Are you so busy about ministry that you are forgetting to spend time with the master? How will you know if you are pleasing Him or not, if you do not take some time to listen to His evaluation of what you are doing? It is so important to cultivate a sensitive heart that can easily discern God’s desire. This kind of heart can be cultivated as we understand that all ministries should begin in the presence of God.
As we draw closer to God, we will be able to see our self in the light of God. Many people look at themselves from the standpoint of what other people are saying or what they are thinking about themselves. The fact is that only God knows the true states of your heart. As you stand in the presence of God He will help you to see yourself correctly. Not only will you see yourself from God’s perspective, but you will be transformed into His very image.
Today I want to continue our talk on starting ministry in the presence of God. Yesterday we saw the example of Lord Jesus Christ Himself, but today we are going to see the example of prophet Isaiah.
The classic example of prophet Isaiah is another strong illustration that shows us how effective ministry must begin in the presence of God
The only way to see what the Father is doing is to spend time with the father.
If you don’t want to just go about doing your own things in your own way, please follow the example of Jesus. Place yourself in a place where you can receive the love of God and allow Him to show you what He is doing now around you, so that you can join Him in His works.
Very often we speak about our problems instead of speaking to them.
Very often we tell God about our problems instead of telling our problems about our God.
The Bible instructs us to do it differently. You are instructed to
Speak to your mountains
Tell it to move
Believe in your heart and doubt not and you will have what you say.
Hope is one of the greatest words of the Christian faith. It is one word the unsaved man cannot use, because there is no hope for the unsaved according to the Bible (Ep.2: 11-13). If you are reading this word today and you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your hope begins with that step. If you want to take that step but you don’t really understand what that means and how to do it, please read our booklet: The Jesus you never knew or visit our page: becoming a friend of God.
I want to begin this word with a story: A man had a wonderful garden that brought him a rich, abundant harvest. When his neighbor saw that, he decided that the next spring he would make a garden for himself too. But after the neighbor had sawn seeds in his garden, he did not do anything there afterward. He did not water his garden, did not cultivate, neither loosened the soil. When the autumn came, his garden was neglected and full with weeds. And, of course, it did not bring forth any fruit.
First, we must choose with our will to have the fear of God above all else.
Proverbs 1:29 says, “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord…” God will not give this fear to us unless we want it. We must see this as something we choose above all else because we desperately need it.
If you fear God, the first thing you consider in any decision you make is: “What is God’s will in this matter? What does God say about this issue?”
The first question you ask in hard times should never be “How hard is it going to get doing what I am doing” BUT RATHER what is God’s will in this matter?
The first way to know this is to understand that the fear of God expresses itself in a hatred of evil.
“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Prov. 8:13) (see also Prov. 3:7; 14:16; 16:6; 23:17; Job. 1:1,8; ; II Cor. 7:1).
This is just the opposite of the wicked (Eccl. 8:13—”Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow”). (see also Prov. 1:29; Ps. 36:1-4. ).
