I heard a quote a while back and thought it to be profound. Speaking of Jesus, it said, “He must be everything to you or He is nothing to you." That prompted me to begin thinking about my own life. I know God loves me with all of His heart and I thought I loved Him with all of mine. To my chagrin, I was mistaken; not about God’s love for me, but of my own love for Him. Let me explain.
I have always wanted to do something for God to further His kingdom. Therefore, when He gave me a writing mandate, I was elated. Given that mandate, I wanted to do the best I could for Him, so I dove into that job with everything I had. The trouble was I put everything into the ministry.
I did, however, consult with God about the job He gave me and I sought Him in prayer, loved Him, thanked Him, and, and, and, but most of the time, it was concerning my writing ministry. I wasn't putting EVERYTHING into just loving Him. Although my heart was in the right place, my focus was all wrong. I wasn’t walking with God; I was running after Him trying to catch up and pick His brain for my next anecdote or Scripture!
In the Valley
When we are in trouble, we should praise God [1], lift Him up [2], worship Him [3], pray without ceasing [4], and stand in the knowledge of His protection from the enemy. We literally can hide in the Lord [5]. God can and does protect us from the wiles of the Devil [6] and He inhabits the praises of His people [7].
This is okay and we should recognize these things but until we can get to the place where we can just praise and worship Him for who He is and disregard the enemy, we will not get to the mountaintop. However, we will be safe and under His wings [8] in the valley [9]. . .but we’ll still be in the valley.
Good News
The Bible says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me [10].” While you are in the valley, hang onto that. Do not be afraid of what the enemy can do to us. Satan has no power over us; only the power that we give him. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [11].
Help My Unbelief
In Matthew 17:17 we hear Christ telling His disciples, “How long must I stay with you? How long must I suffer you?” The one thing that stops the flow of all blessing is our unbelief [12], the unbelief that we harbor in our hearts that nobody else sees. Sometimes we do not even see it ourselves. In other words, I can make all the positive declarations that I want but my declarations will only postpone what I believe. God will protect us in the interim but…
Whatever I believe in my heart to be true—is true to me. God says in His Word that He looks on the heart [13] but He says further on that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks [14]. In other words, we can hide what we believe fairly well with our declarations but eventually what we believe, will come out, normally during a time of stress or when we are in that proverbial valley.
Understand, however, that it is okay to make those positive declarations in the faith because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen [15]. We need Christ to interpose on our behalf but if we offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name [16], we won’t have to worry about what the enemy is doing, we’ll be walking with God.
Christ Won the Victory
Christ distinguished and removed Satan’s power on the Cross. Granted, we must fight the good fight but why not make the good fight the one with praise. Forget about the enemy. . .period. Just enter into God’s gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise [17].
When we journey to the Holy of Holies [18] to see God, let’s all go there for a visit, not just to run away from the enemy. We are safe in God’s presence, but let’s not worry about whether the enemy is nipping at our heels [19].
God tore the veil when Christ died on the Cross [20] and gave us access to God in the throne room. We can even be in His presence outside [21] the compound. Because of the Cross, we have the capacity to live our lives just like Satan doesn’t exist. Remember, Satan is not a threat, he’s just an annoyance.
We can stand on God’s truth all day but until we can stand in God’s presence, for no other reason than we love Him and not His protection, we’ll take another lap around the mountain. His truth is wisdom, His truth is great and all knowing, and His truth is all-powerful and will not return to Him void [22].
However, His truth will only hold and protect us until we can walk with Him seeking His face instead of His hands. At the risk of speaking from a healing, to walk with God, to seek His face, and have total disregard for the enemy, is a journey; a tough journey sometimes. It’s all about intimacy with God.
Walking With God
Healing is a process and it takes time to walk through the valley of the shadow of death [23]. However, the quicker we get to the mountaintop, the quicker we can take in the view because it’s peaceful and beautiful up there. With the right focus, we can all attain the mountaintop.
In the valley is where we see the footprints in the sand, for it is where Christ carries us. However, as Christians, we long for the day that we not only see one set of footprints but two sets of footprints, as we walk along side of Christ instead of Him carrying us [24]. This is victory and walking with God.
_________________________________________________________
[1] Psalms 150:6
[2] Psalms 7:17
[3] Exodus 34:14
[4] 1 Thessalonians 5:17
[5] Psalms 18:2; 28:7; 91:2, 9; and more
[6] Ephesians 6:11
[7] Psalms 22:3
[8] Isaiah 40:31
[9] Psalms 23:4
[10] Psalms 23:4
[11] 2 Corinthians 10:5
[12] Mark 9:24
[13] 1 Samuel 16:7
[14] Luke 6:45
[15] Hebrews 11:1
[16] Hebrew 13:15
[17] Psalms 100:4
[18] Talking here about praying through the Tabernacle
[19] 1 Peter 5:8
[20] Matthew 27:51
[21] Psalms 139:7-13
[22] Isaiah 55:11
[23] Psalms 23:4
[24] Luke 9:23
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
SEEKING GOD
PART 6 of 8
SEEKING GOD’S PURPOSE: Treasure Hunters
The sky was a little overcast as he walked down the road, a road that was more like a small path winding itself through the countryside. At least he had a heavy tunic that shielded him from the evening air. As long as he made it to Jericho before the Sabbath [1], he’d be alright, for this wasn’t the safest stretch of road in the land.
From out of nowhere, three men pounced on him hitting his face and chest with their fists and cutting him with their knives. They kicked him while he was down, stripped him of his cloths, and left him on the side of the road to die. It all happened very quickly and was over in seconds.
He laid there naked, dazed, cold, and could barely move as he tried to stand but fell back to the ground slamming his face on a bed of rocks. Still struggling to breathe, he gasped for air trying to suck in the life saving oxygen. From where, he did not know, but he found the strength to mutter, “Hhhhel-p. . .me?” He coughed, spraying blood on the rocks.
He could no longer talk and was on the verge of losing consciousness. Everything around him was becoming blurry and the bleeding from his side was not stopping. Not only was the pain excruciating but he began to worry whether each subsequent breath would be his last. His whole body started to go numb.
If it was at all possible, his heart began to fill with even more anxiety, as a stranger approached. The hazy figure was hard to make out through all the blood. Did his attackers return to finish him off or did God send some help his way.
He tried to lift his arm as far as he could to signal for help, but it was difficult at best. He opened his mouth to ask for help but he gurgled on his own blood. He finally managed to moan, “Pleeeaze, hhhelp me.”
The approaching man moved to the opposite side of the road and disappeared out of his peripheral vision. The half-dead man dropped his arm and gasped. His body went limp. It hurt, even to think. It is God’s will, I am going to die. He lost consciousness.
The Good Samaritan
All of us have either read or know about this parable and know how it ends [2]. The Good Samaritan, stopped, went above and beyond the call of duty, and saved the injured man but only after a priest and a Levite had gone by and not helped.
Many preachers have told the story of the Good Samaritan countless times, as well that they should have because it was a great act of kindness, mercy, compassion, and unselfish behavior. That Samaritan deserved a place in God’s Word and like Jesus, his story is one, after which, we should all model our own existence.
The Israelite Traveler
However, throughout history and the teaching of this parable, we seemed to have forgotten about the poor Israelite traveler who was beaten, robbed, stripped of his clothes, and left for dead on the side of the road. God never forgot about him and neither should we.
There is another lesson to learn from the Good Samaritan parable: how many people are lying on the side of the road reaching out to us gurgling in their sin and despair crying out for help and, as in the case of our traveler, crying out to God? Will we pass them by?
God’s Number One Purpose
The number one purpose and desire of God’s heart is that we know Him and make Him known.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” [3]
Christ could not have been any clearer than that.
In verse 31, God has called us all to be Good Samaritans. Are we going to be like the priest and the Levite and walk around the dying and hurting people or are we going to be like the Good Samaritan and help our fellow man?
When Christ’s heart births in us we will not only find opportunities to take Christ's heart to others but we will look for them. There is a buried treasure of beauty in every person. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be treasure hunters and find the good in all people? What we look for, we will find.
People are dying all around us and the fields are white unto salvation [4]. They all need the saving knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. It is amazing what God can do for others through us. God birthed His heart in the Good Samaritan.
That they may be one
Christ is not only coming for His Bride, but He is coming for a Bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkle [5]. It is why God created man in the first place.
In 1993 I flew down to the Morris Cerullo’s Twenty-Third World Conference in San Diego, California. Believers from all over the world attended and although there have been bigger Christian gatherings, close to seven thousand believers showed up to worship God and hear from Him.
Unless you have been in a big crowd like this it will be hard to fathom the atmosphere that hovered over the auditorium while 7000 Christians worshiped, prayed, and sang to God. The spirit was so thick; it was hard even to stand. I will never forget the feeling and awesome time that I had that year with the Lord.
Now, can you further imagine the heavenly sound as millions of Christians raise their voice to God in song; millions of Christian spirits filled with the Holy Ghost and raising their praises to Him? This must be a beautiful sound to God, especially for Jesus, because we are His Bride.
Christ prayed to His Father that we’d all be one as He and the Father are one [6]. We are all many parts of the body but we are all baptized into one spirit [7], with Christ as the head. With the spirit that filled the atmosphere at that Conference with only 7000 Christians, I can see why God is not willing that one person should perish [8]. When millions of spirit-filled Christians become one spirit, we will become the Bride of Christ.
Each person is a facet of God’s love and beauty for God created us in His own image [9]. A part of God is in every individual that He longs to express Himself through, to show the different personalities and heart of God. He wanted people to love one another and to show mercy as He’s shown mercy. When the focus is on self, Christ-centeredness goes out the window. The goal is singleness of heart, where He’s the number one priority. This is the heart and the purpose of God.
Let’s go a little further and not only seek God, but talk to Him. When Christ died on the Cross, His death rent the veil in twain [10], which allowed us access to the throne room of God and His presence.
________________________________________________________
[1] The Jewish day starts at 6:00PM (1800 hrs)
[2] Luke 10:30-37
[3] Mark 12:30, 31 KJV
[4] John 4:35
[5] Ephesians 5:27
[6] John 17:21, 22
[7] 1 Corinthians 12:13
[8] 2 Peter 3:9
[9] Genesis 1:27
[10] Matthew 27:51 This means that the veil that covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the Tent of the Meeting (Tabernacle), God ripped it in two upon Christ’s death.
SEEKING GOD’S PURPOSE: Treasure Hunters
The sky was a little overcast as he walked down the road, a road that was more like a small path winding itself through the countryside. At least he had a heavy tunic that shielded him from the evening air. As long as he made it to Jericho before the Sabbath [1], he’d be alright, for this wasn’t the safest stretch of road in the land.
From out of nowhere, three men pounced on him hitting his face and chest with their fists and cutting him with their knives. They kicked him while he was down, stripped him of his cloths, and left him on the side of the road to die. It all happened very quickly and was over in seconds.
He laid there naked, dazed, cold, and could barely move as he tried to stand but fell back to the ground slamming his face on a bed of rocks. Still struggling to breathe, he gasped for air trying to suck in the life saving oxygen. From where, he did not know, but he found the strength to mutter, “Hhhhel-p. . .me?” He coughed, spraying blood on the rocks.
He could no longer talk and was on the verge of losing consciousness. Everything around him was becoming blurry and the bleeding from his side was not stopping. Not only was the pain excruciating but he began to worry whether each subsequent breath would be his last. His whole body started to go numb.
If it was at all possible, his heart began to fill with even more anxiety, as a stranger approached. The hazy figure was hard to make out through all the blood. Did his attackers return to finish him off or did God send some help his way.
He tried to lift his arm as far as he could to signal for help, but it was difficult at best. He opened his mouth to ask for help but he gurgled on his own blood. He finally managed to moan, “Pleeeaze, hhhelp me.”
The approaching man moved to the opposite side of the road and disappeared out of his peripheral vision. The half-dead man dropped his arm and gasped. His body went limp. It hurt, even to think. It is God’s will, I am going to die. He lost consciousness.
The Good Samaritan
All of us have either read or know about this parable and know how it ends [2]. The Good Samaritan, stopped, went above and beyond the call of duty, and saved the injured man but only after a priest and a Levite had gone by and not helped.
Many preachers have told the story of the Good Samaritan countless times, as well that they should have because it was a great act of kindness, mercy, compassion, and unselfish behavior. That Samaritan deserved a place in God’s Word and like Jesus, his story is one, after which, we should all model our own existence.
The Israelite Traveler
However, throughout history and the teaching of this parable, we seemed to have forgotten about the poor Israelite traveler who was beaten, robbed, stripped of his clothes, and left for dead on the side of the road. God never forgot about him and neither should we.
There is another lesson to learn from the Good Samaritan parable: how many people are lying on the side of the road reaching out to us gurgling in their sin and despair crying out for help and, as in the case of our traveler, crying out to God? Will we pass them by?
God’s Number One Purpose
The number one purpose and desire of God’s heart is that we know Him and make Him known.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” [3]
Christ could not have been any clearer than that.
In verse 31, God has called us all to be Good Samaritans. Are we going to be like the priest and the Levite and walk around the dying and hurting people or are we going to be like the Good Samaritan and help our fellow man?
When Christ’s heart births in us we will not only find opportunities to take Christ's heart to others but we will look for them. There is a buried treasure of beauty in every person. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be treasure hunters and find the good in all people? What we look for, we will find.
People are dying all around us and the fields are white unto salvation [4]. They all need the saving knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. It is amazing what God can do for others through us. God birthed His heart in the Good Samaritan.
That they may be one
Christ is not only coming for His Bride, but He is coming for a Bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkle [5]. It is why God created man in the first place.
In 1993 I flew down to the Morris Cerullo’s Twenty-Third World Conference in San Diego, California. Believers from all over the world attended and although there have been bigger Christian gatherings, close to seven thousand believers showed up to worship God and hear from Him.
Unless you have been in a big crowd like this it will be hard to fathom the atmosphere that hovered over the auditorium while 7000 Christians worshiped, prayed, and sang to God. The spirit was so thick; it was hard even to stand. I will never forget the feeling and awesome time that I had that year with the Lord.
Now, can you further imagine the heavenly sound as millions of Christians raise their voice to God in song; millions of Christian spirits filled with the Holy Ghost and raising their praises to Him? This must be a beautiful sound to God, especially for Jesus, because we are His Bride.
Christ prayed to His Father that we’d all be one as He and the Father are one [6]. We are all many parts of the body but we are all baptized into one spirit [7], with Christ as the head. With the spirit that filled the atmosphere at that Conference with only 7000 Christians, I can see why God is not willing that one person should perish [8]. When millions of spirit-filled Christians become one spirit, we will become the Bride of Christ.
Each person is a facet of God’s love and beauty for God created us in His own image [9]. A part of God is in every individual that He longs to express Himself through, to show the different personalities and heart of God. He wanted people to love one another and to show mercy as He’s shown mercy. When the focus is on self, Christ-centeredness goes out the window. The goal is singleness of heart, where He’s the number one priority. This is the heart and the purpose of God.
Let’s go a little further and not only seek God, but talk to Him. When Christ died on the Cross, His death rent the veil in twain [10], which allowed us access to the throne room of God and His presence.
________________________________________________________
[1] The Jewish day starts at 6:00PM (1800 hrs)
[2] Luke 10:30-37
[3] Mark 12:30, 31 KJV
[4] John 4:35
[5] Ephesians 5:27
[6] John 17:21, 22
[7] 1 Corinthians 12:13
[8] 2 Peter 3:9
[9] Genesis 1:27
[10] Matthew 27:51 This means that the veil that covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the Tent of the Meeting (Tabernacle), God ripped it in two upon Christ’s death.
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