Occupying Your Time

Jesus answered and said unto him [referring to the Judas that did not betray Jesus], 

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, 

and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14:23

Today, I want to talk about putting God first in our lives.  Even as we occupy with our jobs, our children, our spouses, even our activities of daily living until He returns for His people – we still put God first in our actions and in our thoughts.

As God teaches us how to connect the dots where the scriptures are concerned, you can see the seriousness of His will.  It begins in the old testament, which is a shadow and type of the things to come and it’s carried over into the new testament beginning with Jesus' time on the earth and continuing through the church age.  God has not changed; His will has not changed.  God wants us to make Him our first priority:

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:  Exodus 34:14

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  Deuteronomy 4:24

The children of Israel were trying hard to convince Joshua with their words that they wanted to serve God but Joshua strongly admonishes them and lets them know that in the present state they were in, they couldn't because of their worship of other Gods and resultant sins:

 

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive Your transgressions nor Your sins. Joshua 24:19

He advises them to make a choice and make it quickly.

When Jesus comes on the scene, He tells us that we are to:

And thou shal]t love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.   Mark 12:30

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusted to envy? But he giveth more grace.  Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  James 4:5   

The message bible states it like this:  You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” 

I’m saying this because all of us have our wants and desires and we pray about it and then we wonder when we don’t get it why didn't we get it; we want to question God and pout about it, we want to guilt God saying, ‘He must not love me’ or sometimes we even want to blame our lack of faith without once ever considering our lackadaisical and nonchalant attitude toward God.   We take the scripture in Luke 19:13,  “. . . occupy till I come”,  out of context until we've nearly occupied God out of our lives and heart and reserved Him only for church services; while seemingly forgetting that it is because of Him that we live, move and have our very being!

So I just want to encourage you on this day to make God your first priority; your first choice every time the opportunity presents itself. 

Dear heavenly Father, we want to thank You for one more opportunity to gather in Your name in prayer; to come unto You with gladness of heart that You are our Lord and King.

We thank You Lord for breathing life into us this day, for our health and for our strength.  We always thank You Lord for having a sound mind and a right mind which is to serve You.  Lord we don’t take that for granted.  Lord we love You and we magnify Your name.  We lift You up, even as You are the lifter of our heads.  We give thanks unto You for all that You've  done and all that You’re going to do, we thank You in advance. 

Lord we ask, even now in light of the words of admonishment and encouragement spoken, that You help those Lord who have given up hope, Lord, who are struggling, those who are discouraged.  Lord we know that You are a sustainer, a keeper, a mind regulator, a comforter, a bringer of peace and somebody needs You for just that purpose.  We know that You are a supplier of our every need.  Lord You said to ask and we’ll receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door would be opened.  

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:   Matthew 7:7

We come before You Lord in supplication and prayer, seeking Your will for us that we may obey You in all things; that we do all things according to Your purpose.

We need You Lord.  Now is not the time to faint in our spirit.  Lord we need our spiritual armour, we need the fruit of the spirit:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, within us so that we’re able to stand against the wiles of the enemy, against the temptations that come up against us, against the struggles that we face every day, against our nonchalant attitude towards you.  Lord even against the perverseness of this sin-sick, sin-filled infection-ridden world, we need You.  Lord we pray Your forgiveness and that Your mercy prevail for every contrary word, deed and thought against You.  

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;  Colossians 2:13

 

Lord, through the spiritual leaders You've given us, continue to give us clarity so that we’re not so easily deceived by false doctrine and the deception of the enemy. 

We thank You heavenly father because You are our keeper, the lover of our souls, the comforter, the King of kings and Lord of lords, You are the great ‘I AM’.   You are the one true living God and there is none like You; You said in Your word that “before Moses, I am”.   We know and acknowledge that You are the author and finisher of our faith, You are the beginning and the end, alpha and omega.   There is none other like You; You are incomparable; You are the creator and it is through You that we live, move and have our very being.  Without You, we were nothing, but through You, we are now heirs to Your holy throne. 

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  Isaiah 40:28

Lord, give us a heart and mind to want to be everything that You have called us to be; everything that You designed for us, we desire to do but we can’t do it without You.  Lord, even as King David said, cleanse our hearts, purify our hearts and minds.  Help us to keep our minds stayed on You.  You said to pray without ceasing.  Give us a mind to serve You as good servants; wholly accepting of the call on our lives to do Your will.  Help us to say yes when You call our name.  We know Lord that sometimes we make mistakes and we mess up, but Your word tells us that You are faithful to forgive when we repent before You.  Convict us when we’re wrong and help us to come before You in godly sorrow and repentance.  Help us to stay in a right relationship with You. 

We thank You Lord, when others give up on us, You won’t.  Lord help us to keep a yes in our spirit, a yes in our soul.  Help us Lord not to lose our focus on You.  Help us to remember that You won’t give up on us; You said that You would never leave us nor forsake us.  Help us Lord when we think we can’t go on, when we've given up the will, let us lean on You, our fortress, our strong tower, help us to put our faith and trust in You Lord and only You.  Lord You said for us not to be weary in our well doing and not faint and we will reap in due season.  Help us to keep going, to hold to Your hand and not let go.

Thank You Jesus, our mighty savior, our counselor, our prince of peace, wonderful, awesome and magnificent one.  There is none like You; not above or beside You.  Everyone must bow at the name of Jesus. Thank You Lord for the opportunity to bow before You now, to worship and serve You.  It is an honor and a privilege to come before You; it is no goodness of our own, nothing that we did or nothing that we said, but for Your grace and mercy.  Thank You for Your love.  It was Your love for mankind that caused You to send Your only son to be our redeemer and for that we say Thank You Lord, thank You God for Jesus. 

Now unto God, our heavenly Father be glory for ever and ever.   In Jesus' name, amen.  

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all Your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

God Bless You.

Because of God, I am

Elder C Henry

07/20/20