01/06/2018
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But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. James 4:6-10{AMP}
How often do we
find ourselves in place that seems isolated from God? It does not matter how
much we cry out in prayer; those words are empty and cold going nowhere,
because we have lost that connection with God through our disobedience and
neglect.
A careful study
of the Word of God will reveal to the one who allows the Holy Spirit to teach
them where they have gone wrong in their walk with God causing this dark valley.
Basically what we find is that our walk with God has been interrupted by:
1.
Forgetting to
commune with God{Philippians 4:6}
2.
Not keeping our
minds stayed on the goodness of God {Colossians 3:2-4}
3.
Work related
distractions
4.
Worrying about
finances {Luke 12:22-34, Matthew 6:25-34}
5.
Worrying about
World Issues instead of focusing on God {Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:22-34]
6.
Sins of the
flesh {1 John 2:16, James 3:15, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 7:5, 1 Corinthians 3:3,
Galatians 5:19-21}
7.
Unforgiveness
{Mark 11:25, Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:21-22, Leviticus 19:17-18, 2 Corinthians2:10-11, Ephesians 4:26-27, John 9:31, Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15}
This is just a short list of examples of
the things that distract you from your relationship with God. I am sure you
could write out a list that would fill many pages. The important thing to
remember here is that we are the ones who have put the wedge between us and
God. Therefore, it is our responsibility to get back into right standing with
God {Romans 3:21-25}.
But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets. This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].
1 John 1:5-10
reveals the secret to keeping an honest relationship with God through Christ
Jesus.
This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection]. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.] If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.
Since we know that God never changes {Malachi 3:6};
then let us learn from Exodus 34:6-7
the attributes of God so we may have a better relationship with Him.
13 Attributes of Mercy are as follows:
– The Lord!
(Adonai)–God is merciful before a person sins! Even though aware that future
evil lies dormant within him.
– The Lord!
(Adonai)–God is merciful after the sinner has gone astray.
– God (El)–a name
that denotes power as ruler over nature and humankind, indicating that God’s
mercy sometimes surpasses even the degree indicated by this name.
– Compassionate (rahum)–God
is filled with loving sympathy for human frailty does not put people into
situations of extreme temptation, and eases the punishment of the guilty.
– Gracious (v’hanun)–God
shows mercy even to those who do not deserve it consoling the afflicted and
raising up the oppressed.
– Slow to anger (ereh
apayim)–God gives the sinner ample time to reflect, improve, and repent.
– Abundant in
Kindness (v’rav hesed)–God is kind toward those who lack personal
merits, providing more gifts and blessings than they deserve; if one’s personal
behavior is evenly balanced between virtue and sin, God tips the scales of
justice toward the good.
– Truth (v’emet)–God
never reneges on His word to reward those who serve Him.
– Preserver of
kindness for thousands of generations (notzeir hesed la-alafim)–God
remembers the deeds of the righteous for thebenefit of their less virtuous
generations of offspring (thus we constantly invoke the merit of the
Patriarchs).
– Forgiver of
iniquity (nosei avon)–God forgives intentional sin resulting from an
evil disposition, as long as the sinner repents.
– Forgiver of
willful sin (pesha)–God allows even those who commit a sin with the
malicious intent of rebelling against and angering Him the opportunity to
repent.
– Forgiver of
error (v’hata’ah)–God forgives a sin committed out of carelessness,
thoughtlessness, or apathy.
– Who cleanses (v’nakeh)–God
is merciful, gracious, and forgiving, wiping away the sins of those who truly
repent; however, if one does not repent, God does not cleanse.
What can we know about God? He is
spirit. He is a person, and therefore, we can relate to Him and get to know Him
more. He is independent, and therefore, does not need a thing. However, we are
dependent upon him for life, breath, and everything else. Also, He is
immutable, unchangeable {Malachi 3:6}.
This is a characteristic of God we do not share, for we are always changing.
But this means we can trust Him. He will keep his promises and complete His
plans because He does not change. God is good. He is the standard of good and
everything good comes from Him.
In John 4:23-24
we learn that in order to worship Father God we must worship Him through our
spirit which was created in His likeness.
“But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Realizing that we have strayed from our relationship with God is the first step to coming back to Him. When we come back to Him, drawing near to Him like we learned from reading in James 4, we will find that God will run to meet us just like in the story of the prodigal son. Not only did the father run to meet his son; he embraced him, kissed him, clothed him and had a celebration because his son who was lost had come back home.
“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet. And bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate; for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
How wonderful it is my friend’s that our Heavenly
Father feels so passionate when one of His children returns to their intimate
relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. It is the Father’s will
for us to be close to Him, so it brings Him great pleasure when we take the
time to communicate with Him and worship Him. Let us make the effort to praise
and worship God as David did in Psalm
34{AMP} –
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; the humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us lift up His name together. I sought the Lord [on the authority of His word], and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant; Their faces will never blush in shame or confusion. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience], and He rescues [each of] them. O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good; How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him. O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones); For to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry, but they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to fear the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience]. Who is the man who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous [those with moral courage and spiritual integrity] and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears and rescues them from all their distress and troubles. The Lord is near to the heartbroken and He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin). Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, but the Lord rescues him from them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil will cause the death of the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Today I want to give you three actions you must
take according to the Word of the Lord to Draw near to God when you have
strayed from an intimate relationship with Him. We all want to feel that closeness,
that warmth, that love, that only comes from above from our Heavenly Father.
Let us now look at how we can regain that closeness with our Father.
(1) First,
you must cleanse your hands. You must cleanse your way of living. If you
have been actively engaged in sin, you must renounce it. If you have done
anything to offend or hurt someone, you must make it right.
(Isaiah 1{MSG} The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Heaven and earth, you’re the jury. Listen to God’s case: “I had children and raised them well, and they turned on me. The ox knows whose boss, the mule knows the hand that feeds him, But not Israel. My people don’t know up from down. Shame! Misguided God-dropouts, staggering under their guilt-baggage, Gang of miscreants, band of vandals—My people have walked out on me, their God, turned their backs on The Holy of Israel, walked off and never looked back.“Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways? You keep beating your heads against brick walls. Everything within you protests against you. From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, nothing’s working right. Wounds and bruises and running sores have been left untended, unwashed, unbandaged. Your country is laid waste, your cities burned down. Your land is destroyed by outsiders while you watch, reduced to rubble by barbarians. Daughter Zion is deserted— like a tumbledown shack on a dead-end street, Like a tarpaper shanty on the wrong side of the tracks, like a sinking ship abandoned by the rats. If God-of-the-Angel-Armies hadn’t left us a few survivors, we’d be as desolate as Sodom, doomed just like Gomorrah. “Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God’s revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people. “Why this frenzy of sacrifices?” God’s asking. “Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? When you come before Me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that- all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings - meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that, I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.” This is God’s Message: “If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white. If they’re red like crimson, they’ll be like wool. If you’ll willingly obey, you’ll feast like kings. But if you’re willful and stubborn, you’ll die like dogs.” That’s right. God says so. Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city has become a whore! She was once all justice, everyone living as good neighbors, and now they’re all at one another’s throats. Your coins are all counterfeits. Your wine is watered down. Your leaders are turncoats who keep company with crooks. They sell themselves to the highest bidder and grab anything not nailed down. They never stand up for the homeless, never stick up for the defenseless. This Decree, therefore, of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Strong One of Israel: “This is it! I’ll get my oppressors off my back. I’ll get back at my enemies. I’ll give you the back of my hand, purge the junk from your life, and clean you up. I’ll set honest judges and wise counselors among you just like it was back in the beginning. Then you’ll be renamed City-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue City.” God’s right ways will put Zion right again. God’s right actions will restore her penitents. But it’s curtains for rebels and God-traitors, a dead end for those who walk out on God. “Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines will leave you looking mighty foolish, all that fooling around in god and goddess gardens that you thought was the latest thing. You’ll end up like an oak tree with all its leaves falling off, like an unwatered garden, withered and brown. ‘The Big Man’ will turn out to be dead bark and twigs, and his ‘work,’ the spark that starts the fire That exposes man and work both as nothing but cinders and smoke.”)
(2) Second,
you are to purify your heart. You must make certain your attitudes, thoughts,
and motives are right in God’s eyes and are in harmony with God’s Word.
(Psalms 51:7-17{MSG} Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise. Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love do not for a moment escape God’s notice.)
(3)
You must only serve the ONE TRUE
GOD being obedient to Him only. Jesus warned that you cannot serve two masters
-
(Matthew 6:19-34 “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, and do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes).
In James 1:22-27 {MSG} we
learn that we must be obedient to God in all we do to keep our relationship
with Him growing.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
What have we learned today if God
seems distant?
1.
We need to Draw near to Him and
He will meet us half way.
3.
We do what is necessary to
cleanse our hands and let go of the
sin in our lives that is holding us back from God
4. Purify our hearts
making sure our attitudes, thoughts and motives are in line with God’s harmony
so our lives will be in harmony with Our Heavenly Father who has called us
Friend {John 15:14-15}.
5. We must make a
decision to serve God only. We cannot continue to live in sin and serve God;
doing so is like trying to serve two Masters.
As you press forward in your journey with our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, I pray that each day brings you a fresh understanding of the Word of God as you explore it’s secrets.
Blessings and peace be upon you,
Email me, Rainbow Pastor David
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