then disobedience reigned.

This is crucial. Many teens seem to get in with the wrong group and get sidetracked and become disobedient to parents and authority, grades at school suffer and the attitude of doing it their way reigns supreme. Being expelled can be threatened by the school in the hope of them changing.

At home this person was breaking and smashing things.

The other parent remarried someone that God had chosen. It was God’s plan for all of them to be in ministry together. Schools and locations were changed in the hope that the influences would be changed. The person did not want to change but to do as they wanted no matter where they where, even to drop out of society, leave home and live the life they wanted.

God said, “Let the child go, they are just old enough to go and see how long they last.”

It wasn't long before the person returned promising to change and live a proper life. Opportunities came for apprenticeships which were considered but later rejected. 

This person left again and was not seen for a very long time till they were in trouble wanting help and salvation. 

Hope was gained and the parents thought great this person has finally realised that they can't keep up that kind of lifestyle. Now we can all get on with this ministry together as a family.

Unfortunately the person rebelled again some time after they came back. Their problems were gone now, God was forgotten. They left and went back to the old bad lifestyle.

This coming and going continued for many years, sometimes it was good they stayed and attended church on a regular basis, even helped a bit.

It was great progress but unfortunately this person wasn't truly saved. You see it was just a ploy, a bandaid and once the ouch was over they went their merry way again.

God wanted them to fully commit but they were sitting on the fence, often in trouble in minor ways with authority. It was many months before they would hear the cry for help again and that continued on and off throughout their teens and into their twenties.

Later they wanted to come back again and this time because they were getter older. It was a concern that they wanted someone in life to marry and did not want to be alone. Sounds like a good reason to come back to God and pray for your God given person. 

That went well for some time until the rebellion came back and they decided that it would be easier to find the right one by themselves, don't need God for that. 

God gives everyone free will, but still gives you a clue if you are looking in the right place, with the right one etc.

So off they went again. This did not work out very well at all and the relationship failed. This brought the person much heartache for a while and brought them back to God again, promising to do it God’s way this time.

But after a few years as time passed the heartache healed and still no one right came along.

You know we can all grow weary in waiting and waiting and waiting.  

This person had had enough of waiting for God and off they went again despite knowing this was not of God.

Friends when you are not truly saved and living life God’s way you will last a time or season and go off in your own direction. The mind becomes seared to the things of God.

This person drifted away from God again and again many times in their life. No stability. 

This time they drifted so far away from God that church, bible study, ministry and everything were gone.

Over the years God said to the parents that they were to pray for this person. 

He said, “I give everyone every possible chance to change and fully commit, turn from their old ways and follow Me.” Keep praying for them and keep up contact.

Over the many years this person missed many opportunities that God brought across their path, but they refused to listen to God and change. Missing huge events that they could have been a part of but never knew about because their minds were closed off completely.

You know when someone is rebellious and they don't want what God wants it can cause all sorts of problems.

God knows each persons life and his warnings to us is not so as to spoil our fun in life, but like any good father He wants only the best for us. He knows our likes and dislikes, who will care about us, who is the right person for us to be with and who to stay away from and what will harm us.

Psalm 91 is our psalm of protection and many in the military pray that psalm before going into battle. Our angels are real and will protect us, but God will at times show us another road to go down, or don't go out today. Wait a while before departing. Ignore those prompts from the Lord and you could be involved in something you don't need to be involved in, or you could be killed.

We cause our own pain and suffering many times when we chose to go our own way and when we want then we also cause much pain and suffering for those around us as well.

We often hang onto what God says to let go of and instead will embrace and even run to and side with those whom God has taken out of our lives and out of the lives of those we should be with.

We can walk away from, ignore, switch off to God’s voice and become a traitor and back stabber to the very ones God has brought into our life. Those whom God has chosen to be there in our life, the very people who will stand with us, care about us, pray with us, protect us, be loyal, honest and honourable.

If we hang onto to the wrong people in our life that also will help to sear our minds. You actually put the ones around you in danger by hanging around with the wrong crowd.

This is fence sitting my friend and that is a dangerous place to be. This person thought they could be a fence sitter having a foot in either camp. 

You can be used by the enemy to unwittingly divulge things to someone and not realise how much danger you put others in. 

If God says to stay away from someone, don't trust them, or walk away from them, don’t question it to the point that you don't see anything wrong with it and ignore it. The mind is slowly seared.

God knows and He is warning you for a good reason. 

The other thing to consider is that God may in the end tell those you are supposed to be with, not to trust you, walk away from you, don't contact you anymore.

This person found that to be the case after many years of disobeying God. 

God said to the parents,” Move on and don't say a word to this person. Go and don't trust them. They are traitor and a back stabber.” 

The parents obeyed and left.

That is a harsh reality my friend for anyone to face, it is tough, sad and very heartbreaking for any parent but especially for ones who had been told that this person was to be in ministry with them. 

Sadly not to be. This person finally said they would totally pursue their own life and their path in life and did not want what God wants and did not think others would think well of them if they hang around with parents. Others, who were the perceived others? Sadly it was only perception.

They had a relationship with someone now, that despite everything and knowing that the person was not the right one to be with, they would pursue that person no matter what. Sadly in the end that did not workout for them either.

It is still open and God is still saying pray for this person because He wants this person to leave all the past behind them. All means all and come into the fullness of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be truly saved and let go of everything and everyone that has held them captive to this world.

He is still waiting for this person to commit and listen to Him. For their mind to come back to God.

God my dear friend is patient, full of grace and mercy and gives each one of us every possible chance to come to Him, turn away from those who would draw you away from Him, fulfil the assignment He gave you to fulfil on this earth whatever that assignment may be, listen and obey.

Find out what He wants and as you do His will in your life it will turn out far, far, far, better than your own efforts and also you won't go through what this person has gone through.

God wanted this written so that those of you out there who are not hearing fully will hear fully and obey. Listen to those who come and say, “I have a word from God for you today.” Don't ignore them, listen this could be your last opportunity to get back to where God wants you.

It is important that we obey God as those people did. God will always reward your obedience. If God says walk away, leave them alone, do so.

“If they won't work with you, let them go” were the words a pastor in Chicago said, a couple of years ago. 

That is not easy but life maybe a whole lot harder if we don't let them go.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

If you are in ministry of some kind and someone is supposed to be with you, but won't commit, won't listen to God and instead are still living in the world and living like the unsaved, it is likely they are not truly saved.

Continually telling others your private business, disclosing matters not yet fully formulated, “letting the cat out of the bag” so to speak. My friend these folks are traitors and back stabbers.

Be aware of who you trust, who you put in charge.

What you portray could all vanish. Your mission for God could be twisted by one you trusted.

If it is a relative of some sort or even friend, someone you employed. Listen to God and know when to let go of them or stop sharing what God is saying for your future and ministry with them.

You don't want the enemy having the upper hand in your ministry.

If you are working for someone in ministry, be honourable and loyal. What you hear in confidence my friend keep it that way. Support them and don't undermine them.

Repent of any transgressions, ask for forgiveness, bottom line my dear friends are you truly saved. Examine yourself if you are not certain, it is too important to miss out.

We are living in the last hours, even if we have a few more years yet, one day with God is as a thousand years to us.

O.K. friend, take a moment and think and ask the Holy Spirit if you are a fence sitter and want to keep up with everyone regardless of their opinions. Are you hurting others in your attitude?

Yes so true you must forgive and forget others sins and then get on with it. That is important first.

But here we are talking about people who you know are not to be trusted in anyway.

You know their situation yet you still have fellowship with them. 

It is possible you could end up being very hurt yourself by still keeping in touch them. They knowing you are with such and such, then you can also be the butt of their jokes and they are just using you in the hope of damaging such and such. You may not fully understand why you must leave some people alone.

Keeping in touch with everyone and being nice and friendly and sharing everything sounds wonderful in a warm and fuzzy way. 

But dear friend even Jesus only shared with His disciples. He explained the meaning of the parables to them after He had spoken to the multitudes.

When you know things must end. A relationship no matter how good it once was in the beginning or you thought it was, if God says, it was never meant to be, or it is now time you let them go, then dear friend, let it go. Don't question God

If a friendship or relationship is sucking the very life out of you, pulling you in the opposite direction to where God is leading you, it will only hurt you deeply and if you don't guard it, bring in a bitterness into your life. You then end up treating everyone who comes into your life with disdain.

Men saying, all women are …. Whatever it was you experienced.

Women saying, all men are …. Whatever it was you experienced.

If someone is mistreating you, putting you down, laughing at you, being disrespectful to you, telling lies about you, forgive and forget, walk away from bad relationships. You may not even know that they don't really want you around or that they are making fun of you behind your back.

If God is saying to you dear child walk away, let go. They are not listening; they are not with you; let Me deal with them.

God will bring into your life the right people. Let go of the ones who won't work with you only against you and allow God to heal you. 

It maybe gradual but rest in Him. Allow His arms around you, His voice to fill your heart and be patient and await the right people who won't betray you and stab you in the back, use you and then pretend to be nice to your face, but something is wrong.

So what if they won't ever repent to you, you forgive them and you move on my dear friend. It is not worth your while to keep in touch with those God removes from your life.

Hopefully before it is too late for their sakes they repent. That is not your concern now.

Wish them well in all of their life’s endeavours. Tell them where they transgressed if that is possible and above all, forgive them and then my friend - do get on with your God given assignment.

It’s God business what happens with those he tells you to let go of. Let God deal with them.

As did the parents of the person in this story.

Once the ship has sailed it is gone from the shore. Pray for the person in this story - they need salvation and so do all that fit the description or part there of, of the person in this story.

Read the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Once the door was closed it was not to be reopened. Study it carefully and endeavour to be the watchman who gave the call. Be awake, stay pure and be holy as Jesus is holy. Keeping the oil in your lamps and vessels. Oil = Holy Spirit.

Another scripture to read is 2 Peter 3:1- 17. I suggest you read all of chapters 2 and 3.

My friends, if you are not saved yet please visit the Salvation Pages on our web site. Pray that prayer. Don't just say the words but consider what you are doing for yourself, are those words from your heart, do you really believe? When you are sure of that then make your commitment and don't turn away from God once you make it.

If you said a similar prayer many years ago as a child or teenager then you walked away back into the world and lived your life as you pleased, dear friend please don't think you are saved as such. Thinking you will repent just before the rapture or just before you die then you are putting it off. We don't know the day, nor hour when the rapture will occur nor the day we die.

Now is the day of salvation, consider it my dear friends. Some day we will all meet in heaven.

For some reason the Holy Spirit drew you to read this far. May your life and those you effect have a happy ending.