Living Water Church

If I posed these questions to you, how would you answer?  Do you desire more of God in your life?  Do you long to hear His voice?  Do you ever feel spiritually dull?  Are there areas in your life where you need God to intervene?  Are you in need a spiritual breakthrough?

If you answered yes to one of these questions (or perhaps you are like me and answered yes to all of them) then one avenue of pursuing change is through fasting.  If you are anything like me, the word fasting stirs up grumbling and dread.  It’s an easy Christian exercise to overlook.  But, God calls His people to fast.  It is through fasting that our spirits open up to new things of God.   It is through fasting that we can experience breakthrough and blessing in our lives that God ordains.

David wrote, “I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24.  In fasting, we are offering ourselves to the Lord in a sacrificial way.   Fasting hurts.  It costs me something.  But, I want to be serious in my pursuit of God.  Pastor Ken has called us to 3 week fast, Jan 13 – Feb. 2.  As we fast together, let’s determine to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous, and all these things will be added unto us.”  Matt 6:33.

Last week, I spoke about the power of the Word – Jesus is the Word.  And I encouraged you to ask the Word for a word.  Lord, speak to us this year.  Lord, give me a word about myself for myself.  In the same way, one of things that I have been praying for our church is the word expectation.  I want us to have an expectation that God is going to move in our midst.  Specifically, Steve Sampson is coming next week.  So, let’s expect God to do something that only God can do.  Let’s ask God to speak to us, heal us, and refresh us.  Let’s ask with expectation and belief.

Having a sense of expectation should be one of the manifestations of our faith.  If our faith in God is solid and growing, then it is right that we expect God to perform His word.  Having expectation is a daunting task because we struggle with the fear of false hope.  But God wants us to trust Him, believe His word, and have a sense of expectation… because He is faithful to His promises!  So believe and expect great things from God.

Happy New Year.  If you’re anything like me, you like a time for new beginnings.  Many Americans make New Year’s resolutions – things in their behavior, characteristics, or lifestyle that they want to change and improve.  I wonder if we took a survey, how many people would actually say that making a New Year’s resolution actually made a difference in their lives?  It is so easy to be motivated for a day or even a few weeks.  But as the mundane reality of life kicks in, do we easily just return to our old habits and patterns?

The only person that can really change us is Jesus.  Since He is the author and the creator of life, He has the ability to take our lives, like clay, and mold and shape us into who He wants us to be.  Instead of making a bunch of resolutions this year, consider doing this instead.  Ask God what He wants you to work on and change.  Pray about it and seek His will, His direction.  And as He reveals His thoughts to you, ask Him to empower to you to change things in your life that need improvement.

A few years ago we felt like the Lord gave us a mandate to teach and study various books of the Bible on Sunday mornings.  One reason for this is that in our culture, Bible illiteracy is the norm.  Lord, let this not be true for us.  The Bible is full of truth.  It’s the only place that always has the right answer for everything!

Last week we announced that starting in January 2012,we will begin to study the Gospel of John.  My desire is that as we examine Jesus’ ministry together, we will learn to become more like Him.  A popular phrase a few years ago was, “What would Jesus Do?”  I encourage you to read this book on your own.  Consider reading  it from a different translation, like NLT or The Message.  And as you read it, consider how Jesus responded to people and to life events, so that you know what Jesus would do.  “Uncover my eyes so that I may see miraculous things in Your teachings.”  Ps. 119:18 GWT.

There’s an old hymn that says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” I’ve been thinking about that this week. It is natural for many of us (as well as enemy-driven for most of us) to focus on the negative. We can spend time fretting over what we don’t have, don’t like, don’t want. And if we aren’t stressing over what we don’t have, we are worrying about what we do have – ie poor health, a troubled marriage, wayward kids, a rude boss, and the list goes on…

I wrote a note to myself this week and put it on my desk. It simply said, ‘Think about the good things.’ While it is so easy to concentrate on the bad, I found that it takes some effort to focus on the good.

Scripture tells us (commands us actually) to give thanks in all things. That doesn’t mean that we are to give thanks for all things. But rather, in spite of all things, we can still give thanks. This week I made a list for myself of things that I can (and should be) thankful to God for providing. I want to live life focused on the good. I want to be a thankful person. I want to be a content person; not someone always longing for more. 1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”

Thank God for Noah. He obeyed God and built a seemingly ridiculous boat… and you know the rest of the story. But in Genesis 9, Noah was foolish. He drank wine and became drunk, uncovering himself inside his tent. Ham, one of his sons, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. He exposed his father’s sin to everyone around. And because of it, the Scripture says that he and his descendents were cursed. But Noah’s other two sons, Japheth and Shem, went and covered their father’s nakedness. Scripture says that they were blessed, honored because of it.

Everybody has a naked day. We all do foolish things that we regret. I know I have certainly had my share. We are all dependent upon grace. As Christians, we need to cover each other’s nakedness. Now there are times, obviously, when God calls us to address a person’s sin. But be careful not to expose it to all the people around us, like Ham did. I have heard it said that the greatest test of character is how we respond to someone else’s sin. Let’s live under grace and give grace to others as well.

What is the condition of your heart? It’s a question we’ve been asking you for the last several weeks, and will continue to do so today. We live in a world filled with choices. God gave us free will – the will to choose God’s way or our own way. We are continually tempted to react to situations in a selfish and sinful way. John 3:19 says, “This is the crisis we’re in: God’s light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness… because they were not really interested in pleasing God.” (The Message). So often, we are far more interested in pleasing ourselves than we are in pleasing the God who made us.

In heaven, God’s will is done perfectly. That’s why there is no more sorrow, or pain, or evil there. But here on earth, we must make daily choices about living for God, seeking His will, and obeying His word. The cry of my heart is that we will choose God’s way and live under the blessing of the Lord. “So fear the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols…serve the Lord alone.” Joshua 24:14-15 NLT.

Psalm 139 says, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I’m going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” 1-5. NLT.

There is something about our American Culture that promotes an independent spirit. Sometimes we don’t want people to know us completely. Possibly we fear that they will discover something about us that they won’t like. Perhaps we worry that if we are too transparent it will be used against us in the future. As Americans we like privacy and autonomy.

But Psalm 139 reminds us that God is aware of all. There is nothing hidden from Him; He knows everything we do. He even knows what we are going to say before it is said. He goes before us and behind us. Instead of being frightened by this truth, let it comfort us. Our God is loving and merciful. He walks with us through every situation, through every trial, protecting and guiding us. More than anything, I want God’s “hand of blessing on my head.” Lord, help us to live in such a way that we walk in the favor of the Lord.

Psalm 100 is one of my “life chapters.” I memorized it as a child, not because I chose to or had to, but rather because I heard it so much that it just got stuck in my brain. The King James version says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands.” All the earth, every place there is land, is to make noises, shouts of joy, unto the Living God. We are to serve Him, worship Him, with gladness. Not with a heavy heart, and doom and gloom, but rather with a spirit of joy.

Verse 3 says, “Acknowledge that the Lord is God!” It’s interesting that the Bible tells us to tell God that He is God. How do we do that? We acknowledge Him as God when we sing praises to Him, thank Him, and express our love to Him as our Creator and Father through song and prayer.

Psalm 11:3 says, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Another translation says it this way: “When all that is good falls apart, what can good people do?” NCV

In the last month numerous people in our congregation have gone through various crisises, including the death of loved ones, serious sickness, and job losses. Additionally, today is the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. It is a somber day of remembrance. When our world gets rocked by personal or national tragedy, it can feel like the very foundations of our lives are shaking. What are we to do? When all that is good falls apart, what can the righteous do?

I find such comfort in knowing that though the world may shake, though my life may experience chaos, God is steady. He is always faithful. He promises to be our very present help in times of trouble. This is my personal prayer: Once again, into Your hands I commit all that I am; I will trust You. You are my hope. Jesus, I believe in You.

What are the righteous to do? Turn to the Rock who never fails and never stumbles – our God who Is, and Was, and Is to Come.