IS THIS THE GENERATION THAT WILL SEEK THE LORD?

"The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost... He came in mighty fullness then. His witness, through believers, won the lost and multitudes were born again. The early Christians scattered o'er the world... they preached the gospel fearlessly. Though some were martyred and to lions hurled, they marched along in victory. Come Holy Spirit... dark is the hour. We need Your filling, Your love, and Your mighty power. Move, now, among us... stir us, we pray. Come, Holy Spirit... Revive the church, today.  Then in an age when darkness gripped the earth... the just shall live by faith was learned. The Holy Spirit gave the church new birth, as reformation fires burned. In later years, the great revivals came... when men would seek the LORD and pray. Oh, once again, we need that holy flame... to meet the challenge of today. Come, Holy Spirit... dark is the hour. We need Your filling, Your love, and Your mighty power. Move, now, among us... stir us, we pray. Come, Holy Spirit... Revive the church, today." These words, penned by John W Peterson, are very powerful and needful for this period in time... they can be and, probably, should be used, as a prayer for this generation.

For the past few months, I have felt that GOD has been and is preparing my heart and the hearts of many of HIS people with a deep stirring and yearning for a greater moving of HIMSELF in and among us - personally and collectively. Our hearts have been challenged to PRAY... pray more, pray often, pray specific, pray in faith, and to pray - believing that GOD can and will answer because we know that HE is the promise keeping GOD, who never lies... we have HIS WORD, written to/for us and passed down to every generation, as our surety. In our thoughts, we all may say... I hear this all the time or have heard it all my life, if this is TRUE/TRUTH, why are there not more "miracles" happening, today, and/or more souls being saved? Have we accepted the challenge and made prayer our lifeline to GOD? An acrostic for PRAY = Praying Requires A Yearning... do we have a yearning in our heart and soul for GOD to do "great and mighty things" that we have never seen or experienced?

In an earlier post, I shared this quote, "A prayer, without a promise, has no foundation." When concentrating upon our needs and desires before we come to GOD, in prayer, do we think about a scripture verse or passage of scripture that we may have read, heard taught/preached, or memorized that may speak to our hearts concerning those needs and desires, at the time, and can we find GOD'S promise there? How many of our prayers are or have been prayed in unbelief? We pray, for sure, but do we expect to receive an answer? Are our prayers sincere or half-hearted? 1 John 5:10 b, states, "... he that believeth not GOD hath made him a liar;" are we accusing GOD of lying? Oh, that we would realize the seriousness of totally believing, relying upon, and trusting GOD in every situation and/or circumstance. GOD deserves our respect and complete trust that HE can and will do what HE says. The Word of GOD is and always will be, as current as tomorrow's newspaper and it is for this present time and future generations, as much as it was for those past.

In praying, when we acknowledge our sin, we come to a place of being open and honest before/with GOD, with ourselves, and others; however, our sin is against GOD and HIM, alone... but HE is waiting for us to come before HIM, acknowledge our sin, and ask HIM for forgiveness and cleansing. We must pray... search me, show me, forgive me, and cleanse me of any and all things displeasing to YOU, and those things that would hinder my life from being useful or usable. The WORD tells us in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We are responsible for our sin - to confess and forsake it... HE is responsible for forgiving and cleansing us. As believers, we can be confident that GOD hears us and will hearken (listen intently, give attention to, & heed) unto our prayers. This manner of praying will draw our hearts and souls to seek a more intimate relationship with GOD and an intimate relationship will cause us to desire to please our beloved ONE, rather than ourselves or others.

A few days ago, my prayer verses were Psalm 24:3-6, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the GOD of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." These are some powerful verses... sobering and soul-searching. The questions asked caused me to ask myself a few, also. How is my heart before the HOLY GOD? Am I at a place to receive "the blessing from the LORD" and what, exactly, is this blessing? It must be something specific, but what does GOD want to give me... to give us? However, the underlined portion caused me to ask, "Is this generation the one that will truly seek the LORD or what would it take for this to be true?" My heart yearns to see and experience a true moving of the HOLY SPIRIT - in my life, in my family, in our community, and in our churches. We have heard and read about the "revivals" of yesteryear... they are past - just a moment and memory in history... good, yes, but gone. Those who experienced/witnessed those moves of GOD tell about it, write about it, but did the experience wane from their thoughts and lives? If so, what caused its gradual decrease? Did man step in and rob GOD of HIS glory? Did he add his programs and agenda to what GOD was doing? Duncan Campbell, a preacher who was well-known during the, 1949-1952, revival on the Isle of Lewis, stated that..."We must leave the work to GOD. May we remove our programs and allow GOD'S presence to be welcomed." (Emphasis mine.) Do we invite/welcome GOD'S presence in our lives and church services? HE IS ALWAYS NEAR, BUT DO WE WANT HIM TO BE INVOLVED IN THE FULLNESS OF HIS POWER AND GLORY???

We, all, have probably seen the picture of JESUS standing outside a door knocking... looking more closely, you will notice there is no latch/knob on the outside, so the opening of that door must be from the inside... it represents HIM knocking at our heart desiring to be asked and/or welcomed inside. This illustration can be for, both, the sinner and the saint... to the sinner for salvation and the saint for service, fellowship, and building an intimate relationship with HIM, but HE leaves the choice, of opening the door, to us. It's very sad, to say, but some will never open the door and others may open it for salvation; however, will never know or experience an intimate relationship with GOD. We are, actually, guilty of using GOD - just when we need HIM or when we want HIM to give us something and/or do something to benefit us... we are such a selfish generation. Oh, how this must grieve HIM!

WE ARE A GENERATION, DESPERATELY, NEEDING TO CRY OUT TO GOD TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS, TO FORGIVE OUR SIN, AND TO HEAL OUR LAND... but we must realize that HE will never intrude, so we have to take the initiative... do we want HIM to "come down", to work in and among us, to make a difference in our lives/churches or are we going to remain self-satisfied and complacent? When will we grow tired of being stirred with no change(s) - in our lives, in our churches or in our society? When will the "true Christians" acknowledge that we serve the GOD, who desires to walk with and among us to show us HE is capable of so much more than is accredited to HIM and when will allow HIM to be GOD - for WHO HE IS?

"Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:..." Jeremiah 29:12-14 a. When will we claim these promises? Our generation needs GOD, but most importantly, we need to seek HIM to see and experience what HE can and desires to do in/for us, in this generation.

 "Oh, Heavenly Father... thank YOU, because YOU said that YOU would hearken unto my prayer. This is YOUR promise... my part is to seek and search for YOU, wholeheartedly. I know that YOU aren't lost, but I want to find YOU in the way YOU have written of here... YOU are enough and will continue to be sufficient for and in me... yet, YOU desire to meet with me and show me YOUR power and glory. YOU are the foundation upon which I am firmly and eternally established. With my physical eyes, I cannot and do not see YOU, only the evidence of where YOU'VE been, of what YOU'VE done, and continue to do, but I ask YOU to please, open my "spiritual" eyes to know/have the wisdom and discernment needed for this journey. My heart's cry is for YOU to "rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down," ... do YOUR work in my heart, in my home, in our church, and in our land. Show us YOUR power and glory. Hover over us and come near... let us experience the great and mighty works YOU promised to those who would call unto YOU. Please let there be a few brothers and sisters in CHRIST, who have the same desire, as myself ... and that we would pray, in confidence and complete trust, until YOU show up and show off, in YOUR MAJESTY. Father, before YOU, I am anxious and restless; nonetheless, waiting on YOU. PLEASE LET THIS BE THE GENERATION THAT WILL SEEK THE LORD... TO YOUR HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER... IN JESUS' PRECIOUS NAME, I PRAY... AMEN."

BITTERNESS OF SOUL AND BROKENNESS

Have you ever wondered why our lives and churches have become so content and complacent? Being content and complacent... oh, it's very sad that we do not desire anymore than what we have or are experiencing and we are satisfied with things as they are without considering or desiring change. We are self-satisfied and unconcerned about souls dying without knowing the LORD. Yes, change is an unknown and it's unfamiliar, but it can and should break us out of our "traditional" mold. Our following or holding on to old traditions have a great, yet negative impact upon our present and future "walk with the LORD" and service to HIM. Traditions may keep us in motion, but we get nowhere... going in a never-ending circle.

My thoughts go to the words of the chorus of a familiar, yet forgotten song, "Souls are crying, men are dying... won't you lead them to the cross? Go and find them, help to win them... win the lost at any cost. Go out and win, rescue from sin... day's almost done, low sinks the sun. Souls are crying, men are dying... win the lost at any cost." These words issue a personal challenge to every believer. Do we hear their cries... are we listening? Do we realize the darkness of the hour on GOD'S time clock? How do we become so unconcerned about the soul's eternal destiny? I ask myself, "am I concerned or have I become complacent?" In all honestly, many times I have allowed the "normal busy-ness" of every day life to have its effects upon my view of those laden with sin and who are on the broad road to a GOD-less hell... and have allowed my mind to be deterred from its main purpose.

While on this exciting journey with GOD, I have been blessed beyond measure. I can document and have documented answered prayer... GOD is so good!!! A few weeks ago, my prayer verse for the day was taken from 1 Samuel 1:10, When Hannah prayed for a child, the WORD said, "... and she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore." Hannah had become dissatisfied with how her life was... she wanted a child and specifically, a man child. She did not want to be barren or the brunt of another's mockery; therefore, she cried out to the ONE who promises that HE "... shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37: 4) When she went before the LORD, she was very heavy-hearted, discontent, and in mourning... her very soul groaned before the LORD and her heart's cry was beyond words, only her lips moved. Have we ever gotten to this place? Hannah's praying drew the attention of the priest, Eli, but more important it got GOD'S attention. Eli, the priest, thought she was drunken, but GOD knew she was desperate in her desire and petition. Her cry was from the depths of her soul. She was no longer thinking selfishly of her request for a child, but she vowed that if GOD answered, she would give the child back to HIM for HIS use. I'm sure this was a difficult decision for her, as a mother, but GOD knew she was serious... she would be grateful and make the most of the time GOD would give her with the child. After her son was born she named him Samuel, whose name meant "asked of the LORD". Are there things that we are asking of GOD? How serious are we? GOD knows our heart. Do we desire the birth of "spiritual" children enough to be "in bitterness of soul"... to weep for those who need salvation?  Are there times when we become so burdened, in prayer, that the groanings of our spirit is all that can be heard?

For this generation to be touched by GOD, we are going to have to experience "bitterness of soul" and a spirit of brokenness. The words to the song, "The Spirit of Brokenness" by Rodney Griffin of Greater Vision has been upon my heart for a quite a while, so I'd like to share the lyrics: "I remember the night, so long ago, the first time I called on YOUR name. Empty and broken, ashamed of my sin, I asked if this sinner YOU'D save? But the cares of life have darkened the light and I feel like I'm drifting away, so break me, mold me, cleanse me, then hold me... I want to be near YOU, today. LORD, give me the spirit of brokenness, like YOU gave when I first called YOUR name, and replace my pride with humility... LORD, a broken, willing vessel I'll be. I never set out to drift into sin... my intentions are never to stray, but my flesh is weak and I'm so prone to fall... like a child, I go my own way. Then I hear YOUR cry from deep down inside, saying, "Go back to Calv'ry again... there you'll see MY flesh opened and MY Spirit broken, then surely, your drifting will end. LORD, give me the spirit of brokenness, like YOU gave when I first called YOUR name, and replace my pride with humility... LORD, a broken willing vessel I'll be." GOD help us to be broken because of our sin that we might be more concerned about the lost condition of others.

"Oh, GOD, our HEAVENLY FATHER, help us to reach out to and win lost souls for YOUR honor and glory. Give us compassion... let us make a difference. Let us run to the aid of the lost, as if we are pulling them from a burning building. Souls are falling... falling... they're on a downward spiral toward a CHRIST-LESS eternity. Help us get a grasp upon their need and upon their souls, for YOUR sake."

A NEW JOURNEY - PRAYER AND JOURNALING

Over the past few months, I have heard many very good messages on prayer and have been encouraged to "do it" more. Through the years, I know that I have given up on praying for people or certain requests right before GOD answers. I've knocked upon the door of heaven, then ran to hide... like a childish game. This past week has been the beginning of a special journey that I am taking with GOD and pray it continues until my death. This journey has been encouraged and experienced by many others before me... I desire to see what GOD can/will do in, with, and through me to HIS glory.

In Sunday's sermon, Dr R G Smith, challenged our church to have a prayer journal... I have always had a prayer list containing many requests that have been written down and other requests that have been kept within my heart, but not a day by day journaling. This has been and is an eye-opening experience... I've learned just how little I really know about prayer and praying. The quote was given... "Prayer, without a promise, has no real/sure foundation." I was challenged to review the scriptures on prayer, look for the promise, and claim the promise for myself. In my past praying, I had included praying scripture back to GOD, but I'm learning to do this in a very different way... I realized I had been arrogant in how I had used it.

As a mom, I was thinking about where to begin and my mind was drawn to Matthew chapter 7, but not in the order the scriptures were written down. I went to verse 13 first... "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" I thought of the pleasure and joy that it gives me to "give " to my children and others especially when it is something they have asked for... I would move heaven and earth to grant those requests, yet I am limited, but GOD is not limited nor can/should HE be. The phrase, "... how much more shall your (PERSONAL) Father which is in heaven (HIS POSITION) give good things things to them that ask him?" (HIS PROMISE). Promises, usually, yield a result and we can be assured that GOD'S promises are always going to be kept.  My part is to "...ask him". HE is always available, approachable, and awaiting my petitions. As a child, I know I bickered with my siblings when we wanted something or to go somewhere with a conversation like-- "you, ask him/them... No, you, ask him/them" referring to my parents. Would it make any difference who did the asking? We ALL belonged to the family and there were no favorites... this is, also, true with GOD. I went to verses 7 & 8, looking at the three "action verbs" and their results--"ask=receiving, seek=finding, and knock=a door is opened/barrier is removed." When these words are written down in acrostic form they form the word "A-S-K, again." Do I think this is a coincidence? No, it assures me that GOD is never bothered nor gets tired of hearing me ask for things. I can be very graphic and specific to HIM.

The following comment was given by my pastor, Bro Bobby Thomas, at Wednesday night's service--"There is nothing within my own power, in my pocket/purse, or in my pantry to meet my need, but GOD has plenty." HIS storehouse can never be emptied. I, ONLY, NEED TO DEPEND UPON GOD... I do not need to share my requests and needs with anyone else. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN MEET THEM ANYWAY. I am truly desiring that prayer becomes the greatest and most beneficial exercise, in and to my life. May GOD be glorified!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!

Getting All You Want From Your Christian Life

By David Stephens (reposted from Belief Changers)

"Some Christian teaching you run into asks a lot from your performance. If you do a certain number of things, follow a certain list of spiritual requirements, you’ll receive blessings and stave off curses. These things are good; those are bad; do the good and avoid the bad. But that’s just the tree of the knowledge of good and evil talking. From this tree hangs all the fruit that feeds the source that desires to control your life through sin. The residue of a life controlled by something other than God—in other words, your flesh—cares not if it eats from the good side of this tree or the evil. Eating from the evil side leads a person into unrighteous sin, while eating from the good side leads to self-righteous sin. But neither ends up in Christ’s righteousness.

The deeds of the flesh are evident. They are plainly recognizable. The deeds manifest as sin in your life. So to remove the sin, you must deal with the source—the flesh. Fortunately, as a Christian, the flesh no longer has sovereign power over your life. You have living inside of you a life that has dealt the death blow to the flesh. You no longer have to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to stay alive. You have the power within to choose otherwise. Interestingly enough, everything you want in life—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—comes not by your act, but rather Christ acting through you. Whereas the flesh responds in a deed—an action—the Spirit bears fruit. The flesh requires you to “do,” but the Spirit simply asks that you respond.

Fruit is nothing more than the life flowing from the vine into the branch, manifesting itself in a way for others to enjoy the sweetness. The fruit of the spirit growing in your life simply proves the connection you have with Christ. But it’s the connection, and not the fruit, that is most important to you. The fruit in your life is for others to enjoy, but it’s maintaining the connection with Christ that ultimately brings personal fulfillment. Fruit is born in a season, but the connection between the branch and the vine—Christ and you—has no season.

The sins of unrighteousness and self-righteousness trace their origin back to the flesh. Spiritual fruit, however, traces back to Christ. Right now, in this moment, you can choose your source. Will you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and feed the flesh, or will it be the tree of life—Christ—who takes away the sin of the world? All that you could ever want, He wants to give. Choose Christ and never stop eating."

**I thought this was too good not to archive and share !!! Hope everyone enjoys this post.**

CHANGE or TRANSFORMATION

Can we change? To transform means to change, to become different or alter (make different). We alter or have a garment altered, but is it not the same garment still? The garment can be turned inside out and the evidence of the change may or may not be seen. Yet, its transformation may be so complete that it has become another garment, entirely. The transformation is more active, as is the righteousness of God. At salvation, He took off our rags of sin and put His garment of righteousness upon us. Is this garment visible to mankind? The physical garment can be put on and taken off at will, but God's righteousness is a permanent garment that engulfs us so tighly that it squeezes our "self" life out of us and nothing remains, but the life of Christ. Its force cannot be felt, but its impact reflects Christ to those around us.

In Romans 12:2 a & b “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,…” We are given specific instructions to not be like, resemble, identify with, or have the similar behavior of “this world”. Salvation was a free gift given to us, so we must make a choice to “present” ourselves back to God and allow Him to do His work in us. The “renewing” of our mind is our beginning point to strengthen us, as Christians. We become aware of the difference Christ has made within us and we desire to become new in our actions, attitudes, and behavior; however, many times this leads to external performance because we want those around us to “see” we are Christians. We may adopt and adapt to many legalistic practices and get caught up in “doing” instead of “being or becoming like Christ.” We are different from the world, yes, but it is not because of any effort on our part. Dr Wagner gave a theological pattern of “the already-not yet” principle, as our example… “we are (presently) already seated with Christ, in heaven, but we have not yet become all God wants us to be, in reality.”

Let’s think about the life of a silkworm and a caterpillar. These creatures grew and performed, as was expected of their nature. They wiggled, squiggled, and buried themselves in the dirt. Yet, a time came when they began climbing higher, on their own. They chose a twig or leaf, upon which to attach themselves. The silkworm spins its cocoon and the caterpillar encloses itself in its chrysalis. They were bound, entrapped, and in total darkness by their own doing, but their genetics would not allow this to continue very long. The transforming process is unseen to the eyes of the beholder, but when they emerge from the cocoon and chrysalis the transformation is very evident… nothing of the old creature resembles the new creature. They have wings that move, as if in praise to the Creator. They fly, soar, and experience new heights… no longer bound, trapped, or in darkness. Their true beauty is very evident to all. We can reflect upon the "past tense" verbs used in the paragraph and the incidences of limitation, but once the "transformation" took place... "they had become what they were intended to be" when they were created. They did not struggle or fight against the process, but yielded to their destiny.

This is how a Christian should be… not allowing the external/ “outside” circumstances to rule and reign in our lives, but embrace the internal work of the Holy Spirit … allow God to “work out” the new life within us.

CHRISTIAN... PRESS ON!!!

Paul writes in Philippians 3:13c-14,"... forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Paul, literally, turned his back on his past life to actively "press toward the mark". The "mark" was unknown territory, yet he pursued and desired to attain the "prize"... the award/reward offered in this life, but will be given in a public presentation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. His purpose, cause, reason, or motive was to reach an intended goal to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we often allow our past lives to hinder our Christian walk and service for Christ... this is a great tool of the devil to discourage and defeat us, as believers. Discouragement causes us to lose our confidence in Christ and what He wants to do in, with, and through us... it causes our enthusiasm in our Christian service to dwindle, thus leading to a casualty or near casualty in life's battle. Our past is time gone by that cannot or never will be recaptured... no changes can be made in it... it is recorded, as/in history, whether good or bad.

We are instructed by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7-8, "Casting (throw) all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary (enemy or rival) the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (consume with intense hunger):" Our care can be viewed as garbage... we bag the garbage and throw it away... it's out of sight; therefore, out of mind. We do not continually rummage through it, as though some prized possession is hidden there, neither should we allow it to stay around too long because it becomes stinky - it breeds worms, flies, bacteria, and can cause diseases... it becomes a cesspool of corruption. This should give us a vivid picture of how our dwelling on our past hinders our present/future Christian life and growth. It should open our "spiritual" eyes to how the devil wants to deceive and hinder us in our Christian walk. We must take assurance from what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This is a very definite and present fact of the Christ-life, so Christian... WE MUST PRESS ON!!!

TIME IS PASSING QUICKLY... WHAT AM I DOING?

Wow... just realized it has been almost two years since sharing anything here. Where did the time go? The busy-ness of everyday life grasps my thoughts and intentions... yet am I too busy to stop or at least, slow down to reflect upon what is happening around me, but more important, to what is happening within me? In all honesty, I have allowed too many outside influences to affect me... I've gotten bogged down with things and circumstances that have taken me far from where I should be or where I want to be. If there is a place of limbo, sometimes I think, I'm there and I do NOT like it and definitely do not want to remain there.

I think of how the Bible describes "... the serpent..." in Genesis 3:1, as "... more subtil (clever, crafty) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made..." and I realize how satan used it in the deception of mankind, so I should be able to recognize that satan would use the same influences upon me. I'm not exempt of his tactics and trickery... neither is any other human being. I am so thankful for how the Apostle Paul explained his dilema in Romans 7:15-25, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

As time moves on, I find this struggle to be even more prevalent in my life... diverting my purpose and distracting my attention from the things of eternal value. The questions I must ask myself are "what am I doing or what am I going to do about this in my life?" and "when?" The "how" is with GOD... I do not know how to perform what HIS plan for me is or will be, but I must yield... HE ALWAYS KNOW BEST!!! HE can and will do in, with, and through me to accomplish HIS will to HIS glory - if and/or when I allow HIM!!!