Confidently Seeking the Lord
(Message preached by Bro. Ravi Jesupaul on 11
January 2015 in the Morning English service at Holy Prayer House)
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please
God, because anyone who comes to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
This verse is often spoken of as a promise for
non-believers. But, we, believers fail to realize that it equally relates to
us. What is faith? As we read in Hebrews 11:1, faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We miss out on some of God’s blessings,
because we sometimes lack this faith.
Emphasizing this, Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “Because
of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard
seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will
move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Our problems might not be as
big as mountains.
But, the word says that if we have simple,
humble faith, as small as a mustard seed, we can make impossible things happen.
We think that we have faith, in realty; we couldn’t believe the above said
verse.
Here are a few things to remind ourselves about who
God is and how he rewards those who seek Him:
1. Believe that the Lord is alive
I am the living one, I was
dead; and, behold; I am alive forever and ever. – Revelation 1:18
During one very difficult period, Martin Luther was
carrying many burdens and fighting many battles. Usually jolly and smiling, he
was instead depressed and worried. His wife, Katherine endured this for days.
One day, she met him at the door wearing a black mourning dress.
"Who died?" Luther asked.
"God," said Katherine.
"You foolish thing!" said Luther. "Why this foolishness!".
"It is true," she persisted. "God must have died, or Doctor
Luther would not be so sorrowful."
Her therapy worked, and Luther snapped out of his depression.
Paul also mentioned in I Corinthians 15: 14 – “and if
Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also
empty.”
How is your faith my friend? Is it empty?
You may shout, “Oh my Lord is alive, I believe”. Is he alive in ALL
circumstances for you?
That determines, whether your faith is empty or
full.
2.
He is close to you
The Bible says in Deuteronomy 4:7 “For what great
nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for
whatever reason we may call upon Him?
Here is an example in George Muller’s life for us to
learn:
George Muller was on the way to Quebec, Canada for
preaching, in a ship called “S.S. Sardinian“. It was a Wednesday; the ship was
stopped in between in the Newfoundland Sea. George Muller approached the
Captain Dutton, who was the captain of the ship.
‘Captain’, Muller said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on
Saturday afternoon.' But the captain answered "'It is impossible, Mr.
Muller'.
Muller said immediately, "'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will
find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an
engagement in fifty-two years. "'Let us go down to the chart-room and
pray.'
The Captain looked at that man of God, and thought to himself, what lunatic
asylum could that man have come from. Captain said to Muller "'Mr.
Müller,', 'do you know how dense the fog is?'
"'No, my eye is not on the density of the fog Captain, but on the
Living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.' Müller replied.
He got down on his knees and prayed one of the most simple prayers. That would
suit a children's class, where the children were not more than eight or nine
years old.'
Lord, our God, We thank you that you command the
winds, the waves, and even this fog. We rejoice that our times and our
circumstances are in your hand. Now, Father, in the glorious name of our
saviour, you will make it possible for us to reach Quebec by Saturday
afternoon. That your name will be glorified, Amen'. Müller completed his
prayer.
When he finished. The captain was going to pray, but he put his hand on
captain’s shoulder and said not to pray. "First, you do not believe He
will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to
pray about it.' George Müller said.
"'Captain. I have known my Lord for fifty-two years, and there is not
even a single day that the King has not graciously given me an audience.
Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' George
Müller said. The captain got up, and the fog was gone!
In Saturday afternoon,
George Müller was there on time at Quebec."
You tell that to some people of a scientific turn of mind, and they will say,
'That is not according to natural laws.' No, it is according to spiritual laws.
The God with whom we have to do is omnipotent. Hold on to God's omnipotence. Ask
believingly, he is standing just in front of you.
Friends,
Are you confident that you are getting an audience from the King of Kings,
every time, you are seeking his face. Many say, Yes, I am
praying. However, are you praying with the confidence that your Lord is
listening to you.
The
Bible is asking a question. Which nation (People) are having such a God like
ours, are close to you whenever you pray, whatever reason you may call upon
him.
Many do
not have this faith. You know what the reason is. The Bible says…
Yes, “The Lord is near to
those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psalm
34:18
If you are going to the Lord with the broken
heart and contrite spirit, My friend, be assured, you have been given an
audience by the King of Kings.
3. He is
Powerful God
Paul
says, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of
human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
in 1 Corinthians 2: 4, 5.
As Paul
has said to the Corinthians, the same applies to us today. We should not rely
on human wisdom for any of our circumstances. Our God is a God of
impossibilities. The Doctors may give a hopeless situation. The world may say,
that is end of your hope. But, the power of God can turn anything upside down.
Human intelligent, reasoning or being intellectuals will all be crushed in the
sight of God. The Power of God alone prevails.
The
Power of God is keeping us by our faith on Jesus, our Lord and saviour. Do you
believe this my Friend?
4. Seek
the Lord with all your heart
“You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found
by you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13, 14
“But
from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek
Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29
Half-heartedness
would bring dis-belief in to your life. I would say, shut your ears to the
worldly advices (disturbances).
Seek
the Lord with all your heart. Surrender all. Say, “I am helpless Lord”. Lord
will be your help, and your strength.
Seek the Lord; yes, seek
his strength And seek his face untiringly. 1 Chronicles 16:11
Don’t lose your heart,
seek His face untiringly.
5. Prayer
Answering God
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who earnestly (diligently) seek him.”
Lord
Jesus said, until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:2
Ask the
Lord God Father, in His name “Jesus”. This is one great favour through Lord
Jesus.
John
16:23 says, “Most assuredly, I
say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.”
Believe
my friend, Lord God our Father, will give you whatever, how difficult it could
be, how challenging your situation could be, how serious your health could be
today. Doesn't, matter what, He will give you, since you ask in HIS HOLY NAME
JESUS.
Finally,
before I complete, let me tell my witness.
My Son
went into in comma, when he was three days old. A medicine became poison to him
and started killing his organs one by one. Movement in the body, sensation of
his body, Vocal cards, digestive systems …. All failed in a moment of time. His
left lung collapsed and right one started to die. His brain losing its life
hour by hour. His heart alone was functioning. The Doctors tried their
best for three days and finally said, impossible to revive the child. “He would
die in a moment of time, even if he is alive, he would be a spastic child as
the brain is giving up” the Doctors concluded.
When
human wisdom had given up, we had no other go. I sought the face of the Lord on
that day, when few hours were left out. I climbed to the top most floor of the
hospital and knelt in a corner. Tears were flowing out my eyes.
I cried
to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, Where are you. Come down and help me now”. I repeated
this twice with tears.
All of
sudden, I was attacked by a force and surrounded by a fire. I could see, Lord
Jesus came down in person and laid His hand on my head. I was shouting with
loud voice “This is Power of God, This is Power of God”. I started speaking in
different languages.
The
Lord Jesus himself anointed me, when my son was in deathbed in that Hospital.
When
the Lord was about to take his hand from my head, I cried to him “Lord, Don’t
leave me”.
Oh, we
do have such a Loving God Jesus, my Friend. He laid his hand once again. I was
with the Lord Jesus for more than two hours and this has repeated for many times,
until I lost my physical strength and fell down in the floor.
When I
woke up from the floor, the Lord Jesus left the place and the heavenly fire has
gone. There was a powerful presence of God. I forgot all about by son and
nothing from the world came to my mind. I have met my God, Lord Jesus.
After
some time, I came down to the ICU in the ground floor, where my son was. All my
relatives were standing there and they all ran to me and said, “It’s a miracle,
Lord healed your Son”.
You
know what has happened. When the nurse was attending him, the boy woke up, as
if he was in a deep sleep, and starting crying and was pulling all the wires
and tubes attached to him. Everything started working. Doctors surrounded the
boy and did all their testing. They could not identify, even a single symptom
to believe, what had been happening for the three days and could not prove the
necessity of their treatment.
Human
wisdom will not have any value, when the Power of God is at work. My son is 21
years now. We named him as “Gift”. THE LORD JESUS IS ALIVE and POWERFUL.
When
you come to God,
Believe that He is alive.
Believe that He is powerful.
Believe that he is a prayer answering God.
Don’t look at your problem, rather seek the Living
God, who controls every circumstance of your life.
Approach the Lord with a Brocken heart and contrite
spirit. Seek the Lord whole-heartedly.
When you pray, Don’t forget to believe that the King
of Kings is giving you an audience.
Believe, the Lord Father would will give it to you,
since you are asking in the name of the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Nothing is impossible for
God. Seek the Lord Confidently.
Holy
Prayer House
Ph. 9866232607
First Floor at Plot No. 500, Ayyappa Society, Hyderabad-500 081
In the 100 ft Road,
Near the YSR statue, Opposite to Vivin Towers, Sri Chaitanya IIT campus.
