The Practical Presence of God

Today we must all walk ourselves into the whole environment of the Lord’s Presence. No matter what. There will be people clamoring for attention: submit our responses to the Lord before we allow the persons to take us somewhere because it will be out of the Presence. They only know they want attention and do not know they are being needled by the enemy to take us out. Therefore, when we submit to the Lord before we start walking where these people want us to go, He will have compassion on us and them and all will come out right for all good and God’s glory.

Have you ever been lied to and found out much later after it has caused great harm because you accepted the person speaking the lies at face value? As you continually submit yourself into the Presence of God in Christ Jesus, lies become more and more evident and that kind of thing does not go far with you any more.

Have you ever had to make a decision you felt would not be right if you base it on the facts available? Submit yourself to the Lord and he will give you wisdom and insight beyond all facts. Understand what it means to make your decisions based on the Lord and not on what your own sight. His eyes are available to you, and he sees perfectly.

Coming into his Presence requires continual submission to him on our part; someone said it takes 21 days to make a new habit………….you are challenged now to start making his presence your habitation for the next 21 days………. I think you will be moving in permanently.

Performance-Based Christianity?

Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” He also told us that because he was going to the Father, we would do even greater works than he did.

Are you trying to work without seeing Jesus? Without the blessing and grace of the Father?

Good things we do, like starting food banks and wrestling to get money from the government to stock them may have an impact on needs in society. How much greater would this help to people be if we relied on God alone to plan and stock the food bank, and to give the increase because we do it in his Name?

What keeps us from waiting upon God and doing things his way? The “risk” involved from bringing the seen out of the unseen? What if we fail? Pride opens up a can of ifs, ands, and buts, and what could be a beautiful project never comes to life. However, we feel if we can micro-manage a project enough, it will succeed and there is no risk.

We say, well, we are going to fix the worship time at church so it isn’t so boring. Get some new tunes and jazz up the old ones. Bless the socks off those people whether they get it or not. We are such good musicians, God will accept this music as worship and be proud of us.We will practice and practice until our arrangements are perfect and then offer it up as a sacrifice of worship and praise.

But God says a broken and contrite heart is what he wants offered to him. He wants us to be still and know that he is God. When we know who he is and know what we are in relationship with him, then the music is not a performance. It flows from the heart of God in unity with his children. Each gives to the other in perfect harmony.

All that we do in love for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not fail because God never fails. May he bless you today with creative thoughts and the wisdom to seek him first to know how to act on those righteous thoughts. In Jesus’ Name.

Everyday Activity

Psalm 91:6-7 “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Oh, that you would listen to his voice today!”

Before  we move from the bed in the morning, we can bow our hearts before our God and worship him. Before we take food, we can bow our hearts and worship him. Before we get in the car or board a bus or walk on a busy path, we can bow our hearts before him and worship him. Before we smile at the fussed lady in line at the grocery store, we can bow our hearts and worship him. Before we call a friend or enemy to complain about some injustice, we can bow our hearts and worship him.

Do you see, beloved in Christ, that every footstep and every spoken word and even every thought is under the care of our great Shepherd.  We do not ever need to take a wrong step or speak a wrong word.  We are fully protected.

Let us always listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit and go with what he says, for he speaks truth. As we practice listening, his voice will come closer and closer to the surface of our thoughts, until we hear him first . . .

A blessed relief to have worship and obedience the normal daily walk with God.

Is Jesus Your King?

When you are walking through trouble, is Jesus your King?

Do you run to the Throne Room to seek an audience with Him? Lay yourself on the altar where He is worshiped there and expect only that which He bestows? No hidden hopes or agenda, and no withholding from Him a secret anger that He is going to fail you?

What about the times when you are glad and restored and happy and full of zest? Do you still seek the King? Is Jesus the one who gave you your joy or do you take credit for your own achievement?

Lord, I just saw you, extending your sceptor to everyone who reads this. You are smiling . . . you know exactly where we are and what we’re thinking. That is such a relief! I am touching the knob of your sceptor now, and you are drawing me into yourself. We are all here! Thank you, Jesus.

The Service of Worship

Scriptures pertaining to this blog: Psalms 2 and 3, and epistle of I John, 1 and 2.

When we worship, we bow before God and serve Him. Reverence and trembling are the position of our souls. To worship like this means we are before God and focused on Him. We anticipate His every gesture and nuance so that we can obey Him. Picture in your mind a king who has servants gathered around him. These servants have no duty other than to anticipate and fulfill every gesture and nuance the king makes, and every word he utters expressing a desire or command. In doing this , the servants become so tuned in to the king that most of the time they do not even need to wait for him to say, “Bring me my cup.” The cup is already prepared, and when the king lifts his head to speak for it, the servant has it ready and waiting at his elbow.

A worshiper studies the One he worhsips, bows before Him, and serves Him intimately so that he is ready to obey the slightest signal. Many commands and precepts are learned so that the worshiper does not even need to be told what to do.  He trembles to think he might miss doing what his Lord wants him to do.

Yet in the context of worshiping God, in Christ Jesus, we are nots slaves from fear. We are beloved children, serving for love of the Master. This is the same love that God gave us when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  Christ served us! He showed us how to worship. 

Since our bodies cannot always remain bowed, the reverence we have for God moves in our spirits, then we submit our bodies to Christ which is our service of worship (see Romans 12:1-2). Our hearts and minds are cast to see and hear Jesus Christ first, before anyone else, including ourselves. How can we get to this place? PRACTICE. Yes, it really is that simple. Just like learning to play guitar. You read the book, you apply what the book says to do, and you learn to do it. To worship God and do whatever He desires for you to do, read His Book, study how He does things, apply this to your own life, and you will get better and better at being like Christ.

Also take refuge in the Lord, so you may accomplish all that you see and hear is His desire for you. Yes! God protects His children an worshipers! Jesus Christ protected us from death and hell by going to the cross for us. He literally put His life ahead of ours to lead us to safety.

When we serve Him, our adversaries increase. This makes life very hard. However, Christ sustains us through these experiences. The adversaries stalk and prowl, serving satan because they do not serve God. However, we can rest in the assured protection of the Lord. He manages our enemies, and they can go so far and no further. Even if we are called to make the ultimate sacrifice of human death, our victory over our enemies is already complete. We are going to heaven, friends, to the very throne room of God Almighty, where we can wait upon Him face to face! God smites and shatters His enemies, and blesses His own people.

In serving Christ, I John 1:1-4 says that our joy is made complete in telling other about Him. We tell others about worsiping Him, but also about having fellowship with Him. Fellowship and worship do go completely together.  A king’s best friend is his closest servant. One is not complete without the other. Worshiping God and fellowshiping with Him means we are in the Light. We can see. The cleansing blood of Christ is in the Light. To sin is to step away from the Light and be blinded by darkness. We are cleansed by the blood so that we can stay and walk in Christ, in love, and worhsip and serve Him and have joy because we are obvious servants of His. 

Today let us worship God by learning about Him in His Word and in being still before Him, listening and praying. Let us submit our bodies and our minds and hearts to him and see that we are standing in the Light of His countenance. Be aware of His presence. The Holy Spirit is anointing us continuously to know and do these things.

God bless you.

Living In Christ

According to the scriptures, to live in Christ is the opposite of living “in the world.” Hmmm. Anyone confused by that? Since we are living on planet Earth, don’t we have to live in the world even if we are Christians? Aren’t we going to have to compromise somewhere, sometime? We know the world is full of wickedness. We know we are going to run into evil pretty much every day – or it will run into us.

Did Jesus live in the world without compromising? Yes, he did. He came as and remained as the sinless, spotless Lamb of God throughout his life, and on the cross. How else would he be able to bear the sin of the whole world when the Father placed it upon him, to be our sacrifice for our sin, for all time? He had to be perfect. The tiniest compromise would have made him imperfect, and unavailable for God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Only God himself could complete that plan, so he sent his Son.

When I listen to God’s plan to save us with my spirit, I get it, praise the Lord. If I listen with my mind only, it’s just a big boggle. Knowng this makes it clear why speaking the gospel to unbelievers must be baptized in prayer, asking God to reveal the truth to them. Well, that’s off the main point of this blog post; consider it a free point!

To live in Christ requires Christ living in us. Yes? You agree? When we are saved, the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ, literally moves in and takes up residence in our hearts. One way we recognize his presence is that now we can understand the Bible and it is definitely living and active in us. The Holy Spirit teaches us and comforts us and speaks to us whatever he hears the Father saying. We can ask for information and listen to the Spirit of God for an answer. He lives in us so we can live in Christ.

What about compromises; that is, living with one foot in the world? Suggestion: read the epistle of First John, toward the end of the New Testament. There is great wisdom in that book about not compromising, and the consequences if we do. It explains how to know which people are truly in Christ, and who is not in Christ.That is good help for forming relationships among people, because if you hang out with the wrong people, you will certainly compromise with evil to maintain those loyalties. Those people can be your own family members, and then you need to get more of Jesus living through you to handle being with them but not compromise with them. Some people go to jobs every day where there is enormous temptation to compromise Christ to fit in. It can get scary.

Christ is perfect. If we knowingly compromise on any little thing, we are shutting him out. If we sin unknowingly, he will lead us to repentance, because he does not want us to be alienated from himself in any way. God will provide new strength every time a temptation arises to act like antichrist to fit in to this world. We have the ability to discipline thoughts so that every one is filtered through the eyes of God. This discipline comes about by learning God’s Word, the Bible, and prayer. If you can make the effort to turn on the television, you can make the effort to turn it off and open your Bible instead.

We abide in Christ by the power of his own Holy Spirit living inside of us. The power of his Word opens our minds and hearts to know truth from lies; light from darkness. We can practice knowing God’s presence at all times. It does take practice, but why would anyone who has come to know the Lord not want to get as close with him as possible, despite our living conditions? We can live in God’s heavenly kingdom, right here on earth. He says so. Remember the Lords Prayer? “Your kingdom come; your will be done . . . on earth as it is in heaven. Right here and right now.

John 16:22: And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
23: And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25: These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
26: At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28: I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
29: His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
30: Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
31: Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
32: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.