OF WHAT FRUIT ARE YOU KNOWN?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 04, 2023.

SUBJECT: OF WHAT FRUIT ARE YOU KNOWN?

Memory verse: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7 vs 16.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 17 - 20:

7:17: Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

7:18: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

7:19: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

7:20: Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read today, fruit metaphorically denotes works or deeds. The fruit being the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly, and the character of the fruit being evidence of the character of the power producing it. Our speeches and actions largely reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations which is the fruits in our lives. What is in your heart, that is, the fruit in your life will come out in your speech and behavior. And usually the good impressions (the fruit in our lives ) we try to make cannot last If we are being deceptive. 

What then are the visible expressions of the power working inwardly and invisibly in your life—the fruit in your life? As the visible expressions of hidden lusts are the works of the flesh, so the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those who are brought into living union with Christ and produces the fruit of the Spirit. But our lives can even be of no fruit, and God abhors such life.

Now, see what Jesus did to a fig tree in Matthew 21 vs 18 - 19; “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fid tree withered away.”

The question is why did Jesus curse the fig tree? Jesus was showing His anger on religion without substance—Christianity without results. Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close observation, so is Christianity without commensurate works. If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit, it was fruitful in appearance only but was without fruits. Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. 

The Scripture, in John 15 vs 16, Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

As Christians, we are evaluated by the kind of fruit we bear. Good Christians consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral standards as they seek to live out the truths of the Scriptures. Jesus is not expecting a perfect character, but rather a show of genuine commitment in the works of the Christian toward His kingdom. It’s only Jesus that will perfect us on His return, but our sanctification is continuous until His return (Hebrews 10 vs 14).

The Scriptures in John 15 vs 1 - 8, Jesus gave us requirements for a fruit bearing believer. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. As the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15 vs 1 - 2; 4 - 5.)

Christ is the vine, the branches are His followers, and God is the vinedresser who cares for the branches to make them fruitful. The fruitful branches are true believers who by their living union with Christ produce much fruits. But those who become unproductive—those who turn back from following Christ after making a superficial commitment—will be separated from the vine because they are as good as dead and will be cut off and tossed aside. 

The fruit of Christian life are; godliness (crucified flesh with its passion and desires), faith, virtue, knowledge, perseverance, soul winning, answered prayer, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. All these are unified character of the Lord, hence the Scripture usually refers to them singularly as “fruit,” instead of “fruits.” They are all in contrast with the confused, and often mutually antagonistic “work of the flesh.”

They are referred to in the Scriptures as “The fruit of righteousness,” that is, all of the character traits flowing from a right relationship with God (Philippians 1 vs 11). In Hebrews 12 vs 11, the fruit of righteousness is described as “peaceable fruit”; the outward effect of Divine chastening sown in peace in the believer. It is also called the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5 vs 22 -24).

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control. To obtain the fruit, we must abide in Him —join our life to His—we must know Him, believe in Him, receive Him as our Savior and Lord, love Him, obey Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law—to love God and our neighbors. 

Our desire as Christians should be to produce fruit in likeness of Christ and acceptable to God and which outlasts death. The Scripture, in Revelation 14 vs 13, says, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” 

God’s people should produce fruits that survive even death. Yes God will only remember our love, kindness, faithfulness, and our kingdom advancement endeavors. While it is true that money, fame, and possessions are good, but they are abandoned here on earth when you die, and God does not reckon such for you, But God is only mindful of what you achieved with the things He has given you and in your relationship with Him and others while you lived on earth. Now, the choice is yours. What kinds of fruit are you bearing?

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to bear remarkable fruits that survive even death, and rewarded by You in eternity, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 03, 2022.

SUBJECT: WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

Memory verse: "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1 vs 8.) 

READ: Matthew 16 vs 13 - 17:

16:13: When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

16:14: So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, Some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

16:15: He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16:16: Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

16:17: Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

INTIMATION:

Have you ever thought of such idea or bothered about who God will say you are? Interestingly, this should be the most important question in everyone’s life, and requires a sincere answer from each of us. This is because of the Day—the judgement Day when every one will appear before the Lord; ”For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 10.) “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9 vs 27). 

Christ will judge each and everyone of us, both the living and the dead, and He will reward us for how we have lived. Although judgment is already working in our lives, there will be a future, final judgment when Christ returns (Matthew 25 vs 31 - 46), and everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. For the believers, their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities in order to determine their heavenly rewards. 

God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. Everybody, Christians and non-Christians,  must give account of how they lived before Christ. The question is, “How will Christ see you?” Can He testify of your goodness, obedience, and faithfulness? In our memory verse, God testified about Job; He Inquired from Satan if he had seen His servant Job. God’s servants are faithful to Him in all they do. They serve Him with their whole lives. It was a great honor to Job; it placed him amongst His known servants as Moses and David. God was boastful about His servant Job, and reposed great confidence in him. 

Job was a model of trust and obedience to God, and because of God’s confidence in him, He permitted Satan to attack him in an especially harsh manner. God trusted Job not to cave in to Satan’s wicked ploys to make him doubt whom he believed. Can God say this of any of us? Can God repose such confidence He had in Job in you? This calls for concern to each and every one of us.

Satan wanted to prove that Job worshiped God, not out of love, but because God had given him so much. Satan felt that Job had no reason to turn against God that had blessed him exceedingly. Ever since he had started following God, everything had gone well for Job, and should God withdraw His blessings and protection around him, Job will deny or turn his back on God. Athough, it was an obvious falsehood about Job’s motives, Satan accurately analyzed why many people trust God. They are fair-weather believers, following God only when everything is going well or for what they can get. 

Adversity destroys this superficial faith. But adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storms. How deep does your faith go? Put the roots of your faith down deep into God so that you can withstand any storm you may face.

Although God loves us, believing and obeying Him do not shelter us from life’s calamities. Setbacks, tragedies, and sorrows strike Christians and non-Christians alike. But in the believer’s tests and trials, God is with him and his triumph is guaranteed. God expects us to express our faith to the world. How do you respond to your troubles? Do you ask God, “Why me?” or do you say, “Use me!”?

The conversation between God and Satan teaches us an important fact about God—He is fully aware of every attempt by Satan to bring suffering and difficultly upon us. While God may allow us to suffer for a reason beyond our understanding, He is never caught by surprise with our troubles and is always with us in our challenges. His compassion for His children never fails. 

Jesus was also mindful of who people say He was during His earth walk. He inquired from His disciples who people say He is. However, He was concerned about whom His Father says He is, and eventually, when Peter answered correctly, He noted that this was revealed to him by His Father in heaven.  We should also be mindful of who our Father in heaven says we are. 

We should be concerned about how we live, and lead our lives hear on earth; our obedience, faithfulness, and trust in God in words and in deeds. We should also be mindful of what our fellow believers say or think of us, knowing that those who are faithful to the end will reign with Him as He judges the world. (See Revelation 2 vs 26 - 27).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You and Your Word, that I may lead a life worthy of Your crown of glory and be found worthy on the Day of judgment, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WORSHIP GOD

 

Worship

“The Father seeks such to worship him.”

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-24

To worship God is to seek his face, that is, to see the Lord in his beauty by meditating on Him and extolling (proclaiming) his worth. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up and was forever changed (Is. 6:1-8). Jesus said that the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. God desires for us to seek after him in steadfast worship beholding his beauty.

• The fear (reverence and awe) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10
• And the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. – Daniel 11:32
• Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  – Psalm 37:4
• One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. – Psalm 27:4
• But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: – 1 Peter 2:9
• But you are holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel. – Psalms 22:3

Behold His Beauty

The worship part of intercession is to behold the beauty of the Lord.   That means to take time to muse, meditate, and focus on who God is in all His splendor and glory, until the truth of His greatness fills us with awe, adoration, love. True worship is to quietly, deliberately look into the kaleidoscope of God's character, and then stand in awe of His matchless beauty. Remember that Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up and was never the same. This was not a worship service in the Temple or Synagogue. It was private worship, “on-your-face-before-a-living-God” worship. It stirred the heart and cleansed the soul. David said his one overriding supreme desire was this. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. – Psalms 27:4

In Spirit and In Truth

Jesus authenticated private worship experience when he clarified for the woman at the well in Samaria that worship had nothing to do with temples made with hands. (John 4:23-24)  Solomon too revealed that when at the dedication of the Great Temple in Jerusalem he confessed… “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (I Kings 8:27 and Stephen quotes him in  Acts 7:48  “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet.”)

Confined Worship

Too often we Christians make the mistake of confining our worship to the house of God. Worship is personal adoration expressed directly to God himself. It has little to do with formal services, and music. It has everything to do with loving God with all one’s heart, mind, soul, strength and expressing that love emotionally and verbally. Jesus said, “The Father seeks such to worship him.” “Worship in spirit” is not referring to the Holy Spirit, but to the spirit of man – his emotions, his soul, his innermost being. Each day of our lives we as believers, the blood-bought redeemed ones, should seek to fervently worship God in our spirit.

Who Is He?

Would to God that we would learn the secret of His presence in learning to worship the Lord for who he is, not just for all the things He has done. I am afraid for all of us too often our praise is not real worship or adoration but fumbling attempts to “do praise” so that we can get on with the real business interest of our prayer – the asking.  True worship has nothing to do with getting. True worship is worship in truth, that is,worshipping God for who he truly is. Who is God? What is He like? God has revealed himself in His word. Worship is reviewing who he is according to that revelation. To know the Lord is to hold him is highest “awe,” and to stand amazed in his presence. True worship melts the heart before the heat of God’s personal revelation. “No man can look on him and live."

Worship is Action – Exalt the Lord!

Worship is not a quiet thing. It demands expression both verbally and physically. Angels and cherubim do it constantly before the throne. Worship is our invitation to join them. Read the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ and you will find physical and verbal declarations of the worth and holiness of God. People fell down and worshiped. You cannot truly worship and be quiet or still. To exalt the Lord requires your personal investment. It involves all of you. Peter expresses the physical and dynamic declaration of God’s worth when he says, “But you are achosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9  We are to SHOW FORTH his praises, not just say praises. The word “show forth” is one word in Greek, “exaggello”  which literally is “to message forth” or to make known by praising, proclaiming, or celebration. “Aggelos” is angel or “messenger of God” who heralds God’s glory. The Hebrew “Shofar,” or trumpet, introduced worship with a loud, long blast, so too, we are to trumpet God’s praises loudly, just as angels do before the throne. Psalm 66 verses 1-3 is worth our full attention as David instructs us in the art of worship. “Shout to God, Sing to God, Make his praise glorious, Say to God.” Psalm 68:4 continues the instruction, “Sing to God, Sing praise to His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds, rejoice before Him.”

To Know the Lord

Paul declared his goal in life was to “know the Lord in the power of his resurrection.” Daniel similarly praises those who truly know the Lord as ones who will do exploits. (Daniel 11:32) He who knows God by showing forth his praises will do valiantly. He will be victorious.

Worship Verbs

1. Praise - (yadah) - to throw,  shoot arrows,  cast laud,  praise

2. Give Glory - (yahab) - make shine, to give glory, to bring splendor, to ascribe worth,

3. Magnify - (gadal) - to cause to grow, to make great,  powerful, to magnify

4. Worship - (shachah) - to bow down,  prostrate oneself, to crouch before superior in homage

5. Exalt / Extol - (ruwm) - to raise, to heave high,  to lift up lofty,  to be exalted above

6. Sing - (zamar) - to make music,  to sing with voice, to play a musical instrument

7. Ascribe - (nathan) - to give,  bestow,  grant,  permit,  ascribe,  employ,  devote

8. Bless - (barak)  - to kneel, to salute, to congratulate

9. Declare - tell of - (caphar) - to count,  recount,  relate, to number,  take account of,  reckon

10. Shout - (ranan) - to cry out,  a loud shout of joy, a ringing cry (in joy,  exultation,  praise)

11. Delight in - (anag) - to be happy about,  take exquisite pleasure in, to make merry over

12. Honor - (tiph'arah) - to glory,  of rank,  renown, as attribute of God, make beautiful

13. Behold - (chazah) - (means to wash off one’s face) to see, to perceive,  to look at

14. Love - (racham) - have tender affection, deep love

15. Clap - (taqa) - to give a blast,  give a blow, to strike or applaud

16. Lift up hands - (nasa') - to raise,  raise up high, to bear, hold high

17. Bow down - (kara) - curve over,  sink down to one's knees

Worship With Scripture

Use the Scriptures to prime the pump of praise by reminding yourself of God’s greatness. Psalm 111, 112, 113, 117, 134, 144, 145, 147, 148, 149, 150

Exalt His Holy Name(s)

(There are over 600 descriptive names of God and Christ)

1. Jehovah-tsidkenu =  The Lord our Righteousness

2. Jehovah-shalom = The Lord our Peace

3. Jehovah-shammah = The Lord our Who is There Ever Present

4. Jehovah-m’kaddesh = The Lord our Sanctifier

5. Jehovah-jireh = The Lord our Provider

6. Jehovah-rohi = The Lord our Shepherd

7. Jehovah-nissi = The Lord our Banner

8. Jehovah-rophe = The Lord our Healer

9. Jehovah-saboath = Lord of Hosts

Practical Worship Strategies

1. Read Scripture that exalts Who He is. (Prime the pump with Scripture)

2. Sing songs to the Lord. (Sing out loud!)

3. Exalt His Names. (Magnify his names)

4. Remember His mighty works. (Think on, Meditate on)

5. Tell of His excellent greatness. (Rehearse it to Him)

6. Acknowledge His Sovereignty, Power, Wisdom, Control. (Lord you are…”)

7. Physically express your worship and adoration. (Lift hands, lay prostrate, kneel)

Alpha and Omega Praise

Praise His name through the alphabet.  Lift up and exalt God’s names beginning with A and end with Z. (Alpha and Omega - 26 Praises) Do it together in the congregation. Attempt to give 3-5 on each letter. It is a wonderful experience, especially when people read their praise of Him from the Word. There are more than 600 names of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture. To review and rejoice in his name is to truly know him and make his splendor known. Believe me, you won’t run out of praises.

A =  Ark, Alpha, Altogether lovely, Almighty God, Advocate, Author, Ancient of Days, Anchor

B = Bread, Balm of Gilead, Bright Morning Star, Breath, Beauty, Beginning, Best gift, Branch, Bride

C = Creator, Captain, Comforter, Counselor

D = Door, Defender, Deliverer, Daystar

E = Everlasting Father, Everything to me, Earnest of our inheritance

F =  Faithful High Priest, Father, Friend of Sinners, Firstborn, Fairest of 10,000, First and Last

G = God of All Comfort, Great God, Good Shepherd, Giver, Gift, Guide, Glory and Lifter of my head

H = Healer, Helper, Health, Holy One, Heir of all, High Priest, Hope of the ages

I = Immanuel, Invisible, Immortal, I Am

J = Judge, Jehovah-*, Jesus,

K  = King of Kings, King - *,  Keeper

L  = Lover of my soul, Lord strong and mighty, Lord *, Lamb, Light Life, Lilly of Valley

M  = Maker, Master, Marvelous One, Mighty God, Mediator

N  = Never-failing God, Name above all names, Nest, New and living way

O  = Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent

P  = Protector, Provider, Physician, Prince of Peace, my Peace, Passover, Priest forever, Promise

Q  = Quickening One, Quickening Spirit, Quietness and my confidence

R  = Resurrection, Redeemer, Rock, Refuge, Righteous One, My Righteousness

S = Savior, Sanctifier, Sun, Shield, Shade, Shepherd, Sure, Shelter, Source

T  = Teacher, Tower, Transformer, Truth

U  = Unmovable, Unspeakable Gift, Upholder of all things,

V  = Victor, Vine, Vision

W  = Water, Wonderful, Way, Wisdom, Worthy, Wing under which I trust

X = Xcellent, Xaminer or my heart, Xray of truth

Y = Yeshua, Yesterday, Today, Forever,

Z = Zeal of Lord,

Keeper, Shade Upon Right Hand, Shield, Defender, Refuge, Fortress, High Tower, Ancient of Days, Creator, Friend, Glory and Lifter of my head, King of Glory, Lord Strong and Mighty, Lord of Hosts, Very Present Help in Trouble, Well of Salvation, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Altogether Lovely, Balm of Gilead, Branch, Lilly of the Valley, Chiefest Among Ten Thousand, Defense, Deliverer, Desire of all Nations, Despised by the People, Diadem of Beauty, Fountain of Life, Friend that Sticketh Closer than a Brother, Refiner, Guide Even Unto Death, Helper of the Fatherless, Hiding Place, One Who Inhabits Eternity, Refiner's Fire, Refuge, Refuge in Times of Trouble, Refuge for the Oppressed, Refuge from the Storm, Reproach of Men, Resting Place, Reward for the Righteous, Righteous Branch, River of Water in a Dry Place, Rock that is Higher than I, Rock of My Refuge, Rod, Rose of Sharon, Scepter of Israel, Star out of Jacob, My Stay, Stone which the Builders Refused, Strength of My Life, Strong Tower from the Enemy, Sun of Righteousness, and many more.

Answer Three Questions Out Loud As You Worship:

• Who Is He?
• How Great Is He?
• What Is His Wonderful Name?

BE STILL BEFORE GOD

 

Be Still

Without a doubt the most difficult step in intercessory prayer is this one – keep silence, be still. Learn this step and you will transform your prayer life. Remember, your mind is like an undisciplined child running constantly and refusing to be dominated. It wants it own way. It is like a wild stallion that does not want to be tamed, bridled or ruled. It wanders wherever it wishes. It clamors for its own way. It speeds ahead to its own agenda. It refuses to be brought under control. But God says it must be bridled. Peter urges us to “gird up the loins of your mind.” (1 Peter 1:13) Paul says, “Bring every thought into the captivity of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

A Secret

There is a secret that God reveals to his servants that is hidden from all other men. It is the secret of his presence. He delights to walk and talk with us but he will only do so in the “Secret place of the Most High.” Therefore David exalts the mystery of that secret retreat with God alone where God shadows over his own with his protective presence. Jesus said that the secret place for believers is the “closet of prayer” in Matthew 6:6.  The Greek word translated in KJV is “tameion”  which means a closet, secret or inner chamber, or a storehouse – thus “a closet.” He is very specific about it. “When you have entered into your “tameion” (secret chamber), shut the door…and pray in secret!” God longs to have that romantic secret chamber of interlude with each of us.

A Command  (not a suggestion)

God has given his people express commands governing the turbulence of their own hearts and the peace that he offers and expects. None stands out so markedly as  Isaiah 30:15 "In quietness and confidence will be your strength and you would not..."  It declares that the Lord's purpose is for his people to return to Him to find quietness and confidence before Him.  The indictment was that his people "WOULD NOT," therefore they had no peace.

• Psalm 4:4  “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
• Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am thy God..."
• Isaiah 30:15 "In quietness and confidence will be your strength and you would not..."
• Isaiah 32:17 "The effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever."
• Isaiah 41:1 “Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.”
• I Kings 19:12 “After the earthquate a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:7  “A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”
• Habakkuk 2:20  “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”
• Mark 4:39 “And he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
• Revelation 8:1 “And there was silence in heaven for about the space of a half hour.”

It is the mandate of God that we still ourselves before him in order to find his peace and hear his voice.  So thus we have as the first and most important step in the believer's prayer life to still ourselves before the Lord.

Priority –  “I set the Lord always before me...”

What is first in your life? David testified that he always, meaning every day, “set the Lord before me.” (Psalm 16:8) The word used here is the same used in Exodus 20:3 for the command “to have (to place) no other Gods before Him.” God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another. (Exodus 34:14) There is room for only one on the Throne of Omnipotence. Either God, the Lord, is first and supreme and before all others or someone (maybe you?), or something else is first (your agenda, day-timer?) and on the throne. Jesus indicates the same priority theme in Matthew 6:33 when he commands that we “Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will fall in place.”

Listen – Hear His Voice

We live in a busy, noisy, tumultuous society.  There is noise and constant demands for our attention every waking hour.  There may not be any quiet Judean hillsides for us to retreat to daily for prayer. Therefore we must find an inner solitude in the Lord's presence. Elijah, the mighty prevailing intercessor, learned this lesson when in weariness of the battle he fled into the wilderness. God sent first the wind and storm, then the earthquake and finally the fire. But God was not in them. After this there was “a still small voice.”  God was found, not in the spectacular, but in the stillness.

Quiet Rest

Rest is important to God. The tireless Creator rested the seventh day from all his work. He commands us to do the same on the Lord’s Day. He enforced the year of Jubilee for the land to rest. So too, he wants us to rest in Him. Get this message from Isaiah 40. “The Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint, neither is He weary…”  But they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. God doesn’t need to rest, we do!

Isaiah 40:28-31

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Wait on the Lord

In the age of cell phones, microwaves, satellite TVs, high speed computers, and nanosecond processing, we don’t like to wait. But waiting on God is an important biblical principle. Most of us are in a constant frenetic hurry. We don’t like to wait. We don’t have time to wait. Waiting is a waste of time. So we don’t wait and we miss God’s train of blessing. Waiting is part of the blessing of prayer. It requires that we put aside the rush of life and sit still and just wait. The point of prayer is not getting stuff from God. The point of prayer is getting God! Take skiing for example. The thrill of skiing is not in the arrival at the bottom of the hill, but in the joy of getting there – so it is with seeking God. The delight of prayer is not getting the answers, but being in the presence of the One who freely gives us all things.

• Psalms 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
• Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.
• Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

One Desire – To Behold His Beauty

David again is a wonderful example of one who learned about the secret place of stillness before God. He declares, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after.” What is that one thing that consumed his desire? It was to behold the beauty of the Lord, then secondly to inquire in his temple. Beholding God’s beauty begins in the quiet place of stillness. Then it blossoms into worship, the second step of our intercessory prayer strategy. One desire… what is yours?

Songs of Quietness:
 

• There is a Quiet Place: There is a quiet place, far from the noise and pace, where God can soothe the troubled heart. Sheltered by tree and flower, and in that quiet hour, we find a new, new day.
• In the Garden: I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And he walks with me and he talks with me. And he tells me I am his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.
• Be Still My Soul: Be still my soul, the Lord is on they side. Bear patiently thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change he faithful will remain.

Try singing these songs quietly, even mentally, to help quiet your heart and mind.

On no other step is it more important to begin and continue to use the 3-minute timer. It is the only way I know of to make myself be still before the throne.

The secret is in the discipline of laying aside everything else until your heart, mind and spirit are quiet before God. God says, “Be still!” The choice to obey him or not is up to you. Obedience begins here.

Even Heaven requires silence

Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal,

there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

As you attempt to train yourself in these prayer disciplines remember that learning new habits takes time. Don’t try to apply all of the steps at the same time. May I suggest that you discipline yourself in this step of silence only for at least 4 weeks, 10 minutes per day before going on to the next step.

Practical Disciplines Practical Disciplines

1.  Enter into your secret chamber, your closet. Find a quiet undisturbed place. Once you are alone before God "Shut the door." Block out all distractions but God Himself.
 
2.  Kneel or lay prostrate in the Lord's presence. (Only under real medical prohibition should you do otherwise. Kneeling or prostrate are worship positions.)  You need not be uncomfortable but neither should you be lazy in prayer.  Philippians 2:10-11 “every knee shall bow…confessing Jesus as Lord.”
 
3.  Make your mind a sanctuary. Make your mind stop its commotion and noise! Listen to the din of confused voices reminding you of duties, tasks and obligations. Then silence them! Your mind is not a noisy playground.  It is a sanctuary.  Your mind is yours. Make it obey you.
 
4. Slow down! Remember “relax” is the word for “be still” in Hebrew.  Consciously loosen the tension of every muscle. It won't come naturally so work at learning to be quiet!  1 Thessalonians 4:11 “Study (force yourself) to be quiet.”
 
5. Set apart a significant amount of time to learn this slowing down process. Give yourself time to slow down. You cannot stop a train on a dime. It takes time to slow down to a stop. You cannot get still in 10 seconds and often it takes more than a 3minute timer. 10 minutes is a good target, but it might not be long enough. Give God some room to work in you.
 
6. Fix your eyes on Jesus - behold the beauty of the Lord.  Like the angels in heaven and all creatures before the throne present yourself to God in stillness. Imagine yourself prostrate at his feet before his throne.
 
7. Take a few deep breaths. At first take long slow deep breaths. Hold it a few seconds. Let it out slowly. Control it! You'll be amazed at how it begins to quiet your body, which in turn affects thoughts too. Remember, if you cannot control your body, you cannot expect to control your spirit either. 1 Corinthians 9:27 "…I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection..."
 
8. Refuse to go on to the next step until the body and mind have obeyed you. If they are not subject to your will, neither will be the rest of your thoughts in prayer. If you cannot bring your own body and mind into subjection how will you wrestle with spiritual forces and win? Proverbs 24:10 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,

Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. – Mark 4:39

WHEN YOU KNOW WHOM YOU HAVE BELIEVED!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 02, 2023.

SUBJECT: WHEN YOU KNOW WHOM YOU HAVE BELIEVED!

Memory verse: "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." (Second Timothy 1 vs 12.)

READ: Romans 8 vs 38 - 39:

838: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

8:39: nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

INTIMATION:

How many of us can proudly say, "I know Whom I have believed." When you know whom you have believed, you become unstoppable, your confidence in Him is unshakable. Our memory verse was written when the apostle Paul was in prison, but that did not stop his ministry. He carried it on through others like his spiritual son Timothy. He had lost all his material possessions, but he would never lose his faith. He trusted God to use him regardless of his circumstances. 

He so trusted God that he was not bothered about his bleak situation. He gave all his concerns to Christ, trusting Him to guard his faith and safely guard all he has entrusted to Him until the day of His return. In spite of the suffering that might have caused him to despair, he affirmed his confidence in God’s protection. This was not a claim of strong faith; rather, it was a trust in One so powerful that even a weak faith was sufficient. Hence Christ said, “If your faith is a small as a mustard seed,” it comes with tremendous power in Him.

Paul based his confidence in Christ on his intimate relationship with Him. He knew the One he trusted with personal knowledge; he knew Christ so well that no earthly experience could break the bond of love by which Christ held him. Paul had an in-depth knowledge of Christ and His earth walk. He knew Christ better than other apostles because he knew Christ in the spirit, as he was arrested by Spirit Jesus.

Christians have always had to face various unfavorable life’s circumstances. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But in the passages we read today, the apostle Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.

The Scripture, in Romans 5 vs 3 - 4, says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, Character; and character; hope.” God’s thoughts for us is of good, hence He gives us richly all things to enjoy (First Timothy 6 vs 17). Our future in Christ is excellently superb, but we have to overcome now to become later what He has in stock for us. This means we will experience difficulties that help us grow. 

When suffering comes our way, we rejoice, not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know whom we have believed and trusted, and He is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance; which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future. You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow, and deal with them in His strength.

The apostle James counsels us in James 1 vs 2 - 4, saying, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. You can’t really say, “I know whom I have believed” until trials come, and your reactions to them are weighed.

Many Christians when facing trials may even begin to question God, “God where are You?” “You can’t be on Your Throne and I am going through this situation.” In my considered opinion, such comments come from those who do not know whom they believed, For If they know, they will realize that “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8 vs 28). God cannot be in any other place than His Throne. He is an “All knowing God,” and knows all about you and your circumstances, and in all these things you are a conqueror through Him who loves you. (Romans 8 vs 37.)

Prayer: Abba Father, Your love for me is unquestionable, undeniable, and unfathomable. What You cannot do for me, let it remain undone. What You cannot give me, let me never have it. Give me the grace to never shift my focus from You because I know Whom I believed, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

BEFORE 2023 5 THINGS FOR RETREAT BY APOSTLE JOSHUA SELMAN

 

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