Video Bible Lesson - Audience with the King - Streams in the Desert

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

9/10/2020

Audience with the King

Streams in the Desert

I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25).

I went to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, 'Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon.' 'It is impossible,' I said. 'Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray.'"

"I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, 'What lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this.' 'Mr. Mueller,' I said, 'do you know how dense this fog is?' 'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.'"

"He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. 'First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.'"

"I looked at him, and he said, 'Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone.' I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement."

--Selected

If our love were but more simple,

We should take Him at His word;

And our lives would be all sunshine,

In the sweetness of our Lord.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me (Ps. 138:8).

 

There is a Divine mystery in suffering, a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been fathomed by the human reason. There never has been known great saintliness of soul which did not pass through great suffering. When the suffering soul reaches a calm sweet carelessness, when it can inwardly smile at its own suffering, and does not even ask God to deliver it from suffering, then it has wrought its blessed ministry; then patience has its perfect work; then the crucifixion begins to weave itself into a crown.

 

It is in this state of the perfection of suffering that the Holy Spirit works many marvelous things in our souls. In such a condition, our whole being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every faculty of the mind and will and heart are at last subdued; a quietness of eternity settles down into the whole being; the tongue grows still, and has but few words to say; it stops asking God questions; it stops crying, "Why hast thou forsaken me ?"

 

The imagination stops building air castles, or running off on foolish lines; the reason is tame and gentle; the choices are annihilated; it has no choice in anything but the purpose of God. The affections are weaned from all creatures and all things; it is so dead that nothing can hurt it, nothing can offend it, nothing can hinder it, nothing can get in its way; for, let the circumstances be what they may, it seeks only for God and His will, and it feels assured that God is making everything in the universe, good or bad, past or present, work together for its good.

 

Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus.
–Soul Food

 

The great thing is to suffer without being. discouraged.
--Fenelon

 

"The heart that serves, and loves, and clings,

Hears everywhere the rush of angel wings."

Trust and Obey ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

Trust and Obey

Dr. Charles Stanley

Joshua 6:1-5

One of my favorite songs is "Trust and Obey" because it sums up God's purpose for our lives. When we practice these two commands, a beautiful cycle begins. Trusting the Lord makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust. Can you recall facing a challenge that was difficult or perplexing? If so, you know how important these two commands are.

When the Lord calls you to a task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even though you don't understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trusted the Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God's bizarre battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy.

The way we respond to God's challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if we're right in step with Him--until He proposes a change of direction. That's when our resistance kicks in, and with it, the realization we aren't as close to Him as we thought. At that point, our decision determines whether the Lord will be able to use us as He desires. Because Joshua never lost his commitment, he continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his life.

At times obedience is a struggle, as your mind runs through all the reasons God's path is illogical. Fear dominates and your will battles to comply when everything within is screaming to run the other way. But obedience is always the best choice, because the Lord is trustworthy and wise.

The Heart of God..... BINU SAMUEL

The Heart of God
BINU SAMUEL

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)

It was almost closing time, and a cup of hot soup was calling my name.

Thankfully, I work at a pharmacy in a grocery store, so my craving was just a few feet away. After returning from the soup aisle, I sent my technician home for the night. Business was winding down, and I was looking forward to a slow and uneventful last hour. Just me and my soup.

But the silence was short-lived. Within less than two minutes, a young man approached my pharmacy counter. Interestingly enough, I had noticed this man on my way to the soup aisle. I saw he didn’t have a shopping cart, a basket or groceries in his hand. And now here he was, at my counter.

“Hi, how can I help you?”I asked as I began walking toward him. The man looked behind him, then looked straight at me. “Oh, I’m just hanging out,” he said.

Hanging out? Who walks around a grocery store, buys no groceries and then hangs out at the pharmacy?

One thousand thoughts filled my mind, none of which were good. That’s it. I’m being robbed. My heart began to race. His hand reached to the inside pocket of his jacket, confirming my fears all the more. He then proceeded to pull something out.

“Shhhh,” he said, motioning.

My brain was in panic mode. Who is this guy, why is he at my counter, and why is he “shhh-ing” me? It took a few seconds for my brain to register what I saw. It was shiny … but it wasn’t a weapon. It was a security badge.

This man was working undercover and was there to protect our store … and me.

Boy, had I misjudged him.

Have you ever misjudged someone? Have you ever misjudged God?

I know I have.

When things don’t go as planned. When doors close in my face. When an unexpected illness arises. One thousand thoughts fill my mind, none of which are good. I start to question whether God cares or if He’s even aware of what’s going on. I question His love for me and wonder why He’s robbing me of my happiness.

How many times have I misjudged the heart of God?

In 1 John 4:10, the Apostle John states, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

This same John wrote the famous John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son … ” (KJV). John, the beloved disciple, wanted to make sure we knew what he knew so well.

God loves you.

All 66 books of the Bible reveal His love for us. From Genesis to Revelation, God quietly reaches into His pocket and shows us His badge of security — His badge of love. From the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane, His love for us does not change.

However disheartening our circumstances, I pray we never misjudge the heart of the One who watches over us. The heart of our heavenly Father. When we doubt His presence, God is there, working undercover. When we doubt His motive, He does not waver. He is for us.

He is our defender, our protector, our shield. He is our security.

Dear Jesus, thank You for being my ever-present help in times of trouble. Even when I doubt You, You remain faithful and loving. Despite any difficult situation I face, You will not leave me or forsake me. You remain true to Your Word. Please give me eyes to see and a heart to grasp how deep Your love is for me. Thank You for always watching over me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Ephesians 3:18, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” (NLT)

John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT)

Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death..... by John UpChurch

Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death
by John UpChurch

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

For the last several years, my wife and I have dabbled in gardening. I say “dabbled” because each year has brought more frustration than juicy cucumbers. First, we realized the importance of finding a spot that gets enough sunlight. Then, we discovered the joys of unfit or exhausted soils. Most recently, we’ve found how much deer like to nibble on just-about-to-bloom plants.

Master gardeners we are not. All those visions of vegetables and fruits dancing in our freezer have met the brown reality of stunted corn and shriveled peas.

You see, we come at this with some serious deficiencies. Namely, we have no idea what we’re doing. Everything we’ve learned about clays and fertilizer and propping up pumpkin vines has come from a book I picked up at Tractor Supply and various YouTube videos. We’ve cut back the weeds on our ignorance page by page because neither of our families really did much in the way of horticulture (unless you count cutting the grass).

But that doesn’t mean we’ve been completely unsuccessful. In fact, every time we pick something from our garden that’s actually edible, it’s pretty much a party. “We have beans. Who wants to do the bean dance?” I have no shame when it comes to herbal success.

Perhaps that’s because my spiritual growth has come pretty much the same way. Everything I’ve learned about God, salvation, faith, and love has come from the Bible I picked up in 2003 (and all the others since then) and the examples of Christians I’ve met along the way. I stumbled along for years, trying to figure out my newfound freedom in Christ, trying to grasp what it means to be an effective ambassador for Him.

Over and over, I kept trying to make things grow. I’d rush to this fad for spiritual success, dig into this surefire method to overcome my sin nature, and pluck up whatever Christian book that had the answers. Surely the next one would help me be fruitful. Surely this pastor/writer/author/blogger has the best answers for how I can really do what God wants.

The whole time, I missed what Paul said to the Philippians: “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” The fruit comes from Him. God prepared the works for us (Ephesians 2:10), and He provides the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Those other sources of wisdom are fine, but they were never any substitute for Christ being formed in me (Galatians 4:19).

It takes time (and will take much, much more), but I wouldn’t trade it for all the juicy cucumbers and plump peaches in the world, even the ones in my own little garden.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Being fruitful takes time. It’s easy to think that some expert has the answer you need to get where you want to be, to overcome the challenges you face. But they probably don’t. While most of those books and conferences can be useful, they’re no substitute for good, old fashioned growth in Christ. Time, prayer, and Word—there’s no getting around how much we need them. They produce the true “organic” fruit.

When Trouble Comes..... By Katie Westenberg

When Trouble Comes
By Katie Westenberg

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” Psalms 91:4

I have always loved the unique picture this verse calls to mind. I think of this powerful bird with its expansive wings tucked and fluffed into a cocoon of warmth and safety. For me. Protective and fierce, yet gentle and attentive; this is exactly the refuge I desire.

But I rarely consider what might be beyond this ambient environment. The very nature of the word refuge suggests being sheltered from something and Psalm 91 does not neglect what that might be.

From the trap. Fatal and epidemic disease. Terrors of the night. Arrows that fly by day. Destruction. Plagues that stalk and ravage, in the night and throughout the day. The word pictures here are equally as vivid as the feathered nest I was just wrapped in. It is easy for me to stop at verse four and look away from this part. But the hope we need is as much here as it is in the shelter.

This is what He is protecting us from. This is what He is protecting us through. This is what He is protecting us in the midst of. Verse 15 tells us he will be with us in trouble. He will deliver us.

Often when trouble comes we ask God why. Why do violent crimes happen to innocent people? Why do faithful people struggle with finances, marriages, children, hope. Tucked under His wing, we like to think the dangers, all that we fear, will cease around us. But His word never promises that. He promises us safety, Himself, in and amidst it all.

This psalm opens with a firm and fervent declaration. “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High, dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust…” (Psalm 91:1-2)

In trouble or at peace, the psalmist is making a bold and stubborn declaration. When we make the Lord our dwelling place (v. 9) his shelter through horrifying trouble is our hope. He is our hope.

May we not confuse the two. Trouble will come, but so will refuge for those have set their hearts on Christ. He will give His angels charge over thee and answer when we call. We were never promised a life without hardship, a life with out very real terrors and danger, but we are promised His presence with us, the security of His refuge around us.

We need not fear when trouble comes, or despair the horrors around us when we set our hearts firmly on the hope of His shelter, His deliverance, though it all.

A Prayer for Your Time in God's Word..... by Ron Moore

A Prayer for Your Time in God's Word
by Ron Moore

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. - Psalm 119:18

Quoting Isaiah, the apostle Paul wrote, "'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). God's Spirit knows God's thoughts. When the believer reads God's Word, it is the Spirit of God, living within us, who reveals God's words and thoughts to us.

Today's passage, then, is a prayer of preparation for our Bible reading. Our minds can be distracted. We can simply read the Bible to check it off for the day. Prior to reading God's Word, here is a prayer we should pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me Your Word. Thank You for the privilege of opening it and reading it today. I admit to You that I am in a hurry. I am busy and distracted. So please slow me down. Help me focus. Keep distractions away. Help me listen to things in Your Word that I need to hear. Use Your Word to point out areas of sin that I need to confess. Open my eyes to blind spots that I keep missing. Show me where I am off track. Open my eyes to a biblical perspective of where I am and where I should be. Instruct me regarding business interactions. Help me understand and apply Your instructions. Guide me regarding my relationships. I desire to be a godly parent. Open my eyes to Your Word that will help me raise my children according to Your ways. Lord, I desire to know You more fully and deeply. Speak to me in a new and fresh way through Your Word. Father, please open my eyes to see the wonderful truths You have for me. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen.