Sunday Sabbath January 31 2016  CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Today was the fourth and final sermon in a series about what is written on our weekly bulletin that is handed out to the parishioners each week.  The four message titles are: COME AS YOU ARE, CONNECT WITH GOD, CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, and today’s title, CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.

Here is what is printed on our weekly handout:

CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

“We desire God to have a tangible Presence in our church and lives.  We have a conviction that He will pour out more of Himself on Madison, its surrounding areas, and its churches if we persistently ask for more of His Spirit and pursue pure and inspired unity with the people who share His passions, His purposes, and His heart.”

Today the sermon was delivered by our Pastor for our children’s ministry, David Bechtold.  He did an amazing presentation.  Pastor Bechtold is a young man and I have only known of him for the past five years or so.  It is amazing to watch and listen to the young ministers through the years and see how very much they grow and mature in the Lord as time adds years of experience.  Pastor David has amazed me over the years as I have listened to him.  Each pastor has their own personality they bring to their sermons, their own stories, their own vulnerabilities.  In today’s discourse, all four of those areas excelled in Pastor David as he stood up to deliver God’s truth to the congregation.  Thank you Pastor Dave for sharing with the congregation the tender and personal attributes of your heart.

Again, I recommend going to http://www.citychurchonline.org if you would like to listen to this sermon.

I pray that God will give me the right words to use from Pastor David’s sermon so that you may hear his message through the poem God places in my heart.  I pray that you will have a better understanding of what the true meaning of having a closer relationship with God really is.

 

CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

By Kathleen Martens

January 31 2016

 

Dear God teach me to not strive

For that which is given to me.

Instead show me how to contend,

For that which is offered free.

 

For it is You who invites me to contend

For more of Your holy essence.

That I not strive for striving’s sake,

But instead desire more of Your presence.

 

All I must do is wait upon the Lord

That he remove what is unimportant to me,

So it will be flushed out of my life,

So my eyes will be opened to see

 

That God is the one who is important,

And on Him alone I should rely.

That I not contend for myself,

But allow the Holy Spirit to comply.

 

I must cease striving so I hear God say,

“KNOW THAT I AM GOD”.

And with preparation of the gospel of peace

My feet will be firmly shod.

 

And my desire will turn to longing,

So I then discipline my time,

To make room for my God,

And to allow for presence Divine.

 

For when I am too busy,

My hours are eaten up.

So I must purposely set aside,

Time with my Father to sup.

 

So I can taste and see

That what he has for me is good.

And I will delight in who He is,

As He desires that I should.

 

And with delight comes satisfaction

For He accepts me with all of my sins.

And though my sins be as scarlet,

He makes them white when I let Him in.

 

And God so delights in His children,

And He has so much more to give.

Even more than for what I ask,

So on His righteous road I will live.

 

He gives me the power and glory

Of His Holy Spirit in my life to dwell.

For God wants me more than I can fathom,

And my doubt he desires to quell.

 

All I must do is ask, and I will receive.

And when I seek, I will find.

When I knock, the door is opened,

And my spiritual eyes are no longer blind.

 

God has created me for a purpose,

He gives me freedom in how to praise.

I am uniquely fashioned by God

To seek Him through all my days.

 

When I DESIRE, I then have longing,

To DISCIPLINE the hours I need,

To DELIGHT in His presence,

And the right DECISION then to heed.

 

That there would be less of me,

And more of Jesus would be shown.

That through my life, and what I say,

More of Jesus would be known.

 

For it seems the more I rely

On what this world has to offer,

The more the world will demand of me

Reaching deep into my coffers.

 

But when desire and delight

Surround the discipline I choose,

The time I need is no longer difficult,

Because with Jesus I can never lose.

 

For Jesus I am constantly hungering,

Yet at the same time, deeply satisfied.

And always desiring more of Him,

For He is my Friend in whom I confide.

 

Hebrews 11:6 King James Version

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

 

John 3:16 King James Version

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Well, I went a bit over my one hour time max, but it was well worth it.  The above poem is inspired by today’s sermon, “CONTENDING FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE” presented by David Bechtold.  Thank you Pastor David for listening to the Lord so He could use you to touch my heart, as I am certain there were many other lives touched as well.  What you said today rings true in my heart.  That which matters truly does take time and energy.  Thank you for your time and energy that went into preparing today’s message.  Again I say, we are blessed as a Church Body to have you as our minister to our younger generation.  And you do a great job ministering to us “old ones” too!

Good night and God bless you. 

 

P.S.

FUN FACT:

Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450F.

My comment: It is also good for salad dressings!