Immediate Obedience

√ Stop Dragging Your Feet and Obey God!

IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE is a message of exhortation to Christians--when you sense God telling you to do something, DO IT! Rod notes that the great events in the Bible stem from obedience: "There are no amazing stories in the Bible that don't include immediate obedience."

The author lays a solid groundwork for recognizing the wisdom of God, and deferring to Him: "Many people see Him as more of a Santa Claus than a sovereign King... People think they know better than God." And, "The key to a thrilling life of being sensitive to the voice of God and immediately obeying Him is the firm belief that God's plan for our lives is fundamentally better than anything we can dream up."

This book originates in some self-observations by the author on his life. Although he believed he was a faithful follower, he realized that he 'was responding, but sometimes slowly or even reluctantly." So, Rod embarked on a one-year plan of obeying God without question--as soon as he recognized the leading of God. His plan was to respond instantly when he heard a nudging from God.

The results were so encouraging, that Rod explained his idea to his congregation. He wanted others to try a similar plan--a plan he calls the 90-Day "Challenge." The key is be open to the idea that God may have some wonderful plan--something you've never thought of, something far beyond your dreams: "Just maybe--God is working in, around and through you to accomplish something far begging than you ever imagined... and he wants you to join Him." This book is filled with numerous stories of people who tried this plan, and their encouraging, inspiring results.

The theme of IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE reminds me of the writing of the famous Gaither Band gospel singer, Mark Lowry, who, in his autobiography, suggests planning your whole life around exercising the gifts that God has given you. Similarly, Rod wants believers to fashion their lives around obedience, and see what exciting things God will do in your lives.

The author cautions the reader against being to quick to simply accept a suggestion from someone who says that "God told them" to do something. Rod provides 7 separate checks to use to confirm such suggestions, for example, the person's track record, and of course, whether their suggestion is in accordance with the Bible.

There are barriers to Christians obeying God instantly. One practical obstacle is indebtedness. If you are a slave to debt, your freedom is reduced. Live on less than your income--live cautiously.

In IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE, Pastor Rod Loy has sent a message to the Christian community--how about stop dragging your feet? This is an inspiring book, with a practical, heartfelt exhortation. At the end of each chapter, there are study questions to ponder. Additionally, there are suggestions for using IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE in classes.

√ Excellent book with a challenging, provocative theme. Recommend!

Immediate Obedience is a good introduction to following God. I appreciated the author's description of how he chooses one self-improvement goal for each year, and how this book came out of the year God told him, "Practice obeying Me immediately…" The discussion of how frequently we think we hear from God but then delay responding was a good reminder. This book does not contain much in the way of new ideas for the practice of faith, but I can see it being very helpful to people who are new to Christian faith.

In "Immediate Obedience", Loy gives you practical ways to learn how to listen to God's voice without hesitation when He speaks. He explained things very simply so that anyone, whether a new Christian or someone who has been a Christian for years can understand and apply it to their lives. I love that he used stories of his own life as well as stories of those in his church to give examples of how to obey immediately. I highly recommend this book!

The joys of immediate obedience are worth the sacrifice. This is the point Rod Loy hammers throughout the book. I hope those reading, including myself to heed. The author shares this is something he practices not just preaches.