Zeal for God's House

Psalms 69:9 - " for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me."

 

Are you zealous for the Lord? Are you passionate about God? Do you take it personally when someone speaks badly about Christ or the Good News of Jesus Christ? Do you feel like you are slapped in the face, when Christ's church and His people are mocked?

 

Most people take it quite personally when their father or family is insulted. They take it upon themselves to defend the honor of their family. Do we do this with the family of Christ?

 

We are all passionate about many things. Think about the thing that is most important to you or the thing that you are most passionate about. It could be your political view. It could be a certain sport or activity. It could be a certain person. It could be your job, making money or advancing yourself.

 

Whatever it may be, we should be as consumed by God as we are consumed by it. How do we know that something consumes us?

 

We give most all our time, money, energy and thought to them. We speak about it all the time. We are hurt or offended when someone does not like it or agree with us, and quickly defend it.

Lord help me to be consumed by you and for you, and take personally the attacks made upon you.

Wait Expectantly

Psalms 5:3 - "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."

 

There are two important points in this verse. First, the Psalmist every morning went to God in prayer. Secondly, he expectantly waited for the answer to his request.

 

A definition of expectantly - with an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something good.

 

The root word here in Hebrew is to lean forward, and to peer into the distance.

 

Are you praying in faith? Do you believe God will answer your request?

 

James 1:6-7 - "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."

Stand Your Ground

There is a battle raging over the souls of men. It is a spiritual battle being played out in the physical realm.

 

John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

 

Many of us are discouraged. Some of us are giving up the fight, and others are fleeing out of fear. Yet, God is calling us to stand firm. As we do this, the Lord will bring the victory.

 

2 Samuel 23:10-12 - "but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory."

 

Remember, you are not standing alone in this fight. God and others are standing with you.

Ask God how should you stand. How should you fight. We each have a position (role), in the battle. **

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS.

 

2 Chronicles 20:15 - "He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s."

 

As we see what Haiti is going through, it can be very discouraging, and make us fearful. Often we are very stressed over all these things. At times like this, we need to remember, the battle is not ours, but God's. This attitude will transfer the wait of it all from us to God. Yet, we have a part in this.

 

2 Chronicles 20:17 - "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

 

If you read further on in this chapter, you will see that the army of Israel went out to face an army greater then them. Yet, they went out in faith, and praise with the worship team going before them.

 

If the battle is the Lord's, what are we to do?

We are to stand in prayer, faith, praise, and in obedience to God's Word.

Truths from the Song of Moses

The final words of Moses to the people of Israel before his death and them entering the promise land included a powerful song in Deuteronomy 32:1-43.

1) We are to listen to the teachings of God, and be drenched by them to our very root for they will bring life and refreshment to us.
2) We are to praise and worship Him because He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.
3) We are foolish and unwise if we do not live godly lives. When we do not obey Him we lack understanding and respect for our Father, and Creator.
4)  God shields us and cares for us; he guarded us as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. He not only protects us, but teaches us to fly with Him in the high places, where He wants us to dwell.
5) God abundantly provides for His people.
6) If we turn our back on God our Rock and Savior to live unholy lives, God will punish us or discipline us and even reject us if we continue in our rebellion towards Him.
7) Yet, God's punishment and discipline will not last for ever when we recognize our sin and turn back to Him.
8) God puts to death and brings life. He wounds and  heals. No one can deliver out of His hand.

Do Not Neglect the Body of Christ

It is all about the Body of Christ

I have been reflecting on the body of Christ, His church today. Apostle Paul put great importance on the body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-5 - "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

I see that many people in the church have gone to individualism. It is all about them and their relationship with Christ with little or no connection with the body of believers, and often no genuine commitment to the whole body, Christ's church.

I love how Paul says it here, "each member belongs to all the others." I am not my own master".
It is not me and Christ. It is us and Christ. Yes, I am part of the us, but it is not about me. It is about Christ's body (church) and Christ's purposes for His church in the world. Yes, I am a member of the body, and I should care for the health of me the member. Yet, the member must be connected, and the purpose of being healthy spiritually is to be a strength to the rest of the body to fulfill the purposes of Christ who is the head.

The apostle Paul believed so much in the body of Christ (the church), that he made great personal sacrifices for the benefit of the whole.

Colossians 1:24 - "Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

What sacrifices are you making for the betterment (well being) of the body of Christ?
Are you coming together on a regular basis with other believers to strengthen one another and work together for the furthering of God's purposes?

Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

We need each other more today than ever. We need every member of Christ's body, His church. I need you and you need me. I need you to speak into my life as the Holy Spirit leads you and visa-versa. We draw strength from each other.

 

Finally, body life is more then coming together for church. It is not a 1 or 2 day activity. It is being daily in connection with others in the body, and functioning as Christ's body through the week. As so often said, we are the arms, hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus. We are to be serving the body of Christ through out the week, and show the world Christ who is in us.

A spiritual battle

Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

 

It is easy to get our eyes fixed on the people who are doing very bad things, and even wish evil upon them.  When our eyes are glued to this, we begin to think the battle lies in the natural realm. While in actuality, it lies in the spiritual realm. What we see being played out in the natural is being played out in the spiritual as well. Therefore, we need to go to the Lord in prayer. We need to wage a spiritual battle in prayer. We need to go to the source of the problems that are being played out in the natural, which is rooted in the spiritual realm. 

 

The rulers, and authorities here are evil spirits (fallen angels), who are battling against God and using people as their pawns (chess pieces). 

 

Yet, we as believers in Christ have spiritual weapons to fight them: the Word of God, power of the Holy Spirit, prayer, praise, faith, obedience and the fruit of the Spirit.

 

Matthew 16:19 - "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

We must bind the strongholds which are the spirit of division, greed, jealousy, lust, pride, hatred, prejudice, and underlying it all is a ungodly love of self that puts us at the center instead of God and others.