Lord show us yiour glory
Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
This kind of knowledge comes through living in close contact and personal relationship with the Lord. Knowing God and His Son Jesus is the heart of eternal life.
We need our own personal revelation with God, and that comes out of relationship.
God reveals Himself through nature: Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
He reveals Himself through history :
Dan 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
He reveals himself through our conscience : Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
God's glory is revealed in His Word: 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
and
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
His glory is revealed to us through His Son : Heb 1:1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
For Jesus Himself said : Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Do you see the desire Moses had for God here?
Exo 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
God answered him.
Exo 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
See here the beautiful assurance of God’s perpetual guidance and care.
Still though Moses wanted more: Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
God answered
Exo 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
David had the same kind of desire:
Psa 27:4 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.
Psa 42:1 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Psa 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Psa 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 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;
Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Psa 63:4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Paul also had this desire:
Phi 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Phi 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Phi 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Our entire being should get involved in our quest for beholding God's glory.
This verse shows what might hinder us in our quest:
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
There is hope though even for the worst of sinners:
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
If we really know Him we will choose to do what He wants us to do. We will talk with Him, freely tell Him what is going on inside us, honestly admit where we fall short of His expectations, implicitly trust what He tells us, depend on Him, submit ourselves to Him, obey Him, and worship Him all because of who we have discovered Him to be.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Our willingness to obey Him helps increase our understanding.
Our desire should be to live to the praise of His glory:
Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
The Holy Spirit nincreases our understanding and our Knowledge of Him. We have the promise of the riches of His glory.
Ephesians I believe is a great book for giving us increased understanding of how to behold His glory.
We are heirs of the Kingdom, and Christ in us is the hope of Glory So we can have more revelation of God's glory. We need to dwell in His Presence and seek His Face. Soak in the Presence of the Lord and let His Spirit lead us into new and fresh revelation of His Glory.
Captivated
CAPTIVATED
Just one glance and I am captivated,
I have seen my Jesus, oh wondrous day,
My heart skipped a beat,
I saw His nail scarred hands and feet.
His glory shining as bright as can be,
My eyes blinked at the brightness,
Too bright for a mortal such as me to fully see,
This is my Lord in the beauty of His Holiness.
I fall down at His feet, this is just too much,
This wonderful moment of His glorious touch,
This is the one I love, the one who takes my breath away,
“I adore you Lord Jesus and I will serve you the rest of my days.
All that is within me will praise your Name,
For truly I can never ever be the same again,
I have encountered the King of Kings,
I am captivated by the wonder of His sweet presence.
I love you Lord!”
Irene McGough © 2010
Do you want to tabernacle with God?
Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is
fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his
ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Act 15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
Act 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the
tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all
the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth
all these things.
Act 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Act 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Do you know that God is passionate about us? He wants to restore our
relationship with Him, our first love, for us to tabernacle with Him so
that we can truly be an effective and vibrant end times Church that is
reflecting the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..
1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath
sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him
to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which
the LORD commanded thee.
David was described as a man after God’s own heart. Shouldn’t that be
the desire of our hearts to be men and women of God’s own heart?
God wants each one of us to have a personal relationship with Him.
He does not want us just to know about Him, but to really know Him. He
loves us, He wants to break down the hardness and the barriers we have
built to stop us from getting hurt, the unforgiveness, the bitterness,
the self-consciousness, the anger, etc. He wants to do away with the
religion and bring reality. He wants to take that which is lukewarm and
make us roasting hot, not just for a brief moment, but forever. He
wants to bring something beautiful out of our ashes.
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that
he might be glorified.
Psa 84:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
Psa 84:2 My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Psa 84:3 Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest
for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of
hosts, my King, and my God.
Psa 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
Psa 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Psa 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Psa 84:7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Psa 84:8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
Psa 84:9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
Psa 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had
rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness.
Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give
grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk
uprightly.
Psa 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
It is Christ we preach, it is Christ we serve. To God be the glory.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Do you see it’s all about Jesus? When we try to do our own thing God
will often shake it, to get our attention. If we reach out to try
steady what God is shaking, this will often end in disaster and
confusion. It is important that we keep close to God every step of the
way so that we are able to hear from Him. We also need His discernment,
which that close relationship will bring. We serve a holy God, and
although God wants us to come into a relationship of love with Him, we
should never treat the things of God lightly. God is also an awesome
God. Are our motives right? God knows, we cannot hide from Him. Do we
hunger after God?
Psa 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Psa 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Psa 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I
not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and
thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Psa 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a
time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters
they shall not come nigh unto him.
Psa 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble;
thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
God is a holy God, He is calling us to be a holy people. It is only 'in
Jesus' that we can come before Him, and be acceptable to Him. When we
come near to His presence we need to develop a holy fear of God - there
is no room for sin, we need to deal with it as God reveals it to us. It
is important that we know Him as our loving Heavenly Father, as our
Good Shepherd, but we also need to develop a reverent awe for Him. He
is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe,
and the Saviour of mankind…… . How much are you prepared to pay for the
conditions to be right for the presence of God to come to you?
Rom 12:1 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.
Rom 12:2 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.
God is seeking for people who are prepared to offer their lives as
living sacrifices. That will mean different things for different
people, and will often mean a whole change of lifestyle, but God will
give us the grace whatever the circumstance. God's anointing comes it
isn't to give us a nice warm feeling. There is a world going to a lost
eternity - HELL - unless we are prepared to make a difference .Are we
prepared to make that difference?
We need to fall in love with Jesus. We need to remember and
rekindle our first love, that it may grow ito maturity, and yet also in
passion.
Son 2:8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
Son 2:9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he
standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing
himself through the lattice.
Son 2:10 My beloved spoke, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Son 2:11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
Son 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of
birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
Son 2:13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with
the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and
come away.
True worship, comes before God as an acceptable sacrifice to Him. Allow
God to melt your heart, the tears you shed are precious to Him. Don't
be afraid to cry. When the Lord is doing a powerful work in your life,
it is the natural expression. Our emotions are involved with what is
going on. We need not be embarrassed, or fearful we are making a fool
of ourselves. Tears can be very healing, and when we have shed tears of
sadness, we shall be able to overflow with tears of joy! We need to get
so broken and in tune with God, that the things that break God's heart,
also break our hearts. Don't be a spectator, be a participator. Our
praise and worship is in esponse to our relationship with Him, and it
pours out of a security that knows you are chosen, you are precious,
and loved. It becomes an expression of that love that you feel in your
heart. It is not something that we can be passive about, it comes from
the overflow of our hearts which evokes a response. Worship is the key
elementt to God's presence coming.. Our worship can be expressed in
many ways. We can speak words of praise and worship, we can sing, we
can shout or clap, we can worship with musical instruments, we can
express our worship in gentle dance, in twisting and twirling or with
the scarves, just let it overflow from your heart, a sacrifice of
praise, but above all let it be from a life poured out for Jesus! Let
God know that you love Him, allow Him to reveal His presence through
your life!
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;
and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all
things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was rent in two
and the way to God was open. God wants our meeting with Him to be solid
based, and centred on our relationship with Him. The tabernacle is
Jesus, Jesus is God's plan for man, God wants to work in our lives and
destroy the things that separate us from Him. God's plan is to bring
His restoration into those broken areas in our lives and our churches.
He wants us to have a true relationship with Him. What a powerful
witness to the world, when people can truly see God working in power in
our lives, and in our churches as He rebuilds us into a place fit for
His presence.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Real joy.
Phil 1:1-30
CHAPTER 1
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in
Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 in all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I
have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and
confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.
8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been
encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely,
supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every
way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And
because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the
Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my
deliverance.
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but
will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be
exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the
gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about
you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.
This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will
be saved-- and that by God.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,
30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
(NIV)
John 15:11
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
(NIV)
Ps 5:11
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing
for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your
name may rejoice in you.
(NIV)
Let's take a look at things that can rob us of our joy. Sometimes
circumstances, upsets with other people, worry, and trying to find
happiness by taking God right out of the equation can rob the joy of
many Christians. Paul was not like this. Look what he says:
Phil 3:17
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
(NAS)
THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL.
1)Paul was single-minded - his focus was on the Lord Jesus Christ -
working alongside like-minded individuals towards the furtherance of
the Gospel Message in all sincerity and truth.
2) Paul was sub-missive.
Phil 2:1-3
1 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is
any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if
any affection and compassion,
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility
of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than
himself;
(NAS)
Paul put Jesus first, others second and self last.
I thank God
I remember you
I have you in my prayers, he prayed intercessory prayers for his brothers and sisters in Christ.
I have you in my heart and mind.
The key to joy is learning how to care for others.
3) Paul had a spiritual mind.
Phil 3:19-20
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose
glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
(NAS)
Spending our lives concentrating on earthly things will rob our
joy. Our citizenship is in heaven, we are only passing through this
world. Seventy or so years is only a short time in the space of time
and eternity. Paul was looking for the Lord coming, he was earnestly
awaiting his Savior, are we?
There is nothing wrong with being spiritually minded., here is what Paul had to say about it.
Phil 3:7-9
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order
that I may gain Christ,
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own
derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
(NAS)
4) Paul's mind was secure.
Phil 4:7-13
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of
good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of
praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in
me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have
revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you
lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how
to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the
secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and
suffering need.
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
(NAS)
Do you see how he could rejoice even when he was in chains verse 7,
verses 12-14. when he was criticized 15-19, and even when he was faced
with the possibility of death.
THE REASON'S PAUL HAD SUCH JOY:
1)PAUL KNEW HIS POSITION IN CHRIST.
Col 1:25-27
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--
26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory.
(NIV)
He like us was in Christ .He was a servant of Christ.
2) HE HAD A PASSION THAT COULDN'T BE QUENCHED.
Rom 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek.
(NAS)
2 Tim 4:2
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season;
correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful
instruction.
(NIV)
1 Cor 1:18
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
(NIV)
3) PAUL HAD A PURPOSE THAT WAS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER
1 Pet 2:21
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
(NIV)
Gal 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(NIV)
4) PAUL BELIEVED HIS SERVICE AND HIS SUFFERING FOR CHRIST WAS A PRIVILEGE.
See what he says in verse 29 For it has been granted to you on
behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
him,
5) PAUL HAD HIS EYES ON A GREATER PROSPECT.
He looked forward to the day he would see Jesus.
6) HIS CONFIDENCE WAS IN CHRIST. See verses 6 and 7. And he loved the Word of God. V9.
Paul urges the believers at Phillipi to have joy and unity, he
looks for a word that is even stronger and in the first verse of
chapter three he tells them to rejoice. I want you to think of the
circumstances Paul was in at this time, he wrote this letter while
chained to a Roman guard, he knew that even where he was in jail he was
able to reach some he would not otherwise reach, and he was able to
encourage Christian brothers and sisters. The whole theme in this
epistle is that we should rejoice in each and every circumstance.
That's a hard one isn't it. We find that easy to do when we are
gathered together in worship meetings or when all is going well for us.
Sinners are attracted to Jesus by the joy of Christians. Remember, the
devil wants us all to live defeated Christian lives. It seems hard to
imagine that Paul wrote this letter from prison, he seemed so
light-hearted. His soul was free. He could rejoice. Christ, his Lord
was his total focus in life.
When Paul referred to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, he
really meant he was a bond-servant. Christ had set him free and because
of that he wanted to serve Him every moment of every day for the rest
of his life. Remember, Paul says for me to live is Christ. We sing that
we want Jesus to be the center of our lives but do we really mean it.
Paul was bold in his preaching even from the confines of a Roman jail.
He witnessed to guards and others. It's the testimony of a life truly
devoted to Christ that wins souls. The joy of the Lord is catching
because the Holy Spirit is at work.
What is our true purpose in life, is it to live for our Lord? Is it to
reach achievements, don't get me wrong here but is it to feel the
anointing of the Holy Spirit? Yes we should desire more of the Holy
Spirit, to walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit but it is all about
getting closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so that we might
serve Him and do so joyfully. The gifts that God has given each and
everyone of us to use are given to us for a purpose, that we might
joyfully use them in His Service. We are to have life and have it more
abundantly. Have you learned to rejoice when things are going wrong
round about you? I know that if I am truthful here, I am inclined to
let circumstances get me down, but Paul exhorts us to rejoice in each
and every circumstances. This is what we should be doing,, we are
servants, we are disciples of the living Christ,. part of the Godhead
indwells us, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So, what is wrong with
us. Once again folks it's all about our focus. Is it really on Jesus
Christ. Are we sold out to Jesus Christ? Telling isn't it, we may be in
part, but still holding just something back. Jesus wants my all, he
wants your all, half measures just won't do. We may have sung in Sunday
School "The joy of the Lord is my strength" Is it our strength, do we
really know what it is 24/7? Paul knew what it was to be happy and
content in every circumstance, why don't we? People are not going to be
attracted to the gospel if we the Christians look as though we have the
troubles of the world upon our shoulders. When we lay hold of who we
are in Christ, and give the Holy Spirit full sway in every area of our
lives the evidence of that joy will be seen in us.
Paul showed the wisdom and goodness of God in his sufferings. His
captors could see the joy in Him. This time in prison in Rome allowed
him to bear witness to the gospel in a place where they were not likely
to hear the gospel. He suffered from false friends, as well as from
enemies. There were those who preached Christ out of envy and
contention, may we never, ever do such a thing. those who come to
salvation, are convicted of sin by the holy Spirit.; and repentant
prayer is the appointed means of seeking it. When pride gets in the way
we are robbed of our joy.
Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his
earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain,
for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. Paul's difficulty was
not between living in this world and living in heaven; because there is
no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and enjoying
him in another. His choice was living for Christ and being with him.
The power of faith and of Divine grace; can make us willing to die. We
live in a sinful world; but when we go to be with our Lord we shall
escape sin and temptation, sorrow and death, forever. Although we may
at times, have reason to long to be with the Lord, no matter what
circumstances we are in, we should rejoice that we are in this world as
long as God has any work for us to do. Our lives should reflect Jesus
living within. We are to work together for the cause of the gospel,
every one of us has been given the great commission even although we
might face ridicule and opposition, we have a work to do. We have a lot
to be thankful and joyful about God has freely bestowed His marvelous
free gift of salvation on us sinful men and women. How we should praise
the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for saving our souls, and
what a price he paid in securing our redemption. We want to experience
more joy, more of the presence of the Holy Spirit, to have empowerment
and manifestation of Spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit to be more
effective in our service of the Lord, but we should never forget we
come by way of the cross, where the sinless, spotless, lamb of God,
shed His blood in a once for all sacrifice for our sins. What love,
what wonderful love that God has shown to us His people. . Praise the
Name of the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we are to have
full and abundant joy in Jesus Christ. John tells us that in the first
chapter of his first epistle. He tells us that joy can be got from
fellowshipping with Christ, that's what the Holy Spirit does when we
allow him full sway in our lives, we should be bubbling over with joy,
it is not enough to have had an experience of the Holy Spirit, to have
experienced an anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are to live in the
power of that anointing, we are to keep on being filled with the Holy
Spirit. We want the rivers of life to flow through us to touch the
community around us, the only way for us to do this is to show Jesus
living in and through us. The closest many people get to reading the
Bible is watching the actions of Christians they know. My prayer is
that we may reflect something of the joy of Jesus Christ living in and
through us in our daily lives, that the joy of Christ may be seen in
us. It should be, the devil wants nothing more than to see Christians
living ineffectual lives. We need to move deeper and deeper into
Christ. We need the Holy Spirit to have full sway, taking away what is
left of us, so that the joy and the love of Jesus shines through us.
Isaiah 64.
1. Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,
2. as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters
to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations
may tremble at thy presence!
3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence.
4. For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that
waiteth for him.
5. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those
that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned:
in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved?
6. For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our
righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up
himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and
hast consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8. But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.m (KJV)
I long for revival, and I know that can only come about when we submit
our all to the Lord, we must decrease and He must increase. Break me,
melt me and mould me, Lord, for without You I am nothing. We need to
Keep falling in love with Jesus all over again, then we will really
experience that joy. We need more of the Holy Spirit working in us and
through us. It is not enough to have experienced an initial anointing,
we need to get
closer and closer to our Lord., our God is the God of
the breakthrough.. He can break through the toughest exteriors. Praise
God for that., for He alone is worthy of all honour and praise.
Hallelujah, our God reigns.
HEAVENLY PLACES POEM
HEAVENLY PLACES
This is where I belong seated up in the Heavenly Places with you Lord,
I’m coming up closer, coming up higher, deeper and deeper to
be with you,
For as the deer pants for water, my soul is thirsting after you,
Jesus my bridegroom, my Saviour, my King, my lover, my Lord.
My heart overflows with an all consuming passion for you
Lord.
How can it be that you only have eyes for one such as me?
You call me your beloved and you tell me you are pleased
with me,
What love, what grace and mercy you have shown to me, dear
Lord.
I love when you wrap your arms around me, sweetly caressing
my hair,
In all the circumstances of this life I know that you really
care,
For you are good all the time and your love is forever and
ever,
There is absolutely nothing that will your precious love
sever.
For your love is an everlasting love, sweet and beautiful to
me,
You kiss me with your kisses showing such amazing love for
me,
You keep welcoming me to come up a little higher and higher,
You desire all of me and want to be the object of my deepest
desire.
Now I behold the glory of the Holy lamb, for my sake you
were slain,
You are the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and you sit upon
the throne,
Yet here you are calling my name and drawing me up closer
once again,
My heart is bubbling over with joy when you call me your
own.
You’ve taken my mourning and turned it into dancing,
You’ve taken my weeping and turned it into laughing,
You’ve taken my sadness and turned it to joy unspeakable.
Then you call me on up to your banqueting table.
And I cry out more Lord, more Lord, I want more of you.
My heart and soul cry out for you Lord, only you.
I love to be alone with you Lord in the secret place,
Where you give me strength to go on running the race.
Irene McGough © 2007
The presence of God
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Psa 27:4 One
thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
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.
The pursuit of God’s presence might cause you to be you criticized and scorned
by others at times, especially from those who focus on “walking by faith and
not by sight.” They are right about living by faith, but should we should live
by theology and not by experience, and by mental assent and not by personal
relationship?
Do you have a passion for the presence of God? If the Bible is a true witness,
then the God we serve is a God of infinite passion and delight. The knowledge
of God's presence usually comes straight to the heart unannounced and
unexpected. Our desire should be more of the Father, more of Jesus and more of
His precious Holy Spirit —it is God we are after not a cheap thrill.
We should desire to know the heart of God. God wants us to desire a real deep
relationship with Him.
Do notice that in the middle of all of the crises and difficulties in the Bible
we so often find praise and worship? When troubles hit you in life, what is
your first instinct? Do you gripe and complain at Him or worship and praise
Him?
Think of Paul and Silas who worshiped Him even from their jail cell. Paul
worshiped Him throughout a lifetime of suffering and hardship. David himself,
wrote some of his most exalted Psalms from the dismal interior of the cave
Adullam in exile from his own nation, family and home. Maybe then we should
find it even stranger that praise and worship is so often absent from our daily
lives?
God wants us to be in that place of worship and spiritual hunger, it make you
so attractive to God when your circumstances cease to matter anymore, when you
can praise Him when all is falling apart around you. When you begin to worship
with all your being and desire, your heart turns God towards you for you
capture the Father's heart.
Isa 29:13 Therefore the Lord said:
"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
God wants our hearts, He desires real relationships with us. Do we desire to
know Him, really know Him?
How To Start Your Soaking Prayer Center(TACF)
Heidi Baker Gods Love Parts 1 & 2 wit h Worshipping
