Consider that the psalmist doesn't cry with his whole heart to a family member, the pastor, a preacher, a neighbor, a friend or a brother or sister in Christ, but he writes, "I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord." We have become a society who loves to run from one place to another with the story of every detail of our lives. We seem to enjoy the attention. I am afraid this is bleeding into the body of Christ. When was the last time we came to God before anyone else with that which is troubling us? When was the last time we got ourselves in the prayer closet and called upon God with a cry that was filled with intensity and anticipation of what the King of kings would do? It is time to follow in the steps of the psalmist, "I Cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord."
I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment. They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law. Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever. Psalm 119:145-152
Consider that the psalmist doesn't cry with his whole heart to a family member, the pastor, a preacher, a neighbor, a friend or a brother or sister in Christ, but he writes, "I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord." We have become a society who loves to run from one place to another with the story of every detail of our lives. We seem to enjoy the attention. I am afraid this is bleeding into the body of Christ. When was the last time we came to God before anyone else with that which is troubling us? When was the last time we got ourselves in the prayer closet and called upon God with a cry that was filled with intensity and anticipation of what the King of kings would do? It is time to follow in the steps of the psalmist, "I Cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord."
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That which we abide in cannot stay hidden, because what we have rooted ourselves in or given ourselves over to will eventually bud out and sooner or later the fruit will be known. Jesus said, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" John 15:5b (read John 15.) We as individuals should never abide in or borrow from those things that are rooted in the world and its system in hopes of adding something to our lives so that our walk with the Lord would be closer. John led of the Holy Spirit wrote, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...And the world passeth away" (I suggest you read I John 2:15-17.) This world is fleeting and the fruit of this world is deceiving in that it looks good on the outside, but the inside is rotten. Sin is often wrapped in the cloak of deception. What you see is certainly not what you will get. Many have fallen as they have walked in the flesh and been duped by the deceiver. Our churches will only be as strong as each individual member. The children of Israel learned this at Ai when they experienced a great defeat because of Achan's sin (read Joshua 7:1-26.) As the pastor prays, visits, preaches and teaches, the people will be exposed to the word of God and the possibility for growth will be off the charts. But each church member has a choice and a decision to make; die to self and be filled with Holy Spirit and allow God to do a work in them as they follow the Lord and His commandments, or walk in the flesh and allow the world to be as weeds to hinder their growth while having a defiant affect on the church. The individual church member will either add revival fire to the church or they will act as water on the fire. We need a Holy Ghost fire to burn in each of us. Such a fire will be contagious from one church member to the next. It will convict those who are as a smoldering ember and it will be fuel for those whose heart is as a flame thrower. The pews need to burn just as much as the pulpits. I recently read these words from Andrew Murray and they ring true today, "The freer the church is of the spirit and principles of the world, the more influence she will exert in it. The believer sees that the only way to answer his calling is by being crucified to the world. The only way to withdraw himself from its power is to live in Christ and to rely on Him to go into it and bless it. He lives in heaven and walks on earth." I have a burden for my pastor friends and the folks who attend their churches. Revival fire will only burn as bright as the fire that is found in each individual believer. Let the fire burn!! Now, this should get us fired up to pray! Let's soak and saturate this church plant in prayer! Let's call on Almighty God to move in a mighty way! If we desire to see a change in the spiritual temperature of our nation we should take serious praying for new church plants. Let's lift up Bro.Absher and his dear family.
Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying, Bro. Tracy Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. Psalm 119:137-144 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18 Meditate on these: "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments." "Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights." You wouldn't dare travel down to the county or city dump and put garbage and trash in your mouth, so why should your mind be any different. Don't conform any longer to that which you have been brought out of in and through Christ Jesus. The system of this fallen sin filled world has nothing of any benefit to the child of the most High God. The prince of this world does not have your best interest in mind. The devil and his ungodly bunch wants to destroy, divide and debilitate the redeemed. Renew your mind with the word of God. Saturate and soak your mind in the scriptures and watch as the Holy Spirit does a mighty work within you. As you are transformed by God and the working of the Holy Spirit you will be salt and light in a world that is filled with darkness and despair. 1. Be fixed upon the Saviour- A transformed life of satisfaction. 2. Be filled with the Scriptures- A transformed life of substance. 3. Be filled with the Spirit- A transformed life of strength. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for their in do I delight. Psalm 119:35 A path does not become a path until the ground is tread upon time after time. In the woods behind our home, there are many paths that often lead to a creek. The deer have tread upon that patch of ground again and again, which leads them to their precious water supply. We also should have a path worn down, when we time and time again make our way to the banks of the Bible and drink from God’s powerful word. After I was saved I soon found myself to be as a famished man who had gone far too long without the proper nutrients. I have found God's Word to be heavenly nourishment for my earthly journey. The sustenance and substance of the Word of God satisfies the saint for any and every situation. It is heaven sent and God breathed. I have never been the same since I began partaking from the spiritually protein packed pages of God's Word. I truly believe that four things will take place as we make our way to God's Word again and again. 1. We will Delight- I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. (Psalm 119:16) 2. We will Respect- I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. (Psalm 119:15) 3. We will Run- I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psalm 119:32) 4. We will Walk- And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. (Psalm 119:45) The word commit in our text literally means; roll of onto. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” We must roll off those things on to the Lord that are heavy and burdensome. We often times roll things over and over again in our minds, and those things will eventually make their way to our hearts, and they take hold of our lives. We trust to often in our own counsel, and that should not be. Please don’t misunderstand; we are not to fold ourselves up as a tent and check out of life. We continue life as we roll off those things onto the Lord, and we remember what David wrote being led by the Holy Spirit, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him.” We commit our way to the Lord and then we trust in Him and watch Him work. Will you? But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37:39 Scarcely, I’m afraid, does the child of God depend on the deliverance or the strength of God. We tip toe down the path of life when our steps should be strong in the Lord our God. I am not speaking of arrogance or a smugness that derives its position power from ones self. I am speaking of an inner strength that has its origin in the Lord and His mighty word. From such strength comes an outer mettle that is of the Lord. If one would memorize our verse and couple it with Psalm 27:1-2 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. When the wicked, even mine enemies and foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell." we would be spiritual lions and not kittens. God is our strength in times of trouble. It is only in times of trouble that we can learn such strength. When the wicked rage against the righteous, the God of the righteous shall be their salvation and strength. Fear is too often a very real factor in the life of the redeemed. Let's take God at His word and live a life that counts and causes others to take notice of our faith in the living God. I recently read these words, "When God's standard of righteousness is set, there will always be division. Without righteousness there can be no peace. Peace can never come where sin remains. God will never make a peace treaty with sin, never!" When you choose to walk with God a line will be drawn in the sand against sin. You will have a desire to flee sin and live for the Lord. You cannot live for the Lord and walk with the world while running with the devil. Sin carries with it a false sense of security and a sure path to destruction. Bring glory to God with the life you now have in Christ Jesus. The Bible says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2) |
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