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| PentecostalTheology.com
We Seek and Find and Receive by Faith ~ Ray E Horton
People will yell and shout and get all excited over a piece of pigskin at a football game, about really nothing, but the “frozen chosen” in many of our churches soberly and passively look on as the greatest event of all creation is preached and His transforming love and grace is made available in our hearts. Christian’s need to know God, not just about Him, to come into His presence and experience His reality in their lives.
God has always wanted to please us. And how do we please Him? It is by receiving all that He has for us by faith. Heb. 11:16 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” As we seek Him, He desires to reward us, and as we exercise the faith to receive His favor and blessing (salvation, forgiveness, healing, prosperity, fulfillment in life, good fruit), He is pleased.
Jesus told us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). As we put His Kingdom before our own agenda, fears, worries, desires, and depend upon His righteousness that He has place within us, all our answers will be found, everything we need will be there. “...Seek, and you will find…” (Matt. 7:7). All we do is seek, press in to God, let go of our ways for His, trust in Him, and the finding is sure.
The pious, religious person will say you must seek out your sins and mourn and do penance and maybe you’ll appease, if not please God. But it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance and to turn around to Him, to get up and leave our sin behind, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and rejoice to live for Him, strengthened by Him, empowered by Him, victorious in Him, empowered by the authority of the Word of God and the Spirit of God Who dwells within us.
How arrogant it is to want to “suffer for Jesus” who suffered for us – did all the suffering necessary to remove our sin and bring the joy of reward God originally intended for us. Let us take that joy as our power and strength in the Holy Spirit to serve the Kingdom, be Jesus to others and shine the light of His glory within to the world around us. We seek Him by coming into His presence, where there is fullness of joy to be had, and that joy of the Lord is our very strength.
This knowledge is the Good News of the grace of God – Christ in you, the hope of glory. This knowledge is what we must dwell on – not the cares of this world. The Lord gave me a word for a friend who was down and out this morning. It was a simply word: “The Lord says, 1) I love you; 2) I will live big in you if you will let me, and 3) Don’t crowd Me out with your cares and worries – put me first, and see them fall away.” That word was for Him, but it is for all of us.
It is being established in this knowledge and living the life He has given us and giving it away to all those around us that is bringing about the Great Awakening that is upon us and that we will be seeing more and more clearly in the days ahead.
So, get excited in Him. This is the day and the hour – our deliverance has come, and now we can get about the work of the Kingdom, setting the captives free, pushing back the darkness, and bringing His joy to the world.
It gave Him great joy to go the cross for you (Hebrews 12:2). Now He seeks your joy, and it gives Him great pleasure when you receive all that He has for you by faith. Your pleasure isn’t bad when it is God-given, for it is His desire for you – to refresh and build you up, to encourage and motivate you to live your life in Him and through Him as He lives in and through you.
And, do not be afraid or ashamed to worship Him publicly, in church and at every opportunity, with all your heart. He is worthy!
