UNFORGIVENESS
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Someone has hurt youCut you through and through.In your spirit you try to let it go,But instead its brought you low. You try to put it out of your mind,But the words were not kind. You become bitter and unforgiving;Your days become miserable living. The Holy Spirit moves you to get it right,But you refuse to repent day or night.You don’t want to be the way you are,But your nearness to God is far. You begin to look withinAt how bad you are, so full of sin.You see how bad you have hurt the Lord;How far you have wandered from His Word. You see you are no better than they;You too, have wandered far astray.God loves you too much to leave you that way.He wants to break your heart to pray. Get it right before its too late;Forgive your brother, refuse to wait.Repent of unforgiveness before the nightSo that you can be pleasing in His sight. -Gene Griffin
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Unrivaled Power of Prayer
THE UNRIVALLED POWER OF PRAYER
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
We realize that we are energized by the Holy Spirit for prayer; we know what it is to pray in the Spirit; but we do not so often realize that the Holy Spirit Himself prays in us prayers which we cannot utter. When we are born again of God and are indwelt by the Spirit of God, He expresses for us the unutterable.
"He," the Spirit in you, "maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God," and God searches your heart not to know what your conscious prayers are, but to find out what is the prayer of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God needs the nature of the believer as a shrine in which to offer His intercession. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." When Jesus Christ cleansed the temple, He "would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple." The Spirit of God will not allow you to use your body for your own convenience.
Jesus ruthlessly cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and said - "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Matt 21:13. Have we recognized that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him. We have to remember that our conscious life, though it is only a tiny bit of our personality, is to be regarded by us as a shrine of the Holy Ghost. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing of; but we must see that we guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
We realize that we are energized by the Holy Spirit for prayer; we know what it is to pray in the Spirit; but we do not so often realize that the Holy Spirit Himself prays in us prayers which we cannot utter. When we are born again of God and are indwelt by the Spirit of God, He expresses for us the unutterable.
"He," the Spirit in you, "maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God," and God searches your heart not to know what your conscious prayers are, but to find out what is the prayer of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God needs the nature of the believer as a shrine in which to offer His intercession. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost." When Jesus Christ cleansed the temple, He "would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple." The Spirit of God will not allow you to use your body for your own convenience.
Jesus ruthlessly cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and said - "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Matt 21:13. Have we recognized that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him. We have to remember that our conscious life, though it is only a tiny bit of our personality, is to be regarded by us as a shrine of the Holy Ghost. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing of; but we must see that we guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Trials
Trials
© by Claytia Doran
No matter what trials come our way,God will see us through each day.If only we'll put our trust in Him,The light of His love will never dim.
Don't ever think that He's forgotten you.It's just, sometimes, we need a test or two.For, we'll never be able to help our brotherIf we're not tested, one way or another.
Never ask the Lord for an easy road,But only for strength to carry your load.For, through your sorrows, you will findThe Lord is with you. He's loving and kind. And, when your trials have all gone away,'I've been there, too,' is what you can say.For, there'll be times when someone you meetWill praise God to walk in the steps of your feet.
© by Claytia Doran
No matter what trials come our way,God will see us through each day.If only we'll put our trust in Him,The light of His love will never dim.
Don't ever think that He's forgotten you.It's just, sometimes, we need a test or two.For, we'll never be able to help our brotherIf we're not tested, one way or another.
Never ask the Lord for an easy road,But only for strength to carry your load.For, through your sorrows, you will findThe Lord is with you. He's loving and kind. And, when your trials have all gone away,'I've been there, too,' is what you can say.For, there'll be times when someone you meetWill praise God to walk in the steps of your feet.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Our Saviors Amazing Love
Our Saviors Amazing Love
"Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?" declares the Lord. "So you will be my people, and I will be your God." —Jeremiah 30:21-22 It is the Lord who causes us to draw near to Him. God knew we would mess up. He saw it way in advance and made provision for it from the very beginning. He knows our frailty, both physical and emotional. He recognizes the limited capacity of our hearts. He sees the yes in the hearts of His people and says, "I understand your weakness, and yet I recognize your willingness to be wholly Mine." He looks at the agreement in our hearts and calls forth our budding virtues into full maturity. You see, we are dealing with a loving Bridegroom, the Man Christ Jesus. He is fully God, but He is also fully man. He has intense affections filled with tenderness. Even while we grow and falter on our way to full maturity, He enjoys us, and His heart flows with extravagant compassion, the likes of which the world will never know without Him. {PRAYER STARTER} Lord, how awesome the knowledge that You allow me to present myself insin and weakness before You, and then in love You raise me up to spiritual maturity because You love me.
"Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?" declares the Lord. "So you will be my people, and I will be your God." —Jeremiah 30:21-22 It is the Lord who causes us to draw near to Him. God knew we would mess up. He saw it way in advance and made provision for it from the very beginning. He knows our frailty, both physical and emotional. He recognizes the limited capacity of our hearts. He sees the yes in the hearts of His people and says, "I understand your weakness, and yet I recognize your willingness to be wholly Mine." He looks at the agreement in our hearts and calls forth our budding virtues into full maturity. You see, we are dealing with a loving Bridegroom, the Man Christ Jesus. He is fully God, but He is also fully man. He has intense affections filled with tenderness. Even while we grow and falter on our way to full maturity, He enjoys us, and His heart flows with extravagant compassion, the likes of which the world will never know without Him. {PRAYER STARTER} Lord, how awesome the knowledge that You allow me to present myself insin and weakness before You, and then in love You raise me up to spiritual maturity because You love me.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Ready to Give an Answer
Ready to Give an Answer
1 Peter 3:15 - “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Sometimes during an interview, a reporter may ask me, “Do you think a Jew without Jesus is lost?” If I say, “Yes,” then I will look like a racist or a bigot. If I say, “No,” then, I have dishonored the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for the sins of all people. So how do I answer? I say, “Friend, I believe that one of my own children without Jesus would be lost. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a Jew or a Gentile. You see, God demands absolute perfection and none of us can provide it. That’s why we need the gospel. We need Jesus. We need the righteousness of God that comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.” What would you say if someone asked you that question? Ask the Lord to prepare you.
When Chrstians Sin
When Christians Sin
Sinclair Ferguson
How successfully do you handle the sins of others? Observation suggests that the Christian family too often reacts with either hot indignation or cold indifference, without a proper sense of biblical responsibility. Sometimes we seem as bad at handling others' failures as we are at over-coming our own. No doubt these two things are related. Yet, given the nature of the gospel, would we not expect that the church should be vastly different from the world on this point?
Scripture gives several principles which should govern our response to the sins of others.
1. Grief. A life has been marred. Christ's name has been shamed. Perhaps others' lives have been invaded by the consequences of sin. Things can never be quite the same again. Hearts will have been hardened, making repentance the more difficult. Knowing this, we will weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
2. Realism. Conversion does not deliver the saints from the presence of sin. We may have died to sin, but sin has not yet died out in us. The regenerate man is only in the process of being healed. Sin dwells in him still, and is deceitful still.
This does not excuse the believer's sin, but it underlines that it is possible for Christians still to sin. Scripture encourages us that there will be no fatalities, but warns us that we can still be critically wounded. The strong-stomached authors of the Westminster Confession caught this balance when they wrote that "sanctification is throughout in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war . . . In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome . . ." (XIV,ii,iii) Such knowledge does not protect us from grief over others' sins, but it does help us to see that a single wound is not the end of the war, and thus preserves us from despair of ourselves or others. 3. Self-examination. We too are frail, we too may fall. Our sins may not have produced the same public consequences as those of our brethren, but may be no less horrible. We may have been spared the combination of sinful desire, the pressure of temptation, and the opportunity to act that has brought another to fall. Only those who know that they too are "subject to weakness" will be "able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray" (Heb.5:2). 4. Mutual confession. We are to confess our sins to each other, and to pray for one another (Jas.5:16). Why? Because mutual confession breaks the grip of Satan over the guilty heart. Satan's paralyzing stranglehold depends on our acceptance of his winsome lies: 1) No other Christian could have sinned as you did. 2) No other Christian will accept you and love you now, so you must disguise your sin by any means you can. But in mutual confession we discover and overcome his lies, and break the blackmailing grip that Satan has gained over us. It brings us back into the fellowship from which we have withdrawn out of guilt and a fear of discovery. 5. Forgiveness and reconciliation. Those whom Christ welcomes we must welcome. He grants grace and forgiveness in order that there may be amendment of life. We dare not reverse that gospel pattern by demanding rigorous rehabilitation before we extend forgiveness and reconciliation. 6. New discipline. Brothers and sisters who sin are to be restored gently (Gal.6:1). There is a twofold emphasis here, on discipline and grace. Those who have failed need to drink long and deeply from the fountain of grace, learning again and again that we are not justified by our sanctification but by God's grace. They will need to be protected from Satan's efforts to overwhelm and cripple them with guilt, or to drive them to a sense of despair. Moreover, they have sinned, as we ourselves have, and together we must help them to remodel and rebuild their Christian lives and testimony. The foundations must be strengthened, the ruins must be reconstructed. It appears from our Lord's teaching that all this may normally be accomplished informally by fellow Christians, long before it becomes necessary for formal discipline to be inaugurated. Such discipline is for the intractable only (Matt. 18:15-17). We must never lose sight of the fact that the New Testament church contained one who, after his regeneration, denied Christ with blasphemies. Christ prays for those whom Satan seeks to sift like wheat. (Luke 22:31) He loves them still. Who knows to what usefulness a brother or sister may be restored by those who have learned how to handle the sins of others as well as their own? This article was previously published in Eternity Magazine.
1 Peter 3:15 - “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Sometimes during an interview, a reporter may ask me, “Do you think a Jew without Jesus is lost?” If I say, “Yes,” then I will look like a racist or a bigot. If I say, “No,” then, I have dishonored the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for the sins of all people. So how do I answer? I say, “Friend, I believe that one of my own children without Jesus would be lost. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a Jew or a Gentile. You see, God demands absolute perfection and none of us can provide it. That’s why we need the gospel. We need Jesus. We need the righteousness of God that comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.” What would you say if someone asked you that question? Ask the Lord to prepare you.
When Chrstians Sin
When Christians Sin
Sinclair Ferguson
How successfully do you handle the sins of others? Observation suggests that the Christian family too often reacts with either hot indignation or cold indifference, without a proper sense of biblical responsibility. Sometimes we seem as bad at handling others' failures as we are at over-coming our own. No doubt these two things are related. Yet, given the nature of the gospel, would we not expect that the church should be vastly different from the world on this point?
Scripture gives several principles which should govern our response to the sins of others.
1. Grief. A life has been marred. Christ's name has been shamed. Perhaps others' lives have been invaded by the consequences of sin. Things can never be quite the same again. Hearts will have been hardened, making repentance the more difficult. Knowing this, we will weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
2. Realism. Conversion does not deliver the saints from the presence of sin. We may have died to sin, but sin has not yet died out in us. The regenerate man is only in the process of being healed. Sin dwells in him still, and is deceitful still.
This does not excuse the believer's sin, but it underlines that it is possible for Christians still to sin. Scripture encourages us that there will be no fatalities, but warns us that we can still be critically wounded. The strong-stomached authors of the Westminster Confession caught this balance when they wrote that "sanctification is throughout in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war . . . In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome . . ." (XIV,ii,iii) Such knowledge does not protect us from grief over others' sins, but it does help us to see that a single wound is not the end of the war, and thus preserves us from despair of ourselves or others. 3. Self-examination. We too are frail, we too may fall. Our sins may not have produced the same public consequences as those of our brethren, but may be no less horrible. We may have been spared the combination of sinful desire, the pressure of temptation, and the opportunity to act that has brought another to fall. Only those who know that they too are "subject to weakness" will be "able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray" (Heb.5:2). 4. Mutual confession. We are to confess our sins to each other, and to pray for one another (Jas.5:16). Why? Because mutual confession breaks the grip of Satan over the guilty heart. Satan's paralyzing stranglehold depends on our acceptance of his winsome lies: 1) No other Christian could have sinned as you did. 2) No other Christian will accept you and love you now, so you must disguise your sin by any means you can. But in mutual confession we discover and overcome his lies, and break the blackmailing grip that Satan has gained over us. It brings us back into the fellowship from which we have withdrawn out of guilt and a fear of discovery. 5. Forgiveness and reconciliation. Those whom Christ welcomes we must welcome. He grants grace and forgiveness in order that there may be amendment of life. We dare not reverse that gospel pattern by demanding rigorous rehabilitation before we extend forgiveness and reconciliation. 6. New discipline. Brothers and sisters who sin are to be restored gently (Gal.6:1). There is a twofold emphasis here, on discipline and grace. Those who have failed need to drink long and deeply from the fountain of grace, learning again and again that we are not justified by our sanctification but by God's grace. They will need to be protected from Satan's efforts to overwhelm and cripple them with guilt, or to drive them to a sense of despair. Moreover, they have sinned, as we ourselves have, and together we must help them to remodel and rebuild their Christian lives and testimony. The foundations must be strengthened, the ruins must be reconstructed. It appears from our Lord's teaching that all this may normally be accomplished informally by fellow Christians, long before it becomes necessary for formal discipline to be inaugurated. Such discipline is for the intractable only (Matt. 18:15-17). We must never lose sight of the fact that the New Testament church contained one who, after his regeneration, denied Christ with blasphemies. Christ prays for those whom Satan seeks to sift like wheat. (Luke 22:31) He loves them still. Who knows to what usefulness a brother or sister may be restored by those who have learned how to handle the sins of others as well as their own? This article was previously published in Eternity Magazine.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Value of Pure Worship
This is a long but excellent teaching on this subject.
Keith Overturf
The Value of Pure Worship
Wade E. Taylor
True worship is born of, and directed by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Christians who have never been together before, are able to worship the Lord in a flow of beautiful harmony that lifts them into the presence of the choirs of heavenly worshippers, to worship with them. A casual observer might think that they had been worshipping together for years.
This ability to flow together in audible worship is given as a part of our receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the “spirit of worship” quietly abides deep within us and awaits an opportunity for expression. The proper atmosphere and some encouragement releases us to begin worshipping the Lord.
The Holy Spirit readily imparts the quickening presence and the anointed power to lift “corporate worship” into a flow of harmonious expression. As worshippers respond to the “manifest presence” of the Lord and enter into a flow of corporate harmony in their worship, they will begin to receive prophetic understanding and revelation.
Within the Body of Christ, there are many different levels and expressions of worship. Praise is thanking the Lord for all that He has done for us. Worship is pure adoration for who He is. Worship increases our desire to be in the Lord’s presence. It is a key to becoming sensitive to His presence and learning to recognize His voice.
As we are faithful in our expression of worship to the Lord, we will increasingly become more aware of His abiding presence, and we will more easily discern His voice. Our vocal worship will do much in helping to develop these spiritual qualities within us.
The first time I attended a Full Gospel meeting, I was greatly disturbed by the loud audible praise, and desired to leave. I understood “blessed quietness,” but I had never heard everyone in a service singing and praising the Lord loudly and freely. Today, I am eternally thankful that the Lord had His way, as I slowly, but gradually entered into this same spiritual freedom and expression of praise and worship.
In a worship service, drums will stir the soul and those present will get excited and shout, giving thanks for all that the Lord has done for us. But, if we will become quiet in an attitude of adoration and worship, the Holy Spirit will begin to worship the Lord through us, and our expression of worship will rise into a flow of harmony that will lift us into a higher realm of divine presence. This worship in harmony is impossible with the beat of loud drums, as this “beat” will reduce us from eternity into time, and rob us of the divine presence, while the harmony of pure worship will lift us into union with the worship of the choirs of heaven. Discretely played with a sensitivity to the building presence of the Lord, drums may help to accelerate praise, but should become silent as praise begins to harmonize into a flow of worship. Satan knows this, but very few worship leaders do. Moses both knew and valued the presence of the Lord. “And He (the Lord) said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. And he (Moses) said to Him, If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” Exodus 33:14-15 (comments added) This intense desire within Moses to have the presence of the Lord abide with him did not just happen. It came through circumstances that caused him to diligently seek the abiding presence of the Lord. Though Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22), he failed in his attempt to fulfill his calling by delivering an Israelite, and fled into the wilderness. Here, while keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, he pursued the call that rested upon his life, as he journeyed toward the mountain of God. As Moses traveled, he noticed that at a distance to the side of his path, a bush was burning with fire, but was not consumed. “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2 After Moses noticed this burning bush, he said: “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” Exodus 3:3 “I will now turn aside.” This speaks of something within Moses that desired and was responsive to the presence of the Lord. Notice that the Lord appeared in a bush that was “a distance to the side” of the path that Moses was taking, even though he was moving toward the mountain of God. This is because the Lord desires to be wanted, and seeks a response from us that indicates our desire for His presence. The Lord chooses to reveal Himself in such a way that it requires a deliberate action on our part, as an indication of a true desire for His presence. Our having this “bent of spirit,” or “spiritual aptitude” toward the Lord’s presence, does not come easily. It must be actively desired, sought after, and cultivated. Our “worship” is a key to developing this spiritual sensitivity and aptitude for His abiding presence. “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” Exodus 3:4 Although Moses was intent on moving toward the mountain that pertained to God, he desired the presence of the Lord so much that he willingly responded to this manifestation of the supernatural, and turned toward it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord, though at the time he did not understand what was taking place. Each of us is affected by the worldly environment that surrounds us. As a result of this, we develop varying amounts of sensitivity to “earthy” things. When we were “Born Again,” we received the capacity to recognize and respond to “spiritual” things. Through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, we began to understand that we have become a new creation, and have entered a new and higher realm of life. We learn that the purpose of the Lord is not to build up the temporal, but rather, to introduce us to the spiritual. This under-standing will help us to turn aside from lesser things, and to focus our attention on cultivating an increasing sensitivity to His presence and voice. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an increase in the quality of our worship. As our worship begins to flow up to the Lord in an expression of harmony and purity, the presence of the Lord will also increase in our gatherings. This increased presence of the Lord will draw those who are truly spiritually hungry, and they will turn aside to worship the Lord with us. While I was a student in Bible school, I learned a very important spiritual principle from one of my teachers, Walter Beuttler. He said, “The Lord appreciates being appreciated.” This expresses something very close to the heart of God. We all desire to be appreciated, but the Lord uniquely appreciates, and responds to His being appreciated. He shares His presence with those who let Him know they appreciate Him, especially through their worship. Our music, our worship, everything that we do in a gathering should be directed toward our coming into the experience of His revealed, manifest presence. We should develop our spiritual sensitivity, so we will be able to recognize His presence, and turn aside as the Lord reveals Himself in our meetings through His quickening presence. When Moses responded and turned aside, the Lord imparted instructions, which led to the deliverance of His people from bondage. As Moses stood in the manifested presence of the Lord, he was both enabled and empowered to lead them into a land that flowed with milk and honey. Our worship is tremendously important, as it also hinders the functioning of demons and principalities, and leads to deliverance. The value of our worship is far more than we may realize. It releases the Lord to move in intervention, as when we worship, the Lord works in our behalf. Although the Lord has all the choirs of heaven to lead in heavenly worship, He desires to inhabit our praise and worship. “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23 Rev. Skip Wigmore, Light of Life Ministries Smithfield, NClolministries@embarqmail.com Revelation 18:4-5 (NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
Keith Overturf
The Value of Pure Worship
Wade E. Taylor
True worship is born of, and directed by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Christians who have never been together before, are able to worship the Lord in a flow of beautiful harmony that lifts them into the presence of the choirs of heavenly worshippers, to worship with them. A casual observer might think that they had been worshipping together for years.
This ability to flow together in audible worship is given as a part of our receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the “spirit of worship” quietly abides deep within us and awaits an opportunity for expression. The proper atmosphere and some encouragement releases us to begin worshipping the Lord.
The Holy Spirit readily imparts the quickening presence and the anointed power to lift “corporate worship” into a flow of harmonious expression. As worshippers respond to the “manifest presence” of the Lord and enter into a flow of corporate harmony in their worship, they will begin to receive prophetic understanding and revelation.
Within the Body of Christ, there are many different levels and expressions of worship. Praise is thanking the Lord for all that He has done for us. Worship is pure adoration for who He is. Worship increases our desire to be in the Lord’s presence. It is a key to becoming sensitive to His presence and learning to recognize His voice.
As we are faithful in our expression of worship to the Lord, we will increasingly become more aware of His abiding presence, and we will more easily discern His voice. Our vocal worship will do much in helping to develop these spiritual qualities within us.
The first time I attended a Full Gospel meeting, I was greatly disturbed by the loud audible praise, and desired to leave. I understood “blessed quietness,” but I had never heard everyone in a service singing and praising the Lord loudly and freely. Today, I am eternally thankful that the Lord had His way, as I slowly, but gradually entered into this same spiritual freedom and expression of praise and worship.
In a worship service, drums will stir the soul and those present will get excited and shout, giving thanks for all that the Lord has done for us. But, if we will become quiet in an attitude of adoration and worship, the Holy Spirit will begin to worship the Lord through us, and our expression of worship will rise into a flow of harmony that will lift us into a higher realm of divine presence. This worship in harmony is impossible with the beat of loud drums, as this “beat” will reduce us from eternity into time, and rob us of the divine presence, while the harmony of pure worship will lift us into union with the worship of the choirs of heaven. Discretely played with a sensitivity to the building presence of the Lord, drums may help to accelerate praise, but should become silent as praise begins to harmonize into a flow of worship. Satan knows this, but very few worship leaders do. Moses both knew and valued the presence of the Lord. “And He (the Lord) said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. And he (Moses) said to Him, If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” Exodus 33:14-15 (comments added) This intense desire within Moses to have the presence of the Lord abide with him did not just happen. It came through circumstances that caused him to diligently seek the abiding presence of the Lord. Though Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22), he failed in his attempt to fulfill his calling by delivering an Israelite, and fled into the wilderness. Here, while keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, he pursued the call that rested upon his life, as he journeyed toward the mountain of God. As Moses traveled, he noticed that at a distance to the side of his path, a bush was burning with fire, but was not consumed. “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2 After Moses noticed this burning bush, he said: “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” Exodus 3:3 “I will now turn aside.” This speaks of something within Moses that desired and was responsive to the presence of the Lord. Notice that the Lord appeared in a bush that was “a distance to the side” of the path that Moses was taking, even though he was moving toward the mountain of God. This is because the Lord desires to be wanted, and seeks a response from us that indicates our desire for His presence. The Lord chooses to reveal Himself in such a way that it requires a deliberate action on our part, as an indication of a true desire for His presence. Our having this “bent of spirit,” or “spiritual aptitude” toward the Lord’s presence, does not come easily. It must be actively desired, sought after, and cultivated. Our “worship” is a key to developing this spiritual sensitivity and aptitude for His abiding presence. “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” Exodus 3:4 Although Moses was intent on moving toward the mountain that pertained to God, he desired the presence of the Lord so much that he willingly responded to this manifestation of the supernatural, and turned toward it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord, though at the time he did not understand what was taking place. Each of us is affected by the worldly environment that surrounds us. As a result of this, we develop varying amounts of sensitivity to “earthy” things. When we were “Born Again,” we received the capacity to recognize and respond to “spiritual” things. Through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, we began to understand that we have become a new creation, and have entered a new and higher realm of life. We learn that the purpose of the Lord is not to build up the temporal, but rather, to introduce us to the spiritual. This under-standing will help us to turn aside from lesser things, and to focus our attention on cultivating an increasing sensitivity to His presence and voice. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an increase in the quality of our worship. As our worship begins to flow up to the Lord in an expression of harmony and purity, the presence of the Lord will also increase in our gatherings. This increased presence of the Lord will draw those who are truly spiritually hungry, and they will turn aside to worship the Lord with us. While I was a student in Bible school, I learned a very important spiritual principle from one of my teachers, Walter Beuttler. He said, “The Lord appreciates being appreciated.” This expresses something very close to the heart of God. We all desire to be appreciated, but the Lord uniquely appreciates, and responds to His being appreciated. He shares His presence with those who let Him know they appreciate Him, especially through their worship. Our music, our worship, everything that we do in a gathering should be directed toward our coming into the experience of His revealed, manifest presence. We should develop our spiritual sensitivity, so we will be able to recognize His presence, and turn aside as the Lord reveals Himself in our meetings through His quickening presence. When Moses responded and turned aside, the Lord imparted instructions, which led to the deliverance of His people from bondage. As Moses stood in the manifested presence of the Lord, he was both enabled and empowered to lead them into a land that flowed with milk and honey. Our worship is tremendously important, as it also hinders the functioning of demons and principalities, and leads to deliverance. The value of our worship is far more than we may realize. It releases the Lord to move in intervention, as when we worship, the Lord works in our behalf. Although the Lord has all the choirs of heaven to lead in heavenly worship, He desires to inhabit our praise and worship. “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23 Rev. Skip Wigmore, Light of Life Ministries Smithfield, NClolministries@embarqmail.com Revelation 18:4-5 (NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
Monday, July 5, 2010
When You Hurt
WHEN YOU HURT
In one way or another, we are all hurting. Every person on earth carries his own burden of pain. When you are deeply hurt, no person on earth can shut down the inner fears and deepest agonies. Not the best of friends can understand the battle you are going through or the wounds inflicted on you. Is there a balm for a broken heart? Is there healing for those deep, inner hurts? Can the pieces be put back together and the heart be made even stronger? Yes! Absolutely yes! And if not, then God's Word would be a hoax and God himself would be a liar. That cannot be! God didn't promise you a painless way of life. He promised you "a way of escape." He promised to help you bear your pain. Strength to put you back on your feet when weakness makes you stagger. Our loving Father said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Your heavenly Father watches over you with an unwavering eye. Every move is monitored. Every tear is bottled. He identifies with your every pain. He feels every hurt. He will never allow you to drown in your tears. He will not permit your hurt to deteriorate your mind. He promises to come, right on time, to wipe away your tears and give you joy for mourning. You have the ability to make your heart rejoice and be glad in the Lord. God's eye is on you—and he commands us to rise up and shake off all those fears causing doubt.
In one way or another, we are all hurting. Every person on earth carries his own burden of pain. When you are deeply hurt, no person on earth can shut down the inner fears and deepest agonies. Not the best of friends can understand the battle you are going through or the wounds inflicted on you. Is there a balm for a broken heart? Is there healing for those deep, inner hurts? Can the pieces be put back together and the heart be made even stronger? Yes! Absolutely yes! And if not, then God's Word would be a hoax and God himself would be a liar. That cannot be! God didn't promise you a painless way of life. He promised you "a way of escape." He promised to help you bear your pain. Strength to put you back on your feet when weakness makes you stagger. Our loving Father said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Your heavenly Father watches over you with an unwavering eye. Every move is monitored. Every tear is bottled. He identifies with your every pain. He feels every hurt. He will never allow you to drown in your tears. He will not permit your hurt to deteriorate your mind. He promises to come, right on time, to wipe away your tears and give you joy for mourning. You have the ability to make your heart rejoice and be glad in the Lord. God's eye is on you—and he commands us to rise up and shake off all those fears causing doubt.
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