Sunday November 24th,2019
At Pentecost, we saw how the church got formed. And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16 :16-18). We ought to go back to the primitive church.
Psalm 95 :6-7
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is powerful and dominates over all things. Nothing can run away from Him because He has power over all things : He is the creator. We should be at peace, because He accomplishes what He says. Our desire is to feel Him during our walk. Even if you feel He is not there, you feel there is a void, what matters it to maintain that close relationship with God. God is always by your side. God leaves if you have interest in Him no more, if you reject Him. Satan is clever and plays with that. He showed his trick. He came with what God said, but he changed it a little bit. Did God really say ? At this moment, you think and you open a door.
Every man who wants to stand in the presence of God should first humble himself and recognize the superiority and power of God. Even in this world, we cannot go to a king anyhow. This is more true for the King of kings, the Almighty God. The word does not see what we do see. « A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also » John 14 :19. Every one ought to be conscious about what He does in a place like this. We come to meet our God. If we are in the presence of the Most High God, we should tremble.
Revelation 4 :1-8
There is no throne on earth comparable to this one. We ought to be conscious of Whom we are going to. We praise Him for His greatness. We always talk about that God as a superlative because He has no equal, no equivalent. It is through you that the world will have respect for God, by seeing the respect you have for your God. God first wants your heart. We desire that the Lord be always present. You can try to make the most beautiful voice when you sing, but what counts for God is your heart. The Lord does not need that, He wants your heart to be His. Sing with the voice that God gives you and God will create harmony. Do you need a teacher for voice? It is God who coordinates and creates harmony. God gives the gifts, do not go to harm the gift by going to look or look for influences on the internet. Get on your knees and pray. We must not seek the thing, we must come to Him as we are. We met him in a very particular situation. There was no way out in my life and I was told about this God who can do everything. You opened your heart when you were in need, that is why you have a lot of gratitude. When God came into your life, things changed.
(Verse 7) If God is our Shepherd, we are his sheep. What certainty and what power for you. Only, we must understand the difference between the shepherd and the sheep. We never saw a sheep go to the shepherd to complain about him. The nature of the sheep is that it never complains. The sheep has a confidence in the shepherd without even thinking. It knows that its shepherd will never lead it in a bad way. He is the Good Shepherd, He cares about every case in your life. He hears your suffering. He knows you and looks at you. He has the solution to all our problems because He is Our Solution. No more tears. "If God is for us, who will be against us? (Romans 8:31) All the demons of hell can rise but they will never put you to the ground. Why ? "Because the one which is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4: 4) "Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) The problem is to be sure to have Him in you. In all things, we are more than conquerors. There is therefore a communion between the shepherd and the sheep because the sheep love the shepherd so much. We know how good He is. Your tomorrow is assured. You do not have to worry, only to bend your knees.
We are different, God has opened a way for us to approach Him. It is not about coming to Him 5 minutes but when we love, we do not count the hours. Often, we ask the Lord a lot of trivia. "In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what we should ask in our prayers. But the Spirit Himself intercedes by inexpressible sighs; and He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because it is according to God that He intercedes for the saints.” (Romans 8: 26-27) We have a real treasure but we walk like unfortunates. The world is coming to its end, man can do everything he wants, the end is coming. Who will be able to seal the Ozone layer?
2 Peter 3: 1-7
Faith does not need to see but simply to believe. Noah did not see the waters but he believed the Word. He had never seen the rain, but he believed. He was saved by his faith. The evil one will always find people to criticize you, to discourage you but the Lord says to you "Be strong and take heart" (Joshua 1: 6). We ought to know our position in the things that God gives us. The problem is that we listen without believing. This is the joy of Satan and the sadness of God. With God, all things are possible. When you really know your shepherd like David.
Psalm 23
When God allows something in your life, it can hurt but He knows why. You must trust Him. "We know, moreover, that all things work together for the good of those who love God, of those who are called according to His will.” (Romans 8:28) Therefore, a Christian never complains. Like Job, Satan was able to touch all his goods but not his life. This experience marked Job. The experience you are going through brings you closer to God. You will always remember what God has done for you. When God really loves a man, He is not going to have things easy. You will not go to heaven in a seat but through trials. That is why God is sharpening you. "This is your joy, though now, as it is necessary, you are saddened for a little while by various trials, so that the trial of your faith, more precious than the perishable gold, which is tested by fire, it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ appears.” (1 Peter 1: 6-7) Do not be in love with money because when it is such, you are moving away from faith. Our Father will never leave us without anything. Even when you have nothing left, God will provide as with the widow of Sarepta. When you know Him, you know how to appreciate Him. You always want more of Him, stay in His presence. At Pentecost, "and they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” (Luke 24:53) Before the day was, God had already seen it. Your strength is the Word of God. If God had already seen this day, why be afraid? God provides. All the days of your life, God had written them down. Nothing happens to you by chance. The test is an apprenticeship. When you come out of a trial, you retain something that allows you to go further with God. The problem is to know whether God is inside or outside your heart?
Matthew 6: 25-32
What should concern you is to see if God is with you, if I am pleasing to the Lord. If the Lord is our shepherd then we are His sheep. "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Every trial is for your good: whether sickness or even death. Stop complaining, God has a work to do with you. Glorify God.