Greetings,
"Then call Thou and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer Thou me." - Job 13:22
"Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thine hands." Job 14:15
"Call & Answer" - it is one of the great word/phrase studies of the Bible. Largely based on the promises of God, found in Jeremiah 33:3, 'Call and I will answer'; and Matthew 7:7 & 8, 'Ask and it shall be given'; which is the same reaction of call and answer. It is the two fold response on God and man. God calls and we answer; we call and God answers. but woe unto us, if this breaks down and God calls, but we don't answer; or we call and God refuses to answer.
The lie perpetuated today is that God answers all that call upon Him. And the Scripture directly teaches against this. There are numerous passages that tell us that God says, He will not answer us, yea even some verses that God will not hear the prayer. And this is largely that when He called, we would not answer. A confession that must be addressed among the church today. He called us to the secret closet, we were busy watching TV; He called us to the bible, we were busy on facebook; He called us to witness to that man at work or at the store, we were too ashamed. But as soon as we have need, we go flying into His Presence and expect Him to answer, even though there be sin found within us for our disobedience.
And in these troublesome days of evil we are ever more needed to make sure that at both times of calling and answering, we are obedient, and He is willing. How awful to stand at judgement day and hear Him rebuke us, "I was more than willing and able to answer your call, but you would never answer Mine." Therefore purge away the old dross, the carnality and strive to abide in Him. Make sure you are at one with Him and in Him. He will bring sin to mind and heart that is offensive to Him and we will be able to recognize it, correct it, confess it and repent of it. make sure there is no provision for the flesh, but only abiding in the Spirit.
And make sure, that after last years numerics were brought to light that only 12 - 15% of SBC churches were having one hour prayer meetings in a month. The sin of prayerlessness is much among us, and yet often never confessed nor addressed. WE are not calling upon God. NO wonder there is so much left unanswered.. Among talk of the prayer movement, I am not convinced that our greatest sin is still we are not calling. He is willing and able, as I wrote, to answer; but He is waiting for someone to call. "I looked for a man, but I could not find any.'
Now brethren, everything of future, His Name sake, His kingdom, souls, are before us. Let us make sure that we are calling to Him, so that He may answer. Let us call, 'morning, noon and night will I lift up my cry before You'; 'Daniel prayed three times a day'; give place to the inner chamber, the secret closet for He calls you, and there you may call upon Him. Let us come together in corporate settings, at least to start, once a month to call upon Him. 'Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some be'; 'and they were gathered together praying'. Let us call, that He may answer; and when He calls, let us answer in obedience.
the hour is late, the need is great, let us pray so as to prevail. . .
PRAYER TARGETS:
Truly I don't know how to cover all this or how to present it all:
1. Democratic congo - Ebola virus; over 1000 deaths; 1600 infected; still ongoing;
2. Natural Disasters - 7.5 earthquake in New Guinea; Mozambique disaster affecting 250,000; Mid-West in US crops and farmers largely affected; china pig virus has reached 2million slaughtered pigs; growing into neighboring countries;
3. Cancer;
4. Abortion laws being changed in states - latest is Georgia and Alabama; see the hate come out in aboritonists; All this will lead back to Supreme Court for another decision; church leaders are hopeful for overturn; And this is great, but we still have to answer for 60 million babies blood that has been shed on our watch.
5. Physical issues abound from all directions; physical issues must be prayed over and brought before the Lord; but in our day these are prioirty and the spiritual, kingdom prayers become lost. Maintain both, but spiritual should always supersede physical.
6. US conflict coming with multiple fronts: China; Iran; North Korea; and the remaining issue for Venezuela;
7. Persecution - first 5 months of this year is almost off the charts with churches and Christians being attacked and killed; greater assault is happening; coming soon to us;
8. Greater Evil - shootings; two school shooting; could have been far worse, mercy was extended; pray for the remaning month for deliverance for schools; murder-suicides and suicides continue to plague our society, homes and hearts of man; homicides still impacting major cities and streets; police officer gunned down;
UPDATES:
--bible reading - up through Job 35;
--The Activity of God - up through Job 13;
--'What Hast Thou Done' - up through Job and almost 75 of these questions so far in Bible;
--A Word - Isaiah 59; first 9 verses started, only verse 9 is done;
--sermons on facbook and youtube; we are live streaming the Sunday sermons on my facebook page; I have found the way to save and upload to my youtube page;
Started: May 16, 2019
Continued: 5/17;
Finished:
No comments:
Post a Comment