Greetings,
It's been a few weeks since I've written anything, as you may know. We've been on vacation and then just on the busy side of life. Had some interesting "scrimmages" to deal with, though that would be putting it mildly.
Sunday nights continue, as we gather to worship and seek the Lord. I do believe, however, that things are beginning to change somewhat. The Lord has met with us every week now for the past 6+ months as we have worshipped and blessed Him. It's been a time of waiting on the Lord for His direction which He has shared with us. People have been refreshed, encouraged, healed, probably chastised, etc. Gifts of the Spirit have become activated in some and developed more in others. Others are kind of like hanging around the creek bank listening to the water flow as they lay back in the grass with a long blade of grass in their mouth. Mellowed out...
But as I said, I see a change on the horizon. Not a change to quit the Sunday night services, but a change in focus that following the Holy Spirit will bring. We have spent some time in prayer each evening but I sense a coming of more prayer and added intensity. Worship must yield to prayer at some point. And prayer must yield to worship. The two go together, if God is in it. It's impossible to draw near to God, as close as we say we want to get, and not begin to sense His burdens and that which is moving Him. After all, He ever lives to make intercession for us; and as we worship Him in spirit and truth it will put us in contact with the Spirit of intercession.
Imagine...as we gather to bless Him and declare His worth, His Lordship... We draw near by faith, honoring and exhalting His Name which is above every name. Do you realize it is the Spirit of God that helps us to draw near in the first place? It is the Spirit of God that calls us to the place of worship, and then to the place of abandonment in Him. "He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress; my God in Whom I do trust." - Psalm 91:1,2 So, here we are in the Presence of the Lord Most High, fully aware that God is in our midst. Where do we go from there? Do we just absorb as much as we can so we can get "charged up" or could there possibly be a greater purpose, something that goes beyond the "us" and "me"?
Could it be seen somewhere in the Holy of Holies? The place where the Ark of the Covenant resided? The place where God told Moses that He would meet with him between the cherubim (Exodus 25)? Could it be the place where we can now go as a result of Hebrew 10:19-25 -"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."? Moses typically didn't go into the Holiest place for himself. Now you may recall Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." It is true we have the invitation to go for our needs. But as someone anointed to the "royal priesthood" (1 Pt 2:9) we can take a heart full of others needs into the Throne room!
We follow the Spirit's call to worship; let us also follow the Spirit's call to intercession. We are a "royal priesthood", people of the Name. We are people who are called to identify with the heart of God and the needs of those around us. We are given the task and the anointing to hear the cries of those around us and, by moving with the Compassion of the Lord, meet those needs. "Look on the fields, for they are white already for harvest". Peter said, in Acts 3, "such as I have I give to you". The prayer meeting Peter was going to could have been the focal point. It could have been the end in itself. But it was more, as evidenced by the fact that it could be interrupted and God could get Peter involved in something other than Peter's plans.
Our worship night (or any church service, for that matter) could be an end to itself as well. "Sing the songs, make us smile, play the tunes for a good, long while". "Sing the latest, sing the old, whatever you do, fit our mold"...Heaven help the Body of Christ.
Saints, we will, we must, follow the direction of the Spirit of God. I believe that as we walk this walk more and more, there will be an increase of activity. The kind of activity that moves people from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the Son of His Love. The kind of activity that brings life, wholeness, joy, deliverance, healing of the body and mind; the Glory of God.
Let's follow God...
Monday, October 23, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
It's Not About Me!
Greetings,
Hebrews 11:32-34:
32. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33. who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
The Lord is speaking through this chapter known as the "faith chapter". Throughout the chapter the writer mentions several people who did various things through faith. The writer describes faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." "Through faith Abel...Abraham...Moses...Joshua..."; on and on it goes. Here in the 33rd verse we see that through faith people can subdue what needs to be subdued, they can work what needs to be worked, obtain what is to be obtained, and they can stop what needs to be stopped. All these things can happen, when faith in God is involved.
Something else must be seen, especially in the selfish day and age we are living. The scriptures warn that in the last days there will be a falling away from faith; and a large reason for that will be that they are lovers of themselves. 1 Timothy 4:1,2: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron...". 2 Timothy 3:1,2: "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves...". Deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons doesn't necessarily pertain to things of the occult or new age. Eve was deceived when the fruit looked good IN HER EYES, regardless of what the Lord had said. Perilous times, stressful, hard to deal with times, will come because people put their own selves above all else. This is especially true in the American church. Too often it's not about the Kingdom of God, but about "how can this benefit me?". "How can this church, this message, this worship experience, etc., benefit me?" This is not the essence of the Kingdom of God. This is not the essence of faith.
The faith chapter reveals more than just the fact that people pleased God by faith. God teaches that those who did all they did by faith understood a very important principle: walking in the Kingdom ISN'T ABOUT ME! It's not about my pleasure. It's not about my comfort. And, it's not even about my victory! It's about HIM.
Hebrews 11:34 says that through faith people quenched the power of fire. When I read that, I remembered the Lord saying in Isaiah 43:2 "...When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." He didn't keep them from the fire, but from the power of the fire. Fire is necessary where the purification of gold is concerned. Gold isn't destroyed by fire, it is made better. But going through fire still isn't exactly a fun thing to do. However, by faith, we can go through it and escape the power of it. By faith, God's purpose for the fire will be realized and the enemy's desire will not succeed! Remember though, that faith isn't about me, or you. Living by faith isn't about how comfortable I am, but am I right in the midst of His plans and purposes.
The move God intends to see birthed in these last days will be marked by faith, power, deliverance, miracles, and multitudes of people won into the Kingdom of God. God is presently sifting, shaking, purifying, and equipping His people to be Kingdom people; people who have gotten over the "me" issues and have developed a Kingdom vision. It's these kind of people God will use to "subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, and quenched the power of fire".
It's not about me, it's about Him!
Pastor Jan
Hebrews 11:32-34:
32. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33. who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
The Lord is speaking through this chapter known as the "faith chapter". Throughout the chapter the writer mentions several people who did various things through faith. The writer describes faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." "Through faith Abel...Abraham...Moses...Joshua..."; on and on it goes. Here in the 33rd verse we see that through faith people can subdue what needs to be subdued, they can work what needs to be worked, obtain what is to be obtained, and they can stop what needs to be stopped. All these things can happen, when faith in God is involved.
Something else must be seen, especially in the selfish day and age we are living. The scriptures warn that in the last days there will be a falling away from faith; and a large reason for that will be that they are lovers of themselves. 1 Timothy 4:1,2: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron...". 2 Timothy 3:1,2: "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves...". Deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons doesn't necessarily pertain to things of the occult or new age. Eve was deceived when the fruit looked good IN HER EYES, regardless of what the Lord had said. Perilous times, stressful, hard to deal with times, will come because people put their own selves above all else. This is especially true in the American church. Too often it's not about the Kingdom of God, but about "how can this benefit me?". "How can this church, this message, this worship experience, etc., benefit me?" This is not the essence of the Kingdom of God. This is not the essence of faith.
The faith chapter reveals more than just the fact that people pleased God by faith. God teaches that those who did all they did by faith understood a very important principle: walking in the Kingdom ISN'T ABOUT ME! It's not about my pleasure. It's not about my comfort. And, it's not even about my victory! It's about HIM.
Hebrews 11:34 says that through faith people quenched the power of fire. When I read that, I remembered the Lord saying in Isaiah 43:2 "...When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." He didn't keep them from the fire, but from the power of the fire. Fire is necessary where the purification of gold is concerned. Gold isn't destroyed by fire, it is made better. But going through fire still isn't exactly a fun thing to do. However, by faith, we can go through it and escape the power of it. By faith, God's purpose for the fire will be realized and the enemy's desire will not succeed! Remember though, that faith isn't about me, or you. Living by faith isn't about how comfortable I am, but am I right in the midst of His plans and purposes.
The move God intends to see birthed in these last days will be marked by faith, power, deliverance, miracles, and multitudes of people won into the Kingdom of God. God is presently sifting, shaking, purifying, and equipping His people to be Kingdom people; people who have gotten over the "me" issues and have developed a Kingdom vision. It's these kind of people God will use to "subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, and quenched the power of fire".
It's not about me, it's about Him!
Pastor Jan
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