DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 32
GOD’S TANGIBLE PRESENCE

God’s presence is one of the most popular words in our Christian vocabulary and yet filled with mystery. How is it we say we can “really” discern and sense Him being near at “certain” times, yet it is common knowledge that He lives inside of us all the time? Maybe the reason this enigma is so difficult to explain is because we are thinking about it backwards. Maybe it is not that He “comes around” every so often but rather we sense Him when we become aware that He is there. The first part of James chapter 4 verse 8 say’s, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” which reveals how God has developed a pattern of His laws and principals pertaining to our intimate spiritual relationship with Him. Can I really feel Him? Yes! And I am so thankful that I can always know He is there!

Some saints read how Abraham and Moses had encounters with God and think that now it would be impossible to have a spiritual experience like that. They do not acknowledge God in their everyday life as a person that is standing right next to them, listening to them and trying to speak to them. Just because history has recorded the ancient stories of shekina glory clouds of fire and His voice thundering from the heavens does not mean He has stopped communicating or intervening.

God is more than words on a page; He is a present, tangible, reality! His presence has always been and will always be which is why He is called the Alpha and Omega. As the supreme ruler of heaven, earth, the universe and all things, He is Omnipresent which means He is everywhere at once. The underground church in China experiences God’s presence at the same time He is with a person in Chicago in their prayer closet. He is Omniscient in that He sees and hears everything and knows all deeds, all thoughts and all knowledge. He is Omnipotent which means He is the eternal Almighty divine deity of all other gods and infinite in His power and authority as Lord and King of all.

God’s presence is the mercy of heaven that falls like drops of eternal love on the world. He is perfect and the essence of His holiness demands reverent fear and respect from anyone who would even consider approaching His presence. Jesus was God manifested in the flesh so the people could see the demonstration of His word. We now see the character and image of His person through others who allow Him to reflect His image. The Christian life is all about laying down our identity and being filled with His tangible presence.

I was raised in a traditional Baptist church and as I try to remember about God’s presence I can recall hearing loud inspirational messages and people saying amen and the songs were led by a person that used hand gestures for timing. Hymns were accompanied by a pianist and we used hymnals as our source for congregational worship songs. Sometimes a choir or an individual would sing a special song. There would be long alter calls that pleaded with people to come forward and we would sing several verses of songs such as “I surrender all” at the end of each service. I can relate to these traditions because I went down one Sunday as the alter call was being given and surrendered my life to Jesus and I thank Him for those mercy and love filled salvation messages.

I’m sure my parents made comments about the power of the Holy Spirit and how strong God’s presence was but I cannot really remember them. I also do not remember hearing about miracles but I’m sure some were healed and delivered. God’s anointing makes the difference between experiencing a divine appointment and being put to sleep which I am sure has been believed in most churches. No doubt the more sensitive a person is the more they can feel the anointing which I believe that understanding and revelation plays a part in our spiritual expectation. For many years now I have been involved with God’s presence as not only a listener but also a speaker, singer and worship leader and I cannot imagine stepping onto a stage without knowing that God was going to minister through me. Without His presence our “program” is just a lot of hot air.

Tangible: 1. Capable of being touched; discernable by the touch; material or substantial. 2. Real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary. 3. Definite; not vague or elusive; without doubt.

There is great joy in being in God’s presence and seeing results of being the clay cup that can hold God’s living water. We live in the middle of two worlds that constantly keep us watching and feeling the push to press forward or the pull to hold back. We listen to the voices from this earthly realm that fight against us and try to hinder our advancement toward our destiny. We fight to deny our flesh the control and domination of our mind because we know our feelings can become enmity against God’s holy will for us. And yet much of our time is spent fighting the temptations that are so strong we can hardly concentrate. We pray and cry to fulfill our spiritual mission yet we stumble like we are in the dark and are often too weak to carry it out. Daily we must bow down to the Almighty who holds the keys that can unlock all of our obstacles but how many times do we say we are too busy? We know that we must lay down our agendas and pre-conceived plans and ideas so that He can fulfill His vision in us – but how?

For this to happen there must first be a true desire to change and a sincere invitation from us that admits we desperately need God. There must be a genuine spiritual thirst and hunger for His presence or we will never really give Him what He really wants – our heart. Look around; you see people all day long that never even give The Lord a thought in their decisions. They are so occupied with living their life they obviously feel they do not need Him. We can understand how the unsaved are not flowing in the Holy Spirit because they are not connected with God but what about people in the church? How can Christians have the attitude they have everything under control and are satisfied with not calling on Him until they have a crisis? How sad that many who profess to be saved will gladly accept the golden ticket to heaven but do not want Jesus to interfere in their life.

True love and unity comes when people empty themselves out and then sincerely cry out for God to fill them with His presence. This reveals the depth, maturity and passion of a true disciple. A room filled with lukewarm Christians who believe they can manipulate Jesus will continue as a lethargic, religious gathering and nothing more. True worship awakens, provokes, stimulates, motivates and challenges the heart to accept God’s instructions so we can live in faith, obedience, strength, and peace. For many Christians (including pastors and ministry leaders) it can be said with tears; they have settled for less because that is all they want. How many who proclaim to be saved, avoid God’s presence because they know He will require their will? How many actually desire His anointing or do they believe that no one can tell the difference? Those who would trade God’s tangible presence for an empty religious lifestyle have willingly walked away from worshipping Him forever.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 31
THE TRUE WORSHIPPER IS A GIVER

Father God, open the eyes of our heart that we might receive the revelation of your word through your Holy Spirit in Jesus Name, amen. Which came first – the giver or the worshipper? Well, they are so closely tied together who can separate them from each other? But…do we give as an act of worship or do we worship as an act of giving? Of course when we receive the love of Christ into our heart we automatically worship God and thank Him for His grace and love. Then as we progress in our learning and develop in our intimacy with Him as our “Lord” we take on His nature and character which is – you guessed it – giving. I believe if we have never received the revelation of “giving” we will never comprehend the full meaning of worship! Likewise if we are uncomfortable in His presence we will not understand the joys of having the generosity of Christ. I cannot see how anyone could have glorious fellowship with God in worship and not have a sensitivity and awareness to other peoples needs. Those who give of themselves in worship to God will “naturally” give of themselves to others!

We all will agree that giving our heart and will to Him is the ultimate act of love and surrender. Laying down our desires and plans at the foot of His cross is what the disciples done and was exactly what Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to do. We remember the young man making the comments about how he had done many good deeds and followed the law and no doubt did operate on a level of giving but he would not completely let go of “his idea” of serving. The problem with us deciding how much we give is that God does not see that as walking in the spirit but rather he knows it is still us trying to control and “micromanage” how we live. For example, tithing is a demand not an option and those who just put in what they feel they can afford is not living the “abundant” life, neither can they experience the joy, freedom, peace and fullness of His presence in worship. Because of their lack of faith (which is sin) they create an arrogant “illusion” to God’s divine order.

Worship is a product or “fruit” of what we feel in our heart about a certain person or thing and we will always give all that we have to what we love the most. We have seen and known those who were possessed with what captivated and stimulated their interest – and how it seemed to consume them. Whether it is a hobby or us trying to accomplish something or maybe even being infatuated with another person, these passions are all around us. The problem is that God wants to be the center of our focus in all things and considers anything else an “idol” that would hinder the development of our personal relationship with Him. God created us, chose us, delivered us and called us to surrender our “desires” and take up His cross and our devotion to anything else in this life is an insult to Him.

When our heart is filled with love about something it spills over in the form of praise and adoration. We will always naturally choose to express this “overflow” with an outward proclamation of our convictions and emotions. For example people who “worship” their restored classic vehicles will spend many hours tinkering with it, polishing it, bragging about it and showing it off. Some people have molded their bodies into a “shrine” of pride and beauty to the point they cannot step away from the mirror long enough to see or care about anyone else. To others it might be their home, their career or their collectibles but the point is still the same; what we love the most is where we give all our attention. Our highest priority in life is what we give our dreams, visions, time, energy, devotion, commitment, conversation, dedication, protection, defense and finances to without shame or hesitation. This is what quickly and thoroughly reveals where we hide and guard the hidden treasure of our heart and exposes the identity of our worship.

We have all heard how the organized church is divided into two camps but yet both camps are found to be completely willing. One camp of ten percent does all the work and the other camp of ninety percent is completely willing to let them do it. As sad as this is true, we can see beneath the surface why this is so. Only the “narrow path” dwellers have actually discovered that the Christian life is based on giving. They have walked through the fire and allowed God to burn out their selfishness. They have “painfully” learned how to lay down their will and have been given the grace to allow God to pry their fingers loose from what actually “possessed” them.

When we realize that worship is not just singing a worship song but rather it is thinking about giving and enjoying being a giver – that is a revelation from God’s throne! When we realize that worship is an attitude that identifies us with who we are as a follower of Christ we will see the world with more mercy and love. Revelation does not fall out of the sky and hit us on the head but it is more like hide and seek. The mysteries that can be discovered in the spirit realm will never be revealed to us watching television every night and filling our minds with worldly distractions. When we search for truth with all diligence we are given nuggets of enlightenment, then one day God flips a switch that directly illuminates that one portion of truth. Then we add it to our list of truths that we “know that we know” and continue building our understanding. With line upon line and precept upon precept as we continue to pursue, study and meditate we begin to notice an “outline” of a much larger picture of life than we ever imagined: and thus our views are formed. Developing the mind of Christ allows us to see with the eyes of our spirit the way God sees. And of course this directly affects what we think, say and how we act. Advancing in our knowledge and learning how to execute spiritual wisdom is how God allows us to see “through a glass darkly” and yet continue to excavate truth like an archeologist that spends years patiently and joyfully digging at one site.

Luther used to say that, “Each saint needed a three-fold conversion of their heart, their head, and their pocketbook.” God is looking for a vessel He can pour THROUGH. He is trying to train us in this dispensation so we can rule and reign with Him in the New Holy City of Jerusalem that is coming. If we do not learn to “sow” His blessings, we will be very disappointed in the harvest we reap now and in the next age. We need to believe that every dollar in our keeping NOW must be used so as to best promote the interest of His Kingdom. The greatest thing we can do for God, for others and ourselves is to consecrate all that we have to the Lord. Selah. There are three things a person can do with themselves and their possessions. They can selfishly hoard them; lavishly waste them or intelligently spend them. Only the one who spends it freely and gladly in obedience to God’s Holy Spirit will experience the full meaning of life. The person that worships God in spirit and truth and becomes a channel that God can flow through, will always be clothed with the garment of praise and will never lack for any need. The Lord owns it all; we are not really owners of anything only temporary caretakers and distributors of His blessings. The greatest deception in the world is the idea that money can make a person happy – and we will never have any spiritual satisfaction with it until we give it all back to Him.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 30
UNITED WE STAND

It is obvious that lately in our church God is trying to say something specific – and that “something” is how much He desires UNITY. Being united is a common theme throughout the bible and is one of the “hot” words in our Christian language but hardly is it ever understood or practiced and just like everything else spiritual unity must become a personal revelation! So you are saying the amount of love and unity between us is the spiritual “thermometer” of God’s presence in our midst? Yes, I could not have said it better! We know worship is approaching God with a grateful heart and expressing our adoration to Him in our personal relationship but when we are in a corporate church setting it is crucial to be “together in one accord” with God’s will if we want Him to manifest His glory. Negative, rebellious “fallout” in the hearts of God’s people toward one another is stopping the flow of power and blessings. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

You see unity in itself does not necessarily mean the Kingdom of God is being glorified. There is worldly unity and spiritual unity. Rupp Arena is in total unity when the Cats play but it has nothing to do with God. Unity in God is manifested when His people are thinking His will, speaking His will and doing His will. This is exactly what Acts chapter 2 was demonstrating and we see how God responded with the mighty rushing wind and the fire of His awesome presence. Jesus said, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall AGREE on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mathew 18:19-20) When we speak God’s will and agree with God’s word in unity – stand back and watch God move! This spiritual law never fails and is backed with the authority and power of the universe. It is just as much of a divine principal as the earthly law of gravity. Intercessory prayers united in agreement with others creates an explosive dynamic that can change circumstances and accomplish the impossible but we must also acknowledge the danger of how an agreement with negativity can leave it cold and paralyzed.

Gossip and murmuring is a “dark unity” and a “fruit” of pride that does not give respect and honor but comes against spiritual authority. This is one of the destructive infections that Satan is bringing into the church to stop the move of the Holy Sprit. Many young people today have not been raised up within a Godly home (even though the parents went to church.) You see, going to church does not automatically make a family sanctified – Christianity is all about allowing our mind to be renewed and our will to be transformed into the character of Christ. Children that listen to parents condemn and spew out criticism against church leadership will naturally absorb their persuasions. Young minds are influenced easily and seeds can be sown that can continue to grow throughout a lifetime about certain matters. Many adults embrace certain social, political and religious views that were “accepted” in their early years of development and still do not realize why they believe like they do. Many parents never consider that sowing discord has a much farther impact that just their own personal opinion; it can and will have a direct effect on all those who are listening.

Over the last few years it is no secret there has been division in our congregation. Some have left and others have decided to stay planted but have backed away quietly to observe and pray. The major problem with “unrest” is that everyone has ideas and thoughts about why things happen and whether they point fingers or not usually have an attitude about who is to blame. These feelings whether spoken or not are still present in the conscience and are still felt in the atmosphere of our unity. This is why discord and division creates not only a dangerous environment (remember Miriam) but can also bring depression discouragement, apathy and lukewarmness. No wonder many churches have lost their excitement and enthusiasm to see God’s miracles, signs and wonders. “And Jesus called the multitude, and said unto them, hear, and understand: Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Mathew 15:11)

The world desperately needs to see us love each other and worship as a spiritual family in one accord with God’s desires and visions. Jesus prayed in John chapter 17, verse 11,”that they may be one, as we are.” The first step is recognizing (revelation) – the second is deciding (taking action) to respond.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 29
MEASURING GOD

What an odd statement! Everyone knows God cannot be measured. Oh really? Maybe it depends on which path your brain chose to consider and hold on a minute before you start thinking about miles and light years. I am not talking about trying to find out what size He is – but rather how much of Him are you willing to “add” to your life. Some may ask, what does this have to do worship? Well let’s see…how about everything!
Here’s a revelation; the more of God we have in us the more we will love to worship Him, hmm. The “amount” of God in us will directly impact our participation and passion for His Kingdom!

When people deny their flesh and spend time with God they develop a craving for His presence. They are thirsty to worship. They love His word and think about Him all the time. They stay in an attitude of worship and are passionate about praying and serving. No one needs to pump them up – they are already excited and ready! They know the way to the Holy of Holies because they go there all the time. They do not want to sit around in the outer court – they want to embrace Him. Do you enjoy being intimately close to the one you love all the time?

You see, it may sound strange but people have as much of God as they want! Think about it for a moment, we could be the image of Christ if we became determined (by the way, we are supposed to be). Is there anything that could stop us from being everything He died for us to be IF we really wanted to? The problem is that when we incorporate more of Him into our life, some of our control must be thrown out (ouch). So in order to have the best of both worlds we try to squeeze our will and His will together (a perfect example of a frustrated and discouraged religious life). God will never compromise the way He has designed the Christian life to be. He wants to completely “fill” us (now there’s a concept). Are you satisfied to get your toes wet or will you jump in? Will you choose to sacrifice or live the safe, comfortable life? Will you make an investment in God’s church or are you satisfied with being a critical spectator? God wants ALL of us and He desires that we would want all of Him. Will you throw away the teaspoon and allow Him to be poured in – or do you already have all of the Jesus you can “manage?”

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 28
THE SACRIFICE AND THE SPECTATOR

Those who know how to value God’s gracious presence will be more fervent in their prayers and more serious in their walk. These are the faithful one’s that have received a glimpse of understanding the difference between “making” a sacrifice and “being one.” Our intentions are supposed to be established on His will and His blessings are directly connected with our obedience. It is His Kingdom and His spiritual principals. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Each day our lives are filled with choices about yielding our plans because it is God’s desire that we become a “walking, breathing” spiritual offering. But what many fail to remember is that each and every sacrifice will either be accepted or rejected depending on whether the individual knew God personally or was trying to serve Him their own way. Does this mean that even some worship is in vain and not accepted? I am afraid so. Trusting in God’s righteousness to save us and receive eternal crowns is not the same as trying to “work” our way to heaven and “earn” His favor as a religious legal duty. I am reminded of Cain and how his offering was rejected in Genesis chapter 4. Many do not understand the powerful illustration of this true story and how it is used by God to reveal the mysteries of His uncompromising principals. Allow me to quote Arthur W. Pink in his commentary, “Gleanings in Genesis.” “In bringing his offering, Cain denied that he was a sinful creature under the sentence of divine condemnation. He insisted on approaching God on the ground of personal worthiness. Instead of accepting God’s way, he offered to God the fruits of the ground which was cursed. He presented the product of HIS OWN TOIL, the work of his own hands, and God refused to receive it.

We must constantly be aware of the difference between our fleshly, earthy “ministries” and God’s direct commands. Working night and day to impress Him (or others) has no influence or spiritual power unless we are directly connected to His will. The smells of burning flesh and incense of the ancient world was performed as a legal “work” of mans obedience to God’s word. Today our sacrifices are based on faith and the motives of our heart. Without him we can do nothing but make a lot of noise – but with God there is divine power to change the world. The Church is not just a place to WATCH others make their sacrifices or form critical opinions and judgments about how some are trying to sacrifice their lives. The spectator has a haughty attitude that can destroy the church with the “leaven” of gossip. But the sacrifice will discover their place of ministry and pray fervently for the revelation of what they are to be so that Jesus can do His work “through” them. True disciples will enter into God’s sanctuary filled with His anointing and are ready to release their love into the body. We should be prepared to minister with our gifts and pour out our adoration to the Lord, as the level of power, signs and wonders are determined by the amount of pureness and faith in the hearts of the people. If we humble ourselves in reverential fear before His throne He will come and bless us with the Majesty of His presence.

Stop for a moment and consider what we sing about. Every week we cry out for His refining fire and purification process. We say we want His fire to fall down and burn up our carnality. We promise and confess that we desire to lay down our will and to be completely sold out to Him. We say how we want to be sacrificed on His brazen alter and how we want to go into the Holy of Holies. (The sacrifice really desires to be changed – the spectator just hears a song. The sacrifice is hungry and thirsty for God’s truth and His presence – the spectator is sleepy and hopes for a short sermon). We sing about Jesus blood, being filled with the Holy Spirit, resisting sin, living in the secret place of His presence, being victorious, doing miracles in the Name of Jesus, touching the face of God, seeing His glory and on and on. But have you ever thought that many just don’t get it? You are absolutely right! People will always have a passion about the things they are serious about! There must be an awakening! People will have a life-changing moment only when they see themselves in God’s plan and believe it is true. When someone becomes consumed with a desire nothing can stop them! But what flips the switch that brings this spiritual illumination? Until we have a personal encounter with God about each aspect of the Christian life we will continue to go through the motions in that area. Without revelation there is hesitation and the spectator will never know the difference.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 27
WILL YOU BE ASHAMED?

I was at work the other day and walked past a television in the break room that was showing a concert by a popular country music band. I stopped for a moment and was amazed at the effect this music was having on the people. They were jumping, singing, clapping and raising their hands with such excitement and enthusiasm. I walked away thinking about how people express their love and passion for the things that mean the most to them. Then I wondered if any of those people (or people like them) expressed their love for God that way. Could it be that people who slip quietly in and out of church act differently when they participate in something they love? Are there Christians that are not excited about worshipping God when they are in church yet have no problem shouting the house down when their favorite band or team is playing?

Our lives are filled with choices and freewill gives us the liberty to select what is important to us. We all have priorities but the problem (in God’s eyes) is that many of our desires are in the wrong order. We are so attached to this world because it is the home of our flesh. Our body loves it here (was born and raised here) and is very comfortable living in the sweet familiar, “spoiled” realm of emotions and feelings. It is the realm of “default” because without our hand on the spiritual “wheel”, we will (naturally) drift into being dominated by our human nature. This is why it is so difficult to re-learn how to live again; we are not only introduced to Jesus as our new master but also to our new spirit man within us. They both live in another dimension and are constantly calling us to join them. Of course this new world is enmity to our old world which causes a continuous “tug-of-war” battle for control. Is it any wonder why our services are not filled with laughter, joy, love and appreciation instead of apathy and criticism? Since our existence in the next life will be spent worshipping God you would think we could get a good head start expressing our adoration to God – right? Not exactly! Many are ashamed and embarrassed with what others may say about them, others have sin in their life and choose to stand at a distance from the thunder and lightning of God’s presence. Only when God becomes “the love of our heart” will we not be ashamed of Him.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 26
THE INVISIBLE TARGET

It is no secret that all of God’s warriors that are shaking the gates of hell have a “bull’s-eye” on them. It is not a negative confession to admit that we are in a raging battle with the devil – it is spiritual reality! You notice that I described those who wear the target as God’s “warriors” because just going to church does not strike fear in the enemy and does not automatically give anyone spiritual respect from God or the devil. There is a huge difference between people who play religious games and those who choose to allow God’s fire to keep them on the narrow path. I believe that in the realm of the spirit, both Kingdoms are well aware of those who are giants for God and it would only seem logical the intensity of battle would be directly related to the level of the warrior’s obedience and anointing. Today we are seeing a stronger pull from the world to compromise God’s word and many in the church have become desensitized to sin. The enemy does not need to worry about those who have a Laodicean attitude but rather he is focused on those who take sanctification seriously and who are not afraid of an increasing intensity of opposition. God is calling for His bride to lay down their life and take up His cross.

What does all this have to do with worship? Satan hates worship and if we are leaders of worship – Satan hates us! The devil wants to stomp out all “true” worship because it drives him crazy and he will shoot every arrow he can think of to disrupt and hinder the flow of the Holy Spirit. Our adversary doesn’t mind a dead religious ceremony; (in fact he creates and promotes them) and he definitely recognizes the difference between God’s power and a manmade program. He can see in the spirit dimension and is fully aware of the glory of God’s presence in their heart. He may run a victory lap in the aisles of some churches but when God’s people invite the King of Kings to come in and they cry out in holiness and humility – the devil packs his bags and heads out the door! God does not live in empty buildings – the church must BRING GOD with them! Church was never intended to be so comfortable that we yawn through our traditions and become like mesmerized zombies. Many assemblies have already fallen into the dangers of being lukewarm and have become fat on the steady diet of “chocolate cake” and the material blessings of this world. But the true church realizes that corporate meetings are a time to be refreshed and to re-load their artillery so they can go back out into battle. It is not a place where mature warriors become spectators but rather to be “participators” in body ministry. Of course we are always growing in our personal relationship with Christ and our meetings are a time to learn more about God but many Christians choose to shun away from the fact that it is also a time to demonstrate what they already know! Also we as God’s representatives are not just a defensive team that only carries shields – we must develop our offensive skills and take the battle to the enemy. Those who pray choose to invest their time and energy into the cause. They are the ones who will not be critical of the church because they do not want to tear down what they are building. A person that harshly criticizes has exposed their heart as someone who has little or nothing invested spiritually. These saints avoid being judgmental because they have asked God for a spirit of mercy. They cry out to see a vision of God’s glory and are suffering through the transformation and determination to be a living sacrifice.

If a “talker” has never learned about the realities of warfare and have not received the revelation about how serious it is to be aware of God and our enemy at all times – they are like a baby on a bottle. The Lord is disappointed in Christians that choose to remain infants as Satan laughs in delight when he looks at an army of spiritually undeveloped “toddlers.” It is time to “grow up” – “stand up” and engage the enemy! I’m not talking about learning how to be a blacksmith that forges his own sword; I am talking about obeying and living by the sword of God’s word and fighting on our knees in intercession. Yes, we will have lots of opposition; trials, discouragements and a wounded heart (if we do not compromise) but we must never forget that we are surrounded by God and His heavenly host of ministering angels that are waging war all around us on our behalf. Many in the church have become lazy and spoiled with the pleasures of this life and are picking and choosing the New Covenant realities. When will God’s people declare a revolution and become angry enough to fight? He is waiting for His people to wake up and respond! Let us respect and fear God as we follow the example of the martyrs that did not flinch when faced with persecution and the suffering of Christ as He became the ultimate “target” for all that hell could give. “The enemy has been defeated death couldn’t hold you down – we’re gonna to lift our voice in victory – we’re gonna sing your praises LOUD!”

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 25
THE DANGER OF STRESS IN MINISTRY

Let’s face the fact that ministry on any level has it’s share of pain, depression, discouragement and disappointment. It is not being negative but rather it is facing the true reality concerning all leaders and how they must prepare for the headaches of a complex and critical world of. People are so unique and each person is so different from everyone else that leaders must learn how to read personalities and have a natural gift of knowing how to connect and mediate. We experience stress at work and every other facet of life – and the church is no different.

In today’s world of medical breakthroughs we do not need to be a doctor to realize that stress is very hard on the body. Our adversary has known for a long time just how powerful a weapon this can be used against us to break us down. It is true the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but it is nearly impossible to not feel the emotions that come from situations. We also cannot deny that our spirit operates out of a temple of flesh and yet somehow we must learn how to deal with issues in a way that keeps us from collapsing. God wants us to be happy and healthy because He knows we need this vehicle to minister out of. What good are we as teachers and warriors if we are sick and in bed with exhaustion and discouragement? Just as it is important to take care of our temple and not abuse it with our eating habits, we also need to learn how to manage the relentless pressure of worry and stress.

Many doctors now agree that reducing stress is more beneficial than exercise, and the feeling of hopelessness is as harmful as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. New studies published in separate journals of the American Heart association have come up with the numbers that prove what we all knew deep in our conscience all along: Emotional and psychological stressors, especially depression and anxiety causes much damage to our physical health.

When leaders end up in a “burned out” state of mind we know that somewhere somehow we have probably been trying to carry the load too much ourselves. Many times we do not realize how heavy the load is or “how far” we have carried our problems and the issues of others. Unfortunately the advancement in drugs has not necessarily been a “cure all” for these problems. Medications may give temporary relief but questions arise as to side effects and dependency. In most cases the “happy pills” cause the individual to live in a drug induced fog that alters their personality and continues to diminish their enthusiasm and motivation. Pharmaceutical companies push the drugs to doctors who in turn push the drugs to patients and while it is true that many problems are chemical imbalances in the brain, there also arises questions about why leaders cannot find the healing and peace they are constantly trying to promote. Of course along with mental and neurological malfunctions there is also the constant warfare of demonic torment and dark influences that are very real.

The latest study at Duke University shows that cardiac patients who learn to handle stress reduce their risk of having another heart attack or significant heart problem by over 70 percent. An earlier study from the Public Health Institute in Berkeley California found that people with high levels of hopelessness had a 20 percent greater increase in atherosclerosis over four years than those with lower levels. These same patients also had a higher amount of other chronic illnesses that is suspected to be directly related to anger, hostility and unforgiveness. It should be an alarm of warning to know that so many doctors agree that stress should be listed as cardiac risk factors along with heredity and smoking. I personally believe that a root of bitterness along with resentment, hatred and even rebellion can cause physical sickness and in severe cases fatal diseases. Psychological stressors especially depression, hopelessness and anxiety can stimulate hormones that bombard the heart, forcing it to beat as if in a constant state of “fight or flight.”

By contrast, laughing lowers blood pressure and triggers beta endorphins, the brains natural hormone compounds that are similar to morphine which induce a sense of euphoria and well being. Many doctors agree to what Bible scholars have always known about the power of inner peace and how it plays a major role in wellness. Praise and worship brings calmness to the body as a healing side effect to the body. Praying, meditating, reading and studying God’s word, singing and playing God’s music are all powerful connectors to God’s spiritual peace and a spiritual balm of Gilead to the emotions and conscience.

The medical information was taken from an article in the Herald Leader by Carolyn Poirot – December 9, 1997 – Living well section.

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 24
THE DEVIL WANTS OUR JOY

I was thinking about how we try to live in the natural realm and the spiritual realm at the same time and how difficult it is to live in victory. I am reminded of the story in the original animated holiday classic, “When the Grinch stole Christmas” and I admit that I had never seen the spiritual meaning before until recently. In my personal interpretation the community of whoville represents God’s saints that are peculiar to say the least but nevertheless enjoy the simple pleasures of spiritual peace and happiness. The Grinch represents Satan, who on the other hand is filled with envy and hatred and is determined to “steal” their spirit of hope and cheerfulness. The Grinch believes that if he can take away their material possessions, he can crush the essence of their joy and we all know the joy of the Lord is our spiritual strength. He does manage to steal all of their earthly goods and even the last bite of food but he is stunned to discover that when they realize they have been robbed they do not really care. The Who’s are not affected at all, in fact they begin to sing (worship) and smile and love each other just the same. We can see how powerful it is to not allow the pleasures of this world to make us who we are and allow our superficial feelings rule us. Instead of the Grinch thinking he defeated them he realized they were actually victorious over him and the counterfeit philosophy that believes all that glitters is gold. He failed because he could not steal their vision!

What does this have to do with worship? Well, how can we worship without joy? What the people in Whoville had was far deeper than just emotional happiness that depends on the circumstances of life; it was the faith in knowing who God is and who they are in God’s sight – and that can only be found in a personal relationship with the Lord. They did not put their “happy eggs” in a basket made of fine clothes, beautiful new cars, crystal cathedrals, delicious foods or a bank full of money. Their happiness was not built on the pleasures and luxuries of this world but the highest realm of genuine love. In everyday reality the situation is exactly the same because Satan thinks if he can steal our valuable possessions and destroy our health that we will be depressed and powerless (and many times we are). He works night and day trying to ruin everything he can for the purpose of making us weak and ineffective in the Kingdom of God. (We all know the story of Job as it gives us a clear picture of Satan’s strategy against all of God’s people.)

As God’s word say’s in Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the Lord is our strength” and as we study the true meaning of joy our spiritual eyes are opened to the revelation of how it is the center of our relationship with God. Joy is the “revelation” of who we are and the gateway to our worship. When we combine our understanding with a Godly attitude, it can very well be considered as the most powerful weapons in spiritual warfare. Not allowing the enemy to rob us of our spiritual stability and strength is why Christianity emphasizes the crucial importance of knowing how to study, worship and pray. So it only makes sense that learning how to handle situations and circumstances while keeping our human nature under control is the vital “lesson” we must exercise if we want to live in “full gospel” victory. Growing strong in the Lord is learning to realize that material things are just passing through our hands but our thoughts, motives and actions are eternal.

The normal advancement and progression of spiritual growth is to be developed like a child to an adult but unfortunately the majority only experience physical aging not spiritual. There is nothing more disappointing to God than seeing an older person in the flesh still nursing the bottle in the spirit. He cannot use undeveloped babies to fight wars because if their stability is based on this natural world they are vulnerable to giving up. If there is anything that can stop them – it will, because the most sensitive button they have will be pushed constantly until they get the victory over it. Learning the mystery about how to hold on to our joy in the midst of our trials could be the deciding factor between success and failure in our mission including consequences now and in the final judgment. We must guard our joy day and night and keep it secure AT ALL COST! The Bible speaks of being an overcomer in this life and how it is accomplished through the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony. This is a double attack that uses the power of the blood as a defense and protection while the positive confession of God’s word establishes who we are. As we speak God’s truth in faith we are tearing down the enemies strongholds and are advancing on offense. The sword is an offensive weapon to “engage” in the battle and to drive the enemy back to where it came from. How serious are you about protecting your joy?

DELIBERATELY PURSUING GOD
PART 23
AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING

Without going into a theological debate about why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s, let’s just agree that it had something to do with obedience and attitude. This causes me to think about how serious we should be in presenting the correct offering with the right attitude in our daily worship. It is difficult to comprehend but God is not moved to respond to everything He hears and sees. He is so perfect that He cannot go against His own omniscience and cannot be coerced into making deals or compromising His own standards. Since God responds to faith and the “state” of the heart, He will not approve of gifts that try to deceive Him or request that are tarnished with carnal motives. What does this have to do worship? I think more than we consider! Just because God listens to us sing songs and pray does not mean He will count it as genuine and bless them with His answers. People all over the world constantly lift up praises with all types of different ideas and reasons (and God hears them all) but if their concept of God is not connected with the “TRUE” God and the correct interpretation of His word – their religion is in vain.

Isaiah chapter 29, verse 13 talks about people saying how much they love God but actually it is only words. Mathew chapter 15 and verse 8 and 9 repeats this message, “These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips but their HEART is far from me. But IN VAIN they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Remember Christ in Mathew chapter 23 absolutely blasted the religious world and proclaimed that on the outside everything looked fine and decent but their heart and spirit needed to be changed into the nature of Christ. The Pharisees were constantly reading the scriptures and conducting a strict lifestyle of legalism but Jesus rebuked them because their ideas about serving God were based on pride and human intelligence.

What does that mean for today? It means that organizations have always attempted to develop philosophies and rules that are incorporated into spiritual laws and are taught as the word of God. But these Religious ideas are only a shadow of the true church as we realize the counterfeit spirit loves the pomp and ceremony of assemblies that are based on political agendas. People are always looking for shortcuts and easy formulas that can bypass the faith and patience principals of God’s divine order. For example relativism is slowly creeping into every facet of life and is especially targeting the church. This worldview is very dangerous as it proclaims that any type of view or religious deed is received gladly by God – but this is a deadly deception. To narrow it down even more, even in the world of Protestants and Catholics this philosophy stands boldly to endorse any form of scripture interpretation or doctrine as relative to the conviction of the individual. But there is a huge difference between worshipping in spirit and truth and just going through the motions of dead works with biblical error. There cannot be many different interpretations of truth – there is only one truth and one way because there is only one Jesus! There are not ten thousand prophets, kings or idols that can offer eternal salvation – Jesus Christ is the only bridge that provides the connection between God and mankind. Let us look at another example of rejected offerings, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and driven out demons in your name and done many mighty works in your name? And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from me, you who act wickedly (disregarding my commands).” (Mathew 7:21-23 Amplified.) God does not compromise – He knows what is real.

Of course we realize that offerings to false gods have no heavenly significance but many forget that even Christians are not guaranteed that everything they give is accepted. Just because people say the name of Jesus or speak the religious language does not mean that it is genuine because all that glitters is not gold. An entire congregation can sing songs while daydreaming about what’s for lunch or the person standing in front of them and even though the songs may sound good – it is not true worship. The same is true with repetitious prayers that cry and put on a show so that everyone can see how spiritual someone is or even fasting that is done to prove how humble and holy they are. Our motives behind our obedience will determine the fate of our rewards and crowns and that revelation is developed in the secret place alone with God.

There will be some whose contributions may seem small in the eyes of the world but will be significant in the God’s Kingdom. The same can be said of those who accumulate impressive religious accomplishments only to find their works were burned. “If anyone builds upon the foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. The work of each (one) will become (plainly, openly) known (shown for what it is); for the day (of Christ) will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this foundation (any product of his efforts whatever) survives this test, he will get his reward. But if any person’s work is burned up (under the test), he will suffer the loss (of it all, losing his reward), though he himself will be saved, but only as (one who has passed) through fire.” (I Corinthians 3:12-15 Amplified.)

I am reminded of how reverent we come to the communion table and how serious we consider this time of being with God. We examine our conscience and repent of our sins because we do not want any sin in our heart before we go behind the veil with Him. We humble ourselves in holy fear before Him and focus on the great price that He paid with His blood and body so we could be made righteous. This is a profound responsibility that is crucial for walking in the spirit and I believe we should have this sober mindset when we worship. We talk and sing about going into the Holy of Holies and coming into the tangible presence of God and must remember how the priest had to prepare their heart before they entered in. May we examine our heart and ask God to cleanse us from sin even before we come into the sanctuary. May we pray on our way to church and prepare our conscience to meet Him and seek His face. May we pray that He will come to us as we purpose to draw near to Him. Being made clean will release our joy and freedom in His presence. Many come into the service bound with the stress of sin and these heart conditions hinder the atmosphere with the spirit of heaviness. We cannot make ourselves clean but we can allow ourselves to be made clean in Christ Jesus. How could the condition of our heart NOT have a direct effect on our anointing and the presence of God in our thoughts and conversation? How could our attitudes and motives not influence our prayers and worship? May we bow before Him with a broken and contrite conscience in the spirit of gratitude and present to Him an offering of adoration that will be accepted as a sweet smelling fragrance.