Gods Living Word

Gods Living Word

Friday, 4 November 2016

In Times of Loneliness....

In Times of Loneliness

   We all look upon loneliness as a very terrifying thought. There is  counselling a friend who will work through it with you. Here’s a kicker, you stand in the middle of your party, with all your friends & family all about you. Yet you can’t shake off the feeling of loneliness there.

   We are creatures that crave companionship, are these yearnings of all our Human desires, yet they are the most painful.

Heb 1 9   “. .You have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. .”

   When our chips are down and we feel that the whole World is against us, it can be hard to see where the hope going to come from. Just as our Lord Jesus must have felt when He spent 40 days & nights alone in the wilderness, when His metal was pushed to breaking point and back.

   His very greatness of character made it impossible to have, let alone form, companionship's in the World. We do know to whom He turned to though for solace and comfort, our Heavenly Farther God.

   When Jesus chose to go up the mountain ‘alone’, it was because by going up ‘alone’, as this was so He could talk to His Heavenly Father alone, face to face without interruptions. In His darkest hour He said that though left alone to Human companionship's, He was not alone, because His Father was always with Him.

   I have been told on many occasions, to many if you ask me, that different ones have been with Family & friends, but have felt so alone. Some have had to argue they were with them; such was their invisibleness they were to the others. You can understand them feeling so alone. The comfort of our Lords heart in His loneliness is for us to, if we walk in His footsteps. But now we to have the blessed companionship that will fill the emptiness that is our loneliness.

“In a certain sense all life is lonely”

   Even with sympathetic-companionship, all about us there is an inner-life within each one of our lives that we are altogether alone. In which we must make our own choices and decisions, where we need to face our own questions, answering them alone.

    Blessed are they who, in this aloneness can say . . . “yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me”  (John 16; 32  ). . .Gods is the only true friendship that can really meet all our souls deepest needs and cravings. Over this coming month you and someone you know will have need to say the following when you wake and when you go to sleep, thus the last thing your eyes see. . .
“We shall never be alone when you have
Christ in your life”
. . .If you are alone saying this aloud then substitute We & You with I, and replace Your with My, so it should now read. . .
“I shall never be alone when I have
Christ in my life”
. . .thus making not only more personal, but it now becomes more powerful.

   When all others fail around you, and they will, He will always stand by your side. Over time faces will come and go, He will shine out, showering you with His sweet love, whilst shining His light upon you. Loneliness knows no age confines; youth can seem to on lookers as light hearted, and sadly often a young person feels alone amid such friendships.

Prov 18 24   “. .A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. .”

    As a Youth soul awakens, a thousand x a thousand, questions form and need answered, Now. They are also confronted by a thousand paths of which they must choose one to walk down. Everything is still very much mysterious… There are perils on all sides … All life is a new … Choices must be made … Lessons must learned.

   All is new, and every step is hard … “yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” … This loneliness of inexperience, comes when a young soul is taking it’s earliest steps in life are one the most painful & trying of all it’s life. But when our Lord Jesus walks alongside the young person in their inexperience all will be well.

   Many of life’s questions would normally be answered by a loving parent. In a Christian home, they would get spiritual guidance through life’s troubles and hard times. There is many-a-young person who find themselves, homeless. Thus they don’t have that personal guidance and love. It is impossible to measure how high the value is and helpfulness of those who freely and willingly give up their time for them.

   Bitter is indeed, is the sense of loneliness when a young person, who was used to a mothers love, for whatever the reason, they are now away from the Mother and miss henceforth the blessings that have been so prevalent till now. Nothing Earthly will compensate for the loss. Other Human friendships may be sweet but, will not get back home with all its shelter & love. Its shelter couple with … Affection … Trust … Love … Guidance … and its soothing serenity.

   With Christ out Lord, who is unseen, yet loved made real to the heart by love and faith. Even a room in a boarding house may become sanctuary like a home, a shelter of divine love. “yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me”

Isaiah 8 14  “. .He will be as a sanctuary. .”


   Yesterday it was 1980, I was going to be this hot photographer. Then, I blinked and it was 2016. So many years in the wilderness lost.


Old age is just an Illustration

 

   Illustration has now become a mirror old life’s achievements and a waste land of missed opportunities. Then come’s a beautiful and a wonderful cleansing that is Christ our Lord.

 

   Blessed is that young person who every … perplexity every mystery … every doubt … every hunger, home is the place of loves sanctuary, and where sympathy can be found, also to be found is council & true guidance. Home will always have heart felt companionship. For many home is the one true place where we are sure of each other and feel we can let our guide down.

 

   Everyone who is homeless has the same cravings like … longing to belong … hungers for a ‘normal’ family. More so said of the youth where in a ‘normal’ home, true homes of their yearnings are met. Those whose home has all these comforts and blessings take for granted these blessed gifts, or, till at least they are gone.

 

   It’s a sad statement …. Life’s loneliness means far less to them while home shields them and blesses the companionship, and its sweet patient .. Wise .. Helpful ... Nourishing love.  We all know or have heard this saying … But for the grace of God go I … there is nothing sadder to than a youth, or anyone, homeless, because the sanctuary of home has been lost.

 

   Now the old man stands alone, but now the streets are full of homeless. Where have all the faces of 30 – 40 years ago? It is the young faces that fill houses, the streets, and the churches. So many of the older folk are lonely because their friends are gone, yet in Christ even the older generation can say … “yet I am not alone”

 

   Blessed is that life which, when our friends are taken away, they have the friendship of Christ, filling and satisfying and can say …  “yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16 32)

   Whilst doing this study, it has led to reading books I may have never had. This piece below is from an old book how to not only become a better person, but also a better Christian called ‘   ‘

“When we are faced with our time to go
It can be the most daunting & scariest,
A journey we must face alone, of cause
I’m talking of death.”

   There comes a time we all must face this journey. Humans love can’t go beyond the start, but we need not be alone, even to that deepest of all loneliness for we Christ waiting to hold our hand, so we can say with confidence … 
John 16 32  “yet I am not alone, because
the Father is with me”

   When the human hands unclasp, He will shine a light above us, in all His glorious brightness. When we must creep out of the bosom of Human affection, it will only be into the clasp of the everlasting arms, into the bosom of Christ. Deaths loneliness is hence filled with divine companionship. From this point on there will never be room for loneliness.

 

The Lord be praised in all His glory


Monday, 3 October 2016

Intercessory Prayer....

Intercessory Prayer

Nehemiah 1 4/11   “. .Why have they never known the way before? Why hundreds stand outside the mercies? I
know not; but I ask, dear Lord, thou would
lead them now . .”

   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges and one of the mightiest forces with which man can have to do. Through prayer Elijah turned off the rain of Heaven for 3 ½ years . .

James 5 17   “. . Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it
did not rain on the land for three years
and six months . .”
 . .and Peter was delivered from the prison in answered prayer having made prayers unto God a Kingdom of priests.
 Revelation 5 10   “. . And have made us kings and 
priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.

   It’s in our Heavenly calling to make to make intercession for others. In these words of Nehemiah we think we see Characteristics of prevailing prayer. These are . .
·       Earnestness
·       Knowledge
·       Importunity
·       Confession
·       Faith
·       Consecration
   

 Earnestness
   We wept – Mourned – Fasted (v4). But, Why do we fast? Fasting & praying help us to focus, removing all temptation & distraction that will cause our minds to wonder. The main times, it seems, is when there is a disaster, like earth slides, or a plane crash where many people have been killed. For instance the recent terror attack to place in Paris, or the crude homemade bombs in New York.    

   We all can pay lip-service, i.e, a quick ‘Oh my Lord may your grace be upon them. Then you give them not another thought!

   As God loves a cheerful giver and those who send heart felt prayers. He hates those who draw near in prayer, but those whose heart is somewhere else. This makes mockery of their whole prayers. In fact it’s better not to have prayed in the first place.

Knowledge
   It was Nehemiah’s closeness to God that he had freedom of prayer, he could he could pray this . .

V6  “.I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, 
the great and terrible God, that keeps covenant and 
mercy for them that love him. .”

   Because of Nehemiah’s belief in Gods greatness. .
-        His Terribleness
-        His Faithfulness
-        His Mercifulness
. . .all of this is great, but, when drawing near to Him (God) we must believe that He is the warder of them that diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11 6   “. . But without faith it is impossible to please 
him: for he that comes to God must believe 
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that 
diligently seek him. .”

   To know such a god in such a fashion is to ask much and expect much. Thus those of us that do know we do this with much importunity.

Importunity
(. .is when you go do something, like a girl asking ‘Please
take me to the Mall’ where she ask once. Whereas
Importunate is (objective), a plea that is so persistent,
or demanding that it becomes annoying. .)

   I have never heard of the word being used, or have known about the word. That said it seems this word has been used a lot down the years.
Luke 11 8   “. .  I say unto you, Though he will not rise
and give him, because he is his friend, yet because
of his importunity he will rise and give him as many
as he needs. .”

   It is of belief that some say you only have to pray once, because God is not deaf. So is a waste of time and your breath? Sure who knows what is in your hearts and minds. But, home much does it mean to that family member/friend saved or someone healed? Are we to say to them yeah sure, I’ll pray, then forget about them, after only praying for them once.
Daniel 11 32   “. . And such as do wickedly against the covenant
 shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know
their God shall be strong, and do exploits. .”

   Those truly know their God will know that it pleases god to see us pray, and not just the once, but continually. Many have asked how often are you supposed to pray and for how long? Well, a lot throughout the day. I give thanks to the Lord in prayer, for every green light, find parking close to where going and free, for good Weather. In fact I give thanks to the Lord for everything. Just because I would pray with my eyes open, which is a pre-requisite when driving, does not lessen my prayers.

V6 “. . which I pray before thee now, day and night. .”  It was because of the widows continual coming (never giving up because it became hard/difficult). The lessen our Lord is trying to teach here is found in the parable from Luke, is of the man begging from his friend that comes at mid-night.

Luke 11 8  “. .I say unto you, though he will not
rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because
of his importunity he will rise . .”

   It was whilst Moses help up his hand that Israel prevailed “. . pray with ceasing . .” but, not weary in such well doing, for in the season to come you will reap all, if you don’t faint.

V 6& 7  “. .both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee . .”
    It has to be a sad state of affairs that large percentage of saved Christians think that “now I’m saved I can sit back and do nothing”, apart from keep seats warm. 
The sin of dealing with God is a
 b Very common one, and a very
Grievous one
    So many pay lip service. Pretend to believe in His word. Because of this some many ‘still’ live in fear and dread and doubt. Then they ask the Lord, for the things they don’t need to get, instead prevail with God in prayer if there is no confession made of their deceitfulness which has made their lives so baron to date.
   We can’t say for the Lord to come into our life, because I’m a sinner, but, I don’t want to change anything in my life and stop being a sinner. Then they get baptized, yet this meant nothing, because they carry on sinning. All the time they were lying God would you do this to your ‘Earthly Father? Would you? How can we expect to prevail with God when all we do is lie to Him! 

Faith
Our Faith lay hold of the spoken word of God
V 8 & 9  “. .Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. .”
   Within our prayers that are built up by Faith on the promise of God cannot be over thrown. Turning to the Lord himself, Nehemiah fulfilled the condition of the blessing, the he took the place of the Lords, remembrance, saying “Remember . . the word”. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, that god wants an elaborate shows of Faith. Instead it please Him for us to have a child like that is infinitely pleasing to Him.
   God finds it very difficult to deny when He finds so much of Himself involved in such pleading. Instead God goes one step further and reminds us of His great works, in reminding us of his great power, “. .Power and strong hand. .” (V10). The audacity of Faith is astounding, it looks up into the face of God saying . .
“There is thy Word of promise, and there is redemption which is the evidence of thy mighty love and the strength of thy saving. .”
   Now do this thing for me, he that comes to God must believe and in doing so believing he must be rewarded.

Consecration
V11   “. .O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine
ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the
 prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name. .”

   “In our prayers we should a miss if we are not prepared to yield ourselves unto God and to live for the Gory of His Name.” (Jes 4 v3) With God we have 3 classes of servants. . .
1.    The Slave:  Who serves through ‘fear’.
2.  The Hireling  Who serves for ‘wages’
3.  The Son  Who serves for ‘Love’.

The Slave:  Who serves through ‘fear’.
   These people have been around for many-a-millennium They were forced to work long hours, for little shelter/rest or pay. Slaves had no say over to whom they should serve & Worship.
John 8 34
NKJ puts it ”. .Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
Although The Message puts it
“I tell you most solemnly that anyone who
chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life
and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who
can’t come and go at will. .”

The Hireling  Who serves for ‘wages’
   John 10 12/113
But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not
own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not
care about the sheep.
   John leaves no doubt as to the true meaning of these people. For if they had to stand at the pulpit teaching the Lord Gods word, was not paid. There would not, sad to say, be a large percentage of leaders/Preachers. To be one of these you must have a calling from God.

The Son  Who serves for ‘Love’.
   He should be one who looks to please his Father & Mother, and be bringing grief & strife. . .
Proverbs 10 1  “. .A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. .”
. .Instead he should be seeking that that only shows love & peace, because he is free to do so. Unlike the ‘Slave’ he needs not to be oppressed into showing this. His time & love cannot be bought as he willing/wants to show his parents, how much they mean to him, no so for the ‘Hireling’.

   It is the obedient and the devoted who expects to get the fullness of the Heavenly Father. It is those who present a living sacrifice unto God are able to show all that is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12 1& 2
“. .Those would prevail with God to give them the servants
portion, first of all must take the servants place. .”