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So, I'd like to turn to a few places in the Scripture. Did you hear Pastor
Scibelli just now? I know you did, but what did he say? IT IS GOD!
That's at the heart of our lives. We had a tremendous weekend. Pastor
Carl really ministered to us. The Spirit spoke to our hearts. WE know
that the basis of our lives is GOD. We are learning to draw near to
God...
First, James 4. Good to have Pastor Mark back from Norway. I think
your wife and children are still there. They are there being
Norwegianized. Are you going to do a Friday night worship Pastor?
Would you like to do one this Friday? This Friday is Africa night! We'll
work on that...Ok!
James 4:8 - draw near to God. vs 7 - submit to God... resist the devil
and he'll flee from you. Do you believe that? You just resist him and
he's gone. He can't deal with us. Literally! That's another message.
vs 8 - draw near to God, and He'll draw near to you. Now turn to
Hebrews chap. 2:3 - how shall we escape if we neglect so gt. a
salvation?
One thing that happens to us as believers is, we neglect. Its not that
we are rebellious, but we neglect this gt. salvation. We are not
engaged in it. We're not listening, paying attention. This happens. This
slips away. This is the phrase in vs 1. We ought to give more earnest
heed to the things we've heard lest they slip.
(2) vs 8 - harden not your heart, evil heart of unbelief. We draw away
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bec. of neglect. Look at that. In our heart, there is some error, some
hardness. I love the Psalms bec. many of them start kind of negative.
The Psalmist, in 88, starts negative and ends negative. Ps 22 starts
negative, O my God, my God, why have you forsaken me. Then, in vs
22, he turns the corner saying, I will...Its easy to be hurt and in
trouble in this life. Keep Sedoni in prayer. She had a stroke and is in
recovery...
in vs 22 - they withdrew from the assembly. Let us, vs 25, not forsake
the assembly. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. REally?
yes. God will draw near to us.
Think of a man with his wife. He is separated. Pastor Minicello, his wife
is in Norway tonight. Some days and weeks will pass. He will long to
see his wife. In our faith, the same things happens. When we are
brought so close to God, we are in Jesus and He is in us. The HS
makes Him so intimate. One thing we long for is intimacy. I love to be
intimate with God, and God's people. This is where our fellowship is.
We love it. We hunger for it. All these words: neglect, hard heart,
unbelief, dull hearing, withdrawal, legalism and the law, this is so easy
to happen in our lives.
Now, turn to Psalm 73 with me and we'll continue. Look how long this
Psalm is. Its 28 verses. Do you see that? Its a long Psalm...to read it.
Its the longest Psalm I've ever seen. No it isnt'.
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God is good to Israel...As for me, I say, I'm not like Pastor Scibelli, but
you are, but you may have a diff. impression. You may have the
impression that he's an awesome man of God, and he is. We often
compare. he's not, but we do this. As for me, my feet were gone...I
was envious at the foolish, when I saw the wicked prosper.
We could put many things in that verse. I was sick suddenly. I asked
God, Why? I lost a job that I loved. I asked God, Why? I lost a family
memeber? It hurt me much. I don't know what to do about it. I feel
like drawing away. I'm dull of hearing. I don't want to hear anymore.
I'm hurt so badly. I neglect, I don't pay attention any more. If you
don't think this is for you, I tell you, this Psalm is for you. There are
people who have checked out.
Hebrews was written to believers. Draw near to God, and He will draw
so close to you, that you will feel and sense Him. Its the mystical
nature of God, and his power and comfort in your heart.
If you have your life planned out, be careful! Its good for us to draw
near to God. Its is God. For those in Ruwanda...its God. For the plan of
God in our life, Its God. Everything being dished out to you, its God.
There is a tendency to not draw near. We feel that we are driven
away, very disappointed and hurt.
Lets skip down to vs 12, these are the ungodly who prosper...they
increase in riches. Verily, I have washed my hands in vain...for all day
long, I've been plagued and chastened every morning. THey are
wealthy, fat, and I have lived a godly life and he's saying it, It's all in
vain.
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The Lord says, NO! Its a trial of our faith. Its the discipline of our
heart. Who is our God? In Numbers 14, they said, we want to go back
to Egypt. They draw near to Egypt. That's not the answer. Draw near
to God.
When we 1st went to Finland, it was difficult for us. After 6 months,
our team said, lets go back to America. I thought, then after a year,
I'll want to come back to Finland...and then back to America, then go
back. I thought, No! I have a battle to fight in my heart. Its this one:
Could I, in my life, draw near to God, and will He draw near to me?
Will I get to know God, his peace, his mind. The geography isn't the
issue. It is God. If we can follow Elijah, and the chariot took him,
Elisha wanted twice his spirit. Elijah said, if you see me go, then you'll
get it. Drawing close and coming near to God, then you have a
longing. You say, I'm looking for Him. I know who he is. If you take
away God's spirit, his puropsie, his people, his prophet from me, then
I'll look for it. Its the essence of our lives now. It is Him! We have
found Him. WE draw close to Him.
vs 16 - this was too painful for me...until I went into the house of God.
Then, I und. they are on a slippery slope...and then pass into
eternity...We have a treasure called life...a calling...words.
(2) When we draw near to God, its bec. God is speaking words to us.
When he went into the sanctuary, God spoke to his heart.
(3) When you come near to God, get ready for him to prick you...in
your inner most heart. The kidneys were associated with the emotions.
I was pricked in my reins, my heart, my conscience. I was wrong. The
world says, they don't even know what we're talking about. But, in our
hearts, we are pricked.
Glady's room? Ingrid went in there and started to weep. She knelt
down. The woman ministered to her. She said, I'm so unworthy to
have played the part of this woman. Her reins were pricked. When God
speaks, He'll speak, not like the world with loud noise. But, He'll speak
to you.
What happened? He drew near to God when he had his trouble. God
drew so near to him, that he said, nothing to I have on earth, but You.
Only you!
When you make a godly decision, you stand in it. God will draw near
to you. By the ministry of the HS, you will get wisdom and confidence.
That is our life. It never changes. WE are easily prone to a direction,
but we make decisions of faith: we'll go to the prayer meeting, I'm
going to be 3 times a week Christian, prayer, read my Bible, go on
outreach by faith.
(5) Prayer! When we draw near to God, we just spend time with him.
Its our worship, our life. We say, I don't know what to do, but we can
pray. Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him. We don't know what
to do about our job...about relationships...but draw near to God in
prayer and He will draw near to you. Amen!
Ok! Pray with me...Father, the summer is here...its not our summer.
Its your summer. If we give it all to you, it will be fruitful. Its your
time. Its our life given to you. We draw near to you. One thing we will
do this summer is Draw near to you, and know your char. and nature
and work...and we recognize your work around us. We draw near by
faith and you will draw near to us. You'll take away things that seem
immoveable. You crown us with lovingkindness...when God does it, its
not man. God does it and its good and awesome. That's what we long
for. May we not neglect, be careless, be slothful...but draw near to you
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and you will draw near to us. Our convention Lord. A recognition of all
that we have, day by day, week by week...in Jesus name, Amen!