Selasa, 28 Agustus 2012

89) * THE PRAYERS & SERMONS OF OUR STANDING MINISTERS FOR PEOPLE TO READ - 42


Daniel Pasaribu


“ REVELATIONS OF PRAYER IN THE LORD’S PRAYER”
: (Matthew 6:9-13)

Monday Sermon For LJUSC as of August 27, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I suppose all new Christians begin their walk with many questions, and of course a lot of advice from those who might have prayed with them when they received Jesus as the Lord and Savior of the world. Several pieces of advice that are always given, and of course, good advice it is, starts with : Be sure to read your Bible and of course don’t forget to pray. The first of these is not so hard if you can read, but the second can most often lead to the hard question, how do I pray? .The Lord in His Precious Word begins to teach us how to pray. We cannot pray in our own strength; we pray as we are quickened by the Spirit. Gathered with His disciples, He warned against the use of vain repetitions, pointing to the need for true Spirit-led prayer.

Commonly referred to as The Lord Prayer, Jesus offered a pattern for the disciples to follow in prayer, admonishing them with these words: “after this manner therefore pray.”
As we examine the familiar words Jesus prayed in the midst of His disciples, we can discover 23 glorious revelations about prayer.

“Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

REVELATION 1: RELATIONSHIP—“OUR FATHER”

For prayer to become effective, there must be relationship and fellowship. This is revealed in the very words of this pattern for prayer offered by Jesus, for Our Father speaks of relationship and fellowship. You can’t really pray effectively until you have both in your life. Relationship and fellowship are different from each other, and effective prayer can only take place when both are present. A relationship cannot be broken unless you willfully, knowingly walk away from the faith. Fellowship requires righteousness and can be broken by sin. Fellowship means there’s communion with God, and your heart is cleansed from sin, free of hindrances that could block or interrupt your fellowship with God.

You cannot have an effective prayer life without fellowship with God. Jesus said when you pray, begin with “Our Father.” He was saying it is impossible to pray and have an effective prayer life without a relationship with God, for an individual cannot truly pray without first knowing God as Father and experiencing the fellowship that comes about as a result of that relationship. In the book of Isaiah the Lord told His people, “I want you to call me Father.”

Rather than fellowshipping with Him to know Him as Father, they walked away from Him. In Jeremiah, we see Him reaching out again and saying, “I want you to know Me as Father.” Yet they walked away from Him. The Jewish people in the day of Jesus did not know God as He longed to be known. His very name was forbidden on their lips. Jesus told them to call Him Father, yet to those who heard Him this was totally foreign for He was using the word Abba which means daddy, the most intimate word for a father. When we pray “Our Father” and not “My Father,” we also acknowledge our fellowship with the saints.

REVELATION 2: AUTHORITY—“IN HEAVEN”

It is impossible to pray without knowing God’s authority. Heaven speaks of God’s authority. In prayer we recognize God’s authority over us, acknowledging He is God, He is above us, He has authority over me. Because He is in heaven, our fellowship with Him is Spirit led. As we come to Him prayer, we acknowledges our dependence upon Him to intervene and answer our prayers.
Not only do we find authority, but also dominion. We know He is our master, our authority. His is the glory and the dominion. It is impossible to pray to a God in whom we do not believe and believe that He is all powerful. We must recognize His authority and dominion over us in order to prayer effectively and in faith.

REVELATION 3: ACKNOWLEDGMENT—“HALLOWED BE THY NAME”

After Jesus said, “Our Father which art in heaven,” He gave us 7 petitions. “Hallowed by Thy name” is the first. God’s name deals with His person. When Moses said, “Let me see Your glory,” God revealed His name to him, saying “I’m the Lord, I’m merciful, I’m gracious, long-suffering.” Remember, the Jewish people knew God through 12 revelations of His name:

• Elohim, meaning creator. You can’t know the Father until you know the Creator. He’s our creator before He becomes our Father.

• Jehovah, meaning my father. The word Jehovah contains covenant in it, and therefore He becomes our Father.

• Jehovah El-Shaddai, meaning my supply and nourishment.

• Adonai, meaning my master.

• Jehovah Jireh ,It means two things in the Hebrew. Provider, it also means vision. My vision, the one I see My vision. The Hebrew word Yireh is, I see or I see a vision. So when Abraham looked and saw the sacrifice, he said, “I see Jehovah’s provision.”

• Jehovah Rophe, meaning my healer.

• Jehovah Nissi, meaning my victory.

• Jehovah M’kaddesh, meaning my sanctifier.

• Jehovah Shalom, meaning our peace.

• Jehovah Tsidkenou, meaning our righteousness.

• Jehovah Rohi, meaning my shepherd.

• Jehovah Shammah, meaning the presence. It speaks of God’s presence. The Lord is there.

So when we say Our Father, all these revelations become a part of that one call upon the Lord. The moment you say Father, you’re recognizing God, saying, “You’re my Master. You’re my supply. You’re my provider. You’re my healer. You’re my victory. You’re my sanctifier. You’re my righteousness; You’re my peace; You are my shepherd. You are the One I need.” In that revelation is contained relationship and fellowship. The Scriptures declare, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hears: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). We hallow God’s name by sanctifying Him in our hearts, giving Him the place He deserves in our life. When you hallow His Name, you are giving Him the place He deserves in your heart and life as God Himself.

REVELATION 4: SUBMISSION—“THY KINGDOM COME”

God’s kingdom must be clearly understood. God’s kingdom is presented in Matthew 12:28, which says, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”

When the kingdom comes, it brings the power of God, the overthrow of Satan and the preaching of the gospel to sinners. Jesus said we ought to pray, “Let thy kingdom come.” In other words, “Lord, use me to bring others to You, for now I know You, I acknowledge You. Help me tell others about You so they too will acknowledge You.” You cannot pray effectively unless you are a witness of Christ Jesus on earth. You see, the prayers of most of God’s people focus on self. True prayer focuses on others and on their needs, not your own. Prayer is impossible without knowing Him, acknowledging Him, and submitting to His authority.

REVELATION 5: CONSECRATION—“THY WILL BE DONE”

There is something very important about the will of God you must understand. There is a will only heaven knows, and there is a will only earth can know. God’s Word declares in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever…” Jesus is asking us to pray for the revealed will. What is the secret will? No human power or government can oppose the secret will of God. In contrast, men can oppose the revealed will of God and actually frustrate. Let me give you an example. You can’t stop prophecy that relates to future events. However, there is the revealed will for your life, which you can miss and reject. The Bible declares clearly in Isaiah 46:10 that no man can stop God’s counsel. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” No man can stop His will. Yet, there are other scriptures that clearly state His will was stopped and opposed. You cannot truly pray without knowing His will. You can’t pray without knowing Him; you can’t pray without acknowledging Him; you can’t pray without submitting to Him; and you can’t pray without knowing His will.

REVELATION 6: OBEDIENCE—“THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH”

As we just discovered, there is a secret will and a revealed will. The secret will of God cannot be known to us because Deuteronomy 29:29 says the secret thing belongs to God. It is the revealed will of God that belongs to you and me. It is the revealed will of God that is opposed by the enemy, and that is the will we pray be fulfilled in our lives. The revealed will is already given clearly to us in God’s Word. We know from His precious Word what His will is. For example:

• It’s not God’s will that any man should perish. We know that’s His clear and perfect will.
• It’s His will that we all be forgiven from our sins. We know that’s His will.
• It’s His will that we all be healed from our diseases. We know that’s His will and much more.

Yet, none of these promises can be ours without prayer. That’s why the Lord said we are to pray thy will be done so that we will be living in His will. Remember what the Bible says, “This is the confidence we have in Him. If we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And then we know we have petitions we’ve desired of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). So when the Lord said pray thy will be done, He was saying pray that all of the promises be yours.
Psalm 103 says that the angels obey God swiftly at the mere sound of His voice. Jesus is saying that we ought to obey God as quickly as the angels obey Him. So when we pray, ”thy will be done on earth as is in heaven,” it conveys the thought: Lord, reveal to me your will and help me obey it as quickly as the angels obey it.

REVELATION 7: CONFORMITY—“AS IN HEAVEN”

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are conformed; we are transformed into His image as we pray in this manner. In prayer, there is transformation. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” is transformation. When we pray this prayer, we say, “Lord, I want Your will to be done in my life. I want to be transformed by Your promises.” You can’t pray without transformation. Transformation is the result of prayer. Ask yourself, “Do I ever go into prayer and come out changed?” That’s conformity. That’s transformation. When you say thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, you are saying, “Lord, let Heaven affect my life.”

REVELATION 8: DEPENDENCE—“GIVE US”

When we pray give us this day our daily bread, we demonstrate our dependence upon God. In the preceding revelations, we found matters that dealt with heaven and God’s dominion and power. Now we begin to focus more on specifics that deal with our daily needs.
Prayer must have dependence upon the Lord or it’s not prayer at all. Without dependence on God nothing happens. We acknowledge our dependence upon the Lord here in prayer.

The Bible never teaches independence. We are always dependent upon the Lord. That’s what poor in spirit means. Somebody who is dependent upon the Lord for everything.
Psalm 104:28 says, That thou givest them that gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. God supplies everything. You and I can do nothing without Him.

REVELATION 9: DEFINITIVE PRAYER—“THIS DAY”

Never pray without being specific. You must be specific with God. You can’t expect God to answer prayer unless you are specific with Him for God is very detailed. Look at the details He gave Moses regarding with the tabernacle. Look at the details He gave David about the temple. The specific details that we find in God’s Word tells me God is a detailed God. God does not deal in headlines, He deals in details. In today’s busy world, most of us only care about the headlines. We don’t want to take time to listen to the whole story. That’s why often our prayers are not answered because our prayers are headline prayers, because we rush out in haste. We must be specific with God. Give us this day, that’s being specific.

Jesus could have said well just pray for bread. God will give it to you all the time. But, instead, He said, this day give us this day our daily bread. We acknowledge our dependence upon God in prayer as we pray give us; we make our prayer specific and definitive when we pray this day because we recognize that tomorrow we can lose it if we are not living a life of dependence upon the Lord.

We must be dependent on Him each day for without His provision, we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. We are dependent on Jesus today and every day for His blessings. Proverbs 27:1 says, Boast not thyself of to morrow: for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. This verse says we depend on Him for our daily strength and daily sustenance.

REVELATION 10: NECESSITY—“OUR DA
ILY”

God has no leftovers. Daily His mercies become new, for they are new every morning. His power is new every morning. Everything is new every morning; nothing stays overnight. Not even the manna did, except on the Sabbath. Everything with God is fresh. “He daily loadeth us with benefits or blessings” (Psalm 68:19). Proverbs 20:13 declares, Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” Work is involved in the provision; your daily supply will not just drop from heaven. Action is required on our part for our daily bread it requires still your cooperation with the Lord by work. Jesus is not promoting laziness here by saying, “Well just pray and God will give it” . . . No, no.

REVELATION 11: COOPERATION—“BREAD”

Our cooperation is needed too, for even if we have to work for our bread, God’s blessings on your work are necessary. What you are saying in prayer is, “Lord bless the work of my hands that I might have bread.” So when the Lord says pray give us this day our daily bread, some may interpret it to mean, “Well that means I just don’t have to work; all I have to do is pray and God will feed me.” No, the Lord does not promote laziness in the Bible. He blesses the work of your hands. God doesn’t bless your hands; He blesses the work of your hands as they are productive. We acknowledge our dependence on God through cooperation with Him. We are dependent on Him for our daily bread, yet we know He needs our cooperation in order for His blessings to come our way.

REVELATION 12: REPENTANCE—“FORGIVE US”

Here the Lord goes from our specific needs and our dependence on Him to repentance. Prayer ought to always have repentance. Forgive us this day for our sins and forgive us our debts.

Confession and forgiveness should be a daily function in people’s lives. This is illustrated by the priests in the Old Covenant who did not wear shoes in God’s presence. This was God’s way of reminding them that they were touching dirt everyday, and that’s why Jesus said in John 13:10, he said, ye are clean save your feet. We must say “Lord, we repent of the things we have done.” We need a daily cleansing. Repentance must be a part of prayer; otherwise prayer cannot be affective. Each day we come to God and we say, “Lord cleanse me, Lord forgive me.” Forgive us our debts.

REVELATION 13: RESPONSIBILITY—“OUR DEBTS”

This revelations includes our debts, our responsibilities, and our actions. There is responsibility in prayer. That’s a part of prayer. You can’t pray without knowing your responsibilities. You’re responsible before God to live a holy life. God looks upon us as we pray and knows we are responsible before Him.

REVELATION 14: FORGIVENESS—“AS WE FORGIVE”

You must also have forgiveness in your heart towards others. You can’t pray effectively unless you know you are forgiven. When you say forgive us as we forgive our debtors, you must also experience forgiveness towards others. You can’t pray properly unless you are forgiving.

Prayer cannot be affective if you hold things against people in your heart as you pray. You must first accept that God has forgiven you and second forgive others who have sinned against you. In prayer we know we are forgiven and in prayer we must be forgiving.

REVELATION 15: GUIDANCE—“LEAD US NOT”

Lead us not speaks of guidance and a cry for direction. Direct our way toward righteousness. Rescue us from where we have been and lead us toward holiness and righteousness. Be my Shepherd and lead me in your paths for righteousness sake.

REVELATION 16: DELIVERANCE—“NOT INTO TEMPTATION”

This suggests that God would bring deliverance to your life as He prevents you or keeps you from repeating the same sin. Earlier we saw that we must ask for forgiveness daily. Now we are asking for not only guidance but deliverance. Deliverance is a part of prayer. “Lord, not only guide us but deliver us from this sin that keeps coming back on us. Deliverance must be a part of prayer, otherwise prayer cannot be affective. James 1:13 says, God does not tempt us: He tests us. So when you pray lead us not into temptation, realize that God doesn’t tempt you. God tests you.

REVELATION 17: SALVATION—“BUT DELIVER US”

Here we must know that we have protection. You cannot pray effectively unless you know you are protected from evil. Because we are protected, no curse can touch us. No evil shall befall thee. In another portion of Scripture we read, And I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. In other words, we can absolutely defeat the purpose of the enemy because we have protection. Psalm 119:117 declares, Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. First Corinthians 10:13 says, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above which ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may to bear it. In 2 Peter 2:9, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

Psalm 94:18 declares, When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up Lord, when my foot is slipping into temptation. Your mercy grabs me and pulls me right back where I ought to be. We are protected if we just believe. Lead us not into temptation, I believe also includes salvation. He delivers you from evil, He protects you from evil and the very deliverance and protection from evil brings you into His salvation. And lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil brings you and me into God’s salvation. We begin to experience the fullness of His salvation, meaning the blessings of the Gospel become ours. When there is protection, He becomes your salvation. Absolute knowledge that the Lord is your salvation is a part of prayer. There is no fear whatsoever; there is assurance of salvation.

REVELATION 18: RESISTANCE—“FROM EVIL”

In this revelation Jesus was not only speaking about deliverance from evil but from the evil one. When the Lord says that we are to pray, deliver us from the evil, He is telling us to resist. It’s a prayer for strength to resist the devil. The Greek says evil one. Preserve us, keep us safe from the evil one. And that’s a continual preservation. God doesn’t come and go every day. He stays with you. He said, “I’m with you always.” When I pray preserve me from evil, I’m saying Lord, give me illumination so I’ll see when the enemy comes. When I pray preserve me, I’m saying keep my eyes open, keep me wise.

Give me discernment, Lord. When I say preserve me from evil, deliver me from evil, I also pray, Lord, give me strength to resist him at all times. James 4:17 declares, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Here we see a prayer for resistance, deliver us from the evil one Lord. In prayer there must be a resistance, for how can you pray unless there is resistance against the will of the enemy? Deliverance from the evil one also demands cooperation with God. The Bible says in James 4:7 : Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. You cannot resist the devil until you’ve submitted to God Almighty. Resistance is a part of prayer.

REVELATION 19: VICTORY—“FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM”

The entire pattern of prayer closes with victory. “For thine is…” means victory. Victory is always a part of prayer. You can’t pray affectively unless you close with victory. Something else is involved in that statement: faith. When you say, “Lord, You are God,” your faith comes alive. Thine is means “Lord You are. To You belongs all the glory! To You belongs the honor! To You belongs the majesty!” That’s faith.

REVELATION 20: HUMILITY—“AND THE POWER”


“And the power” speaks of humility as we recognize God’s power. It also expresses a note of thanksgiving as we humbly bow in reverent prayer and make our requests known to God as Philippians 4:6 declares, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” As we acknowledge God’s power, we also recognize that we are nothing without Him, and that prayer is only answered because of His power.

REVELATION 21: REVERENCE—“AND THE GLORY”
Reverence is an essential part of prayer. When you say for thine is the glory you revere God. Without reverence you cannot pray affectively.

REVELATION 22: TIMELESSNESS—“FOREVER”

In this revelation we see eternity, for every time you pray you are touching eternity. Every time you pray eternity is touching you. Every time you pray, you are released from time and you become a part of God’s eternal purposes.

REVELATION 23: AFFIRMATION—“AMEN”

Amen means “We affirm: affirmation. We absolutely affirm what we’ve said to be powerful and truth.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we come to the conclusion, we may say that Prayer is to be a simple conversation with the God of all creation. He is your creator and the lover of your soul and He does not know how to hurt and He is more desirous and willing to answer than you are to pray. Look to Him, seek His face and not His hand and He will meet you at the intersection of any need you have and any desire your heart longs for. Sit down and talk to Him, He is so easy to know and He desires that you know Him well.

In the meantime, there is nothing on earth or in Heaven, for time or eternity , that God’s Son did not secure for us. By prayer God gives us the vast and matchless inheritance which is ours by virtue of His Son. God is glorified and Christ is honored by large asking and we must always remember, we are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ Jesus.

When we come to know and understand the Revelations on the Lord’s Prayer, we then can begin to follow this pattern for prayer recorded in Matthew 6, which the Lord provided for us in the midst of His disciples. His instruction to His disciples and us as His followers were specific, stating, “after this manner therefore pray.” Jesus did not provide an example of repetitious, empty words with religious overtones. He provided a pattern to help us experience an effective prayer life.

To God Be All The Glory And Honor, A m e n .

Daniel Pasaribu

Rabu, 22 Agustus 2012

88) * THE PRAYERS & SERMONS OF OUR STANDING MINISTERS FOR PEOPLE TO READ - 41


Sally S. Richter

Receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the Evidence of Speaking in Tongues?

Sermon Message for Monday August 20, 2012


Brothers and sisters, I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus and am most grateful to once again minister to you the word of God through this sermon. I pray that the Spirit of the LORD will rest upon each of you as you read and receive, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD…

The Holy Spirit is the inner power that God gives us to help us to live in this world. None of us is worthy to have the Spirit of God living in us in this manner, but we must understand that it is by the righteousness of Christ that we are accepted by God. Our focus must always be who He is in us, and not who we are in our own strength, ability and intellect.

Because God is Supernatural Being, transcending the natural realm, we cannot truly come to know Him and understand Him unless we move into the realm of the spirit…Only then can we truly worship God in the spirit because He is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Our intimate relationship with the Lord is directly proportional to the amount of time we spend in His presence and the power of His Spirit that will flow through us. But the door that we must all go through to step into the invisible, supernatural realm of God’s kingdom is the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I will first start off by explaining exactly what this gift is, and then I will show you how to properly prepare yourself to receive it. Once those two things have been done, I will then show you exactly how to receive it once you are ready for it.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The first thing that you will need to know is exactly what this gift is. This is a topic that causes much confusion and contention in the body of Christ. The Bible tells us that we will all receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation with the Lord. So if we have already received the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation with the Lord, then what is this “second” baptism of the Holy Spirit that the charismatics are talking about?

Many have tried to receive this gift of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues at an altar call at their local churches, but they have failed to receive it. They then walk away, thinking that maybe there was something wrong with them, or they were not worthy enough to receive this gift from the Lord. I will reiterate, no one has ever had to do anything to earn it, for it is a gift, given by His grace through your faith.

The doctrine of the church to which I belonged, believed that if a believer did not speak in tongues, he had not received the Holy Spirit, and therefore had not been born again. It took me several years of God dealing with me, revealing His word to me to be able to understand how wrong they were. Every one that has been born again has the Holy Spirit dwelling insid.

I thank the Lord that He allowed me to have the glorious experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit when I was baptized in water in a Pentecostal Church so many years ago. However, I noticed through the years that not all believers had that same experience. I saw many that although they had repented and been baptized in water, had not been able to speak with tongues. These believers had a genuine conversion, loved the Lord, lived godly lives, yet in spite of their tears, fasts and continuous repentance, they were not able to speak with tongues.I believe Jesus gives us a clue as to where our human spirits may be located in our beings.

The following verse. The New King James Version uses the word “heart”, but the Original King King JamesVersion uses the word “belly.” “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his (BELLY) will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:38)

Your spirit has already been baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of your salvation with the Lord, but now God wants to take it one step further. He now wants to baptize your soul with his Holy Spirit. Another word that can be used for the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit where He will now enter your soul area is the “release” of the Holy Spirit into your soul.

I believe this is what Paul was referring to when he commands us to be “filled with the Spirit. When you have received the second gift of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you are now considered “Spirit-filled.” Both your spirit and your soul are now filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is like the “telephone wire” that enables us to connect to and make contact with both God and Jesus in heaven. We can talk directly to God and Jesus as a result of having the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, and both God and Jesus can also talk directly to us through the Holy Spirit as well. This is why this gift is so important and so vital for all Christians to have.

Releasing Holy Spirit into your Soul

If you have not been able to receive this gift at an altar call at your church, here is a very simple 5 step process that you can take that will help you to be able to properly receive this gift from the Lord. However, before I go into each of these five steps and exactly what they will entail, I would like to state one more thing before leading you into this gift.

In my opinion, this gift is the second greatest gift that you can receive this side of heaven. The first greatest gift is the gift of eternal salvation through faith in Jesus. There is no greater gift than this one. With this gift you are truly born again into the kingdom of God and you will go straight to heaven when you die and cross over. This gift now gives you permanent, eternal life with the Lord.

However, I believe that receiving the baptism or release of the Holy Spirit to come into your soul is the second greatest gift that anyone can receive while living down here on this earth and all you have to do is ask. You have to really want this gift because you want to be able to enter into a much deeper, personal relationship with God, and that you will now need His power and anointing to be able to flow through you so that you can fully accomplish whatever His divine destiny is going to be for your life.

The word says in Luke 11:10-13 "For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Once you realize what this gift entails and that you will have to be willing to fully surrender to whatever God’s perfect plan and destiny is going to be for your life, then the next step is to take that big leap of faith and fully surrender everything over to God the Father. He wants all three parts to your being – body, soul and spirit. Give your entire life over to the Lord

1 Thessalonians 5:23, God wants to sanctify you completely in all three parts of your being, spirit, soul and body.

Just stop and think for a minute what is really happening when you do receive this gift. This gift will now take you one step further. This gift will now allow the Holy Spirit to release from your spirit to come up and enter into your soul. Your soul is who you really are. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead. He is God and Lord Himself.

Once the Holy Spirit releases to come up into your soul, you are going to be as close to Him,. This gift is just going to bring you that much closer to the Three of Them due to the fact that He will now be residing with you up in your soul area. You will be truly Spirit-filled when this happens.

Now the process of receiving the gift of Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in Tongues..

Here is a simple, basic way that you can word your prayer to God the Father to receive this most glorious gift of His Holy Spirit. Notice in the prayer that you are agreeing to make a full and complete surrender of your entire life over to Him. What completes this prayer request for the Gift, is your faith and belief that God has heard your prayer and will grant it

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I believe that I am truly saved and born again. I believe that all of my sins have now been fully forgiven and washed clean under the Blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, I now, by an act of my free will, turn my entire life over to You. I now place my body, my soul, my spirit and my entire life into Your hands. I now ask that You place and enter me into Your perfect will for my life. I now ask that You set me up on the perfect plan and destiny that you have set up for my life.

Father, I now want to go one step further. I now want to receive the Baptism of Your Holy Spirit, the release of Your Holy Spirit to come up and enter into my soul from my spirit.

Father, in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, I now ask that you allow Holy Spirit to enter into my soul. Father, from this moment on, by an act of strong faith and belief, I am going to believe that the Holy Spirit has now entered into my soul, regardless of whether or not I feel anything....It is with thanksgiving that I pray in Jesus name, Amen!

What will really kick this gift into full operation is for you to start to establish a direct, one-on-one, personal relationship with the Holy Spirit Himself. Simply start talking to Him like you would a best friend. He is right there on the inside of you.

You will need to start to establish a direct, personal, one-on-one relationship with the Holy Spirit Himself just like you have with God and Jesus. Seek to establish a Father-child relationship with God the Father and a best friend relationship with both Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul tells us that we can enter into a personal relationship direct with the Holy Spirit Himself. Here are two good verses giving us this revelation:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”(2 Corinthians 13:14)

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1)

The word “communion” means to have a direct partnership with someone, to share with someone, to have fellowship with someone. These two words spell one thing – personal relationship!

What is the Evidence of Having Received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

When you first receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, one of three things may happen: Some of you may receive the gift of tongues right off the bat. If you do, that is great. You have just been given a powerful prayer gift from God and you can now start to use this powerful gift in your prayer life with Him.

However, I want to state one thing about the gift of tongues in reference to the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are many charismatic churches that teach that the gift of tongues is the only evidence of having received this gift. In other words, if you have not received the gift of tongues, then you have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I personally believe that this teaching is really wrong. The Bible specifically says that the gift of tongues is one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit and that each of these gifts, including the gift of tongues, are manifestations as God wills, not as we will! In other words, some people get the gift of tongues and others do not!

Here is what the Bible says about the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit which includes the gift of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:4 goes into each of the nine gifts. At the end of this verse, it then reads as follows: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

I have read many stories of how some people thought that they had not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, all because they had not received the gift of tongues, when in fact they had already received it. This kind of false teaching can really mess with your mind if you are seeking after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit expecting to receive the gift of tongues as the initial evidence of having received this gift.

Some may receive an actual inner manifestation from the Lord when first receiving this gift. Some will actually feel the presence of the Holy Spirit on the inside of them. He will actually manifest His presence on the inside of their souls when He first comes up.

If this should happen to you, what you will literally feel is God’s love for you. Depending on how strong the Holy Spirit wants to manifest Himself to you, you may actually start to cry when this manifestation starts to occur.

If this should happen to you, do not be afraid of it. This is an incredible experience to be able to feel the manifest presence of God on the inside of you. The Holy Spirit will control the manifestation so as not to scare or overwhelm you. You may literally feel His presence manifest all the way up into your chest and face area.

If the gift of tongues does not manifest in you or you do not receive any type of inner manifestation from the Holy Spirit when He first enters into your soul, then the next thing that may happen is absolutely nothing! And this is what actually happens most of the time. There are no manifestations, either of His presence or with the gift of tongues. It may not happen overnight. However, just be patient with Him. Over the course of time the Holy Spirit will start to miraculously show Himself to you in a wide variety of ways.

With that I will conclude today’s message.

Do your part to seek to establish a close, intimate, personal relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And you will also have to spend some kind of good, quality time getting to know more about Them and all of Their ways by studying the Bible.

The Bible says that God will give back to us with the measure that we use. In other words, if you want God to give you 100% from His direction. You have to be willing to give Him 100% from your direction. Seek and then you will find. Ask and then you will receive.

If you do not seek, then the reverse is also true, then you will not find. I believe there are spiritual laws that are in operation in God’s realm, and God simply will not put forth any effort to show Himself to you in a wide variety of miraculous ways unless you are willing to do your part by pressing in and start to seek after Him. Do your part, and watch what God will do in your life.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Holy Spirit’s guide in helping me deliver this message to the brethren. May those who read it be enlightened and edified to further their understanding of Your word and deepen their relationship with You in order to further the cause of the Kingdom. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen and so be it.

Rabu, 15 Agustus 2012

87) * THE PRAYERS & SERMONS OF OUR STANDING MINISTERS FOR PEOPLE TO READ - 40

PASTOR DANIEL PASARIBU

Monday Sermon for LJUSC, August 13, 2012


"LIVING IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15)

PART I


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The message we have today is all about the almighty power and glory of God's holy presence and how we can lay hold of that power in the Last Days. Scripture provides endless examples of how the presence of God empowers His children to live for Him. And one of the most powerful of these is found in the life of Moses.
Moses was convinced that without God's presence in his life, it was useless for Him to attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he said, "...If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence" (Exodus 33:15). He was saying, "Lord, if your presence is not with me, then I'm not going anywhere. I won't take a single step unless I'm assured you're with me!"
Moses knew it was God's presence in Israel that set the people apart from all other nations. And the same is true of the church of Jesus Christ today. The only thing that sets us apart from nonbelievers is God's being "with us" - leading us, guiding us, working his will in and through us.
Moses didn't care how other nations received their guidance, formed their strategies, ran their governments or directed their armies. He said, "We operate on one principle alone. The only way for us to be guided or governed, to make war and survive in this wasteland, is to have the presence of God with us!
"When the Lord's presence is in our midst, no one can harm us. But without Him, we're helpless, reduced to nothing. Let all the nations of this world trust in their mighty armies, their iron chariots, their skilled soldiers, their new weapons. We will trust in the manifest presence of our God!"
Here is how God answered Moses' bold statement: "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14). What an incredible promise! The Hebrew word for "rest" here is "a comfortable, quiet rest." God was saying, "No matter what enemies or trials you face, you'll always be able to find a quiet rest in Me!"
Think about this: If a church has the manifest presence of God in its midst, there won't be any hustle or bustle, sweating or striving. The worship meetings won't be hurried along, with three songs, an offering and a short sermon. Instead, there will be a calming peace, a quiet rest and everyone who walks through the doors will sense it!
Of course, this doesn't mean a church can't experience loud praises or exuberant worship. On the contrary, I believe those things are often the result of a people at rest. A church body that has God's presence in its midst will live, move and worship with a quiet confidence in the Lord at all times.
The same is true for every individual Christian. If you have Jesus' presence in your life, you will experience God's divine order. You'll have a peace and a calm, with no fretting or anxiety, no running to and fro to seek guidance, no sense that the bottom is falling out. You'll live at rest, knowing God has everything under control!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Old Testament Is Filled With Accounts of the Wonderful Blessings That Came to Those Who Had the Presence of God With Them

Consider these Old Testament examples of the blessing that God's presence brought to the lives of his followers:
1.God's presence was so evident in Abraham's life, even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: "...Abimelech...spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest" (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king was saying, "Abraham, there's something different about you. God guides you, preserves you and blesses you wherever you go!"

2.God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against him when God's presence was with him: "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage..." (Joshua 1:5-6). When God's Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and courageous - because no enemy can harm us!

3.God told Gideon. "...The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour...Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel..." (Judges 6:12,14). The phrase "Thy might" in this verse refers to the previous verse - that "the Lord is with thee." Do you see what God is saying? "Gideon, there is a might in you that's so powerful, it can save Israel. And that might is My presence!" Scripture reveals Gideon to be a coward - so, why did God call him a "mighty man of valor"? It was because He wanted to prove to Gideon what any person can do when the Lord's presence is with him!

4.God warned Jeremiah that the whole nation would turn against him and reject his prophecies. Yet God promised, "...they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee..." (Jeremiah 15:20). God was saying, "It doesn't matter if the whole country turns against you, Jeremiah. All that matters is that My presence is with you. Be confident I'm with you!"
5.God told Isaiah of a special promise He makes to those He loves: "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God...and I have loved thee...Fear not: for I am with thee..." (Isaiah 43:15). God was saying, "With My presence abiding with you, you can go through any flood or fire and survive. Yet you won't merely survive. You'll be blessed and favored through it all, because My presence is with you!"
These Old Testament passages aren't just dead-letter stories. They're meant to encourage and exhort us to seek God's presence in our lives. We can thank God for what His presence did for Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah and all of Israel. Yet each of us has a powerful testimony of what God's presence has done for us - guiding our lives, opening doors, moving obstacles, melting hearts, making us fearless.

There Is a Condition Attached to Getting and Maintaining the Presence of God in Our Lives

God attaches a condition to His presence in our lives. This condition is found in 2 Chronicles 15. In the previous chapter, King Asa had led the armies of Judah to a great victory over Ethiopia's million-man army. Yet Asa testified it was God's presence that had scattered the enemy:
"Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, 0 Lord, our God; for we rest on thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude...So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa..." (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).
As Asa and his armies led the triumphant procession back to Jerusalem, a prophet named Azariah met them at the city gate with this message from God: "Hear ye me, Asa...The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God...But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them" (15:1-4).
Here is the secret of getting and maintaining the presence of God in your life. The Lord reminded Asa, point blank, with no holds barred: "Asa, don't ever forget how you got this victory. You sought me with all your heart, turning wholly to me, when you were in trouble - and I sent My presence to you. It was My presence that put your enemies to chase!"
This is an accurate picture of many Christian homes today. Everything is out of order, with no authority, peace or rest. Everyone does what he or she pleases.

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“LIVING ALWAYS IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15) :

PART II

Many such families have become tragic, dysfunctional messes.
Yet it doesn't have to be this way. No Christian home has to remain dysfunctional. God's promises are unchangeable, and His word pledges, "For the rest of your life - as long as you continue to seek Me - I will be with you. Whenever you cry out to Me, I will always be found of you!"
This is not a complicated theology. Simply put, if both husband and wife - or merely either - are seeking the Lord, there is no need for their home to be troubled or "without law." Anyone can have the abiding presence of the Lord, if he or she will simply seek him for it.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

According to the Scriptures, Our Chief Concern Is to Keep and Seeking God, to Ensure His Presence With Us

God makes His covenant of grace with every believer. This covenant is embodied in promises such as, "God has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all." "Jesus became a curse for us." "He will never leave us nor forsake us."
Yet God also makes certain, special promises to those who determine to seek Him with all their hearts. One such promise is a covenant of God's presence. However, this covenant is strictly conditional. Scripture makes it clear that if we abide by the rule of this covenant, we will enjoy the incredible blessing of God's presence in our lives. And this doesn't refer only to issues of salvation. It speaks of being such seekers after God that His awesome presence is poured out on us - and it is seen and known by all!
God revealed this covenant of His presence through an unnamed prophet who delivered a message to Eli, the high priest of Israel. At the time, Eli was backslidden. The Lord had been speaking to him, warning him against allowing sin and compromise. But Eli had ignored all of God's Words. And now, this unnamed prophet said to Eli, "...the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Samuel 2:30).
The phrase "lightly esteemed" has to do with God lifting His presence. This doesn't mean a person is damned, but rather that he'll have to walk in the power of his own flesh. God was telling Eli, "I intended to bless your house, to favor you. But you've scorned me, becoming soft on sin and allowing your lusts to push me aside, Now I will take My presence from you!"
Many people come to Christ with a great, initial burst of faith. Yet over time their zeal wears thin, and they begin to neglect the Lord. They lightly esteem his commands and turn back to their old, sinful ways. Yet they still believe God's presence remains with them. No - that is a hoax, a lie, a delusion! The Bible makes it clear: If you forsake Him, He will forsake you!
God's promises never fail. But some like the covenant of his presence are absolutely conditional. They require more than merely our cooperation. Of course, God will never abandon us or stop loving us. But if we remain in sin, His presence will not be with us - and our lives will no longer be an instrument of His powerful presence. We will live according to the flesh striving, floundering, with no power or guidance!

Only When God's Presence Is Upon Us, Can We Behold, See and Understand His Glory

When Israel was in the wilderness, God manifested His presence to them through a cloud. This cloud was a physical manifestation of God's pledge to be with His people. It came down and covered the tabernacle night and day. And it acted as their guide for every undertaking. When the cloud moved, they moved, and when it stayed, they stayed. The people didn't have to hold committee meetings to try to figure out their direction or future. They put their confidence in that visible cloud of God's presence.
Today, that same cloud of His presence hovers over your secret closet of prayer. It waits every day to envelope you in its peace. It will lead you, empower you and give you peace. And it will give you detailed guidance for your home, work and relationships.
Your secret closet can be anywhere - in the shower, on the bus to your job, during your commute to work. You can shut out everything else and say, "Lord, I've got half an hour right now. I love you, Jesus, and worship you. This is my closet time with you!"
It's a wonderful thing to be shut in with God, developing a consistent prayer life. God promises that as you become a seeking, praying servant, His presence will break forth in your life closing and opening doors and working His divine order all around you. Yet something even greater than this will happen: God's presence will lead you into a revelation of His glory!
There is a difference between God's presence and His glory. Most Christians know His presence - His great works in their lives - but few know His glory. In Exodus, we're given a glimpse of this difference: "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34).
The apostle Paul writes that all believers' bodies are the tabernacle of God: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Like the Israelites who lived under the cloud of God's presence, we're constantly under the covering of God's grace. Yet, what is the difference between beholding God's presence and beholding His glory?
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Lord Gave Moses a Revelation of His Glory

Moses sought God for a continual manifestation of His presence: "...that I may know thee..." (Exodus 33:13-14). And God answered him, "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14).
Moses' request would be quite enough for most believers. We all want the presence of God and leading us, guiding us, empowering us, blessing us. Really, what more could any believer desire? Yet having the assurance of God's presence wasn't enough for Moses. He knew there was more. And he cried out, "...I beseech thee, shew me Thy glory" (verse 18).

God did show Moses His glory. But it didn't appear in some luminous cloud or in an earthshaking demonstration of power. No, God expressed His glory in a simple revelation of is nature: "The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." (34:6-7). God's glory was a revelation of his goodness, mercy, love and compassion!
I've heard many Christians say, "Oh, how the glory of God came down in our church last night! There was such incredible praise, and people were slain by the Spirit." But that isn't proof of a manifestation of God's glory. It has nothing to do with God beyond human emotions. It doesn't include a revelation of who He is!
Some may argue, "But what about the disciples' experience on the Mount of Transfiguration? Wasn't that a manifestation of God's glory? There was an overpowering light and the miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah."
But God's glory wasn't in Moses or Elijah or in the spectacular light. Rather, His glory was in Jesus: "...His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light...behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Matthew 17:2-6).
God was saying, "Here is my glory personified - in Christ!" Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of all God said He was to Moses - gracious, merciful, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression of sins. And now the Lord was saying, "Here's a living picture of My glory. It is all embodied in my Son!"
I've heard some Christians say, "If only the Lord would give me a vision of the horrors of hell, I would never forsake him. I'd live for Jesus every day!" No - that kind of vision never keeps anyone. Only a vision of who Jesus is - of His glory, grace and mercy - will keep us holy. I know a man who was near death and experienced just these kinds of hellish visions. Afterward, he swore he would dedicate his life to Christ. But within weeks that vision died, and he went back to his sinful ways.
God wants to open our eyes to "...the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18). He's saying, "All the glory I revealed to Moses is embodied in My son. And now I have given Him to you as your inheritance. You have a right to know Him in all His glory!" "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

Why did Moses so desperately seek a vision of God's glory? I believe the reason is found in this verse: "There I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory" (Exodus 29:43). The word "sanctified" here means "made clean." God was saying, in other words: "Moses, as you and the people worship Me, I will meet with you and give you My presence. And when I reveal My glory to you, it will cleanse you!"

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“LIVING ALWAYS IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15)

PART III


This is one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture. It offers hope to everyone who struggles with a besetting sin and yearns to be free and clean. God pledges, "Your temple will be made clean by a revelation of My glory. And that revelation is available to you right now - in my Son, Jesus Christ!"
Where can we find this revelation of Christ? We find it only as we come to the scriptures! Paul says that as we allow God's Word to reflect to us an ever-increasing revelation of Jesus, we will be changed from glory to glory: "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This revelation of God's glory will provide keeping power for our lives: "...upon all the glory shall be a defence" (Isaiah 4:5). In other words, God's glory will keep us clean in our worst hour. Satan will flee from us, for he can not face the Power and the Glory of God who dwell in us. Eventhough he may lie to us, "You're defeated! You're a cheat, a liar, an adulterer." But we can answer, "No, devil. I have a high priest - and I'm cleansed by a vision of His glory!"
When God revealed to Moses all these things about His nature, He also gave him the full revelation that he "...will by no means clear the guilty..." (Exodus 34:7). Azariah prophesied to King Asa in his most prosperous hour, "If you despise God's glory - if you excuse your sin and neglect the Lord - He will not cleanse you!" "...The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you" (2 Chronicles 15:2).
What God is telling us here is so simple: "Take time to get to know my Son! Search My Word and seek Me in your secret closet of prayer. Then, as you abide in My presence, your eyes will begin to open to My glory. It is all revealed in Christ. He is the full revelation of My love, grace, mercy, kindness”.
"As you continually reflect on this revelation, it will cleanse and purify you because you'll become more and more like Jesus. As you see how loving and merciful He is to you, you'll become more loving and merciful to others. And that will be My glory revealed in you!"
Beloved, stop looking for a sign. Stop expecting some force to shake your church building, or for some preacher to lay hands on you and solve all your problems. Seek the Lord alone! His Word makes it clear - you'll either enjoy His continual holy presence or be lightly esteemed: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him..." (16:9).
Seek Him with all your heart, and desire His presence in your daily life. Then you will know and experience the incredible Glory of God!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Let me give you the conclusion on this sermon today by giving four important things to prepare our hearts to live our lives mindful of the presence of God and the love of God for us to enable us to live in the Presence of God .
As we all know that, we are now living at the perilous times in the Last Days prior the soon coming of the Lord Jesus. The whole world is already full of evil spirits trying to control our lives to live according to the Kingdom of Darkness. God knows exactly how His Children can overcome our flesh, the world and the Devil in our daily life if we just obey His instruction to seek His Face and surrender unto Him to receive His revelation in His Presence to live according to His Plan.
Let’s try to follow the four important things to practice in our daily life to include daily devotions, solitude, prayer and community.

1.“Devotions” are a time each day, or each part of the day, for coming into the
presence of God. It is a time alone with God spent reading and reflecting upon
reading. Devotions can include Bible reading, readings from Christian writers,
prayer, even simply being still and quiet for a time. A quiet spot where interruptions
are unlikely is best. Time can range from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Consistency and
faithfulness are key components of daily devotions.

2.“Solitude” is a time of silence, away from everyday happenings of our lives. But it
is more than simple silence. Solitude includes time alone—alone with God. Solitude
can be a time of reflection on the happenings of our lives and, depending upon the
circumstances of our lives, can be experienced as peaceful or distressing. Solitude
can be a quiet time of wonderment on the gift of life given to us. Solitude can be a
time of reflection on God and the Kingdom of God. However experienced, solitude
involves silence in the presence of God without any special purpose or reason
except the desire to be with God.

The obvious question is: how are we able to find solitude in our busy lives filled
with work, things to do, and people who need us? The answer to this question is
to intentionally choose to make time and to create circumstances for solitude to
occur. When traveling in the car, turn off the radio. When in the house, turn off the
television, stereo, or other "background noises". Be intentional about creating
situations where quietude is possible and solitude may result. For many of us, that
involves an intentional choice to limit or filter what we will see in terms of movies, life’s happenings, or even news of world events. The intentional choice involves
discipline—one of the fruits of which can be found time to be alone with oneself and
with God. It is the intentional choice to create space for God by not filling our senses
and our minds with “things” that would otherwise occupy us!

For me, living a life filled with lists to help organize myself, the thought of solitude was
scary and seemed an unnecessary waste of life’s most precious commodity: time.
In the beginning, it wasn’t easy! Solitude cut against a lifetime of routines and
values all aimed at endeavoring to accomplish the most that can be done and to be
productive in the ways of the world. Over time, by practicing solitude more
frequently, I came to recognize that “being” as opposed to “doing” has even greater
fruits. The times of silence and solitude or simply “being”created opportunities
to listen for God in my life and to see God in my life!

3.“Prayer” is the third essential that embodies the practice of living in the presence of
God. Prayer is quite simply communion with God—speaking to God either by
words or by inclining of one’s heart toward the heart of God. Prayer becomes the
heart of “Living in the presence of God” because instead of carrying the burdens of
life alone, we take them to God in prayer. Not only at times of devotions, or in fixed
time of prayer, but as often as we are able! A servant of God, Richard Foster calls them
“breath prayers” and Paul says that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
These prayers are regular and frequent visits to the presence of God to express a
word, a thought, a request, a blessing or concern, and anything and everything in life
that is worthy of sharing with our God who created us, loves us and wants our love
first and foremost, and wants us to respond by going forth to give this love to others!
Such times of prayer are for me an opportunity to express gratitude to God for the
blessings of life, to pray for those in all parts of my life, and to reflect upon what I can
and should be doing in life. Most importantly, these times provide an opportunity to
listen quietly for God's Will and Word to me and for me.

4.Finally, "Community" is essential to the discipline of living in the presence of God.
It is ironic that this is so--but experience and tradition show that living in Christian
community where the love of Christ is expressed and experienced is essential to this
spiritual discipline. The truth is that we need to recognize that God loves us all with
the same unconditional, unending love and we are called to share life in community to
experience the presence of God and to experience the love of God! Stated another
way, living in the presence of God is best experienced and most authentic when it is
lived in community.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray that all of you and me will be desiring strongly to seek God’s face to live more often in His Holy Presence to receive His Power and Glory to empower us to overcome our flesh, the world and the Devil and his kingdom on this earth especially when we are now truly living at the perilous time in the Last Days awaiting for the soon coming of the Lord.
I pray none of us of all congregation of this Salvation Church will be defeated by our enemies but living victoriously until the end and after all we may meet with the Lord Jesus in the clouds at His Glorious Day according to 1Thessalonians 4:16-18.

To God Be All The Glory And Honor, A m e n.