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Every
Word ~ Thought ~ Deed

   Before we jump in, I want to tell you now that we are going to jump around your Bible. I make no apologies as we navigate this subject.

• Every ~ Word

   So gather your scraps of paper as we begin. I’m starting with these couple of questions . .

1. When someone cuts up on the road, do you either say .. ‘bleep bleep – swearing like a trooper’, Or, you say ‘oh you silly been, careful as you go now?’.
2. When hitting you hand with a hammer, Or, drop something heavy onto your toes, do you swear, Or, manage to control what you say in that moment?’

… If by doing so controlling the smallest member of the body, managing what most people have not done so, down through time.
[GW]James 3:2&3 “All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does. 3 We put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and we have control over everything they do”

   I was once told of a businessman, whom would count to 15 seconds before ever replying to what was asked of him. He would do this as to always to be in control of what he response was, and never to be angry and loose control of what he said. I have to say this is very difficult, as I have tried, and failed. Never have I heard of anyone else like this?

[NIV] Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”

   As we seek God’s utterance to help us, metaphorically – with a horses bit, to control our mouths and words. May be one way, could be, to think of our words as seeds. I reckon many would remember things they said to others during their school days, some I’m sure some were once good, and some were hurtful words uttered. The truth being both have landed, and have taken root. Just as in the parable of the sower … [NIV] Matthew 13:1-9 ...Even if this parable is one you know very, or at least you think you do, might I suggest you now read it again, only before you do, ask God to show you something new.

   Before moving on, let me say one more thing on this matter . . .[NIV] Matthew 12: 36/7 “I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned”. . . as kids, most of us have uttered at sometime .. ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me’.. sadly some of these words, even today, have left wounds that will never heal. When speaking, we must, think of every word as a seed. Will they help to flourish or will they grow into a brier patch and hold this person back.

• Every ~ Thought

[NIV] Psalms 139:23 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts”
   May be you didn’t ‘say anything’, but you still thought it. God still counts these words as spoken. What we must still remember to do is .. STOP .. and ask for God to help, but, honestly just repent and mean it . . “God, know my heart” . . Doing this which is very hard, means turning your ‘whole’ life completely over to God. Only then will our lives be totally turned around, leading to a closer walk with Jesus. This will mean less . .”Anxious thoughts”

   If your thinking your worthy, chase these thoughts away in Jesus name. You may feel that all He has ever given, I have never deserved, but, He still gives to us day after day. He does this through His good graces ~ mercies & love. For this every morning we must thank Him. Acknowledging Him is just the right thing to do, thanking Him for what He did yesterday, and for those He will do in the day coming.

   I do wonder how many times in the past I have fretted about silly things, instead of turning my worries over to Jesus . .
[NIV] Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” . . Did you see that ..”Do not be anxious”.. How many times in the OT* & NT*, do we see God ~ Jesus or even Paul, tells us not to worry .. “about anything” .. so, STOP fretting, remember, we live by faith not by sight .. “but in every situation” ..I don’t care if it’s taking the dog for a walk; travelling to work; needing green traffic lights, an easy parking space; or the rent is due; an over draft that seems to be getting out of control; or your expecting your first child. All bar of the last I have experienced at some time or another since coming home to Christ. We need to seek Gods face daily, yes daily, more than once as well, and not on your phone, it needs to be face to face, one on one, with NO distractions. OK, God knows what we need before we ask for it. But He still wants us to come to Him daily.

• Our .. Deeds

 In this the last ..‘Our Deeds’ .. I want to show that even by doing ‘nothing’ it will still be counted as a ‘Deed’. Example: You may gather with old~Earthly friends, when something happens where you receive a tug on your heart, but all your old friends are laughing, but you say/do nothing to help, this is a non-deed, which will still count. You can stand there are try to argue that you did not laugh or mock, it is still counted.

[NKJ] Ezekiel 24:14 “I, the Lord, have spoken it; It shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not hold back, Nor will I spare, Nor will I relent; According to your ways And according to your deeds They will judge you, Says the Lord God”

You see there is no way around this .. “According to your ways” .. see that .. “your ways” .. I know I have swung this wet fish around a lot. Don’t you see we are held to account to every .. Word ~ Thought ~ Deed .. and “They will judge you”. There is no age limit to this, there is no saying ‘I didn’t know better’.

[NKJ] Proverbs 20:11 “Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right”
[NKJ] John 3: 20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed”
21 “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God”

   God wants us to live in the light, so that we may be held to our actions, because God wants us to have life more abundantly.
[NKJ] John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”
[NKJ] Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you”

   Lets stop and look at these 2 verses. I have not come to share where our short comings are. But, also to show how not to break Gods heart for saving us, but also to show what happens to those who walk by faith and not by sight, (or by the flesh/World).

We need to be mindful of walking by flesh/world, as this is what the evil one wants. Look .. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” .. This is Gods warning to us as the evil one wants to .. “ steal” .. any good thoughts you may have to help someone, he’ll tell you that ‘they don’t need you help’ or see ‘they’ll not even thank you’. “kill”.. any thoughts of kindness, I stand against this, in as much, in my local shop I need to use a trolley, the one I have to pay to use. Now after putting my shopping into the car, I look to see if there is a parent with a child, I ask them if their child can return my trolley and keep the coin for doing so. If so, I say ‘God bless you’. This was to say thank you to God for letting me bless them, and sow some seeds of kindness.

[NKJ] 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom"

   Jesus came that we should have “they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” .. surely this has to be crystal clear to us, at least I hope so. The next time we have ..Words ~ Thoughts ~ Deeds .. stop for a second and think ‘Do I want to sow weeds ..that are only going to choke any good, that this person will do because they will forever be there preventing forever achieving their goals. Instead lets help them, even when we don’t want to, by planting seeds of greatness, Gods greatness that is. . . .
[NKJ] Romans 15:18 “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed ...19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God”
. . . You see all things are possible with God, that is why He wants to be continuously on our lips. Our Lord God can help us navigate this treacherous ~ wicked & perverse World. Lets be that light in Christ, with our Words ~ Thoughts ~ Deeds. Lets show what that looks like in the light of Christ Jesus.

   I have one more verse to leave you with, to show you how to be a winner in life through our Lord God ..
[NKJ] Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
… This verse should always be on your lips & embedded in your heart.

Prayer

Thank you Heavenly Father for saving us and be that lamp unto our feet, I may we be given the fortitude to have the stength to control  our words thoughts and deeds, in our Lord Christ Jesus name/ Amen

 

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In Due Season we Shall Reap

    Sometimes we are inclined to be discouraged in our Christian life and work, we find ourselves asking these questions . . .

• Is it worth while to be Holy, to keep Gods commandments

• What profit is there in Godliness?

• Is it worth while to deny ourselves to do good to others, or to serve them?

• What comes of it all?

. . . many of us are apt to have mood in which these questions press upon us with painful stress. It is well we look into the matter that we may be assured that it is worth while to ‘do-well’, that there is profit in it.

   There is an inspired word that says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9 – NIV) What is meant by by ‘doing good’? It is doing right, obeying God’s commands, fashioning our lives after the patten revealed by Him in His living Word.
   Let us be kidders here in that it’s not easy to right all the time. It throws up many a big struggle. A of ‘doing-well’, it implies a continual crucifying yourself. These inclinations surely must be restrained? .. Desires must be curbed .. Our will must be yielded to Gods will .. The whole life must be brought into subjection to a law which is spiritual and Heavenly.

“Does it Pay"? … is the deep question? There are many people who don’t put their lives under the Law of God. Who go on their own ways of self indulgences. They will put NO divine command interface with the exercise of their own desires. They will not put NO curb on their inclinations, as we look to these people, it seems to us perhaps that they are happier than us?? . . .
Galatians 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”
. . . They also seem to more out of life than we do. It’ll seem to us that we are denying ourselves, sacrificing our comfort, and cutting off our right hands for nothing. Sin always seem to have the advantage? Worldliness appears to pay the best? ‘Vertue’ seems dreary ~ costly & lonesome. It does not have the good time that self-indulgence has. It will happen that you will grow weary of ‘well~doing’ because there appears to be NO profit in it.

Well~Doing ..means also doing good to others. We are taught that if we are Christians, we must NOT be living for ourselves. Love is the essence of new life, and love is doing ~ giving ~ sacrificing, for the sake of others. Instead of trying to get out of the World al we can for ourselves, we are to give the World all we can possibly give of blessings & good. Until our glorious Lord comes back to look after it. We need to be doing our best to claim His people by showing His glory, and helping all the lost and disheartened back sliders, before time runs out. Then the Lord will say . . 2 Kings 10:30 “Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight”

   It is easy to see each life is not natural, is not in harmony with Human feelings. Naturally we care for ourselves, and for our own benefit & comfort. We do not intend to put ourselves out, to sacrifice our own convenience in serving others. We might do it the ones we love deeply, but the gospel requires us to love & serve, with all our capacity serving, those that are not amongst our congenial friends. Here’s a contentious thought here .. An enemy who needs us we must serve, even the most ‘debased’ among them. . .
debased:~ reduced in quality or value ..
I.E Immoral ~ Debouched ~ Dissolute ~ Degenerate
and more of the like…
. . . Human life that we find, we must touch with our healing love and help with the hands that have been given by Christ. We are required to hold our life and all that we have at the call of love and of human need. We are to bear one anthers burdens. We’re called to have sympathy with all sorrow and need., to be touched ever with a sense of the worlds conditions. This love of Christian puts us down among men just as was Christ Jesus himself was among men. He never kept anything back, He poured out the blessing of His sweet life on everyone who came near Him, giving His life’s blood for the saving of man.
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

   That is what ‘well doing’ means. It is no wonder that some people stop and ask, ‘is worth while’? It is very natural for us to raise the question whether the giving of all the best way to gain all, living together for others is the way to make the most of our own life, as we are requested to do. Look at Christ, for example, and think of his rich and noble and blessed life. Never in any other mind were there such intellectual powers, and never in any other heart were there such depths and heights and breadths and lengths of love such as His.

• What did He do with His rich life .. ?
• He turned away from paths in which the Worlds great men had walked and devoted himself to the one work of ‘doing Good’ to others ..
• He gave all He had to His work ..
• He emptied Himself and made Himself poor that others might be made rich ..
• He exhausted His own strength that the weak may be made strong ..
• He poured out His own life – blood that dead might live ..

   Is that the best that Christ could be done with His wondrous life. His own friends thought not. They thought that he thrown His life away.

   Take those who are following in Christ’s footsteps. A young American, having finished her course in collage, came out with high honours. She had fine powers, good social position, influential friends, a beautiful and happy home. Just then there came a call from some missionary teachers to go to the South to work, among the freed slaves. The Girl heard the call and gave herself to this service. For two or three years she lived among the poor folk, teaching them, telling them of Christ. Then one summer night fever came up from the swamps, from which she succumbed, and soon she died among her despised people of colour, with no mothers hand to smooth her hair, or to have cooled her brow, or to have taken away the pain. They brought her body back, and buried her body among her friends, where they laid her body to rest, many had said of her life .. “She has wasted her beautiful life” .. “it was too rich a life to be poured out in such a costly ministry” ..All this was said whilst standing over the coffin, they ask the questions .. “Could she not have done anything better with her life”?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven … 2 A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted .. 4 A time to mourn, And a time to dance”

   It is not in vain that we continue our ‘well-doing’ that we obey gods commandments, that we devote our lives in self-sacrificing to men for Christ sake. What ever seem to loss is gain. The good man may seem to have more trouble than his unchristian neighbour. His business does seem to proper so well. His virtues may miscarry, his faithfulness may bring him human enmity and even persecution, but life accounts are not always settled at once . . .

Harvest does not follow sowing Immediately

. . .in the end righteousness succeeds, just look here ..
NKJV Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life”
NIV :~ “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”
. . .this leaves us with no confusion as to what we need to do for the best of ourselves but for others to. Destruction or everlasting life .. Your Choice
1 Corinthians 9:11 “If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things”

   There are days & months when the seed seems to have perished. Afterward, however it yields fruit. It is the same in spiritual life. For a time there may seem to be NO blessing in ‘well-doing’. But, in the end righteousness succeeds. V8: “ he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” .. Every kindness we do in the name of Christ Jesus, is sowing a good seed unto the Spirit. Every deed of Love ~ every act of unselfishness ~ every self denial ~ All the things we do to help ~ to comfort ~or to just simply bless others, are seeds which we sow into the spirit .. “at the proper time we will reap a harvest” .. [Galatians6:9] a time it may not appear any good, Or, blessing comes form the act of love or word of kindness spoken. But the seed will not perish, it has in it an immortal germ.
   We dare not shut our hearts, that would mean surely, a moral and spiritual death! So we must always be giving and doing. We can keep nothing long for ourselves. No soon as it in our hands, than we are asked to give out again, because the Lord has need of it in some other life, so as to meet another need, or to some work of love for Him. One thing to bear in mind is, never fear anything, the smallest thing we can do for another, with love for Christ in our hearts.

Example to bear in mind ..

“When you do anything for God, the very least,

thing, you’ll never know where it will lead,

or what amount of good it will do to them. Love’s

secret therefore, it is always doing things for God .

We know how a thing done by us, it may blessed a

life and stay in ti as a benediction forever.”

   It would be amiss of me if I did not recommend having a close and true walk with Christ. There is a story that a teacher wrote about once .. “As I came out of the schools front doors after the usual trying day in my first school, you were passing waiting for me. As you walked with me a short distance you spoke sympathetically about my work. Your manner and voice cheered and comforted me, I never forgotten it”. She then goes on to say that in the years since the memory of His kind words stayed in her heart. The incident is full of comfort for her. We must always to remember to keep sowing, so that you can reap many harvests, God wants not to just bless us once, but for ‘ALL’ of our days. For we know not how small a word may bless a life.

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” . . . such a well known verse amongst Christians, but did you see that .. “pressed down, shaken together, and running over” .. God is good all the time. Sometimes you only have a little, but God’s waiting to see how we use this ‘little-bit’ before He increases it.

   We should always ready our hearts & minds for what ever ‘little’ ministry we may have an opportunity render. The smallest word of good cheer may start a song in a heart, which shall sing forever. The good may drop conscientiously from lip and hand, you may never think of it again, and yet it shall not be lost. The sentiment carries in it the life of God and is immortal.

   There is a difference in the different-ways in which we give, though the gift ~ or favour, or act be precisely the same. One gives only help, the other gives part of themselves in the help. There are some beautiful flowers that have NO fragrence, but how much more a flower means, that it has in perfume as well as loveliness. We should be giving part of us with the gifts that we give. We need to impart part of ourselves with the gifts we bestow, part of our own life flows out with every deed of kindness we do. Love is the fragrance of the flowers of the heart and what ever we do in love, love for Christ and love for man shall never be lost.

   Who knows what the person is going through? Just think how much the World will be richer and better for even the smallest deeds of Christ like charity. We may not reap the harvest in this World, but beyond the sky's, we shall reap the sheaves in our bosom. So then throughout our lives be in perfect in ‘well-doing’, as we shall know that our Master in Heaven will accept the humblest things we do for Him, even though it only be a fragment in the building up of His Kingdom.

So always remember this ...

Ecclesiastes3:1 “To everything there is a season, 

A time for every purpose under heaven .. 2 A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted”

Girding the Mind ( part 2 of 2)

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Girding the Mind

5) The Optimistic Mind .. “Hope to the end, or Hope perfectly”

Lamentations 3:24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly”
Psalms 71:14 “But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more”
   From a very young age I tried to be positive in all I did, no matter what I was doing. I always thought of the glass half full. That was till once I was asked what was in the glass? Lol No matter what befalls me, I thank God and give Him the glory. The more your able to train your mind, and nurture Gods word in your heart, then no matter what comes your way you’ll handle the problem with Gods guidance.

I) The Object of the Christian

   And to hope the end for the grace that is brought unto you the revelation of Christ Jesus’. Meaning:- Christ Jesus is on His way, so to is the grace that will be revealed in it’s fullness of His coming.
Revelation 1:4 “Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come”
   Have no mistake He is on His way, when all will be weighed, let not you be found wanting, as the clock is counting down to when Jesus will be King over all. It’s not to late to sow, the question is ‘am I prepared to sow’? It’s not just helping old ladies across the street, it is far .. far .. far more than this. One of the object of being a Christian is to be fruitful. Not, to fear what other may think of us, bearing fruit is sharing Christ with friends co-workers, even strangers. These can be the easiest as they know you not, so you don’t have see them day to day. Unbeknown to me I had ones praying for me that I knew not. in a chance meeting at a bus stop on my way to work, a woman collapsed. I was nursing on a respiratory ward, together with another lady of around the same age, we looked after this poor woman till the ambulance came. After the lady and I chatted on the bus, at my bus stop we said our good byes. That was till one one day with Gods guidance I turned up at the Church. So you ask what is our 'Objective', well there is ytour answer, to be fruitful. Sow just because they don't come to your Church, we need to SOW.
Psalm 126:5 "Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing"
   Just as we sow to reap a harvest, we must be careful how we sow as well. You can sow sorrow just as you sow joy .. Proverbs 16:28  "A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends" .. So you can see we need be careful of what we sow.

11) The Quality of the Christian hope .. that is Hope Perfectly

   There are degrees in hope, which you’ll find them weak at first, but should always be developed and over time strengthen with much .. Job 17:7 “Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it?” .. This has to be one of things, whilst unseen, is a maker or breaker of attitudes, that helps us get up in the morning to face the new day. We may not want to, you may have loved one . . pets to look after . . but the one that should always be our lips, is our Heavenly Father, for He alone can help you. Listen to how the Psalmist said it in 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope”

   We always go to sleep at night hoping of a good nights sleep, hoping to awaken rested, with batteries fully charged, for the coming day. I have to say I get frustrated all the ‘flip-floppers’, these just can’t make up their minds or ..Psalms 119:113/114 “I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” . . Lamentations 3:24/6 “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” . . . no matter what life is throwing at you, gird-your-mind’ in Gods word of encouragement, always never loose hope. Remember these words .. Psalms 71:14 “But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more” .. They start here telling us that “I ...[you] will” .. not a ‘I might think about this some time, may be never’ God can bring your life so much if only surrender to Him.

   In the midst of our life’s storm, our boats may rock back and forth, sway too and throw, till we feel there is no more hope, as it has been washed over board .. BUT . . . STOP . . .WAIT .. Hebrews 6:19 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” .. did you hear that an anchor for our soul .. “both sure and steadfast” .. no matter what, His anchor won’t move, not even the devil can move it. Once surrendered to God through our Lord Jesus Christ we can hope eternal.

   For the first time here, let me ask you ‘what is hope to you’? Wishful thinking ~ ‘With out any form of foundation’ may be? ~’A sense of confident expectation’? .. The best thing about biblical Hope, is that all the promises come from God, his promises have substance. Listen it was when I was getting baptised, my bank was well over drawn. Yet I had a month of bills, I needed petrol to get to work, food for month, then over and above these I needed money so I could drive my car on a 600 mile round trip to pick up Mum & Dad, all so they could witness my Baptism. I was down to my last pound, so I prayed to our Heavenly Father .. “you know this is my last pound (£1.00). You know my coming month, I need help oh Father God”, and as the offering basket came by I emptied my wallet there in ..
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom” (Also Act 4:31)
.. that was in the first week of April 1997, I was baptised on the 1st of May 1997. God told me to go and talk with the bank manager, so I did. Now by this time I was over drawn by £200.00. Whilst speaking with him, he said look, as he wiped out my over draft. I had, from God, food for 2months, I had plenty of money to bring Mum & Dad down to the baptismal service, and beyond. Now before I give my full testimony, lets get back to the message.

   Hope is never inferior of faith, but it is an extension of faith. But faith is the possession of grace, though hope is confidence in grace’s of future accomplishments to come. Our hope is not just once in our tomorrows in Christ Jesus. Our hope in Christ is for all our tomorrows. Let this scripture help show you the .. WHAT .. WHERE .. WHEN .. HOWS ..hope should be in … 1 Thessalonians 1:2/3 “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father

 . . . When your ebb is low, and you think that there is NO hope left to speak of, well there is, read this again & again & again, even post of your fridge door, put it on you Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram, you get the idea, so that it not only helps you but that you can help someone else whom might be struggling too.

Prayer ..
In the Name above every name , that is Christ Jesus, let us Gird our minds and thoughts so as to bring us peace with our soul, thank you Heavenly Father, we shall have peace in you.

Amen

Th Panting Heart

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The Panting Heart

Psalm 42:1  ”.As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.”

• Why do we grieve His Holy Spiritual?
• Why do we turn aside from God, and our exceeding joy?

   Why do we provoke Him to jealousy, and thus, make Him to cause us to group in darkness?

   Can someone tell me why is it that we are so poor in spiritual gifts, when we could well have been so rich, thus keeping us panting after more of His and graces? Whilst at the same time there very much which is commendable in the desire expressed in the insatiable desire which was burned into the Psalmist’ heart is a Heavenly flame en-kindled from on high.

   What we see here is David NOT saying: ‘My soul only pants after my royalties and the splendour of the Kingdom of Judah’. Instead what we find is, if he lets go of all the trappings, rather he is content to let it all go for ever, if he may find his Go. David was for sure a prince among patriots, we find him not sighing after Jerusalem, neither do find him sighing after the wellness of Bethlehem, neither for the roses of Sharon, or, the lilies of the valley, command his limitations … BUT … his one sigh or cry, is for his one true God, the God of his life, with exceeding joy. His God, his God, he cannot live without his God. He cries out for him a lost son for his Father, just as a bleating lamb he will not be content till he finds his parent.

Psalm 42:11 "For I shall yet praise Him"

   David pines here for permission, to once again to enjoy god’s graces, that he has been longing to go upto the Tabernacle once again. As he desired to see the Priests offering the sacrifices, but for him it was to up to the alter of God. David sees that he must have a spiritual life, with substance, what he does not pine for is the sacrifices, such as NOT … The Priests … The Alter … or the Tabernacle … instead he cries unto God … “For I shall yet please Him”. (V11) Today we feel we must use our .. Mobiles .. Xbox’s .. PlayStation's.

   For you see God is only pleased when you press on through all the distractions, by ignoring them. Thus pushing on and coming to Worship & fellowship with Him. Speaking to Him as a close friend, then possessing a secret life, speaking with anointed power, which has already been bestowed upon us, now being able to speak to the invisible and everlasting God.

Because I want you to get this so I’m repeating this as so should we be so…

His God, his God, he cannot live

without his God. He cries out for him a lost son

for his Father, just as a bleating lamb he will not

be content till he finds his parent.

Once again all David wants is to enjoy God’s graces. Some will know this and sadly some not, but God lives within you. It is not meat or drink, or even your outward show worship, when in fact the outward show is ‘NOTHING’, instead it is the inward that is ‘EVERYTHING’.

   David longed .. yearned .. panted .. till the moment he appeared before his God. He heartily also wanted to join up and unit with fellow Christians in devotion to the one true living God in devotion. David thought nothing of worshipping his God alone. It was easy because he did not have to go out. But he did not get the same feeling being because .. Mat 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them”… Surly gathering with our brethren of our faith is always going to be far better for us. Never let your coming together with your brothers & Sisters content you.

1)Why do we grieve His Holy Spiritual?
   Let you soul be panting, just like the stag pants for the water brook, for God .. for God .. and no body else. We find that Davids soul was in such a state of rapture, which is why he threw his whole heart & soul into his worship of God.

Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God”

   When the Lords everlasting .. unbounded .. unchangeable love is in no more question than our own existence, when we can say ‘My Father’ with an unfaltering tongue, this is the cream of life, and as the heart pants for the water brook, so we ought to pant after Him. That we may always be known by the infallible witness of the Holy spirit, that assuredly we are in the love of God, and our names are written in the book of life. Ourselves are with Father God in our final days, forever and ever and all eternity.

   Now I know that there are those among you, looking upon others within your Churches that always seem to have a water brook that is plentiful. What I’m saying, is don’t give up finding your own ‘water brook’, so keep pushing on.

   The Love of God can often over powers the believer with it’s delight, he faints with glory, consumed by this love that is pure. When we actually fellowship with our Father God, as well as with His Son Christ Jesus, our joy will be crowned with a coronal of lovingkindness. There is a flood tide of the river of life in our spirit, every thought is active; every power is inspired; every passion is elevated; the whole man is filled with all of God’s tender mercies.

   By now we should, be abiding in our fellowship with God in our daily life. The enjoyment we have in God’s love ought not to be a thing of yesterday, not even just for today, but for all the length of time. May be this day I am speaking to you, who were at one time were very active Christians, making great strives in this (our) divine life, but alas, at the present moment you feel yourself to be very dull and heavily depressed, and are uneasy that it should be so. I surprisingly thank God for that uneasiness. For we all need these waves until they drive us back to our moorings, and drift and drift us back to a place where we had so much joy & peace.

   Tell me if this is how you feel or have felt, even now, months even years on. It’s great that we have accepted Christ Jesus into our lives …

• How do we know, how to think of Jesus?
• How do we speak of him to others you know?
• How do we speak to Him during the week?

   Having just become a Christian, all the services are magical, so much so you don’t want them to finish. But now we count down the days to the following weekend, and meet up with our new Christian friends. Now that the years start rolling on by, the new energy and excitement, has waned. We no longer have that hunger to do all the things for our Lord. What has happened to those days that if we were out for a walk, we would talk to Him, if during the night we wake, we would steady our soul with a short prayer?

   It’ a shame that ‘time waits for no one’, we have become stale, which leads to becoming ‘back-sliders’ to our old lives. Some go a whole week without a single prayer being uttered. They would on a Sunday bow their heads during prayer time, but shamefully would not be in prayer themselves. This sadly becomes like a cancer untreated. Now, due to these feelings we can very quickly start to feel .. without that zest for life .. feeling tired without energy .. always are melancholic .. never able to find peace, all leading to a life without God’s Holy anointing that was once had.

Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water brooks”

   Today there is so much sadness in the Church, as God no longer seem to dwell there within. As a new Christian’s God stood us upon solid rocks. God’s spirit was shinning from within us, everyone could clearly see the new transformed us. We showed our gratitude by being on fire for Him, and eagerly doing His bidding.

   Now some years down the line, after all we did, we did it with all our might, heart & soul, into every labour. So much so we felt His presence in all things, at all times. The fire within us is now just a heap of glowing ambers, as ..

• We now don’t go to Church..
• We now go days without praying, 
• with no remorse.

… we just amble through our days with out praise .. without life’s zest .. without energy .. without joy .. without His peace .. without the Holy anointing .. without all these Godly blessings, which He gives us freely, Holy.

   God truly never leaves us nor fore sakes us. There are many people today who grab their coat and walk away from their lives, telling no-one, what they are doing? .. or .. where they are going? .. the fancy description for these are ‘back-sliders’, I prefer to call them lost; disillusioned; down trodden rejected. I know of this Christian who wanted to be part of a church so bad, with many skills that could be used, was told to go work some where else. To stay in an environment where it has become apparent in the way, which is a sad testament to the church. When you see someone like this who is slugging along come along side and help them stay and encourage them, or inter-seed for those who have drifted far from God. Don’t be the one stood at the church door, dusting down your hands and say, 'good riddance.'

2) Characteristics of Desire
   Truly what does the heart pant for? When you are able to see a stag, then and only then will see it’s smoking flanks of it’s body after running hard, the up lifted head in a regal manner, it’s beating heart pounding hard within, the ever rolling eye – searching for any sudden movements, the way in which the stags tongue has been thrust out panting after the water brook.

Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water brooks”

   In a blink of an eye we’re pre-teens with out a care in the World, dreaming about what we are going to be ‘when we grow up’. We wake up in what seems a nights sleep, then were in our 50s never having achieved what we desired for our lives, the time has gone, and we know not where?

   My fellow Christians, dare I ask “ is your desire as distinct and clear to see as Davids in Psalm 42:1&2?" If not then you need to write out in plain and simple words you hearts desire, let it dwell up from deep, as a damn that bursts it’s banks, from the deepest recesses of your soul, then slowly at first, building up speed each time you say to yourself … ‘I want my God, I don’t want all what others desire and languish after. I don’t desire someone else’s ambition, but only for the one true God’ .. instead lets live to serve Him, our Lord Christ Jesus.

   The Christian comes to feel that while it may not be luxury to walk with God. Instead it can be a  costly luxury to live with, but is an absolute necessity to have it’s spirit with us always. Try then if you will, because life up till now life has gone swimmingly, but now we are faced with horrific danger, but we have dispensed with God because we felt no need for Him in our your life, in doing this we have just opened ourselves up to all bad dangerous sins from our old ways. Just think of all the pain & anguish Jesus went through for us to have life more abundantly ..

Luke 6:38  “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.”

3) The Exciting causes of this Desire
Psalm 42:1  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God."

   For you who are ‘back-slidden’, it will be never to late to turn back, and run into the everlasting Father Gods arms. David expressed his desire to God in prayers, so I put this to you who have drifted away from God …

If you had a sacred life which could be maintained

 by it’s own energies within, you might do 

with out your God, I’ll tell you that your now 

naked, you are poor, you're miserable, all because

you are apart from Him. Now you need to come 

back to Him and drink day-to -day of  His living 

springs, or you will loose your way and become 

bitter with your lot.

…. we don’t have the ability to store up His grace within us, for our own good, upon which we may carry with us. Just like carrying a pint of mlik around with you for a day, by the days end it will not be of any use, thats why we like to have fresh milk each day. But, instead we need God’s fresh fountain of grace, day after day after day. Because in Him we have new life. Just like a deer that finds a fresh spring, and comes back day after day, and it is always replenished day by day, never drying up always fresh.

   We must long after God daily, because we will need to remember all the good times, also all the tender mercies that flowed every second of the day. Surely you never had such wondrous seasons as when living in close fellowship with God. How you can say you were as blessed as when you had the Holy Spirit, like a sacred Dove brooding over you, making life more joyful around you. It is crystal clear that these are the best days of our lives. Then what happens, is that you must collect up all these good days, then reconnect with God, to once again to have your thirst quenched.

(NLT) Psalm 42:1&2  "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God."

We should all fly firstly to God, with all your distresses, as only God can alleviate, as there are none He cannot. Our God is the cordial of our cure, the soothing balm to our woes. Finding God, is likened to a Mariner who has made it through the storm to make it home. In times of hardship remember He is yours and mine all in all.

‘We need to give ourselves a right good shake, or lest we sadly sleep our way through life’

   When we turn all feelings and desires off, we become empty for life, with slumbering over coming us. We ought to be alarmed or we should turn out to become like others who are slumbering their way straight to hell.

4) A Few Comfortable Encouragements
   I have to say that since giving my heart to God back in 05/98, I’ve had the pleasure of walking with God day after day, even in those dark days. I have known what the sweetness of the wine of Heaven is, and has left a continual thirst for more.

   It is a shame for those who have never eaten of the Manna of Heaven for when they do, they will be satisfied, unlike with the gritty brown bread of Earth, but Heavenly Manna is a hunger making thing, for once you get the flavour in your mouth, you will never be content, unless you have it always. Those whom would feel the loss of the greatest, are those who once had Manner in abundance, but now due to bad habits have brought on poverty.

Psalm 42:1&2  “As My soul thirsts for God, for the living God”

Yet there one or two comforts that come from a period of longing and panting for our Lord ..

Firstly: If you have a deep longing for God, where does it come from? .. Does it come from the sesspool that is call ‘human-nature’? .. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” .. The Heavenly Spirit has given us that hunger/desire, so we should be forever thankful to Him. What He will never do is to .. NOT .. to give up on us, never forget this, despite what life has to throw at you.
Secondly: I seem to have more questions than answers at the moment ...

• ‘If God has given me this desire will He not full fill it’?

   If we are truly evil, and are so unkind, then much less should our God say ‘I’ll not make him hungry and then refuse to feed him … for sure not our God, if you have made me to thirst and pant, I can rest assured that He will give me water brooks to drink and be refreshed from, and I shall be refreshed.

   It does not take the Lord long to make Summer time, from the cold and prickly Winter time. Though it only takes one second in His presence for Gods love to chase away all the darkness in our lives, and bring forth the bright Summers day. Our Lord God will bring forth the wondrous fresh water brooks ..

• You who were bound with chains shall be emancipated,
• You who were clothed with sack cloth shall ware fine linen of wondrous apparel,
• You shall anoint you faces with fresh oil,
• You shall go and dance with those saved and dance and dance making merry with the Lord God,

…. for remember, time is not a thing to be taken into consideration with God. He wills it, and it is done, in a twinkling of an eye, for when God commands it, it stands fast forever and ever. Just as in the beginning, God said .. “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” Gen 1:3 We all have this darkness within us, it's what separates us from those who do not have our Lord within our lives. So that in our deepest darkest moments, we can call upon the divine light from Heaven, that is so bright and pure, but is not blinding, it chases away the darkness and shadows. Darkness can not over take light, have you ever heard of a shadow killing anyone, No. It’s time to let the light of our Lord shine from within us.

Psalm 42:1&2  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."

We thank you for your living word, may you words 

quench away our thirst for Earthly things, wanting only you water brooks, in Christ Jesus name, 

Amen.

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