Friday, January 21, 2011

Trembling and Warm Chills!

Psalm 96:9 - Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 

How do you know you've been in the presence of God? I believe it can happen in more ways than one. I'm amazed at the process of events over the past few days or week and what happened last night. I'm hoping my writing will help me process all I just experienced. I won't go into details but I will share something!

I do recall that I had been working on a Bible study on the Book of Hebrews either early yesterday morning or the night before. The question was asked, How does God speak to us? There were various scriptures to look up. He's not limited to how He can do it. I do know that when two or more are gathered in His name, God inclines His ear to hear (Psalm 116). Not that He can't hear us but that He is taking a very special interest in what we have to say. He's leaning forward in His chair in anticipation as it were. He's silently thinking Tell me more. Why? Because we are speaking or praying His will and that so pleases Him.

The Bible also shows us that in Jesus' day people followed Him looking for a miracle to happen. We shouldn't need to see or experience miracles, but for some it helps. People always want signs. Are we a visual people?? If we have enough faith we don't always need a sign. We might just feel His presence, which can be felt in various ways.

So last night I attended a prayer gathering at church. I'm new to this group and getting my feet wet! I really did not feel I belonged with these incredible men and women of God. Who am I was the question that kept running in my mind. But...we were in one accord with our petitions to God. And you know what? It's what I've been writing about for some time...the truth of God's word...how it is being compromised...how there will be only a remnant of people some day who will rise up out of the Church. There be only a few people who will be willing to walk the narrow path that the Lord requires us to walk.

God does not want us to compromise His word. The Church, in general, so wants to be seeker friendly, not willing to preach the truth in love. It's run more like a business with bottom line mentality, with the goals of building newer, bigger, fancier churches, or of bringing in more people by seducing them with words they want to hear, to fill the pews. God is not interested in the numbers, He's interested in what is being spoken and the hearts of the people in His church. Remember, relationship...

But this what the word says, we are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). And that's why Christianity is failing. There's no backbone anymore. Preachers don't want to offend. The truth is watered down so it's more palatable to the general public. Perhaps if they don't feel convicted they will return and the pews will be full...full of people hearing that compromised word and not meeting Jesus face to face to have their sins forgiven, their hearts and lives turned around for the better thing.

Yet there are people who are searching for a good word. They too fall prey to destruction because they can't find a church where the Word that brings life is spoken. I've said it before and I'll continue to say it...there will be a day not too long from now when people will be flocking to churches around the world looking for the truth because the world and the people in it have failed them. Their riches just aren't doing it for them anymore. The leaders in the world are failing them. The fear of what they see happening in the world will be unbearable, and like with past disasters, they will begin to turn to the Church in search of answers and comfort. 

People will flock to churches but will they find this Jesus who claims to give us His peace and comfort? Or will they find clergy who themselves have been fed lies and have lost their own way, taught their own form of Gospel, have been feeding their flock the wrong kind of food, the wrong kind of bread, having forgotten who the true Bread is? Oh, even "men of the cloth" can be coerced into believing a lie.

This is what Jesus says. This is why He tells us it's a difficult, narrow path and few are willing to travel it. Few are willing to let go of all sorts of hindrances in their lives. I'll tell you I don't even know how I will fare and what I will have to sacrifice or let go of if I am able to stay on this path (and I want more than anything to do this) and look not to the left or to the right and only hear the voice that's behind me saying, "This is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)

Only a few people truly desire more than anything else, God's will, not man's, for the Church. Many just don't recognize the direction they have allowed themselves to wander off in, even myself. A little compromise here, a little there...barely unnoticeable and widely accepted. Only a remnant of people want to go so deep into the truth of God's Word, who are no longer satisfied just knowing that Jesus loves me and are happy that He can do thus and so for them. There are some, thankfully, who have gotten to that place in their walk with the Lord where they now want more and this is their plea: "Lord, what can I do for You? Here I am, use me. Let me be Your voice, Your hands, Your feet. This is what You've called me to do. Let me distinctly hear Your voice and let me not hesitate to obey, at any cost, no matter how silly or even frightening it may seem."

I just know that when I left church last night, I knew I had been in the right place with people who only want God glorified, who want God...period. I just know that when I got home after the prayer there was a trembling throughout my body, a weakness and a feeling like warm chills! I knew that we had each experienced the presence of God in some way and that His heart was pleased with our hearts' desires. Oh, there were more incidences that occurred throughout the evening that were not coincidences but God-incidences. God showing He was inclining His ear and bringing confirmation that He loved what we were saying.

Lord, this can only be You showing me...us...which direction You want to take us. You want to see us living Your Word out: Your will be done... You love us all so much that You don't want any to perish. You want us to know that we know what Your will is for our lives. We think it has to be some big thing and often it is not! But when it happens we know it is You who have brought it about, whatever it is! We are each unique in the gifts You have given us. Help us to recognize what they are and when You want us to exercise these gifts. Thank You, Lord, that the greatest gift You've given us is Yourself. The next are our willingness to listen for your voice and hear what it says, then trust, follow and obey. That's what it all boils down to...how You in your infinite wisdom know what we can do through You if we just give You control of our lives. Help those who love You, Lord, to desire that more than anything else. Sear it into our spirits.

Jeremiah 7:23 - ...but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

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