Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 18, No. 12 December 2009
One of the greatest qualities of our Lord Jesus is that of meekness. When you hear the word “meekness,” what comes to mind? Maybe someone who is calm and gentle and soft spoken? But that is not meekness. Meekness is truly what is in the depth of an individual. Meekness is a quality of the Spirit, not the flesh or attributes of the flesh. Since it is a fruit of the Spirit, it has to come forth by way of the Spirit, not of the flesh. When the Spirit rules a person’s innermost being, then that person will have the quality of meekness. A person who has become meek readily repents when he blows it. He is always ready to acknowledge his faults and mistakes. He is receptive of others’ interaction in his life.
The person who is meek is sensitive to the Spirit’s call. His spirit does not want to offend anyone else. He will not be insensitive to the reactions of others.
A meek person immediately senses when he/she has said or done something wrong. Even when being in the Spirit we can make mistakes that might offend others, so we must walk circumspectly in the Spirit.
When a person is not walking in meekness, he will not be able to receive what God is doing or saying in a service. Life will seem dry and boring. But in meekness we will be able to receive from the Lord what He is trying to do or say.
I think the greatest value of meekness is that nothing will move you. I think of Jesus’ experiencing threats and curses, yet He wasn’t moved. He simply stayed in the will of the Father and kept going in the path of righteousness and holiness.
We need more meekness today; even though meekness is difficult to identify, if we are sensitive, the in-dwelling Spirit can tell us when and how we need to exhibit it.
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
Thy Face I Seek
Luk 1:5-20 (KJV) “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth. (6) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (7) And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were [now] well stricken in years. (8) And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, (9) According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. (10) And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. (11) And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. (12) And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. (13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. (14) And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (15) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (16) And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. (17) And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (18) And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. (19) And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. (20) And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."
It seemed as if the people of God had been praying for a long time when the announcement of Messiah was made. God revealed Himself to those involved and declared, “Your prayer has been heard. My Words shall be fulfilled in their season.”
The church is now extremely close to another period of history in which God is going to reveal Himself. And it will be to those who are “seeking the face of the Lord.” In fact, He is instructing us to seek His face. Psa 27:8 “Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.”
God does not just speak this way because He wants attention. He does so because something grand is going to take place. This is the season for it. He has something of vital interest to give us that the familiar pattern of daily devotion cannot accommodate. When God speaks this way to His people, things begin to happen that are beyond the norm. God wants to lead us with an effective life to bring healing and salvation. But this is not the season to seek for things. It is to seek for Him. It is His touch of holiness reaching out to us. We seek the face of God to abide with Christ where we can become aware of His Presence continually.
Exodus 33:7 says “Everyone who sought the Lord went out…” If we are truly seeking the Lord, we will go from the place we are to find Him. What is the place? It is the place of familiarity. Normally, familiarity is not wrong; but remember, Jesus told His disciples to follow Him – to come out of the familiar pattern of living for a period of time. This separation is necessary because the familiar controls the flesh. He wants us to be spiritual.
At this season what are you willing to leave behind to find the Lord? Too many today are content with the familiar. Why? Because it makes us feel secure. But without a vision from God, we will perish. If we don’t find for ourselves the will of God we will become a half-hearted Christian that leaves us miserable.
God has more for us than living as mere people without purpose and fulfillment. God is raising us up to be as Christ is. The fullness of Christ must become a reality in this season of God.
If our security is rooted in the familiar, we will not grow to the full stature of Christ. When I say the “familiar,” I am talking about the natural things of life: The things we see and touch every day. The Lord is calling us to a place of the unseen and unfelt power of the Holy Spirit that will root us in Christ.
When Zacharias confronted the angel who spoke to him, he said, "How do I know this is God?" Who am I? Many are going to miss God’s visitation because they keep questioning instead of obeying, all because they don’t know who they are in Christ!
What was the outcome for Zacharias? He became dumb = involuntary response. Have you ever asked, “Why did I do that?” Involuntary response! We must seek the Lord beyond the familiar, finding our security in Christ and where He is taking us. Too many are acting dumb today because of their involuntary responses and because they don’t believe the Word of the Lord to their lives.
Think about why you sometimes keep going through the same thing over and over again. Because it is more familiar! Why do abused victims keep going back? Because that is all they know! We are in a time where God is moving in ways we have never seen or felt before, so the flesh calls out to come back to the familiar. Human nature does not like change, but clinging to the familiar keeps us in bondage.
God is saying Mat 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
Get out of the distractions of the world and find the peace of mind that comes with seeking the face of God. Every moment you seek the Lord, an enrichment of new power and strength from the supernatural realm of glory is imparted to you. There is no time limit in seeking God. Those who tell you how long to pray are stuck in the familiar. God will call unto you many times throughout the day if you will listen. Leave the camp of the familiar and discover a fresh presence of God.
PRAYER: May the Lord restore our “houses of prayer” this season as we remember our first love for the One who gave His life for us and has made us each a temple of His Holy Spirit. And may we each rededicate our lives to our purpose as Believers according to: 1Pe 2:9 (KJV) “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
MAKE SEEKING HIS FACE A PRIORITY!
-Pr. Steve
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2008
Dec. 1: Reveal to me the way I should go. Let me experience Your faithful love this day for I trust in You.
Dec. 2: “I will comfort the afflicted. I will endorse the weak if they will trust Me and wait for Me. I will reveal Myself in ways not yet seen and they will find the strength to keep going.”
Dec. 4: When sickness strikes Your people, they become so weak it is difficult to reach up to You for help. It is hard to pray. All we can do is trust! It is my desire that we move in Your Spirit in all our ways and that no sickness, disease or accident impair our view of You. Thanks be to God. This is Your will, O Lord.
Dec. 7: I cherish the most precious gift of all – God is Love!
Dec. 8: “You are with Me, Son!”
Dec. 12: To do righteously, to love mercy and walk humbly with my God - That is my hearts one desire.
Dec. 13: Your love fills my being. Your presence is indescribable and oh the joy that wells up within. To walk throughout the day without being disturbed from this would truly be heaven.
Dec. 16: “Keep following Me and I will lead you to wholeness. The struggle is between the good and evil, but you are safe if you keep following; and you will experience My salvation and light.”
Dec. 19: “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.” I impart My strength to build you up and make you strong to carry out My will.”
Dec. 23: Everything that is happening is for the refining of the elect. The events of life are working out for your good so you can accomplish and become all that I call for. There is no fear in any of this because I am in it.
Dec. 25: “That which you have given up over the years for Me will be fulfilled in their time. I have seen the sacrifices and still see the desires of your heart. You will not be disappointed in My plans for your life. The reality of all good things will be manifested.
Dec. 31: As we end this year I say, “Thank You to the best year ever. Your presence is more real than ever. I am blessed because of obedience and following You no matter what. My prayer for the New Year is that My walk and My talk will be pleasing to You. Amen.”
A New Song
Isa 54:1-3 (KJV) “(1) Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. (2) Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; (3) For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”
Many Christians have yet to see the fullness of the blessings of Christ burst forth in their lives. Part of the reason is a constant diversionary attack from the enemy upon the plans of God for their lives. The pursuit of happiness and prosperity that has all but overtaken modern day preaching has also pushed the bride of Christ to become increasingly self-absorbed. God’s heart is all about the souls of people. The Lord cares more about the condition of the heart of a man than He does about a mountain of gold. Christians can have all the wealth of the world and still be considered barren, because worldly wealth is as hay, wood, and stubble. It is time to pull down selfish earthly and fleshly strongholds and instead expand the perimeters of the Kingdom of God in our lives by putting on the mind of Christ.
2Co 10:3-5 (KJV) “(3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
If we are married to Jesus Christ, we will not seek our own desires above or before seeking the fulfillment of His purpose for our lives. That is the mind that Jesus Christ had toward God the Father, and that is the focus that we should seek to gain toward Jesus. In these last days there will be awesome times of blessing for those who are obedient to walk closely with the Lord. They will see and seize the opportunities to bring the gentiles into the Kingdom of God. They will be made able to do greater works as they follow the direction of the Lord. The church will no longer appear to be a mockery, filled with powerless and philosophical attendees, but will be the living organism that is spiritually empowered by the very source of life.
Isa 42:5-10 (KJV) “(5) Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: (6) I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; (7) To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (8) I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (9) Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (10) Sing unto the LORD a new song, [and] his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof."
Let us allow the Lord to put a new song in our mouths: A life-song that we live out, that exalts and glorifies God and that causes others to be born again.
-Kurt Thurston
Quotes
It is only those who are abiding in Christ each day who are free from condemnation.
When we do not carry our personal cross, when we are unwilling to deny ourselves, we are open to deception no matter how much we pray and read the Bible.
One person’s obedience to God makes things possible that otherwise are not possible.
If you are serving the Lord your problems are coming from the Lord. Get your eyes on the Lord.
You are not a free person until your will and God’s will are identical.
The only trustworthy evidence of salvation is a godly life.
When two people strive, the spiritually stronger must give way, but only in the Lord
Our only protection from sin is to have Christ, the sinless One, formed in us.
Have you counted the cost of being a disciple? Good! Now count the cost of not being a disciple.
Do you think living as a Christian is hard? Not so! It is the way of the transgressor that is hard.
Kid’s Korner
A Father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces he gave it to Shelby and said, “Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today.”
After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. “Oh,” she said, “on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.”
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