Showing posts with label Consecration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consecration. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
4.11.12 "The Great Adventure!"
"The Great Adventure!"
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
2.8.12 "Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
"Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
5.17.11 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
2.8.11 "Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
"Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, July 31, 2010
7.31.10 "Ready to Sanctify"
"Ready to Sanctify"
2 Chronicles 29:1-36
Romans 14:1-23
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 20:12
"Who may stand before the Lord? Only those with pure hands and hearts..." Psalm 24:3-4
Chapter 29 of 2 Chronicles is the story of Hezekiah becoming king of Judah. His father Ahaz had boarded up the temple and refused to allow people to worship. Hezekiah opened up the temple, and ordered the priests to clean it up. Then they had a great worship service offering burnt offerings and sin offerings.
There was a great response from the people to the point of the priests being short handed. verse 34 says, "But there were too few priests to prepare the burnt offerings, so their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was finished - and until more priests had reported to work - for the Levites were much more ready to sanctify themselves than the priests were."
That last part of the verse caught my attention. I don't know enough about the Jewish law and custom to know the full detail of what it means to be "ready to sanctify" yourself, but to me it says alot. What does it mean to be ready to sanctify?
To me it means there is an anticipation of what God is going to do. There's a preparation of heart that happens so that when the time comes, we are in a position for God to do his work in us. Several weeks ago we talked about being prepared to come into the worship service on a Sunday. This is the same message.
Imagine the different approaches to the sunday morning service. You can come in as an observer, intent on watching everything, developing a critical overview of the people and happenings around, determined to stay disconnected from the work God may be trying to accomplish in you. You can approach the service religiously: this is a ritual. The next thing on the to-do list. Get the kids to nursery, get the donut in sunday school, say hi to friends, and get out the parking lot in good time. Or, you can come with a heart that is prepared to worship, with a focus on celebrating the Lord, and ready to allow God to move.
Which one is going to receive the most? Which one should we be?
Romans 14 is a great chapter on unity in relation to dealing with the standards we each have. "Give a warm welcome to any brother who wants to join you, even though his faith is weak. Don't criticize him for having different ideas from yours about what is right and wrong." (Rom. 14:1) The context is specifically about eating meat sacrificed to idols which was a point of contention in the early church. The chapter has a great discourse on how we need to prefer one another in this area, but it closes out with this verse: "But anyone who believes that something he wants to do is wrong shouldn't do it. He sins if he does, for he thinks it is wrong, and so for him it is wrong. Anything that is done apart from what he feels is right is sin." (Rom. 14:23)
Christians seem to be naturally ready and willing to "sanctify" others. We have hoops that we'd like to make each other jump through. That's not the point. We need to sanctify OURSELVES. God is working in each of us individually, and we need to respond individually with a readiness to give up that which he asks of us.
The Levites were ready to be sanctified. I want to be ready to hear from God today. To be used of God. When the body of Christ gets together for worship, take the time to prepare yourself for the move of God. He wont let you down!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 29:1-36
Romans 14:1-23
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 20:12
"Who may stand before the Lord? Only those with pure hands and hearts..." Psalm 24:3-4
Chapter 29 of 2 Chronicles is the story of Hezekiah becoming king of Judah. His father Ahaz had boarded up the temple and refused to allow people to worship. Hezekiah opened up the temple, and ordered the priests to clean it up. Then they had a great worship service offering burnt offerings and sin offerings.
There was a great response from the people to the point of the priests being short handed. verse 34 says, "But there were too few priests to prepare the burnt offerings, so their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was finished - and until more priests had reported to work - for the Levites were much more ready to sanctify themselves than the priests were."
That last part of the verse caught my attention. I don't know enough about the Jewish law and custom to know the full detail of what it means to be "ready to sanctify" yourself, but to me it says alot. What does it mean to be ready to sanctify?
To me it means there is an anticipation of what God is going to do. There's a preparation of heart that happens so that when the time comes, we are in a position for God to do his work in us. Several weeks ago we talked about being prepared to come into the worship service on a Sunday. This is the same message.
Imagine the different approaches to the sunday morning service. You can come in as an observer, intent on watching everything, developing a critical overview of the people and happenings around, determined to stay disconnected from the work God may be trying to accomplish in you. You can approach the service religiously: this is a ritual. The next thing on the to-do list. Get the kids to nursery, get the donut in sunday school, say hi to friends, and get out the parking lot in good time. Or, you can come with a heart that is prepared to worship, with a focus on celebrating the Lord, and ready to allow God to move.
Which one is going to receive the most? Which one should we be?
Romans 14 is a great chapter on unity in relation to dealing with the standards we each have. "Give a warm welcome to any brother who wants to join you, even though his faith is weak. Don't criticize him for having different ideas from yours about what is right and wrong." (Rom. 14:1) The context is specifically about eating meat sacrificed to idols which was a point of contention in the early church. The chapter has a great discourse on how we need to prefer one another in this area, but it closes out with this verse: "But anyone who believes that something he wants to do is wrong shouldn't do it. He sins if he does, for he thinks it is wrong, and so for him it is wrong. Anything that is done apart from what he feels is right is sin." (Rom. 14:23)
Christians seem to be naturally ready and willing to "sanctify" others. We have hoops that we'd like to make each other jump through. That's not the point. We need to sanctify OURSELVES. God is working in each of us individually, and we need to respond individually with a readiness to give up that which he asks of us.
The Levites were ready to be sanctified. I want to be ready to hear from God today. To be used of God. When the body of Christ gets together for worship, take the time to prepare yourself for the move of God. He wont let you down!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
2.9.10 "The Cost of Atonement"
"The Cost of Atonement"
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 8:27-32
As we've been reading in Exodus, the Tabernacle has been built. There is now a place to meet with God. Today's reading describe what is necessary to make Aaron, the altar & the priests ready for meeting with God. This is not a pretty event. I wont go into details, but Aaron must place his hand on the head of a ram while it is being killed. The blood is collected and placed in various places as a sign of consecration, holiness, and ultimately to atone for the sins.
Why must this be done? I don't know that we will ever fully understand the magnitude of the cost of atonement. The price it takes to be at one with God. In reading the old testament descriptions of the sacrifices, it's easy to skip over these sections. We don't want the gory details. "Just make us right with God. Don't gross me out with what it takes."
The cost of atonement is so great. Jesus understood what it was going to take. In Matthew 26 he shares the Last Supper with the disciples. Judas has betrayed him. Peter declares that he will never leave, but Jesus knows he will deny him. Jesus brings the disciples to a garden to pray. He understands the cost of what is about to happen.
"Then he told them, 'My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death...'" Matt. 26:38
O so great a price. This is what it cost for my sin. The son of God in anguish over the reality of what he must go through. There were gory details. This blood would be placed in various places as a sign of consecration, holiness, and ultimately to atone for my sin.
Thank you Jesus, for the price you paid for me. Cover me in your precious blood. Make me yours. I set myself apart for your glory. I will keep myself from sin. Your love is incredible.
Never forget the price of atonement.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 8:27-32
As we've been reading in Exodus, the Tabernacle has been built. There is now a place to meet with God. Today's reading describe what is necessary to make Aaron, the altar & the priests ready for meeting with God. This is not a pretty event. I wont go into details, but Aaron must place his hand on the head of a ram while it is being killed. The blood is collected and placed in various places as a sign of consecration, holiness, and ultimately to atone for the sins.
Why must this be done? I don't know that we will ever fully understand the magnitude of the cost of atonement. The price it takes to be at one with God. In reading the old testament descriptions of the sacrifices, it's easy to skip over these sections. We don't want the gory details. "Just make us right with God. Don't gross me out with what it takes."
The cost of atonement is so great. Jesus understood what it was going to take. In Matthew 26 he shares the Last Supper with the disciples. Judas has betrayed him. Peter declares that he will never leave, but Jesus knows he will deny him. Jesus brings the disciples to a garden to pray. He understands the cost of what is about to happen.
"Then he told them, 'My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death...'" Matt. 26:38
O so great a price. This is what it cost for my sin. The son of God in anguish over the reality of what he must go through. There were gory details. This blood would be placed in various places as a sign of consecration, holiness, and ultimately to atone for my sin.
Thank you Jesus, for the price you paid for me. Cover me in your precious blood. Make me yours. I set myself apart for your glory. I will keep myself from sin. Your love is incredible.
Never forget the price of atonement.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, February 8, 2010
2.8.10 "Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
"Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, January 17, 2010
1.17.10 "Prepare to Hear from God"
"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, July 13, 2009
"Preparing for His Presence"
I Chronicles 15:1-16:36
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 19:6-7
Some thoughts today on your DLOW. (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship for the acronymically challenged)
I Chronicles 15 recounts the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. David calls the high priests together, ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and gathered the whole gang to go to the home of Obed-edom to get the Ark. Verse 28 says, "so the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers." Sounds like quite an event.
But this isn't the first time David tried to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. In I Chronicles 13, David consults with all his army officers, and decides to invite all the people of israel to get the Ark of God and bring it home. They got it from the house of Abinadab. I Chron. 13:8 says, "then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets." Another great event. But this first time, something goes wrong. The oxen carrying the cart stumble. Uzza reaches out to steady the cart, and the anger of the Lord burned against him for touching the Ark, and he died.
I Chron. 13:11,12 "David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza...Now David was afraid of God and asked, 'How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?'"
The Ark of God is a representation of his presence and his power. This story stresses a major theme. The presence of God should not be approached casually. I can picture David & the gang the first time around thinking "Yes! it's all coming together! Let's go get the presence of God!" There was no ill intent, but at the same time, there was no consecration.
The second time, in I Chron. 15:12-15 David instructs the priests, "You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites," he told them. "Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly -- You were not carrying it." So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses."
What's the difference between the two occasions? Obviously that they were carrying the Ark "just as the Lord had instructed Moses", but also they were prepared.
How do you approach the worship service? Do you come prepared? Do you come casually? I am fully aware that we are under a new covenant. I know Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." But at the same time "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor 4:7) We have an obligation to prepare our vessel for the presence of God.
We sing, "Come Just As You Are", and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we keep on "coming as we are", and we leave as we were. We don't wait until we're changed. We "mosey in" to his presence, and we casually leave. We are in a relationship with the God of the Universe. He has not changed since the day Uzza touched the cart. The more we get to know Him and His awesome power, the more we need to be in awe of is greatness. Not to develop a fear that separates us from God, but to enter His presence in awesome wonder of who He is. What would the worship experience be like if we prepared for it? Instead of yelling at the family to get into the car because we're late, what if we really took the time to cleanse our hearts and minds of anything that would hinder us from experiencing God.
Just because we've become comfortable in our sin doesn't mean God has. It's his greatest desire to pour out his presence upon us. Many times the junk in our vessel prevents us from experiencing what he ultimately has for us.
Try it this week. Prepare for the worship experience. Prepare for the presence of God. Revisit the "lost art" of consecration. Set up an "environment of Worship" in your heart. See what happens.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Chronicles 15:1-16:36
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 19:6-7
Some thoughts today on your DLOW. (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship for the acronymically challenged)
I Chronicles 15 recounts the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. David calls the high priests together, ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and gathered the whole gang to go to the home of Obed-edom to get the Ark. Verse 28 says, "so the leaders of Israel took the Ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on the harps and zithers." Sounds like quite an event.
But this isn't the first time David tried to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. In I Chronicles 13, David consults with all his army officers, and decides to invite all the people of israel to get the Ark of God and bring it home. They got it from the house of Abinadab. I Chron. 13:8 says, "then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets." Another great event. But this first time, something goes wrong. The oxen carrying the cart stumble. Uzza reaches out to steady the cart, and the anger of the Lord burned against him for touching the Ark, and he died.
I Chron. 13:11,12 "David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza...Now David was afraid of God and asked, 'How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?'"
The Ark of God is a representation of his presence and his power. This story stresses a major theme. The presence of God should not be approached casually. I can picture David & the gang the first time around thinking "Yes! it's all coming together! Let's go get the presence of God!" There was no ill intent, but at the same time, there was no consecration.
The second time, in I Chron. 15:12-15 David instructs the priests, "You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites," he told them. "Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly -- You were not carrying it." So the priests and the Levites underwent the ceremonies of sanctification in preparation for bringing home the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the Ark on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses."
What's the difference between the two occasions? Obviously that they were carrying the Ark "just as the Lord had instructed Moses", but also they were prepared.
How do you approach the worship service? Do you come prepared? Do you come casually? I am fully aware that we are under a new covenant. I know Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." But at the same time "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Cor 4:7) We have an obligation to prepare our vessel for the presence of God.
We sing, "Come Just As You Are", and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we keep on "coming as we are", and we leave as we were. We don't wait until we're changed. We "mosey in" to his presence, and we casually leave. We are in a relationship with the God of the Universe. He has not changed since the day Uzza touched the cart. The more we get to know Him and His awesome power, the more we need to be in awe of is greatness. Not to develop a fear that separates us from God, but to enter His presence in awesome wonder of who He is. What would the worship experience be like if we prepared for it? Instead of yelling at the family to get into the car because we're late, what if we really took the time to cleanse our hearts and minds of anything that would hinder us from experiencing God.
Just because we've become comfortable in our sin doesn't mean God has. It's his greatest desire to pour out his presence upon us. Many times the junk in our vessel prevents us from experiencing what he ultimately has for us.
Try it this week. Prepare for the worship experience. Prepare for the presence of God. Revisit the "lost art" of consecration. Set up an "environment of Worship" in your heart. See what happens.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, May 17, 2009
5.17.9 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/17/2008 07:01:00 AM
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/17/2008 07:01:00 AM
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2.8.9 "Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
"Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
We're currently doing a series in our Sunday morning services entitled, "Lessons from the Tent". The series focuses on how the elements of the Old Testament tabernacle is a symbol of Christ and God's desire to be in relationship with us. The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
We're currently doing a series in our Sunday morning services entitled, "Lessons from the Tent". The series focuses on how the elements of the Old Testament tabernacle is a symbol of Christ and God's desire to be in relationship with us. The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, January 17, 2009
1.17.9 "Prepare to Hear from God"
"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, April 11, 2008
4.11.8 "The Great Adventure!"
"The Great Adventure!"
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, February 8, 2008
2.8.8 "Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
"Consecrated Sheep or Separated Goats"
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 28:1-43
Matthew 25:31-26:13
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 8:12-13
The verses we've been reading in Exodus for the past few days have been very descriptive of how the tent of the tabernacle was to be constructed, and what the priests are to wear. I'm impressed by the detail God put into the descriptions. To me it shows how important it is that we prepare to meet with him.
In describing what the priests wear, there is a command to put a gold plate on Aaron's turban that says, "Consecrated to Jehovah". I was thinking this morning of how I need to wear that same sign. My life is dedicated to him. I am no longer my own. The way I walk, think & live needs to be entirely under the sign of "consecrated to Jehovah".
What will the consecrated life look like? We get a good picture in Matthew 25. Jesus says in verse 31ff, "But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left hand.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
In verse 40, he says the familiar line: "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
That's the great part of the story. That describes the life of those who have lived "Consecrated to Jehovah". The sad part is what follows. I wont give all the verses, but it's the story of those who did not help "the least of these". Jesus told them, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me. And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
The goats were separated from His presence.
I don't want be separated from His presence. I want to be consecrated to Jehovah which means I am separated from the world. Every part of my life should be marked by the actions of one who is set apart FOR Him, not one who is separated FROM him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, January 17, 2008
1.17.8 "Prepare to Hear from God"
"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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