Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 23 No. 10 October 2014
Yea, it’s fall! Time to put away all the summer fun. Time to get prepared for hibernation. I hope not! Don’t let the season or weather stop you from going forward with Christ. To everything there is a season. Maybe you didn’t accomplish everything you wanted this summer, but life goes on and God has everything under control. That includes you. I hope you have grown in keeping Him more involved with your life and desires and agenda.
I love the spontaneity of the Lord. We are in a new time with God. It is beginning to make more sense. The world has gone haywire, but we are getting closer to the Lord.
Remember, during harvest time everything that has grown gets pulled up or cut down. That includes the weeds. The weeds come from the enemy. They are to be burned and destroyed. Then comes the blessing of the Kingdom:
Mat 13:39-43 (KJV) “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (40) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. (41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; (42) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Don’t let the struggle that includes some weeds keep you away from the blessing that is yet to come. You may have waited a long time, but the blessing is on the way.
God bless!
Pr. Steve
Exhorting to Bless
(Psalm 34)
What the Lord is giving us is to arm the people for the chaos that is before us. People will not be able to stand if they are not prepared. And that preparation comes by the Word of God and obedience to what God is saying to the Church.
Vrs.1 – “I will bless the Lord at all times…”(vrs.1)Fretting is one of Satan’s tools to tear us down from our place in the heavenlies at the right hand of God. If we allow the things that go on in this nation to cause us to fret, we will lose our faith. The Bible says, “I will bless the Lord at all times” – even when something terrible happens. “At all times” means He doesn’t want us bogged down. When we are affected by what is happening, it is usually because we are judging situations about which we have little or no understanding. Jesus said, “I judge nothing except what I hear the Father say.” There is something in our nature that likes to blame others when something is going wrong. That is a judgment. It is a human frailty that we have to grow out of until we can bless the Lord at all times. The news reports would love to set us against each other. But if you pray and hear the Lord tell you about a certain matter, you can be sure it is true and you will know what you are talking about.
To be able to bless the Lord at all times is a mark of maturity. And it takes a lot of maturity to be able to bless the Lord with all that is happening today. Most of the things that happen today are to appeal to our emotions rather than to our spirit man.
“His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Have you been praising the Lord today? Even though you may be feeling bad, are you still praising Him? Even though things aren’t going the way you think they should go, are you still praising the Lord?
“My soul shall make her boast in the Lord” (vrs.2). What are you bragging about today? Your good looks? Remember what Jeremiah said: Jer 9:23-24 (KJV) …Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: (24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Boast in the Lord. Don’t boast in what you can do well because it is God who gave you the ability. All the glory rightly belongs to God.
“The humble shall hear and be glad.” (NIV) “Let the afflicted hear and be glad.” A lot of people are afflicted today. And, yes, we need to bear one another’s burdens; but we also need to be telling one another something good. We need to have a testimony of the goodness of God. There is a tremendous temptation to get ahold of something that is bad; and giving in to this temptation is what is feeding this nation. The news of today is to keep you from rising to your potential in the Lord. And we will continue going downhill unless we are truly following the Lord to be able to stay above it all.
The whole earth is full of His glory but we have to be blind before we can see it. Isa 42:19 “Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?”
What did Jesus mean when He was speaking about the Pharisees and said, “If they were blind they would have no sin”?
The temple of Herod was a marvelous thing to see. It was in a high spot in Jerusalem, covered with gold and when the sun shone on it, it was glorious. The disciples brought Jesus to see that temple and what happened? He didn’t see it. In fact, He said that it would be torn down. And so it was, for in AD 67 the Romans tore it down stone by stone. Jesus was blind to what the disciples saw. And that is what Jesus wants us to be when we are seeing all that is happening. He wants us to be blind to it and pray until we see as God sees.
“O magnify the Lord with me”(vrs.3) Are you doing that today? Stop letting your situations make you mad. God wants us to magnify Him (glorify). [PRAY: Lord we magnify you right now in spite of everything because we know You are in control and that Jesus has authority over all things. So we glorify You. We do not understand what You are doing, even in our own lives; but we know it is working for good to those who are called according to Your purpose. And out of this mess will come victorious warriors reflecting the image of Christ for eternity. So help us, Lord, to magnify Your name. And help us to do as Jesus did -- to judge nothing until we hear from You, thereby causing us to mature in the Spirit. AMEN.
“Let us exalt His name together” (vrs.3). We all do it.
“I sought the Lord” (vrs.4). You would think that God would display Himself so everyone could see Him. We see the abominations of our time, such as children being molested and murdered; and we wonder why God doesn’t send His wrath on the guilty. But He doesn’t. He doesn’t show Himself. Meanwhile, what do we have to do? We have to look for Him. And we keep looking for Him until that anticipation becomes the theme of our life. We are looking, we are seeking, “Where are You? Where are You today for America? Why are You a God that hides yourself?”
“And he heard me” (vrs.4). And He will. If He doesn’t give you the very thing you are seeking Him for, He will give you something better because you may not know what you want. We think we do, but we don’t. So God gives us what He really wants because He can be trusted.
“And delivered me from all my fears” (vrs.4). During WW2 FDR said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” That statement came from Winston Churchill. And it is true for the most part because much of what we suffer is the result of our fears. Most of the time what we fear doesn’t come to pass. So we feared for nothing. And the promise is that He will deliver us from our fears. Now we don’t know if He meant from our fears or from “fear” itself. Because fear has torment, and God does not want us to live in fear, it probably means from the “fear” itself.
One thing that is attacking the body of Christ is dread: Dread of going to work; dread of paying our bills; dread about what might happen; dread about what is next. You have to pray, “Lord get this dread out of me and out of my house.” And it will leave. That dread wasn’t based on anything; it was just an attack. Satan doesn’t want to see you happy. Refuse to accept fear. Jesus doesn’t bring fear into your house. So ask Him to remove it. It will go, but it may come back later to visit again; and when it does, resist it again. As you keep on resisting, you are waging the spiritual warfare needed to keep your house clean.
“Those who looked to him were lightened (radiant)” (vrs.5) Although you can’t always trust the way a person looks, much of the time you can. The evil look evil. [That is what they are saying about the airports. Why not just go after the ones who look evil instead of a baby in diapers?] But that is the way of the world: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.2Ti 3:7. If you are a real Christian and you are living your life for Jesus, that commitment will show on your countenance. People can “say” they are Christian, but all you have to do is watch for a while and you will be able to tell. When we keep looking to Jesus, that focus affects our features. A real, sweet, devoted Christian looks like a real, sweet, devoted Christian. But a con artist looks like a con artist. You can’t really fool people forever. AND, when we die and go into the spiritual realm what we are will be revealed – that is the way we really will look. And in the day of resurrection what we really are is going to be revealed to everyone. People will not be able to hide behind a facade. What they are will be seen clearly by everyone.
“And their faces were never ashamed” (vrs.5). Have you ever done something for which you knew you were guilty? That guilt will show on your face. You can’t face people confidently and look them in the eye because of the shame you feel. But when our heart is right with God, our sins are confessed, and we have made restitution to the best of our ability, then we are bold as a lion. Our face is clear and we can look everyone in the eye. But the wicked flee when no one is chasing them. The way you greet people reveals the condition of your heart; and while some can be pretty crafty, we remain alert and discerning through prayer.
King David was an extremely rich man. In fact, before he died, he assembled all the material for the temple including a great amount of gold that was booty because of the many battles he had won. Highly esteemed, there was never a king like him. Jesus is called the son of David. That is the highest compliment anyone could ever have. Even though David made some grievous mistakes, he always came back to the Lord. But he died in glory, rich, with the honor of people. Yet look how he describes himself: “This poor man cried…” Solomon, his son, would never have said that. Solomon wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and his comments were that everything was a waste. But David said, “This poor man cried…” (vrs.6). Would you say that? Are you humble? This man worth millions and billions had his esteem in God.
“And the Lord heard him”(vrs.6). Why did the Lord hear him? Because he was a poor man in his own sight. If you make demands on God and tell him how wonderful you are, you won’t get much. But if you sincerely you cry out, “Lord, have mercy on me,” The Lord will hear you. That is why He is so good with children. What a wonderful thing to be humble.
“And saved him out of all his troubles” (vrs.6). Does anyone have any troubles? He saves us – what a great God. Nothing is too hard for Him. What a promise! Wouldn’t you like to have all your problems removed? What is the condition? Be a poor man in your own sight. Be humble!
“The angel of the Lord encamped round about them that fear him” (vrs.7). There are all kinds of angels ranging from little cherubs to great, mighty, and strong angels. We know they have no gender, so there are no lady angels. We know there are angels that are stronger than the other angels because Psalm 103:20 states, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” But the angel of the Lord is greater than them all. When God was talking sternly to Israel, He told them to watch out for His angel because He said, “My name is in him” – the angel of the Lord.
People have angels! For example, when Peter was in jail, the angel let him out. Peter was standing at the door knocking and when Rhoda came to the door and heard it was Peter, she ran back and told the group who it was. Although they had all been praying for him because he was in prison, instead of believing her report, they said to her, “It must be his angel.” (How much have we really evolved?)
Yes, the angel of the Lord encamps around us. How does He do that? He is in front, He is in back and all sides. And the condition is to “those who fear Him.” Humanism says we are not supposed to fear God. In fact some of the bible versions of “fear” have been changed to “reverence”; but there is a big difference between “fear” and “reverence.” According to the humanistic philosophy, “reverence” is acceptable, but “fear” is not. As a result, we have a multitude of Church people who do not fear God because they think it is wrong to fear Him.. Be assured that if you get close enough to God, you will fear Him. Jesus said, “Fear him who has power to cast body and soul into hell” (Mat.10:28). People sin because they don’t fear the consequences. They don’t fear God. Is God still loving and merciful? Yes! So He causes things to happen that will make us repent and come to Him. God doesn’t want us to perish. But if we harden our hearts, hell will become a reality. Hell is a place of eternal torment by demons from which there is no escape. And if you go into the Lake of Fire, you will never, never hear anyone say, “I love you” or hear a child’s laugh. You will be subjected instead to the sights and sounds of demons and their wickedness.
2Co 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; [phobos = fear]. God wants us to know His love, but He also wants us to know His fear. The fear of God is healthy, and a healthy fear of God will lead to a sound mind.
The only time God showed us a man in hell, it was not for adultery or murder. It was for his stingy riches. Don’t tell me God doesn’t allow people to go to hell.
What is your reward for fearing God? DELIVERANCE! The Lord is encamped around you. Do you need deliverance today? Search your heart! What are you troubled about? -Pr. Steve
I am going to be sharing with you thoughts from my journal over the past few years. This is to show you how the Lord has brought about His Word in my life to minister to you and to show you how real this walk can be. Please read and understand by the Spirit about ...
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2013
Oct. 2: The deeper you go, the greater will be the flow of the Spirit of God. Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.
Oct. 5: He who does the will of God abides forever. (I Jn 2:17)
Oct. 6: Dreamed about large oak tree fully mature, placed where I used to wait on God beside still waters. It speaks of righteous behavior, to be at peace and rest. The tree being large speaks of leadership flourishing with a strong foundation and stability. Since I am not there any more at that place where the tree is now located, it speaks of leaving the past behind.
Oct. 12: Must riches or poverty, joy or sorrow have a greater power over me than my God? If it does, then we do not know God! I can live all my days a conqueror through Him who loves me. Why don’t people know their God? Because they accept anything rather than God. Wait on God until He reveals Himself. Want God more than anything else? Silence your soul and wait on God! God created us that we might be empty vessels in which He could work out His beauty, His will, His love, and His likeness. If you really want God’s attention in your life, then learn to wait and you will have it. When you go to prayer, wait first on God, get His attention, and then pray. Begin face to face. And you will have more of God!
Oct. 14: To grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy burdened and failing spirit – that they may be called oaks of righteousness, distinguished for uprightness and justice and right standing with God, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isa 61:3)
Oct. 21: Be courageous
Oct. 25: All the glorious promises of God are to the one who gains victory over sin!
Oct. 26: Help me, O Lord, to walk in humility and meekness before You all the days of my life. Christ Jesus, fill me with Your humbleness of mind.
Oct. 27: God is not going to change, so if you want to draw closer to Him, you have to change. And when you do, He will draw closer to you!
Believe God
Deu 12:8 (KJV) “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.”
The majority of the time people love themselves more than they love God. It is just the untamed human nature operating in our lives that causes us to be so narcissistic. We just need a change of focus; we need to set our focus upon God. If we are willing to seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness first and foremost, God will meet all of our needs
When we don’t feel loved, then maybe we should give love, and that love should first go towards Jesus Christ. And when we feel there is never enough time, then we should spend more of the time we have with The Lord. And that love, and that time, should not be all about us; it should be in giving our hearts our minds our souls and our strength to the Lord with all that is within us.
Deu 6:5-9 (KJV) “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. (9) And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
We must shake off any nonchalant attitude that would seek to attach itself to us, and instead give the life that God has given us to doing what He desires. The Lord always has and always will have the best in mind for us, but we must guard our hearts against giving into temptation the way that Adam and Eve did. We know that God told them that if they ate from the tree of good and evil that they would surely die; but for some odd reason, they both chose to believe someone else’s opinion instead God’s truth. Have you noticed yourself doing the same thing?
Joh 1:1-5 (KJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
When we doubt and disobey the Word of God, we are doing the same to God Himself; and the consequences are the same. Do not tempt God, but rather humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
Deu 11:13-14 (KJV) “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.”
-Kurt Thurston
"Deliverance from believing lies must be by believing truth."
-Jessie Penn-Lewis
Next course from Christian Life Educators Network - Richmond Center:
Crucified Life by: Dr. Sam Drye
This is a study of scriptural self-denial. It helps the student to gain a greater understanding of the centrality of the cross and identification with the death of Christ as the means to a victorious life.
November 6-8, 2014
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