What's Worth Living For?

                 Only one life will soon be past
            only what's done for Christ will last.

     This life will soon be over. The years go by faster than we care them to. We spend the years cramming as much as we can into life, and then it is gone forever. In eternity, one hundred years is as a vapor, if we are blessed to live that long, and then we stand before God.
     What will it really matter then? What will all of our accomplishments matter? What will it matter then  how much money we made? What will all of our hobbies and pursuits matter? What about all of the entertainment we now enjoy? All the time spent in front of a screen will not matter in God's eyes. All the leisure time, all the money spent to pamper ourselves, will not matter.
     Only what we have done in this life for Jesus Christ, will count on the day we stand before Him!
The time spent in prayer for the lost, the time spent witnessing for Him, the time spent in fellowship with Him, these are the things that matter now! Do we live for Him? Do we really love Him? Do our lives show it? Do we obey His commands, or live in disobedience?
     If most of us would be honest with ourselves we would probably find that most of what we do is done for ourselves with little or no regard for God. We would find that we are to a large degree self seeking. None of that will stand on that day when we stand before God. All that we do, even that which is not wrong in and of itself, for any reason other than for God and His glory, is done with wrong motives. If we would take this seriously, we would find that our lives would be simplified greatly, and our walk with Christ would be renewed.
     May God help us to turn around and begin to live for Him, and Him alone. May He get a hold of our hearts so that we will seek first His kingdom and righteousness. May God have mercy on us.
    

Elijah, a man just like us.

     Elijah stood against the idolatry of Israel in the days of Ahab and Jezebel. At his word it did not rain for three and a half years (1Kings 17:1). This was God's judgment against His backslidden people.
     After three and a half years of drought and famine, the word of the Lord came to Elijah once again. He was to show himself to king Ahab, because God was about to send rain (1Kings 18:1).
     Before God could send rain, the people had to repent of the sin that had placed them under the judgment of God. They had to put away their idols, they had to chose whom they would serve (1Kings 18:21). In a remarkable trial by fire, baal was proven to be no god at all, and The Lord God was shown to be the one and only God (1Kings 18:20-40).
    With the sin dealt with, Elijah prays for rain. Seven times he sends his servant to look before he sees a cloud the size of a man's hand (1Kings 18:42-44). This cloud grew until the sky was black resulting in a heavy shower.
     You may look at this biblical event, as well as other miraculous accounts, and feel that God only used special people to do extraordinary things. He used "super apostles" like Paul, and the disciples to do amazing things.
     The bible tells us that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours (James 5:16-18). He was no different than you or I. God has chosen each one of us to do things for Him in advancing His kingdom. Some are pastors, teachers, evangelists. Others are witnesses in the home and in the workplace. The passage in James 5 is talking about prayer. We need men and women with the kind of faith that Elijah had when he prayed down fire, and then prayed down rain.
     God desires to send the fire of His Spirit to cleanse and purify His people. He desires to send the refreshing rain of His presence to a dry and weary land. He is not looking for a great individual to use. He is looking for an individual full of faith, and willing to be used in any way.
     God will send revival. Will it come through you?
    

Religion of the Heart.

     Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah. "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the Lord. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies-
I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.
                                 Isaiah 1:10-18NASB

     Many individuals are content to worship God with mere lip service, and through countless rituals. They somehow believe that God looks down on all of this and is pleased. They feel that this all God requires, and they are then free to live as they please.
     All of the countless rituals, all the empty praise and meaningless prayer, are nothing more than an abominable stench before God. God is looking for hearts that are inclined to Him. He desires our devotion, our commitment of all we are and have to Him. Everything must flow out of a loving devotion to God, out of a passion for Him and His glory.
     Those practicing a mere external religion lack that love to God, and love to their neighbor that is required. God desires justice and mercy, and that must flow out of the heart that has been touched by His love and mercy.
     We often use the words of verse 18 as a call to the lost to receive salvation, but in the context, He is calling His backslidden people to repent and come back to the "religion" of the heart that pleases Him.
     It is no different today. God still desires the worship of those who are truly redeemed. He desires praise that flows from a heart filled with reverence and awe. He desires the deeds done in love, and for His glory. He is looking at the heart.

The New Covenant.

        "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
                                        Jeremiah 31:33 NASB

     "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be my people and I will be your God.
                             Ezekiel 36:25-28 NASB

    " 'Then you will no that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord have spoken and done it," declares the Lord' "
                                 Ezekiel 37:13-14NASB

     However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
                                             Romans 8:9-14 NASB

     Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
                                       1 Corinthians 3:16NASB

     Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me," says the Lord Almighty.
                                  2 Corinthians 6:16-18 NASB

     Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us- for it is written "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" - in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
                                     Galatians 3:13-14 NASB

     God required perfect obedience to the law under the old covenant. While the law is good, yet it could not empower anyone to obey it.
     Now under the new covenant we have the law of God written upon our hearts. It is something that we want to do. God has removed the heart of stone, our stubborn wills have been subdued by the washing of regeneration in the power of the Holy Spirit.
     Under the old covenant the presence of God dwelt in the temple, in the holy of holies, symbolized by the ark of the covenant. Worshippers approached God through a system of offerings and sacrifices, with a priest as an intermediary. It was only once a year that a priest could enter the holy of holies with a sacrificial offering.
     Now we are the temples of the living God, He dwells in us by His Spirit. We enter into His presence through Jesus Christ.
     The Holy Spirit came upon certain old testament saints at specific times for specific purposes. Now in this age of grace we can enjoy His presence and power for sanctification and service at all times.
     All this is made possible to us through Christ Jesus. The broken fellowship has been restored. We enjoy sonship as God's children. God is our God and we are His people. We  have access  to the throne of grace that was not available under the old covenant, we have new changed hearts, power to live a holy life. We worship in spirit and truth, enjoying intimacy with a God who was once unapproachable because of our sin.
     Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ!
    
    

 

A Time For Repentance.

     Why Should any living mortal, or any man,
      offer Complaint in view of his sins?
     Let us examine and probe our ways,
       and let us return to the Lord.
     We lift up our heart and hands toward
       God in heaven;
     We have transgressed and rebelled,
       You have not pardoned.
     You have covered Yourself with anger
       and pursued us;
     You have slain and not spared.
     You have covered yourself with a cloud
       so that no prayer can pass through.
     You have made us mere off-scouring,
       and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
     All of our enemies have opened their
       mouths against us.
     Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
       devastation and destruction;
     My eyes run down with streams of water
       because of the destruction of the daughter
       of my people.
     My eyes pour down unceasingly,
       without stopping,
     Until the Lord looks down and
       sees from heaven,
     My eyes bring pain to my soul
       because of the daughters of my city.
                             Lamentations 3:39-51 NASB



     These are the words of Jeremiah the weeping prophet as he weeps over the destruction and captivity of Jerusalem.
     Just as the Israelites of old abandoned the true worship of Jehovah God, so also has a large portion of the modern church.
     Where are the men and women who weep over the desolation of the house of God today? Where are those who mourn over the lack of God's presence in our midst as we come to worship with our lips but not our hearts? Where are those who will give God no rest night and day until He pours out His Spirit upon us once again?
     Rise up and seek the Lord that He may raise up His Church in holiness and power once again, that the nations would look and see that The only God is indeed on the throne today. Cry out that God would restore His people for the glory of His name. Seek Him to remove the reproach from His wayward children, so that it would not hinder others from entering into His kingdom.
     Cry out! Cry out! Stand in the gap until His righteousness falls like rain once again. Oh God revive us again for the sake of your name!
    

Humility, Essential For the Presence of God.

                 For thus says the high and exalted One
                 Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
                  I dwell on a high and holy place,
                  And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
                  In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
                  And to revive the heart of the contrite.
                                        Isaiah 57:15 NASB
   
     God is present everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10), but He only dwells in two places. As the Holy God, He dwells in the high and holy place. He also desires to dwell with man, but cannot dwell where sin reigns. It is in the place of brokenness, the humble heart submitted to the Savior, where Christ desires to dwell.

Clean Hands, and A Pure Heart.

     It has been said that if you desire revival, draw a circle on the ground, step inside, and ask God to send revival and begin with me. It is a fact that God must first work in the hearts of His chosen vessels before He can use them for greater purposes. He must first cleanse His church before He will use it to bring souls into His Kingdom. Judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
     The Scriptures are filled with examples of this truth. Before Moses could lead Israel out of Egypt He first had to circumcise his son. This was a sign of his covenant relationship with God, and was something he had neglected to do (Exodus 4:24-26).
     Joshua could not proceed into the promised land until all of the males born during the forty years Israel wandered in the wilderness, were also circumcised (Joshua 5:2-9). This physical act is symbolic of the removal of the sin nature in our hearts (Romans 2:29) (Deut 10:16) (Jer 4:4).
     Years ago a group of seven men were moved by the plight of the backslidden churches around them. They made a covenant before God to seek Him on a regular basis until He sent revival. They faithfully met three nights a week to seek God, praying until four or five in the morning. They met like this for weeks until early one morning one of them arose from prayer and opened his bible and began to read from Psalm Twenty Four. "who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood (Psalm 24:3-4NASB).
     The men were cut to the heart and all began to confess their sin and rededicate themselves to Christ anew. this was the beginning of a mighty revival that swept the Hebrides in 1949.
     We must be clean to approach A holy God. We must put away sin and surrender ourselves to Him. He must have us before He will use us, but once cleansed and filled with His Spirit there is no end to the great things He can accomplish through us!