Basically the Thessalonian Jews rejected knowlegde and the “Way”(Acts 22:4) which was the way to Christ in the early christian church. Neither the Thessalonian Jews or Barean Jews were familiar with this new “WAY” but the Thessalonians rejected it and hounded down those who preached it. BUT, the Barean Jews were more noble…they searched the scriptures…and with eagerness to see if this were true!

WHY it’s important to be open to the truth? Because when you reject truth you reject God. How is this so? John 14:6 says, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.” When we reject the way, the truth, and the life…we reject God. Because he is all those things.

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God..and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us….John 1:1

I want to be like the Bareans! I want to choose God and his word and not reject HIM! Let’s be open to receive the truth…but study his word for ourselves to ensure that we are not misdirected!  As many false prophets have gone out into the world…1 John 4:1

“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lampstand may be kept burning.” Exodus 27:20

“And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint…the lampstand…the altar of incense…the altar of burnt offering. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy.”  Exodus 30:22-29 [abridgment added]

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  Matthew 5:14-15

So for part four, we are back at the altar…adding oil to the lampstand!  As the scripture in Matthew highlights, we are God’s lampstands, bringing the gospel to the whole world!   I hope that this message will help us renew our minds on how to share the gospel in a way that pleases God.  Because the gospel is consecrated and holy, it has been bought with a price!  So we have to handle it carefully as not to inadvertently  lead others away from Christ.  In Leviticus and Exodus, the priests are instructed to add oil to the lampstand.  Oil often signifies the holy spirit.  As we see from the scripture above, in Exodus 30:22, we share the gospel with the help of the Spirit[I will explain this more]…just as the spirit assist should assist in our incense [our prayers] and burnt offering [devotion].    In part 3, I also mentioned that the oil was presented with the bread sacrifice [ our service].

So, we can’t just share the gospel in any kind of way!  Our object is to get the unsaved and backsliders to the throne of grace!  We can not share the word in our flesh (the way we deem fitting), but we need the spirit to help us to do it.    We cannot merely preach of his Love without addressing sin–because none but the rightous will see God (Hebrews 12:14).  Some preach a fire and brimstone gospel, that is so harsh and abrasive that it actually pushes people away from Cross!  No one should think that this is the way that God wants to win others either.  Because one day, those of us who serve Christ will have to stand before a righteous God and have to give an account of not only IF we served him but IN WHAT SPIRIT we served him.  Far be it from us, that God had an opportunity to get that person to the throne of grace…through your preaching…your singing…your dance…your writing…but they were turned away from the message because of they spirit that we presented it in.  If we sing, we need to hit that note to the glory of God to get that person to the throne of grace…Not for self glory, lest the person be turned off.    We must not do things in the flesh, but by his Spirit!  Judgment alone will not save.  Love without knowledge of the truth, will not save. But if we share his word correctly and in the right spirit we can win some for Christ!

So, let’s first talk about what not to do, and I’ll share the revelation at the end.  2:Timothy 2:23-23 says that when sharing the gospel: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produced quarrels.  And the Lords servant must not quarrel, instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach and not resentful.  Those who oppose him must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, teaching them the knowledge of the truth, that they will come to hear.”  Listen, God’s teaching should not promote quarrels and foolish arguments in the Body.  We should  try to listen to what people have to say and treat them with respect.  If you do this, they will be more likely to listen to what you have to say.  Remember, we have to get the to the throne of grace!  Combative defense of the word may cost you the opportunity to win others into the fold.   Instead, Paul tells Timothy to gently instruct!

1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer[share your faith] to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have.  But do this gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”  How do you know that you that you have done this in the right spirit?  Your conscience is clear!  And further, if we share the message in the right way, we keep ourselves above criticism for having appropriate conduct.

So we must therefore, add the oil when we allow our lamps to shine!  We must add the holy spirit.  We know the nine fruits of the spirit…love, kindness, gentleness….yes gentleness!  We must ask the holy spirit to help us to share the word in such a way that will allow others to reach the throne of grace.  Galatians 6:1 says, “Brother, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”   The spirit of gentleness is how we win some for Christ!  Patiently instruct until the person is able to receive…we know that one of the fruits of the spirit is longsuffering!!  And this by no means, means soften the gospel message or soften the truth.  BUT its the SPIRIT you do it in.  We have to operate in the spirit, and not in the flesh!  Paul was preached the word uncompromisingly.  He said this to the Corinthian church, ” I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time.  I  now repeat while absent.  On my return will I not spare those who sinned earlier or any others.”  2 Corinthians 13:2.  In 1 Corinthians 4:21, he says “What do you prefer, shall I come to you a whip or in love with a gentle spirit?”

So, there is a such thing as righteous anger.  It’s hard to forget the image of Jesus, turning over the tables of the money changers in anger who were conducting his business in the temple with the wrong spirit [greed].  Matthew 21:12-13.  In fact, John 2:15 says that he made a whip out of cords and drove them out of the temple!  Yes, the same man who said he was meek and lowly of heart.  Matthew 11:29.  We also know that he called people dogs, vipers, and snakes!  Matthew 23:13-33.  BUT…this is not the way we should operate…we are not God…and we are not righteous…we are flesh! Listen, the gospel is offensive enough…we don’t need to add additional offense with our words.  We must operate in a spirit of gentleness.

God’s gospel is sacred, it must not be shared in the flesh, but in his spirit!  Let me end with the scripture…I just found out about this scripture when someone shared it recently…but it exemplifies the revelation received in a dream about how to share the word of God’s judgment…although I still don’t get it right all the time.  Jude 1:22-23 says this, “Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them, to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” The revelation I had is that God’s word will pierce their hearts with truth but his love will be operating at the same time to draw them in.  This is the best way to win others for Christ!  As Jude says, the mercy will draw some in!  These are the people whose hearts have already been made ready to accept the truth.  But whenever his judgment is preached, it must be mixed with mercy!!  Don’t assume people know God’s love just because you have received revelation of his love. This is how God brings salvation to his people, and if we want to share his word, this is how we should do it…in the spirit of gentleness!

So…add the oil…which is the spirit of gentleness to your lamps…be blessed!  Ask the holy spirit to help you as you speak [or type] and give you the words to say and the ability to say it in the right spirit.  I pray God gives you a double anointing to reach the unsaved and the backsliders!

“Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the GLORY of the Lord filled the temple.  And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the GLORY of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.  2 Chronicles 7:1

God’s awesome manifestation of his glory is sometimes likened to a consuming fire producing a spiritual smoke/cloud that weighs upon his people.  In fact, the word glory means “weight.”  Can you imagine that his glory was so heavy and so pervasive that the priests couldn’t even enter into the temple.  It is the “weight of his glory” that we need in our lives, that others may see him and come to him.  I want to start off by saying, we desperately need’s God’s glory!  And guess what, God desires that we have his glory.  I’m not talking about a self-exalting glory, for we know that this kind, God will share with no man.  Isaiah 48:11.  But I’m talking about a godly kind of glory[I will explain] that will help you win some for Christ!  So what does Jesus himself pray about his glory?

 ”And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one:  I in them, and you in me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me; for you loved me before the foundation of the world.  John 17: 21-24

God wants to share his glory with you so that he may reveal himself through you.  But notice that we must behold his glory in order to receive it!  The only way to accomplish this is to dwell in the place where God’s glory is.  Yes shekinah glory means “to dwell” and that place is in the presence of God.  The weight of his glory is experienced by continually entering into the presence of God.   We must also intentionally pray for the weight of his glory to be shown to us!  John 14:21, says that those who are obedient to him and love him…he will manifest himself too!  Be faithful and do it!

In Exodus 33 , Moses asks God to show him his glory, but we see in Exodus 34 that God’s definition of glory is much different from one might expect.  “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. God receives glory because of his attributes!  And this makes so much sense!  Remember back in the day before all the prosperity preaching, folks used to actually teach sermons on the “Attributes of God.”  His righteousness, faithfulness, etc are what cause man to glorify this diety!  But not just his compassion, grace, slowness to anger, love, faithfulness, forgiveness–but also his judgment of rebellion and sin.  We glorify him because he is Just too!   When we pray for God’s glory, we are praying for God to infiltrate us with his attributes.  If we want to attract non-believers to God’s glory, we have to take on the attributes of God.   So that when people see us, it will be like the response to Moses in the proceeding verses.  Exodus 34:29.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.   When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.”

Can people tell that we have been in God’s presence?  They should be able too.  But what I also want to note here is that these were same group of people who begged Moses to go up and talk to God on their behalf while they stood afar off.  The bible said when they stood afar off they were paralyzed in fear…likely because the weight of God’s glory made them feel like they would die if they stood in his presence.  Exodus 20:18.  It is because God’s glory reveals our true nature…those dark places…those unrepentant rude places that destroy our witness!  God brings light… and in comparison, we are able to see our own darkness.  We become like Isaiah, for he was in the presence of the glory of God, he said “Woe unto me for I am a man of unclean lips and from among people of unclean lips.”  Isaiah 6:5.  It is because the glory of the Lord will  stand in judgment of our rebellion and sin. You can not continually come before the presence of the Lord in sin, because it won’t be long before he starts to reveal and deal with your mess.   But with it compassion, grace, slowness to anger, love, faithfulness, forgiveness, etc.  This is why God told the Father that he has given his glory to us….so that it will be clear to the world that Jesus works through us and that he was sent to save them.

When we can show genuine love, compassion, grace, and judgement we allow others to see God!  Our faithfulness to God  will convict them of their sin.  Our love for each other will draw them in.  They will see our shining faces, and know that he lives and reigns through us!  Isaiah 60, pretty much sums it up…and I know that this is a true witness because I have a friend who is just like this!!  When you enter into this girls presence, you literally sense the presence of God!  Her attributes are a testament to God’s work… living and active in her.  Whenever I’m with this girl, people just give her stuff for no reason.  I’m sure they don’t even know why.  It’s not that she is one of those really ridiculously nice people either, it’s the spirit of God that emanates from her and allows her to draw in the lost. I’m done talking, I will just end with the word and let the word speak for itself.

Isaiah 60:1-3  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people, but the LORD rises upon you  and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

60:5 “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy…”

60:8-9: “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?  Surely the islands look to me;  in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.

60:18-21: No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.  The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light,  and your God will be your glory.  Your sun will never set again,and your moon will wane no more;  the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Then all your people will be righteous  and they will possess the land forever.

Now God says if we ASK ANYTHING…in his name, according to his will…he will do it!  1 John 5:14-15.  Is not his word, his will???!  Let’s pray the perfect will of God, let the glory of the Lord rise upon us!  Let’s ask the holy spirit to rain down righteousness.  Consume us with your fire.  Let’s dwell in his presence until we feel the weight of his glory. Let our areas of contention be transformed into God’s ways…so that our light may shine before men…and they come to our Father!  Abide saints, abide!!  Father we need your glory, let your glory depart from us no more, further away from your us…your temples (Ezekiel 10)!

After taking the cup, Jesus gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink wine again until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  Luke 22:17-19

We can not talk about  REAL service…the kind of service that pleases God, without talking about the cross.  Because this isn’t about church programs, committee meetings, or bake sales…it’s about a life laid down for Christ.  So I begin here, with the breaking of the bread–which symbolizes his body broken for us.  And the dividing of wine, which is his blood and life poured out for us. In doing this, God intended for us to emulate him by being broken bread and poured out wine.  But instead of being offered as sacrifice, far are too many Christians living for themselves… but the word says this:

“He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”  2 Corinthians 5:15. 

Listen, God did not die on the cross, so that we may expend ourselves on our own pleasures.  Despite what this prosperity teachers will tell you, your life is not all about you!  He did not die so that you could get the house, the car, the career!  He died for our sins and so that HE can be glorified.  We were created for his glory!   That was our God-ordained purposed.  The word says “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  God paid the ultimate price for you with his life on the Cross.  His body was broken…his blood was poured out like wine…unto death. Isaiah 57:6. Far be if from us that we should spend our life seeking glory for ourselves?  We should allow God to pour us out as a drink offering to service other believers and the unsaved.  We should be willing to allow God to break us as bread as an offering for his glory–so others may see him and come to him!   It is my earnest desire to ignite your desire to do such in this message!  So once again, to gain a deeper scriptural understanding, we glean from the kind  service that is acceptable before the altar of God, as we did in parts 1 and 2…and are presented with grain[bread] offering and drink offering in the old testament [please see part 1 and 2 for for background]

Prepare the second lamb at midnight, along with the same kind of grain[bread] offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. This is an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. Numbers 28:8

Of course the symbolism is key, Jesus was the perfect lamb offering, who poured out his life for us.  But In Numbers 15 and 28, and other related bible scriptures the animal sacrifices were laid down on the altar and the drink offering was poured over it and presented to God along with the grain offering.   Of course, Romans 12:1 says that believers are living sacrifices–which are represented here as the animal sacrifice.  We are confronted again with this imagery in Phillipians 2:16-17, when Paul says “…In order that I may boast on the day of day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.  But even as I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice!…” Like Paul, we are called to be the poured out wine upon the sacrifice!  Are we using our God-giving abilities to perfect the saints and the unsaved as Paul did?  His labor was not in vain, his life was not wasted!  Instead he poured it out for others to help make them like Christ…so they could win even more!  He offered his body to be broken as Christ did, so that God could be glorified!

What drove Paul to do this?  It was the cross!  The cross indebted him to do it!  Paul realized that he was brought with a price!  He knew that his life was not his own.  He did not waste it by expending it on his own pleasures…but he used it to preach the gospel to the saved and unsaved!    He said this, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” Romans 1:14.  He was indebted…because of the cross!  Paul was a “2 Corinthians 5:15 christian” which says…”He died, that those who live may no live for themselves.”  Are we pouring ourselves out because of the cross?  Are we praying for the Christians to mature in Christ?  Are we confronting them with the holy one of Israel?  Isaiah 30:11.  In his letter to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4, Paul says, preach the word!  Correct, rebuke, and encourage!  He says men are no longer tolerating sound doctrine, but gathering up for themselves teachers that say what their itching ears want to hear.  He says, they will turn their ears away from truth and aside to myths.  But he says YOU, yes YOU, endure hardship!  Do the work of an evangelist!  Paul says that in doing these things he has already poured his life out like a drink offering!

Yes, he means YOU!  Preach the word in season and out of season!  This is how we love others…by pointing them to the God on the cross!  Use whatever gifts, talents, abilities you have to spread his gospel!  Paul says, to win the Jews he became like the Jews!  To win the gentiles he became like the gentiles!  “Become like all men” so that you might win some for Christ!  1 Corinthians 9:20.  That’s why I love the rapper LeCrae, because he uses rap…real hard core rap so that he can reach this demographic.  And he doesn’t water the gospel down one bit, but it’s reaching a group of people who may not otherwise fit “the mold” of what a christian may look like!   Are you using your gifts as an instrument to win some for Christ…it’s all ministry?!  It’s all about bringing them to the God on the cross!  Our gifts are just tools to get them to the throne of grace where God can save them.  If you sing, sing in such a way and with such a spirit, that went you hit that note…you will bring them to the throne of grace.  And don’t just do it…do it with passion and zeal! …So that people may see you and want to get to know this savior that you are going all out for!  People should BELIEVE you when you sing “There’s Nobody Greater Than Him!” This is not the time to be lukewarm! Revelation 3:16.  Have some passion for God!  We serve a living God!

God says, whatever you do, do it heartedly as unto the Lord, and not unto men!  Colossians 3:23.  The cross of Christ  is passion enough to do it!  The fact that he paid for your sins with his death is enough!  The word says “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.”  Glorify him!  Everything about you should bring him glory!  1 Corinthians 10:31, if you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God.  Be mindful not to do as the frustrated christian would do…the frustrated christian does not truly do anything for the glory of God.  Because he is too busy glorifying himself.  Instead of pouring out his life as wine before God…he drinks the wine that should be poured out for God.  He drinks in the pleasures of life and seeks his own.  Instead of using the gospel as motivation to bring glory to God, he takes word…the precious bread of life and uses the word to get what he can for himself.  He, himself consumes the bread instead of “feeding his sheep.”  He uses the gospel to find ways to bring himself glory.  In doing so, God is robbed of his glory for this christian’s talents and gifts.  Even worse, the word states that some even pour out the the drink offering and grain offering to idols.  Deuteronomy 32:38.  He says, “You pour out wine as offerings to idols and bring them grain offerings. Do you think I am pleased with all this? “Isaiah 57:6. They dedicate their talent to the pursuit of their own idols, and things that satisfy the desires of the hearts…instead pouring them out to the God of the cross. Numbers 15:7

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Piper says this, the pursuit of joy and glorifying God are one in the same.  I have this image seared in my brain of a platform.  When you aim to make your life a platform for God’s glory, you will find joy!  Paul said, although I am poured out like wine for you, I rejoice!  We know that the word says, he that lays his life down for God and his gospel will find it. Matthew 10:39!   Joy is not in all these temporal things.  To waste your life would be pour out your life in pursuit of these temporal things that can not be taken with us to eternity.  We get one life!  Only what’s done for Christ will last!  Do not to store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven that will last! Matthew 6:19.  But in order to live this kind of life, it will cost you everything!   If God is to be exalted this way…It will cost you your life!  Luke 14:25-25.  You will have to decrease so that he can increase. John 3:30.  But remember:  YOU WERE CREATED TO GIVE HIM GLORY! Some people will look at your life, and see the wine spilled out all over the place…the wine poured out for HIS glory, and think….wow…he/she wasted it!  They will think wow…they wasted their life serving God when they could have been trying to get X, Y, or Z for their own purposes.  They did everything for his glory, instead of their own.  But REALLY…they are really the ones wasting their life on things that won’t last!

BUT still others will see your life, and they will say, wow…he or she is so talented…but they are willing to be of no value for this God…they are willing to give everything of themselves so that he can be glorified…What manner of God is this?!  Tell me about this God!   Through gain, loss, death, life, promotions, demotions, singlessness, marriage, ups, downs, illness, health, riches, poverty, lease approval, foreclosure!..Give him glory!!!  Give him praise!   Let’s pour out our lives for others…so that people can see our good works and praise our God.  So that it is CLEAR that God has GREATER value than these things! Lord, Paul said, to Live is Christ, but to die is great gain!  Let it be clear from our lives that laying down our lives for you is great gain!!   Father, let our service to others be as a drink offering…poured out!  Lord empty us all out for you!   Pour us all out!!  So that you increase! So that people can see how WORTHY you are!  Let us not drink the wine and expend it on our pleasures and waste it!  Lord, in the last supper…you said  the bread was your body was broken for us!  Let us likewise be broken, let us die as you did, so that you will get the glory and not ourselves!!  Let our lives be broken bread…to feed your sheep!  Let us not steal your glory, for your body was pierced and broken on the cross!!  So that you may be exalted…that men would see you!!   That they may see that you are the bread of life.  Let’s use our bodies as a living sacrifice.  Leviticus 2: 13 says this, the grain offering is the most holy offering.  You said, it should be of fine flour.  We are to mix it with oil [the holy spirit], and it is to be without yeast[sin].  We are to crumble it [we are to be broken up].  Season it with salt[for we are the salt of the earth]!

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

[N.B.] There is a book called “Broken Bread & Poured Out Wine” by Oswald Chambers that I have not had the opportunity to read but I have heard it is a very good book if anyone is interested.  And of course “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper.  Hopefully we all will fill the BURDEN[(*winks @ AliciaLynn*] to pray for the unsaved and do good works…and YOU, yes you are to share the gospel ( II Timothy 4) with your talents, we’ve been bought with a price! 

“Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell face down.” Leviticus 9:24

“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” Leviticus 6:13

For me, 2012 has been all about re-kindling the fire.  It’s been all about renewing devotion to God.  But I’ve been occasionally leaving out a vital part of my devotion to God, and God made it very plain that this was UNACCEPTABLE!  God has been rewarding me in certain aspects of my life, and after slacking off for a few days, God decided to slack off on me too in no uncertain terms yesterday!  I agreed with him quickly, and immediately fixed the problem. And he proved me on this by returning the reward!  I made the connection, but the revelation didn’t come until I was reading the word last night and I really really want to share this with you.  What I want to say is that the fire must be kept burning on the altar, CONTINUOUSLY, it must not go out!  I talked about how we cannot assume that all prayers are pleasing and acceptable to God in the last message.  In this message, I want to talk about our devotion to God.  Our “sacrifices” that we place on the altar, are they really acceptable?  When the sacrifice is acceptable to God, he will light the sacrifice with his fire!   If we consider this, perhaps it will be easier to be devoted to God in certain areas…knowing that our devotion is necessary to truly please him.  Are we like Abel, and giving God the fat portion, and our very best!  Or are we like Cain, and giving him skimpy leftovers as a sacrifice.  The bible says, “Abel also brought a gift-the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift.  Genesis 4:4.

What I am talking about are the areas in our devotion to God, in which we slack off in one area or another.  God did not accept Cain’s offering-and likewise he requires more from us! I remember talking about this with one of my spiritual partners and we concluded that you can only do “your best.”  And I know your first instinct is to readily want to agree with this, but hopefully I can convince you (through scriptures of course) that this is untrue by the time you read the entire message. God rewards CONTINUITY.  He rewards DILIGENCE! Hebrews 11:6.  And in the old testament, in order for the glory of the Lord to appear to them their devotion had to be acceptable. Leviticus 9:5.  If we want to see the glory of the Lord this year, we have to be diligent! No more excuses. God will require more from us this year! For some it’s reading the bible.   For some it’s prayer.  For some it’s praise and worship. Perhaps it’s  thanksgiving or service.  But in the old testament, the Christians brought the sacrifice to the altar of the Lord CONTINUOUSLY as an act of worship before God.  The incense [symbolizing prayer, discussed in the last message] was burned before the God faithfully every morning! Exodus 30:7. This was a pleasing thing to the Lord.  In the old testament, the sacrifice was the very best livestock–the first fruits.  For the saints, we are the offering!  We have to be a sacrifice that is likewise acceptable!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God—this is your true and proper worship.”  Romans 12:1.

Are we giving him the first fruits of ourselves?  Are we doing it with diligence? God is to be the center of our lives and we have to build the other things around him.  It cannot be the opposite way.  We cannot give him whatever is left and think this is acceptable to him.  God requires more of us! Are we willing to be an acceptable offering?  Will we lay down our life on the altar?  God says this, “will you really lay down your life for me?”  John 13:38.  The sweetest smell, the most fragrant sacrifice, is a life laid down for Christ!  Is a daily death on the altar.  We have to be willing to die daily, so that God can use us through prayer, sharing the word, giving, worship, etc.  The greatest act of love, is to lay down your life.  You show your love for him, not in the physical death, but the daily laying your life down for God.  We show our love for others by laying down our life for  our brothers and sisters  (I John 3:16) through prayer and service. Someone mentioned this song recently, “I give myself away” by William McDowell.  Are we really giving ourself away?  He says, “What would happen if a generation really embraced this?”

I have to plug intercessory prayer here, because this is an area I implore the saints to  absolutely not slack on, because the eternal cost is too great!   God has hidden his face from the unrighteous. Isaiah 59:2.  But God says they are like lost sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36.  They are like the blind, they cannot see what they are doing!  The deception of sin, is that eventually you don’t even see your sin.  But we can’t just judge them.  We have to have compassion on them and pray!  We have to remember how our sins once blinded us…and  stand in the gap in prayer for them because God will not hear their prayer.  God says, “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

God will not hear everyone’s prayer, this is why he needs us to pray to rebuild the walls of righteousness in our land. If MY people, who are called by MY name, will humble themselves and turn from evil ways, and SEEK my face, I will heal the land. 2 Chronicles 7:14. I keep thinking revival, but there cannot be revival if the saints do not turn from unpleasing ways and pray. And there can definitely be no revival without prayer. We must pray for those whose sins separate them from the father and keep their prayers from being heard. Who may stand on his holy hill? He that has clean hands and a clean heart! Psalm 24:3. That’s us saints! The bible says, if our hearts do not condemn us, we can ask for anything and it shall be done! I John 3:19. We cannot merely love in words, but in actions and deeds. I John 3, says that if we have the resources to provide a need and do not give it, the love of God is not in us. So, we have to share the material things we have with others. If the greatest expression of love is laying down your life to others, we should also lay down our lives by giving it over to God in prayer.

So I touched on prayer a little bit, but let’s talk about all the aspects of our devotion and the God’s expectation about diligence. Because I believe that the power of God is released with diligence. Let’s explore the scripture on this…

PRAYER: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray Continually”. The Parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 implores us to always pray! Hebrews 11:6, says that “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Is this not clear?..God rewards those that diligently SEEK him!

PRAISE: Through Jesus, therefore, let us CONTINUALLY offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the “fruit of lips” that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15. How about in Luke 24:53, “And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God!” Now that was the last chapter and last verse in Luke, and we all know what happened next in Acts! The power of God rained down! Their prayers and praise led to revival! Acts 2:42-43 says, “They DEVOTED themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” You want to see some signs and wonders, get DEVOTED to praise and prayer!

READING THE WORD: Deuteronomy 6:17, ye shall DILIGENTLY keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. Joshua 1:8 says “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” But even more, we have to keep his word so that we do not sin against him (Psalm 119:11). 2 Peter 3:14 says, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be DILIGENT that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

THANKSGIVING: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,” Ephesians 5:20. The worst thing we can do is offer murmuring and complaining instead of thanksgiving.  Murmuring and complaining is sin, and we are advised to do all things without them. Philippians 2:14.

SERVICE: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Romans 12:11 “Not lagging behind in DILLIGENCE, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”

I have to end with this…this is the most important part here, and hopefully this revelation will inspire change. I was thinking about why we are not diligent in certain areas, because I know we have the ability to be diligent. Folks are diligent with their studies and careers, and even growing their hair! So I though, what makes them diligent with those goals.  And it occurred to me that it’s because there is a prize or a reward! That’s what drives dilligence! We cannot be devoted  if the gospel is not our prize. Paul talks about a runner who runs a race, to “a prize that will not last.” He says to if you are going to run this race (like you want to win),it requires strict training. You cannot win a marathon race without DISCIPLINE! But Paul says we run the race for the “prize that will last!” The crown of life!! This too requires discipline.  We can’t get it for nothing! Train up yourself to do it! If you are a sleepy prayer warrior set the alarm 10 times per prayer session,lol! But see, if we are going to have any chance at this, the gospel has to be the prize. Your eyes have to be set on the crown of life!

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give DILIGENCE to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

There are a ton more scriptures I found about DILIGENCE, but this is already too long. So I am going to end here. I wrote this because God has impressed upon me, that he requires more from us! And he wants us to be diligent. “Do your best” is not in the bible, but “Be ye perfect” is….not that you will ever reach perfection…but we press toward the mark!! If we can be diligent about silly things, like going to the gym or watching our favorite program, or our hair…why can’t we be dilligent concerning these things! We have to present ourselves as a living sacrifice upon the altar. Let’s give him the Abel-kind of offering! Let’s not assume that just anything is acceptable to him…but let’s give him the fat portion and watch and be amazed when he lights the fire to it! Leviticus 9:24. And when he lights it, let us keep it burning continuously. Leviticus 6:13.

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but DELIGHT to show us mercy. You will have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot!

No one is like this! God delights to show mercy to those who humble themselves. He treads underfoot the sins of those that repent. He can’t wait to forgive! He cant wait to restore his sons. He cant wait to tread upon our sins. It brings him great joy to do it! He is waiting as we come from afar off, waiting with a robe and a ring!

Jonah knew this God! Thats why he ran from giving the word to the sinners in Ninevah. He said “I knew you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God that relents from sending calamity.”

The Bible says that “God corrects the ones he loves” but he is slow to punish…he gives us time to get it right!!! Who is like this God? He is good, his love endureth forever (2 chronicles 5:13). He is a good God. His correction is evidence of his abounding love. His correction is evidence of his love. The two cannot be separated.

Christians, we cannot survive off the good we have done yesterday.  In Ekeziel 18, God gives a proverb.  He states that the wicked man that turned from evil and idolatry, will be justified.  But the righteous man that turned to idolatry and the ways of the wicked will be guilty.  He says, “None of your good will be remembered.“  You cannot glory in the days when your heart was steadfast on the things of God.  You cannot be complacent with the fervency in which you used to share the gospel of God…and the zeal in which you used to serve the Lord.  We need to turn away from the idols of self!  God’s hand has been heavy upon the saints, just as he has been with the children of Israel.  God has been the very source of the infliction upon the saints.  Because the hearts of the saints have turned away from God, and have been in hard pursuit of other things.  But to these, God says, repent and live!  Get a new heart and a new spirit!  You cannot rely on yesterday’s salvation.  But “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Phillipians 2:12.  To do such will require you to renew your hearts and minds.  It will require you to fear the Lord with a reverent spirit and turn away from the Gods of self.

Some people will even read this is declare, I am not idolator!  And vehemently claim to seek God’s kingdom first.  But God showed me something about idolatry, and I want to share this with you.  Let’s first define an idol, because I don’t want anyone to think that I believe that God doesn’t want you to have desires for anything.   Idolatry is having an “inordinate affection” for something.  In the natural, we define inordinate means “exceeding reasonable limits”; “unregulated”, unrestrained in feelings or emotion, ” “disorderly.”  Now here is the revelation, imagine the heart as a container with a definitive amount of space.  When you fill the space with all desires for things to the point where they are ebbing over, there is no more room for God!  The heart that was intended to delight in the Lord;  Psalm 37:4, is now spilling over with this inordinate, unregulated…unrestrained stuff!  So now instead of delighting in God, the heart is delighting in this stuff!

And God can’t get in there…your heart is crowded with YOU!    So now, we have a picture of this heart, thats crowded with… I don’t need to name it [you claim yours and i'll claim mine! ]…And it becomes so filled so not only does it bring you pleasure just thinking about it…but it’s all we can talk about.  See because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Matthew 12:34.  If God was on your heart…if he was the desire of your heart..you would speak about him.  You would tell people about him…you would “name-drop” in random conversations, to strangers, to friends…you name it.  You know what I’m taking about.  Remember when you first got saved…it’s all you could talk about…you shamelessly bible thumped poor unsuspecting friends and family members! But now, God says “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they worship me in vain…” In Matthew 15:8-9.  God lists several popular  “idols” and states that they are coming out of your mouth…but they derive from your heart, and these things make you unclean!   Don’t think they are coming out of your mouth?  Have you listened to your prayers lately, are you praying for God’s will or more stuff for YOU? 

The surest sign of having idols, is that you are extremely unhappy without them.  Because you have filled all your heart up with it, and when it’s taken away…you have nothing left.  Your love for God has been so overwhelmed by your own desires, that the delight you once had in God isn’t enough to satisfy you.   The space that’s left for God is so minimal in comparison to the portion given over to your idol.  You are discontent!  The contentment in God alone is gone.  But Paul says this,  “Put to death  therefore what is earthly in you:  sexual immorality, uncleaness, inordinate affection, evil, and covetousness, which is idolatry”( Colossians 3:5).  One translation, describes covetousness as excess!  In other words, get rid of all YOU that is spilling over in excess!  You do that by putting God back in his rightful place on the thrown of your heart.  You got to clean your heart out of YOU.    You are still holding on to stuff…Let it Go!  Let it go!   Let it go!  Stop hoarding but let it go….and allow something amazing to happen!

See, “When you delight thyself in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.  God has no problem giving you your desires when your delight is in him.  But why would a jealous God give you something that you have already exalted above him?  Do not believe the lies, God can be the most satisfying thing to you!?  Oh yes, he can fill that heart container all the way up all by himself!!  You don’t neet those desires to complete you and make you happy.   No, in his presence there is FULLNESS of joy!! Psalm 16:11.  If you don’t have it, get deliverance!  Your own life is a testimony…didn’t he fill you before?  You were content, lacking nothing!  When you delight in God, something supernatural begins to take place.  You will ask for nothing except that will please him.  You will begin to seek God’s will.  You will start to pray for what you need and less of the things you want.  In the Lord’s prayer, he said “give us this day our daily bread.”  He didn’t say “Give me this mansion,  but daily bread!!”    Because he delighted in the Father…he asked what his father desired…and guess what, the things that he asked were granted!   All the “greater works” Jesus was able to accomplish were possible!  He was one with the father, and he answered his prayers. God has promised to give us the desires in our hearts that are lined up with his will.      If we delight in the Lord, imagine all the good we can do for the Kingdom!

PLEASE READ PART2!   Don’t miss the blessing!

“Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?’” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7 – 30:9

I’ve been reading through the book of 2 Chronicles, and it’s amazing, how even the good good kings had trouble getting rid of the idols, the “high places,” the “asherah poles,” and the “baals.”   How easily they forget God and disowned him when they got too much.  Or when things didn’t go well, the sought other God’s instead of seeking the Lord.  If you read 2 Chronicles in one pass, it’s the same story…over and over.   The King  would do evil in the eyes of the Lord, and worship idols.  Then seeing the affliction God put on the people, the son becomes King…repents, and cleans out the temple and tears down the high places.  But we he passes…his own son becomes King and then the idols get erected again! And it dawned on me, are the saints not like this?  Pursuing the Lord, and then forgetting him to pursue our own.  But every story had one of two of the same endings!  There are the King Mannasah’s who humbled themselves when God brought destruction…repented and turned their hearts back to God.  Then there were the King Ahaz’s who refused to listen, and instead erect more and more idols!  For every King in 2 Chrorincles who did evil and erected idols, AND who refused to repent, he was delivered over to the hands of his enemies!  There wasn’t one King that had a different fate.  Shall we choose the same fate, or shall we repent and live?  Will we get a new heart and a new spirit as the Lord commands?  Ezekiel 18:30, or will we follow worthless idols and ourselves become worthless (2 Kings 17:15).  We must do like Hezekiah, the godly son of Ahaz.  We must clean the idols out of the temple (2 Chronicles 29:3-19.  The temple is your heart!  Remember the heart container that I talked about earlier?  It’s time to clean it out and get a pure heart!  It’s time to hand yourself the eviction notice!!! He said,  “Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.” Do you not know that you are the temple of God? 1 Corinthians 3:16.  Oh yes, It’s time for revival in the house of God !!!

My prayer is that we come become before a Holy God, humble ourselves, and seek a new heart and a new spirit.  May we be like David, and say “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me!!”  Psalm 24:3-6 says

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?  Or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath noth lifted up his soul unto idols, nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face.”

May we seek God’s face and not his hand!  That we may turn away from idols!  God I humbly come before you, asking that you grant each willing person reading this a clean heart, a renewed spirit!  Present us with cleans hands, washed by  your blood! So we may into unto your holy hill…that awesome place of worship!  May we stand in your presence in worship, righteous and blameless!! Psalm 15:1.

I begged God for a word share with you,  for those who are willing, and he gave me this: “Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.”  The very first scripture he showed me for this message was Psalm 24:3-6, and that verse echoes the same thing, he will give you the blessing of righteousness!  It’s yours!  May he shower you with his abundant righteousness!!!

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you!  Hosea 10:12.

“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.”  Revelation 8:4

“And the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”  Revelation 5:8

Prayer is not just something we “ought” to do as Christians…it is an offering before God.  It is how we please God and delight in him.  In the bible, there are several mentions of prayers that please God.  These prayers are a fragrant incense before him.  We should know that there are prayers that are malodorous, displeasing and offensive to God!    Psalm 80:4.  We know that God is pleased with prayers for the poor from God’s words to Cornelius.  There are other stories of God being pleased with prayer–such as the story of Solomon in I Kings 3, when Solomon asked God for the wisdom to judge and lead his people, instead of asking for riches and wealth!  And God granted him everything that he hadn’t asked for…because the bible said that what he had asked pleased God.   The secret to prayer that pleases God is so simple….It’s praying God’s will!  Did not the Lord model this in the Lords prayer when he said “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

We should have the humility to come to God and pray for his will–for he will delight in this prayer.  If we come to him dictating what we should have, or demanding, this may not be a sweet smelling incense.  It may likely be better if this type of prayer is not prayed.  Not saying that you shouldn’t ask for anything…God says ask..and it should be given to you!  Matthew 7:7.  But the caveat is in I John 5:14-15, which says that you must ask anything…according to God’s will!!  Faith is not a blank check to cash in on your desires…but we must have the humility to come before God humbly and ASK ONLY that his will be done.  It may very well be that the desires in your heart are God’s desires.  The surest thing to pray is God’s revealed will…and its what’s in the word of God.  That is fragrant incense!  This is prayer  that God will hear!  The bible says that the effectual prayer avails much! James 5:16.  The effectual prayer is a I John 5:14 prayer…it is a prayer according to God’s will!  Any other prayer is ineffectual, a waste of breathe.  An ineffectual prayer does not yield results…and potentially offensive to God.    Here’s how….

Then the LORD said to Moses—Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.” Exodus 30:34-35.

The Lord gave Moses specific instructions for the incense that Aaron was instructed to burn every morning.   In fact he told him to add nothing more too it!!   In Exodus 30:8-9 God says don’t add anything…none of these extra things because it will be “strange incense”…in other words…it stinks!  But the incense should be salted, pure, and sacred!  Our prayers should be this way before a holy God.  A pure prayer is a heartfelt prayer desires God’s will revealed to his children through his rhema word and written word.  It is a prayer that is is after  the things of God’s own heart.  It not a strange incense of our own plans mixed in with a little bit of God’s will.  Prayer is our ministry to God.  It shouldn’t be about us…but his gospel.  Our food should be to do the will of our father!  John 4:34.  It’s okay to pray for desires, these desires may be things God placed on your heart…but let’s place first things first….but I urge you…FIRST OF ALL….

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth.   – 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Praying for salvation for others pleases God.  This is God’s will.  This is what is on his heart.  What is on our hearts?  Is it the same?   This is a delight to him.  Do you know what else is a delight to him?  When we long to spend time with God in prayer in communion and fellowship with him…when it’s not just another task…but we long to be in his presence…that is delighting in him!!  When God is more satisfying than all of these cares..that is delighting in him.  When he is more satisfying than anything!   When nothing else matters…that’s delighting in him.  When we yearn to spend time in prayer with God…it’s like being in love!  You can’t wait to talk to that person!  You can’t wait to please that person!  That person is number one!  But we don’t want to spend time with God, and when we do…we don’t want to please him by praying for what he wants.  We want to pray for what we want.  If married people treated their spouses like this…they would be divorced!  But yet, it is how we treat God.   Because God has yet to be more satisfying than a boyfriend or a girlfriend, friends, jobs, houses…you name it.  So we focus on those things and ignore God.

But David knew something that we don’t realize.  He knew that If you delight thyself in the Lord, God will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4.  He knew that God looks at the heart…to see if anyone would really seek him!  He knew that everything was meaningless in comparison to delighting in God and being in his presence.  He said, One thing he desired of the Lord…One thing!  Now that is some help for us with christian ADD!  One thing is to dwell in the house of the Lord, and inquire in his temple!    Yes, David said may his prayers be as incense before God.  Psalm 141:2.

May we want nothing more than what God wants for us.  May the desires of our hearts be the desires of his heart.  May our prayers be effectual…a sweet smelling fragrance to our father…May men turn their hearts to god…about all else…may we yearn to seek him in prayer…may he be the desire of nations. Haggai 2:7