Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 20, No. 1 January 2011
We are in a time of moral corruption and darkness. The Apostle Paul warned of the coming darkness, saying, “People will be lovers of themselves.” The Lord Jesus spoke concerning the darkness, warning that no man could work during this period. We need to prepare ourselves to stand and help others to stand during the days to come. 2Ti 3:1-2 (KJV) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.
In the light of what we are approaching, we must exhort one another in this present hour to cease living according to our own will. We must become subject in every aspect of our being and doing to the will of Christ. All of our religious activity must be brought down, and we must do only what Christ asks us to do. Everything--and I mean everything-- must be in Christ alone.
In Christ alone,
I place my trust
And find my glory in
The power of the cross.
In every victory
Let it be said of me,
My source of strength,
My source of hope
Is Christ alone.
(Lyrics by Brian Littrell)
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
Desires
Php 2:12-13 (KJV) “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Everything that is happening to the saint who is obeying God is to work out the will of God according to His good purpose. That purpose specifically is to conform you into the image of Jesus Christ so we can become His house and place of rest. When the scripture says that God is working in us to will and to act, it is talking about His desires that are placed in us. Not everything we desire is necessarily of God. [The Christian who gossips is not a desire of God.] So what does it mean for God to work in us to will and to do according to His good purpose? It means we are to seek the Lord with all our might so He can give us righteous desires. Then God will work with us to act according to His will and purpose.
Only a free person can have God’s desires. That freedom comes through submission to God and conforming our desires to His desires. We need to ask God to change every desire in us that is not His. You see, we often conceal our motives from other people and even ourselves because our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer.12:9).
We don’t understand our motives. We don’t know why we feel and act as we do. This is why people go to psychologists to try to find understanding of their own desires and actions (big money to discover yourself).
The Bible teaches us to guard our heart for out of it flows the desires and actions of life: Pro 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”
How do we guard our heart? By continual prayer and meditation of God’s word to us. But also remember what Paul said in our text: “Because we always obey…” It doesn’t happen when we sin or turn to evil, but by walking in the Presence of Christ with an open attitude of repentance and obedience.
REMEMBER: Your heart will betray you if you are not guarding it continually. Deception is most common among Christians who will not understand who they are in Christ and how to live. This is why we must not allow our feelings and emotions to rule us because Satan knows very well how to imitate the Holy Spirit until it is nearly impossible to distinguish the truth.
Two kinds of DESIRE: Passionate & Fervent
1. Passionate desires are seldom or never of the Lord. We are often convinced some are of God, but a wise person will wait until his desires are moderate before he acts. People who are highly impulsive usually act out of passionate desire. This motive causes high debt, bad marital relations, excessive anger, or high anxiety.
Satan has no real power over the Christian until he knows where the strongest desires are found. So Satan will examine a person and begin to convince the person that fulfilling the strong desire is God’s will and ought to be pursued. The fruit of this will come if the believer acts in unbiblical ways without waiting or getting clear direction from God. For this reason alone, we must learn to be extremely careful when there is a very intense passionate desire within.
2. Fervent desires are very often God’s will for us. Look at the difference:
Passionate = moved with excitement; strong emotions; covetous, agitated
Fervent = very warm, even hot, zealous, eager, earnest, longing
Being fervent in spirit (Rom.12:11)
Have a fervent mind (2 Cor.7:7)
Fervent in prayers (Col.4:12 & Jms.5:16)
Love one another with fervent heart (1 Pet.1:22)
Have fervent love above all things (1 Pet.4:3)
Coming of the Lord will be with fervency (2 Pet.3:10&12)
Fervent desires are areas of great warfare. Satan will attempt to persuade us to take shortcuts and try to get what we want without patiently waiting on the Lord…
Satan uses temptation to mess with our desires:
1st. “Turn this stone into bread.” Christ had miraculous healing powers and He was hungry. What has happened to this generation? “Use your God-given powers to get what you want when you want it. [Today: The wealth of the world is going to be given to the Christians.] Do we really need to have this desire eating away at us when God tells us so much about the deceitfulness of riches? We are already deceived. Paul said because the love of money pierces through with many sorrows, we are to guard our hearts. Do not allow the desire for riches to lead you in making decisions. Our treasures will come through Christ when He is ready to give them. Insulate yourself against temptation.
2nd. The Lord knew He was to be King. He desired this because God put it in his heart. Satan tried to give him a shortcut. “All the kingdoms of the world are before me and I will give them to you.” But what was the compromise? Christ was required to worship Satan. Do we have to shortcut God to get what we want now? Do we realize we are worshipping Satan when we act out of passionate desire. Passions of the soul cause us to worship Satan. And it comes with great deception. This is why we need each other to keep us on the straight and narrow to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
WHENEVER WE TRY TO MAKE THIS PRESENT WORLD A PLACE OF PLEASURE, WE OPEN OURSELVES TO DECEPTION. To follow the path of pleasure is to surrender our integrity. [Look at the leadership of this country!]
3rd. Jesus was taken to the Pinnacle of the Temple and told to cast Himself down because the angels would protect him. The temptation to self-will is having the desire to make yourself something you have not been called to be or do. Are you willing to serve God if He denies your intense desire?
There is only one way to correct wrong desire: Take up your cross and follow Him! Through pain or sorrow you must obey the Lord above all else.
God humbles us, God tests us, and God wants to find out what is in our heart. “Oh, but God already knows what is in my heart.” But you don’t; and until you do, you are not free to be all He wants you to be. Everything that we experience as believers is to reveal to God and to us what is in the depth of our being.
God is the one that causes us to hunger for Him. [How long a dog will lie in front of a bone without touching it depends on his training.] If you neglect your training in the Lord, you will go after anything that is in your heart without regard to God’s desire for you.
The key is obedience to the Father. That means if the most intense desires are not met, then I will still follow in God’s perfect will for my life. If we don’t put our treasures in heaven, there is no wealth of the world that will satisfy. He who endures to the end will be saved!
Pro 13:12 “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.”
The day will come when we will be rewarded for the desires that are of God. Sometimes the suffering is overwhelming, but the rewards are astounding.
Many desires seem to burn within us as if from God. But if we wait long enough, we will find out what is truly of God. Fiery passion from God comes with great assurance and endurance. Ungodly passion produces much hurt to those around you. How we handle our desires may determine our happiness in this present world and in the world to come. Our eternal destiny may very well be determined by how we take charge of our desires.
God always seeks for our eminent joy and peace, but it comes with a price. Everything He is doing is bringing us fullness of joy and peace and pleasure. God takes no pleasure in denying us the desires of our heart. Psa 21:2 “Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.”
But are you willing to pray and wait for the Lord? Don’t cling to anything too long. You may find your desires change like the weather. Instead, prepare yourself with God’s desires because the King takes delight in giving you that which will bring you the greatest joy. When your hope is deferred and the answer delayed, then know for a certainty that there is good reason. Have faith in the goodness of the bounty of the King.
Psa 37:1-4 <[A Psalm] of David.> “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. (2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. (3) Trust in the LORD, and do good; [so] shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (4) Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
You don’t have to fret because you don’t have everything you want today. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will bring it to pass.
-Pr. Steve
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2010
Jan. 1: “There is nothing more powerful than TRUTH.”
Jan. 2: “I am taking you on a walk of understanding this year. You will know Me more than before and comprehend the truth about many things. I am the way you are to follow; and with the truth, new life will come forth. There is still much to be conquered. Little by little we will march together and be victorious in the journey. Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials for nothing shall at all harm you. Victory will be the norm.”
Jan.3: “This will be a year for the Lord’s battle. His power shall go forth and crush the enemy of His people. And the people will stand with their God as His power increases. Many shall see the beauty of His holiness.”
Jan. 5: “OBEDIENCE.”
Jan. 7: “Prayer comes by way of the new nature. Without it, prayer becomes ineffective.”
Jan. 9: “The enemy has set the trap to snare My people. My people have to go around so you won’t be stopped. Be cautious as you walk. Watch the path that is laid out for you. There does not need to be any harm for those who are prepared in this day. You can remain victorious.”
Jan. 10: “Real prayer changes you!”
Jan. 11: “Rejoice again; I am with you. I am leading you. I am the source of strength and courage. What you are doing is of Me. My ways are not difficult to ascertain. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. You are accomplishing My will and purpose in this time. So rejoice again.”
Jan. 15: “When the anointing breaks the yoke, Your presence is experienced again. Thank You for breaking through my flesh, for when I have Your Presence I have everything.”
Jan. 16: “Behold, I have given you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
Jan. 18: “Many experience the dryness of their spirit to test them whether they will press into Me and still trust Me for their survival. The breakthrough will come when no matter what they go through they will still come to Me and allow Me control. These will be the victorious ones who will have My Spirit guiding and conquering wherever they go.”
Jan . 23: “The Lord will give His faithful servant his portion of meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Of a truth he will make him ruler over all that he has. This is the one who rightly divides the Word.”
Jan . 28: “You will know Me more this year. As you continue to walk out the truth of my Kingdom you will begin to experience the fullness of destiny, and purpose will be understood. Continue dying to self and self-interest, and be filled with Me and eternal life.”
Jan. 29: “I give honor to whom honor is due. Remain faithful and don’t waiver. See My hand at work in the church. Due diligence shall be rewarded.”
Word and Power
“What have we been saying lately?” The question could just as well be: “What has been on our hearts lately?” The deepest part of the heart always has the greatest influence upon the utterances of the lips, so we must take note of our words, as well as the issues that accompany them, because they have a profound effect on our lives and the lives of those around us.
Luk 6:45 (KJV) “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
It is impossible to change the manner of our speaking and the content of the words by which we speak without first having the condition of our hearts changed. It is the power of the words of Christ that make the changes possible within our hearts. Faith in Christ causes us to allow the power of the Word of God to breathe in us with new life, reviving our hearts. But we must not return to the mire of doubt and fear and the fruit of dead thoughts and dead words.
Pro 18:21 (KJV) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
As Christians, we are recipients of the power of life through Christ; and we are to be givers of life to those around us. But death is at work in the world because of those who allow sin to reign in their hearts and minds, including “Christians” who allow temptation and sin to rule and reign in their lives as well. Yes, even we Christians must overcome temptation in its beginning stages if we hope to overcome the flesh, the devil, and worldly lusts. Overcoming begins in the area of our thought life, progresses to overcoming in our speech, and ultimately culminates in our actions.
Jas 1:12-22 (KJV) “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (16) Do not err, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (19) Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (20) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (21) Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
We may have troubles in many avenues of daily living, but we must not allow our hearts to be consumed with concern over them. Thank God we can choose to have the mind of Christ and the crown of life. A crown is placed upon a person’s head, not on the arm or the chest. The head is where the battle begins, and life comes when death is overcome there first. We must always remember that we cannot do this on our own; we must have a living and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion can quickly become dead and self-centered, but ongoing relationship with Christ is everlasting life.
Psa 19:12-14 (KJV) “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. (13) Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. (14) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
-Kurt Thurston
Quotes:
"The cause of the weakness of your Christian life is that you want to work it out partly, and then have God help you. That cannot be. You must come to be utterly helpless, to let God work. He will work gloriously." ~ Andrew Murray
"To DIE TO SELF, or to come from under its power, IS NOT AND CAN NOT BE DONE by any active resistance we can make against it OR by our own power of nature. The one true way of dying to self is the way of patience, meekness, humility, surrender and RESIGNATION to God." ~ Andrew Murray
"We cannot please God by what we do for Him in our own human effort, we can only please Him by surrendering and letting Him work in and through our lives." ~John Mulinde
Next course from
Christian Life Educators Network Richmond Center:
FEB 10-12, 2011 BIPT678: Healing and Restoring the Heart Mrs. Denise Boggs
Description: This course is designed to give students an understanding of the process of healing and restoration from the hurts of the past, and the importance of identifying areas within their own lives that may need healing. We will look at Scripture to see the progression from healing to restoration and why it is important to embrace our own identify in Christ.
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