March 2019 – Page 3 – Praying Pint

Follow this address to here the Song “So Will I”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2IPg-qS-_w

104. So will I

When thinking about God, Creation, Christ, Grace, Mercy, Love, and His awesome power this song seems to capture the reason He is worthy of all Glory, Honor and Praise. If you get a chance today listen to it “So will I”. There are so many emotions that will flood your soul when thinking of God’s awesomeness..

God of creation

There at the start

Before the beginning of time

With no point of reference

You spoke to the dark

And fleshed out the wonder of light

And as You speak

A hundred billion galaxies are born

In the vapor of Your breath the planets form

If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made

Every burning star

A signal fire of grace

If creation sings Your praises so will I

God of Your promise

You don’t speak in vain

No syllable empty or void

For once You have spoken

All nature and science

Follow the sound of Your voice

And as You speak

A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath

Evolving in pursuit of what You said

If it all reveals Your nature so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You say

Every painted sky

A canvas of Your grace

If creation still obeys You so will I

So will I

If the stars were made to worship so will I

If the mountains bow in reverence so will I

If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I

For if everything exists to lift You high so will I

If the wind goes where You send it so will I

If the rocks cry out in silence so will I

If the sum of all our praises still falls shy

Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times

God of salvation

You chased down my heart

Through all of my failure and pride

On a hill You created

The light of the world

Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak

A hundred billion failures disappear

Where You lost Your life so I could find it here

If You left the grave behind You so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done

Every part designed in a work of art called love

If You gladly chose surrender so will I

I can see Your heart

Eight billion different ways

Every precious one

A child You died to save

If You gave Your life to love them so will I

Like You would again a hundred billion times

But what measure could amount to Your desire

You’re the One who never leaves the one behind

103. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near”

1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”

Zephaniah 2:3    Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.

Psalms 105:4     Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Isaiah 55:6-7     “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Amos 5:4-6     For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

Jeremiah 29:12-13    Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Hosea 10:12     Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Going through life with nods toward living each day fully for Jesus Christ is not the same as seeking His presence and continue living with a desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey with all your heart, mind, and soul. The battle within us to serve self-following after what the world offers or to serve Jesus Christ nothing new. Serving self places Jesus 2nd and us first. Where does self fit into to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”. We seem to want “all these things” that the world has to offer more than the joy, peace, rest, power, might, hope, love found in seeking first the kingdom of God.

Be intentional in your commitment to serving Jesus. Be committed to seeking and desiring Him more than things of this world. Place Him first in your heart, mind, and soul. Keep His word in your life each day with a desire to feed on it. Drink in knowledge and understanding with the purpose of living in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ sacrifice. Breath in the breath of the Holy Spirit into your mind and produce fruit that honors Jesus. Nothing honors the sacrifice of Jesus more than a heart, mind, and soul that every moment of every day is thankful, repentant, humble, serving, following, and seeking to obey the word of God and quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit.

102. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

1 Samuel 13:1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two yearsover Israel, Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Genesis 3:13    Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 4:10    And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

Joshua 7:19    Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

Exodus 3:7    Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings

Psalms 9:12     For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

James 5:4    Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

Hebrews 4:13  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Proverbs 15:11    Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man!

Proverbs 15:3   The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Jeremiah 17:10    “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

1 Corinthians 4:5    Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Revelation 2:23    And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

Ecclesiastes 12:14    For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Romans 2:16     on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Romans 14:12     So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

John 5:22-29     For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Please read these verses again. The word of God is clear, true, and worthy of knowing. Without an intentional and consistent daily desire and seeking of His word we will certainly go down paths that seem right in our own eyes but in the end are far from doing that which is worthy of one who has been saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We can not escape His judgment and will be held accountable for neglect and complacency and everything hidden and done is secret. Just because we have claimed the blood of Jesus Christ for salvation does not forgive a life of neglect to His word and living as though there is no daily responsibility to, with all our heart and mind seek, desire, humbly serve, honor, listen to, rely on, cling to, follow, and obey Him.

Review your last week. Were you waking with a desire to know and serve Jesus Christ? Were you actively listening to Him quietly speak into your life? Were you going to sleep with thoughts of worship, honor, and glory to His work in your life? Do you think for one second that neglect and complacency are hidden and will not be judged?

Be intentional. Be committed. Desire and seek Him. Choose to study His word. Choose to listen for His quiet whispers of leading. Do that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ for the sacrifice made for you and He did this while you were yet a sinner. He did this out of love for you. He did this so that you might have life and have it more abundantly. He did this to give you a home with Him in eternity. Do not allow neglect and complacency to His word rob what is rightful to Jesus Christ.

101. Consider what great things He has done for you.

1 Samuel 12:6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

How does a nation fall away from God? You have to know that there was the first person who laid the idea, thought, and groundwork for the path leading away from God. Then others just joined in and soon you have a society modifying God’s word/teachings to fit what they think best. God’s word does not change. Expectations, rules, statutes, precepts, commands, promises are all the same. When the church, individuals, believers, spend less and less time in His word, and more and more time being influenced by culture, society there is a drifting away from God that takes place so secretly that the person does not even recognize it happening. Tozer said; “We do well to admit this is happening, but we should not accept it as normal, and we should not accept it as inevitable that we are shaped by the world.” Paul said; “Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Tozer: “That we have to some extent conformed to the world is proof of our weakness.” We must recognize our neglect, repent, turn back to God and His word, and through obedience to His word, and with thankful hearts of the grace and mercy shown to us through the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, live humbly serving, honoring, worshiping, following, and obeying. Through His word, we will find truth and this truth will set us free from the clutches of the worldly passions and desires that rob us of victoriously living for Jesus Christ who is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory forever.

100. “But the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

1Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

The nation of Israel did not have an earthly king for many years, they were under the guidance of God. Men like Samuel were God’s intermediary between God and the people. Samuel was the last of the Judges of Israel. Because Samuel was getting old and his appointed sons did not follow after God, the people of Israel they demanded that Samuel appoint them a king so they would be like all the other nations. They wanted a King he could judge them, and go out before them and fight their battles. God was not enough for them. They rejected His Lordship.

Do we possess a secret desire to reject the Lordship of Jesus in our lives? Do we want to benefit of the relationship, but we seem to be complacent when it comes to developing the relationship with Him? “They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.” Are we walking down a watered down walk of faith without realizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives is being rejected? God told Samuel to listen to the people, but also to warn them of what will happen if they choose to want an earthly king to rule over them. Likewise, any time spent in God’s word reveals that there are two paths of life we can pursue, the path with Jesus as Lord and the path without Him. Both of these have consequences. One leads us on a path of searching for satisfaction in things of this world and what it offers to fill the yearning and every day is filled with uncertainty. The other leads us on a path of joy, rest, peace, satisfaction, hope, courage, faith, and certainty for eternity.

When one chooses to reject the Lordship of Jesus in their life, they are not free, they are enslaved to sin. God allows people to make the choice but it is a choice they will have to live with. God will allow you to choose who will be Lord of your life, but know you will live with the consequences of that choice.

Samuel warned the people of what was to come if they chose the path they were on. They refused to listen to Samuel. No, they said. We must have a king over us then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” The nation wanted to trade God in for corrupt man, the nation wanted to trade God in for sinful man. “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”

Do not be fooled and give any ground to a complacent life with Jesus. He died for us so that we might repent, turn away from sin, be forgiven and live an abundant life with Him now and for eternity. Choosing to reject His lordship over your everyday life is rejecting Him for eternity. Spend time in His word, humbly server, honor, follow, obey, and rely on Him each waking moment of every day.