Believe, then You Can See

Proverbs 4:21 Let not God's word depart from your sight.

Now this is interesting. If it was up to me I would write let not God's word depart from your thoughts. But it wasn't written that way. It says let God's word not depart from your sight. What's the difference? Well we are not just to think of what it says but to see the results of what it says. Or envision the results of what it says.

Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yet if you look with your eyes in many cases there is no indication that God is moving in power in your life. But if we unite Proverbs 4:21  With Matt 5:3 we have a man that is poor in spirit with the kingdom of God.

He needs the kingdom of God. But is not experiencing anything at present in the physical. But if he cries out to God and believes in God, (by the way he has no choice but to believe in God, because he is poor), it will be granted to him. Mark 11:24

There is an old saying that says seeing is believing. Well that is backwards. It is the believing that alows us to see. If we keep our eyes on the Word of God and the promises instead of our problem we will see the answer to our problem in the spirit and then in the physical.

Or we can be like Shadrack, Meschack and Abendego, who said if God does not come through we will still obey God. To be poor in spirit is to live for Jesus no matter what the cost. Not because we don't care but because we are looking to Jesus and not to ourselves. To truly be poor means there is no choice but to trust God.

Look to the word and Jesus is the word. Look to what He said and take Him at His word. Trust Him to keep His word. Believe Him that He is worthy to be trusted. If we live we are the Lords and if we die we are the Lords. Romans 14:8 If you are poor you have nothing to lose.

We can't live for Jesus if we are not poor. I'm not saying you can't live for Jesus if you have money. I am saying we live for Jesus when our ability is nothing and we rely on Jesus and His word. And we have nothing to lose. Walk with our eyes on the Word of God and not our ability. If we have something we can look to ourself. But if we have nothing we can only look to Jesus.

Is Jesus a man of His word? Most woud say yes but act as if He wasn't. You got to be real if you want to get anywhere.

Minister to God by Helping the Poor

Matt 25:40 To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.

Proverbs 19:17 One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for  his good deed.

Matthew 10:42 And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

Deut 15:7 If there  is a poor man, don't harden your heart or close your hand from you poor brother.

Prov 14:31 He who is gracious to the poor honors his maker. Contrasted to to taunting his maker.

Eccl 11:1,2 Cast your bread to 7 or 8 places, the return will be later,

2 Cor 9:6-8 Sow with good attitude, you reap what you sow, God will give you what to sow.

Hebrews 6:10 God will not forget you work.

1 John 3:17 Giving to the needs of the poor shows God's love.

A Heart after God

What are your plans to keep your heart from growing cold?

Rehoboam had been unfaithful to the Lord. 2 Chron. 12:2 Many times I find myself distant from the Lord and sluggish in doing the work of the Lord. I don't want to be like this. I want to be a servant of the Lord and follow Him fully. Yet I get sidetracked in the mundane things of life and get off the track of living for Him.

Not only that but major problems will come to me at times. Will I fall during these hard times?

Later in this same chapter of 2 Chron. 12:14 it states that Rehoboam did not set his heart to seek the Lord. I think this is the key to a walk with the Lord. Are we going to make Jesus Lord of our life? Or are we gong to make Jesus just a part of our life? How we respond to trouble will show if Jesus is our lord or just there, so we will look good to others.

Life presses us at times. And when we are squeezed, what is in will come out. David set his heart to follow God through thick and thin. Psalm 57 speaks of real trouble. Yet David has decided to have his heart steadfast in God. Ps 57:7

Let us not be of those who shrink back to destruction Heb. 10:39, but those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Lord I know in my heart there is no good thing if I don't make a place for You. Let me always look to you both when life is good and also when life is hard.

Psalm 57:7-11

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10 For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens
And Your truth to the clouds.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Third Day I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpE2cLdVsk8&feature=related

Live Ready

Luke 12:35 Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit. (NASB)
This verse presents 2 aspects. A heart ready for action. And a life already shining for God.

Therefore:
Living ready, responds to God's Word with faith. Luke 12:35 Luke 8:15

John G. Lake's Secrets of Divine Healing

 

1. Destroy sacred cows concerning sickness and power.

2. Recognize sickness and disease as an enemy.

3. Get fed up.

4 Treat all sickness the same.

5. treat all sickness like a person.

6. Command not beg.

7. Speak to the problem - not to others about the problem.

8. See people as oppressed prisoners of war.

9 Get clean - stay clean.

10. Stay out of pride - anyone could do what your are doing.

11. Be aggressive - develop your aggressiveness.

12. Be led by God's character and nature.

13. Accept responsibility for your fellow man.

14. Decide to obey the Bible, not some arbitrary feeling.

15. Know that God is with you, in you, and for you.

Hindrances to Prayer

These first 7 came from RA Torry's book Power in Prayer

1. Self Indulgence
The first hindrance to prayer we will find in James 4:3,
"Ye ask and receive not BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, THAT YE MAY SPEND IT IN YOUR PLEASURES."

2. Sin
The second hindrance to prayer we find in Is. 59:1,2:
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy,
that it cannot hear.  But YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND
YOUR GOD, and YOUR SINS HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, THAT HE WILL
NOT HEAR."...

3. 0ther Gods
The third hindrance to prayer is found in Ez. 14:3, "Son
of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put
the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be
inquired of at all by them?"(R.V.)  IDOLS IN THE HEART CAUSE GOD TO REFUSE
TO LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS.

4. Not helping the poor.
The fourth hindrance to prayer is found in Prov. 21:13,
"WHOSO STOPPETH HIS EARS AT THE CRY OF THE POOR, HE ALSO SHALL CRY
HIMSELF, BUT SHALL NOT BE HEARD."

5. Not forgiving
The fifth hindrance to prayer is found in Mark 11:25, "And
when ye stand praying, FORGIVE, if ye have ought against any; that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

6. Not treating wife right
The sixth hindrance to prayer is found in 1_Peter 3:7, "Ye
husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to
knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel as
being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your
prayers be not hindered." (R.V.)  Here we are plainly told that A
WRONG RELATION BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE IS A HINDRANCE TO PRAYER.

7. Doubting
The seventh hindrance to prayer is found in James 1:5-7,
"But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask IN FAITH, NOTHING
DOUBTING: for he that doubteth is like the
surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he
shall receive anything of the Lord." (R.V.)

8. Not according to God's will. David Wilkerson.

9.  Our Prayers Can Be
Denied When We Show No Diligence
to Assist God In The Answer.
It is the fervent prayer, a prayer needs works of faith. and a death to self to gain
the answer.
Prov 1:28 no diligence or indifference.

10. There is no persistence in prayer. Luke 18:1f

11. Lack of fellowship with God and His word. John 15:7

12. Sometimes there needs to be fasting. Matthew 17:21 Mark 9:29

13. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6

14. Disobedience to God's direction  and not letting our ministry and fruit remain. John
15:16

15. Stubbornness Zech 7:13 Just as God called and I did not listen so when one calls
God will not listen.

16. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.  James 4:4; 1 John 2:15,16,17

The following 6 reasons came from Proverbs 1:24f
17. God called and they refused to listen.
18. Did not pay attention to God's stretched out hand.
19. Neglected God's counsel.
20. Did not want God's reproof.
21. Hated knowledge.
22. Did not fear God.

ONE THING

There are 2 passages of Scripture that speak directly of this. Psalm 27:4 and Philippians 3:13. I was reading Psalm 27 in my normal Bible reading and the first 3 verses really stood out to me.

Psalm 27:1-3

“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident. “

It was the power of these Scriptures that made me take notice and look for what was the reason for the confidence and lack of fear or worry in the midst of great opposition.

Psalm 27:4 is the answer. One thing David asks for. To be with God always. When we are with God who can be against us. This is the key to life in my estimation. Our life is better and fulfilled when we are serving instead of just taking. It is much better to give than to receive. Thought all of us need to receive at times.

Why do I say this?

Philippians 3:13,14

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Being with God will entail serving or seeking Him. So the “One Thing” of the Bible is being with God and pressing into the things God has for us to serve Him.

God has laid hold of us to walk in grace by living sensibly, righteously, and Godly Titus 2:12. He has laid hold of us to go, Matt 28:19. He has laid hold of us to be ambassadors to the world 2 Cor. 5:20. We are to be a light in the world. Matt. 5:16

But all this activity will come to naught if we neglect the one thing God has for us and that is to dwell with Him, and get our nourishment from Him and all we have comes from Him. James 1:17.

Use this nourishment to give to others as you are called in Him. Then the nourishment will continue to flow.

Satisfaction does not come from pleasing yourself, it comes from serving others from the leading of the Spirit in our life as we rest in Him.

With this resting in Him and pressing into what He has for us will give us the confidence and peace to live. Psalm 112:7