The Desperate Need

Sunday, ‎September ‎18, ‎2022

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: 1 Peter 3:18 ►

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Memory verse: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Today's reading: PROVERBS 30-31 2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-15

The Desperate Need

Most of us have seen the desperate needs that solicit funds on the television adds. The desperate needs of the poor around the world as well as the desperate needs of the abused animals-the plight of the oppressed in every nation-these needs are great and desperate and response-physical response is demanded. These are great and pressing dilemmas. I believe we should all pray as to where God wants us individually to respond.

What is the greatest, most desperate need in the world today? Is it deliverance for Christians from worldwide persecution? No it is not. Is it the loss of spiritual freedoms around the world? No. Is it irradication of human trafficking and selling of human beings into slavery? No. Is it what we call revival? No, I don't believe it is.

The most desperate need, I believe is this: The realization of each chosen individual of their desperate need for a deep relationship with God, Almighty.

Yes, the lost need salvation. But if all the people who cry out today for revival were 'revived' themselves and did the work of the evangelist that Paul teaches, our churches would be overflowing-in spite of whatever the government is doing-in spite of the evil that seeks to silence us. If we all would throw ourselves on God's mercy daily and take up our individual crosses and follow Him and walk as Jesus walked, we would see more than signs and wonders.

Jesus said: “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” John 1:50

Go back and read this account in John 1. Jesus saw what was happening in Nathanael's mind.

What did they see after this? They saw Jesus feed the 5000 and the 3000-they saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and many other miracles. But I believe the greatest thing they saw was when the Spirit fell at Pentecost and 3000 souls were added in one day and then it went on from there to see the gospel spread to most of the known world in a few years.

What happened after that? Personal sin happened. Greed for possessions-Lust for power. Loss of focus-the focus turned from God to self-it turned from building God's kingdom to building great structures and organizations. It went from a burning in the hearts of devoted followers of Christ to the 'church' burning devoted followers of Christ at the stake...

It went from the rule of our Divine God in Christ to the rule of 'man gods'.

Where are we now?

Proverbs 27: 20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed.

In the same way, people will never stop wanting more than they have.

C.S. Lewis said: "The whole lesson of my life has been that no ‘methods of stimulation’ are of any lasting use. They are indeed like drugs—a stronger dose is needed each time and soon no possible dose is effective."

But where are you? Where am I? This madness can be stopped and will...when we humble ourselves under God's hand-when we see that the most desperate need in the world is the need for us individually to be completely surrendered to Christ Jesus-when we employ the mind of Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit.

In a field fire-the wind blows the fire into a rage-nothing escapes. If a tank of fuel explodes on a tank farm, not all tanks explode-there must be a breach of the metal skin to get to the fuel for the fire to spread or the fuel inside reaches the ignition point and blows outward.

We have a metal skin of sin around us. What will it take for us to realize this? The Lord will use what is inside us, the Holy Spirit, if we pray down the barrier of sin in confession and surrender.

People are saved one heart at a time. Revival comes one heart at a time. Then the wind of God can blow and blow He will...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for the sin of self consumption. I want to be consumed by You. This is my most desperate need.

Our God of consuming fire,

In the name of Jesus Christ our savior,

Amen