How Far Can YOU Reach Out?

How Far Can YOU Reach Out?

Remembering when I was a small child that there was no fence to hold me. I could unlock any gate and could move pretty fast. And that was when I was three years old. My father told many stories of my adventures in the great outdoors. He said I kept him fit to run a good race. I had a great want to in my heart to get outside and enjoy the outdoors indeed!

For each of us, we too still have that need to sometime just “get away from it all” and unwind. I find I can be more keyed up if it is in a city of a million people. I remember the story of our daughter and son-in-law going to New York. When they returned from this trip the stories were many and rather scary!

I remember their descriptions of the loud horns honking and people running to get out of the way of the vehicles and this was on the side walk! Nope, not going to visit there….I will not find that enjoyable if cabs and such drive on the sidewalks in New York City.

But “how far” will we reach for something to grasp, to do or just to think on? How far will we extend ourselves in the pocketbook or extend ourselves in eating “too much”?

Awoke this morning in thinking of Paul and is his words in Acts 17. We must reach out to Him!

Acts 17:24-28  Amplified Bible 24 The God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines. 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He lacked anything, for it is he Himself Who gives life and breath and all things to all [people]. 26 and He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation ( their settlements, lands, and abodes). 27 So let they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.

It is in Him that we live, move and have our being! When I allow my heart to rise in worship…….without the smoke and swirling lights, without the “bass guitar”, without Cindy Sue leading, I allow God my Father to invade my heart. My lifting my heart in worship I am seeking His presence, His love and His peace!

In choosing to adore Him, I am reaching into those places that is within my “own heart” that needs changing.

How far can you reach out? Well, how far is “your want to”…reach and what is it you are reaching for….another trip, another game, another new “thing” or another place just to “look”.

 Reaching out to our Lord is reaching out with an open heart! It is reaching out with a song in our heart.

When we reach for Him through worship we gain our strength through Him so our strength will increase. And when we do that, even our  determination will increase to reach out to Him.

This past week, we had spent some time with our family. Our grand-daughter had much to say about those with fat eye lids who cannot see God or the sun! And in her reflection she thought reaching out was going out to enjoy what God has created and then for us to enjoy the beauty of the great out-doors! I agree with her that our eyes will certainly see more clearly when we keep in mind Who created all this for us! But can you imagine the depths or heights one might ascend to in God when we worship with an open heart………..one open to the truths of God and never locking them out ever.

But reaching out for Him, requires us to yield to Him! And our God certainly wants to fill us with His presence. He certainly desires to give us opportunities to minister life to others through Him. One thing is certain, relationship is needed. In fellowship, we are expressing trust in Him who is more than enough. He truly is our sufficiency. God our Father desires us to reach out like children. He desires us to continue with Him and by His Spirit He will reveal tomorrow!

When we truly choose to open wide our hearts, we find He will reveal the hurts, the wounds, and the pain from previous calamities of the past. Reaching for Him, we reach His love that will penetrate the wounds and declare them healed. He will access that hurt and cause the light of His Word to reveal that which was just about a trust in a  man and not in God Himself. Like our grand-daughter said, God likes to remove the fat from our eyes so that we are no longer blind.

Psalm 73:5-9 Amp. Bible 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride is about their necks like a chain; violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe]. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish; and the imaginations of their minds overflow [with follies]. 8 They scoff, and wickedly utter oppressions, they speak loftily [from on high, maliciously and blasphemously]. 9 They set their mouths against and speak down from heaven, and their tongues swagger trough the earth [invading even heaven with blasphemy and smearing earth with slanders].

One commentary notes these people are as common as the human “hog” that desires more and more. They are always pushing the envelope and never know the real truth. They like making stuff up as they go along in life. They do not like God and will have nothing to do with worship to Him. Even more they revile the saints of God. They hate those who follow as disciples of Christ Jesus.

Serving the world can certainly serve you up some “ grand stuff” but will not give life, will not bring you into the presence of the almighty God but will only bring you to the place of folly!

We each have an ability given by God to seek Him, yet many choose ease, that which dictates their choice of excuse to put off any work. They are passive, lack initiative, live by the habit of procrastination, ( their vocabulary is full of procrastinations ). They are oblivious to the dire results they will suffer by the lack of discipline their lives require! They speak : IT IS NOT A GOOD TIME!.....

Our hearts play a real role in our choosing: & from God we have creativity, we have flair to be the original that God created and not a copy!  We are to be leading by action, we are to be in motion,  to be responsible …Romans. 12:7-9 Amp. Bible 7 He whose gift is practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching, 8 He who exhorts (encourages) to his exhortation, he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity & liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness & joyful eagerness. 9 Let your love be sincere ( a real thing) ; hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.

Reaching out is doing something. It is active and it is to seek the Good of GOD! We are to hate evil and love with sincerity. To do that we must give our hearts to Him, so that we will live and move and have our being in Him.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Colossians 3:1,2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

May we allow Him to invade our hearts when we give the sacrifice of praise to God continually. For the fruit will appear in thanks to His name and we will see with the new vantage point, not with fat eyelids but truly see with eyes wide open to see the beauty of the Lord  and abide in a joyful eagerness to reach for Him more and more every day. Amen!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

The Wonder of God & His Instruction

https://youtu.be/BrnI4LPfL2k

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Studying to Give an Answer

https://youtu.be/rJk5Hnh4dt0

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching:

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

TRADING GLORY FOR SORROWS

Judges 16:1-5.............16:1 Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. 2 When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." 3 And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." NKJV

When Samson took hold of that gate of the city, he pulled up the entire gate with the lintels and we are told this gate had a plating of metal throughout. (the gates were done that way so as not to burn completely away when being attacked by foreigners). It was usually a double door and was locked at night by a wooden bar across the middle. We are told that he pulled it up and put in on his shoulders and carried them (the two wooden doors of the gate that was woven throughout with metal) to the top of the hill that faces Hebron! Wow!
Please realize that this carrying of the gate is up a hill all the way and with added weight on the shoulders.

Saw this young woman on the path behind our home. (Thursday noon) as I worked on this passage of scripture. She looks like she was in training for she was jogging with a metal cylinder on her back. I think of all those firefighters who have to get to a terrain where a fire is raging and their work requires an uphill climb, not far from a roadway and yet far enough to require some foot work! And you can at times see some men or women training with those heavy backpacks on their backs.......loaded down with the essentials to rescue someone who is need of help!


Let's think and meditate on this: Samson spent the night with a prostitute. He rises at midnight, to go remove a gate from its foundation, and possibly a locked gate with the cross-bar attached to them. He gathers all this on his shoulders. And he walked or ran it up-hill for about nine miles. ( Hebron was about nine geographical miles. Some think it was to a hill called el Montar, which is 45 minutes from Gaza). Either way this was some feat! Oh, and did I mention the road was made of sand? Gaza was by the sea and Hebron was in the hills.

So if one is deep into sin like he performed with this woman, was he desiring to leave in "the dark" so no one could see him? The scripture plainly points out that those of the Gazites were watching for him and knew when he was in the city with the prostitute. It says they surrounded the place where he had gone into the prostitute.
And what about that gate.....and did he really need to pull it up .........and take it?
Again think about him not destroying the gate, but actually pulling it up together, one piece and carrying it forward away from Gaza and going up to Hebron. What was he thinking?
The city of Gaza was no longer secure. The gate into the city was now gone.

Gaza was a long way from Samson's home. Was he hoping to not be seen by those who knew him or knew of him? Yet, the watchmen knew he was in the city for they set up to ambush him when he came out of the prostitutes place.  Samson was in Gaza for no honorable reason. We read that he took the gate at midnight, so where was the "watchmen"? Was no one watching the city gates? Is it possible that those watching and waiting for Samson saw him lift the entire gate? With their weapons drawn, were they afraid to do anything to him?  
If someone did that today, no doubt, that person would be arrested! So many places today have the cameras that they record 24-hour day periods and pull them up when a death or accident or some other incident occurs.
But in that day, people believed in that Divine Power of God! So many places today have the cameras situated outside businesses to capture traffic on roadway and on the sidewalk. They record 24-hour day periods and pull them up when a death or accident or some other incident occurs. They surely keep an accurate record when placed in right area and right position in front of business or parking lot!

As the Judge over Israel and against the princes of the Philistines, this man had a lot of things going on. Was his counsel now of no effect? Those of that counsel sat at the city gates to exercise government rule.
In meditating this, I thought of how that justice is done today in America. I thought of a "county seat". Growing up in the south, I knew something of the county seat. It was in the main city or town of that county where government order as in justice prevailed. If there arose any complaints through the county area, the complaint was sent to the administrative person in charge. The papers filed were handed to the judge. He would rule either in favor of the complaint or rule against it as the law states in that county or state.
Counties, as like the one in which I lived, would carry out or administer state laws at the local level.
As in our town, the "Court House" was where the government was administered at the township or city level.

When we think of Samson heading for Hebron but never reaching it, was he moving further AWAY from God? Yet, we find in looking at the word Hebron, we see it is as a "community seat of association". Did Samson like being away from the things of God and was he choosing to stay in the polluted world of sin. He could have easily stayed connected with God the Holy Spirit, and give up the fleshly ways of the world to keep a walk of faith and prudence.

HEBRON in Hebrew is (inter alia) and comes from the word for "Friend" (haver). But because of sin, was Samson still bound to the gate he managed to remove from the earth that held it. Even in the size and weight of this major gate with two doorways included, it was still in one piece. Was he still bound to those who he became a friend or an acquaintance of?

Was he angry when finding a gate closed? And was he so proud that "no gate could hold him"?

When we go on to read of Samson, he is entangled with Delilah! He, Samson, went from bad to worse. For in this passage we probably find a woman who had no sinful life, but she was promised the 1100 pieces of silver from each of the princes of the Philistines. And she did it! That made her become a prostitute by being paid a wage for it........to bring Samson down!
I wonder how many get entangled in some little something and think it harmless, when like Samson, they can remove the gate but it still be intact.......and in reality never let anyone through it.
Like this gate, and similar to where he would minister justice, but had justice gone out the way side of things? Again, would he have no power to administer justice in Israel after this?
As a Judge, Samson was to rule righteously. The Judges were to be faithful to Jehovah's righteousness. In Samson, we saw him getting deeper into sin.
Even though the book of Judges is small and lists only a few, there are those who shine like Deborah. (blog: Appointed by God, Deborah the Prophetess) But Samson is remembered as the one who gave in to sin, led by his own fleshly desires and to die while being held captive by those who hated him, the Philistines.
Are we possibly doing something like Samson and not know it? Are we holding up something we like to do, and look good doing it and want others to know how "great" we are doing this thing? It could range from the workplace to church. It could be in music, in sports, in computer work, or even in singing. It could be coming from making 20 cents a day to 2 million dollars in days!

In closing:

Acts 8:9-24.....................9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

20 Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." NIV

WOW! It says that Peter told Simon, you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. In the blog "HAPPY ARE THE PEOPLE", the people who know God are those who are not bitter, not after their own thing, but after the glory of God. It is in His glory that we have those radiant faces and the joyful heart that look at doing what God the Lord planned for us to do.

As we look at Simon from Acts 8 and verse 24, we find he asked for Simon to pray..........but Peter told him to repent of the  wickedness and pray to the Lord.....perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart!

It does not say that Simon repented of his act toward the holy things of God and thinking he could buy the Holy Spirit. He asked Peter to pray for him. 
Was not this like Saul?  Have we not read time and again of the pride that Saul got into as he thought he could do without the Lord's leading. He was even giving sacrifice without the priest being present. That which was duly performed was given by God, but it also meant that that sacrificing was as worship and was of the inward heart. Yes, it was a heart issue!  It was not just an outward show to perform something. Obedience with a faithful trusting heart is what pleases God. 

1 Thessalonians 2:4....................4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. NIV
Romans 14:17-20...................17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.  NKJV

I remember this gentleman who was in the church we were attending. He loved to work out. And he did some training in the field of body builders. He had done it for awhile and after an amount of time the Lord told him to stop doing it.
He shared with the body of believer's that his doing it was for his benefit and not God's. He had come to a place where that "thing" was so important that it had become " a god" to him. So he stopped doing it. He obeyed God. We must be those who willing choose to put down that which only glorifies us and pick up that which glorifies the Father. What could possibly be in our lives, that we must put down and move away from to glorify our Father in Heaven? 

Samson did repent at the end. It cost him his life! And it was recorded............for us to read and hear! He traded glory for sorrows!

Father, we are told in Romans 8:8 that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. It is Your Holy Spirit that has come to dwell in our hearts by faith. Today we are alive because the Spirit which is life is in us. Living by YOUR Holy Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. We have received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, " Abba, Father."
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 
Father show us where we might have something that could become a "god" to us. Help us to check our hearts daily and listen to Your rebuke.
We desire not to trade Your glory for sorrows, but we desire to bring praise to YOUR name and shout praise forever!

We pray to be those who will repent when we know we must to stay in Your Presence and YOUR glory. We desire to hear every command and obey them.

We know that You have given us Your Holy Spirit and according to John 3:34,35, "for since he Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God's own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!

We desire today to bask in the beauty of Who You are. We are expectant to have a life filled with adventure, but also with wisdom, truth and righteousness that keeps us in the shelter of the Almighty God in Jesus' name. Amen and Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV