After having spent a good time in prayer and intercession, I would like you to know what is happening in the heavenlies.
First, your most urgent need is God’s protection. Yeshua shed His blood to cleanse you and make you approved before God, the Father, making you a partaker in His glory. Next, you must be guided and directed by His Holy Spirit. You believe His Spirit will guide and lead you.
Our Lord wants to be glorified in your life and work, in all you say and do. All of your ministry must proceed from His throne. Since His ministry in and through you must come from your communion with Him in diligent, focused, solitary prayer, you must get to that time and place of prayer (your prayer closet) every day.
Please know it has pleased the Father to post angels at your place of prayer for you to come before Him unhindered for that time in which you, as Moses, draw near into the thick darkness where God is. Those angels have been posted because of the work God is pleased to do through you for His kingdom to come. Through your times of prayer, you will behold His glory with open face, as in a glass. As you spend time beholding His glory He will transfigure you into the glory and image of Jesus Christ. As you are transfigured into that holy vessel, nothing will prevent you from doing His will.
As you perform His work, your ministry, His angels will be posted about you for your protection.
When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Co. 3.4).
God’s blessing you.
Your servant in Christ,
Christopher Dart
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Father Calls You
You are being called by the Father to daily get alone with Him in prayer.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Mt. 6.6).
It's good to pray on the move, at prayer meetings, etc. Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing (1 Th. 5.17)." And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (Lk. 18.1)" Here Jesus speaks of prayer with importunity. Secret, devoted, fervent prayer.
Oswald Chambers spoke of wrestling before God in prayer. John Bunyan said, "It is so wretched a thing to be without God that one may gladly dare any calamity in venturing to approach him." I would suggest getting up two hours earlier for prayer is a nearly non existent calamity in comparison to what some saints have endured. Charles Spurgeon said, "Take at once firm hold of God." E. M. Bounds wrote, "Prayer may well be defined as that force which vitalizes and energizes the Word of God, by taking hold of God, Himself." Isaiah wrote: "There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of Me," is God's sad lament. "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me," is God's recipe for prayer.
There is a promise in the Counsels of Eternity you will be drawn into the presence of Christ by the Father. You do best by calling on Him right away and establishing a regular relationship with Him. He will draw you, but if you wait, it may be under circumstances you won't like. Leonard Ravenhill said, "It's very simple, either concentrate in prayer or pray in concentration camps."
Revival must be an individual experience. We will each become obedient to His call to get alone with Him in prayer on a regular basis somehow. I believe that revival is slowly spreading throughout this Laodicean Church age with some saints. I believe suffering will be the lot of many in order to get the Church in unity. In other words, the revivals of Fulton and Azusa Streets are a thing of the past. Revival will hit each individual in the Church until its flames are as many logs thrown on the fire.
The question is, will we be obedient to the call of God to extricate ourselves from the world and come up to the top of the mount, as Moses, now?
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Mt. 6.6).
It's good to pray on the move, at prayer meetings, etc. Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing (1 Th. 5.17)." And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (Lk. 18.1)" Here Jesus speaks of prayer with importunity. Secret, devoted, fervent prayer.
Oswald Chambers spoke of wrestling before God in prayer. John Bunyan said, "It is so wretched a thing to be without God that one may gladly dare any calamity in venturing to approach him." I would suggest getting up two hours earlier for prayer is a nearly non existent calamity in comparison to what some saints have endured. Charles Spurgeon said, "Take at once firm hold of God." E. M. Bounds wrote, "Prayer may well be defined as that force which vitalizes and energizes the Word of God, by taking hold of God, Himself." Isaiah wrote: "There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of Me," is God's sad lament. "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me," is God's recipe for prayer.
There is a promise in the Counsels of Eternity you will be drawn into the presence of Christ by the Father. You do best by calling on Him right away and establishing a regular relationship with Him. He will draw you, but if you wait, it may be under circumstances you won't like. Leonard Ravenhill said, "It's very simple, either concentrate in prayer or pray in concentration camps."
Revival must be an individual experience. We will each become obedient to His call to get alone with Him in prayer on a regular basis somehow. I believe that revival is slowly spreading throughout this Laodicean Church age with some saints. I believe suffering will be the lot of many in order to get the Church in unity. In other words, the revivals of Fulton and Azusa Streets are a thing of the past. Revival will hit each individual in the Church until its flames are as many logs thrown on the fire.
The question is, will we be obedient to the call of God to extricate ourselves from the world and come up to the top of the mount, as Moses, now?
Behind the Veil
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And [having] an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (He. 10. 19-22).
Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there. - A. W. Tozer
Jesus Christ, the first born among many bretheren, was essentially the first saved. It is true He was sinless in life, which made Him the Lamb without spot or wrinkle, capable of being a sacrifice sufficient for the holy demands of the Counsel of Eternity, yet He became sin for us, He became a curse for us, so we don't have the curse be upon us when we approach the Judgement. In the grave, the greatest miracle occurred: The resurrection! O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co. 15.55-57).
Right now, as we live and breathe the present air, we have not the curse, enabling us to enter into the presence of Almighty God, that is if we have responded to the call of Christ to repent and believe the Gospel. It is impossible to enter the sacred place of the Most High God without having been washed in the blood of Jesus. To the question, "What can wash away my sin?" The answer,
"Nothing but the blood of Jesus."
In all the trappings of religion, activity of evangelicalism and gifted work of those seeking signs, the work of our LORD on the cross of Calvary still remains a stumbling block to the religious and unbelieving while too simple to evangelicals and sign seekers. Yet the preaching of the cross remains foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Co. 1.18).
It is by grace we can get over that stumbling block. The smallest amount of faith will enable us to receive grace needed to enter into the Holy of Holies.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (Ja. 4.6-8).
There, in the secret place of the Most High, we find even more grace. There we are able to move the mighty hand of God in prayer. There we become transfigured into His glory and image. There we gain that glow Moses had when he left the mount. There we reckon the beggarly things of the world as dross and to have the abiding presence of God as the greatest gain.
Having been there, we agree with the elders of Westminster who said, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." As such, we begin to understand the four and twenty elders who fall on their faces to worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, saying, `Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.' (Rev 4:11)
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And [having] an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (He. 10. 19-22).
Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there. - A. W. Tozer
Jesus Christ, the first born among many bretheren, was essentially the first saved. It is true He was sinless in life, which made Him the Lamb without spot or wrinkle, capable of being a sacrifice sufficient for the holy demands of the Counsel of Eternity, yet He became sin for us, He became a curse for us, so we don't have the curse be upon us when we approach the Judgement. In the grave, the greatest miracle occurred: The resurrection! O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co. 15.55-57).
Right now, as we live and breathe the present air, we have not the curse, enabling us to enter into the presence of Almighty God, that is if we have responded to the call of Christ to repent and believe the Gospel. It is impossible to enter the sacred place of the Most High God without having been washed in the blood of Jesus. To the question, "What can wash away my sin?" The answer,
"Nothing but the blood of Jesus."
In all the trappings of religion, activity of evangelicalism and gifted work of those seeking signs, the work of our LORD on the cross of Calvary still remains a stumbling block to the religious and unbelieving while too simple to evangelicals and sign seekers. Yet the preaching of the cross remains foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Co. 1.18).
It is by grace we can get over that stumbling block. The smallest amount of faith will enable us to receive grace needed to enter into the Holy of Holies.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (Ja. 4.6-8).
There, in the secret place of the Most High, we find even more grace. There we are able to move the mighty hand of God in prayer. There we become transfigured into His glory and image. There we gain that glow Moses had when he left the mount. There we reckon the beggarly things of the world as dross and to have the abiding presence of God as the greatest gain.
Having been there, we agree with the elders of Westminster who said, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." As such, we begin to understand the four and twenty elders who fall on their faces to worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, saying, `Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.' (Rev 4:11)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Must I Go to Church Today?
Times Square Church receives letters from all over the nation, by the thousands, "Pastor Dave, I hate to wake up Sunday mornings; I hate to go to my church."
What a tragedy! Persecution is not needed to keep those seeking the One True God from meeting together. The direction of the churches are doing that job well.
I make entries in my journal when going to prayer meetings, teachings and church services. Last Sunday I wrote. "The speaker has resorted to jokes for he has nothing from thy throne, Almighty God, to speak. Please forgive those who regard that pulpit as a place to entertain. The words proceeding from that place are not to be idle but the very keys to life and death to the listeners. Please forgive me, O God, if I am missing you in these entertaining words. I find nothing being said to be pertinent to what is happening in the world today.
"O God, break through and use those spoken words to cause the listeners to be chosen by you and caused to approach unto you. Lord, pour out your oil for the lamp which seems to be extinguished. You promised, 'I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent (Re. 2.5).' Lord, cause the words spoken to move the listeners to seek your face diligently on a daily basis so they may have pure oil olive to bring for the tending of the lamp that it may burn continuously."
The oil signifies the Holy Ghost. The lampstand signifies the angelic vessel for the oil. The flame represents the presence of the Lord.
Now, Lord, I pray for the speaker today, to be even in your presence now, receiving of you a message to resound in the halls of eternity. I pray those leaders, elders and music ministers of the church be before you in humble prayer that their ministry may be of you, O God, and not of the flesh. Let all of us pray without distraction or disturbance. Cause us, O God, to get into your presence without compromising our time with you. Cause us to fear you to the extent that we will not expect our intimate time with you to be shared with our mundane activities throughout the day.
Forgive me Lord, where I feel church leaders neither care nor believe my intercession for them is any more than breath lost in the wind. Forgive me for regarding leaders as uncrucified with you, alive to this world, its prince and his watchers.
Forgive me. Lord, for finding every church in this state as vastly unconcerned for the coming of Thy Kingdom.
Lord, must I go to church? I even wrote the question last week, "What am I doing here?" The speaker even said, "I am worried about my lack of results."
O God Most High, please cause your Church to understand she must simply be faithful to you as your bride? We must be contrite and of a humble heart, let the Word dwell in us in all wisdom, seek your face and pray.
What a tragedy! Persecution is not needed to keep those seeking the One True God from meeting together. The direction of the churches are doing that job well.
I make entries in my journal when going to prayer meetings, teachings and church services. Last Sunday I wrote. "The speaker has resorted to jokes for he has nothing from thy throne, Almighty God, to speak. Please forgive those who regard that pulpit as a place to entertain. The words proceeding from that place are not to be idle but the very keys to life and death to the listeners. Please forgive me, O God, if I am missing you in these entertaining words. I find nothing being said to be pertinent to what is happening in the world today.
"O God, break through and use those spoken words to cause the listeners to be chosen by you and caused to approach unto you. Lord, pour out your oil for the lamp which seems to be extinguished. You promised, 'I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent (Re. 2.5).' Lord, cause the words spoken to move the listeners to seek your face diligently on a daily basis so they may have pure oil olive to bring for the tending of the lamp that it may burn continuously."
The oil signifies the Holy Ghost. The lampstand signifies the angelic vessel for the oil. The flame represents the presence of the Lord.
Now, Lord, I pray for the speaker today, to be even in your presence now, receiving of you a message to resound in the halls of eternity. I pray those leaders, elders and music ministers of the church be before you in humble prayer that their ministry may be of you, O God, and not of the flesh. Let all of us pray without distraction or disturbance. Cause us, O God, to get into your presence without compromising our time with you. Cause us to fear you to the extent that we will not expect our intimate time with you to be shared with our mundane activities throughout the day.
Forgive me Lord, where I feel church leaders neither care nor believe my intercession for them is any more than breath lost in the wind. Forgive me for regarding leaders as uncrucified with you, alive to this world, its prince and his watchers.
Forgive me. Lord, for finding every church in this state as vastly unconcerned for the coming of Thy Kingdom.
Lord, must I go to church? I even wrote the question last week, "What am I doing here?" The speaker even said, "I am worried about my lack of results."
O God Most High, please cause your Church to understand she must simply be faithful to you as your bride? We must be contrite and of a humble heart, let the Word dwell in us in all wisdom, seek your face and pray.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Goodness and Mercy of God
Looking at my life, I realized I had become more vile than most people I knew. YHWY would have been just to end my life any time. YHWY, who is rich in mercy, wherewith He loved me, brought me from the depths of sin and shame to the most wonderful position where I can boldly come to His throne for grace and mercy in a time of need. I can come to the mount now, where once I could only worship afar off, my heart full of sin. In His goodness I am now free to go up to the top of the mount and be with Him.
As I stay out of the place of defilement (and that's only by His grace and mercy) and seek His face first, He will send a pillar, a cloud and speak face to face with me. Because of His goodness and mercy I, with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord and am changed into His image from glory to glory as by the Holy Ghost.
Good and upright [is] the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way (Ps. 25:8).
Thou [art] good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes (Ps. 119.68).
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (Ja. 1.17).
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mt. 9.13).
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Mi. 4.2).
As I stay out of the place of defilement (and that's only by His grace and mercy) and seek His face first, He will send a pillar, a cloud and speak face to face with me. Because of His goodness and mercy I, with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord and am changed into His image from glory to glory as by the Holy Ghost.
Good and upright [is] the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way (Ps. 25:8).
Thou [art] good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes (Ps. 119.68).
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (Ja. 1.17).
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mt. 9.13).
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Mi. 4.2).
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Lack of God's Presence
I believe it true, all men truly desire to know the Lord. I don't know if there is a single person who has not desired an encounter with Him. Too often, however, people have been caused to believe, "You can't experience God."
Jim Morrison of the Doors said, "You can't petition the Lord in prayer."
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull said, "God is not the kind you wind up on Sundays."
Because men in the churches have chosen to not wait on the Lord and follow Christ's example of departing to a solitary place (as was his manner) well before dawn to pray, the Holy Spirit has left the churches. If someone goes to a church to find an experience with God, he finds only religious structure. The Holy Spirit has left. God's presence is not there. God can't be wound up on Sundays.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's life can only be evident as he spends intimate time with Him. It was said of the disciples, "they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Ac. 4. 13)." Follow His example, watch and pray as He said, "Can you not watch with me for but one hour?" God's presence will become undeniable in you.
Jim Morrison had it wrong. You CAN petition the Lord in prayer. You MUST petition the Lord in prayer and be contrite and repentant before Almighty God. Living that way will cause you to move the hand of God in prayer. To any person who stays out of the place of defilement and regularly waits on the Lord, will the Father send a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The presence of the Holy Ghost will be undeniable in his life.
Since this is an individual event, all those in each church must similarly wait on the Lord every day for the presence of God to be evident in their lives and in their church once again. I pray, O God, those leaders in the churches will live this way and teach the people accordingly. Your message to the churches is, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Re. 2. 5)."
Cause them, O God, to see the candlestick (from which comes the presence of the Holy Ghost) has been removed. Cause them to remember from whence they have fallen. Grant them, O God, repentance. May each individual be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Every day, O Lord, you remind me how far I had fallen, the shame of choosing the pleasures of Egypt and you show me your mercy. I'm no better than anyone. I'm simply a beggar who has found where there is food.
Jim Morrison of the Doors said, "You can't petition the Lord in prayer."
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull said, "God is not the kind you wind up on Sundays."
Because men in the churches have chosen to not wait on the Lord and follow Christ's example of departing to a solitary place (as was his manner) well before dawn to pray, the Holy Spirit has left the churches. If someone goes to a church to find an experience with God, he finds only religious structure. The Holy Spirit has left. God's presence is not there. God can't be wound up on Sundays.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's life can only be evident as he spends intimate time with Him. It was said of the disciples, "they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Ac. 4. 13)." Follow His example, watch and pray as He said, "Can you not watch with me for but one hour?" God's presence will become undeniable in you.
Jim Morrison had it wrong. You CAN petition the Lord in prayer. You MUST petition the Lord in prayer and be contrite and repentant before Almighty God. Living that way will cause you to move the hand of God in prayer. To any person who stays out of the place of defilement and regularly waits on the Lord, will the Father send a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The presence of the Holy Ghost will be undeniable in his life.
Since this is an individual event, all those in each church must similarly wait on the Lord every day for the presence of God to be evident in their lives and in their church once again. I pray, O God, those leaders in the churches will live this way and teach the people accordingly. Your message to the churches is, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Re. 2. 5)."
Cause them, O God, to see the candlestick (from which comes the presence of the Holy Ghost) has been removed. Cause them to remember from whence they have fallen. Grant them, O God, repentance. May each individual be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Every day, O Lord, you remind me how far I had fallen, the shame of choosing the pleasures of Egypt and you show me your mercy. I'm no better than anyone. I'm simply a beggar who has found where there is food.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My presence will not be taken lightly.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain (De. 5.11).
The name of the LORD is representative of all He is. Without Jesus having been on the cross, becoming sin for us, the best experience we could have of God's existence would be academic knowledge of His name, which He commanded to be kept holy.
Now, after the cross, after Pentecost, we have the presence of the Holy Ghost. The command is still the same. We, however, realize His presence is, indeed, represented by His name. His presence is not to be taken in vain.
We are called to be taken into His presence. Jesus said, no man cometh unto me, except the Father draw Him. Psalm 65.4: Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. Having been with Him is the only way the World will hear our message because His Truth cannot be revealed in the flesh. It must be revealed by His Holy Ghost which dwells in His holy temple. Our bodies are His temple. Our flesh resists the Spirit. The only way His Spirit can be recognized is from intimate fellowship with Him.
His Word to us, "My presence will not be taken lightly." We are to become less like the world, that is, transfigured into His likeness from glory to glory, as by the Holy Ghost. Our lives are to be a living sacrifice. Not a blemished offering half devoted to the world and half devoted to Him, an impossibility, yet ever attempted among us.
Our call, as with Moses, is to come near. And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him (Ex. 24. 1,2).
You have been chosen. You are called to come near, to be shut in with God, to shut out the world. It takes time, determination and effort, as Moses had to ascend the mount, giving no concern for time, food and water.
As the presence of the LORD was obvious on Moses, afterwards, so the presence of the Lord will be obvious on us. Beloved, this is up to each of us individually, not for us to expect the pastor and music minister to have it. Tragically, a blemished sacrifice and strange fire before the Lord seems to be all we get anymore.
We come casually into the place designated as His House of Worship. Conversation is seldom of the Lord but of all things other than our Lord. We choose, in our flesh, who we like and dislike. Are we not the temple of the Living God? How can it be that we ignore some, disdain others and love whom we will? It seems the presence of the Lord is not considered or will be considered at 10:00 o'clock, maybe 10:01. I'm pleading with you, beloved, let not our entry to His House be casual. Almighty God will meet with us but we must expect Him to be there and not grieve His Holy Spirit.
Lev. 24. 2: Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
By entering into the presence of the Lord daily, we obtain oil (the presence of the Holy Ghost) to tend the lamp (the evidence of the Holy Ghost in the church). Jesus gave us the example: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed (Mk. 1.35). Luke indicated rising early and departing to a solitary place was His manner. We ought not think we can do what Jesus would not. He received His power for ministry from the Father by departing to a solitary place. Jesus said, "I do nothing but that which the Father giveth me." As temples of the Holy Ghost, we should present nothing in the church, to one another and to the world but that which the Father gives us. By entering the presence of the Lord, we receive that which the Father will give us.
The name of the LORD is representative of all He is. Without Jesus having been on the cross, becoming sin for us, the best experience we could have of God's existence would be academic knowledge of His name, which He commanded to be kept holy.
Now, after the cross, after Pentecost, we have the presence of the Holy Ghost. The command is still the same. We, however, realize His presence is, indeed, represented by His name. His presence is not to be taken in vain.
We are called to be taken into His presence. Jesus said, no man cometh unto me, except the Father draw Him. Psalm 65.4: Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. Having been with Him is the only way the World will hear our message because His Truth cannot be revealed in the flesh. It must be revealed by His Holy Ghost which dwells in His holy temple. Our bodies are His temple. Our flesh resists the Spirit. The only way His Spirit can be recognized is from intimate fellowship with Him.
His Word to us, "My presence will not be taken lightly." We are to become less like the world, that is, transfigured into His likeness from glory to glory, as by the Holy Ghost. Our lives are to be a living sacrifice. Not a blemished offering half devoted to the world and half devoted to Him, an impossibility, yet ever attempted among us.
Our call, as with Moses, is to come near. And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him (Ex. 24. 1,2).
You have been chosen. You are called to come near, to be shut in with God, to shut out the world. It takes time, determination and effort, as Moses had to ascend the mount, giving no concern for time, food and water.
As the presence of the LORD was obvious on Moses, afterwards, so the presence of the Lord will be obvious on us. Beloved, this is up to each of us individually, not for us to expect the pastor and music minister to have it. Tragically, a blemished sacrifice and strange fire before the Lord seems to be all we get anymore.
We come casually into the place designated as His House of Worship. Conversation is seldom of the Lord but of all things other than our Lord. We choose, in our flesh, who we like and dislike. Are we not the temple of the Living God? How can it be that we ignore some, disdain others and love whom we will? It seems the presence of the Lord is not considered or will be considered at 10:00 o'clock, maybe 10:01. I'm pleading with you, beloved, let not our entry to His House be casual. Almighty God will meet with us but we must expect Him to be there and not grieve His Holy Spirit.
Lev. 24. 2: Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
By entering into the presence of the Lord daily, we obtain oil (the presence of the Holy Ghost) to tend the lamp (the evidence of the Holy Ghost in the church). Jesus gave us the example: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed (Mk. 1.35). Luke indicated rising early and departing to a solitary place was His manner. We ought not think we can do what Jesus would not. He received His power for ministry from the Father by departing to a solitary place. Jesus said, "I do nothing but that which the Father giveth me." As temples of the Holy Ghost, we should present nothing in the church, to one another and to the world but that which the Father gives us. By entering the presence of the Lord, we receive that which the Father will give us.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Preach it!
I pray for the leaders of the church to get into the prayer closet daily, regularly to diligently seek the face of God. Week after week all I see are jokers in the pulpit, those who have borrowed messages, sermons dry, lifeless and nothing to touch the soul.
I haven't seen people saved in most churches in 31 years.
Truly, we live in the Laodicean church age.
I haven't seen people saved in most churches in 31 years.
Truly, we live in the Laodicean church age.
Monday, November 09, 2009
A Mighty Army
The Church is a mighty army. It is in her power and authority to call on God the Father to fabulously help man on earth. As the Laodicean church sleeps, evil will prevail. God, however, has a mighty Church throughout the world calling on Him, He hears our prayers and is acting in response.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for your comment.
Fast and Pray
Beloved, the time is perilous. The fields are white and ready for the harvest.
The enemy is at work in all facets of humanity with his intent to steal, kill and destroy.
The above seems as generalities taken from scripture. Jesus said, “When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times (Mt. 16. 2,3)?”
I don’t suggest, for an instant, any form of hypocrisy in the readers nor any spiritual ineptness. As I read the passage, I am reminded how obviously we are approaching the end times.
Heating oil is $2.85/gal., the production of ethanol is depleting grain supplies causing the cost of food to skyrocket, abortion is epidemic and will become even greater with the next administration, today’s generation of youth is the most unevangelized ever to live in this nation. Even more alarming is the Church is irrelevant and powerless to do anything about it. Every denomination is moving toward interfaith apostasy.
The question begs an answer, “What shall the true Church do?”
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God (Joel 2. 12-17)?
I’m one person, just a guy on the street. I can only speak to one person at a time. Those who are capable of speaking to hundreds seem only interested in leading their congregations in Purpose Driven Apostasy; the church services seem to have driven the Holy Spirit away. The leaders never seem to address the true issues but are content in keeping people on an ecclesiastical treadmill that keeps the paycheck coming.
There is no anointing on the sermons; nothing to stir the spirit; nothing to convict the conscience; no impetus to follow after God. Just a dose of dead religion for the week.
Every week I enter church expecting and leave disappointed.
Where am I wrong?
I believe we must pray for those in leadership, including music ministers and Sundie Skool teechers to not beat at the air anymore; forsake the gratification of self and seek God as never before. Every one of them should be out of bed by 4:00 a.m., seeking the face of God diligently, every day for their ministry is not a treadmill but that which should be an oracle of the eternal destiny of those they face every Sunday. There is no anointing because men are not serious about prayer. When was the last time you or I heard of the ministers of the Lord weeping between porch and altar?
Don’t even begin to tell me they are. If they were, the churches would not be so dead. The messages would affect the hearts of men. The young people would not be so impatient to get out of church and into their worldly activities. Divorce would not be rampant. Men would be getting saved.
If you have any interest, at all, in the souls of men, you will fast and pray, give up hours of precious sleep, call on God to have mercy and get those leaders into His presence, however He may (even by brokenness, persecution and misery), so that the Holy Spirit return to His church and make her relevant again.
The enemy is at work in all facets of humanity with his intent to steal, kill and destroy.
The above seems as generalities taken from scripture. Jesus said, “When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times (Mt. 16. 2,3)?”
I don’t suggest, for an instant, any form of hypocrisy in the readers nor any spiritual ineptness. As I read the passage, I am reminded how obviously we are approaching the end times.
Heating oil is $2.85/gal., the production of ethanol is depleting grain supplies causing the cost of food to skyrocket, abortion is epidemic and will become even greater with the next administration, today’s generation of youth is the most unevangelized ever to live in this nation. Even more alarming is the Church is irrelevant and powerless to do anything about it. Every denomination is moving toward interfaith apostasy.
The question begs an answer, “What shall the true Church do?”
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God (Joel 2. 12-17)?
I’m one person, just a guy on the street. I can only speak to one person at a time. Those who are capable of speaking to hundreds seem only interested in leading their congregations in Purpose Driven Apostasy; the church services seem to have driven the Holy Spirit away. The leaders never seem to address the true issues but are content in keeping people on an ecclesiastical treadmill that keeps the paycheck coming.
There is no anointing on the sermons; nothing to stir the spirit; nothing to convict the conscience; no impetus to follow after God. Just a dose of dead religion for the week.
Every week I enter church expecting and leave disappointed.
Where am I wrong?
I believe we must pray for those in leadership, including music ministers and Sundie Skool teechers to not beat at the air anymore; forsake the gratification of self and seek God as never before. Every one of them should be out of bed by 4:00 a.m., seeking the face of God diligently, every day for their ministry is not a treadmill but that which should be an oracle of the eternal destiny of those they face every Sunday. There is no anointing because men are not serious about prayer. When was the last time you or I heard of the ministers of the Lord weeping between porch and altar?
Don’t even begin to tell me they are. If they were, the churches would not be so dead. The messages would affect the hearts of men. The young people would not be so impatient to get out of church and into their worldly activities. Divorce would not be rampant. Men would be getting saved.
If you have any interest, at all, in the souls of men, you will fast and pray, give up hours of precious sleep, call on God to have mercy and get those leaders into His presence, however He may (even by brokenness, persecution and misery), so that the Holy Spirit return to His church and make her relevant again.
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