There can be no excuses.

      For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement.
     Psalm 51:3,4 ESV

     I work at a place that employs about 135 people. It always amazes me how many individuals have excuses for their mistakes. If something is broken, or something is made wrong, there is always an excuse. Often someone else is blamed for what is done. Seldom does anyone just admit they did it wrong, they have nothing else to say, they were wrong.
     It works the same way with repentance toward God. There can be no justifying of sinful actions, no excuses, no blaming others, no sugarcoating of sin. We must take the blame for our sin. We must admit that God is right, we are wrong. Repentance sees sin for the first time the way God sees it, vile and offensive. Instead of arrogant excuses, the truly repentant soul humbly confesses its sin to God with a broken heart, and turns from it.
   

Reconciliation.

     "Behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.
     Malachi 4:5,6 NASB

     God has ordained the family to be a place where love abounds. We are to care for one another, look out for each other, fellowship with each other, and spur one another along towards righteousness.
The home is to be where God is honored, His word proclaimed, and put into practice.
     Sadly, a vast number of homes are broken for various reasons. Family members are estranged to one another. There is no fellowship, no encouragement, no love. What is even more tragic, is that this condition affects many in the church. The church today is filled with individuals who are outcasts in their homes. Even worse, many in the church treat family as outcasts. this is displeasing to God, and according to these verses we are in danger of a curse. It is no wonder that so many are spiritually weak and powerless.
     The good news is that reconciliation is possible. A sure sign of revival is individuals getting right with one another. Children reconciling with parents, and parents reconciling with their children. When the presence of the Lord comes in, people begin to get right with each other, as they get right with Him. Bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, and strife all must go if Christ is to be enthroned in the hearts of His people. God is love, and those who are filled with Him walk in love.
     We need a revival today! God desires to be exalted in our congregations, homes, and in individuals. He wants our family relations to be restored, to be pleasing to Him once again.










    

What if Jesus came to Church?

What would happen if Jesus suddenly came into one of our services today? What would He do, and how would we react?

     http://contendforfaith.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-if-jesus-came-to-your-church.html

We need to press in!

     Exodus 33:7-11.

     We read that Moses set up the tent of meeting outside of the camp. Anyone who desired to seek the Lord could go and meet with Him there. Moses would go and meet with God often. The people would watch him leave, they would stand at the door of their tents, and watch him enter into the presence of God. They would then worship the Lord from the safety of their tents. They did not want to get too close. It was good enough for them to have Moses go. After all he was their leader. He could receive guidance from God, and share it with them!
     Too many are like this today as well. It is ok to go to church. We want our pastors to be close to God, so they can instruct us. It is ok to see others pursue God with a passion, while we content ourselves to sit back and worship from a distance.
     Things did not go well for Israel at this time. Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days and nights. People began to look for something to worship in his absence, and made a golden calf. They paid a great price for this sin. It was a reflection of their lack of devotion to God, an unwillingness to get into His presence and hear from Him.
     Moses would have to leave the presence of God, to come back and relate to the people what God had for them. On the other hand, this portion of scripture closes by mentioning Joshua, Moses' young assistant. He would remain in God's presence long after Moses had left. This is the man who years later led Israel into the promised land.
     We need to be like Moses, and Joshua. God wants to meet with us. We need to experience Him for ourselves, and not depend on the experiences of others. We need to draw near to Him for ourselves. Do not be a worshipper who only worships from a distance!

If your presence does not go with us, we won't go!

     I think about Moses, and when God was angry with Israel after they made the golden calf. God said go into the promised land, I will drive out the people before you, I will send an angel to go before you, but I will not go with you. This is when Moses said he would not go if God's presence was not with them.
     I feel the same way about church. If God is not there, why go? I wish this would be considered by pastors, teachers, worhip leaders,etc. If God is not here in presence and power, let's stop. No singing, no teaching, no preaching. Let's get on our faces before God, seek Him, find out why He is not here, repent if need be, and wait for Him. Without His presence it is all an empty formality. It is in His presence where lives are touched and impacted. This is where worship thrives, where our purpose is found. It is about Him and for Him. Amen!

One thing.

     One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
     Psalm 27:4 ESV

     A hunger for God, a desire to live in His presence in a very real and tangible way, to know Him intimately, is presented in this verse.  The apostle Paul had the same hunger. He said "One thing I do" (Phil 3:13). His life was not scattered into many pursuits. He did not preach, plant churches, travel, pray, make tents, etc. He did one thing only,pursue Christ! His ONE desire was to know Christ, and all else flowed out of this singleness of purpose.
     We are too divided. Our pursuits have us running all over the place. Like Paul, we need to clean house, get rid of anything that hinders knowing Christ more and more.
     All David desired was to  dwell in the temple all the days of his life. He did not mean a physical building. He was not talking about shutting himself within a church. He was speaking about the glorious presence of God. All that he desired and pursued was swallowed up by this one great desire, to know God intimately.
     Paul accomplished more for Christ than most people ever have. All of this flowed from his pursuit of God, his singleness of purpose. Likewise, if we also would pursue God with all of our hearts, with a passion that swallows up everything, we would truly find Him, live in His presence, and carry His glory. We have been chosen to be temples for the LORD, a place for Him to dwell. Let Him come and fill you with His presence.

Just like us.

     The bible tells us that Elijah was a man with a nature just like us. There was nothing extra special about him. God chose to use him, and he yielded in obedience.
     This should encourage us to step out in faith and let God use us as well. Who knows what He may do through you?