Let's Continue the Race in 2015! Let's get stirred up for the Lord in 2015! God wants to do mighty things through His children (Ephesians 2:10). The question is will we allow Him to do that which He has planned for us to do? Will we play church? Will we settle for seconds when God has the best plan and purpose for our lives? Do we want a rich, deep and abiding relationship with the God of the universe? The Bible speaks of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It could happen at any moment. That is exciting and sobering at the same time. You see, each day is a choice and with that choice there is a consequence. The consequence of our choice will either reveal that we are closer to the Lord Jesus Christ or deeper in the world and its way. A stirring is needed!
I. Questions that will stir:
What is it that is stopping you from committing completely your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? What is it that stops you dead in your tracks when you are well on your way to consecrating yourself, your life and all that is in you to Almighty God? Again, I ask, what is it? Who is it? Is it you and you alone, or is it the fear of what others might be saying or thinking about you. A life of any substance or meaning will never come to existence while one is living under the shadow of the fear of man. Please understand me; I am speaking to the born again. When it comes to the sorry state of the fervency and commitment for and to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word in a church, country, county, city, town or family, too many Christians often want to point the finger at anyone and everyone within the body of Christ but not themselves. Spiritually speaking, we often live on the outskirts but we don’t dare come up close. Think of the impact and example you would be in and through Christ Jesus in your local church if you sold out completely to the Lord Jesus. Think of the blessing you would be to your pastor and the people of your home church. Obedience to the word of God leads one to closeness to God and within obedience there is purpose and power. True living is never found in emulating the world. True living is living for and serving the One True God.
II. Suffering will come
Since I have been saved, I have run into those who I have irritated because of my desire to live a life consecrated to God. I am not whining, crying or complaining, I am simply stating a fact. I have been told that, “I needed to lighten up.” After sharing my testimony with a man in my drive way he told me, “You are taking this serious.” I have been lampooned to my face and in my home for the things I choose not to watch or listen to (I use Philippians 4:8 as my guide). I have been called ‘old fashion’ and have friends who have inquired to other friends on whether or not I had joined a cult. I have not joined a cult, I have been born again! What they are seeing is the new creature I am in Christ Jesus. I don’t consider myself old fashion because God and His Word have never gone out of style. Friends have scattered and disappeared and many, I am quite certain, have mocked and laughed. We need to remember the words that the aged man of God, Paul, told Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12.) Don’t let the foolishness of another or your own fear dictate whether or not you give yourself completely to the One who gave His all for the saving of your soul. Remember David’s words, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8.)
III. A plan to consider:
A. Define- What it is that is keeping you from giving yourself completely to the Lord. Ask God to search you and to put His finger on whatever it may be. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24.) God never leaves us hanging when we come to Him with such a request.
B. Develop- Ask God to develop in you a heart for Him. The key is that we must come. Allow the Holy Spirit free reign as you spend time in prayer and soak and saturate yourself in God’s Word. The Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6.)
C. Determine- The devil will fight you tooth and nail and your own flesh will come against you. Be determined while desiring to walk in the Spirit. Shear self-determination will not win the day but we must do our part. Make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ while being a clean vessel and you will see the fruit that is available as one abides in Christ. Soon your words will echo David’s, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord will I seek” (Psalm 27:8.)
D. Declare- Each morning declare to stoke the fire that God has set in your heart for Him. Draw a line and say, today I am giving myself completely into the hands of the living God and allowing Him to have all of me. David wrote, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is” (Psalm 63:1.) Scripture will lay a path that will lead us to a depth and a desire for God.
IV. What will we choose?
In his book, The Pursuit of God, author and preacher, A.W. Tozer, wrote in reference to those who truly seek a depth in their relationship with God, “I shall simply say that they had spiritual awareness and that they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives.” The key word is cultivated. If we are not cultivating a deep relationship with God then we must ask ourselves what is it that we are cultivating in our lives and why? This is a Call and a Challenge to stir ourselves and to seek the Lord's face in a mighty way in 2015!
I. Questions that will stir:
What is it that is stopping you from committing completely your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? What is it that stops you dead in your tracks when you are well on your way to consecrating yourself, your life and all that is in you to Almighty God? Again, I ask, what is it? Who is it? Is it you and you alone, or is it the fear of what others might be saying or thinking about you. A life of any substance or meaning will never come to existence while one is living under the shadow of the fear of man. Please understand me; I am speaking to the born again. When it comes to the sorry state of the fervency and commitment for and to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word in a church, country, county, city, town or family, too many Christians often want to point the finger at anyone and everyone within the body of Christ but not themselves. Spiritually speaking, we often live on the outskirts but we don’t dare come up close. Think of the impact and example you would be in and through Christ Jesus in your local church if you sold out completely to the Lord Jesus. Think of the blessing you would be to your pastor and the people of your home church. Obedience to the word of God leads one to closeness to God and within obedience there is purpose and power. True living is never found in emulating the world. True living is living for and serving the One True God.
II. Suffering will come
Since I have been saved, I have run into those who I have irritated because of my desire to live a life consecrated to God. I am not whining, crying or complaining, I am simply stating a fact. I have been told that, “I needed to lighten up.” After sharing my testimony with a man in my drive way he told me, “You are taking this serious.” I have been lampooned to my face and in my home for the things I choose not to watch or listen to (I use Philippians 4:8 as my guide). I have been called ‘old fashion’ and have friends who have inquired to other friends on whether or not I had joined a cult. I have not joined a cult, I have been born again! What they are seeing is the new creature I am in Christ Jesus. I don’t consider myself old fashion because God and His Word have never gone out of style. Friends have scattered and disappeared and many, I am quite certain, have mocked and laughed. We need to remember the words that the aged man of God, Paul, told Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12.) Don’t let the foolishness of another or your own fear dictate whether or not you give yourself completely to the One who gave His all for the saving of your soul. Remember David’s words, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8.)
III. A plan to consider:
A. Define- What it is that is keeping you from giving yourself completely to the Lord. Ask God to search you and to put His finger on whatever it may be. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24.) God never leaves us hanging when we come to Him with such a request.
B. Develop- Ask God to develop in you a heart for Him. The key is that we must come. Allow the Holy Spirit free reign as you spend time in prayer and soak and saturate yourself in God’s Word. The Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6.)
C. Determine- The devil will fight you tooth and nail and your own flesh will come against you. Be determined while desiring to walk in the Spirit. Shear self-determination will not win the day but we must do our part. Make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ while being a clean vessel and you will see the fruit that is available as one abides in Christ. Soon your words will echo David’s, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord will I seek” (Psalm 27:8.)
D. Declare- Each morning declare to stoke the fire that God has set in your heart for Him. Draw a line and say, today I am giving myself completely into the hands of the living God and allowing Him to have all of me. David wrote, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is” (Psalm 63:1.) Scripture will lay a path that will lead us to a depth and a desire for God.
IV. What will we choose?
In his book, The Pursuit of God, author and preacher, A.W. Tozer, wrote in reference to those who truly seek a depth in their relationship with God, “I shall simply say that they had spiritual awareness and that they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives.” The key word is cultivated. If we are not cultivating a deep relationship with God then we must ask ourselves what is it that we are cultivating in our lives and why? This is a Call and a Challenge to stir ourselves and to seek the Lord's face in a mighty way in 2015!
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