You Ain't Shoutin' Yet?

Nehemiah 9:16-17
But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

As I read the scripture today I want to shout! First, go back and read what God had done for the children of Israel. He chose them and brought them out of bondage. He lead them to a land that flowed with milk and honey. He removed those that were in it and gave the land unto them. He blessed and blessed them more than they could have ever imagined. Oh what a God we serve! He has done this very thing for us as well. He redeemed us from the death and slavery of sin. He leads us into a better life through walking with Him. So amazing is our God.

But look at what these scriptures tell us. After every thing that God had done for them, they dealt proudly with God. They walked away from His commandments. They didn't even care about the wonders and creation of God. Even in their rebellion, they appointed a captain who brought them back into bondage. Doesn't this want to make you shout, "What are you thinking!?"

But my reason for shouting comes next in the scriptures... "But thou art a God ready to pardon , gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not" Come on now! That ought to make even the deadiest person shout! Although they rebelled, He was ready!  Although they sinned, He pardoned.  Although they were unmerciful, He was merciful. Although they hardened their necks, He reached down His hand. Although they forsook Him, He didn't forsake them.

You ain't shoutin' yet? Oh, what a God we serve! He's ready to pardon! He's gracious and merciful! He's slow to anger and of great kindness! He has never left you or forsaken you! What about now? Shoutin' yet? You should be!

What's In Your Mouth?

1 Kings 17:24

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

Don't you love how parents of small children are always on their toes?  They walk around with this look of awareness. They are always watching, eyes scanning, and radar antenna up at it's highest point. Ready to ask those questions... Where are they? What are they doing? What are you eating? What is in your mouth?  I know it's not funny, but it does bring a smile to my face at times. 

Look at what this woman said about the prophet Elijah. She said, "The word of The Lord in thy mouth is truth". She not only believed that this man's words were the very words of God, but she believed that the words were true. True because he believed them and obeyed them. Today there is a problem with many who claim the word of The Lord out of their mouth but don't believe it or live it. When we do this we make the Word of God seem false (although it never will be false because of our actions). We will be false prophets of his word. When we proclaim something, and live in a totally different way, we are false and the Bible calls us liars. 

So I ask you this morning... What's in your mouth?  What you speak should be what you are. If we say we are of Christ, then we should follow after the ways of Christ. If we say it, we should live it!  What's in your mouth?  Is it God's words? Is it true?  

Lord let the words of my mouth be honest, true and simply about you!

Chewing on the Fat

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

My wife loves to eat a steak that I have cooked for her, but she will not eat the fat around it. She will get nauseated just thinking about it. Since I know this weakness of hers I will cut my fat off and tease her with it. She will not even look at it. Sometimes we will eat with people that love to eat the fat on their steak. I make it a point to show her (hahaha). There they are, chewing and chewing on the fat. They say, "This is what makes it taste better". 

In our Bible teaching today, some have adopted this way of cooking. They think if we add our thoughts (the, "I think it means this" attitude) that it will taste better. And evidently it does because so many are eating it up...chew after chew. A theory of adding flavor or searching the scriptures with a preconception of what it should tell us instead of what it does tell us is prevalent among many, many people today. 

But the Word of God needs no flavoring!  It needs no additive!  It needs no fat added to the edges!  It is told to us this morning that we should pray for the right dividing of the scriptures. Many Christians never open their Bibles until a question about how they are living is asked of them. Then they read through God's Word in order to try and prove their point. Adding flavor and fat along the way. Many people are chewing on the fat today because it tastes good, or sounds good. Many Christians are even serving people their own portion (theories) to people as if it were God's Word. 

If you hear nothing else this morning please hear this. The meat of God's Word is enough!  It's our nourishment. 

Psalms 119:140

Thy word is very pure:

therefore thy servant loveth it.

Psalms 119:89

For ever, O Lord,

thy word is settled in heaven.

Thank you God for your Word. I love it!

Wait for it... Wait for it...

James 5:8

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Don't you love waiting in line?  I'm going to be honest with you, I hate it!  Especially when those you are with just love to see you squirm. They stand there in line watching you. They say things like, "Patience is a virtue... Good things come to those who wait..." Don't misunderstand me, it's not that I will not wait, it's that I just don't like waiting. 

Now before you get that holy look in your eye I'm pretty sure that just about everyone of us is this way at sometime or another. You see I might not like waiting outside a stadium to get into a football game but you don't mind. But you may not like waiting in a doctors office for them to see you, but it doesn't bother me. We all at times are impatient in waiting for things or something to happen.

I remember one time meeting a older man that thought my patience was silly. I was cutting grass for the place I worked and he approached me. He was bringing me a cold drink. I thought he was awesome!  As we began to talk he asked me where I was from and what else did I do besides cutting grass. I told him that I was a preacher of the Gospel. Then he replied with, "I've heard that Jesus was coming back all my life an He hasn't come yet". To which I replied, "That doesn't mean He is not coming". 

Let me remind you this morning that the coming of our Lord is sure. He will come again. He told us that He would and He even added that if it wasn't the truth that He would have never told us in the first place. The word of God tells us to wait for Him. Although I don't like waiting sometimes, I'll gladly wait for Jesus. Maybe you think He should come now or should have already come. Be patient, He will come when the Father tells Him.

Remember, just because he hasn't come yet doesn't mean He's not coming at all. Look up, it could be today!

Dealing With Us

Psalms 119:65

Thou hast dealt well with thy servant,

O Lord, according unto thy word.

Doesn't The Lord know how and when to speak?  You could be minding your own business and He speak in such a powerful way. Or you could searching and searching and miss it because you are looking for Him to open the windows of Heaven and speak through thunder and lightning. 

In Job 38 & 40, God spoke to Job in a whirlwind. How cool would that have been? In 1 Kings, Elijah said that he searched for God in the earthquake, in the whirlwind, and didn't find Him there. But he found Him in the still small voice. Both men seeking God and found Him in different avenues. 

Whatever the avenue, it's still the word of God. He wants to speak to you today. You may be waiting on a whirlwind. Or even a still small voice. You may be waiting on a huge sign or something special. I want you to know that you've already got something special. You have the Holy Word of God. You have the #1 best seller of all times. You have the pure unadulterated Words of Jesus right at your fingertips. 

Stop asking for signs when they are written in His Word. Stop listening for thunder and listen to the Spirit as you read what He has told us. 

What are you waiting for? Talk to Him today, let Him talk to you.  

The Faithful God

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Have you ever heard... "I'll be there" only to disappoint you because there was no truth in it?  I've heard so many promises, but the crazy thing is the ones that were broken stick out the most. Why is that?  Maybe it's because they hurt us. Or because we depended on them the most and we were shocked when they were broken. Or it could have been because of the one who promised had never broken one until then. The Word of God tells us to not make a promise if we are not going to keep it. (Ecclesiastes)  

But you know something?  I think it's time for us to stop focusing on the hurts from broken promises. This attitude could cause us to miss out on the promises that have been made, and kept. By only remembering broken promises we will never trust future promises. 

We should learn to trust those who have never broken the promises they have made us. Like our Faithful God!  He is called "The Faithful God". Why is that?  Because He has never broken His promises. He told us that He wouldn't tell us of great things He has for us if it wasn't true. 

John 14:1-4

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Listen to the "Promise Maker" not the "Promise Breaker" He tells us that He will come back for us, Hallelujah!

Lord, Help Me Understand

Mark 9:32

But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

"The only dumb question, is the one not asked". Remember that statement? Every year, teacher after teacher would start off by saying this statement. We were taught that there were no wrong questions. This is an absolute truth!  

How much pain and confusion comes because we don't talk to the Lord? We are so often left in the dark because we don't want to ask a dumb question. God is our Father!  The greatest Father ever! He wants us to talk to Him. He desires us to ask of Him. 

He says if we seek for wisdom and understanding in our lives to come and ask Him. He wants us to ask through faith and not doubt it. 

James 1:5-8

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

He says the reason for our lack, is because we don't ask. And also, we don't have because we ask for the wrong reasons. 

James 4:2-3

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Have you talked to our Father this morning?  Have you asked Him the questions that are within your heart?  Are you afraid to talk to Him? Have you asked in love and the right desire and motive?  Then patiently wait for the answer.