Getting Closer

Posted on by
Reply

Our God desires closeness – intimacy – in our relationship with Him, yet all too often we desire to hold Him at a distance. Why is that?

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” – Psalms 34:18 (NKJV)

Sometimes it’s probably that we just don’t like being all that close with anybody, in which case we’re treating God like that neighbor next door or that coworker that we normally avoid talking to. Most of us have family and “friends” (Can we still call them that?) with whom we haven’t spoken in years, and yet we still consider these relationships intact. The space between us and God may be unintentional, but let’s face it: The Savior of our souls both desires and deserves better treatment. We need to humbly draw near to Him.

At other times the root cause of our distance from God is more serious. It was after Adam sinned that he hid himself the moment he heard the Lord coming. Our sin creates a similar separation.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God;and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” – Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)

The only way back is through repentance and a deliberate drawing near. We need to get closer to Him intentionally:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8a (NKJV)

Verses for 2008

Posted on by
Reply

At the beginning of each year I pray about some Scripture for that year – something that will particularly resonate with me personally and for Horizon Central as a church.  Sometimes it ends up being a verse or two, sometimes a longer passage.  This year I did that again and here’s what I’ve got.  I really do think it underlines some things I need to focus on and maybe we as a church need to as well. 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

“But without faith it is imossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

The Value of Preparation

Posted on by
2

The Lord often teaches us when things go wrong.  So it was for His first disciples and so it is for us.  A valuable lesson on preparation is found right after the Transfiguration.  Jesus, Peter, James and John get down from the mountain to find a crowd gathered and Christ’s other disciples in the midst of a dispute.

And He asked the scribes, ‘What are you disputing about with them?’ Then one of the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought my son to You, because he has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and gnashes his teeth, and he becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they might cast it out, but they were not able.'” – Mark 9:16-18 (M-Text)

So Jesus, as usual, solved the problem, but the disciples were left wondering as to just why they fell so short. 

And after He entered into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why were we not able to cast it out?’ So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.'” – Mark 9:28-29 (M-Text)

Opportunities for ministry often come at unexpected times.  When they do, it’s important to be ready.  Fasting and prayer should not only be something we engage in at a time of great need – though there is nothing wrong with that.  It should be a form of preparation for the needs that are yet to come.

Encouragement from the Lowest Pit

Posted on by
Reply

Bad experiences make us twitchy.  The more of them we have, the more we tend to expect them.  The more often we fall, the harder it is to look up.  The lower we get, the more we need some form of encouragement – someone to give us a reason to be brave.  If people cause our bad experiences, people begin making us twitchy.  As bad experiences multiply, so do our fears.  If we have a wide assortment of difficulties, it’s easy to believe that God Himself is behind them.  With relief we can say that He’s not.

When things were at their worst – and then got even worse than that, our hero Jeremiah prayed and heard God’s voice in response to his desperate cry.  As he shares his story, if we identify with his trouble, may we also take courage as we share his encouragement.

My enemies without cause
     Hunted me down like a bird.
They silenced my life in the pit
     And threw stones at me.
The waters flowed over my head;
     I said, ‘I am cut off!’
I called on Your name, O Lord,
     From the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice:
     ‘Do not hide Your ear
     From my sighing, from my cry for help.’
You drew near on the day I called on You,
     And said, ‘Do not fear!'”
                    – Lamentations 3:52-57 (NKJV)