Here in Your Presence with Lyrics New life Worship

Mätthu Wisler & Friends - Take me in (Acoustic)

No Rights.

     In society today, people cling tightly to their rights. We claim rights to property, possessions, feelings, and countless other rights. Just let someone infringe upon our rights and we get fired up, bent out of shape, and go to work protecting our right to whatever it is that is being threatened. This is especially true as Americans. Our country is founded upon the idea that we have certain rights that are guaranteed us, and laws are in place to protect those rights. 
     It is the same within the Church as well. The vast majority of people calling themselves Christians hold to what they feel are their rights. Once again, this is a product of the culture that we live in, a society founded upon the idea that we have rights guaranteed us.
     However, this is not how the Kingdom of God works! As Disciples of Christ we are called to give up our rights! This is what Jesus means when He speaks of losing our lives for His sake (Mark 8:35). We are called to renounce, give up our right to all of our possessions (Luke 14:33). It will cost you everything to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8). All of your plans, hopes, and dreams, all of your money and finances, all of your friends and family are no longer yours. You give up your right to anger and bitterness. You give up your right to live and do as you please. You are no longer your own, you must relenquish the right to your very self (1 Corinthians 6:19).
     We are so deceived. Many so called Christians today are living for themselves, clinging to their rights, standing up for things that do not really matter, pursuing things that have no value in the eyes of eternity. Jesus is looking for those who will deny themseves, take up their cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-25). He is looking for those who will get up on that cross and die to themselves, so that He can live through them (Galatians 2:20). Nothing less than this can be called true Christianity.

Pray for Northeast South Dakota.

     I believe that God has great things in store for Northeast South Dakota. We desperately need revival. This is a hard place spiritually, as is the case in many other communities. Many have cried out to God for years for a move of His Holy Spirit, holding on to Him by faith to do it. I believe that the time is about to come. I believe a mighty revival is about to sweep across this State. Not a fluffy revival of fleshly nature, but one born through the Spirit's mighty convicting power, as evidenced by deep personal repentance and transformed lives.
     Join me in prayer, that God would do this for His glory, that He would have a spotless bride in South Dakota. We desire to see changed lives here, we want things to be as God intends them to be!
     Please pray!

Repentance.

     Every true revival is preceded by a deep repentance. Here is a post on repentance from the blog site Contending for the faith.
http://contendforfaith.blogspot.com/2011/03/repentance.html

I Sought a Man.

     Will it be God's judgement, or revival? God is looking for a man to stand in the gap. Someone to intercede for a backslidden church, a nation that has departed from God, and a lost world. watch this video by George Delo and allow God to challenge you to step up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTbfwjDL5ro

A Voice of Thunder.

     Few men have spoken for God with the power and conviction of Charles G. Finney. In an age where the church had grown cold and formal, he labored to bring them back to a life of holiness for the glory of God. He refused to compromise, calling sin sin. He understood many of the "refuges of lies" (excuses) that sinners hid behind. With a powerful voice, full of the Holy Spirit, he preached with conviction. Men would fall to their knees trembling before the holy God they had rebelled against. Thousands were saved from lives of sin, thousands were brought back from backsliding. God used him mightily to bring revival to the church of his day.
     He had no power in and of himself. What was his secret? He was yielded to God, full of the Holy Spirit. He walked in total obedience to God and His word. He was a man of prayer. He understood that without the power of the Holy Spirit in his life, he could do nothing.
     His writings exist today, and have been a source of growth and encouragement to many. Many individuals have read them and God has used them to bring revival as well.
     Why not let God use you? We need a voice of thunder today. Let God fill you and use you. Oh how the church needs revival today.

Longing for The Presence of God.

     One thing I have asked from the Lord. that shall I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
                                                      Psalm 27:4 NASB

     David here has one consuming passion that swallows up all other desires. He is not longing to spend the rest of his days living in the temple, his one desire is to live in the presence of the Lord. I like how the Amplified Bible puts it.
     One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek,inquire for, and {insistantly} require: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord {in His presence} all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty {the sweet attractiveness and delightful loveliness} of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
     It is God that he desired above all else. He longed for God's presence, he desired intimate fellowship with the one he loved and longed for above all else. He wanted to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate upon Him and His ways. It was all about The Lord.  
     This was the same passion that drove Paul to abandon all and to pursue Christ (Philippians 3:7-14). To be sure, these men had prayer requests and asked God for different things, but unlike most of us, they really sought God for Himself alone!
     May God ignite a like passion in our hearts as well!

Appalled At Sin.

     Then everyone who trembled at the words of the  God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.
                                                                 Ezra 9:4 NASB


     The Lord said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are being commited in its midst."
                                              Ezekiel 9:4 NASB

     Throughout the history of the people of God, there have been times of sin and backsliding. In the days of Ezra, the people who returned from the Babylonian exile were quick to intermarry with the foreign people inhabiting the land. The danger was great. This was a step that would lead to idolatry, as the religious practices of these foreigners would be adopted by God's chosen people. These exiles had spent seventy years in captivity due to God's judgement against the idolatry and sin that they allowed to exist in their midst. Now they were playing with fire once again.
     The priests and religious leaders in the day of Ezekiel were a corrupt and idolatrous people. They worshipped God as a pretense, but in reality the worshipped the false gods of the nations around them. They were even so bold as to set up idols in the temple itself, believing that what they did was done in secret. Judgement begins in the house of God, and judgement was coming.
     It seems that God always has a few individuals who know what it is to walk in the fear of the Lord. there are always those who grieve over the sin that they see in the house of God, those who mourn over the lukewarmness of God's chosen people, those who sit appalled at the sin and compromise found in the church in all generations.
     Ezra mourned over the intermarriages occuring among the Israelites. He was appalled at their blatant disregard for God's command to remain separated from the people of the land. As he sat in silence, others who feared God, and trembled at his word, gathered to him. Ezra offered a heartfelt prayer of confession, weeping before God. As he prayed, God began to move. The people broke down and wept. You could say a revival occured. The people repented of their sin to the point of putting their foreign wives away, thus avoiding God's judgement.
     There are those today as well who mourn over the sin and compromise among God's people. They understand that God is a holy God, and will judge sin among His people first. They, like Ezra, cry out to God for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit. A move bringing conviction and a heartfelt repentance. They desire to see God glorified in His people once again. They cry out for revival.
     Are you one of those who tremble at the words of God? Are you appalled at sin among the people of God, or do you give hearty approval to those who sin (Romans 1:32)? Will God use you to bring revival?
    

Awake Daughter of Zion.

This message on revival must be heard! Here is the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaa1N13rwW8&feature=youtu.be

The Illumination of the Holy Spirit.

     It is the Holy Spirit who takes the word of God and illuminates it for us. It is the Spirit who quickens it giving it life. The Spirit uses it like a surgical tool to probe the inner depths of our hearts, laying all bare before us. The Spirit gives it the power to change lives.
     What will you do with the Holy Spirit? Will you allow Him to transform you into the image of Christ?

In the Power of the Spirit.

     We need to get back to the way God intended our lives to be lived, and our witness shared!
     http://contendforfaith.blogspot.com/

An Interview With Leonard Ravenhill.

     Here is a link to an interview with Leonard Ravenhill. It is convicting, as well as inspiring. We need to see revival as he describes it, once again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwtiw7UTj4o
    

Grieving the Spirit.

     Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
                          Ephesians 4:30 NASB

     As Christians, we are called to maturity. We are not to be like children, falling for everything that we hear, but we are to grow up in all aspects of our lives, into Christ, who is our head (Eph 4:14,15). We are to live our lives according to the truth, the truth that is revealed to us in the word of God. It is one thing to know and study the truth, but unless we allow it to shape and mold our lives, unless we become Christlike in our behavior, it is useless knowledge.
     It is the job of the Holy Spirit to take the truth and reveal it to us. The Holy Spirit will take the word of God and illuminate it to our hearts and minds so that we can understand it and know how we need to apply it to our lives. It is His job to sanctify us, or to make us holy, set apart in every aspect of our lives. To be holy, is to be separated from sin, selfishness, and all the ungodly ways of this world, and be devoted to the service of God. The Holy Spirit will convict us, promt us, lead and guide us, and empower us, to the end that Christ is formed in us.
     Those who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, exhibit lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, are all marks of the Spirit filled life (Galatians 5:22,23).
     Paul exhorted the Believers in Ephesus to put off the old man, the corrupt way of life that they once lived, and to put on the new man who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness, and holiness of the truth (Eph 4:22-24). This involves a renewal of mind, a looking at life through the lens of scripture with a determined willingness to obey God in everything at all times. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit, or we will grieve Him. The Spirit is filled with sorrow when we go against Him. It grieves Him when we are dishonest with one another. He is grieved by anger, theft, vain and foolish conversation, bitterness, wrath, clamor, and slander (vss. 25-31). All of these sinful behaviors are the fruit of yielding to our fleshly, selfish desires. These are the results of failing to follow the Spirit, and this grieves Him. A loss of the fear of the Lord, a lack of respect for Him and His presence grieves the Spirit. This only shows that we are living for ourselves, and not for Him.
     To grieve the Spirit is to lose communion with Him. It is to lose that peace that comes from a right standing with God. It is to lose the inner witness that the Holy Spirit bears with our spirit. If persisted in, it leads to spiritual death (Gal 5:21, 6:8).
     The only remedy is found at the cross of Christ. True confession of sin, confession to God, and confession to those we have offended, and a honest repentance, are needed. When sin is dealt with, and dug out from the root, when the blood of Christ has been applied by faith, we will once again enjoy the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

A Lesson From A Late Spring.

     We have had an unusually long winter. It is heading towards the end of April and we are still getting snow. The ground is covered, and everything is a mess.
     The other day I looked out the window at work and saw it snowing again. At first I was annoyed, but then I paused and prayed "What are you trying to say, God?".
     I thought about it for a minute and sensed God was showing me that He has been longing to pour out His Spirit upon His people, but they are unwilling to receive Him. Just as this is the time for rain, and things to green up and grow, but it has been too cold, likewise the Church has in a great measure grown to cold to receive the rain of the Holy Spirit. Many like things the way they are. They do not want change. Others hold on to sin, and do not want to feel conviction.
     The remedy is repentance! The rain will only come and fall upon the ground that has been plowed up. The sleet and snow will only turn to rain as the temperature warms up. Likewise the Holy Spirit will only shower upon those whose hearts are warmed up to receive Him. We must lay aside our complacency, selfishness, and sin, and return to Christ once again. He stands ready to restore and revive. He longs to fill us with His presence. It is spring, the time for new life to begin!
    
    

The Narrow Way.

     Jesus makes a sobering statement in Mattthew 7:13,14

    " Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
     "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

     Hear what Jesus is saying! The broad way to destruction is full of people! The narrow way to life is only found by a few!
     We live in an age where salvation is "easy". Just say this prayer, come as you are, you do not need to give up anything, God loves you just as you are. People are looking for a Jesus who will give them a wonderful life. They want a Jesus who will make them happy without making them holy.
     The Jesus of the Bible demands a total commitment of all we are. He demands we deny ourselves, and take up our cross, not just once but DAILY, as we follow Him. There is no coming into the kingdom without a thorough repentance. Repentance was the cry of John the Baptist, of Jesus, Paul, Peter. They did not say "Repeat this prayer after me, while every head is bowed, and every eye is closed" They called for repentance, a turning from sin and self, and by faith, surrendering to Christ as Lord.
     There are few who make this commitment. Most want heaven, but have no real desire to live a life sold out to Christ, a life lived for His will, His glory, His kingdom. Most are content to look back at a moment when they said a prayer, exercised some faith, but never exchanged self for Christ. They were never truly regenerated, born again, and made into a new creation.
     What road are you on? Are you satisfied to live a life of sin, never getting victory over temptation, never really changed from how you have always lived? You might have "accepted Christ" but where is the fruit? Or have you been transformed, truly set free, living for the will of God?
     What road are you on?
    

Faith

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

     The word of God is our source of faith. In it we find faith to lean on Christ in any and all situations. We find the faith to come to Him for forgiveness. We find faith to come to Him with our cares and burdens. We find faith for the healing of the body, soul, and spirit. We find faith for the miraculous. We find faith to receive the Holy Spirit in all His fullness. We receive faith to cry out and hold on for revival in a dry and thirsty land.
     Are  you weak? Are you doubting? Are you dry spiritually? Get out your Bible, get on your knees, and come to the source.

God, the Source of Revival.

     Drip down, O heavens, from
       above,
   and let the clouds pour
       down righteousness;
   Let the earth open up and
        salvation bear fruit,
    And righteousness spring up
        with it.
     I, the LORD, have created it.

          Isaiah 45:8 NASB

Achan's Sin.

     The sin of one man caused a whole nation to suffer defeat at the hand of the inhabitants of Ai (see Joshua 7).  Achan took some of the plunder taken at Jericho, and hid it under his tent. He did this in secret. Nobody else knew, not even Joshua.
     God knew, and held the whole nation responsible (verse 11). Because of this, He witheld His favor from them, and allowed them to be defeated (verse 12)! Until Joshua searched out this matter and dealt with it, God would not go with them any longer.
     Likewise, God, through Peter, dealt with Annanias and Sapphira in the early church ( Acts chapter 5), and Paul rebuked the church at Corinth for tolerating, and failing to deal with a member living in open immorality (1 Corinthians 5). Jesus rebuked the church at Thyatira for tolerating a false teacher who led others into sin (Revelation 2:18-29). There were consequences to the sins of a few individuals, that threatened to effect the whole congregation.
     Is it any wonder that there is such a great lack of spiritual power, and the presence of God in the midst of His people today? We live in an age where there is much tolerance of evil, where no one wants to confront someone who is living in gross sin, open rebellion, yet coming together with other believers as if nothing was wrong! You might say "It is none of my buisness what someone else does" but like the army of Israel at the battle of Ai, it affects you in an adverse way! Until sin is dealt with through confession and repentance, the presence and power of God cannot be restored.
     It is time to grieve over the state of things among God's people. It is time to fall on our knees seeking His presence, time to cry out to Him to restore and revive His church, to rise up in the purity and power that come from His presence, secured by His blood, washed over a humble and repentant body of believers ready to stand strong for Him!
    

Taking that Step of Faith.

     I find the story of Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan (see Joshua 3) very challenging to my faith. In fact it takes me right out of my comfort zone. This is a good thing, as it is not good to get comfortable in our christian walk.
     Joshua is leading the next generation of Israelites into the promised land, after forty years of wandering, and the death of Moses. One obstacle stood in their way. The Jordan river was at flood stage during this time of year. for all practical purposes it was impassible. Perhaps a strong swimmer could get across, but not a multitude including women and children. It would take a miracle.
     Joshua instructs the Priests to take the ark of the covenant, and go before the people, with a distance separating them. As the Priests stepped into the water, God would part the river, and the nation would cross over into the promised land. Sounds great, we read of miracles in the bible and have no problem believing them, right?
     How would you like to be the first Priest to step into the river? remember the river is flooded. If the waters do not part, you will fall in, pulling the other Priests in with you, ark and all. If you do not drown, you will probobly be struck dead trying to grab onto the ark as you are being swept downstream.
      It would be so much easier to stand on the dry ground waiting for God to part the water, but that is not always how it works. Faith demands that we take God at His word whether it makes sense or not. It demands that we take the plunge so to speak, all or nothing. God often brings us to places where we have to live by bare faith. Places where we have to obey regardless of the consequences, places where we have to step out in spite of what the circumstances are, places where we have to go completely against what common sense dictates. Peter could not walk on water sitting in the boat, and we cannot walk into God's calling on our lives while remaining safely in our comfort zones.
     God was true to His word. As the Priests bearing the ark, stepped into the water, it stood in a heap, allowing safe passage across. Easy to believe because it is a bible story, and it happened so long ago, but is it easy to step in all the way when God calls?
     That is what makes faith, faith. It is that bold determined willingness to go all the way with Christ, no matter what. Our actions are the proof of our belief!

    

I Need to Be Filled

1. I need to be filled with the spirit, each moment of every day, I need to be filled in the morning, ere starting upon my way.

2. I need to be filled for the home life, I need it for work outside, I need it alone in God's presence, that I may in Him abide.

3. I need to be filled with the Spirit, to hear or to read His word, I need to be filled when by speaking, I witness for Christ my Lord.

4. I need it, and oh, I may have it, for by His enabling power, the Spirit whom He has once given, can fill me this very hour.

chorus

I need to be filled, Lord Jesus, I need to be filled each day;
I need to be filled with the spirit, each moment along life's way.

Ada R Habershon
Robert Harkness
copyright 1910 by C.M. Alexander. Hope Publishing Co.

Return to your first love.

     Many couples begin their married life passionately devoted to one another. The things that they do for each other are motiviated by love. Their main concern is to do what is best for their spouse, to do those things that will make their spouse happy. All this flowing out of deep, passionate, love, taking no thought of self.
     Years later, many couples are still doing many of the same things. They still provide for each other, still do things together, but something has changed. The passion is gone, habit and routine have replaced love as the motivating factor. One or both of the marriage partners are living for themselves. On the surface things may still look fine, but under the surface things are beginning to decay.

     This is the same with our relationship with Jesus Christ.

     I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.
     Revelation 2:2,3 (NASB)

     Look at all the things this group of believers were doing! They did far more than many christians do today! They endured through all forms of trial and testing. No doubt they suffered persecution for their faith. They did not allow false teaching, they tested apostles and had nothing to do with evil men, things that the church today has largely forsaken! This group was doing all the right things, things that anyone who loved Christ would do.
     Read on and see what Jesus thought of all this.

     But I have this against you, that you have left your first love (vs 4).

     It seems that habit had replaced love. They were doing the right things. They were patiently enduring, they were weeding out the false teachers, carefully guarding the truth, standing firm without growing weary, all for the name of Christ. However, the fire had gone out. Love was gone, replaced by the routine of doing the things that christians are supposed to do.
     Christ is not so impressed by the deed, but looks at the motivation of the heart. Deeds done without love, are just filthy in His eyes as any other sinful act! True love for God will always produce the deeds that please Him.
     What was Christ's instruction to this church?

     Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place- unless you repent (vs 5).

     Jesus called on them to look back at how it was at first. They were to recall the passion, the love for Him that once motivated them to great things done for His name. They were to have a complete change of mind and heart. they needed to return to the way it used to be. Love must once again become the mainspring of all their action.
     It is no different today. Many christians stiil do the things they have always done. They still hold to a moral standard of living. They at one time loved Christ with a passion, but now it is a hollow empty life of service done for other reasons. The answer? Remember the way it used to be, the love, the passion, the devotion, and repent. Come before God with a sorrowful heart, find His grace, and let Him light the fire in your heart once again. Love Him again, like at the first, when you would do anything for Him no matter how big or small, easy or difficult, because you loved Him, the one who gave Himself for you.
    

My people.

     If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a pestilence among My people,
     and my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
     2 Chronicles 7:13,14 (NASB)

     Many people today apply verse 14 to America. They believe that if the American people as a whole would somehow fall on their knees before God and seek Him in repentance, America would somehow be restored and spared judgement.
     It is true, God would hear, would forgive, and judgement could be averted. However, this idea is taken out of the context of these verses. These two verses are God's response to the nation of Israel at the dedication of Solomon's temple. This is God's word to Israel, His chosen people, the people called by His name. The promise is this; if the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, turned away from God, and if He brought judgement against them, if they would repent and seek Him once again, He would hear, forgive, and heal. Jugement would end, they would be restored, and live under God's blessing once again.
     This priniple can be applied to God's chosen people today. God is no respector of persons. He has no favorite people or nations. America is not God's chosen people. All who have given their lives to Him by faith in Jesus Christ are the chosen people of God.
     We will never see America, or any other nation for that matter, one day just hitting their knees and seeking God all on their own. Judgement begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17,18). The church, the called and chosen people of God, needs to be in close abiding fellowship with Him. This promise applies to a backslidden church. If My people, those who have been redeemed by God, those who are called by His name, if they will humble themselves and pray, and seek the face of God with repentant hearts, then God will hear them, forgive them, heal them, empower them. It is then and only then, that they can be used effectively to reach the nations for Jesus Christ.
     A revival must come to God's chosen people first, before it spreads to the world around them!