Pray to open hearts
Hosea 4: 1,6 As we reject the Law of God, He rejects us. As we forget the Law of God He forgets our children.
Ezekiel 33: 1-11 The sword of the Lord will come will we warn? Its not God's desire that any should perish.
Isaiah 62: 6-7 We are watchmen and give the Lord no rest (pray) until He make Jerusalem a Praise.
As we forget God's law He forgets our children. We are willing to sacrifice our children's future for our satisfaction now. 3000 babies a day are aborted, and we accept this, children are hungry in this country and the church Sunday school lesson tells us kids have never had it better. Today's society respects them unlike in Roman times when infanticide was a common practice. Isn't abortion infanticide? Root cause analysis of abortion issue- self focus of the father and mother.
Lots of talking about family, marriages, fix your marriage then your relationship to the Lord will be better. The advice is to study your wife or husband find out what they respond positively to, and focus on that. Yes, study your wife or husband - figure them out put them in a box such that in this situation you do this, in another situation you do that. Anyone in here old? What happens? people change- what worked in your 20s won't work in your 60s, and its a distraction from the one true relationship you MUST make First. God doesn't change, but yet His depth is such we'll never fully understand. We can't know what to do in every situation we must look to Him for that guidance- constantly, we must be in relationship to Him, active. Root cause analysis for marital issues- self focus of husband and/or wife.
Respect or Love do you do you deserve it ? Aren't you a wretch (Amazing Grace)? Jesus came and deserved our Love and respect and got death on the cross. We deserve death and think people owe us love and respect. Root cause analysis we put ourselves first.
HB2, see the pride, transgendered and sex changes. The unstated reality is those getting sex changes are taking themselves out of the gene pool, they make themselves eunuchs - they should get the Darwin award. The sad thing about this is a decision made in teens, 20s and 30s will have lifelong impact (and likely possible regret). How many of us knew everything in our 20s? If any of us looks back just a few years we feel we're more knowledgeable now than then. We'd probably even say it. Root cause analysis- self focus, its all about me.
Heard a sermon about potential church split UMC, but that was prevented by sending the issue to committee to "study it".
1 Cor 6: 9-11
We're all sinners, we all need the Lord so as the slogan says the UMC and every church should have open doors. Those that come are seeking, they know they can't do it without God. They maybe ready to reject self, admit they don't have all the answers.
What do they get in church, and are they really committed???
Most want fire insurance and don't want to really do what He might ask. They avoid it- reject Him. The big one is He might send us from our comfortable living in the USA to the far mission field. So we want Him to a point, but not fully. In the day we're living in He has brought the mission field to our doorstep, and we just can't believe it. We are watchmen - will we warn?
What do they hear in church??
Whats missing is what they hear. They don't hear the Word of God, outlining His standards. They don't hear that we are wired such that the way which may seem right to us ends in death (Prov 14:12 and 16:25) and that we must submit our ways to His. People who have an agenda that is their own rather than the Lord's, will not preach about His standards or our hopeless condition without the Lord.
People preach things other than Gospel- easy to do, as part of agenda. What they do hear are nice stories, they hear they are doing their best, they hear it ok not to be obedient to God an example being "this section of the Bible was written for these people at this time".
Then why was most of the Bible written from memory and experiences?
And would a God who can see all of time - who is timeless write something for those He loves that is time dependent and not for all people. If you think about that then the statement "this part of the Bible was written for these people (not us) sounds more like what it is, an excuse for disobedience. Than sound teaching.
Where does Bible rejection end? With statements like the Bible "outdated, we're more sophisticated". Total rejection. " My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge". Pray for people that have come to that conclusion, its not a time to gloat, its a tragedy. Romans 1:28-32 Those without knowledge of God
Pray for renewed fear of the Lord and beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 Fear of Lord beginning of wisdom.
Or those coming to church seeking hear a partial gospel, God will take in everyone- true- everyone that sees their need for Him and turns to His ways. The hard part is for church people to not become the prideful Pharisee praying and thanking God he/she is better than another. The focus must be on the standard that is God.
We reject the whole truth, the part where obedience is necessary.
"Its too hard, God is mean and ready to zap us". Instead of thinking God is cruel think that He outlined what is best for us through all time, if we live according to His outline we'll have the fulfilled lives we all seek. God is tender He tells up front how to live the only cruel thing is the hardness of our hearts to want to do things our own way. The way that ends in death.
If we realize the only good in us is His spirit shining through us and we get together and promote His ways only. Then how can there be any discord? If there is discord we're too self focused.
If we're in the Lord, where do divisions come from? If we're in self its easy
False prophets, exonerate men.
True prophets condemn men.
If His standards are promoted then the darkness and self will not stay near the light.
-Gospel must be preached, so men can choose, their way or God's
-must call those in the congregation what they are - sinners, must condemn self in favor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Must have a loyalty to God's word, we will meet them again and again as needed by the Holy Spirit
-moments will come where we have to decide His way or ours.
-We have to live to God's standards not men's, God won't coerce obedience
And also
-He doesn't accomodate His commands to Human compromise. We are disloyal to His truth if we try to compromise His word.
-We as people must agree with God's verdict with no desire to vindicate ourselves.
-All have fallen short
-Relationship to Christ is the Key - we all deserve death, the death He took upon Himself for us.
-Christ centered versus self-centered. His ways are best, our ways are sin
-We are His servants, when His issues come up in life we must choose, His way or our way. Issues of God will become clear in our mind we must choose
Great commision is to feed His sheep (His Word) not disciple them to our (self) way of thinking.
-Point them to Jesus, His standard, His ways, His verdict, then pray the relationship takes.
"It is only when we know that we are powerless that we are prepared to listen to Jesus Christ and to do what He says."-Oswald Chambers
"The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." ― Oswald Chambers
Only one we should take seriously is God- anything or anyone else will let us down.
Taking only God serious in all things gives us the proper focus for living.
-Fear God, fear no man. Even if that feels overwhelming, if you feel alone cling to the bridegroom.
Proverbs 8:13 World has labeled us as "haters" - not of people but of sin.
Did we raise our kids in the fear of the Lord? Prov 22:6 If so why have they seemingly departed from it. They don't think we mean it.
When did Jesus get angry? I'll leave that for you to figure out in your quiet time with the Lord, and if Jesus only got angry at those times then when should we be angry?
Be a watchman:
If we realize our helpless and hopelessness apart from Jesus then asking someone about things of God and getting blessed out, called a hater, etc. Should roll right off because we're really getting what we deserve.
Live fully for the Lord, in all things, Realize "Me", "my", and "I" deserve nothing but death promote His standards through living them out in your life (if you believe)- faith is actions.
Letting Him "have thine own way" will make "it is well with my soul"
Job 38:4- 40:2 Think you know something? Think again.
